Corruption could derail Mauritanian president's agenda

Significance Despite significant progress on reform, serious grievances persist among sections of the population. Meanwhile, an ongoing corruption case against former President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz presents challenges for the incumbent. Impacts Abdelaziz will remain in pre-trial detention after his lawyers failed in a fourth bid to secure his provisional release. Foreign coverage of Mauritania focuses on the Abdelaziz case, but domestically, social and economic justice matters at least as much. Addressing long-standing concerns, such as land rights and the legacy of past repression in the south, will require deep structural reform.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Sue-Mari Viljoen

Abstract It has partly been assumed that the constitutional obligation to pay compensation for expropriations is to blame for the slow pace at which land has been redistributed in South Africa. However, this assumption requires careful analysis and reflection, with reference to the imperfections of the policies and laws that set out to address landlessness, as well as the underlying theoretical approach to economic justice. This article questions the purpose for which land reform beneficiaries acquire land, with reference to the role that property should ideally fulfil for the landless. The article makes a number of observations to cast light on why the redistribution of land has been alarmingly slow, where inconsistencies and loopholes exist in the programme, and whether expropriations for nil compensation will make any difference in remedying existing failures in the redistribution programme.


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepa Mani ◽  
Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo ◽  
Sameera Mubarak

Purpose – Opportunities for malicious cyber activities have expanded with the globalisation and advancements in information and communication technology. Such activities will increasingly affect the security of businesses with online presence and/or connected to the internet. Although the real estate sector is a potential attack vector for and target of malicious cyber activities, it is an understudied industry. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the information security threats, awareness, and risk management standards currently employed by the real estate sector in South Australia. Design/methodology/approach – The current study comprises both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, which include 20 survey questionnaires and 20 face-to-face interviews conducted in South Australia. Findings – There is a lack of understanding about the true magnitude of malicious cyber activities and its impact on the real estate sector, as illustrated in the findings of 40 real estate organisations in South Australia. The findings and the escalating complexities of the online environment underscore the need for regular ongoing training programs for basic online security (including new cybercrime trends) and the promotion of a culture of information security (e.g. when using smart mobile devices to store and access sensitive data) among staff. Such initiatives will enable staff employed in the (South Australian) real estate sector to maintain the current knowledge of the latest cybercrime activities and the best cyber security protection measures available. Originality/value – This is the first academic study focusing on the real estate organisations in South Australia. The findings will contribute to the evidence on the information security threats faced by the sector as well as in develop sector-specific information security risk management guidelines.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 467-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matvey S. Oborin ◽  
Irina Kozhushkina ◽  
Tatyana Gvarliani ◽  
Nikolay Ivanov

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the modern problems and the main trends of development of the health-improving tourism sector in the southern part of Russia and to identify significant factors in overcoming the complex challenges related to specific socio-economic conditions in the study area. Design/methodology/approach The material that served as the basis of the study comprises statistical data from the Southern Federal District and its subjects, as well as data about the development of tourism infrastructure on the official websites of governments, Ministry of Tourism and the population of the Southern Federal District. This information was systematized from a number of perspectives, including identification of the chronology of health-improving tourism infrastructure development in the chosen territory, as well as the advantages and disadvantages in this area. Based on the results of the study, the authors also developed some recommendations to overcome existing inactive trends in the field of health tourism. Findings This paper sheds light on the understanding of the challenges and changes that took place in the resort agglomerations of the south of Russia in terms of current issues and those that must be addressed in the coming years. It was concluded that health tourism in the south of Russia has old traditions based on the natural resource potential of territories that are included in the composition of the Southern Federal District. At the same time, the authors came to the conclusion that, unfortunately, not resort agglomerations are fully utilized. Furthermore, some historic resorts were not well maintained by local authorities and have suffered more recently because of lack of investment. At present, the financial results of health resorts and others related to health-improving tourism are precarious as most operations are unprofitable, and so complex decisions are needed to address the underlying problem of resource optimization because of the important social and economic role of the cities in this region. They have special natural and resource potential and preserve traditions related to health-improving tourism. Research limitations/implications The paper provides a conceptual analysis based on limited empirical data combined with some directions for further research. Originality/value The paper attempts to reveal the impact of social, economic and geopolitical factors, both negative and positive, on the development of the health-improving tourism segment, restructuring of the Russian tourism market and the emergence of promising opportunities and new directions for development. The findings also provide insights for practitioners and researchers, and the tourism industry can draw on this analysis to guide the development of strategy, increase investment attractiveness, make more effective use of the natural resource potential and maintain pressure on government partners to provide support to tourism.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy J. Sierra ◽  
Michael R. Hyman ◽  
Byung-Kwan Lee ◽  
Taewon Suh

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to advance the understanding of antecedents and consequences of superstitious beliefs. Design/methodology/approach – From survey data drawn from 206 South Korean and 218 US respondents, structural equation modeling is used to test the posited hypotheses. Findings – To extrinsic superstitious beliefs, both the South Korean and US models support the subjective happiness through self-esteem path and the anthropomorphism path; from these beliefs, both models support the horoscope importance path and the behavioral superstitious beliefs path. Only the US model supports the path from self-esteem to extrinsic superstitious beliefs, and only the South Korean model supports the path from intrinsic religiosity to extrinsic superstitious beliefs. Research limitations/implications – South Korean and US student data may limit generalizability. As effect sizes in this context are established, researchers have a benchmark for future quantitative superstition research. Practical implications – By further understanding antecedents and consequences of superstitious beliefs, marketers are in a better position to appeal to targeted customers. Anthropomorphism and intrinsic religiosity, not fully studied by marketing scholars, show promise as segmentation variables related to consumers’ attitudes and behaviors. Social implications – To avoid unethical practice, marketers must limit themselves to innocuous superstition cues. Originality/value – Leaning on experiential consumption theory and the “magical thinking” literature, this study augments the superstition literature by exploring carefully selected yet under-researched determinants and consequences of superstitious beliefs across eastern and western consumer groups.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Marianne Matthee ◽  
Albert Wöcke

Subject area Macro-Economics. Study level/applicability Undergraduate and MBA. Case overview The COVID 19 pandemic-related restrictions devastated South Africa’s economy in 2020 and although the restrictions were generally less damaging than in 2020, the government had to budget for vaccinations and rebuild the economy. Public service unions had just announced that they were demanding an increase of 4% above inflation for their members and that they were preparing for a strike. They were bitter about the fact that the South African Government had withdrawn from the last year of a three-year wage agreement in February 2020 and their members had not received an increase for the two years. These demands and Finance Minister Mboweni’s response to them had to consider the structural and cyclical impact on the fiscus and economy. Expected learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: understand the general objectives of fiscal policy and stakeholders’ interests; understand the tradeoffs in fiscal policy and the implications of taking a position; and make recommendations based on reasoned judgements about those recommendations. Complexity academic level Undergraduate and MBA level courses on Macro Economics. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 10: Public Sector Management.


Significance The initial focus was on professionals employed in the south-western border governorates; however, there are growing reports of an impact across the country, also including unskilled workers. This comes as the Saudi-led coalition continues its intervention in the Yemen conflict that began in 2015. The Riyadh-based government-in-exile has protested. Impacts Anti-Saudi sentiments will strengthen among Yemenis of all political affiliations. Mutual trust between Riyadh and the internationally recognised government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansur al-Hadi will decline further. In south-western Saudi Arabia, fear and anger between people of Yemeni origin and nationals will rise, undercutting long-term cultural ties.


Author(s):  
So-Ra Ko ◽  
Ve Van Le ◽  
Long Jin ◽  
Sang-Ah Lee ◽  
Chi-Yong Ahn ◽  
...  

A novel Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic, non-motile bacterial strain, designated M5A1MT, was isolated from seawater collected from the South Sea of the Republic of Korea. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain M5A1MT was closely related to Mariniflexile gromovii KMM 6038T (95.3 %), Mariniflexile fucanivorans SW5T (95.2 %), Mariniflexile soesokkakense RSSK-9T (95.1 %), Yeosuana aromativorans GW1-1T (94.6 %) and Confluentibacter lentus HJM-3T (94.6 %). Genome-based phylogenetic analyses revealed that strain M5A1MT formed a distinct cluster with the type strains of the genus Mariniflexile . The major cellular fatty acid constituents (>5 % of the total fatty acids) were iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C16:03-OH and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The respiratory quinone was identified as MK-6. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and one unidentified polar lipid. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain M5A1MT was determined to be 37.7 mol%. On the basis of its phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain M5A1MT is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Mariniflexile , for which the name Mariniflexile maritimum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M5A1MT (=KCTC 72895T=JCM 33982T).


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Tironi ◽  
Katherine Campos-Knothe ◽  
Valentina Acuña ◽  
Enzo Isola ◽  
Cristóbal Bonelli ◽  
...  

PurposeBased on the research, the authors identify how four key concepts in disaster studies—agency, local scale, memory and vulnerability—are interrupted, and how these interruptions offer new perspectives for doing disaster research from and for the South.Design/methodology/approachMeta-analysis of case studies and revision of past and current collaborations of authors with communities across Chile.FindingsThe findings suggest that agency, local scale, memory and vulnerability, as fundamental concepts for disaster risk reduction (DRR) theory and practice, need to allow for ambivalences, ironies, granularization and further materializations. The authors identify these characteristics as the conditions that emerge when doing disaster research from within the disaster itself, perhaps the critical condition of what is usually known as the South.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to a reflexive assessment of fundamental concepts for critical disaster studies. The authors offer research-based and empirically rich redefinitions of these concepts. The authors also offer a novel understanding of the political and epistemological conditions of the “South” as both a geography and a project.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 2289-2303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica Cabecinhas ◽  
Pedro Domingues ◽  
Paulo Sampaio ◽  
Merce Bernardo ◽  
Fiorenzo Franceschini ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to dissect the diffusion of the number of organizations that implemented multiple management systems (MSs), considering the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards (quality, environment and safety) in the South European countries: Italy, Portugal and Spain. In addition, based on the data collected, forecasting models were developed to assess at which extent the multiple certifications are expected to occur in each studied country. Design/methodology/approach Data concerning the evolution of the amount of multiple MSs in Italy, Portugal and Spain were collected for the period between 1999 and 2015. The behavior of the evolution of the number of MSs over the years was studied adopting both the Gompertz and the Logistic models. The results obtained with these two models were compared and analyzed to provide a forecast for the next years. Findings The diffusion throughout the years of the number of MSs presents an S-shaped behavior. The evolution of the amount of MSs in countries with a lower saturation level are properly fitted by the Gompertz model whereas the Logistic model fits more accurately when considering countries with a larger saturation level. Research limitations/implications The data related to the early years are not available in some of the countries. To overcome this shortcoming missing data were extrapolated from the data set provided by the annual ISO survey. Additionally, the integration level attained by each company was not assessed and, on this regard and in the scope of this paper, an integrated management system is understood as implemented when organizations have multiple MSs implemented. Practical implications The results provide a cross-sectional portrayal of the diffusion of MSs certifications in the South European countries and enable a forecast for the trend in the next years. Originality/value This study aims for the first time, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to analyze the diffusion of multiple MSs throughout the years.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Habib Zafarullah ◽  
Ahmed Shafiqul Huque

Purpose With climate change and environmental degradation being major issues in the world today, it is imperative for governments within a regional setting to collaborate on initiatives, harmonize their policies and develop strategies to counter threats. In South Asia, several attempts have been made to create a common framework for action in implementing synchronized policies. However, both political and technical deterrents have thwarted moves to accommodate priorities and interests of collaborating states. The purpose of this paper is to assess these issues and existing policies/strategies in selected South Asian countries and evaluate integrated plans of action based on collaborative partnerships. Design/methodology/approach Using a broad exploratory and interpretive approach, this paper evaluates how harmonization of environmental principles and synergies among countries can help reduce the effect of climate change and environmental hazards. Based on a review of ideas and concepts as well as both primary and secondary sources, including official records, legislation, inter-state and regional agreements, evaluation reports, impact studies (social, economic and ecological), and commentaries, it highlights several initiatives and processes geared to creating environmental protection standards and practices for the South Asian region. Findings Climate change has resulted in devastating impacts on people. It contributed to the proliferation of climate refugees and high incidence of poverty in South Asia. The region faces both political and technical obstacles in developing a sustainable approach to combat climate change. This is exacerbated by non-availability of information as well as reluctance to acknowledge the problem by key actors. The best strategy will be to integrate policies and regulations in the various countries of the region to develop strategic plans. The approach of prevention and protection should replace the existing emphasis on relief and rehabilitation. Originality/value The paper provides a critical overview of the climatic and environmental problems encountered in the South Asian region and provides pointers to resolving shared problems through the use of policy instruments for regulating the problems within the gamut of regional environmental governance. It attempts to identify solutions to offset regulatory and institutional barriers in achieving preferred results by emphasizing the need for redesigning regulatory structures and policy approaches for ecological well-being.


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