War and Revolution in St. Petersburg : Modernist Links in the Poetry of Edith Södergran and Anna Andreevna Akhmatova

Important modernists in their own countries, Anna Akhmatova and Edith Södergran are compared in this dissertation as poets whose poetry reflects the climactic events of the early twentieth century in Finland and Russia. A comparatist, biographical and historical approach is used to uncover the circumstances surrounding these events. First the poets’ early works are reviewed and their contemporaries are mentioned to provide a poetic context. Then a brief review of Finnish and Russian history situates them historically. Next, the rich literary diversity of St. Petersburg’s Silver Age is presented and the work of the poets is viewed in context before their poetry is compared, as the First World War, October Revolution and subsequent Finnish Civil War impact their writing. While biography is not the primary focus, it becomes important as inevitably the writers’ lives are changed by cataclysmic events and the textual analysis of the poems in Swedish, Russian and English shows the impact of war on their poetry. These two poets have not been compared before in a critical review in English and this work contributes to needed work in English. They share certain common modernist traits: attention to the word, an intimate, unconventional voice, and a concern with audience. In addition, they both reject formal traditions while they adopt new forms and use modern, outside influences such as art, architecture and philosophy as subject matter and a lens through which to focus their poetry. While it may seem that Anna Akhmatova was the most socially aware poet, because of the censorship she endured under Stalin, my research has revealed that actually Edith Södergran showed the most social consciousness. Thus, a contrast of the poets’ themes reveals these differences in their approaches. Both poets articulated a vibrant response to war and revolution becoming modernists in the process. In their final works created in the years before their deaths, they reveal the solace they found in nature as well as final mentions of the violent events of their youth. Keywords: St. Petersburg, Modernism, Symbolism, Acmeism, Silver Age, Finland-Swedish literature

Adoption of environmental assurance in pastoral industry supply chains - Market failure and beyond

This paper describes adoption rates of environmental assurance within meat and wool supply chains, and discusses this in terms of market interest and demand for certified 'environmentally friendly' products, based on phone surveys and personal interviews with pastoral producers, meat and wool processors, wholesalers and retailers, and domestic consumers. Members of meat and wool supply chains, particularly pastoral producers, are both aware of and interested in implementing various forms of environmental assurance, but significant costs combined with few private benefits have resulted in low adoption rates. The main reason for the lack of benefits is that the end user (the consumer) does not value environmental assurance and is not willing to pay for it. For this reason, global food and fibre supply chains, which compete to supply consumers with safe and quality food at the lowest price, resist public pressure to implement environmental assurance. This market failure is further exacerbated by highly variable environmental and social production standards required of primary producers in different countries, and the disparate levels of government support provided to them. Given that it is the Australian general public and not markets that demand environmental benefits from agriculture, the Australian government has a mandate to use public funds to counter this market failure. A national farm environmental policy should utilise a range of financial incentives to reward farmers for delivering general public good environmental outcomes, with these specified and verified through a national environmental assurance scheme.

Stakeholder expectations for environmental assurance in agriculture: Lessons from the pastoral industry

This paper outlines the expectations of a wide range of stakeholders for environmental assurance in the pastoral industries and agriculture generally. Stakeholders consulted were domestic consumers, rangeland graziers, members of environmental groups, companies within meat and wool supply chains, and agricultural industry, environmental and consumer groups. Most stakeholders were in favour of the application of environmental assurance to agriculture, although supply chains and consumers had less enthusiasm for this than environmental and consumer groups. General public good benefits were more important to environmental and consumer groups, while private benefits were more important to consumers and supply chains. The 'ideal' form of environmental assurance appears to be a management system that provides for continuous improvement in environmental, quality and food safety outcomes, combined with elements of ISO 14024 eco-labelling such as life-cycle assessment, environmental performance criteria, third-party certification, labelling and multi-stakeholder involvement. However, market failure prevents this from being implemented and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. In the short term, members of supply chains (the people that must implement and fund environmental assurance) want this to be kept simple and low cost, to be built into their existing industry standards and to add value to their businesses. As a starting point, several agricultural industry organisations favour the use of a basic management system, combining continuous improvement, risk assessment and industry best management practice programs, which can be built on over time to meet regulator, market and community expectations.

EMS in the pastoral industries of western Queensland: From customisation to implementation

This paper outlines the customisation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) for the pastoral industry of western Queensland, the recruitment and training of pastoral producers, and their development and implementation of EMS. EMS was simplified to a 7-step process and producers were recruited to trial this customised EMS. Producers from 40 properties received EMS training, either as groups or individually. Of these, 37 commenced Pastoral EMS development through a facilitated approach that allowed them to learn about EMS while developing an EMS for their property. EMS implementation has been more effective with producers who were trained in groups. At this stage, however, most producers do not see value in EMS as there are currently no strong drivers to warrant continued development and implementation. Key findings resulting from this work were that personal contact and assistance is vital to encourage producers to trial EMS, and that a staged approach to EMS implementation, commencing with a self-assessment, is recommended. EMS training is most successful in a group situation; however, an alternative method of delivery should be provided for those producers who, either by choice or isolation, have to work alone. A support network is also necessary to encourage and maintain progress with EMS development and implementation, particularly where no strong drivers exist.

Pastoral care in times of high stakes testing and accountability

The unknown future is a challenge to educators in preparing young people for life post school. While history can be said to repeat itself, the reality is that each generation is faced with new challenges and threats. Therefore, the challenge for contemporary schooling is to prepare students to live in a fast paced, complex world where threats such as terrorism, cyberbullying and depleted resources are juggled with high stakes testing and curriculum accountability. This presentation draws on the notion of a future of supercomplexity while critically examining current pastoral care delivery in schools to develop a new model of practice in preparing students for an unknown future.

Representations of the Natural World in Old English Poetry

Review of Representations of the Natural World in Old English Poetry, by Jennifer Neville (Cambridge UP, 1999).

La teología pastoral de Evangelii Gaudium en el proyecto misionero de Francisco

Resumen: Este ensayo teológico comprende y expone el pensamiento pastoral del Papa Francisco, primer obispo de Roma y Papa latinoamericano, elegido desde las periferias del orbe para guiar al Pueblo de Dios en el corazón de la urbe. Francisco es un pastor misionero y un pastoralista lúcido, que ha enseñado teología pastoral y, lo sigue haciendo, de otra forma, desde el ministerio petrino. La exhortación Evangelii gaudium (2013) condensa de una forma orgánica su mirada a la evangelización en la huella de la exhortación Evangelii nuntiandi de Pablo VI (1975) y del Documento Conclusivo de Aparecida del Episcopado latinoamericano y caribeño (2007). La novedad de su pontificado reformador y misionero hunde sus raíces en la figura singular del jesuita argentino Jorge Mario Bergoglio; en su arraigo en la Iglesia latinoamericana y en el proyecto misionero de Aparecida; y en la incipiente pero promisoria teología argentina postconciliar. El autor hace un pormenorizado estudio sistemático y contextualizado de la exhortación La alegría del Evangelio desde el propio documento y en relación a otros textos de Jorge Bergoglio y, ahora, del Papa Francisco. Articula su discurso en dos momentos mostrando sus interrelaciones. El primero, breve, presenta al sucesor de Pedro como un icono de la fisonomía regional y la reflexión pastoral de la Iglesia latinoamericana. El segundo analiza nueve claves de la Evangelii gaudium: la alegría de evangelizar, síntesis de la mística misionera; la figura de la Iglesia centrada en la misión; la influencia del proyecto misionero de Aparecida; la conversión misionera para la reforma eclesial desde el Concilio Vaticano II; la Iglesia, Pueblo de Dios y Madre de los pueblos, como sujeto de la misión; la fuerza evangelizadora de la piedad católica popular; la revolución de la ternura comunicada en el Evangelio de la misericordia; la dimensión social del Evangelio y de la evangelización; la opción por los pobres desde el corazón de Dios.

El discernimiento teológico-pastoral de los signos de los tiempos en Medellín

Resumen: El proceso eclesial y teológico que llevó a la temática de la II Conferencia General del Episcopado Latinoamericano de Medellín se alimentó de diversas fuentes y constituyó un ejercicio de discernimiento teológico-pastoral de los signos de los tiempos latinoamericanos. La proximidad de los 50 años de la inauguración del Concilio Vaticano II ofrece una ocasión particular para hacer memoria y reflexionar sobre Medellín como un hito fundamental de la recepción conciliar en América Latina. El propósito de este estudio es realizar un recorrido histórico-genético del camino temático hacia la II Conferencia y presentar, a partir de él, una lectura interpretativa de los grandes temas de Medellín en la perspectiva de los signos de los tiempos. Como toda recepción es inacabada, queda abierta la tarea para reapropiarla y profundizarla.

“Evangelización con espíritu” (EG 261) : la unidad de la teología, la espiritualidad y la pastoral al servicio del anuncio del evangelio: una lectura de la exhortación pastoral Evangelii Gaudium desde la Teología Espiritual

Resumen: Uno de los grandes “maestros en teología” en la Argentina de los últimos tiempos, Lucio Gera (+07.08.2012), cuyo segundo aniversario de fallecido honramos en este número de la revista Teología, hablaba de la ineludible exigencia posconciliar de integrar teología, espiritualidad y pastoral. El capítulo V de Evangelii gaudium, “Evangelizadores con Espíritu” (cf. EG 259ss), se ubica especialmente en este horizonte de convicciones porque tiene un inconfundible contenido teológico, un marcado acento espiritual y una clara orientación y lenguaje pastoral, pero sobre todo en razón de expresar una íntima compenetración entre estas tres dimensiones. En este artículo, que reelabora y amplía una presentación oral en la Jornada Evangelii gaudium, organizada por la Facultad de Teología de la UCA el pasado 5 de junio, se asume el vigor de la propuesta de una “evangelización con espíritu” (EG 261) y se reflexiona, en diálogo con nuestra iglesia local, sobre cuatro aspectos relacionados con ella: 1. una teología de la “evangelización con espíritu”, es decir, “con Espíritu Santo”; 2. una espiritualidad contemplativa: amar la Palabra y gustar ser pueblo; 3. el estilo pastoral mariano de la evangelización; y 4. la danza de la teología, la espiritualidad y la pastoral al servicio de la alegría de evangelizar.

Desde el símbolo guadalupano : algunos criterios para el momento pastoral

Resumen: El autor de esta colaboración profundiza en una posibilidad que nos orienta a ser protagonistas en la construcción compartida de un presente más fraterno y auténticamente plural. El símbolo guadalupano se ofrece como un modelo que puede ayudar a mejor vivir el momento pastoral de la Teología. El suceso guadalupano sigue acaeciendo y analógicamente nos abre y propone una serie de fecundas precisiones, sugerencias e interrogantes. En tanto símbolo, del cual la Imagen de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe es su elemento nuclear, plasma e incentiva a encarnar una pragmática evangelizadora. Una dinámica de diálogo, inculturante e inculturador, que anima a dejar empapar lo propio por el Amor Salvador; y a compartirlo, como pueblo, con una actitud cordial y misericordiosa, y dando lugar a lo ajeno y al mestizaje.

Teología pastoral Inter Loci : una disciplina teológica ante el aporte de las experiencias creyentes en escenarios sociales contemporáneos

Resumen: El texto realiza una relectura del método Ver-Juzgar-Actuar teniendo en cuenta el acercamiento biográfico que ofrecen las ciencias sociales. Propone considerar que la Teología Pastoral desarrolla así un discurso sobre la Iglesia, la Academia y la Plaza Pública en el cruce que estos ámbitos tienen en las mismas prácticas cristianas, dando lugar a una Teología Inter Loci. Y describe el perfil teológico emergente en dicha experiencia utilizando el marco de las inteligencias múltiples.