Suchergebnisse

Il lavoro si propone di affrontare un problema urgente e non rimandabile: la condizione di emergenza ambientale del pianeta terra. Il fenomeno viene ricostruito storicamente, focalizzando l'attenzione sugli aspetti filosoficamente rilevanti – come, per esempio, il rapporto tra scienza e tecnica – e dimostrando la necessità di un cambiamento di rotta, soprattutto in riferimento al fenomeno del surriscaldamento climatico. A questo riguardo viene passata in rassegna una tassonomia delle etiche ambientali, dividendole tra antropocentriche e anti-antropocentriche e considerando la rilevante eccezione a questo schema rappresentata da Hans Jonas. Vengono sottolineati i problemi che incontra l'etica nell'affrontare un compito complesso, globale, a responsabilità diffusa e per il quale è difficile individuare basi motivazionali come quello della difesa dell'ambiente. Per compensare queste mancanze viene preso in analisi il concetto di beni comuni, sulla scia della sua diffusione avvenuta negli ultimi anni. Questo è analizzato nel suo sviluppo a livello di storia delle idee. Sono presi in considerazione in modo critico i contributi di Garret Hardin, di Elinor Ostrom e dei diversi rappresentati dei fronti italiani, divisi in tre approcci: quello dei benecomunisti, quello giuridico e quello dell'etica della cura. Inoltre tale concetto viene posto in relazione dialogica con quelli di bene comune, democrazia e diritti e viene proposta una tassonomia dei suoi usi che si divide in quattro modalità: economica, giuridica, etica e sociale. Infine, viene valutato in modo critico l'effettivo contributo dei diversi fronti dei beni comuni e di un loro possibile approccio integrato possono fornire a livello etico e normativo per contribuire ala difesa dell'ambiente. L'attenzione viene posta anche sul rapporto tra crisi e opportunità e sull'etica animale. In conclusione, l'approccio dei beni comuni sembra essere insufficiente perché manca di una prospettiva globale per affrontare un problema che invece la richiede come quello ambientale. Vengono, quindi, proposte alcune possibili integrazioni. ; This work wants to face an urgent and not postponable issue: the environmental emergency on Planet Earth. The topic is explored from an historical point of view, focusing on some philosophically considerable issues – as, for example, the connection between science and technology – and showing how a change of human behaviour is needed, especially regarding global warming. A taxonomy of the environmental ethics is described, dividing them in anthropocentric and anti-anthropocentric and considering the exception of Hans Jonas. Ethic has problems to face such a complex, global, and with widespread responsibility task which does not offer a sound ground for motivation as environmental protection. In order to exceed these limits, the attention is focused on the notion of common goods, which has encountered a large use over the last few years. This topic is firstly described under the perspective of the history of ideas. Then some proposals are critically examined as the one of Garret Hardin, Elinor Ostrom and some among the different line-ups of the Italian debate as the "benecomunisti", the juridical and the ethic of care approach. Moreover the notion of commons is related in a dialogic way to other concepts such as common good, democracy and rights and a taxonomy of its uses is proposed diving them into: economical, juridical, ethical and social uses. Finally the different proposals of the commons and the one of their integrated approach are critically analysed regarding the help they can offer from an ethical and normative point of view to the task of environmental protection. Also the crisis/opportunity dialectic and topics from animal ethics are described. In conclusion, the common goods approach is considered not sufficient to face a global issue as environmental emergency because of its lack of a global perspective. Therefore some possible integrations are offered.

The functionality of the Portal to legal literature, which is under development at ITTIG, is described, focusing on a linking mechanism created to allow navigation between statutory rules, judicial cases and legal literature pieces of work. Reference is made to previous works carried out by Italian institutions for the identification of legislation and case law resources through URN identifiers. The design of a URN for legal literature material is planned to ensure cross-access to legal sources on the basis of user surveys carried out for the purpose of better customize the Portal's services. The main features of the proposed URN for legal literature material are described as well as tools developed for the Portal based on an OpenURL resolver mechanism in order for users to start from the examination of a law (legislation) to its interpretation (legal literature) and further to analyse the enforcement of that law in judicial cases (case law).

Humanity as never before shares a common destiny, whether it be in terms of the resources of the planet, the global environment, economic integration, or the movement of peoples, ideas, cultures. For better or worse humankind is a Community of Shared Destiny 命运共同体. The People's Republic of China under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and its 'Chairman of Everything', Xi Jinping, has declared that it shares in the destiny of the countries of the Asia and Pacific region, as well as of nations that are part of an intertwined national self-interest. The Party, according to Marxist-Leninist-Maoist theory, is the vanguard of progressive social forces; it cleaves to the concept of shared destiny and its historical role in shaping that destiny. Since its early days nearly a century ago it has emphasised the collective over the individual, the end rather than the means. It addresses majority opinion while guiding and moulding the agenda both for today, and for the future.

International audience ; Distributed Ledgers (e.g. Bitcoin) occupy currently the first lines of the economical and political media and many speculations are done with respect to their level of coherence and their computability power. Interestingly, there is no consensus on the properties and abstractions that fully capture the behaviour of distributed ledgers. The interest in formalising the behaviour of distributed ledgers is twofold. Firstly, it helps to prove the correctness of the algorithms that implement existing distributed ledgers and explore their limits with respect to an unfriendly environment and target applications.%Secondly, it facilitates the identification of the minimal building blocks necessary to implement the distributed ledger in a specific environment. Even though the behaviour of distributed ledgers is similar to abstractions that have been deeply studied for decades in distributed systems no abstraction is sufficiently powerful to capture the distributed ledger behaviour.This paper introduces the Distributed Ledger Register, a register that mimics the behaviour of one of the most popular distributed ledger, i.e. the Bitcoin ledger. The aim of our work is to provide formal guarantees on the coherent evolution of Bitcoin. We furthermore show that the Bitcoin blockchain maintenance algorithm verifies the distributed ledger register properties under strict conditions. Moreover, we prove that the Distributed Ledger Register verifies the regularity register specification. It follows that the strongest coherency implemented by Bitcoin is regularity under strong assumptions (i.e. partial synchronous systems and sparse reads). This study contradicts the common belief that Bitcoin implements strong coherency criteria in a totally asynchronous system. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first one that makes the connection between the distributed ledgers and the classical theory of distributed shared registers.

International audience ; Distributed Ledgers (e.g. Bitcoin) occupy currently the first lines of the economical and political media and many speculations are done with respect to their level of coherence and their computability power. Interestingly, there is no consensus on the properties and abstractions that fully capture the behaviour of distributed ledgers. The interest in formalising the behaviour of distributed ledgers is twofold. Firstly, it helps to prove the correctness of the algorithms that implement existing distributed ledgers and explore their limits with respect to an unfriendly environment and target applications.%Secondly, it facilitates the identification of the minimal building blocks necessary to implement the distributed ledger in a specific environment. Even though the behaviour of distributed ledgers is similar to abstractions that have been deeply studied for decades in distributed systems no abstraction is sufficiently powerful to capture the distributed ledger behaviour.This paper introduces the Distributed Ledger Register, a register that mimics the behaviour of one of the most popular distributed ledger, i.e. the Bitcoin ledger. The aim of our work is to provide formal guarantees on the coherent evolution of Bitcoin. We furthermore show that the Bitcoin blockchain maintenance algorithm verifies the distributed ledger register properties under strict conditions. Moreover, we prove that the Distributed Ledger Register verifies the regularity register specification. It follows that the strongest coherency implemented by Bitcoin is regularity under strong assumptions (i.e. partial synchronous systems and sparse reads). This study contradicts the common belief that Bitcoin implements strong coherency criteria in a totally asynchronous system. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first one that makes the connection between the distributed ledgers and the classical theory of distributed shared registers.

International audience ; Distributed Ledgers (e.g. Bitcoin) occupy currently the first lines of the economical and political media and many speculations are done with respect to their level of coherence and their computability power. Interestingly, there is no consensus on the properties and abstractions that fully capture the behaviour of distributed ledgers. The interest in formalising the behaviour of distributed ledgers is twofold. Firstly, it helps to prove the correctness of the algorithms that implement existing distributed ledgers and explore their limits with respect to an unfriendly environment and target applications.%Secondly, it facilitates the identification of the minimal building blocks necessary to implement the distributed ledger in a specific environment. Even though the behaviour of distributed ledgers is similar to abstractions that have been deeply studied for decades in distributed systems no abstraction is sufficiently powerful to capture the distributed ledger behaviour.This paper introduces the Distributed Ledger Register, a register that mimics the behaviour of one of the most popular distributed ledger, i.e. the Bitcoin ledger. The aim of our work is to provide formal guarantees on the coherent evolution of Bitcoin. We furthermore show that the Bitcoin blockchain maintenance algorithm verifies the distributed ledger register properties under strict conditions. Moreover, we prove that the Distributed Ledger Register verifies the regularity register specification. It follows that the strongest coherency implemented by Bitcoin is regularity under strong assumptions (i.e. partial synchronous systems and sparse reads). This study contradicts the common belief that Bitcoin implements strong coherency criteria in a totally asynchronous system. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first one that makes the connection between the distributed ledgers and the classical theory of distributed shared registers.

International audience ; Distributed Ledgers (e.g. Bitcoin) occupy currently the first lines of the economical and political media and many speculations are done with respect to their level of coherence and their computability power. Interestingly, there is no consensus on the properties and abstractions that fully capture the behaviour of distributed ledgers. The interest in formalising the behaviour of distributed ledgers is twofold. Firstly, it helps to prove the correctness of the algorithms that implement existing distributed ledgers and explore their limits with respect to an unfriendly environment and target applications.%Secondly, it facilitates the identification of the minimal building blocks necessary to implement the distributed ledger in a specific environment. Even though the behaviour of distributed ledgers is similar to abstractions that have been deeply studied for decades in distributed systems no abstraction is sufficiently powerful to capture the distributed ledger behaviour.This paper introduces the Distributed Ledger Register, a register that mimics the behaviour of one of the most popular distributed ledger, i.e. the Bitcoin ledger. The aim of our work is to provide formal guarantees on the coherent evolution of Bitcoin. We furthermore show that the Bitcoin blockchain maintenance algorithm verifies the distributed ledger register properties under strict conditions. Moreover, we prove that the Distributed Ledger Register verifies the regularity register specification. It follows that the strongest coherency implemented by Bitcoin is regularity under strong assumptions (i.e. partial synchronous systems and sparse reads). This study contradicts the common belief that Bitcoin implements strong coherency criteria in a totally asynchronous system. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first one that makes the connection between the distributed ledgers and the classical theory of distributed shared registers.

International audience ; Distributed Ledgers (e.g. Bitcoin) occupy currently the first lines of the economical and political media and many speculations are done with respect to their level of coherence and their computability power. Interestingly, there is no consensus on the properties and abstractions that fully capture the behaviour of distributed ledgers. The interest in formalising the behaviour of distributed ledgers is twofold. Firstly, it helps to prove the correctness of the algorithms that implement existing distributed ledgers and explore their limits with respect to an unfriendly environment and target applications.%Secondly, it facilitates the identification of the minimal building blocks necessary to implement the distributed ledger in a specific environment. Even though the behaviour of distributed ledgers is similar to abstractions that have been deeply studied for decades in distributed systems no abstraction is sufficiently powerful to capture the distributed ledger behaviour.This paper introduces the Distributed Ledger Register, a register that mimics the behaviour of one of the most popular distributed ledger, i.e. the Bitcoin ledger. The aim of our work is to provide formal guarantees on the coherent evolution of Bitcoin. We furthermore show that the Bitcoin blockchain maintenance algorithm verifies the distributed ledger register properties under strict conditions. Moreover, we prove that the Distributed Ledger Register verifies the regularity register specification. It follows that the strongest coherency implemented by Bitcoin is regularity under strong assumptions (i.e. partial synchronous systems and sparse reads). This study contradicts the common belief that Bitcoin implements strong coherency criteria in a totally asynchronous system. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first one that makes the connection between the distributed ledgers and the classical theory of distributed shared registers.

Democratic societies need media that uphold journalistic standards of truthfulness and objectivity. But sensationalism has always been a temptation for journalists, and given the intense competition between news outlets, especially in the online world, there is pressure on them to 'chase the clicks.' The article analyzes the incentive structures for journalists - focusing on the harmfulness of sensationalist framing as an example - and the challenges of establishing shared standards in a highly competitive online environment. Drawing on concepts and arguments from business ethics, it argues that the structure of this problem points to the need for an 'ethics of sportsmanship' that upholds journalistic standards despite competitive pressures. But the specific role and nature of the media imply that there can be no once-and-for-all solution. Instead, there is a need for reflexivity, that is, for an ongoing dialogue about journalistic standards and the role of media in democratic societies.

Asia faces growing vulnerability to natural disasters, flooding, drought and other transboundary environmental problems, with severe consequences for rural and urban communities, food security, economic growth, and political stability. Environmental problems, by their very nature, are as complex as they are inevitable. They are the unintended by-products of the very development activities nations pursue to grow their economies. Addressing environmental issues requires strong governance structures to facilitate multi-sectoral and multilevel dialogue among government agencies, private sector, civil society, research institutions, and other stakeholders. Ultimately, solutions require collective political will: stakeholders from across sectors working toward a shared vision for socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable development. The Asia Foundation, drawing upon 60 years of governance experience, plays an essential role in helping Asian countries address critical national and regional environmental challenges.

The theoretical framework outlined in this paper was developed initially through a series of expert workshops as part of the Valuing Nature Network — BRIDGE: From Values to Decisions project, funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). It was developed further through the follow-on phase of the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (Work Package 6: Shared, Plural and Cultural Values) funded by the UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Welsh Government, NERC, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF

BackgroundPhysical inactivity across the lifespan remains a public health issue for many developed countries. Inactivity has contributed considerably to the pervasiveness of lifestyle diseases. Government, national and local agencies and organizations have been unable to systematically, and in a coordinated way, translate behavioral research into practice that makes a difference at a population level. One approach for mobilizing multi-level efforts to improve the environment for physical activity is to engage in a process of citizen science. Citizen Science here is defined as a participatory research approach involving members of the public working closely with research investigators to initiate and advance scientific research projects. However, there are no common measures or protocols to guide citizen science research at the local community setting.ObjectivesWe describe overarching categories of constructs that can be considered when designing citizen science projects expected to yield multi-level interventions, and provide an example of the citizen science approach to promoting PA. We also recommend potential measures across different levels of impact.DiscussionEncouraging some consistency in measurement across studies will potentially accelerate the efficiency with which citizen science participatory research provides new insights into and solutions to the behaviorally-based public health issues that drive most of morbidity and mortality. The measures described in this paper abide by four fundamental principles specifically selected for inclusion in citizen science projects: feasibility, accuracy, propriety, and utility. The choice of measures will take into account the potential resources available for outcome and process evaluation. Our intent is to emphasize the importance for all citizen science participatory projects to follow an evidence-based approach and ensure that they incorporate an appropriate assessment protocol.ConclusionsWe provided the rationale for and a list of contextual factors along with specific examples of measures to encourage consistency among studies that plan to use a citizen science participatory approach. The potential of this approach to promote health and wellbeing in communities is high and we hope that we have provided the tools needed to optimally promote synergistic gains in knowledge across a range of Citizen Science participatory projects.

BackgroundPhysical inactivity across the lifespan remains a public health issue for many developed countries. Inactivity has contributed considerably to the pervasiveness of lifestyle diseases. Government, national and local agencies and organizations have been unable to systematically, and in a coordinated way, translate behavioral research into practice that makes a difference at a population level. One approach for mobilizing multi-level efforts to improve the environment for physical activity is to engage in a process of citizen science. Citizen Science here is defined as a participatory research approach involving members of the public working closely with research investigators to initiate and advance scientific research projects. However, there are no common measures or protocols to guide citizen science research at the local community setting.ObjectivesWe describe overarching categories of constructs that can be considered when designing citizen science projects expected to yield multi-level interventions, and provide an example of the citizen science approach to promoting PA. We also recommend potential measures across different levels of impact.DiscussionEncouraging some consistency in measurement across studies will potentially accelerate the efficiency with which citizen science participatory research provides new insights into and solutions to the behaviorally-based public health issues that drive most of morbidity and mortality. The measures described in this paper abide by four fundamental principles specifically selected for inclusion in citizen science projects: feasibility, accuracy, propriety, and utility. The choice of measures will take into account the potential resources available for outcome and process evaluation. Our intent is to emphasize the importance for all citizen science participatory projects to follow an evidence-based approach and ensure that they incorporate an appropriate assessment protocol.ConclusionsWe provided the rationale for and a list of contextual factors along with ...

This is a follow up paper on the dwarfed giant: impact of trade and related policies on SMEs in the Nigerian textile industry. This study uncovers how the dwarfed giant can be undwarfed through the creation of shared value. To achieve this, the study examines areas of SMEs collaborative partnership in the Nigerian textile industry. SMEs in the Nigerian textile industry are faced with challenges that limit their abilities to compete favourably due to growing pressures from the liberalisation of international trade. These challenges have been an issue of concern, especially for SMEs fabric manufacturers operating in the Nigerian textile industry who are faced with the fundamental task of attaining long-term sustainability while simultaneously creating value for their customers and the society. The study identified some elements of collaborative partnerships between SMEs, customers and the government. It also identified the absence of on-going collaboration between SMEs and educational institutions in the country. However, these collaborative efforts have yielded little or no result due to the lack of shared understanding and values among key stakeholders in the industry. In bridging this gap, the study suggests that the principles of shared value creation be embedded into SMEs business strategy in inter-organizational relationships with key stakeholders in and out of the textile value chain. This way, they can effectively co-create shared value in the internal environment and adequately tackle the challenges of the external business environment.

This is a follow up paper on the dwarfed giant: impact of trade and related policies on SMEs in the Nigerian textile industry. This study uncovers how the dwarfed giant can be undwarfed through the creation of shared value. To achieve this, the study examines areas of SMEs collaborative partnership in the Nigerian textile industry. SMEs in the Nigerian textile industry are faced with challenges that limit their abilities to compete favourably due to growing pressures from the liberalisation of international trade. These challenges have been an issue of concern, especially for SMEs fabric manufacturers operating in the Nigerian textile industry who are faced with the fundamental task of attaining long-term sustainability while simultaneously creating value for their customers and the society. The study identified some elements of collaborative partnerships between SMEs, customers and the government. It also identified the absence of on-going collaboration between SMEs and educational institutions in the country. However, these collaborative efforts have yielded little or no result due to the lack of shared understanding and values among key stakeholders in the industry. In bridging this gap, the study suggests that the principles of shared value creation be embedded into SMEs business strategy in inter-organizational relationships with key stakeholders in and out of the textile value chain. This way, they can effectively co-create shared value in the internal environment and adequately tackle the challenges of the external business environment.