Democratic Constitution and Ethnic Organizations in Malawi： Preserving Good Culture or Promoting, Regionalism, Nepotism and Tribalism

Due to the advent of the 1994 democratic constitution particularly sections 32 and 33 which provide for every person＇s right to freedom of conscience, religion, belief and thought, and also to academic freedom Malawi has significantly witnessed mushroom development of tribal organizations, aiming at preserving and protecting local religious beliefs and cultural practices. The Chewa Heritage Foundation （CHEFO） and the Muhlako wa Alhomwe （MWA） are among the well-known numerous ethnic organizations through which the traditional beliefs, cultural and religious practices enjoy significant respect from Chewa and Lhomwe people. Although the new Constitution has cleared a road for the establishment of these ethnic organizations, it seems activities of all ethnic associations are significantly promoting tribalism and nepotism, in addition to being used as campaign tools by political parties. This article intends to critically assess and evaluate the role and the impact of the Chewa Heritage Foundation and Muhlako wa Alhomwe on rule of law, govemance and culture in Malawi. The following question will guide the discussion： Why are the Chewa Heritage Foundation and Mulhako wa Alhomwe cultural associations while exercising their constitutional rights promoting tribalism, regionalism and nepotism and used as campaign machinery by both opposition and ruling political parties？ Its hypothesis is, in spite of preserving protecting cultural practices as guaranteed in constitution, tribal organizations need to be watchful so that they should not promote tribalism, nepotism and being used as campaign tools by crooked and opportunist politicians.

Al-Maliki Tribal Policy and the Emergence of the New Shaykhs in Iraq

The state collapse in Iraq after the US invasion in 2003 resulted in a vacuum of state institution.This helped the emergence and increase of sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni,which led to civil war in 2006-2007.In order to end the violence and to alienate Al-Qaeda,the US authorities and Iraqi government began supporting tribal leaders during the civil war.In 2008,the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki created tribal council called(Majālis al-Asnād)to utilize the tribal groups mainly belong to Shia sect.This article tries to explain the emergence of new social strata called New Shaykhs in Iraqi society,as a result of Maliki’s tribal policy.It is due to the failed state situation in Iraq since 2003 which helped non-state actors to be more and more active,such as new tribal leaders.This paper focus on the political manipulation of tribal societies which is different after 2003,compared to traditional policy in Iraq which have used and mobilized the tribal societies.

Legitimacy in Afghanistan： A Critical Analysis of Historical and Contemporary Sources of Authority

Sources of legitimacy in Afghanistan are diverse, competing and contested, with traditional roots. Historical and contemporary observation suggests a major rift between a ＂sedentary＂ and a ＂desert＂ populace---that is urban dwellers and rural inhabitants. Tribal patronage, with its lashkars and militias, has traditionally been central to legitimacy of any claim to the throne, and lack of it has doomed any such aspiration. This dynamic shifted in the 19th century as the state attempted to consolidate its rule by relying on standing armies independent of tribal forces. While the Kabul-based dynasties generally upheld this new power structure well into late 20th century, with a few relapses, the persisting tensions ultimately led to an acute conflict. The Mujahidin insurgency of the 1980s and early 1990s was a manifestation of this competition. Afghan Jihad here is intentionally examined as a protracted conflict independent of its Western influence and backing and as it pertained to pillars of power and legitimacy of authority in the Afghan context.

The West and the Middle East： Liberal Nationalism, Instrumental Nationalism

This paper argues that there is no real nationalism in the Middle East and if is, then it is an instrumental. The historical process of the region which relates to nationalism has had three stages： （1） the European conquest that forced the indigenous people to battle both for freedom and confront a secular idea such as nationalism; （2） arbitrarily marked borders by the West disregarding ethnic religious and tribal lines and affinity; （3） the creation of Arab nation states with no solid infrastructure of shared national values. This perspective can help understand current political developments in light of the Arab spring upheavals, in Iraq, Syria and Libya.

Shrinking greenery： Land use and land cover changes in Kurram Agency, Kohi Safid Mountains of north-western Pakistan

Deforestation and other Land Use and Land Cover(LULC) changes, driven by variety of physical and anthropogenic factors, have altered the mountainous environment. Mountains around the world including northern and north western belts of Pakistan are highly sensitive to deforestation and other LULC changes, which have profound impacts on various sectors of bio-physical and socio-economic systems. Assessment of LULC changes has high significance for protection, conservation and monitoring mountainous environment. The present study is an attempt to assess the landscape changes with particular reference to forest cover depletion in Kurram Agency located in the north western mountain belt of Pakistan. For detailed comparative analysis the study area has been divided into three sections, which coincide with the present administrative divisions of the Agency, i.e., Upper,Lower and Central Kurram. Temporal span of this study covers four decades. In this study, land use map of 1970 and land sat satellite imageries of 1987, 2000 and 2014 were used as spatial data sets. The images were processed and classified into six LULC classes through geospatial packages and change detection maps were prepared for each division and time period.Findings of the study reveal two trends in the four major LULC categories. Forest and rangeland have shrunk, on average, by 15% and 7.5% respectively while, bare soil and rocks outcrops have expanded by 89% and agriculture land by 7.2% in Kurram agency.The water bodies and snow cover have minor fluctuation in its land area. Major causes of shrinking greenery is attributed to high influx of Afghan refugees and high energy demand of growing population. However, with outflow of the refugees from Kurram agency the general trend in forest cover has reverted and deforestation rate has slowed down.

Institutional arrangement and typology of community forests of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland of North-East India

Most community forests in hill regions of northeast India have been managed by traditional local institutions for centuries and most of these institutions remain functional even today. Higher forest coverage on private and community lands as compared to government land indicates that traditional institutions effectively manage community forests in the region. The present study was conducted through a survey of literature and field work using participatory research tools viz., PRA exercises, group discussions and questionnaire interviews with key informants in northeast India. We categorized the institutions involved in conservation and management of forests into three major types： traditional, quasi-traditional and modern. Traditional institutions with hierarchal structure were found in all states and are intact and functional in the state of Meghalaya. Quasi-traditional institutions, a blend of traditional and modern institutions were prevalent in Nagaland while modern institutions have almost replaced traditional institutions in Mizoram. We recorded at least eleven types of community forests viz., group of village forest, village forest, restricted forest, sacred forest, clan forest, cemetery forest, regeneration forest, bamboo forest, recreation forest, village reserved forest and medicinal plantation in villages of three states. The tribal people, through long-term trial and error experiments, have developed an elaborate, functional and generally democratic system of conservation and management of forests and associated natural ecosystems. Several forest and natural resource management lessons can be learnt from the institutional structure and decision making system of the evolving and dynamic institutions of tribal communities of the region.

Paederia foetida- a promising ethno-medicinal tribal plant of northeastern India

The northeastern region of India constitutes one of the biodi- versity hotspots of the world. The ethnic groups inhabiting this region practice their distinctive traditional knowledge systems using biodiver- sity for food, shelter and healthcare. Among the less-studied plants, Paederia foetida has been used by various ethnic tribes as food and medicine. Many of its therapeutic properties relate to the gastrointestinal system and suggest its potential utility for gastrointestinal ailments. This is a review of the ethnobotanical uses, phytochemistry and therapeutic properties of P. foetida compiled from various reports. P. foetida is promising as a remedy for life-style related conditions, especially treat- ment of ulcers. Its utility highlights the need for proper evaluation of tribal plants as medicines and the species could be considered for devel- opment of new drugs.

Indistinguishable cellular changes in gastric mucosa between Helicobacter pylori infected asymptomatic tribal and duodenal ulcer patients

AIM： To investigate the changing pattern of different histological parameters occurring in the stomach tissue of Helicobacter pylori （H pylori） infected tribal populations and duodenal ulcer patients among ethnic Bengalis and correlation of the genotypes of H pylori with different histological parameters. METHODS： One hundred and twelve adult individuals were enrolled into this study between 2002 and 2004. Among them, 72 had clinical features of duodenal ulcer （DU） from ethnic Bengali population and 40 were asymptomatic ethnic tribals. Endoscopic gastric biopsy samples were processed for histology, genotyping and rapid urease test. Histologically, haematoxylin and eosin staining was applied to assess the pathomorphological changes and a modified Giemsa staining was used for better detection of Hpylori. For intestinal metaplasia, special stainings, i.e. Alcian blue periodic acid-Schiff and high iron diamine-Alcian blue staining, were performed. PCR was performed on bacterial DNA to characterize the presence or absence of virulence-associated genes, like cagA, and distribution of different alleles of vacA and iceA. RESULTS： Intraglandular neutrophil infiltration, a hallmark of activity of gastritis, was present in 34 （94%） of tribals （TRs） and 42 （84%） of DU individuals infected with H pylori. Lymphoid follicles and aggregates, which are important landmarks in H pylori infection, were positive amongst 15 （41%） of TRs and 20 （40%） of DU subjects. Atrophic changes were observed in 60% and 27.7%, respectively, among DU cases and tribals （P 〉 0.003）. Metaplastic changes were detected in low numbers in both groups. Moderate to severe density distribution of Hpylori in the gastric mucosa was 63% among TRs, whereas it was 62% in DU subjects. There were no significant differences in the distribution of virulence-associated genes like cagA, vacA and iceA of H pylori strains carried by these two populations. CONCLUSION： Our study showed almost similar distribution of inflammatory cells among asymptomatic tribals and DU Bengali patients. Interestingly, the tribal population are free from any clinical symptoms despite evidence of active histologic gastritis and infection with Hpylori strains carrying similar virulence markers as of strains isolated from patients with DU. There was an increased cellular response, especially in terms of neutrophil infiltration, but much lower risk of developing atrophy and metaplastic changes among the tribal population.

Chemical pre-treatments improve seed germination and seedling growth in Semecarpus kurzii:an ethnomedicinally important plant

Semecarpus kurzii Engl.is an important ethnomedicinal plant used for curing tumours,inflammation,fever and pain,and is also a source of iso ricinoleic acid.During the present investigation,effect of chemical pretreatments on germination and seedling growth revealed significant differences.Different pre-treatments could improve germination and treatment with KNO_3 （9.9 mM）was significantly superior（94%） to the untreated control（76%）.Mean daily germination varied among the treatments（0.90–4.14 seeds per day）,when compared with 2.27 seeds per day in control.Mean germination time was significantly reduced from 22.14 days（control） to 16.40 days（19.8 mM KNO_3） and 17.16 days（1.45 mM GA_3）.Treatment with KNO_3（19.8 mM） and GA_3（1.45 and 2.90 mM）significantly reduced the time for 50% germination.Treatment with higher concentrations of GA_3 and KNO_3 exhibited significantly faster germination initiation（11.0 and 12.0 days,respectively） over the control（17.0 days）.Seedling vigour index was not improved by pre-treatments.Chemical treatments did not improve shoot growth,collar thickness,or number of seedling leaves; however,root growth was significantly improved over control.Treatment with GA_3（2.90 mM） promoted leaf elongation but reduced leaf width significantly.Treatment with KNO_3 and GA_3 could be recommended to obtain healthy seedlings for establishing new plantations of this important medicinal plant species.

How some demographic factors affects postpartum haemorrhage prevention in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Aim: The following work studied how tribal affiliation, educational level and occupation of some women that had PPH in Maiduguri metropolis between September 2007 and March 2009 relate with PPH occurrence. The study was aimed at identifying possible risk factors and also to compare the relative prevention efficacies of oxytocin or misoprostol within the matrix of these factors. Method: A total of 1800 pregnant women who have received either oxytocin injection or oral misoprostol in third stage of labour as a prophylaxis of postpartum haemorrhage, were enrolled within three health care facilities in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Each patient was observed at parturition and for 24 h after, during which blood lost was estimated to the nearest millilitres. Demographic characteristics were recorded in a structured proforma. The relationship of the occurrence of PPH (occurrence of blood loss > 500 ml) and mean blood loss (MBL) was studied with respect to the prophylactic medication used and some demographic factors. Results: The incidence of PPH was higher in Igbo, and some “minority” tribes of Borno state (Babur, Bura, Mafa). The tribes that constituted the majority of the study population (Kanuri, and Hausa) exhibited low incidences of PPH. Significant relationships were demonstrated between PPH and educational levels and occupations of participants. Conclussions: It was concluded that PPH occurrence is related to tribal affiliation, educational level and occupation, and the relative efficacies of oxytocin and misoprostol varies between the tribal groups.

Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) Tribal Action Plan Fund Utilisation: How Does Chhattisgarh State in India Fare?

Background: In India, tuberculosis remains as a major public health problem amongst the tribal population. Poor physical access to diagnosis and treatment under the Revised National TB control programme (RNTCP) still remains the problem for the population. RNTCP implements Tribal Action Plan (TAP) for tribal patients. We conducted the study to determine the trends of financial utilisation for the special provisions available under tribal action plan like patient honorarium, incentive for sputum collection and transport, incentive for programme staff and incentive for vehicle maintenance. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on mixed method study approach was conducted in Chhattisgarh, India during Nov. 16 to Jun. 17. District TB Officers implementing TAP were interviewed telephonically using a semi-structured questionnaire to ascertain and analyse the reasons for low fund utilization in their districts. Retrospective financial data for five financial years from 13 TAP districts for 2012-2013 to 2016-2017 was collected, compiled and analysed. Results: Overall, the trends on states expenditure on tribal action plan in terms of absolute numbers has increased over the past five years;however, in terms of fund utilization against received ranges from 37% - 86% with the utilization rate less than 44% in the recent years (2014-2017). Conclusion: The trends of utilisation of TAP is less than 44% over the recent years. There is an urgent need for the administrators to intervene and improve the efficiency of fund utilisation at State and district levels.

The Interdependent Coexistence of the Rational Civilizations: The Mental Origin of Civilizations

The paper purposes that the three major civilizations are territorial rational civilization originated from the tribes before the Axial Age, discrete Western rational civilization originated from the mega empires in Middle East and Greece during the Axial Age, and the connective Eastern rational civilization originated from the mega empires in India and China during the Axial Age. Territorial rational civilization with territorial worldview for ingroup and outgroup individuals produces territorial nationalist democracy based on rule of boundary to deal with ingroup and outgroup individuals. Discrete Western rational civilization with discrete worldview for discrete and independent individuals produces discrete liberty-equality democracy based on rule of law to deal with discrete individuals. Connective Eastern rational civilization with connective worldview for connective and related individuals produces connective common wellbeing democracy based on rule of relation to deal with connective individuals. The current highly international interdependence produces the purposed internationalized interdependent community which allows the interdependent coexistence of the three rational civilizations by establishing the promotion of rational civilizations, the basic rules of relation and law, the potential civilizational and the regional defense boundaries, and the cooperation in international relations. The mental origin of the rational civilization consists of the social brain for instinctive intragroup relations and worldviews to form the original human social group, the mental immune system for instinctive mental therapy, theory of imaginary mind for imaginary religious and political entities with their own minds to form cohesive large social groups, and the thinking brain for rule to form rational civilization.

Reshaping Tribal Road Network Using Public Information

The area with the fastest growing Native American population in North Dakota is the Fort Berthold Reservation. State and federal road information available to the public is not identical in terms of the number of physical road segments or in the attribute information provided for the road network. In this study we develop: 1) a navigable road network achieved by improving connectivity among road segments, updating road information, and making a comprehensive network;and 2) a standard process for integrating the state and federal local road information. The standard process broadly consists of three Parts: 1) combining road segments from each source;2) providing legitimacy to snapping distance;and 3) performing a snapping based on the result of Part 2 to connect those road segments, which remained unconnected from Part 1. The findings show that data on local roads on the Fort Berthold Reservation from the two different sources are joined through the standard process, and the process saves considerable time and resources required for fixing the road network. The standard process that has been developed here can be applied to a variety of other Indian road information integration projects to join not only physical road segments, but also plural attribute information. The process will also be useful for a variety of other projects integrating road information, which is available to the public, in order to overcome financial and time limitations.

On the Tarmac of Nationhood： Dismantling Caste and Tribal Loyalty in Aravind Adiga＇s The White Tiger and Shadrach Ambanasom＇s Son of the Native Soil

The White Tiger is Aravind Adiga＇s first novel just like Son of the Native Soil which is Shadrach Ambanasom＇s first oeuvre. The two novels address two major social concerns （the caste system and tribal loyalty） that impair national cohesion in India and Cameroon respectively. Briefly speaking, the caste refers to the classification of peoples in India （and other South Asian countries） into in-marrying hereditary social classes of the privileged and the underprivileged while tribal loyalty refers to selfish attachment to a tribe or clan to the detriment of community or national feeling. The two concepts are related in the sense that the word ＂caste＂ derives from the Spanish or Portuguese ＂casta＂ meaning race, lineage, breed or clan. In both cases therefore, the issues of sectionalism, division, discrimination, selfishness, marginalization, and hegemony （amongst others） are at play--issues that impede the notion of nationhood. Read principally from the Marxist perspective of power dynamics and class struggle, the paper argues that Adiga and Ambanasom through skillful manipulation of symbols, time, characters and events, try to imagine the deconstruction of caste and ethnic loyalty in India and Cameroon respectively, which to the two authors, are only historically and socially erected edifices rather than natural order. For the two authors, although global forces may seem to play in favor of a more equitable human society, a necessarily violent revolution might be required to dismantle a blighted body politico-modus operandi that has operated in the people＇s psyche for a long time, as characters and events in the two novels reveal.

Analysis on the Industrial Development Plan of the Tribal Hot Spring Demonstration Area in Taiwan’s Indigenous Areas

Under the impact of modern life, the traditional culture of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes is not only affected, because the traditional life is not easy and employment is difficult, which also causes the outflow of tribal population. Therefore, after the establishment of the Taiwan Council of indigenous people (TCIP), tourism development has been listed as an important policy, and it wants to use tourism development to improve the lives of indigenous people and enhance the ability of tribal economic development. The purpose of this study is to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of TCIP in developing tribal hot spring demonstration areas in indigenous areas. This study adopts the method of case study to investigate by means of document analysis, field interview and observation. The results of SWOT analysis show that: 1) Advantages: the indigenous tribes are rich in natural resources and have unique cultural characteristics. 2) Weakness: when indigenous people invest in hot spring industry, they will face difficulties in obtaining development funds, lack of land use and hot spring management talents. 3) Opportunities: Because of the prevailing leisure culture in Taiwan, coupled with the relevant laws and policies and plans of the indigenous people, it is guaranteed that the indigenous people can participate in the development plan of the hot spring demonstration area. 4) Threats: The development of the existing hot springs in the indigenous villages and towns is mostly invested by the Han people, so it is difficult for the indigenous people to compete with them. Moreover, they lack the management ability and guidance to enter the competitive market of hot spring development.

Iraqi Personality in Light of Ali Al-Wardi＇s Works： A Critical Review

This paper sheds light on the Iraqi personality in light of writings of the Iraqi eminent sociologist Dr. Ali Al-Wardi and gives a critical review to his main findings and hypotheses. Al-Wardi was the main person who established the first department of sociology in Iraq and the spiritual father or the real father of sociology in the country. He wrote prestigious works about the Iraqi society including some hypotheses focusing on the Iraqi personality, such as the dual personality and social dissonance. These findings and hypotheses are not above criticism of course. The method we depend on here is the content analysis methodology. The paper consists of seven parts; part one is the introduction which includes a short glimpse on the subject and A1-Wardi＇s methodology. Part two deals with Al-Wardi and studying Iraqi personality. Part three, discusses the dual personality, and part four, the social dissonance. Part five, exposures tackling the problem where Al-Wardi suggests some points. Part six deals with the discussion. Finally, there is a conclusion under the part seven.

Study of the Role of Ethnicity in the Pathophysiology of Preeclampsia: A Prospective Observational Study in a Rural Hospital in India

Hypertensive disorders (HD) of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Although several risk factors for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy have been firmly established, the risk attributable to specific race-ethnicities is less clear. The risk of preeclampsia-eclampsia may differ by maternal ethnicity 30 as also the course, severity and prognosis. This study aimed to compare severe preeclampsia and eclampsia in tribal and nontribal women of Jangalmahal area of West Bengal in terms of incidence, clinical, demographic picture, severity, course of disease, response to treatment, complications and delivery outcome including foetal outcome and maternal outcome.

Tribal Councils as a Decision-Making Mechanism for Post-disaster Reconstructions： A Case Study of Ulaljuc

Since the 1990s, indigenous people in Taiwan have engaged in tribal councils for the purpose of integrating the tribal authority and the modern administrative system. The establishment of tribal councils provides a communicative forum for tribal leaders, village, and the association of community development to make decisions of common tribal affairs. When disasters happen, the internal tribal response strategies and external assistance mechanisms might cooperate through either traditional or modern administrative systems. The research focused on how these organizations, while in interim housing, influenced the reconstruction and rehabilitation after disasters. The research＇s findings suggested that tribal councils, a pre-existing mechanism, seemed to be an appropriate forum for negotiation and decision-making for tribal affairs.

Indoor and Outdoor Particulate Matter Exposure of Rural Interior Alaska Residents

To assess the exposure of residents in rural communities in the Yukon Flats to particulate matter of 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM2.5), both indoor and outdoor concentration observations were carried out from March to September 2019 in Ft. Yukon, Alaska. Indoor concentrations were measured at 0.61 m (breathing level during sleeping) in homes and at 1.52 m heights (breathing level of standing adult) in homes and office/commercial buildings. Air quality was better at both heights in cabins than frame homes both during times with and without surface-based inversions. In frame houses, concentrations were higher at 0.61 m than 1.52 m, while the opposite is true typically for cabins. Differences between shoulder season and summer indoor concentrations in residences were related to changes in heating, subsistence lifestyle and mosquito repellents. In summer, office and commercial buildings, air quality decreased due to increased indoor emissions related to increased use of equipment and mosquito pics as well as more merchandise. During summer indoor concentrations reached unhealthy for sensitive groups to hazardous conditions for extended times that even exceeded the high outdoor concentrations. Due to nearby wildfires, July mean outdoor concentrations were 55.3 μg·m-3 which exceeds the 24-h US National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 35 μg·m-3. Indoor and outdoor concentrations correlated the strongest with each other for office/commercial buildings, followed by frame houses and cabins. Office/commercial buildings with temperature monitors had one to two orders of magnitude lower concentrations than those without.

Wild Edible Plants Used by the Tribes of Panvel and Uran Tahsils in Alibaugh District,India:Ethnobotanical Application and Tribal Recipes

The“Indus-Vedic”cultural heritage of India is well-known.Wild edible plants,sometimes known as weeds,are widely consumed in India’s varied areas.Wild edible plants and weeds are essential for tribes’survival,both as a source of food and as a source of money,such as timber.This study aims to identify wild vegetables collected for ethnomedical purposes and their recipes by the local people,as well as determine the local uses and names of these plants,with the goal of closing the gap in traditional knowledge regarding the utility of wild plant species and tapping the hidden potential resources for proper utilization,exploitation,and nutritive evaluation.A field research study was conducted two years 2020-2021.34 wild vegetable plant specimens were collected during this time.The names of the plants found in the area,as well as the parts that were used and how they were prepared,were examined and recorded.This type of extensive survey technique could assist aspiring scientists in learning about the health advantages of wild food plants and weeds,which can subsequently be combined to generate successful crop plants.Such a system will benefit in the mitigation of food shortages,the regeneration of infertile lands,and the enhancement of rural economies.