Terrorist Discourse: A Semiotic and Critical Discourse Analysis of ISIS Jihadi Videos

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) videos have shown unprecedented professionalism in communicating fear and enlisting members to the organization. Unfortunately, counter-media campaigns failed to have a lasting defeat for the organization’s social and cognitive impact on the public. Accordingly, the present qualitative study aims to explore how the use of the multiple communication modes in ISIS videos makes the organization’s ideology appealing and intimidating. The study employs Kress and van Leeuwen’s social semiotic framework as well as Fairclough’s and van Dijk’s model of critical discourse analysis for analyzing one of ISIS videos that resulted in a global outrage. The findings are significant for understanding how the terrorists’ communication strategies are embedded in their professional media techniques. A deep understanding of the ISIS technique has an impact on creating successful counter-media campaigns that persuade the public to resist any new wave of terrorism.

Schumpeter, Creative Destruction and the American Economy

The world is experiencing the age of Schumpeter and the American economy remains the premier example of a Schumpeterian economy. Despite its many naysayers and the doom and gloom professors that never stop predicting its demise, the American economy continues to show a remarkable capacity to rejuvenate. Orwell once commented that “England is perhaps the only great country whose intellectuals are ashamed of their nationality.” Left-wing intellectuals, he argued, hasted the divorce between intelligence and patriotism, which weakened the country’s morale and emboldened its enemies. Left-wing intellectuals, he argued, hasted the divorce between intelligence and patriotism, which weakened the country’s morale and emboldened its enemies. If he were alive today, it would be interesting to hear his opinion about the relentless barrage of criticism against everything American. One thing seems sure, though, America, not England, is the country most hated by its intellectual class. Any talk about Schumpeter’s “gale of creative destruction” is anathema to these “critical critics.” After all, when it comes to everything American, these individuals believe that they must criticize for the sake of criticism. The thought that capitalism has an internal mechanism akin to a fountain of youth must be disheartening to those whose blinders prevent them from accepting opposing facts. Frightenedly, these same intellectuals are apologists for every dictatorship the world over.

Digitizing The Land of Genghis Khan: Reforming Mongolia’s Internet Law to Achieve Growth in E-Commerce

In the digital age, the E-signature has replaced the handwritten signature. Since 1995, there have been three generations of E-signature law: the first mandated use of the digital signature, the second recognized the legal validity of all types of E-signatures, and the third recognizes all types of E-signatures, but gives preferred status to the digital signature. Mongolia’s Electronic Signature Law (ESL) is third-generation; it recognizes all types of E-signatures but favors the use of the digital signature. Accreditation requirements are specified for Certification Service Providers (CSP), the issuers of certificates and verifiers to third parties that a digital signature is that of a specific subscriber. The CSP is responsible for maintaining the security of information that it receives from its subscribers. The CSP must inform the subscriber of any limitations on the use of the certificate. If a CSP issues a certificate, it must meet stringent security requirements which can only be achieved with a digital signature. CSPs must maintain a publicly accessible repository of certificates and the public keys which relying third parties can use to decrypt a subscriber’s message. A CSP may incur legal liability for publishing a certificate with inaccurate information or for not issuing a private key to the subscriber corresponding to the public key in the repository. The ESL recognizes the legal validity of certificates issued by CSPs in foreign countries. The author recommends reformation of Mongolia’s E-commerce law by adding: (1) consumer protections for E-commerce participants; (2) several new computer crimes; (3) information technology courts; (4) mandatory E-government; and (5) explicit long-arm jurisdiction.

Institutional Pension Service: The Role, Dilemma and Way out of Social Workers-Taking H Pension Welfare Institution as an Example

With the intensification of the Chinese population aging trend, the demand for institutional pension is rising. As a delivery system of social welfare services, social work can promote the development of institutional pension services in China. In this respect, social workers should play the roles of service providers, demand and service evaluators, emotional and action supporters, resource linkers, resource and information managers in institutional pension, and promote the orderly progress of various services. However, through the case analysis of an H pension welfare institution, it is found that social workers and the H pension institution do not have a clear understanding of the role of social workers, and social work agency adopts “stocking” pattern for social workers, both of which lead to two dilemmas of role specialization and administrative tendency. In this regard, the following methods are proposed to solve the problem of role dilemma. The social work agency establishes long-term professional training mechanisms and incentive mechanisms. The H pension welfare institution needs to enhance its awareness of the role of social workers and give them more freedom to provide services. The government promotes the establishment of a sound incentive mechanism for the social work industry.

Recommendations to Improve Education for Students with Autism through Distance Learning Strategies and Assistive Technologies during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new educational challenges and presented new opportunities for educators and students with learning disabilities, especially due to the increased awareness and focus on inclusive education. While extensive research has been done on effective strategies for teaching students with autism in an inclusive classroom environment, there is minimal research conducted on strategies for distance learning education for students with autism. This group is at a higher risk of being excluded from online education compared to their peers who have no learning difficulties. Recommended strategies for enhancing effective online education for students with autism include strategies for developing instructional materials. Another is collaborative engagements with all stakeholders to develop an understanding of each student’s strengths and weaknesses. The other is the provision of teacher training and continuous professional development. Next up is developing strategies for creating effective home-based learning environments such as providing all the required infrastructure for online learning. Finally, are strategies for instructional delivery such as the use of effective assistive technologies such as Zoom, collaboration with caregivers, and ensuring the active engagement of the students during instruction delivery.

AN OVER VIEW OF ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION FROM THE CONTRACTUAL PERSPECTIVE IN EUROPE

The Alternative Dispute Resolution ("ADR") is an alternative conflict settlement strategy. It follows the main objective of solving conflicts between parties stunningly through the help of independent professionals and renowned personalities. Today the role of the ADR is more important, and the number of agreements with ADR is increasing. One of the reasons for this development is that the ADR is usually more efficient and time-saving compared to normal justice delivering procedures. The current paper examines the most popular techniques for the solution of alternative disputes within the EU, through mediation. This paper associates ADR development and the European Law Legislative International Trade Conciliation (2002) along with other Laws and ADR services, such as ICC and different Laws related to the services. It then conjointly makes comparisons between the bound “member state” MS Courts to observe problems concerning ADR. Additionally, it recognizes the ADR in the light of the right to valid remedy (European Union Principles). To administer a deep insight into the subject, the paper describes additionally the ADR origin, its features, and relevance. Hence, this paper will shed light on the issues faced by parties in ADR concerning agreements and shall thereby, provide a solution to overcome the same.

Palestinian Women’s Organization’s: Their Challenging Journey towards Women’s Empowerment

Palestinian Women’s organizations have a very important role in Palestine's civil society. The development of these organizations is well recognized and they reached their peak at the beginning of the INTIFADA. Until the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA), women’s organizations formed part of the national struggle against the Israeli occupation, and their agenda was subordinate to that of the national movement. In the late 1980s, however, a process of transformation was initiated that provided women’s organizations with the opportunity to focus on women’s issues. Indeed, since the creation of the PA, women’s organizations have focused almost exclusively on women’s issues. The PA, in contrast, has attempted to marginalize women, as reflected in the process of its consolidation. As a result, women’s organizations have attempted to influence PA policy to improve the position of women in Palestinian society. This paper examines the means and strategies that the Palestinian Women’s Organizations have adopted to influence Palestinian Authority (PA) policy.

Establishing Learning Resource Center in the Department of Languages and Translation at the University of Tabuk

Language proficiency is best raised through active and frequent use. It is important to provide students with maximum English exposure as well as meaningful and purposeful activities through which they can learn and apply the target language. A rich English language learning environment can be created by making full use of the time and resources both inside and outside the classroom. Based on previous studies and experiences of peer universities, developing learning resource center has become widespread in many universities, colleges, and schools. Accordingly, the current project attempts to develop a learning resource center for the Languages and Translation Department at the University of Tabuk. The project attempts to create a convenient place for the students of Tabuk University to facilitate and develop their language skills through resources and technologies. To achieve this objective of this project, the researcher has designed two questionnaires for the teachers and the students to collect the attitudes toward developing a learning resource center for the Department of Languages and Translation at the University of Tabuk.

International Legal Custom аs an Object of Interpretation: Modern Approaches and Discussions

The article determines that the transition from a liberal state system to a welfare state system has adapted the concept of international legal custom and the correlation between its two elements. With the emergence of new members of the international system, a new environment has emerged where there is no clear common understanding of the definition and content of international law rules. The lack of an effective, consistent method of identifying international custom dictates the requirement to seek an effective methodology for interpreting international legal customs actively. The article finds out that often competing interpretations arise about the same practice. Therefore, it is necessary to find the interpretation offering more tools for practice, with other things being equal. If a deductive methodology seeks a connection between principle and law, an inductive one looks for social facts that support common practice. It is proved that a qualitatively new constructive interpretation has the potential to provide a better interpretation of international community practice. In conclusion, it is stated that the result of constructive interpretation should be the orientation of the goal into practice.

The Socio-Political Role of Zombie Categories. A Case Study of the Referendum Amending Article 48 of The Romanian Constitution (6-7 October 2018)

Our scope was to explain the failure of the Referendum on the revision of Article 48 of the Romanian Constitution, regarding the definition of family (held in 2018 and known as the "traditional family referendum"). We hypothesized that in Romania the traditional family has become a "zombie" category, unable to produce an authentic mobilization of the social-political actors. Still, the traditional family represents an anchor that counteracts insecurity and anxiety caused by the "risk society" in which we live. This function is capitalized by social-political actors as a source of their legitimation. Our understanding was based on the processual analysis of this issue on the public agenda, from inflammation to extinction. This analysis clearly showed the process of gradual demobilization of the actors involved.