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Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK statement for 75th session of the UNHCR Executive Committee

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    UK general statement delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley, at the 75th session of the UNHCR Executive Committee, October 2024.

    Location:
    Geneva
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Thank you, Chair, High Commissioner,

    Let me start by paying tribute to those humanitarians who have so tragically lost their lives in the past year – not least among them the UNHCR colleagues whom we have lost in the course of their duties in Lebanon. They have paid the ultimate price in their labour for peace and humanitarianism.

    We are deeply concerned about the escalating humanitarian situation in the Middle East and in Lebanon. The UK emphasises all parties’ obligation to comply with international humanitarian law and to ensure protection for civilians and civilian infrastructure. My government has been clear: the fighting must stop, the hostages must be freed, and there must be safe and free humanitarian access to those in need.

    Turning to the themes of the Executive Committee, as we face future uncertainties and ever-increasing global displacement, we need to continue to work in solidarity and in unity to find solutions. Forcibly displaced persons demand and expect that the international community takes responsibility.

    My government’s commitment to multilateralism and multilateral solutions is clear and deep-rooted. The UK will work hand-in-hand with UNHCR to respond to the growing list of protracted and emerging crises. We will tackle climate and nature emergencies and global development challenges together, by working for peace and promoting global economic development and growth to develop sustainable solutions. And we welcome the High Commissioner’s recent visit to London and the contact he has had with UK Ministers.

    But clearly, the situation in countries of origin needs international attention too. We need to address root causes and invest in early anticipatory action that builds resilience and independence. We need partnerships that promote local leadership. And we need to empower women and girls.

    Where needs arise, UNHCR must continue to provide protection for the most vulnerable. But clearly, more predictable and more sustainable support is needed so that increasingly stretched resources can be used more efficiently to keep pace with rising needs. UNHCR’s ongoing commitment to reform, efficiencies and effectiveness is an important part of this.

    The UK is committed to seeking sustainable solutions together. Not just because inclusion in national systems is the right thing to do, but also because it is the smart thing to do. And we support national ownership and the leadership of hosting countries, who I want to recognize here for their generosity, where this is in refugees’ best interests.

    This is why, at last year’s Global Refugee Forum, the UK highlighted the need to look beyond traditional humanitarian partnerships to galvanize joint sustainable action. And we have been working hard with our partners over the last ten months to put those commitments into action.

    We must be led by the needs of displaced people wherever and whenever we find them. But I want to point to two specific crises which demand our attention. Firstly, Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine in flagrant breach of the UN Charter. This year, the UK provided £100 million in humanitarian assistance and like my Czech colleague I want to pay tribute to the British people who have extended sanctuary to almost 300,000 Ukrainians since the start of the invasion.

    And Sudan which is perhaps the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis with almost 25 million people in need of assistance. Thank you, High Commissioner, for speaking out so clearly about the scale and horror of the conflict. We have provided almost £100m in assistance for Sudan this year.

    And finally, on statelessness, we are grateful to UNHCR for its leadership of the I Belong campaign. The achievements are a strong foundation on which to launch the Global Alliance, which the UK is honoured to join. We know statelessness can be ended, and we look forward to working with others on this shared mission.

    I’ll end by reiterate the UK’s gratitude to all UNHCR staff who tirelessly provide assistance to those who need it, so often in such difficult and dangerous circumstances. Let us, through the Executive Committee, show them our sustained support.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Coastguard station is ‘great news for both the team and the island’

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    After around 40 years in the same station, a coastguard rescue team on the Isle of Wight has a new home.

    Needles Coastguard Rescue Team standing outside their new station

    Needles Coastguard Rescue Team is now operating from its new station at Golden Hill Fort in the Freshwater area, offering a spacious, modern and well-equipped space to prepare for search and rescue missions.

    With a dedicated training room and washing and drying facilities, and located in the heart of the community, the team of 11 volunteers will be even more ready to respond to those in need.

    Senior Coastal Operations Officer Andrew Woodford said:

    This is great news for both the team and the island, as we are now in a much better place to respond to call outs and undertake training activities.

    The station is future-proof so it will be there for officers for years to come, it looks the part, and has all the facilities we need in a much more suitable space.

    A fit-for-purpose station is such an important part of coastguard training and response, so this is a brilliant addition to the service which will have clear benefits.

    After 12 months of planning and costing more than £200,000, the building and fit-out took around three months to complete, with the final touches added in October, marking its operational status.

    An official opening ceremony for the new station will take place later this year.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: CBB Governor receives PM Fellowship Program candidate

    Source: Central Bank of Bahrain

    Published on 28 October 2024

    Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain – 28 October 2024 – HE Khalid Humaidan, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, affirmed that the PM Fellowship Program reflects the Kingdom of Bahrain’s commitment to investing in its national workforce and engaging them in comprehensive development, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and in line with the vision of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

    HE the Governor received at his office Mr. Rashed Adel Kamal, the CBB employee selected as a candidate for the 10th intake of the Prime Minister’s Fellowship Program, and  congratulated him on his selection, wishing him ongoing success and benefit from the program’s opportunities.

    Mr. Kamal expressed his gratitude to HE the Governor for his continuous support for CBB employees in achieving their aspirations.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Nigeria: Escalation of mob violence emboldens impunity

    Source: Amnesty International –

    • At least 555 victims of mob violence recorded over the last decade
    • Upsurge of blasphemy killings fueled by alleged incitement from clerics
    • Allegations of corruption and policing failures perpetuating violence

    The failure of the Nigerian authorities to protect lives has led to a growing escalation of mob violence over the last decade, as people increasingly take law into their hands and carry out so- called ‘jungle justice,’ said Amnesty International Nigeria in a new report. 

    Instantly Killed: How Law Enforcement failures exacerbate wave of mob violence in Nigeria documents how victims accused of theft, blasphemy, shoplifting and witchcraft are beaten, tortured and killed with impunity and suspected perpetrators almost always get away with it. 

    Between January 2012 to August 2023, Amnesty International recorded at least 555 victims of mob violence (how many killed), from 363 documented incidents across Nigeria. Over the period of this investigation 57 people were killed by violent mobs; 32 were burnt alive, 2 persons were buried alive, while 23 people were tortured to death.

    “The menace of mob violence is perhaps one of the biggest threats to the right to life in Nigeria. The fact that these killings have been happening for a long time, with few cases investigated and prosecuted, highlights the authorities’ shocking failure to uphold and fulfil their obligation to protect people from harm and violence,” said Isa Sanusi, Director Amnesty International Nigeria.

    “The failure of law enforcement agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, to prevent mob violence, investigate allegations of torture and killings, and bring suspected perpetrators to justice, is empowering mobs to kill. The problem is compounded by weak and corrupt legal institutions and systems.” 

    Isa Sanusi, Director Amnesty International Nigeria

    Amnesty International’s research details cases of victims of mob violence that include at least 13 women, six children, and two people with actual or perceived mental health illnesses and/or psycho-social or intellectual disabilities. Cases of mob violence were documented in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones: South-South (82), South-East (43), South-West (98), North-Central (42), North-West (100), and North-East (26).

    In the southern parts of Nigeria, mob violence is mostly targeted at those accused of theft, of taking part in rituals or practising witchcraft. In northern Nigeria, it is mostly used against those accused of blasphemy and often endorsed by religious clerics. 

    Those with mental health conditions and psycho-social disabilities are consistently targeted by violent mobs that use their disabilities to make false accusations against victims and to justify lynching them. 

    “It is appalling that mob violence is gradually becoming the norm, often meted out in crowded areas, such as motor parks, market areas and busy roads. Victims were always tortured including by beating, stoning, or via the use of improvised weapons like sticks and metal rods,” said Isa Sanusi.

    Many of the victims of mob violence were targeted because of their social status, identities as members of religious or other minority groups. Other reasons for targeting victims include attempts to curtail the rights to freedom of expression, and freedom from discrimination due to gender or specific conditions, including against women, children, and people with psycho-social disabilities.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Biden Delivers Remarks at a Reception in Celebration of Diwali

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    The White House

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrStNWklWuo

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Somaliland elections: what’s at stake for independence, stability and shifting power dynamics in the Horn of Africa

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Brendon J. Cannon, Associate Professor, Khalifa University

    Somaliland is due to hold a presidential election on 13 November 2024.

    The results of the election will be important for two main reasons. First, what the leadership outcome will mean for Somaliland’s democratic credentials. Second, it will have implications for Somaliland’s push for recognition as an independent state.

    Thirty-three years ago, Somaliland declared its unilateral withdrawal from the Somali Union. It is an independent state in reality but unrecognised in law. Like other unrecognised states such as Taiwan, it doesn’t fly a flag at the United Nations in New York. It also suffers from a lack of access to global financing, and humanitarian and development aid, most of which must come via Mogadishu.

    Somaliland’s determination to achieve recognition was evident in January 2024 when it signed an agreement with neighbouring Ethiopia. Under this deal, Ethiopia would get access to the sea via a 19km strip of coastline, possibly near the port of Berbera (though three sites have been identified), and Addis Ababa would recognise Somaliland’s statehood. The agreement, which has yet to be ratified, was met with a storm of protests, including from Somalia.

    Somaliland is run by the ruling party, Kulmiye, which is led by Muse Bihi Abdi, Somaliland’s president since 2017. The party has been in power since 2010. The main opposition party is Waddani (also spelled Wadani), led by Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi (or Ciro/Irro).

    I have carried out a decade of research and fieldwork in Somaliland. In my view, this election carries weight in terms of Somaliland’s democratic health, as well as its prospects for peace and stability – within its borders and in the region.

    Somaliland’s democracy, like all democracies, relies on giving politicians and parties the chance to win elections. It is the voters who will decide who gets to run Somaliland next, and they face a clear choice between Kulmiye and Waddani.

    Political landscape

    Somaliland’s 2024 presidential election will be a test of its democratic institutions and a critical moment in its quest for independence.

    Kulmiye can point to milestones on the road to Somaliland’s recognition. It was in power when Somaliland and Taiwan (Republic of China) recognised one another and swapped diplomats.

    The party can also claim success for a strategy to get support from western states for Somaliland’s formal recognition. This includes the staffing and funding of Somaliland’s overseas missions in London, Washington DC and Dubai, among others. These act as non-accredited embassies for the country.

    Their work resulted in a non-official visit to Washington, DC by Bihi in 2022. The same year, a UK parliamentary delegation visited Hargeisa.

    Somaliland and Ethiopia also reached their agreement in January 2024. This is the closest Somaliland has come to gaining official recognition from another state.



    Read more:
    Somaliland has been pursuing independence for 33 years. Expert explains the impact of the latest deal with Ethiopia

    Like the ruling party, the opposition party Waddani fully supports the agreement with Ethiopia. It sees recognition from Somaliland’s huge neighbour – which also happens to host the headquarters of the African Union – as a first step to gaining official recognition.

    However, based on my recent interviews with a Waddani official, the party is likely to adopt a broader approach if it wins the upcoming election. Instead of focusing solely on western states like the US and the UK, Waddani plans to approach African and global south states, such as Senegal and Kenya, for support.

    This potential shift reflects an understanding that both regional and global dynamics are changing.

    Waddani’s broader diplomatic strategy is reinforced by its recent coalition with KAAH (the Somali acronym for Alliance for Equity and Development). KAAH is a young political association rather than a formal political party. Somaliland has a constitutional limit of three official parties.

    KAAH was formed, in part, by experienced politicians. In building a coalition, Waddani and KAAH hope to displace Somaliland’s current third party, the Justice and Welfare Party.

    KAAH’s support is partially based in Somaliland’s eastern region, which has experienced violent upheavals in recent years. This coalition promises to better incorporate the eastern regions and clans into the government should Waddani win.

    Regardless of the outcome of the election, one issue unites Somaliland’s political parties: the push for independence.

    Regional implications

    A peaceful election would reinforce Somaliland’s claim as a stable, democratic entity.

    Mogadishu should not expect any winds of change to blow from Hargeisa if Waddani wins. Three generations and counting have been raised in a de-facto independent Somaliland and they remember the violent dissolution from the Somali Union. This included the bombing of Hargeisa, the destruction of Berbera port and the displacement of thousands of people. Somalilanders largely support independence.

    Neither Waddani nor Kulmiye will be wishy-washy on this issue. And there will be forward movement on the Ethiopia-Somaliland agreement. This is likely to lead to increased tensions in the Horn region. As it is, Ethiopia and Somaliland are disturbed by the prospect of a resurgent Somalia supported by Egypt with arms and troops.



    Read more:
    Somaliland crisis: delayed elections and armed conflict threaten dream of statehood

    There won’t be a shooting war – Mogadishu still has far too many problems with al-Shabaab, clan infighting and a lack of resources and training. But history shows that states take extreme measures if they feel existentially threatened.

    Mogadishu’s stance is to retake Somaliland at all costs. And it has much of the world’s tacit support for its “one Somalia” policy. That makes Somaliland a textbook case of an existentially threatened state.

    Risks that lie ahead

    There are some risks of instability regardless of who wins the election.

    The Isaaq clan controls much of the political and economic landscape. This may intensify tensions, especially if minority clans feel sidelined. Waddani’s promise of inclusivity may appeal to marginalised groups, but clan-based grievances have grown over the past decade.

    There’s also the risk of unrest among Isaaq loyalists if power shifts too much. And allegations of electoral fraud or voter suppression could fuel protests.

    After 2022’s violent postponement due to election disputes, maintaining peace will require transparency, clan reconciliation and careful oversight to prevent renewed conflict.

    Despite these risks, Somaliland is again (better late than never) going to the polls. Regardless of who wins, this is good news for Somaliland and its ongoing push for independence recognition.

    Brendon J. Cannon 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.

    – ref. Somaliland elections: what’s at stake for independence, stability and shifting power dynamics in the Horn of Africa – https://theconversation.com/somaliland-elections-whats-at-stake-for-independence-stability-and-shifting-power-dynamics-in-the-horn-of-africa-242131

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Enlargement will remain a top priority in the Commission’s next mandate

    Source: European Commission (video statements)

    Title: Enlargement will remain a top priority in the Commission’s next mandate

    Description:
    Enlargement will remain a top priority in the European Commission’s next mandate.
    President Ursula von der Leyen has reaffirmed the EU’s commitments to the European future of our six Western Balkan partners during this year’s edition of the Western Balkans tour.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plJZfB5whmI

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Help create a fairer private rented sector in Westminster | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Westminster City Council is inviting tenants, landlords, property agents and anyone with experience or an interest in the private rented housing sector to have their say on the council’s proposals to introduce a new property licensing scheme in parts of the city.

    The scheme, if approved, would apply to private rented homes that are occupied by a family or a maximum of two sharers. It is known as selective licensing.

    The private rented sector (PRS) continues to grow across the country and Westminster has the largest PRS in England. With the ongoing national housing crisis, an increased shortage of social housing and home ownership unobtainable for many, private rented housing is often the only viable option.

    In 2021, the council introduced a boroughwide additional houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing scheme to improve safety standards for tenants living in small HMOs. The council want to ensure the safety of more residents and are now proposing that privately rented homes of all types (not just HMOs) should be licensed in 15 wards across the borough. This will help the council to tackle poor housing conditions and antisocial behaviour in the PRS.

    Councillor Matt Noble, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters, said:

    We know that most landlords and agents operating in Westminster provide homes that are safe, of a high standard and managed well. When properties are not safe and well managed, the impact upon the lives of tenants and the wider community can be detrimental. Sometimes this is because landlords are not aware of their responsibilities and sometimes this is because criminal landlords knowingly flout housing laws.

    “We want to ensure that all private rented properties are operating legally and, above all else, safe.

    “Before any decisions are made, we need the views of everyone in the borough, especially those that live in a private rented home.”

    Westminster City Council is consulting about a licensing scheme which, if it is introduced, could come into effect from spring 2026.

    The consultation runs until Sunday 19 January 2025, and everyone can share their views by visiting www.westminster.gov.uk/prs

    Paper copies will be available at libraries throughout the city and can be requested by emailing [email protected] or calling 020 7641 6161.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Giant Panda Naming Competition attracts overwhelming response and Giant Panda Painting Competition to conclude next Friday

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹To welcome the two giant pandas gifted by the Central Government to the Hong Kong family, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) announced the launch of the Giant Panda Naming Competition and Giant Panda Painting Competition on October 2. The submission period of the naming competition concluded yesterday (October 27). Over 22 600 submissions were received by the Ocean Park Corporation (Ocean Park), the co-organiser.
          
         A spokesperson for the CSTB said the overwhelming response received for the naming competition shows the public’s love for the giant pandas. 

         Submission period for the painting competition will conclude next Friday (November 8). The spokesperson encourages the public to continue to support and participate in the painting competition by capturing the adorable traits of the giant pandas through artwork. Details of the competition, including the terms and conditions, means for submission of entries, judging criteria and prizes, can be found at the Ocean Park’s dedicated website at https://www.oceanpark.com.hk/en/park-experience/giant-panda-campaign-2024/painting-competition-2024. 

         Results of the two competitions will be announced by the end of this year and winners will be notified individually by correspondence. 

         The two giant pandas have completed their one-month quarantine in the Ocean Park and are adopting to their new habitat. The CSTB will maintain close communication with experts from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Ocean Park, and, subject to the health and adaptation conditions of the giant pandas, arrange for them to meet the public by the end of this year.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Delegation of SPbGASU visited Lakhta Center

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Delegation of SPbGASU and representatives of the Leningrad Region Construction Committee: Alexander Glukhanov, Marina Malyutina, Roman Motylev, Anna Tsarenko, Andrey Nikulin, Evgeny Korolev, Olga Pastukh, Sergey Mikhailov, Svetlana Golovina, Alexander Dorozhkin, Galina Tokunova, Ekaterina Voznyak and Evgeny Enokaev

    A delegation from SPbGASU headed by First Vice-Rector Svetlana Golovina visited the Lakhta Center on October 22. The delegation included Vice-Rector for Educational Activities Sergey Mikhailov, Vice-Rector for Research Activities Evgeny Korolev, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy Marina Malyutina, Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Head of the Department of Technosphere Safety Andrey Nikulin, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering for Research Work Olga Pastukh, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering for Career Guidance Work Alexander Glukhanov, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering for Educational Work Anna Tsarenko, Head of the Department of Construction Organization Roman Motylev, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management Galina Tokunova and Dean of the Faculty of Architecture Ekaterina Voznyak. The visit took place with the support of the Leningrad Region Construction Committee and personally the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Evgeny Enokaev, as well as the Deputy Chairman of the Industrial Construction Committee, Oleg Razgulyaev.

    Representatives of SPbGASU visited the tallest building in Europe, discussed its design features and visited the observation deck on the 83rd–86th floors of the tower, which offers a breathtaking view of St. Petersburg from a height of 365 m.

    The Lakhta Center complex includes public and business buildings: the Gazprom headquarters, including office space and a transformable conference hall with 390 seats, a multifunctional public and scientific and educational center with a planetarium, and much more.

    In 2024, as part of the Russia exhibition at VDNKh, the approved concept for the further development of the complex was presented to the general public, including the construction of two more high-rises, 555 and 703 m high. The construction of the second of them, symbolically referring to the year the city on the Neva was founded, is planned to be completed by the 330th anniversary of St. Petersburg.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grand Bay-Westfield — 18-year-old man arrested in connection with firearm-related incident

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    An 18-year-old man from Grand Bay-Westfield, N.B., has been arrested following a firearm-related incident in Grand Bay-Westfield, N.B.

    On October 24, 2024, at approximately 5:25 p.m., members of the Grand Bay-Westfield RCMP responded to a complaint of a man with a firearm on River Valley Drive in Grand Bay-Westfield.

    When police arrived at the scene, they were able to quickly identify a person of interest. Shortly after, the 18-year-old man was arrested without incident near his parked vehicle. A firearm was also seized as part of the investigation.

    The man was later released on conditions pending a future court appearance.

    At the time, police believed the incident to have been isolated, and that there was no danger to the general public. No one was injured at the time of the incident.

    The investigation is ongoing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Echoes from Darfur Sudan

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    One and a half years into the conflict in Sudan, refugees are still fleeing to eastern Chad in search for safety, where they arrive at camps in dire conditions. Access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare facilities is limited. We met Aziz, Youssef, Salwa, and Amina to hear their stories of fleeing the Darfur region of Sudan and survival in eastern Chad.

    Aziz Adam, displaced from West Darfur

    “My family is incomplete here. My mom, my dad, seven of us siblings- there’s nine of us in total. But the war separated us. Some of my family made it out of West Darfur, but the rest haven’t joined us yet. 

    We fled in a state of panic, terrified of the war. We didn’t have time to take anything with us, and some of us even arrived barefoot. 

    We walked 20 kilometres to get here, on foot. Along the way, we encountered the Rapid Support Forces who threatened us. Some of the young men traveling with us were accused of belonging to the Masalit tribe. They were arrested and killed. We thought we would die too. I couldn’t imagine we’d survive.

    The memories of fleeing stay with me. When I think about the tragedies, what pain we left behind, there’s no way I can go back.

    But I hear some people say they would rather return to the war in Sudan than endure the hell we face in the camp.

    I got here in July of last year, so it’s been almost a year, and now I’m 24 years old. Our situation is tragic. We left one difficult situation, only to find ourselves in an even worse one. 

    We lack the basic necessities for living— drinking water and food. It’s been four or five months in Iridimi camp since we last received any food aid. 

    Now, my family and I are desperate. We need education, healthcare, and a better future. But the reality we live in is bleak. I feel stuck, caught between Sudan, where the future is uncertain, and Chad, where I don’t belong.”

    Salwa Saleh, displaced from South Darfur

    “We used to live an urban life, but we’ve been displaced from our cities. It’s hard to accept living in a camp. And even some of my family members are still in Sudan. They always say they won’t leave because Sudan is their country. We all hope the war will end soon, we all want to return to our homeland.

    The war took us by surprise. We left in such a rush that we didn’t have time to take any of our important belongings or memories. I left behind so many beautiful things in Nyala. My children lost their father; now they are orphans. To get here we had to journey from Nyala to Tina, and that usually takes two days. But it took us four. We passed through areas of fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces. It was terrifying and exhausting.

    I’ve been in this camp for a year and two months. Living here, it’s like living in a house without walls or a fence. We still suffer from a lack of food, clean drinking water, proper education, hospitals, and medical care.

    Before the war, we would go to work and return home to our children. We could easily meet our needs. But since the war started, life has become much more difficult. I hope for the day when life returns to normal, when we find security and stability. When our children can go back to their schools.

    I hope for a better future for my children. When the war in Sudan ends, I dream of having the chance to travel, completing my education, learning new languages, and finding a job. I want to provide for my children and support my family.”

    Youssef Mohamed, displaced from North Darfur

    “I think constantly, which makes it hard to sleep. My family is far away, the war is ongoing, and every day brings news of more deaths. I have my wife and two children, a boy and a girl, but they are all in Kabkabiya, about 156 kilometres west of El Fasher.

    I’ve been here for about eight months, and I’m originally from North Darfur, 57 years old now. I came here to Iriba in east Chad coming from Adre, looking for work, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find a job. I left my family behind for this, so it’s difficult. My wife, my brothers, and sisters are scattered in different places. My children have been out of school for almost a year. They haven’t studied since last June. The war has destroyed everything.

    I’ve been living with diabetes for 12 years. Before the war, I would go to Khartoum for treatment. I was in Khartoum when the war broke out. I spent a month there, then moved to Gezira State for five months before heading to El Fasher. Along the way, I faced harassment, beatings, threats, and humiliation from the armed forces.

    As a diabetic, I need regular medical care, including eye, liver, and kidney tests every three months. But since coming here, I haven’t found any of these services. The treatment for diabetes is either too expensive or unavailable in Chad. I also need a specific diet, but here, things like vegetables and fruits are hard to find.

    Before the war, I had my own office in the market and was the principal of a school. I used to grow beans, sesame, and maize, but the war disrupted all of that.

    Educating my children is the most important thing for me now, but they are still in Kabkabiya, and I don’t know their fate. Sometimes there are airstrikes, and I worry they might be hit because the area is at war.
    My mother, brother, and sisters live in Shaqra, but even there, no place in Sudan is safe from the shells. I brought with me only a few photos of my children and family, as well as some teaching materials on flash drives.

    I hope to return to Sudan. I want my children to go to school, for my family to be stable, and for Sudan to be better than it was before.”

    Amina Suleiman, displaced from Central Darfur

    “The war started in Zalingei, where I’m from, on 15 April 2023- the same day it started in Khartoum. We kept hoping it would end, but it didn’t. What I witnessed in Zalingei and during our displacement will never leave me. The memories are etched in my mind, and they haunt our children too. They are playing with sticks, pretending they have weapons. Children are living with the trauma of war.

    In Sudan, we used to hide under beds to shield ourselves from the bombings. Those memories are painful, but here, we face even greater hardships. I’m 24 now, and I don’t know if I have a future. The children here, some are two or three years old, they deserve something better.

    I’ve been living in this camp for a year and a month, since 4 August 2023. Life here is hard. We’ve only received financial aid five times since we arrived. And food and water are scarce. We normally get them every two days, but even sometimes it’s after waiting four days.

    There are no jobs here, even for those of us who are educated. Our situation is critical. We’re also facing a health crisis. There is no health centre in the camp. We don’t have specialist doctors for heart or eye diseases, and many are suffering, including women needing obstetric care. In our previous camp, that health centre didn’t have medicines.

    We need psychological support. Many of us have lost family members to the war. People are missing, scattered across Sudan, or still in Darfur. The war has torn us apart, separating us from our loved ones. All of us here in the camp are missing someone.

    If I had the choice, I’d rather return to Sudan, even if it meant dying there. That would be better than dying in this camp.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: FIFA/Saudi Arabia: Global law firm’s flawed human rights assessment of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup 2034 bid raises ‘deep concern’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    AS&H Clifford Chance’s assessment contains no substantive discussion of Saudi’s extensive and relevant abuses

    11 human rights groups, football supporters and worker organisations join forces to voice deep concern

    ‘FIFA must insist on a proper assessment and meaningful human rights strategy or its flagship tournament will be tarnished by severe human rights violations’ – Steve Cockburn

    A flawed human rights assessment of Saudi Arabia’s FIFA 2034 World Cup bid by AS&H Clifford Chance – part of the global partnership of London-based law firm Clifford Chance – leaves the global firm at risk of being linked to abuses which result from the tournament, 11 organisations said today.

    AS&H Clifford Chance, which is based in Riyadh and sits within Clifford Chance’s integrated global partnership, produced an “independent human rights context assessment” that was published by FIFA and has helped pave the way for Saudi Arabia to be confirmed on 11 December as the 2034 hosts, as is widely expected to happen.

    The assessment contains no substantive discussion of extensive and relevant abuses in Saudi Arabia documented by multiple human rights organisations and UN bodies. It formed the basis of Saudi Arabia’s human rights strategy for the tournament, which Amnesty International described as a “whitewash”.

    The 11 organisations – which include a Saudi Arabian diaspora organisation, Gulf human rights groups, and labour organisations, as well as Football Supporters Europe, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch – wrote to Clifford Chance’s Global Managing Partner setting out in detail all of their concerns with the statement, and invited the authors to publish an updated report. The firm, which says that it works in partnership with “some of the world’s leading NGOs and civil society organisations”, said in response last week that it would be “inappropriate” to offer any further comment on the report and shared a link to publicly available company policies.

    Dire human rights record

    Saudi Arabia’s already dire human rights record has deteriorated under the de facto rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has presided over a soaring number of mass executions, torture, enforced disappearance, severe restrictions on free expression, repression of women’s rights under the male guardianship system, LGBTI+ discrimination, and the killing of hundreds of migrants at the  Saudi Arabia-Yemen border. The country’s abusive Kafala (labour sponsorship) system, as well as the prohibition on trade unions and lack of enforcement of labour laws continues to lead to the widespread exploitation of migrant workers.

    The organisations have warned Clifford Chance that, through the production of its human rights assessment by AS&H Clifford Chance, there is a risk that the firm could be linked to potential adverse human rights impacts resulting from a Saudi Arabia-hosted tournament.

    In their memorandum to Clifford Chance the organisations set out and requested comment on three overarching concerns about the assessment. Taken together, these fatally undermine the report’s claim to provide an independent assessment of the human rights context in Saudi Arabia, relevant to the hosting and staging of the 2034 World Cup.

    • AS&H Clifford Chance agreed to a decision by FIFA and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to effectively exclude analysis of Saudi Arabia’s record on multiple critical human rights such as freedom of expression, LGBTI+ discrimination, the prohibition of trade unions, or forced evictions – either because Saudi Arabia has not ratified the relevant treaties or because the Saudi Arabian Football Federation did not accept them as “applying”. Any assessment that does not recognise these as relevant human rights risks for a World Cup in Saudi Arabia cannot be considered credible.
    •  The assessment made highly selective use of the findings of UN bodies on Saudi Arabia, leaving out damaging judgements. For example, it fails to reference one UN body’s concern at receiving reports that “torture and other ill-treatment are commonly practised in prisons”, or another which notes that “women and girls who are victims of sexual abuse risk facing criminal proceedings if they press charges”. It does not mention that Saudi Arabia is currently facing a labour complaint at the UN brought by Building and Woodworkers International, an international trade union. No reports by UN Special Rapporteurs are included meaning, for example, there is no reference to the imposition of the death penalty in relation to the Crown Prince’s flagship giga-project NEOM, or the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
    • There is no evidence that AS&H Clifford Chance consulted external experts, such as people who might be affected by human rights abuses linked to the tournament, Saudi Arabian human rights experts or organisations, international human rights organisations, or trade unions. No work by such groups is referenced. The report, for example, ignores Amnesty’s 2024 91-page report ‘Playing a Dangerous Game? Human Rights Risks Linked to the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups’.

    Amnesty has written to FIFA asking it to confirm on what basis the organisation agreed with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to limit the scope of the rights assessment conducted by AS&H Clifford Chance. As of 25 October, FIFA had not responded.

    James Lynch, FairSquare co-director, said: 

    “It has been clear for more than a year now that FIFA is determined to remove all potential obstacles to make sure it can hand Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the 2034 World Cup. By producing a shockingly poor report, AS&H Clifford Chance, part of one of the world’s largest law firms that makes much of its human rights expertise, has helped to remove a key final stumbling block.”

    Julia Legner, Executive Director of ALQST for Human Rights, a Saudi Arabian diaspora organisation, said:

    “AS&H Clifford Chance had the chance to write a credible assessment of risks that are relevant to the 2034 World Cup. Instead, they have produced an artificially limited, misleading and overly positive perspective, that serves only to whitewash the reality of abuse and discrimination faced by Saudi Arabia’s citizens and residents.”

    Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport, said:

    “The severe risks of hosting the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia are clear and well-known – without huge reforms, critics will be arrested, women and LGBTI+ people will face discrimination, and workers will be exploited on a massive scale. It is incredible that AS&H Clifford Chance omitted such glaring risks from its assessment and scandalous that FIFA paved the way for them to do so. FIFA must now insist on a proper assessment and meaningful human rights strategy or its flagship tournament will inevitably be tarnished by severe human rights violations.”

    Martha Waithira, Equidem investigator, said:

    “As a former domestic worker in Saudi Arabia from Kenya, I know that women like me are often treated like slaves. Women especially face sexual and other gender abuse. I’m in regular contact with workers in horrific situations in Saudi Arabia. Now, the hundreds of thousands of people expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia to build stadiums and clean hotels ahead of the World Cup are at great risk of severe exploitation and even death. How can these realities have escaped AS&H Clifford Chance’s attention?”

    Stated commitments to human rights

    The ‘Independent Context Assessment Prepared for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation in relation to the FIFA World Cup 2034’ can be found on FIFA’s website. FIFA’s Human Rights Policy, adopted in 2017, outlines its responsibility to identify and address adverse human rights impacts of its operations, including taking adequate measures to prevent and mitigate human rights abuses.

    Clifford Chance is one of the world’s largest law firms. It has made multiple commitments concerning its human rights responsibilities, including in its company code. The firm states on its global website that its client base in Saudi Arabia, delivered “through AS&H Clifford Chance” includes “key Saudi Ministries and government-owned entities as well as a wide range of government owned, privately and publicly held Saudi and international businesses, listed companies and financial institutions.” These Saudi clients include the Public Investment Fund. AS&H Clifford Chance is a joint venture between Clifford Chance and AS&H that has been registered in Saudi Arabia since 2023. It is integrated within Clifford Chance’s global firm, “follows [the global firm’s] processes and practices”, and employs a number of Clifford Chance partners, including a “Senior Clifford Chance partner”. The Independent Context Assessment refers readers to the global Clifford Chance website.

    Full list of signatories:

    FairSquare

    ALQST for Human Rights

    Amnesty International

    The Army of Survivors

    Building and Woodworkers International

    Equidem

    Football Supporters Europe

    Gulf Centre for Human Rights

    Human Rights Watch

    Middle East Democracy Center

    Migrant-Rights.org

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Michiganders or Michiganians? A linguist explains why the answer is clear

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Robin Queen, Professor of Linguistics, English Language and Literatures and Germanic Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan

    Beloved Michigander Aidan Hutchinson is no silly goose. Nic Antaya/Getty Images

    Growing up in the late 1970s, my best friend was from Michigan. Early in our friendship I asked her what someone from Michigan is called. “Michigander,” she replied. I laughed and said, “You mean like a goose?” Her older sister then chimed in that it was being changed to Michiganian. Michigander is sexist, she said, since gander refers only to a male goose.

    I spent the next two decades never questioning, or particularly thinking about, Michiganian.

    Then, I moved to Michigan. In over 20 years living here, I’ve never heard anyone say Michiganian. People from Michigan call themselves Michiganders.

    Even though it may seem rather trivial, there is endless interest in the Michigander-Michiganian question. News articles about this topic pop up fairly regularly, inevitably stating that:

    1. Both terms are recognized.

    2. Abraham Lincoln coined “Michigander” in 1848 to insult Michigan Gov. Lewis Cass, implying he was silly, weak and unserious.

    3. Govs. James Blanchard, John Engler and Jennifer Granholm used “Michiganian,” while Govs. Rick Snyder and Gretchen Whitmer prefer “Michigander.”

    4. The debate about which term is correct is ongoing.

    For the most part, though, the debate seems long over. Many Michiganders haven’t heard of Michiganian, as a recent text thread with my 19-year-old neighbor illustrates:

    ‘It’s just Michigander.’
    Robin Queen, CC BY-SA

    Regardless of whether there is – or ever really has been – a debate, the pas de deux between Michigander and Michiganian has an unusual history and peculiar twists and turns.

    As a linguist who works on issues related to authority in language and linguistic justice, I like to investigate how terms come to be understood as correct, and on whose authority those determinations are made.

    In the case of Michiganian and Michigander, Michiganian appears in style guides, and Michigander is the term most frequently used by people from Michigan.

    Rooted in an insult

    While it’s true that Lincoln called Cass “the great Michigander” as an unambiguous insult, the term Michigander appeared in print as early as 1838.

    Despite not having coined the term, however, Lincoln did likely play a part in its popularization by using it to malign Cass.

    Google’s NGram, which tracks how often terms appear in a large collection of print sources, shows Michigander has been used more frequently in print than Michiganian since around 1845.

    Michigander has outperformed Michiganian in print for over 175 years.
    Google NGram

    No specific law designates the use of one term or the other, but the terms do appear in two Michigan laws.

    The first is in the Older Michiganians Act, which was passed in 1981.

    The second is tied to the Historical Markers Act. The original act, established in 1955, used the term Michigander, but an amendment to it in 2002 changed the term to Michiganian. In 2017, the act was updated and the moniker was changed back to Michigander.

    Interestingly, the federal government, in the form of the U.S. Government Publishing Office’s Style Manual, specifies Michiganian as the correct term. This represents a change from Michiganite, which was the term specified in the Style Manual from 1945 to 2000, likely as a match to terms such as Wisconsinite.

    It’s difficult to know the origins of Michigander prior to 1848, but Lincoln did likely coin the term Michigander as a blend of Michigan and gander, leading to the possibility for goose jokes and humor. While other states have unusual monikers – such as Hoosiers for Indiana – none involves an animal pun like gander.

    The humorous aspect of Michigander is what likely keeps the articles, Reddit threads and friendly banter going.

    In 1947, the American journalist and essayist H.L. Mencken wrote, “The chief objection to Michigander is that it inspires idiots to call a Michigan woman a Michigoose and a child a Michigosling, but the people of the State have got used to this …”

    Funny or sexist?

    Gander humor reigns when it comes to Michigander. But perhaps more importantly, Michigander provides a greater sense of belonging and identity than Michiganian, despite the fact that there are those who find Michiganian has more finesse.

    That sense of identity is evident in the many pairings of Michigander with other charming things that are a part of living in Michigan, such as using your hand to show where in the mitten-shaped state you are from.

    How Michiganders explain where they’re from.
    (WT-en) TVerBeek at English Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA

    Given that gander designates a male goose, Michigander does raise questions about sexism.

    The rise in the use of Michiganian along with the fall of Michigander from the late 1970s to the early 2000s occurred alongside broader recognition of sexism in different realms of social life. It corresponds with a variety of changes to the terms people had been using, such as chairman, waitress and fireman. In 2024, it is unremarkable to refer instead to a chair or chairperson, a server, or a firefighter.

    So, why hang on to Michigander?

    Given that Whitmer is a proud and consistent user of Michigander, the most likely answer is that people from Michigan don’t feel the term is exclusionary. As a colleague of mine, a Michigan-raised feminist activist in her 60s, told me, “Do we not have real issues of sexism in the vernacular? I never heard anyone use any other term growing up.”

    Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has no qualms with Michigander.
    GIPHY News

    Over the past several days, I’ve asked over two dozen people who were born and raised in Michigan what they call someone from Michigan. To a person, they have said Michigander. They range in age from 19-89, have different gender identities and racial affiliations, and have a wide range of professions and political orientations.

    Only one had ever heard anyone referred to as a Michiganian, while a third had never heard the term Michiganian at all.

    My results reflect other poll results about these terms. A clear majority choose Michigander.

    When the people of Michigan say they are Michiganders, it’s odd to insist that they are Michiganians. And even those few, such as The Detroit News, who prefer Michiganian acknowledge that Michigander is more broadly preferred.

    Ultimately the debate rests on whether it’s the people from Michigan or some other entity, such as the Government Publishing Office, that decides which term should be used. If we grant the people of Michigan the right to name themselves, the verdict is clear.

    Robin Queen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Michiganders or Michiganians? A linguist explains why the answer is clear – https://theconversation.com/michiganders-or-michiganians-a-linguist-explains-why-the-answer-is-clear-241664

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 10/16/24: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    The White House

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Uys-DlUNA

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Brothers Join Navy Nuclear Engineering Program

    Source: United States Navy

    LOVELAND, Colo. (Aug 28, 2024) — Brothers Jacob Wheeler, 17, and Mark Wheeler, 19, of Loveland enlisted in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear engineering program this summer through Navy Recruiting Station Fort Collins. The brothers joined the Delayed Entry Program within weeks of each other with Jacob enlisting in July and Mark in late August. While their parents are unaware that Mark has joined, the brothers plan to surprise them at graduation with help from their recruiter, Aviation Electronics Mate 2nd Class Erika Bravo.

    The Wheeler brothers, born in Greeley and raised in nearby Kersey, come from a family rooted in hard work. Their father, an electrician, and their grandfather, a farmer, instilled in them a strong work ethic and an appreciation for hands-on skills. Jacob initially joined with plans to become a Navy SEAL and persuaded his brother Mark to enlist in the Navy’s nuclear engineering program, primarily for the educational benefits.
    “I convinced him,” Jacob said, adding that the nuclear program offers not only strong pay but also the potential for a high-paying career after their service.Mark, who was not initially set on joining the Navy, became intrigued by the technical education offered through the nuclear program.
    “They’ll teach me calculus, thermodynamics and nuclear physics,” he said. “That sounds fantastic!”

    Both brothers are excited about the educational opportunities. While Mark admits he isn’t fond of traditional schooling, he looks forward to the fast-paced, targeted learning environment of the Navy.
    “I don’t enjoy going to school,” Mark said, “but I love learning. This job is more about the knowledge than the pay for me.”

    After completing boot camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, the Wheeler brothers will attend Nuclear Power School in Charleston, South Carolina. The school, which lasts about two years, will train them to operate and maintain nuclear reactors aboard Navy submarines and aircraft carriers. Upon graduation, both Jacob and Mark will be promoted to E-4 and receive their contract bonuses.
    Although both will attend Nuclear Power School, the brothers are unsure if they will be stationed together after training.

    “There aren’t a lot of nukes in the Navy, so they need to spread us out,” Jacob said, though he remains hopeful they will attend school together, as he believes Mark would make a great tutor.
    The brothers are slated to ship out in November, before Thanksgiving. Their cousin, who lives in Chicago, has already warned them about the harsh winter weather in the Great Lakes, but the brothers are eager to take on the challenge. Jacob is especially excited about life aboard a Navy vessel. “It sounds fun!” he said.

    Looking beyond their service, Jacob is already considering his future.
    “If I still need more money after the Navy, I’m sure there are many opportunities for nuclear engineers,” he said.

    Jacob has long-term goals that include entrepreneurship and working with cars, while Mark is excited about the skills and experiences he’ll gain during his Navy career.
    The brothers’ family is mostly supportive, though their older sister isn’t thrilled that her roommates will be leaving. The brothers, who live with their older sister, also have younger siblings who don’t live with them. They see their Navy service as a way to set a good example for their younger siblings and feel proud of the path they are taking.

    Pets also play an important role in the Wheeler household. Mark’s cat, Katie, will stay with his fiancée while he’s away, while Jacob’s ball python and pit bull puppy will stay with family members until he completes his training. Both brothers are eager to reunite with their pets after graduating from Nuclear Power School.
    The Wheeler brothers are confident their decision to join the Navy’s nuclear engineering program will open doors to exciting careers, both during and after their time in uniform. As they prepare to embark on this journey, they do so with pride and a strong sense of family legacy.

    Navy Talent Acquisition Group Rocky Mountain encompasses Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and parts of Idaho, Nebraska and Kansas. It provides Navy recruiting services from more than 30 dispersed offices across the region.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor: “We will build a Britain where those who can work, will work”

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Ahead of Budget later this week, the Chancellor pledges work and welfare overhaul so people who can work, do work.

    • £240 million Get Britain Working package to include work, skills and health support for disabled people and long-term sick.
    • Benefit reform to be accelerated from this autumn to give more people access to employment support.

    Ahead of the Budget, the Chancellor has unveiled a £240 million cash-injection to accelerate the rollout of local services to help people back into work and drive down inactivity.

    The intervention comes as stark figures show that the UK remains the only G7 country that has higher levels of economic inactivity now than before the pandemic, with 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term sickness, which is holding back productivity and stunting growth. 

    The funding is partly set to go towards boosting the rollout of Get Britain Working “trailblazers” in local areas, which will bring together and streamline work, health, and skills support to disabled people and those who are long term sick.

    These trailblazers will focus on reaching people who are not normally in touch with the system, by enabling local areas to help them access existing support in skills, education, employment, or health but also testing new early interventions targeted at the specific barriers they are facing to work.

    Recognising that poor health is a key driver of economic inactivity, these trailblazers will also ensure work and skills support is better integrated with the health service, to ensure people get the joined-up health and employment support they need to get back into work and stay in work.

    The government will also work in close partnership with mayors to develop these trailblazers, to ensure these local services are tailored to meet the unique employment and inactivity challenges in different areas.

    Benefit reform is also set to be accelerated this year, with 800,000 people on the old Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) benefit to be moved onto Universal Credit (UC) from this autumn instead of 2028.

    This move will bring more people into a modern benefit regime, continuing to ensure they are supported to look for and move into work. 

    It comes ahead of the Get Britain Working White Paper – set to be unveiled later in the Autumn – which will set out the government’s ambitious plans for reform to break down barriers to work.

    The reforms will be underpinned by an approach of high expectation and high support as well as a belief in mutual obligations: the responsibility to work if you can, backed up by proper support and real opportunities to get a decent job.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:

    Due to years of economic neglect, the benefits bill is ballooning. We will build a Britain where people who can work, will work, turning the page on the recent rise in economic inactivity and decline and towards a future where people have good jobs and our benefits bill is under control.

    Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall said:

    Millions of people have been denied the opportunity to build a better life. This includes one-in-eight young people who have had their hopes of a brighter future dashed and written off before they’ve even begun.

    Through our Get Britain Working plan, we will ensure every young person is supported to find earnings or learning, while our new jobs and careers service will transform opportunity for all, as we deliver the fundamental reforms needed to tackle spiralling inactivity, grow the economy, and take our first steps to our ambitious 80 per cent employment rate.

    Unlocking barriers to work and tackling inactivity is at the heart of plans to improve living standards for everyone across the country and delivering on the central mission of driving growth.

    By creating more good jobs through investment, reforming employment support, fixing our NHS, making work pay through our Employment Rights Bill, and devolving power out of Westminster as set out in our forthcoming English Devolution White Paper, we will ensure many more people can benefit from the dignity and purpose that comes with work.

    These reforms will support more people into jobs alongside the Plan to Make Work Pay, that will make sure that those jobs provide security, a decent wage, and the genuine two-sided flexibility needed so people can thrive at work.

    This plan is central to the Government’s efforts to repair the damage done to the economy, fix its foundations, and rebuild Britain so it becomes a country of growth, not decline.

    Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce said:

    The high number of working age people who are economically inactive is a real and daily concern to employers. Many firms are struggling to fill job vacancies, and this is constraining their operations and profitability. 

    We welcome further cash investment into tackling economic activity. Businesses will be pleased to hear about plans to improve skills, health and employment support for people who want to work – alongside support for young people to start and build their careers.  

    It’s important these changes are delivered quickly to help firms develop thriving workforces, so they can grow and invest further in the years to come.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Could you provide an opportunity for a young person leaving care?

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Could you help change the life chances of a young person leaving care? If so, the Council would love to hear from you.

    We are asking businesses to consider offering a job opportunity to a care leaver. Compared with other young people locally, care leavers are around nine times more likely to not be in education, training or employment when they enter adulthood.

    Councillor Jemima Laing, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, said; “Care leavers are our city’s young people, and we need to work together as a city to ensure they have a successful future.

    “Care leavers face significant challenges over and above those normally experienced by our children and young people, but with the right support they can succeed in managing the move to independent living and a career. Supportive employers can play a vital part in ensuring they have the same opportunities in life as other young people.

    “Over the last five years, on average we have 180 young people leaving care in Plymouth every year.

    “We are very keen to hear from local employers who are willing to give our care leavers a chance, who can offer an apprenticeship, or a work placement for a vulnerable child trying to navigate the difficult path of leaving care and moving to independent living.  We are asking for your help to ensure that our care leavers get the same opportunities in life as other young people.

    “Offering a care leaver a job opportunity will give businesses a chance to invest in young people who have bright ideas and shows that they are a supportive organisation willing to give young people a chance at starting a career.”

    If you are thinking of offering an apprenticeship, the government offers a bursary which is paid to the apprenticed care leaver after they have maintained their apprenticeship for 60 days. The bursary aims to support care leavers as they move from care into independent living and work.  

    The Council has developed a free pastoral leadership programme through On Course South West, for managers and employers that employ care experienced young people. These programmes can be personalised for your business with flexible delivery options. The flexible programme includes short courses on safeguarding, trauma informed practice and mental health awareness, visit: On Course South West

    As an approved apprenticeship training provider, the Council can offer support to businesses to develop an apprenticeship or supported apprenticeship programme, contact apprenticeships@plymouth.gov.uk for more information.

    For more information, visit: Care leavers | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Calling on garden waste customers in Plympton!!

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Unfortunately, due to internal issues we are unable to pick up garden waste collections in the Plympton Erle and Plympton Chaddlewood area tomorrow (Tuesday 29 October).

    But don’t worry – collections have been rescheduled for Friday!

    We are sorry for the inconvenience.

    See the below list of roads that are impacted:

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First UK survey on sensory loss begins this month

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Published: 28 October 2024 at 11:36

    Project to provide robust data on vision and hearing loss starts in Cambridgeshire

    For the first time, robust data on the sensory health of the nation will be collected thanks to a study beginning this month in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

    The UK does not have an accurate set of data on vision and hearing loss, resulting in a lack of evidence to inform health policies and programmes, and is falling behind nations such as Trinidad and Tobago, Australia, USA, Nepal and Bangladesh that all have national sensory loss studies. It is estimated that 50% of all sight loss is avoidable.

    The UK National Eye Health and Hearing Study (UKNEHS) is a collaboration between sensory loss charities, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), leading eye and hearing care professionals and the public sector to record accurate data on vision and hearing health to give confidence to the NHS and policymakers when making vital decisions that affect people’s health.

    This NHS research study has received charitable and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) support funding to operate an initial study in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough that will see UKNEHS medical professionals visit households in randomly selected postcodes from late October this year until February 2025. The visits are first to introduce the study and then to invite those aged 50 years and older for a free local specialist eye and hearing assessment.

    The area has been chosen for its diverse population, rural and urban areas, and wide range of socio-economic factors.

    It is hoped that this initial study will lead to further funding for a UK-wide study that will, for the first time, give an accurate picture of the nation’s sensory health.

    Rupert Bourne, Professor of Ophthalmology at Anglia Ruskin University and Chief Investigator for the UKNEHS, said:

    “Hearing impairment costs the UK an estimated £30 billion each year and visual impairment, including sight loss and blindness, £28 billion.
     
    “Despite these huge costs, the datasets currently used in the UK are of limited value, due to a reliance on international data, or UK data samples that are either very small scale, or not generalisable to the population as a whole. There is subsequently no robust evidence-base upon which to design a prevention strategy or plan services for the future that meet the population’s needs”.
     
    “Our study aims to enable healthcare professionals and policy makers to understand why people are losing their sight and hearing due to preventable causes so they can target the right preventions, treatment, and public health services, providing support to people who really need it.”

    Phase one of the study has seen UKNEHS teams visit care homes in the area to survey the sensory health of residents. On one of these visits, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson observed teams carrying out their work.
     
    Dr Johnson said:

    “Having already seen what’s happened at local nursing homes in terms of the screening, it’s fantastic news that out and about in the near future there will be teams visiting different areas of the county, and local people in the community will have the opportunity to get involved in this study.
     
    “I’d really encourage people to take part and have their hearing and eyes checked.”

    Phase two of the study will involve the UKNEHS teams visiting 750 randomly chosen households in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Those who receive an invitation are encouraged to take part in this important national project whatever their vision or hearing status, including those who may be regularly seen by eye or hearing services. It is estimated that 1 out of every 5 people aged 50 plus have impaired eyesight or an eye disease that goes undetected.
     
    The UKNEHS has been developed by Anglia Ruskin University’s Vision and Eye Research Institute in cooperation with the College of Optometrists, the Thomas Pocklington Trust and a number of other partner organisations across the eye health and hearing sector.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi stresses building China into cultural powerhouse by 2035

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday emphasized focusing efforts to build the country into a powerhouse in culture by 2035.
    Xi made the remarks while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
    He stressed continuously developing a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the new era. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Chris Sun views worksite safety

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun today visited a construction site to call on contractors, employers and workers to pay attention to safety and health at work in confined spaces.

    The revised Code of Practice for Safety & Health at Work in Confined Spaces (CoP) published by the Labour Department earlier will take effect on November 30.

    Mr Sun said the Government has been encouraging the industry to provide a safer working environment, including wider adoption of the Smart Site Safety System in the construction industry.

    “Advanced technology and equipment will be applied to transmit video recordings taken at the entrance and exit of confined space worksites as well as continuous air-monitoring results inside the confined spaces through a central management platform, enabling the management to perform real-time safety monitoring and maintain proper records.

    “The system also helps to initiate evacuation and rescue procedures promptly in case of emergency to further improve occupational safety and health (OSH) in confined space work.”

    The department pointed out that the revised CoP provides proprietors, contractors, competent persons and certified workers engaged in confined spaces work with practical guidance and technical information.

    The CoP also imposes stricter requirements on proprietors and/or contractors to adopt technology to record videos at the entrance and exit of the confined space throughout the entire work period to monitor relevant personnel’s compliance with the safety precautions.

    The department will continue to conduct surprise inspections from time to time of workplaces carrying out confined space work, and check relevant work processes and equipment to ensure that workers’ OSH is safeguarded.

    If any violations of the OSH legislation are detected, stringent enforcement actions will be taken immediately without prior warning.

    The labour chief called on proprietors and contractors of confined space work to observe the revised CoP’s provisions, take adequate safety measures and strengthen supervision to prevent accidents.

    Workers also must raise their safety awareness and remain vigilant at all times, Mr Sun said, reiterating that the Government has long adopted the combination of legislation and enforcement, education and training, and publicity and promotion in striving to ensure workplace safety.

    He stressed that employers and employees also have the shared responsibility to help ensure OSH.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung TV Plus Hits 88 Million Monthly Active Users

    Source: Samsung

    As streaming expands consumer options and access to premium content, Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s free ad-supported TV (FAST) and on-demand (AVOD) service, has seen remarkable growth. Now with 88 million monthly active users and an over 50% increase in global viewership YoY, Samsung TV Plus’ audience scale and engagement make it the #1 app in the U.S. on the #1 TV brand.
    The service’s rapid expansion has been fueled by its core U.S. user base of Gen Zers, Millennials, and Gen Xers, who over-index in the key advertising 18-49 demographic. Samsung TV Plus continues to strengthen its global presence with recent launches in Singapore and the Philippines, and is soon to launch in Thailand, expanding its availability to 30 territories worldwide.
    As viewers grow wary of rising subscription prices and continue to pour into free alternatives, major publishers and content owners have embraced the opportunities in FAST and AVOD. Samsung TV Plus has become a key pillar in the distribution strategies of many of the world’s most established media companies, sports leagues, independent studios, and creators.

    With a wealth of free premium content, Samsung TV Plus has carved out a unique offering across a wide array of genres with more than 3,000 channels and tens of thousands of on-demand options that keep audiences coming back. The service’s viewership growth is propelled by increased consumption across both linear and AVOD, with on-demand viewing surging more than 400% YoY globally, and making it an even more powerful engine for audience engagement.
    “The success of Samsung TV Plus reflects our commitment to delivering a superior user experience with high-quality content that resonates with consumers. When we embarked on this ambitious journey, our vision was to offer a premium streaming alternative that was both simple to use and free. The strategic bets we made nearly a decade ago have established a strong foundation for a service now enjoyed by 88 million streamers each month, and the path ahead is bright and promises continued growth well into the future,” said Salek Brodsky, Senior Vice President & General Manager at Samsung TV Plus.

    For advertisers, Samsung TV Plus brings together curated fan-favorite content with the sophisticated audience targeting and full-funnel performance marketing and measurement capabilities of digital. In addition to over-indexing in the 18-49 demographic, Samsung TV Plus also over-indexes on primetime and late-night viewing in the U.S. Samsung Ads offers several innovative ad solutions on Samsung TV Plus, ranging from Contextual Audience Collectives around top-performing content genres to interactive shoppable ad and gaming experiences designed to drive outcomes.
    “As the ad-supported streaming ecosystem continues to surge in popularity, Samsung TV Plus has emerged as a clear favorite among viewers across key demographics, with advertisers in prime verticals already leveraging its immense opportunity,” said Michael Scott, Vice President, Head of Ad Sales & Operations, Samsung Ads. “With today’s announcement, it’s evident that our viewers continue to be super leaned in and engaged, choosing to return time and time again. For advertisers looking to drive outcomes and prove results, Samsung TV Plus brings together the best of TV and streaming to offer an effective and measurable performance-driven solution.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pavement Parking Ban to be enforced from January 2025

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance pedestrian safety and prevent damage to pavements.

    The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 prohibits pavement parking, double parking, and parking across dropped kerbs.

    A national campaign has been underway to raise awareness of these new regulations. The law aims to improve the safety of pedestrians, particularly those with mobility issues, visual impairments, and parents or carers with pushchairs.

    Additionally, pavements are not designed to bear the weight of vehicles, and persistent parking can cause significant damage.

    Local authorities now have the power to enforce this law and issue fines through Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) of £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.

    Perth and Kinross Council will begin enforcing these new rules on January 6, 2025. However, advisory notices are now being issued to educate the public about the new legislation.

    Councillor Eric Drysdale, convener of Perth and Kinross Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee said: “Vehicles parked on pavements stop people from walking safely down streets and can be particularly hazardous for people with disabilities or those pushing prams or buggies, especially if they are forced onto the road to get by.

    “They can also cause damage to pavements, causing a trip hazard and are expensive to repair.

    “Councils have been able to enforce the ban on pavement parking since last year. We’ve reviewed around 2,000 streets in Perth and Kinross and will be focusing our efforts on those area where we know it is a particular problem for residents.

    “But our hope is that people will be aware of the new rules and will park appropriately and safely so there is little need to issue fines.”

    Cindy Godfey-McKay, chair of the Centre for Inclusive Living in Perth, said: “Pavement parking is a complex problem that can cause real problems for pedestrians, but particularly for wheelchair users, people with mobility or visual impairments and those with prams or buggies.

    “The difficulty for me, being registered blind, with approximately 15% residual vision, and regularly using a wheelchair, due to rheumatoid arthritis, is that if there is a vehicle is on the pavement, I don’t see it until the last minute, then I have the difficulty of knowing where the next drop kerb is, to go down and around the vehicle.

    “This could mean me having to go along the road for quite a distance, as I can’t see where the drop kerb is to go back up onto the pavement, after the vehicle. This is a very difficult and dangerous thing to have to do.”

    Certain exceptions to the ban are permitted under the Act. These include:

    • Police, ambulance, Scottish Fire and Rescue Services, HM Coastguard, or naval or air force purposes.
    • Roadworks, removal of traffic obstructions, waste collection by local authorities, or postal services.
    • Urgent or emergency health care by registered medical practitioners, nurses, or midwives.
    • Assistance at an accident or breakdown.
    • Delivering or collecting goods, provided the vehicle is parked for no longer than necessary (up to 20 minutes).

    Incorrect parking on footways, double parking, and parking at dropped crossings can be reported using the My PKC service. While every report will be reviewed, the Council may not always be able to attend every street where incorrect parking is reported

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Parks Canada commemorates Construction of Prince Edward Island Railway as National Historic Event Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque unveiled in Charlottetown at Founders’ Hall 

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Parks Canada commemorates Construction of Prince Edward Island Railway as National Historic Event

    October 28, 2024            Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island            Parks Canada

    Today, Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), unveiled a plaque highlighting the Construction of the Prince Edward Island Railway as a National Historic Event at Founders’ Hall in Charlottetown. Harry Holman, the HSMBC board member representing Prince Edward Island, was joined by Sean Casey and representatives of PEI’s tourism and heritage communities, to celebrate the designation and reflect upon this significant event that led to Prince Edward Island becoming a part of Canada. 

    The construction of the Prince Edward Island Railway between 1871 and 1875 created a transportation link across the Island that stimulated employment and generated economic and commercial opportunities. The construction project quickly exceeded its budget, however, and this led to Prince Edward Island joining Confederation on 1 July 1873, with Canada assuming the Island’s railway debt as part of the agreement. The Island had originally hosted the 1864 Charlottetown Conference which resulted in the British North American colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada (now Ontario and Quebec) joining to form the Dominion of Canada on 1 July 1867, but Prince Edward Island had not joined Confederation in the original union.

    The Government of Canada, through Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. The designation process under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,260 designations have been made nationwide.

    National historic designations illustrate the defining moments in the story of Canada. Together, they tell the stories of who we are and connect us to our past, enriching our understanding of ourselves, each other, and our country. Heritage places provide a wide range of cultural, social, economic, and environmental benefits to their communities.  

                                                                                                                                             -30-

    Hermine Landry
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    873-455-3714
    hermine.landry@ec.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Opportunity for media to see future Canadian lunar rover

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Media advisory

    Longueuil, Quebec, — On , media are invited to attend a demonstration of the future Canadian lunar rover. The event will take place from to on the analogue terrain outside the Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA‘s) John H. Chapman Space Centre.

    The rover will undergo operational tests on an obstacle course, on a surface and in light conditions that replicate the Moon’s south pole. Media are welcome to take photos and videos during the demonstration. Representatives from the CSA and Canadensys will be available to answer questions.

    Media are expected to arrive by . Spots are limited: interested parties are required to register with the Media Relations Office. The event will proceed if weather conditions are favourable; registered media will receive confirmation on the day itself.

    – 30 –

    Contact information

    Canadian Space Agency
    Media Relations Office
    Telephone: 450-926-4370
    Email: asc.medias-media.csa@asc-csa.gc.ca
    Website: www.asc-csa.gc.ca
    Follow us on social media

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Ecuador: One year into his term, president Noboa must avoid abuses and opacity in security policies

    Source: Amnesty International –

    On the eve of President Daniel Noboa’s first year in office, the evidence suggests that human rights have suffered under the current administration, Amnesty International said today in a briefing detailing its concerns, ahead of the UN Human Rights Committee’s review of Ecuador, which begins today in Geneva.

    In the face of rising violence, the President has opted for a hardline approach to security policies, labelling drug-trafficking organizations as “terrorists”, declaring an “internal armed conflict”, and continuously renewing states of emergency, as part of the so-called “Plan Fenix.” Amnesty International is concerned about allegations of human rights violations committed in this context, including thousands of arrests with little evidence of due process, torture and other ill-treatment inside prisons, and extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances, allegedly committed by the armed forces during security operations. These operations have been conducted with opacity, and human rights defenders denouncing violations have faced stigmatization by high-level authorities, including the president.

    “Exceptional powers restricting human rights that were intended as temporary have become the new norm in Ecuador, and the negative impact has become clear. People in Ecuador deserve to live in safety without having to give up their human rights,” said Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International. “The international community has a key role in demanding transparency and accountability of Ecuadorian authorities, and the time to do so is now. The United States, which provides significant funding to Ecuador, must ensure that security assistance is not used to undermine human rights.”

    Exceptional powers restricting human rights that were intended as temporary have become the new norm in Ecuador, and the negative impact has become clear. People in Ecuador deserve to live in safety without having to give up their human rights. The international community has a key role in demanding transparency and accountability of Ecuadorian authorities, and the time to do so is now.

    Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why donors should ask local communities what matters to them while deciding what success looks like

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Erin K. McFee, Professor of Practice of Climate Security, National Defense University

    Members of the Leonor Cuadras cooperative sort nursery-grown oysters in La Reforma, Mexico, in December 2023. Jonathan Röders, CC BY-ND

    Have you ever asked a teacher whether something will be on an upcoming test to decide whether to closely pay attention to a particular lesson? Taken the long way back from a lunch break to get enough exercise to meet a goal monitored by a fitness app? Logged on to a virtual meeting to be seen showing up, even as you worked on other tasks?

    It’s human nature to adapt your behavior to meet evaluation criteria – even when meeting those targets comes at the expense of attaining more meaningful goals. Most donors, whether they are governments providing foreign aid, foundations making grants or individual people who give nonprofits money, expect or demand reports on what was accomplished with their funding. And what is measured for that purpose and how it’s measured tend to shape entire programs – often missing the mark on what truly matters to the communities involved.

    While spending years conducting fieldwork everywhere from Colombia to the Kenya-Uganda border as a political anthropologist and a political scientist, we’ve witnessed firsthand the absurdities of the bureaucratic hoops people must jump through to access vital aid. We’ve watched both genuine efforts to abide by the guidelines donors set and the cynical exploitation of them. We have also spent years engaged in international development efforts, both with and through nonprofits that sought to resolve some of the world’s most intractable problems.

    There’s a glaring and crucial question we’ve rarely heard asked when projects are being designed: What does success look like to the people meant to benefit from development funding?

    Promoting environmental sustainability

    We conducted an exploratory field study in La Reforma, a small coastal town located in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.

    We focused on the Leonor Cuadras Oyster Aquaculture Cooperative, a locally led initiative supported by the seafood company Marine Edén and SUCEDE, a Mexican nongovernmental organization that’s dedicated to promoting individual, social and environmental well-being in La Reforma and other nearby communities.

    This particular project sought to create jobs for women in La Reforma, while promoting environmental sustainability through oyster farming. The cooperative’s objectives included empowering women, fostering collective work and contributing to local environmental restoration by improving water quality through oyster filtration. Traditional metrics for projects like this would tally labor hours, harvest size and jobs created – all important but incomplete insights into the whole story.

    Our study was unusual because it was designed as an exploratory effort to help shape future metrics in a participatory manner. We sought to understand the cooperative’s internal dynamics and challenges so we could create metrics that reflected what the cooperative members wanted and needed.

    After several weeks of fieldwork, multiple focus group discussions and eight interviews with people involved in the cooperative in the last quarter of 2023, we found that success is not solely defined by the number of oysters they produce or the dollar signs next to their names in a report submitted to donors.

    In their view, success is framed around dignity, gender equity and the well-being of their families and the environment. We also learned that their work together had increased a sense of collective commitment to the project and each other.

    Measuring success in terms that make sense to locals

    Most donors love numbers. They want to know how many people attended an event, how much money was spent, how many widgets were produced. But while such outcomes are easily measurable, they are not always meaningful.

    In La Reforma, the women who belong to the Leonor Cuadras cooperative told us that they define success differently. Their primary goal isn’t just to grow oysters. They see their co-op as a tool for social transformation, not just a source of income.

    One woman we’ll call Aurelia to protect her anonymity proudly shared that working with the cooperative has proved that “we can do things on par with men.”

    Julia, another cooperative member, put it this way: “We are not just working for ourselves – we are working for the future of our families and our community.”

    This version of success includes improving their family’s prospects and safeguarding their marine environment for future generations. As the oysters they grow naturally filter and clean the bay’s waters, so too does their collaborative work improve the social fabric of this violence-affected community in ways that won’t show up on a balance sheet.

    Finding participatory approaches

    When donors impose their own frameworks and set their own goals for the projects they fund, they usually miss what truly defines success for local communities. In La Reforma, the women are acquiring technical skills related to oyster farming, but they seem to see more value in the empowerment that comes with leading a project that reflects their realities and needs.

    If the cooperative’s donors had chosen to focus on traditional production metrics, such as the number of participants, the scale of the harvest and the hours of labor involved, they would have surely overlooked the deeper social shifts, such as women’s leadership in a male-dominated profession or a greater commitment to collective well-being.

    What if, instead of dictating outcomes from the start, donors worked collaboratively with communities to define success? The cooperative’s members want independence. They hope that someday they will run their own oyster farms or support other aquaculture initiatives. These are aspirations that don’t fit into traditional donor checkboxes. But that kind of approach is critical for the project’s sustainability.

    Some donors and development agencies are beginning to integrate this approach. For example, the International Organization for Migration consults with community members when writing performance reviews. Some donors have embraced an approach called trust-based philanthropy, which largely removes reporting burdens altogether. They focus instead on collaborative relationships with their grantees.

    What is measured matters. It can shape the goals and the limits of projects long before a single dollar is spent.

    Setting goals that are more relevant to local conditions requires a radical shift in how development projects are designed and evaluated. Rather than imposing predetermined outcomes, we believe that it is crucial to ask of the communities and individuals on the ground: What does success look like to you?

    Erin McFee is the founder and president of the Corioli Institute, which conducted this study. The research for this article was funded by the UK Research and Innovation Future Leader Fellows Program. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect official policies or positions of the National Defense University, the Department of Defense or the U. S. government.

    Jonathan Röders is Director of Projects & Programs at the Corioli Institute, which conducted this study. His contribution to this research was funded by UK Research and Innovation.

    – ref. Why donors should ask local communities what matters to them while deciding what success looks like – https://theconversation.com/why-donors-should-ask-local-communities-what-matters-to-them-while-deciding-what-success-looks-like-241196

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US math teachers view student performance differently based on race and gender

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Yasemin Copur-Gencturk, Associate Professor of Education, University of Southern California

    Teachers hold different views on why girls are good at math than they do for boys. Maskot via Getty Images

    Teachers report thinking that if girls do better in math than boys, it is probably because of their innate ability and effort. But they also report that when boys do well in math, it is more likely due to parental support and society’s higher expectations for their success.

    That’s what we discovered from 400 elementary and middle school math teachers we surveyed across the country for our new study. The purpose of the study was to learn more about how teachers explain students’ success and failure in math.

    We found that the variation in views among educators is not limited to the gender of students. Teachers also hold contrasting views about math performance when it comes to students’ race and ethnicity, our study found.

    More specifically, we found that when Black and Hispanic students outperform Asian and white students, teachers are more likely to think it’s because of effort and differences in their cognitive abilities. In contrast, when Asian and white students outperform others, teachers attribute it to the support and expectations of others, such as from parents and society as well as cultural differences that value math learning.

    To reach these conclusions, we conducted an experiment. In the experiment, teachers were first asked to help us by reviewing student responses to items on a math test we were developing. After they rated the student responses, we randomly assigned teachers to conditions telling them that one group – either boys or girls, Black and Hispanic or Asian and white – performed better on this test. Then, we asked the teachers to rate their agreement with a set of potential explanations for the disparity. These potential explanations included statements such as, “Boys often pay more attention and follow directions in class compared with girls.”

    After teachers had rated their agreement with these explanations, we asked them about their personal beliefs and experiences with gender and racial discrimination in math classrooms. We analyzed how these beliefs related to their explanations of performance differences.

    We found that teachers were more likely to attribute the success of girls and Black and Hispanic students to internal factors, such as ability and effort, whereas they were more likely to attribute boys’ and Asian and white students’ success to external factors, such as parental involvement and cultural differences.

    We also observed that teachers who reported personally experiencing racial discrimination in math classrooms when they were students were more likely to agree that ability was responsible for Black and Hispanic students’ higher performance.

    Why it matters

    How teachers explain student performance can affect their expectations of students. It can also affect how they teach and how they emotionally respond to student needs.

    For example, research has shown that when teachers attribute students’ failure to a lack of effort, they tend to maintain higher expectations of students and encourage them to expend more effort next time. When they attribute student failure to a lack of ability, however, evidence shows that teachers are more likely to lower their expectations and express more pity. Lowered expectations and feelings of pity can be internalized by students. This can in turn lead them to assume that they have low ability and expect to fail more often in the future.

    Findings from our study show that teachers tend to explain students’ failures and successes differently based on which social group performed better than another. Sometimes, these attributions were consistent with stereotypes, such as attributing the higher performance of white and Asian students to their parents and culture.

    What still isn’t known

    Our research, along with that of others, shows that implicit biases exist in math classrooms. These biases influence how teachers view students’ abilities and explain their performance. However, most existing anti-bias training interventions are not very effective.

    Researchers need to develop new types of training to combat these biases in math classrooms, which could help improve teaching and reduce cognitive and emotional burdens that students experience.

    Yasemin Copur-Gencturk receives funding from the NSF, IES, and Herman & Raseij Math Initiative.

    Ian Thacker receives funding from the Spencer Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

    Joseph Cimpian receives funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Science Foundation, and the Spencer Foundation.

    – ref. US math teachers view student performance differently based on race and gender – https://theconversation.com/us-math-teachers-view-student-performance-differently-based-on-race-and-gender-241418

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why do we use gasoline for small vehicles and diesel fuel for big vehicles?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michael Leamy, Woodruff Endowed Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Green pump for diesel, blue for gas – but what’s the difference? Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

    Why do we use gasoline for small vehicles and diesel fuel for big vehicles? – Methdini, age 15, Sri Lanka

    Gasoline fuels most light-duty vehicles, such as passenger cars and pickup trucks. Heavy-duty vehicles, like buses, delivery trucks and long-haul tractor-trailers, typically run on diesel.

    Both fuel types are needed because gasoline and diesel engines have different strengths. As my automotive engineering students learn, this makes them suitable for different uses.

    Let’s start with what they have in common. Gas and diesel engines both work through a process called internal combustion.

    • First, they mix fuel with air because the fuel needs oxygen from the air to burn.

    • Next, they compress the fuel-air mixture, which makes the mixture hot enough to burn.

    • Then the engine burns the mix of fuel and air, releasing heat. This creates high pressure, which moves internal parts that make the car move.

    • Finally, the car releases spent combustion gases to the atmosphere through its tailpipe. These gases contain pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and unburned fuel, that are harmful to human health, as well as carbon dioxide, which warms Earth’s atmosphere.

    How a gas-powered internal combustion engine converts chemical energy in gasoline into kinetic energy that makes the car move.

    Different engines for different jobs

    Gasoline and diesel fuel are both made from crude oil, a fossil-based energy source. But they have different chemical properties that require different types of engines.

    In a gas engine, a small device called a spark plug ignites the compressed fuel-air mixture. It uses hundreds of thousands of volts to create an electrical arc that can start the burn, much like striking a flint rock against another stone.

    Diesel fuel is harder to ignite and slower to burn than gasoline. But if it is compressed enough, it will ignite without a spark. And this higher compression results in higher efficiency, so vehicles powered with diesel get more miles per gallon. That’s important for transporting goods and people as economically as possible – one reason why most buses, trains and large trucks run on diesel.

    Diesel engines tend to be more expensive than gas engines, since they need sturdier parts to withstand the higher temperatures and pressures they produce. But they also last longer than gasoline engines. This is a plus for vehicles such as long-haul trucks that need to go many hundreds of thousands of miles between engine overhauls.

    So why do passenger cars use gas? One reason is that diesel engines’ higher compression and temperature make them noisier, especially at higher frequencies that humans find annoying. Diesel engines also produce higher levels of fine particle pollution, known as PM 2.5, that has been linked to many human health risks.

    These trade-offs typically lead consumers to prefer cheaper, quieter gasoline engines in cars they drive for work and pleasure. Efficient, long-lasting diesel engines are more attractive to companies hauling goods and transporting large numbers of people.

    Beyond internal combustion engines

    In the future, transportation may not use gas or diesel at all. Some cars and light trucks – models known as hybrids – already use gas or diesel together with batteries and electric motors, or run entirely on electricity. And cities across the U.S. are investing in electric school buses, which are lower-polluting and cheaper to maintain than diesel buses.

    Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles promise to result in far fewer emissions of toxic gases and carbon dioxide – especially if they are recharged with electricity produced from renewable sources like wind and solar power. These vehicles will be quieter than gasoline and diesel models and also cheaper to maintain, since they have fewer moving parts. Gasoline and diesel vehicles will remain in use for years to come, but they no longer represent the forefront of transportation innovation.

    Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

    And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

    Michael Leamy receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, General Motors, and other government agencies and corporations.

    – ref. Why do we use gasoline for small vehicles and diesel fuel for big vehicles? – https://theconversation.com/why-do-we-use-gasoline-for-small-vehicles-and-diesel-fuel-for-big-vehicles-235084

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –