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This exploratory case study considers the Czech Republic from 1993 thru 2002 by examining two links: first, between transition and the environment.; second, between the environment and human rights. The study examines data from the Czech Ministry of Environment, the European Union, the World Bank, and Freedom House. The purpose of this study is to better understand the Czech Republic and to generate hypotheses that might be used in future cross-national studies. Chapter III provides the underlying theory linking the environment and human rights. Chapters IV, V, and VI discuss the data and the two links and suggest hypotheses for future research. Chapter VII draws conclusions about states in transition, the environment, and human rights and encourages future integrative research.

This thesis analyses the importance of race for the construction of nation and ethnicity in the Dominican Republic, a situation in which racial ancestry and spatial proximity to Haiti are paramount. Firstly, racial legacies are of primary importance among a Dominican population where cultural, linguistic and religious differences are limited. Racial differences are manipulated through the unequal standing and significance given to European, African and indigenous ancestries. European and indigenous heritages in the Dominican Republic have been celebrated at the expense of an African past. Secondly, Dominican identity is constructed vis-à-vis Haiti, most notably with respect to race and nation, and through the ancillary variables of religion and language. The importance of the Dominican Republic's shared insularity and shared history with Haiti is stressed throughout the study, though a racially-constructed fault-line has arisen from this territorial and historical association. In general terms, social geographers would describe the Dominican population as mulato/a. Dominicans, however, describe race with a plethora of colour-coded terms, ranging from coffee, chocolate, cinnamon and wheat, to the adoption of lo indio, a device which avoids using mulato/a or negro/a. The term indio/a is a key component of Dominican racial perception. It translates as 'indian', a much-used reference to the island's indigenous inhabitants before the arrival of Columbus in 1492. Negritud is associated in popular Dominican opinion with the Haitian population. Dominicanidad, on the other hand, represents a celebration of whiteness, Hispanic heritage and Catholicism. The analysis of secondary material is contextualised throughout the thesis by the results of field work undertaken during twelve months of research in the Dominican Republic, consisting of two visits between 1994 and 1995. Semi-informal interviewing of three hundred residents in three study sites focused on the issues of anti-Haitian sentiment and the bias towards a light aesthetic in Dominican society. Two survey sites were urban neighbourhoods of lower and upper-middle class status in the capital city of Santo Domingo, and the other was an area of rural settlement named Zambrana. Interviews were structured around a mixed fixed and open response survey. The first chapter introduces the outline of research and the location of survey sites. Chapter two analyses the historical basis of race in the Dominican Republic, examined in the context of relations with Haiti. The development of Dominican society from the colonial period is outlined, and the influence of anti-Haitian sentiment and the use of indio/a as an ambiguous racial term discussed with reference to contemporary opinion. The third chapter opens up the analysis of social differentiation in the Dominican Republic by considering the role of class stratification and its implication for racial identification. The development of social classes is described and the impact of race and class studied in the three survey sites. The fourth chapter addresses the role of race in popular culture, with a specific focus on the household. Racial terminology is frequently used in combination with the presuppositions inherent in a patriarchal culture. Women's roles are reviewed with particular reference to household structure, occupation and the gendered nature of race under patriarchal norms. The domestic or private sphere is a key site for the expression of patriarchy, but it is also the location for the practice of Afro-syncretic religious beliefs, which themselves are racialised and gendered. Aspects of race in everyday lives, thus, are inherently gendered, domesticated and sanctified. Chapter five expands the analysis of race to include the influence of international migration on Dominican racial identification. The Dominican Republic is a transnational society which relies on migrant remittances and commerce, in particular from the migration of Dominicans to the United States. International migration has dramatically shaped Dominican society over the last three decades. The chapter considers the effect of this two-way flow of people, capital and culture on Dominican perceptions of race. Despite the influence of transnationalism on most aspects of Dominican society, the impact of United States' race relations on migrant and non-migrant racial identity has been limited. The last two substantive chapters focus upon the specific aspects of race and nation as revealed through contemporary Dominican literature and politics. The sixth chapter reviews the importance of negritud in contemporary literature, and argues that many modern writers maintain idealised and misleading perceptions of the racial reality. Chapter seven concentrates on the impact of race during the Dominican elections in 1994 and 1996. Overt racial prejudice marked the campaigns of leading political parties, and the alleged Haitian 'threat' to Dominican sovereignty became a dominant item on the election agenda. Finally, the concluding chapter outlines existing theories of race and ethnicity, analysing their applicability to the Dominican situation and suggesting alternative viewpoints in the light of the current research. It is suggested that the promotion of a popular democratic ideology of multiculturalism could provide the basis for effective anti-racist policy in the Dominican Republic.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / In 2001 the Czech Republic decided to abandon conscription in favor of professional armed forces. Western European countries are following the same trend, since the new security environment requires quickly deployable, highly skilled and well-equipped forces. The current round of reforms started with Belgium and Netherlands, and have seen followed by France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. These countries are beneficiary from experience in United States and United Kingdom. The Czech Republic professionalization is the natural continuation of a process that started in 1999 with NATO membership. In 2001, the new Minister of Defense received the task of creating an all-volunteer force. A Plan to transition the armed forces was created. Transformation will likely start after the upcoming elections. The new concept should make the Czech Republic a more effective member of NATO. This thesis concentrates on transition experience from conscription to volunteer forces with special attention to the United States, Great Britain, Belgium, France, Spain and Italy. It discusses issues of procedures, processes, problems and their managerial solutions in the current environment of the Czech Armed Forces. / Major, Air Force of the Czech Republic

The purpose of this paper is to identify the underlying factors of the conflict between Christians and Muslims in the Central African Republic (CAR) that started in 2013. It is argued that political factors played an important role in the coup d'état that ousted President Francois Bozize - the event that marked the start of the civil war. Social factors were mainly responsible for how the civil war turned into sectarian violence. Furthermore, it is argued that a number of economic factors did not directly cause the sectarian violence, but instead contributed to the length of the conflict. The way broader factors contributed to the conflict (the CAR's weakened state and lawlessness for instance) are also discussed.

Julius Caesar’s rise to power was achieved through a combination of different sources of power. These ‘portfolios of power’ were money and connections, oratory, and religion, and they worked either in conjunction or separately throughout Caesar’s life to further his career. Each portfolio served multiple functions. For instance, connections were used to advocate on his behalf when needed, money was utilised to create financial dependency (i.e. loaning to potential allies), rhetoric was applied to promote himself, while religion was used to assert his hegemony over the Gauls. It was indeed his cultivation and expansion of these diverse portfolios that led to his eventual supremacy over the Roman world. One asset alone would not have sufficed during the various challenges throughout his career. Furthermore, it was his diverse portfolios of power that set him apart from other Roman politicians. For example, Cicero and Pompeius, each relied chiefly on one portfolio to acquire power, oratory for Cicero and military prowess for Pompeius. The extent to which Caesar sought to be sole ruler is debatable, but we can say with confidence that throughout his career, he had clear goals and developed strategies to achieve them.

Thesis (M.A. (Applied Ethics for Professionals))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, 2015. / Plato in his dialogue the Republic designs an ideal polis, the Kallipolis, seeking ‗justice, our good and the knowledge of the good required for understanding and bringing justice, happiness and good government into our lives and society‘ (Santas 2010, p.7). The first step in the Kallipolis‘ development is a polis without formal government whose citizens live a modest, stable, sustainable lifestyle. Disparaged by Glaucon as a polis for pigs, Socrates‘ incongruous rejoinder is ‗the true polis… is the one we‘ve described, the healthy one, as it were‘ (Rep. 372e). Contemporary commentators are critical of this polis, questioning its role in the Republic. In trying to understand the polis for pigs, and Socrates‘ praise thereof, I posit it is a village, and consider it has virtue, is good and its citizens are happy. However, despite being true and healthy, it is not the best or an ideal polis, but it is crucial to the development of the Kallipolis.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / The purpose of this study is to explain the British reaction to the principal events of the French Third Republic from 1870 to 1882, a significant period in Anglo-French relations. Previous historical investigation of these years has placed a disproportionate emphasis on diplomatic records, whereas the sentiments and views of the British nation have not previously been made the subject of a systematic study. The material for this research consists primarily of diaries, letters, biographies, autobiographies, monthly reviews, and newspapers. Each chapter traces the general trend and the variations of public opinion during a particular phase of the Republic's history. Despite the shift of European power from Paris to Berlin as a result of the Franco-Prussian War, the British nation continued its close interest in French affairs. In the eyes of Englishmen, France remained one of the most brilliant and troublesome nations of Europe [TRUNCATED]

Background: With the MDG 7 target deadline approaching to halve the global population lacking access to improved water and sanitation by 2015, many nations find the need to explore alternative water sources. Rainwater may be a viable alternative water source. However, there have been concerns raised in recent decades as to the quality of rainwater harvested for potable use. Methods: Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys database which included 50,579 household surveys between 2002 and 2007 from the Dominican Republic were examined. STATA 8 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed, and logistic regression analysis was used to compare toilet type, water source, and type of place of residence with prevalence of diarrheal disease in children under five. Results: This study found that rainwater presents less risk for diarrheal disease when compared to all other water sources (excluding bottled water). In 2002, people who consumed all other sources of water (excluding bottled) were 1.28 times more likely to have diarrhea in children under 5 (95% CI 1.05-1.57) compared to those who consumed rainwater. They were 1.33 times more likely to have diarrhea in children under 5 (95% CI 1.08-1.65) in 2007 and 1.31 times more likely in both years combined (95% CI 1.13-1.51). Discussion: This study concluded that consuming rainwater presents a decreased risk for diarrheal disease compared to all other sources (excluding bottled water). More studies are needed to add more evidence to the existing literature regarding health risks associated with rainwater consumption.