Funeral rites help people to cope with their loss and express their religious needs. Even in a secularised society such as that in the Netherlands large groups of people still fall back on ecclesiastic rites when a loved one dies. But how does one explain that there are more people participating in church funerals than people who assign religion a focal place in their lives? How do present-day funeral-goers regard the rites in which they participate? Does the rite actually help them to bridge the gaps left by the deceased? This study considers such questions from the angle of ritual and liturgical studies by way of empirical research into perceptions of present-day church funerals in the Netherlands.

A path-breaking collaboration between an Israeli arms control expert and a Jordanian policy advisor, this concise book offers a frank assessment of Arab and Israeli perceptions of their security problems. Building on the bilateral and multilateral peace process, the authors propose a set of measures to increase trust between the two sides and break out of the security dilemma in which a move by one side to strengthen itself provokes the other side to do the same.

One of the most popular literary genres, memoir can provide literary and literacy access to reluctant adolescent readers and writers, and help bridge the achievement gap by motivating students to read more critically and write more meaningfully about what matters most to them. The introspective nature of memoir helps students learn about themselves and connect with their environment or community, while also meeting a variety of Common Core standards. In this way, memoirs and creative nonfiction can provide a bridge between fiction and nonfiction reading, narrative and informative writing, reading and writing, and can afford a “way in” to literacy for all adolescents. Special features of the book: examples of multiple mentor texts in each chapter teacher examples with think-aloud exercises a variety of student samples from diverse learners activities to engage all learners an appendix of teacher resources a reference list of over 150 full-length memoirs for grades 5-12 for whole-class, book club, or independent reading a list of writing resources for students and teachers 12 full-size reproducible materials for teacher and student use a variety of reading, writing, speaking, and listening strategies and activities across-disciplines applications and adaptations for diverse learners daily writing focus lessons in gradual-release-responsibility format Common Core State Standard connections at the end of each chapter

In "Bridging the Gap: Strengthening School-Community Partnerships through Cultural Brokers," Dr. Oscar Harris delves into the transformative power of cultural brokers in fostering meaningful connections between schools and their surrounding communities. Drawing from his extensive experience and research, Dr. Harris unveils the vital role these intermediaries play in bridging cultural divides, promoting inclusivity, and enhancing collaboration. Through illuminating case studies and insightful analysis, Dr. Harris demonstrates how cultural brokers serve as catalysts for change, facilitating dialogue, understanding, and trust among diverse stakeholders. From navigating linguistic barriers to bridging socio-economic disparities, cultural brokers emerge as essential agents of change in building more equitable and vibrant communities. As Dr. Harris delves into the strategies, challenges, and successes of cultural brokerage, readers are empowered to rethink traditional approaches to school-community partnerships. "Bridging the Gap" offers a compelling roadmap for educators, policymakers, and community leaders seeking to cultivate authentic connections and create more inclusive environments for all.

U.S. policymakers have stepped up systematic disaster preparedness efforts sharply since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, including the creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a plethora of federal initiatives. Against a backdrop of natural disasters that occur each year in the United States and heightened concern about pandemic influenza, there is an emerging national consensus that the best path is an all-hazards approach to disaster preparedness planning and that effective local planning is critical. Military installations and their civilian counterparts-local government and local health-care providers, especially the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-can strengthen local-level disaster preparedness planning. This is an interim report for the first phase of a larger study aiming to develop a planning support tool for local military and civilian planners. It describes current policies and programs-especially those with nationwide application-for domestic emergency preparedness, risk analysis, and capabilities-based planning. It also describes results from interviews with local military and civilian planners at five selected sites to help understand how local preparedness planning currently operates and identify the needs of local planners. Collectively, these form the basis for a proposed tool, for which the framework is described in this report. The next phase of the study will include development and field testing of a proof-of-concept prototype of the tool.

Bridging Social Inequality Gaps - Concepts, Theories, Methods, and Tools focuses on contemporary discussions around multifaceted causes, explanations, and responses to social disparities. The contributors provide studies related to social and cultural dimensions of inequality, economic and technological dimensions of inequality, environmental dimensions of inequality, and political, ethical, and legal dimensions of inequality, as well as a variety of other perspectives on disparities. The volume also covers crucial issues and challenges for the global, national, regional, and local implementation of public policies to reduce inequalities, including innovative actions, projects, and programs focused on achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The collection includes chapters encompassing research and practical recommendations from various disciplines such as sociology, economics, management, political science, administrative science, development studies, public health, peace and conflict studies, cultural studies, educational studies, communication studies, and social work. This book is an asset to academic and expert communities interested in theories of social inequality as well as effective measurement tools, public services, and strategies. Moreover, the volume helps students, practitioners, and people working in government, business, and nonprofit organizations to build more equitable social relationships.

Marine management requires approaches which bring together the best research from the natural and social sciences. It requires stakeholders to be well-informed by science and to work across administrative and geographical boundaries, a feature especially important in the inter-connected marine environment. Marine management must ensure that the natural structure and functioning of ecosystems is maintained to provide ecosystem services. Once those marine ecosystem services have been created, they deliver societal goods as long as society inputs its skills, time, money and energy to gather those benefits. However, if societal goods and benefits are to be limitless, society requires appropriate administrative, legal and management mechanisms to ensure that the use of such benefits do not impact on environmental quality, but instead support its sustainable use.

With a full explanation on the basic principles of marketing, this guidebook helps readers answer such questions as What is marketing? What is a marketing forecast? and What is the best way to conduct market research? Written by professionals for students and entrepreneurs, this text also features international case studies, numerous up-to-date examples of the latest developments and trends in marketing, and tried and tested information that helps students learn.

In this second part of The Strategy Handbook, Jeroen Kraaijenbrink offers a refreshing and practical approach to strategy execution that completes the strategy process outlined in Part 1. Grounded in both research and practical experience, the book provides a structured approach to making strategy execution work. In an enjoyable and to-the-point style, The Strategy Handbook guides you through a four-step approach to strategy execution and shows you how this approach can be tailored to the specific needs of an organization. Like Part 1, the book comes with a wealth of advice, tools and checklists that can be applied immediately in the everyday practice of any organization wanting to execute strategy. The book serves as a complement to Part 1 but can also be used separately. The book is again easy to understand and to apply. Rooted in research though, it demonstrates a deep awareness of the complexity and difficulty of strategy execution in practice. Through this effective combination of simplicity and depth, Part 2 of The Strategy Handbook is a must-read for novices and more seasoned executives, managers and entrepreneurs.