Journal of Academic Perspectives

Volume 2012 No. 3

Galileo Revisited: Conflicting Worldviews or Perceived Differences?

Richard E. Menninger, Ottawa University, Canada

Agricultural Trade Liberalization and Human Rights: Economic Analysis for Poverty Reduction in LDCs – A Survey

Atsuko Matsumura, Tokyo International University, Japan

A Critical Evaluation of the Effectiveness of International and National Legal Regulatory Responses to the Problems of Child Trafficking, Prostitution and Sex Tourism

Douglas Hodgson, The University of Western Australia, Australia

Galileo Revisited: Conflicting Worldviews or Perceived Differences?

Richard E. Menninger, Ottawa University, Canada

This article examines the issue of how “established” positions can lead to misinformed views, which in turn result in mistrust and lack of cooperation between individuals as well as communities. Our goal will be accomplished by revisiting the Galileo affair. I will attempt to show that the accepted view that this episode is simply an example of the antagonism between science and religion is incorrect and misleading. I will then discuss some general lessons we can learn from our study of Galileo.
Menninger_R.doc.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [429.4 KB]

Agricultural Trade Liberalization and Human Rights: Economic Analysis for Poverty Reduction in LDCs – A Survey

Atsuko Matsumura, Tokyo International University, Japan

This paper investigates the economic effects of agricultural trade liberalization of developed countries on poverty reduction of least developed countries (LDCs) and considers the problems to be solved to protect human rights of the people of least developed countries (LDCs). As agriculture is important in LDCs’ productions, exports, and also imports, it is necessary to assess the trade liberalization effects from several points of view. Overall, it stresses that it is indispensable to overcome the difficulties of trade liberalization negotiation in the Doha Development Round for the people of LDCs to have a higher standard of living.
Matsumura_A.doc.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [1.1 MB]

A Critical Evaluation of the Effectiveness of International and National Legal Regulatory Responses to the Problems of Child Trafficking, Prostitution and Sex Tourism

Douglas Hodgson, The University of Western Australia, Australia

Trafficking in persons for the purpose of their exploitation is widely regarded as a contemporary form of slavery. Together with arms and drug trafficking, trafficking in persons is one of the most lucrative branches of international organized crime. Trafficking in persons is the fastest-growing form of organized crime as it is less risky than these other forms of trafficking and is estimated to reap profits of up to 12 billion Euros annually. As there is no need to cross an international border for trafficking to occur, it can also be accomplished domestically within the borders of a particular state (internal trafficking). Due to the clandestine nature of trafficking in persons, reliable statistics are difficult to garner. However, the US Department of State estimated in its 2005 Traf
Hodgson_D.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [434.7 KB]

Volume 2012 No. 3

CURRENT ISSUE: