Category: Politics & Infrastructure

Politics and basic infrastructures for society services are basic components that can promote regional security, democracy, socio-economic developments and global stability with feedback impacts on each other and on world trade, international agreements and treaties for promoting large-scale and long-term sustainable policies, e.g. green-house gas emissions, peaceful use of chemicals and nuclear energy, navigation and aviation, immigration policies, world trade, trans-boundary agreements, catastrophe and disaster aid, human rights, …… etc. Politics and basic infrastructures have also impacts on global economy, peace, security and democracy through complex global interactions of major military, religious, economic, government and democratic institutions, e.g. UN-organizations.

Besticides – As The Bees Go, So Goes Humanity.

Honeybee loss can induce global threats for food production as it is estimated that one third of the entire world’s food supply comes from pollination. Pesticides are a key suspect for honeybee loss and there is something that we can all do to counteract their use. 

Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a global phenomenon in which worker bees from  European and North American hineybee colonies abruptly disappear. Colony collapse disorder is significant economically because many agricultural crops worldwide are being pollinated honey bees (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder).

The negative effects of the honeybee shortage were predicted years ago and there are several theorized causes of colony collapse disorder, from disease, to mites, to pesticides. However, in recent studies, e.g. U.C. Davis, where large sample of hives was examined, as much as 150 different chemical residues were found on the bees.

http://www.realfarmacy.com/effects-of-colony-collapse-disorder-now-manifesting-in-california/

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Obama – Unequal Treatment Erodes Democracy 

For decades the US has been pushing for two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestine conflict and there are no other alternatives seem to be avialable for achieving peace in the MENA region. The end of the road will be taking up the issue in the UN as all negotiations, options and details have been fully assessed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-dismisses-netanyahus-softened-stance-on-two-state-solution/2015/03/21/27f0148a-d02e-11e4-8c54-ffb5ba6f2f69_story.html

 

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22nd March 2015 – World Water Day 

Water means everything from health, nature, urbanization, industry, energy, food and equality. It is part of our daily life everywhere and at anytime. It is the heart of sustainability and essence of life. Today the 22nd of March, World Water Day, is an occasion for us to celebrate water as ancient Egyptians did (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooding_of_the_Nile). To promote water and sanitation in Africa there is a dedicated Facebook page for communication and information, visit it at: (https://m.facebook.com/commonwealthafricabuja/posts/1610941099118189).

World Water Day is a day to celebrate water to make a difference for the global population who suffer from water related issues. It’s a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future. World Water Day is shining the spotlight on a different issue every year. In 2015, the theme for World Water Day is “Water and Sustainable Development”. It’s about Water Nexuses, i.e. how water links to all areas we need to consider to create the future we want. 
 

http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/

 

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Egypt and The Boom of Renewables in the MENA Region

Egypt is in on its feet again after years of turmoil. On the top of Egypt’s long-term renaissance strategy is providing energy, housing, education and work for its growing population, in particular young people.

The MENA region as whole is investing heavily in renewable energy, unlike Iran with much investment in nuclear solutions. It is the particular geographical situation of the MENA region by being rich with solar resources and the long-term needs for desalination, water treatment and wastewater treatment, all of which are much power dependent. The region as whole still needs appropriate policies and sustainable long-term solutions for affordable and accessible water resources because of the arid and semi-arid nature of the region. Also, the negative impacts of climate change, in particular Egyptian Nile-delta, accelerating pressures not only of groundwater resources but also surface waters of the Jordan River, the Tigris-Euphrates River Basin, and the Nile River and their catchments with huge populations. Sound and sustainable large-scale and long-term policies for protection and conservation of the natural resources in the MENA region against waste and pollution are, also, important emerging necessities.

http://www.utilities-me.com/article-3326-mena-renewable-energy-zeal-spreads-to-egypt/#.VQv6kYp86nN

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Terrorist – Looking For A Way to Belong and Not Finding It

No one is born to be “terrorist” and there are reasons why “terrorism” is becoming a global threat hidering security, stability and safety on different levels and scales. There are many basic and fundamental questions: what is “terrorism” and how people become terrorists.
Anders Behring Breivik, Norway, who murdered 77 people in the 2011 is a key case, that gives some clues on the phenomena, but in one of the most socially stable and peaceful societies on Earth. Anders Behring Breivik hated most humans, but women and Muslims above all. Seierstad, an extraordinary researcher, writes calmly and draws few conclusions. One of Us, which is as much about the victims as the killer, is a book “about belonging, a book about community,” she says, “about looking for a way to belong and not finding it.” “Our answer,” Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told Norwegians after the attack, “is more democracy, more openness and more humanity. But never naivety.” It seems that Breivik was, above all, a product of social isolation. He was a typical extremist, or more correctly “gradually turned to a permanent outsider”: friendless, unemployed, unmarried, living life online. Like every mass killer, he selected his victims. There are plenty of Breiviks around us but this one was handed luck. But who is Anders Breivik, what turned him to be a “terrorist” and what was the micro-social condition around him.

Read the story written by a high quality global journalist, Åsne Seierstad – author of the bestselling “The Bookseller of Kabul” (2002), a book on the nature of Afghan family life.
One of the most serious social defects and mental disorder is extreme and continual social isolation. It is, indeed, the very root of modern global threats “terrorism” that can turn people, rich and poor, or groups of people, to time-bombs. It is the cause of many instabilities in the MENA region and Africa, see the effects and details here: https://jl10ll.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/the-effects-of-extreme-and-continual-social-isolation/

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Global View of Past and Modern Slavery.

Slavery is not only daily pain for humans but it is a national socio-economic defect that cause pile-up of different threats on several national and international levels. Such threats can and do cause long-term and large-scale barriers in secio-economic and socio-political structures. This is evident from the historical evolution of slavery (http://youtu.be/nHk-WceZeFg). It is interesting to see how developing countries suffered and still suffer from severe socio-economic disparities, and also mental health problems, from slavery. Slavery of yesterday still affect our ability to be successful today. There are interesting statistics, e.g. from the USA, that need to be taken into account (http://thyblackman.com/2015/02/15/the-slavery-card-fact-or-just-the-ultimate-excuse/).

Among  important features of modern slavery are acceleration of different forms of gender and age discrimination and abuse of children (http://youtu.be/nNY2Vl8jUjU).

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MENA – Climate Chellenges Of Groundwater Resources

Water management is becoming IMPERATIVE with the increasing concern about the effects and impacts of global warming. Many ancient civilizations, if not all, evolved and sustained around water resources by using intensive water-demanding irrigation techniques.

The MENA region which helped birth of earliest agricultural civilizations is now signaling one of the strongest warnings of its mortality. It lost huge amount of its water resources mostly because the groundwater pumped up and out of the region’s fragile aquifers for irrigation. Groundwater is/was being over-pumped, some massively so, at rates much higher than ability to recharge. Ongoing global warming poses further threats for additiknal severe decline in groundwater resources unless counter measures and mitigation actions can be done.

http://ensia.com/features/groundwater-wake-up/

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Egypt is heading Towards A New future – The New Cairo

Among the new plans for the socio-economic developments of Egypt a new capital “New Cairo” is planned to be established in region of the Red Sea so the pressure on the existing capital can be mitigated. Interesting enough the Red Sea region and Sinai, including the Suez Canal are becoming among the major changes and reforms in “Egypt the Future”. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=941998875850439

To know more visit also, http://m.bbc.com/news/business-31874886

 

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Science and Society – Why Do We Need Science Festivals?

Many universities around the world need effective and continuous interaction with the society and the public both on national and international levels. Such interactions can take place in different forms and through various instruments. The society and the public needs science and technology as much as science and technology needs the society and the public. These needs are mutual and may be direct or indirect, short-term or long-term and mediation instruments are imperative for the best possible outcome for all players and stakeholders. Permanent and effective mediation instruments are not straightforward to develop especially in the developing countries.

Science festivals are important instrument for universities and research institutions to inform the society about the finding of, and needs for, research and technology, to address the value of their educational programmes in everyday life, to engagement communities in whatever takes place in the scientific laboratories, lecture halls and classrooms. Also, to stimulate coming generations and increasing the motivation of young people in schools as well as to foster modern traditions and transformation to better future. “Sustain-earth” discusses such issues for stronger coupling of science and technology to society, market and population needs.

Healthy Socio-Environments Are Essential For Sustainable Science and Technology

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Healthy Socio-Environments Are Essential For Sustainable Science and Technology

Advances in societies require sustainable conditions for science and technology both what regards the internal functioning and also the external interaction and egagement with the society. Science and technology can not operate on their own, i.e. separated and isolated from the society, to deliver the best value to the society. After all the role of science and technology is to effectively serve the society.

For the society as a whole the three pillars of sustainability have (http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/171407/)to coexist on coherent and continuous basis and on all levels. Status of the environment and climate conditions as well as processes therein have to promote the conservation and protection of biodiversity and the natural resources. Meanwhile, economic conditions have to facilitate production, employment, income, wealth, markets, trade and technologies. The environment and economy sectors, and stakeholders therein, have to operate in socio-political conditions that serve and secure national and personal security, safety, justice, education, health care, the pursuit of science and the arts, and other functions in the civil society and the culture context.

Behind advances and progress in science and technology, i.e. scientific and technological breakthrough, their are enormous amount of effective infra-structures of well-organized labs, dense social city networks that integrate researchers and academics into commercial, trade, finance and market connections and policies for science and innovation. Science and technology doesn’t advance far if we don’t understand their dynamic behaviour, attitude and organisation. So, we should remember a basic truth that science and technology functions in a socio-economic context (http://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2015/feb/25/social-science-is-vital-too).

What regards science communication there are key issues that have to be addressed to bring together those involved in science communication and public engagement. Science and technology writing requires human elements, as when it comes to non-scientists reading and enjoying science has to be relevant to daily lives and a source of inspiration that bring more added-value to go on with people lives. Meanwhile, it is difficult for scientists and engineers to write on demand, appropriate environments, enough space of time and resources have to exist (http://blogs.nature.com/ofschemesandmemes/2011/05/27/best-of-nature-network-21-26-may).

 

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Challenges of Post-2015 MDG – Children in Morocco and Africa

Would 2015 be a chance to change history? UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Youth Forum organized by the UN’s Economic and Social Council that “[You are] “the first generation with the potential to end poverty and the last generation to avoid worst effects of climate change”. It was his message to fully engage young people in the post-2015 MDG (http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/youth2015/).

However, what is the situation of children and young people in Africa today. The Children’s situation in Morocco gives some idea about what we may expect in this part of the world. Morocco has made vast improvements in the past decade. The child and infant mortality rates were greatly reduced, the net primary school enrolment rates have been increasing rapidly. However, net secondary school rates are still extremely low: 37% for boys and 32% for girls. 

A large number of children are vulnerable and  there are still many harmful traditional practices. The children are especially affected by the custom of early marriage. Although reforms (2004) have raised the minimum age of marriage for women from 15 to 18, judges are still authorize marriages before that age, including girls as young as 13. The child early marriages is increasing, between 2009 and 2010 were in total of 33,253. Though forced child labour is prohibited, it remains a critical challenge as it concerns 9% of children aged 5 to 14 years. Girls as young as 6 or 7 years old from rural communities are recruited to work as child maids in cities, and often experience conditions of forced labour. Boys experience forced labour as apprentices in the artisan and construction industries and in mechanic shops. In education teachers and parents still believe children should fear them to work and behave better, so “violence is often socially-accepted and approved”. In addition, children are vulnerable by armed conflict and natural disasters. Morocco, for example, suffered 32 events during the period 1980-2010, affecting on average 17,000 persons per year. 

http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/start/countries/morocco

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UU SciFest 2015 – Om Du Inte kan Komma till Universitetet, Då Får Universitetet Komma Till Dig.

Uppsala universitet grundades 1477, Nordens äldsta universitet, och har utvecklats till ett av Europas främsta lärosäten och rankas bland världens 100 främsta inom samtliga discipliner. Uppsala universitet har en rik internationell prägel och kännetecknas av ett traditionsrikt studentliv. Bland universitetets alumner återfinns 15 nobelpristagare, åtta regenter, 14 statsministrar och över 50 ledamöter av Svenska Akademin. Mer om Uppsala universitet finns på http://sv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uppsala_universitet, för viktiga årtal i Uppsala universitets historia besök http://www.uu.se/om-uu/historia/ 

Uppsala universitet finns också på Facebook https://m.facebook.com/uppsala.universitet/photos/a.10150651487685768.410678.54601820767/10152962920330768/?type=1&source=44&refid=17

Tack vara Uppsala universitet har Uppsala vuxit fram till Sveriges fjärde stad (http://sv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uppsala). Den höga studenttätheten i Uppsala, dels från Uppsala universitet “UU”, dels från Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet “SLU” sätter stark prägel på det dagliga livet i Uppsala som stad.

Om du inte kan komma till universitetet, då får universitetet komma till dig. Det är en gammal sanning som säger “säg mig och jag glömmer. Lär mig och jag minns. Involvera mig och jag lär”. I mars, 19-21 mars, kan alla passa på och vara med på SciFest 2015 som Uppsala Universitet arrangerar. Temat i år är “livet och den senaste teknologin”, mer information finns på http://www.scifest.uu.se

“Sustain-earth.com” strävar efter att koppla utbildning, vetenskap och teknologi till marknadens och samhällets behov genom kunskapsöverföring och lämpliga karriärutvecklingsplaner. Bloggen “sustain-earth” är interaktiv, tvärvetenskaplig och transsektoriell plattform för framjandet av hållbarhet på alla socio-ekonomiska nivåer.

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SciFest 2015 at Uppsala University – Science Festivals For Nurturing Your Creativity Nature

The National Science Foundation and The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, USA support Science Festivals. This is, also, the case for many highly ranked universities and research institutes around the world. Science Festivals (http://sciencefestivals.org) can draw large crowds and are more than parties under big tents. They last for several days up to even a couple of weeks with participation of students, staff, professionals and administrators from academia, public and private sectors. Events, programs and live demonstrations can pop up, sometimes even in unexpected places. It is about establishing science as part of local cultures, attracting the attention and participation of whole communities.

Science Festivals bring the public into direct interaction with scientists and engineers where gained experiences generate momentum for science engagement throughout the rest of the year. They also involve academia, professionals from different sector organizations and on all levels in public outreach and create more active engagement with science in the community. 

To increase your motivation and for art lovers please visit “Nurture your creative nature at http://galaxaes.deviantart.com/art/a-brief-study-of-science-festivals-421565386

Uppsala University (Uppsala, Sweden) will have its SciFest 2015 in 19-21 March at “Fyrishov”, Uppsala, to know more about the activities and the program please visit http://www.scifest.uu.se

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The Price of Poverty – Modern Wars Are Poverty Wars

Throughout human history, in the evolution of many ancient civilizations and during the formation of many cultures, POVERTY has been of tremendous threats for stability, the breakdown of socio-economic structures and development of large-scale and long-term risk for wars. For several reasons these threats developed and piled up to global realities in many urban and rural regions around the world. The problem now is not only fighting POVERTY but to deal with its consequences everywhere and on all levels.

For many centuries, in particular in modern times, there have been continuous debates about how to bring about welfare socio-economic systems. Though economic models were/are primarily concerned with promotion of production and consumption, there have been no room for understanding POVERTY. It was left to expand and establish itself in a world struggling for affordable peace, security and safety under new realities of shrinking natural resources, environment and climate degradation. Above all, majority of the world growing population will still be facing less resources for food, education and health. The very question that is facing us is: how would POVERTY be solved if its roots are allowed to expand even deeper and deeper. POVERTY is not lack of food, it is rather lack of accessibility and affordability to all the modern features of civilization otherwise we are, without hesitation, heading to stone ages. Erasing POVERTY is about “serve and get served with focus on quality”.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/ng-live/gwin-bleasdale-war-africa-nglive?utm_source=NatGeocom&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=inside_20150219&utm_campaign=Content

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Would Modern ICT-Based Civilization Collapse As Previous Ones.

Advances of science, the transfer and use of technology require not only common languages but also effective communication and immediate transfer, validation and use of knowledge. These requirements are imperative for bringing about global, or at least regional, sustainably-based technological civilization. Though knowledge in itself has expanded enormously we are facing an ever increasing, if not accelerating, gaps between where knowledge is produced and where knowledge is needed.
Failure to bridge and narrow these gaps is likely to cause collapse because of expanding majority of outsiders that are more and more marginalized by the severe requirements from the minority that have unlimited access to knowledge.

This was the very reason for the collapse of many several previous civilizations, e.g. ancient Egyptian, roman, Islamic-Arabic, ….. https://fatarana.wordpress.com/2008/12/25/arabic-science-the-language/

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Emerging New Science In The MENA Region

According to nature Middle East, 28 January 2015, there is an emerging new science in the Arab world. Arab scientists, after long absence from having independent advances in science and technology are gaining momentum again. As an example there are actively searching about the best sites for astronomical observatories on the MENA region.

So Guessoum, a professor at the American University of Sharjah in the UAE, and two of his undergraduate students are identifying the most promising sites to construct an astronomical observatory in the Middle East and North Africa. A list of atmospheric, environmental and physical criteria for the construction of an observatory of international standards, are being used. Even in the best two or three locations, some factors need to be compromised and compensated for by technological means.

Read the story at: http://www.natureasia.com/en/nmiddleeast/article/10.1038/nmiddleeast.2015.17

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