NewzIntel.com

Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Russia: About three thousand students from Moscow colleges underwent advanced training at Rudnev

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Almost three thousand students from Moscow colleges have undergone in-depth training in in-demand industrial specialties in the innovative educational space “Rudnevo”. At the unique site, students can practice their skills in conditions as close to real ones as possible. This was reported by Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.

    “Our goal is to train specialists in Moscow colleges who will be able to perform real tasks immediately after completing their studies. To do this, together with our partner employers, we are replacing outdated equipment, updating educational programs and creating new sites for practical training of students. The flagship center “Rudnevo”, opened in October last year, has become an important part of this work. The site conditions are as close as possible to production. Moreover, it is located in an industrial park where operating enterprises are located. During the operation of the center, almost three thousand students have been trained here, and this is only the beginning. Students from several colleges at once can practice practical skills here,” noted Anastasia Rakova.

    The flagship center for practical training of Moscow colleges “Rudnevo” is a high-tech educational and production complex, which is part of the special economic zone “Technopolis Moscow”. On an area of more than nine thousand square meters there are 21 workshops and laboratories equipped with modern equipment.

    Students can develop skills needed for work in such areas as mechanical engineering, electronics, industrial automation, aviation industry and unmanned aircraft systems. The unique educational platform allows for practical classes to be held simultaneously for students from several colleges.

    Putin and Sobyanin opened an innovative practical platform in Rudnev

    The center has all the conditions for studying: each student has their own work place, and a coworking space is equipped for group projects. The territory has a canteen with free hot meals for students on a budget form of education and a cafe where dishes are prepared by students of the capital’s food colleges.

    Practical classes are conducted by 42 masters of industrial training from Moscow colleges and 40 specialists from industrial enterprises. Large companies are participating in the development of training programs, in particular the capital’s machine-building plants Avangard and Skorost, the joint-stock company Kronshtad, the developer and manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles and software for their autonomy Gaskar and many other organizations.

    The center also cooperates with the country’s leading engineering universities, including the Moscow State Technological University “Stankin” and the Moscow State Technical University named after N.E. Bauman. This allows students to obtain relevant knowledge and skills that meet the requirements of the modern labor market.

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/151445073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Memory of the Great Victory: the conference “Front City Leningrad” was held at the Polytechnic

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    On March 14 and 15, the second international youth conference “Front City Leningrad” was held in St. Petersburg, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The organizers were Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and the State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad.

    The event was held with the support of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, the Archive Committee of St. Petersburg, the Committee for Science and Higher Education of St. Petersburg. The organizing committee included representatives of St. Petersburg universities.

    The grand opening of the conference took place in the White Hall of SPbPU.

    The conference we are holding is truly significant. Such events are simply necessary now. We need to pay close attention to history and issues related to the existence of our state. We must pass on information about those important events and the heroic deeds of each person who took part in them from generation to generation. Through history and traditions, we create the unity of society, – welcomed the guests the first vice-rector of SPbPU Vitaly Sergeev.

    On behalf of the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, Alexander Belsky, the participants were greeted by his deputy, Pavel Itkin.

    In today’s times, it is more important than ever for us to remember the great feat of our fathers and grandfathers, to pay great attention to the patriotic education of new generations. You are our hope and the future of our national history and science, – Pavel Itkin read.

    Chairman of the Committee on Science and Higher Education of St. Petersburg Andrei Maksimov conveyed greetings from the Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov and spoke about the competition of student and postgraduate works on the study of the defense and blockade of Leningrad.

    It is wonderful that the conference is becoming a good tradition, that all leading universities of St. Petersburg are taking part in this work. This is very responsible and important. You are the young generation, and thanks to you our society will be formed in the future. Therefore, knowing the past, you will be able to draw the right conclusions and choose your path, – said Andrey Maksimov.

    The acting director of the State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad, Anatoly Perebykovsky, also addressed the conference participants.

    It is a special honor for us to unite young people from various universities, scientific and educational institutions. The large number of applications for the conference speaks of the interest in preserving historical memory, which is more important today than ever, – emphasized Anatoly Perebykovsky.

    The participants were also greeted by the Chairman of the Committee on Youth Policy and Interaction with Public Organizations Bogdan Zastavny and the Chairman of the Archive Committee of St. Petersburg Petr Tishchenko.

    At the end of the official part, those gathered observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Leningrad blockade.

    The conference participants were young scientists, postgraduates, and students from Russian and foreign universities under the age of 35.

    The plenary session was held at the Polytechnic University. The moderators were the director of the Higher School of Social Sciences of the Humanities Institute of SPbPU Anastasia Lisenkova, associate professor of the Higher School of Social Sciences of the Humanities Institute, academic secretary of the State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad Artem Popov, professor of the St. Petersburg Academy of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, academic secretary of the State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad Alexander Kutuzov.

    SPbPU student Polina Krison presented a report on “The Contribution of Female Sappers to the Demining of Pavlovsk”. Danil Demin from the St. Petersburg Academy of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation recalled the importance of preserving the memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War. Anastasia Gribacheva, a postgraduate student at the Higher School of Economics from SPbPU, presented the organization of the production process at food enterprises in besieged Leningrad. ITMO student Elizaveta Beloborodova presented a report on “Digital Historical Projects as a Tool for Studying the Siege of Leningrad”. Valentina Stroganova from St. Petersburg State University spoke about the work of evacuation hospital No. 1012 within the walls of the Faculty of History during the Siege of Leningrad.

    Sectional meetings were held in person and online at leading universities in St. Petersburg and the regions of Russia, as well as at universities in Belarus and Uzbekistan. The moderators of these meetings were historians, teachers of the Higher School of Social Sciences of the Humanities Institute of SPbPU. The participants also took tours of the State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad.

    The conference organizing committee received more than 170 applications from four countries and 49 universities; sectional meetings were organized in nine St. Petersburg universities according to the sections’ profiles.

    Based on the results of the conference, it is planned to publish an electronic collection with posting in the RSCI database.

    Photo archive

    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 Russia: Polytechnic University teacher Ekaterina Chumakova wins Woman of the Year competition

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    In our city, the winners and laureates of the “Woman of the Year” competition were awarded. It is held with the support of the Government of St. Petersburg. 190 application forms were submitted for participation in the competition in ten nominations. Ekaterina Chumakova, a practicing teacher at the Higher School of Law and Forensic Science of SPbPU, won in the “Armed Forces and Law Enforcement” nomination.

    Thanks to my combination of service in the Internal Affairs Department and teaching at the Higher School of Law and Technical Education of the Polytechnic, I was among the winners. Thanks to the Polytechnic for the opportunity to share practical experience with the younger generation, – noted Ekaterina Chumakova.

    Ekaterina Sergeevna is a police lieutenant colonel and the chief expert of the forensic accounting department of the forensic center of the Transport Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Northwestern Federal District. She successfully combines police service with teaching at SPbPU. She organizes practical classes for students at the forensic center. At the training ground, future lawyers become “participants in the investigation of crimes” and solve problems right at the “scene of the crime.”

    A practice-oriented approach to education allows our graduates to be in high demand on the labor market, noted Dmitry Mokhorov, Director of the Higher School of Law and Economics.

    The Woman of the Year competition is held within the framework of the Petersburg and Petersburgers program with the support of the city government. It is organized by the Committee for Social Policy of St. Petersburg in partnership with government bodies, commercial and non-commercial organizations.

    Over the years of its existence, the competition has become the main platform for assessing the professional merits of St. Petersburg women and their high achievements. The selection criteria are outstanding results in professional or service activities, active participation in the socio-economic development of St. Petersburg, public and charitable activities. Therefore, the winners of the competition are not just women who are successful in their profession, they are distinguished by an active life position and no less active public activities, – said Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Natalia Chechina.

    Natalia Chechina noted that thanks to the Woman of the Year competition, the city discovered many talented names, and also saw new social projects and programs come to life. The winners of the competition received diplomas and memorable gifts. Portraits of the laureates will also appear on advertising stands on the main streets 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 Russia: The Polytechnic University hosted the conference “Student Sports in the Modern World”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The 3rd All-Russian scientific and practical conference with international participation “Student sports in the modern world” was held at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. Leading experts and scientists from Russian regions and abroad discussed current issues of developing student sports and innovative types of physical activity.

    The conference began with an open meeting of the St. Petersburg regional branch of the All-Russian public organization “Russian Student Sports Union” (RSSU). In a round table format, under the leadership of the deputy head of the department for the development of student and adaptive sports of the Federal Center for the Training of Sports Reserves Dmitry Zhdanovich, issues of developing innovative sports were discussed.

    At the plenary session, Professor of the Russian University of Sports “GCOLIFK” Lyudmila Lubysheva gave a report on the social responsibility of an athlete as a factor in eliminating the “personality deficit” in the conditions of information reality. Leading specialist of the Belarusian State University of Physical Education Valery Vasyuk spoke about phygital technologies and their impact on students’ motor activity. Dina Sokolova from MIREA discussed youth sports exchanges between the CIS member states with colleagues, and Executive Director of the Student Sports League of Sambo Elena Lomakina presented the prospects for the development of this sport in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

    At the master classes “Phygital tactical range, unique laser tag systems and devices” and “Tactical fire complex for simulating shooting”, conference participants were able to get acquainted with advanced technologies and their application in sports activities.

    During the conference, the Director of the Institute of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism of SPbPU Valery Sushchenko and the Chairman of the Regional Branch of the All-Russian Public Organization “Laser Tag Federation of Russia” in St. Petersburg Denis Ryabenko signed an agreement on the development of innovative sports. The cooperation includes: holding joint sports events in laser combat and training events as part of the preparation of the St. Petersburg national team in phygital tactical shooting; holding joint cultural and educational events.

    The conference’s sectional sessions were devoted to the topics of student sports and scientific and methodological support. The conference also included an off-site meeting with an open discussion of the key approaches and principles of the RSSS activities and a friendly basketball meeting at the St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design.

    The conference “Student Sports in the Modern World” has become an important platform for exchanging experiences and ideas on the development of student sports in Russia and abroad.

    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 Russia: SPbGASU held a hackathon for schoolchildren “Transport and Logistics”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Creating a digital twin of a highway

    On March 13, the hackathon of the Automobile and Road Faculty “Transport and Logistics” was held at SPbGASU. Students of St. Petersburg School No. 625 with advanced study of mathematics named after Hero of the Russian Federation V. E. Dudkin took part in it. Together with the ADF, the admissions committee of our university organized the hackathon.

    “This is a career guidance event. We wanted to show the kids what professions there are and what problems ordinary representatives of these professions solve. We also wanted to show that physics and mathematics are not just abstract subjects. An engineer needs to know them in order to apply them in his work to solve typical problems,” explained ADF Dean Andrey Zazykin.

    The hackathon participants united into four project teams, each of which received its own technical task. Having familiarized themselves with the workplace, materials and equipment, having undergone safety training, the guys, under the guidance of mentors – teachers and students of the Automobile and Road Engineering Faculty, began generating ideas and creating prototypes.

    One of the teams created a prototype of an AGV cart. This is an unmanned transport platform that provides automated transportation of goods around the warehouse. The guys assembled a cart platform for moving goods, created, tested and calibrated a program in the Trik Studio software, and showed the robot in action. The work was supervised by fourth-year undergraduate students of the ADF Daniil Parfeni and Mark Druzhinin.

    Another team, led by the head of the department of technical operation of vehicles Igor Chernyaev, developed a planning solution for a fleet of electric buses. To do this, they needed the ability to analyze and 3D modeling skills. The guys got the initial data for the calculations from textbooks, tables, and characteristics of electric buses.

    Another team’s task was to implement the Digital Twin technology on the streets of St. Petersburg. The schoolchildren created a digital twin of a road – a high-precision digital map of the route, which collects data on the condition of the road and traffic on it in real time. The guys worked in domestic software under the guidance of Yana Goncharova, an assistant at the Department of Transport Systems and Road and Bridge Construction, and Elena Sorokina, a senior lecturer at this department.

    A team of schoolchildren determines effective methods for interaction between earthmoving and transport machines and the working environment

    The fourth team identified effective methods of interaction between earthmoving and transport machines and the working environment. To do this, they conducted a series of experiments with changing the angle of the bucket under the guidance of senior lecturer of the Department of Ground Transport and Technological Machines Igor Vorozheikin.

    Young researchers prepared presentations of their projects and spoke to members of the expert jury, which, together with Andrey Zazykin, included the head of the department of land-transport technological machines Elena Kurakina and associate professor of the department of transport systems and road and bridge construction Egor Golov. The jury assessed how well the pre-project analysis was carried out, the rationale for the chosen solution, the achievement of the set goals (teamwork, obtaining a result in accordance with the project goals), the logical structure, the clarity and design of the presentation, the team’s performance, and the completeness of the topic. All four teams received diplomas and gifts.

    We asked guests to share their impressions of the hackathon and the university.

    Elena Popova, Deputy Director of School No. 625 for Educational and Training Work, noted: “The children’s interest in this practice-oriented event is very high. They gain new knowledge, make something with their own hands, and then systematize and present the results of their work.”

    “The event was very interesting, and the tasks were not easy. The mentor helped us, explained, gave ideas. And the team tried, everyone wanted to win. It was an interesting experience,” said tenth-grader Arseniy Bryukhov.

    “I like the university: this is not my first time here, it’s like coming home. The people here are friendly, they will always tell you, give you advice, explain. It’s cozy, warm, homey,” shared 11th grade student Ekaterina Nikiforova.

    Andrey Zazykin reported on plans to create a specialized class at school No. 625. Currently, the only motor transport class in our city is being implemented by SPbGASU at school No. 334. Its students receive knowledge in robotics, information technology, car repair, organization of passenger and freight transportation, and ensuring road safety.

    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 Russia: Let Friendship Win: The XVI Universiade of the State University of Management has started

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On March 17, 2025, the official opening of the intra-university XVI Universiade of the State University of Management took place in the Sports Complex of the State University of Management.

    The competition was opened by the head of the Department of Physical Education Vadim Chicherin: “I propose to time the annual Universiade of the State University of Management to the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland in anticipation of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. By playing sports, students learn to value team spirit, discipline and willpower – qualities that are necessary for the formation of true defenders of the Fatherland.”

    More than 80 students will take part in the competition in 12 sports disciplines: – Aerobics; – Badminton; – Basketball; – Volleyball (girls); – Volleyball (boys); – Computer sports; – Mini-football (boys); – Table tennis; – Powerlifting; – Tug of war; – Swimming; – Cheerleading.

    Students will have a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate their physical fitness and athletic training in competitions between six institutes of the First Management.

    We are following the games and waiting for the results of the overall team standings of each institute!

    You can find the competition schedule in the official community of the Student Sports Club of the State University of Management.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/18/2025

    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 Russia: Representatives of the City Department of Real Estate Inventory and Valuation told students about the specifics of their activities and support for young professionals

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Students at a meeting

    The career guidance meeting of representatives of the State Budgetary Institution “City Department of Real Estate Inventory and Valuation” with students of the Department of Geodesy, Land Management and Cadastre of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering became a kind of brief introduction to professional activities.

    An employer with a proven track record

    Deputy Director of the State Budgetary Institution “City Department of Real Estate Inventory and Valuation” Evgeniya Mikhailova emphasized the purpose of her visit – to talk about the wide range of activities, the specifics of the organization, and career opportunities. It was noted that graduates of our university successfully work here, and the organization intends to continue employing them.

    Evgeniya Mikhailova recalled that the St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise “City Administration of Real Estate Inventory and Valuation” (GUP “GUION”) has been counting its modern history since November 28, 2005, when the decree of the Government of St. Petersburg “On improving the system of technical accounting and technical inventory of real estate objects in St. Petersburg” was signed. But the traditions of the enterprise have much deeper roots: on May 21, 1927, the Economic Conference of the RSFSR adopted the resolution “On approval of the Regulation on the inventory of property of local Councils”. It predetermined the creation of special technical inventory bureaus (BTI) in the system of municipal bodies of the RSFSR.

    “Over the course of its long history, the company has undergone a series of transformations, successfully passed all stages of transformation taking into account modern realities and today specializes in four areas, providing a range of services necessary for real estate management, legal entities and individuals, government agencies. The main areas of our activity are cadastral works and technical inventory, valuation of movable and immovable property, land management works, design, consulting. In addition, we carry out work within the framework of the “Ruble per meter” program. It was developed by the Property Relations Committee of St. Petersburg jointly with the Committee for State Control, Use and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments and is aimed at attracting investors to restore and involve in circulation unused cultural heritage sites in an unsatisfactory condition,” said Evgeniya Mikhailova.

    Land management with its own specifics

    Evgenia Mikhailova and Yuri Nikitin

    Yuri Nikitin, Head of the Data Collection and Processing Department of the Land Management Department – Methodology and Practical Inventory of Land Plots of the State Unitary Enterprise “GUION”, spoke about the specifics of his area.

    “One of the important aspects of our department’s work is determining the functional characteristics of the sites: the type of economic activity, other characteristics, on the basis of which the amount of rent is determined. Our department employs surveyors and cadastral engineers. St. Petersburg is the only city in our country that has its own unique structure for registering with the state cadastral register, which requires extensive preliminary work. And this imposes additional obligations on specialists, including constant monitoring of legislation, knowledge of the necessary software and the specifics of transferring big data. Among our clients are large enterprises and city facilities. Individuals who are poorly versed in changes in legislation and sometimes simply do not understand what kind of specialist they need also contact us. We have the ability to comprehensively resolve their issues,” said Yuri Nikitin.

    Associate Professor of the Department of Geodesy, Land Management and Cadastre of SPbGASU Vyacheslav Sokolov drew students’ attention to the specifics of engineering cadastral works in St. Petersburg.

    “This specificity of the activity must be studied, especially by those who intend to work in St. Petersburg. This is an important question in the profession. That is why last year the examination committee asked it to a student when defending his final qualification work,” Vyacheslav Sokolov emphasized.

    Bonuses for young professionals

    Evgeniya Mikhailova explained in detail the internal regulations of the GUION, the employee incentive system, the possibility of transferring to departments with similar profiles, the conditions for salary increases and career growth, and receiving bonuses. She emphasized the organization’s interest in young specialists.

    “We have developed adaptation periods for young specialists. Over a certain period of time, they are introduced to their positions by experienced employees, and the organization pays them a monthly bonus of five thousand rubles for two years. In addition, they, like all employees, receive quarterly and annual bonuses. We provide specialists with a bachelor’s degree with paid study leave in the master’s program and support their desire to develop professionally,” noted Evgeniya Mikhailova.

    Third-year student Anna Pyatova reported that as a future specialist, she was interested in hearing in detail about the different departments of the State University of the Social Sciences.

    “The organization offers interesting work in our core areas, good prospects for career growth, a solid archive of information for work. In the future, I want to clarify some details of the work and, perhaps, I will take a closer look at it as a future employer,” said Anna Pyatova.

    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 Russia: New Master’s program at GUU: the foundation of the future of domestic automobile manufacturing

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The State University of Management announces the launch of a new master’s program “Organizer of production in the automotive industry”. The industrial partner of the program is FSUE “NAMI”.

    The program is implemented in the direction 38.04.02 “Management”. The main goal is to train highly qualified specialists who are able to effectively manage production processes in the automotive industry and adapt to changes in the industry.

    The implementation of the educational program components in terms of engineering is carried out on the basis of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “NAMI”, as well as the developing infrastructure of the State University of Management: the Center for Management of Engineering Projects, the Center for Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer and other divisions.

    The program is a unique educational product that combines the best experience of the State University of Management in the field of transport and logistics, as well as the competencies and expertise of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “NAMI” in the field of implementing projects for the transport industry.

    In addition, the industrial partners of the program are leading companies in the automotive and logistics sectors: the Union of Automotive Services, the Association of Russian Automobile Dealers, GLT, Sovtransavto, Orekh JSC and others.

    Who is this program suitable for?

    1. Bachelor’s degree graduates: – Young people who have completed their studies in management, economics, engineering, technology and related fields; – Students interested in deepening their knowledge and skills in the field of production process management in the automotive industry.

    2. Professionals and practitioners: – Automotive industry workers who want to improve their skills and move into management positions; – Engineers, technologists and managers who want to expand their knowledge in the field of production organization and project management.

    3. Entrepreneurs and Business Owners: – People running their own business in the automotive or related industries who want to improve their management skills and optimize production processes.

    4. Government Officials: – Government officials involved in the regulation and development of the automotive industry who require in-depth knowledge of production processes and management in this area.

    5. International students: – Foreign citizens interested in receiving quality education in the field of management and automotive engineering in Russia, with the aim of developing a career both in the Russian and international markets.

    Why choose the “Production Organizer in the Automotive Industry” program at the State University of Management?

    The program was developed with the direct participation of FSUE “NAMI”; The Department of Transport Systems Management provides practical training and employment options; Project work: development of own startups and research in the automotive industry; Practical focus: inclusion of practical classes, internships and projects in real conditions based on FSUE “NAMI” and other enterprises of the automotive industry, which allows students to gain valuable experience and skills; Modern educational facilities: access to the latest technologies and equipment used in the automotive industry, which contributes to a deeper understanding of the processes and methods of production management; Qualified teaching staff: teaching is conducted by experts with experience in the automotive industry and academia, which ensures a high level of education and the relevance of knowledge.

    What will students learn if they choose the “Automotive Production Organizer” program?

    Modern technologies in automobile development; Automobile life cycle; Fundamentals of design in the automotive industry; Business process management in the automotive business; Analysis, management and insurance of risks in automotive business projects; State regulation of the automotive business; Management of competitiveness of the automotive business; Customs support of the automotive sector; Innovative management in the automotive business; Customer service in the automotive business; Economic security of the automotive business.

    Details of the educational program can be found on the official website.

    Let us also recall that the Department of Transport Systems Management of the State University of Management launched a new bachelor’s degree program, “Transport Systems Management,” at the end of February.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/18/2025

    ФГУП «НАМИ»….” data-yashareImage=”https://guu.ru/wp-content/uploads/Организатор-производства-на-транспорте.jpg” data-yashareLink=”https://guu.ru/%d0%bd%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%b0%d1%8f-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%be%d0%b3%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%bc%d0%bc%d0%b0-%d0%bc%d0%b0%d0%b3%d0%b8%d1%81%d1%82%d1%80%d0%b0%d1%82%d1%83%d1%80%d1%8b-%d0%b3%d1%83%d1%83-%d1%84%d1%83%d0%bd/”>

    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: Plum and Wilson Announce Strategic Partnership to Help Companies Uncover Deeper Talent Insights

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK and TAMPA, Fla., March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Revolutionary talent assessment provider Plum and Wilson, a global integrated talent solutions leader, today shared details of its partnership, designed to offer companies deeper talent insights across the workforce.

    According to research from Gartner, only 21 percent of HR leaders believe their organizations effectively use talent data to shape talent acquisition strategies, improve employee engagement and inform other business decisions. Together, Plum and Wilson give HR and talent leaders a holistic view of the workforce, promoting the ability to scale with flexibility and identify growth opportunities, whether for internal mobility or learning and development.

    Alicia O’Brien, SVP, Innovation and Customer Success at Wilson, commented, “Today’s organizations need access to talent intelligence and analytics to navigate change in real time. Wilson and Plum offer unique but complementary solutions that ensure that HR and talent leaders have the insights they need to attract key talent, close skill gaps and develop their workforce for today, tomorrow and what’s to come.”

    Building on that sentiment, Plum CEO Caitlin MacGregor shared, “Wilson’s integrated talent solutions combined with Plum’s science-backed psychometric solutions provide clarity around the workforce’s durable skills and longer-term potential. With that level of understanding, it becomes possible to elevate talent initiatives and build teams that support the organization’s long-term success.”

    Rose Scaringella-Cappelli, Learning & Development Manager at Arup, shared, “Studies show that as you move up in your career, the more people skills you need. Using this technology is a great way to start understanding the development needs of your workforce. From there, you can facilitate additional conversations about other resources and strategies to implement.”

    To learn more about Plum’s partners, visit https://www.plum.io/partnerships-marketplace.

    About Plum

    Revolutionary workforce solutions provider Plum knows that when people flourish, business thrives. Using objective data backed by scientific insights to measure and match human potential to job needs, Plum provides personalized career insights, improves quality of hire and helps create high-performing teams.

    With unmatched scalability, the award-winning Plum platform enhances talent decisions across the employee lifecycle, making it possible to understand skills, quantify job fit and analyze organizational culture. Visit www.plum.io to learn more.

    About Wilson

    Wilson drives business results through its integrated talent solutions. Powered by talent intelligence, our people partner with some of the world’s most admired brands to build and maintain sustainable workforces that thrive. Visit www.wilson.hr to find out more.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU student wins St. Petersburg State University scientific paper competition “Media in the modern world. Young researchers”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    This year, 63 students took part in the competition — both bachelors, masters and postgraduates from all over the country. During the correspondence round, participants submit applications for the competition with their research papers. Based on the results of the correspondence round, the best works are selected among bachelors, masters and postgraduates. Then the contestants personally present their works and answer the commission’s questions. The jury distributes the prizes.

    Based on the results of this year’s final defenses, first place among bachelors was taken by a fourth-year student majoring in Journalism Humanitarian Institute of NSU Sofia Kazakova.

    — My scientific supervisor Victoria Evgenyevna Belenko advised me to take part in the scientific paper competition of the Saint Petersburg State University. That same evening, I wrote an article based on my diploma and sent it. In my research, I analyzed what digital and multimedia technologies are used by editorial offices of large media outlets to create logreads and form collective memory. I took as a basis longreads published in the Russian online publications TASS, Izvestia and Lenta.ru in the period from 2018 to 2024, — said Sofya Kazakova.

    Three more students from St. Petersburg State University made it to the finals of the competition; their work topics concerned stylistics, semantics and history. You can read more about them Here.

    Each participant presented their work, after which there was a short discussion. I would like to note the interest of the commission in each study and the difficult questions.

    — I am happy to have won this competition and received high praise from the jury members. We also discussed with them how to expand my topic for further research, which is very useful for my diploma. I would like to thank my scientific supervisor Victoria Evgenievna, who helped me at every stage of the research, — Sofia Kazakova shared her impressions.

    All winners of the correspondence round of the competition were invited to publish in the annual collection of the best scientific works of young researchers, indexed in the Russian Science Citation Index.

    — Sonya’s work is also good because it allows us to see how the longread toolkit has changed over the past six years. And also, and this is no less important, in what specific topics the media’s attention to history is embodied. This is no longer just about media production, but also about collective memory and the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the events of the past, thanks to this kind of media product. So Sonya’s work is very relevant, and I am glad that colleagues from St. Petersburg State University rated it so highly, — said the head of the Department of Mass Communications Humanitarian Institute of NSU Victoria Belenko.

    In the Journalism program, students not only create creative projects, but also systematically engage in scientific research in their field of knowledge. For example, last year, journalism students prepared 54 reports at the International Scientific Student Conference, which is held annually by NSU.

    — And at scientific and practical conferences in other universities of the country, such as TSU, SPbSU, MSU, UrFU, Chelyabinsk State University, that is, in universities with strong schools of journalism and, accordingly, strong conferences on journalism and media, 18 people spoke with 28 reports. Such attention to scientific research work in the creative direction is something that can be spoken about with pride, — added Victoria Belenko.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU scientists are developing new materials to create memory elements of the future

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Research staff Analytical and technological research center “High technologies and nanostructured materials” Physics Department of NSU studied the mechanism of charge transport in metal-insulator-conductor structures based on germanosilicate glasses. They were the first in the world to discover the memristor effect or “memory effect” in these materials, studied their optoelectric properties, and are now investigating the processes that occur in them during the flow of current. The results of the research were published in the highly rated scientific journal of the first quartile Applied Physics Letters (Charge transport mechanism in [GeOx](z)[SiO2](1-z) based MIS structures, HTTPS: //d.org/10.1063/5.0240239).

    Silicon oxide is the most common dielectric, it is used to produce various microcircuits. Silicon-germanium glasses are a mixture of silicon oxide and germanium oxide. Previously, scientists studied silicon oxides or germanium oxides separately. Scientists from the NSU ATIC FF were the first to decide to combine the properties of these two substances. Germanium oxide is characterized by low binding energy. This means that a memristor created using this material will be easier to switch and therefore will be more energy efficient. Silicon oxide has a more stable structure, so it is more durable and long-lasting – it can “survive” a greater number of rewriting cycles, which makes it suitable for use in the creation of new, more reliable memory elements. These qualities, inherent in two different compounds, were combined in germanosilicate glasses.

    — Our research group has been studying germanosilicate glasses for over five years. At that time, we were the first in the world to discover the memristor effect in them, in other words, the memory switching effect, when a sample of germanosilicate film switches from one resistance state to another. And these states are stored for quite a long time. We observed several thousand switchings and came to the conclusion that it was necessary to study the mechanisms of transport transfer in such materials in order to further optimize the design of memristors based on them.

    Our colleagues previously studied the mechanisms of transport transfer in silicon oxides and germanium oxides, but we decided to study them in a mixture of these compounds. In our article, we described the results of our work aimed at deepening the study of this new material and its main characteristics, as well as establishing the physics and root cause of its properties observed by us. We need to understand the mechanisms that operate for germanosilicate film materials and find out what processes occur in them during the passage of current, – explained Vladimir Volodin, a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Functional Diagnostics of Low-Dimensional Structures for Nanoelectronics, Department of the ATIC, Physics Faculty, NSU, a leading researcher at the A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, professor of the Department of General Physics, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

    To conduct the experiments, films of four compositions with different ratios of germanium and silicon oxides were grown. Then the scientists made special MIS structures (metal-insulator-semiconductor) with a very thin layer of germanosilicate glass and began conducting temperature studies of the current-voltage characteristics – the dependence of the current on the voltage. In this case, the researcher sets the voltage and then records the dependence of the current in the sample as it changes. The studies were conducted in a certain temperature range – from room temperature to 102 ° C. This range corresponds to the operating temperatures of the memristors. Based on these dependencies, the scientists modeled the properties of the studied samples, approximating the current-voltage characteristics using existing conductivity models. They used 8 recognized models of electrical conductivity in the world. One of them – the Current Limited by Space Charge (CLCS) – unlike the others, showed the most realistic parameters.

    — Using the TLC, we can theoretically predict the parameters of the future memristor as one of the new memory types. We also have the ability, based on the TLC model, to more accurately determine the electric voltage and switching, that is, the operating range of the device we are modeling. In addition, we can predict the currents in each specific sample based on the parameters of its chemical composition, the thickness of the dielectric layers, and other specified model parameters. By superimposing different models on the measured volt-ampere dependence, in the TLC model we determined the energy and concentration of traps involved in charge transport quite accurately. We studied a series of samples with different ratios of germanium oxide and silicon oxide. And according to this dependence, we found that with an increase in the proportion of silicon oxide in the samples, the depth of the traps monotonically decreases. We determined that the concentration of traps does not change, at least not noticeably. More significant changes – by an order of magnitude or more – could become a reason for a negative assessment of the applicability of the model, rejecting its validity, the impossibility of applying it to calculations and experimental values, which would be an undesirable result, said Ivan Yushkov, a junior research fellow at the Laboratory of Functional Diagnostics of Low-Dimensional Structures for Nanoelectronics at the ATIC PF NSU, and a postgraduate student at the A. V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    The significance of the study is that its results allow researchers to determine the parameters of a memristor theoretically without growing a nanostructure. In addition, the main charge transport mechanism for most memristive dielectrics is also the SCLC. Firstly, this confirms that the SCLC model is applicable in silicon-germanium oxide films, as is mainly the case with memristors, and secondly, using such a model, it is possible to predict the parameters of future structures and devices, or at least regulate the parameters relative to the layered sample being grown.

    -Our study is of value for fundamental science, because we received the mechanisms of transport in these films the first in the world, but there is also practical significance: no one has yet explored German-Slacat glasses with this composition, but we would like to get modern memory elements from this material, which would exceed the usual flash memory in the number Circulation cycles, durability, effectiveness and reliability. Currently, the technologies have reached the line when humanity from the flash memory squeezed the “maximum”: the maximum number of rewriting cycles, the maximum duration of use, the maximum volumes in the container per element have been achieved. Further, using the same technology, it is not possible to multiply the memory parameters of electronic devices. A new type of memory, like a membrane, can help overcome these restrictions. There are other types of memory, but it is the membrane that differs in that when it is used, it is possible to increase the number of rewriting cycles compared to flash memory. The flash memory has a maximum of 10⁶ rewriting cycles, and the membrane has up to 10¹2. In addition, there are publications in which the authors show that the memoristors have one more brief cycle in terms of duration: if the flash memory has a microsekud share, then the membrane has dozens of nanoseconds or even piccicals, that is, a thousand and a million times faster, respectively. So with the help of membrane, memory can become much more “fast -acting,” explained Ivan Yushkov.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: New courses in mathematics and natural sciences have been prepared for the capital’s schoolchildren

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    In the new academic year, additional city courses in mathematics, science and technology will be introduced for Moscow schoolchildren. They are designed for students in grades one through six. The initiative was supported by Moscow Expert Council for the Development of Mathematical and Natural Science Education. This was reported by the capital Department of Education and Science.

    “Any educational changes start in primary school. If there is no continuity, then it is too late to start in high school. Children must grow up, and their knowledge must accumulate from year to year,” said Igor Remorenko, chairman of the expert council for the development of mathematical and natural science education and rector of the Moscow City Pedagogical University.

    In the capital’s schools, an additional course “Mathematics and the World Around Us” will be introduced in the first through fourth grades. It will be held in the format of extracurricular activities. Schoolchildren will develop logic, mathematical thinking, and geometric intuition. Teachers who will teach according to the new program will undergo special training. In April next year, at the “Ready for Life in a Smart City” Olympiad, third- and fourth-graders will be able to demonstrate the knowledge they gained in additional classes.

    Children from the fifth and sixth grades will be engaged in developing mathematical and natural science literacy. Those interested in mathematics and natural sciences will be offered to attend clubs at the Center for Pedagogical Excellence. They are designed for schoolchildren from the fifth grade.

    In addition, as part of the initiative to strengthen the natural science and mathematical areas, a new city experimental Olympiad will appear. It is aimed at identifying the interest of schoolchildren in creative research and project activities.

    “The children will have interesting extracurricular classes in mathematics and natural sciences. They will be filled with bright, interesting stories, many of which echo the life of our smart metropolis, modern technologies and the history of the city. Of course, the children will get acquainted with modern professions, and they will be able to demonstrate their knowledge at new Olympiads – “Ready for Life in a Smart City” and the Moscow Experimental Olympiad,” said Ivan Yashchenko, scientific director of the Center for Pedagogical Excellence of the Moscow Department of Education and Science.

    Earlier, an expert council for the development of mathematical and natural science education was created in the capital. Its goal is to improve the quality of education in schools and support children’s interest in the exact sciences. The council will develop and examine teaching aids, refresher courses for teachers, and analyze best pedagogical practices.

    Today, the boundaries between disciplines are blurred: understanding biology is impossible without knowledge of the laws of chemistry and physics, noted the winner of the International Biology Olympiad, Associate Professor of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Georgy Nosov. Therefore, it is important to consider these subjects in a complex, to reveal all aspects of the phenomenon. This will allow us to provide not only a high-quality school education, but also a holistic understanding of different areas, so that it will be easier for future graduates to choose a profession. Having become specialists, they will be able to implement new technologies, develop the sovereignty of the country and Russian science throughout the world.

    The Council will become a permanent body under the Moscow Department of Education and Science. It will be engaged in the development of mathematical and natural science education in the capital’s schools. It is headed by the rector of the Moscow City Pedagogical University, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences Igor Remorenko. The composition includes leading specialists: coaches of Olympiad teams, teachers, scientists, methodologists, representatives of universities and industrial partners.

    Moscow schoolchildren regularly demonstrate high results. In 2024, more than half of the country’s gold medals at international Olympiads were won by participants from Moscow, and in terms of the absolute number of gold awards, the city entered the top ten world leaders. The share of graduates who scored over 220 points in three subjects on the Unified State Exam is 38 percent. In addition, the number of students choosing to take advanced-level mathematics, computer science, and physics is growing. In this regard, Sergei Sobyanin approved priorities for the development of Moscow educationIn particular, he made a decision to strengthen the mathematical and natural science training of schoolchildren in order to achieve technological leadership in the capital.

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    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/151440073/

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Seaweed Production

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:45PM by PIB Delhi

    India has significant potential for seaweed cultivation. As reported by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) total seaweed production in the country was 72,385 tonnes (wet weight) in 2023. The main cultivated species are Kappaphycus alvarezii and Gracilaria edulis, which are widely used for carrageenan and agar production. Seaweed is also utilized in food, biofertilizers, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, animal feed, and biofuels.

    In June’ 2020, the Government of India launched a flagship scheme namely, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), with total investment of Rs. 20,050 crore towards promoting the fisheries sector in the country. Promotion of seaweed cultivation is one of the priority activity under PMMSY. Department of Fisheries, Government of India (DoF, GoI) has approved the seaweed projects worth ₹194.09 crore, with a central share of ₹98.97 crore including support provided to beneficiaries for installation of Rafts, Monolines/Tubenets, establishment of a Multipurpose Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu, Pre-feasibility Assessment Studies on seaweed farming, awareness and training programs in various States and Union Territories under the PMMSY. Besides, Mandapam Regional Centre of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has been designated as a Centre of Excellence for seaweed development and the Lakshadweep Islands has been designated as a Seaweed Cluster.

    DoF, GoI has approved projects under the PMMSY for establishment of Seaweed Seedbanks in Tamil Nadu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, and Lakshadweep.  DoF, GoI on 21st October 2024 has also issued the Guidelines for Import of Live Seaweeds into India, allowing the import of high-quality seed strains.

    This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 18th March, 2025.

    *******

    AA

    (Release ID: 2112263) Visitor Counter : 23

    Read this release in: Hindi

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NAXALITE ACTIVITIES AND VIOLENCE

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:32PM by PIB Delhi

    To address the LWE problem holistically, a “National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE” was approved in 2015. It envisages a multi-prolonged strategy involving security related measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities etc.

    While on security front, the Government of India (GoI) assists the LWE affected States for capacity building by providing Central Armed Police battalions, training & funds for modernization of State police forces, equipment & arms, sharing of intelligence, construction of Fortified Police Stations etc; 

    • Under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme, assistance is provided for recurring expenditure relating to operational and training needs of security forces, expenditure incurred by the states for the rehabilitation of the surrendered LWE cadres, community policing, village defense committees and publicity material etc. During 2014-15 to 2024-25, Rs. 3260.37 crore has been released under this Scheme. 
    • Under Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), funds are provided for strengthening of State Intelligence Branches (SIBs), Special Forces, District Polices and Fortified Police Stations (FPSs).  Under the SIS, Rs. 1741 crore have been sanctioned.  221 Fortified Police Stations have been constructed under the Scheme with a total of 621 FPS have been constructed.
    • Further, Rs. 1120.32 crore has been given to Central Agencies during the period 2014-15 to 2024-25 for helicopters and addressing critical infrastructure in security camps in LWE affected areas, under Assistance to Central Agencies for LWE Management (ACALWEM) Scheme.

    On development side, apart from flagship schemes, GoI has taken several specific initiatives in LWE affected States, with special thrust on expansion of road network, improving telecommunication connectivity, skilling and financial inclusion.

    • For expansion of road connectivity, 14,607 Km roads have been constructed.
    • For improving telecom connectivity in LWE affected areas, 7,768 towers have been commissioned.
    • With regard to Skill Development, 46 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 49 Skill Development Centres (SDCs) have been made functional.
    • For quality education in tribal areas 178 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) have been made functional.
    • For Financial Inclusion, department of Posts has opened 5731 Post Offices with banking services in LWE affected districts. 1007 Bank Branches & 937 ATMs have been opened and 37,850 Banking Correspondences (BCs) have been made operational in Most LWE affected districts.
    • For further impetus to development, Under Special Central Assistance (SCA), funds are provided for filling critical gaps in Public infrastructure. Till now, Rs 3563 Crore have been released since the inception of Scheme in 2017.

    As a result of the strict implementation of the policy, incidents of LWE violence which had reached its highest level i.e. 1936 in 2010 have reduced to 374 in 2024 i.e. a reduction of 81 per cent. The total number of deaths (civilian + security forces) has also reduced by 85 per cent during this period i.e. from 1005 deaths in 2010 to 150 in 2024.

    During the last 10 years, incidents of LWE violence which were 1091 in 2014 have reduced to 374 in 2024 i.e. a reduction of 65.7 per cent. The total number of deaths (civilian + security force) has also reduced by 52 per cent during this period i.e. from 310 deaths in 2014 to 150 in 2024.

    There has also been a sharp decline in the number of districts affected by LWE.  The LWE affected districts have been reduced from 126 to 90 districts by April 2018, further to 70 by July 2021 and then to 38 by April 2024.

    This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    ***

    RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2112250) Visitor Counter : 53

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MEASURES TO PREVENT DRUG ABUSE AND COMBAT ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Home Affairs

    MEASURES TO PREVENT DRUG ABUSE AND COMBAT ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:26PM by PIB Delhi

    To address the problem of Drug Abuse, Government has formulated and implemented the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) under which the Government is taking a sustained and coordinated action for arresting the problem of substance abuse. This includes:

    1. Launched Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) in all districts of the country through more than 10000 master volunteers. It has reached out to more-than 14.79 crore people including 4.96 crore youth and 2.97 crore women.
    2. 350 Integrated Rehabilitation Centers for Addicts (IRCAs) are supported by the Government to provide treatment for the drug victims, preventive education, awareness generation, motivational counseling, detoxification/de-addiction, after care and re-integration into the social mainstream.
    3. 46 Community based Peer led Intervention (CPLI) Centers supported by the Government focuses on vulnerable and at risk children and adolescents.
    4. 74 Outreach and Drop In Centers (ODICs) supported by the Government provide safe and secure space for treatment, rehabilitation, screening, assessment, counseling, referral, linkage for treatment and rehabilitation services for substance users.
    5. 142 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) has been established in Government hospitals through All India Institute of Medical science (AIIMS), New Delhi.
    6. 124 District De-addiction Centres (DDACs) which provides all three facilities provided by IRCA, ODIC and CPLI under one roof have been set up so far.
    7. A Toll-free Helpline for de-addiction, 14446 is operated for providing primary counseling and immediate assistance to persons seeking help.
    8. Government through its autonomous body National Institute of Social Defense (NISD) and other collaborating agencies like State Counsel of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, etc. provides for regular awareness generation and sensitization sessions for all stakeholders including students, teachers, parents.
    9. Navchetna Modules, teachers training modules have been developed by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) for sensitizing students (6th – 11th standard), teachers and parents on drug dependence, related coping strategies and life skills.

    As per latest data published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) pertaining to the year 2022; Drug-wise seizures under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act during 2018 to 2022 is at Annexure-I.

    The Government made various efforts to tackle the illegal drug trade in border areas, some of which are as under: –

    1. A 4-tier Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) mechanism for ensuring better coordination between Central & State Drug Law Enforcement Agencies and other stakeholders in the field of controlling drug trafficking and drug abuse in India has been established. An all-in-one NCORD portal has been developed for information related to drug law enforcement.
    2. A dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) headed by Additional Director General/ Inspector General level Police Officer has been established in each State/ Union Territory to function as the NCORD Secretariat for the State/ Union Territory and follow-up on compliance of decisions taken in NCORD meetings at different levels.
    3. To monitor the investigation of important and significant seizures, a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) under the Chairmanship of Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been set up.
    4. National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been empowered under NDPS Act, 1985 in the year 2020 for investigation of narco-terrorism cases.
    5. Border Guarding Forces (Border Security Force, Assam Rifles and Sashastra Seema Bal) have been empowered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 to carry out search, seizure and arrest for illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs at international border. Further, Railway Protection Force (RPF) has also been empowered under NDPS Act to check drug trafficking along the railway routes.
    6. Narcotics Control Bureau coordinates with other agencies like, Navy, Coast Guard, Border Security Force, State ANTF, etc. to conduct joint operations to control the drug trafficking.
    7. A high level dedicated group has been created in National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in November 2022 to analyze the drug trafficking through maritime routes, challenges and solutions (Maritime Security Group – NSCS).
    8. Director General Level Talks are organized with neighboring and other countries such as Myanmar, Iran, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Singapore, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, etc. to resolve various issues on drug trafficking having international implications.
    1. As a part of international co-operation, India has signed Bilateral Agreements with 27 countries, Memorandum of Understanding with 16 countries and Agreements on Security Cooperation with 02 countries for combating illicit trafficking of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) and Chemical Precursors as well as related offences.
    2. India is closely associated with International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and all its programs viz. PEN (Pre-Export Notification), PICS (Precursors Incident Communication System), and IONICS (International Operations on New Psychoactive Substances Incident Communication System).
    3. Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) co-ordinates with various international organizations such as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation- Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (SAARC-SDOMD), Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa  (BRICS), Colombo Plan, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD), Bay of Bengal Initiative For Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-Operation  (BIMSTEC), Shanghai Cooperation Organization  (SCO), United   Nations  Office   on   Drugs  and  Crime (UNODC),

    International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), etc. for sharing information and intelligence to combat trans-national drug trafficking.

    1. NCB India takes part in real-time information sharing with various Drug Liaison Officers of other countries such as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) of the United States of America, the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of Canada, Australian Federal Police (AFP) of Australia, Office Anti-Stupefiants (OFAST) of France, etc for operational and intelligence information.

    This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    *****

    RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2112236)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces judicial appointments 3.17.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Mar 17, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 10 Superior Court Judges: two in Alameda County; three in Los Angeles County; one in Merced County; one in Orange County; two in San Bernardino County; and one in San Francisco County.

    Alameda County Superior Court

    Doris Ng, of Alameda County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Alameda County Superior Court. Ng has served as a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Labor since 2023. She served multiple roles at the California Department of Industrial Relations, including Chief Counsel from 2020 to 2023 and Staff Attorney in 2007 and from 2013 to 2020. Ng worked as Supervising Attorney at the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach from 2011 to 2013 and as a Staff Attorney at the Bay Area Legal Aid from 2008 to 2011. She was a Supervising Clinical Attorney at the Women’s Employment Rights Clinic from 2003 to 2007 and a Staff Attorney at Equal Rights Advocates from 1998 to 2003. Ng was an Associate at Rosen, Bien and Asaro from 1996 to 1998 and an Associate at Gough & Cohen from 1994 to 1995. Ng received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gregory Syren. Ng is a Democrat.

    Jonathan Wolff, of Contra Costa County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Alameda County Superior Court. Wolff has served as Chief Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Law Division at the California Attorney General’s Office since 2017, where he has held several other positions, including Senior Assistant Attorney General from 2008 to 2016, Supervising Deputy Attorney General from 2003 to 2008, and Deputy Attorney General from 2001 to 2003. He was an Associate at Kelly, Gill, Sherburne & Herrera, LLP from 1998 to 2001. Wolff received a Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Frank Roesch. Wolff is a Democrat.

    Los Angeles County Superior Court

    William Shin, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Shin has served as a Deputy Attorney General at the California Attorney General’s Office since 2005 and as a Staff Judge Advocate and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate at the California Air National Guard since 2019. Shin was an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate at the United States Air Force Reserve from 2011 to 2019. He was a Deputy District Attorney at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office from 2004 to 2005 and an Associate at Franscell Strickland Roberts & Lawrence from 2001 to 2004. Shin received a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Julie Fox Blackshaw. Shin is a Democrat.

    Kimberly Dotson, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Dotson has served as a Commissioner at the Los Angeles Superior Court since 2018. She was a Deputy Public Defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office from 2002 to 2018. Dotson received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Lee R. Bogdanoff. Dotson is a Democrat.

    Faye Chen Barnouw, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Barnouw has served as an Assistant Regional Director at the Federal Trade Commission since 2019, and was an Attorney there from 2001 to 2019.  She was a Trial Attorney with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission from 1997 to 2001, and an Associate at Parker Milliken Clark O’Hara & Samuelian from 1994 to 1997. She served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Warren J. Ferguson at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1993 to 1994. Barnouw received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Deborah L. Sanchez. Barnouw is a Democrat.
     

    Merced County Superior Court

    Chamandeep Johal, of Merced County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Merced County Superior Court. Johal has served as a Commissioner at the Mariposa County Superior Court since 2023 and as a Family Law Facilitator at the Merced County Superior Court since 2018. She was the Principal Attorney at Johal Law from 2010 to 2018. She was a Partner at Connich & Grewal, LLP from 2008 to 2010 and an Associate at the Law Offices of Michael J. Connich from 2004 to 2008. Johal received a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Donald Proietti. Johal is registered as no party preference.
     

    Orange County Superior Court

    Jennifer McCartney, of Orange County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Orange County Superior Court. McCartney has worked as the Firm Director at the Children’s Law Center of California since 2019. She has held several roles at the Children’s Law Center of California since 2006, including Supervising Attorney from 2016 to 2019, Writ Attorney from 2015 to 2019, and Staff Attorney from 2006 to 2015. McCartney received a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice Nathan R. Scott to the Court of Appeal. McCartney is a Democrat.

    San Bernardino County Superior Court

    Cecilia Joo, of Riverside County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Joo has served as a Commissioner at the San Bernardino Superior Court since 2023. She has served in several roles at the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office since 2007, including Supervising Deputy District Attorney and Deputy District Attorney. Joo received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of LaVerne College of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael R. Libutti. Joo is non-partisan.

    Dina Amani, of Riverside County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Amani has served as a Commissioner at the San Bernardino Superior Court since 2019. She was the Principal Owner at Farhat Law Firm, APC from 2014 to 2019. Amani was an Associate at Ewaniszyk Law Firm from 2005 to 2019 and an Associate at Rosin & Associates from 2003 to 2004. She was a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch from 2000 to 2002. She worked as an Intern Law Clerk at the Chicago Stock Exchange in 1999. Amani was an Associate at Cline & Associates from 1997 to 1998. Amani received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of LaVerne College of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Brian S. McCarville. Amani is a Democrat.
     

    San Francisco County Superior Court

    Julia Cervantes, of San Francisco, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Francisco County Superior Court. Cervantes has served as Managing Attorney at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office since 2023. She was the District Attorney Representative at the San Francisco Innocence Commission from 2022 to 2023. Cervantes has held several positions at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, including Lead Attorney from 2022 to 2023, Managing Attorney from 2020 to 2021, and Assistant District Attorney from 2011 to 2020. She served as Vice President of the San Francisco County Juvenile Probation Commission in 2022. She was a Deputy District Attorney at the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office from 2021 to 2022. Cervantes received a Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard B. Ulmer. Cervantes is a Democrat.

    The compensation for each of these positions is $244,727.

    Press Releases, Recent News

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister’s Young Authors Mentorship Scheme (YUVA) Scheme

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Prime Minister’s Young Authors Mentorship Scheme (YUVA) Scheme

    Empowering Young Writers for a Global Stage

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:03PM by PIB Delhi

    ­­­­Introduction

    The Ministry of Education (MoE) and the National Book Trust (NBT) of India launched the third edition of the Prime Minister’s Young Authors Mentorship Scheme, known as YUVA 3.0, on March 11, 2025. The initiative aims to nurture young writers under 30 years of age, providing them with mentorship and exposure to hone their creative writing skills. YUVA 3.0 builds upon the success of its predecessors, YUVA 1.0 and YUVA 2.0, continuing the government’s commitment to fostering literary talent and promoting reading, writing, and book culture in India. The scheme aligns with the vision of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, encouraging the documentation and dissemination of India’s rich cultural heritage and knowledge.

    YUVA 3.0: Features and Objectives

    Theme and Focus

    The Themes of PM-YUVA 3.0 are: Contribution of Indian Diaspora in Nation Building; Indian Knowledge System; and Makers of Modern India (1950-2025). The scheme will help to develop a stream of writers who can write on various facets of India encompassing the past, present and future. Besides, the scheme will also provide a window to the aspiring youth to articulate themselves and present a comprehensive outlook of contribution of Indians across fields in ancient and present times.

     

    Selection Process

    • The scheme invites applications from aspiring writers through MyGov India’s online portal.
    • A competitive process shortlists 50 young authors based on a well-defined evaluation criterion.
    • The National Book Trust (NBT) will constitute the selection committee.
    • Applicants are required to submit a book proposal of 10,000 words, which is then reviewed by a panel.
    • The shortlisted candidates undergo a multi-stage selection process before the final selection.

     

    Mentorship and Support

    • Selected authors receive a mentorship program spanning six months.
    • The authors undergo workshops, interactions with mentors, and exposure to India’s literary ecosystem.
    • They receive financial assistance of ₹50,000 per month for six months.
    • Their works are published and promoted by the NBT in multiple languages.
    • Under the mentorship, a National Camp will be held for the PM-YUVA 3.0 Authors during the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026.
    • Selected authors get the opportunity to present their work at literary festivals and international forums.

     

    Background of the YUVA Scheme

    National Education Policy 2020 has emphasized on the empowerment of the young minds and creating a learning eco-system that can make the young readers/learners ready for leadership roles in the future world. India is considered to be a ‘young country’ because 66% of its total population are young and can be tapped for capacity and nation building. In this context, a national scheme for mentoring generations of young authors has proven to be a significant stepping stone for laying the foundation of the future leaders of the creative world. This scheme has been conceptualised on the premise that the 21st century India needs to groom a generation of young authors to create ambassadors of Indian literature and world view. In view of the fact that our country is ranked third in the arena of book publishing and we have a treasure trove of indigenous literature, India must project it at the global stage. The first mentorship scheme was launched on 31st May 2021, then subsequently in October 2022 and now in March 2025.

     

    YUVA 2.0: Expansion and Achievements

    Launched in October 2022, YUVA 2.0 built upon the foundation of YUVA 1.0 with a renewed focus on ‘Democracy’ as the core theme. The scheme aimed to foster young writers’ engagement with India’s democratic values, traditions, and governance structures.

    Theme and Vision

    The Theme of PM-YUVA 2.0 was Democracy (Institutions, Events, People, and Constitutional Values). The scheme helped in developing a stream of writers who can write on various facets of Democracy in India encompassing the past, present and future. Besides, the scheme also provided a window to the aspiring youth to articulate themselves and present a comprehensive outlook of Indian democratic values at domestic as well as international platforms.

     

    Selection and Implementation

    • The competition received an overwhelming response, with a diverse pool of participants from across the country.
    • 75 authors were selected through a competitive process. They were also required to submit a book proposal of 10,000 words.
    • The mentorship program included interaction with constitutional experts, historians, and renowned authors.
    • Special training sessions were held to enhance research skills, language proficiency, and storytelling techniques.

     

    Outcomes and Impact

    • The Union Minister for Education launched 41 new books under the PM YUVA 2.0 scheme at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2025 in February.
    • Several books were published in multiple Indian languages, making them accessible to a broad readership.
    • Young authors gained national and international recognition, participating in events like the World Book Fair and literary forums.
    • Many participants had their books included in academic and government libraries for research and reference.
    • Some authors had the opportunity to meet and interact with policymakers and scholars, further enriching their perspectives.

     

    YUVA 1.0: Inception and Legacy

    The inaugural edition, YUVA 1.0, was launched in May 2021 as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence. The scheme aimed to empower young authors and provide them a platform to express their perspectives on India’s history and contemporary narratives.

     

    Theme and Inspiration

    The theme was National Movement of India with focus on Unsung Heroes; Little known facts about the Freedom Struggle; Role of various places in National Movement; Entries bringing out new perspectives related to political, cultural, economic, or science related aspects of national movement etc. as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. This scheme helped to develop a stream of writers who can write on a spectrum of subjects to promote Indian heritage, culture and knowledge system.

     

    Selection and Implementation

    • The contestants were asked to submit a manuscript of 5000 words.
    • 75 young authors were selected, representing diverse linguistic and regional backgrounds.
    • The selection was made by a committee constituted by National Book Trust (NBT).
    • Mentorship included training in writing, editing, and publishing processes.
    • Special sessions were conducted by eminent historians, journalists, and literary figures.
    • A consolidated scholarship of Rs.50,000 per month for a period of six months per author will be paid under the Mentorship Scheme.

    Outcomes and Impact

    • The results were announced on 25.12.2021.
    • The books produced under YUVA 1.0 were translated into multiple Indian languages, enhancing their reach.
    • The initiative contributed to India’s literary heritage, encouraging young voices to document historical narratives.
    • Several young authors gained recognition, contributing to mainstream literature and academic discussions.
    • The scheme established a strong foundation for young writers, many of whom went on to publish additional books independently.
    • 10% royalty is being paid by NBT on publication and sale of the books.

     

    Conclusion

    The YUVA scheme, in its three editions, has played a crucial role in nurturing young literary talent in India. As the program continues to evolve, it reinforces India’s commitment to promoting creative expression, multilingual literary heritage, and a culture of reading and writing among the youth. The impact of the scheme is evident in the success stories of young authors whose voices have been amplified at both national and international levels. With continued support and innovation, the YUVA scheme will remain a cornerstone of India’s literary and cultural renaissance.

    References

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2110966

    https://innovateindia.mygov.in/yuva-2025/

    https://innovateindia.mygov.in/yuva/

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1722644

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2101008

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1811451

    https://www.nbtindia.gov.in/writereaddata/attachmentNews/tuesday-june-1-202111-31-05-amyuva-scheme-for-mentorship-of-young-authors.pdf

    Click here to see PDF.

    *****

    Santosh Kumar | Sarla Meena | Rishita Aggarwal

    (Release ID: 2112207) Visitor Counter : 11

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Culture to Revive and Sustain the ‘Kamba Ramayana’ through Statewide Festival and Educational Initiatives in Tamil Nadu

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Culture to Revive and Sustain the ‘Kamba Ramayana’ through Statewide Festival and Educational Initiatives in Tamil Nadu

    Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will inaugurate the event at Sreerangam Temple, Trichy

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 11:29AM by PIB Delhi

    In an effort to preserve and promote the Kamba Ramayana, one of the most significant works in Tamil literature, the South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC), under the Ministry of Culture is launching a comprehensive initiative aimed at reviving the oral tradition of ‘Kamba Ramayana’ recitals and its broader cultural impact. The ceremony will be inaugurated by the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on 18thMarch 2025, in coordination with the Tamil Nadu Government. This will be followed by performances at several temples across Tamil Nadu, including locations in Kumbakonam, Chengalpattu, Ramanathapuram, Chennai, Thanjavur and others.

    The inaugural event of this ambitious program will take place at the historic Sreerangam Temple, Trichy, with participation from Kamba Ramayana Mandali (cultural troupes) from across Tamil Nadu. These local cultural troupes will perform traditional recitals of the epic, showcasing their unique chanting techniques.

    This initiative will include a series of performances, workshops, symposia, and educational competitions to ensure that future generations can connect with and appreciate this epic text, which has long been integral to Tamil heritage.

    The program will be spread over three distinct phases, each contributing to the preservation and spread of Kamba Ramayana:

    Phase I: Inaugural Ceremony (March 18, 2025): The festival will commence at the Sreerangam Temple, with recitals and performances by Kamba Ramayana mandali from across Tamil Nadu. After the opening event, the performances will travel to key temples across the state, including Thirupullambuthangudi, Madurantakam, Thiruneermalai and Vaduvur.

    Phase II: Kamba Ramayana Festival at KambarMedu (March 30 – April 06, 2025): A week-long immersive festival will be held at KambarMedu, the birthplace of Kambar in Theraazhundur. This festival will feature continuous recitals of the Kamba Ramayana, dance dramas, and scholarly discussions on the cultural and literary significance of the epic. Esteemed scholars and artists, such as Dr Sudha Seshayyan, Bharathi Bhaskar, and Dushyant Sridhar, will lead symposiums, while dance performances based on the Kamba Ramayana will bring the story to life in innovative theatrical styles.

    Phase III: Statewide Program and Schools Engagement (July – October 2025): From July to October 2025, SZCC will conduct a series of workshops and competitions in schools and colleges across Tamil Nadu, encouraging students to engage with the Kamba Ramayana through recitations and scholarly discussions. This phase will culminate in a grand finale at KambarMedu, where the best performers will showcase their talent during the Dusherra celebrations.

    Key Program Features:

    • Isai (Music/Performance): Kamba Ramayana mandali will perform recitals at various locations, culminating in the 9-day festival at KambarMedu.
    • Iyal (Literature/Scholarly Engagement): A symposium of renowned scholars will explore the literary, cultural, and historical significance of Kamba Ramayana.
    • Natakam (Theatre/Dance Drama): Dance dramas based on the epic will be performed at the festival, interpreting the story through the medium of theater.
    • School and College Competitions: Students will participate in recitation workshops and competitions, with winners performing at the festival’s grand finale.

    KambarMedu, located in Theraazhundur, Tamil Nadu, is the birthplace of Kambar, the poet who penned the Kamba Ramayana, one of the most significant literary works in Tamil literature. This version of the Ramayana, composed in the 12th-13th century CE, stands as a unique and culturally rich adaptation of the Valmiki Ramayana. Though once integral to Tamil cultural life, the oral tradition of reciting the Kamba Ramayana through local mandali (cultural troupes) has significantly declined. Many younger generations in Tamil Nadu are now unfamiliar with Kambar’s epic, and the cultural practice is at risk of extinction.

    Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC) aims to sustain and disseminate the Kamba Ramayana by reviving its performance, education, and engagement through the creation of an integrated festival and educational initiative. This proposal not only seeks to preserve Tamil cultural heritage but also ensures its transmission to future generations.

    Objectives of the programme:

    1. To sustain and promote the Kamba Ramayana oral tradition through recitals by cultural troupes (mandali).
    2. To attract the younger generation to engage with and learn about the Kamba Ramayana, ensuring the preservation of this important literary work.
    3. To establish a comprehensive, statewide program that incorporates performances, symposia, and educational competitions.

    Long-Term Vision:

    • This initiative aims to create a sustainable cultural legacy for the Kamba Ramayana:
    • Annual Festival: The Kamba Ramayana festival will become an annual celebration of Tamil literary heritage.
    • Museum at Kambar Medu: A museum dedicated to the life and works of Kambar and the Kamba Ramayana will be established at Kambar Medu, ensuring that the epic’s legacy is preserved for future generations.

    About South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC): The South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC), under the Ministry of Culture is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of regional cultural heritage across southern India. Through events like the Kamba Ramayana initiative, the SZCC seeks to engage diverse communities, foster cultural understanding, and inspire the younger generation to embrace traditional art forms.

    ****

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2112094) Visitor Counter : 30

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCIENCE AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR GEOHAZARD RESILIENCE IN THE PACIFIC REGION TOWARDS A MULTI-HAZARD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM – 24th -28th February 2025.

    Source: Government of Western Samoa

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    OPENING REMARKS by Dr Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Director UNESCO Pacific Regional Office.

    Dear Honorable Minister T. C. Schuster, Samoa Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE)

    Dear Diplomatic Corps, High Commissioners, Ambassadors, Heads of UN Agencies

    I warmly welcome Dear Representatives from the Pacific Countries who have braved the storm and travelled a long way to be with us today. My most sincere and humble thanks to you. PNG, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, French Polynesia, Tuvalu, Cook Islands and Samoa. Certain experts were held back to monitor the weather situation in their countries.

    These experts and representatives are mainly from National Geological Services, National Tsunami Warning Centers, National Volcano Observatories and National Disaster Management Offices (NDMO).

    I Warmly thank and Welcome, our partners, the Samoa Meteorological Services, Samoa Disaster Management Office, SPREP, UNDRR, regional partners, the Pacific Community (SPC), JICA, USGS and other partners………… connected online. Especially those who were unable to travel due to the current cyclonic weather conditions.

    Dear friends of UNESCO,

    It is my honor and pleasure to address you at the opening ceremony of the Science and partnerships for geohazard resilience in the Pacific region towards a Multi-hazard Early Warning System

    Firstly, let me extend my deep appreciation to the Government of Samoa for hosting this important event and for their flexibility in organizing this event in such uncertain weather conditions and ALLOWING FOR HYBRID SESSIONS.

    Geohazards

    Geohazards are defined as an adverse geologic condition capable of causing damage or loss of property or life. These processes only become hazards when humans get in their way.

    The Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) proximity to the Ring of Fire, where volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis occur, makes it one of the most vulnerable regions to geohazards in the world.

    In celebration of the International Geoscience programme on healing the earth, the 50th Anniversary in 2022 noted and I quote

    ONE HEALTH

    Earth and Ocean Sciences contribution to the implementation of the SDG’s

    The Earth gives and the Earth takes away. It gives humanity the rich tapestry of landscapes within which civilisations and complex societies have flourished, providing the raw materials to build livelihoods and the resources to feed and fuel our modern world.

    It takes away through the disasters that emerge from geological violence In the coming decades our planet faces a geological tipping point that threatens the future of humanity and the natural world that sustains it. Geoscience – the science of planet Earth an the ocean sciences – will be vital in averting that calamity.

    Geosciences and the ocean sciences

    Geoscience studies how our planet works, unravels its four and a half billion year history, and applies that past understanding to present and future societal concerns.

    Geohazards History of the PICTs

    I am told that,

    • 30% of global seismicity is observed in the Southwest Pacific Region

    (Lebellegard et al., 2007) and less than 3% of seismic stations are available for

    real time monitoring within this area (repartition based on GEVN network).

    • 15% of deadly tsunami’s originate from the Southwest Pacific

    • 80% of these tsunamis are caused by an earthquake.

    • 69% of world tsunamis originate from the Pacific Ocean Basin and marginal seas

    • 99% of deaths in the Pacific are caused by local and regional tsunamis.

    • We need not to be reminded by the recent events in Vanuatu on 17th December

    2024 and the 2022 Hunga- Tonga Hunga Ha’apai Volcano Eruption and Tsunami

    Why UNESCO and how can UNESCO support the management of geohazards?

    Vision of a world at peace could not be a world without science

    Since its establishment after WW2, UNESCO promotes international cooperation in the natural sciences, and marine sciences through its inter governmental and international scientific programmes. UNESCO is home to the inter-governmental hydrological programme, international basic sciences and UNESCO is the only organization with a mandate in the earth sciences. This is the S in UNESCO.

    The International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) is the oldest and most successful example of a scientific partnership between a non-governmental organization (the International Union of Geological Sciences; IUGS) and an intergovernmental organization (UNESCO). The IUGS, founded in 1961, with 121 national members representing over a million geoscientists, is one of the world’s largest scientific organizations. It encourages international co-operation and participation in the Earth sciences in relation.

    Since 1972, UNESCO, through the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) and in partnership with the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), has harnessed the intellectual capacity of a worldwide network of geoscientists to lay the foundation for our planet’s future, focusing on responsible and environmental resource extraction, natural hazard resilience and preparedness, and adaptability in an era of changing climate.

    For 60 years, UNESCO’s inter governmental Oceanographic Commission promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve management of the oceans, coasts and marine resources.

    UNESCO, is leading the United Nations OCEAN DECADE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2020-2023 and have launched the Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme (ODTP) in 2021. This is an effort to bolster the global tsunami warning system by reducing response times and enhancing community readiness.

    Its main objectives are to:

    o Enhance systems’ capacity to issue actionable and timely warnings for tsunamis from all identified sources to 100% of coasts at risk;

    o Guarantee that 100% of communities at risk are prepared and resilient to tsunamis by 2030 through efforts like the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme.

    Our UNESCO Natural and Ocean Sciences have joined efforts in convening this Regional Geohazards week-long meeting responding to the call of Pacific Islands Countries and Territories.

    UNESCO recognizes the efforts of Pacific Islands Countries and Territories in their collaboration to better understand the science and geohazards risks under the Oceania Regional Seismic Network (ORSNET), Melanesia Volcano Network (MVN), Pacific Islands Landslide Network and the Regional Working Group on Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System for Pacific Islands Countries and Territories (WG-PICT).

    Therefore in 2023, the inaugural Science and Partnership for Geohazard Resilience Workshop in Nadi, Fiji was launched. Since then, we can review the outcomes:

    • Among PICTs, UNESCO in collaboration with regional and international partners to strengthen PICTs understanding of geoscience and Geohazards through the UNESCO’s.

    o International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) and Global Geoparks

    In collaboration with SPTO and SPC, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tuvalu recently targeted on the establishment of Geoparks.

    o DRR Programme, UNESCO supports Member States.

    In collaboration with SPC, UNDRR, UNICEF and others UNESCO is supporting PICTs ( Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu) on a 2-year Funded project on Information Management.

    o Tsunami Resilience Programme, UNESCO supported;

    The review of National Tsunami SOP in Fiji- a pre-requisite for an FJD 72 million Concessional loan

    Review of National Tsunami warning and response SOP in Tonga, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

    Pacific Wave Exercise 2024 – Regional PICT Exercise and National Tsunami Drills in Fiji and Tonga.

    Official recognition of 6 PICT communities to be UNESCO/IOC Tsunami Ready Community in 2023-2024.

    In December 2023, the PSIDS regional geohazards community of practice discussed the need to better understand the science of geohazards to clearly ascertain threats posed by geohazards among PICTs and the status of:

    a) in-country capability of geohazard monitoring and detection and multi-hazard early warning system.

    b) Volcano, earthquake, tsunami, and landslide sciences among PICTs

    c) seismic data sharing for earthquake, volcano and tsunami monitoring and

    detection

    This Inaugural Science and Partnerships for Geohazards Resilience Meeting identified the need to develop a Regional Geohazards Strategic Framework to inform programmes or projects to address the capacity gaps in scientific hazard monitoring, assessment, warning, and disseminations to enable the public to better understands their risks and threats from a geohazard.

    Since December 2023, the PSIDS regional geohazards community have been exploring opportunities to strengthen the science and scientific data and knowledge that informs geohazard programmes, policies.

    • UNESCO is a major global partner of the UNEW4ALL supporting the four lead

    agencies, UNDRR, WMO, ITU and International Federation of the Red Crescent

    Society,

    • UNESCO recognizes the call of the Pacific Islands Leaders under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and intends to work closely with regional UN and CROP agencies to accelerate progress of PICTs towards achieving the goals of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

    • The PICT geohazards community is critical in advising Pacific Island Leaders on threats posed by Geohazards to PICTs.

    Your meeting this week builds on the outcomes of the inaugural 2023 meeting. But also other scientific and technical meetings organised by the partners.

    • Your meeting this week is timely in order to;

    Identify and consolidate the gaps and needs in your geohazards operations and services.

    Identify spaces for constructive and meaningful engagement (on geohazards scientific and technical advice) with Pacific Islands Leaders through the Pacific DRR Ministers Meeting (in consultation with Pacific Disaster Managers Meeting) and the Pacific Meteorological Ministers Meeting (in consultation with the Pacific Meteorological Council.

    The PSIDS regional geohazards community mostly includes Geological Services with Geohazard Management Units/ Sections are mostly hosted by Meteorological Services or Mining/Mineral/Natural Resources Departments. These are mainly a small team of technical and scientific officers who monitors, detects, and provide public advisories on geohazards. This regional community is mainly coordinated within UNESCO/IOC Tsunami Warning Systems in collaboration with Geoscience Australia, GNS New Zealand and USGS including CROP Agencies such as The Pacific Community (SPC) and SPREP.

    At the regional level, under the Pacific Resilience Programme (PRP), a technical working group on Multi-Hazard Early Warning System have been established to provide the overarching common DRR frameworks as well as guidance and coordination support.

    Scientific applications for seismic monitoring and detection like SeisComP is widely used by PICTs however, its full potential is not realized due to limited staff capacity and capacity development. Current Staffs of Geological Servies need proper scientific training with the support of partners such as USGS, Geoscience Australia, and GNS New Zealand.

    Measuring the impacts on girls and women who bear the burdens of geohazards in a community. A high number of UNESCO’s geoscience projects are led by women Earth scientists, in 2020 women are project leaders in 38% of the active geoscience projects.

    The meeting will also provide a platform to

    i) stock take progress and share learning considering vulnerabilities and level of

    exposure of different members of public to geohazards such as tsunami, volcano, earthquake and landslides.

    ii) The meeting will include sessions of the Inter governmental coordination group

    for the Pacific Tsunami warning and mitigation system

    iii) It will include sessions on Volcano under Melanesia Volcanic Network (MVN) and

    JICA/ volcano research project with Landslides and earthquakes under ORSNET

    Oceania Regional Seismic Network.

    This meeting comes at a critical point as a culmination of all scientific technical workshops held recently with different stakeholders.

    – 2023-UNESCO inaugural science and partnerships for geohazards resilience

    – Pacific Islands Science, Technology and Resources Network (STAR) Conference

    held in Fiji on 20-22nd November 2024 and the

    – Forecasting and Communicating Earthquake Hazard and Risk (FORCE) project, Understanding Earthquake Hazard and Risk in the Pacific Region Workshop 18-19th November 2024 gathering national officials from National Geohazards Observatories, National Tsunami Warning Centers and National Disaster Management Office (NDMO).

    Two questions arise:

    i) Should there be a platform for a PSIDS Regional Geohazards Strategy.

    The PSIDS Regional Geohazards Strategy could inform programmes or projects developed at national and regional level and stimulate collaboration and partnerships among government agencies, development partners, universities, CROP Agencies and UN Agencies particularly UNESCO.

    ii) Given the success, momentum on geohazards resilience, should there be a

    Multi-hazard Early Warning system bringing together the different entities

    Thanks

    Specifically thank, our partners UNDRR, SPC, Weather Ready Programme at SPREP, USGS and Tokyo University in supporting this Regional Geohazard Meeting.

    Lastly, this meeting is brought to you by UNESCO’s Natural Science Programme coordinator Susan Schneegans and UNESCO/IOC Tsunami Resilience Programme Coordinator Jiuta Korovulvula, and their team Arti Devi. Other colleagues from UNESCO based here These programmes coordinate this regional gathering of Pacific Islands Countries and Territories Geohazards Community since the Inaugural 2023 Regional Geohazards Meeting in Nadi, Fiji.

    Dear Experts, this is your platform and your meeting. I greatly thank you.

    I thank the Diplomatic Corps and heads of agencies for their presence and time. I have no doubt their participation would lead to further avenues for collaboration with the geohazards community to combat and build back better.

    I am certain that the exchanges that we will hear in the upcoming days will be inspiring and will provide a basis to extend and increase the excellent cooperation between UNESCO and all of you. UNESCOs’ Intergovernmental scientific and international programmes support its Member States to strengthen their national capacity in oceans and geosciences for the management of both geohazards risk reduction.

    Let me end i0 by wishing you all fruitful exchanges and thank once again the Government of Samoa and Honorable Minister Schuster for the great work in converting this into the first Regional meeting on Science and partnerships for geohazard resilience in the Pacific Region: towards a multi- hazard early warning system.

    And before I close I would like to go back to the reflection on science and development

    Vision of a world at peace could not be a world without science

    In 2021 UNESCO’s 193 Member States endorsed the first standard setting instrument Recommendation on Open Science. Open science is a set of principles and practices that aim to make scientific research from all fields accessible to everyone for the benefits of scientists and society as a whole. Open science is about making sure not only that scientific knowledge is accessible but also that the production of that knowledge itself is inclusive, equitable and sustainable.

    Open science:

    • increases scientific collaborations and sharing of information for the benefits of

    science and society;

    • opens the processes of scientific knowledge creation, evaluation and communication to societal actors beyond the traditional scientific community.

    Our interconnected world needs open science to help solve complex social, environmental, and economic challenges and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. By promoting science that is more accessible, inclusive and transparent, open science furthers the right of everyone to share in scientific advancement and its benefits as stated in Article 27.1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    Fa’afetai Lava.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: A.P.T.C. SAMOA GRADUATION 2025 – 27th February 2025.

    Source: Government of Western Samoa

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    KEYNOTE ADDRESS by the Honourable Seuula Ioane Tuāau Minister for Education and Culture.

    Acknowledgments

    • Reverend Dr Taipisia Leilua

    • Your Excellency William Robinson, Australia High Commissioner to Samoa;

    • Vice Chancellor of the National University of Samoa;

    • Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers of APTC partners;

    • Chief Executive Officers of Government Agencies and Non-Government Organizations; and Principal of TVET institutions;

    • Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) Samoa and Tonga Country Director, Lagaaia Lealiifano Easter Manila Silipa and staff;

    • APTC Graduands 2025;

    • Esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen

    Introduction

    Tālofa lava and a pleasant good morning to you all.

    On behalf of the Samoan Government, it gives me a great privilege to be here to deliver the keynote address at today’s graduation ceremony.

    Congratulations and Acknowledgements

    Firstly, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of the 89 Samoan women and men on achieving a significant milestone by graduating today.

    The Samoan Government acknowledges and appreciates your hard work and resilience in completing your Australian qualifications and we are proud of your accomplishments.

    Today, you will be conferred with Australian qualifications in seven (7) different vocational programs: drainage, plumbing services, skills for work and vocational pathways, commercial cookery, light vehicle mechanical technology, tourism, and wall and floor tiling.

    To our graduands, as your Minister for Education and Culture, I wish to convey the Government’s sincere congratulations on your achievements.

    Malo le finau! Malo le fai o le faiva!

    Gender Equality

    I am proud to announce that forty (40) of today’s graduates are women who have successfully completed their TVET programs. Notably, ten (10) of these remarkable women have excelled in traditionally male-dominated fields such as drainage and plumbing. Your achievements serve as a powerful testament to your hard work, dedication, breaking barriers and paving the way for future women and girls of Samoa.

    Government Support

    The Government of Samoa is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for everyone. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the Australian Government’s support through APTC, which offers access bursaries for our Samoan people, providing opportunities for them to pursue Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). This supports the priorities of the Samoa Education Sector Plan 2019-2024, including inclusive education and TVET. It also supports the priorities of the Government of Samoa’s disability-inclusive development goals, as outlined in the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities 2021-2031.

    Today we also recognise the 24 graduates from the various government agencies who have partnered with APTC Samoa. These dedicated individuals from the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority, Samoa Water Authority, and the Land Transport Authority have successfully completed the Certificate II in Drainage qualification. This signifies the positive impact of APTC’s support in our community.

    Partnerships

    The Samoan Government acknowledges the Australian Government and APTC for their partnership and support to other various government agencies and NGOs including the Samoa Police, Prisons and Corrections Services, Electric Power Corporation, Lakapi Samoa, Nuanua ole Alofa, Samoa Faafine Association, National Youth Council of Samoa and more. Your commitment to enhancing productivity, reducing unemployment, and building stronger communities in Samoa is truly commendable.

    It is great to see a growing number of our people leveraging these skills for improved livelihoods. The Government of Samoa stands committed to working alongside the Australian Government to ensure that our skills training aligns with industry needs, leading to robust employment outcomes for all Samoans. This collaboration has yielded impressive results, with over 3390 Samoans graduating with Australian qualifications since 2007.

    I would like to also highlight APTC’s collaboration with the Samoa Qualifications Authority (SQA) in bolstering Samoan qualifications and expanding our workforce’s global competitiveness, especially in high-demand fields, ensuring that our graduates are well-prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of the global market.

    Additionally, APTC’s partnership with the National University of Samoa (NUS) which has been ongoing since 2007, ensures that our training programs are relevant and of high quality. Together, APTC and NUS have developed and accredited various programs and have provided numerous capability development opportunities for students as well as staff.

    I acknowledge and sincerely thank the Australian Government for its unwavering support and collaboration with the Samoa Education sector and TVET organisations through APTC, which has been crucial in nurturing and shaping Samoa’s future.

    Concluding Remarks

    To all our graduates, congratulations once again!

    I am confident that APTC has provided you with the skills and qualifications necessary to become invaluable contributors to Samoa’s expanding workforce. You now join a network of over 25,850 APTC Alumni across the region, and I eagerly look forward to your contributions to the national growth of Samoa.

    For those of you who have trained away from home at other APTC campuses, your dedication to learning sets a powerful example for future generations.

    As TVET role models, you now have the power to transform society’s perception of this valuable pathway to fulfilling careers. Remember, your learning journey does not end here. Continue to grow, both personally and professionally, to contribute to the betterment of Samoa.

    Well done to all the graduates! May you achieve great success in all your future endeavours.

    Faafetai tele lava. Soifua ma ia manuia.

    BACKGROUND OF THE AUSTRALIA PACIFIC TRAINING COALITION

    A centre of training excellence, the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) helps Pacific Island and Timorese citizens gain Australian skills and qualifications for a wide range of vocational careers.

    Over 25,860 Pacific Island and Timorese citizens have graduated with Australian qualifications from APTC campuses in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. These qualifications range from accredited short courses to diploma level training for various vocational areas, including automotive, manufacturing, construction, electrical, tourism, hospitality, education, management, health and community services.

    These graduates have returned to industry and implemented a range of new skills, with over 90% of employers of APTC graduates reporting their significant contribution to improving workplace productivity.

    APTC collaborates with regional governments, industry and training providers to develop a more skilled, inclusive and productive workforce aligned with domestic and international labour market requirements, to enhance Pacific prosperity.

    APTC’s end-of-program outcomes are:

    1. APTC and partner graduates have improved employment outcomes

    2. Co-investment in skills training increases

    3. Selected TVET partners demonstrate quality TVET provision

    A.P.T.C. is an Australian Government initiative in partnership with the Pacific and Timor-Leste.

    APTC is implemented by TAFE Queensland (RTO 0275).

    Thank you.

    Photo by the Government of Samoa (Leota Marc Membrere)

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: THE FFS FIRST WOMEN CAMPAIGN IN SAVAII PROVED TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS. 27th February 2025.

    Source: Government of Western Samoa

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    [PRESS RELEASE]- Over 100 women from various Government schools in the Faasaleleaga district came together to participate in the Football Federation Samoa (FFS) Women’s Campaign held in Iva, Savaii, on a vibrant Wednesday afternoon.

    This marked the inaugural occasion for the program in Savaii, thoughtfully organized by Women’s Football Manager Nadia Malifa and her dedicated Women Coordinator, Ms. Sila Lelevaga. The event drew not only enthusiastic girls but also supportive teachers, all gathered to encourage their students and children while engaging in an array of enjoyable activities.

    The first leg of this empowering Women’s Campaign Program was successfully held in Upolu the previous year, employing a similar approach of inviting women from select government schools to join in the festivities.

    “Overall, the program in Savaii was a joyful experience that flowed seamlessly. The girls had a fantastic time, forging new friendships and opportunities to connect with peers from different schools,” Ms. Malifa shared, To create a sense of unity and excitement, the organizers provided vibrant orange uniforms—reflecting the event’s spirited theme—alongside an abundance of delicious food and fresh fruit.

    Nadia and Sila expressed heartfelt gratitude to each participating school for their unwavering support, emphasizing that the success of the program would not have been achievable without their collaboration and encouragement.

    END.

    SOURCE – Football Federation Samoa

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  • MIL-OSI Global: The Israel-Hamas ceasefire didn’t resolve any deep-seated issues. Now, it’s shattered

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne

    When a ceasefire in the war between Hamas and Israel finally came into effect on January 19, the world breathed a collective sigh of relief.

    However, that ceasefire agreement, and its associated negotiations, have now been cast aside by new Israeli attacks on Gaza.

    A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the strikes came after Hamas’ “repeated refusals” to “release our hostages”, and the group’s rejection of all proposals presented by US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.

    Even before Israel cut off all humanitarian aid and electricity to Gaza in the past two weeks, Hamas claimed it had not met the levels of humanitarian aid, shelter and fuel it agreed to provide in the terms of the ceasefire. However, this is a distraction from a larger issue.

    This ceasefire was always more like a strangle contract than a negotiated agreement between equal parties. Israel, as the party with far greater military and political power, has always had the upper hand.

    And while the first phase of the ceasefire, which lasted 42 days, saw the successful release of 33 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, the ceasefire also enabled Israel to use it for its own political and military ends.

    Buying time

    The most common conventional concern about ceasefires is that the parties to a conflict will use them for their own ends.

    Typically, the worry is that non-state armed groups, such as Hamas, will use the halt in violence to buy time to regroup, rearm and rebuild their strength to continue fighting.

    But states such as Israel have this ability, too. Even though they have standing armies that might not need to regroup and rearm in the same way, states can use this time to manoeuvre in the international arena – a space largely denied to non-state actors.

    Trump’s rise to power in the US has seemingly given the Israeli government carte blanche to proceed in ways that were arguably off limits to previous US presidents who were also largely supportive of Israel’s actions.

    This includes the plan of forcing Gaza’s population out of the strip. This plan was raised earlier in the war by Trump advisor Jared Kushner and Israeli officials as a supposed humanitarian initiative.

    Trump has now repeated the call to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan – or possibly other parts of Africa – and for the US to take “ownership” of the coastal strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

    On the face of it, this plan would be a war crime. But even if it is never fully implemented, the fact it is being promoted by Trump after many years of domestic Israeli and international opprobrium shows how political ideas once thought unacceptable can take on a life of their own.

    Political and military maneouvering

    Israel has also used the ceasefire to pursue larger political and military goals in Gaza, the West Bank, southern Lebanon and Syria.

    Even though the ceasefire did reduce overall levels of violence in Gaza, Israel has continued to carry out attacks on targets in the strip.

    It has also escalated the construction of settlements and carried out increasingly violent operations in the West Bank. In addition, there have been egregious attacks on Palestinian residents in Israel.

    And though nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners were released during the ceasefire, Israel was holding more than 9,600 Palestinians in detention on “security grounds” at the end of 2024. Thousands more Palestinians are being held by Israel in administrative detention, which means without trial or charge.

    During the ceasefire, Israel also accelerated efforts to evict the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, from its headquarters in East Jerusalem. And the Israeli government has also proposed increasingly draconian laws aimed at restraining the work of Israeli human rights organisations.

    On the military front, the ceasefire arguably alleviated some pressure on Israel, giving it time to consolidate its territorial and security gains against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and in Syria.

    In the past two months, two deadlines for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon passed. Israel has instead proposed establishing a buffer zone on Lebanese territory and has begun destroying villages, uprooting olive trees and building semi-permanent outposts along the border.

    In a speech in February, Netanyahu also demanded the “complete demilitarisation of southern Syria” following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. And Defence Minister Israel Katz said this month Israel would keep its troops in southern Syria to “protect” residents from any threats from the new Syrian regime.

    Be careful what you wish for

    While Palestinians are known for their sumud – usually translated as steadfastness or tenacity – there is a limit to what humans can endure. The war, and subsequent ceasefires, have created a situation in which Gazans may have to put the survival and wellbeing of themselves and their families above their desire to stay in Palestine.

    There is a general assumption that ceasefires are positive and humanitarian in nature. But ceasefires are not panaceas. In reality, they are a least-worst option for stopping the violence of war for often just a brief period.

    A ceasefire was never going to be the solution to the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Instead, it has turned out to be part of the problem.

    Marika Sosnowski 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. The Israel-Hamas ceasefire didn’t resolve any deep-seated issues. Now, it’s shattered – https://theconversation.com/the-israel-hamas-ceasefire-didnt-resolve-any-deep-seated-issues-now-its-shattered-249944

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: Dutton’s talk about a citizenship referendum is personal over-reach and political folly

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Peter Dutton, when he gets on his favoured ground of security, too often goes for the quick hit, and frequently over-reaches.

    His suggestion of running a possible referendum to facilitate the removal of bad eggs who are dual citizens is a prime example.

    Apart from the substance of the proposal, why would an aspiring prime minister be talking about a referendum after the experience of the Voice?

    As Dutton knows very well – and to his advantage in that case – referendums don’t succeed without bipartisan support, and this one certainly wouldn’t get backing from a Labor opposition. They cost a fortune, and they distract prime ministers. Dutton would have enough to do in government without going down this side track to a predictable dead end.

    Although this focus on booting people out of the country sounds Trumpian, it has long been a preoccupation of Dutton’s – something he pushed in the Coalition years.

    The Coalition amended the Citizenship Act, enabling a minister to revoke the Australian citizenship of dual nationals (so depriving them of the protection from removal that citizenship affords).

    But the High Court in 2022 struck this down, so a minister has to apply to a court in the course of a trial relating to a listed offence. The court makes the decision on citizenship as part of sentencing the person.

    Fast forward to the present, and Dutton sees advantage in any issues that go to security, of individuals or the country. Hence his talk of attempted constitutional change if the objective can’t be achieved by legislation.

    On morning TV on Tuesday he kept repeating that he wanted to keep people safe.

    He told Seven, “I want to keep our country safe […] it’s the first responsibility of any prime minister, and at the moment we’ve got people in our country who hate our country, who want to cause terrorist attacks. My argument is that if you betray your allegiance to our country in that way, you should expect to lose your citizenship.”

    “What we’re proposing here is a discussion about whether we’ve got adequate laws, whether the Constitution is restrictive, and ultimately, what I want to do is keep our country safe and keep communities safe. I think there are a lot of Australians at the moment who are worried about the rise of antisemitism and what we’ve seen in our country, and elsewhere, which just doesn’t reflect the values that we’ve fought for over many generations.”

    Apart from the fact a referendum would fail, the proposal itself has no obvious benefit. It is out of proportion to the problem it is supposed to be addressing, would be unlikely to act as a deterrent, and would stir a divisive debate. On Tuesday Dutton’s senior colleagues Michaelia Cash, who is shadow attorney-general, and Angus Taylor sounded less then enthusiastic about the move.

    For Dutton’s campaign, it carries a special danger. It gives the impression of a leader who comes up with extreme proposals. If he is suggesting this today, what will be think of tomorrow? More to the point, what might he suddenly propose when in government?

    This close to an election, Dutton needs to give voters the feeling he is predictable, that they know him, not that he produces ideas out of left field (or right field, in this case).

    Former Liberal attorney-general George Brandis, who was around for the earlier debate, summed up the situation succinctly, when he wrote in the Nine papers, “An unwanted referendum, without bipartisan support, to overturn the High Court? It is as mad an idea as I have heard in a long time.”

    Michelle Grattan 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. View from The Hill: Dutton’s talk about a citizenship referendum is personal over-reach and political folly – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-duttons-talk-about-a-citizenship-referendum-is-personal-over-reach-and-political-folly-252512

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets Commander-in-Chief of US Veterans of Foreign Wars Alfred Lipphardt  

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-02-17
    President Lai meets former United States Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger
    On the morning of February 17, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by former United States Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger. In remarks, President Lai thanked the delegation for demonstrating staunch support for Taiwan through their visit. The president pointed out that increased cooperation between authoritarian regimes is posing risks and challenges to the geopolitical landscape and regional security. He emphasized that only by bolstering our defense capabilities can we demonstrate effective deterrence and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and around the world. The president stated that moving forward, Taiwan will continue to enhance its self-defense capabilities. He also expressed hope of strengthening the Taiwan-US partnership and jointly building secure and resilient non-red supply chains so as to ensure that Taiwan, the US, and democratic partners around the world maintain a technological lead. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to welcome our good friends Mr. Pottinger and retired US Rear Admiral Mr. Mark Montgomery to Taiwan once again. Last June, Mr. Pottinger and Mr. Ivan Kanapathy came to Taiwan to launch their new book The Boiling Moat. During that visit, they also visited the Presidential Office. We held an extensive exchange of views on Taiwan-US relations and regional affairs right here in the Taiwan Heritage Room. Now, as we meet again eight months later, I am pleased to learn that Mr. Kanapathy is now serving on the White House National Security Council. The Mandarin translation of The Boiling Moat is also due to be released in Taiwan very soon. This book offers insightful observations from US experts regarding US-China-Taiwan relations and valuable advice for the strengthening of Taiwan’s national defense, security, and overall resilience. I am sure that Taiwanese readers will benefit greatly from it. I understand that this is Mr. Montgomery’s fourth visit to Taiwan and that he has long paid close attention to Taiwan-related issues. I look forward to an in-depth discussion with our two friends on the future direction of Taiwan-US relations and cooperation. Increased cooperation between authoritarian regimes is posing risks and challenges to the geopolitical landscape and regional security. One notion we all share is peace through strength. That is, only by bolstering our defense capabilities and fortifying our defenses can we demonstrate effective deterrence and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and around the world. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to enhance its self-defense capabilities. We also hope to strengthen the Taiwan-US partnership in such fields as security, trade and the economy, and energy. In addition, we will advance cooperation in critical and innovative technologies and jointly build secure and resilient non-red supply chains. This will ensure that Taiwan, the US, and democratic partners around the world maintain a technological lead. We believe that closer Taiwan-US exchanges and cooperation not only benefit national security and development but also align with the common economic interests of Taiwan and the US. I want to thank Mr. Pottinger and Mr. Montgomery once again for visiting and for continuing to advance Taiwan-US exchanges, demonstrating staunch support for Taiwan. Let us continue to work together to deepen Taiwan-US relations. I wish you a smooth and fruitful visit.  Mr. Pottinger then delivered remarks, first congratulating President Lai on his one-year election anniversary and on the state of the economy, which, he added, is doing quite well. Mentioning President Lai’s recent statement pledging to increase Taiwan’s defense budget to above 3 percent of GDP, Mr. Pottinger said he thinks that the benchmark is equal to what the US spends on its defense and that it is a good starting point for both countries to build deterrence. Echoing the president’s earlier remarks, Mr. Pottinger said that peace through strength is the right path for the US and for Taiwan right now at a moment when autocratic, aggressive governments are on the march. He then paraphrased the words of former US President George Washington in his first inaugural address, saying that the best way to keep the peace is to be prepared at all times for war, which captures the meaning of peace through strength. In closing, he said he looks forward to exchanging views with President Lai.

    Details
    2024-12-26
    President Lai presides over second meeting of Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee
    On the afternoon of December 26, President Lai Ching-te presided over the second meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee. President Lai stated that the committee’s goal is to enhance overall resilience in terms of national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy through five key areas: civilian force training and utilization, strategic material preparation and critical supply distribution, energy and critical infrastructure operations and maintenance, social welfare, medical care, and evacuation facility readiness, and information, transportation, and financial network protection. That morning, he said, was the first time that central and local government officials, as well as civilian observers, gathered at the Presidential Office to conduct cross-disciplinary tabletop exercises, demonstrating cooperation between central and local governments to jointly enhance social resilience. President Lai also announced that the existing Wan An and Min An Exercises, which are air raid drills and disaster response drills, respectively, beginning from next year will be combined into the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercises, the nomenclature of which matches up with that of similar exercises carried out overseas. The exercises, he said, will strengthen the defensive mechanisms of the non-military sector, and verify the ability of civil defense and disaster preparedness systems to protect our nation’s people. The president emphasized that combining government and private-sector forces is the only way to strengthen Taiwan’s overall defense capabilities, jointly consolidate global democratic resilience, and maintain regional peace and stability. A translation of President Lai’s opening statement follows: Today, we are convening the second meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, implementing the conclusions reached at the last meeting, conducting tabletop exercises, and verifying the preparedness of government agencies to address extreme situations. Looking back over the past year, circumstances at home and abroad have changed rapidly. Authoritarian states around the world continue to converge, threatening the rules-based international order, and they now present a collective challenge to the peace and stability of the entire first island chain. To address threats, whether natural disasters or ambitions for authoritarian expansion, we believe that as long as the government and all of society are prepared, we can respond. With determination, there is no need to worry. With confidence, our people can rest assured. This is the goal of whole-of-society defense resilience. Of course, these preparations are not easy. Taiwan’s society must race against time, and work together to build capabilities to respond to major disasters and threats, and deter enemy encroachment. Therefore, the goal of this committee is to formulate action plans through the five key areas: civilian force training and utilization, strategic material preparation and critical supply distribution, energy and critical infrastructure operations and maintenance, social welfare, medical care, and evacuation facility readiness, and information, transportation, and financial network protection, thereby verifying central and local government capacities to respond in times of disaster, and enhance overall resilience in terms of national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. This morning at the Presidential Office, we conducted the first-ever cross-disciplinary tabletop exercises involving central and local government officials as well as civilian observers. Participating teams from central government departments were all led by deputy ministers, Tainan City Deputy Mayor Yeh Tse-shan (葉澤山) led a team, and Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) also came to participate, demonstrating cooperation between central and local governments to jointly enhance social resilience. The exercises were based on Taiwan’s mature disaster prevention and relief system’s response to comprehensive threats. We had scenarios, but no scripts, so the participating units did not prepare notes in advance, but reacted on the spot. When presented with a problem, they proposed countermeasures, which is closer to a real crisis situation. To address the continued threat of authoritarian expansion to regional stability and order, in the first scenario we simulated that a high-intensity gray-zone operation occurred; for the second scenario, we simulated a state of being on the verge of conflict. The most important core objectives of the exercises were to ensure that people could carry on their daily lives and that society could function normally. I would like to thank our three deputy conveners for serving as exercise commanders, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) and Minister without Portfolio of the Executive Yuan Chi Lien-cheng (季連成) for serving as deputy exercise commanders, and Deputy Secretary-General to the President Chang Tun-han (張惇涵) as well as National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) for serving as chief officials. I also want to thank all our advisors, committee members, and colleagues from government agencies at both the central and local levels for coming together to complete tabletop exercises aimed at testing out components of the five key areas. After conducting numerous exercises in the past, many government agencies improved their emergency response capabilities, and I want to recognize those achievements. However, I also want to emphasize that we must identify problems in our current systems, and then make improvements. Whether it be the central or the local level, we cannot just talk about the good things and sweep the unpleasant things under the rug. We have to rigorously ascertain numbers and make sure just how accurate the sources of our information are, because it is always a good thing when we discover problems in our exercises, and find places where improvements are needed. This means that our testing has achieved its purpose, and that there is much room for progress and improvement. I also want to report to you all that, over the past few years, due to the global pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, countries throughout the world have been bolstering their defense resilience. NATO and the European Union, for example, have both adopted guidelines aimed at strengthening whole-of-society resilience. This shows that Taiwan is not a special case. The task of whole-of-society defense resilience is being addressed throughout the world. Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its whole-of-society defense resilience is something the international community at large is wanting to see. This month I visited the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Palau, all of which are Pacific allies of Taiwan, and I made transit stops in the United States islands of Hawaii and Guam. Friends in each of these places expressed firm support for Taiwan and repeatedly said they hope for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We must continue taking action to respond to the international community’s support. Taiwan must have the capability to defend its own security. As president, I want to take this opportunity to emphasize to the international community that Taiwan is determined to defend regional peace and stability. We will accelerate the pace of efforts to build a more resilient Taiwan. I therefore wish to announce that our existing Wan An and Min An Exercises, which are air raid drills and disaster response drills, respectively, beginning from next year will be combined, and we will hold the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercises. This new nomenclature matches up with that of similar exercises carried out overseas, making it easier for others to understand the efforts that Taiwan is putting forth. In addition, the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercises will feature absolutely no reliance on military support, and will have a design that takes the latest international experiences into account. These resilience exercises will be distinct from the Han Kuang military exercises, and yet complementary at the same time. In other words, whole-of-society defense resilience must particularly strengthen the defensive mechanisms of the non-military sector, and must verify the ability of civil defense and disaster preparedness systems to protect our nation’s people. I want to emphasize once again that the more resilient we make Taiwan, like-minded nations around the world will be more willing to coordinate with us in responding to various challenges together. I realize that to defend democracy, we must gather together every bit of strength we have. The task of promoting whole-of-society defense resilience is a massive undertaking. The public sector must adopt a more open-minded attitude and be willing to tap into private-sector human resources, because combining government and private-sector forces is the only way to jointly respond to challenges arising under extreme conditions, and is the only way to strengthen Taiwan’s overall defense capabilities, jointly consolidate global democratic resilience, and maintain regional peace and stability. In just a few moments, Minister Liu will deliver a report on the progress of certain items listed in the first committee meeting, and Deputy Secretary-General Lin will deliver a report on the outcomes of the tabletop exercises held this morning. Next, let us engage in open discussions and examine and verify each component of the tabletop exercises, so that together we can improve whole-of-society defense resilience, make Taiwan more secure, and make the region more stable. Thank you. After listening to the report on the progress of certain items listed in the first committee meeting and the report on the outcomes of the tabletop exercises, President Lai exchanged views with the committee members regarding the content of the reports.123

    Details
    2024-11-30
    Presidential Office thanks Biden administration for announcing its 18th military sale to Taiwan
    On November 29 (US EST), the United States government announced that it had notified Congress of the sale to Taiwan of two military packages: a US$320 million sale of spare parts and support for F-16 aircraft and Active Electronically Scanned Array radar spare parts and support; and a US$65 million sale of Improved Mobile Subscriber Equipment Follow-on Support and related equipment. Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) stated that the Presidential Office is sincerely grateful to the US government for its unwavering commitment to continue to strengthen the cooperative partnership between Taiwan and the US and support Taiwan in enhancing self-defense capabilities in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.  Spokesperson Kuo stated that this marks the 18th military sale to Taiwan announced during the Biden administration since 2021, emphasizing that the deepening Taiwan-US security partnership is a critical cornerstone for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The spokesperson said that in the face of mounting security challenges in the region, Taiwan will continue to enhance self-defense capabilities and work alongside like-minded countries to jointly defend the values of freedom and democracy and ensure the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

    Details
    2024-10-26
    Presidential Office thanks Biden administration for announcing its 17th military sale to Taiwan
    On October 25 (US EST), the United States government announced that it had notified Congress of the US$1.988 billion sale to Taiwan of three military packages, including the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System as well as L-band and non-L-band radar turnkey systems. Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) on October 26 stated that strengthening Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities is the foundation for maintaining regional stability. The spokesperson said that the Presidential Office is grateful to the US government for continuing to provide Taiwan with the weaponry it needs in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances. Spokesperson Kuo stated that this marks the 17th military sale to Taiwan announced during the Biden administration since 2021, as well as the largest single military sale since President Biden took office, demonstrating the unwavering commitment of the US government to the security of Taiwan. She emphasized that Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities as it works to maintain the rules-based international order, ensuring the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.

    Details
    2024-09-26
    President Lai presides over first meeting of Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee
    On the afternoon of September 26, President Lai Ching-te presided over the first meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee. As the committee’s convener, the president presented committee members with their letters of appointment, and explained that in order to build up our whole-of-society defense resilience, we will actively engage in comprehensive preparation to make our nation stronger and our people more confident. The president stated that we will enhance Taiwan’s response capabilities and expand cooperation between the public and private sectors. He stated that he looks forward to working together with everyone to establish a platform through which we can communicate and coordinate on our national resilience strategy, fostering a national consensus, and strengthening resilience throughout Taiwan in national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. President Lai stated that a more resilient Taiwan will contribute more to global democracy, peace, and prosperity. He emphasized that as our society becomes better prepared, our nation grows more secure; and as Taiwan shows more determination to defend itself, the international community will feel more at ease. He expressed hope that we will engage in wide-ranging discussions and build a fortress of unity, making Taiwan a cornerstone for ensuring regional stability and democratic sustainability. A translation of President Lai’s opening statement follows: In order to consolidate forces from various sectors to strategize on national development, at the end of my first month in office, I announced that the Presidential Office will establish three committees in response to three major global issues: climate change, health promotion, and social resilience. Last month we convened the first meetings for two of those committees – the National Climate Change Committee and the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee. Today, we are convening the first meeting for the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee. I want to thank our three deputy conveners and all advisors and committee members for their joint commitment. I also want to thank our fellow citizens and friends for following the committee’s proceedings online. Climate change, large-scale natural disasters, and the threat to democracy posed by expanding authoritarianism are all challenges not just for Taiwan, but for the entire world. The operations and goals of these three committees are interrelated, and they are closely connected by the issue of national resilience. We intend to build up a more resilient Taiwan, proactively deal with challenges, and bring Taiwan into deeper cooperation with the international community. When former President Tsai Ing-wen was in office, the government took stock of resources in the public and private sectors in order to lay a solid foundation on which to build up our social resilience. Now, we will continue forward, from stocktaking to validation. This will entail three principles for whole-of-society defense resilience. The first principle is “preparedness through vigilance.” We will actively engage in comprehensive preparation to make our nation stronger and our people more confident. That way, in a disaster or emergency, the government and the public can quickly leverage their respective strengths and maintain the normal operation of society. The second principle is “enhanced response, fearlessness in action.” We will expand the training and utilization of civilian forces, enhance our strategic material preparation and critical supply distribution, and reinforce the operations and maintenance of energy and critical infrastructure. We will also improve the readiness of our social welfare, medical care, and evacuation facilities, and ensure the protection of information, transportation, and financial networks. All of this will enhance Taiwan’s response capabilities. The third principle is “orderly execution, methodical action.” At all levels of government, from central to local, we will conduct extensive validation and drilling, and we will expand connections with civil society groups and societal forces so that we can all work together, in a systematic and professional manner, to identify problems, propose solutions, and follow through with implementation. This is how we will resolve problems. The work involved in whole-of-society defense resilience is diverse and complex. Accordingly, this committee needs members from the public and private sectors who can work together in coordination. The members must be guided by practical experience, have interdisciplinary expertise, span different generations, and constitute a balance between the genders. These were the factors we took into consideration when we invited representatives from industry, government agencies, academia, and research institutions to serve as the four advisors and 23 members who make up this committee. Of the total committee membership, 67.7 percent are not government officials, and 32.3 percent are women.  First, I want to thank the committee advisors who have taken on that important responsibility. With us today we have Master Jing Yao (淨耀) of the Buddhist Association of the Republic of China; Huoh Shoou-yeh (霍守業), chairman of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research; and Lin Ming-hsiung (林敏雄), chairman of Chuan Lian Enterprise Co. I thank each of you for your participation, and look forward to seeing you provide the committee with broadly considered, professional views on such matters as civilian force preparedness, strategic frameworks, and supply distribution. I also want to introduce committee members who are here today. We have with us Wang Pao-tzong (王寶宗), chairman of the Holy Glory Temple; Chen Hsin-liang (陳信良), general secretary of the General Assembly Executive Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan; and Yen Po-wen (顏博文), CEO of the Tzu Chi Charity Foundation. I thank you all for your commitment and for giving us all the opportunity to learn how religious groups engage in disaster preparedness and relief efforts. Let me also thank James Liao (廖英熙), president of the National Defense Education Association; Enoch Wu (吳怡農), founder of the Forward Alliance; Hsiau Ya-wen (蕭雅文), honorary chairperson of the Taiwan Development Association for Disaster Medical Team; Liu Wen (劉文), chairperson of the Kuma Civil Defense Education Association; and Tseng Po-yu (曾柏瑜), consultant at Doublethink Lab. You have all been long involved in civil defense education, emergency medicine, and other fields, so I am quite confident that you will help the committee to better understand civilian force training and utilization. Let me also introduce Tu Wen-ling (杜文苓), distinguished professor in the Department of Public Administration at National Chengchi University, and Hsiao Hsu-chun (蕭旭君), associate professor of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University. I thank both of you for generously contributing your expertise to make Taiwan’s energy and critical infrastructure operations more robust. Also, I want to thank Wu Jong-shinn (吳宗信), director general of the Taiwan Space Agency; Kenny Huang (黃勝雄), chairman of the Taiwan Network Information Center; and Dai Chen-yu (戴辰宇), board member of the Association of Hackers in Taiwan. Your involvement will contribute immensely to the protection of information, transportation, and financial networks in Taiwan. Among our committee members we have the following six government representatives: Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄); Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝), who could not attend today’s meeting; Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱); Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季); Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源); and Minister of Ocean Affairs Council Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲). The committee has two executive secretaries, namely Chi Lien-cheng (季連成), minister without portfolio of the Executive Yuan, and Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳). In addition, one member who will be joining us shortly is Bob Hung (洪偉淦), general manager of Trend Micro Taiwan. I also want to introduce one advisor and three committee members who could not attend today. They are, respectively, Robert Tsao (曹興誠), founder of United Microelectronics Corporation; Kuo Chia-yo (郭家佑), president of the Taiwan Digital Diplomacy Association; Liu Yu-hsi (劉玉晳), associate professor in the Department of Communications Management at Shih-Hsin University; and Tina Lin (林雅芳), managing director of sales and operations at Google Taiwan. I also thank them for participating in this committee’s operations and for contributing their valuable advice at today’s proceedings in written form. Last Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of the major earthquake that struck Taiwan on September 21, 1999. For the past 25 years, we have worked continuously to improve Taiwan’s disaster preparedness and relief capabilities. Today, our purpose in building up whole-of-society defense resilience is to enable each and every individual to realize, when an emergency arises, where to best make a contribution and how to protect themselves, contribute to society, or deter an approaching enemy. We want to enable all our citizens to feel utterly confident in the continuity and future of Taiwan’s society. Today, in this first meeting of the committee, the National Security Council (NSC) will brief us on the topic of “Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience: Planning and Challenges.” The NSC will familiarize all of us here, as well as our citizens and friends watching online, with the concepts and operations involved in whole-of-society defense resilience, the associated challenges and goals, and the progress we have made toward achieving our tasks. I have said before that a sudden natural disaster is like an acute cold, while climate change is more like a chronic disease. What whole-of-society defense resilience addresses is both the chronic and the acute. In addition to national disasters and emergencies, Taiwan has also been dealing for a long time with the challenges of gray-zone aggression and cognitive warfare. Located in the first island chain, Taiwan stands on the frontline of the democratic world. As such, we have always endeavored to safeguard regional peace and stability. I firmly believe that a more resilient Taiwan will contribute more to global democracy, peace, and prosperity. I also believe that when Taiwan is properly prepared and shows determination, our like-minded partners from around the world will be more willing to help Taiwan, jointly respond to all kinds of challenges, and work in concert to mitigate risks. As the people of Taiwan become more united, our nation grows more stable. As our society becomes better prepared, our nation grows more secure. And as Taiwan shows more determination to defend itself, the international community will feel more at ease. And so, I want to thank all of you once again for taking on the major task of enhancing our whole-of-society defense resilience. I look forward to working together with everyone, as we continue to observe global conditions, to establish a platform through which we can communicate and coordinate on our national resilience strategy, thereby fostering a nationwide consensus and strengthening resilience throughout Taiwan in national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. Moving forward, let us engage in wide-ranging discussions, build a fortress of unity, and further empower our whole-of-society defense resilience, making Taiwan a cornerstone for ensuring regional stability and democratic sustainability. Thank you. Following his statement, President Lai presented letters of appointment to the committee members and heard a report from NSC Deputy Secretary-General Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) on the topic of “Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience: Planning and Challenges.” Afterward, President Lai exchanged views with the committee members regarding the content of the report and the Rules of Procedure for Meetings of the Office of the President Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee.

    Details
    2025-03-13
    President Lai holds press conference following high-level national security meeting
    On the afternoon of March 13, President Lai Ching-te convened a high-level national security meeting, following which he held a press conference. In remarks, President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from using “integrated development” to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth. President Lai emphasized that in the face of increasingly severe threats, the government will not stop doing its utmost to ensure that our national sovereignty is not infringed upon, and expressed hope that all citizens unite in solidarity to resist being divided. The president also expressed hope that citizens work together to increase media literacy, organize and participate in civic education activities, promptly expose concerted united front efforts, and refuse to participate in any activities that sacrifice national interests. As long as every citizen plays their part toward our nation’s goals for prosperity and security, he said, and as long as we work together, nothing can defeat us. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: At many venues recently, a number of citizens have expressed similar concerns to me. They have noticed cases in which members of the military, both active-duty and retired, have been bought out by China, sold intelligence, or even organized armed forces with plans to harm their own nation and its citizens. They have noticed cases in which entertainers willingly followed instructions from Beijing to claim that their country is not a country, all for the sake of personal career interests. They have noticed how messaging used by Chinese state media to stir up internal opposition in Taiwan is always quickly spread by specific channels. There have even been individuals making careers out of helping Chinese state media record united front content, spreading a message that democracy is useless and promoting skepticism toward the United States and the military to sow division and opposition. Many people worry that our country, as well as our hard-won freedom and democracy and the prosperity and progress we achieved together, are being washed away bit by bit due to these united front tactics. In an analysis of China’s united front, renowned strategic scholar Kerry K. Gershaneck expressed that China plans to divide and conquer us through subversion, infiltration, and acquisition of media, and by launching media warfare, psychological warfare, and legal warfare. What they are trying to do is to sow seeds of discord in our society, keep us occupied with internal conflicts, and cause us to ignore the real threat from outside. China’s ambition over the past several decades to annex Taiwan and stamp out the Republic of China has not changed for even a day. It continues to pursue political and military intimidation, and its united front infiltration of Taiwan’s society grows ever more serious. In 2005, China promulgated its so-called “Anti-Secession Law,” which makes using military force to annex Taiwan a national undertaking. Last June, China issued a 22-point set of “guidelines for punishing Taiwan independence separatists,” which regards all those who do not accept that “Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China” as targets for punishment, creating excuses to harm the people of Taiwan. China has also recently been distorting United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, showing in all aspects China’s increasingly urgent threat against Taiwan’s sovereignty. Lately, China has been taking advantage of democratic Taiwan’s freedom, diversity, and openness to recruit gangs, the media, commentators, political parties, and even active-duty and retired members of the armed forces and police to carry out actions to divide, destroy, and subvert us from within. A report from the National Security Bureau indicates that 64 persons were charged last year with suspicion of spying for China, which was three times the number of persons charged for the same offense in 2021. Among them, the Unionist Party, Rehabilitation Alliance Party, and Republic of China Taiwan Military Government formed treasonous organizations to deploy armed forces for China. In a democratic and free society, such cases are appalling. But this is something that actually exists within Taiwan’s society today. China also actively plots ways to infiltrate and spy on our military. Last year, 28 active-duty and 15 retired members of the armed forces were charged with suspicion of involvement in spying for China, respectively comprising 43 percent and 23 percent of all of such cases – 66 percent in total. We are also alert to the fact that China has recently used widespread issuance of Chinese passports to entice Taiwanese citizens to apply for the Residence Permit for Taiwan Residents, permanent residency, or the Resident Identity Card, in an attempt to muddle Taiwanese people’s sense of national identity. China also views cross-strait exchanges as a channel for its united front against Taiwan, marking enemies in Taiwan internally, creating internal divisions, and weakening our sense of who the enemy really is. It intends to weaken public authority and create the illusion that China is “governing” Taiwan, thereby expanding its influence within Taiwan. We are also aware that China has continued to expand its strategy of integrated development with Taiwan. It employs various methods to demand and coerce Taiwanese businesses to increase their investments in China, entice Taiwanese youth to develop their careers in China, and unscrupulously seeks to poach Taiwan’s talent and steal key technologies. Such methods impact our economic security and greatly increase the risk of our young people heading to China. By its actions, China already satisfies the definition of a “foreign hostile force” as provided in the Anti-Infiltration Act. We have no choice but to take even more proactive measures, which is my purpose in convening this high-level national security meeting today. It is time we adopt proper preventive measures, enhance our democratic resilience and national security, and protect our cherished free and democratic way of life. Next, I will be giving a detailed account of the five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces and the 17 major strategies we have prepared in response. I. Responding to China’s threats to our national sovereignty We have a nation insofar as we have sovereignty, and we have the Republic of China insofar as we have Taiwan. Just as I said during my inaugural address last May, and in my National Day address last October: The moment when Taiwan’s first democratically elected president took the oath of office in 1996 sent a message to the international community, that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent, democratic nation. Among people here and in the international community, some call this land the Republic of China, some call it Taiwan, and some, the Republic of China Taiwan. The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and Taiwan resists any annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty. The future of the Republic of China Taiwan must be decided by its 23 million people. This is the status quo that we must maintain. The broadest consensus in Taiwanese society is that we must defend our sovereignty, uphold our free and democratic way of life, and resolutely oppose annexation of Taiwan by China. (1) I request that the National Security Council (NSC), the Ministry of National Defense (MND), and the administrative team do their utmost to promote the Four Pillars of Peace action plan to demonstrate the people’s broad consensus and firm resolve, consistent across the entirety of our nation, to oppose annexation of Taiwan by China. (2) I request that the NSC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs draft an action plan that will, through collaboration with our friends and allies, convey to the world our national will and broad social consensus in opposing annexation of Taiwan by China and in countering China’s efforts to erase Taiwan from the international community and downgrade Taiwan’s sovereignty. II. Responding to China’s threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting our military (1) Comprehensively review and amend our Law of Military Trial to restore the military trial system, allowing military judges to return to the frontline and collaborate with prosecutorial, investigative, and judicial authorities in the handling of criminal cases in which active-duty military personnel are suspected of involvement in such military crimes as sedition, aiding the enemy, leaking confidential information, dereliction of duty, or disobedience. In the future, criminal cases involving active-duty military personnel who are suspected of violating the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces will be tried by a military court. (2) Implement supporting reforms, including the establishment of a personnel management act for military judges and separate organization acts for military courts and military prosecutors’ offices. Once planning and discussion are completed, the MND will fully explain to and communicate with the public to ensure that the restoration of the military trial system gains the trust and full support of society. (3) To deter the various types of controversial rhetoric and behavior exhibited by active-duty as well as retired military personnel that severely damage the morale of our national military, the MND must discuss and propose an addition to the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces on penalties for expressions of loyalty to the enemy as well as revise the regulations for military personnel and their families receiving retirement benefits, so as to uphold military discipline. III. Responding to China’s threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan (1) I request that the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), and other relevant agencies, wherever necessary, carry out inspections and management of the documents involving identification that Taiwanese citizens apply for in China, including: passports, ID cards, permanent residence certificates, and residence certificates, especially when the applicants are military personnel, civil servants, or public school educators, who have an obligation of loyalty to Taiwan. This will be done to strictly prevent and deter united front operations, which are performed by China under the guise of “integrated development,” that attempt to distort our people’s national identity. (2) With respect to naturalization and integration of individuals from China, Hong Kong, and Macau into Taiwanese society, more national security considerations must be taken into account while also attending to Taiwan’s social development and individual rights: Chinese nationals applying for permanent residency in Taiwan must, in accordance with the law of Taiwan, relinquish their existing household registration and passport and may not hold dual identity status. As for the systems in place to process individuals from Hong Kong or Macau applying for residency or permanent residency in Taiwan, there will be additional provisions for long-term residency to meet practical needs. IV. Responding to China’s threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges  (1) There are increasing risks involved with travel to China. (From January 1, 2024 to today, the MAC has received reports of 71 Taiwanese nationals who went missing, were detained, interrogated, or imprisoned in China; the number of unreported people who have been subjected to such treatment may be several times that. Of those, three elderly I-Kuan Tao members were detained in China in December of last year and have not yet been released.) In light of this, relevant agencies must raise public awareness of those risks, continue enhancing public communication, and implement various registration systems to reduce the potential for accidents and the risks associated with traveling to China. (2) Implement a disclosure system for exchanges with China involving public officials at all levels of the central and local government. This includes everyone from administrative officials to elected representatives, from legislators to village and neighborhood chiefs, all of whom should make the information related to such exchanges both public and transparent so that they can be accountable to the people. The MOI should also establish a disclosure system for exchanges with China involving public welfare organizations, such as religious groups, in order to prevent China’s interference and united front activities at their outset. (3) Manage the risks associated with individuals from China engaging in exchanges with Taiwan: Review and approval of Chinese individuals coming to Taiwan should be limited to normal cross-strait exchanges and official interactions under the principles of parity and dignity, and relevant factors such as changes in the cross-strait situation should be taken into consideration. Strict restrictions should be placed on Chinese individuals who have histories with the united front coming to Taiwan, and Chinese individuals should be prohibited from coming to Taiwan to conduct activities related in any way to the united front. (4) Political interference from China and the resulting risks to national security should be avoided in cross-strait exchanges. This includes the review and management of religious, cultural, academic, and education exchanges, which should in principle be depoliticized and de-risked so as to simplify people-to-people exchanges and promote healthy and orderly exchanges. (5) To deter the united front tactics of a cultural nature employed by Chinese nationals to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, the Executive Yuan must formulate a solution to make our local cultural industries more competitive, including enhanced support and incentives for our film, television, and cultural and creative industries to boost their strengths in democratic cultural creation, raise international competitiveness, and encourage research in Taiwan’s own history and culture. (6) Strengthen guidance and management for entertainers developing their careers in China. The competent authorities should provide entertainers with guidelines on conduct while working in China, and make clear the scope of investigation and response to conduct that endangers national dignity. This will help prevent China from pressuring Taiwanese entertainers to make statements or act in ways that endanger national dignity. (7) The relevant authorities must adopt proactive, effective measures to prevent China from engaging in cognitive warfare against Taiwan or endangering cybersecurity through the internet, applications, AI, and other such tools. (8) To implement these measures, each competent authority must run a comprehensive review of the relevant administrative ordinances, measures, and interpretations, and complete the relevant regulations for legal enforcement. Should there be any shortcomings, the legal framework for national security should be strengthened and amendments to the National Security Act, Anti-Infiltration Act, Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong & Macao Affairs, or Cyber Security Management Act should be proposed. Communication with the public should also be increased so that implementation can happen as soon as possible. V. Responding to threats from China using “integrated development” to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth (1) I request that the NSC and administrative agencies work together to carry out strategic structural adjustments to the economic and trade relations between Taiwan and China based on the strategies of putting Taiwan first and expanding our global presence while staying rooted in Taiwan. In addition, they should carry out necessary, orderly adjustments to the flow of talent, goods, money, and skills involved in cross-strait economic and trade relations based on the principle of strengthening Taiwan’s foundations to better manage risk. This will help boost economic security and give us more power to respond to China’s economic and trade united front and economic coercion against Taiwan. (2) I request that the Ministry of Education, MAC, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and other relevant agencies work together to comprehensively strengthen young students’ literacy education on China and deepen their understanding of cross-strait exchanges. I also request these agencies to widely publicize mechanisms for employment and entrepreneurship for Taiwan’s youth and provide ample information and assistance so that young students have more confidence in the nation’s future and more actively invest in building up and developing Taiwan. My fellow citizens, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. History tells us that any authoritarian act of aggression or annexation will ultimately end in failure. The only way we can safeguard freedom and prevail against authoritarian aggression is through solidarity. As we face increasingly severe threats, the government will not stop doing its utmost to ensure that our national sovereignty is not infringed upon, and to ensure that the freedom, democracy, and way of life of Taiwan’s 23 million people continues on as normal. But relying solely on the power of the government is not enough. What we need even more is for all citizens to stay vigilant and take action. Every citizen stands on the frontline of the defense of democracy and freedom. Here is what we can do together: First, we can increase our media literacy, and refrain from spreading and passing on united front messaging from the Chinese state. Second, we can organize and participate in civic education activities to increase our knowledge about united front operations and build up whole-of-society defense resilience. Third, we can promptly expose concerted united front efforts so that all malicious attempts are difficult to carry out. Fourth, we must refuse to participate in any activities that sacrifice national interests. The vigilance and action of every citizen forms the strongest line of defense against united front infiltration. Only through solidarity can we resist being divided. As long as every citizen plays their part toward our nation’s goals for prosperity and security, and as long as we work together, nothing can defeat us.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘It’s not a vaccine, it’s a shot’: uncovering a new trend in vaccine scepticism

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Elena Semino, Distinguished Professor in Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University

    It has long been recognised that attitudes towards vaccines may be vaccine-specific, so that people may take up some, but not others.

    On July 26 2021, the following statement was posted on Twitter (later renamed X) about the COVID-19 vaccine:

    It’s not even a real vaccine. You can catch Covid and also spread it if you are vaccinated. You don’t catch polio or MMR after you are vaccinated.

    My colleagues and I came across this comment and many like it while analysing a nine-million-word dataset consisting of tweets about the COVID and MMR vaccines posted between 2008 and 2022, to learn more about vaccine scepticism. We discovered that the author of this tweet is not alone in questioning the status of the COVID-19 vaccines as vaccines, and comparing it to others.

    Vaccines (but not as you know them)

    Our study also investigated how, in the years of the pandemic, people compared the COVID-19 vaccines unfavourably with the MMR vaccine. Many described a perception that the COVID vaccines were not very effective at preventing infection:

    Yes because the covid vaccine is just like the MMR vaccine. NOT. MMR vaccine provides 99.8% protection from catching measles, mumps or rubella. Covid vaccine does NOT stop you from catching covid. Vaccinate away but it’s not going to stop covid.

    Some people go one step further and state that, therefore, the COVID-19 vaccines are not vaccines:

    How about we start with the fact that it’s not a vaccine, it’s a therapeutic. True vaccines immunize you from the virus. The COVID “vaccine” still allows you to catch COVID just with lesser symptoms. Not the same with polio, MMR, etc.

    In some tweets, posters use the term “shot” in contrast with “vaccine”, to suggest an inferior intervention, despite the fact they mean the same thing:

    Stop calling it a vaccine. It’s a shot.

    Over 20 years ago a discredited but still influential claim that the MMR vaccine may cause autism caused a wave of vaccine scepticism. But this is a new type of vaccine-specific scepticism.

    In our data, there is almost no evidence before 2020 of people claiming that some vaccines are not in fact vaccines. In the period 2020-2022, this form of scepticism increased rapidly in relation to the COVID-19 vaccines, and also applied to the flu vaccine:

    Can you tell me more about this “vaccine” for the flu that allows tens of thousands of deaths? That’s not a vaccine, it’s a flu shot. Much different than say a polio vaccine or MMR vaccine. I would argue that we do NOT have a flu vaccine.

    How can we explain this?

    Experts were already aware that some diseases, such as measles, are vaccine-preventable: if you are vaccinated, you are extremely unlikely to be infected. In contrast, other diseases, including influenza and COVID-19, are vaccine-modifiable: if you are vaccinated, you may still be infected, but you are much less likely to become seriously ill or die.

    This is not to do with the quality of the vaccines, never mind their status as vaccines, but with differences between, for example, more stable viruses and viruses that mutate over time, and between different rates at which immunity wanes.

    Nonetheless, definitions of vaccination by, for example, the World Health Organization and the UK’s National Health Service, tend to focus on the prevention of disease.

    Up until the pandemic, these definitions were mostly consistent with people’s experiences of vaccination. Even with flu, there was no easy access to tests that could show that you had been infected with the strain you had been vaccinated against.

    The COVID-19 pandemic changed all that. It became a common experience to test positive for COVID-19 even after receiving one or more vaccine doses. Our research found that for some people, this did not undermine confidence in the status of the COVID-19 vaccines as vaccines. For others it did.

    This probably explains the new type of scepticism my colleagues and I discovered. It is a scepticism that may be shared by people who normally take up vaccines, for themselves and for their children. The use of informal alternatives to the term “vaccine”, such as “shot”, in public health messaging may unintentionally contribute to this confusion about what counts as a vaccine.

    If left unaddressed, this new scepticism may affect the take up of seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccines, as well as confidence in vaccines in future pandemics.

    Elena Semino receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation (grant number: ES/V000926/1).

    – ref. ‘It’s not a vaccine, it’s a shot’: uncovering a new trend in vaccine scepticism – https://theconversation.com/its-not-a-vaccine-its-a-shot-uncovering-a-new-trend-in-vaccine-scepticism-251938

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Theft, daydreaming and everything in between: most of us are a bit ‘deviant’ at work

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Brad Harris, Professor of management, associate dean of MBA programs, HEC Paris Business School

    We usually think of workplace deviance as linked to “bad apples”–the troublemakers who egregiously slack off, steal from the company or openly clash with coworkers. But what if deviant behaviour was also more subtle–daydreaming, taking long coffee breaks or cracking an edgy joke in a meeting? It turns out most employees engage in quieter patterns of minor misbehaviours, and it’s changing how we think about deviance on the job.

    Traditionally, research has kept deviance in neat boxes: bad behaviours are either interpersonal (aimed at coworkers) or organisational (targeted against the company). But most employees don’t fall into rigid categories of “good” or “bad”, nor do they engage only in one type of misbehaviour. Instead, many show a mix of minor, less disruptive behaviours that don’t seem to fit the bad-apple narrative.

    Breaking down misconduct

    Our research explored different patterns or “classes” of workplace misbehaviours. We meta-analysed responses from more than 6,000 employees across 20 primary studies in the US and elsewhere, and conducted multiple follow-up studies across different countries and industries.

    Using statistical modelling techniques, our analysis of previous studies found evidence for five unique classes of “deviants” at work, with several of these falling clearly outside the traditional good/bad or person/organisation dichotomies. We then conducted a second study with 553 participants that found similar evidence, and showed how behaviours linked to these classes related to job satisfaction, turnover intentions and other work outcomes.

    Here’s a breakdown of the five types of workplace “troublemakers” we identified in our follow-up studies:

    Withdrawn workers (39% of the participants in the study)

    You won’t see these workers causing a big scene, but then again, you might not see them much at all. Far from classic troublemakers, these workers act out by withholding effort, coming in late and withdrawing from the action in sometimes remarkable ways. The prevalence of this class, which is not well captured in prior deviance research, supports the phenomenon of “quiet quitting” that was popularized in recent years.

    Slacking jerks (9%)

    This group exhibits the low productivity and withdrawal of the previous class, but with an edge. They avoid tasks, work slowly, take long breaks and are often rude to coworkers.

    Stagnant workers (21%)

    Disengaged but not overtly harmful, these employees daydream and occasionally show up late without causing obvious disruptions. They don’t stand out on a typical day, but when things get rough you might notice they aren’t pulling their weight. These workers can stifle efforts at organisational change and slowly erode a positive culture.

    Elevated deviants (4%)

    The classic “bad apples”, people in this group engage in all the various disruptive behaviours described above, likely due to high job dissatisfaction.

    Minimal deviants (27%)

    Members of this group avoid most deviant behaviour and are generally good citizens at work. Even if this percentage is inflated–social desirability bias, or the inclination people have to present themselves well, may have affected study participants’ willingness to admit every act of deviance–its relatively modest size is still telling: a vast majority of workers in our sample say they are misbehaving in some way.

    Our data show that workplace deviance isn’t always about major rule-breaking; in fact, it rarely is! While serious actions like theft (e.g., stealing property or falsifying a receipt) and overt aggression are rare, smaller things like daydreaming, taking extra breaks and making snarky remarks happen rather frequently. These mundane forms of deviance can be written off because they fail to evoke visceral reactions from managers or peers. But they can also add up, eroding positive cultures in ways that aren’t seen until a major event occurs.

    What drives these behaviours?

    People often act out at work because they feel wronged by a person or situation, or because they have deeper motivations, linked to their personality traits, that are more conducive to deviance. Our study backs up this idea and offers some additional clarity. As expected, when employees feel wronged–by a demanding boss, unhelpful coworkers or a lack of support from the organisation–they’re more likely to push back with some type of misconduct. Having an abusive supervisor makes it more likely that employees will be members of the “elevated deviant” class, whereas experiencing ostracism makes membership in the “stagnant worker” class more likely.

    One could argue about which comes first–being abused or being the abuser–but the pattern we found aligns with prior work that shows causality between injustice and deviance.

    Looking beyond the work environment, we also found that certain personality traits can predict what type of “deviant” a worker is most likely to be. Agreeableness, for example, is associated with less overt deviance classes such as “stagnant workers” and “withdrawn workers”. Interestingly, while conscientiousness was predictive of belonging to the “minimal deviant” class, our data suggest that highly conscientious people do occasionally act out, usually with a mix of withdrawal and rudeness (like the “slacking jerks”).

    In short, highly conscientious people have high expectations for their own and others’ work, and they may sometimes react to stress or slights in ways that make their unmet expectations known.

    Impacts on performance

    Deviant behaviour impacts team performance and turnover. Our study shows that employees in the “minimal deviants” group generally perform well, are supportive of their teammates and are satisfied with their work, whereas those in high-deviance groups are often poorer performers who do not often behave supportively toward their coworkers. Yet, while our findings support the idea of a “bad apple” dragging down an entire team, deviance and its effects can be more complicated in some cases.

    Consider the relatively mild deviance classes of “stagnant workers” and “withdrawn workers”, whose members express relatively high intentions to quit and, accordingly, perform lower than those of other classes. These employees may fly under the radar while silently eroding an organisation’s potential.

    Workers in the “slacking jerks” class exhibit contradictory behavioural patterns: they are willing to withdraw from some parts of their job and act out rudely toward some coworkers, while also maintaining relatively higher levels of performance and even going out of their way to help other colleagues. As a result, managers are frequently navigating grey zones: what trade-offs are palatable, and where is the line between reasonable expression and outright violation?

    Our findings show that most employees engage in minor misdemeanors, like taking extra-long breaks or daydreaming, rather than major actions like theft. Many don’t just dabble in one or two types of deviance, but exhibit complex patterns in their behaviour at work that can be reliably predicted by personality-based factors and situational attributes. Without careful attention, their minor acts, which often emerge as a response to burn-out or low morale, may go unnoticed or untreated, and can accumulate into big problems for organisations.

    Beyond bad intentions

    Our findings also challenge the belief that rule-breaking is driven by a few “bad apples” intent on causing trouble, and contribute to a growing line of inquiry that shifts from asking merely “who acts out at work?” to “why do people engage in these behaviours?” For many employees, minor slip-ups are likely less about causing harm and more about coping with everyday stress.

    Motives for breaking rules can differ substantially. For instance, some workers who are withdrawn might be stepping back quietly to deal with health issues, while others stepping back may be evincing a low level of commitment. Understanding their different reasons could open the door to better ways of addressing their behaviours.

    While deviance has traditionally been viewed as something rare, our study shows a more complicated picture. On the one hand, only 4% of respondents reported high levels of all forms of deviance, which, on the surface, would support the rarity of workplace deviance. However, on the other hand, only about a quarter (27%) of employees reported that they steer clear of deviance entirely. That leaves more than two thirds (69%) of employees exhibiting milder and more nuanced patterns of misbehavior.

    This helps us understand deviance as a more common part of work life. It also complicates how managers think about, penalise and discourage it. Without levers that help employees reduce stress or make up for uncontrollable work factors (such as company-wide salary freezes), managers may feel pressure to accept some forms of deviance as “the cost of doing business” while remaining vigilant toward the most egregious and overt infractions.

    Brad Harris ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Theft, daydreaming and everything in between: most of us are a bit ‘deviant’ at work – https://theconversation.com/theft-daydreaming-and-everything-in-between-most-of-us-are-a-bit-deviant-at-work-247936

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Israel-Hamas ceasefire didn’t resolve any deep-seated issues. Now, it’s shattered

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne

    When a ceasefire in the war between Hamas and Israel finally came into effect on January 19, the world breathed a collective sigh of relief.

    However, that ceasefire agreement, and its associated negotiations, have now been cast aside by new Israeli attacks on Gaza.

    A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the strikes came after Hamas’ “repeated refusals” to “release our hostages”, and the group’s rejection of all proposals presented by US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.

    Even before Israel cut off all humanitarian aid and electricity to Gaza in the past two weeks, Hamas claimed it had not met the levels of humanitarian aid, shelter and fuel it agreed to provide in the terms of the ceasefire. However, this is a distraction from a larger issue.

    This ceasefire was always more like a strangle contract than a negotiated agreement between equal parties. Israel, as the party with far greater military and political power, has always had the upper hand.

    And while the first phase of the ceasefire, which lasted 42 days, saw the successful release of 33 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, the ceasefire also enabled Israel to use it for its own political and military ends.

    Buying time

    The most common conventional concern about ceasefires is that the parties to a conflict will use them for their own ends.

    Typically, the worry is that non-state armed groups, such as Hamas, will use the halt in violence to buy time to regroup, rearm and rebuild their strength to continue fighting.

    But states such as Israel have this ability, too. Even though they have standing armies that might not need to regroup and rearm in the same way, states can use this time to manoeuvre in the international arena – a space largely denied to non-state actors.

    Trump’s rise to power in the US has seemingly given the Israeli government carte blanche to proceed in ways that were arguably off limits to previous US presidents who were also largely supportive of Israel’s actions.

    This includes the plan of forcing Gaza’s population out of the strip. This plan was raised earlier in the war by Trump advisor Jared Kushner and Israeli officials as a supposed humanitarian initiative.

    Trump has now repeated the call to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan – or possibly other parts of Africa – and for the US to take “ownership” of the coastal strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

    On the face of it, this plan would be a war crime. But even if it is never fully implemented, the fact it is being promoted by Trump after many years of domestic Israeli and international opprobrium shows how political ideas once thought unacceptable can take on a life of their own.

    Political and military maneouvering

    Israel has also used the ceasefire to pursue larger political and military goals in Gaza, the West Bank, southern Lebanon and Syria.

    Even though the ceasefire did reduce overall levels of violence in Gaza, Israel has continued to carry out attacks on targets in the strip.

    It has also escalated the construction of settlements and carried out increasingly violent operations in the West Bank. In addition, there have been egregious attacks on Palestinian residents in Israel.

    And though nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners were released during the ceasefire, Israel was holding more than 9,600 Palestinians in detention on “security grounds” at the end of 2024. Thousands more Palestinians are being held by Israel in administrative detention, which means without trial or charge.

    During the ceasefire, Israel also accelerated efforts to evict the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, from its headquarters in East Jerusalem. And the Israeli government has also proposed increasingly draconian laws aimed at restraining the work of Israeli human rights organisations.

    On the military front, the ceasefire arguably alleviated some pressure on Israel, giving it time to consolidate its territorial and security gains against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and in Syria.

    In the past two months, two deadlines for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon passed. Israel has instead proposed establishing a buffer zone on Lebanese territory and has begun destroying villages, uprooting olive trees and building semi-permanent outposts along the border.

    In a speech in February, Netanyahu also demanded the “complete demilitarisation of southern Syria” following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. And Defence Minister Israel Katz said this month Israel would keep its troops in southern Syria to “protect” residents from any threats from the new Syrian regime.

    Be careful what you wish for

    While Palestinians are known for their sumud – usually translated as steadfastness or tenacity – there is a limit to what humans can endure. The war, and subsequent ceasefires, have created a situation in which Gazans may have to put the survival and wellbeing of themselves and their families above their desire to stay in Palestine.

    There is a general assumption that ceasefires are positive and humanitarian in nature. But ceasefires are not panaceas. In reality, they are a least-worst option for stopping the violence of war for often just a brief period.

    A ceasefire was never going to be the solution to the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Instead, it has turned out to be part of the problem.

    The Conversation

    Marika Sosnowski 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. The Israel-Hamas ceasefire didn’t resolve any deep-seated issues. Now, it’s shattered – https://theconversation.com/the-israel-hamas-ceasefire-didnt-resolve-any-deep-seated-issues-now-its-shattered-249944

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council Chairman Furuya Keiji

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-03-17
    President Lai addresses opening of 2025 Yushan Forum
    On the morning of March 17, President Lai Ching-te attended the opening of the 2025 Yushan Forum, the theme of which was “New Southbound Policy+: Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific, and a New World.” In remarks, President Lai stated that the New Southbound Policy has led to great success in economic and trade cooperation, professional exchanges, resource sharing, and building regional links. He said that in the past, Taiwanese industries went from moving westward across the Taiwan Strait, to shifting southbound, to working closer with the north, but that now, Taiwan is confidently stepping across the Pacific, reaching eastward, to the Americas and other regions. While staying firmly rooted in Taiwan, he said, Taiwan’s enterprises are expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide. The president stated that Taiwan will strive alongside its partners in democracy to bolster non-red supply chains and digital solidarity, and together respond to the threats and challenges posed by expanding authoritarianism. He indicated that the Yushan Forum is a place to share experiences, and more importantly, lay down firm foundations for exchanges and cooperation among participants’ countries to create greater stability for the region and greater prosperity for the world. A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows: On behalf of all the people of Taiwan, I want to welcome our good friends joining us from around the world. Your presence shows support for a peaceful and stable Taiwan and a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The Yushan Forum has become more than just an important platform for the New Southbound Policy. Over these eight years, more than 3,600 participants from Taiwan and 28 other countries have helped deepen Taiwan’s connections with nations around the world. The New Southbound Policy has led to great success in economic and trade cooperation, professional exchanges, resource sharing, and building regional links. Looking ahead, the Yushan Forum will be taking on the important mission of carrying its legacy forward and transforming it into action. Not only must we turn consensus into action plans for close cooperation among countries in the region; we must also work with partners around the world to forge ahead with cooperative plans for mutual prosperity. We hope to envision a new world from Taiwan – and see Taiwan in this new world. We are also embracing an era of smart technology. The government sessions of this Yushan Forum are therefore centered around topics including smart healthcare, smart transportation, and resilient supply chains for semiconductors. Taiwan is intent on working side by side with other countries to face the challenges of this new era. Today’s Taiwan celebrates not only the democratic achievements that are recognized by the international community, but also our strengths in the semiconductor and other tech industries, which enable us to play a key role in restructuring global democratic supply chains and the economic order. We are building on Taiwan as a “silicon island” for semiconductors while accelerating innovation and AI applications for industry. These efforts will help Taiwan become an “AI island” as well. We are also developing forward-looking fields such as quantum technology and precision medicine, which will create an industry ecosystem that is highly competitive and innovative. The government will also develop economic models powered by innovation. This will help SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) upgrade and transform through the power of digital transformation and net-zero transition. In the past, Taiwanese industries went from moving westward across the Taiwan Strait, to shifting southbound, to working closer with the north. But now, we are confidently stepping across the Pacific, reaching eastward, to the Americas and other regions. While staying firmly rooted in Taiwan, our enterprises are expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide. Taiwan will continue to engage with the world, and we welcome the world to come closer to Taiwan. As we gather here today, I am confident that we share the same goal: Through international cooperation, we hope to build an even more inclusive, resilient, prosperous Indo-Pacific, while jointly defending the democracy, freedom, and peace we so firmly believe in. I want to thank you all once again for supporting Taiwan. We will strive alongside our partners in democracy to bolster non-red supply chains and digital solidarity, and together respond to the threats and challenges posed by expanding authoritarianism. Yushan is also known as Jade Mountain. It is Taiwan’s highest peak and stands as firm as our unwavering spirit. During this critical time of global change and transformation, the Yushan Forum is a place where we can share our experiences, and more importantly, lay down firm foundations for exchanges and cooperation among our countries. This way, we can create greater stability for the region and greater prosperity for the world. I wish everyone a successful forum. Thank you. Also in attendance at the event were former Prime Minister of Denmark and Alliance of Democracies Foundation Chairman Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Janez Janša, Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council Chairman Furuya Keiji, and American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene.

    Details
    2025-03-13
    President Lai attends Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2025 Spring Banquet  
    On the evening of March 13, President Lai Ching-te attended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2025 Spring Banquet for foreign ambassadors and representatives stationed in Taiwan. In remarks, President Lai thanked our diplomatic allies and like-minded countries for continuing to demonstrate their high regard and support for Taiwan at international venues. The president stated that a stronger Taiwan will be able to contribute even more to the world, explaining that is why he established the National Climate Change Committee, the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, and the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee. He added that he hopes to pool our strengths so as to formulate national development strategies and enhance Taiwan’s international collaboration. The president also expressed hope of developing opportunities for cooperation with other countries across many domains to jointly advance democracy, peace, and prosperity throughout the region and around the world. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Today is my first time attending the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spring Banquet since becoming president. It is a pleasure to be able to meet and socialize with esteemed guests from other countries and good friends from all sectors of Taiwan. The global landscape has changed rapidly over the past year. Geopolitical volatility, the restructuring of supply chains, technological advancements, and other factors have had a profound impact on nations’ strategic plans. I want to take this opportunity to thank our diplomatic allies and like-minded countries for continuing to demonstrate their high regard and support for Taiwan at international venues. Last month, the leaders of the United States and Japan, the US secretary of state and the foreign ministers of Japan and the Republic of Korea, and the G7 foreign ministers all issued joint statements emphasizing the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, underscoring Taiwan’s vital role in global progress and prosperity.  I would especially like to thank members of the diplomatic corps for working with us to build even closer partnerships between our countries. I have always believed that a stronger Taiwan will be able to contribute even more to the world. That is why, after taking office, I established the National Climate Change Committee, the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, and the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee under the Office of the President. These committees continue to address global concerns and seek to solve important issues that impact our own people. I hope to pool our strengths so as to formulate national development strategies and enhance Taiwan’s international collaboration.  Last year, I visited our Pacific allies – the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Palau. I deeply appreciated our friends’ warm hospitality and came to feel very deeply that we are like a family. Through local visits and mutual exchanges, we deepened our diplomatic alliances and cooperation, creating win-win outcomes. We also showed Taiwan’s determination to work with allies to tackle the many challenges related to climate change, net-zero transition, and digital transformation. At the start of this month, Taiwan hosted the first-ever workshop on whole-of-society defense resilience under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework. Experts and scholars from 30 countries participated in the discussions. I once again thank the diplomatic corps for their support and assistance. In the future, we look forward to developing opportunities for cooperation with other countries across many domains to jointly advance democracy, peace, and prosperity throughout the region and around the world. In the face of authoritarian expansion, Taiwan will continue to bolster its national defense capabilities. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow democracies to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. We will also join hands to build non-red supply chains, strengthen our economic resilience, and promote an initiative on semiconductor supply chain partnerships for global democracies. All of this will ensure steady technological and economic development.  In my New Year’s Day address, I said that in this new year, we have many more brilliant stories of Taiwan to share with the world. Everyone gathered here tonight is a dear friend of Taiwan. And each of you plays an important role in the stories this land has to tell.  I am deeply grateful to you all for the incredible efforts you make in support of Taiwan. In so many ways, you connect Taiwan to the rest of the world and allow the world to see the many different sides of this amazing nation. I believe that through even deeper and more extensive cooperation, we will create many more wonderful stories of Taiwan and build an even brighter future together. I wish you all a pleasant evening. Also in attendance at the event were Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman and other members of the foreign diplomatic corps in Taiwan.

    Details
    2025-03-04
    President Lai meets US Heritage Foundation founder Dr. Edwin Feulner
    On the afternoon of March 4, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by founder of the US-based Heritage Foundation Dr. Edwin Feulner. In remarks President Lai thanked the foundation for publishing the 2025 Index of Economic Freedom, in which Taiwan ranked fourth globally and which recognized Taiwan’s sound legal foundation and ideal investment environment. The president said that Taiwan and the United States are important economic and trade partners and engage closely in industrial exchange. The president also expressed hope to expand investment in and procurement from the US in such areas as high-tech, energy, and agricultural products, and to work with the US and other democratic partners to create more resilient and diverse semiconductor supply chains to address new circumstances. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: It is a pleasure to welcome Dr. Feulner back to Taiwan today. I recall meeting with Dr. Feulner and Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts here at the Presidential Office at the end of last February. We had a fruitful discussion on Taiwan-US relations and regional affairs. When President Donald Trump was elected for his first term, Dr. Feulner played a crucial role in the administration’s transition team. Today, I look forward to hearing his thoughts on possible ways to further deepen relations between Taiwan and the US. I would like to thank the Heritage Foundation for publishing the 2025 Index of Economic Freedom, in which Taiwan ranked fourth globally. The report also recognized Taiwan’s sound legal foundation and ideal investment environment. Taiwan and the US are important economic and trade partners and engage closely in industrial exchange. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) historic US$65 billion investment in Arizona–negotiated and finalized during President Trump’s first term–is a case in point. And today, TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) and President Trump jointly announced that the company would be expanding its investment in the US with new facilities. Looking ahead, we hope to expand investment in and procurement from the US in such areas as high-tech, energy, and agricultural products. We also look forward to working with the US and other democratic partners to create more resilient and diverse semiconductor supply chains to address new circumstances. At present, we continue to face authoritarian expansionism. As a country that deeply loves and staunchly defends freedom, Taiwan will collaborate with the US and other like-minded countries to maintain regional peace and stability. I would like to thank President Trump for his recent joint statement with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, which emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. And last month, the US was also part of a G7 foreign ministers’ statement in which “they strongly opposed any attempts to change unilaterally the status quo using force.” We firmly believe that only peace attained through one’s own strength can truly be called peace. Currently, Taiwan’s defense budget stands at approximately 2.5 percent of GDP. Going forward, the government will prioritize special budget allocations to ensure that Taiwan’s defense budget exceeds 3 percent of GDP. Also, we will continue to reform national defense in the conviction that help comes most to those who help themselves. This will allow us to contribute even more to regional peace and stability. In closing, I once again thank Dr. Feulner for visiting and for demonstrating support of Taiwan. I wish you all a smooth and successful trip. Dr. Feulner then delivered remarks, first stating that on behalf of his successor, President Roberts, and all of his colleagues at the Heritage Foundation, it is his pleasure to present President Lai with the first copy of the 2025 Index of Economic Freedom. Pointing out that in the Index the Republic of China (Taiwan) is number four of 176 countries around the world in terms of its economic freedom, Dr. Feulner extended his congratulations to President Lai.  Dr. Feulner said he looks forward to a discussion about the present situation and how we can improve relations between the US and Taiwan. Dr. Feulner expressed his gratitude on hearing the wonderful announcement from TSMC, which was released right before his visit, that it will be expanding its investment in the US. In past trips, he said, he has had the opportunity to visit the TSMC headquarters in Taiwan, and fairly recently he has had the opportunity to view the site in Arizona where the construction continues and where the initial operations are beginning. He stated that they are proud to have TSMC now as an integral part of our responsible bilateral relationship. Dr. Feulner noted that while TSMC is of course very big, he also wants to express appreciation for all of the hundreds and hundreds of Taiwan-based companies that are strong, close partners throughout the US with American companies and with American people in terms of making a close and unified alliance of two freedom-loving countries.

    Details
    2025-03-04
    President Lai attends opening ceremony of GCTF Workshop on Whole-of-Society Resilience Building, Preparation, and Response
    On the morning of March 4, President Lai Ching-te attended the opening ceremony of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) Workshop on Whole-of-Society Resilience Building, Preparation, and Response. In remarks, President Lai stated that global challenges such as extreme weather, pandemics, and energy crises continue to emerge, and growing authoritarianism presents a grave threat to freedom-loving countries. These challenges have no borders, he said, and absolutely no single country can face them alone. The president said that as a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is both willing and able to contribute even more to the democracy, peace, and prosperity of the world, and that the GCTF is an important platform where Taiwan can make those contributions by sharing its experiences with the rest of the world. President Lai indicated that Taiwan will join the forces of the central and local governments to enhance social resilience across the board, enhance disaster response capabilities in the community, and leverage its strengths to make contributions to the international community. He said that we are demonstrating to the world our determination to create an even more resilient Taiwan, and expressed hope to advance mutual assistance and exchanges with all the countries involved, so that we can together promote stability and prosperity around the world. A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows: To begin, I would like to welcome more than 60 distinguished guests from 30 countries, as well as experts from Taiwan. You are all here for this GCTF workshop to discuss whole-of-society resilience building, preparation, and response. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is both willing and able to contribute even more to the democracy, peace, and prosperity of the world. The GCTF is an important platform where Taiwan can make those contributions by sharing its experiences with the rest of the world. I want to thank our full GCTF partners, the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada. Over the past several years, we have worked with even more countries through this framework and have expanded our exchanges into even more fields. Together, we have met all kinds of new challenges. I am confident that as our cooperation grows stronger, so will our ability to promote global progress. Each of today’s guests is contributing a vital force in that regard. I extend my sincere thanks to you all. Global challenges such as extreme weather, pandemics, and energy crises continue to emerge. And growing authoritarianism presents a grave threat to freedom-loving countries. These challenges have no borders, and absolutely no single country can face them alone. Taiwan holds a key position on the first island chain, and stands at the very frontline of the defense of democracy. With this joint workshop, we are demonstrating to the world our determination to create an even more resilient Taiwan. We are also aiming to advance our mutual assistance and exchanges with all the countries involved, so that we can make our societies more resilient and together promote stability and prosperity around the world. Moving forward, we will continue advancing the following three initiatives: First, we will join the forces of the central and local governments to enhance social resilience across the board. Just last year, I established the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee at the Presidential Office. Civilian force training, strategic material preparation, and critical infrastructure operation and maintenance are all key discussion areas for our committee. These aim to enhance Taiwan’s resilience in national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. They are also items on the agenda for this GCTF workshop. To cover all the bases, Taiwan must unite and cooperate as a team. Last year, our committee held the very first cross-sector tabletop exercise at the Presidential Office which included central and local government officials as well as civilian observers. We aim to test the government’s emergency response capabilities in high-intensity gray-zone operations and near-conflict situations. We will continue to hold exercises to help the central and local governments work together more efficiently, and strengthen Taiwan’s overall disaster response capabilities. Second is to enhance disaster response capabilities in the community. We fully understand that to build whole-of-society resilience, we must help people increase risk awareness, know how to respond to disasters, and develop abilities to help themselves, help one another, and work together. We are grateful to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) for collaborating with the Taiwan Development Association for Disaster Medical Teams to host “Take Action” workshops around the country since 2021. A 2.0 version is already in practice, and continues to train the public in first aid skills. Director of the AIT Taipei Office Raymond Greene and I took part in a Take Action event in New Taipei City last year and personally saw the positive outcomes of the training. In addition to the Take Action workshops, the government is also providing Disaster Relief Volunteer training for ages 11 to 89, and is continuing to expand its target audience. We have also set up Taiwan Community Emergency Response Teams at key facilities nationwide, enhancing the ability of these important facilities to respond independently to disasters. Civilian training will continue to be refined and expanded so that members of the public can serve as important partners in government-led disaster prevention and relief. Third, we will leverage Taiwan’s strengths to make contributions to the international community. The inspiration for our Disaster Relief Volunteer training comes from a similar program run by The Nippon Care-Fit Education Institute in Japan. I am confident that through exchanges like this workshop, Taiwan and other countries can also inspire one another in many areas, and enhance whole-of-society resilience in multiple ways. Taiwan also excels in information and communications and advanced technology. We will set up even more robust cybersecurity systems, expand usage of emerging technologies, and improve the ways we maintain domestic security. We hope that by leveraging our capabilities and sharing our experiences, Taiwan can contribute even more to the international community. I want to welcome all our partners once again, and thank AIT for co-hosting this event. Let’s continue down the path of advancing global security and developing resilience together. Because together, we can travel farther, and we can travel longer. Also in attendance at the event were Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Deputy Representative Takaba Yo, Australian Office in Taipei Representative Robert Fergusson, and Canadian Trade Office in Taipei Executive Director Jim Nickel.

    Details
    2025-02-24
    President Lai meets Japanese House of Representatives Member Tamaki Yuichiro
    On the afternoon of February 24, President Lai Ching-te met with Japanese House of Representatives Member Tamaki Yuichiro. In remarks, President Lai noted that Taiwan and Japan are important trading partners. The president expressed hope that, in addition to semiconductors, Taiwan and Japan can also bolster cooperation in the fields of hydrogen energy and drones and build non-red supply chains, thus creating economic win-win situations and maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and globally. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I would like to start by warmly welcoming Representative Tamaki on his first trip to Taiwan. Now is a key moment for the cooperative ties between Taiwan and Japan, and the fact that Representative Tamaki has chosen to take time out of his busy schedule to make this trip demonstrates his especially meaningful support for Taiwan. For this I want to express my deepest gratitude. At the beginning of this month, Japan and the United States held a summit meeting. In the post-summit joint leaders’ statement the government of Japan reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion, and expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. I would like to thank the government of Japan for these statements. Taiwan and Japan are both responsible members of the international community. I welcome an even firmer friendship between Japan and the US and hope to see cooperation among Taiwan, Japan, and the US become a solid force in consolidating peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition to complex international conditions, we now also face the threat of China’s red supply chain. More and more countries are becoming increasingly concerned about such issues as economic security and supply chain resilience. As authoritarianism consolidates, democratic nations must also come closer in solidarity. Taiwan and Japan are important trading partners. I hope that, in addition to semiconductors, Taiwan and Japan can also bolster cooperation in the fields of hydrogen energy and drones, and that we can build non-red supply chains, thus creating economic win-win situations and maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and globally. Lastly, I would like once again to welcome Representative Tamaki to Taiwan and wish him a successful visit. I hope he departs Taiwan with a deep impression and that he will visit again. Representative Tamaki then delivered remarks, noting that this was his first visit to Taiwan and thanking President Lai and officials of the Taiwan government for their warm welcome. Pointing out that Taiwan-Japan ties are closer than ever thanks to the major efforts made on this front by President Lai since taking office, Representative Tamaki expressed his admiration and gratitude. Representative Tamaki pointed out that in a changing global landscape, Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region all face major changes, but he firmly believes that Taiwan-Japan relations will develop even further. Recalling President Lai’s previous remarks, the representative said that Japan and the US recently held a summit meeting that yielded important results. In the joint leaders’ statement, he noted, the two sides made a clear commitment regarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and firmly opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. Representative Tamaki said that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito did not win a majority in last year’s House of Representatives general elections, while the number of seats held by his own Democratic Party for the People quadrupled. This result, he said, has filled him with a feeling of great responsibility. Moving forward, he intends to continue promoting Taiwan-Japan cooperation and strengthening relations. Also in attendance at the meeting was Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki.

    Details
    2025-03-13
    President Lai holds press conference following high-level national security meeting
    On the afternoon of March 13, President Lai Ching-te convened a high-level national security meeting, following which he held a press conference. In remarks, President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from using “integrated development” to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth. President Lai emphasized that in the face of increasingly severe threats, the government will not stop doing its utmost to ensure that our national sovereignty is not infringed upon, and expressed hope that all citizens unite in solidarity to resist being divided. The president also expressed hope that citizens work together to increase media literacy, organize and participate in civic education activities, promptly expose concerted united front efforts, and refuse to participate in any activities that sacrifice national interests. As long as every citizen plays their part toward our nation’s goals for prosperity and security, he said, and as long as we work together, nothing can defeat us. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: At many venues recently, a number of citizens have expressed similar concerns to me. They have noticed cases in which members of the military, both active-duty and retired, have been bought out by China, sold intelligence, or even organized armed forces with plans to harm their own nation and its citizens. They have noticed cases in which entertainers willingly followed instructions from Beijing to claim that their country is not a country, all for the sake of personal career interests. They have noticed how messaging used by Chinese state media to stir up internal opposition in Taiwan is always quickly spread by specific channels. There have even been individuals making careers out of helping Chinese state media record united front content, spreading a message that democracy is useless and promoting skepticism toward the United States and the military to sow division and opposition. Many people worry that our country, as well as our hard-won freedom and democracy and the prosperity and progress we achieved together, are being washed away bit by bit due to these united front tactics. In an analysis of China’s united front, renowned strategic scholar Kerry K. Gershaneck expressed that China plans to divide and conquer us through subversion, infiltration, and acquisition of media, and by launching media warfare, psychological warfare, and legal warfare. What they are trying to do is to sow seeds of discord in our society, keep us occupied with internal conflicts, and cause us to ignore the real threat from outside. China’s ambition over the past several decades to annex Taiwan and stamp out the Republic of China has not changed for even a day. It continues to pursue political and military intimidation, and its united front infiltration of Taiwan’s society grows ever more serious. In 2005, China promulgated its so-called “Anti-Secession Law,” which makes using military force to annex Taiwan a national undertaking. Last June, China issued a 22-point set of “guidelines for punishing Taiwan independence separatists,” which regards all those who do not accept that “Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China” as targets for punishment, creating excuses to harm the people of Taiwan. China has also recently been distorting United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, showing in all aspects China’s increasingly urgent threat against Taiwan’s sovereignty. Lately, China has been taking advantage of democratic Taiwan’s freedom, diversity, and openness to recruit gangs, the media, commentators, political parties, and even active-duty and retired members of the armed forces and police to carry out actions to divide, destroy, and subvert us from within. A report from the National Security Bureau indicates that 64 persons were charged last year with suspicion of spying for China, which was three times the number of persons charged for the same offense in 2021. Among them, the Unionist Party, Rehabilitation Alliance Party, and Republic of China Taiwan Military Government formed treasonous organizations to deploy armed forces for China. In a democratic and free society, such cases are appalling. But this is something that actually exists within Taiwan’s society today. China also actively plots ways to infiltrate and spy on our military. Last year, 28 active-duty and 15 retired members of the armed forces were charged with suspicion of involvement in spying for China, respectively comprising 43 percent and 23 percent of all of such cases – 66 percent in total. We are also alert to the fact that China has recently used widespread issuance of Chinese passports to entice Taiwanese citizens to apply for the Residence Permit for Taiwan Residents, permanent residency, or the Resident Identity Card, in an attempt to muddle Taiwanese people’s sense of national identity. China also views cross-strait exchanges as a channel for its united front against Taiwan, marking enemies in Taiwan internally, creating internal divisions, and weakening our sense of who the enemy really is. It intends to weaken public authority and create the illusion that China is “governing” Taiwan, thereby expanding its influence within Taiwan. We are also aware that China has continued to expand its strategy of integrated development with Taiwan. It employs various methods to demand and coerce Taiwanese businesses to increase their investments in China, entice Taiwanese youth to develop their careers in China, and unscrupulously seeks to poach Taiwan’s talent and steal key technologies. Such methods impact our economic security and greatly increase the risk of our young people heading to China. By its actions, China already satisfies the definition of a “foreign hostile force” as provided in the Anti-Infiltration Act. We have no choice but to take even more proactive measures, which is my purpose in convening this high-level national security meeting today. It is time we adopt proper preventive measures, enhance our democratic resilience and national security, and protect our cherished free and democratic way of life. Next, I will be giving a detailed account of the five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces and the 17 major strategies we have prepared in response. I. Responding to China’s threats to our national sovereignty We have a nation insofar as we have sovereignty, and we have the Republic of China insofar as we have Taiwan. Just as I said during my inaugural address last May, and in my National Day address last October: The moment when Taiwan’s first democratically elected president took the oath of office in 1996 sent a message to the international community, that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent, democratic nation. Among people here and in the international community, some call this land the Republic of China, some call it Taiwan, and some, the Republic of China Taiwan. The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and Taiwan resists any annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty. The future of the Republic of China Taiwan must be decided by its 23 million people. This is the status quo that we must maintain. The broadest consensus in Taiwanese society is that we must defend our sovereignty, uphold our free and democratic way of life, and resolutely oppose annexation of Taiwan by China. (1) I request that the National Security Council (NSC), the Ministry of National Defense (MND), and the administrative team do their utmost to promote the Four Pillars of Peace action plan to demonstrate the people’s broad consensus and firm resolve, consistent across the entirety of our nation, to oppose annexation of Taiwan by China. (2) I request that the NSC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs draft an action plan that will, through collaboration with our friends and allies, convey to the world our national will and broad social consensus in opposing annexation of Taiwan by China and in countering China’s efforts to erase Taiwan from the international community and downgrade Taiwan’s sovereignty. II. Responding to China’s threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting our military (1) Comprehensively review and amend our Law of Military Trial to restore the military trial system, allowing military judges to return to the frontline and collaborate with prosecutorial, investigative, and judicial authorities in the handling of criminal cases in which active-duty military personnel are suspected of involvement in such military crimes as sedition, aiding the enemy, leaking confidential information, dereliction of duty, or disobedience. In the future, criminal cases involving active-duty military personnel who are suspected of violating the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces will be tried by a military court. (2) Implement supporting reforms, including the establishment of a personnel management act for military judges and separate organization acts for military courts and military prosecutors’ offices. Once planning and discussion are completed, the MND will fully explain to and communicate with the public to ensure that the restoration of the military trial system gains the trust and full support of society. (3) To deter the various types of controversial rhetoric and behavior exhibited by active-duty as well as retired military personnel that severely damage the morale of our national military, the MND must discuss and propose an addition to the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces on penalties for expressions of loyalty to the enemy as well as revise the regulations for military personnel and their families receiving retirement benefits, so as to uphold military discipline. III. Responding to China’s threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan (1) I request that the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), and other relevant agencies, wherever necessary, carry out inspections and management of the documents involving identification that Taiwanese citizens apply for in China, including: passports, ID cards, permanent residence certificates, and residence certificates, especially when the applicants are military personnel, civil servants, or public school educators, who have an obligation of loyalty to Taiwan. This will be done to strictly prevent and deter united front operations, which are performed by China under the guise of “integrated development,” that attempt to distort our people’s national identity. (2) With respect to naturalization and integration of individuals from China, Hong Kong, and Macau into Taiwanese society, more national security considerations must be taken into account while also attending to Taiwan’s social development and individual rights: Chinese nationals applying for permanent residency in Taiwan must, in accordance with the law of Taiwan, relinquish their existing household registration and passport and may not hold dual identity status. As for the systems in place to process individuals from Hong Kong or Macau applying for residency or permanent residency in Taiwan, there will be additional provisions for long-term residency to meet practical needs. IV. Responding to China’s threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges  (1) There are increasing risks involved with travel to China. (From January 1, 2024 to today, the MAC has received reports of 71 Taiwanese nationals who went missing, were detained, interrogated, or imprisoned in China; the number of unreported people who have been subjected to such treatment may be several times that. Of those, three elderly I-Kuan Tao members were detained in China in December of last year and have not yet been released.) In light of this, relevant agencies must raise public awareness of those risks, continue enhancing public communication, and implement various registration systems to reduce the potential for accidents and the risks associated with traveling to China. (2) Implement a disclosure system for exchanges with China involving public officials at all levels of the central and local government. This includes everyone from administrative officials to elected representatives, from legislators to village and neighborhood chiefs, all of whom should make the information related to such exchanges both public and transparent so that they can be accountable to the people. The MOI should also establish a disclosure system for exchanges with China involving public welfare organizations, such as religious groups, in order to prevent China’s interference and united front activities at their outset. (3) Manage the risks associated with individuals from China engaging in exchanges with Taiwan: Review and approval of Chinese individuals coming to Taiwan should be limited to normal cross-strait exchanges and official interactions under the principles of parity and dignity, and relevant factors such as changes in the cross-strait situation should be taken into consideration. Strict restrictions should be placed on Chinese individuals who have histories with the united front coming to Taiwan, and Chinese individuals should be prohibited from coming to Taiwan to conduct activities related in any way to the united front. (4) Political interference from China and the resulting risks to national security should be avoided in cross-strait exchanges. This includes the review and management of religious, cultural, academic, and education exchanges, which should in principle be depoliticized and de-risked so as to simplify people-to-people exchanges and promote healthy and orderly exchanges. (5) To deter the united front tactics of a cultural nature employed by Chinese nationals to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, the Executive Yuan must formulate a solution to make our local cultural industries more competitive, including enhanced support and incentives for our film, television, and cultural and creative industries to boost their strengths in democratic cultural creation, raise international competitiveness, and encourage research in Taiwan’s own history and culture. (6) Strengthen guidance and management for entertainers developing their careers in China. The competent authorities should provide entertainers with guidelines on conduct while working in China, and make clear the scope of investigation and response to conduct that endangers national dignity. This will help prevent China from pressuring Taiwanese entertainers to make statements or act in ways that endanger national dignity. (7) The relevant authorities must adopt proactive, effective measures to prevent China from engaging in cognitive warfare against Taiwan or endangering cybersecurity through the internet, applications, AI, and other such tools. (8) To implement these measures, each competent authority must run a comprehensive review of the relevant administrative ordinances, measures, and interpretations, and complete the relevant regulations for legal enforcement. Should there be any shortcomings, the legal framework for national security should be strengthened and amendments to the National Security Act, Anti-Infiltration Act, Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong & Macao Affairs, or Cyber Security Management Act should be proposed. Communication with the public should also be increased so that implementation can happen as soon as possible. V. Responding to threats from China using “integrated development” to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth (1) I request that the NSC and administrative agencies work together to carry out strategic structural adjustments to the economic and trade relations between Taiwan and China based on the strategies of putting Taiwan first and expanding our global presence while staying rooted in Taiwan. In addition, they should carry out necessary, orderly adjustments to the flow of talent, goods, money, and skills involved in cross-strait economic and trade relations based on the principle of strengthening Taiwan’s foundations to better manage risk. This will help boost economic security and give us more power to respond to China’s economic and trade united front and economic coercion against Taiwan. (2) I request that the Ministry of Education, MAC, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and other relevant agencies work together to comprehensively strengthen young students’ literacy education on China and deepen their understanding of cross-strait exchanges. I also request these agencies to widely publicize mechanisms for employment and entrepreneurship for Taiwan’s youth and provide ample information and assistance so that young students have more confidence in the nation’s future and more actively invest in building up and developing Taiwan. My fellow citizens, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. History tells us that any authoritarian act of aggression or annexation will ultimately end in failure. The only way we can safeguard freedom and prevail against authoritarian aggression is through solidarity. As we face increasingly severe threats, the government will not stop doing its utmost to ensure that our national sovereignty is not infringed upon, and to ensure that the freedom, democracy, and way of life of Taiwan’s 23 million people continues on as normal. But relying solely on the power of the government is not enough. What we need even more is for all citizens to stay vigilant and take action. Every citizen stands on the frontline of the defense of democracy and freedom. Here is what we can do together: First, we can increase our media literacy, and refrain from spreading and passing on united front messaging from the Chinese state. Second, we can organize and participate in civic education activities to increase our knowledge about united front operations and build up whole-of-society defense resilience. Third, we can promptly expose concerted united front efforts so that all malicious attempts are difficult to carry out. Fourth, we must refuse to participate in any activities that sacrifice national interests. The vigilance and action of every citizen forms the strongest line of defense against united front infiltration. Only through solidarity can we resist being divided. As long as every citizen plays their part toward our nation’s goals for prosperity and security, and as long as we work together, nothing can defeat us.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview – ABC Afternoon Briefing with Stephanie Dalzell

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    STEPHANIE DALZELL, HOST: Returning to our top story today, the government says it will investigate the child care sector after Four Corners exposed systemic issues and cases of abuse and neglect. Let’s bring in the Early Childhood Education Minister, Anne Aly, to discuss this further. Anne, thanks for joining us. This Four Corners investigation exposed a flawed and inconsistent regulatory system for child care centres with allegations of abuse. Can I just ask you, firstly, what was your initial reaction when you saw the story?

    MINISTER ANNE ALY: Yeah, look, I think the behaviours that were reported in last night’s story are deeply, deeply concerning and I want to make it very clear that there is no tolerance for those kinds of behaviours in early childhood education and care sector. We care deeply and are committed to child wellbeing and safety and understand that parents rightly expect that when they drop off their children in early childhood education and care, that their children are well looked after, that they’re safe and that they’re secure.

    I might point out that the vast majority of providers, and the vast majority of early childhood educators, are dedicated professionals who care deeply about safety and child development and child education.

    I would also point out that I expect that state and territory governments fulfil their regulatory obligations and ensure that services operating within their jurisdictions comply with the National Quality Framework.

    Now, this afternoon, I have asked the CEO of the National Quality Authority to give some immediate advice on what more can be done around child safety and security, building on the 2023 recommendations of the report that myself and the Minister for Education, Jason Clare commissioned. That gives us a range of recommendations for improving child safety in early childhood education and care. All state and territory ministers and the Commonwealth Government have agreed on those recommendations and we’re making good progress in implementing those recommendations. And we’ll continue working with state and territory governments to ensure that child safety and wellbeing are front and centre of our early childhood education and care system.

    DALZELL: You mentioned the state and territory regulators. Given how systemic these failures and breaches have been here, does the Federal Government need to take over regulation to ensure children’s safety?

    ALY: Well, early childhood education and care and the regulation of early childhood education and care services is a shared responsibility. The states have a responsibility and the Federal Government has a responsibility. And so, I would reiterate that I expect state and territory governments to fulfil their regulatory obligations and ensure that services within their jurisdictions comply with the National Quality Framework.

    DALZELL: The Commonwealth pays Child Care Subsidies. You’re writing the cheques. Wouldn’t it make sense for you to also fund the regulators upholding these national standards?

    ALY: As I said, it’s a shared responsibility between state and Federal Governments. The Federal Government has a responsibility for the National Quality Framework. The state governments have a responsibility for the regulation. Embedded within the National Quality Framework are safety, security and child health and wellbeing measures. And I expect that state and territory governments fulfil that regulatory responsibility.

    DALZELL: The Prime Minister says he supports an investigation into the sector. I know it’s early days, but what are you anticipating that might look like? The Greens are calling for a Royal Commission. Why won’t you consider that? And what will this investigation look like?

    ALY: Well, the Prime Minister, as the Prime Minister said, Royal Commissions take years. Now, these are not issues that have just cropped up in early childhood education and care. They are long-standing issues. But this is the first time we have a Federal Government, in the Federal Labor Government, that is taking reform seriously and that has a program of reform. We have already commissioned a review by the ACCC, a review by the Productivity Commission. We have in 2023, as I mentioned, the review into child safety and wellbeing in early childhood education and care. Those reviews are informing our pathway to a system, a universal early childhood education and care system, that is based on quality, affordability and accessibility for every child in Australia. We’ll continue to refer to the reviews that we have done and the consultations that we have with the sector, with families, with educators to chart that pathway to universal early childhood education and care, which is quality, which is affordable and which is accessible.

    DALZELL: Anne on another topic, Israel has begun striking Gaza again today, the biggest attack since the start of this ceasefire. How concerned are you about this and the status of the ceasefire?

    ALY: I’m deeply concerned. I think the ceasefire gave hope of the stages towards a more lasting peace between Palestine and Israel. I have said before, and I will say it again, there is absolutely no justification for the collective punishment of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli Defence Forces. And you know, this is deeply, deeply concerning. I continue to push for, and I know Australia will continue to push for, an end to the hostilities, a lasting ceasefire and a lasting peace.

    DALZELL: Can I also ask you about Peter Dutton’s idea for a referendum to deport dual citizens that have committed serious crimes? We just heard Shadow Trade Minister Kevin Hogan say that one person is too many to be a dual citizen that’s committed a serious crime like terrorism. What’s your response to that?

    ALY: Well, our constitution is very clear. A citizen is a citizen, and all citizens should be treated equally. You know, I think the Prime Minister describes this as a thought bubble. I would add to that that Peter Dutton likes to punch down, and he likes to utilise the politics of division and politics of fear for what he sees to be as political gain. I agree with the Prime Minister that this is a thought bubble.

    DALZELL: What would the government do, or what is the government doing to deal with dual citizens who have committed crimes like terrorism?

    ALY: We have laws in place, and we continue to follow the letter of the law. What we’re talking about here is Peter Dutton wanting to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on a referendum to change our constitution, to give himself the power to take away, strip away citizenship as he sees fit. You know, I think that many Australians would find that idea of a single politician having the power to strip them of their citizenship to be quite untasteful.

    DALZELL: When pressing Kevin Hogan about this idea earlier, he didn’t have any specific figures on exactly how many dual citizens might have committed crimes like terrorism. Are you concerned about the Coalition putting this on the table without those details in place?

    ALY: I’m concerned that it will be a free-for-all. You know, where does it stop? Who decides? If Peter Dutton wants the power to decide who gets citizenship and who doesn’t, or who gets their citizens stripped and who doesn’t get their citizens stripped, I think all Australians should be concerned about that.

    DALZELL: Anne Aly, thanks so much for your time. We really appreciate it.

    ALY: Thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Amid claims of abuse, neglect and poor standards, what is going wrong with childcare in Australia?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Meagher, Professor Emerita, School of Society, Communication and Culture, Macquarie University

    On Monday, an ABC’s Four Corners investigation reported shocking cases of abuse and neglect in Australian childcare centres. This included examples of children being sexually abused, restrained for hours in high chairs, and fed nutritionally substandard meals such as pasta with ketchup.

    While acknowledging there are high-quality services operating in the community, the program also showed how centre-based childcare is big business, dominated by for-profit providers, who may not be meeting regulatory standards.

    What is going wrong with childcare in Australia?

    Differing levels of quality

    Data from Australia’s childcare regulator consistently shows for-profit childcare services are, on average, rated as lower quality than not-for-profit services.

    Of those rated by regulators, 11% of for-profit long daycare centres are not meeting national minimum quality standards (they are just “working towards”). This compares with 7% of not-for-profit centres not meeting minimum standards.

    There are 13% of for-profit centres exceeding the standards, compared to 28% of not-for-profits.

    Inquiries suggest this divergence is due to staffing levels, qualifications and pay. In 2023, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found large for-profit providers spend significantly less on staffing than not-for-profit providers.

    Large for-profit providers have a higher proportion of part-time and casual staff than not-for-profits. They also employ less experienced early childhood teachers. On top of this, they are more likely to use award rates of pay, which are typically lower than enterprise agreement rates.

    Lower pay and less job security is related to higher turnover of staff, which makes it difficult for educators to establish and maintain the trusting relationships with children and families that underpin high quality.

    Despite this, the federal government continues to support for-profit services through childcare subsidies.

    These subsidies are designed to help families with the costs of childcare. But they do not stop some providers increasing their fees. The ACCC found a consistent pattern of increased government subsidies leading to higher out-of-pocket expenses for families, due to subsequent fee increases.

    It hasn’t always been like this

    Childcare subsidies haven’t always worked in this way. “Operational subsidies” were introduced in 1972 through the historic Child Care Act, which set the precedent for Australian governments to fund childcare.

    This aimed to support women’s workforce participation through an expanded, high-quality childcare sector. Subsidies at the time were only available to not-for-profit services and required the employment of qualified staff, including teachers. In these ways, Commonwealth funding positioned childcare as a public good, like school education.

    Then, in 1991, federal government subsidies were extended to for-profit providers. This prompted dramatic changes in the childcare landscape, leading to a dominance of for-profit centres.

    Today, more than 70% of all long day-care centres are operated by private providers. Between 2013 and 2023, the number of for-profit long daycare services jumped by 60%, while not-for-profits only grew by 4%.

    Quality concerns

    There are 25 large long daycare providers in Australia and of these, 21 are run for profit. Large for-profit providers impact sector quality in several ways.

    Many have disproportionately high numbers of staffing waivers, granted by regulators, permitting them to operate centres without the required number of qualified staff.

    According to unpublished research by Gabrielle Meagher, as of October 2024, 11 large for-profit providers held waivers for a quarter or more of their services and five held waivers for more than a third. This compares to 15% of the sector overall.

    Large for-profit providers also serve investors as well as families. So there are extra incentives to cut costs and maximise profits.

    The dominance of for-profit providers also makes them powerful players in policy-making circles, as governments depend on them to provide an essential service.

    Why isn’t the system working?

    Given Australia has a regulatory and quality assurance system for childcare services, why do we have these quality issues?

    As the Productivity Commission found, regulators are under-resourced, and inspections are infrequent. Services that repeatedly fail to meet the minimum standards are still allowed to operate, sometimes for more than a decade.

    Services are notified about upcoming inspections, potentially giving them time to give a false impression of their quality and safety standards.

    As Four Corners highlighted, poor-quality services, with bad pay and working conditions are driving good educators away from the sector.

    What next?

    The Albanese government recently passed legislation to “guarantee” eligible families three days of subsidised childcare per week from January 2026.

    But families need more than access. They also require a guarantee this childcare will be high-quality and keep children safe.

    Even without the extra spending on the three-day guarantee, government spending on childcare subsidies is due to reach nearly A$15 billion by 2026–27. Thus there is also a corresponding duty to taxpayers to ensure these funds are going to high-quality providers.

    In the wake of the Four Corners report, the Greens are calling for a royal commission into childcare. But we do not need this level of inquiry to tell us the current system needs fundamental change.

    Stronger regulatory powers, while important, will not be enough on their own. High-quality services need well-educated and well-supported staff. They also need governance and leadership that value educators’ expertise and enable consistently high standards.

    Gabrielle was interviewed as part of the 4 Corners program mentioned in the article.

    Marianne Fenech receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Amid claims of abuse, neglect and poor standards, what is going wrong with childcare in Australia? – https://theconversation.com/amid-claims-of-abuse-neglect-and-poor-standards-what-is-going-wrong-with-childcare-in-australia-252493

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –