After the collapse of the Soviet Union, indigenous peoples in Russia started to organize and a movement emerged that has achieved many developments. The indigenous umbrella organization in Russia, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON), celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2000, an occasion for looking back at its work during its 10-year history and at the same time looking forward to the new millennium. Many leaders of indigenous peoples of the North gathered in Moscow for the anniversary celebration and met with people from all over the world, who were invited to join this special event. For this occasion, RAIPON produced a book with articles by indigenous leaders and politicians from all parts of Russia, who outlined the history, events, and conditions of the recent decade. This book is the translation of the original Russian version and an attempt to strengthen the awareness outside the country of the struggle of indigenous peoples in Russia. Even though this English version is published two years after the important event of RAIPON's tenth anniversary, many statements and articles have not lost their topicality. The book contains articles by representatives of different ages, gender and background, from various regions. Many of the problems described will be familiar to indigenous peoples in other parts of the world. Discrimination of indigenous peoples is part of everyday life in Russia. The fight for land rights and environmental protection is common to all indigenous peoples of the Arctic and not a specific Russian phenomenon. The conflict between "the greens" (the so-called environmnetal parties) and the indigenous peoples that has dominated the debates in the Western part of the Arctic has, however not occurred in Russia; rather, the conflict between industry and indigenous peoples has a long history. So have all the social problems. Thomas G. Khler has a graduate degree in Russian and political science. He works as a project consultant (TGK Consult) with indigenous peoples in Russia since 1999. Kathrin Wessendorf is an anthropologist working for the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) as coordinator for the Arctic region.

The issues surrounding the function and meaning of vernacular architecture in the twenty-first century are complex and extensive. Taking a distinctively rigorous theoretical approach, this book considers these issues from a number of perspectives, broadening current debate to a wider multidisciplinary audience. These collected essays from the leading experts in the field focus on theory, education and practice in this essential sector of architecture, and help to formulate solutions to the environmental, disaster management and housing challenges facing the global community today.

The study of vernacular architecture explores the characteristics of domestic buildings in particular regions or localities, and the many social and cultural factors that have contributed to their evolution. In this book, vernacular architecture specialist Paul Oliver brings together a wealth of information that spans over two decades, and the whole globe. Some previously unpublished papers, as well as those only available in hard to find conference proceedings, are brought together in one volume to form a fascinating reference for students and professional architects, as well as all those involved with planning housing schemes in their home countries and overseas.

The aim of this book is to reflect on ''vernacularity'' and culture. It concentrates on two major domains: first it attempts to reframe our understanding of vernacularity by addressing the subject in the context of globalisation, cross-disciplinarity, and development, and second, it discusses the phenomenon of how vernacularity has been treated, used, employed, manipulated, practiced, maintained, learned, reconstructed, preserved and conserved, at the level of individual and community experience. Scholars from a wide variety of knowledge fields have participated in enriching and engaging discussions, as to how both domains can be addressed. To expedite these aims, this book adopts the theme "Reframing the Vernacular: Politics, Semiotics, and Representation",organised around the following major sub-themes: • Transformation in the vernacular built environment • Vernacular architecture and representation • The meaning of home • Symbolic intervention and interpretation of vernacularity • The semiotics of place • The politics of ethnicity and settlement • Global tourism and its impacts on vernacular settlement • Vernacular built form and aesthetics • Technology and construction in vernacular built forms • Vernacular language - writing and oral traditions

This volume collects the proceedings of the International Seminar The Mediterranean Medina, that took place in the School of Architecture at Pescara from 17th to 19th of June 2004.