Academic literature on the topic 'Cooperative Socio-History'

The main aim of the research was to determine the key factors determining the level of credit risk of individual clients (clients in the form of natural persons, excluding companies) on the example of Polish cooperative banks according to the following features: transaction characteristics, socio-demographic characteristics of the customer, the customer’s financial situation, the customer’s history of cooperation with the cooperative bank where they applied for a loan, and the customer’s history of cooperation with other financial institutions. For the research gathered data from 1000 credit applications submitted by individual customers when applying for a credit in five different cooperative banks were used for the analyses. To assess the credit risk of retail clients we use logit regression models, and additionally, score cards were calculated. The results of the research indicate that among the factors with high predictive power there were the features characterizing the client’s history of cooperation with the cooperative bank, where they applied for a loan. It may mean that when assessing credit risk related to financing individual customers, cooperative banks due to their local character, have an advantage over other financial institutions.

The subject of research is the socio-professional staff of the founders, members and co-workers of publishing cooperatives operating in the USSR to study the issues of Economic History. The goalof research is to study with regard to Economic History the socio-professional staff of the founders, members and co-workers of publishing cooperatives operating in the USSR to study the issues of Economic History. Methods of research. All components of the study are based on fundamental principles – scientific, historicism, objectivity, system, development, priority of concrete verity, pluralism; and also the methods of knowledge of social and economic processes of social development – analysis, synthesis, problem-chronological, comparative analytical, archaeological, retrospective, statistical, a systematic and integrated approach. Research methodology. In the process of the study, the fundamental principles were based on Economic History and History of Economic Thought, the Ukrainian and foreign scientists’ works and experts in this area. Results of work. In the article, the socio-professional staff of the founders, members and co-workers of publishing cooperatives operating in the USSR to study the issues of Economic History has studied. The field of application of results. The results of this research can be applied to study the issues of Economic History and History of Economic Thought, History of the Publishing Industry. Conclusions. Thus, the staff training system for the book-trading network, including the publishing cooperative, had some specific features. Compared to the program to train workers of printing production, where the state took part actively, the financing for the training of booksellers and cooperative publishers was totally devoid of state support. This was the fundamental position of the Soviet state, which, despite the New Economic Policy, continued “to look" at the sphere of trade and the associated need to study the book market, as a relic of capitalism. It is undeniable that giving the cooperative the opportunity to organize a training system for the book-trading network to some extent intensified the market relations in the republic, facilitated the study of the specificity of readers' demand as well as stimulated the development of publishing activity in Ukraine. However, the peaceful coexistence of the socialist-organized production of printed matter and the market system of its proliferation lengthy until the end of the 1920s, when, together with the cooperative publishing houses, a training staff system for the book trade was state-controlled.

Abstract. In the current socio-economic, political and institutional conditions, primarily in the context of new challenges and threats (such as sanctions restrictions, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics), which determine high instability in the activities of agricultural producers, particular importance in the development of the agricultural economy, rural communities and rural areas moves to agricultural cooperation. As retrospective studies prove, agricultural cooperatives always become particularly popular in the most difficult periods for agriculture (and the economy as a whole), extremely actualizing at this time the corresponding theoretical and applied research. The study and analysis of scientific works concerning current state of agricultural cooperation, its problems and potential in improving of agricultural production and harmonious development of rural areas allows us to conclude that, Despite the presence (in the review materials presented to the scientific community) of the evolution of cooperative thought and generalizing discussions on the theory of cooperation descriptions, the achievements of recent years, nevertheless, did not find a detailed reflection in them. The purpose of this work is to summarize the most meaningful results of world-class research on the activities of agricultural cooperatives in a fluctuating (sometimes turbulent) environment, which are relevant (and acceptable) for the development of Russian cooperative practices in the face of existing challenges and threats. Results. A survey-analytical study, the results of which are presented in this article, made it possible (through a thorough analysis of the achievements of the cooperative theory over the past five years) to formulate and scientifically substantiate the main components of a new (integrated, interdisciplinary) approach to the development of Russian agricultural cooperation in the current institutional and market context, the basic elements of which are (1) taking into account the peculiarities of the socio-economic and institutional environment, (2) the multifunctionality of cooperative activities, (3) the specifics of ways to create cooperatives in different countries and spheres of activity, (4) the limitations of traditional and the prospects of new organizational models of agricultural cooperatives. Scientific novelty. The article offers a detailed review of foreign and Russian studies on various aspects of agricultural cooperation, notable by a rich history and comprehensive discussions, substantiated a new concept for the development of modern agricultural cooperatives, formulated conclusions that have theoretical novelty and applied value for use in domestic economic practice.

The subject of the study is the role and place of cooperative publishing houses in the formation of the domestic consumer market of book products and scientific assessment of organizational, publishing and trade activities of publishing cooperatives in the context of the new economic policy (NEP). The purpose of the scientific article is to study the role and place of cooperative publishing houses in the formation of the domestic consumer market of book products and, through the prism of studying the problems of economic history, to give a scientific assessment of organizational, publishing and trade activities of the NEP. Methods of research. All components of the study are based on fundamental principles – scientific, historicism, objectivity, system, development, priority of concrete verity, pluralism; and also the methods of knowledge of social and economic processes of social development – analysis, synthesis, problem-chronological, comparative analytical, archaeological, retrospective, statistical, a systematic and integrated approach. Research methodology. In the process of the study, the fundamental principles were based on Economic History and History of Economic Thought, the Ukrainian and foreign scientists’ works and experts in this area. Results of work. In the context of this issue, we explored the role and place of cooperative publishing houses in the formation of the domestic consumer market of book products and, through the prism of studying the problems of economic history, gave a scientific assessment of organizational, publishing and trade activities of the NEP. The field of application of results. The results of this research can be applied to study the issues of Economic History and History of Economic Thought, History of the Publishing Industry. Conclusions. Thus, cooperative publishing houses were business-type societies, organizationally and functionally belonged to cooperative societies, and on the other hand - were public associations with editorial, production, economic and socio-cultural functions. Examining the activities of cooperative publishing houses, it can be stated that they occupied an important place in the distribution and printing of various literature: socio-economic, socio-political, agricultural, artistic, children's books, textbooks, natural, military. Consumers of book products of cooperative publishing houses were the most various social and professional groups of the population: workers, peasants, employees, women, youth, military, children. By distributing literature in a country where almost two-thirds of the population was illiterate, publishing houses contributed to the full operation of educational institutions, raising the intellectual and spiritual level of society, creating conditions for the development of science, art, culture and education. There was a completely organic connection between publishers' cooperatives, cultural, educational, and scientific institutions, and a kind of intellectual and spiritual dependence developed due to the high demand for books, as publishers published literature from all fields of knowledge. The activities of cooperative publishing houses of the NEP period, especially the formation of the organizational structure and the implementation of advertising and propaganda work should be taken into account when developing the legal framework of the national program of book publishing in Ukraine.

The history of rural cooperatives in Ukraine is quite deep. It includes both national characteristics and certain global trends. Today in Ukraine the cooperative movement in the agro-industrial complex is primarily connected with the implementation of a comprehensive, agrarian, incl. land reform. The legal and normative mechanisms of socio-economic relations in the village are regulated by the Tax Code of Ukraine, the Civil Code of Ukraine, the Commercial Code of Ukraine, the Land Code of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine «On Farmers», the Law of Ukraine «On Personal Peasant Economy», the Law of Ukraine «On State Support to Agriculture», the Law of Ukraine «On State Registration of Legal Entities, Individuals-Enterprises and Public Formations», the Law of Ukraine «On Agricultural Advisory Activities», the Law of Ukraine «On Cooperation», the Law of Ukraine «On Agricultural Cooperation». These legislative acts determine that an agricultural cooperative is an important form of management, an integral part of a multi-faceted economy in the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine. However, it should be noted that at present the potential of agricultural cooperation in Ukraine remains poorly implemented, in particular, the establishment of multi-functional cooperatives, which in turn can form higher-level associations by sector or territory, act as founders of different types of enterprises, have their own competitive representations in the regions of Ukraine and abroad. Today should be answered rather effective is the prospect of introducing an integrated multi-profit agricultural service cooperatives built on profitable pricing under conditions of self-sufficient local communities combined with the experience and practices of the developed countries of Europe and the world. Does farmers need a real serving non-profit agricultural cooperative. The answer to this should be given by the conducted research, and the analysis of the existing experience. The history of Ukraine, including Galicia, had a positive experience in the functioning of rural cooperation. And in the world the particular importance are agricultural cooperatives which unite the efforts of rural producers in solving not only economic and social problems in the rural areas.

The subject of research is: formation; development; structure of governing bodies; operational and economic organization of the material base and consumer interests of buyers of book products of the cooperative publishing house "Hart". The purpose of the scientific article is to reveal and show the socio-economic contribution of the cooperative publishing house "Hart" to the development of the publishing industry of Ukraine based on the sources. Research methods. All components of the research are based on the main principles - scientificity, historicism, objectivity, systematicity, development, priority of concrete truth, pluralism, as well as methods of learning socio-economic processes of social development – analysis, synthesis, problem-chronological, comparative-analytical, archeographic, retrospective, statistical, systematic and complex approach. Work methodology. In the process of researching the specified issues, the main provisions were taken as a basis: the history of Ukraine, economic history and the history of economic thought, the history of the publishing industry, the work of domestic and foreign scientists and practitioners in the specified field. Work results. In the context of the mentioned problems, we investigated the socio-economic contribution of the cooperative publishing house "Hart" to the development of the publishing industry of Ukraine. Field of application of results. The results of this study can be applied in the field of studying the problems of economic history and the history of economic thought, the history of the publishing industry. Conclusions. In the context of our research, we found out that the socio-economic contribution of cooperative publishing houses, in particular "Hart", to the development of the publishing industry of Ukraine, is quite large, since these publishing houses, with their entrepreneurial activity, stimulated the publishing process, thanks to them, the works of famous figures saw the light of day of Ukrainian culture, well-known historians, publicists, whose heritage remains understudied. It should be noted that in Ukraine at the current stage of development of the market economy system, where various forms of ownership dominate, the national publishing industry is in an extremely difficult situation. The search for an effective model for the development of national book publishing is still ongoing, so why not turn to our own historical experience.

Rural Saving and Credit Cooperatives (RuSACCOs) are the main financial solution of the people who have low income level.Rural saving and credit cooperatives are considered to have immense potential in financing short term loans for agricultural production technologies and undertake off-farm income generating activities in rural areas where both the state and the private sector have failed. Cooperatives and socio-economic development in Ethiopia has its own Economic significance, Employment creation, income generation and poverty reduction, Social protection, Cooperative representation. Cooperatives have a long history in Ethiopia. Traditional forms of collective action such as iqub found that a traditional form of rotating savings and credit association; work groups such as jige, wonfel, and debo, which help in mobilizing labor resource (Labour sharing); and idir, a traditional association which provides insurance for members during death and other accidents. . Rural saving and credit cooperatives have their own challenges that retard their financial solution to their members and the economical contribution to a country. In Ethiopia, the development of SACCOs is low due to the existence of different challenges. Some of the most important challenges include lack of capacity for providing competent managerial services, limited participation of members in decision making and controlling activities (because of limited capacity and skill), and lack of finance, basic infrastructure, and market information against the need for a better linkage of cooperative members. And recommending Government cooperative agency offices, Unions, and NGOs should provide sustainable technical training for cooperatives technical staffs on financial planning, financial management, and inventory handling issues are the possible recommendations. Saving and credit cooperatives play a crucial role in economic and social development for rural farmers in Ethiopia.

The idea that cohesive groups, in which individuals help each other, have a competitive advantage over groups composed of selfish individuals has been widely suggested as an explanation for the evolution of cooperation in humans. Recent theoretical models propose the coevolution of parochial altruism and intergroup conflict, when in-group altruism and out-group hostility contribute to the group's success in these conflicts. However, the few empirical attempts to test this hypothesis do not use natural groups and conflate measures of in-group and unbiased cooperative behaviour. We conducted field experiments based on naturalistic measures of cooperation (school/charity donations and lost letters' returns) with two religious groups with an on-going history of conflict—Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. Conflict was associated with reduced donations to out-group schools and the return of out-group letters, but we found no evidence that it influences in-group cooperation. Rather, socio-economic status was the major determinant of cooperative behaviour. Our study presents a challenge to dominant perspectives on the origins of human cooperation, and has implications for initiatives aiming to promote conflict resolution and social cohesion.

The subject of the research is the features of state management of cooperative and private forms of publishing activity of the population in the conditions of the New Economic Policy (NEP), namely: monopolization and centralization of the publishing industry in Ukraine; introduction of a system of political and ideological control through censorship; administrative-judicial and ideological measures of state bodies on the activities of cooperative-private publishing houses; relations between cooperative, private and state publishing houses. The purpose of the scientific article is to study the features of state management of cooperative and private forms of publishing activity of the population in the conditions of the New Economic Policy. Research methods. All components of the study are based on the basic principles - scientific, historicism, objectivity, consistency, development, the priority of concrete truth, pluralism, as well as methods for understanding the socio-economic processes of social development – analysis, synthesis, problem-chronological, comparative-analytical, archeographic, retrospective , statistical, systematic and integrated approach. Methodology of the work. In the process of studying this issue, the main provisions were taken as a basis: the history of Ukraine, economic history and the history of economic thought, the history of the publishing industry, the works of domestic and foreign scientists and practitioners in this field. Work results. In the context of this issue, we studied the features of state management of cooperative and private forms of publishing activity of the population in the conditions of the NEP, namely: monopolization and centralization of the publishing industry in Ukraine; introduction of a system of political and ideological control through censorship; administrative-judicial and ideological measures of state bodies on the activities of cooperative-private publishing houses; relations between cooperative, private and state publishing houses. Scope of the results. The results of this study can be applied in the field of studying the problems of economic history and the history of economic thought, the history of the publishing industry. Conclusions. Therefore, having studied the activities of cooperative-private publishing houses, we can state that their relationship with state publishing houses had a situational socio-political paradigm, reflecting the attitude of the mono-party system to amateur forms of entrepreneurial activity of the population. During the 1920s a kind of "peaceful" coexistence of the two sectors of publishing activity continued, but there was a tendency towards the stateization of cooperative-private publishing houses. The state tried to prevent the strengthening of the role of private and cooperative forms. By introducing the classification of publishing houses, the Soviet state sought to monopolize and centralize the publishing industry in Ukraine, to introduce a system of political and ideological control through censorship. Administrative-judicial and ideological measures of state bodies were directed against cooperative and private publishing houses for several reasons: to eliminate a competitor from the consumer market of book products, to make it impossible for the independent cooperative-private system to function in the field of printing and printing, to involve them in the implementation of state orders of an ideological direction, to reorganization on the principles of state associations.

The article describes the history of the monastic community of the The Tadulinsky Holy Assumption Monastery after 1917. The article considers how the sisters made attempts to save the community and liturgical life. For this parish community had been registered and organized agricultural marketing cooperative. The article also describes the nature and socio-demographic composition of the monastic community on the eve of 1917, and reveals the arrival of the registration procedure and the organization and functioning of the process of agricultural cooperatives. The author points out on the participation of nuns and novices of the monastery in the educational process which are located in the monastery of Soviet schools and boarding schools. It outlines the time and circumstances of the closure of the monastery, eviction of the nuns and the elimination of agricultural cooperatives.

La thèse propose une analyse socio-historique des matrices idéologiques du coopérativisme au Pays basque afin de comprendre les mécanismes générationnels affectant l'identité coopérative. La première partie présente un séquençage diachronique de quatre cycles historiques du mouvement coopératif : le coopérativisme d'avant-guerre, le coopérativisme de la nécessité, le coopérativisme du bien-être et le nouveau cycle coopératif. Tout au long de cette trajectoire, nous avons essayé d'analyser les matrices idéologiques du coopérativisme basque en nous concentrant sur la relation entre les agents sociaux, religieux, politiques et institutionnels et en tenant compte du rôle prédominant de l'Expérience Coopérative de Mondragon. Nous avons ainsi tenté de combler les lacunes académiques existantes. Dans la deuxième partie, à partir de l'analyse des nouvelles formes d'action coopérative (Egitea, « faire ») et des nouvelles appartenances identitaires (Izatea, « être »), nous avons analysé les caractéristiques du nouveau cycle historique. Ce nouveau cycle émerge de manière spécifique à chaque réalité territoriale du Pays Basque, bien qu'il partage certaines similitudes. La diversification des matrices idéologiques autour de nouveaux paradigmes (féminisme, écologisme, défense de la langue basque, euskera, ou de l'économie sociale et solidaire) en est la caractéristique principale. Cette analyse de l'identité coopérative se fonde sur la bibliographie existante à propos de la construction de l'identité moderne, en particulier chez Charles Taylor. Il s’agit alors d'essayer de préciser les éléments de construction de l’identité coopérative, compte tenu de sa dimension professionnelle et territoriale. L’enquête de terrain révèle un processus d'érosion de l'identité coopérative que nous avons qualifié de désaffection identitaire. Ce processus trouve son origine dans les transformations socio-historiques du coopérativisme et dans la mutation idéologique qui caractérisent le nouveau cycle coopératif. Nous signalons enfin les politiques de récupération identitaire qui se développent au sein du mouvement coopératif basque et, plus particulièrement, au sein du Groupe Mondragon
The thesis aims to provide a socio-historical analysis of the ideological foundations of cooperativism in the Basque Country to understand the shape of the cooperative identity. In the first part, we have diachronically sequenced the cooperative movement, dividing it into four historical cycles, among which we advocate for the emergence of a new cooperative cycle: Pre-war Cooperativism, Necessity Cooperativism, Welfare Cooperativism, and the New Cooperative Cycle. Throughout this parcours, we have sought to analyze the ideological foundations specific to each cooperative cycle, focusing on the relationship between social, religious, political, and institutional actors while considering the predominant role of the Mondragon Cooperative Experience. In doing so, we have attempted to fill a series of evident scholar gaps. In the second part, based on the analysis of new cooperative modes of action (Egitea) and new identity belongings (Izatea), we have examined the characteristics of the new historical cycle. This new cycle emerges with particularities in each territorial reality of the Basque Country. However, all the territorial perspectives share certain commonalities. The diversification of ideological foundations around new paradigms (feminism, environmentalism, the Euskera defense, or the emergence of the Social and Solidarity Economy paradigm) is the most apparent similarity. In this analysis of cooperative identity, we draw from existing literature on modern identity construction. Specifically, we analyze Charles Taylor's work, on identity construction according to professional and territorial elements. From the resulting fieldwork analysis, we also observe a process of erosion of cooperative identity. We have named this process identity disaffection. This process stems from the socio-historical transformations of cooperativism and the progressive ideological mutation characterizing the new cooperative cycle. Finally, we outline some identity recovery policies developed within Basque cooperativism and more specifically within the Mondragon Group
La tesis trata de ofrecer un análisis sociohistórico de las matrices ideológicas del cooperativismo en Euskal Herria para comprender los mecanismos de generación de la identidad cooperativa. En la primera parte, hemos secuenciado diacrónicamente el movimiento cooperativo dividiéndolo en cuatro ciclos históricos, entre los que defendemos la emergencia de un nuevo ciclo: el Cooperativismo de Anteguerra, el de la Necesidad, el del Bienestar y el Nuevo Ciclo Cooperativo. En este parcours hemos tratado de analizar cuáles han sido las matrices ideológicas propias de cada ciclo cooperativo, centrándonos en la relación entre los agentes sociales, religiosos, políticos e institucionales, y teniendo en cuenta el papel preponderante de la Experiencia Cooperativa de Mondragon. A su vez, hemos tratado de colmar una serie de evidentes lagunas académicas. En la segunda parte, a partir del análisis de las nuevas formas de actuación cooperativas (Egitea) y de las nuevas pertenencias identitarias (Izatea), hemos analizado las características del nuevo ciclo histórico. Este nuevo ciclo emerge de forma particular en cada realidad territorial de Euskal Herria, empero con ciertas similitudes comunes. La diversificación de las matrices ideológicas en torno a nuevos paradigmas (el feminismo, el ecologismo, la defensa del euskera o la Economía Social y Solidaria) es la más aparente similitud. En este análisis de la identidad cooperativa partimos de la bibliografía existente sobre la construcción de la identidad moderna y, concretamente, de la obra de Charles Taylor. Con ello tratamos de establecer cuáles han sido los elementos de construcción de la misma, considerando su dimensión profesional y territorial. Del análisis resultante del trabajo de campo, se observa un proceso de erosión de la identidad cooperativa que hemos bautizado como desafección identitaria. Este proceso tiene su origen en las transformaciones sociohistóricas del cooperativismo y en la progresiva mutación ideológica que caracterizan al nuevo ciclo cooperativo. Finalmente, apuntamos algunas políticas de recuperación de la identidad que se desarrollan en el cooperativismo vasco y más específicamente, en el seno del Grupo Mondragon
Tesiak Euskal Herriko kooperatibismoaren matrize ideologikoen azterketa soziohistorikoa eskaini nahi du, identitate kooperatiboa sortzeko mekanismoak ulertzeko. Lehenengo zatian, mugimendu kooperatiboa diakronikoki sekuentziatu dugu, lau ziklo historikotan banatuz. Ziklo horien artean, ziklo kooperatibo berri bat dago: Gerra aurreko kooperatibismoa, Beharraren kooperatibismoa, Ongizatearen kooperatibismoa eta Ziklo Kooperatibo berria. Parcours honetan ziklo kooperatibo bakoitzaren berezko matrize ideologikoak zein izan diren aztertzen saiatu gara, eragile sozial, erlijioso, politiko eta instituzionalen arteko harremanean zentratuz eta Arrasateko Esperientzia Kooperatiboaren paper nagusia kontuan hartuz. Horrela, hutsune akademiko nabarmenak betetzen saiatu gara. Bigarren zatian, kooperatiben jarduera-modu berrien azterketatik (Egitea) eta identitate-ezaugarri berrien azterketatik (Izatea) abiatuta, ziklo historiko berriaren ezaugarriak aztertu ditugu. Ziklo berri hau Euskal Herriko lurralde bakoitzean azaleratzen da bereziki, baina antzekotasun komun batzuekin. Paradigma berrien inguruko matrize ideologikoen dibertsifikazioa (feminismoa, ekologismoa, euskararen defentsa edo Ekonomia soziala eta solidarioa) da antzekotasunik nabarmenena. Identitate kooperatiboaren azterketa honetan identitate modernoaren eraikuntzari buruz dagoen bibliografiatik abiatzen gara, eta, zehazki, Taylorren obratik. Hori guztia haren eraikuntza-elementuak zein izan diren ezartzen saiatzeko, haren dimentsio profesionala eta lurralde-dimentsioa kontuan hartuta. Landa-lanetik ateratako azterketatik ikusten denez, nortasun kooperatiboa higatu egin da, eta identitatearen desafekzioa izena jarri diogu. Prozesu horren jatorria kooperatibismoaren eraldaketa soziohistorikoetan eta ziklo kooperatibo berriaren ezaugarri diren mutazio ideologiko progresiboan dago. Azkenik, euskal kooperatibismoan eta, zehazkiago, Mondragon Taldearen baitan identitatea berreskuratzeko garatzen diren politika batzuk aipatuko ditugu

Like every animal, human offspring evolved to fit into their communities, but social fittedness for mammals requires a supportive early nest that fosters socio-emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and sympathy. Within a supportive environment, children naturally develop orientations that facilitate prosocial behaviours within the community. We use the evolved developmental niche (EDN), apparent in 95% of human history as small-band hunter-gatherers, for a baseline representative of human evolution. In these societies, children grow into cooperative, agile moral actors. We compare the EDN with five modern approaches to young child group care and make suggestions to early caregivers on how to provide, in the modern world, what children evolved to need.

The concept of Global North and Global South (or North–South divide in a global context) is used to describe a grouping of countries along the lines of socio-economic and political characteristics. The Global South is a term generally used to identify countries in the regions of Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. Most, though not all of the countries in the Global South are characterized by low-income, dense population, poor infrastructure, often political or cultural marginalization,[1] and are on one side of the divide; while on the other side is the Global North (comprising the United States, Canada, all European countries, Russia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and few others depending on context).[2][3][4] As such, the terms Global North and Global South do not refer to the directional North-south as many of the Global South countries are geographically located in the Northern Hemisphere. Countries that are developed are considered as Global North countries, while those developing are considered as Global South countries.[6][1] The term as used by governmental and developmental organizations was first introduced as a more open and value-free alternative to "Third World"[7] and similarly potentially "valuing" terms like developing countries. Countries of the Global South have been described as newly industrialized or are in the process of industrializing, and are frequently current or former subjects of colonialism.[8] The Global North generally correlates with the Western world—with the notable exceptions of Israel, Japan, and South Korea—while the South largely corresponds with the developing countries and the Eastern world. The two groups are often defined in terms of their differing levels of wealth, economic development, income inequality, democracy, and political and economic freedom, as defined by freedom indices. States that are generally seen as part of the Global North tend to be wealthier and less unequal; they are developed countries, which export technologically advanced manufactured products. Southern states are generally poorer developing countries with younger, more fragile democracies heavily dependent on primary sector exports, and they frequently share a history of past colonialism by Northern states.[8] Nevertheless, the divide between the North and the South is often challenged.[9] South-South cooperation has increased to "challenge the political and economic dominance of the North."[10][11][12] This cooperation has become a popular political and economic concept following geographical migrations of manufacturing and production activity from the North to the Global South[12] and the diplomatic action of several states, like China.[12] These contemporary economic trends have "enhanced the historical potential of economic growth and industrialization in the Global South," which has renewed targeted SSC efforts that "loosen the strictures imposed during the colonial era and transcend the boundaries of postwar political and economic geography."[13] Used in several books and American Literature special issue, the term Global South, recently became prominent for U.S. literature.[14]

Nationalism: Past as Prologue began as a single volume being compiled by Ad Akande, a scholar from South Africa, who proposed it to me as co-author about two years ago. The original idea was to examine how the damaging roots of nationalism have been corroding political systems around the world, and creating dangerous obstacles for necessary international cooperation. Since I (Bruce E. Johansen) has written profusely about climate change (global warming, a.k.a. infrared forcing), I suggested a concerted effort in that direction. This is a worldwide existential threat that affects every living thing on Earth. It often compounds upon itself, so delays in reducing emissions of fossil fuels are shortening the amount of time remaining to eliminate the use of fossil fuels to preserve a livable planet. Nationalism often impedes solutions to this problem (among many others), as nations place their singular needs above the common good. Our initial proposal got around, and abstracts on many subjects arrived. Within a few weeks, we had enough good material for a 100,000-word book. The book then fattened to two moderate volumes and then to four two very hefty tomes. We tried several different titles as good submissions swelled. We also discovered that our best contributors were experts in their fields, which ranged the world. We settled on three stand-alone books:” 1/ nationalism and racial justice. Our first volume grew as the growth of Black Lives Matter following the brutal killing of George Floyd ignited protests over police brutality and other issues during 2020, following the police assassination of Floyd in Minneapolis. It is estimated that more people took part in protests of police brutality during the summer of 2020 than any other series of marches in United States history. This includes upheavals during the 1960s over racial issues and against the war in Southeast Asia (notably Vietnam). We choose a volume on racism because it is one of nationalism’s main motive forces. This volume provides a worldwide array of work on nationalism’s growth in various countries, usually by authors residing in them, or in the United States with ethnic ties to the nation being examined, often recent immigrants to the United States from them. Our roster of contributors comprises a small United Nations of insightful, well-written research and commentary from Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, China, India, South Africa, France, Portugal, Estonia, Hungary, Russia, Poland, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and the United States. Volume 2 (this one) describes and analyzes nationalism, by country, around the world, except for the United States; and 3/material directly related to President Donald Trump, and the United States. The first volume is under consideration at the Texas A & M University Press. The other two are under contract to Nova Science Publishers (which includes social sciences). These three volumes may be used individually or as a set. Environmental material is taken up in appropriate places in each of the three books. * * * * * What became the United States of America has been strongly nationalist since the English of present-day Massachusetts and Jamestown first hit North America’s eastern shores. The country propelled itself across North America with the self-serving ideology of “manifest destiny” for four centuries before Donald Trump came along. Anyone who believes that a Trumpian affection for deportation of “illegals” is a new thing ought to take a look at immigration and deportation statistics in Adam Goodman’s The Deportation Machine: America’s Long History of Deporting Immigrants (Princeton University Press, 2020). Between 1920 and 2018, the United States deported 56.3 million people, compared with 51.7 million who were granted legal immigration status during the same dates. Nearly nine of ten deportees were Mexican (Nolan, 2020, 83). This kind of nationalism, has become an assassin of democracy as well as an impediment to solving global problems. Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times (2019:A-25): that “In their 2018 book, How Democracies Die, the political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt documented how this process has played out in many countries, from Vladimir Putin’s Russia, to Recep Erdogan’s Turkey, to Viktor Orban’s Hungary. Add to these India’s Narendra Modi, China’s Xi Jinping, and the United States’ Donald Trump, among others. Bit by bit, the guardrails of democracy have been torn down, as institutions meant to serve the public became tools of ruling parties and self-serving ideologies, weaponized to punish and intimidate opposition parties’ opponents. On paper, these countries are still democracies; in practice, they have become one-party regimes….And it’s happening here [the United States] as we speak. If you are not worried about the future of American democracy, you aren’t paying attention” (Krugmam, 2019, A-25). We are reminded continuously that the late Carl Sagan, one of our most insightful scientific public intellectuals, had an interesting theory about highly developed civilizations. Given the number of stars and planets that must exist in the vast reaches of the universe, he said, there must be other highly developed and organized forms of life. Distance may keep us from making physical contact, but Sagan said that another reason we may never be on speaking terms with another intelligent race is (judging from our own example) could be their penchant for destroying themselves in relatively short order after reaching technological complexity. This book’s chapters, introduction, and conclusion examine the worldwide rise of partisan nationalism and the damage it has wrought on the worldwide pursuit of solutions for issues requiring worldwide scope, such scientific co-operation public health and others, mixing analysis of both. We use both historical description and analysis. This analysis concludes with a description of why we must avoid the isolating nature of nationalism that isolates people and encourages separation if we are to deal with issues of world-wide concern, and to maintain a sustainable, survivable Earth, placing the dominant political movement of our time against the Earth’s existential crises. Our contributors, all experts in their fields, each have assumed responsibility for a country, or two if they are related. This work entwines themes of worldwide concern with the political growth of nationalism because leaders with such a worldview are disinclined to co-operate internationally at a time when nations must find ways to solve common problems, such as the climate crisis. Inability to cooperate at this stage may doom everyone, eventually, to an overheated, stormy future plagued by droughts and deluges portending shortages of food and other essential commodities, meanwhile destroying large coastal urban areas because of rising sea levels. Future historians may look back at our time and wonder why as well as how our world succumbed to isolating nationalism at a time when time was so short for cooperative intervention which is crucial for survival of a sustainable earth. Pride in language and culture is salubrious to individuals’ sense of history and identity. Excess nationalism that prevents international co-operation on harmful worldwide maladies is quite another. As Pope Francis has pointed out: For all of our connectivity due to expansion of social media, ability to communicate can breed contempt as well as mutual trust. “For all our hyper-connectivity,” said Francis, “We witnessed a fragmentation that made it more difficult to resolve problems that affect us all” (Horowitz, 2020, A-12). The pope’s encyclical, titled “Brothers All,” also said: “The forces of myopic, extremist, resentful, and aggressive nationalism are on the rise.” The pope’s document also advocates support for migrants, as well as resistance to nationalist and tribal populism. Francis broadened his critique to the role of market capitalism, as well as nationalism has failed the peoples of the world when they need co-operation and solidarity in the face of the world-wide corona virus pandemic. Humankind needs to unite into “a new sense of the human family [Fratelli Tutti, “Brothers All”], that rejects war at all costs” (Pope, 2020, 6-A). Our journey takes us first to Russia, with the able eye and honed expertise of Richard D. Anderson, Jr. who teaches as UCLA and publishes on the subject of his chapter: “Putin, Russian identity, and Russia’s conduct at home and abroad.” Readers should find Dr. Anderson’s analysis fascinating because Vladimir Putin, the singular leader of Russian foreign and domestic policy these days (and perhaps for the rest of his life, given how malleable Russia’s Constitution has become) may be a short man physically, but has high ambitions. One of these involves restoring the old Russian (and Soviet) empire, which would involve re-subjugating a number of nations that broke off as the old order dissolved about 30 years ago. President (shall we say czar?) Putin also has international ambitions, notably by destabilizing the United States, where election meddling has become a specialty. The sight of Putin and U.S. president Donald Trump, two very rich men (Putin $70-$200 billion; Trump $2.5 billion), nuzzling in friendship would probably set Thomas Jefferson and Vladimir Lenin spinning in their graves. The road of history can take some unanticipated twists and turns. Consider Poland, from which we have an expert native analysis in chapter 2, Bartosz Hlebowicz, who is a Polish anthropologist and journalist. His piece is titled “Lawless and Unjust: How to Quickly Make Your Own Country a Puppet State Run by a Group of Hoodlums – the Hopeless Case of Poland (2015–2020).” When I visited Poland to teach and lecture twice between 2006 and 2008, most people seemed to be walking on air induced by freedom to conduct their own affairs to an unusual degree for a state usually squeezed between nationalists in Germany and Russia. What did the Poles then do in a couple of decades? Read Hlebowicz’ chapter and decide. It certainly isn’t soft-bellied liberalism. In Chapter 3, with Bruce E. Johansen, we visit China’s western provinces, the lands of Tibet as well as the Uighurs and other Muslims in the Xinjiang region, who would most assuredly resent being characterized as being possessed by the Chinese of the Han to the east. As a student of Native American history, I had never before thought of the Tibetans and Uighurs as Native peoples struggling against the Independence-minded peoples of a land that is called an adjunct of China on most of our maps. The random act of sitting next to a young woman on an Air India flight out of Hyderabad, bound for New Delhi taught me that the Tibetans had something to share with the Lakota, the Iroquois, and hundreds of other Native American states and nations in North America. Active resistance to Chinese rule lasted into the mid-nineteenth century, and continues today in a subversive manner, even in song, as I learned in 2018 when I acted as a foreign adjudicator on a Ph.D. dissertation by a Tibetan student at the University of Madras (in what is now in a city called Chennai), in southwestern India on resistance in song during Tibet’s recent history. Tibet is one of very few places on Earth where a young dissident can get shot to death for singing a song that troubles China’s Quest for Lebensraum. The situation in Xinjiang region, where close to a million Muslims have been interned in “reeducation” camps surrounded with brick walls and barbed wire. They sing, too. Come with us and hear the music. Back to Europe now, in Chapter 4, to Portugal and Spain, we find a break in the general pattern of nationalism. Portugal has been more progressive governmentally than most. Spain varies from a liberal majority to military coups, a pattern which has been exported to Latin America. A situation such as this can make use of the term “populism” problematic, because general usage in our time usually ties the word into a right-wing connotative straightjacket. “Populism” can be used to describe progressive (left-wing) insurgencies as well. José Pinto, who is native to Portugal and also researches and writes in Spanish as well as English, in “Populism in Portugal and Spain: a Real Neighbourhood?” provides insight into these historical paradoxes. Hungary shares some historical inclinations with Poland (above). Both emerged from Soviet dominance in an air of developing freedom and multicultural diversity after the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union collapsed. Then, gradually at first, right wing-forces began to tighten up, stripping structures supporting popular freedom, from the courts, mass media, and other institutions. In Chapter 5, Bernard Tamas, in “From Youth Movement to Right-Liberal Wing Authoritarianism: The Rise of Fidesz and the Decline of Hungarian Democracy” puts the renewed growth of political and social repression into a context of worldwide nationalism. Tamas, an associate professor of political science at Valdosta State University, has been a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University and a Fulbright scholar at the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. His books include From Dissident to Party Politics: The Struggle for Democracy in Post-Communist Hungary (2007). Bear in mind that not everyone shares Orbán’s vision of what will make this nation great, again. On graffiti-covered walls in Budapest, Runes (traditional Hungarian script) has been found that read “Orbán is a motherfucker” (Mikanowski, 2019, 58). Also in Europe, in Chapter 6, Professor Ronan Le Coadic, of the University of Rennes, Rennes, France, in “Is There a Revival of French Nationalism?” Stating this title in the form of a question is quite appropriate because France’s nationalistic shift has built and ebbed several times during the last few decades. For a time after 2000, it came close to assuming the role of a substantial minority, only to ebb after that. In 2017, the candidate of the National Front reached the second round of the French presidential election. This was the second time this nationalist party reached the second round of the presidential election in the history of the Fifth Republic. In 2002, however, Jean-Marie Le Pen had only obtained 17.79% of the votes, while fifteen years later his daughter, Marine Le Pen, almost doubled her father's record, reaching 33.90% of the votes cast. Moreover, in the 2019 European elections, re-named Rassemblement National obtained the largest number of votes of all French political formations and can therefore boast of being "the leading party in France.” The brutality of oppressive nationalism may be expressed in personal relationships, such as child abuse. While Indonesia and Aotearoa [the Maoris’ name for New Zealand] hold very different ranks in the United Nations Human Development Programme assessments, where Indonesia is classified as a medium development country and Aotearoa New Zealand as a very high development country. In Chapter 7, “Domestic Violence Against Women in Indonesia and Aotearoa New Zealand: Making Sense of Differences and Similarities” co-authors, in Chapter 8, Mandy Morgan and Dr. Elli N. Hayati, from New Zealand and Indonesia respectively, found that despite their socio-economic differences, one in three women in each country experience physical or sexual intimate partner violence over their lifetime. In this chapter ther authors aim to deepen understandings of domestic violence through discussion of the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of theit countries to address domestic violence alongside studies of women’s attitudes to gender norms and experiences of intimate partner violence. One of the most surprising and upsetting scholarly journeys that a North American student may take involves Adolf Hitler’s comments on oppression of American Indians and Blacks as he imagined the construction of the Nazi state, a genesis of nationalism that is all but unknown in the United States of America, traced in this volume (Chapter 8) by co-editor Johansen. Beginning in Mein Kampf, during the 1920s, Hitler explicitly used the westward expansion of the United States across North America as a model and justification for Nazi conquest and anticipated colonization by Germans of what the Nazis called the “wild East” – the Slavic nations of Poland, the Baltic states, Ukraine, and Russia, most of which were under control of the Soviet Union. The Volga River (in Russia) was styled by Hitler as the Germans’ Mississippi, and covered wagons were readied for the German “manifest destiny” of imprisoning, eradicating, and replacing peoples the Nazis deemed inferior, all with direct references to events in North America during the previous century. At the same time, with no sense of contradiction, the Nazis partook of a long-standing German romanticism of Native Americans. One of Goebbels’ less propitious schemes was to confer honorary Aryan status on Native American tribes, in the hope that they would rise up against their oppressors. U.S. racial attitudes were “evidence [to the Nazis] that America was evolving in the right direction, despite its specious rhetoric about equality.” Ming Xie, originally from Beijing, in the People’s Republic of China, in Chapter 9, “News Coverage and Public Perceptions of the Social Credit System in China,” writes that The State Council of China in 2014 announced “that a nationwide social credit system would be established” in China. “Under this system, individuals, private companies, social organizations, and governmental agencies are assigned a score which will be calculated based on their trustworthiness and daily actions such as transaction history, professional conduct, obedience to law, corruption, tax evasion, and academic plagiarism.” The “nationalism” in this case is that of the state over the individual. China has 1.4 billion people; this system takes their measure for the purpose of state control. Once fully operational, control will be more subtle. People who are subject to it, through modern technology (most often smart phones) will prompt many people to self-censor. Orwell, modernized, might write: “Your smart phone is watching you.” Ming Xie holds two Ph.Ds, one in Public Administration from University of Nebraska at Omaha and another in Cultural Anthropology from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, where she also worked for more than 10 years at a national think tank in the same institution. While there she summarized news from non-Chinese sources for senior members of the Chinese Communist Party. Ming is presently an assistant professor at the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, West Texas A&M University. In Chapter 10, analyzing native peoples and nationhood, Barbara Alice Mann, Professor of Honours at the University of Toledo, in “Divide, et Impera: The Self-Genocide Game” details ways in which European-American invaders deprive the conquered of their sense of nationhood as part of a subjugation system that amounts to genocide, rubbing out their languages and cultures -- and ultimately forcing the native peoples to assimilate on their own, for survival in a culture that is foreign to them. Mann is one of Native American Studies’ most acute critics of conquests’ contradictions, and an author who retrieves Native history with a powerful sense of voice and purpose, having authored roughly a dozen books and numerous book chapters, among many other works, who has traveled around the world lecturing and publishing on many subjects. Nalanda Roy and S. Mae Pedron in Chapter 11, “Understanding the Face of Humanity: The Rohingya Genocide.” describe one of the largest forced migrations in the history of the human race, the removal of 700,000 to 800,000 Muslims from Buddhist Myanmar to Bangladesh, which itself is already one of the most crowded and impoverished nations on Earth. With about 150 million people packed into an area the size of Nebraska and Iowa (population less than a tenth that of Bangladesh, a country that is losing land steadily to rising sea levels and erosion of the Ganges river delta. The Rohingyas’ refugee camp has been squeezed onto a gigantic, eroding, muddy slope that contains nearly no vegetation. However, Bangladesh is majority Muslim, so while the Rohingya may starve, they won’t be shot to death by marauding armies. Both authors of this exquisite (and excruciating) account teach at Georgia Southern University in Savannah, Georgia, Roy as an associate professor of International Studies and Asian politics, and Pedron as a graduate student; Roy originally hails from very eastern India, close to both Myanmar and Bangladesh, so he has special insight into the context of one of the most brutal genocides of our time, or any other. This is our case describing the problems that nationalism has and will pose for the sustainability of the Earth as our little blue-and-green orb becomes more crowded over time. The old ways, in which national arguments often end in devastating wars, are obsolete, given that the Earth and all the people, plants, and other animals that it sustains are faced with the existential threat of a climate crisis that within two centuries, more or less, will flood large parts of coastal cities, and endanger many species of plants and animals. To survive, we must listen to the Earth, and observe her travails, because they are increasingly our own.

This chapter examines the relationship between the rural development and cooperative movement and the implications of such a relationship in terms of addressing socio-economic challenges in Africa and still upholding the cooperative ideals, principles, and values. The chapter starts off by conceptualising cooperatives followed by the evolution of cooperatives in Africa with specific focus on opportunities and challenges faced by cooperative enterprises in addressing socio-economic challenges in rural Africa. A brief history of selected case studies such as Ghanaian and Kenyan cooperative movements are highlighted. The historical account is followed by an overview of cooperative movement in the context of South Africa. In addition, lessons are drawn from selected cases for South African cooperative movement and finally the concluding remarks. This chapter makes use of case studies as the core research method.

Abstract Humans sociality is inextricably linked to cooperation. The human life history required cooperation in the form of pair-bonding, alloparenting, intergenerational transfers of calories, and extensive food sharing among kin and non-kin. Cooperating to achieve mutual goals often led to better outcomes compared to uncoordinated individual efforts. However, avoiding exploitation was critical to managing the challenges of sociality. Building on a socio-functional perspective, this chapter summarizes evidence showcasing the role that emotion plays in guiding proximate mechanisms that facilitate cooperation or hinder competition through their effect on partner choice and relationship management. The authors further organize these emotions (e.g., compassion, sadness, gratitude, anger, shame, guilt) by their proposed interpersonal ultimate functions based on the ways in which they promote cooperation via (1) distinguishing high-value from low-value partners; (2) building and maintaining lasting cooperative relationships with valuable partners; and (3) identifying when to de-invest from or terminate existing relationships.

The South Asian region is a key economic zone, as seen from the global perspective. In the past two decades, it has witnessed a healthy growth in GDP terms. Globalization has propelled the countries in the region towards regional cooperation as a means to address common growth concerns. Along with geo-political compulsions that have fostered this convergence, we find that there are also socio-cultural and historical factors present that could serve as binding stones. However environment and climate change pose a huge challenge to the economic integration and growth in this region. While a number of institutional and policy regional cooperative measures have been put in place, there are certain bottlenecks in the region, which are again a product of its history, that need to be addressed. We feel that reassessment of national interests and priorities through strong political will are essential to mitigate these bottlenecks to realize the true potential of convergence in this region.

Abstract Minority Games (MGs) are relatively simple mathematical models that were initially designed to increase our understanding of the cooperative phenomena and fluctuations that are observed in financial markets. They apply in fact more generally to any situation where a large number of selfish decision-making ‘agents’ all try to achieve individual gain by predicting (inductively, on the basis of incomplete public information, and often with an element of irrationality) and anticipating the decisions to be taken by their competitors. Such situations arise quite frequently, e.g. in queuing and traffic problems, in politics, sociology, etc. Not just in markets. Although there is a considerable history of mathematical studies aimed at understanding the interaction between agents in socio-economic systems, such as game theory, the key advantage of models such as MG is that in the latter one does not assume or rely on the participants in these systems to act fully rationally.

Abstract This chapter assesses cooperation and conflict in diplomacy and war in and around Central Europe. Cooperation and conflict are among the most distinctive themes in the history of pre-modern Central Europe, forms of socio-political and cultural interplay that shaped the developments of small- and large-scale polities between the decline of the Classical Roman Empire and the emergence of the nation state in Modern times. The various forms and extent of cooperation and conflict in Central Europe relate to a diversity of ethnicities, political identities, traditions, religions, and cultural differences which still have political consequences today. Yet while the region was densely populated and economically interconnected, emerging conflicts rooted in, at time, the troublesome organization of coexistence, were resolved through a vast range of means that extended from consensual diplomacy to articulated war. The chapter then reviews the forms of Christianity and relations its processes formatted in the Slavic Balkans; discusses dynastic attitudes to the crown in medieval Poland; looks at approaches to religious controversies, such as the Hussites; and considers the processes of separation, interconnectedness, and othering in the Slavic East.

The article is dedicated to A.M. Gorky as a creator of the updated publishing house “Znanie.” The author relies on the documents of the archive of the publishing house, stored in A.M. Gorky Archive of IWL RAS. The article considers in detail the history of “Znanie” from the moment of its creation in St. Petersburg on May 15, 1898, and traces the history of Gorky’s relations with the publishing house as author, participant, editor. Since 1902, Gorky has actually been carrying out the ideological leadership of “Znanie,” in which, in addition to his own works, the works of the brightest modern realist writers begin to be published. Gorky has implemented a unique innovative approach not only to the publishing concept of “Znanie,” but also to the basic methods of Russian book publishing. The popularity and demand for literary collections published by “Znanie” since 1904 was unusually high. In 1905, Gorky initiated the beginning of books publication in the “Deshevaia biblioteka” by “Znanie,” which included 156 works by 13 writers who wrote for this publishing house; its publication had serious cultural and socio-pedagogical significance. Gorky, the editor of “Znanie,” began a new period in the history of the publishing house. In cooperation with K.P. Pyatnitsky, his permanent managing director, Gorky completely changed the concept of the publishing house. The organizers set themselves the task of doing everything possible to promote the enlightenment of the people in the spirit of the advanced ideas of their time. Book publishing was an effective manifestation of Gorky’s broad public activity. Gorky’s contribution to the publishing success of “Znanie,” his great creative work is invaluable. The activity of the publishing house “Znanie” has become a continuation of the best traditions of Russian book publishing.

Сотрудничество СССР и КНР в 1950-е годы охватывало все стороны экономического становления Китая: материальную, финансовую, научно-технологическую, помощь профессиональными кадрами и подготовка таких кадров на территории СССР. Уроки тех лет, безусловно, полезны и сегодня. Выделенные достоинства и недостатки представлены в виде выдержек из ранее не публиковавшихся документов таких архивов как РГАСПИ и РГАНИ. Cooperation between the USSR and the PRC in the 1950s covered all aspects of the economic development of China: material, financial, scientific and technological, assistance with professional personnel and the training of such personnel on the territory of the USSR. The lessons of those years are certainly useful today. The highlighted advantages and disadvantages are presented in the form of excerpts from previously unpublished documents from archives such as RGASPI (Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History) and RGANI (Russian State Archive of Contemporary History).

The problems of economic growth remain relevant for all countries of the world without exception, while the goal of improving the socio-economic sphere of society is not in economic growth, but in sustainable economic development. The history of the development of the concepts of economic development and economic growth is briefly given. The problems of economic development of modern Russia are outlined.

The community of Idlewild, located in Yates Township, Michigan, United States, possesses a significant history as the largest historic African American resort community created during the Jim Crow Era. Established in 1912, it thrived for more than fifty years but declined in 1964, with the passing of the Civil Rights Act. Listed in the Green Book, the historical impor¬tance of Idlewild was recognized at the time as a safe space for African Americans to vacation during the segregation era. At a time when African Americans were systematically pushed to the margins of society, Idlewild was viewed as a place where the luminaries of the black community could safely gather and discuss issues of vital collective interest. With a history of vacillation, today, Idlewild is experiencing a measured resur¬gence in its re-population. and has begun to revitalize, with a new influx of full-time residents. These citizens are moving to Idlewild looking for work-life balance in a rural context as a result of societal factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matters Movement and most importantly, seeking residency in a historically safe African American community. Notably, this incoming population resides within infrastruc¬ture that was originally designated for seasonal residents, resulting in a new set of needs for community sustainment. The community’s current needs are twofold: first, significant changes to the system that support full-time residents and second, progress that will respect and revive the historical origins of Idlewild. As an African American community discrim¬inatory infrastructure impedes the ability of the community to thrive, and prevents the support required for a robust quality of life. Local systemic change is required, beginning primarily at the township level. Significant concerns include rural tourism, worker retention, cooperative economics, and local living, among other considerations. Recognizing the need to rectify these burgeoning issues, the Yates Township Board approved the pursuit of development of a Strategic Plan. Overarching Outcomes of the approved Strategic Plan were twofold: first, the township grows strate¬gically with prosperity impacting the township’s year-round residents and tourism, and second, the township celebrates and promotes Idlewild as a nationally historic African American cultural community. This paper will focus on the process and introduce the projects of the Ferris State University fourth-year Small Town Studio as they worked with stakeholders in the Idlewild community and aligned their designs with the needs of the client and the newly Overarching Outcomes implemented in the Strategic Plan. This studio is designed to address challenges that archi¬tects face in the field in its social and environmental context. Students research and analyze existing conditions and client needs, define project requirements, and develop macro-level schematic solutions based on input and feedback of a client community. Emphasis is placed on the analysis, process, and synthesis of architectural problems and their solutions.

The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) process was launched during the Miami Summit of Heads of State in December 1994. It was the centerpiece of a broader hemispheric initiative of political and socio-economic cooperation among 34 countries of the Americas with the objective to negotiate a hemispheric free trade agreement by the year 2005. The preparatory phase began in January 1995 and formal negotiations were launched in April 1998. The creation of an FTAA would clearly be the most important chapter in the history of regional cooperation in the Western Hemisphere and mark a fitting culmination to a fast maturing trade policy framework in Latin America and the Caribbean. The FTAA process is the result of progressive globalization of the world economy and a profound transformation in the region based on: (i) structural economic reforms in almost all the countries directed at stimulating market activity and a better articulation with the world economy; (ii) the emergence, or strengthening, of democratic regimes almost everywhere and (iii) political commitments to foster peace and cooperation among neighbors with a history of rivalry and conflict. Regional integration has been a fundamental complementary tool for achieving these ambitious national objectives, which permeate the entire region. Latin America and the Caribbean have a long tradition of interest in regional integration. An intense amount of activity in this area emerged out of the Post-War period. However, the initiatives in the first three decades following the War inserted themselves in the prevailing state-led import substitution strategy of the time, itself to a large extent a product of "market skepticism" derived from the Great Depression. In the 1990s, however, a "new" regionalism emerged in Latin America and the Caribbean that conformed to the new national strategies for economic and political transformation and preparation for globalization.

With roots as far as the Bronze age, equines have played an invaluable role in history, both with regards to agriculture and forestry, warfare, transportation and leisure, and therefore hold important cultural significance in the Nordics. The link between horses and the welfare benefits of their caregivers makes the species an important part of society as well. Since the agricultural and industrial revolution, the equine sector has been influenced by a range of challenges due to the dramatic change in the role of horses in society, especially for the Nordic native breeds. However, as society adapts and finds new ways to use and protect them, there is a hope for the future. Although there has been cooperation between the Nordic countries in the horse sector, a collective report of the status of all the Nordic countries has been missing. This report marks a start for this type of effort by considering both commercial and native breeds. Further, it comprises the horse sector in the Nordics, with a special focus on the native horse breeds and the possibilities they carry for environmental sustainability, their socio-economic importance, their genetics as well as their risk status. The report further evaluates the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) maintained and developed by FAO as a tool for gathering information about the development and current status of the native breeds. The goal of this report is to identify knowledge gaps and areas of improvement for the Nordic equine sector and the collected data of the native horse breeds. One of the biggest challenges has been to find validated information sources for the population numbers of the breeds in each country – there are varying estimates for both commercial and native breeds. The numbers have significant impact for the determination of managing strategies of the populations. Reports for each of the countries (Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) are presented, and depict the current role of horses, breeding, population development and economic values of the equine sector are listed in each of the country-reports. The information in the country reports were derived from a questionnaire and by using DAD-IS.