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1	Essays on the impact of aid and institutions on income inequality and human welfare Khieu, Samphors 08 June 2015 (has links) Billions of dollars in development aid are sent to developing countries every year. Weak institutions in recipient countries are the main impediments often discussed to prevent aid from reaching the intended targets. At the same time, they also hinder aid effectiveness in improving the lives of the people. This dissertation argues that the impact of aid on income distribution and human welfare in recipient countries differs by their institutional quality. Institutions encompass many different dimensions. This dissertation focuses on: corruption in government, quality of bureaucracy, and the rule of law. This study explores the impact in two essays. The first essay investigates the role of institutions in aid distribution. In particular, we examine the interplay between aid and institutions on income shares of different population groups (measured by income quintiles), and on the gap between the rich and the poor (measured by the Gini coefficient). The study uses Principal Component Analysis to construct an institutional index from the three components: corruption, bureaucratic quality, and the rule of law. Employing Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) methodology on a panel data of 85 countries from 1960 to 2004, this study finds that an increase in aid as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreases the income shares of the poor (quintile 1 and quintile 2), but increases that of the rich (quintile 5), thereby widening the gap between the rich and the poor (Gini coefficient). Contrary to our main hypothesis, though, recipient countries’ institutions do not play any role in aid distribution. Similarly, the second essay also focuses on the importance of recipient institutions, but it assesses aid effectiveness in improving human welfare. The study considers five human development indicators: the Human Development Index (HDI), the health index, the infant mortality rate, the education index, and the average years of schooling. The study empirically tests the hypothesis by utilizing the same methodology as in the first essay, but on a panel of 80 countries from 1980 to 2004. The findings suggest that human welfare in recipient countries improves as aid increases. The improvement appears to be driven more by the health than the education sector. Furthermore, aid is more effective in countries with poorer institutional quality, which is contrary to the hypothesis. However, the results are not consistent when taking into account government’s pro-poor public expenditure. Foreign aid Institutions Income inequality Income distribution Human welfare
2	The Southern Conference for Human Welfare and the Decade of Hope, 1938-1948 Trinh, Huy Q. January 2009 (has links) Thesis advisor: Alan Lawson / Before the Civil Rights Movement began in the mid-1950s, an early movement led by white southern liberals fought for social and economic equality between the races. These men and women defied the stereotypes of bigoted white southerners and gradualist appeasers and challenged the norms and social customs of their region. Unfortunately, their legacy and accomplishments have largely been overshadowed by dramatic events of 1950s and 1960s. This thesis seeks to reexamine their work in view of their courage and unwavering determination to bring justice and equality to the South. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: History Honors Program. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: History. Southern Conference for Human Welfare Clark Foreman James Dombrowski Southern liberals New Deal Civil rights
3	Das glebas aos continentes: um diálogo sobre indicadores socioambientais Peron, Darci 22 April 2010 (has links) Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:29:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3106.pdf: 7811054 bytes, checksum: 6bee0798558607e3c222ef435937aa9b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-04-22 / This study has been carried out in a rural settlement of the Agrarian Reform National Institute Wesly Manoel dos Santos, also known as Gleba Mercedes V, located in the municipal district of Sinop, Mato Grosso. It involves elements for the analysis of Human Welfare of people settled there, through three socio-environmental indicators: the Ecological Footprint, the Human Development Index and the Happiness Index. Based on the case study methodology, this research triangulates quantitative and qualitative data and it uses the following methods: 1- the Ecological Footprint Method through the variables: water consumption, power, fuel and wastes generation; 2- the Happy Planet Index Method, which relates Happiness to the Ecological Footprint, in which the program: Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) has been used, in order to systematize the gathered data; and 3- Method adopted by PNUD to check the Human Development Index, through the variables of longevity, education and health. Through these collected data and the figures found for the three magnitudes: Ecological Footprint, Happiness Index and Human Development Index, we have examined the impacts brought about by the activities put into practice by the inhabitants of that community in the natural environment, life pattern of the inhabitants and their happiness, trying to assess the human welfare condition of the community dwellers, aiming to evaluate the sustainability degree of the referred settlement. Using a previously structured questionnaire we could assess the satisfaction level towards life, which is 5.62 (in a 0 to 10 scale). Based on the Happy Planet Index Method, through the relationship between the local Ecological Footprint and the satisfaction level, we have calculated the Happiness Index of 0.68 (in a 0 to 10 scale). Both the quantitative and the qualitative data have been gathered between January to December, 2008. After the analysis of the results of the Ecological Footprint: 0.433 gha/per capita and the Biocapacity: 6.34 gha/per capita, the settlement can be considered ecologically sustainable and we can say it presents a confirmed ecological superavit. / Este estudo foi realizado num assentamento do Instituto Nacional de Reforma Agrária Wesly Manoel dos Santos, conhecida como Gleba Mercedes V, localizado no município de Sinop, Mato Grosso, envolvendo elementos para análise do Bem-estar Humano dos assentados através de três indicadores socioambientais: Pegada Ecológica (PE), Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano (IDH) e Índice de Felicidade (IF). Com base na metodologia de estudo de caso esta pesquisa triangula dados quantitativos e qualitativos, e vale-se dos métodos: 1) Ecological Footprint Method através das variáveis: consumo de água, energia, combustíveis e geração de resíduos; 2) Método do Índice de Planeta Feliz que relaciona a Felicidade com a Pegada Ecológica, onde usamos o programa Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) para sistematização dos dados coletados; e 3) Método adotado pelo PNUD para se chegar ao IDH através das variáveis de longevidade, educação e saúde. Através dos dados coletados e dos valores encontrados para as três grandezas, PE, IF e IDH, examinamos os impactos causados pelas atividades exercidas pelos habitantes da comunidade no ambiente natural, o padrão de vida de seus habitantes a Felicidade dos mesmos de forma a avaliar a condição de bem-estar humano dos moradores da comunidade . Foram levantados dados históricos, socioeconômicos e ambientais da comunidade, com o objetivo de avaliar o grau de sustentabilidade do assentamento. Através de questionário previamente estruturado foi avaliado o nível de satisfação com a vida que é de 5,62 (numa escala de 0 a 10). Com base no método do Índice de Planeta Feliz, através da relação entre a Pegada Ecológica local e do Nível de Satisfação, foi calculado o IF para os moradores da comunidade que apresenta valores de 64,8 (numa escala de 0 a 100). O IDH do assentamento é de 0,68 (numa escala de 0 a 10). Os dados quantitativos e qualitativos foram coletados entre os meses de janeiro a dezembro de 2008. Através da análise dos resultados da Pegada Ecológica que é de 0,433 gha/per capita e da Biocapacidade, que é de 6,34 gha/ per capita, pode ser considerado que o assentamento apresenta superávit ecológico confirmando que é sustentável ecologicamente. Ecologia Pegada ecológica Qualidade de vida Felicidade Bem-estar humano Ecological footprint Happiness Human welfare CIENCIAS BIOLOGICAS::ECOLOGIA
4	Birds, bats and arthropods in tropical agroforestry landscapes: Functional diversity, multitrophic interactions and crop yield Maas, Bea 20 November 2013 (has links) No description available. 630 birds bats arthropods multitrophic interactions agroforestry tropical landscape forest margin landscape functional diversity crop yield exclosure experiments experimental exclusion arthropod suppression avian predation ecosystem services mist netting point counts artificial plasticine caterpillar dummy experiment biological control monitoring mapping Lemon-bellied White-eye Grosbeak Starling Zosterops chloris Scissiostrum dubium Theobroma cacao cacao agroforestry cacao diseases cacao harvest cacao pests flying vertebrates aerial insectivores volant vertebrates logging breeding colony flower herbivory mesopredator release predatory insects ants spiders aphids Lepidoptera Coleoptera Lepidopteran larvae sustainable agriculture sustainable agroforestry management implications management recommendations applied managament extensive land use management landscape management conservation biodiversity-friendly dbh distance to forest forest proximity habitat conversion herbivory Indonesia insectivorous bats insectivorous birds invertebrates Central Sulawesi Napu valley leaf gleaning leaf herbivory pests insects phytophagous insects plant productivity remnant forest trees shade tree managament South-east Asia Paleotropics tropical landscape tree height landscape gradient local shade management Cacao Pod Borer Cherelle Wilt fruit abortion Helopeltis sulawesi deforestation habitat fragmentation land use intensification forest margin species critical decline predation experiment species-specific functions Southeast Asia biodiversity conservation mesopredators food security human welfare human well-being poverty alleviation poverty reduction smallholder cacao smallholder plantation cacao farmers sustainable cacao management landscape perspective landscape scale large scale field experiment long term field experiment human wellbeing economic importance economic value valuation ecosystem services landscape matrix yield quality yield quantity fruit productivity species identity species diversity species richness ecosystem functioning pesticide use chemical compounds complex food web tritrophic interactions wildlife-friendly rural livelihoods endangered bird species endangered bat species endemic endemic birds endemic bats beneficial impact IUCN Lore Lindu National Park bioindicator indicator species forest margin agricultural habitat agroforestry systems population density predation activity species activity cacao flower cacao pod Orthoptera linear mixed effect models Tukey Post Hoc Test AICc model selection generalized least squares restricted maximum likelihood model simplification species richness estimator species accumulation linear mixed-effects models Likelihood Ratio Test Maximum Likelihood nocturnal insects diurnal arthropods nocturnal arthropods diurnal insects landscape context Land- und Forstwirtschaft (PPN621302791)

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