Involvement of street children in the political violence of Bangladesh

Analyzing the situation in Dhaka, Bangladesh before the national election of 2014, this paper explores the consequences of political hostility on street-connected children using qualitative methods such as focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Findings show that the children were affected by political violence, both as victims and perpetrators, which harmed them, both physically and mentally. Active participation of children was found in hostile political events. The paper ascertains that maintaining a good relationship with the adult world is crucial for the street-connected children’s day-to-day survival. However, this survival mechanism with the adult world in turn makes them vulnerable and forced them to act as miscreants to instigate violence during the hartals (strikes) and blockades of 2014. This study examines how street-connected children are exploited via their social networks during the times of political unrest.     

Australian Public Opinion on the Israel–Palestine Conflict: Implications in the Context of Arab Revolutions

This article examines the relationship between public opinion and foreign policy making in Australia by turning to the findings of a national survey of Australian public opinion on the Israel–Palestine conflict. The survey findings suggest that the Australian government's policy on the Israel–Palestine conflict is inconsistent with public opinion, and such disparity is explained here in terms of the lack of public attachment to the conflict, the limited media and the absence of any notable public advocacy for policy change. This explanation is informed by in-depth interviews conducted with current and former members of parliament and senior public servants. The article also explores the implications of the survey's findings in relation to the significant political changes taking place across the Middle East region. It suggests that these events may be creating an impetus for policy change that endorses Palestinian self-determination, for which there is significant support among the Australian public.     

Behavior of Gravity Type Retaining Wall under Earthquake Load with Generalized Backfill

Dynamic response of gravity type retaining wall under seismic load is a topic of considerable research for the last 90 years or more. The concept of deriving dynamic pressure based on rigid body mechanics as proposed by Mononobe and Okabe (M-O method) in 1929 continues to dominate the majority of the codes around the world, although it is reported in a number of cases that the M-O method underestimates the response in many cases. Although the M-O method was originally derived for cohesion less soil yet it is used frequently in deriving pressure for other general soil conditions also, like c-φ soil, c-φ soil with surcharge, etc.

This article is an attempt to predict the response of a gravity wall having a generalized backfill (i.e., c-φ soil with surcharge q and that could also be partially saturated) considering its structural deformation as well as the effect of dynamic soil structure interaction (DSSI), a phenomenon which is often ignored in practice. The results are finally compared with a 2-D finite element analysis carried out in ANSYS to check its validity.