Self-reliance is a clarion call today to meet out challenges of expeditiously growing society, and also an understanding of the natural inherent way of living. The globally acknowledged concept of self-reliance is to be understood with more clarity, whether it is an emerging hypothesis or something absolute or innate, although it is faded in imagination because of various dumped notions. This article suggests a worldview about self-reliance and facilitates the understanding of self-sufficiency, which is unlikely to lead to independence.

A libertarian perspective on politics involves very clear and distinct definitions of what liberty and justice are as well as how one might define libertarianism itself. This study adheres to the main writers and debates surrounding the vacuity of non-democratic states, the dangers that surround the notion of the meanings of capitalism, and what it means to be alive in a democracy in late modernity.

Democracy in the Philippines is a superficial form of government. On the surface, the Philippines’s democracy has a popularly elected president who is both the Head of Government (HOG) and the Head of State (HOS). Chief executive and commander in chief are two phrases that are commonly used to describe the President of the Republic of the Philippines. The paper explains why liberal democracy poses a problem for Southeast Asian states in late modernity. It uses a seven-question democratic framework to determine the existence of democracy in Southeast Asia.

Student migration has made a significant impact in the field of higher education in India in general and Kerala in particular. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the factors that lead students to migrate abroad. The information gathered helped them understand the ways in which a new cultural environment impacts them. The various problems faced by undergraduate migrant students are also considered in the present study. It focuses on the financial, health, cultural, and educational problems faced by undergraduate migrant students. Along with that, the different domains of education, such as objectives, learning experiences and evaluation, are also considered. It also deals with the problems and prospects related to this. The study aims to shed more light on and raise awareness among the university community about their perceptions of these impacts and provide suggestions on the basis of the information gathered. It was this research gap that led the researcher to the research questions, viz., (a) What are the benefits gained by undergraduate migrant students after migration? (b) What are the major problems faced by migrant students? Hence, the present study is entitled “Problems and prospects of undergraduate migrant students from Kerala.”

Hamstring tightness is a common issue that affects many people. The flexibility and range of motion of the joint are both limited when this muscle is contracted. Lower back and lower extremity problems are frequently linked to poor hamstring flexibility. Active release technique and myofascial release technique can improve hamstring flexibility. The major goal of this study is to increase hamstring flexibility so that we can compare active release technique with myofascial release technique for effectiveness. The appropriate course of action for treating those with tight hamstrings to increase their hamstring flexibility can then be determined.

Instructive status in India is continually changing according to the changing necessities and abilities of the country. India unequivocally puts stock in training for all and for schooling. If education is to reach the poorest of the poor children, it must be made relevant to their contexts. Children who complete the primary cycle do not always master essential learning and life skills. Most of the Keralites do understand Hindi because they all studied it up to the 10th standard at least. But most of them do not get a chance to speak Hindi. Now, Kerala has a large number of guest laborers from north and east India. Children of guest laborer are now studying in the state schools. This study attempted to investigate whether or not there is any improvement in the Hindi-speaking skills of native children of Kerala due to the co-learning among the children of guest laborers.

The classical Greeks believed that Eros was about erotic love. When we forsake the object of our love, it becomes relegated to the dustbin of memories, which makes it difficult to recover or retrieve. This article discusses how romantic love has been celebrated in works of magical realism in Asia that have evolved to include a range of emotions, political resistance (and questioning state authority and authoritarian personalities), fantasy, delusion, illusion, and fiction. One of the most pronouncedly celebrated works on magical realism was Gabriel Garca Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera (1985) (1), which was about patience, perseverance, and emotional endurance. It is a frequent reminder of the need to preserve the memory of the object of one’s love, as it appears to be the only way to ensure that the dead never die. Three years later, Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (1988) (2) analysed censorship and religious violence in India (and Pakistan), but incurred the wrath of religious fundamentalists in Iran. Gabriel Garca Márquez’s work was translated from Spanish to English and another 56 languages; it became so influential that many scholars used to believe that magical realism originated from Latin America and from the work of Gabriel Garca Márquez. Others believed that it was from several other Latin American scholars, including George Borges. Before Márquez and Borges, western European scholars said that magical realism originated in Germany between 1919 and 1933, i.e., the Neue Schlockiest (or Post-Expressionist) interwar years, in the work of art critic and historian Franz Roh. Neue Schlockiest represented a new but unsettling depiction of a society devastated by war. But this claim is not entirely accurate, as there are other, much earlier claims. Nevertheless, for purposes of this article, magical realism began in Latin America and Mexico, most notably with the work of Gabriel Garca Márquez, who would eventually win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. This article is particularly partial to the influences of Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera (1985) (1), which pedestalizes the memory of being devoted to the object of first love and the fragility of life. In one sense, the confusion, massacres, and plagues of Márquez’s narrative reveal the decadent human desire to plot, plan, and massacre fellow human beings, as we are naturally driven by a God-given desire to destroy the things that we create. Exactly as God does to man, the article asks us to think about the literature of Asian magical realism in general and of Southeast Asian magical realism in particular. What patterns can be gleaned from a brief survey of how magical realism works in Southeast Asia, and what can those patterns tell us about our strengths and desires within streams of consciousness?

The Constitution of Kenya 2010, Kenya Vision 2030, and many international commitments that Kenya is party to obligate the government to deliver decent, affordable, accessible, and quality housing for all Kenyans. Since independence, many strategies to fast-track housing development have been explored with mixed results. The annual housing demand stands at 250,000 units, with only 50,000 being developed through public and private means, hence a deficit of 200,000 units. Application of public-private partnerships (PPPs) models has been projected as the most appropriate strategy through which affordable housing can be availed in the country. PPPs address the problems related to inadequate capital, expertise, managerial, and technological applications that hinder the effective development of affordable urban housing. The study’s main focus was to evaluate the applicability of PPPs in the development of affordable urban housing. The study used the Delphi methodology of investigation, which uses iteration and building consensus to arrive at group decisions. Three Delphi rounds that involved 88 persons in three panels comprised of housing practitioners, housing financiers, and developers. It was found out during the first round that 95.5% of the panelists observed that PPPs can be utilized in the development of affordable urban housing, and 4.5% stated that they believed that PPPs may be inappropriate for the sector. It was also found out that configuring and positioning public and private players’ concerns regarding PPP models increases its applicability in the development of affordable urban housing. The main conclusion from the study is that PPP models are appropriate for the development of affordable urban housing.

After agriculture, microenterprises are a major economic segment that provides large employment opportunities. According to the 2021–2021 annual report for MSMEs [micro, small, and medium enterprises], there were 630.52 lakhs of microenterprises, 1076.19 lakhs of people gained employment opportunities, and 30.27% to India’s GDP came from these microenterprises. Microfinance is the tool to reduce poverty and income inequality and to provide financial services for self-employment opportunities to underprivileged citizens in both rural and urban areas. To promote gender equality and entrepreneurial spirit, it is necessary to finance women’s empowerment. PMMY [Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana] and MUDRA [Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd.] by the Government of India aims at providing financial support to the NCSBS [Non-Corporate Small Business Sector]. Usually these sectors operate as unregistered enterprises and are not covered under taxation, and they face a lack of financial support from banks and other financial institutions. MSE borrower accounts stood at 5.37 crore rupees, with a financial support of 32.14 crore rupees as of 2021– 2022. MUDRA provides refinance to microenterprises through various financial institutions like private sector banks, public sector banks, co-operatives, and MFIs [Micro Finance Institutions]. This article aims to understand the background of MUDRA Yojana, the activities covered, the schemes under MUDRA Yojana, and the overall performance of MUDRA Yojana in financing women entrepreneurs in India. MUDRA has come up with various digital supports that enable the entrepreneurs to access various financial needs.

The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a worldwide partnership’s urgent call to action for all nations, developed or developing. While it is practically impossible to accommodate the entire goals in a single research paper, this study focused on Goals 3 and 11 through a qualitative evaluation of motorists’ response to an antidrunk driving media campaign in Southeast, Nigeria. Using the protection motivation theory and the Extended Parallel Process Model as the theoretical framework, this study investigated motorists’ exposure, knowledge, and compliance as well as factors (if any) that inhibit compliance to the campaign by adopting focus group discussions and an in-depth interview as the research methods. Findings revealed that the motorists were exposed and had knowledge of the campaign; however, these indices did not translate into total compliance on their part with the campaign messages. Therefore, for an effective response, the campaign needs to be evaluated in line with its messages, design/packaging, channels of delivery, and measures of enforcement to be adopted.

Every person has the fundamental right to be free from all forms of discrimination, regardless of gender, age, class, status, ethnicity, color, handicap, religious or political convictions, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. This study aims to determine whether the sexual orientation and gender identity and expression Equality Bill is perceived to be helpful by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community members. Every student should feel comfortable in school, but the reality is that bullying and prejudice affect LGBTQ students far too frequently, making it difficult for them to learn. The researchers used qualitative research design, which is a method used in studying human behavior, opinions, themes, and motivation. The researchers used this method because they are interested in making an inference based on the LGBTQ community’s perspective on the SOGIE Equality Bill, so gathering as much data as possible for later analysis is critical. The hypothesis was accepted according to the researchers’ information gathered from the respondents. Based on the news and the answers of the respondents, they are in favor of the implementation of the sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill. They stated that our country needs an entire bill for LGBTQ members to lessen and eliminate discrimination.

Like Dolce and Gabbana, Giles Deleuze and Félix Guattari were at one point the most fashionable of left-leaning Western European intellectuals. This paper invokes several of their most accessible and logically appealing pieces and weaves them into a simplified, complex comprehension that is neither simplistic nor superfluous.

In recent times, there has been a remarkable change in the world regarding how news and information are circulated through digital technologies. This article assessed the social relevance of mass communication in the digital communication era. This study was anchored on the technological determinism theory. A survey research design was adopted for data collection. A sample size of 385 was drawn at random from the population of 3,267,837. It was found that (66.8%) respondents said that mass communication is efficient in the digital communication era, (48.8%) respondents said that mass communication is effective because of their news localization in this digital communication era, (66.8%) respondents maintained that digital communication has influence in news reporting because of its global reach in this digital communication era, (27.6%) respondents said that mass communication has the pace for wide reach in this digital communication era, and (26.3%) respondents, which is the majority, said that digital technologies aid mass communication to carry out investigations in this digital communication era. Some of the recommendations are: Journalists should always be abreast of news events in society and not report stale news. Journalists should also get breaking news from social media and other digital or virtual-enabled platforms and carry out investigations for more details before reporting the news. Media houses should strive to employ staff with more skills on how to explore virtual or digital technologies to enable them to be updated with events.

Service quality is a measure that indicates to what extent an organization delivers or provides service to its customers against the customers’ expectations. Service quality has been studied by many researchers, who have developed varied models to assess the service quality of a firm or business. This paper, being a conceptual paper, aims to review a few well-known service quality models and also give a gist of a few service quality models specifically developed for fast food restaurants. It also throws light on the disruptive technologies existing in the fast food restaurant industry. In the study, it was found that no single model can assess the service quality of all businesses in all circumstances. Models have to be modified or new models have to be developed based on the hour and environment. Technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, automation, etc., help enhance the service quality of a fast food restaurant.

This narrative case study report will focus on an intentional community (Lakeside, Ohio) that seeks to promote interreligious respect. It is posited that this interreligious respect is both directly expressed via community programming and indirectly expressed via normative community structures. This kind of community can serve as a model for other types of settings. The thesis statement for this report stresses that the Lakeside Chautauqua promotes interreligious respect through its defined community and programming. A fundamental premise is that in a diverse society such as we have in the United States, it is imperative that we have foundations for our varied religious perspectives to peacefully co-exist and, ideally, appreciate each other.

The research paper “Employee satisfaction in an NGO working in the educational sector in Mumbai” aims to throw light on the fact that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have risen as a lucrative career option, especially for the youths of the nation. NGOs do not only tend to support the government by working for the welfare of the people and especially for the deprived, and along with that, they are transforming into a sector that tackles the problem of unemployment by hiring young and creative minds with a will to do work for social causes. By offering a lucrative salary and a good work environment, NGOs provide a livelihood to people, and hence the employees gain an extraordinary experience of providing quality service at a subsidized or free rate and hence helping people gain equal status.

The current research work hinges on the variation, birth, and death of some slang expressions in the Onitsha environment. Slang expression is a language style that has various definitions, but one common thing about these definitions is that slang is an informal expression used during an informal communication. Due to its informal nature, variation, birth, and death do occur and that is the crux of this study. Over the years, some researchers have carried out research on slang expressions and some of them rooted their research on the Igbo slang. This spurred the quest to look at the variation, birth, and death of some slang expressions in the Onitsha environment. Data for this work were sourced from the students and the residents of Onitsha. The research portrayed that there are variations in some slang expressions that express female body structure endowment, beauty/handsomeness, sex drive, short of words deeds, and smoking–the birth of new slang expressions, which is the cause of slang variation and the death of slang expressions. The research has it that some of these slang expressions originate from some of the Igbo contemporary songs. Finally, Holmes’ (1) idea that slang expressions are specifically for the young people is not applicable in the Onitsha environment because slang expressions are used by both young and old. In fact, it is gradually becoming a way of communication among people.

Even though it is a common occurrence in nature, human collaboration is superior to that of all other species in terms of the scope and variety of cooperative actions. The emergence of collaboration is not a recent phenomenon that is influenced by culture. People have followed tradition and culture since the dawn of human civilization. For a common goal, they both live and work in groups. In Sudurpashchim province, there are a lot of customs and distinct civilizations. However, they are not presented in writing. The traditional cultures are being marginalized by the idea of modernization and a focus on the various or imported cultures of people in this region. In order to protect the identity of these cultures, we have to bring them out and apply them as the previous time.

In India, the travel industry is expanding quickly, and more people are using technology to make online transactions easier. This has caused technology and trip planning to become increasingly entwined. According to studies conducted all around the world, contemporary travellers need interactive features, superior travel assistance, product details and pertinent details to help them make decisions. Because travellers evaluate their experiences based on the impression they have of a place after their journey, online travel reviews are also a good predictor of a location’s post-visit destination image (DI) (González-Rodrguez et al. 2016; Park et al. 2007). The purpose of this study is to find out customers’ experience using travel review sites that impact the travel industry. The advancements in technology have had a significant impact on the travel and tourism sector, as they have on many other service-based businesses. This research paper also examines Indian clients’ preference, usage and satisfaction level with online review sites. In this study, Airbnb, Goibibo, Oyo, Yatra, MakeMyTrip and Cleartrip customer reviews are analyzed using Wordcloud and sentiment analysis, and therefore, conclusions are made based on that. The study concludes that ill-defined situations caused by travel firms are impacting customer satisfaction levels. However, it is concluded that consumers place less satisfaction on travel sites due to various reasons.

This study is about the failure of sociology as a discipline and the evolution of its failure from a Neo Marxist perspective since the time of Nietzsche until the postmodern turn. The Berlin Wall was the metaphor for western Neo Marxism and Neo Marxist theory. This study makes use of how the Frankfurt School tried to salvage the namesake of Sociology only to fail as the Berlin Wall collapsed in 1989. The study concludes with the incipient nature of sociology as a discipline and how its seeds of destruction were already embedded at the time of its origin.

This research article was an exploratory research study entitled, “Perception analysis on passenger’s attitudes toward home baggage check-in: revamping the aviation experience.” It was intended to study the passengers’ attitudes toward the home baggage check-in system and to reinvent the aviation experience. The overall passenger experience at the airport is cumbersome and time-consuming. The passenger not only has to arrive early but also has to go through a lot of security check-in procedures. But with a home baggage check-in system, one can avoid going through all this trouble and it also consumes less time and is very safe. Home baggage check-in is an emerging concept of home or hotel delivery and pickup service. One has to book a luggage pick-up slot online, hand their bags over after passing through Customs, and the bags will be delivered to their home, business or hotel, or the destination airport leaving them hassle-free. With Home check-in, one can avoid the usual check-in queues at the airport and head straight to the gate. While collecting the luggage, the agent will weigh the bags at the passenger’s home before they are checked in, so if they need to pay for extra baggage – or take anything out of their luggage – they can simply arrange it there and then. After checking – in the baggage, the agent will hand over the boarding pass with the instructions. One can even reserve their seat on board to make sure that they sit close to the people they are traveling with. The collected bags will be kept safe and secure before they are loaded on the flight, and the passengers will be kept up-to-date with SMS notifications letting them know exactly where their bags are at every step of their journey. The objective of the research was to compare the typical baggage check-in system and the home baggage check-in system, to analyze the passengers’ attitudes toward the home baggage check-in system, and to revise the aviation experience. In this study, the total sample size consisted of 150 participants. The tools used for data collection were personal data sheets and questionnaires on the passengers’ attitudes toward home baggage check-in. The collected data were classified, tabulated, assessed, and further analyzed. The results showed that almost every participant was extremely satisfied with the idea of introducing home baggage check-in services but was dissatisfied and unwilling to pay the extra amount charged by the airline for availing of the home baggage check-in service.

For as long as political theory and political philosophy have existed time immemorial, the concept of the hero has not been adequately treated. Although this appears to be the case, the surface does not reveal the entire truth, and fact does not fit fiction. The concept of the hero in political theory has existed indirectly. The concept of the hero and hero-worship has been applied to all walks of life and all forms of fiction, fantasy, and reality. This study explains the evolution of the concept of the hero in terms of Western philosophy and focuses on how it has evolved over the centuries. There can be no hero without the anti-hero and no victory without defeat.

For at least 700 years, the ancient Siamese and modern Thai people have been conducting funerals. These often end with the cremation of the body. The length of the Buddhist wake depends on the social status of the deceased and his or her wealth. Also, for the descendants of the Tai speakers across Southeast Asia, the words and phrases used in ancient Siamese funerals and modern Thai ones have been deeply intertwined with Tai language, Standard Thai Language, Buddhist rites, and Theravada Buddhist scripture from the Pali canon. The objective of this paper is to convey a narrative snapshot of the nature of Thai funerals as they are practiced today via personal experiences and the existing scholarship by local and farang academics. The paper concludes with the meanings that have come to attach themselves to the fascinating world of modern Thai funerals.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how teaching materials are used in senior secondary schools in Anambra state to facilitate effective data processing and instruction for respondents. The study employed a survey methodology. A total of 120 instructors and 18 pupils made up the 138 respondents who took part in the study’s sample, which was employed in the analysis. A four-part questionnaire that was self-created was the study’s primary tool. The instrument has been validated. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22 was used to extract the data gathered from the respondents from the Google form and conduct the analysis. In order to determine the frequency and proportion of the entire population, the researcher employed descriptive analysis. Based on the analysis of the data collected, the researcher found that learning data processing becomes easier with the use of instructional materials. It was concluded that instructional materials have a greater advantage to the teacher and respondents. This study contributes to the existing literature on educational technology integration in Nigeria and specifically highlights the need for improved utilization of teaching resources for data processing education. By shedding light on the current state of affairs in Anambra state’s senior secondary schools, the findings of this study can inform policymakers, school administrators, and educators on the effectiveness of instructional materials in teaching and learning data processing.

Since the People’s Action Party (PAP) came into power in 1959, there has been a series of tensions and tussles between the Chinese educated in their vernacular and the western-trained Chinese, whose own mother tongue is Chinese but who embrace western values such as liberty and western religion. The Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools in Singapore – for example, Hwa Chong Institution and Catholic High School – were introduced in 1979 and remain the result of an elite education system built to ensure that there remains a core of Chinese-educated elites in Singapore who are educated at the first language levels in English and in Mandarin (Putonghua). This is to offset the balance between the dominant English-educated Chinese and the Chinese-educated Chinese in Singapore. Several problems are associated with the SAP schools, which are analyzed in this study. This study concludes with the power of Kuan Yew Lee and his PAP and provides several possible solutions to the SAP school problem and how they may be fixed over the short term for all Singaporeans alike. Raffles Institution, Anglo-Chinese School, and St. Joseph’s Institution have long histories in Singapore but are not SAP schools, thus proving that SAP schools may not even be necessary in the first place in the globalized world.

What does Conservatism mean? In ancient times, it often referred to ensuring as less political change as possible. This paper examines the conservative story of Qi and Loo. Both were at war. Both States were of similar size but had different levels of resources. The State of Qi had bountiful assets and chattels. There were many temples and shrines as well as deep water wells in its territory. The State of Loo had fewer resources, but the people were obedient and hardworking. The leaders of Qi focused on amassing wealth, self-aggrandization, and a powerful army and navy. They ensured that their children and relatives had the best education and best facilities in health and housing. This would safeguard the future of Qi and help groom a new generation of leaders. The State of Loo had few resources and the people struggled every day to survive: it was a Spartan experience. This article examines the Seven Laws of Conservatism in the fictional States of Qi and Loo based on the records from the non-fictional Cambridge University Chinese Collections. Summary of Research Methods: This is a theoretical exploration based on the non-fictional Cambridge University Chinese Collections. The method involves a historical analysis of the two ancient Chinese states of Qi and Loo in terms of the purported Seven Laws of Conservatism. The framework for analysis uses these seven laws to analyze the politics, governance, military, agriculture, political leadership, customs, and people of the two states.

Funerals in Japan are always a highly serious and solemn affair. Japanese funerals whether they are ancient or modern are always official activities with ancient traditional practices. Often, there are no bells, whistles, drums, or fanfare. The only exception is when the Japanese Shinto Buddhist priest beats a single and mournful drum. In 1867, Emperor Komei died and it took over a month to get him buried. This was because of political upheaval and other intervening requirements. When Emperor Meiji died in July 1912, the courtiers also had to go through several weeks of preparation before the onset of public mourning. Naturally, mourning by the immediate royal family members always took precedence. Later, when Emperor Taisho’s funeral had to take place, it also took 1 month of rituals and preparations before public mourning could commence. Taisho’s funereal activities followed Emperor Meiji’s funeral model. Japanese funerals were also costly in the past as they are today. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a single Japanese funeral would cost at least US$30,000 compared to a few thousand in Singapore and other Asian states. Funerals are even cheaper in Europe and North America. In Japan, each person or family attending a funeral wake would have to present to the widow or widower a cash gift of a few 100,000 yen. This cash gift is called koden. Japanese funeral rites are part of a set of clearly defined rituals that reflect the nature of the society and the status or class of the deceased. This article focuses on the important aspects of Japanese Shinto-Buddhist funeral rites.

Summary: Democracy is an alien concept to Thailand. This study analyzes the possibilities for democratic action in the kingdom using a 7-question framework for analysis. The study concludes with the prospects for democracy in the kingdom. Summary of method: The framework for analyzing democracy in Southeast Asia has seven questions as follows: (1) Are there regularly held elections that are free and fair in the country? (2) Are there external or foreign observers of the elections? (3) Are the ballot boxes stuffed openly or secretly? (4) Are the voters bribed in any way before or during the elections? (5) Is the vote secret? (6) Are there secret police operating beyond the law? (7) Are there Opposition parties that can freely take part in elections with low barriers to entry? The study uses two main original tables to record the history of grassroots activism and General Elections since 1969 and supplement the framework.

Democracy is a Western concept without roots in Asia in general and Vietnam in particular. There are several reasons why Vietnam might be a prospective democracy: (1) its capitalist economy is worth US$371 billion in 2022; (2) the number of civil society associations has risen in Vietnam since 1990. There are increasing signs that space for civil society is opening up; and (3) there are isolated cases where democratic actions have occurred in Vietnam. This article explains why democracy faces significant challenges in Vietnamese late modernity. It uses a seven-question democratic framework to determine the existence of democracy in Southeast Asia. Framework for analysis: The framework for analyzing democracy in Southeast Asia with seven questions is as follows: (1) Are there regularly held elections that are free and fair in the country? (2) Are there external or foreign observers of the elections? (3) Are the ballot boxes stuffed openly or secretly? (4) Are the voters bribed in any way before or during the elections? (5) Is the vote secret? (6) Are there secret police operating beyond the law? and (7) Are there opposition parties that can freely take part in elections with low barriers to entry?

In the face of ever-ongoing war activities all over the world throughout time, such as in Ukraine as a victim of Russian aggression since February 24, 2022, it behooves us to explore parts of the historical discourse on war and peace once again as we are all directly impacted by it in ideological, religious, emotional, political, and materialeconomic terms. One of the most important spokespersons for peace in the pre-modern world was the Humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam, who had major insights to proffer that are relevant to us as well. This article examines some of his concepts through a close reading of several of his treatises and endeavors to highlight their relevance for us today and even beyond the traditional academic discourse. This study is embedded in a wider context concerning dictatorship, hypocrisy of Christians, virtues and vices, and ethics as discussed in early-sixteenth century Humanist circles, but it is really dedicated to the timeless question of what war means in practical terms, why peace is so precious, and also why it is so tenuous in light of shortcomings of the entire humankind.

Tomato, pepper, and onion have been widely used for meal preparation and consumption. However, post-harvest loss is a significant obstacle to the production of tomatoes, onions, and peppers in Nigeria. The shelf life of these veggies has to be extended in a secure and affordable method. Any technique for product storage and preservation that promotes the use of affordable, locally accessible materials and ensures that product quality is unchanged for a long time should be used. This paper examines the processing and preservation of homemade tomato, pepper, and onion paste for combating household food wastage and economic sustainability. Specifically, this study aimed at processing tomato, pepper, and onion into a paste, preserving the paste for 7 months at room temperature, preparing stew from both fresh and preserved paste, and also evaluating the sensory attributes of both fresh and preserved paste and stew. Two research questions and two hypotheses served as the study’s guidelines. A total of 35 lecturers made up the population, and 15 lecturers were chosen as the sample. Data for the study were gathered using a nine-point Hedonic Scale rating questionnaire. The findings were presented as mean values, and the hypothesis was tested using the t-test. The significant differences were accepted at P = 0.05. Sensory evaluation revealed that there were no significant differences between the preserved and fresh paste and also no significant between the preserved paste stew and the fresh paste stew at P = 0.05. Processing and preservation of homemade tomato, pepper, and onion paste should be practiced in Nigeria, especially by homemakers. This will reduce the amount of domestic wastage of vegetables and reduce the amount of family resources spent on these vegetables during scarcity.

The study focused on strategic employee safety at the University of Nigeria, in response to coronavirus ailment 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Data for the study were drawn from direct observation, questionnaires, and secondary sources. The study’s sampled population consisted of selected 147 respondents. The qualitative data obtained were analyzed using the frequency and percentages. The study revealed that the most common employee safety equipment deployed by the University management to protect employees from the novel COVID-19 pandemic was the provision of sanitizing hand rub dispensers and the display of posters promoting information on COVID-19 pandemic. The study recommended among others that academic and administrative staff should ensure their own safety by staying abreast of guidance from government and health agencies on how to reduce person-to-person contact because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Various naturally occurring neolithic pieces of evidence in the Tutuala caves date back almost 50,000 years and provide strong evidence of an early hunter-gatherer society of small kingdoms with shared clannish marital arrangements and land use. Javanese and some Chinese traders around the 13th century profited from the export and sale of sandalwood, bee honey, honeycombs, and beeswax. Almost 300 years would pass before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th and 17th centuries after the sacking and destruction of Muslimheld Malacca. It was the Portuguese conquerors who introduced coffee plantations, cane sugar, and cotton plantations. While the Catholic missionaries from the Portuguese colonies of Goa in India helped spread that faith, most of the primary socio-economic and political activities tended to be littoral by design. In spite of attempts to convert the locals to Catholicism, many of the animistic practices of the Timorese were preserved and remain unchanged till 2023. Compared to Goa and other Indian ports, the early medieval towns and ports of Timor were backward and pre-modern in nature. The intention of this paper is to consider the fact that in the absence of democratic roots in Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, this paper nevertheless highlights the main obstacles for democratic growth in Timor in late modernity by using a seven-question democratic framework.

Can Myanmar ever become a genuine democracy? It appears that ever since the exit of the British forces in the post-WWII era, any form of genuine democracy remains an impossible dream for that naturally wealthy regime. Democracy does not appear to be synonymous with Burma or what is now called Myanmar. On August 27, 2023, the Myanmar Junta expelled Timor-Leste’s ambassador over allegations of authoritarianism, calling the locallybased anti-coup shadow government a sham. The two Southeast Asian states have been at loggerheads since early 2021 due to widespread clashes in Naypyidaw over the National Unity Government (NUG) [(1):746]. The Southeast Asian nations have been locked in a crisis since the Myanmar military seized power (again) in February 2021 after another failed (and mostly public) experiment with democracy that had led to widespread political violence. The official Myanmar news agencies that remain the voice of the junta have condemned the anti-coup demonstrations. Most ASEAN states-Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei– have failed to attempt to broker any compromise that could solve the problem. Only Thailand and Timor-Leste have attempted to resolve the political violence. Jakarta tends to remain “neutral” or uncommitted to any arguments over Timor-Leste (and in this case the expulsion of the Timor-Leste Ambassador to Myanmar in late August 2023) because Indonesia (under Suharto) had not only annexed Timor-Leste under Suharto but also was committed to the widespread use of political violence and other human rights’ atrocities by the Indonesian Special Forces (Kopassus) against the largely peaceful Catholics and Christians under former rebel leader Xanana Gusmao. The current crisis Napidydaw now faces invites many human rights observers and Amnesty International advocates to raise questions about Myanmar’s poor record since the British left after the post-WWII era. The paper attempts to explain why democracy remains a problem in Myanmar. It uses a seven-question democratic framework to determine feasibility of democracy in Myanmar today.

The problem of unemployment among youths has remained unabated. This has cast doubt on the methods of instruction by lecturers. This study takes a critical review of some of the previous studies with an emphasis on employment statistics and employability skills (ES). The paper identifies the basic elements of ES and the latest statistics on youth unemployment in Africa, particularly Nigeria. The aim is to sensitize education managers of higher institutions in Nigeria about the danger inherent in turning out graduates massively without the corresponding skills to match them adequately with the world of work. Findings show that there is a persistent rise in the rate of youth unemployment because what the schools offer is not compliant with the labor market demand. The resulting skills played a significant role in increasing unemployment among tertiary education graduates. Therefore, the higher education curriculum needs to be modified to reflect the skills required by employers.

The purpose of this report is to interpret processes that transpired at the Unitarian Universalist 2023 General Assembly using the lens of historical polity and to do so as an operations management case study. I believe a fundamental venue for addressing such phenomena is to focus on the Unitarian Universalist Association Organizational Chart as it serves as a foundation for what transpired at the June 21–25, 2023 Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly. The Unitarian Universalist Association Organizational Chart provides context for much of what transpired in that it frames the manner of approach that is practiced.

The economy of India cannot accomplish the objective of sustainable economic development until or unless it can put a generous sum into human resources. Education is a fundamental factor in development. It does not just improve the personal satisfaction of an individual, yet, addition, it improves the social advantage of the public. The motivation behind this examination is to discover how public expenditures on education can improve the economic and social state of the society in India. Regardless, the issue is whether further developed levels of education come about on the ground of education to craft skill artisans in small industries like giving digital training or digital education to Indian traditional artisans that may compete with the global handicraft sector. For the development of the handicraft sector, a separate global handicraft index has also been developed by the Indian scholar to give positive competition and advance new education to an artisan of global craft, and that more education spending can advance economic growth is yet sketchy. A few economic and social analysts and researchers have maintained the two-sided connectivity between these two factors, yet some are recommending that economic growth essentially animates the government to spend more on education, not the substitute way. The research question of this study is “do education and expenditures on education get economic and social advancement?” Considering this research issue, the current study utilizes Granger causality methods to conclude the causal connection between the government’s education spending and socioeconomic development in India for the period 1972–2021. Results uncovered that there is no short-run causality between government expenditure on education and socioeconomic growth, yet economic growth influences public spending on education. This provides guidelines to the new education policy (NEP) makers that they should prioritize their attention toward allocation of development and non-development expenditures of the government’s budget to enhance the quality of education and welfare of individuals in the society. Special focus should be given to compulsory primary education, which is already a part of sustainable development goals.

As per the Human Development Report 2021–2022, the nature of human development is different across various nations of the world. This study tries to analyze the status across nations of South Asia. To analyze the status, secondary data have been collected from the UNDP website for human development. The analysis is done using simple statistical tools such as percentages and mean, and the results are presented using tables and diagrams. It is observed that among the various nations, Afghanistan and Pakistan are underdeveloped as compared to the others, although the South Asian region is in a moderate state. Some countries such as Maldives and Sri Lanka are highly human-developed. However, the public expenditure on health and education in the South Asian region is less than in the other regions. Hence, the countries of this region are unable to perform well in human development. There fore, it is recommended that countries of South Asia need to enhance investment in health, education, and food security so that countries can perform well in human development.

The Balkans has a long history drenched in turmoil. Kosovo’s independence has been part of that historical context. As such, it is framed by the long-standing religious conflict between the Albanian Moslems and Serbian Christians. Both claim to have historically established claims to Kosovo. This document will stress how the story of Tamar’s birth of twin sons in Genesis 38: 2730 mirrors the re-birth of Kosovar’s independence in 2008. Tamar’s twin sons Perez and Zerah were born under confusing circumstances whereby the question of which son was born first posed two different interpretations. Similarly, both the Albanian Moslems and the Serbian Christians have asserted the first claim over Kosovo based on different interpretations of the historical record regarding who first occupied that land.

The research examined the advantages of entrepreneurial abilities on the level of motivation among chemistry students. A null hypothesis and five research questions served as the study’s frameworks. The target audience was made up of students studying chemistry from 26 secondary schools that are publicly owned in the Otuocha education zone of Anambra State. The study employed a survey design. A sample of 200 SS2 chemistry students was randomly selected without replacement. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing items related to the benefits of entrepreneurial skills on the motivation level of chemistry students. The researcher created a four-point rating system for the questionnaire’s 25 items. Two measurement and assessment specialists from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, which is located in Awka, approved the device. Utilizing the Cronbach alpha technique, the instrument’s internal consistency was assessed, yielding a coefficient of confidence of 0.82. To answer the study questions, the data were evaluated using the standard deviation and mean, and the z-test with a significance threshold of 0.05 was used to test the null hypothesis. The results revealed that the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills improves learning and provides opportunities for skill development among chemistry students, thereby influencing their level of motivation. Female students derived more benefits from entrepreneurial skills than their male counterparts, leading to enhanced motivation in learning chemistry. When it came to the advantages of having entrepreneurial abilities on students’ levels of desire to learn chemistry, there was no discernible disparity between male and female students. The identified problems included a lack of materials for acquiring entrepreneurial skills and insufficient funding. In conclusion, the findings suggest that collaborative efforts between the government and educational institutions are necessary to provide the required infrastructure that facilitates the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills.

Today, abundance of information is available on the Internet due to the technology revolution which has evolved the way consumers make their purchase decisions. Marketers are always interested in studying the behavior of consumers. Millennials are the biggest segment in India demographically and comprise 47% of the working population. Social media exerts a powerful influence on the behavior of consumers. This study aims to study the influence of social media on different stages of the buying behavior of millennials, identify the most popular social media site among the millennials and also identify the purpose of using social media among them. A cross-sectional descriptive study is carried out using a standard structured questionnaire consisting of Likertscale questions. The questionnaire was administered through Google Form. SPSS v26 was used to analyse the results. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test the reliability of the scale, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation and regression analysis. The study found that social media ads seem to be influencing the millennials in their buying decisions and the reviews on various platforms have a major influence on their purchase behavior.

School feeding programs play a crucial role in addressing malnutrition and improving educational outcomes among school-age children. This study covered children’s perceptions of the school-based meal and changes in their diet. The study examined how a state-sponsored school feeding program was influenced by gender and the location of the school. Two research topics and two hypotheses guided the studies. In this study, the Diet Diversifications and Pupil’s Attitudes Scale (DDPAS) was used as a tool to collect data. Face validation of the instrument was performed by four professionals, including a test and measurement assessment lecturer and three from the vocational education department. The reliability indices of DDPAS were calculated using Cronbach’s alpha (a). The instruments were administered through a direct delivery and retrieval method. A total of 1,200 learners and 58 educators were chosen based on a systematic random sampling approach. To achieve the study objectives, descriptive and inferential statistics were deployed in the analysis of the data obtained. The main findings of this study revealed that pupils had a positive attitude toward the feeding program, particularly regarding the taste of the food provided. The findings from this study have implications for policymakers, educators, and nutritionists involved in the design and implementation of school feeding programs. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on school feeding programs and offer practical recommendations for improving their nutritional impact and overall acceptance among pupils.

The world today is maligned by the constant urge to differentiate between the “them” and “us.” This differentiation is particularly based on one’s cultural background which legitimizes the process of marginalization. It is the most unchallenging way of simplifying a deep-rooted prejudice. Talking about the “popular” in the global space, the burning issue of the day can be nothing but Islamophobia. The “othering” of Muslims and branding them as perpetrators of violence has become a norm of the masses who delve little into the broader spectrum of identity based on one’s religious practice. The frequent terrorist activities carried out in the name of Allah, has streamlined terrorism to only one rationale, that is, Islam. The result of which is that all Muslims are categorized as violent, destructive beings. This paper seeks to break this fallacy of Islam being the only reason behind terrorism. Incidents of terror attacks, suicide bombings and so on have clearly highlighted that the terrorists call upon the name of “Allah” for doing such disgraceful things. Little do we think that it’s a political ploy garbed under the veil of Islam. In this paper I will try to depict the misnomer of considering all Muslims as a threat against mankind. Emphasis will be laid on the fact that majority of the Muslim population are themselves victims of such terrorist activity and just like the rest, are strongly fighting against this global evil. Varied interpretations of the Qur’an by disparate individuals have led to such aberrant reading and notions like “Islamophobia.” Terrorism has no religion. Therefore, if indeed the concept of “othering” must be used then it should be for terrorism and not Muslims in general.

This paper presents a new conceptual framework known as the “success-route,” explaining its crucial function in attaining success. The authors examine the core elements of this framework, offering insights into goal definition, the “success-route” to achievement, potential distractions, and critical personality qualities that support achieving goals. To improve understanding, a thorough description of the process path is provided, covering everything from inspiration to achievement. The essential significance of the “success-route” in traversing this relationship is highlighted, emphasizing the fundamental link between motivation and effective goal setting. This approach not only improves comprehension of the relationship between motivation and achievement but also increases success rates by bringing individual passions into line. This meticulously crafted “success-route” serves as a guide, imparting valuable lessons on overcoming inadequacies and empowering individuals on their journey toward success.