Scienza e Pace
Science and Peace
The goal of this paper is to introduce a new topic into the public policy debate: the policy implications of multicultural and multilingual education have been largely neglected by public policy and administration scholars, despite the multiple interesting research perspectives implied. Discussing the numerous aspects of multilingual education is all the more important in light of the superdiversity generated by migratory waves as well as of the role played by immigrants in the socioeconomic fabric of their host countries. After introducing the subject by framing it within the political and policy debate, the article presents the different angles from which the multilingual education issue should be tackled, starting with an overview of the social, economic, and human right/legal aspects involved and proceeding with a proposal of investigation of the implications for public policy and administration, with a focus on teachers as street-level bureaucrats delivering policies in close contact with target groups.
Referring to migration, two aspects are unquestionable and important to consider: Migrations exist since ever and are an integral aspect of human beings; Globalisation facilitates communication and movements, and these enable people to displace across countries shifting the number of migrants from 150 million in 2000 to 272 million in 2020 (IOM 2020). This essentially means that migration is and will likely always be part of our existence and, regardless of any ideology and belief, finding functional approaches to manage at best this phenomenon is in the interest of every single citizen and nation. The objective of this article is to shed light on the effectiveness of the Systemic Approach to deal with some of the main migration-related issues and develop efficient policies to make societies more resilient, inclusive, and smart. The Systems Theory builds a solid bridge between science and societal life and provides an incredible tool not only to understand and solve problems related to human interactions but also to discover successful ways to rule the common existence of people, in any context.
Vulnerability characterizes different social systems in different ways and these differences are shaped by many factors. These include, for example, the sensitivity of the human being to climate and environmental changes, as well as the ability of the population and the entire socio-economic system to respond and adapt to a new or sudden situation. In presenting and understanding the phenomenon of post-disaster migration, the concept of vulnerability represents a key notion. Furthermore, if the relationship between vulnerability and migration appears very strong, already at an intuitive level, this relationship is strengthened when it adds poverty and health risk. In fact, those who are poor certainly present a greater risk of exposure to various forms of vulnerability, also in relation to various types of harmful events. For example, considering the global coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), they identify them as particularly at risk. Regardless of whether they have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, or disaster, millions of internally displaced people around the world who live in densely populated areas, are unable to isolate themselves and have no access to water, sanitation, and primary health care (IDMC, 2020) Furthermore, although it is still too early to fully assess the effects of this unprecedented crisis on migrants' lives, cases are already emerging where the pandemic is increasing the vulnerabilities of individuals and creating new ones. It is essential that scholars and policymakers deepen the association between vulnerability and migration in a global perspective since the climate-migration relationship is heterogeneous and critically depends on the differential vulnerability of places and populations. In this essay, therefore, we intend to highlight that also the climatic-environmental aspects, together with other variables, can play a role in determining important population movements.
This article analyses the role of information in shaping potential migrants’ decisions on whether to migrate (irregularly) to Europe, in reference to current globalisation and populist dynamics. At first sight, both the diffusion of information and communication technologies, globally, and the strong emphasis on deterring unauthorised migration, in Europe, would suggest that potential migrants should detain relatively accurate knowledge of the sanctions associated to irregular entry and stay. Yet, available evidence seems to imply otherwise. Building upon primary and secondary sources, this article investigates the degree of information held by migrants aiming to reach European countries, and whether or not it plays a significant role in influencing their decisions.
The aim of this paper is to analyse the phenomenon of corruption in several ways. It distinguishes corruption from bad administration; it defines its main economical and social-cultural causes: it explores its main consequences on society, especially in economy, democracy and health. The paper takes as an example two different kinds of public policies with the same purpose to eradicate corruption: Singapore, pursuing an authoritarian policy, and Finland, basing its approach against corruption on popular participation and the spread of legality and individual responsibility. The participatory approach demands growing administrative transparency, giving the right to citizens to access public documents. Italian legislation against corruption will be addressed against this background. The increasing involvement of citizenship is a sign of a strong determination to eliminate corruption from the political system. What’s important is the introduction of monitoring communities that mainly operate controlling the correct use and development of assets confiscated from criminal organisations (for example, within the project ”Confiscati Bene”). The growth of the means to defeat this phenomenon and the diffusion of a new civic sense, that is inspired by the rules and individual responsibility will be presented in conclusion as the most efficient way to combat the corruption system.
Contemporary migratory flows take place within a conjuncture of fear and fight against human mobility seen as “external threat”: this view generally guides public debates and policies on individual rights and freedom of migrants. This paper addresses the legal treatment of migrants in Brazil from a historical perspective, showing a reduction in the population concentration and an imbalance between newcomers and Brazilians living abroad. The national regulation of migration flows, inspired by the main international sources of migrants' rights, has recently gone through a paradigm shift from security to solidarity. In a historic and unanimous vote, the new Migration Law has been approved, which instead of stressing exclusively the importance of border controls began to focus on welcoming foreigners. The executive branch's defensive reaction was automatic, with the issue of a decree regulating the law. The effects of this tension have invested the Judiciary, including some cases considered by the Supreme Federal Court. In the end, a brief comparison is made with the two main Western legal systems on immigration, in the United States and the European Union: the Brazilian trajectory shows some significant transformations experienced by the Constitutional State.
Since 2016, a Group of Governmental Experts on emerging technologies have been meeting in Geneva, to discuss the latest developments in the field of autonomous weapons. The peculiarity of these armaments is that not only they move around, without the assistance of a remote pilot, but that they can identify targets and even engage them, using lethal force, without the need to receive inputs, nor authorisations, from human operators. The possibility that machines take alone life and death decisions over humans raises several concerns, related in particular to their capacity to abide by International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Indeed, the application of IHL norms entails the ability to carry out complex evaluations, based on shifting factors, that appear too complex for robots, considering current technological advancements. Nevertheless, on the other hand, some characteristics of autonomous weapons make them the best option to minimise collateral damages. These contradictions originated a heated debate, which is still ongoing, regarding the advisability of a ban on autonomous weapons. This study aims at identifying the core issues linked with the employment of autonomous weapons, from an IHL perspective and at analysing the feasibility of possible solutions.
This paper analyses the role of intellectuals in the diffusion of the culture of violence that is spreading through contemporary society. It deals with thinkers who justify military intervention in order to protect human rights and civilians. The paper calls into question that positive goals (such as peace, democracy and human rights) could be achieved by using means which contradict and jeopardize those goals. It’s unlikely that free and democratic ways of live could flourish if they are imposed by armed violence. The rhetoric of “humanitarian wars” often describes its enemy as absolute, irrational and violent as possible, worthy of being blamed and sentenced to be destroyed ethically and, then, physically. Such rhetoric is often moved by political or economic interests: “values” risk therefore to be a strategy to move public opinion, rather than a piece for building a fair and peaceful society.
The article aims to define neutral peace as an analytical concept and a research-action tool through which to define the points that set up problems and conflicts inside the social system. The goal is to "neutralize" the violent (cultural and/or symbolic) elements that inhabit the cultural models that each society develops to organize relations between individuals, families, groups and institutions. The method is based on the interconnection between language and dialogue, essential elements in building the relationship with Others and where nonviolence and assertiveness, respect and reflection take shape, following the principle that education for peace must be set in "learning to criticize". Focusing on the endurance of mental patterns that characterize human action, the goal is to create a new culture, an “another world”, in which social interaction is based on empathy, positive tolerance and mutual exchange.