Institutionalized “Culture Development” and the Development of Local Communities in Zimbabwe

In the Zimbabwean context, two cultures are regarded as dominant; Shona and Ndebele. The domination of these two cultures led to the pushing of the other cultures to the periphery. The domination and or the systematic blocking of cultures from accessing their basic rights is referred to as culture marginalisation; however, culture is regarded as fundamental to any society’s development. Thus, this study used Afrocentricity as the theoretical framework in a bid to unravel the role non-governmental organisations play in cultural development for sustainable economic development. The study engaged both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. These methods enabled the researchers to establish that ‘culture development’ is a foreign phenomenon in the Shangani community that has achieved little concerning culture improvement. It has also been established that ‘culture development’ cannot be promoted by institutions that are donor funded since donor funds sponsor projects to achieve certain goals. ‘Culture development’ has hence been established to be the manipulation of culture by the elite for various reasons. The study also established that ‘culture development’ in the Shangani community is failing to bring about sustainable community development as per Gaza’s vision thus this study concludes that ‘culture development’ is culture manipulation for various reasons that include political as well as economic. Keywords: Shangani, Institutionalization of Culture, Culture development, Sustainable development, Popular culture, Politics, Ideology. DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/70-03 Publication date:June 30th 202

“If They Strike Once, We Will Strike Twice”: Office Door Graffiti as a Double Force Retaliation Against Administrative Policies in Zimbabwean Public Schools

This paper examines office door graffiti in Zimbabwean public schools as a form of learner dissent against administrative policies. It presents graffiti as a creative outlet for frustration and a critique of authority, reflecting a collective discontent among learners. Often filled with insults aimed at specific administrators, this artwork encapsulates learners' emotional challenges within rigid institutions. The study utilises a mixed-method approach, gathering data from four public schools in the Masvingo district through interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations. Grounded in Dadaism, the research portrays graffiti as spontaneous rebellion against injustices and a voice for marginalised learner populations. Its strategic placement on office doors symbolises a confrontation with authority, urging administrators to address learner grievances. Ultimately, this study emphasises the importance of graffiti as a visible critique of authority, shedding light on the socio-political contexts affecting learner experiences in Zimbabwe’s public schools and highlighting learner agency in systemic challenges

Exploring the Complexities of Second Language Acquisition in Rwandan Public Schools

This study compared second language acquisition processes among Rwandan school learners from different language environments. The primary focus was to evaluate the impact of neighbourhood conditions on learner's language proficiency. The research utilised the Social Interactionist Theory and mixed methods to gather and analyse data. A case study design was used, concentrating on specific cases to facilitate valid generalisations later. The population was drawn from two selected schools in the West Province of Rwanda. Various instruments, including questionnaires, interviews, and observations, were employed for data collection. Respondents were selected through a combination of systematic random and purposive sampling. The findings indicated that the language environment significantly influences a learner's second language proficiency, highlighting that a language-rich environment plays a crucial role in enhancing language skills, as opposed to a purely grammatical approach to language learning

Current and wave effects around windfarm monopile foundations

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Current and wave effects around windfarm monopile foundations journaltitle: Coastal Engineering articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2017.01.003 content_type: article copyright: © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The implications of climate change for the water environment in England

This paper reviews the implications of climate change for the water environment and its management in England. There is a large literature, but most studies have looked at flow volumes or nutrients and none have considered explicitly the implications of climate change for the delivery of water management objectives. Studies have been undertaken in a small number of locations. Studies have used observations from the past to infer future changes, and have used numerical simulation models with climate change scenarios. The literature indicates that climate change poses risks to the delivery of water management objectives, but that these risks depend on local catchment and water body conditions. Climate change affects the status of water bodies, and it affects the effectiveness of measures to manage the water environment and meet policy objectives. The future impact of climate change on the water environment and its management is uncertain. Impacts are dependent on changes in the duration of dry spells and frequency of ‘flushing’ events, which are highly uncertain and not included in current climate scenarios. There is a good qualitative understanding of ways in which systems may change, but interactions between components of the water environment are poorly understood. Predictive models are only available for some components, and model parametric and structural uncertainty has not been evaluated. The impacts of climate change depend on other pressures on the water environment in a catchment, and also on the management interventions that are undertaken to achieve water management objectives. The paper has also developed a series of consistent conceptual models describing the implications of climate change for pressures on the water environment, based around the source-pathway-receptor concept. They provide a framework for a systematic assessment across catchments and pressures of the implications of climate change for the water environment and its management

Mística e Literatura no percurso contemplativo de Thomas Merton

Resumo: O presente texto estabelece paralelos possíveis entre a mística e a literatura, a experiência religiosa e a experiência estética, a partir do percurso contemplativo do monge trapista Thomas Merton. Poeta, ensaísta, autor de uma vasta obra sobre temas religiosos, expressa de forma paradigmática as possibilidades e também as tensões entre o religioso e o estético, a religião e a arte. Na dinâmica da palavra e do silêncio, emergem temas centrais da tradição mística cristã.Abstract: The present text establishes possible parallels between mysticism and literature, religious experience and aesthetic experience, from the contemplative course of the Trappist monk Thomas Merton. Poet, essayist, author of a vast work on religious themes, expresses in a paradigmatic way the possibilities and also the tensions between the religious and the aesthetic, religion and art. In the dynamics of word and silence, central themes of the Christian mystical tradition emerge.Keywords: Literature; Mystic; Thomas Merton; Poetry; Contemplatio

Projeto preliminar de equipamento para elevação de automóveis

MonografiaLarge urban centers are constantly suffering from the problem of the growing number of vehicles on the road. This makes it necessary to think of new ways to organize them. The present work launches a proposal of a device design that will facilitate the organization of vehicles in parking spaces, capable of lifting the cars so that these can be stored more efficiently. Following design methodologies to validate the sizing of the components through the calculation memorial in spreadsheets along with drawings and simulations in computer software. With this, it was possible to carry out the sizing of the main components and to study their integrity through simulations, where it was verified that certain components need to be redesigned.Os grandes centros urbanos sofrem constantemente com o problema do crescente aumento do número de veículos transitando nas vias. Isso torna necessário pensar novas formas para organizar os mesmos. O presente trabalho lança uma proposta de projeto de dispositivo que venha a facilitar a organização de veículos em espaços de estacionamentos, capaz de erguer os carros para que estes possam ser guardados de forma mais eficiente. Seguindo metodologias de projeto para validar o dimensionamento dos componentes por meio do memorial de cálculos em planilhas eletrônicas juntamente com desenhos e simulações em software de computador. Com isso foi possível realizar o dimensionamento dos principais componentes e estudar a integridade dos mesmos via simulações, onde constatou-se que certos componentes precisam ser reprojetados.Trabalho não financiado por agência de fomento, ou autofinanciad

Understanding the United Kingdom marine aquarium trade–a mystery shopper study of species on sale

In this study, we conducted a unique survey of marine ornamental fishes appearing in UK retail stores, as well as a review of government trade statistics, with the aim to significantly strengthen the evidence‐base in support of future management initiatives. Fifty marine aquarium retailers were visited. A total of 380 marine aquarium fish species (4926 individuals), from 48 families were recorded with the largest proportion of individuals belonging to the families Pomacentridae, Acanthuridae, Apogonidae, Labridae, Pomacanthidae, Gobiidae and Labridae. The majority of fishes for sale (91% of species) originated from the Indo‐Pacific Ocean, with only a small number (9% of species) derived from the Atlantic Ocean. However, exact sources of individual species were unclear and poorly documented. Government trade statistics revealed that the ornamental reef‐fish trade in the UK grew markedly between 1996 and 2008 with a rapid acceleration in 2003–2004. However, imports have declined since 2008 and amounted to less than 305,000 kg in 2017 with an economic value of UK £3 million (c. US $3.8). Recent trade data (2017) identify Indonesia, USA, Philippines and the Maldives as the most important countries in terms of imports to the UK. The UK is an important exporter of wild‐caught fishes via trans‐shipment, but also production of tank‐reared animals. Several species observed for sale in the UK have been designated by the IUCN and CITES as being of conservation concern, although all these animals are thought to have been captive‐reared