Can Community Education Promote Community Participation in the Local Economic Development (LED) Activities in this Era of 2019-nCoV

The 2019-nCoV has come as an unexpected wicked challenge especially to the vulnerable ones as it has significantly affected the local economic development (LED) activities of many local people in communities of South Africa. In this chapter, the role of community education as a problem-solving measure in promoting community participation in LED will be explored as limited participation in those activities prevail especially in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. The study provides the challenges posed by the limited participation in the communities and the economy and explains how the local participation is important through community education (CE) programmes in LED activities. Since community education indeed plays a huge role in enhancing community participation in LED activities, the government officials, policymakers and others need to work closely with local people so that they can understand the essence of socio-economic issues that communities daily encounter in the wake of the pandemic.

Pathways to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Marine Science and Conservation

Marine conservation sciences have traditionally been, and remain, non-diverse work environments with many barriers to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). These barriers disproportionately affect entry of early career scientists and practitioners and limit the success of marine conservation professionals from under-represented, marginalized, and overburdened groups. These groups specifically include women, LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). However, the issues also arise from the global North/South and East/West divide with under-representation of scientists from the South and East in the global marine conservation and science arena. Persisting inequities in conservation, along with a lack of inclusiveness and diversity, also limit opportunities for innovation, cross-cultural knowledge exchange, and effective implementation of conservation and management policies. As part of its mandate to increase diversity and promote inclusion of underrepresented groups, the Diversity and Inclusion committee of the Society for Conservation Biology-Marine Section (SCB Marine) organized a JEDI focus group at the Sixth International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC6) which was held virtually. The focus group included a portion of the global cohort of IMCC6 attendees who identified issues affecting JEDI in marine conservation and explored pathways to address those issues. Therefore, the barriers and pathways identified here focus on issues pertinent to participants’ global regions and experiences. Several barriers to just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive conservation science and practice were identified. Examples included limited participation of under-represented minorities (URM) in research networks, editorial biases against URM, limited professional development and engagement opportunities for URM and non-English speakers, barriers to inclusion of women, LGBTQ+, and sensory impaired individuals, and financial barriers to inclusion of URM in all aspects of marine conservation and research. In the current policy brief, we explore these barriers, assess how they limit progress in marine conservation research and practice, and seek to identify initiatives for improvements. We expect the initiatives discussed here to advances practices rooted in principles of JEDI, within SCB Marine and, the broader conservation community. The recommendations and perspectives herein broadly apply to conservation science and practice, and are critical to effective and sustainable conservation and management outcomes.

Local Community Participation and Responsible Tourism Practices in Ecotourism Destination: A Case of Lower Kinabatangan, Sabah

Recognizing the importance of local community participation in responsible tourism and its benefits, this case study explores and analyses the local community participation and responsible tourism practices at Lower Kinabatangan, Sabah, a premier ecotourism destination from the stakeholders’ perspectives. It also describes the perception and attitudes towards tourism development including the key issues and challenges faced by the local communities. The case study adopted multiple methods involving focus-group interviews and survey questionnaires with the respective local communities residing in Lower Kinabatangan. Findings reveal that local communities recognized that Lower Kinabatangan has great potential to be developed as a sustainable ecotourism destination and to generate economic benefit. Despite this, there is limited participation of local communities in ecotourism development and responsible tourism practices among the local communities. The socio-economic demographic of the local community shows that only 42.4% of respondents have work related to tourism activities. Lack of capital and knowledge in tourism activities are the key barriers for local participation in ecotourism development. For Lower Kinabatangan to be a sustainable ecotourism destination, the participation and engagement of the local community and the practices of responsible tourism can no longer be ignored.

Disability in Leprosy: Daily Activities and Social Participation in Indonesia

ABSTRACT Leprosy is one of the eight neglected diseases. The purpose of this study was to explain the effect of leprosy disability on daily physical activity, and social participation of leprosy clients in Malang and Sumberglagah Hospital, Mojokerto. The study used a cross sectional design. Respondents amounted to 100 people who have met the inclusion and exclusion criteria with purposive sampling technique. Data analysis used Rho Spearman test to measure activity and participation variables. Spearman Rho test for leprosy on activity limitations showed p = 0.000. Spearman Rho test of leprosy on limited participation showed p = 0.000. Activities are limited, and participation is mostly due to the degree 2 disability experienced. The second most common disability conditions are curly fingers, deformities, and foot ulcers. Preventive efforts of the health office, especially the health centre, should provide health promotion media through the provision of foot exercises.

Challenges in Community Participation in Management of Nature Reserves

The management and protection of protected areas such as nature reserves remains a primary concern for the different stakeholders involved especially the marginalised rural communities that are deprived of genuine ownership of the natural resources. Therefore, the representation of the marginalised rural communities adjacent to the protected areas has become significant in the control and utilisation of natural resources in protected areas. Community Property Associations (CPAs) have been tasked with the mandate to ensure community representation in the management of natural resources. However, their participation in the management of natural resources have been questioned and under scrutiny. The aim of this study is to investigate the challenges in communal participation in management of nature reserves. A qualitative research method was used for collecting data. Semi-structured interviews were utilised to collect data from a sample constituting n=10 respondents. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The data from this study revealed that there is limited participation by the CPA members in the management of Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve. The ownership and participation in the management of natural resources by local communities is important in ensuring meaningful development. Received: 21 July 2021 / Accepted: 20 September 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021

Determinants of impairments in functioning, fatigue and participation ability in pediatric brain tumor survivors

Introduction Pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) experience disease- and treatment-related sequelae. We aimed to investigate the occurrence of participation limitations, impairments in functioning, fatigue, and the association between patient, tumor- and treatment-related factors and these outcomes. Methods Children (4-18 years) after treatment for a brain tumor between 2005-2014 at the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, were eligible. The parent-reported Child and Family Follow-up Survey developed to measure participation and impairments in functioning in youth with acquired brain injury, was used. Fatigue was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Multidimensional Fatigue Scale. Associations with patient, tumor- and treatment-related factors were explored using univariable analyses. Results Ninety-one PBTS (median age: 11.3 years [range: 9.5-14.1], time since treatment: 3.9 years [range: 4-6.2]) were included (response rate: 55%). Participation limitations were reported in 53% and were associated with impairments in functioning (15-67%) (p≤0.01) and fatigue (p≤0.03). Parent- and child-reported fatigue was increased compared to normative values (p=≤0.02). History of hydrocephalus was associated with increased fatigue (p≤0.04). Younger age at diagnosis and longer time since diagnosis were associated with impairments in functioning and cognitive fatigue (p=<0.05). Participation limitations, impairments in functioning and fatigue were similar in PBTS who were <3 or ≥3 years since completion of treatment. Conclusion More than half of PBTS reported limited participation ability, which is associated with impairments in functioning and fatigue. The complication hydrocephalus seems to lead to more fatigue. Participation limitations, impairments in functioning and fatigue appear not to diminish in the longer term.

Engaged Citizen Social Science or the public participation in social science research

Acknowledging the consolidation of citizen science, this paper aims to foster a collective debate on two visible gaps of the field. First, how to overcome the limited participation of social sciences and humanities in the broader field of citizen science, still dominated by natural sciences. Second, how to develop a citizen social science that allows for an active participation of citizens and for a critical engagement with contemporary societies. The authors coordinate a state-sponsored program of scientific dissemination within a Portuguese research institution and this paper intends to lay the groundwork for a future project of Citizen Social Science based on a new concept of “engaged citizen social science”.

Infectious Disease Providers’ Knowledge of and Engagement in Quality Improvement

Background Although engagement of infectious disease physicians has been demonstrated to improve clinical outcomes in a variety of disease states, the extent of ID physician engagement in quality improvement or their knowledge of QI has not been assessed. Methods A 12 question, web-based survey was distributed to members of the Infectious Disease Society of America between August and October 2019 to assess knowledge of and engagement in QI. The survey link was sent to IDSA members that self-identified patient care as their primary professional activity. Results Responses were received from 200 individuals (5.4% response rate which is just below standard IDSA survey response rate of 6%) consisting of 175 adult IDP. Most respondents were employed in a hospital or clinic (41%), private or group practice (25%), or university/medical center (24%). 58% of respondents currently participate in QI projects while 38% serve on QI oversight committees. Among respondents, 27% reported not being engaged in QI. Infection Prevention/Hospital Epidemiology (77%), stewardship (72%), and antimicrobial resistance (56%) were the most commonly reported measure types. Respondents reported barriers that limited participation in QI including cost (61%), lack of time (56%), lack of data collection resources (48%), and lack of an ID-specific registry (46%). IDPs report significant interest in additional training in QI and new quality measures. Conclusion Although IDPs participate in QI, there are gaps in QI knowledge and measurement systems. The low response rate of our survey also suggests a lack of engagement in QI amongst IDPs. Closing these gaps will benefit ID in a value-driven healthcare economy.

Engagement and learning in an electronic spaced repetition curriculum companion for a paediatrics academic half-day curriculum

Postgraduate residencies utilize academic half-days to supplement clinical learning. Spaced repetition reinforces taught content to improve retention. We leveraged spaced repetition in a curriculum companion for a paediatric residency program’s half-day. One half-day lecture was chosen weekly for reinforcement (day 0). Participants received 3 key points on day 1 and a multiple-choice question (MCQ) on day 8. On day 29, they received two MCQs to test reinforced and unreinforced content from the same day 0. Thirty-one (79%) residents participated over 17 weeks, but only 14 (36%) completed more than half of the weekly quizzes. Of all quizzes, 37.4% were completed, with an average weekly engagement of 5.5 minutes. Helpfulness to learning was rated as 7.89/10 on a Likert-like scale. Reported barriers were missing related half-days and emails, or limited time. There was no significant difference in performance between reinforced (63.4%, [53.6–73.3]) and unreinforced (65.6%, [53.7–73.2]) questions. Spaced repetition is a proven strategy in learning science, but was not shown to improve performance. Operational barriers likely limited participation and underpowered our analysis, therefore future implementation must consider practical and individual barriers to facilitate success. Our results also illustrate that satisfaction alone is an inadequate marker of success.

Social Norms Structuring Masculinities, Gender Roles, and Stereotypes: Iraqi men and boys’ common misconceptions about women and girls’ participation and empowerment

The limited participation of Iraqi women in community decision-making in Kirkuk and Diyala is the result of various intertwined factors. This study explores emerging opportunities for social transformation in the context of sedimented layers of male privilege and the questioning of restrictive gender norms in the two governorates. With this report, Oxfam and its partners aim to dismantle barriers to women’s active participation, which is currently constrained by stereotypes and restrictive ideas about gender. Among the promising pathways for change are awareness-raising activities with male allies, alongside other longer-term efforts advancing transformative change in attitudes, practices, and behaviors.