Sociologia na UAlg

29.11.06

Perguntas e respostas - Jeffrey Sachs

International Herald Tribune

Q. Are the existing multilateral and bilateral development institutions efficient in fighting poverty? Which institutions should be reorganized and how? Denitsa Vigenina Germany
A. Having adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with specific targets and timetables by the year 2015, the development institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank should be gearing their work around the practical success of achieving these Goals. Unfortunately, these institutions do not yet take the Goals as operational guidelines, and therefore do not put enough emphasis on the practical steps needed to achieve the MDGs. Dozens of countries, notably in Africa, are still off track from meeting the MDGs, but the international agencies (and the rich countries that guide them) have not yet stepped up their practical help sufficiently to get these countries back on track. They are still dramatically under-funding policies as urgent as the control of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Q. Great powers haven’t fought wars to raise living standards in the world, and the prevalence of some form of corruption in most countries suggests that many people are only thinking of their own advancement. If more aid would help to alleviate poverty and increase human security, why is it so hard to persuade governments that it is worthwhile? And that honest and open government is the best way to tackle poverty?
Anita Inder Singh Sweden
A. This is a great question. Some countries – such as Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg – have long provided ample levels of aid relative to their national incomes. Those countries have long met or exceeded the international standard of 0.7 percent or more of national income as aid. On the other hand, some countries, such as the United States, have never met the 0.7 percent standard. The United States has invested heavily in the military approach to security (4 percent or more of gross national product spent on the military) but has under-invested in the peaceful approaches to security. The US is stuck in too many wars and conflicts as a result. Foreign policy should be restructured to depend less on military force and more on development aid as a way to promote global stability, well-being and reduced conflict.

Q. What kind of agenda do you think our politicians need if they want to effect the kind of changes you advocate for in poverty elimination and environmental sustainability?
Mitchell Petz United States
A. Our politicians should take seriously the very promises that they have made to their own citizens and to the world. They have promised to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change, when they signed the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. They have promised to protect biodiversity and to reduce the extinction of other species when they signed the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity. And they promised to reduce drastically the rates of extreme poverty, hunger and disease, when they adopted the Millennium Development Goals in 2000. The agenda is set. The problem is that the Bush Administration and other powerful governments tend to ignore the very promises that they have solemnly taken. Our job as citizens should be to hold all governments accountable for these global goals, which, after all, are vital for human well-being and security.

Q. Do you feel that the UN Millennium Project is sufficiently conflict-sensitive, particularly in the face of comments from the likes of the International Peace Academy which states that “the current focus on the Millennium Development Goals involves implementing a narrowly cast development agenda irrespective of security considerations”?
Patrick Fruchet Switzerland
A. This criticism is unclear and in my opinion off the point. The MDGs set a practical standard for fighting hunger, disease and extreme poverty. They are not “narrowly cast” and are applicable to impoverished regions around the world.

Q. Recently, Sudan-born entrepreneur Mo Ibrahim initiated a prize to instill and boost good governance in Africa. Through venture creation and now via the kind of initiative outlined above, successful entrepreneurship looks like a way, if not the way for growth and development in Africa. Please tell us if this view is viable and feasible in Africa, especially in its sub-Saharan region.
Felicien Dago United Kingdom
A. There are many things needed in Africa, but the escape from extreme poverty is the first and most urgent. That should start with helping impoverished farmers to grow more food (enough to feed their families and to leave a surplus to bring to market), children to go to school, and communities to fight diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. All of these goals can be pursued with proven and low-cost interventions. Entrepreneurship counts, but the first step (as occurred in Asia in the 1960’s and 1970’s) is to fight hunger, disease and the lack of basic infrastructure.

Q. What are your views on the Latin American region, especially Brazil and Argentina? Where do you think that the challenges for growth, poverty eradication and political stabilty should stand?
Alejandro Pitashny Argentina
A. The key next steps in Latin America are to promote a higher standard of education, science and technology. Education should be available for all, so that the extreme inequalities of Latin American society can be narrowed through equal access to education. And with more investments in science and technology, Latin America will become more competitive on world markets, and will thereby raise national incomes and economic well-being. I believe that Latin America is increasingly primed for success in becoming “knowledge-based” economies through improved education and greater technological expertise.

Q. Globalization has impacted India in a positive way but has also led to increasing the gap between the rich and the poor. What are the practical ways to minimize the negative impacts of globalization and tackle this disparity given that the government is largely ineffectual? Kunal Sharma India
A. India is indeed achieving dynamic growth, but especially in urban centers, either those on the coast (such as Mumbai and Chennai) and those with excellence of higher education (such as Bangalore). The rural areas, especially in places with drought-prone and rain-fed agriculture, are lagging behind. The key next steps, in my opinion, are to invest more in India’s rural areas in education, health and infrastructure, so that all parts of India have a chance to share in the rapid overall economic growth. India will also have to pay increased attention to its physical environment, such as the availability of the water supply, so that environmental crises do not impede long-term economic growth. Further efforts should be taken to achieve a quick voluntary reduction in fertility rates, so that India’s population levels off faster than on the current trajectory.

28.11.06

Media, democracia e participação

Artigo interessante que relaciona dimensões fundamentais das nossas sociedades.

http://young.meso.ee/files/teaching_series_1ok.pdf

23.11.06

I ªs Jornadas Sociais de Portimão

No âmbito da sua estratégia de desenvolvimento social, a Câmara Municipal de Portimão irá promover no dia 7 de Dezembro, as I ªs Jornadas Sociais de Portimão, visando uma reflexão sobre as problemáticas sociais de hoje no concelho de Portimão.
Estas jornadas contemplam quatro painéis:

I - Solidariedade e Exclusão;
II - Realidades Locais;
III - Parcerias Sociais e Inclusão;
IV - Dinâmicas de Mudança Social.


Contactos e informações:
Serviço de Divisão de Acção Social e Saúde
Tel: 282.470818,
Fax: 282.470791
Email:
accao.social@cm-portimao.pt

22.11.06

III Jornadas de Ciências da Educação e Formação

18.11.06

Electronic Journal of Sociology

Jornal electrónico de Sociologia


( contém também "The Online Dictionary of Social Sciences")

http://www.sociology.org/

16.11.06

Plataforma sobre Políticas de Integração e Acolhimento de Imigrantes


"O Município de Faro assina um acordo para integrar a Plataforma sobre Políticas de Integração e Acolhimento de Imigrantes.

A assinatura do acordo é no próximo dia 21 de Novembro no decorrer da Conferência Internacional “Imigração: Oportunidade ou Ameaça?”, a Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, responsável pela iniciativa, também vai estar presente.
Esta plataforma pretende ser um espaço de diálogo que se traduza no reconhecimento de “boas práticas” desenvolvidas no terreno e que por si facilitam a integração dos imigrantes nas sociedades de acolhimento, pelo que são inúmeras as instituições e organizações da sociedade civil que foram convidadas para este desafio."


http://www.observatoriodoalgarve.com/cna/noticias_ver.asp?noticia=9528

11.11.06

European Citizens' Initiative

The goal of this campaign is to collect signatures of people from all member states, demanding the introduction of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) by a regulation into European law. Such a regulation would require the European Commission to respond to a proposed change in European law signed by at least one million EU citizens.
When implemented, the ECI will be the first transnational tool of participatory democracy. It would enable European citizens to directly influence the political agenda of the EU for the first time in history.

http://www.citizens-initiative.eu/

9.11.06

Conferência

FÓRUM GULBENKIAN IMIGRAÇÃO

"A União Europeia e a Imigração"
21 de Novembro 2006, Auditório 2

15h00 Abertura
Presidente da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
Emílio Rui Vilar
Ministro de Estado e da Administração Interna
António Costa


15h20 Políticas da União Europeia de imigração e integração de imigrantes
Apresentação
António Vitorino
Conferência
Franco Frattini, Vice-Presidente da Comissão Europeia e Comissário
com o pelouro da Justiça, Liberdade e Segurança


Debate

16h30 European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM)
Apresentação do Projecto
Françoise Pissart, Presidente do Steering Committee do EPIM


(Intervalo)

17h15 Plataforma sobre Políticas de Integração e Acolhimento de Imigrantes
Apresentação da Plataforma
Emílio Rui Vilar / Isabel Mota
Cerimónia de Assinatura da Plataforma e do Acordo de Adesão


18h15 Encerramento

http://www.gulbenkian.pt/v1/attachs/ProgramaImigração43445986.pdf

7.11.06

A Mão Visível

António Perez Metelo
in Diário de Notícias Online

Há 10 000 anos, a domesticação de animais e plantas multiplicou por 100 a produtividade dos caçadores-recolectores, criando sociedades mais populosas e sofisticadas. Há três séculos, ao grito de "Deixem fazer! Deixem passar!", novo período de acumulação acelerada do capital vencia todas as barreiras levantadas pelos rentistas da terra. A questão social passou a dominar a evolução das sociedades. De um lado, o liberalismo, ao prosseguir os interesses de cada um, expressos em total liberdade, afirmava servir o bem comum como nenhum outro sistema. Sem estar isenta de falhas, a famosa "mão invisível" acabaria por conduzir a sociedade na mais segura senda do progresso. Toda a intervenção externa sobre as forças do mercado só afastaria a humanidade do óptimo económico e social.O movimento sindical e operário, erguendo-se contra a exploração desenfreada do capitalismo triunfante, dividiu-se entre aqueles que achavam possível corrigir os excessos expansivos do capital e os que pretendiam substituir o motor anárquico dos mercados, com o seu cortejo de miséria semeada em crises cíclicas, pelo princípio racional do planeamento central, ao serviço do bem comum, desta vez sem antagonismos de classe. Ao fim de 65 anos, esta alternativa ruiu estrepitosamente com o muro que a simbolizava.

O capitalismo abarca, hoje, com minúsculas excepções, todo o planeta. As novas tecnologias propulsionam uma nova vaga, imparável, de expansão global. Mas eis que entra em cena, com protagonismo inusitado, um novo actor: o próprio planeta. Numa mesma semana, ecoam alertas para catástrofes anunciadas por efeito da actividade humana. Seja a extinção de boa parte das espécies marinhas, nas próximas quatro décadas, seja o agravamento exponencial do aquecimento climático do clima.A ciência, regulação dos mercados e o planeamento irrompem, de novo, como elementos imprescindíveis da boa governação para toda a humanidade, obrigada a repensar a sua sobrevivência. Conduzida por mão bem visível.

Posted by Ana Rita Cruz

3.11.06

Sociologia ao Fim da Tarde

«Novo experimentalismo democrático: o caso do Orçamento Participativo»

Professor Doutor Giovanni Allegretti, Centro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de Coimbra

Dr. Nelson Dias, Faculdade de Economia da Universidade do Algarve

Quinta-feira, 9 de Novembro de 2006, pelas 17:00 horas
Sala de Actos da Faculdade de Economia da Universidade do Algarve (3º piso)

2.11.06

European Sociology Students' Association


"Our goal is to make it the number one resource site for sociology students in Europe, but one where students from other parts of the world can find useful information as well. Also, it is our wish that the site will become a venue for comunication between students from different countries where they will be able to exchange opinions, information and sociological knowledge. You can expect to find up-to-date information about sociology (authors, books, journals, research centers, postgraduate education, and other), so be sure to stop by and spread the word. "

http://www.essa-sociology.org/

1.11.06

The 5 Most-Frequently Read Articles

in Sociology during September 2006

1. John Child
Organizational Structure, Environment and Performance: The Role of Strategic Choice
Jan 01, 1972; 6: 1-22. (In "Article") [Abstract] [PDF]

2. Ross Bond
Belonging and Becoming: National Identity and Exclusion
Aug 01, 2006; 40: 609-626. (In "Article") [Abstract] [PDF]

3. Elizabeth Jagger
Is Thirty the New Sixty? Dating, Age and Gender in a Postmodern, Consumer Society
Feb 01, 2005; 39: 89-106. (In "Article") [Abstract] [PDF]

4. Stephen Castles
Towards a Sociology of Forced Migration and Social Transformation
Feb 01, 2003; 37: 13-34. (In "Article") [Abstract] [PDF]

5. David Voas, Alasdair Crockett
Religion in Britain: Neither Believing nor Belonging
Feb 01, 2005; 39: 11-28. (In "Article") [Abstract] [PDF]

http://soc.sagepub.com/reports/mfr1.dtl

Encontro Internacional


30 Anos do Fim do Império: Guerra, Revolução e Descolonização

Lisboa, ISCTE – Aud. Afonso de Barros (Ala Autónoma)

3 e 4 de Novembro de 2006

O ano de 2006 marca a passagem de três décadas sobre o fim do império colonial português e o início do mais tardio processo de descolonização europeia no continente africano. Assinalando a efeméride, o Centro de Estudos de História Contemporânea Portuguesa organiza o Encontro Internacional 30 Anos do Fim do Império: Guerras, Revolução e Descolonização.

Para mais informações, consulte o programa em anexo ou vá a http://www.cehcp.org/


 
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