title: Fundamentalism and terrorism: The contemporary religious challenge

authors: Pratt, Douglas

subjects: religion

abstract: For nearly a century the term ‘fundamentalism’ has referred primarily to a set of specific Christian beliefs and an allied ultra-conservative attitude. However, usage of the term has broadened: ‘fundamentalism’, as a term indicating the position of a ‘closed mind’ coupled with a negative – even hostile – stance toward the status quo, has migrated into political discourse and the wider religious realm. 

Fundamentalism broadly names a religio-political perspective found in most, if not all, major religions. Most disturbingly, it is now associated with variant forms of religious extremism and thus religiously-oriented terrorism. And it is Islamic modalities of terrorism that, rightly or wrongly, have come to take centre-stage in current world affairs. 

This lecture will argue that the religious fundamentalism with which Islamist extremism is associated follows an identifiable paradigm that has wider applicability. Religious ‘fundamentalism’ denotes, among other things, a paradigm that paves the way from the relative harmlessness of an idiosyncratic and dogmatic belief system, to the harmful reality of religiously driven and fanatically followed pathways to terrorist activity. The lecture will attempt to describe and analyse this paradigm with reference to contemporary concerns.

text: Fundamentalism and terrorism: The contemporary religious challenge For nearly a century the term ‘fundamentalism’ has referred primarily to a set of specific Christian beliefs and an allied ultra-conservative attitude. However, usage of the term has broadened: ‘fundamentalism’, as a term indicating the position of a ‘closed mind’ coupled with a negative – even hostile – stance toward the status quo, has migrated into political discourse and the wider religious realm. 

Fundamentalism broadly names a religio-political perspective found in most, if not all, major religions. Most disturbingly, it is now associated with variant forms of religious extremism and thus religiously-oriented terrorism. And it is Islamic modalities of terrorism that, rightly or wrongly, have come to take centre-stage in current world affairs. 

This lecture will argue that the religious fundamentalism with which Islamist extremism is associated follows an identifiable paradigm that has wider applicability. Religious ‘fundamentalism’ denotes, among other things, a paradigm that paves the way from the relative harmlessness of an idiosyncratic and dogmatic belief system, to the harmful reality of religiously driven and fanatically followed pathways to terrorist activity. The lecture will attempt to describe and analyse this paradigm with reference to contemporary concerns.

year: 2006-09

title: Platinum(II) complexes of chelating and monodentate thiourea monoanions incorporating chiral, fluorescent or chromophoric groups

authors: Henderson, William

subjects: Crystal structures

abstract: The reaction of cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)2] with trisubstituted thioureas [R1R2NC(=S)NHR3] in refluxing methanol with triethylamine base, followed by addition of NaBPh4 gives the salts [Pt{SC(=NR1R2)NR3}(PPh3)2]BPh4 in high yield; a range of thiourea substituents, including chiral, fluorescent and chromophoric groups can be incorporated. The azo dye-derived complex [Pt{SC(=N(CH2CH2)2O)NC6H4N=NC6H4NMe2}(PPh3)2]BPh4 has been characterised by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. The formation of a fluorescein-derivatised platinum-thiourea complex is also described. Reaction of cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)2] with PhNHC(S)NHPh or EtNHC(S)NHEt, triethylamine and NaBPh4 gives, respectively, [Pt{SC(=NHPh)NPh}(PPh3)2]+ and the known cation [Pt{SC(=NHEt)NEt}(PPh3)2]+, isolated as tetraphenylborate salts. Reaction of cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)2] with an excess of Na[MeNHC(S)NCN] in methanol gives the bis(thiourea monoanion) complex trans-[Pt{SC(=N---CN)NHMe}2(PPh3)2], characterised by NMR spectroscopy and an X-ray crystal structure determination. When cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)2] is reacted with 1 equiv. of Na[MeNHC(S)N---CN] in methanol, with added NaBPh4, a mixture of isomers of the [Pt{SC(=NHCN)NMe}(PPh3)2]+ cation is obtained.

text: Platinum(II) complexes of chelating and monodentate thiourea monoanions incorporating chiral, fluorescent or chromophoric groups The reaction of cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)2] with trisubstituted thioureas [R1R2NC(=S)NHR3] in refluxing methanol with triethylamine base, followed by addition of NaBPh4 gives the salts [Pt{SC(=NR1R2)NR3}(PPh3)2]BPh4 in high yield; a range of thiourea substituents, including chiral, fluorescent and chromophoric groups can be incorporated. The azo dye-derived complex [Pt{SC(=N(CH2CH2)2O)NC6H4N=NC6H4NMe2}(PPh3)2]BPh4 has been characterised by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. The formation of a fluorescein-derivatised platinum-thiourea complex is also described. Reaction of cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)2] with PhNHC(S)NHPh or EtNHC(S)NHEt, triethylamine and NaBPh4 gives, respectively, [Pt{SC(=NHPh)NPh}(PPh3)2]+ and the known cation [Pt{SC(=NHEt)NEt}(PPh3)2]+, isolated as tetraphenylborate salts. Reaction of cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)2] with an excess of Na[MeNHC(S)NCN] in methanol gives the bis(thiourea monoanion) complex trans-[Pt{SC(=N---CN)NHMe}2(PPh3)2], characterised by NMR spectroscopy and an X-ray crystal structure determination. When cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)2] is reacted with 1 equiv. of Na[MeNHC(S)N---CN] in methanol, with added NaBPh4, a mixture of isomers of the [Pt{SC(=NHCN)NMe}(PPh3)2]+ cation is obtained.

year: 2001-08-01

title: An evaluation of Te Rau Puawai workforce 100: Stakeholder perspectives

authors: Nikora, Linda Waimarie

subjects: Maori students

abstract: To evaluate the Te Rau Puawai programme, the Ministry of Health commissioned the
Maori and Psychology Research Unit of the University of Waikato in July 2001. The
overall aim of the evaluation was to provide the Ministry with a clearer understanding
of the programme including: the perceived critical success factors, the barriers if any
regarding Te Rau Puawai, the impact of the programme, the extent to which the
programme may be transferable, gaps in the programme, and suggested
improvements.
There are a number of stakeholders who do not have a direct role in the provision of
Te Rau Puawai. These people are not involved in the day to day running of Te Rau
Puawai (as do, for example, the coordinator, support team or academic mentors),
nevertheless they play an important role, contributing in a variety of ways to the
programme.

text: An evaluation of Te Rau Puawai workforce 100: Stakeholder perspectives To evaluate the Te Rau Puawai programme, the Ministry of Health commissioned the
Maori and Psychology Research Unit of the University of Waikato in July 2001. The
overall aim of the evaluation was to provide the Ministry with a clearer understanding
of the programme including: the perceived critical success factors, the barriers if any
regarding Te Rau Puawai, the impact of the programme, the extent to which the
programme may be transferable, gaps in the programme, and suggested
improvements.
There are a number of stakeholders who do not have a direct role in the provision of
Te Rau Puawai. These people are not involved in the day to day running of Te Rau
Puawai (as do, for example, the coordinator, support team or academic mentors),
nevertheless they play an important role, contributing in a variety of ways to the
programme.

year: 2002-05-01