Sustainable Development and the Right to Water in Colombia

Water, considered as an environmental resource and as an economic and social good, should be part of the Colombian public agenda, not only not only in terms of the use and preservation of hydro resources, but also in terms of the social implications of its possession and use. The world wide preoccupation with the diminution of natural resources, species extinction and water shortage has its origins in the seventies. One of the results was the establishment of international conventions and agreements to achieve responsible management of natural resources. Regarding water as a resource, it is intrinsically bound to the Earth’s natural processes and ecosystems. As regards the Colombian case, the “right to water in Colombia” is analyzed taking into account: water as an integral part of sustainable development, the right to water as a global debate and, finally, the right to water in the Colombian context within the explanatory framework of the Water Referendum.

Social participation and protagonism: Reflections fron the Conference of the Rights of Children’s and adolescent in Brazil

This paper examines the children and young people's participation and protagonism rights based on the Conferences on Children and Adolescents Rights' experience in Brazil, based on childhood sociology. Conferences' documents were consulted on the Brazilian government websites. These study findings revealed that young people's participation has increased in the last conferences. However, it is necessary to promote a systematic and genuine participation through democratic relations construction in all development contexts where childrenand adolescent live in order to modify their life and society participative practices.

Development and change : AS-A level resource pack : geography.

El objetivo de este recurso es ayudar en la enseñanza y en el aprendizaje de la geografía humana en los niveles AS y A, niveles que se cursan después de la etapa secundaria superior general. Consta de dieciocho temas, cada uno de los cuales comprende: unas notas para el profesor que establecen los fines y objetivos de cada lección, así como las directrices y sugerencias sobre cómo organizar y presentar cada tema y, también, distintas opciones y estrategias de enseñanza. Por su parte, las hojas informativas proporcionan definiciones y resúmenes de los términos clave y de las ideas y facilitan, además los datos pertinentes para la realización de los ejercicios de cada tema ó lección. En cuanto, a las hojas de trabajo consisten en una serie de ejercicios para los alumnos, pues han sido diseñadas para desarrollar en ellos unas habilidades geográficas específicas.

Regional development and change : AS-A level resource pack.

Este recurso consta de dieciocho módulos y su objetivo es proporcionar un plan de enseñanza programado a los profesores de geografía de los niveles AS y A, niveles que se cursan después de la etapa secundaria superior general. Cada una de estas lecciones implica la realización de unas actividades que incluyen trabajo individual y en grupo, manejo de datos, comprensión, interpretación, análisis e informes, orales o escritos, para que los alumnos desarrollen unas habilidades concretas. Estos módulos están concebidos de forma independiente y siempre se presentan de la misma manera : con unas notas orientativas para el profesor y con hojas de ejercicios, que pueden fotocopiarse, con preguntas para los alumnos.

Development and tourism : GCSE human geography resource pack.

Es un recurso que cumple con los requisitos para la preparación del General Certificate Secondaty Education (GCSE) en geografía. Está dividido en ocho temas cada uno de los cuales tiene las siguientes características: notas para ayudar al profesor en la explicación y definición de conceptos clave dentro de casa sub-tema, en el repaso de las lecciones en clase, en el desarrollo de habilidades específicas en cada tema y en proporcionarle hojas de ejercicios para evaluar el resultado del aprendizaje de los alumnos, o para estimar la comprensión de éstos antes de pasar a otro tema.

Development and validation of the Overall Personality Assessment Scale (OPERAS)

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

Development and validation of a scale to identify attitudes towards disability in Higher Education

Resumen tomado de la publicación

Inclusion, social networks and resilience: strategies, practices and outcomes for disabled children and their families

This paper explores the strategies of service providers and the benefits reported by disabled children and their parents/carers in three Children's Fund programmes in England. Based on National Evaluation of the Children's Fund research, we discuss how different understandings of ‘inclusion’ informed the diverse strategies and approaches service providers adopted. While disabled children and families perceived the benefits of services predominantly in terms of building individual children's resilience and social networks, the paper highlights the need for holistic approaches which have a broad view of inclusion, support children's networks and tackle disabling barriers within all the spheres of children's lives.

"Ever-growing Amman", Jordan: Urban expansion, social polarisation and contemporary urban planning issues

Amman the primate capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan currently has a population in excess of 2 million, but in 1924 it consisted of little more than a collection of dwellings and some 2000-3000 inhabitants. The present paper sets out to document and explain the phenomenal expansion of "ever-growing Amman". The physical geography of the urban region and the early growth of the city are considered at the outset and this leads directly to consideration of the highly polarised social structuring that characterises contemporary Amman. In doing this, original data derived from the recent Greater Amman Municipality's Geographical Information System are presented. In this respect, the essential modernity of the city is exemplified. The employment and industrial bases of the city and a range of pressing contemporary issues are then considered, including transport and congestion, the provision of urban water under conditions of water stress and privatisation, and urban and regional development planning for the city. The paper concludes by emphasizing the growing regional and international geopolitical salience of the city of Amman at the start of the 21st century. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early social experience and individual differences in infants' joint attention

Fifty-nine healthy infants were filmed with their mothers and with a researcher at two, four, six and nine months in face-to-face play, and in toy-play at six and nine months. During toy-play at both ages, two indices of joint attention (JA)—infant bids for attention, and percent of time in shared attention—were assessed, along with other behavioural measures. Global ratings were made at all four ages of infants’ and mothers’ interactive style. The mothers varied in psychiatric history (e.g., half had experienced postpartum depression) and socioeconomic status, so their interactive styles were diverse. Variation in nine-month infant JA — with mother and with researcher — was predicted by variation in maternal behaviour and global ratings at six months, but not at two or four months. Concurrent adult behaviour also influenced nine-month JA, independent of infant ratings. Six-month maternal behaviours that positively predicted later JA (some of which remained important at nine months) included teaching, conjoint action on a toy, and global sensitivity. Other behaviours (e.g., entertaining) negatively predicted later JA. Findings are discussed in terms of social-learning and neurobiological accounts of JA emergence.

Plant-pollinator biodiversity and pollination services in a complex Mediterranean landscape

Mediterranean landscapes comprise a complex mosaic of different habitats that vary in the diversity of their floral communities, pollinator communities and pollination services. Using the Greek Island of Lesvos as a model system, we assess the biodiversity value of six common habitats and measure ecosystemic 'health' using pollen grain deposition in three core flowering plants as a measure of pollination services. Three fire-driven habitats were assessed: freshly burnt areas, fully regenerated pine forests and intermediate age scrub; in addition we examined oak woodlands, actively managed olive groves and groves that had been abandoned from agriculture. Oak woodlands, pine forests and managed olive groves had the highest diversity of bees. The habitat characteristics responsible for structuring bee communities were: floral diversity, floral abundance, nectar energy availability and the variety of nectar resources present. Pollination services in two of our plant species, which were pollinated by a limited sub-set of the pollinator community, indicated that pollination levels were highest in the burnt and mature pine habitats. The third species, which was open to all flower visitors, indicated that oak woodlands had the highest levels of pollination from generalist species. Pollination was always more effective in managed olive groves than in abandoned groves. However, the two most common species of bee, the honeybee and a bumblebee, were not the primary pollinators within these habitats. We conclude that the three habitats of greatest overall value for plant-pollinator communities and provision of the healthiest pollination services are pine forests, oak woodland and managed olive groves. We indicate how the highest value habitats may be maintained in a complex landscape to safeguard and enhance pollination function within these habitats and potentially in adjoining agricultural areas. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.