A Modest Proposal to Clarify the Status of Coca in the United Nations Conventions

The implementation of anti-drug policies that focus on illicit crops in the Andean countries faces many significant obstacles, one of which is the cultural clash it generates between the main stakeholders. On the one hand one finds the governments and agencies that attempt to implement crop substitution and eradication policies and on the other the peasant and natives communities that have traditionally grown and used coca or those peasants who have found in coca an instrument of power and political leverage that they never had before. The confrontation about coca eradication, alternative development and other anti-drug policies in coca growing areas transcends drug related issues and is part of a wider and deeper confrontation that reflects the long-term unsolved conflicts of the Andean societies. All Andean countries have stratified and fragmented societies in which peasants and Indians have been excluded from power. In Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru most peasants belong to native communities many of which have remained segregated from “white” society. The mixing of the races (mestizaje) in Colombia occurred early during the Conquest and Colony. Those of Indian descent became subservient to the Spanish and Creoles. The society that evolved was (and still is) highly hierarchical, authoritarian, and has subjacent racist values. The resulting political system has been exclusionary of large portions of the population. Among Indian communities coca has been used for millennia and its use has become an identity symbol of their resistance against what may be looked at as foreign invasion. “The Andean Indian chews coca because that way he affirms his identity as son and owner of the land that yesterday the Spaniard took away and today the landowner keeps away from him. To chew coca is to be Indian...and to quietly and obstinately challenge the contemporary lords that descend from the old encomenderos and the older conquistadors” (Vidart, 1991: 61, author’s translation). In Andean literature on illegal drugs as well as in seminars, colloquia and other meetings where drug policies are debated, complaints are frequently expressed about the treatment of coca in the same category as cocaine, heroin, morphine amphetamines and other “hard” drugs. The complainants assert that “coca is not cocaine” and that it is unfair to classify coca, a nature given plant which has been used for millennia in the Andes without significant negative effects on users, in the same category as man made psychotropic drugs. They also argue that coca has manifold social and religious meanings in indigenous cultures, that coca is sacred and that the requirement of the1961 Single Convention demanding that Bolivia and Peru completely eradicate coca within 25 years is limiting Indigenous communities in their freedom to practice their religions. In most debates about drug interdiction, the views of those who oppose that approach are not accepted as legitimate. Indeed, “prohibitionists” demonize drugs and those who oppose drug policies in Latin America frequently demonize the United States as the imperialist power that imposes them. This dual polarization is a main obstacle to establish a meaningful policy debate aimed at broadening the policy consensus necessary for successful policy implementation. This essay surveys the status of coca in the United Nations Conventions, explains why it is confusing, and how a few changes would eliminate some of the sources of conflict and help organize and control licit coca markets in the Andes. The current disorganized and weakly controlled legal coca market in Peru has been analyzed to demonstrate its deficiencies and to illustrate possible improvements in international drug control policies.

Hans Jürgen Eysenck. Life and work of one of the most infl uential scientist in the history of psychology

On this article, the biography and work of one of the most influential scientists in psychology history is briefl y introduced. With his work, he laid the bases for the scientific study not only on personality, but also on human behaviour. Hence, the most important contributions done by this author are highlighted in a wide range of areas of our discipline, as well as the vision he had about how psychology should be as a science. A series of considerations related to the current situation of scientific psychology in Argentina, lead us to the conclusion that it is essential to rescue his work from forgetfulness, apart from going back over some of his lines of research and thoughts. 

A Network model of systemic risk : identifying the sources of dependence across institutions

We design a financial network model that explicitly incorporates linkages across institutions through a direct contagion channel, as well as an indirect common exposure channel. In particular, common exposure is setup so as to link the financial to the real sector. The model is calibrated to balance sheet data on the colombian financial sector. Results indicate that commercial banks are the most systemically important financial institutions in the system. Whereas government owned institutions are the most vulnerable institutions in the system.

Impact on the quality of learning as a result of the use of computers in schools

The educational software and computer assisted learning has been used in schools to promote the interest of students in new ways of thinking and learning so it can be useful in the reading learning process. Experimental studies performed in preschool and school age population have shown a better yield and a positive effect in reading, mathematics and cognitive skills in children who use educative software for fi fteen to twenty minutes a day periods. The goal of this study was to evaluate the progression in verbal, visual-motor integration and reading skills in children who were using educational software to compare them with a group in traditional pedagogic methodology. Results: All children were evaluated before using any kind of pedagogic approach. Initial evaluation revealed a lower–age score in all applied test. 11% of them were at high risk for learning disorders. There was a second evaluation that showed a significant positive change compared with the fi rst one. Nevertheless, despite some items, there were no general differences comparing the groups according if they were using or not a computer. In conclusion, policies on using educational software and computers must be revaluated due to the fact that children in our public schools come from a deprived environment with a lack of opportunities to use technologies.

An approach from positive psychology to mental health of university freshmen in Concepcion (Chile)

University is a demanding and changing environment for first year students, what could affect their mental health and their academic performance. Due these conditions, this research wanted to analyze mental health in freshmen of a private university in, Concepción, Chile, oriented by an approach from positive psychology. 554 were selected and surveyed to evaluate three variables: self-Esteem, satisfaction with life and optimism. furthermore, socio-demographic characteristics and mental health problems were assessed. Outcomes show that students evaluate positively themselves, their life and future. In addition, these variables are related with age, type of former school, religion, depression and anxiety. Systematic relationship found between these three strengths of mental health and their inverse relationship with the most prevalent problems in this area highlight the relevance that these three variables could have to define preventive and remedial strategies to promote student welfare.

Potencial y plan exportador agua mineral BE

Agua Mineral BE Ltda es una empresa dedicada a la extracción, embotellado y comercialización de agua mineral colombiana, originada en las cordilleras de los Andes. Se caracteriza por ser de alta pureza y ser una bebida funcional, que trae beneficios adicionales a la salud por su composición de minerales, oligoelementos y electrolitos. Las condiciones de la empresa resultaron ser muy atractivas para desarrollar una investigación, por otro lado, el dueño y gerente general mostro gran interés en comenzar una investigación y análisis de la situación actual para medir su potencial exportador y posteriormente incursionar en mercados internacionales. Se recolecto toda la información posible de la empresa BE por medio de la encuesta y modelo de potencial exportador donde se evaluaron cada una de las aéreas y procesos dando un puntaje junto con el gerente para determinar en qué estado se encontraba la empresa, cuáles eran sus fortalezas y debilidades para establecer estrategias de mejora en las áreas que lo necesitaran. Los resultados ubicaron a Be como una empresa en condiciones de realizar exportaciones en el mediano plazo. Después de clasificar a BE como una empresa con potencial exportador se inició la inteligencia de mercados para encontrar el mercado objetivo con el que se deberían iniciar las primeras exportaciones y abrir mercado, realizando un proceso de internacionalización exitosa. La elección de este mercado se realizó por medio de la matriz de selección de mercados donde por medio de puntajes y categorías de comparación se fueron descartando países potenciales para así llegar a un solo país clave en donde BE podrá tener un buen posicionamiento y ventajas frente a otras marcas.

Una propuesta alternativa a los discursos de la gestión en Colombia: una mirada desde los estudios sociales contemporáneos

The main purpose of this article is to propose a set of elements, taken from contemporary social studies, which can help to understand how and in which way the actions of the organi zations in Colombia go. The first part of the article presents a brief reflection on how speeches have been built, according to the way in which Colombian organizations are managed. The second part tackles the question about different ways to think the dynamics of organizations in Colombia. The last part of the text shows the elements pointed out as the purpose of the article. It is important to indicate that the way these elements are understood in real Colombian organizations can bring an alternative management model for the organizations in the country.

Modelización bajo el enfoque de dinámica de sistemas de una cadena de abastecimiento para la industria vitivinícola

El proyecto de tesis denominado “Modelización bajo el enfoque de dinámica de sistemas de una cadena de abastecimiento para la industria vitivinícola” busca construir un modelo que aporte una solución óptima al problema logístico encontrado en la cadena de suministro, para que empresas nacionales o internacionales que tengan un funcionamiento similar al del sistema estudiado, puedan tomarlo como ejemplo o referencia. Así mismo, esta investigación pretende encontrar los problemas más frecuentes en cadenas de este tipo con el fin de construir un marco conceptual y teórico fundamentado en la Teoría General de Sistemas (TGS) que genere finalmente un modelo basado en la dinámica de sistemas el cual permitirá a las empresas diseñar y comparar las diferentes intervenciones derivadas del modelo que propicien la generación de capacidades dirigidas al logro de la competitividad de forma perdurable.

Eficacia de la melatonina en insomnio primario en el adulto mayor: revisión sistemática de la literatura

Introducción: La melatonina, una sustancia cronobiótica endógena, es cada vez más empleada para el manejo de los problemas del sueño en adultos mayores por su aparente eficacia y buen perfil de eventos adversos. En este sentido, se intentó evaluar la eficacia de la melatonina en el tratamiento del insomnio primario en el adulto mayor (≥55 años) comparado con benzodiacepinas, zopiclona y placebo a la luz de la evidencia disponible en los últimos cinco años. Métodos: Revisión sistemática de la literatura. Resultados: En comparación con placebo, al parecer la melatonina mejora la calidad y los hábitos de sueño, no así la latencia de inicio de sueño en mediciones subjetivas ni objetivas (polisomnografía); a diferencia de otros medicamentos hipnóticos, no altera la arquitectura del sueño ni genera síntomas diurnos. Conclusiones: No se encontró evidencia que soporte el uso de melatonina en adultos mayores de 55 años para la reducción de la latencia de sueño, aumento del tiempo total de sueño, mejoría de la eficiencia del sueño, disminución de despertares nocturnos o mejoría de la calidad de sueño. Es necesario adelantar más estudios en comparación con placebo y otros medicamentos.