"If they come they will build it" : managing and building e-democracy from the ground up

The possibilities for using online media to promote deliberative democracy and enhance civic participation have been identified by many. At the same time, the ‘e-democracy score card’ is decidedly mixed, with the tendency of established institutions in both government and the mainstream media to promote a ‘push’ model of communication and information provision, which fails to adapt to the decentralized, networked, interactive and many-to-many forms of communication enabled by the Internet. This paper will discuss the experience of the National Forum, which is building an Australian e-Democracy site of which is the first stage. It aims to be a combination of town-square, shopping centre of ideas, and producers’ co-operative which will allow citizens, talkers, agitators, researchers and legislators to interact with each other individually and through their organisations. Its aim will be to facilitate conversations, and where required, action. This project can be understood from a myriad of angles. At one level it is an open source journalism project, at another it deals with knowledge management. It can also be approached as a forum, an archive, an internet arketing initiative and an eCommerce resource for civil society. Central to the project is the development of feedback mechanisms so that participants can better understand the debates and where they stand in them as well as gauging the mood, desires and interests of the nation on a continuous basis. This paper deals with the practice, theories and economic models underlying the project, and considers the contribution of such sites to community formation and the development of social capital

Hybrid analysis techniques for software fault detection

Since the question "Does program P obey specification S" is undecidable in general, every practical software validation technique must compromise accuracy in some way. Testing techniques admit the possibility that a fault will go undetected, as the price for quitting after a finite number of test cases. Formal verification admits the possibility that a proof will not be found for a valid assertion, as the price for quitting after a finite amount of proof effort. No technique so dominates others that a wise validation strategy consists of applying that technique alone; rather, effective validation requires applying several techniques

Some challenges facing Lean Thinking in healthcare

Copyright @ The Authors 2009. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc/2.5/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.No abstract available (Editorial).EPSR

AC Voltage Control of a Future Large Offshore Wind Farm Network Connected by HVDC

The offshore wind resource around the seas of the UK is a very large renewable energy resource. Future offshore wind farm sites leased by the Crown Estate for Round 3 development will need high power capacity grid connection, but their remote location presents a challenge for the electrical connection to the grid. Long distance AC cable transmission is not practical due to the large cable capacitance which leads to reactive power loss. This thesis considers the voltage source converter and high voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) technology as the future grid connection for the offshore wind farm network, which is more controllable and has better transmission efficiencies for long distance and high power cable transmission applications. The offshore AC network is weak with very little inertia and has limited rating at the HVDC converter substation. The dynamics in key variables in the offshore wind farm AC network and how they affect certain components in the system were studied. Without proper control, the offshore voltage and the frequency will be sensitive to change. The capacitor of the AC filter at the offshore VSC-HVDC station was found to be vulnerable to over-voltage, therefore a closed loop AC voltage controller was proposed here to maintain a constant capacitor voltage and to prevent tripping or over-voltage damage. The tuning of the control gains were optimised with a pole placement design method and small signal analysis for observing the system eigenvalue damping. The control parameters were then tuned for a fast and well damped controller. The AC voltage controller was evaluated and compared to an open loop system. The controller was able to limit the resonance in the LC filter that can be triggered by large and fast disturbances in the current, voltage and frequency. Current saturation could be implemented within the control structure for device protection from over-currents. Insight on how the wind turbine fully rated frequency converters and controllers may interact with the VSC-HVDC converter station is also discussed

China And The U. S. At The Crossroads: Rule Of Law Or Rule Of Force?

Although China’s sudden reach for prosperity has created wealth for thousands of its citizens, it has also generated concern about China’s future social harmony and stability.  At the heart of Chinese politics is the unchallenged dominance of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which has governed China since 1949, but may be facing serious challenges in the years ahead.   Likewise, US economic dominance that has existed for decades has hit serious economic headwinds.  The recent financial crisis and its staggering public debt are posing a threat to US economic and political leadership in the world and the U.S. may be facing its own problems of maintaining security and harmony in a rapidly worsening economy. The question this paper will address is whether America’s Rule of Law or China’s Rule of Force will prevail in the long run?

Marco Polo 2002: Venice By Way Of China

As part of an executive MBA program, the authors visited with the top executives at multiple Chinese companies and agencies in several major cities during the summer of 2002. Businesses included several that have recently transitioned from being state-owned enterprises; pure entrepreneurial firms; and multi-national enterprises with headquarters outside of China. The visits allowed us to hear how China intends to manage its challenges and pursue its opportunities as well as to witness some early successes, emerging experiments, and looming problems. In this paper, we will share our observations, which are organized around several themes. We conclude that much of what is going on in China must be viewed as transitional and temporary. While there are serious challenges, China should be recognized as having accomplished more positive change faster than perhaps any other country in the history of the world

The Credit Crunch: The Roller Coaster Ride Continues

Borrowers face tight credit markets after years of easy credit.  This study examines the events that led to the credit crunch and its impact on global economies

The NFL as a Mega-Crisis: Applications of Fractal Theory

The National Football League (NFL) is facing a reputation crisis—a serious problem for a powerhouse institution that airs its Super Bowl in 180 countries. Public and media scrutiny for its handling of domestic abuse cases and denial of concussions leading to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) have left the NFL with a mega-crisis. Television ratings are down, player injuries are up, and fewer youth are participating in the sport. This research, presented at the International Crisis and Risk Communication conference, addresses the CTE and domestic abuse scandals in the NFL and details the League’s responses to both high-profile cases. We provide an understanding of a mega-crisis and then introduce Fractal Crisis Theory as the foundation for an analysis of both situations. The theory provides a context for analyzing how the NFL managed these two crises and offers a unique approach to studying sport and crises. We conclude with recommendations for dealing with future mega-crises

Hands Across The Atlantic?

The war in Iraq created a division between the United States and some members of the European Union.  The war also split the EU, with France and Germany leading the anti-war camp and Britain, Italy, Portugal, and Spain supporting Washington.  With organized warfare over, the United States has shifted its attention from the military campaign to the installation of a legitimate and stable government in Iraq.  However, the administration of post-war Iraq has caused the division between the US and Europe to widen. The multilateralists, France and Germany, are demanding a central role for the UN in rebuilding Iraq.  France, in particular, believes that the task should be left to the UN alone.  They suggest this would help legitimize what they consider to be an illegal war.  On the other hand, the US, which accepted a great burden with the pre-emptive attack on Iraq, wants the UN to have a “vital” but limited role in post-war Iraq.  The US believes that the UN needs serious repair before any responsibilities can be handed to it.This study examines the economic, political, and security implications of the division between these old allies.  The relationship between the US and EU is based on years of cooperation.  Both sides know that they must mend fences sooner rather than later.  We contend that pragmatism will triumph over geo-politics