Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Progress And Effects Of Exotic Plant Invasions In A Sustainably Used Littoral Forest Fragment In Southeastern Madagascar, Grant Gerhardt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

While it is important to conserve Madagascar’s unique natural forest environments and the biodiversity they contain, it is also essential that populations reliant on these ecosystems for their income and survival have access to the resources they provide. Sustainable use forests, designated by the IUCN as category VI protected areas, are the solution to meeting both of these conditions. At the same time, it is often the case that the use of forests invites disturbance, which in turn encourages the introduction and establishment of nonnative or invasive plant species. This study examines the degree to which the intensity of use …

How Spirituality Intensifies Sustainability: A Case Study Of Ananda Valley In Northern Portugal, Mia Handler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The religious affiliations of citizens in the West are currently shifting away from the fundamentalist, traditional structures of the past towards more alternative spiritualities. Furthermore, as a result of the climate crisis, ecovillages are becoming increasingly popular. Ecovillages are intentional, “sustainable” communities that seek to reduce consumption, live in harmony with nature, and create strong social bonds. They are characterized by varying levels of spiritual involvement (Greenberg, 2014, p. 274). As such, the objective of this paper is to study the relationship between spirituality and environmentally-friendly practices and attitudes, using the ecovillage Ananda Valley – an Ananda Marga Master Unit …

Sustainability And Connection To Place: Land Stewardship Through Local Icelandic Women-Run Businesses, Hazel Deharpporte

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Iceland is one of the leading countries in gender equality, but women are still underrepresented in the field of entrepreneurship. Women have unique approaches to land stewardship, and there is evidence that they are more likely than men to act sustainably. The purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between sustainability and connection to place in women-run, local businesses. I interviewed six women who run a wide range of businesses in the towns of Ísafjörður and Djúpivogur. From these interviews, I found that while the women did not necessarily think that running a business was more difficult as …

Monuments As A Lens To Understand Climate Change: A Survey Of Altered Indian Architecture, Mckenzie Davis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My project is asking in what ways climate change is impacting monuments in the developing world using case studies in India? The project will be a survey of sites occupying different positions in environment, religion, and history in order to assess the multitude of threats on cultural heritage created and/or exacerbated by climate change. The Taj Mahal (17th century) will be assessed in order to discuss the impacts of air pollution associated with an urban environ ment and drought along the Yamuna river, using a widely known icon of India to serve as a visualization of slow violence taking place …

Using Sport As A Tool For Sustainable Development: International Organizations And Sustainability, Hank Young

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For hundreds of years, sports have provided a platform of entertainment that serves its main core purpose of bringing groups of people together. Today it is a global tradition that promotes an inclusive society and allows an educational experience for the athlete and the fan. Sports are a possible catalyst in striving for global objectives. The United Nations created the Millenium Development Goals which were eight goals proposed in the year 2000. Aimed to work toward the biggest problems we as a global community face. Fast forward fifteen years and the new Sustainable Development Goals are created. They consist of …

Indigenous Conceptions Of Community Organization And Autonomy In Oaxaca’S Sierra Norte: Answers And Resistance To State-Sponsored Practices Of Internal Colonialism, Carter Minnick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the past century, the Mexican government has continued to reproduce dominant, colonial relationships with its indigenous populations. Within the last few decades, clashes between harmful neoliberal visions of national development and continued demands for indigenous autonomy have only intensified. In the context of such events, this present work seeks to explore a specific conception of community identity, coined as la comunalidad, in the Sierra Norte region of Oaxaca. After the breakdown of its most fundamental tenets, I will attempt to both underscore its position as a framework of resistance in combatting historical and ongoing state-organized aggressions against these communities, …

Cbos As A Tool For Sustainable Community Development: The Case In Kapchorwa, Annie Manges

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this research was to assess the ability of Community Based Organizations, or CBOs, in the Kapchorwa District of Uganda to create long-term and sustainable community development that meets the needs of their community. To provide the necessary context for the study, I conducted a literature review of poverty in Uganda, theory in sustainable and community development, the connection of CBOs to sustainable community development, challenges and strengths for CBOs, and the general context of the structure of and the regulations for a CBO in Uganda.

The participants in the research were members of CBOs in the Kapchorwa …

Searching For A Brighter Tomorrow: An Internship Working Toward The Alleviation Of Energy Poverty Through Solar Power And Search-Engine Crowdfunding, Meaghan Mcelroy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Auroville Consulting is an environmental consulting firm, founded in 2010, that works to create an environmentally-friendly and socially responsible world. One of Auroville Consulting’s projects, the Solar Village Initiative, works to address the effects of energy poverty by installing on-grid solar panels and solar generation systems in rural villages throughout rural Tamil Nadu., with the Solar Village Search Engine as a crowdfunding tool for the project. By performing dayto- day tasks pertaining to communications, journalism, social media, and promotions for the Solar Village Search Engine at Auroville Consulting; participating in in-office discussion; and living and working in Auroville, I was …

Eco-Anxiety At University: Student Experiences And Academic Perspectives On Cultivating Healthy Emotional Responses To The Climate Crisis, Anna Kelly

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research looks at the overall question of how planetary health impacts mental health and psychological welling. The central focus is eco-anxiety—mental distress caused by climate change and environmental degradation—and how it manifests in university students. In order to gather data for this research I collected 114 student survey responses, interviewed seven young adults (ages 20-25), and interviewed seven experts in the fields of psychology and environmental studies.

They survey results show high levels of general stress and anxiety, high levels of stress and anxiety related to climate change and the state of the world, and a very high level …

Beyond What Is Heard: A Documentary Film About Acoustic Ecology As Sustainability Activism, Jesse Rolfe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Acoustic ecology is an interdisciplinary field that studies the relationship between sounds, sound sources, and environment they exist within. From an environmental perspective, this involves a holistic consideration of ecosystems, and how the various organisms within that ecosystem, including humans, impact and interact with each other through sound. Biosphere Soundscapes, an international, interdisciplinary project directed by Australian acoustic ecologist Dr. Leah Barclay, operates to engage communities within UNESCO Biosphere Reserves through acoustic-ecological concepts, monitoring, and techniques. In November 2016, I undertook the process of creating a short documentary film entitled Beyond What is Heard, which aimed to explore how the …

Conservation As Mutualism: A Case Study Of Thulo Syafru, Jennifer S. Brady

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examined the opinions, perceptions, and knowledge of residents of Thulo Syafru, a small village in the buffer zone of Langtang National Park, Nepal, regarding conservation efforts spearheaded by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and the World Wide Fund for Nature. 26 community members were interviewed along with key figures in community leadership and the two aforementioned organizations. Thulo Syafru is an essential location for red panda conservation, leading to many conservation efforts being focused in the area. Overall, people expressed very positive opinions regarding red pandas and their protection, positive attitudes about conservation, and appreciation …

Cultural Capital: An Investigation In Community Sustainability, Harrison Luft

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study analyzed the place and role of cultural capital within the existing community sustainability framework. The purpose of the study was to look at the organization Graos de Luz e Grio and analyze their strategies in education, dialogue, culture, empowerment, and sustainability with young people and with the community. It was built upon a review of the literature, which found that although culture is included in the current sustainability framework, it is not given the necessary credit it deserves in shaping populations. The study was conducted over four weeks in the city of Lençóis, located in the interior of …

Casa De Los Ningunos: Un Estudio De Caso Sobre La Re-Imaginando De “Sumak Qamaña” En Un Contexto Urbano Y Contemporáneo, Vanessa Voller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Una simple búsqueda en Google de "crisis globales del siglo XXI" dará una larga lista de crisis políticas, sociales, económicas y ambientales que enfrenta el siglo XXI. Teniendo en cuenta estas crisis, se ha hecho evidente que la gente del siglo XXI tendrá que encontrar formas alternativas de vivir, que pondrá a prueba el paradigma occidental dominante de la sociedad; un paradigma plagado por el consumismo, el individualismo, la destrucción del medio ambiente, la mentalidad extractivista y las fuerzas homogeneizadoras de la globalización (Choquehuanca 2010; Huanacuni Mamani-2010). En todo el mundo muchos diversos proyectos e iniciativas están surgiendo para desafiar …

Government And Private Primary Schooling In Rural Sikkim: Understanding Perceptions And Problems, Liam Toney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Private school enrollment has been increasing across India, and there is evidence that poor government school quality is the impetus for this trend. Generally, wealthier states have lower levels of private school enrollment due to higher quality government schools. However, in the small, relatively higher-income Himalayan state of Sikkim, almost one third of primary level children from rural areas are enrolled in private schools, and government school enrollment at the primary level is falling year by year. This study explores community perceptions surrounding the relative quality of one government and one private school located in Lingmoo, a rural village in …

Intercountry Adoption And Child Sponsorship In Vietnam: A Practicum-Based Exploration Of A Complex Relationship, Rainah Umlauf

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For over a decade, Vietnam ranked in the top ten countries providing the most children for intercountry adoption (ICA), sending almost 11,000 children abroad since 2003 (U.S. State Department, 2015). It is likely that many of these children, however, were not orphans; evidence reveals that a lucrative baby-buying industry falsified information and trafficked children for years in order to meet the high international demand for healthy infants.

In this paper, I relate this history of ICA fraud to contemporary child sponsorship in Vietnam. I find that ICA and child sponsorship are intertwined in two contradictory ways. First, child sponsorship programs …

Facilitators Of Empowerment Lead In Sustainable Rural Development: A Case Study Of Thanda, Emma Milford

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In a world searching for more innovative models of development, it is important to highlight successful programs that offer insight into effective, impactful interventions. In this study, I investigate Thanda as a case study for rural sustainable development where investment in individual empowerment results in community empowerment. Thanda was founded in 2008 with the original intent of addressing the orphan crisis due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in rural communities near Hibberdene, South Africa. Since then, Thanda has implemented afterschool education programs, feeding programs, agricultural development programs, early childhood development programs, and a 100% green community center. Their curriculum emphasizes critical …

Evaluating Current Management Of Drug-Resistanttuberculosis In Mumbai, India, Meryl Kus

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research was aimed at analyzing the current state of drug resistant tuberculosis in Mumbai and how effectively different actors in the realm of public health are managing DR-TB. The methods for this project involved a variety of semi-structured interviews as well as field observation. Key findings show a very present and largely negative private sector influence, effective NGO models for disease control, a burden of DR-TB/HIV comorbidity, and a rapid increase to transmission-based spread of DR-TB. Key implications of conclusions include the necessity of increasing the private sector’s compliance with WHO standards, adaptation of community and education based NGO …

The Significance Of Comunidade Sabiaguaba Within The Developing City Of Fortaleza, Ce, Katherine Davis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The city of Fortaleza, Ceará has experienced rapid population growth and development over the last century, especially concentrated in the last fifty years. Today, this growth results in the creation of a beautiful tourist destination that many wish to visit, but also a dangerous and unequal city in which many have to live. Many state planners view this growth in infrastructure and tourism as the solution for the economic hardships of Fortaleza. However, many residents are unsatisfied with this development plan, and feel that there is a disconnect between the needs of the people and the plans of the state. …

Integrating Community Service Into Scholarship: Youth Engagement By Active Participation Case Study Of Ruwwad, Eunjee Anna Koh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research project applies Asset-Based Community Development theory to Ruwwad, a community-based organization in Al-Natheef. As a marginalized community, the approach to community development must be investigated to ensure that it does not worsen the community dependency. Through the Myoub Khorma Youth Education and Empowerment Fund, Ruwwad provides scholarships for youth from the neighborhood and surrounding areas. The impact of the scholarship on youth was investigated through conducting student interviews and collected material culture published by the organization. Ruwwad exemplifies an example of asset-based community development in the Middle East and youth have shown that they feel empowered through an …

Feasibility Of A Mangrove-Based Carbon Business In Makoba Bay, Unguja, Zanzibar, Janice Liang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mangrove ecosystems, along with other coastal vegetation, have tremendous potential to be abundant carbon sinks. With the prospect of carbon sequestered in coastal ecosystems starting to be explored in carbon credit markets, this study attempts to assess the feasibility of a mangrove-based carbon business in Makoba Bay, Unguja, Zanzibar. An aboveground carbon estimation demonstrates that the mangrove forest of Makoba Bay is a recovering ecosystem, but has the potential to be initiated into a program such as REDD+ in the future. Social surveys in both Makoba Bay and Chwaka Bay also indicate that a number of improvements would have to …

Improving Social Resilience In Response To Climate Change In Far North Queensland And Torres Strait, Katie Costantini

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Currently, most approaches to decision-making in response to climate change have been based on biophysical knowledge, even though climate change is an inherently social dilemma. Social resilience involves communities’ ability to mitigate and prepare for the effects of climate change and recover to an improved state. Professor Allan Dale and his colleagues at the Cairns Institute at James Cook University developed a framework for social resilience based on four attributes: (1) Economic Viability, (2) Community Knowledge, Aspirations, and Capacity, (3) Community Vitality, and (4) Governance. They are using this framework to evaluate and monitor Far North Queensland and Torres Strait …

Beyond Ramaluk: Towards A More Inclusive View Of Identity In The Tibetan Diaspora, Shani Shih

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is an investigation of identity in the Tibetan diaspora in India, informed by the oral histories and narratives of Tibetan diasporic youth living in the capital city of Delhi. By documenting, comparing, and analyzing the experiences of Tibetan youth growing up in India (both Indian-born and Tibetan-born), and attempting to understand their varying notions of Tibetan identity, as well as perspectives on its role in their community, it seeks to answer the following: Why and how do dominant notions of Tibetan identity and/or “Tibetanness” become dominant? What are the unintended consequences of affirming these notions of Tibetan identity …

Going Green And Staying Sustainable: Community Based Tree-Planting Projects In Mongolia, Rachel Klassen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Community based tree planting projects are abundant in Mongolia and have become a popular form of social movement towards promoting a healthy environment. With so many different varieties of tree planting projects in Mongolia, it is necessary to evaluate how well the different forms of Community-based tree planting projects function. The first research question created to access said Community projects is, are Community based tree planting projects environmentally sustainable? And the second, are Community-based tree planting projects in Mongolia sustainable from an organizational standpoint? To answer these questions interviews, surveys and case studies were given in the three …

Maximizing Community Action: An Internship With Be The Change, Rachel Rosenbaum

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

From 3 April 2013 to 28 April 2013, I interned with the Brisbane branch of Be The Change, an organization that promotes ecological, social and spiritual sustainability through their empowering symposiums, in Australia. I focused on creating a tool to help symposium participants take community action after the event. My goal was to create a resource for Be The Change to use across Australia to further its impact, attend a symposium and implement sustainable actions in my everyday life.

In the 140 total hours of work I completed, I helped plan a symposium, participated in workshops and events within the …

Cultivating Change: Women Transforming Holland’S Food System, Meg Vandeusen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Women are influential in the production and reproduction of food systems. Historically, domesticity positioned women as gatekeepers to their family’s food consumption; these food practices have in turn informed cultural codes that construct personal identity. Feminist scholars have investigated how cooking and feeding practices affect a woman’s perception of self and interaction with society. Both practices are viewed as a simultaneous burden and pleasure, as an act of victimization and empowerment. These binaries must be deconstructed in order to create change within the food system. The impact of women taking control of the full cycle – gaining knowledge of where …

Developing A Space For Children: An Internship With The Mullumbimby Community Garden, Eden Olsen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper aims to demonstrate my independent study project internship at the Mullumbimby Community Garden (MCG), an interactive learning site for the citizens of Byron Shire. As an intern I spent 152.5 hours from October 29^th to November 23^rd planting, planning projects, attending meetings, and helping to educate about the importance of sustainable food production. More specifically, I focused on the development of the Children’s Garden, building vertical garden beds, planting the sensory garden, attending meetings, and helping to design and analyze costs for new structures to be implemented in the near future.

This study reaches further than …

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 …

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 …

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 …