Church Initiatives and Challenges in Promoting Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe| Chapter 2 | Current Progress in Arts and Social Studies Research Vol. 7

The situation in the developing world has shown that the political administrative systems and structures alone cannot bring the idea of sustainable development to fruition. As such, these gaps can be filled if churches play a role through their values systems which incorporate principles of sustainable development. The church’s obligation to proclaim liberty, peace and justice for the good of the people compliments the triple concepts of globalisation, good governance and democracy which have dominated the current international discourse. However, the church has been widely recognised as just an institution championing spiritual growth and little is documented on its role in sustainable development. A study was conducted to investigate initiatives by church leaders in Zimbabwe to attain sustainable development in line with Agenda 21 which is meant to be a road map to sustainable development. A qualitative design was used in this study using questionnaires, interviews and secondary data from church archives as research instruments. This study was conducted in all 10 provinces in Zimbabwe. Data was gathered in order to establish their common faith and doctrine that distinguish them from other churches including their stance on promoting sustainable development and the challenges they face in attempting to achieve the objectives of sustainable development. A hermeneutics and philosophical analytic models were employed to analyse and interpret relevant literature. The study revealed that the church’s participation in developmental projects is tremendous. Pentecostal churches such as Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA), Apostolic Faith Mission church (AFM), Zion Christian Church (ZCC) and mainstream churches such as the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Methodists are contributing immensely towards sustainable development. The mainline and Pentecostal churches are the leaders ahead of white garment churches in terms of supporting objectives of sustainable development. There has been the establishment of educational institutions, vocational training centres and old age people’s homes in many areas around the country. Key challenges identified that militate against the church’s efforts to contribute to sustainable development were the varying church doctrines, conservative behaviour of churches and gender imbalances as well as church politics in terms of vision to follow. Thus, the church therefore cannot afford to be indifferent and isolated in the face of glaring socio-political and economic challenges enveloping Zimbabwe. This paper has given an insight into how the progressive Zimbabwean Church leadership has been deploying all its resources in order to effectively and efficiently contribute to the attainment of sustainable development. The church has a great potential to make a meaningful contribution to sustainable development as reflected by this study. Moreso, the paper offers strong recommendations along with conclusions that could be considered by authorities/ government for necessary implementation in the future. Thus, there should be a refocus on the undermined role of the clergy in influencing sustainable development.

 

Author (s) Details

 

J. Moyounotsva Marava
Christ University, Bangalore, India.

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cpassr/v7/2853

Balancing Civil-military Relations for Democratic Development in Malawi: The Rhombus Diamond Framework | Chapter 10 | Recent Research Advances in Arts and Social Studies Vol. 4

 This chapter seeks to address the question of how the level of civil-military relations has impacted the extent of democratization in Malawi. In doing so, the discussion has developed a rhombus diamond theory of civil-military relations, which posits that the military is the fulcrum in the relationship that has civilians, elected authorities, civilian authorities and the judiciary on apexes. The waning space for the political-military complex as a referent object of security and the advent of human security by the Copenhagen school of thought induced a human-centric approach to security matters. The theory aims at keeping the relations of civil-military entities in equilibrium to develop the country into a consolidated democracy. The central thesis is that community of practice is the key civil-military relations players that include the local population for the direct political power they portray to the matters of security affecting them. The rhombus diamond theory is developed from the antitheses of classical institutional civil-military relations that focused much on the political-military complexes and consolidated democracies. Rhombus diamond theory has taken into historical accounts of Malawi where the local population and the military contributed directly to civil-military relations and safeguarded democratic values. The theory contributes to the body of knowledge by establishing that development and transformation occur through the interaction of the key civil-military relations players in a specific time and geographical milieu. The theory applies to transformative civil-military relations community development and supports United Nations Sustainable development Goal Number 16 that promotes peaceful and inclusive societies, justice, accountability and building of effective institutions. The theory implies that the key civil-military relations players will understand their respective roles and be able to comprehend to democratic principles through deep interaction and fusion of ideas for peace and security.

Author(s) Details:

Thokozani Andrew Chazema,
Department of Environmental Sciences, Mzuzu University, Mzuzu, Malawi and Department of Governance, Peace and Security Studies, Mzuzu University, Mzuzu, Malawi and Malawi University of Science and Technology, Bingu School of Culture and Heritage, Thyolo, Malawi and Transformative Community Development Programme, Mzuzu University, Mzuzu, Malawi.

Mavuto Tembo,
Transformative Community Development Programme, Mzuzu University, Mzuzu, Malawi.

Chrispin Mphande,
Transformative Community Development Programme, Mzuzu University, Mzuzu, Malawi.

Robert Kerr,
Department of Joint Warfighting, USAF Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, USA.

Vincent Nundwe,
Transformative Community Development Programme, Mzuzu University, Mzuzu, Malawi.

David Kumwenda,
Transformative Community Development Programme, Mzuzu University, Mzuzu, Malawi.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RRAASS-V4/article/view/13238

Liberating Intelligence: The Most Powerful Dimension of Creative Intelligence | Chapter 3 | Contemporary Perspective on Science, Technology and Research Vol. 1

 The basic aim of this study is to focal point the need for humanity to reach a athletic, mature and harmonious creative judgment, paying special consideration to its liberating measure. The origin concerning this article was my discovery of the artistic freedom of reality. I realised, as a great gift, that existence could be nothing but clean freedom. It was an insight into the evidence that reality cannot be encompassed or contingent upon any form of information, theory or model. Reality never repeats itself entirely but always surprises us with allure ceaseless advance towards novelty. Before I understood that the power of creative freedom is worldwide intelligence, human intelligence being a intentional form of it. Hence, I characterise human wit by its five creative capacities (interest in reality, semiotic communication, helpful integral symbiosism generalised research and freedom) and allure three dimensions (working, axiological and liberating). I focus mainly on liberating intelligence and contemplation the research of liberating knowledge.

Author(s) Details:

Jaume Agustí-Cullell,
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CPSTR-V1/article/view/12686

Evaluation of Students for Seminar Activities | Chapter 4 | Recent Trends in Arts and Social Studies Vol. 7

 This affiliate is mainly concentrated on the curricular innovations of methodological matters for acquiring the assistant’s competences at undergraduate education place students as anticipated chemistry teachers comprise a target group. As the duty of the teacher is changeful, teachers will increasingly find themselves questioned to become thoughtful about their core pedagogical principles and beliefs. In addition, constructivist models of education and learning are promoting new tests for successful education – criteria that bet heavily on teacher’s self-evaluation and decision making about their own work. The explanatory empirical method is secondhand by students for self-judgment of the quality of conference tasks defined in a DCEM subject module. On a orderly basis, restricted didactic concepts have happened taken into report in the redesign of the seminar as a important curricular form. The organisation, methodology, and judgment of seminar work are the main extents of research into its ideal performance.These three model limits serve to implement graduate seminar activities similarly Bologna teachers’ competences. The pupil's assumption of defined working roles accompanying innovative aspects represents the key organizational aim of the seminar work. It abstain from food saying that the renovation of some seminar is established the consistent consideration of restricted didactic standard.Using the descriptive practical method for student’s self-judgment of seminar work delimited in methodological subject module of three cases (Didactics of Chemistry, Experiments and Natural Activities-Mentroship) some eforts in betteringthe ability mastery over.The scope of the self-judgment of these activities ranges from the exercise of functional parts (The Task Owner, Coordinator, Evaluator, Student Record-Keeper), through the acquired experience of the graduate as the bearer of the conference work and the participant's autonomy, in addition to the seminar results of the entertainer, to potential improvements.Evaluation of organizer’s and coordinator’s information and skills is achieved by colleague while evaluation of student evaluator’s and graduate record-keeper’s competences is confessed to teacher-trainer.In addition to the scholar's great date in the implementation of the undergraduate's varied seminar endeavors and his/her independence, it is also necessary to focal point the teacher-instructor's role in the articulation of conference tasks and preparation of juniors' reports.

Author(s) Details:

Darinka Sikosek,
Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics, Department of Biology, Chair of Chemical Education, University of Maribor, Slovenia and Fakulteta za Naravoslovje in Matematiko, Koroška Cesta 160, SI-2000, Maribor, Slovenia.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RTASS-V7/article/view/11772

National Sovereignty of Thailand to Create Own Brand of Democracy | Chapter 3| Recent Trends in Arts and Social Studies Vol. 5

Thailand's sovereignty is adequately protected against Western meddling and her internal peace is maintained by the cohesiveness of the Thai population, Thailand may finally create her own kind of democracy without fully embracing the capitalist economy. The study shall argue here that the sovereignty of the nation is necessary for Thailand to develop her own version of Democracy based on three assumptions. Rapid economic growth in Thailand has also led to significant use of natural resources, resulting in rising environmental challenges. The first one is based on the premise that full implementation of Western democracy would entail a set of economic values which are contradictory to some Eastern values, and would finally result in the identical chaotic society full of drug abusers and materialistic individuals as has already occurred in the western society. Under the influence of capitalist values, the traditional structure that in the past supported moral principles and upright behaviour is now disintegrating. This virtual communication, which is made up in part of exchanges between people beyond national and cultural boundaries, encourages people to believe that moral principles and upstanding behaviour are merely beliefs and that sometimes breaking them has no negative legal or physical repercussions.The second assumption is based on the claim that demands for democratization in Eastern countries are in fact veiled threats of capitalism. The third assumption contends that the Western democratic model will lessen the morality of the citizen. Thailand could develop her own version of democracy with her own economic system that results from the accumulation and adaptation of Thai traditions and culture. 

Author(s) Details:

Anawat Bunnag,

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Mahidol University, Salaya Campus, Thailand.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RTASS-V5/article/view/11369

Staff Representation and Its Political Implication on Democracy in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Uganda | Chapter 1 | Research Aspects in Arts and Social Studies Vol. 2

 The article investigates how democracy in higher education institutions is affected by representational politics (HEIs). The purpose of the study was to ascertain how representative politics at Uganda's higher education institutions (HEIs) affected democracy. From November 2009 to April 2015, data were gathered in two HEIs, Makerere University and Uganda Management Institute, using a longitudinal design and a qualitative technique. Results showed that applicants' motivation to run for elected posts came from both personal and constituency-related ambitions. Other motivating elements included ideological goals, academic success, personal gain, and friendship with aspirants. The Theory of Rational Choice and Bandura's Model of Reasoned Action served as the study's guiding principles. The research concludes that representative politics in HEIs promoted the personal interests of representatives rather than the values of accountability and responsiveness desired in democratic institutions. Because the information flow was not reciprocal, representative politics at higher education institutions did not improve the values of accountability and responsiveness as intended in democratic institutions, but rather benefited the personal interests of some people. In other words, it was discovered that the actors' motivations varied just as much as the constituents who engage in representational politics.

Author(s) Details:

Maria K. Barifaijo,
Uganda Management Institute, Uganda.

Rose Namara,
Uganda Management Institute, Uganda.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RAASS-V2/article/view/8301

A New Democratic form of Scientific Power for International Community of Citizens Scientists | Chapter 11 | Selected Topics in Humanities and Social Sciences Vol. 4

 For centuries, scientists have studied the relationship between science and power, and it is natural to wonder why science is a power and who has scientific authority. The paper examines the current state of citizen science and situates it within the broader phenomenon of globalisation, which encompasses both cultural and political globalisation. This phenomenon has resulted in the development of the International Community of Citizen Scientists, as proven by real-life examples. This is a new, transnational, and really democratic kind of authority. The paper finishes with an example of how a community might improve democracy in a cultural context where it is lacking.

Author (S) Details

Carlo Artemi
Department of Public Education, Civita Castellana, Italy.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/STHSS-V4/article/view/2864

Future Leaders’ Perception of Democracy in Nigeria | Chapter 6 | Modern Perspectives in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 3

 Nigeria's leaders are widely held to be partly, if not fully, to blame for the country's current plight. This is mostly in relation to the degradation of democratic tenets that are universally acknowledged. There is a lot of fear and uncertainty regarding whether or not future leaders will follow in the footsteps of the awful leadership. As a result, a survey was employed in this study to investigate the future leaders' views on democracy. The findings revealed that future leaders are more likely to toe the line that is better than the current leadership. As a result, it is advised that suitable punishment be meted out to all for actions or inactions that contradict widely accepted democratic principles.

Author (s) Details

Jere Ndazhaga
Social Studies Department, Federal College of Education, Pankshin, Plateau State, Nigeria.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/MPLLE-V3/article/view/932

Monitoring the Upgraded Democracy Adjusted for the 21st Century | Chapter 5 | New Horizons in Education and Social Studies Vol. 7

 The author explores how Democracy, the world's leading system of government, blends with the immense changes that have occurred in the world in the 21st century. Technology induces many changes that have often arisen before individuals and their organisations are able to digest them and competently. The author proposes several approaches and models to help nations carry out the initiative to revise and develop their running systems. The author offers a two-aspect methodology, built from conceptual and psychological approaches, to carry out this task. They are: the philosophical side of the brain-the objective way of thought, and the psychological approach, reflecting the emotions of the inner self-the emotional strategy against real events. This two-aspect approach allows one to evaluate and understand political affairs as well. The principal path and the political establishment objectives would remain elusive and vague without a general philosophical observation. The motives, motors, and human concerns can not be appreciated without a psychological awareness of the participants, both leaders and followers. The picture acknowledged and the information gained are much more complete and important by using these two complementary approaches.

Author(s) Details

Amos Avny

Omnidev International, Yehud, Israel.

View Book :- https://bp.bookpi.org/index.php/bpi/catalog/book/357