Co-production in Action: Towards Realising Just Cities

Some years ago, in several cities on different continents, groups of people started to organise themselves differently – beyond their institutional frameworks – to create knowledge about how cities possibly could evolve in the future using co-production approaches. They began to share their insights across continents, learning from each other what particular local contexts could offer. These knowledge-transferring group of people grew into the unique international collaboration that is Mistra Urban Futures.If you are interested in how urban change can work towards realising a more just society in a world as challenged and challenging as ours, the book Co-production in action: Towards realising just cities will take you one step in that direction. Its contributors share their stories of how they developed, and are constantly reworking, their methods for addressing the complexities of the urban environment. You will not be given the answers to what could be a sustainable solution to a specific urban problem, but it will take you into a discussion of how possibly to create new knowledge for difficult emerging urban challenges.In search of this new knowledge, it is more and more frequently said that complex urban issues need a transdisciplinary approach – in other words, bringing academic and other researchers and stakeholders together in joint teams to co-produce knowledge. However, this is a challenging way of doing research. Challenging for the collaborating institutions bound by traditional formal plans and work descriptions. Challenging for research agendas that are not able to address a multi-stakeholder approach, and above all, challenging for participants who need to step out of both institutional and individual comfort zones

Destroying the Soul of the Yazidis: Cultural Heritage Destruction During the Islamic State's Genocide Against the Yazidis

Abstract On 2 August 2019, the eve of the 5th anniversary of the attacks on Sinjar by the Islamic State (IS), RASHID International, Yazda and the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa Project (EAMENA) released the results of their investigation into cultural heritage destruction during the genocide against the Yazidis, in a report entitled ‘Destroying the Soul of the Yazidis: Cultural Heritage Destruction during the Islamic State’s Genocide against the Yazidis’. Out of the total of 68 sites reported destroyed we consider 16 sites in the Bahzani/Bashiqa area and 8 in the Sinjar area to which access was possible and which could be documented. Discussions of the genocide committed against the Yazidi people by IS from 2014 onwards have generally focused on murder, slavery and sexual exploitation. In this report we analyze the destruction of Yazidi tangible and intangible cultural heritage as a significant facet of the Islamic State’s policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide. Evidence of destruction is collected and presented in context with other criminal acts. Peer Review A peer-reviewed academic article based on the report was published in the Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (AYHR), Volume 5, pp 111-144, DOI: 10.1163/9789004466180_006. The author manuscript of the article is available open access. The AYHR is edited by Professor Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Content Section 1 introduces the Yazidi (Êzidî being the preferred term) people and their strong connection to their cultural heritage. Section 2 provides an overview of the genocide against the Yazidis. The Islamic State made no secret of its intention to eradicate the Yazidi community and commenced a coldly calculated policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide on 3 August 2014. Section 3 analyzes the relevant framework of international criminal law. The destruction of tangible cultural heritage is most easily prosecuted as a war crime. Several convictions were obtained before the ICTY, as well as one conviction (Al-Mahdi) and one indictment (Ag Mahmoud) before the International Criminal Court. Attacks against tangible heritage may also be prosecuted as the crime of persecution, a crime against humanity. Numerous indictments and convictions before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and other courts attest to the viability of this approach. Finally, destruction of tangible heritage also serves as evidence of the special intent to destroy (dolus specialis) a protected group as part of the crime of genocide. Section 4 provides original research, evidence and context on the destruction of Yazidi tangible cultural heritage in the Bahzani/Bashiqa and Sinjar areas of northern Iraq. We present satellite imagery analysis conducted by the EAMENA Project, drawing on data provided by Yazidi representatives. According to the Department of Yazidi Affairs in the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government 68 Yazidi sites were destroyed by the Islamic State. We consider 16 sites in the Bahzani/Bashiqa area and 8 in the Sinjar area to which access was possible and which could be documented. We include description and religious importance of each site, satellite analysis and photographic evidence. Section 5 offers conclusions and recommendations. We conclude that the destruction of the cultural heritage of the Yazidi people constitutes a war crime, a crime against humanity (persecution) and further evidence of genocide. Contact Seán Fobbe Chief Legal Officer (RASHID International) [email protected]

Cultural Heritage Destruction during the Islamic State's Genocide against the Yazidis

Discussions of the 2014 genocide committed by the Islámic Státe ágáinst the E zidî s (álso known ás 'Yázidis' or 'Yezidis') háve generálly focused on murder, slávery ánd sexuál exploitátion. In this páper we ánályze the destruction of E zidî tángible ánd intángible culturál heritáge ás á significánt fácet of the Islámic Státe's policy of ethnic cleánsing ánd genocide. Evidence of destruction is collected ánd presented in context with other criminál ácts. In internátionál discourse the destruction of culturál heritáge sites is most often pláced under the heáding of wár crime. Severál convictions by the ICTY ánd the conviction of Málián Islámist AlMáhdi by the ICC áre well-known. However, heritáge destruction máy álso be prosecuted ás the crime of persecution, á crime ágáinst humánity. Numerous indictments ánd convictions before internátionál courts áttest to the viábility of this ápproách. Finálly, ás per explicit cáseláw of the ICJ ánd ICTY, destruction of tángible heritáge álso serves ás evidence of the speciál intent to destroy á protected group under the crime of genocide. The E zidî áre án endogámous community át home in northern Iráq for whom fáith ánd ethnic belonging áre inextricábly linked. Belief in God ánd Táwu se Málek (the highest ángel), ánd reverence for Lálish ás the holiest pláce on eárth áre the defining feátures of the E zidî fáith. Historic ánd sácred pláces áre án essentiál párt of the E zidî identity ánd áre considered vitál to life by the locál populátion. The Islámic Státe máde no secret of its intention to erádicáte the E zidî community ánd commenced á policy of ethnic cleánsing ánd genocide on 3 August 2014. All victims were ábused ánd tortured. Mále E zidî s ábove the áge of 12 were killed. Femále E zidî s were ensláved ánd tráded in á complex ánd public network of sexuál slávery. Those who fled to Mount Sinjár were besieged in order to ensure deáth from stárvátion, thirst ánd the blázing sun. Báses of economic support, such ás olive groves ánd irrigátion wells, were systemáticálly destroyed ánd mány áreás of the E zidî homelánd were sown with lándmines ánd improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to prevent the populátion from returning. We provide originál reseárch, evidence ánd context on the destruction of E zidî tángible culturál heritáge in the Báhzáni/Báshiqá ánd Sinjár áreás of northern Iráq. We present sátellite imágery ánálysis conducted by the EAMENA project, dráwing on dátá provided by E zidî representátives. According to the Depártment of Yázidi Affáirs in the Ministry of Awqáf ánd Religious Affáirs in the Kurdistán Regionál Government 68 E zidî sites were destroyed by the Islámic Státe. We consider 16 sites in the Báhzáni/Báshiqá áreá ánd 8 in the Sinjár áreá to which áccess wás possible ánd which could be documented. We conclude thát the destruction of the culturál heritáge of the E zidî people constituted á wár crime, á crime ágáinst humánity (persecution) ánd compelling evidence of genocidál intent. We recommend the considerátion of culturál heritáge destruction in ány prosecution of átrocity crimes, especiálly the crime of genocide

Coffin-Siris syndrome and the BAF complex: genotype-phenotype study in 63 patients

Item does not contain fulltextDe novo germline variants in several components of the SWI/SNF-like BAF complex can cause Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS), Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome (NCBRS), and nonsyndromic intellectual disability. We screened 63 patients with a clinical diagnosis of CSS for these genes (ARID1A, ARID1B, SMARCA2, SMARCA4, SMARCB1, and SMARCE1) and identified pathogenic variants in 45 (71%) patients. We found a high proportion of variants in ARID1B (68%). All four pathogenic variants in ARID1A appeared to be mosaic. By using all variants from the Exome Variant Server as test data, we were able to classify variants in ARID1A, ARID1B, and SMARCB1 reliably as being pathogenic or nonpathogenic. For SMARCA2, SMARCA4, and SMARCE1 several variants in the EVS remained unclassified, underlining the importance of parental testing. We have entered all variant and clinical information in LOVD-powered databases to facilitate further genotype-phenotype correlations, as these will become increasingly important because of the uptake of targeted and untargeted next generation sequencing in diagnostics. The emerging phenotype-genotype correlation is that SMARCB1 patients have the most marked physical phenotype and severe cognitive and growth delay. The variability in phenotype seems most marked in ARID1A and ARID1B patients. Distal limbs anomalies are most marked in ARID1A patients and least in SMARCB1 patients. Numbers are small however, and larger series are needed to confirm this correlation

Phenotype and genotype in Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome

Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome (NCBRS) is an intellectual disability (ID)/multiple congenital anomalies syndrome caused by non-truncating mutations in the ATPase region of SMARCA2, which codes for one of the two alternative catalytic subunits of the BAF chromatin remodeling complex. We analyzed 61 molecularly confirmed cases, including all previously reported patients (n = 47) and 14 additional unpublished individuals. NCBRS is clinically and genetically homogeneous. The cardinal features (ID, short stature, microcephaly, typical face, sparse hair, brachydactyly, prominent interphalangeal joints, behavioral problems and seizures), are almost universally present. There is variability however, as ID can range from severe to mild, and sparse hair may be present only in certain age groups. There may be a correlation between the severity of the ID and presence of seizures, absent speech, short stature and microcephaly. SMARCA2 mutations causing NCBRS are likely to act through a dominant-negative effect. There may be some genotype-phenotype correlations (mutations at domain VI with severe ID and seizures; mutations affecting residues Pro883, Leu946, and Ala1201 with mild phenotypes) but numbers are still too small to draw definitive conclusions