This study is a review of the challenges of democratic consolidation in Ghana and how Public Theology provides theological insights for the church in its responses to the democratic consolidation challenges. Democratic consolidation in Ghana has been considered relatively successful. However, it has been noted that democratic consolidation in Ghana is being undermined by challenges like dictatorship of the majority, the culture of silence, disregard of democratic institutions, and neglect of bread and butter issues among others. The church has played a significant role in democratic consolidation in Ghana through advocacy, civic education, election observation, social services, and interfaith dialogue. By promoting democratic values and good governance, the church has contributed to the growth and stability of Ghana’s democracy. According to this study, the challenges that threatened democratic consolidation in Ghana persist. It is important for the church therefore to continue to build on its successes and address these challenges in order to further contribute to the strengthening of the nation’s democratic culture. The study used a qualitative approach to gather data. The study concluded with the recommendation that theological insights from Public Theology like human value, dignity, the sovereignty of God, fallibility of human nature, and democracy as a way of life must be concentrated on in the church’s search for responses to the challenges of democratic consolidation and culture in Ghana.

The article aimed at a critical analysis of the Ghanaian experience of Public Theology. It argued that through Christian perspectives derived from sermons, communiqués, and other official public statements the church has participated in public conversations, public-policy cycles, and other public issues within the Ghanaian context. Participation involves challenging the structures of corruption, injustice, poverty, and inequality that exist in societies and advocating for policies and practices that promote the common good. With perspectives from Christian beliefs and values the study observed the framework for addressing these issues and promoting a more just and equitable society and further places emphasis on the social responsibility of Christians. The study concluded that Ghanaian public theologians must stress the importance of the Christian community’s involvement in addressing social issues and not just focusing on individual spiritual growth. This will lead to the development of a number of initiatives by Christian organizations and churches to address social issues such as poverty, health, democratic consolidation, wealth creation, education, and social justice.

The study examined the Accra Confession as a Public Theology document and how it provides theological resources for Christian responses to contemporary social challenges in Ghana. The faith document that was developed in Ghana invites the church to participate in Christian public witness. It affirmed the importance of the gospel in addressing contemporary social and economic challenges and recognizes the need for the church to maintain a prophetic voice in the face of oppression, exploitation and exclusion. The article argued that the Public Theology document provides the necessary resources that are needed for the public witness of the church in Ghana after its almost two decades in existence and therefore any form of disconnection and silence need to be identified and addressed. Ghana is currently confronted with developmental challenges like poverty, hunger and unemployment. The faith document contains the necessary theological perspectives that the church needs in the effort to pursue social change. It’s awakening and continuous conversation in the church definitely will contribute to the Christian public witness in Ghana. The study recommended that churches must integrate the theological insights in the Accra Confession into their churches’ structures and Christian education programmes. It further recommended awakening and continuous conversation of the Accra Confession in congregations. Using the qualitative research method, the author examined available materials on the Reformed church and theology to throw more highlights on the issue. Attention was further given to reports from the WARC gathering at Accra in 2004 in which the author was a participant.

The study is an examination of the place of Public Theology in the church’s participation in wealth creation. The article argues that wealth creation that serves the common good must be motivated by perspectives informed by Public Theology. The study admitted that wealth creation is a major strategy for reducing poverty and it is a central concern for many churches, governments, organizations, and individuals. It discovered that selfishness, pride, abuse of others, and irresponsible consumption are easily associated with wealth if its sole purpose of creation is for consumption and self-glorification. In the instance where people accumulate wealth at the expense of the poor and innocent in society, the creation of such wealth becomes unacceptable according to biblical perspectives and does not serve the common good. The study concluded that the motivation for the church’s participation in wealth creation must be adequately informed by Public Theology. It recommended that Public Theology must shape the values, attitudes, and practices of churches, individuals, institutions, and society as a whole in wealth creation. It placed emphasis on social responsibility, human dignity, justice, and the common good in the efforts towards wealth creation. Public theologians must facilitate the promotion of a more holistic and sustainable approach to wealth creation that takes into account the well-being of all members of society and not just the wealthy few. The approach involves advocating for policies and practices that promote economic growth, while also addressing issues of inequality, poverty, and corruption.

The issue of gospel and culture has been in contention since the inception of Christianity and its expansion into other environs outside the Jewish nation Israel. As Christianity left its comfort zone in Jerusalem, it needed to engage with different cultures and give relevance of the good news to people that were alien to the Jewish culture which was a national religious culture. Using the comparative and dialogical approaches, this study thus, discussed some religious and cultural practices of the people of Agave in Ghana and how these help in demonstrating the true revelation of God in the person of Jesus. The study found that all the religious and cultural practices have prepared the hearts of Agaveawo for the gospel of Jesus. All the practices were towards the aspirations of forgiveness of sin, well-being, productivity, peace, victory over death and dark powers and agricultural productivity. The individual responses strengthen the argument that what the traditionalists sought in Dzawuwu, amawuwu and Trᴐkosi systems, one can find in Christ. The study contributes to the agenda of developing and articulating Christology in African theology and Christianity.

The ability of education to transform individuals' lives, and by extension those of their communities and societies, is well documented. As such, education is at the heart of the United Nations’ (2015) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), represented by SDG 4, “Quality Education”, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in particular have been highlighted as critical settings from which SDGs can be better understood and achieved. Although the benefits of tertiary education are well understood, access to, and participation within, TEIs remains unequal for students from marginalized backgrounds, particularly those from refugee backgrounds (RBs). Over the last twenty-five years, research has begun to consider issues relating to access and participation within TEIs for students from refugee backgrounds (SRBs) highlighting numerous barriers that they face. However, very few studies have focused on identifying strengths, capabilities and supports. The experiences of SRBs within the contexts of New Zealand TEIs are vastly understudied. In response to this gap, as well as to the dominance of barrier-focused literature, this thesis considers the experiences of SRBs within New Zealand universities from a strengths-based lens. It seeks to understand what has enhanced the experiences of SRBs, and what can facilitate further positive experiences for them in the future. It answers the primary research question: “What is working well to enhance the experiences of SRBs within New Zealand universities and why?” To answer this question, a transformative research approach using Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methodology was taken. Primary data was generated using semi-structured interviews with sixteen undergraduate and postgraduate SRBs at four different New Zealand universities. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. This analysis identifies several targeted provisions and personal strengths that are working well to enhance the experiences of SRBs within New Zealand universities. Comparing these results with the current landscape of targeted provisioning and policy relating to SRBs in TEIs, I argue that existing and future initiatives could be (re)designed to emphasise: social connections, institutional welcome, staff advocacy, financial provisioning, and the resource of family and community. In addition, this study strongly advocates for the designation of SRBs as an equity group within national level policy, in order to mandate all universities to provide targeted provisioning. Overall, this research provides a New Zealand-specific perspective on the growing body of literature centred on the experiences of SRBs within tertiary education. Its strengths-based AI framework offers a unique understanding of how future practice and policy can be developed around what is working well for students. Additionally, its New Zealand context unsettles traditional understandings of where education and development research and initiatives are conducted and implemented.

The UNESCO defines the concept of interculturality as “the existence and equitable interaction of diverse cultures and the possibility of generating shared cultural expressions through dialogue and mutual respect,” according to the article 4.8 of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.3 A derivative of this concept would be ntercultural awareness,” which can be defined as the conscious understanding, free of clash, of he fact that people from different cultures have different values. In contrast to interculturality, which accepts and assimilates ways of living and thinking from different cultures, multiculturality simply refers to juxtaposed cultures that coexist in a single environment, though not exposed to partial assimilations among them. This paper focuses on a recent experience carried out within the EUT+ frame, a pilot project based on interculturality and German as a foreign language that could be transferred to the rest of partners on a larger scale in the future. Entitled “DACADU: Interkulturelles Projekt,” the project has included students of German of three different universities (Darmstad, Dublin and Cartagena) with language levels ranging from A1 to C1. The initiative is inspired in a “logbook” recently published by the Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung, an official organism that works for the effective integration of migrants in Germany. The logbook teaches young migrants not only through language, but also by means of allowing the two cultures of the participants (the one left behind, and the new one) blend and interact with the help of a variety of activities that encourage self-reflection, discussion, and language awareness itself. Developed during the second term of the 2021-2022 academic year, this paper discusses the different phases of the project, with special attention to: a) the nature of the tasks/topics assigned and the materials produced; b) the sequencing of the project; c) the evaluation tools designed, aimed both at measuring the degree of satisfaction among students and related issues (motivation, learning enhancement, raise of awareness), and the improvement in the acquisition of language and intercultural content. All in all, the experience provides a practical example of how to deal with inclusive practices in Higher Education through language learning and interculturality.

Given the UNDRIP’s assertion of Indigenous Peoples’ rights to their education and knowledge systems, and in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s calls to action, many Canadian Universities are considering “Indigenizing the Academy.” Yet, the meaning of such undertaking remains to be clarified. This article explores trans-systemic approaches as a possible avenue for “Indigenizing the Academy,” and, more specifically, what Indigenous higher education programs and institutions can contribute to a trans-systemic approach to education. Considering two existing models I encountered in my doctoral research, namely the Intercultural approach as developed in the Andes (García et al., 2004; Mato, 2009; Sarango, 2009; Walsh, 2012), and land-based pedagogy as developed in North America (Coulthard, 2017; Coulthard & Simpson, 2016; Tuck et al., 2014; Wildcat et al., 2014), I argue they present trans-systemic elements that would allow us to re-think the frameworks in which to engage with Indigenous Peoples’ rights and knowledge systems in the mainstream academy. What could be learned from the principles and practices of these two Indigenous higher education philosophies to articulate Indigenous knowledge into trans-systemic education in the mainstream academy in ways that foster solidarity and mutual understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people? 

This report summarises the papers, presentations and discussion of the Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour special workshop re-evaluating the Engineering and Physical Science and Arts and Humanities Research Councils (EPSRC and AHRC) 2010 Principles of Robotics. We describe the call for papers re-examining the workshop, summarise the papers and discussions that took place, and the voting that lead to our workshop adopting a series of proposals for amending the original Principles. The workshop discussed and voted on 14 specific “amendments, additions, or reflections” on the Principles. Of these, 9 out 14 were adopted by majority vote, 6 receiving strong support (67% or more in favour), 1 majority support (53%), with several of the remaining receiving mixed support of between 33% and 47%. An important and unanimous conclusion of the workshop was that “the Principles should be amended through a thorough and inclusive process”. Adopted proposals also highlighted the need to “focus on the protection of humanity” from possible future risks created by AI and robotics, and to take into account how society is changing and adapting to technological advances.

Die vielfältigen Möglichkeiten moderner IT-Systeme bringen drängende ethische Probleme mit sich. Neben der offensichtlichen Frage nach einer moralisch tragbaren Verwendung von Informationstechnologien sind ebenso die Aspekte des Entwerfens, Herstellens und Betreibens derselben entscheidend. Die Beiträge setzen sich mit dem Konfliktpotenzial zwischen Technik und Ethik auseinander, indem sie lebensnahe Fallbeispiele vorstellen und fragenbasiert zur Diskussion einladen. Damit liefern sie eine praktische Herangehensweise zum gemeinsamen Nachdenken über moralische Gebote und ethischen Umgang mit IT-Systemen und ihren Möglichkeiten. Der Band eignet sich damit in hervorragender Weise zum Vermitteln und Erlernen von ethischer Reflexions- und Handlungskompetenz in der Informatik sowie im Umgang mit IT-Technologien überhaupt.