Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Tuvatu'

How many inhabitans do have your city? Tuvalu has 12.000 and that´s not a city. It´s a country. Nine islands in south Pacific nearly date line. On first sight You may say, it´s a paradise. Air has always about 30°, sand is white, sky is blue and the sea is full of fish. On shore grows coconuts and on the sea-floor grows beautiful corals. But second lowest country in the Word cannot be a paradise. The land is missing in huge Pacific. Inhabitans don´t have money neither for build another Venice nor dubai´s palm. Global warming a sea level rise is dangerous for milions people of our planet. Maldives, Banghlades, Holland, south of USA… Many of you can have a question: „Why then Tuvalu?“ Few tausends people can move to Australia and finish. And Maldives have worse position, land has less meters over sea level, people is more… ten times. But 12.000… it´s so enough – for specimen. It´s enough people to get for them money and spend it for saving thein land, for trying some science theories. If cannot save these 12.000, you cannot save the others. They have many renewable resourcies: the wind is blowing, the sun is shining, the water is flowing. In this time they are maybe not energy-independent, but they plan to be in 2020. Energy is that wonderfull power, which can save them. Did you know, that if you set low electric energy going in iron element under sea level (which cannot harm sea life and people), at the surface is formed a layer of sediments called „biorock“?- rock, which can you use for building. The project will save only one atoll: Funafuti. It´s enough large for all contemporary and future inhabitans to living. Project is planned to year 2200 and calculated for 24.000 inhabitans. Untilll then sea level rise will grow about one meter above. On atoll Funafuti will rise eight villages with max. 3.000 inhabitans. Every village will have by average equipment (grocery, school, doctor, church) advanced nation-wide important functions (airport, hospital, parliament, university..). On biorock layer stored up in the sea by atoll Funafuti will rise shelf, where people can build stilt houses, how they did houndreds years before European arrival. Or they can live in houseboats. Between houses they wil build jetty road for light engine vehicles and bridge-like paths for pedestrians. They will meet on squares and over their heads will bloom tropical plant in colourfull steeltubes made for it. On the dry land, which is very small, will grow coconut and pandanus. This land will be under heritage, park for everyone to come end enjoy. Part of this project is a floating church. Its building represents all ideas, that Project Tuvalu has: building on water, energy-independent, offer an shelter, shade and place for meeting of people. White facade made from textile membrane reminds white sails of ships, that crossed oceans before 200 years. With these ships came Chrisitanity, that is deeply rooted in this land. Bamboo construction with steel cables will reminds to people Crown of Thorns and martyrium of Christ, but also average problem hat must people meet in their lives. This project is pure utopic and doesn´t have ambition to get real. Its aim is to make visible problem of global warming in this sight and create a discussion: what next?

Mestrado em Energia e Gestão do Ambiente
O presente estudo trata do tema da percepção dos riscos naturais. Foi efectuado uma revisão bibliográfica sobre percepção dos riscos naturais, refugiados climáticos e alterações climáticas em Tuvalu. Posteriormente foi realizado um inquérito na comunidade académica da Universidade de Aveiro sobre riscos naturais, num contexto global e regional e uma consulta em Tuvalu por inquéritos electrónicos. Também foi feita uma consulta em Tuvalu, através de inquéritos electrónicos. Procurou-se compreender a percepção social dos riscos naturais, dos refugiados climáticos e do fenómeno de subida do nível das águas do mar neste inquérito. Duas realidades distintas são analisadas, a realidade dos riscos enfrentados por Portugal e a realidade dos riscos enfrentados por Tuvalu, com o intuito de perceber qual o percepção da sociedade sobre o tema. Os resultados deste estudo permitiram compreender a percepção dos inquiridos sobre riscos naturais, alterações climáticas em Tuvalu e sobre os refugiados climáticos. A percepção de um mesmo risco natural, como o caso da subida do mar, pode ser diferente para cada região. Verificou-se que a percepção das alterações climáticas em Tuvalu é pouco conhecida pela comunidade académica da Universidade de Aveiro e que esta acredita que os impactos da subida do nível do mar para Portugal e Tuvalu não os mesmos. A distância geográfica influencia a percepção do risco pela população, sendo que os indivíduos estabelecidos longe da ocorrência destes fenómenos apresentam um baixo nível de atenção aos mesmos. ABSTRACT: This research investigates the social perception of natural risks. It was made a literature review focusing on perception of natural risks, climate refugees and weather changes in Tuvalu. Subsequently, there are made inquiries at academic community the University of Aveiro about natural risks and weather changes in Tuvalu on a regional and global context. A consultation in Tuvalu was made by electronics inquiries. This research tries to understand the social perception of natural risks, climate refugees and the phenomenon of sea level rising. Two different realities are analyzed. The reality of risks faced by Portugal and the reality of risks faced by Tuvalu, with the aim of understanding the framework of society about this. The results of this research allowed understanding the perception about natural risks and weather changes in Tuvalu. The perception of the same natural risk, like sea level rise, can be different of each place. The perception of weather changes in Tuvalu is little known for academic community from University of Aveiro, and they believe that the impacts of sea level rise for Portugal and Tuvalu are not the same. The geographic distance makes influence at perception of risks; residents far away from this phenomenon present a low level of attention for this phenomenon.

The development of some ability for forecasting low rainfalls would be helpful in Tuvalu as rainwater is the only source of fresh water in the country. The subsurface water is brackish and saline so the entire country depends totally on rainwater for daily domestic supplies, agricultural and farming activities. More importantly, these atolls are often influenced by droughts which consequently make inadequate drinking water an issue. A simple graph-based forecasting scheme is developed and presented in this thesis for forecasting below average mean rainfall in Funafuti over the next n-month period. The approach uses precursor ocean surface temperature data to make predictions of below average rainfall for n = 1, 2 12. The simplicity of the approach makes it a suitable method for the country and thus for the Tuvalu Meteorological Service to use as an operational forecasting tool in the climate forecasting desk. The graphical method was derived from standardised monthly rainfalls from the Funafuti manual raingauge for the period January 1945 to July 2007. The method uses lag-1 and-lag 2 NINO4 sea surface temperatures to define whether prediction conditions hold. The persistence of predictability tends to be maintained when the observed NINO4 ocean surface temperatures fall below 26.0oC. Although the developed method has a high success probability of up to 80 percent, this can only be achieved when conditions are within the predictable field. A considerable number of below average rainfall periods are not within the predictable field and therefore cannot be forecast by this method. However, the graphical approach has particular value in warning when an existing drought is likely to continue.

This thesis aimed to investigate how a rising sea level would affect the livable area of the island Fongafale, Tuvalu. Through the IPCC stabilization scenarios it was examined which areas of the island that would be affected by flooding. The local population’s perceptions of the effects of climate change were studied to see how the consequences of a world-wide problem such as global warming affect people's lives. The paper clarified the Tuvaluans place in the discussion of climate refugees, explained IPCC's work and described the results of previous studies concerning people in Fongafales perceptions and concerns about climate-related changes. The result shows already flooded areas with important buildings, such as airport and government buildings and that with a rising sea level, an increasing part of the island will suffer. The survey shows a stronger tendency to concern for lack of water and work than for a climate-related sea level rise, and that the main reason for a possible emigration would primarily be work-related.

This thesis aimed to, with the help of a case study, investigate and discuss state responsibility towards climate refugees. The state of Tuvalu was selected because of their vulnerability as a low-lying island state. This was fulfilled by on-site study how the state Tuvalu acted to climate threats, determine if the future migrants from Tuvalu can be counted as climate refugees and find out if they are by that definition included by the UN Refugee Convention. The result indicated that the state of Tuvalu is adapting to climate threats, that in the future the population can be seen as climate refugees, if they are forced from their homes due to climate change, and that they, despite that definition, can not be included by the UN Refugee Convention. The study also indicates a need for greater international protection of climate refugees by, for example, an expansion of the UN Refugee Convention so that these vulnerable people do not fall into oblivion due to a question of definition.

Despite extensive research on the effects of climate change on the displacement of populations, there is a lack of clarity in how environmentally displaced people should be conceptualized. As yet, there is no legal international definition agreed upon. There is however a broad debate on conceptualization, scholars whom argue that these people can be defined as environmental refugee whereas other scholars criticize the definition of a direct link between environment and displacement. This research explores this debate through a comparative case study that examines the implications of climate related displacement for two countries: (i) Bangladesh and (ii) Tuvalu. The case draws on the theoretical debate around displacement, together with a theoretically derived model of environmental displacement.   The findings consider how climate change will affect Bangladesh and Tuvalu and focuses on the countries’ national efforts to respond - efforts that call out for the international community to help and take responsibility. An analysis of the conceptualization of environmentally displaced people shows the difficulty of defining this status, due to the lack of an established international definition. In particular it means a lack in knowing who has the responsibility to protect these people now, and in the future. In a world where climate change will continue to affect both people and nature it is of importance to clarify these areas. By contributing to the topic of climate related displacement this study therefore brings forward the importance of the need for conceptualizing environmentally displaced people to give them the protection needed.

This thesis is about curses. It shows how the mechanics of cursing are intrinsically linked to shamanic practice in the ethnographic context of social, economic and political shifts in post-Soviet Kyzyl, the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Tuva. Moving beyond discourses that understand 'economics' as narrowly pertaining to wealth, power and the circulation of goods, the thesis explores curses as distinct social mechanisms within an 'occult economy' that constitutes a wider sociocosmic politics emergent from human and non-human interactions. Along these lines, while presenting Tuvan shamanism as central to cursing phenomena, the thesis explores the distinctiveness and efficacy of shamanic practice as a form of artistry embedded in instrument-derived (shamanic drum) and human (the shaman's voice) sound production. Thus, it challenges the 'classical' readings of shamanism which emphasise trance and mediumship usually seen as involving significant changes in the 'physical' and 'psychic' states of the shamans. Contextualizing cursing in the practice of Tuvan shamanism, the thesis illuminates the significance of sound creation among Tuvans in order to introduce the notion of 'turbulence' as integral not only to shamanic sound production, but also to immediate experiences of cursing and the overall patterning of the cosmos. More than that, bringing sounds and turbulence together in the context of shamanic rituals, it shows how sounds are imbued with a potency of their own rather than simply constituting a sonorous aspect of shamanic words. Along these lines, it contributes to a better understanding of im/materiality and the logic of representation. Lastly, exploring the multiplication of curses in the post-Soviet context, the thesis also offers an interpretative framework which unveils how occult phenomena can become efficacious analytical tools, allowing us to grasp the mosaic-like characteristics of the sociocultural contexts in which they are embedded. In this way, the thesis attempts to emancipate 'occultism' from the rigid dichotomies of tradition and modernity, and challenge those anthropological approaches to post-colonial transformations which emphasise cultural revivalism and ethnic identity, remaining caught in the usual dynamics of 'the old' and 'the new' - dynamics we need to leave behind.

Partindo do fato de que a mudança climática global é uma realidade, e de que a sua origem pode estar relacionada a fatores antropogênicos e a dinâmicas próprias do planeta, pode-se afirmar que, na atualidade, pós 1989, as resoluções científicas de um determinado grupo de pesquisadores do Painel Intergovernamental sobre Mudança do Clima (IPCC) fundamentam dados científicos que são utilizados em ações políticas planetárias, criando remodelações na economia mundial e influenciando ações sociais e culturais em nível global, regional e local. As afirmativas científicas ambientais e a mudança climática encontram-se inseridas em um meio político de ações globais, caracterizado primordialmente pela assimetria de poder, transversalidade e transnacionalidade de ações. Deste modo, os fenômenos de variação climática, que afetam o Estado-ilha Tuvalu, assim como as possíveis soluções para o problema climático/político do país, estão relacionados a ações estatais e a processos deliberativos em Organizações Internacionais. O princípio de cidadania vinculado aos Estados nacionais é fragmentado, uma vez que, internamente, o Estado tuvaluano, ao perder o seu território com a elevação do nível do mar, não consegue garantir, aos seus cidadãos, o direito à vida e a permanência destes em seu território. Frágil em termos políticos/econômicos, o país realiza reivindicações aos diversos atores do meio internacional - principalmente às grandes potências - no que se refere à ratificação de Protocolos, Tratados e Acordos que buscam diminuir a emissão de gases poluentes. Contrário aos anseios de Tuvalu, cria-se um discurso conceitual sobre a origem de refugiados ambientais ou apátridas e seu possível enquadramento no corpo jurídico internacional, mas não se debatem possíveis soluções mitigatórias e de adaptação que atenuem o problema específico.
Taking into account that global climate change is a reality and that its causes are related to anthropogenic as well as to Earth's own dynamics, we can say that today, after 1989, the resolutions of a group of researchers belonging to the Intergovernmental Panel about Climate Change (IPCC) based scientific data that are used in global political actions at local, regional and global levels, are reshaping and influencing social and economic changes everywhere. The affirmative scientific environmental and climate change are embedded on one political context of global actions characterized by power asymmetry, transversality and transnational of actions. Thus the climate-change phenomenon affecting the island state of Tuvalu and possible solutions for the resulting climatic and political issues go through State action as well as through discussions in international organizations. The principle of citizenship linked to the States is fragmented, since internally, the Tuvalu's State, by losing its territory with rising sea level, cannot guarantee its citizens the right to life and their permanence in its territory. Although politically and economically insignificant, the country claimed the aid of many international actors, specially the great powers to ratify protocols, treaties and agreements aiming at reducing gas emission of polluting gases. However, contrary to Tuvalu's aspirations, it creates a conceptual discourse on the origin of environmental refugees or stateless persons and their possible international legal framework in the body, but did not discuss possible mitigation and adaptation solutions that mitigate the specific problem.

This thesis aims to enable the compensation for sustained Loss and Damage on Tuvalu through a principle conforming to the requirements of Climate Justice. By applying the method of conceptual framework analysis, the various concepts which form the larger frameworks of Climate Justice and Loss and Damage are identified and narrowed down to parameters. By applying the parameters of Loss and Damage, the facts of Tuvalu’s case are collected. The theory of Climate Justice is applied in the analysis to determine the requirements for compensation for Tuvalu and a concept, with which the duty to compensate can be fairly allocated. The thesis finds that the Polluter Pays Principle in connection to the Ability to Pay- and the Beneficiary Pays- Principle is best suited, since it considers both Tuvalu’s and the compensators side and thus fulfils the requirements of Climate Justice.

The effects of anthropogenic climate change are becoming more and more visible as being highlighted by scientists, politicians and media. The causes of droughts, floods, melting ice caps and rising sea levels can all partially be traced back to human activities. In this study, I examine where the future climate refugees of Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands should go when inhabitants of these low lying island nations are forced to leave their disappearing territories due to sea level rise. By using a normative method of analysis i egentlig mening, arguments deriving from certain values will be presented to confront the problem. These values originate from Edward A. Page’s theories concerning justice in sharing the burdens of climate change. Combined with a complementary utilitaristic value, the conclusion is that Australia is most suitable to host future climate refugees of these particular island nations, while the justice based values alone concludes the US as its preferred choice. In parallel, normative political theory will be evaluated regarding its functionality in the subject of global climate questions. Hence this study contains two purposes; to argue where the islanders should go, and whether a normative methodology is suitable when solving such a problem.

Depuis la prise en compte croissante du changement climatique, denombreux commentateurs ont commencé à raconter une histoire : celle des petitsÉtats insulaires du Pacifique sud, entièrement constitués d’atolls, qui risquent dedisparaître en raison de l’élévation du niveau marin. Nous considérons que cettehistoire est un « récit d’action publique » destiné à attirer l’attention et à convaincreles décideurs politiques d’agir pour empêcher la réalisation du problème ou luitrouver une solution. Ces « récits de la disparition » présentent deux particularités :ils ne sont associés à aucune politique publique déjà mise en oeuvre et ils sontmobilisés par des acteurs variés issus des milieux politiques et de la société civile.À partir de la littérature sur l’analyse cognitive des politiques publiques et plusparticulièrement l’analyse des récits de politiques publiques, cette thèse se proposed’étudier la production, la diffusion et les cadrages de ces récits de la disparition àl’aide de méthodes mixtes associant une démarche qualitative d’enquête avec laréalisation d’une analyse statistique textuelle
In the last 40 years, climate change has been increasingly taken intoaccount. Various observers have started to tell a story: the story of small Pacific atollisland states that might disappear beneath the rising seas. The argument developedin this thesis is that this story is a "public action narative" which aims at drawingattention towards those states and at inciting policy makers to prevent the risk or tofind a solution. Those "sinking island States narratives" display two particularcharacteristics: they are not linked to an existing policy and they are used by variousactors from the political sphere and the civil society.Building on the policy narratives literature, this thesis aims at analysing theproduction, the dissemination and the framing of the sinking island states narratives.It is based on mixed methods and combines a qualitative framework and a statisticalanalysis of textual data

This thesis provides an investigation of the nature of Soviet rule in the early Soviet and Stalinist periods among non-Russian peoples. The research begins with a' . theoretical overview of the idea of the USSR as an empire, and provides a broad comparison of other European empires and the Soviet regime to provide a context for the historical analysis which follows. The main part of the thesis consists of an examination of the history of Tuva, a remote region in southern Siberia, inhabited by the Tuvan people, who were nomadic pastoralists closely related to the Mongols. Based on primary sources from the region and from Moscow, the research argues that the expansion of Soviet rule into Tuva bears close comparison with the nature of imperial expansion as practiced by other empires. In the 1920s - when Tuva was formally an independent state - Soviet influence relied on the presence of Russian settlers in the region, and was characteristic of colon-style colonies in other empires. The Soviet ideological urge for national equality ensured that this system was unsustainable in the long term, and a new local elite was formed from young Tuvans, which was used to overthrow more traditional leaders, and to attempt to transform much of the way of life ofTuvans. This new pro-Soviet elite and more nationalist counter-elites struggled for power in the 1930s, but more nationalist groups were dismissed from power and often executed or imprisoned in purges in the late 1930s. Despite the triumph of pro-Soviet groups in the leadership, the full implementation of Soviet policies was only achieved in the 1950s, after Tuva had been incorporated into the USSR and a mass influx of ethnic Russians had taken place. The thesis provides the first detailed, primary-source account of Tuva' s history in western literature, and is an addition to a growing body of work on non-Russian peoples of the USSR and the nature of the Soviet multiethnic policy.

Aujourd'hui les conséquences de la crise climatique -telles que la diminution de la surface terrestre due à l'augmentation du niveau des océans- intensifient les interrogations sur l'avenir de la population et des territoires insulaires de l'océan Pacifique. Funafuti, principal atoll du Tuvalu, apparaît comme un exemple emblématique des transformations territoriales du Pacifique Sud, là où les mutations spatiales provoquées par la submersion des sols a donné origine, pendant le dernier siècle, à des changements dans la fabrique et les usages de l'espace, c'est-à-dire à une transition graduelle d’un habitat terrestre vers des habitats hybrides.Les méthodes et procédures que nous avons mis en place pour cette recherche,consistent dans l'étude rétrospective des processus d'adaptation des dispositifs spatiaux, saisis et interprétés dans leurs morphologies, leurs typologiques et leurs symboliques, établissant et rendant compte des interdépendances, évolutions, et variations des strates géographiques et urbaines qui en façonnent et en constituent l'identité. Notre étude se concentre sur la période de 1945 à 2016, là où l'intensité des interactions anthropiques et naturelles est la plus importante et en amplification.Notre hypothèse principale est que l'habitat insulaire se situe contextuellement et pragmatiquement dans une dynamique d'adaptation hybride face à la montée progressive des eaux au sein de l'atoll. Cette mutation marque une importante rupture perceptive et opératoire du concept de limite entre paysage et territoire, et donne origine à l'apparition de nouveaux dispositifs socio-spatiaux in situ. Analyser le comportement des évolutions de l'habitat contemporain insulaire face aux déficits climatiques, nous semble d’une brûlante actualité aux fins d’orienter une actualisation et un approfondissement scientifiques et raisonnés des connaissances contextuelles concourant à la production matérielle et symbolique des territoires océaniques
Today, the consequences of climate crisis - such as the reduction of the land surfacearea due to increasing sea levels - intensify questions about the future of isolatedterritories in the Pacific Oceans and their populations. Funafuti, the principal atoll ofTuvalu, seems symbolic of this, faced with anthropogenic alterations affecting the islandsof the South Pacific. Here, changes caused by the submersion of land during the lastcentury have altered the traditional use of space, that is to say, prompted a chronologicaland gradual progression from a terrestrial to a hybrid habitat.The methodology adopted in this research consisted in analysing changes in the waymorphological, typological and symbolic alterations are measured, according to thevarious changes, interactions or evolutionary developments in both the geographic andurban strata that, together, constitute the space’s territorial identity. This study focuseson the period from 1945 to 2016, when the effect of anthropogenic and natural changes- particularly on the area’s spatial identity – became increasingly significant. Ourobjective is to promote the theory that, faced with the ocean’s increasing prominence atthe heart of the atoll, island inhabitants find themselves in a space characterised by itsongoing transformation into a hybrid environment - with hybridity both becoming apattern and informing adaptive process.This adaptation comprises a significant rupture in the way the ‘limit’ between landscapeand territory are perceived, a factor that results in the emergence of new, contextspecific,socio-spatial structures. Understanding how contemporary habitats evolve inthe face of climate change is necessary if we are to update and deepen ourunderstanding of the specific material and cultural developments of countries in contactwith the ocean. This transition - from oceanic landscape to inhabited oceanic territory -may represent the beginning of an extensive period of modifications within the Islandhabitat, which may eventually, over a longer period, result in the emergence of the first,more permanent oceanic habitats

Les objectifs de ma thèse étaient de déterminer, d'une part, les causes naturelles et humaines responsables de la vulnérabilité des territoires atolliens et, d'autre part, d'estimer leur devenir dans la perspective d'une élévation du niveau de la mer et de changements climatiques. L'estimation de l'évolution future de ces territoires constituait un enjeu économique fondamental en raison de la concentration des activités et des populations sur ces espaces exigus.

Bakgrund: Postoperativa sårinfektioner orsakar lidande för den drabbade patienten och kostnader för patienten, vården och samhället. Intraoperativ kontamination av operationsinstrumenten är en av källorna till dessa infektioner. Operationssjuksköterskan är ansvarig för aseptiken och operationsinstrumenten.   Syfte: Syftet med denna pilotstudie var att mäta graden av bakteriell kontamination över tid på operationsinstrument som används vid öppen neurokirurgi samt observera utvalda källor till kontamination under samma tid. Metod: Denna studie designades som en kvantitativ icke-experimentell observationsstudie. Datainsamlingen skedde under hösten 2015 och bestod av omhändertagandet av specifika instrument som använts av operatören under operationen efter förutbestämd åtgången knivtid. Bakterieodlingar på dessa instrument skedde sedan på laboratorium enligt en förutbestämd metod och graden av kontamination mättes genom observation av mängden colony forming units (CFU). Resultaten presenteras i form av förändringar av mängden CFU. Resultat: Fem operationer observerades och tio odlingar utfördes på tio instrument. Totalt tio CFU registrerades under samtliga observationer. Ingen signifikant ökning av antal CFU kunde observeras från en till två timmars knivtid (P=0,156). Antal dörröppningar ökade från 3,4 till 9,0 och antal personer på operationssalen ökade från 5,4 till 5,8. Slutsats: Trots det ringa antal observationer som ingick i denna studie tyder resultaten på god aseptik och minimal bakteriell kontamination på operationsinstrumenten under operationens två första timmar. Ytterligare forskning med längre observationer, fler observationer och observationer kring annan typ av kirurgi behövs.
Background: Post-operative surgical site infections (SSI) cause suffering for the afflicted patient and is a great cost for the patient, the health care system and society. Intra-operative contamination of surgical instruments is one of the sources of these infections. The operating room nurse is responsible for preventing infections. Purpose: The purpose of this pilot-study was to measure the degree of bacterial contamination over time on surgical instruments used in open neurosurgery as well as to observe specific sources of contamination during this time. Method: The design was a quantitative nonexperimental observational study. The data collection took place during autumn 2015 and consisted of the sampling of specific instruments used by the surgeon during surgery after preset elapsed operating times. Bacterial culturing on these instruments was then carried out at a laboratory according to a preset routine and the degree of contamination was measured by observing the amount of colony forming units (CFU). The results are presented as changes in CFU. Results: Five operations were observed and ten bacterial culturings were conducted on ten instruments. A total of ten CFU was registered during all observations. No significant increase in the number of CFU could be observed from one to two hours of elapsed surgery (P=0,156). The amount of door openings increased from 3,4 to 9,0 and the number of personnel in the operating room increased from 5,4 to 5,8. Conclusion: Despite the small number of observations included in this study the results indicate good aseptics and minimal bacterial contamination on the surgical instruments during the first two hours of surgery. Further research with longer observations, more observations and observations on other forms of surgery is needed.

Depuis quelques années, d’importants déplacements de populations sont régulièrement annoncés comme l’une des conséquences les plus dramatiques du changement climatique. Plusieurs dizaines de millions de personnes pourraient ainsi être contraintes à l’exil en raison des impacts du réchauffement global, selon les estimations alarmistes. Ces prédictions, pourtant, relèvent d’une logique largement déterministe, qui simplifie souvent la relation entre dégradation environnementale et migrations à une causalité directe, et néglige l’importance des cadres normatifs. Cette thèse prend le contre-pied de cette approche, et démontreque l’ampleur et la nature de ces flux migratoires ne dépendront pas uniquement des impacts du changement climatique, mais également – et surtout – des politiques qui seront mises en place pour limiter ces impacts et encadrer ces migrations. Au travers d'une approche constructiviste, la thèse se penche sur les réponses politiques apportées jusqu’ici aux mouvements de population provoqués par des dégradations environnementales. En particulier, elle examine l’émergence progressive de la question des « migrations environnementales » à l’agenda politique, et comment les politiques migratoires et environnementales ont évolué dans des sens différents pour traiter cette question. La traduction de ces politiques sur le terrain est examinée et comparée dans deux études empiriques: le déplacement massif de la population de La Nouvelle-Orléans suite à l’ouragan Katrina, et la migration progressive des habitants de Tuvalu, archipel du Pacifique Sud menacé par la montée des océans, vers la Nouvelle-Zélande
Massive population displacements are regularly forecast as one of the most dramatic consequences of climate change. The thesis shows that such an approch is overly deterministic, and argues that patterns of migration flows depend primarily on policy responses. In a constructivist approah, the research contends that the very conceptualisation of environmental migration, as a political construct, is contingent upon the normative frameworks and policy responses that aim to address it. These frameworks and responses are examined in two policy areas: migration policies and environmental policies. Two empirical studies, in New Orleans and Tuvalu, complement the analysis

BIOGAS POTENTIAL IN GRASSES FROM WETLANDS

Marvin Martins

The purpose of this study has been to survey wetlands that are suitable for mowing and to analyze the biogas potential in the harvested grasses. A preformed investigation showed that there are suitable wetlands, which can be harvestable, namely those mowed formerly in traditional haymaking. The practice of traditional haymaking is dying out in Sweden today but there are several good reasons why it should to be reconsidered. Nature- and cultural values are obvious, also the unutilized energy in the grass.

The suitable types of wetland that were specifically studied were the productive wetlands; meadow marshes and wet meadows. These wetlands are represented in the Swedish meadow- and pasture inventory database; (TUVA) and the Swedish national wetland inventory (VMI). Going through the databases showed that they largely complement each other. A geographical mapping was also carried out of wetlands in relation to areas of interest for the future establishment of biogas plants, so called “hotspots”. The geographical survey shows that there is ample amount of grass from wetlands within a 30-kilometer radius that can supplement the plants main substrate, manure. The map layer Swedish Ground Cover Data (SMD) together with GIS software was used to analyze the extent of overgrowth for the older VMI objects in Uppsala County, with the result that half of the VMI objects are no longer of interest. They have become either woodland and bogs, or reed beds.

There is very little information on wetland-grasses and methane production. Instead, a theory was evaluated regarding the possibility of transforming nutritional values for grass and sedges into biogas potentials. It was shown that this method does not capture the total biogas potential, but offers a minimum value that can be considered rather reliable. The energy transformation showed that late harvested grasses from wetlands has a biogas potential about 0, 21Nm³ methane/ (kg, DM) which is about 60 % of the biogas potential for grass-legume forages. The gas yield after 20 days is also relatively low. It could though be favorable to try grasses from wetlands in methane production, because co-digestion with these grasses and other suitable materials could produce a higher net gas yield for the plant, than using the materials solely by themselves. The derived biogas potential showed that there is at least 4, 4 GWh biogas energy in grasses from wetlands in Uppsala county at a low estimate. Harvesting costs were however shown to be too high in the present to achieve a plus result.

BIOGASPOTENTIAL HOS VÅTMARKSGRÄS

Marvin Martins

Syftet med detta arbete har varit att kartlägga våtmarker i Biogas Östs region lämpliga att skörda samt att undersöka biogaspotentialen i detta våtmarksgräs. Undersökningen visar att det finns lämpliga våtmarker, så kallade slåtterängar, i den undersökta regionen. Traditionell slåtter är en utdöende företeelse i Sverige men det finns flera goda argument till varför den borde återupptas. Natur- och kulturvärden är givna sådana men även den outnyttjade energin i gräset.

Våtmarkstyper som specifikt har studerats är de produktiva våta slåtterängarna; fuktängar, strandängar och mader. Dessa våtmarker finns representerade i Ängs- och betesmarksinventeringens databas; TUVA och våtmarksinventeringens VMI. En genomgång av databaserna visade att de i stor utsträckning kompletterar varandra. En geografisk kartläggning har även utförts på slåttermarker i förhållande till intressanta områden för framtida biogasanläggningar, så kallade ”hotspots”. Kartläggningen visar att det finns gott om våtmarksgräs inom en tremilsradie som kan komplettera anläggningarnas huvudsubstrat, gödsel. Kartskiktet Svenska Marktäckedata (SMD) tillsammans med GIS-programvara har använts för att analysera hur mycket de äldre VMI-objekten i Uppsala län har växt igen, med resultatet att hälften av VMI-våtmarkerna är inaktuella i dagsläget. De har antingen växt igen med mossor och träd eller blivit vassbälten.

Det finns ytterst begränsat med information kring rötdata på våtmarksgräs. Istället utvärderades en teori, om fodervärden för ett par gräs- och starrarter kan omvandlas till biogaspotentialer. Det visade sig att denna metod inte ger den maximala biogaspotentialen men ett minimivärde erhålls som kan betraktas som ganska tillförlitligt. Energiomvandlingen visar att sent slåttat våtmarksgräs har en biogaspotential runt 0,21 Nm³ metan/(kg, TS) vilket är omkring 60 % av den odlade åkervallens biogaspotential. Gasutbytet efter 20 dagars rötning är också relativt lågt. Trots detta kan det vara fördelaktigt att röta våtmarksgräs, eftersom samrötning mellan detta och annat lämpligt material kan ge ett högre nettogasutbyte för anläggningen än rötning av de enskilda materialen var för sig. Den framtagna biogaspotentialen visar att det finns minst 4,4 GWh biogasenergi i våtmarksgräs från till exempel Uppsala län, lågt räknat. Slåtterkostnaderna har dock visat sig vara för höga för att få det att gå ihop ekonomiskt i dagsläget.

This thesis provides analysis of the networks of power and authority, which interconnect commonly referenced sources of knowledge about Tuvan throat singing. These sources–books, websites, performances, a documentary film, CD liner notes, and the individuals involved in their production–comprise a substantial portion of contemporary public discourse that represents Tuva and its musical practices to the English speaking world and serve to produce “experts” and “expert knowledge” of throat singing. This work also shows how public discourse of Tuva forms an “authentic”, homogenous, romanticized and spiritualized pan-Asian identity centered on the practices of throat singing, shamanism, and nomadism. The conclusion offers an explanation as to why the public discourse focused on Tuvan throat singing locates the “authentic” in rural Tuva, why throat singing is so often aligned with the spiritual, the healing, and the eternal, and why such conceptions serve to benefit the careers of those involved with the production of such an image. This chapter also explores whether or not representing Tuva with an idealized and romanticized image places Tuvans and related ethnic groups at a disadvantage socially, politically, and economically.
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Thesis (M.M.) Florida State University, 2006.
Advisor: Ladislav Kubik, Florida State University, College of Music. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed 8-21-2007). Document formatted into pages; contains 54 pages. Includes biographical sketch.

Tématem této diplomové práce je tradiční duchovní kultura sibiřských Tuvanu. Tuva leží na hranici centrálně asijských stepí a sibiřské tajgy a jsou zde zachovány četné archaické kulty obou oblastí. Nejvýraznější je kult Nebe a Země a existence šamanu. Cílem této práce je především představení této konkrétní tradiční nomádské kultury a její proměny v současnosti. Ve své práci podávám emickou deskripci kultury, pojaté především jako systém významu a znaku. Tato diplomová práce je rozdělena do dvou základních částí. První část zahrnuje teoretická východiska, která jsou duležitá pro zasazení tuvské kultury do celkového kontextu, v druhé části je rozbor konkrétního materiálu z Tuvy.

碩士
國立臺北護理健康大學
護理研究所
102
The duration of breastfeeding has been a declining annual trend in Tuvalu. Many studies indicate that breastfeed duration is influenced by maternal knowledge and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to understand such knowledge and attitudes regarding breastfeeding among pregnant women in Tuvalu. The study was a quantitative cross–sectional survey. A convenient sampling method was applied to recruit 112 participants from Princess Margaret Hospital between July and September 2013. The two instruments used were the IOWA Infant Feeding Attitude Scale and the Infant Feeding Knowledge Tests. Demographic data was developed by the researcher. The data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 18. Approval to carry out the study was officially obtained from the Director of Health Services in Tuvalu. Results indicated that the ages of the sample women ranged from 18 to 41 years with mean of 27 years (SD =5.3). The mean breastfeeding knowledge score was 61 (SD= 15.8), with scores ranging from 25 to 90. The attitude mean score was 3.7 (SD = 0.54), with scores ranging from 2.59 to 4.76. However, no significant relationship was found between demographic variables and knowledge or attitudes about breastfeeding. The relationship between knowledge and attitudes has a positive correlation (p < 0.001). The study results could be used by health care providers to improve the breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes of women in Tuvalu.

碩士
國立體育大學
國際體育事務研究所
103
A lot of countries have invested in achieving international success especially Olympic Games. Some research had find out that athletes come from countries that already established sport policy they are more advanced and successful to get a chance for medals at the Olympic Games. The main objective of this research is to compare the elite sport policies of Taiwan and Tuvalu by using secondary data to analyze the current status of elite sport policies between the two countries. The study based on the SPLISS (Sports Policy factors Leading to International Sporting Success) theoretical model and the questionnaires developed by the DOAW (Development of Olympic Athletes Welfare) research group. An international sports success has been related to relatively stable macroeconomic factors or socio-demographic factors. All of these factors are the key factors of the SPLISS model and DOAW project in their research. There are 13 selected factors from the SPLISS and the DOAW to carry out study for this research. The 13 factors are: national policy, financial support, sport science technology, “community, national and international competition”, training center, sport facilities, coaching program, athletes identification, public support, media and public attention, job training, educational programs and employment program. The result shows that Taiwan is a good model for Tuvalu. Therefore, Tuvalu needs to improve its financial status and needs to build more sports facilities that could help the elite sport success. In conclude, SPLISS is an international network of research and has been used by different researchers to compare sports policy, sports success and policy makers among different nations. On the other hand, the DAOW project was focusing on athletes’ welfare. An important area for all elite athletes is the life after retirement, whether he/she can get a job to survive in the end. Therefore both SPLISS and DOAW were good models to adopt by the government of Tuvalu and elite sports organization as road map to guide and direct Tuvalu sport in the future.

碩士
長庚大學
商管專業學院
106
This study is mainly focus on examining, first how to maintain and improve the Tuvalu fishery access agreement and vessel day scheme between Tuvalu and other foreign parties. Second, what are the significances the access agreement and vessel day scheme provide to the government of Tuvalu and its people. Tuvalu depend heavily on its marine resources. Fish is the main resource that most of Tuvaluans living depend on, and also we can possibly have earned more revenue from it through a better access agreement and vessel day scheme. Currently, the vessel day scheme plays an important part to generate more revenue through the benchmark of fishing days’ fees in Tuvalu and other PNA parties. However, Tuvalu is surrounded its exclusive economic zone by tuna species so Tuvalu allow foreign fishing vessels to fish within Tuvalu zone and they have to pay their license fees before they fish in Tuvalu waters. Also we can have earned revenues from license fee and exporting of frozen reef fish to other Pacific parties. Moreover, this study finds out possible improvement of fishing related issues of Tuvalu including modernization of fishing facilities and upgrading the technology in Tuvalu fishery so that we can attract more foreign fishing vessels to fish in Tuvalu exclusive economic zone with modern fishing facilities such as rescue craft, fishing carrier and fishing resort. For fishing equipment including fishing drones and containment boom and also we need to upgrade high technology in Tuvalu fishery. These all for sure will improve the fishing standard of Tuvalu fishery to a much higher level and generate more revenues in the near future.

碩士
國立臺灣海洋大學
海洋事務與資源管理研究所
97
Fisheries agreement plays an important part in many small island countries economy. In most Pacific Island States, fishing license fees provide about 30 – 40% of revenues to their nation’s GDP. This research was focus on two main topics; the impact of fisheries agreement on Tuvalu’s welfare and how Tuvalu can maximize revenues from its tuna fisheries. Two-person non-zero sum game was used to analyze the impacts of fisheries agreement and find out the payoffs each player has. It was reported in past reports that the high rate of revenues received is from the US. Bilateral agreements system used by Tuvalu is by per vessel payment; that is as long as the fisher pays its fishing license fees and meets the agreement and the region’s conditions he is allow to fish in Tuvalu waters. This study finds out that distant water fishing nations (DWFNs) received higher revenues due to the prices of tuna in the international market; the higher the price of tuna and catches the higher the revenues, but for Tuvalu, the higher the access fees (lump sum payment) and higher number of fishing vessels the higher the total revenues received by Tuvalu. Taking into account the price of tuna during negotiation period or including in terms and conditions of the agreement and total allowable catch, it will maximize benefits received by Tuvalu. To ensure sustainability of resources and maximizes benefits from tuna resources, Tuvalu should establish regulations that support and promote the optimum utilization of resource, and future researches should be conducting on the important of right base fishery management for Tuvalu. Moreover, the number of license offers should be limited, and should be based on a pre-determined TAC set on the MSY.

博士
國立臺灣海洋大學
海洋環境資訊系
102
Abstract Sea level rise has been connected to the issue of global change which causes regional flooding and severely effects on human activities and the natural environment. Tuvalu, an atoll country located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, has been inundated by this regional flooding for decades. The main purpose of this study is absolutely hoping to find out a way to predict regional flooding and to reduce the damage of life and property. In this dissertation, we interpreted King Tide, a term connected to flooding first. Then we used the data of tide gauge, satellite altimeter data, and in situ ocean temperature profiles to decompose and analyze the factors of regional flooding. By the data analysis, we sorted the influential components of King Tide into two parts, dynamic response and thermal effects. Eddy-like warm water, storm surge of tropical cycle, and tsunami response are interpreted and attributed to dynamic response. Referring to long term and large scale effects of the climate variation, such as Pacific Decadal Oscillation, El Ni#westeur050#o-Southern Oscillation, and heat storage of sea water are discussed in thermal effects. The results show that King Tide flooding is not a coincidence of sea level and climate combination. All King Tide cases were occurred with spring tide, 75% of those accompanied by eddy-like warm water, but only 29% accompanied by the highest astronomical tides. Once eddy-like warm water arises sea level more than 13 cm, it strengthens the possibility of King Tide. Eddy-like warm water contributes sea level anomaly of 17.4 cm in average, and the maximum of 26 cm in sea level. It contributes to the height of King Tide phenomenon by an average of 5.1% and a maximum of 7.8%. During the El Ni#westeur050#o period, there is no King Tide occurrence because the warm water moves eastward from the western tropical Pacific. The storm surge of tropical cyclone, tsunami, and ocean heat storage may have contributions to the sea level rise of King Tide but they are not significant. In prediction process, harmonic analysis is used to analyze the tidal characteristics and to calculate the harmonic constants of tidal constituents to estimate the sea level variation. We took 90% data (1993-2010) of sea level for analyzing, and the remaining 10% data (2010-2012) for testing the accuracy of prediction. The sea surface height anomalies derived from along-track satellite altimetry near Tuvalu are decomposed into six modes and one local trend by the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method. The periods of EMD modes found by the Fourier transform analysis include 100-day, annual, quasi-biennial, inter-annual, and decadal oscillations. The sea level predictions compared with observation data shows a correlation coefficient of 0.988 with a root-mean-square error of 7.6 cm. This study provides a considerable reliability for flooding prediction.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Relações Internacionais apresentada à Faculdade de Economia
It is expected that throughout the 21st century climate change will influence global migration patterns, leading to a growing number of people that are forcibly displaced by climate-related hazards. This situation is particularly worrying in small island states such as the Republic of Kiribati and Tuvalu, since sea level rise and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events threaten the habitability of their territories. However, in its present configuration, the International Law does not include a legal framework for climate induced migrants. Given the need to develop mechanisms that ensure the legal recognition and the fundamental rights of these populations, the aim of this dissertation is to understand whether the human security agenda can contribute to the recognition and protection of climate induced migrants. Human security, as a policymaking - driven agenda, has fostered the broadening and deepening of traditional security definitions (mainly state - centred and military). Accordingly, human security identifies a multiplicity of threats and their articulation, thus recognizing the multidimensional impacts posed by climate change and its role on forced migrations. That may further its political relevancy and its ability to influence governments and international organizations in the issue of climate induced migrants’ protection. Therefore, drawing on Constructivism – and assuming that the international reality and national interests are socially constructed and changeable –, we want to assess the probability of the construction of a collective identity around human security, which materializes in political, normative and legal instruments that can secure the recognition and protection of climate induced migrants. Nevertheless, human security does not question the structures and power relations operating in the international system, thus, it can become a mechanism that perpetuates these same structures and not an instrument of effective protection. Relying on the Critical Theory, which questions the origins of the social institutions and power relations, we will analyse the role of human security in the reproduction of the existing interests and its effective potential to recognize and grant protection to climate induced migrants.
Ao longo do século XXI, é esperado que as alterações climáticas influenciem os fluxos migratórios globais, conduzindo ao aumento do número de pessoas que são forçadas a deslocar-se devido a condições climáticas adversas. Esta situação é particularmente gravosa em Estados insulares como a República do Kiribati e o Tuvalu, visto que a subida do nível das águas do mar e a ocorrência cada vez mais frequente de fenómenos climáticos extremos comprometem a habitabilidade dos seus territórios. Contudo, na sua configuração atual, o Direito Internacional não contempla o enquadramento legal dos migrantes climáticos. Perante a necessidade de desenvolver mecanismos que assegurem o reconhecimento legal e os direitos fundamentais destas populações, esta dissertação procurará compreender se a agenda de segurança humana poderá contribuir para o reconhecimento e proteção dos migrantes climáticos. A segurança humana, enquanto agenda direcionada para o policymaking, propiciou o alargamento e aprofundamento das definições tradicionais de segurança (sobretudo estatocêntricas e militares). Assim, ao identificar uma multiplicidade de ameaças e a sua articulação, a segurança humana reconhece os impactos multidimensionais das alterações climáticas e o seu papel na migração forçada de populações. Tal facto poderá conferir-lhe relevância política e uma capacidade para influenciar governos e organizações internacionais relativamente à proteção dos migrantes climáticos. Deste modo, recorrendo ao Construtivismo – e partindo do princípio de que a realidade internacional e os interesses nacionais são socialmente construídos e mutáveis –, pretende-se aferir a verosimilidade da construção de uma identidade coletiva em torno da segurança humana, que se materialize em instrumentos políticos, normativos e legais de reconhecimento e proteção dos migrantes climáticos. Contudo, ao não questionar as estruturas e relações de poder existentes no sistema internacional, a segurança humana corre o risco de se consubstanciar num mecanismo de reprodução dessas mesmas estruturas, e não num instrumento de proteção de facto. Mobilizando a Teoria Crítica, que questiona a origem das instituições sociais e das relações de poder, será analisado o contributo da segurança humana para a reprodução dos interesses vigentes e o seu efetivo potencial para reconhecer e conceder proteção aos migrantes climáticos.

博士
國立體育大學
體育研究所
107
The previous research has identified the benefits of participating in sport activities but the problem is how to make people continue to participate. The aim was to investigate relationships among group cohesion, team mental models, life satisfaction and intention to continue participating in sport activities that can contribute to literature for sports in Tuvalu. The target population was members of the eight islands sports clubs on Funafuti island, the capital of Tuvalu. Four hundred and sixty members of both gender (male 67.6% & female 32.4%) agreed to participate in this study. Participants responded to the survey questionnaire consisted of Group Environment scale, Team Mental Model scale, Group Development scale, Life Satisfaction scale, and Intention to continue scale. The structural equation modeling (SEM) conducted to analyze the hypothesis model has supported that the relationship between group cohesion and life satisfaction, group cohesion and team mental models were conceptually and statistically related. Cohesion has represented as the main variable that can predict the island sport club members intention to continue participating in sports. The SEM and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were calculated by using the LISREL version 8.9 to test the model fit of the constructs. In this study, measurements demonstrated that the overall model fit was partially met and there are directly influences between group cohesion and life satisfaction, group cohesion and team mental models, life satisfaction and intention and lastly team mental models and intention. The only relationship did not be supported that group cohesion can directly influence intention of sports club members to continue participating in sports.

碩士
銘傳大學
國際事務碩士學位學程
107
Aid is a big part of the world’s development co-operation effort and there are two types of aids; (1) Humanitarian Aid and (2) Development Aid. This study focuses on the most common development aid known as Official Development Aid (ODA). ODA promotes economic development and welfare of developing countries, and it is seen as a “gold standard” of foreign aid. This thesis uses a case on Achieving Education for All in Tuvalu Program (AEfATP) funded by the Australian government to evaluate the impacts of foreign aid in Tuvalu’s education sector. The evaluation of the impacts of foreign aid focuses on the studied program’s success and failure status, as well as local’s perspective regarding the program and foreign aid in general. The study uses a qualitative methodology through in-depth interviews to obtain data and clarifications. The researcher found out that positive impacts of the studied program outweighs the negative impacts. The results show that the donor was able to assist and bridge the gaps of Tuvalu’s education sector. The funded program was able to provide financial assistance, improve education quality, improve school standards, provide of human resources, and established a functional information system (TEMIS) for Tuvalu’s education sector. Moreover, the researcher has also uncovered several setbacks and mishaps that have hindered the success of the studied program. It includes: misuse of funds, conditions in the agreement, conflict with third party, unable to meet the requirement of the funders, poor governance, poor management, manipulated data, and recruiting issue. Overall, the quality of the program is very minimal but its contribution to Tuvalu’s education sector made an adequate difference in the manner of materialistic needs of the sector.

International migration and development have been traditionally treated as separate policy portfolios; however, today the two are increasingly viewed as interlinked. While the development status of a country could determine migration flows, migration can, in turn, contribute positively to national development, including economic, social and cultural progress. Consequently, if migration is not well managed, it can pose development challenges to a country’s development and progress. Therefore, partnership through greater networking between countries of origin and destination is needed to fully utilise the development potential of migration. For Tuvalu, migration has remained a vital ingredient for economic development and more importantly, the welfare of its people. The implementation of New Zealand’s Pacific Access Category (PAC) scheme in 2002 offered for the first time a formal migration opportunity for permanent or long-term migration of Tuvaluans. The PAC scheme allows 75 Tuvaluans per year to apply for permanent residence to work and live in New Zealand, provided they meet the scheme’s conditions. The goal of this research is to investigate, more than five years after PAC’s implementation, the ways in which long-term migration of Tuvaluans, through the PAC scheme, has benefited Tuvalu. To give a broader perspective on the issues explored in this study, the views of Tuvaluan leaders, as significant players in traditional Tuvaluan society, are included, in addition to the perspective of migrants’ families in Tuvalu and the migrants themselves in New Zealand. Combining transnationalist and developmental approaches as a theoretical framework, this thesis explores how Tuvalu’s mobile and immobile populations, through articulation of transnationalism, enhance family welfare, and grassroots and national development. The eight weeks’ fieldwork in Tuvalu and Auckland demonstrated that the physical separation of Tuvaluans from one another through migration does not limit the richness of the interactions and connections between them. In fact, the existence of active networking between island community groups and other Tuvaluan associations in Auckland and in Tuvalu strengthens the Tuvaluan culture both abroad and at home, thus ensuring strong family and community coherence. Maintaining transnational networks and practices is identified as of great significance to grassroots and community-based development in Tuvalu. However, the benefits of long-term migration can only be sustained as long as island loyalty, or loto fenua, and family kinship stays intact across borders, and networking amongst families, communities and church remains active.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2007. Graduate Programme in Ethnomusicology and Musicology.
Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 372-386). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR29325

This thesis explores how capital flows are linked to economic development and proposes an alternative pathway to enhancing livelihoods in the marginal spaces of the global economy, drawing on examples from North America and the Pacific. Mainstream theories of development are largely based on European and North American examples, and argue for a progression of developmental stages from agriculture to industry to services, based on a flow of capital from core to periphery. Such theories are not place-specific, and do not reflect the particular conditions of remote and marginal places. In the peripheral spaces of the global economy, investment opportunities may be limited. An alternative practice is to invest outside the region of capital generation, through the mechanism of a trust fund. I argue that local development can be achieved through investing in global financial markets, in core countries, rather than at the site of capital generation. In this way, local development is not limited to the marginal place where the benefits are to be felt; peripheral capital instead flows into the core to seek out the best investment opportunities. The local development process becomes differently spatialized by engaging global financial markets. Capital generated in the periphery often comes in temporary streams, or windfalls, and benefits decline when the resource is depleted. Such non-renewable resources can be transformed into renewable fiscal ones when capital generated from resource extraction is invested in financial markets through a trust fund. To make non-renewable resources renewable, they can be converted from a physical form into a financial form, thus extending the benefits of capital into perpetuity. This thesis suggests that trust funds may serve as an alternative development mechanism in certain peripheral spaces of the global economy. Trust funds receive a share of resource revenues and increase them through investment. States can establish trust funds as an instrument of government policy, with all citizens as beneficiaries. Trust funds allow for re-spatializing the nature of investment as well as for sustaining it over time. My analysis is based on the examination of six case studies. Two of these are peripheral economies in North America: the state of Alaska in the United States, and the province of Alberta in Canada. Both Alaska and Alberta established trust funds to manage their petroleum revenues. The four remaining cases are independent Pacific island nations: Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu. Each of these island nations established a trust fund to manage windfall resource revenues. The performance of these six trust funds has varied, largely reflecting policy choices. I develop a set of six criteria for the management of a successful fund. In this thesis, I ask development practitioners to reimagine the economic spaces of marginal economies and the relationship between core and periphery. I argue for a separation of the sites of capital generation and capital investment, and for transforming non-renewable windfall resources into renewable fiscal ones.

The dissertation is devoted to the analysis of a wide range of phenomena related to Russian Buddhism and the Internet. Religion in the Internet becomes a popular direction of the humanities researches, however, the case studies of Christianity and Islam strongly prevail over Buddhist ones, not to mention the exploration of the Buddhism in the Russian Internet. That is why from the very beginning my research was performed in explorative manner. In general, the dissertation represents the analysis of both: Internet in Buddhism, and Buddhism in the Internet. In other words, I focused on studying the activities of both: the official Russian Buddhist organizations, as well as laymen and their vigorous activity in the Internet. From such perspective the identity issues of Russian Buddhists and the influence of their peculiarities on what is happening in the Russian-language virtual space come to the forefront. Such approach predetermined two major research questions: (1) who are the Buddhist users of the Russian Internet? (2) how do they use initially neutral Internet technologies and why? The dissertation consists of five chapters. The first two chapters are devoted to the first research question. Taking into consideration the fact that almost all schools and traditions of Buddhism, such as Mahayana and Theravada; Tibetan, Southern and Far Eastern Buddhism, are presented in the Russian language Internet, Chapter I is devoted to the description of Buddhist traditions offline. I demonstrate that various schools of Buddhism today have significant differences in the fundamental questions: “who is Buddha?”, “where does the path of Buddhist practice lead to?”, etc.; and rather look like different religions. Chapter II represents an overview of Buddhism in Russia with more than four centuries of history during which the waves of Buddhism expansion shaped its contemporary state. Today in Russia there are a lot of Buddhist organizations, as well as subcultures connected to Buddhism, which exist in different forms, but mostly do not interact with each other. These communities constitute the variety of Buddhist discourses which can influence the contemporary Buddhist. I propose to differentiate three major discourses of Russian Buddhism: traditional Buddhism, Buddhist modernism, and new religious movements. Traditional Buddhism was shaping in Russian regions of ethnic Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva for several centuries, and established Buddhist environment in which laypeople predominantly comprehended Buddhism through traditions, rituals, and numerous sacral objects, as well as by honoring lamas and receiving practical advice from them. The more profound practices in this model are the prerogative of the clergy. The Buddhist modernism in many aspects arose from Russian Buddhology and was finally formed during expansion of various world Buddhist communities to the West, including Russia. In global Buddhist communities the emphasis is made on the adaptation of Buddhist theory and monastic practices for laymen. In such a way, this model focuses on Buddhist theory and practice of meditation, and implies distribution of specialized literature and tours of Buddhist teachers with lectures throughout the world. The new religious movements of Buddhism represent a certain form of religious syncretism of various religions of the East, including Buddhism, often orientalized. These movements establish various subcultures whose members consider themselves as Buddhists. Such diversity of Buddhist discourses is a consequence of democratic character inherent to Buddhism, which from the very beginning excluded pressure from authorities. Therefore, in the contemporary Russia it is rather difficult to speak about a single leader, or dominant Buddhist organization. Answering the first question we can conclude that the Buddhist users of the Russian Internet are heterogeneous Buddhist organizations, often unrelated to each other, guided by different religious principles depending on the Buddhist tradition they belong to. As for Buddhists and their identities, it becomes clear that every user who identifies himself as a Buddhist can have completely different ideas about Buddhist doctrine and the forms in which it should be practiced. That is why I come to the conclusion that, while studying Buddhism and Buddhists in Russia, it is impossible to elaborate a rigid classification and that is why each case and representative in the Internet should be considered contextually. The next three chapters are devoted to the second research question: how do the Buddhist users use initially neutral Internet technologies and why? Chapter III represents an overview of Internet technologies as a qualitatively new space for Russian Buddhism. I followed the popular division of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. This division made it possible to focus on the logic of the Internet technologies development, which lied in simplification of usage and increase of the number of users for creation, consumption and dissemination of information. Studying the activities of the official Buddhist organizations of Russia in the Internet in Chapter IV, I come to the conclusion that the Internet activity is often predetermined by the need for expansion, or by the problems arisen as a result of the expansion. The Internet facilities to some extent can solve these problems by capturing vivid domains, or self-presentation in order to attract new users, as well as simulating real contact of Buddhist teachers with distant followers of global Buddhist networks. These types of Internet activities vary and depend on the religious characteristics of Buddhist traditions. I come to the conclusion that peculiarities of Mahayana in many aspects block transferring of Buddhist practices in the Internet. Therefore, Mahayana Buddhist organizations either try to overcome these obstacles or limit their actions in the virtual space. Features of Theravada, such as absence of sacred transmissions and greater emphasis on texts, are advantageous for using the Internet. The analysis shows that most of the Buddhist organizations represented in the Internet belong to Buddhist modernism discourse. The lack of interest in the Internet from the traditional Buddhist communities of Russia can be explained by the lack of expansive aspirations, specific religious peculiarities and traditions of interaction. In such Buddhist landscape online an ordinary user while searching for religion in the Internet will more likely encounter “global” Buddhist communities, which occupy central position, rather than traditional Buddhist organizations, which lie on the periphery or are simply absent in the Internet. In chapter V, I present the results of long-term immersion into the Buddhist communities in the social network Vkontakte, where the majority of Buddhist Internet activities take place. The density and intensity of the information and users’ flows in the Buddhism community of Vkontakte justified its choice as the major field for analysis. In course of research, I was able to fix a lot of phenomena, which in general are the result of interrelations of various types of Buddhists and can be described as conflicts and dialogues of the Buddhist communities of Russia in the Internet. It was decided to divide the identified cases into four subsections, where each subsection is designed to describe a specific area of interrelations. The first subsection “Buddhist ideas vs New Age” shows the emergence of conflict interactions due to the different views on Buddhist ideas, when the content hardly connected to Buddhism leads to the struggle for “trueness” and creation of an “expert” community, which “cleans” the image of Buddhism in the Internet. Subsection “Theravada vs Mahayana” presents cases when the “purification” processes turn into the struggle for trueness already within the stable community of Buddhists, and specifically between representatives of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. The next subsection “online vs offline” describes conflicts between “ideal” online Buddhism and traditional offline Buddhism. Using these subsections, I show that immersion in the environment of the Internet of Buddhism creates a hyper-reality experience that impacts on religious identity and can lead to changing of opinion, including belonging to a particular Buddhist tradition. The case studies of conflicts are followed by the cases of online cooperation in the form of electronic petitions, where I introduce the attempts of different Buddhist communities to unite against the emerging problems of the Buddhist world. I present two cases emphasizing the complex interrelationships of the Buddhist communities of Russia, which, depending on the ideological component, can lead to either consolidation, or rupture, and affect the potential for joint activities of the Buddhist Internet communities. The cases considered in this dissertation show that the overwhelming majority of the phenomena occurring in the Internet emerge first of all due to the diversity of Buddhism and Buddhists in Russia. The chaotic exploration of the virtual space has formed the above-described Buddhist Internet environment. The lack of interest in the Internet from official Buddhist communities suggests that the current state of affairs is unlikely to change significantly. Nevertheless, the study of the development of Buddhism in the Russian-speaking Internet is of further academic interest, taking into consideration the fact that everyday Internet use throughout the world will continue to grow, and in these conditions the influence of Buddhist Internet communities on Russia’s religious space will also continue to grow and strengthen.
Rozprawa poświęcona jest analizie szerokiego zakresu zjawisk związanych z rosyjskim buddyzmem i Internetem. Religia w Internecie staje się popularnym kierunkiem badań humanistycznych, jednak studia przypadków chrześcijaństwa i islamu zdecydowanie dominują nad naukami buddyjskimi, nie wspominając o eksploracji buddyzmu w rosyjskim Internecie. Dlatego od samego początku moje badania były prowadzone w sposób eksploracyjny. Ogólnie rzecz biorąc, praca stanowi analizę zarówno Internetu w buddyzmie, jak i buddyzmu w Internecie. Innymi słowy, skupiłem się na badaniu działalności zarówno oficjalnych rosyjskich organizacji buddyjskich, jak i świeckich oraz ich energicznej aktywności w Internecie. Z takiej perspektywy na pierwszy plan wysuwają się kwestie tożsamości rosyjskich buddystów i wpływ ich osobliwości na to, co dzieje się w rosyjskojęzycznej przestrzeni wirtualnej. Takie podejście określiło dwa główne pytania badawcze: (1) kim są buddyjscy użytkownicy rosyjskiego Internetu? (2) w jaki sposób wykorzystują początkowo neutralne technologie internetowe i dlaczego? Rozprawa składa się z pięciu rozdziałów. Pierwsze dwa rozdziały poświęcone są pierwszemu pytaniu badawczemu. Biorąc pod uwagę fakt, że prawie wszystkie szkoły i tradycje buddyzmu, takie jak Mahayana i Theravada; Buddyzm tybetański, południowy i dalekowschodni prezentowany jest w rosyjskim języku internetowym, rozdział I poświęcony jest opisowi buddyjskich tradycji offline. Wykazuję, że różne szkoły buddyzmu mają dziś znaczące różnice w podstawowych pytaniach: „kto jest Buddą?”, „Dokąd prowadzi ścieżka praktyki buddyjskiej?” Itp .; i raczej wyglądają jak różne religie. Rozdział II przedstawia przegląd buddyzmu w Rosji z ponad czterema wiekami historii, podczas którego fale ekspansji buddyzmu ukształtowały jego współczesny stan. Obecnie w Rosji istnieje wiele organizacji buddyjskich, a także subkultur związanych z buddyzmem, które istnieją w różnych formach, ale w większości nie wchodzą ze sobą w interakcje. Wspólnoty te stanowią różnorodność buddyjskich dyskursów, które mogą wpływać na współczesnych buddystów. Proponuję rozróżnić trzy główne dyskursy rosyjskiego buddyzmu: tradycyjny buddyzm, buddyjski modernizm i nowe ruchy religijne. Tradycyjny buddyzm kształtował się w rosyjskich regionach etnicznych Buriacji, Kałmucji i Tuwy przez kilka stuleci, a ugruntowane środowisko buddyjskie, w którym świeccy przeważnie pojmowali buddyzm poprzez tradycje, rytuały i liczne obiekty sakralne, a także honorując lamów i otrzymując od nich praktyczne rady. Bardziej głębokie praktyki w tym modelu są prerogatywą duchowieństwa. Buddyjski modernizm pod wieloma względami wywodził się z rosyjskiej buddologii i ostatecznie powstał podczas ekspansji różnych światowych społeczności buddyjskich na Zachód, w tym Rosji. W globalnych społecznościach buddyjskich nacisk kładzie się na adaptację buddyjskiej teorii i praktyk monastycznych dla świeckich. W ten sposób model ten koncentruje się na buddyjskiej teorii i praktyce medytacji oraz zakłada dystrybucję specjalistycznej literatury i wycieczki buddyjskich nauczycieli z wykładami na całym świecie. Nowe ruchy religijne buddyzmu stanowią pewną formę synkretyzmu religijnego różnych religii Wschodu, w tym buddyzmu, często orientalizowanego. Ruchy te tworzą różne subkultury, których członkowie uważają się za buddystów. Taka różnorodność buddyjskich dyskursów jest konsekwencją demokratycznego charakteru buddyzmu, który od samego początku wykluczał nacisk ze strony władz. Dlatego we współczesnej Rosji trudno jest mówić o jednym przywódcy lub dominującej organizacji buddyjskiej. Odpowiadając na pierwsze pytanie, możemy stwierdzić, że buddyjscy użytkownicy rosyjskiego Internetu są heterogenicznymi organizacjami buddyjskimi, często niezwiązanymi ze sobą, kierującymi się różnymi zasadami religijnymi w zależności od tradycji buddyjskiej, do której należą. Jeśli chodzi o buddystów i ich tożsamości, staje się jasne, że każdy użytkownik, który identyfikuje się jako buddysta, może mieć zupełnie inne pomysły na temat doktryny buddyjskiej i formy, w jakich powinna być praktykowana. Dlatego dochodzę do wniosku, że studiując buddyzm i buddystów w Rosji, nie można opracować sztywnej klasyfikacji i dlatego każdy przypadek i każdego przedstawiciela w Internecie należy rozpatrywać kontekstowo. Następne trzy rozdziały poświęcone są drugiemu pytaniu badawczemu: w jaki sposób użytkownicy buddyjscy używają początkowo neutralnych technologii internetowych i dlaczego? Rozdział III przedstawia przegląd technologii internetowych jako jakościowo nowej przestrzeni dla rosyjskiego buddyzmu. Śledziłem popularny podział na Web 1.0 i Web 2.0. Podział ten umożliwił skupienie się na logice rozwoju technologii internetowych, która polegała na uproszczeniu użytkowania i zwiększeniu liczby użytkowników do tworzenia, konsumpcji i rozpowszechniania informacji. Badając działalność oficjalnych organizacji buddyjskich w Rosji w Internecie w rozdziale IV, dochodzę do wniosku, że aktywność w Internecie jest często z góry określana przez potrzebę ekspansji lub problemy powstałe w wyniku ekspansji. Urządzenia internetowe w pewnym stopniu mogą rozwiązać te problemy, przechwytując żywe domeny lub autoprezentację w celu przyciągnięcia nowych użytkowników, a także symulując rzeczywisty kontakt buddyjskich nauczycieli z odległymi zwolennikami globalnych sieci buddyjskich. Tego typu działania internetowe różnią się i zależą od cech religijnych tradycji buddyjskiej. Dochodzę do wniosku, że osobliwości Mahajany w wielu aspektach blokują przekazywanie praktyk buddyjskich w Internecie. Dlatego organizacje buddyjskie Mahajany albo próbują pokonać te przeszkody, albo ograniczyć swoje działania w przestrzeni wirtualnej. Cechy Therawady, takie jak brak świętych przekazów i większy nacisk na teksty, są korzystne dla korzystania z Internetu. Analiza pokazuje, że większość organizacji buddyjskich reprezentowanych w Internecie należy do buddyjskiego dyskursu modernizmu. Brak zainteresowania Internetem ze strony tradycyjnych społeczności buddyjskich w Rosji można wyjaśnić brakiem rozległych aspiracji, specyficznych osobliwości religijnych i tradycji interakcji. W takim buddyjskim krajobrazie zwykły użytkownik szukający religii w Internecie częściej spotyka „globalne” społeczności buddyjskie, które zajmują centralne miejsce, a nie tradycyjne organizacje buddyjskie, które leżą na peryferiach lub po prostu nie występują w Internecie. W rozdziale V przedstawiam wyniki długotrwałego zanurzenia się w społeczności buddyjskie w sieci społecznej Vkontakte, gdzie odbywa się większość buddyjskich działań internetowych. Gęstość i intensywność informacji i przepływów użytkowników w społeczności buddyzmu Vkontakte uzasadniały jego wybór jako główne pole do analizy. W trakcie badań udało mi się odnotować wiele zjawisk, które w ogólności są wynikiem wzajemnych powiązań różnych typów buddystów i można je opisać jako konflikty i dialogi społeczności buddyjskich w Rosji w Internecie. Postanowiono podzielić zidentyfikowane przypadki na cztery podsekcje, gdzie każda podsekcja ma na celu opisanie konkretnego obszaru wzajemnych powiązań. Pierwszy podrozdział „Buddyjskie idee a New Age” pokazuje pojawienie się interakcji konfliktowych ze względu na różne poglądy na idee buddyjskie, kiedy treści rzadko związane z buddyzmem prowadzą do walki o „prawdziwość” i stworzenie społeczności „ekspertów”, która „oczyszcza” obraz buddyzmu w Internecie. Podrozdział „Theravada vs Mahayana” przedstawia przypadki, w których procesy „oczyszczania” zamieniają się w walkę o prawdziwość już w stabilnej społeczności buddystów, a konkretnie pomiędzy przedstawicielami Buddyzmu Theravada i Mahayana. Następny podrozdział „online vs offline” opisuje konflikty między „idealnym” buddyzmem internetowym a tradycyjnym buddyzmem offline. Korzystając z tych podrozdziałów, pokazuję, że zanurzenie w środowisku Internetu buddyzmu tworzy doświadczenie hiper-rzeczywistości, które wpływa na tożsamość religijną i może prowadzić do zmiany opinii, w tym przynależności do określonej tradycji buddyjskiej. Po studiach przypadków konfliktów następują przypadki współpracy online w formie petycji elektronicznych, w których przedstawiam próby różnych społeczności buddyjskich, by zjednoczyć się przeciwko pojawiającym się problemom świata buddyjskiego. Przedstawiam dwie sprawy podkreślające złożone powiązania buddyjskich społeczności w Rosji, które w zależności od ideologicznego komponentu mogą prowadzić do konsolidacji lub zerwania i wpływać na potencjał wspólnych działań buddyjskich społeczności internetowych. Przypadki rozważane w tej rozprawie pokazują, że przytłaczająca większość zjawisk zachodzących w Internecie pojawia się przede wszystkim z powodu różnorodności buddyzmu i buddystów w Rosji. Chaotyczna eksploracja wirtualnej przestrzeni stworzyła opisane powyżej buddyjskie środowisko internetowe. Brak zainteresowania oficjalnymi społecznościami buddyjskimi w Internecie sugeruje, że obecny stan rzeczy raczej nie zmieni się znacząco. Niemniej jednak badania nad rozwojem buddyzmu w rosyjskojęzycznym internecie są przedmiotem dalszych zainteresowań akademickich, biorąc pod uwagę fakt, że codzienne korzystanie z Internetu na całym świecie będzie nadal rosło, a w tych warunkach wpływ buddyjskich społeczności internetowych na rosyjską przestrzeń religijna będzie się również rozwijać i umacniać.