Digital Commons Network^™

The Transition Movement In Putney, Vermont: Building Social And Economic Resilience, With A Focus On Putney Farmers’ Market, Sombat Moontha

Capstone Collection

The Transition Movement is an internationally acclaimed and innovative movement which focuses on building community resilience to resolve the problems of climate change, natural resources depletion, and economic instability. Transition Town Putney (TTP) is an organization working on promoting Transition initiatives in a small town called Putney, Vermont, USA. This paper explores how TTP contributes to building community economic and social resilience in the town. This study employed conceptual frameworks of Avina’s (2004) NGO life cycle model and the Model of Effectiveness Value based on Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1983). For data collection, several stakeholders who have been involved with TTP …

Education Structures For Ecotourism: A Case Study On Shangri-La, Ruth Donaghey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tourism is changing Shangri-La’s physical and economic landscape. Though tourism can provide revenues to support the community, it can also have negative impacts. In the midst of the myriad positives and negatives of Shangri-La’s tourism industry, the area has tremendous environmental and cultural assets, along with capable eco-tourism leaders, that can all be used to affect positive tourism growth. At the root of this growth lies fundamental education and training programs that are essential in establishing sustainable ecotourism. In an area where tourism is booming, integrating ecotourism within the larger picture will prove essential for the proper development of the …

Visions Service Adventures: China; A Comprehensive Program Design, Whitney Morgan

Capstone Collection

The proposed international education program design offers an innovative way for American high school students to participate in a community life and community service in the Chinese province of Guizhou. The proposed design entitled, Visions Service Adventures: China will not only provide a new location and expansion for this third party provider company, but will also give participants the experience of staying with a local family for a portion of the program. The homestay experience will allow Visions participants the chance to interact and experience Chinese culture and language. Susan M. Knight (2008) found in her study the effects a …

How Pescadores Become Produtores: Gender, Family, And Sustainable Living On Brazil’S Northeast Coast, Wren Brennan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The familial structure of a Brazilian fishing community is explored through participant observation and eight in-depth ethnographic interviews conducted over the course of three weeks of emersion with a family of pescadores artesanais (artisanal fishermen) that now call themselves catadores de algas (seaweed collectors). Previous research suggests that the sexual division of labor in this community, along with coastal environment in which the community exists, is in a state of transition. This project explores the emerging the practice of communal seaweed cultivation as a form of work that exemplifies changing gender relations in conjunction with a changing coastal environment. It …

Freedom In Creation: Global Village Education Program, Daniel C. Maxwell

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper introduces the Freedom in Creation: Global Village Education Program, an international education program with a focus in service-learning for undergraduate students designed for the organization, Freedom in Creation (FIC). Global Village Education (GVE) will pilot the five-week intensive program in various locations throughout Uganda. As a short-term, service-learning program focusing on experiential education, social identity development, critical thinking, and reciprocity; the goal is to instill conceptual clarity and intellectual growth by introducing participants to new knowledge, concepts and experiences through cross-cultural interaction. The main purpose of the program seeks to build intercultural communication skills as well as …

Project Gaya: A Study Abroad Program Design For Fundación Operación Gaya Internacional, Lauren E. Johanson

Capstone Collection

Since 2008 Fundación Operación GAYA Internacional, a Costa Rican NGO has provided youth training and development programs to local youth in Costa Rica, empowering young people to be “architects” in the development of their own communities and to take the lead in creating a world that is more peaceful and just. Through the implementation of Project GAYA, the foundation will expand its programming to international youth for the first time.

The proposed program offers a comprehensive program design for a short-term study abroad experience for U.S. high school students to Costa Rica. Students will engage in experiential learning and critical …

Local Solutions For A Global Problem: The Role Of Ngos In Maximizing The Efficacy Of Local Government Sanitation Efforts In Rural Maharashtra, Jorge Aceves

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This independent study project looks at the topic of sanitation within rural Maharashtra. Although the Government of India, through the state governments, has initiated nationwide campaigns against poor sanitation and waterborne illnesses, these programmes do not reach all communities or find significant success in improving sanitation. Recent revisions of these sanitations programs have shifted their focus from a centralized supply-driven approach to a localized demand-driven approach, yet the system requires more work to become fully functional. In some areas, non-government organizations, such as the Comprehensive Rural Help Project (CRHP), have stepped up to bridge the gap between the available government …

The Solid Waste Management System Of Jaipur: An Overview And Analysis, Laura Olivier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Jaipur’s rapid development has resulted in its infrastructure lagging behind population and industrial growth, which is especially evident in the unsightly and unsanitary piles of solid waste (garbage) on the roads. This project took a broad system approach to understand Jaipur’s solid waste management system. It investigated how the system is carried out, some obstacles to its success, and the role of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). The findings indicate that there is a multiple-tiered hierarchical system. The system involves a formal sector comprised of female and male sweepers, permanent and impermanent workers, and an informal sector of ragpickers and door-todoor …

A Long Road Home: Housing Rights In South Africa’S Informal Settlement, Joe Slovo, Kaitlyn Bowles

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Most countries legally consider housing to be a necessary human right. But for
millions of individuals in this world, adequate housing is out of reach. Homelessness is evident in different manors throughout the world, but in South Africa, the problem of insufficient housing develops itself in the form of informal settlements. One such settlement, Joe Slovo1, is situated just outside of Cape Town, and is the primary focus of this paper. Recently, Joe Slovo has been a prominent feature in the local news because of its involvement in a Constitutional Court case. On March 30, 2011, 20,000 residents of Joe …

The Insecurity Of “Secure Communities”: A Case Study Of An Advocacy Campaign To Protect Immigrant Rights In Santa Barbara, Ca, Tina Pia Peirano

Capstone Collection

This case study describes and analyzes the work of advocacy work of PUEBLO, a human and immigrant rights organization in Santa Barbara, California. The paper focuses on the ongoing campaigns of PUEBLO and its allies, including national and state-level organizations and coalitions, to influence one of the most recent federal immigration policies, titled Secure Communities. It also addresses PUEBLO’s advocacy to change local law enforcement policies or practices which have targeted Hispanic residents, including undocumented immigrants, for traffic citations and car impoundments. Based on knowledge acquired through my six month, full-time internship with PUEBLO and through various forms of primary …

Three Sisters Exchange: Building Alliances And Promoting Justice From The United States To Ecuador, Ariel Climer

Capstone Collection

This paper presents a proposal for a social justice and action-based study abroad program with foundations in the short-term reality tours of the education and human rights-based NGO, Global Exchange, a far-reaching non-profit with friendships built on solidarity against the spread of elite globalization. The program is called the Three Sisters Exchange to honor the sustainable design of indigenous crop planting prevalent around the world. The design comes at a time when international educators offer few programs with foci in social justice. The international education field needs more sustainable programs that take into account global systems. A propagation of such …

Simplicity And The City: Understanding The Voluntary Simplicity Movement In Melbourne, Gershwin Penn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to understand the lifestyle of members of the voluntary simplicity movement in an urban setting. I sought to understand how they practiced simplicity in their day to day lives, how simplicity effected their emotional life, how simplicity influenced their values, how simplicity influenced their interaction with the city, and what their general ethos was. This study was conducted to understand how it is possible for individuals to live ecologically and socially responsible lives in settings that, by in large, reject their values. I conducted fifteen face to face in-depth interviews in Melbourne in April …

Energy From The Sun: A Solar Feasibility Study For Macquarie University, Jj Augenbraun

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Macquarie University uses over 30,000,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year. As one of the largest energy consumers in its area, the University is looking for ways to reduce the cost and environmental impact associated with its operations. One possible option is the use of solar energy to generate electricity on campus. However, solar energy is a complicated issue, especially for a large scale project. By taking the time to evaluate options prior to beginning a project of this scale, money and effort can be saved in the future. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility …

Responsibility For Disease Management On Rusinga Island: Reconciling The Limitations Of External Aid And The Role Of Community-Based Initiatives, Allyson Russell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Rusinga Island has been on the receiving end of many non-governmental and government-run health interventions. Though ample money has been invested in disease control, malaria and HIV/AIDS transmission and death rates remain higher than in any other location in Kenya. This study employs the use of interviews, both formal and informal, focus group discussions and observation in order to discover possible factors which have confounded the success of previous disease management programs. The study seeks the community's perspective on these programs as well as ideas for community-based, bottom-up strategies which might be able to curb the high rates of malaria …

Political Capital And The Project Planning Process: An Action Research Exercise Of The Shirazi Community Health Clinic Project, Lindsay Beebe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper assess the political capital of the rural Kenyan coast village of Shirazi in the context of the project planning process, using the subjective well-being paradigm of development to guide the research parameters. Household surveys were conducted to provide a baseline of information about village demographics, political efficacy, and measure subjective well-being. The surveys found that Shirazi village, although disadvantaged by limited access to economic markets and financial capital, has a wealth of political capital. The results of the survey, supported by an observation of and participation in the village’s political processes, indicate that Shirazi village will be a …

“Mangra”- Exploring The Organization Of An Environmental Education Curriculum In A Village Equipped For Sustainable Development, Abigail Phillips

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The rapid growth of urban centers in the last century has resulted in obvious social stratification and neglect of the natural environment. Not only is the gap between rich and poor increasing, but the resources that supply urban consumption and community development are increasingly depleted without due recognition. These issues are successfully addressed in some communities by drawing example from more traditional practices of ecological management, such as water conservation and local food production. Environmental education could be utilized to aid in the relief of social issues and environmental degradation if the curriculum is specialized for each community’s circumstance. Children …

Playing Past The Troubles: Theatrical Expression In A Post-Conflict Society, Jayce Hafner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report is the result of a month-long study on theatrical expression in Northern Irish Communities. Data was obtained by way of qualitative methods using semi-informal interviews, observation, participant observation, and academic research. It is concluded that theatrical expression can contribute to building peace in Northern Ireland. Recommendations for potential future studies include comedic performance in a post-conflict society, and social development and the Belfast Community Circus.

Creating A Category V: Conservation Perceptions And Cultural Changes In The Anjozorobe-Angavo Forest Corridor, Kate Wright

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Local communities have long played an integral role in the realization of conservation goals and the success of protected areas in Madagascar. Since the appearance of human civilizations approximately 2,000 years ago (Brown 1995), the physical landscape of the island has undergone processes of adaptation to the practices of Malagasy people, while Malagasy cultures have in turn molded to fit their surroundings. The coevolution of nature and culture has produced a delicate environmental situation where human practices exploit but also conserve important natural resources, a situation that has been historically misinterpreted as intentional environmental destruction on the part of local …

The Story Of The Beverage Can: How Cans Are Re-Used And Recycled In The Village Of Maun, Emma Frappier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For a period of three weeks I spent my days wandering the streets of Maun, talking to lodge owners, restaurants, local bars, and private waste collectors investigating the ways in which beverage cans are reused, recycled, and disposed of in Maun. Ultimately I wanted to uncover the story of the beverage can in the village of Maun. Throughout my investigation I sought to answer three important questions: how, why and by who are beverage cans recycled, how do villagers reuse beverage cans, and what are the major barriers preventing more widespread reuse and recycling of beverage cans. I conducted my …

La Lucha Por Una Comunidad Sustentable Los Campesinos Tonocote De Breayoj: Manejo De Recursos, Desarrollo Y Elecciones, David Flannelly

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A study about the environment and sustainability has to be soley about topics solely relating directly to nature, right? With this preconception in my mind I went off to study an indigenous subsistence farming community in the northwestern region of Argentina. Initially I solely wanted to focus on the management of resources of the community, the trees, water, and animals. Fate had other plans for my indepent study project. I arrived in the community right in the middle of the last week of historical elections for the province and the community. A new political party of farmers and other poor …

The International Market, Globalization And Nafta: If Food Is Life, Why Have We Allowed It To Become So Dirty?, Abigail Dym

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Why Logging? A Value Assessment Of Forestry Uses In The Huon Forest District, Ryan Bailey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Huon Forest District comprises 762,800 hectares of forests in southwest Tasmania, with 128,900 hectares of that total designated as state forest managed by Forestry Tasmania. These forests are used primarily for wood production, although tourism, carbon storage, leatherwood honey and the specialty timbers industry are competing for access to these forests. This study examines the socio-economic values of these uses and determines whether the Huon Forest District is being utilized efficiently.

To accomplish this, an extensive literature review of past research was conducted. This information supplemented 7 semi-structured interviews that were conducted with experts from the forestry industry, tourism …

“How To Change The World”: Writing An Online Sustainability Leadership Manual For Young Australians, Nina Sherburne

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Under the direction of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership (CSL) in downtown Melbourne, VIC, three articles were written for the CSL online manual entitled “How to Change the World”. These articles contain straightforward, easy-to-read answers to questions young people have regarding sustainability and leadership in their community. The three questions include: “Should I register my not-for-profit? If so, how do I?”, “How do I fundraise for my organization? And do I need to register as a Fundraiser?”, and “How to I sell the idea of sustainability (or change in general) to my boss?”.

This online manual will remove the barriers …

Sectarianism And Social Capital: Community Development In Northern Ireland, Becky Alhadeff

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

There is a prevailing belief within the majority of the community sector and indeed, amongst many politicians and policy makers that there is a gap between Catholic and Protestant community development. However it is also argued that the Catholic community has more calculated social need than the Protestant community. It was not my desire, nor within my ability with my limited time frame to measure the capacities of the two communities and determine if there is presently a gap, but simply to look at the reasons put forth by community developers, politicians, and academics for the reason this gap exists. …

Entrepreneurship And “Conscientious Capitalism”? Economic Solidarity Within The Banco Palmas Network, Caroline Whistler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Capitalism is often thought of as a struggle between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. Although the very nature of the economic system is to reward innovative ideas that can survive competition and the ‘free market’, many ‘have-nots’ do not have the same opportunities to succeed as those born with economic resources. The gap between those with capital and those without has gradually widened into a gaping hole that few can cross. While there are certainly enough resources in Brazil to keep all citizens above the poverty line, the reality is that economic survival has been replaced by one of the most …

The Effects Of The Makgadikgadi Wildlife Fence On Cattle Populations And Local Cattle Industry, Jenny Hazelhurst, Elliot Vander Kolk

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study was conducted to determine the effects of the erection of the Makgadikgadi wildlife fence along the western border of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park on cattle populations and livestock owners to the west of the fence. Cattle foraging behavior and movement patterns were recorded using GPS and focal observation methods to determine resource use and pressures affecting the populations. Interviews were also conducted in the area of Meno-a-Kwena camp to examine the effects of the fence on the economics of the local cattle industry. Signs of resource stress were found in the continued selection of poor quality forage, …

Sex-Education And Preventative And Contraceptive Services: Educação-Sexual E Serviços Contraceptivos E Preventativos, Elizabeth M. Ortiz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Maternal morbidity is one of the leading causes of death amongst women in Latina America. Lack of access to Reproductive Health services has incited a continental epidemic amongst adolescent women - and should be considered a public health crisis. Yet, there is little being done by the governing male bodies to secure access and the Right to Reproductive Health services. This is not only a means of re-enforcing gendered inequalities- but also class, and racial disparities. Reproductive Health in Brazil and Northeastern Brazil in particular, serves as an allegory for socio-economic, gender, ethnic, and racial inequality in the region. The …

The Community Arts As A Community Development Strategy : A Look Into Community Arts Festivals, Arlene D. Eidukas

Capstone Collection

"Creativity is one of the last remaining legal ways of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition" -Ed McCabe My background is in the Arts. I see art, the creation of it and its process of creation, as a way of keeping records of ones life. For many artists, it is the way they mentally, physically, spiritually, and economically sustain themselves. This knowledge has led me to investigate if the power of art can do that as well for communities which may need help in building bonds amongst their inhabitants and economic stability. Many development agents have focused primarily on …

The Role Of Malagasy Women In Community Development: Analyzing The Potential For The Creation Of A Women’S Association For Alternative Livelihoods In Ifaty, Amanda Fencl

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Integrated Conservation and development projects (ICDPs) have increased in number worldwide as conservation organizations have to come to terms with the importance of involving and addressing the needs of local human populations to order to achieve their conservation goals. Madagascar’s unique biodiversity, environmental degradation, and plaguing poverty has made ICDPs crucial in achieving national goals of tripling the area of natural heritage conserved and poverty reduction through socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable development. In order to understand how such sustainable development can be achieved, it is essential to spend time enhancing one’s understanding of the local mentality and worldview. On …

Rhythm And Movement In Ghana:Healing Through Dance Through Generations, Naima Penniman

African Diaspora ISPs

Rhythm and Movement in Ghana: Healing through Dance and through Generations is an odyssey into the potential of dance for social healing. The motivation for this study was to explore the role of artistic expression and positive cultural revival as a force for healing collective trauma. This project was aimed at understanding, in particular, the power and potential of Ghanaian dancing and drumming tradition: the important role is has played throughout the people's history as a vehicle for commune with the spiritual, a medium for release and expression, a force for social solidarity, and a tool for healing; and to …