Epidemiological profile of the homeless population assisted by voluntary initiative and the social impact on access to healthcare: an investigative study in Curitiba, Brazil

Objective: The study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile of the homeless population and report the social impact on healthcare services provided by a voluntary initiative during one-year of follow-up. Method: This is an investigational study, carried out in an important capital-city of southern Brazil, which included 509 individuals in 2019. Findings were divided into three segments: sociodemographic, substance use/abuse and impact on healthcare. Results: The sociodemographic profile found was predominantly male, white, single, heterosexual, educated in elementary or high school, in regular use of legal and/or illegal substances, and living as homeless for less than a year. The impact of assistance provided on the perception of individuals who returned in subsequent actions was evident. Conclusion: The significant increase in the number of homeless people in large urban centers can benefit from the support of non-profit organizations to address the deficiencies faced in accessing basic health services. Based on this, we seek to advance in the development of new policies that improve local healthcare for the vulnerable population, to be more assertive to their needs.

Assessing the feasibility of a sustainable winemaking eco-label initiative in Ontario

This study investigates the feasibility of a sustainable winemaking eco-labelling program for Ontario. Currently the wine industry in Ontario encourages sustainability in their industry through a voluntary initiative. Research indicates the eco-labelling can be effective means of encouraging proactive environmental behaviour using market forces in some markets, by indicating to consumers those products that are environmentally superior. Through interviews with industry members and surveys with consumers this research determines the degree of interest in an eco-labelling program. Factors that could motivate or deter participation in the program by industry and use of the label by consumers were also identified. The findings reveal that there is interest among industry and consumers in an eco-labelling program. Furthermore, the eco-label should be certified by a credible agency, be simple in format, address the entire winemaking process and be accompanied by an educational promotional campaign.

Assessing the feasibility of a sustainable winemaking eco-label initiative in Ontario

This study investigates the feasibility of a sustainable winemaking eco-labelling program for Ontario. Currently the wine industry in Ontario encourages sustainability in their industry through a voluntary initiative. Research indicates the eco-labelling can be effective means of encouraging proactive environmental behaviour using market forces in some markets, by indicating to consumers those products that are environmentally superior. Through interviews with industry members and surveys with consumers this research determines the degree of interest in an eco-labelling program. Factors that could motivate or deter participation in the program by industry and use of the label by consumers were also identified. The findings reveal that there is interest among industry and consumers in an eco-labelling program. Furthermore, the eco-label should be certified by a credible agency, be simple in format, address the entire winemaking process and be accompanied by an educational promotional campaign.

Involvement of Final year Medical Students in Hospital work during COVID-19 pandemic: A students’ perspective

Background: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has upended medical education. This pandemic has risen uncertainty over the start of the normal routine of studies in medical universities. Amidst the worldwide shortage of doctors, there is widespread dilemma and disagreement regarding the role of the medical students during this pandemic. Medical education is suspended and the students are barred from being direct medical providers unless there is a critical need for the additional healthcare workforce. Considering these facts we have done a survey amongst medical students of pre-final and final year to know and evaluate their opinion and outlook regarding their involvement in the hospital work at the time of the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. Materials and Method: This is a cross-sectional study among the clinic going medical students of Government Doon Medical College Dehradun, India. It is used to know their opinion regarding their voluntary initiative to actively participate and usefulness in the hospital works while going through their classes and hospital postings. We have circulated a questionnaire among 385 medical students to know their mindset and formulate a plan to include them in the future clinical hospital works in case the pandemic situation worsens.Statistical analysis is performed using SPSS version 25. Chi-square test was used to evaluate the association between the two variables. A two-tailed p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 294 respondents 62.2% had a high motivation to work in the hospital. This was synergized by the worldwide appreciation of doctors according to 88.8% of students. A sense of duty towards the patients was clear by the responses which surpassed the fear of the disease and the belief of being a better doctor (94.2%). Conclusion: The majority of medical students were highly motivated to be a part of the hospital workforce and help to fight this apocalyptic pandemic.

On Independence, Impartiality and Justification of Judicial Power

The article considers the principle of independence of the judiciary as one of the guarantees of its objectivity and impartiality, and at the same time as the primary task of the judicial policy. A dangerous decline in the level of public confidence in the judiciary is signaled. The theoretical basis for the proposed solutions in the article is the doctrine of the adversarial proceedings and the idea of the judiciary as a mediating link between the state and civil society. The method of achieving this goal is: the formation of an effective content of the judiciary; ensuring due process of law; establishing effective civilian control over the judiciary. It is argued that the role of the trigger for this can be accomplished by four primary measures: the establishment of bodies whose collective name is “magistracy councils” for the formation of an independent judiciary, bringing together representatives of civil society and the state; a significant increase in the jurisdiction of the jury court so that every criminal case (perhaps, with the exception of cases of crimes of a small public danger) can be considered at will of the accused with their participation; democratization of the institute of justices of the peace, which are considered “miniature jury”; the introduction in the criminal process of the institute of investigative judges, whose main task, subsidiary to the activities of the parties, is the legalization (almost exclusively at the request of the parties) of judicial evidence and the decision on the possibility of committal the case to court. It is proposed to increase the motivation of citizens to participate in the consideration of criminal cases as jurors, namely, by establishing additional lists of candidates for jurors, formed through voluntary initiative inclusion of candidates in it (self-recording) through the use of electronic resources. Compared to other publications devoted to the issue of judicial independence, this article proposes a new approach to its solution, based not on strengthening bureaucratic control over the activities of judges, but on maximizing the democratization of judicial activities, in a certain sense “denationalizing” in favor of civil society.

Evaluation of Sustainable Development of Tourism in Selected Cities in Turkey and Poland

The paper analyses the sustainable development of tourism in selected cities located in Turkey and in Poland. The starting point for the conducted research was the adoption of indicators used to assess the sustainable development of tourism in the cities of Amasya (Turkey) and Zakopane (Poland). Ultimately, the authors used slightly modified indicators developed by the Voluntary Initiative for Sustainability in Tourism (VISIT). The studies demonstrated that in Amasya the development of tourism is quite stable and revealed quite a lot of deficiencies in Zakopane. Sustainable development was assessed as poor in terms of environmental obligations, in particular waste water management solutions and municipal waste management as well as in terms of water consumption. The research revealed that some of the indicators were not recorded in central statistical offices, which hindered the assessment considerably. This refers mainly to indicators related to social and cultural considerations. In general, the results are rather surprising, as the analysis revealed significant differences in the development of technological infrastructure and land use intensity. Unfortunately, in these aspects, Zakopane seems to have lost the competition.

Attitudes to voluntary action

This chapter reviews existing research on attitudes to voluntary action. Despite the importance of this topic, public attitudes have received even less consistent consideration over time than voluntary action itself. This chapter summarises information from the National Survey of Volunteering (1981 and 1991) and the British Social Attitudes Surveys (from the 1990s) on the virtues of voluntarism, and the relationship between voluntary action and government policy. However, given the later gaps in the statistical record, the emphasis in the chapter is firmly upon two key Mass Observation Project directives, implemented 16 years apart, in 1996 and 2012. Writers have a strong sense of where the boundary should lie between statutory responsibility and voluntary initiative; and demonstrate particular concerns of and criticisms about the use of volunteers to substitute for paid staff, and to undercut the position of the lowest-paid members of society. Writers also discuss strong concerns about the ways in which governments take the contribution of volunteers for granted, leading to scepticism about individual and community capacities to take on further social responsibilities. We argue that the rationales on which appeals for greater voluntary effort are made are crucial to the success of these appeals.