Union Minister inaugurates Mata Sarasvati Auditorium in Gandhi Memorial Camp College National Education Policy focussed on revamping India’s education sector as per the requirements of contemporary India”: Dr Jitendra Singh
Start-up exhibitions are being organized across the country, encouraging students to participate in science and technology initiatives.
Posted On: 31 OCT 2024 7:50PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh today inaugurated “Mata Saraswati Auditorium” in Gandhi Memorial Camp College here today. The Union Minister said, the government has embarked on a noble mission of revamping India’s education sector as per the requirements of contemporary India.
Enumerating the salient features of the National Education Policy(NEP) 2020, he emphasised that it has laid the ground for liberating students from being prisoners of the choices made for them by their parents and peers when it comes to choosing educational courses. He stated that with the implementation of the NEP, students are now free to opt for higher courses, matching their talent.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh speaking after inaugurating “Mata Saraswati Auditorium” in Gandhi Memorial Camp College at Jammu on Thursday.
Dr Jitendra Singh urged teachers to identify the inherent talent of the students and mentor them accordingly so that they can contribute to nation-building. He said that the country is at par with other countries, especially in Education, Science and Technology and startup ups. He informed that India is ranked No. 3 in StartUps.
Dr Jitendra Singh stressed the role of teachers in paving the bright future for the students. He appealed to the educators to encourage their ward to leverage technology for gaining knowledge, adding that these days, cost effective literature is readily available. Calling for the tapping of explored Himalayan bioresources, Dr Jitendra Singh, they hold the potential of making value addition to India’s economy. He urged the teachers to encourage students to take up StartUp initiatives which have emerged as new avenues of self employment.
The Minister informed that the government has decided to organise StartUp exhibitions across the country to create awareness about them. One such exhibition will be held in Srinagar soon, he further informed. Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted the success of Purple Revolution which has brought J&K on the world map of StartUps.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today condoled the passing of Shri TPG Nambiar Ji, a pioneering innovator and industrialist. The PM said, Shri TPG Nambiar Ji was a strong votary of making India economically strong.
The Prime Minister posted on X:
“Shri TPG Nambiar Ji was a pioneering innovator and industrialist, who was a strong votary of making India economically strong. Pained by his passing away. Condolences to his family and admirers.”
Shri TPG Nambiar Ji was a pioneering innovator and industrialist, who was a strong votary of making India economically strong. Pained by his passing away. Condolences to his family and admirers.
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi celebrates Diwali with the Indian Armed Forces at Kutch, Gujarat We are very proud of our security personnel who stand firm in the inhospitable of places and protect us: PM
Posted On: 31 OCT 2024 7:20PM by PIB Delhi
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today, celebrated Diwali with the brave personnel from the BSF, Army, Navy, and Air Force at Lakki Nala in the Creek Area of Kutch, Gujarat.
The Prime Minister said that we are very proud of our security personnel who stand firm in the inhospitable of places and protect us. The Creek Area of Kutch is both challenging and remote because of extreme temperatures. It has other environmental challenges as well,the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, also went to one of the floating BOPs in the Creek area and shared sweets with the brave security personnel.
The Prime Minister posted on X:
“Celebrating Diwali with our brave Jawans in Kutch, Gujarat.
Our security personnel stand firm in the inhospitable of places and protect us. We are very proud of them.
Glad to have celebrated Diwali with our brave personnel from the BSF, Army, Navy, and Air Force at Lakki Nala in the Creek Area, Kutch. This area is both challenging and remote. The days are scorching hot and it also gets cold. The Creek area has other environmental challenges as well.
Glad to have celebrated Diwali with our brave personnel from the BSF, Army, Navy, and Air Force at Lakki Nala in the Creek Area, Kutch. This area is both challenging and remote. The days are scorching hot and it also gets cold. The Creek area has other environmental challenges as… pic.twitter.com/LlcNER4XQF
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (October 31, 2024). She also visited Sardar Patel Chowk in New Delhi to pay her respects to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Ministry of Steel organizes day-long Chintan Shivir in New Delhi Chintan Shivir will help us to chart the path towards growth and development of the Indian Steel sector in a big way: Secretary, Ministry of Steel
Posted On: 31 OCT 2024 5:37PM by PIB Delhi
Ministry of Steel conducted a Chintan Shivir at the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi .
Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Shri Poundrik said in his opening remarks said that the emerging competitive global and domestic scenario makes it obligatory for Steel CPSEs to challenge the conventional way of working and explore to adopt fresh strategies in the conduct of the operations and business of their steel plants and mines. He urged to do away with the conservative approaches that limit the potential returns / outcomes, which need to be changed for enhanced benefits.
Secretary, Steel also stressed that Steel CPSEs should adopt fresh strategies for project management by cutting down the time from conception to finalisation of the contract and subsequent execution for timely completion of the projects. Presentations on new Initiatives and Energy Saving measures in Blast Furnace were well appreciated during the Chintan Shivir.
During deliberations, importance of overseas presence of Steel CPSEs was outlined. It was felt that AI/ML can be used in diverse field to ensure process optimization, not only in productions, but also in the field of managing & evaluating assets, Safety, Quality predictions of raw materials, data analysis, health Sector, environmental impacts, and HR Management, etc.
Panelist from Steel CPSEs made their presentationson topics Tech Up-gradation, AI, Machine Learning(ML); Faster Project Execution both Pre-award of contract and action execution post award; International asset Acquisition; New Initiatives and Energy saving measures in Blast Furnace Area towards making Green Steel during the Chintan Shivir.
Concluding the deliberations, Secretary Steel hoped that this program shall help us to chart the path towards growth and development of the Indian Steel sector in a big way. He also appreciated the suggestions received for the future conferences.
Additional Secretary & FA, Chairman, SAIL, CMDs, Functional Directors of Steel CPSEs, Joint Secretaries / Economic Adviser / DDG and other senior officers of the Ministry alongwith 120 odd participants across Steel CPSEs, participated in the day-long events on the Chintan Shivir.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah visited and offered prayers at the Shri Kashtabhanjandev Hanumanji Temple in Salangpur, Gujarat and inaugurates Yatri Bhawan having 1100 rooms, constructed at a cost of Rs. 200 crore Shri Amit Shah extends Diwali greetings to all citizens of the country
Union Home Minister pays tribute to the country’s first Home Minister Sardar Patel on the occasion of his 149th birth anniversary today
Sardar Patel laid the foundation for the construction of a united and powerful India
The decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary for two years will not only promote his thoughts and principles but also inspire the youth towards dedication and sacrifice for the country
When an ideal devotee, ideal warrior, ideal friend, and ideal messenger dedicates all these qualities at the feet of Lord Shri Ram, he becomes like Hanuman Ji Maharaj and attains immortality
The Kashtabhanjan Dev Hanuman Ji Temple is set to become a source of inspiration in spirituality and devotion for the youth
The idol of Hanuman Ji Maharaj in temple established through devotion and strength of Gopalanand Ji Maharaj
Having such dedication, sense of service and such reverence towards Swaminarayan Bhagwan, Gopalanand Swamiji is very humble person and personalities like him are only a few
Posted On: 31 OCT 2024 5:32PM by PIB Delhi
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, visited and offered prayers at the Shri Kashtabhanjan Dev Hanumanji Temple in Salangpur, Gujarat, and inaugurated the Yatri Bhawan having 1100 rooms, constructed at a cost of 200 crore rupees.
Shri Amit Shah, in his address, first wished Diwali greetings to the people of Gujarat and to all citizens of the country. He mentioned that the grand Yatri Bhawan has been constructed here and being inaugurated on the occasion of Narak Chaturdashi. He stated that this Yatri Bhawan can be claimedas a fully green facility. He emphasized that arrangements have been made for the accommodation of visitors coming from far and wide. Shri Shah noted that the Yatri Bhawan having over 1100 rooms has been built at a cost of approximately Rs. 200 crore covering an area of 9 lakh square feet, and was completed in just two years.
Union Home Minister said that they it was the devotion and strength of Gopalanand Ji Maharaj which enabled establishment of the idol of Lord Hanuman in this temple. He mentioned that this place is also a site of the blessings of Lord Swaminarayan. He said that Gopaland Swamiji has immense dedication, sense of service and deep reverence for Swaminarayan Bhagwan. He is very humble and such souls are only a few. He said that this Yatri Bhawan will also provide shelter and service to the travellers for many years to come.
Shri Amit Shah said that it will be only human to attempt to describe the qualities of Lord Hanuman Ji Maharaj and according to our scriptures, Lord Hanuman ji Maharaj is one of the seven living entities in our world. He said that Tulsidas Ji referred to Hanuman Ji as the ocean of knowledge and virtues. Shri Shah noted that when an ideal devotee, ideal warrior, ideal friend, and ideal messenger dedicates all these qualities at the feet of Lord Shri Ram, he becomes like Hanuman Ji Maharaj and attains immortality.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation stated that the Kashtabhanjan Dev Hanuman Ji Temple is set to become a place of inspiration in spirituality and devotion for the youth. He mentioned that there are many idols of Hanuman Ji, each embodying various qualities. Shri Shah explained that if the idol is Chaturmukhi (four-faced), it symbolizes the destruction of enemies; if it is Sankatmochan (remover of troubles), it signifies liberation from crises; if it is Dakshinamukhi (facing south), it represents freedom from fear and distress; if it is Panchmukhi (five-faced), it is worshiped for liberation from evil tendencies like Ahiravan; if it is Ekadashi, it represents freedom from demonic tendencies; and if it is Kashtabhanjan, it signifies the removal of all troubles, including those caused by Saturn.
Union Home Minister mentioned that today marks the 149th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel. He noted that Sardar Patel was committed to building a united and powerful India. Shri Shah said, the decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary for two years will not only promote his thoughts and principles but also inspire the youth towards dedication and sacrifice for the country.
This fall in Lviv, Ukraine for three days over 250 Ukrainian health care professionals gathered together for a medical conference to take a master class in radiology and participate in hands-on training workshops.
The conference held Sept. 25-27 was co-chaired by UConn School of Medicine professor and chair of Diagnostic Imaging & Therapeutics Dr. Leo Wolansky who also delivered several lectures.
Dr. Leo Wolansky.
“I am so impressed with the spirit of the Ukrainian people. They insist on keeping their lives normal. Hopefully, our resuming our in-person conference series, now in its twenty-eighth year, contributed a little bit to that normalcy,” says Wolansky.
The three-day conference was also co-chaired by Dr. Tetyana Yalynska. It was organized by Friends Of Radiology in Ukraine (FORUkraine), the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA), and the Association of Radiologists of Ukraine (ARU), and was hosted by the First Territorial Medical Association of Lviv. Additional sponsorship came from Rotary, St. Paraskeva’s, Azaris, Ulrich, and Guerbet.
This year’s event carries forward the FORUkraine conference series founded by Wolansky in 1996 at the Lviv Medical University (the Lviv Medical Institute). Since its inception, the conference series has been innovative using state-of-the-art education as a tool to promote the Ukrainian language. The purpose of the program is to teach Ukrainian-language based, state-of-the-art Diagnostic Imaging (Radiology).
The long-standing in-person conference was interrupted for the last five years due to the COVID-19 crisis and followed by the war in Ukraine. Starting in 1998, Dr. Yuriy Ivaniv, head of post-graduate imaging education for the Lviv Oblast co-chaired the conferences with Wolansky and renamed it “Practical Questions in Contemporary Clinical Imaging.” The conference series continued every one or two years from then till 2019 when the program joined forces with the ARU and the American Society of Neuroradiology and held a combined conference with the Ukrainian Congress of Radiology, with ARU President Yalynska co-chairing with Wolansky. This took place in Kyiv and Irpin, the only time the program deviated from its home in Lviv.
Despite the war, several international imaging experts attended the event in-person in Ukraine to lecture. One of these was Dr. John (Ivan) Kachura, an Interventional Radiologist and professor of Medical Imaging at University of Toronto, who stated that he was impressed by the knowledge of Ukraine’s radiologists, but especially by their tremendous interest in the presented material. Also onsite was Dr. Andrew Dobrotwir, consultant radiologist from Melbourne, Australia, who lectured and also ran a hands-on workshop on Point Of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). Dobrotwir was accompanied by his sister-in-law, Teresa Lachowicz, who spoke at the conference about humanitarian work that she and Dobrotwir were carrying out including donations of POCUS equipment.
Several international lecturers also virtually presented for the conference including Laura Oleaga, Amy Juliano, Diana Kaya, Andrew Loginsky, and Ivan Wolansky. In addition, virtual presentations came from UConn’s Jill Wruble, Sarah LaPierre, and Racquel Helsing. Several Ukrainian physicians also presented at the conference, including Nataliya Deresh, Igor Ivaniv, and others.
Nataliya Motrynets, medical director of the host institution, presented about the hospital’s accomplishments, and also gave the faculty a tour of the facilities where many soldiers who have lost limbs in the war are being rehabilitated with cutting-edge prostheses.
For Wolansky, a semiprofessional musician, a highlight of his trip to Ukraine was when he and his wife, Maria, met Dudaryk, Lviv’s internationally renowned boys choir, at Mass on the last day of the trip. The children’s choir had performed the refrain for Wolansky’s recent music video, helping draw attention to the plight of Ukraine’s children.
Wolansky added, “Despite air alerts driving conference participants into the bomb shelter on two occasions, these brave Ukrainians insist that normal life must go on!”
Headline: Governor Cooper Highlights Tourism Industry in Western North Carolina at Grandfather Mountain, Surveys Storm Damage in Avery County
Governor Cooper Highlights Tourism Industry in Western North Carolina at Grandfather Mountain, Surveys Storm Damage in Avery County bconroy
Today, Governor Roy Cooper traveled to Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County to highlight the importance of supporting Western North Carolina’s tourism industry in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Afterward, the Governor assessed damaged areas and spoke with people impacted by the storm in Banner Elk, where he was joined by Western North Carolina native and Grammy-nominated country musician Eric Church.
“Today I visited beautiful Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County and traveled to Banner Elk to see areas that were damaged during Helene,” said Governor Cooper. “Tourism is a critical part of Western North Carolina’s economy, and there are still many wonderful spots in the region open and accepting visitors. I’m grateful for the work of our federal, state and local responders as well as partners like Eric Church who have given time and effort to help communities in need.”
This week, Governor Cooper signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Western North Carolina native and country musician Eric Church confirming his commitment that publishing royalties from Church’s recent song, “Darkest Hour,” will help fund response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Unaccounted For People
The DPS Task Force to locate unaccounted for people has 7 people remaining on this list. The Task Force has handed over remaining work on this to local law enforcement.
Travel to Western North Carolina
Some roads are closed because they are too damaged and dangerous to travel. Other roads still need to be reserved for essential traffic like utility vehicles, construction equipment and supply trucks. However, some parts of the area are open and ready to welcome visitors which is critical for the revival of Western North Carolina’s economy. If you are considering a visit to the area, consult DriveNC.gov for open roads and reach out to the community and businesses you want to visit to see if they are welcoming visitors back yet.
North Carolina National Guard Response
More than 1,700 Soldiers and Airmen are working in Western North Carolina. Joint Task Force- North Carolina, the task force led by the North Carolina National Guard continues to help with commodity distribution and critical debris removal alongside local government workers, volunteers and numerous civilian entities to get much-needed help to people in Western North Carolina.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through this website.
FEMA Assistance
Approximately $195 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western North Carolina disaster survivors and approximately 239,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. Over 8,600 people are being helped through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance. Nearly 6,200 registrations for Small Business Administration Loans have been filed.
Nearly 1,800 FEMA staff are in the state to help with the Western North Carolina relief effort. In addition to search and rescue and providing commodities, they are meeting with disaster survivors in shelters and neighborhoods to provide rapid access to relief resources. They can be identified by their FEMA logo apparel and federal government identification.
North Carolinians can apply for Individual Assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 from 7am to 11pm daily or by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, or by downloading the FEMA app. FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs.
Help from Other States
More than 1,750 responders from 39 state and local agencies have performed 153 missions supporting the response and recovery efforts through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This includes public health nurses, emergency management teams supporting local governments, veterinarians, teams with search dogs and more.
Beware of Misinformation
North Carolina Emergency Management and local officials are cautioning the public about false Helene reports and misinformation being shared on social media. NCEM has launched a fact versus rumor response webpage to provide factual information in the wake of this storm. FEMA also has a rumor response webpage.
Efforts continue to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, using both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open throughout Western North Carolina. For information on these sites in your community, visit your local emergency management and local government social media and websites or visit ncdps.gov/Helene.
Storm Damage Cleanup
If your home has damages and you need assistance with clean up, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.
Power Outages
Across Western North Carolina, approximately 2,200 customers remain without power, down from a peak of more than 1 million. Overall power outage numbers will fluctuate up and down as power crews temporarily take circuits or substations offline to make repairs and restore additional customers.
Road Closures
Some roads are closed because they are too damaged and dangerous to travel. Other roads still need to be reserved for essential traffic like utility vehicles, construction equipment and supply trucks. However, some parts of the area are open and ready to welcome visitors which is critical for the revival of Western North Carolina’s economy. If you are considering a visit to the area, consult DriveNC.gov for open roads and reach out to the community and businesses you want to visit to see if they are welcoming visitors back yet.
NCDOT currently has more than 2,000 employees and more than 900 pieces of equipment working on damaged road sites.
Fatalities
101 storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. This number is expected to rise over the coming days. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily. If you have an emergency or believe that someone is in danger, please call 911.
Volunteers and Donations
If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground.
For information on volunteer opportunities, please visit nc.gov/volunteernc.
Additional Assistance
There is no right or wrong way to feel in response to the trauma of a hurricane. If you have been impacted by the storm and need someone to talk to, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. Help is also available to anyone, anytime in English or Spanish through a call, text or chat to 988. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org.
If you are seeking a representative from the North Carolina Joint Information Center, please email ncempio@ncdps.gov or call 919-825-2599.
For general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/helene.
If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email IArecovery@ncdps.gov.
Monologue performance is a technically demanding but deeply rewarding form of theatre. Monologues are the purest form of storytelling an actor can engage in.
Before I was a drama teacher and researcher, I was an actor on stage and television in Australia and in the United Kingdom.
As an actor, you are always having to prepare monologues as audition pieces. Here are some principles and techniques to help you with this process, to allow you to draw in your audience and strengthen your artistic expression.
Choosing your monologue
Successful characterisation in monologue acting depends on “casting” yourself well. This means choosing a text and a character that resonate with your own persona and emotional range.
Even if you decide you want to play someone with a completely different age, gender and life experience to your own, there should be something about this character that speaks to you: maybe it’s their sense of vulnerability, their love of life, their rage at unfair circumstances. The more you can relate to some specific aspect of this person, the easier it will be to access the emotional range to play them.
If you decide on a character from a well-known play, make sure you have an understanding of the whole text the piece comes from.
Finding the personality
As an actor, you should have a good grasp of your character’s personality and attitudes to life.
Look for clues in the monologue or the overall play that tell you something about this person’s inner psychology. Do they always agree with everyone, or are they always complaining? How do they talk about themselves, how do they talk about other people?
In a well-written play, dialogue is always filled with signals like these that actors rely on when creating characters.
Another useful approach is to develop a detailed backstory for the role you are playing. Performers often use journalling or visualisation to deepen their emotional connection with the person they are depicting.
Taking time to imagine these key “memories” can provide an emotional anchor when you want to access different parts of their personality. The audience will never know these choices you have made, but you will carry them within you, and they can add depth and dimension to your portrayal.
Making the character physical
Along with analysing your character’s psychology and motivations, spend time working on their physicality.
How does this person move through the world? Are they a daydreaming wanderer, or a short sharp stepper who is always in a hurry? Do they close themselves off from the world with hunched shoulders, or do they stand tall and project themselves outward?
These qualities might change throughout the monologue as your character moves through different thoughts and memories.
Making stage direction choices for a monologue can be one of the most challenging things to get right. Simple things such as walking downstage to talk directly to your audience, or sitting down at a particular moment, can add effective dynamics to your performance. But any choices you make must come from an inner impulse within your character. Movement needs to be motivated by some kind of shift in their thoughts.
Breaking down the monologue
To identify these shifts, break down your script into key “beats”. These are the moments in a text where your character starts talking about something new. You can use these to create shifts in movement, tone and pace.
Incorporating different beats into your piece is vital for keeping your audience’s interest. Every monologue should take the audience on a journey through a character’s inner life. Ensuring this journey includes some surprises or effective use of dramatic tension will help make your piece work as a solo performance.
Sit down with the script and a pencil to find the ‘beats’ of the monologue. Media_Photos/Shutterstock
Sit down with a pencil and mark down any point in the script where you think the character starts thinking or talking about something new. Once you have all these internal shifts marked out, decide if any of these could be played with a contrasting emotional tone and pace to create dramatic effect.
Who are you talking to?
Performing a piece on your own can be daunting as there are no other characters to respond to or generate reactions from. Understanding who your character is speaking to during the monologue means you can use your audience as an additional “actor”. Are they an ally or an enemy? Or are these private thoughts, with the audience as a witness to your inner mind?
Clarifying this relationship can help you make clearer choices in how you deliver your lines.
Give yourself time
There are many creative decisions to be made when preparing a monologue performance.
Make sure to give yourself enough time to make these decisions and to learn your lines by heart.
Experiment with lots of different choices when you are starting out and rehearse your piece as often as possible. This will help reduce nerves when it comes to your final performance as it’s difficult to focus on acting when your mind is racing trying to remember what to say next.
Once the hard work of preparation, experimentation and creative expression is done, there is no better feeling than nailing a solo performance!
Natasha Beaumont does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Public trust in the auditing profession is under intense pressure. A series of high-profile scandals, both in Australia and overseas, has severely damaged its reputation.
This week, Australia’s corporate watchdog – the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) – put the entire sector on notice.
In a letter to auditors on Wednesday, ASIC announced it would soon commence a new data-driven surveillance of auditor independence and conflicts of interest. Put simply, any practices that could compromise the integrity of auditing work.
The move comes amid longstanding calls for stronger regulation. Some have gone as far as to call for auditors – particularly the “big four” – to be banned from offering consulting services to their audit customers. Why? Fears it helps companies unethically game the system.
But our recent research, which specifically examines chief executive pay, offers an alternative perspective and suggests we should tread carefully.
The “big four” – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), KPMG and Deloitte – are the world’s largest professional services firms. They offer services in auditing, consulting, tax and advisory services.
Known for their extensive resources and global reach, these firms serve major clients, including many publicly listed companies and governments.
However, some have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest that may arise when these firms provide both consulting and auditing to the same client.
Auditing is the process of examining a company’s financial statements and processes to ensure both accuracy and compliance with accounting standards.
Conducted by external auditors, it’s meant to give investors, regulators, and the public confidence that a company’s financial picture is accurate and trustworthy.
The key worry is that offering both services risks compromising an auditor’s objectivity and independence.
Auditors may be incentivised to shy away from scrutinising their clients too closely, if it helps preserve lucrative consulting contracts.
How much money should the boss make?
Professional services firms, including the big four, are often engaged as external consultants to help decide on “executive compensation” – how much a company’s chief executive should be paid.
Chief executive pay is highly contentious. They can earn staggering amounts of money, which can sometimes appear disconnected from how well a company is actually performing and what’s in its shareholders’ best interests.
Large companies often outsource decisions about how much to pay chief executives. GaudiLab/Shutterstock
Compensation consultants are hired to help structure these pay packages, ideally by setting up performance targets that align chief executives’ incentives with shareholder value.
The idea is that if you don’t meet a certain goal as the boss, you should miss out on being paid for it.
But these consultants can also be a part of the problem. As chief executives can influence whether a particular consultant is hired or retained, consultants might design favourable contracts to increase their chances of getting hired again.
How? By setting up targets that are easy to hit, or vague enough to avoid true accountability.
Such accountability in executive compensation is extremely important. How much those at the top get paid should reflect the quality of their decisions.
Without proper oversight, pay structures risk incentivising quick wins instead of long-term growth, which could potentially harm investors, employees and the company’s future.
To solve this problem, you need transparent performance metrics. This makes it easier for shareholders to see whether chief executives are truly earning their pay.
When executive compensation consultants do their job well, such transparency gets built in. So how does the big four score?
What we found
Our study, published in the Australian Journal of Management, analysed chief executives’ compensation structures in a sample drawn from the 500 largest companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), between 2005 and 2019.
We found that the big four, when engaged as compensation consultants, appeared to uphold more rigorous standards than their smaller counterparts.
For example, big four firms were more likely to recommend including performance measures like “relative total shareholder return”, which takes the performance of a company’s competitors into account.
This can reduce the likelihood of “pay for luck” – paying a chief executive extra when a company performs well simply due to market-wide factors, such as movements in commodity prices or currency exchange rates.
Non-big four consultants, on the other hand, showed a tendency towards less clearly defined targets, which can open the door to less accountability.
Compensation consultants should set targets for chief executives that genuinely reflect good performance. Owlie Productions/Shutterstock
What’s behind this effect?
One possible explanation for our findings is that the big four’s multi-service approach gives them less reliance on securing repeat business from any single client.
With consulting, tax, audit and advisory services across various industries, these firms aren’t as dependent on individual clients, which can give them greater freedom to recommend compensation packages that may not always align with a chief executive’s preferences.
It has been argued, including by former chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Graeme Samuel, that the big four’s consulting services pose potential conflicts that could compromise their audit duties.
The same could be said for other advisory services provided by these firms.
However, our findings offer evidence that when it comes to executive compensation, the big four’s reputation and expertise may actually discourage practices that obscure performance metrics or result in excessive chief executive pay.
Any reforms should tread carefully
The auditing sector will be watching the outcomes of ASIC’s forthcoming “crackdown” closely. The case for stricter oversight is strong.
But we should be careful not to lose the nuance of this issue. In some cases, the big four’s multi-service approach may actually elevate governance standards rather than erode them.
In a market dominated by these firms, the consequences of their exit from consulting services could extend beyond audit independence.
Ironically, forcing these firms out of consulting could make auditing their primary revenue source from many clients, creating the very dependence regulators aim to avoid.
Are we ready to face the unintended effects of limiting these firms’ roles? If our research is any indication, the answer is not so clear-cut.
As an undergraduate student, Helen Spiropoulos did two internships at Deloitte in the areas of Audit and then Consulting (Strategy and Operations).
Rebecca L. Bachmann does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Student behaviour is one of the biggest issues facing Australian schools. A survey of Queensland teachers earlier this year found “managing student behaviour” was the main thing taking their time away from teaching.
Along with students talking out of turn, using their phones or not paying attention, there are regular reports of students being violent and abusive towards teachers. Australian classrooms are rated among the “least favourable” for discipline in the OECD.
Amid a push to include more classroom management training for teachers, what other approaches could we look at to improve behaviour?
What happens in Norway?
For several decades Norwegian school children have been assessed twice a year on their sense of personal order (being punctual, well-prepared and following up on homework) and social behaviour (showing care and respect for others).
Until Year 8, students receive comments and then they also get a grade (good, quite good or not so good).
Teachers in all subjects report to the child’s home base teacher who calculates an average, noting any poor examples of poor personal order and social behaviour. The overall report is shared with the student and parents receive a copy.
The goal, as specified in Norway’s Education Act, is to ensure a good and safe school environment and “social learning”. This means learning to behave around others through observing, modelling and imitating the behaviours of others.
This is on top of learning knowledge and skills.
Norwegian students can be graded on whether they follow rules about snowball throwing. Maria Sbytova/Shutterstock
Research on teachers and students describe it as a valued tool for dealing with students who disrupt the learning environment in the classroom.
Even when young adults apply for jobs after university or vocational study, employers can be interested in the grade received for order and behaviour at school. Students and their teachers are aware it can indicate trustworthiness and employability.
A not uncommon story repeated by Norwegian parents to their teenage children is “if you have a record of behaving poorly or arriving late at school it doesn’t bode well whether you want to work on a construction site, in an office or on a hospital ward”.
There are Norwegian critics of this approach. Some researchers argue behaviour grades can sometimes say more about who are the “teachers’ favourites”.
But despite some limited trials to refine Norway’s behaviour grading, there are currently no plans to remove it.
What about Australia?
There is some precedence for reporting on behaviour in Australia.
For example, Queensland public schools report about effort and behaviour against a five-point scale: excellent, very good, satisfactory, needs attention and unacceptable.
But assessment criteria and evidence for the reporting of student effort and behaviour seems to be a more subjective appraisal than reporting against other standards in the curriculum.
Schools can teach students more than academic knowledge or vocational skills.
And while addressing behaviour in schools is complex (and will not be solved by any single thing), reporting on behaviour could provide a regular opportunity for Australian teachers, schools and parents to reflect on how a students is progressing.
Grading students could make students more accountable for how they interact with their peers and their teachers.
It could also help build their understanding of what is acceptable, not just in the classroom but in the community more broadly. For example, if there are specific rules about how you speak to others, whether you are safe in the playground and respectful in the classroom.
This type of social learning is important, because it can help teach students to be inclusive and responsible towards others. It can also help to create a safer school environment for all students and staff.
At the moment, there is a general requirement in the Australian Curriculum to teach students social and emotional skills across all subjects.
But it is up to state and territory education authorities to work out if and how students are assessed about this. This includes any reasonable adjustments for students with disability or other special needs.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Griffith, Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow and Director, UniSA Microscopy and Microanalysis Facilities, University of South Australia
This is the next article in our ‘Light and health’ series, where we look at how light affects our physical and mental health in sometimes surprising ways. Read other articles in the series.
You’re not feeling well. You’ve had a pounding headache all week, dizzy spells and have vomited up your past few meals.
You visit your GP to get some answers and sit while they shine a light in your eyes, order a blood test and request some medical imaging.
Everything your GP just did relies on light. These are just some of the optical technologies that have had an enormous impact in how we diagnose disease.
1. On-the-spot tests
Point-of-care diagnostics allow doctors to test patients on the spot and get answers in minutes, rather than sending samples to a lab for analysis.
The “flashlight” your GP uses to view the inside of your eye (known as an ophthalmoscope) is a great example. This allows doctors to detect abnormal blood flow in the eye, deformations of the cornea (the outermost clear layer of the eye), or swollen optical discs (a round section at the back of the eye where the nerve link to the brain begins). Swollen discs are a sign of elevated pressure inside your head (or in the worst case, a brain tumour) that could be causing your headaches.
The invention of lasers and LEDs has enabled many other miniaturised technologies to be provided at the bedside or clinic rather than in the lab.
Pulse oximetry is a famous example, where a clip attached to your finger reports how well your blood is oxygenated. It does this by measuring the different responses of oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood to different colours of light.
Pulse oximetry is used at hospitals (and sometimes at home) to monitor your respiratory and heart health. In hospitals, it is also a valuable tool for detecting heart defects in babies.
See that clip on the patient’s finger? That’s a pulse oximeter, which relies on light to monitor respiratory and heart health. CGN089/Shutterstock
2. Looking at molecules
Now, back to that blood test. Analysing a small amount of your blood can diagnose many different diseases.
A machine called an automated “full blood count analyser” tests for general markers of your health. This machine directs focused beams of light through blood samples held in small glass tubes. It counts the number of blood cells, determines their specific type, and reports the level of haemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that distributes oxygen around your body). In minutes, this machine can provide a snapshot of your overall health.
For more specific disease markers, blood serum is separated from the heavier cells by spinning in a rotating instrument called a centrifuge. The serum is then exposed to special chemical stains and enzyme assays that change colour depending on whether specific molecules, which may be the sign of a disease, are present.
These colour changes can’t be detected with the naked eye. However, a light beam from an instrument called a spectrometer can detect tiny amounts of these substances in the blood and determine if the biomarkers for diseases are present, and at what levels.
Light shines through the blood sample and tells us whether biomarkers for disease are present. angellodeco/Shutterstock
3. Medical imaging
Let’s re-visit those medical images your GP ordered. The development of fibre-optic technology, made famous for transforming high-speed digital communications (such as the NBN), allows light to get inside the body. The result? High-resolution optical imaging.
A common example is an endoscope, where fibres with a tiny camera on the end are inserted into the body’s natural openings (such as your mouth or anus) to examine your gut or respiratory tracts.
Surgeons can insert the same technology through tiny cuts to view the inside of the body on a video screen during laparoscopic surgery (also known as keyhole surgery) to diagnose and treat disease.
Doctors can insert this flexible fibre-optic tube with a camera on the end into your body. Eduard Valentinov/Shutterstock
How about the future?
Progress in nanotechnology and a better understanding of the interactions of light with our tissues are leading to new light-based tools to help diagnose disease. These include:
nanomaterials (materials on an extremely small scale, many thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair). These are being used in next-generation sensors and new diagnostic tests
wearable optical biosensors the size of your fingernail can be included in devices such as watches, contact lenses or finger wraps. These devices allow non-invasive measurements of sweat, tears and saliva, in real time
AI tools to analyse how blood serum scatters infrared light. This has allowed researchers to build a comprehensive database of scatter patterns to detect any cancer
a type of non-invasive imaging called optical coherence tomography for more detailed imaging of the eye, heart and skin
fibre optic technology to deliver a tiny microscope into the body on the tip of a needle.
So the next time you’re at the GP and they perform (or order) some tests, chances are that at least one of those tests depend on light to help diagnose disease.
Matthew Griffith receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research council.
New Zealand is ranked the tenth most inclusive society by international legal standards, with a reputation for being forward-thinking and progressive – especially when it comes to the rights of sexually and gender-diverse individuals.
But recent high-profile hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community suggest we may not be as progressive as our global reputation suggests.
The painting over of rainbow pedestrian crossings in Gisborne and Auckland might seem like comparatively minor crimes. But they highlight the insidious – and increasingly overt – nature of prejudice against the rainbow community.
A major concern for members of this community is how easily this kind of prejudice spills over into criminal acts against them. And there are indications of a concerning trend. The number of reported hate crimes against transgender people rose by 42% between 2022 and 2023.
This is backed by overseas research. According to a study from the United States, gay/lesbian and bisexual individuals are significantly more likely to be victims of violence than heterosexual men and women.
But how do rates of violence and crime faced by LGBTQ+ individuals here compare to the general population in New Zealand? For the first time, our new research sheds light on crime victimisation rates among the LGBTQ+ population in New Zealand. It’s grim reading.
High rates of crime victimisation
Our research used data from the New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS).
The NZCVS surveyed approximately 32,000 New Zealanders between 2018 to 2022. Participants were asked about their experiences with crime. The survey collected information on reported and non-reported offences, and asked the participants about their socio-demographic characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity.
LGBTQ+ individuals include those whose sexual orientation is
gay/lesbian, bisexual, or other, or when being gender diverse or when gender identity and biological sex differ (also called transgender).
We found LGBTQ+ individuals were much more likely to be victims of crime than non-LGBTQ+ individuals.
Almost half of LGBTQ+ respondents (46%) reported being a victim of at least one crime in the previous year, compared to a third of non-LGBTQ+ people (31%).
Members of the LGBTQ+ community were also much more likely to be a victim of crime more than once. According to the survey, approximately 22% of LGBTQ+ individuals experienced more than one victimisation in the previous year, compared with 11% of non-LGBTQ+ individuals.
Two groups stood out in particular: bisexual individuals and transgender/gender-diverse people.
One potential explanation for the crime rates against LGBTQ+ people is that they have higher-than-average risk factors that are unrelated to their sexual orientation or gender identity. For example, they are younger and have lower incomes on average.
But our research refutes this explanation. Even after accounting for these other risk factors, the crime victimisation rates among LGBTQ+ individuals were much higher than among non-LGBTQ+ individuals.
Motivating factors
The NZCVS also collected information on the perceived motivation behind the crime. Response options included sexual orientation, sex or general discrimination.
We found LGBTQ+ individuals were more likely to say the perceived reason for crime was their sexual orientation or their sex compared to non-LGBTQ+ individuals.
The consequences of these offences were also more severe for LGBTQ+ individuals.
They were more likely to suffer from physical injuries or need time off work. They were also more likely to feel less noticeable effects of the violence: lower life satisfaction and a greater sense of feeling unsafe.
Living up to NZ’s inclusive reputation
In the long term, understanding how victimisation affects LGBTQ+ individuals can help shape policies that are better tailored to prevent crime and support victims. This includes building greater awareness and knowledge in the sexual and family violence sectors to prevent and support affected rainbow communities.
But until that happens, crime victimisation continues to disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ individuals. New Zealand needs to do something to close that gap.
Our research highlights a serious gap between how New Zealand is perceived on the global stage (safe and inclusive), and the reality of life for our LGBTQ+ community (increasingly unsafe and threatened by intolerance).
New Zealand’s laws must ensure crimes against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity will not be tolerated. The ongoing review of the Human Rights Act is a step in the right direction but more needs to be done to explicitly protect trans, non-binary and intersex people against discrimination.
The authors want to thank Tabby Besley for her feedback. Tabby is the managing director at InsideOut, which provides resources, workshops, consulting, advocacy and support for anything concerning rainbow communities
Alexander Plum receives funding from the Ministry of Justice.
Lee Zhuge receives funding from The Ministry of Justice of New Zealand.
For a fleeting moment in early October, it looked like the US presidential electoral system might become an issue in this year’s election. The Democratic vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz, told two audiences that the Electoral College should be abolished and replaced by a direct national popular vote.
Walz was shut down quickly by Kamala Harris’ campaign with a brief statement that abolishing the Electoral College is not its official position. Walz duly walked back his comments and the story had a shelf-life of fewer than 24 hours.
But the Electoral College issue may well come back to haunt the Harris campaign should this year’s election produce yet another “runner-up” president – when the loser of the popular vote wins the electoral vote and therefore the election.
If the race is as close as most polls are indicating, this is a possible outcome. And Republican former President Donald Trump is more likely than Harris to be the beneficiary of this archaic, undemocratic voting system.
How the Electoral College works
There is a two-stage, indirect election for the president under the Electoral College system.
First, there is the popular vote in each of 50 states and District of Columbia on November 5 to choose “electors”, who formally cast the “electoral vote” on December 17 in what is known as the “Electoral College”.
It is the electoral vote that determines the president, not the popular vote.
To make things even more complicated, each state is awarded electoral votes based not on its population, but on its representation in the US Congress.
Each state has at least one member of the House of Representatives and two members of the Senate, meaning every state has at least three electoral votes regardless of its population size.
There are 538 votes in the Electoral College, and an absolute majority of those – 270 or more – is needed to win. The Constitution also contains a complex and highly undemocratic contingency procedure should no candidate win an Electoral College majority. The choice of president would then be decided by the House of Representatives with each state delegation having just one vote.
Sample presidential ballot from Arlington County in the state of Virginia showing that voters will be selecting electors, not the candidate directly. Arlington County Electoral Board
The origins of the Electoral College
It is not surprising the Electoral College is an undemocratic institution – it was deliberately designed to be. The method of electing the president was an expression of a very conservative philosophy of government embodied by most of the framers of the Constitution when they met in Philadelphia in 1787.
The framers had strong views the presidency should be an office above politics. They also felt the choice should be made by those with knowledge, experience and understanding of government and statecraft.
As such, the framers objected to a popular vote for the president, because they feared it would lead to what one of the founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, called “tumult and disorder”. The framers were vehemently opposed to direct democracy, preferring instead what they called a “republic”.
Their solution was to allow the state legislatures to determine how the electors from each state should be chosen. In the beginning, most states’ legislatures chose the electors to decide who was president – not the people.
The Electoral College structure – and its philosophical underpinnings – were then locked into the Constitution and purposely designed to exclude the people from the process.
It has also been argued that race and slavery were integral to its design. By piggy-backing on the already-agreed compromise over representation in Congress and the counting of slaves as “three-fifths of all other persons”, the framers of the Constitution handed the major slave-holding states far more clout not only in Congress, but in the selection of the president, as well.
In the longer term, the framers weren’t entirely successful in their efforts because two major political developments in the early 19th century forced some adaptation to the model.
As the American frontier expanded and political parties were developed, people began demanding a greater role in American democracy. This put pressure on state legislatures to cede their power to select electors and allow popular voting for the Electoral College instead.
By the mid-19th century, the Electoral College was operating in much the same way as it does today.
Surprisingly, this required no constitutional amendment because the wording of the Constitution gave the states the flexibility to respond to the demand for popular voting:
Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of Electors…
But that didn’t change the fact that it was the “electors” who would still choose the president, not the people directly.
How the Electoral College distorts the popular vote
The electoral vote always distorts the popular vote by exaggerating the winner’s margin of victory. In very close contests, it can also go against the popular vote, as it has done on four occasions – 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016.
Two mechanisms are responsible for this.
First, the populations of small states are over-represented in the Electoral College compared to the larger states because of the guaranteed minimum three electoral votes.
For example, Alaska, with three electoral votes, has one electoral vote for every 244,463 inhabitants (based on 2020 US census data). In contrast, New York, with 28 electoral votes, has one electoral vote for every 721,473 inhabitants. So, an electoral vote in Alaska is worth almost three time as much as an electoral vote in New York.
Second, and far more significant, is the “winner-takes-all” arrangement. In every state, except Maine and Nebraska, the winner of the popular vote takes 100% of the electoral votes, no matter how close the contest is.
Even in Maine and Nebraska, it’s winner-takes-all, except those states award two electoral votes to the statewide winner of the popular vote and one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each of its congressional districts.
Few Americans would be conscious of how the winner-takes-all system works, either.
Put simply, when voters cast a ballot, they are, in effect, voting multiple times – once for each elector in the state supporting the presidential candidate of their choice. They do this by marking just one box alongside their preferred candidate’s name.
For example, if Harris defeats Trump by 51-49% of the popular vote in Pennsylvania, every one of the 19 electors on Harris’ slate will defeat every one of Trump’s 19 electors by the same margin. The popular vote may have been close, but in the electoral vote, it’s 19-0 for Harris.
When that is repeated across all 50 states, the Electoral College vote will always exaggerate the margin of victory compared to the popular vote.
In the 1992 presidential election, for example, Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush by a landslide in the electoral college, 370-168. However, Clinton only edged Bush by 5.5 percentage points in the popular vote (43% to 37.45%). Independent candidate Ross Perot, meanwhile, earned nearly 19% of the popular vote, but because he didn’t carry any states, he got zero electoral votes.
And when the loser of the popular vote wins the electoral vote, such as Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016, it shows the total number of popular votes won by a candidate is less important than where those votes are located.
To win in the Electoral College, a candidate needs to have their vote distributed economically between the states. In a majoritarian democracy (based on the principle of majority rule), this ought not to be a feature of the electoral system. But the US presidential election process was never designed to operate this way.
Lastly, the Electoral College also heavily determines the nature of the election campaign. Most states in the US are “safe” wins for one party or the other.
As such, the efforts of the candidates are concentrated in the handful of states that are competitive – the so-called “battleground” states. The rest of the country tends to be ignored.
The future of the Electoral College
That the Electoral College survives into the 21st century is partly due to the adaptability of the Constitution to deal with the earlier challenge in the 1800s over the selection of electors in the states, as well as the immense difficulty of amending the Constitution.
This is despite the fact a clear majority of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favour of a national, direct popular vote for the presidency.
What happens in this election is anyone’s guess. With the polls showing such narrow margins in the popular vote in the battleground states, the outcome is not only unpredictable, it may even be random. And that’s a terrible comment on the state of American democracy.
John Hart does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Increased land management by Aboriginal people in southeastern Australia around 6,000 years ago cut forest shrub cover in half, according to our new study of fossil pollen trapped in ancient mud.
Shrubs connect fires from ground cover to the forest canopy, allowing fires to spread and intensify quickly. The reduction in shrub cover, linked to evidence for increasing population size and more widespread landscape use by Aboriginal people, would have dramatically decreased the potential for high-intensity bushfires.
We also found the shrub layer in modern forests is even greater than it was 130,000–115,000 years ago, when the climate was similar to today’s but there were no people around.
Our deep-time research shows how important Indigenous cultural practices were for reducing dangerous high-intensity fires. It also suggests a way forward in Autralia’s current fire crisis, which climate change is making worse.
The trouble with shrubs
For decades, Australia has tried to manage fires by suppressing them. This strategy may be effective in the short term, but it has led to dire consequences in the long term.
Over the past 20 years, the forests and woodlands of southeastern Australia have become hotspots for major fires.
Fire suppression has allowed vegetation, particularly in the shrub layer, to grow without constraint. Shrubby, mid-height vegetation acts as a ladder, enabling fires to spread up from the ground to the forest canopy. This results in more intense and uncontrollable fires.
Summary timeline of past landscape changes across southeastern Australia. We show changes from pre-human contact (top), through Indigenous population expansion (middle), to the present (post-colonial, bottom). Simon Connor, CC BY
Evidence for denser vegetation comes from tiny, fossilised grains of pollen that are laid down in layers of ancient sediment in wetlands and lake beds. By extracting fossil pollen from mud, scientists can develop a picture of vegetation in the past.
Our new study used archaeological data and information preserved in ancient mud. We looked at how the vegetation of southeastern Australia changed in response to climate and human management over the past 130,000 years.
We wanted to see how things changed in key periods: before human arrival in Australia, through periods of Indigenous occupation, and following British colonisation.
We used sophisticated models to estimate vegetation cover and how it related to human land use at different times.
Caring for Country
Indigenous Australians have been the custodians of this continent for millennia. Their journey in Australia started at least 65,000 years ago.
Indigenous Australian cultural burning practices are complex and varied. However, in many parts of the continent they included regular, controlled burns. These helped to manage vegetation growth and reduce the risk of high-intensity fires.
Since British colonisation, the landscape of Australia has undergone significant changes, with both more open pastures and more densely vegetated forests. The introduction of European land management practices, including fire suppression, disrupted the fire regimes Indigenous Australians had maintained for thousands of years.
A call for change: integrating Indigenous Knowledge
To address this crisis, a shift in fire management strategies is essential. One promising approach is to integrate Indigenous fire management practices into contemporary fire management plans, working with Traditional Owners to best care for Country.
This must be done in a way that supports Indigenous livelihoods and fosters connection to Country, not by management agencies simply appropriating Indigenous know-how.
Indigenous Australians possess hundreds of generations’ worth of experience in managing the country’s fire-prone landscapes. Indigenous-led fire management is already being reinvigorated in northern Australia.
Our research demonstrates that southeastern forests and woodlands were effectively managed in the past and would also benefit from Indigenous caring-for-Country practices today.
Reducing dangerous fuels in the shrub layer means less high-intensity fires threatening the bush–urban interface, such as the 2019–20 Black Summer fires.
Indigenous-led burning at a project site in Tasmania. Matthew Newton / RUMMIN Productions
Higher temperatures and prolonged droughts have created ideal conditions for bushfires to spread. Colonisation has compounded the problems arising from human-driven climate change.
But there is no fire without fuel. It is the combination of increased biomass and a warming climate that now fuels fires of unprecedented scale and intensity, posing a significant threat to lives, property and ecosystems.
Australia’s fire crisis is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted solution. By learning from and working with Indigenous practitioners, Australia can develop more effective and sustainable fire management strategies. This collaborative approach offers a path forward to tame the flames and protect the nation’s unique and diverse landscapes.
Michela Mariani receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust and is affiliated with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH) and the Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures (CIEHF).
Anna Florin receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is affiliated with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH).
Haidee Cadd receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is affiliated with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH).
Simon Connor receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is affiliated with CABAH, the Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage.
Matthew Adeleye does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
It’s a sunny morning in Nur Shams refugee camp, in Tulkarem, West Bank, Palestine. Over 20 women are filing into a room set up by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff, sitting in a circle and chatting over Arabic coffee. In the middle of the room, there is a table with gauze, tourniquet devices and charts explaining blood flow in the human body. This is MSF’s ‘stop the bleeding’ training.
Most women gathered in this room have little to no medical training, but trauma wounds and severe bleeding are not new to them. They are here to learn how to care for wounds, apply tourniquets, and provide basic first aid to family members and neighbours until they can reach medical care during frequent military incursions by Israeli forces.
“We experience raids, bombings, and injuries from shootings,” says Saeda Ahmad, a participant in the training. “We often have an injured person right in front of us. In such situations, it’s important for us to have the knowledge and background to properly administer first aid.”
“During raids, it’s extremely difficult for ambulances to reach the scene,” continues Ahmad. “That’s why everyone in the camp needs to have some knowledge of first aid. So that we ourselves can help the injured person.”
Here, military raids by Israeli forces are becoming increasingly frequent, and blockages of access to healthcare are part of the modus operandi. Roads are blocked, ambulances cannot move, healthcare workers are harassed and targeted or otherwise hindered, and wounded people often cannot reach hospitals.
Incursions from Israeli forces are also increasing in violence and intensity; on 3 October, 18 people were killed in an airstrike on Tulkarem refugee camp. The use of drone strikes, air strikes and other bombardments by Israeli forces, in often densely-populated areas and refugee camps, has become increasingly common. Incursions are also increasing in length, and not only here; last August, in Jenin, north of Tulkarem, Israeli forces launched a large-scale military incursion that lasted nine days.
In this context of constant violence and insecurity, people in the camps have spoken with MSF mental health staff of the deep psychological impacts of these raids. Military incursions by Israeli forces reshape the lives of people, stripping them of normalcy and any sense of safety.
People are always in the aftermath from the last incursion, rebuilding torn up streets and destroyed houses, while holding their breath until the next military raid. Our teams are also providing psychological first aid to residents in the camp, to address the significant mental health issues stemming from the impact of these incursions, which affect all residents, but particularly children.
“The situation is very difficult. The children in the camps are afraid to go to school, as they fear a raid might happen while they are there,” says an MSF community health educator for MSF in Tulkarem. “In their home life, stability has vanished. People remain on edge.”
“Children have stopped playing in the alleys. They spend most of the time at home and are not able to go out,” says our health educator. “They can’t even go out to buy what they need because their parents won’t let them, out of fear that a raid or incident might occur while they’re outside. There are children whose entire playtime has become centred around the violence they have experienced.”
In a context of fear and insecurity, it becomes impossible for people to live a normal life or plan for the future. Training like ‘stop the bleeding’ can provide some sense of control over the situation, by giving residents the tools to act in a medical emergency during an incursion. But their very existence highlights the direness of the situation in the West Bank.
In this room, as participants practice wrapping gauze around each other’s arms, emotional wounds also reveal themselves. Participants share stories of the violence they have experienced, in conversations, stories, and photos of killed family members on a phone’s lock screen.
The psychological wounds, also, are deep. And mending them takes more time than applying pressure or tightening a tourniquet.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) keeps our Nation’s borders safe, and our agents of the United States Border Patrol (USBP) assist in securing our borders by patrolling long stretches of land and sea, often in harsh terrains. Those who attempt to cross illegally are met with extreme weather along the Northern Region, which extends from the state of Washington to Maine and includes 4,668 miles of land and water along the shared U.S.–Canadian border.
‘Today Highland Council took an important step forward in its plans to sustain care provision in the Lochaber Area. In a confidential paper to council, various options were considered that could ensure that there is minimum disruption to residents of Moss Park Nursing Home.
While there are a lot of sensitive matters still to deal with and no guarantees at this stage, there is now hope that a solution can be found by the partnership between Highland Council and NHS Highland.
As there are still so many issues remaining unresolved, NHS Highland’s core team and its partners will continue to ensure that everyone is focused on the best interests and well-being of all residents.
Further communications regarding progress on this important matter will be provided in due course, with communications with residents and families being our key priority.’
A revised financial forecast for the Highland Council, taking account of already agreed savings and other measures, suggests a remaining budget gap of £38m-£54m over the coming three years, 2025/26 to 2027/28.
As part of the Council’s Medium-Term Financial Plan, agreed in February 2024, Council agreed a package of £54.6m of budget savings, and the use of a range of financial flexibilities and use of reserves, to address the projected £113m gap over a 3-year period 2024/25 – 2026/27.
A revised forecast, before taking account of agreed savings and other measures, and factoring in financial assumptions, is a budget gap over the next three years (2025/26 to 2027/28) ranging from £116m-£132m.
After allowing for budget savings and other decisions already made by the Council, and other assumptions, these scenarios suggest the figure of a residual budget gap of £38m-£54m over the three years.
It is clear that there are significant and additional financial pressures and challenges facing Governmental budgets in the current and next year, with it being expected these will ultimately translate to a potentially more challenging budget settlement and financial outlook for Scottish Local Authorities. There remains uncertainty regarding the impact of national decisions, which may in turn impact the scenarios reported to Members.
While inflation and cost pressure estimates are expected to exceed the likely level of funding that may be available to the Council, there is an inevitable need to plan for further additional savings.
Convener of the Highland Council, Bill Lobban said: “Decisions already made by the Council in February 2024 provide a very solid foundation to the Council’s financial planning. It is essential the Council continues to apply a multi-year, strategic approach to its financial planning and financial sustainability, and makes the necessary decisions to ensure expenditure plans are in line with funding levels.
Leader, Raymond Bremner said: ““We will do everything we can to mitigate the impact on our residents in our decision making. At the same time as making savings, and making best use of public funds, we have been able to plan supporting our ambitious Highland Investment Plan through our revenue budget decisions, which could see £2bn of capital investment across the Highlands over the next 20 years and which will leave a valuable legacy for communities well into the future.
“Public and staff engagement in the lead up to our last budget was extremely helpful in shaping our thinking and decisions. The Operational Delivery Plan also provides a helpful mechanism for monitoring progress with the delivery of agreed savings and this will continue to be useful moving forward as part of our financial planning process.”
Chair of the Council’s Resources Committee, Cllr Derek Louden commented: “The important thing for us to remember this is a very early stage in budget setting, with a great deal of uncertainty at this time. Looking at the direction of travel and considering income generation, budget reduction and use of reserves in line with the Council’s strategy for the coming years will be part of our planning for budget setting in March 2025.”
A further report will be brought to the Council meeting in December.
Members considered a report on Lochaber Care Provision at the meeting of the Highland Council on 31 October.
HC-One informed NHS Highland of their intention to close Moss Park Care Home on the 18 September 2024. A contractually standard notice period of 13 weeks was given.
Since that announcement, NHS Highland and The Highland Council have been working together to identify a solution to support the continuation of care in the area.
Work is ongoing at present to find an alternative solution to this closure, but in the interests of the welfare of residents, and with no such process concluded at this stage, the core team are actively planning, as a contingency, for the relocation of all residents.
Chair of the Council’s Health and Social Care Committee, Cllr David Fraser said: “We understand that this is a worrying time for residents, relatives and all involved, while we continue to pursue potential solutions for Mosspark residents.
“This is a challenging situation. Across Highland, our focus remains on working with NHS Highland in reducing delayed discharges and accelerating our work towards a new care model which would support people to live more independently for longer in their own communities and shifting the balance of care from acute to sustainable community provision.”
Further updates will be provided to all residents, staff, stakeholders, including the local community, once we have further information and progress will be reported to the Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee.
The report was discussed in private session due to the nature of sensitive and confidential information contained in the report.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Alexander Novak held a meeting on the formation of a general plan for the placement of electric power facilities until 2042
Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak held a meeting on the formation of the General Scheme for the placement of electric power facilities until 2042. The event was attended by heads and representatives of the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Economic Development, energy companies, industry and business associations.
The parties discussed the parameters for the functioning of the Russian energy system until 2042, taking into account the projected increase in energy consumption due to the accelerated growth of the economy.
In order to reliably meet the needs of citizens and industry for electricity, it is planned to introduce new modern generation by 2042. This concerns facilities of both traditional and renewable and nuclear energy.
In addition, the modernization of generating equipment will continue. There is also the task of further increasing the installed capacity, taking into account the need to balance consumption peaks, ensure the reliability of the energy system and export obligations.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
From the energy that powers our homes to the networks that connect us and the systems that protect our health and safety, our critical infrastructure keeps our economy thriving and our communities secure. This Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, we recommit to strengthening our country’s critical infrastructure and building an America that is safe and secure for generations to come.
This year, I signed a National Security Memorandum to secure and enhance the resilience of United States critical infrastructure — updating the policy for the first time in a decade. This represents the launch of a new era in protecting our infrastructure against all threats and hazards by safeguarding our strong and innovative economy and enhancing our collective resilience to disasters before they happen. But there is more to do. Climate change is making natural disasters more frequent, ferocious, and costly — endangering our supply chains, creating more instability for our communities, and straining the critical infrastructure Americans depend on for their livelihoods. And we need to stay vigilant against adversaries that seek to maliciously target our critical infrastructure, including through cyberattacks.
To meet this moment, my Administration made a once-in-a-generation investment in our Nation’s infrastructure — creating an opportunity to build in resilience to all hazards upfront and by design. Through my American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act, we are investing billions of dollars to secure and bolster our infrastructure. That includes improving our electric grid so that people can maintain power in any situation, elevating roads and bridges over possible flood zones, funding community resilience programs, and more. These investments have not only helped to protect Americans — they have benefited our economy, creating jobs and new possibilities for our communities. At the NATO summit this year, I announced an arrangement with Canada and Finland to collaborate on the production of polar icebreakers. The partnership will advance United States economic and national security interests by strengthening our shipbuilding and industrial capacity while simultaneously opening up new trade routes and pushing back against foreign aggression and bolstering our international alliances. This year, I also announced a United States Port Security Initiative to reverse our dependence on foreign manufactured port equipment.
Ensuring our Nation is resilient in the face of threats also means working with other nations around the globe to build better, stronger, and more sustainable infrastructure. At the G7 Summit in June, I was proud to announce the historic progress we have made with our Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. This initiative will strengthen United States national and economic security for Americans at home and enable sustainable economic growth for partner countries. To date, we have mobilized $60 billion to create high-quality global infrastructure. That comes on top of our work with the European Union and African heads of state to develop the Lobito Corridor as well as our work with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia to expand regional and global trade markets through the Port of Lobito in Angola. We continue to pursue opportunities to expand our investments across Africa and around the world, including the Indo-Pacific, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere. Investments like these create more shared opportunities, prosperity, and security for everyone.
Across the Nation, America is writing the greatest comeback story we have ever known — people are putting shovels in the ground, founding new businesses, and creating hope for entire communities. It is more important now than ever before that we remain vigilant against any threats that seek to undermine our collective security and prosperity.
During Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, we recommit to safeguarding and strengthening our Nation’s critical infrastructure to save lives and allow our Nation to continue doing what it does best: creating new possibilities.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the importance of protecting our Nation’s infrastructure and to observe this month with appropriate measures to enhance our national security and resilience.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
ARS Hosts 30th Anniversary Ceremony for USDA George E. Brown, Jr. Salinity Laboratory
Contact: Amaani Lyle Email: Amaani.Lyle@usda.gov
RIVERSIDE, Calif., Oct. 31, 2024 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) hosted the 30th anniversary ceremony of the U.S. Department of Agriculture George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity Laboratory on the University of California, Riverside campus today.
The event celebrated decades of research at the laboratory, where ARS teams have pioneered irrigation practices to optimize crop production, leverage conservation through recycled water, and minimize land degradation caused by the omnipresence of natural and man-made salinization, the overabundance of salt.
Salinization is the buildup of salts and other trace elements in irrigated soils that reduces the productivity of croplands, constituting a long-standing threat to farming in the semi-arid regions of the American West, parts of the Midwest, and throughout the world.
The Salinity Laboratory’s innovation and leadership in understanding salt-affected soil-plant-water systems for the conservation and protection of our land and water resources and the maintenance of a viable, permanent irrigated agriculture has garnered acclaim from both USDA leadership and UC Riverside collaborators.
“This milestone anniversary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity Laboratory marks a storied history of our mission to overcome water quality and water scarcity constraints on agriculture and human health,” said Dr. Simon Liu, ARS Administrator. “Our researchers’ work has yielded palpable solutions to address climate change, drought, and competition for resources — factors that reduce the availability of irrigation water and compound risks posed by salinization.”
ARS Research Leader Todd Skaggs echoed the importance of appropriate salinity control.
“To meet increasing demands for food amid limited soil and water resources, the nation and much of the world community will continue to look to the USDA Salinity Laboratory for salinity expertise, water quality research, and applications to solve these problems,” Skaggs said. “Protection of soil resources will become even more vital as water conservation, efficiency and quality assurance continue to increase.”
According to Skaggs, current research focus areas have earned the lab a vanguard position in addressing and eradicating per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals of concern whose presence in recycled water may lead to the introduction of these harmful compounds into the human food chain if such waters are used for agricultural crop irrigation.
“Even low levels of PFAS may accumulate in soils over time and be absorbed by crop roots,” Skaggs explained. “Our team is therefore developing a low-cost, low-energy, environmentally-friendly treatment system for the removal of PFAS from recycled water, and it’s being optimized for application at the greenhouse scale, potentially allowing for production of PFAS-free crops for human consumption.”
Skaggs also recounted research inflection points in the 1960s and 1970s when ARS scientists quantified the salinity response of a wide variety of agricultural crops and demonstrated that soil salinity could be managed with significantly less water than used in conventional irrigation practices, setting the stage for substantial water conservation.
“This research enabled the selection of suitable crops for a given irrigation water quality and the data remain the most comprehensive information available on relative crop salt tolerances,” he said.
By the 1990s, the Salinity Laboratory developed benchmark methods for mapping and monitoring soil salinity across swaths of U.S. farms and agricultural regions, irrigated lands that produce 30% of the nation’s food and fiber and practically all of the nation’s fruits and vegetables.
The 30th anniversary ceremony highlighted but a fraction of the lab’s deep roots.
In 1937, the United States Regional Salinity Laboratory was established at the base of Mount Rubidoux in the city of Riverside before adopting a new moniker, United States Salinity Laboratory, in 1951.
In 1986, Congressmen George Brown, Jerry Lewis, and Al McCandless of California introduced legislation to replace the aging U.S. Salinity Laboratory with a modern facility on the UCR campus, which supported the project by leasing to the federal government a 7.5-acre site for 50 years at $1 per year. Groundbreaking occurred in 1992 before the facility officially opened in 1995.
In 2000, the laboratory name would change once more to George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity Laboratory in memory of Congressman George E. Brown, Jr.
The laboratory has the distinction of being the only facility in the country specifically devoted to agricultural and environmental issue analysis through basic research on saline and alkali soils, including related reclamation, irrigation, drainage and soil management.
Following the ceremony was an open house highlighting current research including breeding of salt-tolerant alfalfa, precision agriculture, and greenhouse-scale treatment systems for removing PFAS from irrigation water.
ARS and UC Riverside researchers have maintained collaborative relationships, sharing vital resources to achieve common research objectives through cooperative research programs.
Leaders who spoke at the ceremony included:
Dr. Simon Liu, Administrator, USDA-ARS
Dr. Tara McHugh, Director, Pacific West Area, USDA-ARS
Dr. Marlen Eve, Deputy Administrator, USDA-ARS National Program Staff, Natural Resources and Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Peter Atkinson, Interim Dean, UC Riverside College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Rien van Genuchten, Recipient of the 2023 Wolf Prize in Agriculture
The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in U.S. agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.
H.R. 5012 would authorize several activities of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) related to research on stillbirths. Specifically, the bill would authorize $6 million annually over the 2024-2028 period for HHS to make grants to states to conduct surveillance and collect data on the incidence of and risk factors for stillbirths. The bill would direct HHS to issue guidelines for that data collection. The bill also would authorize $3 million annually over the same period to establish a fellowship program that would provide training in perinatal autopsy pathology; fund research on data collection from fetal autopsies; and address challenges in education, research, and data collection concerning stillbirths. Finally, H.R. 5012 would require HHS to report to the Congress on the fellowship program’s progress and effectiveness.
H.R. 9151 would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a unit within its criminal division to investigate and prosecute trade-related crimes, including the evasion of sanctions, tariffs, or duties; trade-based money laundering; and smuggling. The bill also would require DOJ to report annually to the Congress on the unit’s activities.
Based on the costs of similar programs and activities, CBO estimates that DOJ would need 10 people, at an average annual cost of $250,000 per person in 2025, and $8 million annually in administrative costs to implement the bill’s requirements. Accounting for anticipated inflation, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 9151 would cost $50 million over the 2025-2029 period. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR ISOBEL COLEMAN: Thank you, President [Akinwumi] Adesina, for that introduction, and thank you, President [Samia Suluhu] Hassan and President [Julius Maada] Bio, for your thoughtful reflections. It is an honor to join you today, representing the U.S. Agency for International Development.
As we’ve heard, the level of need remains great in Africa. It is one of the few regions of the world where hunger and undernourishment have continued to rise in recent years. However, Africa is also home to 12 of the 20 fastest growing economies on the planet, and the continent is poised to become the world’s second fastest-growing economic region.
This is a moment of great opportunity. With smart policy reforms, and increased investment and trade, we can realize the potential of this dynamic region while seriously tackling poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
The U.S. government’s global hunger initiative, Feed the Future, prioritizes investments in Africa – providing more than $400 million each year to drive inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led growth, improve nutrition outcomes, and build resilience. Feed the Future’s locally-led model has yielded remarkable success over its first decade. In areas where Feed the Future has worked, poverty, hunger, and child stunting all declined by 20 to 25 percent.
But, we know there is much more work to be done.
As global needs continue to far outpace available resources, USAID is focused on investing our dollars in the most impactful, cost-effective ways to maximize our impact. Under Feed the Future, we are making an effort to concentrate our work in countries and regions where we see both significant need and opportunity to drive long-term sustainable progress.
Through rigorous data analysis, we have identified three countries in sub-Saharan Africa – Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia – as ripe for the kind of agricultural transformation that can lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty and help expand the food supply across the region and beyond. So, through an initiative we are calling Feed the Future Accelerator, we are doubling down on our investments in these three countries. We believe these countries have the potential to become regional breadbaskets helping to feed the world.
In partnership with the African Union, the Accelerator will allow us to support an African-led approach to tap into that potential. The governments in these countries – by implementing the smart policies and economic reforms needed to catalyze inclusive growth – are laying the groundwork to form a regional agricultural powerhouse.
We are committed to capitalizing on this game-changing opportunity in the region. So, last month, we announced over $80 million in USAID commitments to Feed the Future Accelerator, which complements an ongoing portfolio of nearly $500 million in investments from across the U.S. government in these three countries. And, over the course of this week, we’ve seen that number grow.
For example, on Tuesday, the Millennium Challenge Corporation announced a new $491 million compact with Zambia, with MCC providing $458 million and the Government of Zambia contributing $33 million to boost agricultural productivity and investment. And, as we ramp up our investments in these priority countries, the U.S. and other donors are also investing in the hard infrastructure that farmers need to access affordable agricultural inputs and then to transport what they grow to markets across the region.
Under the umbrella of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, or PGI, we are investing in the Lobito Corridor – an ambitious infrastructure project stretching from the port of Lobito on Angola’s Atlantic coast, through the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Zambia, and on to Tanzania. These investments will directly benefit smallholder farmers and agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises by enabling them to scale up operations, create linkages to agro-processing and storage, create jobs, and drive growth. Our ambition is that this economic corridor, enhanced by our investments in the Accelerator, will raise incomes among small- and medium-sized farm holders, especially women farmers, while also contributing to regional trade and market linkages – catalyzing the kind of agricultural growth needed to enable countries not just to provide for their own people but to become major food exporters.
And, we know that these investments in infrastructure and food security are also building greater climate resilience in a region battling the impacts of climate change. USAID has announced over $38 million in new research investments with a host of U.S. universities that will focus on developing climate-smart innovations to build resilience and support smallholder farmers in Accelerator countries specifically and across Africa more broadly.
But, we know that the United States government cannot do this alone, which is why we are excited that the private sector is joining us in this effort, with major companies such as Bayer and ofi, one of the largest coffee suppliers in the world, investing over $150 million in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. And, earlier this week, you may have heard from Bayer and ofi about the investments they are making. Bayer will invest $35 million in building a new seed production facility in Zambia, which is expected to open in March 2025. The hybrid seeds Bayer will produce will be sold across the region, contributing to a more integrated regional seed market that benefits smallholder farmers in neighboring countries. ofi, one of the largest coffee producers and exporters in Tanzania and Zambia, will invest $80 million over the next four years in Zambia and Tanzania coffee value chains. These investments will boost local economies and generate additional income for farming communities.
This kind of partnership – with the private sector, with local African leaders, with other donors, and beyond – will be vital to our efforts. Together, we will create an engine that can help feed hungry people, not just in these three countries, but across the African continent.
Today, USAID announced the release of the new 2024 Nothing Without Us: USAID Disability Policy. There are more than 1.3 billion persons with disabilities around the world – 80 percent of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. Any issue that affects humans – climate change, hunger, disease – often disproportionately affects persons with disabilities. Intentional, sustainable, and meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities in all areas of USAID’s work is therefore no longer an option – it is essential to realize our potential and meet our development goals.
The 2024 Policy is a comprehensive update to the 1997 USAID Disability Policy in response to stakeholder feedback and changes in the 21st century. At its core, the Policy reinforces USAID’s commitment to championing disability-inclusive development and the rights of persons with disabilities. The Policy, upheld by seven key operating principles, seeks to empower and elevate the lives of persons with disabilities by ensuring that USAID and our partners recognize, respect, value, meaningfully engage, include, and are intentional in supporting persons with disabilities and their representative organizations.
The Policy:
Updates our framework of understanding disability to a social and rights-based framework in which the goal is to remove societal barriers to participation of persons with disabilities in their communities;
Promotes the inclusion of persons with disabilities both in wider USAID programming and in activities focused specifically on persons with disabilities;
Underscores the importance of working with persons with disabilities and local disability-led groups across all phases of the program cycle;
Highlights promising approaches to disability inclusion in the full range of USAID programming areas.
The Policy is available at: https://www.usaid.gov/inclusivedevelopment/disability-policy
