Digital Commons Network^™

A Capitalist Stranglehold On “Artificial Intelligence”: A Gallop Through Piracy, Privacy Invasion, Lock-In And A Fever Dream Of Democratisation, Aidan Cornelius-Bell

Fast Capitalism

In this paper, I discuss the emergence of personal computing, the rise of platform-controlled smartphones and tablets, and the recent surge in artificial intelligence technologies. I explore how these technological advancements have often been shaped by the interests of capital, with recent trends towards increased platform lock-in, control, and exploitation of users (workers). I argue that without a strong push for open-source, democratised AI, these technologies risk being used to further the globalised colonial capitalist project. I highlight the potential for open-source hardware and software to counter the proprietary and un-hackable future of AI, offering a radical alternative that empowers …

Napster "Freedom" At Northeastern University: A Distanced Ethnography, Marcus Breen

Fast Capitalism

This article offers a critical first hand account, from an academic at Northeastern University after Napster's creator Sean Fanniong left the campus in 1999. Reflecting on the impact of Fanning on the campus, drawing on the history of community computer innovation in Boston as a means of activism, the article identifies through Marx, the way monopoly capitalism destroyed Napster's capacity for free music culture. The impact of Intellectual Property law in shutting down digital innovations such as Napster, is considered for the impact it had on the ideals of the liberal university in the United States.

Strategic Engagement And Legal Pluralism : Navigating Knowledge And Expertise In Mining Disputes, Sara K. Phillips

Journal of Social Sciences

This article explores how community and civil society actors in mining conflicts strategically engage with legal and technical vocabularies to assert legitimacy, contest exclusion, and influence mining governance. Drawing on an empirical case study of Thailand’s Chatree gold mine, the article analyzes how affected groups navigate overlapping normative systems, such as state law, transnational norms, and technocratic discourses, through informal learning and strategic appropriation of expert language. Framed through the conceptual lens of legal pluralism, the study highlights how actors interpret and mobilize diverse normative orders to articulate grievances, shape narratives, and attempt to gain access to decision-making spaces. These …

The Vestiges Of The German Democratic Republic: Memory Politics And Xenophobia In Former East Germany, Diana Zhou

CMC Senior Theses

From the 2015 migration influx onward, xenophobic and nationalist sentiments permeated Germany’s national political discourse. The former socialist territories in eastern Germany have proven particularly susceptible to far-right, anti-immigration, and anti-integration rhetoric. This thesis explores the mnemonic foundations of xenophobic sentiments in former East German states, tracing the development of an antifascist yet ethnically nationalist mnemonic framework to the state-sanctioned myths and invented traditions of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). As the loss of a collective GDR identity produced a reactionary rehabilitation of this framework post-unification, the racial and ethnic “other” — migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees — became constructed …

Immigration Policy Priorities In The Carter And Reagan Administrations, Sulgi Kim

History and Political Science | Senior Theses

Historically, immigration policy has been important for the United States. It has shaped the nation’s economy, demographics, and political landscape. In each presidential administration, immigration has been addressed differently, shaped by a combination of political, economic, and international factors. While scholars such as Higham (1956), Zolberg (2008), and Pineau and Waters (2016) have examined the events leading up to and the effect of various immigration policies, the literature has not focused on a critical actor in immigration policy: the president. This thesis asks what factors shaped the immigration policy priorities of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan? This study used …

Missionary Body Politics: Physical Education In West China, 1905-1950, Cory Willmott

Asia Pacific Perspectives

Republican Era China saw a radical transformation in Chinese physical culture as it aimed to compete in the global geopolitics of nation-states. Employing an historical ethnographic approach, this paper outlines how the unique conditions of Sichuanese warlordism and secret societies affected missionary relations with the Guomindang (GMD) as they implemented increasingly militarized physical education programs. Before the 1928 GMD consolidation of power, missionaries and GMD educators aligned with the YM/ WCA in physical education programs. After the GMD moved their headquarters to Chongqing in 1938, relations soured between the GMD and the Sichuan missionaries. Although the latter had been the …

Illusions Of Fairness And Sacrifice, Brady Schwertfeger

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The American West is a shifting landscape. An incongruous expanse of isolation and urbanity, wilderness and extraction, wealth and welfare, clear water and fire. Fifteen years ago, I moved to my mother’s ancestral homeland of Montana, and have been here ever since. Before that, I was born and raised in Texas, both the West and the South (and often something else entirely), depending on who you ask. My experiences in this region have shaped me indelibly, and have inspired this collection of essays built around culture, politics, and justice in the West. “Pinedale, Wyoming” considers the musician as itinerant wanderer …

Dear Belvedere, Rabbya Naseer

International Dialogue

In this powerful open letter—originally delivered as a video message—artist Rabbya Naseer explains her decision to cancel her 2025 solo exhibition at Belvedere 21 after the museum refused to allow her proposed works addressing Palestine, colonialism, and contemporary violence. Framed as both personal testimony and institutional critique, the letter meditates on the ethics of waiting, perseverance (sabr), and the responsibility of artists amid geopolitical crisis. Naseer recounts months of stalled communication and escalating curatorial restrictions that ultimately rendered any engagement with the Israel–Palestine conflict “not possible.” Rejecting the museum’s demands for neutrality, depoliticization, and the substitution of existing …

Ngos’ Role In Voluntary Repatriation Of The African Diaspora, Teni-Ola Ogunjobi

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The African diaspora consists of people who were displaced far from their ancestral homeland because of slavery, colonization, and other forms of direct and structural violence. This paper will discuss the voluntary repatriation of displaced people, specifically Black people living outside of the continent of Africa, who desire to voluntarily repatriate back to their ancestral countries of origin, their ancestral home, and/or some location on continent of people of African descent. This article identifies a viable group within the international law arena to support in addressing the requests for voluntary repatriation of African descendants to their African countries of origin. …

Ethical Values In Curriculum Implementation: Nigerian Teacher Educators’ Perception, Eke Ogbu Eke, Ariguzo Genevieve Onyekachi, Felicia Chika Dim, Chidingozi Eke, Joy Oruwari

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

This study investigated the perceptions of teacher educators regarding the integration of ethical values into curriculum implementation within teacher education programmes in Nigeria. Through a survey conducted at Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri, involving 191 academic staff. Researchers made a perception response questionnaire titled "Integrating Ethical Values into Curriculum Implementation within Teacher Education Programmes in Nigeria Questionnaire (IEVCITEP)". It had a reliability coefficient of 0.84 determined using Cronbach Alpha. The data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation in answering research questions while the hypothesis was tested using t-test statistical tools tested at 0.05 level of significance. The …

The Role Of Design Thinking In Edtech Startups, Toluwani Victor Aliu

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

A move toward user-centered methods to innovation has been garnering attention due to the realization that consumers and users may offer possibilities and expertise. An innovative strategy that infuses creativity with user-centeredness is design thinking. Despite this, design thinking has received little attention in startups, particularly in the EdTech sector. Even while design thinking has become quite popular, there is a need for empirical study on design thinking in startups. This is because the majority of the research has been on large organizations. The paper explicates how design thinking facilitates the implementation of methodologies through iterative development, empathy mapping, and …

Acknowledgment, Yaljod 5.1, Florian Cyril Mshanga

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Acknowledgment from Florian Cyril Mshanga, Vice President, Governance & Operations, Young African Leaders Forum (YALF)

Reviving Pan-Africanism For The 21st Century: A Framework For Youth-Led Continental Governance Reform, Ugochukwu Mercy Prince-Ifoh

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

This paper explores the historical trajectory, current stagnation, and potential revival of PanAfricanism with a strong emphasis on youth leadership as the engine of governance reform across the African continent. By tracing the intellectual and political contributions of renowned leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, and Thomas Sankara, the study identifies foundational principles of unity, sovereignty, and collective progress. The paper critically evaluates the Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU), highlighting opportunities and limitations for youth participation. It also conducts a comparative analysis of regional youth governance structures and proposes practical frameworks to institutionalize youth-led reforms. The paper …

Reimagining Youth Agency In Africa: Programs, Progress, And A Continental Vision (Closing Feature Article), Dennis Munene

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

This edition has curated the ideas, research, and praxis of young intellectuals and practitioners across the continent. As Vice President in charge of Programs and Development (Strategies), I am pleased to provide a retrospective of our continental programs and initiatives and project the path we envision in shaping Africa's future.

Decoding The Future: African Parliaments, The 4ir, And The Ai Revolution, Bravin Onditi, Immanuel Mwendwa Kiilu

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (41R), propelled by advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), is ushering in a profound transformation across Africa's economies, governance systems, and societies. For African parliaments, there is an incredible challenge on the governance front, but the opportunities are unprecedented. This paper examines the range of biases, data insecurities, and inequalities the democracies of the continent face, while detailing how African legislatures can instate frameworks to govern and design AI function within the democracies of the continent. As seen in the examples of Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria, this paper outlines the disparity between the astounding rates …

An Investigative Analysis Of How African Youth Can Drive Economic Integration By Taking Up Agriculture As A Means Of Economic Livelihood, Gerald Kihara Muchiri

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The paper explores how African youth can drive economic integration by using agriculture as an economic means of livelihood. Despite being Africa's most vital asset, African youth remain underrepresented in continental development initiatives and continue to stagnate as they face structural challenges such as perennial unemployment. The recent promulgation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme hold immense promise to improve the lives of millions of African youths if leveraged appropriately. This paper concludes that Africa's youth could be the continent's engine to propel sustainable economic growth if their potential is harnessed appropriately, …

Front Matter, Yaljod 5.1, Sombo Muzata

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Includes: Editorial Review by Dr. Sombo Muzata, Editor in Chief, Young African Leaders Journal of Development; Foreword by Prof. Plo-Lumumba; Foreword by Prof. Tim Kiruhi; and Preface by Prince C. lfoh, Founder and President, Young African Leaders Forum (YALF).

Promoting Women’S Land Ownership Rights In Tanzania: The Role Of Wlac As A Legal Empowerment Ngo, Norbeth Sixbert

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Despite Tanzania's progressive legal frameworks that recognize women's rights to own and inherit land, significant gaps remain between policy and practice. This paper explores the role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in promoting women's land ownership rights, using the Women's Legal Aid Centre (WLAC) as a case study. Located in Kinondoni Municipal, Dar es Salaam, WLAC employs a multifaceted approach that empowers women and safeguards their land rights. While WLAC has achieved notable success, challenges exist and are exacerbated by overlapping statutory and customary legal systems that often disadvantage women. WLAC's multilateral engagement has helped to navigate these obstacles, yet structural …

Mainstreaming Africa’S Third Sector For Africa’S Development, Thoko J. Mthiko

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

After independence, most African governments pursued public sector based economic development strategies based on import substitution which were considered to be key to rapid industrialization and modernization oflow-income countries. This public sector-led economic development however, proved to be unsustainable. There were severe economic crises associated with lack of growth, high inflation, rising internal and foreign debts, crumbling infrastructure and shortage of essential commodities. Protected from competition, the public sector and its enterprises failed to innovate, relied on inappropriate capital-intensive technologies, and became dependent on imported inputs. With this, came the Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP's) where the public sector became the …

Zakat For Financing Sustainable Development In Africa: Opportunities And Challenges, Shawgei Salah Ahmed Ismaeil

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The issue of Zakat and financing of SDGs has become an issue that economic, social and environmental researchers have raised, especially after the recent economic crisis. This is owing to Zakat dependence on the self-effort of societies and communities. Zakat supports the economic, social and environmental structure of societies. Africa, undoubtedly, needs to reduce poverty and hunger without preconditions by donors to change laws and the way of life of Africans. This task can be done through Islamic financing and Zakat. This paper puts this issue at the forefront of events for further study and research to rethink the practical …

Robotics In Agriculture: Challenges And Opportunities For Net-Zero – A Case For Africa, Oluwafemi Royal Aliu

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Evidence of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are set to reposition the practice and process of agriculture. This study addressed vital issues in agriculture such as the need for a 70% increase in food production by 2050 because of population growth, technology, and other issues sweeping human livelihood, and are challenges of food insecurity which is currently affecting more than 820 million people globally. Emphasis was placed on the potential of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in curbing agricultural challenges in facts such as climate change, water scarcity, and pest management. The study identifies collaboration between different fields such as …

Yaljod Full Issue 5.1, Sombo Muzata

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

This issue brings together a compelling collection of scholarly articles that reflect the dynamic intersection of ethics, technology, governance, and social justice in Africa's development discourse. The contributions span diverse sectors including artificial intelligence, education, agriculture, legal empowerment, and economic integration. The articles offer both critical insights and actionable frameworks as Africa continues to implement its African Union Agenda 2063 plan. This work, written by up-and-coming African scholars demonstrates the commitment to scholarship on African issues, focused on Africa by Africans. This has been our goal at the Young African Leaders Journal of Development i.e., to advance scholarship on pertinent …

Modernizing Military Education In Kosovo: From Theory To Practice Through Innovation And Technology, Linda Ziberi, Dardan Syla

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

This paper examines the need for Kosovo's Military Academy (KMA) to modernize its education system, particularly its necessity to transition from a theory-based methodology to more modern and innovative teaching and training approaches that incorporate advanced technology. Despite ongoing institutional development, the Kosovo Military Academy continues to rely on traditional teaching methods, which limits its capacity to prepare cadets for the demands of modern military operations. Barriers such as limited funding, outdated infrastructure, and resistance to pedagogical change further complicate efforts to modernize.

To address these challenges, the paper advocates for the adoption of modern, learner-centered strategies, including Simulation and …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Sweden And Denmark’S Approach To Public Housing For Refugees In Response To The 2015 European Refugee Crisis, Julia Kearney

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

Housing is a critical aspect of social policy for refugees, as it serves as the foundation for their integration into a new society. While recognized as important, providing housing for refugees can be quite challenging for countries. This was particularly apparent during the 2015 European migrant crisis, when more than a million refugees, mainly from Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan, flooded into Europe. Recipient countries did and continue to adopt varying policies when it comes to providing housing for refugees. This paper analyzes Denmark and Sweden’s response to the migration crisis and shows that the two countries had starkly different …

نظريات المؤامرة في الثقافة السياسية العربية, Banan Salem Mohammad Alshdaifat

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدفت الدراسة إلى التعرف على مفهوم نظرية المؤامرة، وبيان مفهوم الثقافة السياسية العربية، والبحث في مدى انتشار وشيوع نظريات المؤامرة في الثقافة السياسية العربية من خلال استعراض شواهد تاريخية قديمة ومعاصرة على ذلك، مستندةً إلى الجمع بين مقولات المدارس الفلسفية التحليلية والتاريخ الثقافي والدراسات الثقافية التي عالجت نظريات المؤامرة. وقد تم التوصل إلى أن المدارس التي نظّرت للمؤامرة مختلفة ومتعددة، فمنها ما يرى نظريات المؤامرة كحقل بحثي دون وجود موقف أيديولوجي أو قيمي معها أو ضدها، ومنها ما يرى في نظريات المؤامرة أنها غير علمية، وأنها تمثل خطراً على القيم التعددية الليبرالية الديمقراطية، وتحفز التطرف الفكري، ومنها ما ينظر للمؤامرة …

Books Of Interest Fall 2025, Stephen T. Satkiewicz

Comparative Civilizations Review

Books that may be of interest to scholars of the comparative study of civilizations, and may add significantly to the body of scholarship in the civilizational field. These books are also available for book reviews in future editions of Comparative Civilizations Review.

The Fragrance Muse: Musk As A Symbolic Tapestry In Classical Persian Poetry, Akbar Shirini, Shen Xudong, Zhao Dan

Comparative Civilizations Review

This paper explores the symbolic representation of musk in classical Persian poetry, uncovering its role as a multifaceted emblem of Iranian cultural identity and human experience. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of primary texts from the Ganjoor archive and secondary sources, the study traces musk’s historical significance across China, Iran, and Islamic world. In China, musk is prized for its rarity, medicinal properties, and metaphysical roles; in Iran, it intertwines with mythology, Zoroastrian cosmology, and trade; in Islamic contexts, it holds commercial and therapeutic value, cherished by figures like Mohammad. Within Persian poetry, musk transcends its material origins, symbolizing blackness …

E. Assignment Four: Scopes Trial History Lesson & Class Activities, Frankie Nicole Weaver

Frankie Nicole Weaver, Comparative Twentieth Century South African and United States Civil Rights and Voting Rights Histories

Build on introductory context and engage with themes tied to the 1925 Scopes trial, particularly highlighting public discourse and civic engagement in culture and politics, TN law and state judicial proceedings, science and technology, religion and Christianity in the US, notions of evolution and human evolution, public education, journalism and media, national politics or political ideologies, and US Constitutional liberties of speech, press, and religion.

F. Assignment Five: Scopes Trial Creative Assignment, Frankie Nicole Weaver

Frankie Nicole Weaver, Comparative Twentieth Century South African and United States Civil Rights and Voting Rights Histories

This creative assignment encourages students to reflect on independent exploration, class group learning, discussions, and to use research to think critically and to present their ideas in a 5-6-page essay. Students will also think like educators and create 8-10 PowerPoint slides.