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The document is a response to a paper by Gruber, Block, and Montemayor (GBM) on the topic of time. The author admires GBM's inventive experiments but raises concerns about the philosophical foundations of their ideas. They discuss the use of James Hartle's IGUS model to incorporate subjective experience of time within a 4D Minkowski spacetime framework. The author suggests that thinking in terms of second-order cybernetics and considering a wider range of features could help address the problem GBM is discussing. They also question the assumption that our theories of physics and cosmology can provide a straightforward temporal worldview. The author proposes a dual-aspect monist view, where both subjective and objective time arise from a deeper structure. They believe that the resolution to GBM's problem lies in this deeper domain. [Extracted from the article]

In 2022 the Johns Hopkins University purchased an annotated copy of the Epigrammata Antiquae Urbis (Rome, 1521), the earliest published collection of inscriptions from Rome. A paleographical comparison shows that the annotator was the Servite friar Alessandro Totti (1498–1570), a little-studied Brescian antiquarian. The present study confirms him as the source of numerous papers within Vat. lat. 5237 (a composite epigraphic manuscript assembled by Aldo Manuzio the Younger), and sheds light on his exchange of antiquarian information with Ottavio Pantagato, Paolo Manuzio, and his son Aldo Manuzio. The analysis of Totti's annotations in the Epigrammata , written in the 1550s, reveals not only his detailed study of Rome's inscriptions, but also his interest in two of the most heated antiquarian debates at the time: Roman chronology as attested by the discovery of the Fasti Capitolini, and the identification of the 35 Roman tribes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

But Marcocci and McManus offer more open-ended narratives in which humanism emerges as a multi-directional and polyfocal phenomenon. Both Marcocci and McManus thus illustrate what a global history of Renaissance humanism could look like and how historians today can turn to Renaissance humanist culture to write global intellectual history and I vice versa i . [Extracted from the article]

Paper and parchment were used for the production and repair of musical instruments from the 16th century onwards. Today, several layers of reused materials such as binder's waste can be found in instruments. This makes them carriers of materials of bibliographical and fragmentological interest. Based on the analyses of 96 lute instruments the reinforcing material is described and put into context with current approaches of the study of fragments and the material history of the objects. The use of vellum and reuse of parchment manuscripts was mainly common during the 16th century and for instruments made of materials of high density. Paper in the form of blank folios, reused prints, manuscripts, music staves and notes, or drawings can be found as material for the production and repair of lutes in all periods. The content or the exact edition of the reused prints or manuscripts could be identified in several cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at re-evaluating two of Hungarian artist Dóra Mauer's films, the video work PROPORTIONS (1979) and the 16mm film TIMING (1973/80). Both films follow a rigid structure. In PROPORTIONS, Maurer uses a paper roll to compare her own body measures repeatedly; in TIMING, she repeatedly folds a white linen to compare the rhythm of her arm movements. Through her use of paper and the gesture of folding, the two films can be read as references to the very origin of the term format , as coined in early letterpress printing. When the notion of format is understood as a determination of a ratio and, as such, as an indexical reference to given social relationships (Summers, 2003), these films unfold sociocultural and political meanings. The present paper traces this spectrum of meaning through the pointed inclusion of historical discourses surrounding early motion studies, the art scene in socialist Hungary in the 1970s, and early time experiments before the advent of precision clocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the PRC was first establishing diplomatic missions around the world Ambassador Panikkar reported to Nehru about Yuan Zhongxian, who would be the PRC's first ambassador to India, and the preparations being made for the embassy in India: "The women members of the mission have been given special courses in deportment. Devaki Panikkar got the opportunity to live in China because of her father's position, but she obviously did not see herself as an extension of him or of the Indian embassy in China. The China-India relationship in the late 1940s and the early 1950s is often viewed through the lens of "Hindi-Chini bhai bhai" (Indian and Chinese brotherhood) but attention to gendered language in the Nehru Papers archive highlights the extent to which the relationship was both fostered and troubled by women. While the Chinese authorities took the delegation to the case to show how gender roles were changing in China, Singh found it was more evidence of the lack of individuality in China. [Extracted from the article]

Mirror studies have uncovered evidence for self-awareness in several non-human animals; however, this approach has not been extended to invertebrates. Here, we examined mirror responses of Polistes paper wasps, insects with high social cognitive abilities. We used a highly replicated design, exposing wasps to mirror self-recognition (MSR) test stimuli (mirror, facial marking) and several control stimuli (non-reflective surfaces, invisible marks, and sham marks). We found that nest-founding queen wasps respond to mirrors with increases in antennation and touching over non-reflective surfaces. Visible marks also resulted in more exploratory behaviours (antennating and touching the mirror), but decreases in self-directed behaviours typically used as indicators of MSR. While this experiment does not support the notion that wasps possess self-awareness, it shows that wasps respond to subtle alterations in their visual environment and appearance with exploratory behaviour. This work thus increases our understanding of insects' cognitive abilities, suggesting high levels of perceptual richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores a collection of over two thousand "travel patents" issued during the sixteenth century by the chanceries of the Republic of Venice and the Order of St. John of Rhodes and Malta. Far from being the equivalent of modern passports, these papers were ad hoc concessions of exceptional travel rights. The article's systematic comparative approach shows that magistrates in Venice and Malta used travel patents to promote the circulation of valuable people and goods in response to both exceptional and recurring mobility needs. However, these letters were not only an expression of princely desire to "control the legitimate means of movement," but also tokens of a convergence of administrative and individual interests that worked together, from above and from below, to address contingent mobility challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the contours of debt and labor in the early twentieth-century Persian Gulf pearl dive. It examines the barwa , a declaration exchanged by nakhoda s (dhow captains) about the amounts that divers owed and the terms by which they might be hired out. By looking both through and at the barwa, we find a window into the Indian Ocean maritime bazaar, and into the artifacts through which mobile and itinerant laborers were bound to the dhow and its captain. Maritime actors used these papers to navigate the boundary between person and property, and between free and unfree, all within a changing commercial and legal world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay introduces readers to the recent discovery of the personal papers of Grand Steward Tajima Michiji. These documents capture the post-surrender reflections of Hirohito, Japan's Shōwa Emperor, and record him speaking on such issues as his war responsibility, as well as the culpability of prewar politicians such as Konoe Fumimaro and General Tōjō Hideki. In August 2019, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) (NHK) announced that it had gained privileged access to the papers. Acting on advice from scholars, it then released extracts from Tajima's audience records. Drawing not on the Tajima papers themselves, but on what the NHK has made available, the documents demonstrate that Hirohito, after Japan's surrender, experienced anguish and over the war and its outcome. He continued as emperor because he accepted "moral responsibility" for the war that required him to help his nation and its people endure occupation and reconstruction. This article also describes Hirohito's postwar reflections on several issues, such as Japanese field officers and subordinates in the 1930s initiating without authorization acts of aggression, the Rape of Nanjing, and Japan's postwar rearmament. While the Tajima papers will not resolve the ongoing debate over the emperor's responsibility for Japan's path of aggression before 1945, they do provide valuable insights about his role in and reaction to events before, during, and after World War II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our project seeks to analyze the interactions and exchanges between China and India in this age of decolonization through the pages of the Nehru Papers. Although the members of our group have all been engaged in the study of China and India, for many of us, the types of documents that comprise the Nehru Papers vary significantly from the kinds of materials we otherwise work on. Some years ago, the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in New Delhi declassified the post-1947 materials within the Jawaharlal Nehru Papers collection. [Extracted from the article]

This article focuses on two aspects of Isaac Bashevis Singer's life and work from 1923 to 1935. First, it outlines his early career in Warsaw, focusing on his essays and tracing his efforts to establish a literary career independent from that of his older brother, Israel Joshua. Second, it considers Singer's emigration from Warsaw, with a focus on his brother's efforts to get him out, as found in personal correspondence. Along the way, I expose gaps between Singer's memoirs and details found in letters, especially relating to historical circumstances leading him to obtain a tourist visa to the United States in 1935. The article delineates a tension between Singer's establishment of a position within Yiddish literature in Warsaw distinct from his brother's, and the need to leave the city in order to survive, adding Israel Joshua's own voice to the testimony from this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Criminal Law Review is inviting submissions for volumes 24 and 25, which will be published in 2024 and 2025. The journal is seeking articles that provide a comprehensive examination of international criminal law and justice from a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary perspective. This includes topics such as international and domestic law, landmark cases, and sociological and historical aspects of international crimes. Submissions can be made online through Editorial Manager, and while there is no strict deadline, articles submitted by June 1st typically receive faster review. For any inquiries, contact the Editor-in-Chief, Professor Caroline Fournet, at iclaeditor@gmail.com. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a call for papers for a conference on the topic of "Magic and Mischief: Text and Practices in Philosophy, Theology, and the Sciences." The conference aims to explore the persistence of magical thinking and practices in various aspects of society, including popular culture, politics, and religious discourse. It questions the notion of secularization and highlights the historical entwinement of esoteric and magical thinking with the development of disciplines such as philosophy and the sciences. The conference invites papers from various disciplines to contribute to the exploration of these spiritual and esoteric agencies. [Extracted from the article]

Crop raiding has been reported in many parts of Punjab as a result of an overabundance of nilgai antelopes (Boselaphus tragocamelus) and farmers are constantly battling to save their crops. In the present study, various management strategies such as physical deterrents (nylon rope, nylon net and garden net), visual repellents (scarecrow and reflective ribbon), chemical repellents (different concentrations of Neelbo and Ecodon (based on ricinoleic acid) applied by spraying, soaking jute rope, soaked in wood shavings packed in plastic bags and paper cups) and biological deterrents (bioacoustic device and different concentrations of faecal solution of horse, tiger and Himalayan black bear) were evaluated to minimize the damage caused by nilgai. Nylon net was the most promising method, providing complete protection against nilgai, which can be used for protecting crops at vulnerable stages with a one-time cost. The nylon rope and garden net provided partial protection from nilgai damage. The bioacoustic device and reflective ribbon were also effective for a short period of time. Neelbo was found more effective as chemical repellent against nilgai. The faecal solution of horse and Himalayan black bear remained effective as repellent for 10 days. It is thus concluded that while comprehensive damage prevention may be difficult, animal management devices can help reduce nilgai damage at vulnerable stages of the crop. The employment of a range of management devices at the proper time can be part of a cost-effective system to keep nilgai damage at acceptable levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a book review of "Juristische Glossierungstechniken als Mittel rechtswissenschaftlicher Rationalisierungen, Erfahrungen aus dem europäischen Mittelalter – vor und neben den großen 'Glossae ordinariae'" edited by S. Lepsius. The book contains papers presented at a conference in Munich in 2017, discussing the editing of glosses to the Liber Augustalis. The papers cover various aspects of gloss production in the late Middle Ages, including editing commentaries and the relationship between main texts and glosses. The review recommends specific articles as informative introductions to the study of medieval glosses and commentaries. Overall, the book provides valuable insights for those interested in editing and studying glosses in medieval law texts. [Extracted from the article]

This paper discusses the subjection of Europe’s lower-strata working-class Muslims to a politics of containment on two levels: isolation and elite capture. Departing from analogies between antisemitism and Islamophobia, it argues for a different comparison between the two that involves their effects when weaponised as discursive strategies. While the effects of the weaponisation of (‘new’) antisemitism tend to isolate Muslims through a de-essentialising good vs. bad Muslim discourse, the effects of the weaponisation of Islamophobia move towards the tendential dynamics of elite capture through a re-essentialising discourse. Instead of theorising identity-formation as a direct consequence of ideology, the paper situates both discursive strategies within a structural framework that involves Muslims’ organisational and collective- action forms, which in turn consolidate non-class identities. The paper concludes that the effects of the weaponisation of both discourses are realised in the containment of Muslims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A passage from Ps.-Basil of Caesarea's ep. 366 contains verbatim parallels with a quotation of Valentinus given in Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.7.59.3. These parallels have rarely been recognized by scholars. Völker and Markschies have argued that Ps.-Basil was excerpting from Clement, but this paper argues that Ps.-Basil was independent of Clement and was likely Clement's source. Overlooked evidence includes (i) the coherence of the parallel passages in the context of ep. 366 and their relative incoherence in the context of Strom. 3.7.59.3; (ii) Valentinian theology that is found throughout ep. 366, including the notions of spiritual bodies and Charis as God's protological consort; (iii) grammatical errors in Clement that are not present in Ps.-Basil; and (iv) further textual evidence suggesting that ep. 366 has the original version of the passage. A plausible explanation of the evidence, this paper will argue, is that ep. 366 comes from the pen of Valentinus himself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nile River has been both an engine of development and a cause of controversy among its riparian states for millennia. This paradox took on an international dimension with the inception of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Using a qualitative research method, this paper investigates the GERD controversy and the role of a benefit-sharing approach in the Nile Basin. The dam negotiations have been hampered by unjust colonial treaties, the hardline interests of Egypt and Ethiopia, politicisation, uncertainty about the consequences of the dam’s use and lopsided third-party intervention. The paper argues that the adoption of a benefit-sharing approach in the basin can sustain the Nile ecosystem, promote regional peace, increase water flow and decrease unnecessary expenses through modest intraregional cooperation. The resolution of the Nile Basin conflict thus relies on identifying the potential of the basin and on integrated cooperative frameworks adopted by the technocrats of its riparian states and international experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the praxis of the Zionist Left in Brazil, particularly during the 2010s. It argues that the Zionist Left, which claims to be a progressive grouping that stands in solidarity with the oppressed people in Palestine and in Brazil, functions in fact as a colonial counterrevolutionary actor against radical-left emancipatory politics. Indeed, the Zionist Left functions as a gatekeeper, blocking sectors of the Jewish community and the Brazilian Left from joining the growing anti-Zionist decolonial movement in Brazil. This paper aims to show how various Zionist Left groups have historically worked with the Zionist elite and the Brazilian state to undermine anti-Zionist communist Jewish alternatives by resorting to fraudulent discourse and even force in order to build support for the Zionist settler-colonial project in Palestine. This paper utilises a Marxist, anti-Zionist and anti-colonial framework in order to provide a counter-hegemonic critique for an emancipatory praxis that rejects colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the historical evolution of Chinese school reform, focusing on the important roles of rational thinking and value reconstruction in the process of reform. Through the review of the historical process of school reform in China, the important milestones of the past reform are determined, which provides the historical background for understanding the reform. This paper analyzes the application of rational thinking in school reform and emphasizes the necessity of accurately identifying and solving difficulties in the process of reform. At the same time, it emphasizes the key role of value reconstruction in the realization of an effective reform and provides a theoretical framework and practical direction. At the macro level, the paper examines the historical evolution of China’s educational goals and analyzes the impact of these changes on school reform. Through the historical perspective, this paper reveals the historical enlightenment in the reform, discusses the intersection of history and value reconstruction, and puts forward the school reform strategy based on the historical perspective. The paper looks forward to the future of school reform based on historical evolution and points out the upcoming challenges and possible directions of reform. In summary, the main proposition of this paper is to effectively promote school reform through rational thinking and value reconstruction, combined with historical perspective. The core elements of the article include historical review, rational analysis, value reconstruction, and macroscopic education objectives. This paper uses the method of historical analysis and literature review to provide guidance and reference for future school reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars usually understand Κύρια Δόξα (ΚΔ) 33 as an antiplatonic polemic. This paper denies the communis opinio. First, it argues for an ontological reading of the maxim according to which justice (understood as virtue) is not a body but a property. Second, it shows that the Stoics hold the very thesis disputed in ΚΔ 33, namely that virtue is a body. This makes the Stoa the natural target of the maxim. Finally, the paper deals with De rerum natura I.464-482: here Lucretius criticizes nameless opponents with regard to the thesis that events are to be understood as bodies. If these opponents can be identified with the Stoics, as is usually assumed, there is further evidence besides ΚΔ 33 that the Epicureans engaged with the Stoic thesis of corporealism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adhira Mangalagiri delves into early cultural delegations India and China sent to each other's countries. Nehru was perhaps more sanguine than his officials in his assessment of the communist government in China and its security repercussions for India. We now know with certainty that the first Indian prime minister saw that the recognition of communist China was inevitable; the People's Republic was a stable government with which interactions were essential for the defense of New Delhi's interests. [Extracted from the article]

The paper explores the doxologies in the book of Amos, arguing that they articulate a polemical viewpoint distinct from prevailing biblical and ancient Near Eastern notions about the formation of the sea, mountains, wind, and God’s abode. Central to the comprehension of this cosmogony is the recurring phrase in Amos 5:8d and 6:9c, “(He) who summons the waters of the sea and pours them on the surface of the earth.” While previous scholars have understood this phrase as referring to the primeval Flood, a tsunami event, or Levantine torrential rain, the present paper suggests a cosmogonic interpretation, in line with its context. Subsequent elements in the same series of texts are interlinked with this portrayal, emphasizing the unified—and polemical—perspective of the doxologies. This new explanation also has ramifications for the dating and composition of the doxologies in the book of Amos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After several decades of relative silence in the Netherlands on the topic of church and racism, the Black Lives Matter Movement and the public debate on reparations for colonial enslavement have brought the issue back on the agenda of church and theology. Fuelled by the Programme to Combat Racism (PCR), previous ecumenical discussions on this topic in the 1970s provide a good starting point for reflection today. This paper first provides some basic background on the PCR and then describes three theological positions in relation to reconciliation that shaped the discussions around racism. Based on these historical insights, the article summarizes the experiences and insights of the PCR in three major points, and discusses their relevance for today's conversation on church, diaconia, and racism. The paper argues that commitment, the transfer of power, and the value of discomfort provide important theological and practical insights for today's debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent changing tides of social and political climate across the globe has impacted the influence of media and culture (Michael Gurevitch, 1982), and in effect, the social fabric of our globalised society. This paper uses theories from Sturcturalism to understand better the larger socio-cultural structures that lay deeply embedded into our understanding of society as a whole. This cultural understanding is important to look at media (and by extension film) through its power dynamics and capital it provides to the groups that it represents and the groups that it does not. The study of these representations as being in opposition to each other in the way of ‘in’ and ‘out’ groups to understand the ways in which culture and cinema receive minorities, and for this paper, the Indian Christian identity in India. Mainstream cinema or Bollywood helps in the translation of in and out groups into the ‘othering’ of religious minorities (Brons, 2015) while also presenting and confirming the already existing ideas of the identity of minorities. This paper looks to identify the importance of alternative cinema, in this case regional Malayalam Cinema, for minorities that have been marginalised by the media and their role in the repairing the self-image of these minorities. The intrinsic binary between the alternative and mainstream cinema here are representative of the power and lack thereof for these minorities in terms of their social and self-perception.This paper goes a step further by not just looking at Indian Christians as a homogeneous whole but also determining the difference in portrayal and representation of the different denominations of the Indian Christian community. Therefore, this paper attempts to explain the reasons for the invisibility of Indian Christian representation or its ‘other-ing’ in mainstream film while also understanding the binary in the internal cultural dynamics within the Christian population through the lens of popular culture and regional or alternative cinema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistence of intense conflicts over land belonging to indigenous communities is a pressing issue in South Africa. This would resonate even more with the lived experiences of mine communities that are often having to grapple with the collateral socio-economic hardships and impoverishment effects. Matters can get even worse when the State has weak legal and institutional frameworks to regulate the use and possession of such highly contested lands. This paper explores the principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC); its relevance and significance to South African extractive sector; its possible bottlenecks and implementation challenges; and suggestions for practical interventions and policy advances to facilitate its incorporation into law and policy. Displacement is the limited context within which this exploration is undertaken. The paper argues that the FPIC – as an envisaged future for the country's extractive policy – is more desirable than a mere duty to consult as currently framed in the empowering legislation namely, the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Act (MPRDA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Declaration of Independence stated that "[a]ll men are created equal," due to the institution of slavery, this statement was not to be grounded in law in the U.S until after the Civil War. Often, American blacks looked to the courts to protect important social values and when the courts ruled in favor, there was always a backlash and resistance to judicial fiat. This paper makes a historical analysis of the South's response to judicial social change. For instance, when Brown v. Board of Education of Tepeka was decided in 1954, school boards in portions of the country actively resisted the court mandated school integration. Thus, the paper argues that social change should be a gradual process and not a forced enterprise by the courts or indeed, any governmental structure since an assertive judiciary can spark a political and cultural backlash that may hurt, more than help, progressive values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a critical reading of Alaa Al Aswany's novel The Yacoubian Building (2002), evoking important questions about the nature of terrorism in Egypt and how young men are transformed into religious fanatics. While certainly not excusing terrorists' violent acts, we try to use the novel as a guide to understand what makes a terrorist tick. The novel invites us to witness the fall into the abyss of terror of a young man who dreams of being a policeman. The novel shows that while Taha struggles to change his fate, he faces marginalisation, police corruption, oppression and torture, which finally set him on the path to violence. The paper thus uses the novel as a focal point to broaden our understanding of who a terrorist figure is. Furthermore, we are interested in the literary representations of terrorism and why this novelist chooses terrorism as a main structuring element. By offering a qualitative, different understanding of the fundamental aspects of terrorism, we try to reveal that while it is the terrorist's finger that pulls the trigger, there is a disorienting history of social, political and economic circumstances behind each bullet. The paper concludes that Al Aswany neither demonises nor offers an apology for extremists. He simply presents them as humans so that we can understand what they are angry about. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land question is an emotive issue across the world. At independence, erstwhile colonies adopted land reforms to address colonial imbalances in landholding. South Africa is one such country that has embarked on land reforms with the view to correcting economic imbalances created by the apartheid past. However, land reform in South Africa has not only been slow but has failed to deal with the twin challenges of poverty and inequality. Using qualitative research design and neoclassical theory, this paper investigates South Africa's land reforms under the auspices of radical economic transformation. The paper argues that the wholesale expropriation of land without compensation does not fit into the obtaining (neoliberal) economic blueprint that has dominated the country over the years. The call for a radical transformation of landholding rights in the country without structural changes in macroeconomic management remains political rhetoric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary is about two papers on the relations between the neuroscience and the physics of time. One is by Buonomano & Rovelli, entitled 'Bridging the neuroscience and physics of time' and the other one is by Gruber, Block & Montemayor, entitled 'Physical time within human time'. The present commentary takes the form of an interview of Remy Lestienne, who published a book on the work of Whitehead, related to the two papers cited above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document contains commentaries on two papers that examine the concept of time from different angles. The first paper argues against the Block Universe theory, which suggests a static reality, and proposes a multilayered concept of time instead. The second paper takes a pragmatic approach and suggests that the brain reflects the temporal parameters of its external environment. The commentaries raise questions about the nature of reality, the validity of physical theories, and the perception of time. The text explores different perspectives on the flow of time, including the idea that it is a perceptual construct and the belief that consciousness and time are interconnected. It also discusses the arrow of time, entropy, and different interpretations of the IGUS model. The authors suggest three areas for further exploration: clarifying definitions, recognizing the desire to attribute reality to subjective experiences, and incorporating falsifiability into the debate. [Extracted from the article]

This paper explores how children's rights are operationalised in practice, specifically by Canadian child and youth advocate offices (all 12 offices across Canada), international children's commissioners' offices (in Northern Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Norway and Denmark), and their institutional structures. A total of 24 participants took part in the study, including 12 current child and youth advocates from the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates (CCCYA), two former advocates from the CCCYA, three additional staff members of the CCCYA (collectively, representing all 12 jurisdictions across Canada), one children's commissioner and six designates on behalf of various international children's commissioners. This paper shifts the research focus of children's rights and childhood studies from the narrow confines of the individual child to a focus on the broader relational and interdependent aspects inherent within institutions that protect and promote children's rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the narrative significance of localization in Homer's Odyssey , in particular singular places that are associated with multiple spaces (identified here as dual localization). Our reading posits that spatial features hold narrative significance and, once uncovered, this resolves 'problematic' issues that may arise from spatial paradoxes. The chosen case study is the Odyssean land of the Ethiopians with its twin dual localization: (1) it is located simultaneously at the eastern and western peripheries of the world while also located singularly 'with Poseidon'; and (2) this peripheral localization contrasts with a later 'real world' setting in Egypt/North Africa. While this people's localization has been the subject of prior study, this paper presents a novel analysis: these localizations serve a characterizing function which, in turn, relates to the thematic function of Menelaus' embedded narrative as foreshadowing the primary narrative of Odysseus' nostos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores Galen's notion of the chreia of bodily parts and activities, and the method of its discovery against the Aristotelian background. It argues that the chreia of an object π (a bodily part or activity) is a connection between the activity ε for the sake of which π has come into existence, and the attributes of π without which ε would cease to exist or would not be as good. The discovery of chreia , then, is an explanation of this connection. Aristotle does not use the word ' chreia ' in this sense, but in Parts of Animals he employs a partly overlapping notion which he calls ' ergon '. Finally, the paper points out that Galen's chreia is equivalent to the middle term of teleological demonstrations, as outlined in Aristotle's Posterior Analytics II 11. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses 'law' and 'religion' as a co-dependent dyad, and argues that the academic study of religion should see the concept of law as both an analytical category and an object of study. To this end, it argues for a broader understanding of law. It demonstrates that the understanding of law as secular state law, commonly used in analysis, is part of both religious and legal history. Anti-, intra-, and interreligious polemics and agendas were, after all, vital in the genesis and global proliferation of this understanding of law. In a second step, the paper performs an empirical analysis of legal practices within a religious organisation: the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast/Ghana. Two cases from one of this church's courts in the 1950s are analysed to showcase how religious actors contributed to the fashioning of the dyad of religion and law as a global phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian Constitution recognises and accommodates the social and legal diversity of the country. It is interesting to note that it leaves the family outside the discipline of Fundamental Rights. Unlike many other Constitutions, neither does it contain a Fundamental Right to family nor does it disturb it by bringing the personal laws within the domain of law. The term Uniform Civil Code implies that it is applicable to all as a general rule and many support this view. Personal laws are an integral part of religion and, therefore, the enactment of Civil Code is an interference with religion. The vast majority of Muslim in India adheres to this view that the Uniform Civil Code would interfere in the personal law. The present paper aims to examine the feasibility of the implementation of Uniform Civil Code in India in the context of the recent push by the government of India. Recognising the interplay between the fundamental rights and the constitutional directives in the context of the debate around Uniform Civil Code, the paper also outlines in brief Part iii and Part iv of the Constitution and their relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the author paints the socio-political canvass that coloured the motif of colonial and post-colonial political arrangement that characterised the western Niger Delta of Nigeria. This paper underscores the Isoko minority group’s struggle for identity as a distinct ethnic group from their Urhobo neighbour in post-colonial times. It is the aim of this work to try to bring light on the history of minority group’s struggle for establishing their own identity and political domain within the framework of sub-nationalism in the Nigerian state using the appropriate theoretical frameworks. The study deployed the historical and analytical methods, with primary and secondary sources to achieve its aim. The paper shows that the identity of the Isoko Nationalism was not clearly established, until after 1963 and even as late as the period of the Nigerian Civil War, the separate identity of the Isoko ethnic group was not clearly established in some circles, until crude oil economy brought them to the limelight after the end of the Nigerian civil war. The author deposes that to appreciate ethnic relations across time and space in relation to contemporary political circumstances, from the perspective of both majority and minority status and in relation to different ethnic out-groups. Finally, the paper shows that understanding the patterns of intergroup relations as exemplified by the Isoko and their neighbours in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is a necessary prelude to the appreciation of the phenomena in the trajectory of developments that had serious implications on the evolution and trend of the Isoko as an identifiable distinct ethnic group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a response to the roundtable on Metamodernism: The Future of Theory, focusing on the work’s methodological implications and theoretical advancements. Using traffic jams as a case study, Jason Ānanda Josephson Storm illustrates how his approach both incorporates and transcends the insights of discourse studies. He abridges a version of his theory of process “social kinds,” which he describes as dynamic, socially constructed clusters of properties, defined by the anchoring processes – dynamic-nominalist, mimetic, and ergonic – that uniquely contribute to their properties. He shows how focusing on these anchoring processes challenges conventional methodologies and could herald new research paths in religious studies and other fields, advocating for a shift towards a more inclusive and dynamic interpretation of social phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the 2015 use of the Australian rock song Khe Sanh by far-right nationalist group Reclaim Australia and how it points to deeper archetypal dynamics at play, which are driving the appearance and behaviour of groups like this. Drawing from the work of Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, I treat the song as an expression of the archetype of the fallen hero, who confronts darkness but cannot reintegrate back into the social world and, instead, remains fallen. As I discuss, this song resonates deeply with Reclaim Australia members because it reflects their own ideological conceptions of their place in the changing Australian nation. I use a Jungian archetypal approach because it allows us to explore the underlying psychic structure and instinctive patterns that drive the behaviour of groups like this. Where other approaches may simply focus on the behaviour, an archetypal approach goes much deeper, addressing the root of the behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article concludes the Special Issue by exploring the role that international criminal law (ICL) could play in the protection of the environment in light of the three core issues covered in the Special Issue: the right to a healthy environment, climate change litigation and Indigenous peoples' Earth-Centric vision. First, the paper argues that fora applying ICL, including the International Criminal Court, could offer legal avenues to prosecute serious violations of the right to a healthy environment. Second, it alleges that whilst cases involving conducts leading to environmental degradation and destruction could be brought under ICL, ICL could not address the broader impact of such conducts, including on climate change. Third, it discusses the extent to which ICL could incorporate Indigenous peoples' Earth-centric approach to enhance the protection of the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a new look at the design of Abigail's character as a wise woman in 1 Sam 25, based on an analysis of the argumentative component of Abigail's speech and the connections between her speech and the book of Proverbs. According to this analysis, Abigail is not only portrayed as a rescuer, but is also designed in the image of the wise educator in the book of Proverbs, who teaches David a fundamental theological principle about relying on God instead of on his own strength—despite the essential legitimacy to harm Nabal. This message is relevant to David's status as an anointed king de jure , but as a refugee de facto. David's adherence to Abigail's message designs his character as a wise person who is willing to learn, indicating that the narrative justifies David's monarchy through his encounter with Abigail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Septuagint Kingdoms, the Greek translation of Samuel-Kings, has an ambiguous linguistic reputation. While scholars sometimes note natural linguistic features, its isomorphic and literal translation style is typically emphasised. This ambiguity has apparently caused several scholars to misinterpret LXX 1 Kgdms 3:2, which uses the verb βαρύνω in reference to the failing eyesight of the priest Eli. When examined against other evidence, notably Euripides' Alcestis , Kingdoms is shown to use a natural though poorly attested Greek expression meaning "go blind." This paper demonstrates the natural idiomatic use of βαρύνω in 1 Kgdms 3:2 and shows its value in refining our understanding of "heavy eyes" in other non-translation Greek texts. More broadly, it promotes the reading of the LXX against the wider history of the Greek language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the role of regime types and political leadership in influencing regional integration in the East African Community (EAC). Although the EAC is one of the most highly integrated Regional Economic Communities in Africa, and there are many instances where member states cooperate with decisions made at the EAC level to strengthen integration, in other instances members choose to defect from regional commitments. The study used secondary data sources to determine why this is so and employed game theory to understand the game of cooperation and defection among the players, who are the member states of the EAC. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were selected as case studies because they are the founding members of the EAC and are assumed to be most invested in deeper cooperation within the EAC. The study found that member states make conscious, calculated decisions to cooperate or defect on specific issues after gauging the costs and payouts associated with each action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, its mutations, concealment by people and the resistance to vaccines against it, it is relevant to examine the outbreak of bubonic plague in colonial Lagos during the early twentieth century and the response by the British colonial authorities. The methodology applied to this study is historical, drawing information from medical, sanitary, land use and physical planning documents accessed from various archives as well as some secondary sources. It is clear that the colonial government's housing and public health regulations, which allowed authorities to inspect people's homes for cases of infectious disease, drove people to escape into the hinterland, increasing the spread of the plague. Consequently, the colonial authorities carried out a massive structural and physical reorganisation of towns and villages. They also embarked on large-scale land reclamation, decongested overcrowded houses and introduced sanitary measures to make the environment more habitable. This paper argues that through effective political governance structures the colonial government strategically eliminated the bubonic plague in Lagos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper gives an overview of the species so far assigned to the genus Trioserica Moser, 1922 which occur in continental southeast Asia. The types of the known species are revised and 42 new species are described: Trioserica achterbergi Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. bachma Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. bansongcha Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. bresseeli Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. chaudoc Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. chaweewanae Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. chumomray Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. chuyangsin Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. csorbai Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. dalat Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. dongnai Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. geiseri Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. guerlaechi Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. hartmanni Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. huaypok Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. khaoyai Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. konplongensis Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. lamdongensis Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. namphak Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. nongfa Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. pahinngam Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. pakse Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. paulseni Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. phataem Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. phetchabun Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. phnomkulen Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. phuphan Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. pongpitaki Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. preahkhan Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. prome Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. samoeng Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. sanogae Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. seideli Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. sekongensis Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. skalei Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. tadfaek Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. tenasserim Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. theinzek Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. tongbiguan Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. vientiane Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. vriesi Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n., T. vuquang Ahrens, Lukic & Pham, sp. n. The revision resulted also in three new combinations: Trioserica rugosa (Brenske, 1899) comb. n., T. maculata (Frey, 1972) comb. n. and T. minima (Frey, 1972) comb. n. A key to the species of continental SE Asia is given. The diagnostic characters of the newly revised taxa and their distribution are illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]