United Nations Educational , Scientific And Cultural Organization Research Articles

Citizen engagement and collaboration: The key to promoting learning city

The urban development of learning is a key goal of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). However, the drive to achieve urban learning requires several key points. Citizenship and cooperation are associated with developing the city of learning. This research studies the relationship between citizenship and cooperation in driving the learning city. The study uses the methodology of the structure-equation model (SEM) to study citizenship relationships. Cooperation and learning cities are based on civic data analysis of 500 samples. The result showed that the two observed variables were public participation and The four observed variables are: policy collaboration's positive effect on cooperation; citizen-subjectivity, citizen-intersubjectivity, citizen-sub politics, and citizen-globality's positive effect on citizenship; Furthermore, the six observed variables are: inclusive learning in the education system; revitalized learning in families and communities; effective learning for and in the workplace; expanded use of modern learning technologies; improved learning quality; and a vibrant culture of lifelong learning. In part of the regression between latent variables, we found that cooperation has a positive effect on learning cities (b=0.882), and citizenship has a positive effect on learning cities (b=0.056) and cooperation (b=0.217).

Understanding Social-Ecological Memory in Urban Agriculture: A Case Study from Istanbul

Urban agriculture (UA) is deeply ingrained in Istanbul's sociocultural history with Bostans (historical urban vegetable gardens) serving as archetypal structures in the urban landscape. Despite the growing importance of these settings and their recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), planning and management of bostans has been hampered by rapid urbanization and a lack of integrative policies. This study explores the socio-ecological potential of UA practices in 10 family-related projects. Data collected through semistructured interviews, observations, and field work points to the importance of kinship in the acquisition, transmission, and modification of knowledge and practices. Farmers structure their activities based on past–present affordances and expectations for the future. This view of memory integrates social-ecological dimensions and past–present practices that offer both a forward- and backward-connecting strategy to management: backward toward greater traditional ecological knowledge and forward in terms of greater ecological and cultural resilience.

Online flipped learning methods for teaching hospitality skills and management practices in an epidemic situation: A study on learning attitude and effectiveness.

Starting in 2019, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has lasted 3 years and will likely continue to affect the lives of people all over the world. According to a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) survey, more than 91% of students from all over the world have been affected by the spread of COVID-19. The application of technological networks can help solve problems related to being unable to attend school in person, as online teaching can effectively help reduce learning loss in the short term. In Taiwan, the higher education system has been using online learning, but now faces a new and huge crisis, as some courses do not readily translate to this setting. In professional courses run by hospitality departments, it is essentially impossible to accurately convey the practical skills required, for example, aspects of color, aroma, and taste through online teaching. Moreover, the learning level of each student varies greatly. During the online teaching process, instructors teach professional skills and movements through a single teaching video, which may not meet the needs of all students. In response, this study explores using the flipped teaching method, to not only enable students to master and control their learning and effectively adjust their self- adaptive learning progress but also to help teachers solve problems and impart professional skills using a two-way, interactive, online teaching method. This approach, flipping a class in an online learning environment, could effectively make up for the one-way teaching sometimes created by video content, and address the problem of gaps in learning professional practical skills. It can also induce students with poor learning attitudes to actively participate in learning. This study involved 55 bachelor students from a university of science and technology in Taiwan. The research results are as follows: (1) Students who participated in the flipped teaching mode, which involved two-way interaction showed better professional understanding of the course and improved willingness to learn, thereby improving the learning effect. (2) Awareness of these poor practical catering professional skills in students, assisted in laying the professional foundation for students to gradually improve their learning attitude and their advanced skills. This indicates that students with poor academic performance in an online environment might benefit from two-way interactive teaching. Teachers should clarify detailed descriptions of professional practical actions that confuse students. (3) In flipped learning, the grouping of "game/toy-based e-learning" can not only improve the performance of students who actively study to achieve good grades but also help and motivate other students to learn together. These results indicate that in flipped classrooms that use an online learning environment, the active learning and learning attitudes of students were positive and that their interest in learning and learning efficiency was also significantly improved. At the same time, this approach stimulated the innovation, creativity, and creative development of students in using professional technology in the hospitality industry. It transformed the passive learning situation of online one-way teaching into an active two-way teaching environment.

Historical-architectural analysis of Cartagena de Indias heritage

In the last four decades, the historical heritage of Cartagena de Indias has been at the center of national and international attention due to its classification as a World Heritage Site according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Many historians and architects in the past have narrated the heroic deeds of the city of Cartagena, its role in the independence of Colombia, as well as the history of its construction. Its history, extension and majesty currently attract hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Tourism representing the second source of income in the region after industry. However, today the heritage continues to suffer from several challenges that deserve to be faced by the community in general, the scientific community and institutions. Its particular state of conservation and some state of deterioration has generated a call for attention by UNESCO to categorize it as heritage at risk due to the effects of climate change (UNESCO 2016), which represented a crucial moment for the authors offering several points of reflection that have given life to this work. Part of the problems of deterioration and decay of the fortifications is due to a deep lack of knowledge on the part of civil society and the authorities about the construction history and the stratification of interventions on the heritage. For this reason, the objective of this paper is to analyze the history of the interventions and modifications of the fortifications, including the submarine defense system of Cartagena de Indias, as well as to evaluate the state of the city at the end of the Spanish viceroyalty. In this work, history, architecture and engineering come together, proposing a journey into the past, a broad vision of heritage and its current problems. In the conclusions, the authors matured a series of recommendations as a result of the present investigation and their personal experience in heritage management. It is considered essential to apply these measures in the short-medium term for the heritage protection and its conservation for future generations.

CIESPAL and the development of education and research in communication in Latin America

As a regional international organization focused on education and research, the Centro Internacional de Estudios Superiores de Comunicación para América Latina (CIESPAL) played a key role in institutionalizing the field of communication studies in the so-called “Third World” countries. Founded in 1959, in Ecuador, it is an initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with the objective of implementing a set of strategies to improve the training of journalists and academics in the area. Referring to the Cold War context, its development was linked to other international organizations and political-cultural entities, which ended up stimulating the formation of an environment marked by relations of cooperation and cooptation, but also by resistance. By reconstructing the 60-year trajectory of this Latin American center, the aim is to show how its role has been dynamic and is related to the political and social changes that have taken place in the region, notably the rise and fall of military dictatorships in South America.

Student Development in Higher Education in the Era of the Agenda 2030 and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: Towards SDGs 2.0

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Higher Education Conference in Barcelona was an occasion for the authors of this article to reflect on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in general and SDG 4: education, specifically, pondering over its role and impact on student development in the Global South and North. The authors are indeed glad that UNESCO is taking the initiative to revitalize the role of higher education in sustainable development. But the authors are also concerned and question the extent to which higher education institutions (HEIs) are enabled and encouraged by the discourse of the 2030 Agenda to contribute toward the achievement of the SDGs and the type of challenges they may encounter, particularly with regard to developing students’ capacities as global and engaged citizens within the boundaries of the SDGs and SDG 4.

Strategies for Inculcating Gender Equity in Mathematics Classrooms for Enhancement of Learners’ Problem-Solving Skills.

The report released in 2022 by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) shows that globally, female enrolment is at least 88% at primary and secondary school levels. The 88% is an indicator of good progress in gender equality in education. Of concern, however, is gender equity in Mathematics classrooms. Internationally set goals, Education For All (EFA) Goal 5, Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) Goal 3 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 4, all focus on gender equity. This study aims to raise awareness about strategies and practices for gender equity in teaching and learning Mathematics. The study uses inclusion and exclusion criteria, a literature review, and empirical data analysis. Evidence suggests that gender equity in Mathematics improves critical thinking skills and increases gender balance in Mathematics education. The researchers recommend further study on strategies for integrating gender equity in Mathematics classrooms.

Digitizing Cultural Practices: Efforts to Increase Students’ Cultural Knowledge and Reading Interest in Bali

The recent digital era has brought a disruptive impact to the conventional cultural practices. This may take the form of printed media-based learning materials that have been widely and recently used by students who are considered the agents of change in the context of cultural preservation. The Balinese cultural preservation, for instance, is carried out in accordance with the vision of the Governor of Bali, namely Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali, which is intended to lead to a new era of Bali by organizing fundamentally and comprehensively the development of Bali which includes such three main aspects as nature, people, and culture. The cultural preservation includes the cultural knowledge and cultural experience, language(s) as well as reading interest. However, data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), suggest that the reading interest of people in Indonesia is significantly low, around 0.01 percent. This means that, out of 10,000 children in Indonesia, only 1 student is quoted as enjoying reading. Therefore, this study aims to describe the increase of both cultural knowledge and cultural experience and students’ reading interest in Bali through the digitization of Balinese cultural practices. The digitization of Balinese cultural practices, which applies both virtual reality and ethnographic methods, tends to bring an increase of both cultural knowledge and cultural experience. Once the digitization was applied to students in Bali, their reading interest was ultimately and significantly increased.

Reviving History: Strategies for Sustainable Healthy Settlement on Penyengat Island as a Cultural Treasure

An example of a traditional coastal community imbued with Malay cultural elements may be seen on Penyengat Island, a tiny island in Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago Province. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recommended Penyengat Island as a World Heritage site due to its 46 cultural heritage sites that are dispersed around the island. The increase in population occasionally requires more residential land, so many residents build housing on the remaining sites of cultural heritage buildings on Penyengat Island. This study aims to ascertain the sustainability situation and methods for planning wholesome communities in the coastal regions of Penyengat Island's cultural heritage. The method used was a Multidimensional Scale approach with the Rapid Appraisal-Index Sustainability of Settlement ordination technique to produce an arrangement strategy through a prospective analysis approach. Studies of the literature and field surveys were used to gather data. The sample used in this study was the head of the family with inclusion criteria. The results of the sustainability analysis showed that the value of the ecological dimension index in the range of 51.71 – 60.67 is entirely sustainable at RW1 to RW5. The economic dimension in the field of 40.46 – 48.23 is quite a sustainable status in RW1 to RW5. The socio-cultural size range of 48.97 – 51.78 is entirely sustainable at RW1 locations and RW2-RW5 sites are less sustainable. The institutional, legal dimension in the value range of 50.18-71.24 is entirely sustainable at RW1 to RW5 locations. Green infrastructure dimension in the value range of -0.12 – 6.72 unsustainable at locations R1 to RW5. The prospective analysis showed 11 critical attributes for developing a long-term settlement strategy for the cultural heritage of Penyengat Island’s coastal area. The primary strategy for settlement arrangement included (1) Strengthening institutions, governance, and settlement arrangement regulations and (2) Community empowerment. In summary, these two main strategies are critical factors in the sustainability of Penyengat Island as a residential area and cultural heritage that must be preserved. Furthermore, the private sector assumed responsibility for the holistic development of residential areas and cultural heritage on Penyengat Island.

Autonomous Archaeological Authority: The Future of Drone Use and Privacy Laws in Cultural Heritage Preservation

Since ancient times, humanity has placed high value on natural and cultural phenomena, with Philo of Byzantium recording the first list of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” as early as 225 B.C.E. Similarly, modern world leaders continue to recognize the value of these and more sites through preserving them as United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage sites. With the advancement of drone technology, researchers now employ drones to aid preservation efforts since drones can enter dangerous and humanly-inaccessible spaces, provide detailed images of sites the human eye cannot see, and assist governments in identifying illegal looting. However, while many countries have developed drone use regulations, the challenging ethical questions drones pose regarding privacy rights have resulted in a lack of drone-specific privacy regulations. As countries create new legislation to fill the policy gaps, the tension between protecting privacy rights and preserving cultural heritage results in an unclear future for the use of drones for site preservation. Section II of this Comment analyzes the history of World Heritage sites, drone development, and their intersection to understand the vital role drones play in site preservation. Subsequently, Section III conducts a comparative analysis of drone-use and privacy regulations in four countries with the greatest amount of UNESCO sites to identify the current status of global drone laws. Finally, Section IV addresses the lack of drone-specific privacy regulation and asserts potential implications new drone legislation could have on preservation efforts while postulating methods to protect preservation drone use.

INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION

The article is devoted to the study of the main aspects of international protection of intellectual rights. The authors consider a number of international conventions and treaties, as well as the main provisions of cooperation between WIPO and the WTO under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. International treaties form a network that serves all member states, depriving them of the opportunity to act arbitrarily, at their discretion. They establish common norms and standards of IP protection, deviation from which is punishable by sanctions. By signing such treaties, states agree to partially abandon their own IP laws and follow the path of convergence with the laws of other countries. Such agreements exist for almost all categories of IP. The international system of public administration procedures in the field of intellectual property today is based on two conventions concluded in the late XIX century: Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of 20 March 1883 (Paris Convention) and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works of 9 September 1886 (Berne Convention). These two Conventions played a fundamental role in the subsequent development of legal institutions. In the modern world, a certain system of international legal regulation of related rights has already developed, which directly affects the European related law, since, in particular, the norms of international law form the basis of the legal system of the European Union, and form international, including European, standards of intellectual property rights, including copyright and related rights. The main institutions dealing with IP protection on a global scale are the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). All member states of the European Union, as well as the European Community are members of the WTO organization, which has gained great importance in the field of intellectual property in connection with the adoption of the TRIPS Agreement. The reason that prompted states to choose a forum other than WIPO to negotiate this agreement was the growing dissatisfaction with the existing contrast between the precision, elegance, even sophistication of the treaty documents that were negotiated at WIPO and the inadequacy of the means to ensure the practical implementation and uniform interpretation of these treaties in different countries. The TRIPS Agreement addresses five important issues: the principles of the trade system and international agreements on intellectual property, the minimum level of protection of intellectual property rights, measures to enforce these rules, the procedure for resolving disputes in the field of intellectual property, as well as transitional measures during the implementation of the systems. Ukraine is a party to more than 50 multilateral and bilateral international treaties on intellectual property. Therefore, it is advisable to determine the role of international standards in the system of intellectual property rights protection as integral components of the national legal system in Ukraine. This has become especially important since 24.02.2022 due to the outbreak of a full-scale war on the territory of Ukraine. The occupation of the territory of Ukraine by Russian invaders and the theft of industrial infrastructure, cultural heritage, art objects, which are also objects of intellectual property. Absolutization of copyright and related rights protection does not automatically mean bringing such protection to international standards. Recently, in Europe and the United States there has been an understanding of the need to find a consensus between the interests of copyright and related rights holders and the interests of society for access to cultural heritage. It is necessary to amend the legislation of Ukraine in order to harmonize the interests of copyright and related rights holders and the interests of society for access to cultural heritage, in the context of introducing only the minimum requirements of international legal acts for the protection of copyright and related rights and simplifying access to copyright and related rights.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ISLAMIC MUSIC THERAPY ON LANGUAGE ABILITY IN AUTISTIC CHILDREN AGED 6-11 YEARS

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) data in 2011 asserted that around 35 million people worldwide were autistic. In Indonesia, the Director of Mental Health Development under the Ministry of Health suspected that about 112.000 children ages 5-19 years were affected by this disease. This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of Islamic song therapy toward language ability in autistic children ages 6-11 years. This research method used a pre-experiment with one group pre-test and post-test design approach with autistic children with as many as 16 people. The research samples were eight respondents (purposive sampling technique). The method of data collection used in this research was Massey Language Test. Based on the results, Islamic song therapy effectively improves language ability in autistic children. Recommendations that the researcher delivered to readers, Islamic song therapy can be included in learning in schools and applied in the department of nursing, especially to children subject with special needs, further deepening the practice of providing Islamic song therapy to autism.
 Keywords: Islamic Music therapy, Language Ability, Autism

UNESCO’S Judges’ Initiative

Human rights, the rule of law and democracy are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. Within the framework of international human rights law, the right to freedom of expression particularly stands out, as it constitutes a pre-requisite for the fulfilment of other fundamental rights. In this regard, as ‘guardian of the rule of law’, the judiciary plays a particularly important role in guaranteeing the respect for the fundamental right to freedom of expression and its corollaries, access to information and the safety of journalists. To do so, however, judicial actors need to be well versed on freedom of expression challenges (both online and offline), and knowledgeable about the related international standards and regional jurisprudence. To share best practices and lessons learnt in this regard, this essay will be structured in two parts: first, it will discuss the crucial role of an independent judiciary in protecting the rights to freedom of expression and access to information, while falling under the obligation to act in full transparency itself. Second, it will present an in-depth analysis of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s Judges’ Initiative, presenting the concrete experience of a United Nations’ body engaging with its constituents. At the heart of this endeavor is the goal of enhancing the international human rights legal framework, by raising, in full cooperation with them, the knowledge an capacities of judicial actors from around the world on the need to protect and promote freedom of expression, access to information, and the safety of journalists to guarantee the respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Special Issue on 3D Information Technologies in Cultural Heritage Preservation and Popularization—Motivations, Works Overview, and the Future

Elements of cultural heritage preservation and popularization are defined in the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which came into force in 1975 and obliges United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) member states to protect cultural and natural heritage [...]

DESTINATION IMAGE AND EXPECTATIONS OF TOURISTS IN SATUN GEOPARK, THAILAND

Satun is the first geopark in Thailand, recognized by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having the longest succession of fossils as well as an abundance and diversity of fossil species. It is also renowned for its rich nature, cultural diversity and harmony. Satun geopark has a high potential to be further developed for world tourism. However, the geopark green card is validated only for 4 years. Thailand must ensure a delicate balance between local community development and geopark tourism. The goal of this study is to review existing literature on Satun Geopark's destination image, visitor expectations, and intended travel dates. It also aims to develop a conceptual framework for evaluating the importance of Satun Geopark's destination image and visitor expectations. According to the literature, it is clear that tourist expectations and internal motivation have an impact on affective destination image, while external motivation and word of mouth have an impact on cognitive destination image. Cognitive destination image also acts as a mediating factor between external motivation and word of mouth. The results of this study can be used to modify the tourism and information package to maximize tourists' satisfaction and loyalty. It will also guide the Satun geopark in terms of marketing and providing information to the tourists.

The ethics of artificial intelligence, UNESCO and the African Ubuntu perspective

PurposeThis paper aims to demonstrate the relevance of worldviews of the global south to debates of artificial intelligence, enhancing the human rights debate on artificial intelligence (AI) and critically reviewing the paper of UNESCO Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) that preceded the drafting of the UNESCO guidelines on AI. Different value systems may lead to different choices in programming and application of AI. Programming languages may acerbate existing biases as a people’s worldview is captured in its language. What are the implications for AI when seen from a collective ontology? Ubuntu (I am a person through other persons) starts from collective morals rather than individual ethics.Design/methodology/approachLiterature overview on the African philosophy of Ubuntu as applied to artificial intelligence. Application of it to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) debates on establishing guidelines to the ethics of artificial intelligence.FindingsMetaphysically, Ubuntu and its conception of social personhood (attained during one’s life) largely rejects transhumanism. When confronted with economic choices, Ubuntu favors sharing above competition and thus an anticapitalist logic of equitable distribution of AI benefits, humaneness and nonexploitation. When confronted with issues of privacy, Ubuntu emphasizes transparency to group members, rather than individual privacy, yet it calls for stronger (group privacy) protection. In democratic terms, it promotes consensus decision-making over representative democracy. Certain applications of AI may be more controversial in Africa than in other parts of the world, like care for the elderly, that deserve the utmost respect and attention, and which builds moral personhood. At the same time, AI may be helpful, as care from the home and community is encouraged from an Ubuntu perspective. The report on AI and ethics of the UNESCO World COMEST formulated principles as input, which are analyzed from the African ontological point of view. COMEST departs from “universal” concepts of individual human rights, sustainability and good governance which are not necessarily fully compatible with relatedness, including future and past generations. Next to rules based approaches, which may hamper diversity, bottom-up approaches are needed with intercultural deep learning algorithms.Research limitations/implicationsThere is very few existing literature on AI and Ubuntu. Therefore, this paper is of an explorative nature.Practical implicationsThe ethics of Ubuntu offers unique vantage points in looking at the organization of society and economics today, which are also relevant for development of AI, especially in its tenet of relatedness rather than individuality (and practical use of AI for individuals), taking responsibility for society as a whole (such as analyzing the benefit of AI for all strata of society), and embodying true inclusiveness. Whether looking at top-down guidelines for the development and implementation of AI or the bottom-up ethical learning process of AI (deep learning), ethics of the Global South can have an important role to play to combat global individualist tendencies and inequity, likely reinforced by AI. This warrants far more research.Social implicationsApplications of AI in Africa are not contextualized, do not address the most pressing needs of the African continent, lead to cybersecurity issues and also do not incorporate African ethics. UNESCO’s work in this regard is important but expert inputs are largely centered around Western “universal” principles and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and EU precedence. African ethics have, so far, a small role to play in global ethics and philosophy and therefore risk to be overlooked in the discussion on AI and ethics. This is why the consultation process of UNESCO on ethics of AI was of paramount importance. However, it does not automatically lead to consultation of African philosophers or sages, as many are educated in Western (ized) education systems. See further details under practical implications.Originality/valueThis is a new area of research in which little work has been done so far. This paper offers the opportunity to widen the debate on AI and ethics beyond the conventional discourse, involving multiple worldviews, of which Ubuntu is just one.

Environment or (Collective) Human Rights: What Is More Important?

This article reflects on the ‘Yellowstone model’ of environmental conservation while considering the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)/ International Council of Monuments and Sites /International Union for Conservation of Nature’s recommendation on the voluntary relocation of Maasai residents from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) in Tanzania. While advocating for an inclusive conservation approach, it synthesizes the extent to which the relocation has affected the collective socioeconomic and cultural rights of the Maasai in the property. It discusses the concept of Yellowstone conservation model, and subsequently traces the legal background to the existence of the Maasai in the NCA. The NCA’s statuses as a UNESCO heritage site of outstanding universal value, international biosphere reserve, and a global geo-park are also canvassed in the light of multiple-land use model. It further critically discusses the practical impacts of controlling the growing Maasai population at the site through induced voluntary relocation. The authors have drawn lessons from the Inter-American human rights system on the same area of conservation. Ultimately, the article concludes with practical recommendations and proposed issues for further research on this controversial topic.

AN INCLUSIVE EXPRESSION OF GENIUS LOCI: A CASE STUDY OF THE URBAN EVOLUTION OF ASMARA, ERITREA

Although Asmara developed during the era of modernist urban planning and Italian colonial influence, its genius loci is firmly rooted in place and time. This paper aims to explain the history, impact of administration, planning, and the dynamic synergies between tangible and intangible attributes of place, that led to Asmara being listed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. This qualitative study analyses the layered expression of genius loci through a timeline mapping the development of Asmara. The methods include map analysis, drawings, and photographs, based on the author’s research of the city since 2005. A decolonial conceptual framework underpinned the study. The author’s lived experience, having grown up in Asmara, provides a deeper layer of autoethnographic understanding of the city, including the cultural-spatial characteristics that safeguard its genius loci. The article concludes with findings and a proposition for an inclusive transformation of postcolonial cities.

Quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the Pacific coast of Canada

Abstract. Tidal salt marshes are known to accumulate “blue carbon” at high rates relative to their surface area, which render these systems among the Earth's most efficient carbon (C) sinks. However, the potential for tidal salt marshes to mitigate global warming remains poorly constrained because of the lack of representative sampling of tidal marshes from around the globe, inadequate areal extent estimations, and inappropriate dating methods for accurately estimating C accumulation rates. Here we provide the first estimates of organic C storage and accumulation rates in salt marshes along the Pacific coast of Canada, within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, a region currently underrepresented in global compilations. Within the context of other sites from the Pacific coast of North America, these young Clayoquot Sound marshes have relatively low C stocks but are accumulating C at rates that are higher than the global average with pronounced differences between high and low marsh habitats. The average C stock calculated during the past 30 years is 54 ± 5 Mg C ha−1 (mean ± standard error), which accounts for 81 % of the C accumulated to the base of the marsh peat layer (67 ± 9 Mg C ha−1). The total C stock is just under one-third of previous global estimates of salt marsh C stocks, likely due to the shallow depth and young age of the marsh. In contrast, the average C accumulation rate (CAR) (184 ± 50 g C m−2 yr−1 to the base of the peat layer) is higher than both CARs from salt marshes along the Pacific coast (112 ± 12 g C m−2 yr−1) and global estimates (91 ± 7 g C m−2 yr−1). This difference was even more pronounced when we considered individual marsh zones: CARs were significantly greater in high marsh (303 ± 45 g C m−2 yr−1) compared to the low marsh sediments (63 ± 6 g C m−2 yr−1), an observation unique to Clayoquot Sound among NE Pacific coast marsh studies. We attribute low CARs in the low marsh zones to shallow-rooting vegetation, reduced terrestrial sediment inputs, negative relative sea level rise in the region, and enhanced erosional processes. Per hectare, CARs in Clayoquot Sound marsh soils are approximately 2–7 times greater than C uptake rates based on net ecosystem productivity in Canadian boreal forests, which highlights their potential importance as C reservoirs and the need to consider their C accumulation capacity as a climate mitigation co-benefit when conserving for other salt marsh ecosystem services.

HAMBATAN SETORAN TAHFIDZ MAHASISWA PADA MASA PANDEMI DI INSTITUT ILMU AL-QUR’AN JAKARTA

Since mid-2020, it started with the entry of the Covid-19 virus into Indonesia, which reportedly came from China and resulted in a very fast transmission process. This also affects new habits in the field of education. According to data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are at least 290.5 million students worldwide whose learning activities are disrupted due to schools being closed. The impact of this pandemic has also resulted in changes to the learning system at the Jakarta Institute of Al-Qur'an Science (IIQ), including the student tahfizH deposit activity. Therefore, the campus must look for new learning alternatives, namely by implementing online distance learning. This application certainly has its own advantages and challenges. Apart from this online learning can provide flexibility of time for students and instructors, researchers want to know more about the implementation and obstacles of the online tahfidz deposit activity.