scholarly journals Policing Aboriginal Protests and Confrontations: Some Policy Recommendations

Author(s):  
Edward J. Hedican

This paper discusses the role of police forces in Aboriginal protests and confrontations. It takes as a case study the Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry, which was released on May 31, 2007. In 1995 Dudley George, a member of the Stoney Point First Nation, was shot by an Ontario Provincial Police officer during a protest at Ipperwash Provincial Park. Five recommendations are proposed in this paper to reduce the inherent tensions in such protests, focusing on methods of mediation and conflict resolution. In particular, it is proposed that during such protests a more extensive use be made of Aboriginal persons with training and skills in mediation and negotiations in order to improve communication between police and First Nations protesters. It is also evident that government officials need to become more actively involved in resolving land claims, especially before they become flashpoints for violence, and to remove such disputes from the realm of criminal activity to matters of civil litigation.

Author(s):  
Maggie Ollove ◽  
Diala Lteif

This paper explores the role of design in conflict resolution when doing so means balancing burdened pasts with present uncertainties. To prove its relevance in today’s complex problem spaces, design cannot remain stagnant; it must evolve alongside the pace of development. Designing within complexity is unprecedented. Yet, design can define structures that guide an understanding of this complexity. The methodology and case study described in this paper explore how systems thinking, storytelling and grounded theory can contribute to this understanding. The methodology aims to combine subjective perspectives with systemic analyses to create a collective narrative that reveals the multitude of individual understandings of conflicts. Ultimately, this methodology does not attempt to resolve conflict; instead, it  aims to provide an in-depth diagnosis of a wicked problem and question the role of design therein.


Author(s):  
Helena Grunfeld ◽  
Sriram Guddireddigari ◽  
Benita Marian ◽  
John Peter ◽  
Vijay Kumar

The field research covered in this chapter represents the first wave of a longitudinal study, aimed at testing a framework for evaluating the contribution to capabilities, empowerment and sustainability of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) projects. Key features of the framework are: it is conceptually informed by Amartya Sen’s capability approach (CA), uses a participatory methodology and longitudinal timeframe, and considers the micro-, meso-, and macro- levels in understanding the role of ICT in development. Despite the longitudinal nature of the framework, each stage of the research is designed to be a case study in its own right. The research, conducted at a computer centre in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, centred on the perception of participants with respect to whether the centre had played a role in any improvements in the community and whether they could see a role for it in changes they would like to see, or aspirations they may have for their communities. A key finding of the field research was that participants valued the centre mainly for its contribution to education of their children. Education was appreciated beyond its instrumental utility and included intrinsic value, i.e. value that exceeds its potential as a path to higher incomes. Participants frequently referred to how a higher level of literacy would empower them to deal with government officials without intermediaries. This finding is consistent with the CA’s emphasis on development as a process facilitating capabilities that enable people to lead lives they have reason to value.


Arts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Marie Geissler

This paper investigates a select number of examples in which largely non-literate First Nation peoples of Australia, like some First Nations peoples around the world, when faced with a judicial challenge to present evidence in court to support their land title claim, have drawn on their cultural materials as supporting evidence. Specifically, the text highlights the effective agency of indigenous visual expression as a communication tool within the Australian legal system. Further, it evaluates this history within an indigenous Australian art context, instancing where of visual art, including drawings and paintings, has been successfully used to support the main evidence in native title land claims. The focus is on three case studies, each differentiated by its distinct medium, commonly used in indigenous contemporary art—namely, ink/watercolours on paper, (Case study 1—the Mabo drawings of 1992), acrylics on canvas (Case study 2—the Ngurrara 11 canvas 1997) and ochre on bark, (Case study 3—The Saltwater Bark Collection 1997 (onwards)). The differentiation in the stylistic character of these visual presentations is evaluated within the context of being either a non-indigenous tradition (e.g., represented as European-like diagrams or sketches to detail areas and boundaries of the claim sites in question) or by an indigenous expressive context (e.g., the evidence of the claim is presented using traditionally inspired indigenous symbols relating to the claimant’s lands. These latter images are adaptations of the secret sacred symbols used in ceremonies and painting, but expressed in a form that complies with traditional protocols protecting secret, sacred knowledge). The following text details how such visual presentations in the aforementioned cases were used and accepted as legitimate legal instruments, on which Australian courts based their legal determinations of the native land title.


Author(s):  
A.A. Pass

The article examines the relationship between government officials and entrepreneurs with the emphasis on reducing administrative barriers, strengthening the rule of law in the economy, and increasing the activity of the business community. The article describes multi-circuit system of central and regional republican bodies responsible for regulating economic processes. Special attention is paid to the role of the non-state sector in establishing constructive cooperation between private firms and state-funded organizations. This work provides comprehensive analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the fight against corruption offenses and manifestations of unfair competition. The article describes measures to overcome discretionary decisions, streamline the implementation and control of tax audits. It also provides examples of the abuse of power by government officials when working with businessmen. The article evaluates the effectiveness of electronic portals that helped to resist such attempts. In addition, this work analyzes state’s efforts to streamline and simplify customs procedures. It talks about measures to simplify access of enterprises of various forms of ownership to participate in tenders for public procurement. This article provides comprehensive recommendations on the reduction of criminal activity among entrepreneurs and government officials.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 413
Author(s):  
Toba Sastrawan Manik ◽  
Suharno Suharno

Conflict resolution is needed by society, especially in Indonesia, which has a diverse culture; it is inherent in the culture. Conflict resolution based on local wisdom is needed to create peace in society because it always strives to produce decisions that are win-win solutions. This research examines the importance and role of local wisdom as a form of conflict resolution in society and examines the role of the Pengituai Kuta in Pakpak culture as a conflict resolution method. This research is qualitative research with a case study approach conducted in Matanari Hamlet, Ujung Teran Village, Dairi Regency, North Sumatra. The data collection techniques used were semi-structured interviews, observation, and literature study. The subject of information in this study consisted of three people, namely one member of Pengituai Kuta Matanari (JM) and the Head of Matanari Hamlet (PP), and Cultural Practitioner or Humanist Pakpak (LB). According to Miles and Huberman’s model, the data is processed, which includes the collection, reduction, presentation, and conclusion. This finding shows that the Pengituai Kuta has an essential and influential role in resolving horizontal conflicts in Matanari Hamlet. The local wisdom of the Indonesian people already has conflict resolution systems and methods. In Pakpak culture, Pengituai Kuta refers to representatives of community leaders who are considered experienced and exemplary. Every conflict is resolved by deliberation-consensus (runggu) in an open, egalitarian, and full of brotherhood.


Author(s):  
Renata MARKS-BIELSKA

The author’s purpose has been to point to initiatives that can be undertaken by authorities in rural municipalities in order to create positive conditions for the growth of entrepreneurship in their territorial units. Parallel to a review of selected references, a survey method was employed, which relied on a questionnaire developed by the author and addressed to local authorities in all municipalities across Poland. Out of 2 479 Polish municipalities, 1 220 responded (d – measurement error = 2%), of which 770 were rural ones (49.17% of the rural municipalities in Poland). The socio-economic environment and spatial conditions of rural areas are different from the ones which prevail in an urban setting. Local governments are equipped with instruments with which they can take advantage of the potential they possess and thereby achieve their goals. Local authorities take initiatives together with the entrepreneurs who are already active in their municipality. Strategically orientated local government officials offer various forms of assistance to entrepreneurs. Regions, towns or municipalities are now competing fiercely for the capital. Developed land parcels (technical infrastructure) are no longer sufficient to attract investors. Other, innovative and business-friendly solutions must be looked for. A municipality which is successful in this search gain a competitive advantage, will attract some capital and, in a further perspective, will attain a high economic growth.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDREA CARACAUSI

AbstractThis article analyses the mechanisms of conflict resolution in apprenticeship contracts using a large database of disputes from early modern Italy. It finds that the guild court under investigation (the Padua Woollen Guild court) did not enforce training contracts, but rather sought to improve on incomplete contracts by adding clauses, thereby helping individuals renegotiate and redefine the contractual arrangements into which they had decided to enter. However, power relations within the court operated largely in favour of employers, both merchants and master craftsmen. The article concludes that alternative contract enforcement systems, such as municipal or state courts, were probably better suited than corporative systems for resolving disputes surrounding apprenticeship.


1986 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Bercovitch

This paper purports to contribute to the development of a theory of international mediation by considering, in some detail, the experience at Camp David and more specifically the role of President Carter. The uniqueness of this event cannot of course be ignored, but even unique cases can contribute to theory development especially if they are considered as one of a class of events. Single cases can provide a powerful impetus to the development of a general explanation as long as they are historically grounded and their description is not couched in purely idiosyncratic terms.


2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (04) ◽  
pp. 161-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Hoffman French

Abstract In Brazilian cities, perhaps the most disturbing criminal activity is the violence perpetrated by police officers themselves. This article is an invitation and a provocation to reconsider social scientific thinking about police violence in Brazil. Illustrated by a court decision from a Northeastern city, in which a black man won a case against the state for being falsely arrested and abused by a black police officer on the grounds of racism, this article investigates three paradoxes: Brazilians fear both crime and the police; black police beat black civilians; and government officials disavow responsibility by stigmatizing the police on racial grounds. It then proposes an alternative reading of these paradoxes that opens the possibility for rethinking police reform and argues that democratization in Brazil is deeply intertwined with the future of its darkest-skinned citizens.


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