Cultural security of minorities under threat. The situation of the Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China

The main objective of the article is to analyse the state of cultural security of the Uyghur minority. Due to the fundamental significance of identity and culture for the functioning of national minorities, it belongs from their perspective to the most crucial sectors of security, especially since a whole range of threats concerns it. The text uses the case study method, and the situation of the Uyghur minority in the People’s Republic of China has been chosen as an example. The following parts of the study define the terms used in the article, characterize the Uyghur minority, and indicate the most critical threats to its cultural security. These include the processes of migration together with the accompanying processes of urbanization and industrialization, the destruction of cultural heritage, threats in the area of culture and education, and dangers related to the state’s policy towards Islam and the potential radicalization of its Uyghur followers.

Physical fitness of candidates to the General Tadeusz Kościuszko Military University of Land Forces

The study is to compare the level of comprehensive physical fitness of accepted candidates to the Wrocław military university in 2015 and in 2019 depending on the type of high school completed. The research material was collected from the motor tests conducted during the recruitment process to the Wrocław military university. The study included measurements of endurance, relative strength, running speed and agility, and swimming skills. The level of all analyzed functional traits of candidates admitted to the university in 2015 is statistically significantly higher compared to men accepted to the university in 2019. The type of secondary school completed does not significantly differentiate the level of comprehensive physical fitness of candidates to the Wrocław military university, both in 2015 and 2019. The type of secondary school completed does not significantly differentiate the level of all-round physical fitness of applicants to the Wrocław military university, either in 2015 or 2019.

Impact of threats from the use of modern information technologies on university students’ learning outcomes. Part II

The second part of the publication discusses the results of practical research on the impact of threats to the use of modern information technologies and independent Internet-based acquisition of knowledge on the results of students’ learning outcomes. It presents the course of empirical research with the methods and tools used. The summary presents the conclusions that arose during and after the research. Attention was drawn to the broad spectrum, which so far has not been covered by civilian students of the hierarchical university. The negative impact of threats on unaware users of modern information technologies is highlighted and described.

School security management – ethical, psychosocial and institutional conditions

School security – of students, teachers, and other staff – is a critical issue in education policy. Due to the multiplicity of threats in the school environment, this issue still occupies a leading place in the discussion on education and forces constant care to improve this state. The headmaster manages school safety. The style of performing this duty is significant. The article discusses school security management, emphasizing the participatory method, which assumes the involvement of all educational entities in decision-making processes. Moreover, the prepared material presents many legal bases and other documents regulating safety rules and obligations to act in an emergency. Various educational programs and projects were also presented, which would be worth getting interested in to improve safety in schools.

Exploring crisis governance: Quest for functional resilience during COVID-19 in Lithuania

An effective, timely managed and interoperable governance process and its adaptive features are of the utmost importance in dealing with any type of crisis at the state level. This article explores civil society actors’ engagement in Lithuania to identify the functional resilience level in crisis governance of COVID-19. Social capital and adaptive capacity approaches were employed for theoretical consideration and analysis. We hypothesise that linking social capital is more important for enhancing resilience at the beginning of the crisis, while adaptive capacity gains prominence during and after the crisis. Mixed analysis methods were used in gathering data through content analysis, surveys (standardised questionnaires) and interviews with experts from civic (voluntary and non-governmental) and public (local and central government) sectors. The findings provide novel insights into the importance of civil society actors’ engagement in bolstering functional resilience and embedment of a whole of society approach in crisis governance during times of uncertainty.

Comprehensive and special physical fitness of judo athletes of provincial national teams in the age groups: youngster (U16) and junior (U21)

The research aimed to determine the relationship between the universal and special physical fitness of judoists. The study involved players from the youngster (U16) and junior (U21) age group from provincial teams. The International Physical Fitness Test was used to measure comprehensive fitness, and the Special Judo Fitness Test was applied to assess special fitness. The research has shown that juniors exhibit a higher level of all-round (excluding flexibility) and special fitness than youngsters. More relationships between comprehensive physical fitness and special fitness were demonstrated in the youngster group. Leg muscle strength, endurance, agility, and abdominal strength were found to have the most significant impact on the overall level of all-round fitness in the youngster age group, while in the age group under 21, endurance, hand strength, and arm strength had the most significant impact. It has been shown that the combination of individual components of versatile fitness in a given training cycle may bring positive effects in shaping those features in both age groups. Besides, it has been shown that when taking account of the athlete’s ontogenetic development and his/her sensitive period, the relationships between the components of comprehensive fitness and comprehensive and special fitness can significantly affect the effectiveness of the training process in both age groups.

Poles in Belgium and the question of rebirth of an independent Polish state

The issue of the participation of Polish political emigration in the struggle for freedom and its comprehensive activity in the political, scientific and cultural spheres are reflected in the Polish (European) history, thus providing valuable research material for future generations. Polish post-partition emigres, especially after the major national uprisings, was concentrated mainly in France, England and Belgium. Polish emigration in Belgium, similar to some extent to emigration in France – albeit smaller in number – was constituted by the Polish colony, represented, among others, by soldiers seeking refuge after the November Uprising (including several dozen officers, e.g. Ignacy Kruszewski, Feliks Prot de Pruszyński, Jan Zygmunt Skrzynecki, Władysław Zamoyski) and representatives of culture and science, Joachim Lelewel (an outstanding Polish historian, spiritual guide in an exile democratic camp), Stanisław Worcell (thinker and social activist of the Great Emigration) and many other outstanding Poles. The aim of this article is to present the role of Polish emigration in Belgium, its contribution to the struggle for Poland’s independence, and to draw attention to the scholarly dispute surrounding the Great Emigration between Polish and Belgian historians regarding the effects of “politics in exile” and the question of the heroism of Polish patriots in exile. These considerations are a contribution to a broader discussion and an encouragement to a deeper penetration of the literature (source materials) on the Great Emigration, especially, if it concerns Belgium, available in foreign languages – French and Dutch.

Selected aspects of ensuring energy security in the municipality

In a modern democratic state, it is fully justified that local governments influence on energy policy. The most serious reasons for municipalities to pursue their energy policy include implementing principles such as decentralization, subsidiarity, autonomy, and independence by local governments. It should be remembered that local governments are public authorities acting to meet the local communities’ needs. In the Polish institutional conditions, local governments may be jointly responsible for the national energy policy only if they can create local energy policy based on their energy potential. Bearing in mind the above, the relationship between the local energy policy and the national energy policy is different for each commune, depending on a given territorial unit’s specific conditions. The specificity and quality of these relationships are also determined by the municipal authorities, which can approach the policies they create strategically or rely on improvisation. In the first case, local governments plan and implement specific activities that make up the energy policy process, while in the second case, they wait for the activity and involvement of government administration bodies.

Time – the significant capital of the manager

The current conditions of the functioning of enterprises and the complexity of many production processes raise the issues related to the efficiency of managers’ work to a higher level. Following this requirement, much more attention is paid to improving work efficiency and its proper organization. It has been emphasized that the increasing amount of knowledge necessary to be acquired in a unit of time and the greater degree of difficulty of working in various positions make it necessary to take into account, apart from natural human predispositions, also biological rhythms and current environmental influences. Therefore, it is understandable that employees, especially managers, should know the psychophysical activities shaping the efficiency of human work and consider their influence on the improvement of management efficiency. It has been emphasized that the role of a manager comes down to achieving the goals set by the team. In addition to the conditions, several proposals have been presented to improve the activities of people holding managerial positions.

The effect of climate change on future Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations

Never before in the known history of the world people had such a great impact on climate change as since the beginning of the era of industrialization. Industrial production on a huge, unprecedented scale, apart from its benefits, causes climate change on a global scale through the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. According to the AR5 IPCC report, it is expected that the ever-increasing CO2 emissions and the lack of action to reduce it will increase the average global temperature from the pre-industrial era by up to 4 degrees Celsius to 2100. Such significant climate change can have catastrophic and irreversible consequences for the inhabitants of our planet. Exhausting sources of drinking water, land that cannot be cultivated and depleting natural resources will force people to fight for what will remain. The emergence of military groups will result in both internal armed conflicts and international tensions caused by mass migration of people from countries with the least vulnerability to the effects of climate change, to highly developed regions such as EU countries. Climate change in the context of security is multidimensional and affects almost every sector. EU countries will be forced to counteract the effects of climate change not only through agreements or declarations within the UN, but also by involving their own forces and resources in CSDP missions and operations. The current activities under CSDP will be intensified as well as diversified by implementing support for technological adaptation to new climate conditions in undeveloped countries.