National Gathering Research Articles

THE VISIONARIES OF VILNIUS AND THE LITHUANIAN VERSION OF METAMODERNISM

Contemporary Lithuanian culture uses a unique source of creative spirit, which gives birth to visions of Lithuanian Statehood and sacred architecture. It is Vilnius, and authors related to Vilnius focused on its visual, poetic, and historical meanings. Such creators periodically appeared in the 19th and 20th centuries (M. K. Čiurlionis, A. Mickewicz, O. Miłosz, Cz. Miłosz, M. Kulbak), and when Poland occupied Vilnius, the spiritual connection between the city and Lithuania painfully and vividly intensified. Furthermore, Vilnius’ significance highly increased during the Soviet occupation (1940, 1945–1990). It symbolised the enslaved Statehood of Lithuania at that time and remained an invincible architectural vision of European continuity. Composers (E. Balsys, V. Barkauskas), film directors (A. Grikevičius), and painters (A. Stasiulevičius) created the paradigm of the eternal city, deeply rooted in the self-consciousness of Lithuanian Statehood. In the 21st century, this paradigm flourished incredibly powerfully in literature and music. Composer Onutė Narbutaitė (*1956) seemed to awaken Vilnius’ importance in global Western civilisation. In her oratorio “Centones meae urbi” (1997), she brought several eras of Vilnius history back to the present, raising the concept of the seasons as parts of the oratorio: “Spring” — Baroque, cultural flourishing, “Summer” — 20th century, Holocaust catastrophe, the fate of Vilnius Jews, “Autumn” — 19th century Romanticism, A. Mickiewicz’s poetry, the deep patriotism of Polish-Lithuanian people, “Winter” — the tragic 1991 January events in Vilnius, Lithuania’s walk toward the West and the restoration of independence. This musical-poetic-documentary concept of oratorio, recreating the turning points of Eastern European epochs, brought Narbutaitė’s work, the winner of the National Prize award, into the global spotlight.It is even more important to emphasise the role of literature, returning Vilnius to the civic historical self-awareness of the European present, which is especially relevant after the beginning of the Russian imperial aggression in 2022 against Ukraine. It is the four-volume work Silva rerum (2008–2016) by the writer and doctor of art studies Kristina Sabaliauskaitė (*1974). Because of its artistic and geopolitical incisiveness, it was translated into the languages of neighbouring European nations (Polish, Latvian, Estonian). Here, the depth of Vilnius’ historical memory grows into the restoration of the meaning of Statehood and acquires an exclusive expression of literary value, the sound of multicultural rumble with a unique penetration of antiquity into the present.The coverage of Sabaliauskaitė’s literary style is a powerful showcase of linguistic memory and existential and state life events, which, in her unique narrative, transforms into an endless melody of musical expression, enriched with the brutal reality of images and actions. Through Vilnius’ idea, not in a vague visionary sense but in a concrete historicism revision sense, Sabaliauskaitė brings back the deep state of the 16th–18th-century Republic of Two Nations (Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) into modern Lithuania, unveiling its relevance. Most importantly, the works of both women creators place them in the category of Vilnius visionaries. Here, historicism is integrated into metamodernism — through an endless melody, the transformation of a musicalform, and a literary sentence into the will of the world, the step into the present. Semantics becomes the bearer of the idea of an astute gathering of nations (in Vilnius as well), the inspirer, and the assessor of Europe’s weakened citizenship genesis in the sense of the Statehood of Eastern Europe. A melody emerges as a line of historical memory in the vault of metamodernism, reviving and enriching the myths of emptiness and the end of history spread by postmodernism. It also synchronises in the present time when an experience of a new challenge of the “falling-behind history” caused by war.

Judy Watson

Artist Judy Watson, a member of the Waanyi people of north-west Queensland, has spent several periods in Italy, including on a residency in Tuscany in 1992, and when selected to present her work in the Australian pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1997 and as a speaker at the aabaakwad gathering of First Nations artists at the Biennale in 2022. In the interview, Watson reflects on her connection to culture and Country and speaks of the works inspired by her stays in Italy. She also comments on changes over time in the Venice Biennale, as well as the interest in Indigenous Australian artists in Italy.

Promoting multiculturalism and tolerance: Expanding the meaning of “unity through diversity” in the United Arab Emirates

AbstractThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sought to establish a national identity among its nationals since its inception in 1971. Contrary to the pessimism in its first few years, the UAE was able to create a national identity among its nationals despite their initially differing loyalties. The UAE has now embarked on a phase of creating a new national identity that includes non‐nationals, encompassing migrants and expats. This study argues that this new identity aims to include, at least discursively, non‐nationals, presenting them as an integral part of society. It should be noted that this new identity does not seek to standardize or assimilate the whole population, in contrast to the first identity, which aimed to standardize the nationals. Its primary aim is rather to express its appreciation of the migrant population through the notions of tolerance, diversity, and multiculturalism, while also preventing complaints from the nationals. This study analyses the ways of including non‐nationals in a new national identity through national gatherings (national days), institutional activities (heritage festivals, cultural gatherings, cultural center visits and activities), media analyses (state‐sponsored media), and foreign policy initiatives that emerged (or presented) due to domestic diversity, such as Pope's visit.

32887 Interplay between the facial cutaneous microbiome and acne vulgaris: A pilot study from the largest national gathering of twins

32887 Interplay between the facial cutaneous microbiome and acne vulgaris: A pilot study from the largest national gathering of twins

Medicines at Standing Rock: Stories of Native Healing through Survivance

In 2016, a historically large gathering of Indigenous peoples, tribal nations, and allies took place at the Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota, in response to the proposed construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Under the assertion of Mni Wičoni (Water Is Life), a social movement emerged with the purpose of protecting clean drinking water and Indigenous lands. Drawing on Gerald Vizenor’s theoretical framework that emphasizes storytelling and active presence over settler resistance, this study argues that Indigenous water protectors’ collective action in the movement, as well as their stories and remembrance of Standing Rock, are acts of survivance, in which they are able to denounce othering and challenge the colonizer’s gaze. While water is often described as a first medicine by Indigenous peoples, the water protectors’ stories in this essay suggest that the movement itself represented another remedy as well. Specifically, this movement represents a pivotal moment of cultural revitalization and community across what participants refer to as “Indian country,” in which individuals are able to engage in large scale grassroots decolonizing praxis rooted in spirituality and ceremony, and suspend genocidal traps of victimry that they have long battled.

Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program: key implementation characteristics of a school peer mentorship program in Canada.

The Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program (IYMP) is a peer-led health promotion program developed for elementary school students in Indigenous school communities in Canada. A local young adult health leader (YAHL) and high school mentors offer students healthy snacks, physical activity games, relationship building activities and cultural teachings. IYMP aims to improve children's health and wellbeing and empower Indigenous youth and communities. The purpose of this focused ethnography was to describe the key characteristics of successful IYMP delivery. Two focus groups were conducted with 16 participants (8 YAHLS and 8 youth mentors) from 7 schools followed by 4 individual interviews (3 YAHLs, 1 youth peer mentor). Transcripts were analyzed using content analysis. Findings were triangulated with IYMP program field observations and notes from IYMP national team meetings. The five characteristics identified as important for IYMP delivery were a sense of ownership by those delivering the program, inclusion of Indigenous Elders/knowledge keepers, establishing trusting relationships, open communication among all stakeholder groups, including community and academic partners, and adequate program supports in the form of program funding, manuals that described program activities, and local and national gatherings between academic and community partners for sharing ideas about the program and its components. This study indicates the importance of respectful partnerships between community and academic leads for program success and sustainability. As IYMP is implemented in more communities and becomes community autonomous, program sustainability may be ensured and implementation challenges mitigated by embedding the identified five essential characteristics within the fabric of IYMP.

Sharing Indigenous Foods Through Stories and Recipes.

Participants at the second National Gathering of the Aboriginal Nutrition Network (ANN) were encouraged to submit their favourite traditional recipes. Approximately 40 were received, and a volunteer working group contacted contributors to assist in the creation of a recipe resource with a selection of 12 recipes that included traditional ingredients to promote Indigenous foodways. All contributors were interviewed to share stories about their recipes. Each recipe was then tested, photographed, and developed into a resource handout that was disseminated to a variety of stakeholders. Afterwards, a brief survey was conducted with ANN recipients of the recipes (n = 23) to evaluate the recipe collection. When asked, "Prior to learning about this resource, was a collection of recipes using traditional foods something that you or the communities you work with were interested in?" all respondents answered yes. Nearly all found the recipes easy to follow (91%), and that they were applicable to the interests or needs of the communities they work with (83%). Preserving recipes and building opportunities for dietitians and other health professionals to contribute to traditional food recipe collections facilitates increased knowledge transfer, enhanced cross-cultural understanding, and is generally a useful tool for those working with Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) on Teacher Competencies Test of Indonesian EFL Senior High School Teachers

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what factors influenced on Teacher competencies Test (Uji Kompetensi Guru/UKG) of Indonesian ESL Senior High School teacher’s in West Java Indonesia. The data used in this study were derived from a teacher competencies test, and a questionnaire survey conducted among teachers who attended National Gathering of Senior High School English Teachers 2017 in Bandung, West Java. A total of 61 usable responses were received. The analysis was using Structural Equation Model (SEM) to see the correlations among variables also identify which predictors influenced most on Teacher Competencies Test. The result revealed that teacher competencies test was mostly influenced by education background (β =.27, p=0.028). It can be concluded that to increase the teacher’s competencies can be done by giving a chance to teachers to continue their study.

Witnessing Oka Apesvchi / Protecting the Water

Witnessing Oka Apesvchi / Protecting the Water1 Bethany Hughes (bio) Oceti Sakowin Land In 2016, water protectors joined together near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota to protest the installation of an oil pipeline on tribal homelands. The Sioux, known in their own language as Oceti Sakowin, led what became an international protest movement combining Native American rights and environmental activism. #NoDAPL and "Water Is Life" became hashtags and rallying cries for Indigenous-led protests against resource extraction, environmental racism, and disregard for Indigenous sovereignty. A historic gathering of tribes, nations, and peoples, the water protectors at Standing Rock awakened the United States to ongoing maltreatment and injustice within Native American communities and on Native American lands. Successful in bringing together a multitude of supporters but ultimately unable to stop the laying of underground pipe carrying crude oil from the Bakkan/Three Forks area to its destination in Illinois, these protectors created a movement. Art, performance, music, and story shaped the movement and the ways in which larger non-Native and non-activist communities encountered the #NoDAPL cause. Folksinger Raye Zaragoza (multiracial, Pima) contributed to the protest movement through her song, "In the River." Reminiscent of folk protest songs from the twentieth century, Zaragoza forwards an Indigenous understanding of kinship relations among people and water. She calls on her listeners to recognize their relations in the water itself, singing "[i]n the river are our sisters and our brothers." She calls out the violent suppression of water protectors and pleads for humanity to not "poison our future away." Video: https://youtu.be/I4eosRdP5gQ (courtesy of Raye Zaragoza) [End Page E-1] Three months after the release of her protest song, Zaragoza again performed "In the River" while at the water protector camps near Standing Rock. The Facebook live stream of her acoustic performance in –20°F weather calls again to listeners to locate the stakes of protecting water and the specific location under threat. Filmed with the camp as backdrop, the distance between the live-stream viewer and her live performance reminds viewers of their own distance from Standing Rock, even as it challenges them to take up the cause of their relative, the water. We are separated from Zaragoza by distance and time. However, we are all still in relation to the water that sustains us and requires our care. The multiple flags blowing in the wind behind her live performance remind viewers of the multinational and multi-tribal nature of this fight. At least 280 separate Indigenous tribes supported the water protectors, displaying their flags at the camps as markers of solidarity and scale. The protection of water is not simply a Standing Rock Sioux issue, but a human issue, and it requires us, as Zaragoza's live stream invites us to remember, to come together and care for both our present and future. Video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1374329889304383 (courtesy of Raye Zaragoza) Inuit and Innu Land Only a month after Zaragoza posted her music video on YouTube, farther north and east another Indigenous nation protested the poisoning of their water relative. Inuit and Innu governments in Labrador, Canada, objected to Nalcor Energy, a Crown (government-owned) corporation, building a hydroelectric dam in their territory. Nalcor did not plan to clear the land to be flooded of vegetation and other organic materials. As the organic material decayed in the flooded land, it would create methylmercury, a central-nervous-system toxin, which would negatively impact the water quality of communities downstream of the dam. Methylmercury is a neurotoxin that impairs enzymes, cell-membrane functions, motor functions, vision, and has fatal effects on the brain development of fetuses.2 It accrues as it moves up the food chain, causing larger animals like humans increased exposure and damage. As the Indigenous governments worked with scientists from Harvard to create an environmental-impact study that adequately addressed the downstream impact of the dam's creation, protestors actively shut down the dam's construction site. Thirteen-year-old Allyson Gear joined these protestors at a blockade in October 2016 and performed a drum dance. Captured on video and later in a prize-winning photograph by Ossie Michelin, the...

A Heritage of Reciprocity

Canoes, and the protocols attached to them, play a central role in cultural revitalization and resilience for many Indigenous nations of the Pacific Northwest. The revitalization of canoe culture is most visibly present in Tribal Journeys, a weeks-long paddle and gathering of Indigenous nations that annually brings together thousands of Native American/First Nations citizens. The Chinook Indian Nation has been an active and early participant in canoe resurgence in general, and Tribal Journeys specifically. For the Chinook, canoe protocols reflect a vision of “reciprocal heritage” that is located in embodied practice, is based in tribal cultural values of reciprocity and place, and is forward-looking. Perhaps most importantly, canoe culture and the performance of protocols occur explicitly outside of the framework of the colonial nation-state. In this sense the performance of protocol is not just an aspect of culture, it is fundamentally an act of decolonization.

Overview of the current electrophysiology (EP) state of affairs in Russia.

Russia is the largest country in the world based on the landmass, covering more than one-eighth of the earth's inhabited area. Russia faces challenges in electrophysiology (EP) care including insufficient and uneven financing, complicated system for identifying optimal treatment for individual patients, relative paucity of reasonable educational and certification scope for electrophysiologists, suboptimal national statistical data gathering regarding heart rhythm disorders and EP devices in use, and weak networking of medical information. In comparison with the average level of EP utilization in ESC countries, Russia utilizes around 50% in pacemaker; 10% in ICD; 8% in cardiac resynchronization therapy; 55% in ablations; and 45% in AF ablations. As projected, Russia has the biggest unmet demand in EP procedures, so-called developmental potential in the European region. Nearly 37% of implanted single-chamber and 63% dual-chamber devices are manufactured outside of Russia. The price of the Russian devices is slightly (by 10-20%) lower than the one imported and they are readily provided for patients by the Russian Ministry of Health. Based on the analysis of the data available, we suggest some strategies for the improvement of the EP care in Russia. Solutions include the institution of formal EP education and standardization of it, development of international educational, and scientific collaboration; implementation quality-assessment tools for professional knowledge and skills; wide application of national medical databases and collection of heart rhythm disorders' statistics; growth of financial support of electrophysiology and transparent distribution of financing between state/municipal and private medical centers; enhancement of medical care accessibility countrywide; development of technologies for local EP devices production; and collection of data regarding usage and effectiveness of it.

The Gathering of Nations: From Copenhagen to Sydney!

The Gathering of Nations: From Copenhagen to Sydney!

Geliat Puritanisme Islam di Indonesia: Menyibak Tabir di Balik Gerakan Majelis Tafsir Al-Qur’an (MTA) dalam Perspektif Sosiologis

Islamic purification movement which run by MTA (Majelis Tafsir Al-Qur'an; Quranic interpretation council) is an interesting one to be discussed. MTA, an institution with the charismatic leader, is preaching Islam puritanically like other Islamic organizations which have active branches with organized structure in every level. Therefore, this article will discuss MTA movement in sociological perspective, particularly using social movement theory. The results can be seen in three social movement types. The first type is to use political opportunities through a national gathering forum (Silatnas) and Sunday Morning Preaching (Pengajian Ahad Pagi). The second type is to mobilize all capitals; moral resources include Quran-Sunnah as well as charisma of the leader; cultural resources includes all MTA's religious business; human resources with structured cadre system, well-organized social-organization resources; and excessive economic resources. The last type is to frame its religious movement to resolve every Islamic-social pathology through the best method on MTA perspective

Fleeting Emotional Unity of French Protestantism in Ephemeral Spaces

National gatherings are regularly held in French Protestantism. Particularly, the recent years have witnessed the establishment of large national festive gatherings. These meetings aim at bringing people together. For the sake of togetheness as well as for theological reasons, the organizers usually seek to uphold all the trends and currents of French Protestantism. The latter remains, however, characterized by its extreme diversity, which has been increasing in the recent past. During the meetings, these gatherings create some kind of a united Protestant church. It seems, however, that the ephemeral nature of the event is, in fact, what allows unity. The religious unity of French Protestantism has a very paradoxical dimension.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES OF THE UKRAINIAN DIASPORA IN SERBIA (1991–BEGINNING OF THE 21st CENTURY)

Today in the Balkans, the community of Ukrainians in Serbia is the largest by its number and importance. Since the 90s of the 20th century Ukrainian national societies are beginning to be restored and created. The research of their role in Serbia is an important aspect both for studying the history of the Ukrainian diaspora in Serbia and throughout the world. Thus, in 1991 a new era for the Ukrainian people begins not only in Ukraine but also abroad. The article highlights the cultural heritage and assets of the Ukrainian diaspora in Serbia from 1991 to 2012, identifi es the main directions of activity of cultural and educational organizations, societies, institutions created by Ukrainians in the territory of modern Serbia. Most of the issues raised in this study did not become the subject of study in the works of Ukrainian and foreign scholars. Our research is based on the memories of members of Ukrainian societies, such as the Society of Ukrainian Language, Literature and Culture “Prosvita” and the I. Seniuk Ukrainian Cultural and Arts Society. Also, the materials of the Embassies of Ukraine in Serbia, the World Congress of Ukrainians, the Information Service of the Prosvita Society and others are included in the article. The Ukrainian community in Serbia is actively engaged in cultural activities, as evidenced by festivals, national gatherings, round tables, summer schools of Ukrainian studies. The fi gures of cultural and artistic associations make a signifi cant contribution to the popularization of Ukrainian culture, traditions and preservation of the national identity of the Ukrainian community in Serbia, the Balkans and the world as a whole.

Black Catholicism and Black Lives Matter: the process towards joining a movement

ABSTRACTThis ethnographic study examines how Black Catholics identify with and respond to the Black Lives Matter movement. The study follows several national Black Catholic gatherings since the death of Mike Brown. Using an adaptation of Scott Hunt, Robert D. Benford, and David Snow's social movement frame analysis, I explore how Black Catholics define and construct the ongoing political issues within the Black Lives Matter movement. I discuss the conditions which contribute to Black Catholic’s participation, or lack thereof, in this social movement through the processes of diagnostic framing, prognostic framing, and motivational framing. I position the larger Black Catholic belief system within frame analysis, examine the relevance of the frames with the Black Catholic community, and analyse the frames’ timing with the Black Lives Matter cycle of protest. This research has implications for intragroup meaning making as Black Catholics start the process towards identifying with the Black Lives Matter social movement.

“The supreme power of the people”: Local autonomy and radical democracy in the Batavian revolution (1795–1798)

ABSTRACTThe Batavian Revolution of 1795 that overthrew the old stadtholderly regime of the Dutch Republic was followed by a period of intense political conflict in which popular mobilization played a key role. Among revolutionary elites, the main dividing line between moderates and radicals occurred around questions concerning the reorganization of the state apparatus and the writing of a new constitution. A full rejection of the federative model of the state that had characterized the former Dutch Republic became central to the repertoire of the radical faction in the National Convention. However, instances of protest and rebellion from below, often supported by the radicals in the Convention, generally remained conspicuously local in focus. This clash between national ideals and highly localized realities remains one of the central paradoxes of the Batavian Revolution. The form in which this process unfolded was peculiar to the trajectory of the Batavian Revolution, which more than any of its counterparts became centered on constitutional issues. But severe tensions between programs for the rationalization of state bureaucracy along nationalizing lines and popular support for far-reaching local autonomy existed in each of the Atlantic Revolutions. In January 1797, radical democrats in Leiden attempted to find an organizational form to solve this problem. They called for a national gathering of representatives from local revolutionary clubs and neighborhood assemblies. The response by the moderate provincial and national authorities was remarkably swift, and the initiative was repressed before the meeting could take place. Examining the failure of this unique attempt to bridge the divide between local popular mobilization and national revolutionary programs, as well as the discussion that followed this failure, can help us understand the possibilities and limitations of Batavian radicalism.

Syndromic Surveillance of Emergency Department Visits for the 2015 Special Olympics

In the largest gathering of nations in Los Angeles' history, the 2015 Special Olympics (SO) welcomed approximately 6,500 athletes from 165 countries, as well as 30,000 volunteers and 500,000 spectators from July 25 to August 2, 2015. We describe how Los Angeles County's (LAC's) syndromic surveillance system was used to detect potential emerging health events congruent with SO games and pre-game events.

New Forms of the Relationship between Politics and Religion

Beginning in the 1960s, new forms of living the faith emerged in Latin America that linked it with a political dimension. The Catholic Church changed its pastoral orientation, and ecclesiastical base communities were established as part of an “option for the poor.” The reflection that accompanied this process was known as liberation theology. By the end of the 1970s these communities were organizing conferences, publications, and theological reflections with strong international links and included hundreds of believers both in the countryside and in the city. During the following two decades, they were active participants in the construction of leftist political alternatives. While a minority pastoral practice today, they continue to hold national gatherings and maintain their international contacts. In-depth interviews with three members of ecclesiastical base communities in a working-class neighborhood in Mexico City show how these individuals have built their socio-religious practice and their religious beliefs. Their experience is part of a global reconstitution of belief systems in Mexico that affects all of the salvation enterprises in their various expressions. A partir de la década de los sesenta, nuevas formas de vivir la fe surgieron en América Latina que las asociaron con una dimensión política. La Iglesia Católica Romana cambió su orientación pastoral, y las comunidades eclesiales de base nacieron como parte de una “opción por los pobres”. Se conocía la reflexión que acompañó a este proceso como teología de liberación. Para finales de los setenta estas comunidades estaban organizando congresos, publicaciones, y reflexiones teológicas con fuertes lazos internacionales, comprendiendo centenares de creyentes tanto en la campiña como en la ciudad. Durante las siguientes dos décadas, fueron participantes activas en la construcción de alternativas políticas de izquierda. Si bien es una práctica pastoral minoritaria hoy en día, continúan convocando reuniones nacionales y mantienen sus contactos internacionales. Entrevistas a fondo con tres miembros de comunidades eclesiales de base en un barrio obrero en la ciudad de México demuestran cómo estos individuos han construido su práctica socio-religiosa y sus creencias religiosas, que implican una comprensión de Dios no como juez sino como aliado. Su experiencia forma parte de una reconstrucción de sistemas de creencias en México que afecta a todas las entidades salvíficas en sus varias expresiones.

Nurse prescribers' experiences of recording prescribing data to the Minimum Data Set in Ireland.

This study aimed to investigate and enhance understanding of nurse prescribers' experiences of working with the Irish national data gathering system for nurse prescribing: the Minimum Data Set (MDS) in Irish clinical practice. A phenomenological research design was used, collecting data via semi-structured interviews using a purposive sample of practising nurse prescribers. The study identified three recurrent themes: communication, workload/time, and attitudes. The MDS produces only standard national reports (lists) on nurse/midwife prescribing that cannot be utilised efficiently to inform practice or understand health service needs. Nurses have reacted to this situation and evaluate the MDS in the context of their clinical setting, identifying conflicting demands and expectations and an increased workload as factors that correlated negatively with the process of collecting nurse prescribing data. Consultation and evaluation is required, particularly to analyse the nurse prescribers' views of collecting data and working with the MDS in the context of the major adjustments that the Irish health service has experienced over the past 6 years.