scholarly journals Same Table, Different Menus? A Comparison of UN and EU Mediation Practice in the Kosovo-Serbia Conflict

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Bergmann

AbstractThis article comparesUNandEUmediation practice in the Kosovo-Serbia conflict. It proposes a conceptual framework to analyze mediation effectiveness and its conditions and applies it to theUN-led Kosovo Status Talks in Vienna (2006–2007) and the ongoingEU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina (since 2011). TheEU’s relatively high degree of effectiveness compared to theUNeffort can be partly explained by the application of a strategy of manipulation, drawing on theEU’s strong leverage vis-à-vis both sides; partly by pointing to the conflict context which has been more favorable to mediation since 2011. At the same time, the analysis reveals thatEUmediation has not led to any changes concerning Serbia’s stance toward the recognition of Kosovo’s independence. The continuing non-resolution of the conflict demonstrates the limits of theEU’s manipulative mediation approach and points to a substantial dilemma ofEUmediation.

2022 ◽  
pp. 037957212110732
Author(s):  
Yunqiu Zhang ◽  
Qing Sun ◽  
Min Zhang ◽  
Guangju Mo ◽  
Huaqing Liu

Background: Nutrition literacy is an emerging term which is increasingly used in policy and research. Progression is limited by the lack of an accepted method to measure nutrition literacy in Chinese adult, even research in this area is growing. Objective: The objective of this study is to develop a valid instrument to assess nutrition literacy in Chinese adults. Methods: The process involved 2 steps: constructed nutrition literacy conceptual framework, and developed potential items of scale based on literature review; and conducted 2 rounds of Delphi consultation to select items of the preliminary questionnaire. Results: In Delphi survey, the content validity index for each domain, level, and dimension of nutrition literacy was 1.0, coefficient of variation was less than 0.10, and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was greater than 0.83. All of the 2 domains, 3 levels, and 6 dimensions initially formulated by our research team were reserved in the conceptual framework of nutrition literacy. Furthermore, a 43-item nutrition literacy measurement scale was established. Each item kept in the final scale reaches a high degree of concentration and a high degree of coordination, with the mean of importance ranging from 4.38 to 5.00. Conclusions: A nutrition literacy measurement scale with multiple features was established for Chinese adults, providing an operationalized tool to assess comprehensively nutrition literacy for research and practice in the field of nutrition, diet, and health.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Julian Bergmann

Abstract This article examines UN–EU cooperation over peace mediation. It compares their conceptual approaches to peace mediation and the evolution of their institutional capacities, demonstrating that the EU has learned from the UN, while actively supporting the strengthening of UN mediation capacity. The most important difference concerns the embeddedness of mediation in a broader foreign policy agenda in the case of the EU compared to the UN. The article also examines models of EU–UN cooperation in mediation practice. Drawing on an overview of cases of UN–EU cooperation, the article develops a typology of the constellations through which the two organizations have engaged with and supported each other. A case study on the Geneva International Discussions on South Ossetia and Abkhazia investigates the effectiveness of this coordination. The findings point to a high degree of effectiveness, although this has not yet translated into tangible mediation outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-552
Author(s):  
Rubén López Vázquez ◽  
Sergio Tobón Tobón ◽  
María Guadalupe Veytia Bucheli ◽  
Luis Gibran Juárez Hernández

Ante los retos del desarrollo social sostenible, es esencial fortalecer la inclusión en la educación básica con nuevos enfoques como la socioformación. Sin embargo, se desconocen los avances en la didáctica inclusiva en primaria, con base en este nuevo enfoque. Es por ello que el propósito del presente estudio fue determinar el grado de implementación de las prácticas de mediación didáctica inclusiva desde el enfoque socioformativo, con el fin de sugerir mejoras en este proceso a las escuelas. Acorde con esto, 689 docentes y 645 estudiantes de escuelas primarias públicas de México respondieron una rúbrica analítica compuesta por diez prácticas de mediación didáctica inclusiva. Esta rúbrica fue previamente validada con docentes y estudiantes. Cada práctica tuvo cinco niveles de desempeño, con base en la taxonomía socioformativa: preformal, receptivo, resolutivo, autónomo y estratégico. Los resultados muestran que hay un grado medio alto o alto en la implementación de la mediación didáctica inclusiva desde la socioformación, y esto fue superior en los docentes respecto a lo hallado en los estudiantes. La práctica de mediación didáctica inclusiva más desarrollada fue el respeto a la diferencia y la menos desarrollada la evaluación formativa. Se concluye que los docentes tienen logros relevantes en la implementación de la mediación didáctica inclusiva, tomando como base la socioformación, pero esto debe ser tomado con precaución y se debe continuar con la mejora de este proceso mediante el trabajo colaborativo, la formación continua y la tutoría. Faced with the challenges of sustainable social development, it is essential to strengthen inclusion in basic education with new approaches such as socioformation. However, advances in inclusive didactics in primary schools are unknown based on this new approach. That is why the purpose of this study was to determine the degree of implementation of inclusive didactic mediation practices from a socioformative perspective, in order to suggest improvements in this process to schools. Accordingly, 689 teachers and 645 students from public elementary schools in Mexico responded to an analytical rubric composed of ten inclusive didactic mediation practices. This rubric was previously validated with teachers and students. Each practice had five levels of performance, based on the socioformative taxonomy: preformal, receptive, decisive, autonomous and strategic. The results show that there is a medium high or high degree in the implementation of inclusive didactic mediation from a socioformation perspective, and this was higher in the teachers than in the students. The most developed inclusive didactic mediation practice was that of respect for difference and the least developed was formative evaluation. It is concluded that teachers have relevant achievements in the implementation of inclusive didactic mediation, based on socioformation, but this must be taken with caution, and the improvement of this process must continue through collaborative work, continuous training and tutorships.


Author(s):  
Albert Sangrà ◽  
Dimitrios Vlachopoulos ◽  
Nati Cabrera

<p>E-learning is part of the new dynamic that characterises educational systems at the start of the 21st century. Like society, the concept of e-learning is subject to constant change. In addition, it is difficult to come up with a single definition of e-learning that would be accepted by the majority of the scientific community. The different understandings of e-learning are conditioned by particular professional approaches and interests.</p><p>An international project, based on the participation of experts around the world, was undertaken to agree on a definition of e-learning. To this end, two main research activities were carried out. First, an extensive review was conducted of the literature on the concept of e-learning, drawing from peer-reviewed journals, specialised web pages, and books. Second, a Delphi survey was sent out to gather the opinions of recognised experts in the field of education and technology regarding the concept of e-learning with a view to reaching a final consensus.</p><p>This paper presents the outcomes of the project, which has resulted in an inclusive definition of e-learning subject to a high degree of consensus that will provide a useful conceptual framework to further identify the different models in which e-learning is developed and practiced.</p><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" onclick="if(typeof(jsCall)=='function'){jsCall();}else{setTimeout('jsCall()',500);}" type="hidden" />


Author(s):  
Mohammed Riaz Azam

The IASB’s conceptual framework for financial reporting identifies multiple measurement bases and concludes that an entity may employ more than one measurement base in constructing the financial reports. The framework further clarify situations as to how the preparers will proceed in constructing the entity’s financial report where the preparers are satisfied that a piece of information is relevant to the users of financial reports, but is subject to a high degree of measurement uncertainty. The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the choice of multiple measurement bases in the conceptual framework and highlight the challenges posed to a user of financial reports who seeks to obtain insights into an entity’s financial performance and position through reading reports constructed using an eclectic approach to measurement.


1998 ◽  
Vol 06 (03) ◽  
pp. 283-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER WYER ◽  
GRAHAME BOOCOCK ◽  
IBRAHIM ABDUL-HAMID

The business world today is characterised by a high degree of globalisation and internationalisation - a phenomena which affect all firms irrespective of size. After a summary of current learning theories, and the representation of an SME as a 'potentially unique problem type', the paper offers a critique of previous studies on internationalisation. A research methodology of 'bootstrapping' is utilised to develop a framework for explaining how SMEs in Malaysia identify, then tackle, opportunities and threats in the international arena. A broad analytical framework is developed, combining partial frameworks of insight from the literature in a range of academic disciplines (SMEs, strategic management, internationalisation and learning theory) with insights from key informants in current empirical work. The value chain is an essential component of the overall framework, underpinned by an organisational learning perspective. Our initial findings are only tentative. We do not present a 'model' of good business practice, rather a conceptual framework to examine how SMEs learn to develop in an international sense. This framework is helpful in explaining the development of firms encountered in our empirical research.


Author(s):  
Hugh Kellam

There is an identified need in the research literature for the design, implementation, and evaluation of a conceptual framework for creating contextual, interactive mobile learning. This article details how the conceptual framework was implemented and tested in an online learning course for physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals at medical organizations across Ontario. The conceptual framework and evaluation instruments were revised based on identified best practices and feedback from study participants. This provided a practical, evidence-based tool for informing the effective design of mobile learning. Results indicated that the design of the framework to include context-specific content, guided participation delivery, flexible and intuitive usability, formal online and informal mobile structure, and access to communities of practice all resulted in practical, applicable learning outcomes and a high degree of learner satisfaction.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Bergmann ◽  
Toni Haastrup ◽  
Arne Niemann ◽  
Richard Whitman

AbstractIn this introductory article of the special issue, we examine European Union (EU) mediation practice and identify different conceptual and empirical perspectives from which it can be analyzed. We present different understandings of mediation in research and practice a definition and conceptual clarification ofEUmediation practice, and offer a definition that covers mediation efforts and mediation support activities. Then, the institutional architecture forEUmediation activities is presented. Next, the focus of this special issue is examined and research questions that have not yet been sufficiently addressed in existing research ofEUforeign policy and mediation are discussed. Based on these questions, we offer several fruitful avenues for studyingEUmediation: examining the drivers ofEUmediation,EUmediation roles and strategies, andEUmediation effectiveness. Finally, we provide an overview of the contributions to this special issue is presented.


Author(s):  
Adrian F. van Dellen

The morphologic pathologist may require information on the ultrastructure of a non-specific lesion seen under the light microscope before he can make a specific determination. Such lesions, when caused by infectious disease agents, may be sparsely distributed in any organ system. Tissue culture systems, too, may only have widely dispersed foci suitable for ultrastructural study. In these situations, when only a few, small foci in large tissue areas are useful for electron microscopy, it is advantageous to employ a methodology which rapidly selects a single tissue focus that is expected to yield beneficial ultrastructural data from amongst the surrounding tissue. This is in essence what "LIFTING" accomplishes. We have developed LIFTING to a high degree of accuracy and repeatability utilizing the Microlift (Fig 1), and have successfully applied it to tissue culture monolayers, histologic paraffin sections, and tissue blocks with large surface areas that had been initially fixed for either light or electron microscopy.


Author(s):  
Cecil E. Hall

The visualization of organic macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, viruses and virus components has reached its high degree of effectiveness owing to refinements and reliability of instruments and to the invention of methods for enhancing the structure of these materials within the electron image. The latter techniques have been most important because what can be seen depends upon the molecular and atomic character of the object as modified which is rarely evident in the pristine material. Structure may thus be displayed by the arts of positive and negative staining, shadow casting, replication and other techniques. Enhancement of contrast, which delineates bounds of isolated macromolecules has been effected progressively over the years as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 by these methods. We now look to the future wondering what other visions are waiting to be seen. The instrument designers will need to exact from the arts of fabrication the performance that theory has prescribed as well as methods for phase and interference contrast with explorations of the potentialities of very high and very low voltages. Chemistry must play an increasingly important part in future progress by providing specific stain molecules of high visibility, substrates of vanishing “noise” level and means for preservation of molecular structures that usually exist in a solvated condition.


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