Settler farming, agricultural colonisation and development in Katanga (Belgian Congo),1910-1920

From 1908 to 1920, the Belgian Ministry of Colonies organised the first state-led agricultural colonization efforts in Katanga, Belgian Congo. This article ex-amines the complex interactions between public and private actors and how theyshaped a colonial agricultural policy. Mission Leplaehad a very difficult start and wasterminated after ardent discussions in the Belgian Parliament, despite the support of theAgricultural Service. This migration initiative exposed the different views and even ten-sions between the opinions of technical experts such as agronomists and the ideas of thecolonial hommes politiquesand private actors, both in Belgium and in the Congo.In this article, the image of a homogeneous colonial state acquires nuance as we unraveland analyse the daily realities and initiatives of these first Belgian agricultural settlersin the broader framework of Belgian colonial politics. When the alliance between theState, the mining sector and agricultural settlers ceased to exist, because European agri-culture was not developing fast enough and geopolitical interests had changed, the gov-ernment stopped supporting the colonization project. After the First World War, the num-ber of Belgian farmers in Katanga began to increase again, mainly thanks to supportfrom the private sector. This article shows how state support was an important but notdecisive factor in the survival strategies of a settler community

Roots, routes, and routers : social and digital dynamics in the Jain diaspora

In the past three decades, Jains living in diaspora have been instrumental in the digital boom of Jainism-related websites, social media accounts, and mobile applications. Arguably, the increased availability and pervasive use of different kinds of digital media impacts how individuals deal with their roots; for example, it allows for greater contact with family and friends, but also with religious figures, back in India. It also impacts upon routesfor example, it provides new ways for individual Jains to find each other, organize, coordinate, and put down roots in their current country of residence. Using extensive corpora of Jainism-related websites and mobile applications (2013-2018), as well as ethnographic data derived from participant observation, interviews, and focus groups conducted in the United States, United Kingdom, and Belgian Jain communities (2014-2017), this article examines patterns of use of digital media for social and religious purposes by Jain individuals and investigates media strategies adopted by Jain diasporic organizations. It attempts to explain commonalities and differences in digital engagement across different geographic locations by looking at differences in migration history and the layout of the local Jain communities

Crisis and continuation : the digital relocation of Jain socio-religious praxis during the COVID-19 pandemic

In early 2020, Jain diaspora communities and organizations that had been painstakingly built over the past decades were faced with the far-reaching consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its concomitant restrictions. With the possibility of regular face-to-face contact and participation in recurring events—praying, eating, learning, and meditating together—severely limited in most places, organizations were compelled to make a choice. They either had to suspend their activities, leaving members to organize their religious activities on an individual or household basis, or pursue the continuation of some of their habitual activities in an online format, relying on their members’ motivation and technical skills. This study will explore how many Jain organizations in London took to digital media in its different forms to continue to engage with their members throughout 2020. Looking at a selection of websites and social media channels, it will examine online discourses that reveal the social and mental impact of the pandemic on Jains and the broader community, explore the relocation of activities to the digital realm, and assess participation in these activities. In doing so, this article will open a discussion on the long-term effects of this crisis-induced digital turn in Jain religious praxis, and in socio-cultural life in general

Lost and found, centre and periphery : narratives of the Jain diasporic experience online

The article will investigate the contemporary Jain diasporic experience through an analysis of online narratives on 'diaspora Jains' and 'diaspora Jainism'. Over the past two decades, digital media have become an important new arena to imagine, construct, and share the diasporic experience, both for members of the diasporic community and for Jains living in India. This paper will elaborate on and compare different narratives on the Jain diasporic experience found online, identify recurring themes, and question where and why specific discourses on diaspora are propagated. The juxtaposition of 'Indian' and 'diasporic' narratives illustrates how digital media have brought the diasporic periphery in closer contact with the religious centre, and how this renewed connection can spark subtle negotiations and heated debates about what it means to be 'in diaspora'

Loan Survival: Are Socially Disadvantaged Farmers More Likely to Default or Pay in Full?

This study aims at identifying racial and gender discrimination in the usage of credit for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFR) in the United States. Usage of credit is considered successful when a loan has been paid in full and a failure is considered when the borrower defaults. Identifying such a pathway would provide useful information to the Federal government United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to evaluate the effectiveness and equity of loan programs. This study uses data from the USDA FSA farm loan programs that mainly target socially disadvantaged farmers and other underserved groups. The analysis has been realized through a subdistributional Competing Risks model of survival analysis. The null hypothesis considers that SDFR status has no impact on loan outcome and length of time to loan outcome, where loan outcome is paid-in full, default, or censored. The alternative hypothesis considers there is a difference in loan outcome regarding the SDFR status. The results obtained highlighted that Black and Hispanic farmers and ranchers had higher rates of delinquency and long-term delinquency and lower rates of payment in full than other groups. While these results are not a clear indicator of discrimination, they do not refute its absence