Imposing organic standards or rekindling local values? Encouraging local ownership of the organic concept for raisin exports from Kandahar, Afghanistan

The global principles of organic agriculture were designed to represent the overarching values of organic groups around the world. Similarly, basic organic standards were intended to provide a common language for cross-cultural agreement on the production of organic products. In practice, however, the widespread promotion of organic export trade has created a situation whereby organic agriculture continues to be perceived by many in the development sector as a western, industrialised concept and one which is not compatible with the realities of many of the exporter, less-industrialised countries. This paper argues that to reverse this trend and perception, attention must be paid to encourage debate and tease out local and national concepts of organic agriculture and of healthy food - concepts which do exist within every nation, and to demonstrate their compatibility, or resonance, with internationally agreed principles. A case study from Afghanistan is provided, which highlights the measures taken to encourage this and the specific challenges encountered. The paper concludes by suggesting that much may be gained by sharing lessons with organic export initiatives from other countries and regions, and developing ‘best practice’ guidelines for linking local values with organic principles within organic export initiatives

Organic Agriculture and HIV/AIDS - the Nutritional Response

HIV/AIDS is devastating communities around the world and no more so than in SSA. It impacts equally in urban and rural areas, rich and poor. The rural poor – the nations’ food providers – are ill-equipped to draw together resources for mitigating these impacts. The extra expenses of medicines, and funerals, means that rural farming families are forced to sell their capital assets, such as livestock, and land. The new farming workforce shifts to increasingly comprise children and the elderly, and traditional knowledge is lost. Through a review of literature and compilation of case studies, this research aims to deepen understanding and bring fresh perspectives and clarity on the role of organic agriculture and its relation to nutrition and food security, in preventing and mitigating the impacts of people living with HIV and AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). It explores the notion that whilst there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, a locally-grown, nutritious diet is just as effective in mitigating the impacts as more expensive and hard-to-access pharmaceutical products. It goes on to identify the policies and practices required to support the widespread production of healthy foodstuffs for people living with HIV/AIDS

Leveling the Playing Field: Attracting, Engaging, and Advancing People with Disabilities

People with disabilities experience significant challenges in finding employment. The participation of people with disabilities in the workforce and their median income are both less than half that of the civilian workforce. They work part time 68 percent more frequently than people without disabilities. These disheartening results persist despite the enactment of significant federal legislation aimed at making the workplace more supportive and accessible to people with disabilities. The Conference Board Research Working Group (RWG) on Improving Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities was convened to address how to overcome these disparities. It was sponsored by the Employment and Disability Institute at Cornell University, under a grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education. The RWG members focused on four questions: 1) The business case: Is it advantageous for organizations to employ people with disabilities? 2) Organizational readiness: What should organizations do to create a workplace that enables people with disabilities to thrive and advance? 3) Measurement: How can success for both people with disabilities and the organization itself be determined? 4) Self-disclosure: How can people with disabilities, especially those whose disabilities are not obvious, be encouraged to identify themselves so that resources can be directed toward them and outcomes can be measured

Negotiating Identities in the Transition from Graduate Student to Teacher Educator

Although practitioners, policy-makers, and academics call for reform in teacher education, there is ambiguity surrounding the identity transformation of graduate students who “become” teacher educators. This self-study uses narratives, based on intricate personal and collaborative reflection, to explore how the assumption of new role identities is an intricate and ongoing process of learning and reflection. In addition to considering the complexities and interrelationships inherent in role socialization, implications for teacher education practice and policy are raised. We conclude that it is beneficial, for both teacher educators and preservice teachers, to engage in collaborative and relational forms of self-study that foster educative understanding and heightened awareness of professional identity

AIDS: A Brief Overview

By the late 1970\u27s an epidemic begun in Central Africa which spread world wide by the mid 1980\u27s

Microaggressions Among Online Graduate Students

Microaggressions are brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to a target group. This study analyzes empirical data taken from a graduate multicultural course taught online. The study explores the various ways interactions between adult students demonstrate forms of microaggressions

Black Women\u27s Voluntary Use of Mental Health Services

According to the American Psychiatric Association, Black women engage in formal mental health services at a lower rate than White men and women. In addition, the issues faced by Black women engaging in mental health services are multiplicative, major, and often divisive. Much of the research to date has centered on the barriers to, and negative experiences of, Black women in mental health. Grounded in critical race theory and Black womanist thought, this study investigated the lived experiences of Black women who voluntarily engaged in mental health services. The study included a purposive sample of 6 Black women from 2 urban communities in Connecticut who (a) identified as Black, (b) were 18 years of age or older, (c) had continuously and voluntarily used mental health services for at least 3 months, and (d) and had been discharged from mental health services. Colaizzi’s phenomenological method was used to code and analyze the data. Five themes emerged: (a) engaging in mental health services is a last resort; (b) marriage, children, and work-related issues are reasons for seeking out mental health services; (c) overcoming stigma, stereotypes, and cultural myths is necessary for treatment; (d) finding the right fit in a provider is a challenge; (e) coping skills, empowerment, and self-efficacy are outcomes of engaging in mental health services. The results of this study may positively affect social change by directly affecting the work of psychologists, social workers, mental health professionals, doctors, and Black women who are ambivalent about seeking mental health services. Understanding the lived experience of seeking, engaging, and completing mental health treatment can be a catalyst for change among Black women