Preparing for Social Action: A Case Study from Zambia on the Relationship Between Religious Knowledge and Development

This study is based on two premises: the centrality of knowledge to processes of development and the centrality of spirituality and religion to the lives of the majority of the world’s population. It is through the generation and application of knowledge that communities and societies progress, and for many this change involves “a dynamic coherence between the spiritual and the material” (Tyndale, 2003, p. 23). Religion can be regarded as a system of knowledge, based upon the sacred texts that lie at the heart of the world’s major religions, addressing aspects of spiritual reality. Historically, religious knowledge in development has been marginalised or discredited; secularism has been identified as the normative, rational position. This position has increasingly been challenged over the last decade, which has witnessed a ‘global resurgence in religion’ (Berger, 1999). A growing number of voices are calling for serious engagement with religion in development. This research sets out to explore some of the questions raised in an emerging discourse between religion and development by engaging with religion as a system of knowledge that informs development theory and practice. The work focuses on a Bahá’í-inspired organisation in Zambia as a case study. Inshindo Foundation offers an education for development programme, Preparation for Social Action, that emphasizes harmony between the material and spiritual in processes of development. Over a ten-week period in 2010, I used qualitative methods to investigate the conceptions and experiences of PSA students and tutors in relation to their participation in the programme. The findings highlight the potential role of religious knowledge and spiritual values to inform and motivate individual action for change and sustain commitment and effort to achieve collective goals. This makes an important contribution to understandings of how to promote participatory development. At the level of theory, the findings draw attention to a vision of development based on spiritual values and principles that is fundamentally different from mainstream conceptions

Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries

The global burden of diet-attributable type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not well established. This risk assessment model estimated T2D incidence among adults attributable to direct and body weight-mediated effects of 11 dietary factors in 184 countries in 1990 and 2018. In 2018, suboptimal intake of these dietary factors was estimated to be attributable to 14.1 million (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 13.8–14.4 million) incident T2D cases, representing 70.3% (68.8–71.8%) of new cases globally. Largest T2D burdens were attributable to insufficient whole-grain intake (26.1% (25.0–27.1%)), excess refined rice and wheat intake (24.6% (22.3–27.2%)) and excess processed meat intake (20.3% (18.3–23.5%)). Across regions, highest proportional burdens were in central and eastern Europe and central Asia (85.6% (83.4–87.7%)) and Latin America and the Caribbean (81.8% (80.1–83.4%)); and lowest proportional burdens were in South Asia (55.4% (52.1–60.7%)). Proportions of diet-attributable T2D were generally larger in men than in women and were inversely correlated with age. Diet-attributable T2D was generally larger among urban versus rural residents and higher versus lower educated individuals, except in high-income countries, central and eastern Europe and central Asia, where burdens were larger in rural residents and in lower educated individuals. Compared with 1990, global diet-attributable T2D increased by 2.6 absolute percentage points (8.6 million more cases) in 2018, with variation in these trends by world region and dietary factor. These findings inform nutritional priorities and clinical and public health planning to improve dietary quality and reduce T2D globally.publishedVersio

Preparing for Social Action: A Case Study from Zambia on the Relationship Between Religious Knowledge and Development

This study is based on two premises: the centrality of knowledge to processes of development and the centrality of spirituality and religion to the lives of the majority of the world’s population. It is through the generation and application of knowledge that communities and societies progress, and for many this change involves “a dynamic coherence between the spiritual and the material” (Tyndale, 2003, p. 23). Religion can be regarded as a system of knowledge, based upon the sacred texts that lie at the heart of the world’s major religions, addressing aspects of spiritual reality. Historically, religious knowledge in development has been marginalised or discredited; secularism has been identified as the normative, rational position. This position has increasingly been challenged over the last decade, which has witnessed a ‘global resurgence in religion’ (Berger, 1999). A growing number of voices are calling for serious engagement with religion in development. This research sets out to explore some of the questions raised in an emerging discourse between religion and development by engaging with religion as a system of knowledge that informs development theory and practice. The work focuses on a Bahá’í-inspired organisation in Zambia as a case study. Inshindo Foundation offers an education for development programme, Preparation for Social Action, that emphasizes harmony between the material and spiritual in processes of development. Over a ten-week period in 2010, I used qualitative methods to investigate the conceptions and experiences of PSA students and tutors in relation to their participation in the programme. The findings highlight the potential role of religious knowledge and spiritual values to inform and motivate individual action for change and sustain commitment and effort to achieve collective goals. This makes an important contribution to understandings of how to promote participatory development. At the level of theory, the findings draw attention to a vision of development based on spiritual values and principles that is fundamentally different from mainstream conceptions.</p

Overcoming secularism? Catholic development geographies in Timor-Leste

The Catholic Church has played a key role in the development of Timor-Leste since Dominican friars first began trading with the Timorese in the 16th century. Religious networks and spaces have been essential in delivering development services, while Catholic theologies have shaped how development is pursued and understood. In this paper we outline the changing contribution and character of the Catholic Church through three periods of Timor's tumultuous history-during colonialism, under Indonesian occupation and through independence-with a greater focus on the latter stages. We present the Timorese Church as a heterogeneous organisation that responds in both progressive and conservative ways to the socio-political contexts in which it is embedded. Our aim is to highlight the diverse religious development geographies that exist in Timor-Leste but which are marginalised within contemporary development planning and policy. Drawing upon post-development theory and performative research, we encourage debate about the role of religious institutions in inspiring 'alternatives-to-development'.This chapter was originally published in Third world quarterly, volume 33, issue 6 (May 2012), p.1129-1146.18 page(s

Overcoming secularism? Catholic development geographies in Timor-Leste

The Catholic Church has played a key role in the development of Timor-Leste since Dominican friars first began trading with the Timorese in the 16th century. Religious networks and spaces have been essential in delivering development services, while Catholic theologies have shaped how development is pursued and understood. In this paper we outline the changing contribution and character of the Catholic Church through three periods of Timor's tumultuous history-during colonialism, under Indonesian occupation and through independence-with a greater focus on the latter stages. We present the Timorese Church as a heterogeneous organisation that responds in both progressive and conservative ways to the socio-political contexts in which it is embedded. Our aim is to highlight the diverse religious development geographies that exist in Timor-Leste but which are marginalised within contemporary development planning and policy. Drawing upon post-development theory and performative research, we encourage debate about the role of religious institutions in inspiring 'alternatives-to-development'.18 page(s

Electroreduction of sulfur dioxide in some room-temperature ionic liquids

The mechanism of sulfur dioxide reduction at a platinum microelectrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry in several room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) - [C2mim][NTf2], [C4mim][BF 4], [C4mim][NO3], [C4mim]-[PF 6], and [C6mim][Cl] where [C2mim] is l-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium, [C4mim] is l-butyl-3-methylimida-zolium, [C 6mim] is l-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium, and [NTf2] is bis(trifluoromethylsufonyl)imide - with special attention paid to [C 4mim][NO3] because of the well-defined voltammetry, high solubility, and relatively low diffusion coefficient of SO2 obtained in that ionic liquid. A cathodic peak is observed in all RTILs between -2.0 and -1.0 V versus a silver quasi-reference electrode. In [C4mim][NO 3], the peak appears at -1.0 V, and potential step chronoamperometry was used to determine that SO2 has a very high solubility of 3100 (±450) mM and a diffusion coefficient of 5.0 (±0.8) × 10-10 m2 s_1 in that ionic liquid. On the reverse wave, up to four anodic peaks are observed at ca. -0.4, -0.3, -0.2, and 0.2 V in [C4mim][NO3]. The cathodic wave is assigned to the reduction of SO2 to its radical anion, SO2-̇. The peaks at -0.4 and -0.2 V are assigned to the oxidation of unsolvated and solvated SO2-, respectively. The peak appearing at 0.2 V is assigned to the oxidation of either S2O 42- or S2O4-̇. The activation energy for the reduction of SO2 in [C4mim] [NO3] was measured to be 10 (±2) kJ mol-1 using chronoamperometric data at different temperatures. The stabilizing interaction of the solvent with the reduced species SO2-̇ leads to a different mechanism than that observed in conventional aprotic solvents. The high sensitivity of the system to SO2 also suggests that [C 4mim][NO3] may be a viable solvent in gas sensing applications. © 2008 American Chemical Society

Sugar-sweetened beverage intakes among adults between 1990 and 2018 in 185 countries

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are associated with cardiometabolic diseases and social inequities. For most nations, recent estimates and trends of intake are not available; nor variation by education or urbanicity. We investigated SSB intakes among adults between 1990 and 2018 in 185 countries, stratified subnationally by age, sex, education, and rural/urban residence, using data from the Global Dietary Database. In 2018, mean global SSB intake was 2.7 (8 oz = 248 grams) servings/week (95% UI 2.5-2.9) (range: 0.7 (0.5-1.1) in South Asia to 7.8 (7.1-8.6) in Latin America/Caribbean). Intakes were higher in male vs. female, younger vs. older, more vs. less educated, and urban vs. rural adults. Variations by education and urbanicity were largest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 1990 and 2018, SSB intakes increased by +0.37 (+0.29, +0.47), with the largest increase in Sub-Saharan Africa. These findings inform intervention, surveillance, and policy actions worldwide, highlighting the growing problem of SSBs for public health in Sub-Saharan Africa.Peer reviewe