Children's right to participate in judicial and administrative matters that affect them is perhaps the most frequently overlooked children's right, globally. This research was a descriptive study of what exists with regard to children's participation, at the Office of the Family Advocate, when parents divorce. The methods of data collection used included a content analysis (quantitative method) a focus group interview (qualitative method) and review of the literature and legislation. The content analysis involved analyzing the data of forty case files involving disputed cases, according to a content analysis schedule. The focus group interview was conducted with family advocates and family counselors and focused on various factors that facilitate or impede children's participation at the enquiry. The data obtained was analyzed manually and presented in the form of pie charts, tables, discussions and quotes. From the content analysis the researcher found that most children had definite views regarding their future care. One of the factors that hinder children's participation at the enquiry is the fact that not all enquiries are conducted using the team approach. The research also indicates that the adversarial nature of divorce proceedings impact negatively on children's participation and a more conciliatory approach would prove more child-centered. The focus group interview indicates that the professionals involved have positive attitudes towards children's views and participation in the enquiry. Children's expressed wishes are considered in conjunction with other factors such as the bond between parent and child, and the suitability of the parent. The focus group participants made various suggestions with regard to ensuring a more child centered approach regarding children's participation. The researcher presented the major findings, together with recommendations for future research at the end of the study. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

This thesis consists of a critical edition of the first volume of Mukhtaṣar Jāmi' al-Uṣūl by Abu Ja’far al-Marwazi al-Astarabadi, made from the only known MS, preserved in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. Use has also been made in the edition of the published text of the work abridged by al-Astarabadi, Ibn al-Athir’s Jāmi' al-Uṣūl, and the canonical works of h'adith cited by the two authors. The Arabic text occupies Part two of the thesis. Part one comprises the introduction, dealing with the description of the MS, the character of the two works and al-Astarabadi’s purpose, as recorded by him in his preface, in abridging Ibn al-Athir’s work, and his method of doing so. Brief biographies of the two authors are also given; that of al-Astarabadi is necessarily so, since little information concerning him appears in the standard sources. Notes on the edition are also provided, together with the notes on the contents of the work, comprehensive indices and a full bibliography.

As the title indicates, this work has two related objectives. The first is to determine whether the literary conventions of the pesher genre deprive the "historical allusions" of any significance. In other words, do the allusions refer to real events and characters, or are they simply symbols or allegories. The second objective follows closely upon the first. Once the historical nature of the allusions is demonstrated, we proceed to investigate the consequences of that demonstration in one specific area: the identification of the three principal characters: the Wicked Priest, the Teacher of Righteousness and the Liar. This work is divided into three parts: Part One: Literary Genre. This section is devoted to the first objective: to determine whether the pesher allusions are in any way historical. Part Two: Information in the Pesharim. Here we list and interpret the references to the Wicked Priest, the Teacher of Righteousness and the Liar found in the commentaries. Part Three: Identification of the Characters. This final section is dedicated to the identification of the three principal characters. The information collected from the pesharim is arranged and compared to what we know about possible candidates from outside contemporary sources. Part One consists of two chapters. The first (The Problems of History in the Pesharim) spells out the problems involved in historical research based on the pesher allusions: has history been subordinated to literary device, and if so, is it possible to determine the extent of this subordination; are the characters individuals, or are they categories, types or titles. There follows upon this exposition of the question, a brief review of the various theories of identification which have been proposed for the Wicked Priest, the Teacher and the Liar. The second chapter (The Effect of Literary Genre on the Pesharim) answers the questions raised in the previous chapter. After analyzing the content, conventions and finality of the pesharim, we conclude that the allusions must refer to known events and characters. The allusions are too fragmentary and basically uninformative to have any meaning or power to convince, if they did not call to mind people and occasions that were well known to the readers. The fact that the readers necessarily had to be well acquainted with the events involved, if they were to make sense of these allusions, does not allow the author to tamper excessively with the historical narrative. Moreover, the very purpose of the whole exercise would be defeated if the author could both re-interpret the texts and falsify the history. He did not tailor 'history to fit prophecy, but rather strained the meaning of the prophet's words to fit the events of the sect's history. The second part begins with a brief introduction which explains the method we shall follow to work out the identity of the principal characters. We then gather all the passages in the pesharim which name them (principally IQpHab, 4QpPss^a, and 4QpNah.) We consider as well those places in the Damascus Document where the Teacher of Righteousness and the Liar are mentioned. The third part is divided into three chapters. Chapter Five examines the background of the documents: archaeology, paleography, the identity of the Kittim and the Qumran Community, and finally the single, apparently chronological indication to be found in the scrolls: the three hundred and ninety years in the Damascus Document. We then examine the pesher allusions to the Wicked Priest (Chapter Six) and distinguish between those statements which refer to verifiable facts, and those that merely express the hostility and disapproval of the author. By comparing these statements to information in external contemporary sources (Josephus and the Books of Maccabees) we reach the conclusion that the most likely individual to fit the scroll description of the Wicked Priest is Jonathan Maccabaeus. The texts referring to the Liar are subjected to the same scrutiny, but the results are less satisfying. There is, however, a strong possibility, but only a possibility, that the Liar and the Wicked Priest are the same individual. In that case, Liar would be another name for Jonathan Maccabaeus. Finally we analyze the pesher allusions to the Teacher of Righteousness and compare them to what we know from non-Qumran sources (Chapter Seven.) Although there is abundant information about the Teacher's role in the community, his peculiar teaching, and the esteem in which his followers held him, there is little that points towards his personal identity. Similarly, there is too little information in external sources about those individuals who might be the Teacher of Righteousness to allow us more than random guesses. We can only go so far along truly evidential lines: we can determine a certain period, discover a likely candidate for the Wicked Priest and possibly the Liar, and make certain definite exclusions. Anything beyond this enters the realm of pure conjecture.

Subsurface oil and surface seep samples from the Niger Delta Nigeria, Tano and Cape Three Points Basins in Ghana, and the Orcadian Basin in Scotland were analysed using an organic geochemistry approach. Source organofacies, oil thermal maturity and the effect of alteration processes were evaluated, with the aim of developing a better understanding of the origin, nature and type of petroleum present. Biomarker analyses suggested that undegraded oils are found with biodegraded oils with a range of levels of biodegradation in the Niger Delta. On the commonly used Peters and Moldowan scale of biodegradation, the samples rank between PM level 0 and 7. The Ghanaian and Scottish oils and seeps showed a range of biodegradation levels between PM level 2 and 7. Biodegradation appeared to be the major control on the composition and physical properties of the oils and seeps from Niger Delta and Ghana while there is evidence that a stage of water washing was important for the Scottish seeps. Key aspects of the biodegradation process were reflected in the variable occurrence of hopanoids and other biomarkers. 25-Norhopanes were detected in all samples biodegraded in subsurface reservoirs but absent in seeps degraded at surface conditions. This was observed for both the Ghanaian and Nigeria samples. The inverse relationship of hopane to 25- norhopanes in the Niger Delta is presented for the first time. This evidence supports the hypothesis that 25-norhopanes are a product of hopane demethylation. Furthermore a pathway for the formation of 25-norhopane from 25-norhopanoic acid by decarboxylation is evidence by nature of the covariation in relative concentration of these compounds. Seeps from Scotland show that only moderate levels of biodegradation (PM 3) have significantly reduced monoaromatic and triaromatic steroids abundances. The most likely cause for this is by water washing at surface conditions. Reservoir temperature and oil charge histories appeared to have had a significant influence on the extent of biodegradation in the Niger Delta. The late migration of oil from deeper hotter subsurface regions to shallow reservoirs accounts for the presence of undegraded oils amidst the biodegraded oils in the Niger Delta.

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Autor no Autoriza el acceso a texto completo de su documento hasta el 23/4/2020. / Magíster en Gestión y Dirección de Empresas / El presente documento propone la creación de una cadena retail de establecimientos de consumo de té e infusiones que se llamará "Tea & Blends", el cual ofrecerá a sus clientes una gran variedad de mezclas y sabores de té e infusiones herbales/frutales, además de permitirle acompañarlo de algún tipo de alimento saludable como ensaladas, sándwiches, wraps e inclusive postres, brindándole un excelente servicio y experiencia en la ciudad de Santiago de Chile. Este Plan de Negocios contempla el uso de cuatro locales: tres Establecimientos Comerciales ubicados en comunas de gran afluencia de personas (Las Condes, Santiago, y Providencia) para la venta de productos y servicios, y una Oficina Central (Las Condes) desde donde se dirigirán todas las actividades administrativas. "Tea & Blends" ofrece una alternativa saludable y diferente que busca adaptarse a la tendencia actual, no sólo en Chile, sino a nivel mundial en el mercado de Salud y Bienestar . Estas ideas en la búsqueda de un estilo de vida saludable y responsable con el medio ambiente se alinean con el gusto por lo práctico, altos estándares de calidad y la disposición a pagar por productos que faciliten y simplifiquen la vida diaria. La metodología que se plantea a para desarrollar este proyecto se basa en un marco conceptual enfocado hacia las nuevas tendencias y modelos de retail, para lo cual se determinó que eran necesarias 10 etapas, que abordarán desde la elaboración del presente informe, el análisis de la situación actual y todo lo relacionado al establecimiento exitoso de la cadena de "Tea & Blends", contemplando: plan estratégico, estudio de mercado, plan de marketing, operaciones, gestión de personas, evaluaciones económicas, análisis financieros, proyecciones de flujos de caja, plan de implementación, establecimiento de indicadores de control y gestión, conclusiones y recomendaciones, para cerrar finalmente con una presentación final. La propuesta de este plan de negocio se centra en buscar la efectividad empresarial, a través de una inversión rentable que permita ofrecer un producto de calidad, un excelente servicio y un valor diferencial a todos los clientes fieles a la marca. En este sentido el negocio Tea & Blends es viable desde el punto de vista financiero ya que se obtienen utilidades operacionales en el año 3, ganancias netas a partir del año 5 y la recuperación del capital inicial invertido en 7 años. El Valor Actual Neto (VAN) calculado para una proyección de flujos económicos en un período de 10 años y una tasa de descuento asociada al riesgo de la inversión del 20%, es de 478.390.867 pesos con una Tasa Interna de Retorno (TIR) del 35%.

M.A. (Greek) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to make a thematic study of the Books of Haggai and Zechariah 1-6 in order firstly to identify the ways in which classical prophetic methods and traditions are continued and developed in these works and secondly to consider the reasons for any divergence in thought and style. The study is based on the hypothesis that the community of Israel underwent radical change as a result of the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile and that during the restoration period, under Persian rule, fundamental distinctions in theological understanding and the phenomenon of prophecy arose. The thesis contains six major chapters. The first is introductory and considers the composite nature of the books and the possibility of distinguishing and dating the different strata. The second compares the status, authority and roie within the community of Haggai and Zechariah with those of their prophetic predecessors. Chapter three studies the ways in which the prophetic messages were received and transmitted and includes a discussion on the development of angeloiogy. Specific themes which are important in Haggai and Zechariah 1-8 are dealt with in the next three chapters; issues relating to Israel's leadership and ideas of messianism; ideas about divine judgement and punishment upon the nation; and thoughts on the relationships between other nations, Israel and her God. Each of these compares the treatment of the themes with that found in the classical prophetic books and also considers the respective use that is made of other Old Testament material. Conclusions were drawn in each chapter and these have been collated in the short final chapter. The study concluded that Haggai stood firmly in the classical prophetic tradition while Zechariah was more innovative in respect of prophetic method and at times radical in the theological ideas he proclaimed.

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No description available.