Sustainable investment in land in the Global South: What would it require from a coherence perspective? The case of Sierra Leone

Large scale acquisitions of land in the Global South have signifi-cantly increased since the millennium. It is often the case that foreign investors are involved in such acquisitions, which are commonly aimed at facilitating the export of commodities. These investments in land tend to transform conventional, rather small scale agricultural systems into large scale, industrial agricultural systems. While investment in ag-riculture in the Global South is much needed, large-scale investments in land often goes hand-in-hand with environmental and human rights re-lated challenges. As a consequence, lawyers need to address questions of sovereignty over natural resources (this paper focuses in particular on land resources), to peoples’ right to self-determination, to the responsi-bilities of the home and host states of the investors, including public-private relationships, and the role of international institutions who are involved, as well as relevant jurisprudence. This paper approaches these questions from the perspective of a theory on policy coherence for sus-tainable development.

Potential Impact of Sexual Transmission on Ebola Virus Epidemiology: Sierra Leone as a Case Study.

BACKGROUND Sexual transmission of Ebola virus disease (EVD) 6 months after onset of symptoms has been recently documented, and Ebola virus RNA has been detected in semen of survivors up to 9 months after onset of symptoms. As countries affected by the 2013-2015 epidemic in West Africa, by far the largest to date, are declared free of Ebola virus disease (EVD), it remains unclear what threat is posed by rare sexual transmission events that could arise from survivors. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We devised a compartmental mathematical model that includes sexual transmission from convalescent survivors: a SEICR (susceptible-exposed-infectious-convalescent-recovered) transmission model. We fitted the model to weekly incidence of EVD cases from the 2014-2015 epidemic in Sierra Leone. Sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo simulations showed that a 0.1% per sex act transmission probability and a 3-month convalescent period (the two key unknown parameters of sexual transmission) create very few additional cases, but would extend the epidemic by 83 days [95% CI: 68-98 days] (p < 0.0001) on average. Strikingly, a 6-month convalescent period extended the average epidemic by 540 days (95% CI: 508-572 days), doubling the current length, despite an insignificant rise in the number of new cases generated. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results show that reductions in the per sex act transmission probability via abstinence and condom use should reduce the number of sporadic sexual transmission events, but will not significantly reduce the epidemic size and may only minimally shorten the length of time the public health community must maintain response preparedness. While the number of infectious survivors is expected to greatly decline over the coming months, our results show that transmission events may still be expected for quite some time as each event results in a new potential cluster of non-sexual transmission. Precise measurement of the convalescent period is thus important for planning ongoing surveillance efforts.

From Truth to Justice: How Does Amnesty Factor In? A Comparative Analysis of South Africa and Sierra Leone's Truth and Reconciliation Commissions

Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRC) have emerged in the last few decades as a mechanism for a state to overcome widespread, grave, human rights violations. There are numerous approaches to a TRC all with an ultimate goal: that formerly warring factions, perpetrators, witnesses, and victims can move forward as a united people. I propose that the provision of amnesty is critical to the success of a TRC. I hypothesize that the form of amnesty chosen (i.e. blanket v. conditional amnesty) determines the revelation of truth and realization of justice, which in turn dictates whether a TRC can achieve reconciliation. To test this hypothesis, I use two case studies: South Africa, which has utilized conditional amnesty, and Sierra Leone which has employed blanket amnesty. I create a model for measuring reconciliation. I can then look at the implications of both types of amnesty and assess which, in the end, is more effective. My overarching conclusion is that the provision of conditional amnesty is more effective than blanket amnesty in achieving reconciliation. Ultimately, I hope that this conclusion can be generalized to other TRCs.

The Sierra Leone Hut-tax disturbances : a reply to Mr. Stephen

by E. D. M.

Analyses of maternal and child mortality rates of five West African countries: Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone

After traveling to a small country in West Africa last summer, I became interested in learning more about the maternal, infant, and child death rates of that particular region of the continent. For the purposes of this paper I limited the number of countries that would be included in this research to five: Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. There are three hypotheses that were considered when conducting the research for this paper. The first was that there is no difference in the under five mortality rates for Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. The second hypothesis was that there is no difference in the female literacy rates for Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. The final hypothesis was that there is no difference in the male literacy rates for Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. The data used were collected from publicly available sources that include the CIA World Factbook, the WHO website, the UNICEF website, the Penn World Data table, and the World Bank website. The p-values that were calculated for all three hypotheses were found to be very significant, and all three of the null hypotheses were rejected. ^

Aricó, José: La hipótesis de Justo. Escritos sobre el socialismo en América Latina. Introducción de J. C. Portantiero. Buenos Aires, Sudamericana, 1999, 202 p.

Fil: Lacoste, Claudia.

Arqueología histórica de los últimos días : la primera Santa Cruz de la Sierra (1561-1604), oriente de Bolivia

La conquista de las tierras bajas de Sudamérica estuvo fuertemente impulsada por la afanosa búsqueda de tesoros y míticas riquezas nativas; sin embargo, tales emprendimientos, desde la segunda mitad del siglo XVI, comenzaron a reemplazar sus objetivos exploratorios por otros colonizadores. La fundación de Santa Cruz de la Sierra en 1561 se encuadra en la bisagra entre esas dos etapas. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados obtenidos en las investigaciones arqueológicas que se abocaron a la búsqueda y el rescate de los restos de aquella ciudad asentada en el territorio de la Chiquitanía y que fuera abandonada hacia 1604.

Flora de un área de la Sierra La Barrosa (Balcarce) y fenología de especies con potencial ornamental

Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron inventariar la flora vascular en un área de la Sierra La Barrosa (Sistema de Tandilia, Buenos Aires), determinar la utilidad actual o potencial de las especies e iniciar un estudio fenológico preliminar in situ de 10 especies nativas de interés ornamental. El relevamiento florístico se realizó en un sector de la cima y laderas y se elaboró una base de datos con registros taxonómicos, origen, ciclo, forma biológica y utilidad de las especies. Se identificaron 204 especies, pertenecientes a 51 familias y 135 géneros; de ellas 70,6% son nativas no endémicas; 9,31% endémicas y 20,1% exóticas. El 76% de las especies son perennes y predominan las hemicriptófitas (41,2%). El 65% de las especies inventariadas tiene interés agronómico por su utilidad potencial como medicinal (21,5%), ornamental (25%), forrajera (13,7%), o por ser malezas o tóxicas (13,2 %). Por su potencial ornamental (hábito, atributos del follaje, flores e inflorescencias), se efectuó un estudio fenológico en Achyrocline satureioides, Eupatorium subhastatum, E. tanacetifolium, Hysterionica pinifolia, Senecio pulcher, Sommerfeltia spinulosa, Lathyrus pubescens, Mimosa rocae, Pavonia cymbalaria y Gomphrena perennis, que indicó diferencias en la época y duración de la floración.

Las redes de comercio justo en la provincia de Mendoza

La presente tesina propone investigar “Las Redes de Comercio Justo" que se han ido conformando a partir de la crisis del 2001 en la provincia de Mendoza como alternativas de comercialización al Mercado Formal. Los motivos que me llevaron a plantear este tema, fueron a partir del conocimiento de experiencias anteriores en Microemprendimientos, en el marco de la Economía Solidaria. En estas prácticas podía observar que una de las partes más débiles del proceso era justamente cuando el productor debía comercializar sus productos, adaptándose a las injusticias del mercado formal. El Comercio Justo es una forma de comercio promovida por varias organizaciones no gubernamentales, que promueven una relación comercial voluntaria y justa entre productores y consumidores. Es una iniciativa para crear canales comerciales innovadores, dentro de los cuales la relación entre las partes se orienta al logro del desarrollo sustentable y sostenible de la oferta. Se demuestra la relevancia del tema, por ser un incentivo para todos aquellos que desean producir y no saben cómo ni donde comercializar sus productos, como consumidores para elegir nuestro consumo priorizando los productos que respetan y promueven salarios justos, rechazo a la explotación de mano de obra, fomentando la igualdad entre hombres y mujeres y un desarrollo ambiental sustentable.

Decisiones estratégicas en el campo del arte : análisis del discurso : a partir del texto de Justo Pastor Mellado, curador independiente latinoamericano

En el trabajo que sigue presento un ejercicio de aproximación al análisis del discurso, en este caso el ejercido por el crítico curador chileno Justo Pastor Mellado. El objetivo del mismo es sintetizar los puntos clave de sus aportes teóricos para la construcción del campo crítico actual, en particular: la gestión de las artes visuales contemporáneas. La labor del autor se enmarca en un esfuerzo por sumarse, junto al trabajo de otros intelectuales coetáneo,s al ejercicio de una teoría crítica (acerca de la praxis de gestión cultural, en el ejemplo que nos ocupa) que instale una producción de sentido del “nosotros", propia del campo cultural latinoamericano a partir de formatos y herramientas teóricas que posibilitan comprender la situación que se afronta y sus desafíos, en el marco del desarrollo descomunal de la llamada industria cultural neoliberal, que sin duda afecta nuestras prácticas diarias.

El tópico del justo medio en los Epigramas de Marco V. Marcial

Roma durante la época de los Flavios. Un primer acercamiento a la obra impresiona al lector por la desmesura de los vicios de la sociedad descripta y por la obscenidad del lenguaje utilizado por el escritor. Sin embargo, en una lectura más profunda, se van descubriendo composiciones de una enorme belleza, además se reconoce una voz que va exponiendo una filosofía de vida en la que se enaltecen la sencillez, la mesura y se condenan los excesos. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar algunos epigramas donde aparece explícitamente la mediocritas como un ‘ideal de vida’, y comentar otros en los que el epigramista critica negativamente la intemperantia.

Composition of sulfides from the Sierra Leone Fracture Zone (Central Atlantic Ocean)

An analysis of data on the location of hydrothermal fields, seismicity, and satellite altimetry evidences that in mid-ocean ridges with low spreading rate hydrothermal fields tend to be grouped in areas with generally low seismic activity and at intersections of discontinuities and rift zones. Based on this assumption, the Sierra Leone Fracture Zone was studied in 2000 during Cruise 22 of R/V Akademik Nikolaj Strakhov. A study of gabbrodolerite and dolerite showed that sulfide ore minerals in them were formed both by hydrothermal and magmatic processes. An analysis of melt inclusions demonstrated that magmatic complexes formed from a high-temperature (1210-1255°C) low-potassium melt of the N-MORB type. Investigations of fluid inclusions revealed that gabbro and dolerite formed under influence of an active hydrothermal system at temperature 205-226°C. Thus, the Sierra Leone Fracture Zone is considered to be perspective for a discovery of a new hydrothermal field.