Top 10 Most Interesting and Unique Transit Systems in the World

Simplifying a Political Complexity

This article about the crisis in Darfur, and other marginalized territories in Sudan, including the currently partitioned South Sudan..

Ironically; I had the same views that current Sudanese Federal Authority has.. 

I call it Development for Peace..
They call it Investment for Peace..
I do not know how they had reached at their conclusion, but the above is mine..

However, I had came at my analysis through simple PEST examination; with focus on human resources and assets.. Authority, BOH and Outsourced.. All are the Only Stakeholders; not the Politician as how other analysis would suggest..

Further below is two essays on the Darfur Conflict

 

Separation or Unity? 

A Model for Solving Ethnic Conflicts

It is hard to outline a consistent and rational model for solving ethnic conflicts. We argue that ethnic separation should be regarded as an alternative to national unity, and not simply dismissed as impossible. A decision on separation or unity should be made democratically by the group whose separation has been proposed. If separation is approved, migration over the border between the newly formed states should be part of such a solution. 

The article has three main parts: 

(1) a model for solving separationist demands; 

(2) an analysis of the evolutionary background to ethnic conflicts; and 

(3) a discussion of principal objections to the proposed model. 

The present international impotence in situations of ethnic conflict is to a high degree caused by seeing most solutions as impossible--either realistically or morally. This article stresses the virtue of having one model instead of the "flexibility" that currently prevails under the disguise of generally acclaimed, but contradictory ideals.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4236353?seq=1

Conflict in Darfur

A separate conflict that remained unresolved centred on the Darfur region in western Sudan. The conflict began in 2003 when rebels launched an insurrection to protest what they contended was the Sudanese government’s disregard for the western region and its non-Arab population. In response, the government equipped and supported Arab militias—which came to be known as Janjaweed (also Jingaweit or Janjawid)—to fight against the rebels in Darfur. The militias, however, also terrorized the civilians in the region and prevented international aid organizations from delivering much-needed food and medical supplies. Despite a 2004 cease-fire and the presence of African Union (AU) troops that followed, by 2007 the conflict and resulting humanitarian crisis had left hundreds of thousands of people dead and more than two million displaced, internally as well as externally, as they were forced to flee from the fighting. On July 31, 2007, the United Nations Security Council authorized a joint UN-AU peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) to replace the AU mission, although UNAMID troop deployment did not begin until 2008.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Sudan/Conflict-in-Darfur

Car-Oriented-Districts

 

Concurrent; Car-Oriented-Districts are fueled by unwilling Gov; who are manipulated by Big Tax-Payer Industrial Corporates.. Therefore, it will take more than science-based campaigns in a polarized world by politics, media and complex interests..

In Europe, they had the legacies from their historical settlements; where accessibility was driven by walkability or carts.. It was easy to revive that sustainable culture.. Nevertheless, the building techniques were properly engineered; and eventually survival and sustainable..

Ours, are greatly controversial..

Thanks Fouad for the continuous highlight

Fouad Al_Asiri - Urban Planner:

Example 1

Luxury but not sustainable

Car-dependent & not walkable

Capital & operating cost is high

Single land use & low density

Detached villas

Example 2

Affordable & sustainable

Very walkable

Organic & economic self-sufficiency

Mixed-land use & medium density

Courtyard system & mid-rise

Corporate Transformation

Lots of banners about Transformation, in all industries and aspects.. Many professional would be shy to express their short understanding of the term, and the associated vision, plans and applications..

Kindly be advised that Governance is always the backbone of all corporate and project activities.. Without Governance, there will be no Quality of Audit.. Processing will randomly flow and evolve to situations which no Manager or Board will accept or been able to manage..!!

The true purpose of Transformation is responding to Envision, Technology, Efficiency of work to be done.. It is a natural process, which Mankind had used to do since dawn of history; yet Academia and Media had given it new name..!!

Therefore, Transformation is dynamic term that will continue to be used till a new term is created at sometime in the future.. Anyways, it will always include the latest management visions, theories and implementations till the date.. 

Just Envision and Imagine the below tips..!

Stone Dressing Techniques

Reconstruction of Ancient Arcades at Amr Mosque, Cairo-Egypt

Memmar (Architect) Sinan was one of the brilliant Turkish architects in the medieval times.. who had applied engineering innovations and artistic touches to the old practice of Stone Dressing.. He had used the ancient Greek stone building crafts; with experiences from Roma, Syria and Egypt to produce monuments that could stand against time and environmental deterioration.. 
I had the privilege to work with Stone Builders in Egypt and understood the various techniques of Stone Dressing; which are the principles of Stone Building.. Unfortunately, theses crafts are diminishing by time, and few skills are persistent now-a-days.. Regretfully, there is no Arabic records of these crafts, nor any form of protection or revival

As the World Stoods - Mimar Sinan (Part 1)

Architect Sinan's memory and soul are being kept alive under the shadow of Erciyes.

The most beautiful texture of the stone comes from master hands.

The scene that impressed me most in the documentary series is the master who finally completed the minaret's cones.

Nowadays, iron pile minarets have increased. Respect to our masters.

Celebrate houses and watch this documentary generation as a family. Long live Sinan and its structures as the world stops

 

The documentary "As the World Stands", prepared for the 1988 International Year of Architect Sinan and reflects the life and works of the great architect, consists of six episodes of half an hour each. 

Arabic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish experts, architects, art historians and social anthropologists took part in the Mimar Sinan Research Center established within MTV for this documentary. In addition to Mimar Sinan's life and building activities, more than ten thousand information slips were compiled at the research center, which examined the rulers of the Ottoman Empire at that time, comparing political, social, economic and cultural events with Europe and Asia.

For the documentary "As the World Stoods", which was completed in one and a half years, 40,000 km of travel was filmed in more than thirty provinces within the borders of Turkey. In addition, filming took place in Greece, Hungary, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union and Syria.

"As the World Stops" won the "Jury Special Award" at the 1989 Lausanne Architectural Film Competition, the "Architecture Award" at the 1990 UNESCO International Art Film Competition, and the "Council of Europe Special Award" at the 1990 Bordeaux City Planning and Architectural Film Competition. what was deemed worthy.

Director:  Suha Arın
Director of Photography:  İlhan Arakon
Camera:  Turhan Yavuz
Editing:  Cahit Seymen
Music:  Turgay Erdener
Narrator:  Süreyya Arın, Sacit Onan (TR), Ian Shears (EN), Alain Laurenceau (FR)
Duration:  180 min. (6 episodes of 30 minutes each)
Format:  35 mm Color Film
Production Year:  1988

https://www.mimarist.tv/dunya-durdukca-mimar-sinan-bolum-1 

Democracy in Urban Planning

 

If the designs have short envision, inadequate analysis, or inappropriate solutions; the decision makers will stamp the future generations with constraints, challenges and bottlenecks that are hard to resolve or reverse..

Therefore, "Public Hearing and Discussions" are critical for all urban planning or architectural proposals.. This is not only engaging the citizens who are the True Owners of the Cities, but also seeding the democratic practice and avoid any unskillful offerings..

Nevertheless, professional presentations are recommended to be graphically neutral without use of tools to influence the audience; but this is unavoidable in both urban planning and architecture..!

إذا كانت للتصاميم تصور قصير أو تحليل غير كاف أو حلول غير مناسبة ؛ سيكبل صناع القرار الأجيال القادمة بالقيود والتحديات والاختناقات التي قد يصعب حلها أو عكسها

لذلك ، فإن "جلسات الاستماع والمناقشات العامة" ضرورية لجميع مقترحات التخطيط الحضري أو الهندسة المعمارية .. وهذا لا يقتصر على إشراك المواطنين الذين هم الملاك الحقيقيون للمدن ، ولكن أيضًا يُبذر الممارسة الديمقراطية ويتجنب أي عروض غير ماهرة

ومع ذلك ، يوصَى بأن تكون العروض التقديمية الاحترافية محايدة من ناحية الرسومات دون استخدام الأدوات للتأثير على الجمهور ؛ لكن هذا لا مفر منه في كل من التخطيط العمراني والعمارة

FM Operational Plan

 

FM In-House vs Outsourced

The evolution of Facility Management had come through both rational organization and distribution of the work.. 

Since the dawn of History, specific activities to attend, maintain and safeguard the property; by assigning related roles to the maids, slaves and craftsmen.. the Landlord had to oversee the performance and the quality of things done.. Deviation from the set delivery criteria would expose the assignee to punishment.. Cost of these assignees were minimal, as was governed by socioeconomic structure of Feudalism, Riches or Politicians..

The bilateral relations between the Landlords and the FM Assignees had evolved into various deployment and supervision forms; while the basic legal and financial structures stayed the same.. Instead of being enslaved or paid a little, the Assignees became payroll-staff with simple hierarchy and benefits.. That was the associated with the Industrial Revolution in 1900th..

Therefore, it took most of the Mankind history for the Facility Management to evolve into a stand alone corporate structures.. This was in 1980th; or about 50 years ago.. It is fair to call the Facility Management as a growing knowledge, industry and business..

The role of the Facilities Management Operator is very much inspired by the famous statement that Emmanuel Kant had put in his ”Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785)”:

“All crafts, trades and arts have profited from the division of labor; for when each worker sticks to one particular kind of work that needs to be handled differently from all the others, he can do it better and more easily than when one person does everything. Where work is not thus differentiated and divided, where everyone is a jack-of-all-trades, the crafts remain at an utterly primitive level.”

Size, Cost and Development of new technology are the key categorization of the workplaces; whereas Facility Management will be applied.. However; Facility Management can’t be driven by Project Approaches; as incidents and Corrective Actions are indispensable part of the service..

On parallel, Quality and continuous improvement are key elements to achieve higher rates of key Performance Indicators; which would lead to Customers Satisfaction and pleasure..

 

Roles of FM Consultant

 

The role of the Facilities Management Consultant is critical to successfully sustain the built environment.. This shall include not only safeguard the properties and Assets; but also transform the Occupiers' usage into sense of ownership and bilateral liabilities with the Landlord.. 

This FM Consultant is an Agent for the Landlord to maintain and improve the value of the Properties; utilizing the specialty knowledge framework to set Operations Protocols and Measures of Efficiency; which the FM Provider shall be adhere and be liable for.. 

The set of guidelines shall work in parallel to Optimize the Operations and Service; while support the Provider to upgrade his performance, knowledge and engagement through the quality manual and requirements..

Preparing the documents of prequalification and maybe management of the tendering process to select a service provider; are important to scrutinize and investigate the true capabilities of the bidders.. 

Of course; in ideal world, the FM Consultant will be an active Juror through the verifications of design and construction.. His performance is about the many decades to come of property life cycle; which is very critically determined by the couple of years of design and construction of the property.. 

This is the merit of 1:5:200 formula.. 

If the initial construction costs of a building is 1, then its maintenance and operating costs over the years is 5, and the business operating costs (salary of people working in that building) is 200; during the life cycle of the property..

Autopsy of Sociopolitics

 

Only few will innovate and change the way of living; which the most are accustomed to..

Yet, those have their own mechanism and dynamics to function and deliver the roles they are accounted for..

Unless the sociopolitical science and practices are elevated, no change is practically achievable.. This the merit of the Collective Intelligence that divide the world..