Rightful Resistance in the Colombian conflict. A theoretical reflection based on a Peace Community

This article considers the opportunities of civilians to peacefully resist violent conflicts or civil wars. The argument developed here is based on a field-based research on the peace community San José de Apartadó in Colombia. The analytical and theoretical framework, which delimits the use of the term ‘resistance’ in this article, builds on the conceptual considerations of Hollander and Einwohner (2004) and on the theoretical concept of ‘rightful resistance’ developed by O’Brien (1996). Beginning with a conflict-analytical classification of the case study, we will describe the long-term socio-historical processes and the organizational experiences of the civilian population, which favoured the emergence of this resistance initiative. The analytical approach to the dimensions and aims of the resistance of this peace community leads to the differentiation of O`Brian’s concept of ‘rightful resistance’.

From global advocacy to local resistance. Benin's experience of competency-based school curriculum

In the vein of the "Education for All" campaign to promote access to education, a wave of curriculum revision along the competency-based approach has swept francophone countries in sub-Sahara Africa, thus Benin. The current study documents local actors' various interactions with the curricular reform in the course of its implementation. Secondary data supplemented with qualitative research techniques such as semi-structured interviews with teachers, and focus group discussions with parents enable to relate the patterns of change, the challenges and resistance to change. The actors spectrum generated illustrates advocacy on one hand and resistance on the other. Advocacy of local actors reflects the global optimistic discourse on education and resistance is favoured by disappointing policy outcomes as well as contextual constraints. (DIPF/Orig.)

Offen werden für demokratiepolitische Themen. Politische Bewusstseinsbildung in verpflichtenden Gender-Trainings trotz persönlichen Widerstands

Wie kann in Seminaren zu Genderkompetenz Offenheit erzeugt werden, wenn die Teilnehmenden sich nicht freiwillig für den Besuch entschieden haben und daher mit Desinteresse oder Widerwillen reagieren? Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt ein didaktisches Vorgehen, das den persönlichen Widerstand von Teilnehmenden aufzulösen vermag und letztlich ein Problembewusstsein für soziale Ungleichheit initiiert. Zentral sind hierfür die Reflexion persönlicher Erfahrungen und ideologischer Diskussionen, die Ungleichheitsthemen meist mit sich bringen. Das vorgestellte didaktische Vorgehen im Gender Training, das u.a. Kompetenzerwartungen an Führungskräfte im Bildungsbereich entlang Geschlechterstereotypien aufdeckt, ist auch für andere Themen der politischen Bildung einsetzbar. Um also ein politisches Bewusstsein über Hierarchisierungs- und Diskriminierungsprozesse zu befördern, ist es wichtig, Ausschließungsprozesse im Alltag erlebbar zu machen und zu erkennen, wer vom Ausschluss anderer profitiert, wer die Ausschlusskriterien festlegt und dass unterschiedliche Kriterien dafür geeignet sind. (DIPF/Orig.)

Przestrzeń możliwości według Haralda Welzera

Recenzja wydanej w 2013 roku pracy niemieckiego psychologa społecznego Haralda Welzera „Selbst Denken. Eine Anleitung zum Widerstand”. Welzer opisuje zachodni ekspansywny modelu rozwoju i poddaje go radykalnej krytyce. Psycholog twierdzi, że dotarł on do kresu swoich możliwości oraz przyczynił się do wybuchu wielu współczesnych kryzysów. Zdaniem Welzera sposób rozwiązywania najważniejszych kryzysów: finansowego, demograficznego, surowcowego i ekologicznego polega dziś głównie na prostym przestawieniu się z eksploatowania przestrzeni (Die Ausbeutung des Raumes) na eksploatowanie przyszłości (Die Ausbeutung des Zukunft). W recenzji pracy poruszone zostały zagadnienia takie jak: niewydolność tradycyjnych instytucji politycznych i społecznych, zmuszających jednostkę do wypracowania indywidualnej „polityki życia” – strategii przetrwania w coraz bardziej nieprzyjaznej rzeczywistości; dychotomia między wzrostem gospodarczym jako zmianą ilościową a rozwojem społecznym jako zmianą jakościową; polityka gabinetu Angeli Merkel, a także jej krytyka ze strony niemieckich intelektualistów; rola Niemiec w czasie kryzysu w Unii Europejskiej.

Die ergebnislose und funktionslose Erziehung. Gemeinschaft, Öffentlichkeit und Immanenz

Die Erfahrung des Verlusts einer absoluten Gemeinschaft, die für die Pädagogik als modernes theoretisches Projekt grundlegend ist, ergibt sich als Erfahrung von Kontingenz und Widerstreben (Schleiermacher). Ich will nachweisen, daß sich eine Konzeptualisierung der Erziehung entwickelt hat, die zwar von dieser Kontingenz weiß und sich des Widerstands bewußt ist, jedoch zugleich diesen Phänomenen keine systematische Bedeutung beimißt. Ich argumentiere, daß die Neutralisierung dieser Erfahrungen stattfindet, weil die ,vollkommene Gemeinschaft', wie Schleiermacher darstellt, Richtpunkt der Erziehung bleibt, und diese .vollkommene Gemeinschaft' eigentlich in gewissem Sinne als immanent betrachtet wird. Das (verlorene) Absolute (im Sinne von ,ohne Beziehung') kehrt wieder in einer doppelten und symmetrischen Figur dieser Immanenz: das ,bildsame' Individuum und die ,sich selbst aufklärende Öffentlichkeit'. Ich schlage eine alternative Interpretation vor, in der der Verlust der Gemeinschaft begriffen wird als ein Verlust der Immanenz. Dieser Verlust ist genau in einem anderen Sinne konstitutiv für die Gemeinschaft. Die Gemeinschaft ist nicht .vollkommen', das Prinzip der Gemeinschaft ist Unvollendung und Unterbrechung. Kontingenz und Widerstand, als Ausdruck dieser Gemeinschaft, sind nicht nur als Probleme' für die Erziehung zu betrachten, sondern als konstitutiv für sie. Die Erziehung hat nicht die Aufgabe, die Kontingenz und den Widerstand zu neutralisieren, sondern die Gemeinschaft ,offen' zu halten. (DIPF/Orig.)

Experimental and modeling studies of forced convection storage and drying systems for sweet potatoes

Sweet potato is an important strategic agricultural crop grown in many countries around the world. The roots and aerial vine components of the crop are used for both human consumption and, to some extent as a cheap source of animal feed. In spite of its economic value and growing contribution to health and nutrition, harvested sweet potato roots and aerial vine components has limited shelf-life and is easily susceptible to post-harvest losses. Although post-harvest losses of both sweet potato roots and aerial vine components is significant, there is no information available that will support the design and development of appropriate storage and preservation systems. In this context, the present study was initiated to improve scientific knowledge about sweet potato post-harvest handling. Additionally, the study also seeks to develop a PV ventilated mud storehouse for storage of sweet potato roots under tropical conditions. In study one, airflow resistance of sweet potato aerial vine components was investigated. The influence of different operating parameters such as airflow rate, moisture content and bulk depth at different levels on airflow resistance was analyzed. All the operating parameters were observed to have significant (P < 0.01) effect on airflow resistance. Prediction models were developed and were found to adequately describe the experimental pressure drop data. In study two, the resistance of airflow through unwashed and clean sweet potato roots was investigated. The effect of sweet potato roots shape factor, surface roughness, orientation to airflow, and presence of soil fraction on airflow resistance was also assessed. The pressure drop through unwashed and clean sweet potato roots was observed to increase with higher airflow, bed depth, root grade composition, and presence of soil fraction. The physical properties of the roots were incorporated into a modified Ergun model and compared with a modified Shedd’s model. The modified Ergun model provided the best fit to the experimental data when compared with the modified Shedd’s model. In study three, the effect of sweet potato root size (medium and large), different air velocity and temperature on the cooling/or heating rate and time of individual sweet potato roots were investigated. Also, a simulation model which is based on the fundamental solution of the transient equations was proposed for estimating the cooling and heating time at the centre of sweet potato roots. The results showed that increasing air velocity during cooling and heating significantly (P < 0.05) affects the cooling and heating times. Furthermore, the cooling and heating times were significantly different (P < 0.05) among medium and large size sweet potato roots. Comparison of the simulation results with experimental data confirmed that the transient simulation model can be used to accurately estimate the cooling and heating times of whole sweet potato roots under forced convection conditions. In study four, the performance of charcoal evaporative cooling pad configurations for integration into sweet potato roots storage systems was investigated. The experiments were carried out at different levels of air velocity, water flow rates, and three pad configurations: single layer pad (SLP), double layers pad (DLP) and triple layers pad (TLP) made out of small and large size charcoal particles. The results showed that higher air velocity has tremendous effect on pressure drop. Increasing the water flow rate above the range tested had no practical benefits in terms of cooling. It was observed that DLP and TLD configurations with larger wet surface area for both types of pads provided high cooling efficiencies. In study five, CFD technique in the ANSYS Fluent software was used to simulate airflow distribution in a low-cost mud storehouse. By theoretically investigating different geometries of air inlet, plenum chamber, and outlet as well as its placement using ANSYS Fluent software, an acceptable geometry with uniform air distribution was selected and constructed. Experimental measurements validated the selected design. In study six, the performance of the developed PV ventilated system was investigated. Field measurements showed satisfactory results of the directly coupled PV ventilated system. Furthermore, the option of integrating a low-cost evaporative cooling system into the mud storage structure was also investigated. The results showed a reduction of ambient temperature inside the mud storehouse while relative humidity was enhanced. The ability of the developed storage system to provide and maintain airflow, temperature and relative humidity which are the key parameters for shelf-life extension of sweet potato roots highlight its ability to reduce post-harvest losses at the farmer level, particularly under tropical climate conditions.

EL NOS-OTROS-ORIGINARIO: Sobre la posibilidad de respetar los derechos de el-otro

Este texto plantea la posibilidad de recuperar el nos-otros-originario como clave para la superación del «sufrimiento inútil» del sujeto; de este modo, muestra al nos-otros-originario como una zona de protección de los derechos de el-otro, hace una crítica en contra del nos-otros-caído como vulnerador de derechos fundamentales, y aborda la posibilidad de recuperar el nos-otros-originario a través de una consumación definitiva de la "justicia".