Present Reality Research Articles

ENERGY SECURITY OF THE COUNTRY DURING THE WAR: BARRIERS AND PROSPECTS FOR OVERCOMING

The article unveils the stages of evolution of the concept of energy security from the early ХХ century to the present realities, taking into account the full-scale aggression on the territory of Ukraine. The authors emphasize that in the past, energy security was primarily associated with ensuring the supply and delivery of oil and gas, but now it has become complicated with the supply of fuel for military purposes. It is noted that the Russian aggression against Ukraine has underscored the importance of the energy security policies of the United States and European countries. The article analyzes research results revealing security threats associated with the energy sector in the United States. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of decision-making covering technical, political, and programmatic aspects. New strategies for the energy market, including alternative energy sources and high-efficiency technologies, are discussed. The article examines the link between international conflicts and energy security, including the Persian Gulf crisis of 1991 and the Iraq war of 2003. The results of political debates regarding the confrontation between Russia, the United States, and Europe are presented, highlighting the need for the development of alternative energy sources and energy efficiency. It is determined that the future of energy policy should consider global trends and international relations, not just economic and geopolitical aspects. Current trends in the energy sector and their impact on energy security in conflict conditions are discussed. The importance of transitioning to renewable and alternative energy sources is emphasized amid declining reserves of traditional fuels and rising prices. Problems associated with continued dependence on fossil fuels, such as resource depletion, global warming, environmental issues, and geopolitical conflicts, are mentioned. The article underscores the necessity of cooperation between energy-consuming countries' governments to reorient their energy sectors. The growing threat of global warming and other issues necessitates immediate action to transition to less polluting energy sources. The article analyzes the impact of the war in Ukraine on the region's energy security and demonstrates the necessity of developing alternative energy sources to ensure energy supply stability. It is noted that energy security is a crucial element of a country's economic stability and plays a key role in international relations. Efforts by EU member countries to reduce dependence on gas supplies from Russia and effective steps towards developing alternative energy sources are highlighted. However, difficulties in achieving this goal due to inadequate coordination and increasing gas prices in Europe are noted. The necessity of swift and effective measures to ensure energy security amid modern challenges and conflicts is underscored.

Cultural-Land Bond: A Multifaceted Exploration of First Nations Historical Trajectory, Present Realities, and Sustainable Futures

This article explores the intricate and enduring connection between First Nations communities in Canada and their ancestral lands. The central research question guiding this investigation is: How do these multifaceted factors intersect to shape the lasting cultural-land bond? Utilizing a comprehensive literature review methodology, encompassing historical records, scholarly works, and indigenous perspectives, this study synthesizes information to provide a nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics at play. The key argument put forth is that the historical trajectory, colonial-era policies, Indigenous-colonial treaties, present-day social structures, economic considerations, environmental challenges, familial traditions, and core cultural values collectively contribute to the vitality of the cultural-land connection. The academic impact of this research lies in its revelation of patterns and common themes, offering crucial insights for policy adjustments. The article advocates for comprehensive legislation that respects Indigenous rights, encourages community-led initiatives, and promotes environmental sustainability. The implication of this work is a call to action, urging continued research, legislative support, and community engagement to ensure the preservation of this enduring connection for the benefit of current and future generations.

Border Matters and Metaphors

This portfolio attempts to express the expanding concept of borders, and boundaries through photographic images of objects and situations taken from various contexts, often unrelated to the geopolitical sphere. Scrutinizing borders and boundaries for the past several years as part of a funded project and realizing that borders are omnipresent and all-pervading led me to ‘see’ borders everywhere. And so, I started photographing real and potential border markers and manifestations in the urban everyday. Sometimes they refer to very manifest aspects of borders and in other cases, they are just subtle hints, or even purely metaphorical emanations, originating from a visually present reality, and purposefully framed to support the distinct notions and aspects of borders and boundaries.

Protection of women’s labor rights: present realities

Protection of women’s labor rights: present realities

OCCASIONALISMS IN THE DYSTOPIAN GENRE: THE TRANSLATION ASPECT

The article reflects the dystopian genre as a relevant way of comprehending the past, present, and future reality in the context of socially resonant events and political cataclysms. The status of dystopian works within contemporary literature is determined. Occasionalisms in dystopias are discussed – new words generated by the author that are used in the discourse without current fixation in language dictionaries. The authors describe the role of occasionalisms in writing a dystopian book, including their potential to produce a communicative effect on the target audience. As a pilot experiment, the authors consider George Orwell’s work “1984” as an example of a classic dystopia with a solid inventory of occasionalisms that play a significant role in impressing and persuading readers. Along with the source text, two Ukrainian translations by Vitalii Danmer (2013) and Viktor Shovkun (2015) are compared. The books are contrasted in terms of their foreign cultural adaptability, i.e., how well the translators have conveyed the idea that the author of the original work wanted to produce for readers. The main attention is paid to occasionalisms. The meanings of specific occasionalisms are identified with the author’s connotation inherent in them. Translation and word-formation techniques that can reproduce a given meaning are identified: calquing, abbreviation, derivation, compounding, etc. Finally, the results are summarized. A conclusion is made which of the authors is better at rendering occasionalisms and to what extent their skills ensure the translation adequacy of the dystopian work.

Meeting housing demands, needs or desires? Conceptual considerations for designing housing policies

The central element of a housing market crisis is the unmet housing demand of the population, especially for the socio-economically disadvantaged. In the Austrian province of Tyrol, unmet housing demand has long been a social and political concern particularly in relation to housing affordability. Despite the ongoing construction and completion of housing units, many people find it difficult to find adequate housing. As part of a study to assess future housing in Tyrol, we took a closer look at the prevailing understanding of what is understood as housing demand and how this understanding can be distinguished from housing needs and housing aspirations. The article is based on the results of a goal-setting workshop with public policy stakeholders. By reflecting on the results, the paper sheds light on how unmet housing needs may represent not only a mismatch between supply and demand in the housing market, but also a mismatch between past, present and future aspirations and realities. The findings show that the question of what housing demand should be met by public policy, and whether this demand represents a need or an aspiration, is central to public housing policy and requires further consideration. The findings help to reflect on common theoretical and empirical conceptualisations of housing demand, need and aspiration, and how they can be assessed and identified in practice.

The Sources of Russia’s Soft Power in Relation to Belarus

This paper aims to evaluate the sources of Russia’s soft power as a tool which should enable it to integrate Belarus more closely with Russia. The research question is as follows: what are Russia’s main sources of attractiveness, and what kind of instruments of soft power is the Russian government applying to achieve that aim? To what extent was this soft policy successful? The author applied a qualitative research method. It is inductive and allows the researcher to explore meanings and insights into Russia’s notion of “soft power” in its foreign policy toward Belarus. The basis of it lies in the interpretive approach to the present reality of Russia – Belarus political and economic relations and in the evaluation of Russian efforts to integrate its closest neighbour by using only non-military means.

Digital Diplomacy in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges

Globally, digital diplomacy is taking over as the dominating format. As long as Africa is a part of the globalization era, it must adapt to new technologies. However, there are several obstacles that African digital diplomacy must overcome, such as a lack of infrastructure, a lack of proficiency with new technologies, limiting regulations, the anonymity issue and others. So, with the proliferation of digital technologies, Africa is facing growing cyber security threats. These include hacker attacks, online fraud and disinformation campaigns. Weak cyber security measures and limited capacity to address these challenges make African countries vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Africa should follow the present realities and dynamics in digital diplomacy as the world constantly changes and transitions. In fact, in the diplomatic sphere of Africa, digital diplomacy is being practiced without the concept and practice promoted. However, Africa has many opportunities to embrace digital diplomatic initiatives. The primary ones include; the penetration of the internet, the rise in the public interest, the engagement of the African diaspora, the African Union’s digital strategy, the desire to create an intelligent society, and the revolution of smartphones. Africa also offers much potential for improving the natural and human resources used in digital platform infrastructure. Thus, Africa should assist in developing the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and encouraging training for these electronic platforms. Therefore, the paper aims to analyze the opportunities, challenges, and potentials of digital diplomacy in the African context. To do so, a qualitative research approach was used collected from secondary sources and document analysis. Finally, the collected data is thematically analyzed.

The Communion of Saints in the Light of Ancestor Veneration in Africa and Its Sequels on the Christian Theology of Hope

The article argues that the praxis of ancestor veneration in Africa is a system akin to the Christian belief in the “communion of saints.” It is a system for realizing the fullest potential of human (religious) experience. Humanness is a skill developed to become more and more human with God’s help. In this regard, well-being, or in the Christian sense, “salvation” is the fruitful accomplishment of a person’s proficiencies by sustaining beneficial relationships between earthly descendants and their ancestors. This worldview is scrutinized through the lens of the Christian doctrine of the communion of saints; thus, it is a present reality and pathway to attaining fullness of well-being. The author recognizes the tripartite Church and identifies the “exalted spiritual life,” “resurrected life,” and divine life as systematically possessed through living the doctrine of the communion of saints. Christian hope is thoroughly Christological, transcending merely natural ties.

A Future Archive of Identity. Stories and Tropes of Contemporary Slovak Nonfiction Cinema

The study focuses on cinematic reflection of the post-1989 history of Slovakia as the most recent layer of communicative memory closely related to the formation of the country’s modern identity. Its aim is to explore what image nonfiction films create for the future of the present reality. Therefore, it examines what rhetorical and narrative tropes documentary filmmakers use to construct knowledge about the socio-political reality.

Edge AI for Internet of Energy: Challenges and perspectives

The digital landscape of the Internet of Energy (IoE) is on the brink of a revolutionary transformation with the integration of edge Artificial Intelligence (AI). This comprehensive review elucidates the promise and potential that edge AI holds for reshaping the IoE ecosystem. Commencing with a meticulously curated research methodology, the article delves into the myriad of edge AI techniques specifically tailored for IoE. The myriad benefits, spanning from reduced latency and real-time analytics to the pivotal aspects of information security, scalability, and cost-efficiency, underscore the indispensability of edge AI in modern IoE frameworks. As the narrative progresses, readers are acquainted with pragmatic applications and techniques, highlighting on-device computation, secure private inference methods, and the avant-garde paradigms of AI training on the edge. A critical analysis follows, offering a deep dive into the present challenges including security concerns, computational hurdles, and standardization issues. However, as the horizon of technology ever expands, the review culminates in a forward-looking perspective, envisaging the future symbiosis of 5G networks, federated edge AI, deep reinforcement learning, and more, painting a vibrant panorama of what the future beholds. For anyone vested in the domains of IoE and AI, this review offers both a foundation and a visionary lens, bridging the present realities with future possibilities.

Comparative Analysis of the Pre- and Post-soviet Caucasian Press at the Example of Georgian Newspapers: “Sakartvelo” (Georgia) (1918) and “Kviris Palitra” (2022)

In the present reality, the stability of the Caucasus region is essential for the correct and democratic development of the post-Soviet area countries. The press reflects the reality of what is happening, therefore, studying its quality and content always gives an opportunity to draw the adequate conclusion.Goal of the research is to determine to what extent the Caucasian (in particular, Georgian) press missed the path of its natural development due to appearing in the Soviet reality. What was the pre-Soviet and post-Soviet Georgian press like?The research was conducted on the basis of a comparative analysis of the content of the National Democratic Party newspaper “Sakartvelo” (Georgia) (1918) and the modern free public-political newspaper “Kviris Palitra” (2022).Before the forced unification of the Transcaucasian region into the Soviet Union, the local press was developing democratically. There were party newspapers, government and opposition publications. In modern reality, in the post-Soviet space, in the conditions of freedom of the press, newspapers show the tendency of total tabloidization. Irrelevant, unverified and biased information is often published.As a result of the research, it was determined that the pre-Soviet press was of high quality and developed democratically, and the Soviet experience had such a negative impact that in the post-Soviet reality, the Transcaucasian press did not have three decades to return to its natural development path.

Dialogue for Martin Buber and its importance in present geopolitical realities: A discourse analysis

Martin Buber was an eighteenth-century European thinker, philosopher and scholar. Buber’s thoughts are very relevant and contemporary, even in today’s advanced digital, informational and technological age. We live in a time of heightened tensions and conflict; the article discusses geopolitical realities and the importance of dialogue. It goes over Martin Burrell’s ideas on dialogue. Further, it discusses understanding geopolitics in the light of dialogue. This article concludes that advanced technology is affecting core issues of geopolitics. Only dialogue can provide answers to humanity’s challenges in this changing era. In such a time, the core principles of Martin Buber’s dialogue are more relevant than ever for a way forward that the entire world is looking for in relation to present geopolitical realities.

Skill Acquisition for Youth Empowerment and Reduction of Unemployment in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

This study aims at investigating the effect of skills acquisition and youth empowerment on the reduction of youth unemployment in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The Economic Survival-Based Theory was adopted. Data for the study were gotten from both primary and secondary sources. The research was conducted in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A total of 371 questionnaires were administered to respondents using purposive sampling techniques and on the spot filling and collection. The data obtained from the field were subjected to descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, particularly, using Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient, Microsoft SPSS (version 21). The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient method. A total of 30 respondents who were not part of the sample were used in testing the reliability of this instrument. The reliability coefficient stood at 0.672. The results of the Mean and Standard Deviation and the testing of the four alternative hypotheses indicate that skills acquisition and youth empowerment have the potential to create employment opportunities and reduce youth unemployment in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Findings from this study reveal that skill acquisition in the areas of carpentry, fashion design/tailoring business, barbing saloon and handset repairs have empowered the youths meaningfully to generate employment and reduce unemployment in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The study also reveals that most youths accept political appointment as empowerment owing to the fact that they lack requisite skills and startup capital to be independent and self-reliant. The study show that most youths prefer skills acquisition and startup capital to start a venture of their own and be self-reliant than political appointment. The study concluded that the strategies of empowerment adopted by government through the offering of political appointment to young graduates without skills is erroneous and same does reduce unemployment per se. Based on the findings, the study recommended, amongst others that, skill acquisition should be made compulsory from secondary school to tertiary levels, such that every graduate irrespective of one’s course of study should possess one skill as a prerequisite for graduation. The centre for the skill acquisitions in each institution should certify the student before graduation. It is also recommended that technical and vocational devices, machines and tools necessary for takeoff of every graduate with a requisite skill should be made accessible and supplied free of charge. Also, that there is need for reorientation of the youths in line with the present economic realities in order to obviate self-pride and shame and avail themselves with the skills acquisition opportunities available to them.

Phantasmagorical realism in Memoria (Apichatpong Weerasethakul 2021)

This article proposes a close analysis of the film Memoria by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (2021). It begins by situating the film within a broader trend in contemporary East/South East Asian and Latin American cinemas, which incorporates elements of the phantasmagorical into an aesthetics of realism. The combination of these seemingly contradictory concepts gives rise to a sophisticated interplay of temporalities. This interplay comprises the present phenomenological reality, layers of the past and the realm of memory associated with posthumous presences, and the unusual occurrences that may belong to the future. I refer to this phenomenon as ‘phantasmagorical realism’, a recurring theme in Weerasethakul’s cinema. This concept is partly influenced by non-European philosophies and belief systems, such as Thai Buddhism and Animism. In Memoria, this is further accentuated by intermedial connections with Latin American magical realism and Chinese classical literature, both of which are also influenced by non-European philosophies and belief systems, including Amerindian Perspectivism and Daoism.

Exploring the effects of virtual annotation background display mode and transparency through a 360-degree panorama approach to online shopping

PurposeWith the rapid development of technology, 360° panorama on mobile as a very convenient way to present virtual reality has brought a new shopping experience to consumers. Usually, consumers get product information through virtual annotations in 360° panorama and then make a series of shopping behaviors. The visual design of virtual annotation significantly influences users' online visual search for product information. This study aims to investigate the influence of the visual design of virtual annotation on consumers' shopping experience in the online shopping interface of 360° panorama.Design/methodology/approachA 2 × 3 between-subject design was planned to help explore whether different display model of annotation (i.e. negative polarity and positive polarity) and different background transparency of annotation (i.e. 0% transparency, 25% transparency and 50% transparency) may affect users' task performance and their subjective evaluations.Findings(1) Virtual annotations with different background transparency affect user performance, and transparency has better visual search performance. (2) Virtual annotation background display mode may affect the user operation performance; the positive polarity of the virtual annotation is more convenient for the users' visual searching for product information. (3) When the annotation background transparency is opaque or semi-transparent, the negative polarity display is more favorable to the users' visual search. However, this situation is reversed when the annotation background transparency is 25%. (4) Participants preferred the presentation of positive polarity virtual annotations. (5) Regarding the degree of willingness to use and ease of understanding, participants preferred the negative polarity display for 0% background transparency or 50% background transparency. However, the opposite result was obtained for 25% background transparency.Originality/valueThe findings generated from the research can be a good reference for the development of virtual annotation visual design for mobile shopping applications.HighlightsVirtual annotation background transparency and background display mode are two essential attributes of 360° panoramas.This study examined how virtual annotation background transparency and background display mode influence user performance and experience.It is recommended to use a translucent or opaque annotation background with a negative polarity display.Virtual annotation presentation with 25% background transparency facilitates consumer searching and comparison of product information.Users prefer a positive polarity annotation display.

Examining the South China Sea Dispute with General Morphological Analysis

The South China Sea dispute is among the most volatile flashpoints in contemporary international relations. This study examines this dispute using the general morphological analysis (GMA) methodology employing eight factors of analysis. These produced 65,536 distinct outcomes in a cross-consistency matrix (CCM) which exist on a spectrum of plausibility. Three scenarios were chosen for foresight analysis which project contemporary trends into the near-to-mid-term future. After the analysis of hundreds of different combinations from the CCM which remained after auditing for analytical noise and plausibility this research found that much of the foresight produced scenarios which were similar to a ‘dispute stagnation’ scenario. This highlights the present realities of the dispute wherein all parties have entrenched into their political and physical positions with little alternative outside of direct confrontation, an outcome which though possible, is unappealing to claimants due to the secondary effects which it would bring.

Riding the tides: Directions in mental health rehabilitation in NSW.

This paper outlines the evolution of mental health rehabilitation in NSW, where allocation of health resources has repeatedly contradicted the policy intention to reorient services from inpatient to community-based services, leaving community rehabilitation the poor and disconnected cousin of inpatient services. The expanding role of community-managed organisations (CMOs) in psychosocial rehabilitation, the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and emerging service models have helped foster a maturing housing and social care environment, but present reality and the integration of health and social care services remains at a distance from best evidence practice. The challenge of the next decade of mental health reform is to embrace and consolidate greater service diversity and complexity. Understanding what factors influenced present reality is important in providing guardrails for the future, enabling the current wave of renewal and reinvestment in NSW to build on the strengths of past developments and steer a course around their weaknesses.

“The giving birth of a world”: Fanon, Husserl, and the imagination

AbstractThis article examines the role of the imagination in Fanon's and Husserl's work in order to rethink Fanon's relationship with Husserlian phenomenology. I begin with an investigation of the oft‐overlooked ways in which the imagination appears in Wretched of the Earth. Here, I argue that Fanon puts a great deal of stock in the imagination, ultimately calling upon this faculty in order to presage the novel ways of being, thinking, and acting, which are a recurrent signature of his vision of decolonization. In the latter half of the article, I then offer an account of the decisive methodological significance of the imagination within Husserl's work. Revisiting the methodological infrastructure of phenomenology with Fanonian concerns in mind casts Husserl's project in a surprising new light, bringing to the fore the revolutionary potential of both the epoché and the method of eidetic variation. For at the core of Husserlian methodology lies a resolve to exceed the limits of our present empirical reality—a leitmotiv of Fanon's own thinking. I ultimately show that Fanon's work can thus be imagined as a reactivation, indeed a revolution, inaugurated at the heart of phenomenology and its most basic methodological commitments.

The Effect of Covid-19 on Voters in the Medan Tuntungan District Election in 2020

The Covid Sickness (Coronavirus) flare-up that happens in all nations in this present reality is progressively widespread. This instance of pneumonia of obscure etiology or Coronavirus was first recognized in Wuhan City, Hubei Area, China on December 31, 2019. Medan City is one of the regions that held regional elections for the mayoral election, In the 2020 Medan city election, Medan was included in the red zone area where one of the areas with a positive number of covid-19 reached 4,261 people with this number Medan city accounting for 75 percent of corona virus cases in North Sumatra. But in fact, with the large number of positive Covid-19 cases in the city of Medan, there is no decrease in public enthusiasm to come to the Polling Station (TPS) compared to previous elections in Medan. This study uses a type of quantitative research because this study seeks to analyze whether there is an influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on voter participation in Medan Tuntungan sub-district. This type of research is a type of descriptive research. Influence of Covid-19 on Voters in the Medan Tuntungan District Election in 2020 is as follows: Voter participation in Medan Tuntungan District is also influenced by other variables outside the Covid-19 pandemic variable, which is 83.8%, so it is appropriate if research related to voter participation is carried out again using other variables outside the Covid-19 pandemic variable.