Addressing diversity and inclusion in the early years in conflict-affected societies: A case study of the Media Initiative for Children – Northern Ireland

This article reports on the development and systematic evaluation of an innovative early years programme aimed at encouraging young children to respect differences within a deeply-divided society that is emerging out of a prolonged period of violent conflict. The programme, the Media Initiative for Children – Northern Ireland, has been the product of a partnership between an US-based organisation (the Peace Initiatives Institute) and NIPPA – The Early Years Organisation and has been supported by academic research and the efforts of a range of voluntary and statutory organisations. It has attempted to encourage young children to value diversity and be more inclusive of those who are different to themselves through the use of short cartoons designed for and broadcast on television as well as specially-prepared curricular materials for use in pre-school settings. To date the programme has been delivered through 200 settings to approximately 3,500 pre-school children across Northern Ireland. This article describes how the programme was developed and implemented as well as the rigorous approach taken to evaluating its effects on young children’s attitudes and awareness. Key lessons from this are identified and discussed in relation to future work in this area.

No War, No Peace: Northern Ireland after the Agreement

In 1998 a historic agreement, commonly known as the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement, formed the basis of a negotiated settlement for the future of Northern Ireland. Since that time the level of violence in Northern Ireland has reduced but many problematic issues related to governance, sectarianism, and community relations remain on the political agenda and have destabilized the post-peace accord environment. Many of these issues can be viewed as either causes or consequences of the protracted conflict in Northern Ireland. This special issue examines some of these issues from a political psychology perspective. Economic, political, social, and psychological factors that have supported and hindered progress towards peace and stability are considered. While the paramilitary ceasefires have remained intact and certain aspects of life in Northern Ireland have been transformed, the road to peace has been hindered by both political and psychological intransigence. This paper offers an opportunity to reevaluate conceptualisations of conflict and its management in chronic situations, where divisions are deeply embedded within societal structures and relationships, and consider factors that may act as barriers to the development of a lasting peace.

Difference, Diversity and Difficulty: Problems in Adult Peace Education in Northern Ireland

The peace process in Northern Ireland has been hailed, variously, as the successful resolution to one of the world's most intractable conflicts, and as a failed attempt to reconcile the conflciting claims of the two main ethnonationalist communities. At both these points, and at every other point along the continuum, recognition is given to the centrality of education. This article looks at the role played by adult learning, and contrasts two fundamentally different apporaoches. In one, Enlightenment assumptions about the power of knowledge to dispel prejudice have run alongside attempts to create a world of shared values; in the other, a postmodern acceptance of different cultures has accompnaied a peace process that builds upon ethnic diistinctions. As with the Dayton Accord and with other peace agreements brokered with international assistance, the consociational model of governance has been chosen for Northern Ireland in order to create a political equilibrium between the unionists and nationalists. Such a political framework reverses the direction of previous integrationist educational policies in favour of a celebration of difference, an approach that is fraught with difficulties.

The effects of cryopreservation on testicular sperm nuclear DNA fragmentation and its relationship with assisted conception outcome following intracytoplasmic sperm injection

M.E.M. Thompson-Cree, Neil McClure, Eilish T. Donnelly, Kristine E. Steele and Sheena E.M. Lewis

An investigation of the thermal stability and sulphur tolerance of Ag/Y-Al2O3 catalysts for the SCR of NOx with hydrocarbons and hydrogen

The sulphur tolerance and thermal stability of a 2 wt% Ag/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst was investigated for the H-2-promoted SCR of NO, with octane and toluene. The aged catalyst was characterised by XRD and EXAFS analysis. It was found that the effect of ageing was a function of the gas mix and temperature of ageing. At high temperatures (800 degrees C) the catalyst deactivated regardless of the reaction mix. EXAFS analysis showed that this was associated with the Ag particles on the surface of the catalyst becoming more ordered. At 600 and 700 degrees C, the deactivating effect of ageing was much less pronounced for the catalyst in the H-2-promoted octane-SCR reaction and ageing at 600 degrees C resulted in an enhancement in activity for the reaction in the absence of H-2. For the toluene + H-2-SCR reaction the catalyst deactivated at each ageing temperature. The effect of addition of low levels of sulphur (1 ppm SO2) to the feed was very much dependent on the reaction temperature. There was little deactivation of the catalyst at low temperatures ( 500 degrees C). The results can be explained by the activity of the catalyst for the oxidation Of SO2 to SO3 and the relative stability of silver and aluminium sulphates. The catalyst could be almost fully regenerated by a combination of heating and the presence of hydrogen in the regeneration mix. The catalyst could not be regenerated in the absence of hydrogen. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Educating for peace? Citizenship education in Quebec and Northern Ireland

The article explores particularities of citizenship education in divided societies by comparing key concepts and theoretical frameworks underpinning citizenship education curricula in two divided societies, one of which could be described as relatively peaceful and the other as slowly emerging from political violence. A document analysis of the citizenship education curricula in both societies is conducted to compare differences and commonalities of attempts to promote citizenship and peaceful community relations. Conceptualizations of and interrelationships between citizenship, human rights, and peace education are explored in theory and curricular documents in both societies. The discussion reflects on the value of citizenship education in the context of community divisions and its possible impact on sustainable peace in divided societies.

Dilute acid hydrolysis of cellulose and cellulosic bio-waste using a microwave reactor system

The dilute acid hydrolysis of grass and cellulose with phosphoric acid was undertaken in a microwave reactor system. The experimental data and reaction kinetic analysis indicate that this is a potential process for cellulose and hemi-cellulose hydrolysis, due to a rapid hydrolysis reaction at moderate temperatures. The optimum conditions for grass hydrolysis were found to be 2.5% phosphoric acid at a temperature of 175 degrees C. It was found that sugar degradation occurred at acid concentrations greater than 2.5% (v/v) and temperatures greater than 175 degrees C. In a further series of experiments, the kinetics of dilute acid hydrolysis of cellulose was investigated varying phosphoric acid concentration and reaction temperatures. The experimental data indicate that the use of microwave technology can successfully facilitate dilute acid hydrolysis of cellulose allowing high yields of glucose in short reaction times. The optimum conditions gave a yield of 90% glucose. A pseudo-homogeneous consecutive first order reaction was assumed and the reaction rate constants were calculated as: k(1) = 0.0813 s(-1); k(2) = 0.0075 s(-1), which compare favourably with reaction rate constants found in conventional non-microwave reaction systems. The kinetic analysis would indicate that the primary advantages of employing microwave heating were to: achieve a high rate constant at moderate temperatures: and to prevent 'hot spot' formation within the reactor, which would have cause localised degradation of glucose.

The stereoselective coordination chemistry of the helicating ligand N,N '-bis(-2,2 '-dipyridyl-5-yl)carbonyl-(S/R,S/R)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine

Enantiomerically pure N,N'-bis(-2,2'-dipyridyl-5-yl)carbonyl-(S/R,S/R)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine has been synthesised by linking two 2,2'-bipyridine units by (R,R)- and (S,S)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine. The ligands possess a hindered rotation between the bipyridine chromophores, which are held together by intramolecular hydrogen bonds. ES mass spectroscopy confirmed that reaction with Fe(II), Co(III) and Cd(II) afforded dinuclear complexes. CD spectroscopy implied that enantiopure ligands conferred helicity to the metals centre giving a dominant triple helicate diastereoisomer (with the RR isomer giving a P helicate). H-1 NMR spectroscopy of the cadmium complex confirmed the presence of a single diastereoisomer. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.