Post-disaster reconstruction: lessons from Nagapattinam district,India

As disaster losses continue to rise around the world, it has become increasingly important to understand the long-term outcomes of post-disaster recovery programmes. Often, disaster recovery projects have an abbreviated planning period, involve multiple NGOs, and lack long-term plans for evaluation. This article describes outcomes of the shelter reconstruction programme following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Nagapattinam, India. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to assess the effect of the programme on housing, community infrastructure, and livelihoods. The study provides useful lessons for future reconstruction programmes and demonstrates the importance of evaluating post-disaster recovery programmes after projects end.     

Literal Meaning: Semantics and Narrative in Biblical Law and Modern Jurisprudence

The modern conception of the ``Rule of Law'' entails government bylaw not men, and takes law to consist in rules known in advance. Thislatter characteristic assumes that, for the most part, the meaningof such rules is unproblematic (Hart's ``core of settled meaning''), this usually being understood as a function of ``literal meaning''.A quite different model exists in the Bible: the early rules display``oral residue'', and their meaning, I argue, is constructed in``narrative'' rather than ``semantic'' terms: instead of asking:``what situations do the words of this rule cover?'', we shouldinquire: ``what typical situations do the words of this rule evoke?''.Moreover, courtroom adjudication was not the norm, and its originalform was not based upon the application of written rules but ratherupon judicial discretion taken to have been divinely inspired. Isuggest that modern jurisprudence still retains traces of such earlierconceptions, in its account of modern law: despite their differences, both Hart and Fuller make use of narrative constructions of meaning,and Kelsen ultimately prefers the authority of the judge to the correctness of the rule he purports to apply.

     

Certaines considerations relatives à la question municipale

Sommaire. L'auteur, après avoir décrit la nature du gouvemement local, son rǒle, sa fonction ainsi que son financement, s'interroge sur le type de gouver-nement local souhaité. Il opte pour un gouvemement local autonome dont le rǒle principal est de fournir des services à la propriété et aux personnes. Cette identification des rǒles permettra d'orienter les sources de revenue en référence avec les fonctions municipales. Selon cette hypothèse, l'impǒt sur le revenu comme source de financement municipal ne semble pas approprié. Il serait préférable d'améliorer la performance de l'impǒt foncier et trouver d'autres sources de taxation rattachées soit à la propriété, soit à la prestation des services. De měme, l'intervention des gouvemements provinciaux et fédéral doit ětre limitée si l'on ne veut pas que les municipalités deviennent des administrateurs de programmes provinciaux et fédéraux. Abstract. This paper, after reviewing the nature of local government, its role, its function as well as its funding, speculates as to the proper type of local government. He favours an autonomous local government whose main function would be to supply services to property and individuals. This role identification would allow to gear income sources to municipal functions. Under this policy, an income tax considered as the source of municipal funding would not seem suitable. It would be better to improve the performance of the real estate tax system and to find other sources on the basis of either ownership or supply of services. The intervention of provincial and federal governments should also be curtailed to prevent municipalities from becoming the administrators of provincial and federal programs.     

Four-Field Anthropology: A Perfect Union or a Failed State?

Four-field anthropology departments are no longer in a ‘steady state’. Their integrity is threatened by a combination of internal and external developments. It remains to be seen whether they, in combination, are powerful enough to break the historic bonds that have united them for nearly a century.     

A brain penetration after Taser injury: Controversies regarding Taser gun safety

We report the case of a 27 year old man who was injured by a Taser gun device which penetrated the frontal part of the skull and damaged the underlying frontal lobe. Cerebral penetration was revealed by a brain CT scan. A neurosurgical procedure was required to remove the dart from the skull and brain and the evolution was successful allowing discharge of the patient one week later. There were no additional lesions, particularly electrifying lesion, as only one probe had penetrated the skull. We also observed the length of a Taser dart is sufficient to allow brain penetration. Fortunately, no infection or neurological complication occurred following brain injury. This case study underlines the potential risk induced by the use of Taser stun gun. Although generally regarded as a safe alternative, serious injuries have however been reported and questions regarding the safety of the device still remains unresolved.     

The Surprising Logic of Transparency

The article examines the concept of transparency and its effect on international crises. It tests two possible "logics" of transparency, one positive and one negative. In the former, transparency is seen as defusing international crises by illuminating other states' peaceful intentions and ameliorating the security dilemma. In the latter, transparency is seen as exacerbating crises by overwhelming diplomatic signals with the "noise" of domestic politics and confusing opponents about which domestic voices are authoritative expressions of state policy. The authors conclude that, surprisingly, transparency makes conflicts worse more often than not—a conclusion that casts doubt on one possible explanation ofthe democratic peace.