Aspirational Goal Research Articles

Examining an inclusive social tourism practices in Turkey

ABSTRACT This study and its conceptual framework are motivated by the awareness of the positive impacts of social tourism on social inclusion. The aim of the research is to explore the potential of social tourism for creating an inclusive tourism form through investigating alternative camp in Turkey. The camp was examined as an ethnographic case study with qualitative research methods. Data were gathered by conducting semi-structured interviews and participant observations lasting over a year. In addition, the secondary data were collected in the form of organizational and other types of documents. As a result, the study develops an inclusive social tourism management model that proposes three components: (1) sustainable financial support, (2) a strong volunteer structure, (3) an aspirational goal.

The AFU Campus Inventory Tool for Assessing Age Friendliness in the Objective Environment

The AFU principles establish a framework that universities can use to set aspirational goals. As AFU principles become more widely adopted, there will be a need for institutions of higher education to evaluate their progress toward achieving these goals. In part, the AFU goals represent structural elements of the campus, or the “objective” environment. The AFU Campus Inventory provides an efficient, form-based, reporting tool for use by relevant campus departments to provide information on age-friendly practices, such as the prevalence of older people on campus as faculty, staff, and students; the provision of courses on aging, advising for older community members, and such amenities as reduced prices for various services. In this session, the Inventory will be demonstrated utilizing preliminary data from campuses in Massachusetts to illustrate its feasibility. Participants will be shown how to use the Inventory for adaptation at their own institutions.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A strategic priority for the American Pediatric Surgical Association

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A strategic priority for the American Pediatric Surgical Association

Fostering a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Canadian agricultural economics profession

AbstractThe Canadian agricultural economics profession, like much of society, is faced with the important challenge of how to effectively achieve aspirational goals of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). I argue that the Canadian agricultural economics society (CAES) will benefit from integrating EDI into our core mission and key activities. I focus on a select set of issues that I believe will further this effort. Given the critical role of scholarly merit and merit‐based systems and processes in the CAES mandate and activities, I also explore how meritocracy and scholarly merit can be aligned with EDI principles. The paper concludes with suggestions and recommendations for consideration by the CAES.

Post-2020 biodiversity targets need to embrace climate change

Recent assessment reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) have highlighted the risks to humanity arising from the unsustainable use of natural resources. Thus far, land, freshwater, and ocean exploitation have been the chief causes of biodiversity loss. Climate change is projected to be a rapidly increasing additional driver for biodiversity loss. Since climate change and biodiversity loss impact human societies everywhere, bold solutions are required that integrate environmental and societal objectives. As yet, most existing international biodiversity targets have overlooked climate change impacts. At the same time, climate change mitigation measures themselves may harm biodiversity directly. The Convention on Biological Diversity’s post-2020 framework offers the important opportunity to address the interactions between climate change and biodiversity and revise biodiversity targets accordingly by better aligning these with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. We identify the considerable number of existing and proposed post-2020 biodiversity targets that risk being severely compromised due to climate change, even if other barriers to their achievement were removed. Our analysis suggests that the next set of biodiversity targets explicitly addresses climate change-related risks since many aspirational goals will not be feasible under even lower-end projections of future warming. Adopting more flexible and dynamic approaches to conservation, rather than static goals, would allow us to respond flexibly to changes in habitats, genetic resources, species composition, and ecosystem functioning and leverage biodiversity’s capacity to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Dreams deferred

Dreams deferred

The paradox of the seed and soil: Cultivating inclusive leadership for a “new normal”

Persistent evidence shows that African Americans, women, and other people of color are consistently overlooked in promotions, growth assignments, and other significant opportunities to scale the corporate ladder. Further, organizations tend to fault these diverse employees for their slower progress in achieving aspirational goals and ignore addressing the insufficiency of existing organizational systems and processes as the primary barrier to furthering inclusivity—especially in senior leadership roles. Using the metaphor of “the seed and the soil,” which was first articulated by David Thomas, PhD, the article examines corporate America through the lens of the “seed”; the employees of difference who most often must navigate corporate cultures without significant support; and the “soil,” the organizational leadership, mindset, and infrastructure that continue to overlook people of difference while suggesting the organization is working on their behalf. The article links national unrest to the mindset and actions that dismiss notions of societal justice. Further, the article clarifies the connection and support of the corporate–social perspective that helps to maintain the status quo. The article concludes by clarifying the steps required to create an inclusive ecosystem in which the soil is effectively cultivated so that all seeds have the potential to thrive as organizations prepare for a more diverse, inclusive, and profitable future.

Zero suicide implementation-effectiveness trial study protocol in outpatient behavioral health using the A-I-M suicide prevention model

BackgroundThe treatment of suicidal patients often suffers owing to a lack of integrated care and standardized approaches for identifying and reducing risk. The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention endorsed the Zero Suicide (ZS) model, a multi-component, system-wide approach to identify, engage, and treat suicidal patients. The ZS model is a framework for suicide prevention in healthcare systems with the aspirational goal of eliminating suicide in healthcare. While the approach is widely endorsed, it has yet to be evaluated in a systematic manner. This trial evaluates two ZS implementation strategies statewide in specialty mental health clinics. Methods/study designThis trial is the first large-scale implementation of the ZS model in mental health clinics using the Assess, Intervene, and Monitor for Suicide Prevention (A-I-M) clinical model. Using a hybrid effectiveness-implementation type 1 design, we are testing the effectiveness of ZS implementation in 186 mental health clinics in 95 agencies in New York State. Agencies are randomly assigned to either: “Basic Implementation” (BI; a large group didactic learning collaboratives) or “Enhanced Implementation” (EI; participatory small group learning collaboratives; enhanced consultation for site champions). Primary outcomes include suicidal behaviors, hospitalizations and Emergency Department visits; implementation outcomes include protocol adoption, protocol fidelity and barriers/facilitators to implementation. DiscussionThis project has the potential to have a significant public health impact by determining the effectiveness of the ZS model in mental health clinics, a setting where suicide attempts and suicides occur at a higher rate than any other healthcare setting. It will also provide guidance on the implementation level required to achieve uptake and sustainability of ZS.Trial registration: N/A.

Implementing a systems approach to suicide prevention in a mental health service using the Zero Suicide Framework.

The Zero Suicide Framework, a systems approach to suicide prevention within a health service, is being implemented across a number of states in Australia, and internationally, although there is limited published evidence for its effectiveness. This paper aims to provide a description of the implementation process within a large health service in Australia and describes some of the outcomes to date and learnings from this process. Gold Coast Mental Health and Specialist Services has undertaken an implementation of the Zero Suicide Framework commencing in late 2015, aiming for high fidelity to the seven key elements. This paper describes the practical steps undertaken by the service, the new practices embedded, emphasis on supporting staff following the principles of restorative just culture and the development of an evaluation framework to support a continuous quality improvement approach. Improvements have been demonstrated in terms of processes implementation, enhanced staff skills and confidence, positive cultural change and innovations in areas such as the use of machine learning for identification of suicide presentations. A change to 'business as usual' has benefited thousands of consumers since the implementation of a Suicide Prevention Pathway in late 2016 and achieved reductions in rates of repeated suicide attempts and deaths by suicide in Gold Coast Mental Health and Specialist Services consumers. An all-of-service, systems approach to suicide prevention with a strong focus on cultural shifts and aspirational goals can be successfully implemented within a mental health service with only modest additional resources when supported by engaged leadership across the organisation. A continuous quality improvement approach is vital in the relentless pursuit of zero suicides in healthcare.

Dietary Inadequacy, Micronutrient Deficiencies, and Approaches to Preventing Poor Nutrition in the Gaza Strip.

Palestine refugees comprise the largest refugee population in the world, most of whom are encamped in Middle Eastern countries. In the Gaza Strip, where ∼1.4 million Palestinians reside, there are high prevalences of anemia and multiple micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs), including those of iron, zinc, vitamins A, B12, D, and E, ranging from 11.4% to 84.7% among pregnant women and 2.9% to 70.9% among preschool children. Dietary diversification and adequate food fortification are framed in policies but remain aspirational goals. Alternative, effective, targeted preventive approaches include, for women, replacement of antenatal iron-folic acid with multiple micronutrient supplementation, and for young children, point-of-use multiple micronutrient powder fortification to prevent anemia, both of which can reduce other MNDs and may bring additional health benefits. These interventions coupled with monitoring of dietary intakes, periodic assessment of MNDs, and implementation research to improve existing nutrition interventions are warranted to protect the health of the Middle East Palestinian diaspora.

Agricultural Transformation to Bring the SDGs to Fruition

Surmounting the unparalleled and complex challenges that the entire planet faces demands transformative action and measures, encompassing the principles of sustainable development that leave no one behind. Looking forward, the route to inclusive prosperity and well-being of the people is clearly marked by the aspirational goals set by the UN member states in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Agriculture, being a prime linkage between the planet and people, can play a big part in addressing the future needs of the world along with the sustainable management of natural resources. Therefore, the paper focuses on the transformation of the agricultural sector to achieve sustainable development goals by making the agricultural system more efficient, productive, and resilient in a socially-responsible, economicallyfeasible, and environmentally-sustainable manner.

Attitudes towards the New Zealand Government’s Smokefree 2025 goal associated with smoking and vaping in university students aged 18 to 24 years: results of a 2018 national cross-sectional survey

ObjectiveIn March 2011, New Zealand (NZ) launched an aspirational goal to reduce smoking prevalence to 5% or less by 2025 (Smokefree 2025 goal). Little is known about university students’ awareness...

Bringing Gene Therapies for HIV Disease to Resource-Limited Parts of the World.

Bringing Gene Therapies for HIV Disease to Resource-Limited Parts of the World.

Identification of air transport ecological component level in the context of ensuring sustainable development of the national economy

”. Aviation safety is an important component of the concept of general national security, the system of personal security, ecological and public safety and transport safety from external and internal threats. Maintaining an acceptable level of national aviation safety is a priority for the industry. In the context of globalization, ecological safety is becoming especially important. World leaders gathered at the United Nations (UN) and adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is a plan of action aimed at achieving global sustainable development in economic, social and environmental areas, which ensures that no UN member state is left behind. The 17 sustainable development goals on the 2030 Agenda can be used as benchmarks for the coordinated development of UN member states. One of the most important goals for the global survival of humankind is Goal 13 “Climate Change”. In order to find an adequate answer to this challenge, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has identified the following areas that can contribute to the attainment of the global aspirational goal: aircraft related technology and standards; improved air traffic management and operational improvements, development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuel and the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). The implementation of CORSIA is carried out not only at the global level, the initiative requires the search for effective management solutions at the national level. Statistics on the activities of the aviation industry of Ukraine indicate its stable development. However, unfortunately, the dynamic growth of air traffic entails an increase in emissions of chemical elements into the atmosphere, which are a real threat to the environment and can contribute to climate change processes. The main tool for ensuring ecological safety tasks is proactive risk management. The development of proactive tools for environmental risk management is relevant and has practical implications for sustainable development, both in the industry in particular and for the state as a whole. The articles offer the author's approaches to the identification of air transport ecological component level.

Multi-objective optimization modelling for analysing sustainable development goals of Nigeria: Agenda 2030

Sustainability of developmental goals remains the significant challenges for every nation in the world. In an environment of flexibility coupled with multiple and conflicting objectives on social economic, energy and environmental issues, a fuzzy goal programming approach proves to be suitable in helping policymakers for attaining their aspirational goals as it takes imprecise information into account. In this study, we proposed a multi-objective goal programming model to analyse the socio-economic, environmental and energy sector of Nigeria. The sectors relating to the gross domestic product, electricity consumption, employment and greenhouse gases emissions are regarded as the key sustainable development goals (SDGs) for the year 2030, upon which all other goals depend on directly or indirectly. We considered four scenarios based on decision-makers' value judgments using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Moreover, we have developed a weighted fuzzy goal programming model for the SDGs incorporating the AHP. The model reveals that individual goals are achievable at 81, 83, and 89 per cents, respectively, while the overall achievement function indicated only 73 per cent achievement is possible. The optimal employment for the various economic sectors is also computed at various tolerance values and presented alongside Pareto objective values. The results yielded an economic justification mathematically and provided insight for critical and future strategic planning towards achieving sustainable economic policies. The models can be replicated in the context of other nations in addressing long-term socio-economic planning and indispensable requirements for renewable sources inclusion to satisfy future energy demand economically without environmental damages.

Defining Value in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Understanding Strategy and Competition in Healthcare

The Value 1.0 era was marked as the period in which delivering value to the patient became the aspirational goal of healthcare systems. During this period there was tremendous research devoted to defining value and more importantly, determining which activities and services were considered high value. After the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be an acceleration by providers to implement high value care as resources will be limited and patients will be seeking out providers who can efficiently delivery high value care. The Value 2.0 era will be defined by providers determining which high value activities and services they will offer, and more importantly, which ones they will not offer. Developing a unique value proposition to sustain a competitive advantage is a fundamental principle of business strategy. Understanding the essential tenets of strategy and competition from the business world can be helpful for providers as they navigate the Value 2.0 era.

Ambition and ambivalence: Reconsidering positive peace as a trans-scalar peace system

For 50 years positive peace has served as an aspirational goal for many scholars and practitioners of peace. However, much recent scholarly literature evidences a substantial ambivalence toward this ambition, suggesting that prominent theories, policies and practices in the field have failed to support positive peace. This article argues that a key reason for this shortcoming is the field’s failure to respond adequately to the evolving character of conflict (latent and overt) related to technological, legal and economic changes associated with the consolidation of globalization over this period. This consolidation has served to shrink the distances between previously remote actors, to expand exponentially the influence of many institutions, norms, practices and projects as they penetrate new societies, to concentrate power into the hands of ever fewer actors, and to reify instead of deconstruct endemic inequality and marginalization within states, between states, and across the globe. The failure of the field to respond robustly to these changes also prompts concerns about its ability to face sweeping challenges soon to come related to technological innovation, climate change, demographic shifts, labour automation and the search for new governance models. This article, therefore, reaffirms the aspirational goals of peace and conflict studies by building on Lederach’s earlier Peacebuilding Triangle to propose a Trans-Scalar Peace System which would recognize the need for coherent and supplementary policies and actions across scales (global, regional, international, nation and local) and utilize a backward-mapping approach to promote a parity of esteem for actors, institutions and decisions at each scale which would, at the same time, privilege the voice of those with the most pertinent knowledge, experience and capacity for action in support of any given policy or practice. Such an approach would honour the lessons of the ‘local turn’ while developing a global trans-scalar peace system.

Space to Think: Co-Designing a Library Environment for Student Ideation

The University of Oregon (UO) Libraries recently launched the campus’s first ideation room, the Innovation, Design, Education, and Aspire (IDEA) Space. The IDEA Space differentiates from other creative spaces such as makerspaces, digital humanities labs, and media centres by its focus on the intellectual aspects of the design thinking process – generation, development, and testing of ideas – rather than the practicalities of prototyping and production. This case study discusses the co-participatory design process used to create this new space, including focus groups, user voting, policy discussions around access and technology, and plans for iterative design changes and assessment moving forward. Key takeaways from the student-initiated project included the need for developing a shared understanding of the spaces’ purpose and scope across a variety of stakeholder groups, managing expectations regarding aspirational versus attainable goals, and the difficulty of maintaining the continuity of a student-initiated project in the face of student turnover.

Setting 'poverty thresholds': whose experience counts?

According to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), poverty eradication in the 21st century means everyday access to decent health care, education and livelihoods, political participation, social inclusion, a clean and safe environment, and more. These are aspirational goals that together support a decent quality of life. Crossing monetary, ‘poverty thresholds’ may enable such goals. Most estimates of ‘where’ the monetary threshold lies derive the estimates circularly from monetary costs of living. The link to quality of living is thereby made by fiat, untested empirically in everyday human experience. We already know we can measure income independently of middle class quality of life, and probe for relationships between the two. Why not for poverty too? A quantity of money where quality of life changed would mark a genuine threshold required for example to escape from poverty traps. Using this approach, studies in quality of work–life, using multiple indicators, have identified at least three thresholds where quality of life ticked markedly upwards, including inter-threshold ranges where gradients went from zero to positive. The concept of work–life balance suggests that this approach may be usefully extended to include quality health care, education, and other SDGs in sustainability science.

Studio: A Place for Art to Start by E. Arrow

Arrow, Emily. Studio: A Place for Art to Start. Illustrated by The Little Friends of Printmaking. Tundra, 2020.
 With its saturated colour palate and complex, pop-y imagery, Studio exudes cover appeal and an abundance of cool charm. Studio is a first-time venture into creating a children’s book by both writer, Emily Arrow, and the illustrators, husband-and-wife team, The Little Friends of Printmaking. Both contributors bring a huge amount of talent, experience and enthusiasm to this collaboration.
 Emily Arrow is a bona fide children’s lit social media celeb and, as Arrow’s wider oeuvre of literacy focused YouTube videos illustrates, she understands the pacing and tempo well-suited to an engaging children’s book. Studio has a fresh idea to convey to its younger readers and the decision to tackle representing these ideas in verse deserves legitimate praise. The cadence of the verse does stumble occasionally, but as it’s in pursuit of the complex, conceptual topic of the book, that can be forgiven.The characters' faces and the detail in their depiction is appealingly reminiscent of children’s author and illustrator Richard Scarry, while the excellent use of black for framing and detail in contrast with a supersaturated palate is an assertive, design-influenced aesthetic. These elements give Studio a fresh but endearingly retro equilibrium. 
 Studio offers a visually rich introduction and warm homage to the concept of the multidisciplinary studio. The premise of Studio is a challenging one to negotiate and represent. A careful reading reveals “for rent” signs on the available studio spaces depicted in the book, so this is not focused on the sort of urban, community arts studios that children might already be familiar with. The adult caregiver accompanying the child on the tour of Studio is the one shopping for a studio space and is revealed at the end of the book as the primary user of the studio. The caregiver is sharing their experience of finding a studio with the child at the centre of the narrative. This is slightly problematic in a children’s book as this scenario doesn’t provide the child with agency in motivation, selection, or even autonomous use of the creative space being lauded. Studio is bringing an interesting concept and opportunity to a young audience in a very attractive way but, realistically, it’s one that probably won’t be accessible to a child until they are older. 
 This tension would function similarly if the child and caregiver in the book were exploring any workplace. While the child might be permitted to indulge in a sense of ownership, this isn’t a child’s space. It’s a space where children would be entirely guided, carefully supervised or absent. So, what is a creative child to do in this circumstance? Happily, Studio doesn’t overlook this dilemma and resolves the problem of agency with the book’s conclusion. The child, having been inspired by their tour of the studio and their caregiver’s newly found studio space, has set up an art space in their own home. 
 In this way, Studio functions as a creative call to action, offering children the aspirational goal of pursuing creative work. With its dynamic details and artful page design, Studio absolutely succeeds in conveying the appeal and functionality of a studio space and encourages creative children to understand it as an exciting and achievable goal.
 Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Matilda Roche
 Matilda Roche holds a BA in English, with a minor in Fine Art. She worked as a Library Technician at the University of Alberta for a number of years before leaving to assist in the operation of a family dental practice. She has published literature reviews and non-fiction, and now writes adult fiction when she’s not learning karate, grocery shopping and watching xianxia rom-com with her two lovely children and patient spouse.