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.

Applying Learning Community Theory to Oral English Teaching in Sport Institutes

Since traditional English teaching method, which merely focuses on language teaching but ignores communicative competence, severely impedes the development of students' oral ability. It is high time that English teachers took measures to find a workable and valuable teaching method which can improve students' speaking proficiency effectively. Learning community theory provides a broad space for this, for it regards learning as a process which takes place in a community where the learners are sharing their experience towards knowledge building in an interactive and cooperative way.

Performance evaluation indicator system for the implementation of essential drug system in community health service institutions

Objective:This research aims to develop a more scientific and reasonable performance evaluation indicator system for the implementation of an essential drug system in community health service institutions.Methods:The Delphi method was used to establish an indicator system based on three rounds of expert consultations,and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was used to determine the weights of the indicators.Results:The participation in the three rounds of consultations were 100%(10/10),90%(18/20),and 85%(17/20),which showed that the experts had real enthusiasm for participating in this research.The authority coefficients of the first-,second-,and third-level indicators were 0.75,0.76,and 0.76,respectively,which showed that the consultation results were dependable.The concordance coefficients of the second and third rounds were 0.489 and 0.487,respectively(P<0.001),indicating that the expert opinions were highly consistent.The performance evaluation indicator system consisted of three first-level indicators(supporting,implementation,and effect indicators),nine second-level indicators,and 21 third-level indicators.Conclusion:In this new performance evaluation indicator system,the selected experts were representative,the consultation results were dependable,the constructed evaluation indicator system was reasonable,and the setting of weights was scientific.

Facilitative Institutional Infrastructure to Optimise Productive Participation of Rural People in Local Development Processes: South Africa

Pervasive low levels of education and weak civil society activism in poor rural communities are cited as constraining factors for participatory development (PD), resulting in technical capacity for participation being skewed against the community participants. This paper highlights the outcomes of a research study that examined the applicability of the participatory development concept in conditions characterised by low levels of education and weak civil society. The research was undertaken in two rural villages in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, utilising both quantitative and qualitative approaches entailing interviews with 18 key informants followed by two focus group discussions each with seven participants respectively. The research found that rural communities were not aware of the government policy placing people participation at the centre of rural development interventions;and that they would not support it as they believed it was government's role to champion their development. The research also found that the government officials that lead the implementation effort of the rural development programmes did not believe that the participation policy was practical, citing capacity limitations among rural communities. The researcher recommends a moderated rural people participation process, which features creation of a facilitative institutional infrastructure to optimise productive participation of rural people in local development processes.

Analytic Methods for Quality Control of Scientific Publications Part VI: Presentation in Research Gate, Journal Indexing, and Recognition

In the world of science, recognition of scientific performance is strongly correlated with publication visibility and interest generated among other researchers, which is evident by downloads and citations. A published paper’s number of downloads and citations are the best indices of its importance and are useful measures of the researchers’ performance. However, the published paper should be valuated and indexed independently, and the prestige of the journal in which it is published should not influence the value of the paper itself. By participating in and presenting at congresses and international meetings, scientists strongly increase the visibility of their results and recognition of their research;this also promotes their publications. Status in Research Gate (RG), the so-called RG Score, the Percentile, and the h-index give researchers feedback about their performance, or their place and prestige within the scientific community. RG has become an excellent tool for disseminating scientific results and connecting researchers worldwide. RG also allows researchers to present achievements other than publications (e.g., membership in recognized associations such as the American Chemist Society, a biography in Marquis Who’s Who in the World, awards received, and/or ongoing projects). This paper discusses questions regarding how the RG Score, Percentile, and h-index are calculated, whether these methods are correct, and alternative criteria. RG also lists papers with falsified results and the journals that publish them. Thus, it may be appropriate to reduce the indices for such journals, authors, and the institutions with which these authors are affiliated.

Operation of the EWS in the City of Matagalpa, Nicaragua

The city of Matagalpa, due to the geological and morphological features of the territory, exposure to natural phenomena, the degradation of natural resources and rapid population growth, has endangered the welfare of its population, because of the high vulnerability and risk to the occurrence of natural disasters, principally flooding from the Grande Matagalpa River, which crosses through the center of the city, frequently leaving significant material damage and human loss. In this context, the initiative from the municipal government of Matagalpa to implement the “Rio Grande Matagalpa” project was born, financed by the European Cooperation, in order to initiate a process of flood risk management in the upper river basin and to strengthen and empower the population and the community in the prevention, mitigation and preparation against floods. As part of the project, the Joint Early Warning System (EWS) was designed, implemented and is currently operating, its purpose being to have available the information in real time, provided by automated tools and equipment, and monitored by local community organizations. The EWS is integrated into the risk management process which allows it to alert and communicate to the population about the possible occurrence of phenomenon possibly causing natural disasters, principally flooding in the city of Matagalpa.

Seventy Years of Buddhist Institution Building in New China

In the 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, “the fortune of the Dharma has followed that of the nation,” and the development of Buddhism has been closely linked to the development of Chinese society. Chinese Buddhism has always been committed to self-construction, working tirelessly to cultivate a monastic community of pure conduct and monasteries of pure ethos. It is the conscious responsibility and mission of the Buddhist community in the new era to “strengthen its internal qualities and external image,” to enhance its ideological awareness of “loving the nation and loving the religion” in the historical process of the Sinification of Buddhism, to inherit and promote the legacy of the Buddha, to bring into play the positive role of Buddhism, to create a bright future for Chinese Buddhism,and to contribute to the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the construction of a modern socialist country, and the realization of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

论青海土官、土司制度的历史变迁

研究青海地区土官、土司制度的变迁 ,对了解元明清时期西北地区少数民族政治制度史具有典型解剖的意义。青海土官制度创始于元代 ,明代得到普遍推行 ,清代演变为土司制度。清代土司制度与明代土官制度大同小异 ,随着时代的进步 ,土司制度日益不合时宜 ,终于走向消亡。

族群互动与“南北朝”现象:一个体制问题的政治学思考

北方族群对中国制度史留下了多方面影响,其中包括其所建立的若干异族王朝,一定程度上影响了传统政治体制的形态与方向。从政治学上说,其影响可简要归结为强化专制集权和激活官僚体制。学者提出了一个"两个南北朝"的概念。在"两个南北朝"的时代,南系王朝的某些政治变迁,令中国史的另一些可能性显露出来了。而在这时,北系由少数民族入主建立的王朝,构成了一个"矫枉过正"的分力。这个分力的基础是"部族武力的体制化"。