Littérature scientifique sur le sujet « Casa do Benin »

Relação de coletâneas organizadas pelo autor (1981/2005) sobre religiões brasileiras de matriz africana. Suas traduções sobre a temática das religiões dos orixás e voduns no Brasil, em Cuba e na antiga Costa dos Escravos, África Ocidental. Referência à Casa das Minas, fundada em São Luís do Maranhão pela Rainha Agontimé, da dinastia reinante em Abomé, antigo Daomé, hoje Benin e vendida como escrava, chegando ao Brasil antes de 1818. Relação de traduções do autor sobre o candomblé e da bibliografia por ele levantada sobre o tema.

The Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) and the Cancer-Associated Serum Antigen (CASA) assay for the MUC1 mucin were compared in the serum of 303 patients with malignant or benign prostatic disease. Using cutpoints of 4, 10, and 20 μg/l, PSA was elevated in 93%, 81%, and 64% of patients with prostate cancer (n = 113), with corresponding specificities of 55%, 84%, and 96% in benign prostate disease (prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis, n = 190). Using the recommended cutpoint of 4 Units/ml, CASA was elevated in 38% of patients with prostate cancer, with a specificity of 91% in benign disease. PSA and CASA showed a poor correlation in prostate cancer (r = 0.367) and benign disease (r = 0.158), and CASA was elevated in some PSA negative samples. Used together, PSA ≥20 μg/l and CASA ≥4 kU/l gave perfect specificity in benign disease, with a corresponding sensitivity of 29% (positive and negative predictive values of 100% and 70%, respectively). However, this combination gave no improvement over the use of PSA alone, with sensitivity 47% when the cutpoint was raised to give perfect specificity. These data suggest that CASA is of little use as an adjunct to PSA in the differentiation of benign and malignant prostate disease.

Background: Meningeal melanocytoma is a rare benign tumor, most frequently located in the posterior fossa and spinal canal. Our objective is to illustrate a case of this tumor that originated in the thoracolumbar area of the spine and had an uneventful clinical course after total resection. Case description: We present the case of a 59 years old woman who presented with a medical history of ongoing neurological deterioration due to spastic paresis of the lower extremities. MRI of the thoracolumbar region identified a melanocytic melanoma as the underlying cause. Conclusions: Melanocytic tumors of the central nervous system have a typical appearance on MRI scans, varying with the content and distribution of melanin. However, the differential diagnosis between malignant melanoma and melanocytoma still depends on pathological criteria. Spinal meningeal melanocytoma has a benign course, and it is amenable for gross total resection. The outcome is favorable following complete resection.

Background: Pineocytomas are rare benign lesions with a relatively good prognosis if gross total resection can be achieved. Report of cases: We present a retrospective review of four patients with histologically confirmed pineocytomas consecutively operated on after 1997. All of our patients were alive at a mean follow-up of 224,5 months (range 204-246). A gross total resection was accomplished in all cases. The cornerstones for the surgical resection of pineocytomas are reported. Conclusions: A proper management of pineocytomas, based on the gross total microsurgical resection of the lesion, results in an excellent long term outcome of these pineal lesions.

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Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico- CNPq
A presente pesquisa de Mestrado em Museologia investiga as três Casas de Culturas Africanas constituídas no centro histórico da cidade do Salvador, sendo uma pública – Casa do Benin (1988), gerida pela Fundação Municipal Gregório de Mattos – e duas privadas – Casa de Angola (1999) e Casa da Nigéria (2008), mantidas pelos seus respectivos governos. A criação dessas casas esteve atrelada à vontade política de seus gestores públicos, mas, também, à crescente valorização das raízes africanas que se deu a partir da década de 1970 e, sobretudo, ao processo de “reafricanização” da cidade, impulsionado pelas incipientes indústrias cultural, de entretenimento e de turismo. Procura, ainda, compreender como a África Negra está representada nesses espaços expográficos a partir das análises descritivas e analíticas de suas exposições etnográficas de longa duração. Dessa forma, a pesquisa dialoga com o histórico da formação dessas Casas de Culturas, incluindo seu caráter político, e com a Museologia, no que tange à comunicação museológica de artefatos etnográficos destituídos de suas funções originais. A Semiótica e a Antropologia também fornecem subsídios na compreensão do processo representacional desses artefatos musealizados. Busca-se, então, compreender como a África Negra está representada nesses espaços museais e quais as conexões e diálogos que essas exposições podem estabelecer com a cidade “negra”. As análises apontaram que estas instituições tendem a representar as culturas africanas de formas estereotipadas.
The present research investigates the three African Cultural Houses constituted in the historical center of the city of Salvador, one being public – Benin Cultural House (1988), managed by the Gregorio de Mattos City Hall Cultural Foundation - and two private ones - Angola Cultural House (1999) and Nigeria Cultural House (2008), maintained by their respective governments. The creation of these houses was linked to the political will of their state agents, but also to the growing recognition of the African cultural heritage that began in the 1970s and, above all, to the process of "reafricanization" of the city, driven by the cultural, entertainment and tourism incipient industries. It also seeks to understand how Black Africa is represented in these spaces through descriptive and analytical analyzes of their long-term ethnographic exhibitions. Thus, the research dialogues with the history of the formation of these Cultural Houses, including their political issues, and with the Museology, regarding the museological communication of ethnographic artifacts devoid of their original functions. Semiotics and Anthropology also provide insights into the representational process of these museum artifacts. It seeks to understand how Black Africa is represented in these museums' spaces and what connections and dialogues these exhibitions can establish with the "black" city. The analyzes pointed out that these institutions tend to represent African cultures in a stereotyped way.

Limited access to financial services is known as a major constraint to agricultural development (FAO, 2002). Farmers need liquidity to face agricultural expenses throughout the production cycle but mainly at the beginning. Mainstream financial institutions are reluctant to serve the agricultural sector for several reasons. First, they consider the sector to be highly risky with low performance. Also, agricultural activities depend on the weather, they take place in remote rural areas, and commodities prices are volatile. All these aspects make it hard for standard banks to reach their profit goals when lending to farmers. Since microfinance was conceived, it has generated a lot of hope for alleviating poverty in low-income countries. Microfinance provides the poor with access to affordable capital by granting low-income individuals with loans they would not otherwise have access to, because of economic and geographic constraints. The goal of the dissertation is to examine the role and the importance of microfinance in the agricultural sector of developing countries. A survey took place in October 2017, in both rural and urban areas of Benin and involved 750 agricultural households. Three different agricultural zones were selected: the North-East (cotton zone); the Center (tubers and cashew nut zone) and the South (a region with special crops such as vegetables, pineapple, palm tree, exotic plants). The study focuses on agricultural loans. It includes clients of the major microfinance institution in Benin: FECECAM - Faîtière des Caisses d’Epargne et de Crédit Agricole Mutuel. This research contributes to the literature in several ways. The study allows shedding light on the effects of agricultural loans, specifically, on households’ efficiency and labor employment, which are mostly overlooked in the microfinance literature. To overcome selection bias in microcredit evaluation, the research employs a pipeline design. Control and treatment groups consist of individuals who have chosen to participate in the microfinance program. The loan treatment considered is the experience with loans which includes program entry timing, loan take-up frequency, and the average amount of loan obtained over the 2012-2017 period. The study employs a cluster analysis technique to create reliable comparable groups. Multiple variables and indicators are analyzed. A descriptive analysis of loan impact on farmers’ labor input choices shows that past loans have residual effects on both hired and family labor use. Farm loans, especially those obtained for farm machinery significantly reduce expenditure on hired labor but more family labor is employed using machine loans while other loan categories reduced the use of family labor. The evaluation of the whole-farm efficiency of borrowers in the presence of agricultural loans reveals significant technical and allocative errors leading to profit loss in all studied regions. However, experience with loans significantly increases farmers’ whole-farm efficiency, particularly in the North. Finally, the assessment of well-being indicators suggests that those farm loans have a significant positive impact on sampled recipients’ net farm income, food security and food quality statuses. Agricultural loans also have a positive impact on women’s empowerment. The monitoring and implementation mechanism of FECECAM played a crucial role in the success of its loan programs.

Indigenous, animistic religions inherently convey a close relationship and stewardship for the environment. This stewardship is very apparent in the region of southern Benin, Africa. The Fon peoples of this region practice a traditional religion termed Vodun, which manifested from the 17th century slave trade, and subsequently migrated to the Caribbean and Americas where it transmuted into Voodoo, among other religions. The migration of pre-colonial religious canon to the Western Hemisphere has garnered ample study; however, the pioneering religion, Vodun, has received far less scholastic attention, despite Benins recognition of Vodun as a national religion. In this thesis, I contend that the Fon exemplify a society that incorporates rites and rituals of their animistic religion into their daily lives expressed through forms of stewardship, particularly as it pertains to the Forêt Sacrée de Kpassé. This fusion of religious tradition with environmental interaction is inseparable, as are the subsequent environmental effects. This thesis discussion entails an investigation of the impacts of Vodun beliefs on environment-society relations. The results of this study are based upon a qualitative study conducted in the summer of 2009 in Ouidah, Benin.

In Benin, women in general and rural women in particular are central to the development and sustenance of the household, community, and society at large. Yet, often, they lack the agency, as a result of limited education, life skills, and resources, to contribute to community development, or the structures in place (laws, religious beliefs, policies, and institutions) limit women’s ability to participate in community development. As a result of their limited agency and the unequal structures in society, women in Benin have often been denied participation in decisions around education, health, economy, and agriculture. While women are key actors in all these sectors, they are often not represented sufficiently in the discussions that shape their lives. Women in Benin have collectively organized into associations to address these issues. Associations such as Mothers Associations (MAs) in Benin, have emerged with the specific purpose of improving the education of their daughters. MAs function under the umbrella of Parent Associations (PAs) to address issues of particular concern to girl students. While PAs have helped to improve basic education by putting pressure on school administrators and political leaders to address the quality of schools, these associations have been primarily male dominated, rarely identifying the specific barriers to education for girls. My dissertation has three main objectives: to assess how MAs in Benin have collectively mobilized to enhance the quality of education for schoolgirls; to determine whether MA activities and mobilization efforts have led to women’s empowerment and influence within their respective communities; and to examine whether MAs have had an impact on changing harmful social norms. Overall, the objective of this research is to examine how members of the MAs have used their collective agency to enhance gender equality within the school and community life. Through a critical feminist approach and applying a socio-ecological model, I examine the process in which African women have mobilized, collaborated, and advocated for girls’ education in ways that subtly undermine the harmful relations of power that govern their position in society.

This thesis presents the findings of a small-scale, qualitative study of attitudes toward AIDS and AIDS education campaigns in the village of Sota in central Benin. Through a language ideology framework, this study reviews the overlap and disparity between AIDS discourse and other systems of meaning in Sota, particularly rumors and religious beliefs. The portrait that emerges from this analysis of the social construction of AIDS by multiple discourses suggests that the impact of AIDS education may be limited only in part because the intended recipients fail to understand the information being provided. More importantly, the context and underlying assumptions of educational presentations about HIV/AIDS are not formulated in ways that are compatible with, or directly meaningful to, lived experience.

Human trafficking has emerged over the past three decades as an issue of considerable concern for the international community, and governments around the world have committed themselves to enacting legislation to combat the trade in humans. This has resulted in the adoption of international standards and important obligations of governments, to address the trafficking in persons (TIP) and in particular child trafficking which appears as a worldwide form of modern-day slavery, and a facet of transnational organized crime. This study investigated the potential causes of this state of affairs, which could be the inadequacy of legal texts and absence of implementation mechanisms, lack of co-ordination amongst the actors implicated, the insufficiency of political will to respond to the problem, the permeability of borders, or the lack of information in the accounts of victims and their parents. The principle objective aimed to address and ensure safety, special protection and security to child victims of trafficking. In so doing this study identified the existing legal framework in the international and regional environment.

Examines the situation of child victims through a human rights perspective and identifies the existing legal framework in the international and regional environment. Furthermore, this study seeks to raise awareness about the illegality and harmful consequences of all forms of child trafficking. Also discusses the necessity to take appropriate criminal as well as administrative action, at all levels, to effectively prohibit and penalise child trafficking.
Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2007.
A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Law (LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). Prepared under the supervision of Professor Julia Sloth-Nielsen of the faculty of Law, of the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
http://www.chr.up.ac.za/
Centre for Human Rights
LLM

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 1997.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-110).
by Elliot Ede Ibie.
M.S.

Teaching Environmentally Benign Manufacturing (EBM) presents the general challenges of teaching an application rather than a discipline. This is not too different from the challenges of teaching manufacturing about ten years ago. In that case we could rely heavily on successful practice and then develop principles to explain those successes. The principal success at that time was the Toyota Production System. Even today people continue to observe and write about why it works and its limitations [1, 2, 3].

This policy note seeks to elucidate the opportunities for development in Republic of Benin’s digital code, as the country attempts to become a regional example of progress in the digital sphere. The note examines the Digital Code of Benin which sets out a comprehensive set of laws and regulations aimed at providing a secure and conducive environment for digital transformation and innovation. By assessing the key strengths and opportunities for development, this policy note can also inform regional approaches to regulation of the digital economy, especially since Benin is seen as a model for the region.

The Smart Energy Design Assistance Center assessed the administrative, technical, and economic aspects of feasibility related to the procurement and installation of photovoltaic solar systems on IDOT-owned buildings and lands. To address administrative feasibility, we explored three main ways in which IDOT could procure solar projects: power purchase agreement (PPA), direct purchase, and land lease development. Of the three methods, PPA and direct purchase are most applicable for IDOT. While solar development is not free of obstacles for IDOT, it is administratively feasible, and regulatory hurdles can be adequately met given suitable planning and implementation. To evaluate IDOT assets for solar feasibility, more than 1,000 IDOT sites were screened and narrowed using spatial analytic tools. A stakeholder feedback process was used to select five case study sites that allowed for a range of solar development types, from large utility-scale projects to small rooftop systems. To evaluate financial feasibility, discussions with developers and datapoints from the literature were used to create financial models. A large solar project request by IDOT can be expected to generate considerable attention from developers and potentially attractive PPA pricing that would generate immediate cash flow savings for IDOT. Procurement partnerships with other state agencies will create opportunities for even larger projects with better pricing. However, in the near term, it may be difficult for IDOT to identify small rooftop or other small on-site solar projects that are financially feasible. This project identified two especially promising solar sites so that IDOT can evaluate other solar site development opportunities in the future. This project also developed a web-based decision-support tool so IDOT can identify potential sites and develop preliminary indications of feasibility. We recommend that IDOT begin the process of developing at least one of their large sites to support solar electric power generation.

El estudio examina el desempeño de la producción ganadera en Bolivia y Colombia. Se trata de dos ganaderías con diferente trayectoria, madurez tecnológica, y desempeño productivo, y que tienen en común la existencia de “frontera agrícola”, es decir, cambios de uso del suelo que permiten incorporar tierras de pastoreo a la ganadería, a partir de bosques. En el caso de Bolivia, el estudio se limitó a la región oriental, compuesta por los departamentos de Beni y Santa Cruz, que concentra la mayor parte del inventario ganadero del país. Beni, el departamento tradicionalmente ganadero, muestra estancamiento en el período, en lo que respecta al inventario ganadero y la productividad. No han existido inversiones ni cambio técnico importantes en materia de alimentación y manejo del ganado. En Santa Cruz se ha producido un incremento importante de la producción en la primera mitad del período, con aumentos de productividad basados en el cambio técnico. Este cambio técnico se asocia a la implantación de pasturas, a partir de cambios en el uso del suelo. El crecimiento observado en Santa Cruz, en la primera mitad del período (hasta 2012) se detiene a partir de ese año, y la productividad de los factores decrece, dando como resultado un aumento de productividad casi nulo en el total del período analizado. El cambio técnico operado, basado en un modelo de cambio de uso del suelo con siembra de pastos, en competencia por la tierra con soja y otros cultivos, mostró su potencial de generar crecimiento, pero no fue capaz de sostenerlo. La ganadería colombiana muestra un importante incremento de producción en el período analizado. Puesto que los factores de producción (básicamente tierra e inventario ganadero), se incrementan en menor proporción, se verifica un considerable incremento en la productividad de los factores. Existe heterogeneidad en el desempeño entre rubros y regiones. La ganadería de leche es muy importante en Colombia, y predomina en regiones de trópico alto, relativamente maduras en tecnología. Al analizar la evolución de la productividad de los factores, sin embargo, la tasa de crecimiento es mayor en las regiones en que predomina la ganadería de carne. Incluso se verifica cierta sustitución entre rubros, con avance de la producción de carne en todas las regiones. El crecimiento se asocia a mejoras en nutrición del ganado, por siembra de pastos, y en menor medida suministro de suplementos. El diferente comportamiento de los rubros se refleja en su diferente capacidad de competir ante la producción importada, en la medida que la protección se reduce en el marco de los acuerdos comerciales suscritos por el país. La producción ganadera pastoril tiene a su vez implicancias ambientales Los análisis realizados en este estudio, muestran que una variable determinante de la intensidad de emisiones es la productividad de los factores. Debido a esto, la ganadería colombiana presenta menores intensidades de emisión, y con reducción a tasas mayores que las del oriente boliviano. Otro aspecto decisivo en el balance de GEI está dado por los cambios en uso del suelo asociados a la ganadería. Si la producción ganadera que reemplaza bosques no lo hace con alta productividad, el balance resultante afectará en mayor medida el desempeño ambiental de la ganadería de los países.

1.1 Macroeconomic summary Economic recovery has consistently outperformed the technical staff’s expectations following a steep decline in activity in the second quarter of 2020. At the same time, total and core inflation rates have fallen and remain at low levels, suggesting that a significant element of the reactivation of Colombia’s economy has been related to recovery in potential GDP. This would support the technical staff’s diagnosis of weak aggregate demand and ample excess capacity. The most recently available data on 2020 growth suggests a contraction in economic activity of 6.8%, lower than estimates from January’s Monetary Policy Report (-7.2%). High-frequency indicators suggest that economic performance was significantly more dynamic than expected in January, despite mobility restrictions and quarantine measures. This has also come amid declines in total and core inflation, the latter of which was below January projections if controlling for certain relative price changes. This suggests that the unexpected strength of recent growth contains elements of demand, and that excess capacity, while significant, could be lower than previously estimated. Nevertheless, uncertainty over the measurement of excess capacity continues to be unusually high and marked both by variations in the way different economic sectors and spending components have been affected by the pandemic, and by uneven price behavior. The size of excess capacity, and in particular the evolution of the pandemic in forthcoming quarters, constitute substantial risks to the macroeconomic forecast presented in this report. Despite the unexpected strength of the recovery, the technical staff continues to project ample excess capacity that is expected to remain on the forecast horizon, alongside core inflation that will likely remain below the target. Domestic demand remains below 2019 levels amid unusually significant uncertainty over the size of excess capacity in the economy. High national unemployment (14.6% for February 2021) reflects a loose labor market, while observed total and core inflation continue to be below 2%. Inflationary pressures from the exchange rate are expected to continue to be low, with relatively little pass-through on inflation. This would be compatible with a negative output gap. Excess productive capacity and the expectation of core inflation below the 3% target on the forecast horizon provide a basis for an expansive monetary policy posture. The technical staff’s assessment of certain shocks and their expected effects on the economy, as well as the presence of several sources of uncertainty and related assumptions about their potential macroeconomic impacts, remain a feature of this report. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, continues to affect the public health environment, and the reopening of Colombia’s economy remains incomplete. The technical staff’s assessment is that the COVID-19 shock has affected both aggregate demand and supply, but that the impact on demand has been deeper and more persistent. Given this persistence, the central forecast accounts for a gradual tightening of the output gap in the absence of new waves of contagion, and as vaccination campaigns progress. The central forecast continues to include an expected increase of total and core inflation rates in the second quarter of 2021, alongside the lapse of the temporary price relief measures put in place in 2020. Additional COVID-19 outbreaks (of uncertain duration and intensity) represent a significant risk factor that could affect these projections. Additionally, the forecast continues to include an upward trend in sovereign risk premiums, reflected by higher levels of public debt that in the wake of the pandemic are likely to persist on the forecast horizon, even in the context of a fiscal adjustment. At the same time, the projection accounts for the shortterm effects on private domestic demand from a fiscal adjustment along the lines of the one currently being proposed by the national government. This would be compatible with a gradual recovery of private domestic demand in 2022. The size and characteristics of the fiscal adjustment that is ultimately implemented, as well as the corresponding market response, represent another source of forecast uncertainty. Newly available information offers evidence of the potential for significant changes to the macroeconomic scenario, though without altering the general diagnosis described above. The most recent data on inflation, growth, fiscal policy, and international financial conditions suggests a more dynamic economy than previously expected. However, a third wave of the pandemic has delayed the re-opening of Colombia’s economy and brought with it a deceleration in economic activity. Detailed descriptions of these considerations and subsequent changes to the macroeconomic forecast are presented below. The expected annual decline in GDP (-0.3%) in the first quarter of 2021 appears to have been less pronounced than projected in January (-4.8%). Partial closures in January to address a second wave of COVID-19 appear to have had a less significant negative impact on the economy than previously estimated. This is reflected in figures related to mobility, energy demand, industry and retail sales, foreign trade, commercial transactions from selected banks, and the national statistics agency’s (DANE) economic tracking indicator (ISE). Output is now expected to have declined annually in the first quarter by 0.3%. Private consumption likely continued to recover, registering levels somewhat above those from the previous year, while public consumption likely increased significantly. While a recovery in investment in both housing and in other buildings and structures is expected, overall investment levels in this case likely continued to be low, and gross fixed capital formation is expected to continue to show significant annual declines. Imports likely recovered to again outpace exports, though both are expected to register significant annual declines. Economic activity that outpaced projections, an increase in oil prices and other export products, and an expected increase in public spending this year account for the upward revision to the 2021 growth forecast (from 4.6% with a range between 2% and 6% in January, to 6.0% with a range between 3% and 7% in April). As a result, the output gap is expected to be smaller and to tighten more rapidly than projected in the previous report, though it is still expected to remain in negative territory on the forecast horizon. Wide forecast intervals reflect the fact that the future evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant source of uncertainty on these projections. The delay in the recovery of economic activity as a result of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter appears to have been less significant than projected in the January report. The central forecast scenario expects this improved performance to continue in 2021 alongside increased consumer and business confidence. Low real interest rates and an active credit supply would also support this dynamic, and the overall conditions would be expected to spur a recovery in consumption and investment. Increased growth in public spending and public works based on the national government’s spending plan (Plan Financiero del Gobierno) are other factors to consider. Additionally, an expected recovery in global demand and higher projected prices for oil and coffee would further contribute to improved external revenues and would favor investment, in particular in the oil sector. Given the above, the technical staff’s 2021 growth forecast has been revised upward from 4.6% in January (range from 2% to 6%) to 6.0% in April (range from 3% to 7%). These projections account for the potential for the third wave of COVID-19 to have a larger and more persistent effect on the economy than the previous wave, while also supposing that there will not be any additional significant waves of the pandemic and that mobility restrictions will be relaxed as a result. Economic growth in 2022 is expected to be 3%, with a range between 1% and 5%. This figure would be lower than projected in the January report (3.6% with a range between 2% and 6%), due to a higher base of comparison given the upward revision to expected GDP in 2021. This forecast also takes into account the likely effects on private demand of a fiscal adjustment of the size currently being proposed by the national government, and which would come into effect in 2022. Excess in productive capacity is now expected to be lower than estimated in January but continues to be significant and affected by high levels of uncertainty, as reflected in the wide forecast intervals. The possibility of new waves of the virus (of uncertain intensity and duration) represents a significant downward risk to projected GDP growth, and is signaled by the lower limits of the ranges provided in this report. Inflation (1.51%) and inflation excluding food and regulated items (0.94%) declined in March compared to December, continuing below the 3% target. The decline in inflation in this period was below projections, explained in large part by unanticipated increases in the costs of certain foods (3.92%) and regulated items (1.52%). An increase in international food and shipping prices, increased foreign demand for beef, and specific upward pressures on perishable food supplies appear to explain a lower-than-expected deceleration in the consumer price index (CPI) for foods. An unexpected increase in regulated items prices came amid unanticipated increases in international fuel prices, on some utilities rates, and for regulated education prices. The decline in annual inflation excluding food and regulated items between December and March was in line with projections from January, though this included downward pressure from a significant reduction in telecommunications rates due to the imminent entry of a new operator. When controlling for the effects of this relative price change, inflation excluding food and regulated items exceeds levels forecast in the previous report. Within this indicator of core inflation, the CPI for goods (1.05%) accelerated due to a reversion of the effects of the VAT-free day in November, which was largely accounted for in February, and possibly by the transmission of a recent depreciation of the peso on domestic prices for certain items (electric and household appliances). For their part, services prices decelerated and showed the lowest rate of annual growth (0.89%) among the large consumer baskets in the CPI. Within the services basket, the annual change in rental prices continued to decline, while those services that continue to experience the most significant restrictions on returning to normal operations (tourism, cinemas, nightlife, etc.) continued to register significant price declines. As previously mentioned, telephone rates also fell significantly due to increased competition in the market. Total inflation is expected to continue to be affected by ample excesses in productive capacity for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, though less so than projected in January. As a result, convergence to the inflation target is now expected to be somewhat faster than estimated in the previous report, assuming the absence of significant additional outbreaks of COVID-19. The technical staff’s year-end inflation projections for 2021 and 2022 have increased, suggesting figures around 3% due largely to variation in food and regulated items prices. The projection for inflation excluding food and regulated items also increased, but remains below 3%. Price relief measures on indirect taxes implemented in 2020 are expected to lapse in the second quarter of 2021, generating a one-off effect on prices and temporarily affecting inflation excluding food and regulated items. However, indexation to low levels of past inflation, weak demand, and ample excess productive capacity are expected to keep core inflation below the target, near 2.3% at the end of 2021 (previously 2.1%). The reversion in 2021 of the effects of some price relief measures on utility rates from 2020 should lead to an increase in the CPI for regulated items in the second half of this year. Annual price changes are now expected to be higher than estimated in the January report due to an increased expected path for fuel prices and unanticipated increases in regulated education prices. The projection for the CPI for foods has increased compared to the previous report, taking into account certain factors that were not anticipated in January (a less favorable agricultural cycle, increased pressure from international prices, and transport costs). Given the above, year-end annual inflation for 2021 and 2022 is now expected to be 3% and 2.8%, respectively, which would be above projections from January (2.3% and 2,7%). For its part, expected inflation based on analyst surveys suggests year-end inflation in 2021 and 2022 of 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. There remains significant uncertainty surrounding the inflation forecasts included in this report due to several factors: 1) the evolution of the pandemic; 2) the difficulty in evaluating the size and persistence of excess productive capacity; 3) the timing and manner in which price relief measures will lapse; and 4) the future behavior of food prices. Projected 2021 growth in foreign demand (4.4% to 5.2%) and the supposed average oil price (USD 53 to USD 61 per Brent benchmark barrel) were both revised upward. An increase in long-term international interest rates has been reflected in a depreciation of the peso and could result in relatively tighter external financial conditions for emerging market economies, including Colombia. Average growth among Colombia’s trade partners was greater than expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. This, together with a sizable fiscal stimulus approved in the United States and the onset of a massive global vaccination campaign, largely explains the projected increase in foreign demand growth in 2021. The resilience of the goods market in the face of global crisis and an expected normalization in international trade are additional factors. These considerations and the expected continuation of a gradual reduction of mobility restrictions abroad suggest that Colombia’s trade partners could grow on average by 5.2% in 2021 and around 3.4% in 2022. The improved prospects for global economic growth have led to an increase in current and expected oil prices. Production interruptions due to a heavy winter, reduced inventories, and increased supply restrictions instituted by producing countries have also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, market forecasts and recent Federal Reserve pronouncements suggest that the benchmark interest rate in the U.S. will remain stable for the next two years. Nevertheless, a significant increase in public spending in the country has fostered expectations for greater growth and inflation, as well as increased uncertainty over the moment in which a normalization of monetary policy might begin. This has been reflected in an increase in long-term interest rates. In this context, emerging market economies in the region, including Colombia, have registered increases in sovereign risk premiums and long-term domestic interest rates, and a depreciation of local currencies against the dollar. Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in several of these economies; limits on vaccine supply and the slow pace of immunization campaigns in some countries; a significant increase in public debt; and tensions between the United States and China, among other factors, all add to a high level of uncertainty surrounding interest rate spreads, external financing conditions, and the future performance of risk premiums. The impact that this environment could have on the exchange rate and on domestic financing conditions represent risks to the macroeconomic and monetary policy forecasts. Domestic financial conditions continue to favor recovery in economic activity. The transmission of reductions to the policy interest rate on credit rates has been significant. The banking portfolio continues to recover amid circumstances that have affected both the supply and demand for loans, and in which some credit risks have materialized. Preferential and ordinary commercial interest rates have fallen to a similar degree as the benchmark interest rate. As is generally the case, this transmission has come at a slower pace for consumer credit rates, and has been further delayed in the case of mortgage rates. Commercial credit levels stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in March, following an increase resulting from significant liquidity requirements for businesses in the second quarter of 2020. The consumer credit portfolio continued to recover and has now surpassed February 2020 levels, though overall growth in the portfolio remains low. At the same time, portfolio projections and default indicators have increased, and credit establishment earnings have come down. Despite this, credit disbursements continue to recover and solvency indicators remain well above regulatory minimums. 1.2 Monetary policy decision In its meetings in March and April the BDBR left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75%.

The British Academy was asked by the Government Office for Science to produce an independent review on the long-term societal impacts of COVID-19. This report outlines the evidence across a range of areas, building upon a series of expert reviews, engagement, synthesis and analysis across the research community in the Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts (SHAPE). It is accompanied by a separate report, Shaping the COVID decade, which considers how policymakers might respond. History shows that pandemics and other crises can be catalysts to rebuild society in new ways, but that this requires vision and interconnectivity between policymakers at local, regional and national levels. With the advent of vaccines and the imminent ending of lockdowns, we might think that the impact of COVID-19 is coming to an end. This would be wrong. We are in a COVID decade: the social, economic and cultural effects of the pandemic will cast a long shadow into the future – perhaps longer than a decade – and the sooner we begin to understand, the better placed we will be to address them. There are of course many impacts which flowed from lockdowns, including not being able to see family and friends, travel or take part in leisure activities. These should ease quickly as lockdown comes to an end. But there are a set of deeper impacts on health and wellbeing, communities and cohesion, and skills, employment and the economy which will have profound effects upon the UK for many years to come. In sum, the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities and differences and created new ones, as well as exposing critical societal needs and strengths. These can emerge differently across places, and along different time courses, for individuals, communities, regions, nations and the UK as a whole. We organised the evidence into three areas of societal effect. As we gathered evidence in these three areas, we continually assessed it according to five cross-cutting themes – governance, inequalities, cohesion, trust and sustainability – which the reader will find reflected across the chapters. Throughout the process of collating and assessing the evidence, the dimensions of place (physical and social context, locality), scale (individual, community, regional, national) and time (past, present, future; short, medium and longer term) played a significant role in assessing the nature of the societal impacts and how they might play out, altering their long-term effects.

This report maps the African landscape of Open Science – with a focus on Open Data as a sub-set of Open Science. Data to inform the landscape study were collected through a variety of methods, including surveys, desk research, engagement with a community of practice, networking with stakeholders, participation in conferences, case study presentations, and workshops hosted. Although the majority of African countries (35 of 54) demonstrates commitment to science through its investment in research and development (R&D), academies of science, ministries of science and technology, policies, recognition of research, and participation in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), the following countries demonstrate the highest commitment and political willingness to invest in science: Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In addition to existing policies in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), the following countries have made progress towards Open Data policies: Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. Only two African countries (Kenya and South Africa) at this stage contribute 0.8% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to R&D (Research and Development), which is the closest to the AU’s (African Union’s) suggested 1%. Countries such as Lesotho and Madagascar ranked as 0%, while the R&D expenditure for 24 African countries is unknown. In addition to this, science globally has become fully dependent on stable ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure, which includes connectivity/bandwidth, high performance computing facilities and data services. This is especially applicable since countries globally are finding themselves in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is not only “about” data, but which “is” data. According to an article1 by Alan Marcus (2015) (Senior Director, Head of Information Technology and Telecommunications Industries, World Economic Forum), “At its core, data represents a post-industrial opportunity. Its uses have unprecedented complexity, velocity and global reach. As digital communications become ubiquitous, data will rule in a world where nearly everyone and everything is connected in real time. That will require a highly reliable, secure and available infrastructure at its core, and innovation at the edge.” Every industry is affected as part of this revolution – also science. An important component of the digital transformation is “trust” – people must be able to trust that governments and all other industries (including the science sector), adequately handle and protect their data. This requires accountability on a global level, and digital industries must embrace the change and go for a higher standard of protection. “This will reassure consumers and citizens, benefitting the whole digital economy”, says Marcus. A stable and secure information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure – currently provided by the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) – is key to advance collaboration in science. The AfricaConnect2 project (AfricaConnect (2012–2014) and AfricaConnect2 (2016–2018)) through establishing connectivity between National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), is planning to roll out AfricaConnect3 by the end of 2019. The concern however is that selected African governments (with the exception of a few countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia and others) have low awareness of the impact the Internet has today on all societal levels, how much ICT (and the 4th Industrial Revolution) have affected research, and the added value an NREN can bring to higher education and research in addressing the respective needs, which is far more complex than simply providing connectivity. Apart from more commitment and investment in R&D, African governments – to become and remain part of the 4th Industrial Revolution – have no option other than to acknowledge and commit to the role NRENs play in advancing science towards addressing the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals). For successful collaboration and direction, it is fundamental that policies within one country are aligned with one another. Alignment on continental level is crucial for the future Pan-African African Open Science Platform to be successful. Both the HIPSSA ((Harmonization of ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa)3 project and WATRA (the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly)4, have made progress towards the regulation of the telecom sector, and in particular of bottlenecks which curb the development of competition among ISPs. A study under HIPSSA identified potential bottlenecks in access at an affordable price to the international capacity of submarine cables and suggested means and tools used by regulators to remedy them. Work on the recommended measures and making them operational continues in collaboration with WATRA. In addition to sufficient bandwidth and connectivity, high-performance computing facilities and services in support of data sharing are also required. The South African National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System5 (NICIS) has made great progress in planning and setting up a cyberinfrastructure ecosystem in support of collaborative science and data sharing. The regional Southern African Development Community6 (SADC) Cyber-infrastructure Framework provides a valuable roadmap towards high-speed Internet, developing human capacity and skills in ICT technologies, high- performance computing and more. The following countries have been identified as having high-performance computing facilities, some as a result of the Square Kilometre Array7 (SKA) partnership: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia. More and more NRENs – especially the Level 6 NRENs 8 (Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and recently Zambia) – are exploring offering additional services; also in support of data sharing and transfer. The following NRENs already allow for running data-intensive applications and sharing of high-end computing assets, bio-modelling and computation on high-performance/ supercomputers: KENET (Kenya), TENET (South Africa), RENU (Uganda), ZAMREN (Zambia), EUN (Egypt) and ARN (Algeria). Fifteen higher education training institutions from eight African countries (Botswana, Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania) have been identified as offering formal courses on data science. In addition to formal degrees, a number of international short courses have been developed and free international online courses are also available as an option to build capacity and integrate as part of curricula. The small number of higher education or research intensive institutions offering data science is however insufficient, and there is a desperate need for more training in data science. The CODATA-RDA Schools of Research Data Science aim at addressing the continental need for foundational data skills across all disciplines, along with training conducted by The Carpentries 9 programme (specifically Data Carpentry 10 ). Thus far, CODATA-RDA schools in collaboration with AOSP, integrating content from Data Carpentry, were presented in Rwanda (in 2018), and during17-29 June 2019, in Ethiopia. Awareness regarding Open Science (including Open Data) is evident through the 12 Open Science-related Open Access/Open Data/Open Science declarations and agreements endorsed or signed by African governments; 200 Open Access journals from Africa registered on the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); 174 Open Access institutional research repositories registered on openDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories); 33 Open Access/Open Science policies registered on ROARMAP (Registry of Open Access Repository Mandates and Policies); 24 data repositories registered with the Registry of Data Repositories (re3data.org) (although the pilot project identified 66 research data repositories); and one data repository assigned the CoreTrustSeal. Although this is a start, far more needs to be done to align African data curation and research practices with global standards. Funding to conduct research remains a challenge. African researchers mostly fund their own research, and there are little incentives for them to make their research and accompanying data sets openly accessible. Funding and peer recognition, along with an enabling research environment conducive for research, are regarded as major incentives. The landscape report concludes with a number of concerns towards sharing research data openly, as well as challenges in terms of Open Data policy, ICT infrastructure supportive of data sharing, capacity building, lack of skills, and the need for incentives. Although great progress has been made in terms of Open Science and Open Data practices, more awareness needs to be created and further advocacy efforts are required for buy-in from African governments. A federated African Open Science Platform (AOSP) will not only encourage more collaboration among researchers in addressing the SDGs, but it will also benefit the many stakeholders identified as part of the pilot phase. The time is now, for governments in Africa, to acknowledge the important role of science in general, but specifically Open Science and Open Data, through developing and aligning the relevant policies, investing in an ICT infrastructure conducive for data sharing through committing funding to making NRENs financially sustainable, incentivising open research practices by scientists, and creating opportunities for more scientists and stakeholders across all disciplines to be trained in data management.