title: Exploring Education for Sustainable Development through Ship Youth Programmes: A Stakeholder Approach

authors: Castor, Richard Gavina

subjects: Education for Sustainable Development

abstract: Education for sustainable development (ESD) was explored through a stakeholder approach in the context of two ship youth programmes from an Asia-Pacific region perspective. Specifically, the research examined challenges and opportunities of holistically integrating ESD into an informal social learning setting. Utilising Skype, semi-structured interviews of the main stakeholders of the programme, triangulated with secondary sources provided the data for analysis of a qualitative, multiple case study. Results highlighted two identified themes reflecting the challenges and opportunities if ESD is to be incorporated into the ship youth programmes – stakeholder dynamics: stakeholder role and responsibility, diversity, social network building, investment and social capital; and complexities in understanding Sustainable Development: SD dimensions through discussion topics, language, concept and context, moving from awareness to action, sustainability reporting, standards, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and sustainable future from youths’ interest, commitment and vision. The ship youth programmes present an opportunity to embrace concepts entrenched in sustainable development and have an enormous potential to extend frameworks and aspects of action competence leading to education for a sustainable future.

text: Exploring Education for Sustainable Development through Ship Youth Programmes: A Stakeholder Approach Education for sustainable development (ESD) was explored through a stakeholder approach in the context of two ship youth programmes from an Asia-Pacific region perspective. Specifically, the research examined challenges and opportunities of holistically integrating ESD into an informal social learning setting. Utilising Skype, semi-structured interviews of the main stakeholders of the programme, triangulated with secondary sources provided the data for analysis of a qualitative, multiple case study. Results highlighted two identified themes reflecting the challenges and opportunities if ESD is to be incorporated into the ship youth programmes – stakeholder dynamics: stakeholder role and responsibility, diversity, social network building, investment and social capital; and complexities in understanding Sustainable Development: SD dimensions through discussion topics, language, concept and context, moving from awareness to action, sustainability reporting, standards, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and sustainable future from youths’ interest, commitment and vision. The ship youth programmes present an opportunity to embrace concepts entrenched in sustainable development and have an enormous potential to extend frameworks and aspects of action competence leading to education for a sustainable future.

year: 2014

title: Depth-differentiated, multivariate control of biopore number under different land-use practices

authors: Stolze, Katharina

subjects: earthworm communities

abstract: Earthworms and (tap-)roots impact the soil structure by creating large biopores, affecting infiltration capacity, seepage, nutrient cycling, and soil aeration. Despite the importance of biopores for the functions of soils and the fact that several hundreds of biopores >2 mm in diameter may occur on one square meter of soil, knowledge on the interdependence of soil properties, land-use intensity, and biopore number is still rudimentary. In this study, we investigate the linkage of the number of biopores (>2 mm i.d.) with the earthworm community, root biomass, and soil properties, including pH, water content, soil organic carbon (SOC), as well as the land-use intensity (pasture vs. cropland) as a function of the soil depth (15, 30 and 50 cm). Hypothesized causal relationships among these factors were analyzed by piecewise structural equation modelling (SEM). We found various and novel linkages between roots, earthworms, biopores, and soil properties depending on soil depth. In topsoil (at 15 cm depth), roots directly affected the number of small-sized biopores, and anecic earthworms were related to medium-sized biopores. These effects diminished with depth. We identified land-use intensity as the factor preponderating the relations between biopores, root biomass, and earthworm number in the topsoil horizons, thereby masking other interactions among variables. This appeared as high multicollinearity among variables in the SEM of the topsoil. Land-use intensity effects were found to impact the whole soil profile but decreased with soil depth. To further elucidate the single effects of soil properties on biopore-forming biota and number of biopores in the topsoil, we excluded land-use intensity as a variable in subsequent analyses. Biopores increased with soil pH and soil water content but decreased with increasing SOC. Based on our SEM analysis, we conclude that the occurrence, frequency, and persistence of biopores are the consequence of intricate interdependencies between earthworm communities, roots, and site-specific soil properties, governed by land-use intensity.

text: Depth-differentiated, multivariate control of biopore number under different land-use practices Earthworms and (tap-)roots impact the soil structure by creating large biopores, affecting infiltration capacity, seepage, nutrient cycling, and soil aeration. Despite the importance of biopores for the functions of soils and the fact that several hundreds of biopores >2 mm in diameter may occur on one square meter of soil, knowledge on the interdependence of soil properties, land-use intensity, and biopore number is still rudimentary. In this study, we investigate the linkage of the number of biopores (>2 mm i.d.) with the earthworm community, root biomass, and soil properties, including pH, water content, soil organic carbon (SOC), as well as the land-use intensity (pasture vs. cropland) as a function of the soil depth (15, 30 and 50 cm). Hypothesized causal relationships among these factors were analyzed by piecewise structural equation modelling (SEM). We found various and novel linkages between roots, earthworms, biopores, and soil properties depending on soil depth. In topsoil (at 15 cm depth), roots directly affected the number of small-sized biopores, and anecic earthworms were related to medium-sized biopores. These effects diminished with depth. We identified land-use intensity as the factor preponderating the relations between biopores, root biomass, and earthworm number in the topsoil horizons, thereby masking other interactions among variables. This appeared as high multicollinearity among variables in the SEM of the topsoil. Land-use intensity effects were found to impact the whole soil profile but decreased with soil depth. To further elucidate the single effects of soil properties on biopore-forming biota and number of biopores in the topsoil, we excluded land-use intensity as a variable in subsequent analyses. Biopores increased with soil pH and soil water content but decreased with increasing SOC. Based on our SEM analysis, we conclude that the occurrence, frequency, and persistence of biopores are the consequence of intricate interdependencies between earthworm communities, roots, and site-specific soil properties, governed by land-use intensity.

year: 2022

title: Ko wai tēnei e tū ake nei? Activating collectivity and accountability through grounded positioning

authors: Rata, Arama

abstract: Building on conference conversations about positionality—about who we are and how our identities shape our views of the world, about the connections and disconnections experienced between us, and about our proximities to place, power, and privilege—this piece brings together four conference participants to continue to reflect on what positionality means, on why it is important, and on how to practice it in non-performative, well-developed, and mutually nourishing ways. Their dialogue reflects active and critical positioning in process and practice, creating opportunities for acknowledging our relationships and activating both collectivity and accountability in the various spaces where we live, work, create, and hope.

text: Ko wai tēnei e tū ake nei? Activating collectivity and accountability through grounded positioning Building on conference conversations about positionality—about who we are and how our identities shape our views of the world, about the connections and disconnections experienced between us, and about our proximities to place, power, and privilege—this piece brings together four conference participants to continue to reflect on what positionality means, on why it is important, and on how to practice it in non-performative, well-developed, and mutually nourishing ways. Their dialogue reflects active and critical positioning in process and practice, creating opportunities for acknowledging our relationships and activating both collectivity and accountability in the various spaces where we live, work, create, and hope.

year: 2021-12