The auto-construction of dwellings in pirate urbanisations produces about 70% of low-income housing in Bogota. People with scarce resources, usually migrants from the countryside, opt to purchase an individual lot from a clandestine urbaniser that extra-legally subdivides terrains near the city boundaries. Ideally, in about 15 years span, self-builders progressively manage to construct a Casalote: a 3 to 4 storeys edifice, which provides them not only urban dwelling but also a considerable source of income. Casalotes progressively grow next to each other and eventually amalgamate into large, functional and vibrant urban pieces more or less integrated to the city's fabric. This work tries to trace the links between the emergence of informal urbanisations and the structure of the architectural-units generated along the process. It seeks to answer the question whether one can speak of architectural principles, actually determining the shape of "informal" buildings and urbanisations. It focuses on Bogota, a city that has incubated a systematic mode of land subdivision and edification outside the hegemonic planning system: Pirate urbanisation, or the process of emergence of informal urbanisations, and autoconstruction, or the edificatory product-means delivering actual housing solutions upon those urbanisations. The analysis comprehends three sections: (a) a discussion on the dipole "formal-informal". (b) A critical reading, at three different scales ("world", "cities", "Bogota"), of the legal, social, political, tectonic, and economic dimensions of the process. (c) A detailed description of a single Casalote and its neighbourhood in Bogota, observed between 2006 and 2012. This last section reconstructs the building as recounted by its inhabitants, in order to deconstruct it into its architectural components and, eventually, re-compose it in the form architectural principles.

Researches have been addressed to assess the implementation of desalination plants worldwide, but almost none has used risk analysis to determine the site selection of a plant. Besides, none of those studies has been located in Colombia. Although Colombia is surrounded by two (2) oceans -the Atlantic and the Pacific-, it has one region that suffers issues of water scarcity. This region is called La Guajira. This paper proposes a methodology for making a site selection of a desalination plant in La Guajira, Colombia. The risk-based decision making is generated by a Bayesian Network, which is a graphical probabilistic method for risk modeling and inference. The Bayesian Network includes the main factors that affect the feasibility of a plant - environmental, social, technical and economic aspects- and generate a risk level for any specific area. The assessment is done for four possible zones in La Guajira helping with the selection of the most affordable place for implementing the desalination plant. This technique can be used for the risk analysis of other industry plants across other geographical places. Estudios han sido direccionados a evaluar la implementación de plantas de desalinización alrededor del mundo, pero casi ninguno ha usado análisis de riesgos para determinar la selección del sitio de las plantas. Además, ninguno de esos estudios ha sido localizado en Colombia. Aunque Colombia está rodeada por dos (2) océanos – el Atlántico y el Pacífico-, hay una región que sufre problemas de escasez de agua. Esta región es llamada la Guajira. Este documento propone una metodología para hacer una selección del sitio de una planta de desalinización en La Guajira, Colombia. La toma de decisiones basada en el riesgo es generada por una red Bayesiana, la cual es un método gráfico probabilístico para el modelado y la inferencia de riesgos. La red Bayesiana incluye los principales riesgos que afectan la viabilidad de la planta – aspectos ambientales, sociales, técnicos y económicos - y genera un nivel de riesgo para cada área específica. La evaluación se realiza para cuatro posibles zonas en La Guajira, ayudando con la selección del lugar más asequible para implementar la planta de desalinización. Esta técnica puede ser usada para el análisis de riesgos en otras plantas industriales en otros lugares geográficos.

Reintegration programs promote technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for ex-combatants, with the aim of helping them develop skills, assume new social roles, and gain community acceptance. This in-depth interview study with ex-combatants from Colombia participating in TVET examined the reasons and motivations they had for enrolling in technical education, and their perceptions of whether and how TVET contributed to their social reintegration, a critical factor in preventing further violence. Findings about ex-combatants’ reasons and motivations illustrated that through education, participants seek to be respected and recognized, set an example for their children, experience a moral transformation, and develop autonomy. These findings suggest that TVET’s assumptions that ex-combatants are only motivated by material factors such as money and employment are too reductionist. Further, findings about the role of education in the social reintegration of ex-combatants illustrated that some forms of TVET promoted psychosocial recovery, and built social support. Conversely, other types reinforced isolation and segregation. This study further found that TVET overlooked ex-combatants’ feelings of stigmatization and limitations to socializing imposed by violent contexts. These findings suggest the need to complement educational programs for economic development with approaches that develop social bonds and trust between ex-combatants and their communities. La educación vocacional y técnica (EVT) promovida por los programas de reintegración busca que los ex-combatientes desarrollen habilidades para el trabajo, asuman nuevos roles sociales y sean aceptados por las comunidades donde llegan. A través de entrevistas a profundidad con desmovilizados colombianos que participaron en programas de EVT, este estudio analizó las razones y motivaciones que tuvieron para ingresar a los programas y sus percepciones de si dichos programas contribuyeron a su reintegración social, considerada fundamental en la prevención de nuevos ciclos de violencia. Esta investigación encontró que los ex-combatientes estaban motivados a estudiar porque para ellos la educación ayudaba a que ganaran respeto y reconocimiento, convertirse en ejemplo para sus hijos, transformarse moralmente y desarrollar autonomía. Estos resultados muestran que las políticas y los programas en EVT que presuponen que los desmovilizados estudian solo para conseguir empleo y tener un salario son reduccionistas. Con respecto al rol de la educación en la reintegración social de los desmovilizados, esta investigación reveló que pasar por instituciones de EVT contribuye a la recuperación psicosocial y que algunos programas de EVT facilitan la construcción de redes de apoyo, mientras que otros refuerzan el aislamiento y la exclusión social. Este estudio también mostró las limitaciones que la EVT tiene para reintegrar socialmente a los excombatientes dadas las condiciones de violencia en las que viven y la estigmatización social que perciben. Estos resultados señalan la necesidad de complementar los programas educativos centrados en el desarrollo económico con programas que busquen desarrollar vínculos sociales y confianza entre los desmovilizados y las comunidades.

The purpose of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between stakeholder orientation and innovation. By using patenting activity as a proxy of innovation, this study evaluates whether a higher orientation towards community, customers, employees, suppliers, and the natural environment, increases the number and quality of firms’ innovation. Relying on a rich dataset, which tracks patents and stakeholder orientation of 605 US companies over eleven years, the study tests the relationship between the orientation towards each of the considered stakeholders and the propensity to innovate. Results show that (1) a higher stakeholder orientation boosts both the number of patents and their radicalness and originality (2) customers, employees and the natural environment orientation have a positive impact on innovative activity. In general, the empirical outcome supports the view that by involving and balancing heterogeneous points of view, the company fosters its creativity.

El propósito del documento es explorar el rol de la sociedad civil respecto a la agenda de desarrollo sostenible de los BRICS. Particularmente, este estudio está centrado en los en el proceso de participación del grupo "Civil BRICS" establecido en el 2015 como un mecanismo formal de interlocución entre la sociedad civil y los gobiernos que conforman el bloque. La disertación parte del enfoque de "Redes Trasnacionales de Cabildeo", el cual se encarga de analizar las interacciones entre los actores de la sociedad civil en el nivel trasnacional, basadas en sus intereses y valores compartidos. De este modo, se exploran los elementos históricos y contextuales que han influenciado esta interacción, tal como lo es el proceso de conformación de los BRICS en el marco de un orden global cambiante, las características y trayectorias diferenciadas de la sociedad civil en esos países respecto a los asuntos de desarrollo sostenible, y el proceso de construcción de la plataforma "Civil BRICS". El análisis de los Civil BRICS desde la perspectiva de las Redes Trasnacionales de Cabildeo permite evidenciar las ideas, estrategias e intereses de los actores de la sociedad civil frente a los cuerpos de gobernanza global liderados por potencias emergentes. Como resultado, este documento sugiere que las organizaciones de la sociedad civil comparten narrativas y apuestas sobre la agenda de desarrollo sostenible de los BRICS a pesar de sus diferencias históricas y culturales, lo que a su vez refleja intereses y valores compartidos y les permite movilizarse a través de redes para influir en las decisiones de este bloque, poniendo nuevos temas en la agenda y buscando una redefinición del paradigma de desarrollo al interior de estos países.

The Paris Agreement was a success in 2015, when the parties reached a common goal temperature and a timeline for the implementation of the local governmental actions. During the last years the implementation of the agreement has been slow, what might lead to question the goal timeline. Civil society uses other strategies in order to force governments to tackle climate change and respond to the citizens. Litigation has been one of the ways to force the implementation of public policies that will respond to the agreement. Two cases from different jurisdictions and legal systems exemplify how litigation has been used by the civil society as a response to the lack of action of the global leaders. The cases are Juliana v. U.S and Future Generation v. Ministry of Environment et. al. that use innovative ways to force governments to move forward on the implementation of measures to confront climate change.

The present investigation is a reconstruction of the theory of multiple modernities and an examination of the normative implications that can be drawn when reflecting upon the secular-religious relation within the context of modernity. The sociological innovation of Shmuel N. Eisenstadt and the philosophical insights of Jürgen Habermas are central to this enterprise, both because of the shared commitment to the study of modernity and for the potential contributions that comparative sociology could bring to normative discussions. They are the theoretical backbone of this thesis. The thesis explores specific contribution to the concept of rationality and reflexivity in Habermas from sociology and the problem or modernity. the first chapter constitutes a reconstruction of the theory of multiple modernities having as hermeneutical guidance the role of religion/tradition and the resulting conception of modernity which appears when the decoupling between secularization and modernity befalls. I ask: to what extent does Eisenstadt successfully explain this decoupling and what are the consequences of a civilizational comparative approach for the general narrative of modernity? In terms of literature, I will focus on his work after 2000 when the article Multiple Modernities was published in Daedalus. The second chapter carries the Eisenstadt´s thoughts to a normative ground the normative value of the multiple modernities vantage point can be initially aligned with the de-centralization of modernity from western European experiences, and the rejection of universalistic aspirations. I analyze the way he interprets the persistence and vitality of religion -and its consequences- in the context of Modernity and ask which are the normative implications of such post-secular societies for the general project of modernity.

The Green and Blue Network (GBN), also known as Green Infrastructure (GI) or Ecological Main Structure, is a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas (including terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems) that have location, extension, connections, health condition and multiple functions; designed and managed to provide a wide range of ecosystem services (ES) in urban and rural settings. The Metropolitan Area of Lyon, France and the Region of Hanover, Germany have both integrated the GBN in their planning documents and are currently in the phase of implementation. The comparison of these case studies shows that GBN, along with a territorial governance scheme, gives higher importance to biodiversity and nature conservation in a development strategy and moves planning discussions towards climate change adaptation and mitigation using nature. However, results of implementation so far, in terms of protection level and functionalities are not enough to guarantee sustainable development. Likewise, climate change, an important threat to our ecosystems, is not yet clearly adopted in the planning documents, nor in the planners’ discourse. The reasons are found in the design and implementation steps where the concepts of ES, landscape functions and principles of GI play a key role. All in all, this paper provides lessons to encourage and guide GBN implementation by planners worldwide. La Red Verde y Azul (GBN), también conocida como Infraestructura Verde (GI) o Estructura Principal Ecológica, es una red planificada estratégicamente de áreas naturales y seminaturales (incluidos los ecosistemas terrestres y acuáticos) que tienen ubicación, extensión, conexiones, salud condición y múltiples funciones; diseñado y gestionado para proporcionar una amplia gama de servicios ecosistémicos (ES) en entornos urbanos y rurales. El Área Metropolitana de Lyon, Francia y la Región de Hannover, Alemania, han integrado la GBN en sus documentos de planificación y actualmente se encuentran en la fase de implementación. La comparación de estos estudios de caso muestra que GBN, junto con un esquema de gobernanza territorial, otorga mayor importancia a la biodiversidad y la conservación de la naturaleza en una estrategia de desarrollo y mueve las discusiones de planificación hacia la adaptación y mitigación del cambio climático utilizando la naturaleza. Sin embargo, los resultados de la implementación hasta el momento, en términos de nivel de protección y funcionalidades, no son suficientes para garantizar el desarrollo sostenible. Asimismo, el cambio climático, una amenaza importante para nuestros ecosistemas, aún no se adopta claramente en los documentos de planificación ni en el discurso de los planificadores. Las razones se encuentran en los pasos de diseño e implementación donde los conceptos de ES, funciones de paisaje y principios de IG desempeñan un papel clave. En general, este documento proporciona lecciones para alentar y guiar la implementación de GBN por parte de planificadores de todo el mundo.

The conflict between the State and insurgent guerrillas in Colombia has endured for more than 50 years. Marquetalia is the place whose attack in 1964 by the State, caused the organization and creation of the FARC guerrilla – known as the biggest guerrilla in the country-. This research intends to explore the site of Marquetalia from a multidisciplinary approach that considers memory, material culture, archaeology, anthropology, and heritage studies, in order to propose a first exploration of the multidimensionality of the site. With this kind of research, the aim is to unveil silenced narratives of local farmer inhabitants of the area, whose lives have been shifted and affected by conflict either directly or indirectly. Understanding how current communities relate to memories, materialities and heritage dynamics of conflict, is important because it reveals how a contested past ‘is being produced’ in the present for the future. Resumen: El conflicto entre el Estado y las guerrillas insurgentes en Colombia ha durado por más de cincuenta años. Los ataques al sitio de Marquetalia, en el sur del departamento del Tolima durante 1964, tuvieron como consecuencia directa la organización y creación de la guerrilla de las FARC – que se conoció como la guerrilla más poderosa del país-. En la actualidad, Marquetalia cuenta con evidencias de la fundación de esta guerrilla así como del desarrollo del conflicto en Colombia. Esta investigación se aproxima al sitio de Marquetalia desde una perspectiva multidisciplinaria que considera estudios de memoria, arqueología, antropología y patrimonio, con el fin de proponer una primera exploración a la multidimensionalidad del sitio. Con este tipo de investigación, el objetivo es desenterrar narrativas silenciadas de campesinos locales que habitan en el área, cuyas vidas han visto afectadas indirecta o directamente por el conflicto. Entender cómo estas comunidades actuales se relacionan con las memorias, materialidades y dinámicas del patrimonio del conflicto, es clave para comenzar a entender cómo un pasado es “producido” en el presente para el futuro.

Kingdon’ (2014) Multiple Stream Framework (MSF) is a novel agenda-setting model, which is recognised for introducing agency into the agenda-setting processes. Empirical evidence indicates that there are cases in which a policy entrepreneur couples the three streams, from the MSF model, to close a policy window, for maintaining a policy status quo. Yet, the closing window policy entrepreneur role has not been developed under the MSF. Therefore, this study has been designed to initially explore the process by which an interest group couples to close a policy window under the MSF. This research applied the theoretical constructs of the MSF model in a Colombian television policy case study. In this case, two interest groups competed for a different policy result. One of them was a collective policy entrepreneur advocating for a policy status quo. The key findings of the research are that: (i) one interest group acted as a collective policy entrepreneur, and coupled the three streams to introduce a topic on the agenda for maintaining a policy status quo; and (ii) to handle the power imbalance, this coupling strategy was developed within a favourable narrative and problem categorization. These findings are synthesised and embodied in the following three key propositions: (i) Interest groups aiming for a policy status quo might act as policy entrepreneurs when they are willing to invest their resources to introduce a topic on the agenda, for maintaining a policy status quo. (ii) Policy entrepreneurs that advocate for a policy status quo might use an agenda-setting strategy within the MSF processes. (iii) When there are two competing policy entrepreneurs in an agenda-setting process and one believes that has less power than the other, the agency strategy might involve the re-categorization of the problem and a favourable narrative to handle the power imbalance. To my knowledge, this research is original as it is the first attempt across the agenda-setting literature to empirically study how a policy window is being closed under the MSF. Therefore, this work might be used in future research, to continue the exploration of the policy entrepreneur role in closing a window under the MSF model.