Fairtrade and Labour Markets in Ethiopia and Uganda

Drawing on four years of fieldwork in Ethiopia and Uganda, this paper addresses gaps in knowledge about the mechanisms linking agricultural exports with poverty reduction, the functioning of rural labour markets, and the relevance to the lives of the poorest people of Fairtrade. Statistical analysis of survey evidence, complemented by qualitative research, highlights the relatively poor payment and non-pay working conditions of those employed in research sites dominated by Fairtrade producer organisations. We conclude that Fairtrade is not an effective way to improve the welfare of the poorest rural people.     

Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

An Illicit Love Affair During the Third Reich: Who is My Grandfather?*

More than 60 years after an illicit love affair had occurred between Erika H, wife of a Wehrmacht soldier, and a Polish slave worker during World War II, we could clarify the blood relationships of her daughter Uta. When Erika H had become pregnant both of the men could have fathered the child. Erika H was found guilty of fraternization and imprisoned at Ravensbrück concentration camp. She gave birth to Uta and died there in 1944. Uta survived the war as did Erika's husband Gustav, who accepted Uta as his child. Blood samples from family members were taken and DNA extracted. A panel of 16 short tandem repeat (STR) loci were amplified and separated by capillary electrophoresis and the likelihoods calculated using the MLINK software. The combined genotypes yielded a cumulative likelihood ratio of over 200,000 against paternity of Gustav H. This case serves to illustrate the utility of STR profiles for complex deficiency kinship analysis.     

Social norms and religion in Europe and Asia. A cultural comparison

  I shall describe moral sanctions in countries where Christian values prevail and then give an outline of the moral system in Theravada Buddhist countries. Then I shall point out some of the different orientations of the two systems. Finally I shall draw attention to some practical social consequences of the perceived differences.     

The ‘Bulgarian ethnic model’—reality or ideology?

The notion of the ‘Bulgarian ethnic model’ has become part and parcel of the rhetoric of Bulgaria's political elite. While often used to acknowledge the political participation of the Turkish minority, which has played a stabilising role in post-communist Bulgaria, the notion of the ‘Bulgarian ethnic model’ conceals other important aspects of ethnic relations in Bulgaria. The article considers three factors that render the notion of the ‘Bulgarian ethnic model’ problematic: the existence of racism, discrimination and exclusion; the issue of minority rights; and the popularity of nationalist parties.     

Mobile Government Services: An Empirical Analysis of Mobile Government Attractiveness

The development of modern information and communication technology (ICT) fundamentally impacts the way citizens and governments interact with each other. In this context, mobile ICT is an essential driver for governments around the world to provide public services to citizens and organizations. Against this background, mobile government has significantly increased in importance for practitioners and has become a fruitful field of scientific research. Given the lack of empirical research on the attractiveness of mobile government, this study examines the key determinants of mobile government attractiveness.     

Shots fired with silencers--a report on four cases and experimental testing

Four cases of homicide, in which silenced firearms were used, are reported and supplemented by data from experimental investigations regarding wound features, marks, traces, and ballistic behavior. Wound features are largely determined by the construction of the silencer. In one case, even a muzzle imprint was produced by a silenced weapon fired at contact range. In general, silencers are likely to result in a decrease in bullet energy and accelerated energy release in the target (tissue). In terms of wound morphology, silencers produced a reduction in or even a lack of the contact ring (ring of dirt). In close-range and contact wounds, any features indicative of shots fired at close range were missing (such as soot deposit and powder tattooing). It is also worth mentioning that biological matter may get into the silencer in shots fired at contact range.     

E-participation: A Strategic Framework

Despite the rising scientific and practical relevance of e-participation, the field still suffers from a diffuse, heterogeneous state of knowledge and our understanding of successful e-participation strategies and implementation is very limited. This situation is seen as a key reason why e-participation initiatives in practice often fall short of expectations. Against this background, this study compiles the existing insights from the interdisciplinary scientific literature to deduce a unifying definition and propose an integrated strategic e-participation framework that conceptually combines important strategic and organizational factors as well as environmental drivers of e-participation.