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Category: Education

  • MIL-Evening Report: Farmers, investors, miners and parents: how unconventional climate advocates can reach new audiences

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Xiongzhi Wang, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Environmental Social Science, Australian National University

    Max Acronym/Shutterstock

    When you think about climate advocates, you’ll likely picture left-leaning environmentalists who live in cities. This group has contributed to building public support for climate action worldwide, through protests, petitions, lobbying and so on.

    While a majority of Australians understand that climate change is happening and that humans are the main cause, there are still holdout groups. Acceptance of the fact that climate change is largely caused by humans sits at 60% of Australians, well below other countries.

    Holdout groups in Australia can include people associated with political conservatism, the business sector, farming, the resource sector, some religious groups and some sports fans. For these groups, climate advocacy by left-leaning environmentalists may be limited in its effectiveness.

    How do you reach these groups? Our new research points to one solution: unconventional climate advocates. That is, those not from the stereotypical background and who belong to holdout groups. Think of groups such as Farmers for Climate Action and the Investor Group on Climate Change.

    These individuals and groups can play a crucial role in expanding the base of the climate movement – without necessarily working with mainstream climate groups. Better still, we found these unconventional advocates tend to receive more sympathetic media coverage.

    Who are these unconventional advocates?

    We distinguish two types of unconventional climate advocates –role-based and bridge-builders.

    Role-based advocates come from groups not typically associated with climate advocacy, such as Australian Parents for Climate Action, Doctors for the Environment, Vets for Climate Action and Australian Firefighters Climate Alliance. These advocates broaden our perception of who engages in climate advocacy.

    Bridge-builders come from groups with a history of tension with environmentalists and environmental issues. They can often span the divide between their group and the broader climate movement. These groups include Farmers for Climate Action, Investor Group on Climate Change, Hunter Jobs Alliance and Australian Religious Response to Climate Change.

    Why do they matter?

    Unconventional advocates are vital because they can reach a broader section of the population. This is because we are more likely to listen to insiders: people from groups we identify with who share our values and beliefs. We also pay more attention to messages when they come from a surprising source and when they go against perceived interests.

    A farmer advocating for climate action is more likely to resonate with other farmers than city-based environmentalists, for instance. Similarly, if you expect farmers to be opposed to climate action, you’re more likely to pay attention to their message than if it came from an environmentalist.

    Our research shows these groups are not mainstream environmentalists. They exist on the periphery of the climate movement.

    Using social network analysis, we mapped the connections between more than 3,000 climate advocacy groups in Australia. This showed us unconventional advocates are less connected to traditional environmental groups such as Greenpeace Australia Pacific or the Australian Conservation Foundation.

    This distance may actually be advantageous. By maintaining a degree of independence from the mainstream environmental movement, unconventional advocates can avoid being dismissed as “greenies” – an unpopular group for some people in rural areas. Farmers advocating for climate action may be more effective if they’re not seen as aligned with environmentalists who might be viewed with suspicion in rural communities.

    Does unconventional advocacy work?

    By one metric, unconventional advocacy does work. These individuals and groups broadly receive more sympathetic media coverage.

    In recent research, we analysed more than 17,000 Australian media articles published between 2017 and 2022 mentioning unconventional and more stereotypical environmentalist climate advocacy groups.

    We found Greenpeace Australia Pacific and other established groups received the most media coverage overall. Disruptive groups such as Extinction Rebellion tended to be framed negatively, with a focus on conflict and arrests. The negativity was most pronounced in articles published by News Corp, owned by the conservative media figure Rupert Murdoch.

    Unconventional advocates received less media coverage than other types of advocates. When they did receive coverage, it was generally more sympathetic. Articles tended to focus on their achievements and to use less confrontational language, even from conservative-leaning media outlets.

    This suggests unconventional advocates are well positioned to shift public opinion in holdout groups and build a broader base of support for climate action.

    Unconventional advocates for unprecedented times

    In Australia and in many other countries, climate action has become politicised – often along party lines. Holdout groups are a minority, but a large minority. To actually respond to the increasing threat of climate change will require building a bigger base of support.

    Unconventional advocates offer a way to disrupt hardened divides, expand the range of voices in the movement and engage communities and groups often left out of the conversation.

    Xiongzhi Wang works as a postdoc with his salary coming from the Australian Research Council (project DP220103155) which funds the research related to this article.

    Kelly Fielding received funding from Australian Research Council DP220103155 for the research related to this article. She currently donates to Greenpeace Australia.

    Rebecca Colvin serves on advisory/research committees/panels for: the Australian Museum’s Climate Solutions Centre; The Climate Risk Group; The Blueprint Institute; RE-Alliance; the NSW Environmental Trust. She is a non-executive member of the Board of the NSW Government’s EnergyCo. She receives funding from The Australian Research Council (DP220103155 and DE230101151).

    Robyn Gulliver receives funding from the Climate Social Science Network. She has worked for and volunteers for a range of environmental advocacy groups.

    Winnifred Louis receives funding from the Australian Research Council (project DP220103155) for the research related to this article. She has been a longstanding advocate for environmental and climate action but is not affiliated with any groups mentioned here.

    – ref. Farmers, investors, miners and parents: how unconventional climate advocates can reach new audiences – https://theconversation.com/farmers-investors-miners-and-parents-how-unconventional-climate-advocates-can-reach-new-audiences-249949

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What’s the difference between medical abortion and surgical abortion?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lydia Mainey, Senior Nursing Lecturer, CQUniversity Australia

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    In Australia, around one in four people who are able to get pregnant will have a medical or surgical abortion in their lifetime.

    Both options are safe, legal and effective. The choice between them usually comes down to personal preference and availability.

    So, what’s the difference?

    What is a medical abortion?

    A medical abortion involves taking two types of tablets, sold together in Australia as MS2Step.

    The first tablet, mifepristone, stops the hormone progesterone, which is needed for pregnancy. This causes the lining of the uterus to break down and stops the embryo from growing.

    After taking mifepristone, you wait 36–48 hours before taking the second tablet, misoprostol. Misoprostol makes the cervix (the opening of the uterus) softer and starts contractions to expel the pregnancy.

    It’s normal to have strong pain and heavy bleeding with clots after taking misoprostol. Pain relief including ibuprofen and paracetamol can help.

    After two to six hours, the bleeding and pain usually become like a normal period, although this may last between two to six weeks.

    Haemorrhage after a medical abortion is rare (occurring in fewer than 1% of abortions). But you should seek help if bleeding remains heavy (if you soak two pads per hour for two consecutive hours) or if you have have signs of infection (such as a fever, increasing abdominal pain or smelly vaginal discharge).

    Do I have to go to hospital?

    It is legal to have a medical abortion outside of a hospital up to nine weeks of pregnancy.

    Depending on state or territory law, the medication can be prescribed by a qualified health-care provider such as a GP, nurse practitioner or endorsed midwife. These clinicians often work in GP surgeries or sexual and reproductive health clinics and they may use telehealth.

    Medical abortions also occur after nine weeks of pregnancy, but these are done in hospitals and overseen by doctors alongside nurses or midwives.

    Medical abortions after 20 weeks are done by taking medications to start early labour in a maternity unit. Often, medications are first given to stop the foetal heartbeat so it is not born alive. Then, other medications are given to manage pain.

    These types of abortions are very rare. They may be used when an obstacle has prevented someone accessing an abortion abortion earlier, continuing with the pregnancy is dangerous for the pregnant person’s health or if there is a serious problem with the foetus.

    Medical abortions in Australia involve taking two tablets, usually around two days apart.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    What is a surgical abortion?

    Surgical abortions are performed in an operating unit, usually with sedation, so you will not remember the procedure. Surgical abortions are sometimes preferred over medical abortions because they are quicker. But the decision should be between you and your health-care provider.

    In the first 12–14 weeks of pregnancy, a surgical abortion takes less than 15 minutes and patients are usually discharged a few hours after the procedure.

    Medications may be given before surgery to soften and open the cervix and to ease pain. During the procedure, the cervix is gently stretched open and the contents of the uterus are removed with a small tube. This procedure is carried out by trained doctors with the assistance of nurses.

    Surgical abortions after 12–14 weeks are more complex and are performed by specially trained doctors. Similar to medical abortions, medications may be given first to stop the foetal heartbeat.

    It is normal to experience some cramping and bleeding after a surgical abortion, which can last about two weeks. However, like medical abortion, you should seek help for heavy bleeding or signs of infection.

    Do I need an ultrasound?

    It used to be common before an abortion to have an ultrasound scan to check how far along the pregnancy was and to make sure it was not ectopic (outside the uterus).

    However, this is no longer recommended in the early stages of pregnancy (up to 14 weeks) if it delays access to abortion. If the date of the last menstrual period is known and there are no other concerning symptoms, an ultrasound scan may not be necessary.

    This means people can access medical abortion much sooner, even from the first day of a missed period, without waiting for the embryo to be big enough to be seen on an ultrasound scan. This is called “very early medical abortion”.

    Before and after care

    Before having an abortion, a health-care provider will explain common side effects and when to seek urgent medical attention. For people who want it, many types of contraception can be started the day of abortion.

    Your health-care provider will help you understand your options, including whether you want to start contraception.
    PowerUp/Shutterstock

    Even though the success rate of medical abortion is very high (over 95%) it is routine to make sure the person is no longer pregnant.

    This is usually done two to three weeks after taking the first tablet mifepristone, either by a low-sensitivity urine pregnancy test (which you can do at home) or a blood test.

    In the rare case a medical abortion has not worked, a surgical abortion can be done.

    Sometimes after a medical or surgical abortion, tissue is left behind in the uterus. If this happens you may need another dose of misoprostol (the second tablet) or a surgical procedure to remove the tissue.

    Some people may also seek support-based counselling or peer support to help them work through the emotions that might accompany having an abortion.

    Understanding the differences and similarities between medical and surgical abortions can help individuals make informed decisions about their reproductive health.

    It’s important to speak with an unbiased health-care provider to discuss the best option for your circumstances and to ensure you receive the necessary follow-up care and support.

    Lydia Mainey is the co-chair of the Termination of Pregnancy Working Group, a subgroup of the Queensland Health Sexual Health Clinical Network. She has previously worked at MSI Australia, a non-profit which provides abortion, contraception and vasectomy services. Lydia was previously a member of the MSI Australia Technical Advisory Group.

    – ref. What’s the difference between medical abortion and surgical abortion? – https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-medical-abortion-and-surgical-abortion-249839

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Studies of Parkinson’s disease have long overlooked Pacific populations – our work shows why that must change

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victor Dieriks, Research Fellow in Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Shutterstock/sfam_photo

    A form of Parkinson’s disease caused by mutations in a gene known as PINK1 has long been labelled rare. But our research shows it’s anything but – at least for some populations.

    Our meta-analysis revealed that people in specific Polynesian communities have a much higher rate of PINK1-linked Parkinson’s than expected. This finding reshapes not only our understanding of who is most at risk, but also how soon symptoms may appear and what that might mean for treatment and testing.

    Parkinson’s disease is often thought of as a single condition. In reality, it is better understood as a group of syndromes caused by different factors – genetic, environmental or a combination of both.

    These varying causes lead to differences in disease patterns, progression and subsequent diagnosis. Recognising this distinction is crucial as it paves the way for targeted interventions and may even help prevent the disease altogether.

    Why we focus on PINK1-linked Parkinson’s

    We became interested in this gene after a 2021 study highlighted five people of Samoan and Tongan descent living in New Zealand who shared the same PINK1 mutation.

    Previously, this mutation had been spotted only in a few more distant places –Malaysia, Guam and the Philippines. The fact it appeared in people from Samoan and Tongan backgrounds suggested a historical connection dating back to early Polynesian migrations.

    One person in 1,300 West Polynesians carries this mutation. This is a frequency well above what scientists usually classify as rare (below one in 2,200). This discovery means we may be overlooking entire communities in Parkinson’s research if we continue to assume PINK1-linked cases are uncommon.

    This world map shows people in some Polynesian communities have a much higher rate of PINK1-linked Parkinson’s than the global population.
    Eden Yin, CC BY-SA

    Traditional understanding says PINK1-linked Parkinson’s is both rare and typically strikes younger people, mostly in their 30s or 40s, if they inherit two faulty copies of the gene. In other words, it’s considered a recessive condition, needing two matching puzzle pieces before the disease can unfold.

    Our work challenges this view. We show that even one defective PINK1 gene can cause Parkinson’s at an average age of 43, much earlier than the typical onset after 65. That’s a significant departure from the standard belief that only people with two defective gene copies are at risk.

    Why this matters for people with the disease

    It’s not just genetics that challenge long-held views. Historically, PINK1-linked Parkinson’s was thought to lack some of the classic features of the disease, such as toxic clumps of alpha-synuclein protein.

    In typical Parkinson’s, alpha-synuclein builds up in the brain, forming sticky clumps known as Lewy bodies. Our results, contrary to prior beliefs, show that alpha-synuclein pathology is present in 87.5% of PINK1 cases. This finding opens up a promising new avenue for future treatment development.

    The biggest concern is early onset. PINK1-linked Parkinson’s can begin as early as 11 years old, although a more common starting point is around the mid-30s. This early onset means living longer with the disease, which can profoundly affect education, work opportunities and family life.

    Current treatments (such as levodopa, a precursor of dopamine) help manage symptoms, but they’re not designed to address the root cause. If we know someone has a PINK1 mutation, scientists and clinicians can explore therapies for specific genetic pathways, potentially delivering relief beyond symptom management.

    Sex differences add a layer of complexity

    In Parkinson’s, generally, men are at higher risk and tend to develop symptoms earlier. However, our findings suggest the opposite pattern for PINK1-linked cases. Particularly, women with two defective copies of the gene experience onset earlier than men.

    This highlights the need to consider sex-related factors in Parkinson’s research. Overlooking them risks missing key elements of the disease.

    Genetic testing could be a game-changer for PINK1-linked Parkinson’s. Because it often appears earlier, doctors may not recognise it immediately, especially if they are more familiar with the common, later-onset form of Parkinson’s.

    Early genetic testing could lead to a faster, more accurate diagnosis, allowing treatment to begin when interventions are most effective. It would help families understand how the disease is inherited, enabling relatives to get tested.

    In some cases, where appropriate and culturally acceptable, embryo screening may be considered to prevent the passing of the faulty gene.

    Knowing you have a PINK1 mutation could also make finding the right treatment more efficient. Instead of a lengthy trial-and-error process with different medications, doctors could use emerging therapies designed to target the underlying PINK1 mutation rather than relying on general Parkinson’s treatments meant for the broader population.

    Addressing research gaps

    These findings underscore how crucial it is to include diverse populations in health research.

    Many communities, such as those in Samoa, Tonga and other Pacific nations, have had little to no involvement in global Parkinson’s genetics studies. This has created gaps in knowledge and real-world consequences for people who may not receive timely or accurate diagnoses.

    Researchers, funding bodies and policymakers must prioritise projects beyond the usual focus on European or industrialised countries to ensure research findings and treatments are relevant to all affected populations.

    To better diagnose and treat Parkinson’s, we need a more inclusive approach. Recognising that PINK1-linked Parkinson’s is not as rare as previously thought – and that genetics, sex differences and cultural factors all play a role – allows us to improve care for everyone.

    By expanding genetic testing, refining treatments and ensuring research reflects the full spectrum of Parkinson’s, we can move closer to more precise diagnoses, targeted therapies and better support systems for all.

    Victor Dieriks receives funding from the Health Research Council Hercus Fellowship, the School of Medical Science, the University of Auckland and Te Tı̄ toki Mataora.

    Eden Paige Yin receives funding from the University of Auckland.

    – ref. Studies of Parkinson’s disease have long overlooked Pacific populations – our work shows why that must change – https://theconversation.com/studies-of-parkinsons-disease-have-long-overlooked-pacific-populations-our-work-shows-why-that-must-change-250366

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Sally Harrell and Sen. Elena Parent Introduce Legislation to Create Voluntary “No Sell” Firearms List

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (February 24, 2025) — Last week, Sen. Sally Harrell (D–Atlanta) and Sen. Elena Parent (D–Atlanta) filed Senate Bill 224, “Donna’s Law,” to allow Georgia citizens at risk for suicidal ideations to place themselves on the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Firearms Checks List to protect themselves.

    Donna’s Law would allow individuals to place themselves on the list through a healthcare professional or under oath through a probate court in their county of residence. Once an individual applies, they would be placed on the NICS firearms checklist within 24 hours. The legislation also allows applicants to remove themselves from the list no sooner than seven days after they apply.

    “This is an important way we can support and protect people suffering from mental illness. Sadly, as I was working on this bill, a friend of my family took her life with a firearm,” said Sen. Harrell. “Studies show that suicides are often very hasty decisions that are not well thought out. Donna’s Law could help prevent people who are suffering from making impulsive decisions.”

    “The last few years, we’ve been very focused on finding better solutions to help people with mental health issues. Firearms are used in over half of suicides in Georgia. With firearms, there are very few second chances — about 85% of gun suicide attempts result in death,” said Sen. Parent. “We have the opportunity to offer an important tool to reduce the probability of death or self-harm to those who are suffering from mental health challenges and the professionals who treat them.”

    If passed, Georgia would become the fourth state to adopt this legislation. The law is named for Donna Nathan, who suffered from bipolar disorder for 30 years and voluntarily admitted herself to psychiatric treatment facilities to protect herself.  In 2018, she googled “gun stores,” drove to one, purchased a gun and shot herself, ending her life.

    For the full version of SB 224, read here.

    # # # #

    Sen. Sally Harrell represents the 40th Senate District which includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett County. She may be reached by phone at (404) 463-2260 via email at sally.harrell@senate.ga.gov.

    Sen. Elena Parent serves as Chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. She represents the 44th Senate District which includes portions of DeKalb and Clayton County. She may be reached at her office at (404) 656-5109 or by email at elena.parent@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Your life becomes a nightmare’: how scam operations exploit those trapped inside – Scam Factories podcast, Ep 2

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

    A few weeks after Ben Yeo travelled to Cambodia for what he thought was a job in a casino, he found himself locked up in a padded room. “It’s a combination between a prison and a madhouse,” he remembers. He was being punished for refusing to conduct online scams.

    “They tried all kinds of coercive manoeuvres, using a fire extinguisher to try to hit me, to scare me, using a plastic bag over my head to suffocate me … Whatever you see in the movies that actually happened.”

    Scam Factories is a podcast series from The Conversation Weekly taking you inside Southeast Asia’s brutal fraud compounds. It accompanies a series of multimedia articles on The Conversation.

    In the second episode, Inside the Operation, we explore the history of how scam compounds emerged in Southeast Asia and who is behind them. We hear about the violent treatment people receive inside through the testimonies of two survivors, Ben, and another man we’re calling George to protect his real identity.

    The Conversation collaborated for this series with three researchers: Ivan Franceschini, a lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Melbourne, Ling Li, a PhD candidate at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and Mark Bo, an independent researcher.

    They’ve spent the past few years researching the expansion of scam compounds in the region for a forthcoming book. They’ve interviewed nearly 100 survivors of the compounds, analysed maps and financial documents related to the scam industry and tracked scammers online to find out how these compounds work.

    Read an article by Ivan Franceschini and Ling Li which accompanies this episode about the rise of the scamming industry.

    The Conversation contacted AsiaHR international for comment. We did not receive a response. We contacted all the other companies mentioned in this multimedia series for comment, except Jinshui who we could not contact. We did not receive a response from them either.

    This episode was written and produced by Gemma Ware, with assistance from Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. Leila Goldstein was our producer in Cambodia and Halima Athumani recorded for us in Uganda. Hui Lin helped us with Chinese translation. Sound design by Michelle Macklem and editing help from Ashlynee McGhee and Justin Bergman.

    Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here.

    Mark Bo, an independent researcher who works with Ivan Franeschini and Ling Li, is also interviewed in this podcast series. Ivan, Ling, Mark, and others have co-founded EOS Collective, a non-profit organisation dedicated to investigating the criminal networks behind the online scam industry and supporting survivors.

    – ref. ‘Your life becomes a nightmare’: how scam operations exploit those trapped inside – Scam Factories podcast, Ep 2 – https://theconversation.com/your-life-becomes-a-nightmare-how-scam-operations-exploit-those-trapped-inside-scam-factories-podcast-ep-2-250464

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A Palestinian-Israeli film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Drew Paul, Associate Professor of Arabic, University of Tennessee

    Directors Basel Adra, left, and Yuval Abraham on stage at the 62nd New York Film Festival on Sept. 29, 2024. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

    For many low-budget, independent films, an Oscar nomination is a golden ticket.

    The publicity can translate into theatrical releases or rereleases, along with more on-demand rentals and sales.

    However, for “No Other Land,” a Palestinian-Israeli film nominated for best documentary at the 2025 Academy Awards, this exposure is unlikely to translate into commercial success in the U.S. That’s because the film has been unable to find a company to distribute it in America.

    “No Other Land” chronicles the efforts of Palestinian townspeople to combat an Israeli plan to demolish their villages in the West Bank and use the area as a military training ground. It was directed by four Palestinian and Israeli activists and journalists: Basel Adra, who is a resident of the area facing demolition, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor. While the filmmakers have organized screenings in a number of U.S. cities, the lack of a national distributor makes a broader release unlikely.

    Film distributors are a crucial but often unseen link in the chain that allows a film to reach cinemas and people’s living rooms. In recent years it has become more common for controversial award-winning films to run into issues finding a distributor. Palestinian films have encountered additional barriers.

    As a scholar of Arabic who has written about Palestinian cinema, I’m disheartened by the difficulties “No Other Land” has faced. But I’m not surprised.

    The role of film distributors

    Distributors are often invisible to moviegoers. But without one, it can be difficult for a film to find an audience.

    Distributors typically acquire rights to a film for a specific country or set of countries. They then market films to movie theaters, cinema chains and streaming platforms. As compensation, distributors receive a percentage of the revenue generated by theatrical and home releases.

    The film “Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat,” another finalist for best documentary, shows how this process typically works. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and was acquired for distribution just a few months later by Kino Lorber, a major U.S.-based distributor of independent films.

    The inability to find a distributor is not itself noteworthy. No film is entitled to distribution, and most films by newer or unknown directors face long odds.

    However, it is unusual for a film like “No Other Land,” which has garnered critical acclaim and has been recognized at various film festivals and award shows. Some have pegged it as a favorite to win best documentary at the Academy Awards. And “No Other Land” has been able to find distributors in Europe, where it’s easily accessible on multiple streaming platforms.

    So why can’t “No Other Land” find a distributor in the U.S.?

    There are a couple of factors at play.

    Shying away from controversy

    In recent years, film critics have noticed a trend: Documentaries on controversial topics have faced distribution difficulties. These include a film about a campaign by Amazon workers to unionize and a documentary about Adam Kinzinger, one of the few Republican congresspeople to vote to impeach Donald Trump in 2021.

    The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, of course, has long stirred controversy. But the release of “No Other Land” comes at a time when the issue is particularly salient. The Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israeli bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip have become a polarizing issue in U.S. domestic politics, reflected in the campus protests and crackdowns in 2024. The filmmakers’ critical comments about the Israeli occupation of Palestine have also garnered backlash in Germany.

    Locals attend a screening of ‘No Other Land’ in the village of A-Tuwani in the West Bank on March 14, 2024.
    Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

    Yet the fact that this conflict has been in the news since October 2023 should also heighten audience interest in a film such as “No Other Land” – and, therefore, lead to increased sales, the metric that distributors care about the most.

    Indeed, an earlier film that also documents Palestinian protests against Israeli land expropriation, “5 Broken Cameras,” was a finalist for best documentary at the 2013 Academy Awards. It was able to find a U.S. distributor. However, it had the support of a major European Union documentary development program called Greenhouse. The support of an organization like Greenhouse, which had ties to numerous production and distribution companies in Europe and the U.S., can facilitate the process of finding a distributor.

    By contrast, “No Other Land,” although it has a Norwegian co-producer and received some funding from organizations in Europe and the U.S., was made primarily by a grassroots filmmaking collective.

    Stages for protest

    While distribution challenges may be recent, controversies surrounding Palestinian films are nothing new.

    Many of them stem from the fact that the system of film festivals, awards and distribution is primarily based on a movie’s nation of origin. Since there is no sovereign Palestinian state – and many countries and organizations have not recognized the state of Palestine – the question of how to categorize Palestinian films has been hard to resolve.

    In 2002, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected the first ever Palestinian film submitted to the best foreign language film category – Elia Suleiman’s “Divine Intervention” – because Palestine was not recognized as a country by the United Nations. The rules were changed for the following year’s awards ceremony.

    In 2021, the cast of the film “Let It Be Morning,” which had an Israeli director but primarily Palestinian actors, boycotted the Cannes Film Festival in protest of the film’s categorization as an Israeli film rather than a Palestinian one.

    Film festivals and other cultural venues have also become places to make statements about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and engage in protest. For example, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, the right-wing Israeli culture minister wore a controversial – and meme-worthy – dress that featured the Jerusalem skyline in support of Israeli claims of sovereignty over the holy city, despite the unresolved status of Jerusalem under international law.

    Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev wears a dress featuring the old city of Jerusalem during the Cannes Film Festival in 2017.
    Antonin Thuillier/AFP via Getty Images

    At the 2024 Academy Awards, a number of attendees, including Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo and Mahershala Ali, wore red pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza, and pro-Palestine protesters delayed the start of the ceremonies.

    So even though a film like “No Other Land” addresses a topic of clear interest to many people in the U.S., it faces an uphill battle to finding a distributor.

    I wonder whether a win at the Oscars would even be enough.

    This article has been updated to clarify that the film was a collaborative effort between Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers.

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

    – ref. A Palestinian-Israeli film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see? – https://theconversation.com/a-palestinian-israeli-film-is-an-oscars-favorite-so-why-is-it-so-hard-to-see-249233

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City Walls to be Illuminated to commemorate Joseph Rowntree

    Source: City of York

    To mark the 100th anniversary of Joseph Rowntree’s death, City of York Council will illuminate the city walls in blue and orange tonight, paying tribute to his lasting impact on the city.

    Joseph Rowntree is one of York’s most well-known names, not just for his business success but for his significant contributions to social reform and community development. As the owner of Rowntree’s from 1869, Joseph helped grow the chocolate company into an internationally recognised name, employing thousands and strengthening York’s position in the confectionery industry. 

    However, it is his commitment to social causes that remains a cornerstone of his legacy. Inspired by a desire to improve the lives of his workers, Joseph founded several trusts to address social issues, promote education, and advocate for reform. His son, Seebohm Rowntree, furthered this work with the publication of Poverty: A Study of Town Life in 1901, which highlighted the extent of poverty in York and sparked change. 

    Joseph’s vision for a better quality of life for York’s residents also led to the creation of New Earswick, a model village offering affordable housing, and the donation of Rowntree Park to the city in 1921, both of which continue to benefit the city today. 

    To remember Joseph Rowntree’s contributions, the city walls will be lit up in blue and orange, representing the Rowntree family’s connection to York, from dusk until 11pm this evening. 

    Councillor Pete Kilbane, Deputy Leader of the Council said: 

    “Joseph Rowntree’s influence on York cannot be overstated. His commitment to improving the lives of those who lived and worked in the city is as relevant today as it was during his lifetime.

    “This lighting is a fitting tribute to his enduring legacy, and I’m proud that we can acknowledge his contributions in this way.” 

    Councillor Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities will be speaking at a special event marking Joseph Rowntree’s funeral, which takes place on Saturday 1 March at the Friargate Quaker Meeting House in the city, and he said: 

    “Joseph Rowntree’s vision of social justice, alongside his entrepreneurial spirit, has shaped York into the city we know and love today.

    “The lighting of the walls reminds us of his remarkable legacy and the values he instilled in York — values that continue to guide us as a city to this day.”

    The city is also supporting The Rowntree Society’s year-long programme of events.

    Nick Smith, Executive Director of The Rowntree Society said:

    “The impact that Joseph Rowntree had particularly on York is still felt today; both through the tangible assets he provided for us which still exist and with the example he gave in making life better for so many people.  We would like all of York to get involved in marking the Joseph Rowntree Centenary.”   

    For more information on The Rowntree Society’s work and how to get involved with the Centenary visit www.rowntreesociety.org.uk. 
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Rhino Federated Computing and Flower Labs partner to accelerate Federated Learning adoption across industries

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rhino Federated Computing, the global leader in enterprise Federated Computing platforms, announced today a partnership with Flower, the world’s most popular open-source Federated Learning (FL) framework and Decentralized AI developer community. This partnership enables organizations from all industries to seamlessly benefit from the rapidly growing Flower ecosystem via Rhino Federated Computing Platform (FCP), unlocking unparalleled ease of deployment, security, and scalability.

    Developer-Friendly Federated AI with Flower Labs

    Flower has long been celebrated for its unmatched ease-of-use, large-active developer community and industry-firsts like FlowerLLM. The Flower framework simplifies the building of FL systems due to its:

    • Diverse ML Framework and Tool Compatibility: Flower seamlessly works with TensorFlow, PyTorch, XGBoost, MLX, JAX, and many more ML tools which simplifies adoption by existing AI teams, and the integration effort even for organizations employing diverse AI/ML toolchains.
    • Best-in-Class PETs Support: Flower offers AI developers a rich set of privacy-enhanced technologies (PETs) including many varieties of differential privacy, secure aggregation, homomorphic encryption to name a few, that are optimized under Flower for a wide range of ML hardware platforms.
    • Scalable and Customizable to Enterprise Environments: The underlying Flower architecture is built for high-performance with large-scale production environments in mind; the framework also offers out-of-the-box flexibility to support custom enterprise requirements such as aggregation and learning algorithms, user authentication, networking protocols and data formats.

    By integrating Flower Labs’ framework into Rhino FCP, organizations can now leverage the framework’s unique benefits while operating within a platform designed for enterprise environments.

    Rhino FCP: Enterprise Federated Computing

    Rhino Federated Computing Platform (FCP) is a scalable, secure, and production-grade federated computing solution designed to orchestrate both site-specific and federated workflows without requiring data transfer. It supports multi-cloud and hybrid enabling enterprises to unlock proprietary data for AI and analytics. Rhino differentiates with:

    • Enterprise-Grade Orchestration & Security – Provides centralized management with decentralized execution, ensuring encryption, role-based access control (RBAC), and audit logging to meet regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 Type II; Rhino has passed security reviews with numerous large, rigorous organizations across regulated industries.
    • Scalable & Infrastructure-Agnostic – Enables distributed computing across multi-cloud and on-prem environments, minimizing operational complexity while optimizing performance. Available in multiple cloud marketplaces.
    • Seamless Integration with Data & AI Ecosystems – Supports leading federated learning frameworks, and integrates a wide range of software for pre-processing, data harmonization and viewing model training, analytics, AI workflows and storage.
    • Privacy-Preserving AI & Federated Analytics – Supports technologies like tokenization, differential privacy, homomorphic encryption and privacy preserving federated analytics / statistics to extract insights without exposing sensitive data.

    With Rhino FCP, enterprises can rapidly deploy, scale, and operationalize federated AI while maintaining full control over security, compliance, and data governance.

    Democratizing Federated Learning Across Industries

    Combining the rich ecosystem of Flower with the enterprise-hardened capabilities of Rhino FCP, opens doors for enterprises to rapidly adopt Federated Learning without compromising on security or operational efficiency. From healthcare and pharmaceuticals to finance, manufacturing, and retail, organizations can now adopt cutting-edge AI techniques with ease, unlocking insights from distributed data while protecting sensitive information.

    “Rhino is proud to offer the world’s leading enterprise-hardened Federated Computing Platform,” said Rhino co-founder & CEO, Dr. Ittai Dayan, “Adding Flower’s framework to Rhino FCP will broaden the network of people able to collaborate, bringing massive value to all participants.”

    “Flower is on a mission to make federated AI the new default,” said Flower Labs Co-Founder & CEO, Daniel J. Beutel, “Bringing Flower compatibility to Rhino FCP will enable more enterprises to benefit from and contribute back to the large and growing Flower ecosystem.”

    About Rhino Federated Computing

    Rhino’s Federated Computing Platform (Rhino FCP) unites siloed data with edge computing and federated learning, empowering enterprises to accelerate data strategies and to expand AI partnerships & use cases. Visit https://www.rhinofcp.com/ to learn more.

    About Flower Labs

    Flower (https://flower.ai) enables organizations and companies to train better AI models by safely leveraging distributed data. The Flower open-source framework and eco-system is the de-facto standard for federated AI in both research and production around the world. It offers a unified approach to decentralized forms of learning, analytics, and evaluation; with a focus on an easy-to-use AI developer experience. To learn more about Flower visit https://flower.ai/

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – “We are grateful that we are still alive”: Witnesses report from Bukavu one week after the conquest by the M23

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – “We are grateful to be alive”, this is the prevailing mood in Bukavu, the capital of the Congolese province of South Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was taken by the M23 on February 16 (see Fides, 17/2/2025).In a statement sent to Fides, a source of the local Church describes the situation in the city a week after its capture.”Yesterday, Sunday 23 February, the first morning Mass in the parish of Nguba, on the outskirts of Bukavu, was almost as crowded as usual with people. Some were still afraid to go out on the street before six o’clock, the first light of dawn, and postponed going to the second Mass. There is a choir worthy of the Vatican celebrations and there is a great desire to say thank you. Father Jean-Marie, the celebrant, expressed everyone’s thoughts: ‘I wasn’t sure if we would still be here this Sunday to praise the Lord. Let us give thanks!” “How could I not dance and give thanks?’ repeats an elderly woman. The feeling of gratitude after having escaped danger is palpable in the assembly. The new conquerors had only entered the city last Sunday, after days of unrest. And while they were supposedly maintaining order, they had increased the number of fatalities: between Friday 14 February and Monday 17 February, the Red Cross counted twenty-six dead. When I hear the songs, the clapping and the dancing, I think that this is the resilience of this people: their stubborn faith in God, their ability to thank him for the positive without blaming him for the negative: they know that it is a matter of human responsibility,” reports the local source.The city is without leadership: “The previous rulers have fled, the new ones have not yet been appointed; the streets are without police: 2,200 of them have been sent to Goma for training and will receive the uniforms of the new rulers. There is no longer any talk of the soldiers of the Congolese army: they have fled to create unrest in the Ruzizi plain further south and in Uvira. There is strong local resistance there from the Wazalendo militia and it will not be easy to occupy the places. For now, despite various rumors, it looks as if the M23 are only in Kamanyola, or perhaps not even there. In the meantime, a large part of the plain’s population has fled to Burundi in recent days, many across the wide Ruzizi river: and who counts the children swept away by the floods?”.The call to everyone in Bukavu is to go back to work: “Tomorrow (today, February 24, editor’s note) classes are due to resume in schools, at least primary schools, but who will pay the salaries of teachers in public and state-supported schools if they say Kinshasa no longer has anything to do with these provinces?”.In Kinshasa, strange incidents are occurring: “They arrest young people just because they speak Swahili, the language of the East, and accuse them of being accomplices of the Rwandans. It is urgent that an authority speaks out to restore freedom and security and give the population guidance.””The M23 rebel movement, a cover for the Rwandan occupation, numbers only about ten thousand men (the Burundian soldiers sent to support the Congolese army alone numbered fifteen thousand!),” the source continued. “How can the movement think of occupying an entire country or even just the eastern provinces? As for the rebellion led by Corneille Nangaa (head of the Congo River Alliance, ed.), it was launched at the last minute and would be insignificant without the support of the M23. For this reason, the M23 is in a hurry to recruit new fighters.””According to various witnesses, the M23 in Goma surrounds every neighborhood where it suspects resistance and goes from house to house, from school to school. If someone gives the impression of being a wazalendo or a resistance fighter of the Congolese army, they take them to join their group. If they resist, they shoot,” the source reports.”But none of this seems to move the minds of the people gathered to praise their Lord,” the source concludes. “They are sure that beyond human plans, there is God and that everything is in his hands. Next to the altar, in the preparation of the offerings, there are still piles of sacks of flour and rice: a donation for the poor of the community that the base communities take turns to deliver every Sunday”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 24/2/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Fossil footprints reveal what may be the oldest known handcarts – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew Robert Bennett, Professor of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Bournemouth University

    If you’re a parent you’ve probably tried, at some point, to navigate the supermarket with a trolley, and at least one child in tow. But our new study suggests there was an ancient equivalent, dating to 22,000 years ago. This handcart, without wheels, was used before wheeled vehicles were invented around 5,000 years ago in the Middle East.

    Recently our research team discovered some remarkable fossil traces which might give a hint. These traces were found alongside some of the oldest known human footprints in the Americas at a place called White Sands in New Mexico.

    In the last few years, several footprint discoveries at this site have begun to rewrite early American history – pushing back the arrival of the first people to enter this land by 8,000 years.

    There is some controversy around the age (23,000 years old) of these footprints, with some researchers unhappy with our dating methods. But they provide a remarkable picture of past life on the margins of a large wetland at the end of the last ice age.

    The footprints tell stories, written in mud, of how people lived, hunted and survived in this land. Footprints connect people to the past in a way that a stone tool or archaeological artefact never can. Traditional archaeology is based on the discovery of stone tools. Most people today have never made a stone tool but almost all of us will have left a footprint at some time, even if it is only on the floor of the bathroom.

    Today, modern shopping trolleys can be found rusting in canals, rivers or abandoned in shrubbery. But ancient versions would have probably been of wood and simply rotted away. We know that transport technology must have existed.

    Everyone has stuff to transport, but we have no record of it until written histories. At White Sands, we found drag-marks made by the ends of wooden poles while excavating for fossil footprints. Sometimes these appear as just one trace, while at other times they occur as two parallel, equidistant traces.

    A pole or poles used in this fashion is called a travois. These drag-marks are preserved in dried mud that was buried by sediment and revealed by a combination of erosion and excavation. The drag-marks extend for dozens of metres before disappearing beneath overlying sediment. They clip barefoot human tracks along their length, suggesting the user dragged the travois over their own footprints as they went along.

    To help interpret these features, we conducted a series of tests on mud flats both in Dorset, UK, and on the coast of Maine, US. We used different combinations of poles to recreate simple, hand-pulled travois.

    In our experiments the pole-ends dragged along the mud truncate footprints in the same way as the fossil example in New Mexico. These features in the fossil examples were also always associated with lot of other human footprints travelling in a similar direction, many of which, judging by their size, were made by children.

    We believe the footprints and drag-marks tell a story of the movement of resources at the edge of this former wetland. Adults pulled the simple, probably improvised travois, while a group of children tagged along to the side and behind.

    The research team has benefited from the insight of the Indigenous peoples we work with at White Sands, and they interpret the marks in this way as well. We cannot discount that some of the marks may be made by dragging firewood, but this does not fit all the cases we found.

    Travois are known from historical documents and accounts of Indigenous peoples and their traditions. They were more commonly associated with dogs or horses, but they were pulled by humans in our tests.

    As such they represent early examples of the handcart or wheelbarrow, but without the wheel. The earliest record of a wheeled vehicle dates from Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq), in 2,500BC. We think the travois were probably improvised from tent poles, firewood and spears when the need arose.

    Maybe they were created to help move camp, or more likely, transport meat from a hunting-site. In the latter context the analogy with the shopping trolley comes to the fore, as does the pained expression of the adults faces as they quest for resources with a gaggle of children in tow.

    Matthew Robert Bennett receives funding from Arts and Humanities Research Council.

    Sally Christine Reynolds 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. Fossil footprints reveal what may be the oldest known handcarts – new research – https://theconversation.com/fossil-footprints-reveal-what-may-be-the-oldest-known-handcarts-new-research-250438

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sanctions rarely achieve their goals – here’s why they failed in Russia and Myanmar

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sergey Sosnovskikh, Lecturer in International Business, Manchester Metropolitan University

    Sanctions are, according to research, effective less than 10% of the time if success is defined as the complete compliance of a sanctioned regime with the imposed external pressure. Taking a more lenient view, which includes partial concessions or negotiated settlements, the success rate rises to 35% at most.

    The idea that sanctions can completely restrict trade to sanctioned countries is largely flawed. Iranian residents, for example, can still access many western products despite sanctions through intermediaries in countries like Turkey and the Gulf states.

    To better understand why sanctions fail, consider the cases of Russia and Myanmar. The sanctions imposed on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have undoubtedly caused some economic disruption, including inflation, labour shortages and a devaluation of the Russian rouble. But they have had a limited impact overall.

    In April 2024, the International Monetary Fund predicted that Russia’s economy would grow faster than all of the world’s advanced economies that year, including the US.

    Many countries have not participated in the west’s sanctions regime, which has created enforcement gaps. These gaps have largely enabled Russia to maintain access to sanctioned goods and continue its economic activities.

    In January 2023, a US thinktank called Silverado reported that some former Soviet states had increased their “transshipment” of goods produced by multinational firms that no longer export to Russia directly.

    Transshipment is a process where cargo is unloaded from one vessel and reloaded into another while in transit. Armenia and Uzbekistan, as well as China and Turkey, are the countries commonly used as “transshipment points” to Russia.

    Indeed, research of our own into how sanctioned goods continue to reach Russia reveals that companies often reroute their supply chains through politically allied intermediary nations. These rerouted imports can, however, drive up product prices for ordinary citizens.

    Stacks of containers at a port in St Petersburg, Russia.
    Andrey Mihaylov / Shutterstock

    Russia has also reduced its dependency on imports by increasing production in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. In August 2023, for example, India and Russia signed the biggest ever grain deal between the two countries.

    And the Russian government implemented fiscal and monetary measures, including currency controls and subsidies, to stabilise the economy and support key industries.

    Russia’s large, diverse economy and abundant natural resources make it more resilient to sanctions compared to some smaller and less diversified nations. Much of the world is reliant on Russian gas and, since the imposition of western sanctions, countries like China and India have increased the amount they buy.

    Even the EU is still spending billions of US dollars on Russian gas. In the first 15 days of 2025, after an agreement allowing Russia to pump gas to the EU via pipelines running across Ukraine ended, the EU’s 27 countries imported Russian gas at a record rate.

    Sanctioning Myanmar’s military

    Targeted western sanctions have tried to undermine the financial interests of Myanmar’s military junta, which has been battling armed opposition to its rule since a coup in 2021. But these sanctions have only been partially effective, too.

    China, India, Japan and neighbouring south-east Asian countries continue to engage in business with Myanmar. In Myanmar’s lucrative gas export sector, the vacuum left by departing western companies has been swiftly filled by Asian partners. This has ensured the junta’s income streams remain largely intact.

    Brands that have ostensibly exited the market due to sanctions or activist pressure also remain accessible through the country’s porous border trade. And there have been cases where a significant delay between a company’s declared exit and its actual departure inadvertently allowed operations to continue as usual for some time.

    In 2024, we conducted a study with our colleague Anna Grosman, an expert on innovation and entrepreneurship at Loughborough University, on multinational firms operating in Myanmar. Our findings highlight the dilemma foreign businesses face in sanctioned countries over whether to stay or leave.

    This decision is shaped by formal pressure, such as home and host government restrictions. For instance, a multinational firm’s home government may penalise companies that continue to operate in a sanctioned country, while the host government may impose policies or financial barriers to prevent or delay their exit.

    However, informal pressure from activists, diaspora groups and international advocacy organisations also plays a role. Staying can help businesses avoid financial losses and the complexities of exit, but it also exposes them to reputational damage and ethical dilemmas.

    Western sanctions on Myanmar’s military regime have been ineffective, too.
    R. Bociaga / Shutterstock

    Some of the junta’s financial channels, such as revenue from the jade mining industry, are out of reach for sanctions. In 2021, the US treasury department sanctioned Myanmar’s state-owned gemstone company, Myanmar Gem Enterprise, describing it as “a key economic resource” for the military.

    However, sanctions on Myanmar Gem Enterprise have not been completely effective. Myanmar’s gemstone mining industry is mostly an informal sector, with data on mining income and distribution underreported and opaque. Continued revenue from this sector will almost certainly have further cushioned the impact of western sanctions.

    The sanctions have only partially stopped the flow of income to the junta. But they have contributed to the hardships facing ordinary citizens. Myanmar’s currency has cratered, while imported goods including pharmaceuticals and fuel are in short supply. Power outages are now common and there are soaring levels of unemployment.

    Some western governments have now imposed sanctions on state-owned banks in Myanmar in an attempt to stop revenue from reaching the junta. This move will only worsen the situation facing Myanmar’s people.

    Sanctions drive nations towards building domestic industries to replace imported goods and strengthening alliances with supportive countries. Far from achieving their intended political objectives, sanctions can exacerbate an already volatile geopolitical landscape, while driving up prices for ordinary people.

    But at the same time, governments and businesses have a duty to exit a country when they are no long able to adhere to their own human rights commitments.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Sanctions rarely achieve their goals – here’s why they failed in Russia and Myanmar – https://theconversation.com/sanctions-rarely-achieve-their-goals-heres-why-they-failed-in-russia-and-myanmar-244975

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders Opening Statement in Hearing to Consider Chavez-DeRemer Nomination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today delivered an opening statement at the committee’s hearing on the nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to serve as Secretary of Labor. 

    Sanders’ remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched here.

    Let me begin by thanking the Biden administration for being the most pro-worker administration in modern history of this country. 

    The mission of the Department of Labor is to “foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage-earners, job-seekers and retirees of the United States, improve working conditions, advance opportunities for profitable employment and assure work-related benefits and rights.” That is the mission of the Department of Labor, and it’s a mission that is more important now, in my view, that it has ever been. 

    Mr. Chairman, for the past 50 years, our economy has been doing extraordinarily well. Never done better for the people on top. Top 1%, right now, is enjoying wealth and power in a way that has never existed in the history of America. 

    We now have the absurd situation – the disgraceful situation – where three people, Mr. Musk, Mr. Zuckerberg and Mr. Bezos are now worth over $900 billion. That is more wealth than the bottom half of American society: 170 million people. Is that really what America is supposed to be about? 

    In America, we have more income and wealth inequality than we have ever had. Over 60% of our people, as we speak right here, 60% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. I grew up in a family living paycheck-to-paycheck. That ain’t easy. Stress level: enormous. People trying to find out how they are going to get health care, how they are going to pay their rent, how they’re going to feed their kids, which is one of the reasons working-class people live six years shorter lives than the people on top. 

    Given this reality, of an economy working well for the billionaire class but not for working families, we need a labor secretary who, in fact, is going to be a champion of working families – not be ambiguous about it, but stand up for the working families of our country. 

    We need a labor secretary who understands we must raise the minimum wage. Now, $7.25. Federal minimum wage. Anybody think that anyone anywhere in America can live on $7.25 an hour?

    We need a labor secretary who will work each and every day to make it easier, not harder, for workers to exercise their constitutional right to form a union and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions. 

    We need a labor secretary who understands that we must end, once and for all, the disastrous right-to-work laws in 28 states by repealing section 14B of Taft-Harley.

    We need a labor secretary who understands we must end the international embarrassment of America being the only major country on Earth that does not guarantee paid family and medical leave, or paid sick days. Imagine that. Only major country on Earth that does not guarantee paid family medical leave. 

    We need a labor secretary who understands it is unacceptable that women earn 75 cents on the dollar compared to men. 

    So Ms. Chavez-DeRemer, I have reviewed your record, and in many respects, especially given the nature of the nominees that Mr. Trump has brought forth, it is very good. You’re one of the few Republican members of Congress who cosponsored the PRO Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, to make it easier for workers to form unions. 

    You have been a defender of union apprenticeship programs and you have fought to expand the concept of employee ownership – something I feel strongly about. Many unions have come out in support of your nomination, and that is an interesting development. I have spoken with you and union leaders who support your nomination. 

    But here is my concern: If you are confirmed, you will not only be in charge of enforcing more than 180 labor laws that are on the books today, you will be the president’s chief labor advisor. That is what you will be. 

    When it comes to labor policy, you will have to make a choice: Will you be a rubber stamp for the anti-worker agenda of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and other multi-billionaires who are blatantly anti-union? They don’t make any bones about it. Or will you stand with working families all over the country? 

    That is really the main issue. It’s not just your record. This is an unusual administration. In my view, we are moving toward an authoritarian society where one person has enormous power. Will you have the courage to say, Mr. President, that is unconstitutional, that is wrong, I will not stand with you. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Education Nominee McMahon Tells Warren and Kim She “Wholeheartedly” Agrees with Trump’s Plan to Abolish Department of Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    February 24, 2025
    Text of Questions for the Record (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.), member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, released responses to Committee questions for the record from Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, in which McMahon states that she “wholeheartedly” agrees with Trump’s plans to abolish the Department of Education (ED).
    “President Trump believes that the bureaucracy in Washington should be abolished so that we can return education to the states, where it belongs. I wholeheartedly support and agree with this mission,” wrote McMahon.
    This response was not the only troubling answer from Ms. McMahon. She also refused to commit to preserving ED’s role in carrying out any of its present responsibilities, including:
    Administering federal student aid
    Funding Career and Technical Education
    Funding HBCUs
    Protecting the civil rights of students
    Funding teacher training programs
    Monitoring student loan servicers
    Sponsoring academic research
    Notably, McMahon also appeared to support the Trump Administration’s funding freeze, which continues to cause chaos across the country, stating that “Every Administration has the right to review all funding obligations and ensure that funding is being distributed in a way that aligns with both Congressional intent and the priorities of the duly elected President of the United States.”
    “Linda McMahon has made herself clear: as Secretary of Education, she will do whatever Donald Trump asks her to do—including abolishing the entire department, which supports millions of students trying to receive an education,” said Senator Warren. “Confirming her as Education Secretary would be a disaster for students and teachers in all 50 states.”
    “Linda McMahon has made clear her top responsibility is complete and total loyalty to President Trump, including her openness to dissolve the very department she would be confirmed to run,” said Senator Kim. “As the administration’s illegal funding freeze threatens already scarce resources for schools and critical programs, her blind loyalty is dangerous. Instead of treating education as a public good that is a foundation for our society, the Trump administration is trying to demonize it and change it in ways that will leave many children vulnerable. We cannot let them.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Ensure All Purple Heart Recipients Can Transfer Benefits to Dependents

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped introduce the bipartisan Purple Heart Veterans Education Act to close a loophole that has denied some Purple Heart medal recipients the ability to transfer their GI Bill benefits to their dependents. This bipartisan bill would ensure that all veterans who have received a Purple Heart are able to transfer their benefits to dependents.
    “Nevada’s Purple Heart recipients are heroes who sacrificed themselves in service to our country,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m joining this bipartisan bill to help close an unfair loophole and ensure that all veterans who have earned a Purple Heart can ensure their families have access to the full benefits promised to them. I’ll continue to stand with the men and women who have served our nation proudly.”
    The Purple Heart medal is presented to servicemembers who have been wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while serving in the U.S. military. A Purple Heart is a solemn distinction that recognizes servicemembers who have greatly sacrificed themselves, or paid the ultimate price, while in the line of duty.
    Senator Rosen has worked consistently to deliver for Nevada’s veterans and help them receive their benefits. Earlier this year, she helped introduce bipartisan legislation to assist veterans with home ownership and increase awareness of VA resources. She announced that a bipartisan Rosen-backed bill to expand veterans benefits outreach became law. Senator Rosen’s bipartisan legislation to require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to maintain a permanent helpline for veterans to use for information on VA services is now law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Wales wants to punish lying politicians – how would it work?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen Clear, Lecturer in Constitutional and Administrative Law, and Public Procurement, Bangor University

    shutterstock Minerva Studio/Shutterstock

    Elected politicians and candidates in Wales who deliberately lie could face serious consequences, including being removed from office, under proposals aimed at restoring trust in politics.

    The Senedd’s (Welsh parliament) standards of conduct committee has recommended legally defining political deception, and strengthening existing rules to explicitly ban misleading statements. Proposed potential penalties range from a formal retraction to suspension or, in extreme cases, recall by voters.

    But the committee stopped short of recommending that deliberate deception be made a criminal offence. The idea that politicians who lie could be investigated by the police and courts had previously been mooted. The option of a civil offence with a lower burden of proof being introduced was also rejected.

    The committee has been working on the proposals as a way of restoring faith in politics, and trust in politicians, in the lead up to the next Senedd elections in 2026. While the report sets out options for change, the Welsh government has already promised to introduce a legal ban (in some form) before the next election.

    These efforts see Wales become the first UK nation to attempt to tackle the problem of dwindling trust in politics by modern day legislative force.

    Those championing the changes refer to how the deliberate rise in campaigns of misinformation, by those of all political persuasions, have in some instances led to electoral victories overseas.

    The need to act is also reflected in the public’s perception. Surveys have consistently found that trust in politicians to tell the truth has declined. A survey in 2023 placed politicians as the least trusted profession in the UK. Just 9% of the public said they trusted elected officials to tell the truth.

    More recently, findings from the British social attitudes report in 2024 revealed that the public is as critical now of how the UK is governed as it has ever been. A record high of 45% of respondents said they now “almost never” trust governments of any party to place the needs of the nation above the interests of their own political party.

    Restoring trust

    The Senedd committee had considered three different options for restoring trust.

    First, to create a criminal offence of deception. Second, to use an existing investigative body such as the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, and to bring in a civil sanction such as a fine. And third, to strengthen the code of conduct for Senedd members with enhanced sanctions. In other words, it would be dealt with through the Senedd’s own disciplinary procedures.

    To a certain degree there are some mechanisms already in place for dealing with deception in Welsh politics. For example, politicians are already expected to adhere to the seven principles of public life, which include honesty and integrity.

    Generally speaking, opposition Senedd members will hold the Welsh government to account by questioning and scrutinising their work. It is also possible to stage votes of no confidence as an accountability mechanism.

    Although as seen in the case of former first minister Vaughan Gething, it is questionable as to the extent to which they can be enforced. Gething initially refused to step down after losing such a vote.

    The electorate also has an important role to play in holding politicians to account. Ultimately an untrustworthy politician should, in theory at least, be unlikely to win any election. But Senedd elections only take place every five years.

    The standards of conduct committee already has the power to review complaints referred to it. It also has responsibility for reviewing the code of conduct for members of the Senedd, guidance on the code and complaints procedures, and rules for lobbying.

    Part of the perceived problem with this is that the committee is made up of Senedd members and are, therefore, responsible for setting the rules for themselves. Or alternatively, as Plaid Cymru MS Adam Price (who has campaigned on this issue for many years) put it, it’s like marking your own homework. The committee’s report offers a potential of recommending appointing lay members to sit alongside them.

    Proposals to legislate against politicians who lie in Wales were first raised by the Plaid Cymru MS, Adam Price.
    ComposedPix/Shutterstock

    Some may be concerned about the practical complexities of disqualifying candidates and Senedd members, and where that may, in turn, leave democracy and democratic processes. If sanctions were to be introduced, questions could also be raised about the potential for vexatious complaints to discredit electoral candidates.



    Read more:
    Wales could become world’s first country to criminalise politicians who lie

    In respect of making “deception” a criminal offence, concerns may have been raised about the constitutional principle of separation of powers, and whether it should truly be for unelected judges to take decisions about the democratically elected arm of the state. Or whether that could lead to the politicisation of the judiciary.

    While, research had found that more than two-thirds of Welsh voters supported a law criminalising political lying, judicial adjudication for serving Senedd members has been ruled out. The report also details concerns from the legal professions that existing resource pressures on the courts would have lead to long disputes, rather than the swift resolutions.

    But in reality, we are talking about strengthening safeguards for maintaining standards in public offices. In particular addressing deliberate mistruths by politicians to secure deceitful advantages during an election.

    In that sense, the new legislation is essentially bringing the political profession in line with others such as lawyers, doctors, journalistic and financial institutions, by having clearer repercussions when they lie and fail to maintain professional standards.

    Given the need for something to change in order to restore trust, and the extensive powers that politicians have to affect the lives of citizens, it is clear why Wales is trying a different approach towards restoring trust.

    Stephen Clear 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. Wales wants to punish lying politicians – how would it work? – https://theconversation.com/wales-wants-to-punish-lying-politicians-how-would-it-work-248728

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Charles Dickens would have made Great Expectations a videogame if he were writing today

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lynda Clark, Lecturer in Creative Writing (Interdisciplinary Futures), University of Edinburgh

    Despite dying over 100 years before the release of Pong, the novelist Charles Dickens has connections to a number of videogames. He appears as a character in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (2015); is the subject of a mobile app walking-tour, Charles Dickens London: The Writer’s Journey (2022); and his works are brought to virtual life in the forthcoming The Mysteries of Gad’s Hill Place.

    There’s also plenty in Dickens’ work to suggest that were he alive today, he may be writing his own videogames as well as appearing in them.

    Great Expectations (1861) in particular demonstrates Dickens’ ludic credentials. A sense of progression is common in the Bildungsroman or “progress” novel, but Pip seems to embody ideas of “levelling-up” more reminiscent of a playable character accumulating XP (experience points) than a typical protagonist.

    Pip (Philip Pirrip) is a young blacksmith’s apprentice whose life is dramatically changed when he inherits a great fortune. Pip’s guardian, Mr Jaggers, who is also the lawyer in charge of the inheritance, describes Pip’s “expectations” (inheritance) as if it is an attainable in-game currency.

    He makes it clear, just as a videogame NPC (non-playable character) might, how the story’s currency should be spent – on items befitting a gentleman, just as a videogame character might spend on costumes and items for their inventory. As Jaggers puts it, the inheritance is “a sum of money amply sufficient for your suitable education and maintenance”

    This article is part of Rethinking the Classics. The stories in this series offer insightful new ways to think about and interpret classic books and artworks. This is the canon – with a twist.

    On his path to becoming a gentleman, Pip must develop himself in various areas such as intellect and eloquence, and acquire new clothes, which, it is implied, will confer new “powers”. They should not, Mr Jaggers stresses, be “working clothes”.

    This spiritual, physical and sartorial growth is not unlike that found in many roleplaying games such as Metaphor: Refantazio (2024), where the protagonist must develop “royal virtues” through building relationships with followers. This is reminiscent of the way Pip must build his relationship with the wealthy, eccentric Miss Havisham to further his place in society. Like Pip, the protagonist of Metaphor: Refantazio also gains access to progressively advantageous clothing and accessories as the story advances.

    Dickens appears as a character in the game Assassin’s Creed Syndicate.

    As literary theorist Peter Brooks has observed, even Pip’s name is representative of growth – a seed full of potential, the kind of on-the-nose naming scheme that would make auteur videogame designer Hideo Kojima proud. Many of Kojima’s characters in the Metal Gear franchise are named in the same way, such as Fragile, the director of a delivery company that has the motto “handled with love”.

    And before we even get into the story itself, the contents page in later collected editions arranges protagonist Pip’s journey into “stages” – a term more commonly found in videogames.

    Expectations and endings

    Perhaps the strongest argument for Great Expectations as evidence of Dickens’ potential as a videogame writer are its multiple endings. The published ending alludes to future romance. After a chance meeting four years after the primary events of the novel, Pip takes fellow orphan Estella’s hand and sees “no shadow of another parting from her”.

    However the alternate version, often presented as an appendix, has a quite different outlook. Again Pip runs into Estella, and they share fond words, but this time there is no sign of a romantic union. Instead, it’s suggested that the suffering Estella has endured through a cruel marriage has given her a deeper understanding of Pip’s life – “a heart to understand what [his] used to be”.

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    This downbeat tone is more akin to the so-called “bad” ending (or fail state) of choice-based videogames. These are endings which occur when the player has not sufficiently developed their character, or made poor conversational choices during their play.

    Even the published ending is not necessarily so positive if the reader has been paying attention to all of Pip’s “side-quests”. Both he and Estella are childhood wards of Miss Havisham, and in adulthood, a man named Magwitch plays father-figure to Pip and is Estella’s actual father.

    Therefore, it is only possible to accept their union as romantic if putting aside facts which, to contemporary readers at least, may well have verged on incest. This means there are two possible endings even within the single published ending – one where he commits near-incest and one where he doesn’t, depending on your interpretation.

    It could also be argued that the ending of each “stage” is its own potential end, thereby increasing the number of possible endings further still. For instance, literary theorist Caroline Levine has suggested another alternative ending in Pip’s imagined possible future with his childhood friend and confidante, Biddy.

    This kind of premature ending is frequently found in narrative videogames. A memorable example is Far Cry 4 (2014), where it’s possible to get the credits rolling some 15 minutes into a game which typically lasts as long as 60 hours.

    Had Dickens been writing today, I have no doubt he would have seen great narrative potential in videogames, just as modern videogame creators find inspiration in his novels.

    Beyond the canon

    As part of the Rethinking the Classics series, we’re asking our experts to recommend a book or artwork that tackles similar themes to the canonical work in question, but isn’t (yet) considered a classic itself. Here is Lynda Clark’s suggestion:

    The novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka (2004) remains underappreciated, despite already having been adapted into a manga (2014) and a film (2014’s Edge of Tomorrow).

    Like Pip, young soldier Keiji Kiriya is required to undergo intellectual, physical and emotional growth in order to progress. He undertakes this process of “levelling up” in an even more ludic manner, dying and “respawning” (resurrecting) with knowledge of his previous lives. Each death suggests a potential end, and his relationship with fellow time-looped soldier Rita Vrataski is open to similar interpretations of bittersweet love, doomed romance or platonic respect – depending on reader preference.

    Lynda Clark undertook part of this research during an AHRC-funded PhD.

    – ref. Why Charles Dickens would have made Great Expectations a videogame if he were writing today – https://theconversation.com/why-charles-dickens-would-have-made-great-expectations-a-videogame-if-he-were-writing-today-249199

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Kim Jong-un is launching a crackdown on North Korea’s drinking culture

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Hall, PhD Candidate in Korean Studies, University of Central Lancashire

    North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently chaired a meeting of the Korean Worker’s Party Secretariat, the body responsible for prescribing correct behaviour and ensuring it’s adhered to by party members. The party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that this meeting was convened to address various shortcomings in discipline (tangnaegyuryurŭl ranp’ok) – including binge drinking by some party officials.

    The meeting was concerned with two violations of party discipline in particular. Party officials in Onchon County (about 60km west of the capital, Pyongyang) were accused of making inadequate preparations for their local party meeting, which – as a result – was held in a “grossly formalistic (hyŏngshikchŏkŭro) way”.

    In North Korea’s early political history, accusations of being formalistic related to overly celebrating foreign governments and their methods of socialism. But used in relation to the officials in Onchon County, it meant going through the motions, and not displaying enough genuine enthusiasm and engagement with the political process.

    This lack of ideological zeal was reportedly further displayed when 40 of the officials went on a “drinking spree” – an act considered directly opposed to the party’s line on maintaining discipline. In the English-language version of the Rodong Sinmun news article, these officials were branded as a “corrupt group”. But in the Korean-language version, they were more colourfully condemned as a “rotten group” (ssŏgŏppajin muri) and an “arrogant rabble” (pangjahan ohapchijol).

    In response, Kim stated that the behaviour of the party officials was a “political and moral” crime which undermined the foundations of the Korean Worker’s Party. Consequently, the Onchon County party committee was dissolved and the 40 officials involved in the drunken revelry were earmarked for punishment. While it was not mentioned what punishment the officials would receive, it’s likely at the very least they will be subject to ideological re-education.

    Accusations of drunkenness and alcoholism as a means of criticising and purging party officials is nothing new in North Korea. In December 1955, Pak Il-u (then the minister of post and telecommunications) was accused of leading a depraved lifestyle and being an alcoholic. This was done to besmirch his reputation, justify his expulsion from the Korean Worker’s Party, and imprison him.

    It isn’t illegal to drink in North Korea. Alcohol has a strong cultural presence: it is used on formal occasions to celebrate weddings, relieve sadness during funerals, and commemorate the birthdays of leaders.

    In recent years, the country has even promoted its alcoholic products on postage stamps. In 2022, the government issued a stamp depicting three variations of Taedonggang Beer, produced at a state-owned domestic brewery since 2002. The beer is named after the Taedong river, which runs through Pyongyang.

    The following year, a stamp depicting Pyongyang Soju was issued. This rice and corn-based liquor has been produced at a state-owned factory since 2009. With an alcohol content of 25%, North Korea’s soju has a higher alcohol content than South Korea’s best-selling version, Jinro Chamisul Original (20.1% ABV).

    In June 2015, Kim designated Pyongyang Soju as the national liquor – underlining that alcohol holds an important place both in North Korea’s cultural heritage and contemporary society.

    That’s not to say North Koreans are heavy drinkers compared with their compatriots in the south, who – according to pre-COVID statistics – drink about twice as much. In North Korea, a litre of alcohol costs about the same as a kilo of corn (a proxy for a day’s food), which may explain this.

    Political and moral vice

    But excessive drinking is regarded, as Kim stated, as a political and moral vice. Alcohol and other drug taking, such as methamphetamine use, is bound up with mental health as a sign of degeneracy.

    Given that mental health care in North Korea is virtually non-existent (mental health conditions are correlated with ideological problems), drinking, smoking and other drug use often become coping mechanisms for people living there. But these have all become regarded as anti-state activities.

    In recent years, North Korea has cracked down more strictly on what is seen as the “ideological and cultural poisoning” of society. For example, it has been reported that people have been sentenced to lengthy prison sentences or execution for consuming and/or distributing foreign media, using foreign slang terms, or wearing foreign clothes and hairstyles.

    Divorcing couples and those caught selling hot dogs have reportedly been the most recent examples of people’s anti-state behaviour receiving labour camp sentences. Divorce represents dissent to the socialist idea of collectivism, prioritising group needs (family) over individual desires.

    Therefore, the attack on excessive alcohol consumption – and it being publicly reported on – can be seen as another development in the trend of North Korea clamping down on individualistic behaviour, because it does not conform to the ideals of how people in this socialist society should behave.

    David Hall 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. Kim Jong-un is launching a crackdown on North Korea’s drinking culture – https://theconversation.com/kim-jong-un-is-launching-a-crackdown-on-north-koreas-drinking-culture-249514

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How virtual reality could help revive endangered language and culture

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Fabrizio Galeazzi, Associate Professor in Heritage and Creative Technologies, Anglia Ruskin University

    Every two weeks, a language is at risk of disappearing. According to the UN, at least 50% of the 7,000 different languages spoken around the world today could either disappear or become seriously endangered by the end of this century, leading to a significant loss of cultural diversity.

    “A language is not just words. It’s a culture, a tradition and a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a community is,” as linguist Noam Chomsky once said.

    To help stem the tide, a collaboration between myself and colleagues at the StoryLab research institute at Anglia Ruskin University and creative industry partner NowHere Media is exploring the use of virtual reality (VR) technology and immersive storytelling to try to revitalise endangered indigenous cultures and languages.

    The results of our research interviews with participants suggest immersive stories, when created with communities, can be a powerful way of fostering group identity and promoting the long-term legacy and custodianship of cultural heritage.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Created by NowHere Media before the start of our project, Kusunda VR is an immersive interactive film that encourages viewers to learn key words of the Kusunda language, which is under threat of disappearing in Nepal. The film documents the nomadic way of life of the Kusunda people. It features their language, in the form of interviews with its last remaining speakers.

    NowHere Media worked closely with shaman Lil Bahadur, just one of 150 Kusunda speakers left in the world, and his granddaughter Hima to capture the nomadic Kusunda world and language. They used volumetric filming and photogrammetry – techniques that create a three-dimensional space and allow for a highly realistic and immersive environment – to be played using virtual reality technology. Voice-based interactions help viewers learn some words in the Kusunda language.

    Lil almost lost his mother tongue when he gave up his hunter-gatherer lifestyle to live in the city at the age of 18. But researchers discovered that his teenage granddaughter was passionate about keeping her grandfather’s language – and culture – alive.

    “If the Kusunda language disappears then the existence of the Kusunda people in Nepal will also fade away,” Hima told us. “We’ll lose our identity. That’s why I want to save our language.”

    Hima began learning the language from community elder Gyani Maiya Sen-Kusunda, one of the last speakers of the language, an ambassador for its preservation and a teacher to the emerging generation. She was the original protagonist of Kusunda VR but died at the age of 83 in 2020 during the production of the film.

    Immersive technology

    StoryLab received a grant from the British Academy to evaluate the potential of immersive technology in bringing endangered languages back to life. Our research study, Reviving Kusunda, compared the interactive Kusunda VR experience alongside a short film created during the project. We wanted to to offer an insight into the role of immersive technologies in creating emotional understanding of the subject in comparison to regular film.

    Audio-visual 2D formats such as film have played an important role over the last century in documenting and archiving cultural heritage such as oral traditions, language and traditional art forms. However, we are keen to know how new technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, compare with existing audio-visual formats.

    Participants in our research – both members of the Kusunda community in Nepal and the public in the UK – identified many benefits to using multiple formats. However, they expressed a clear preference for VR. They highlighted the importance of interactivity and immersion in engaging viewers in the subject matter. With the VR experience, viewers are part of the story – a key aspect that helps revive stories and memories from the past.

    Participants considered VR especially effective in attracting their interest, creating a connection with the subject, and inspiring audiences to engage further with endangered languages and heritage.

    When viewing the VR experience, participants said they felt like a character in the film, and were immersed within the action which made them feel a strong emotional connection. They also noted how crucial it was to “feel” like the Kusunda people. This opens a range of possibilities for the use of VR for the revitalisation of endangered heritage and languages.

    The Reviving Kusunda project highlights how older speakers can educate younger generations about a language in a highly engaging way. We believe there are huge possibilities to use immersive 3D storytelling to revitalise other endangered languages.

    After the success of the Reviving Kusunda project, StoryLab now leads a €3 million Horizon Europe project called Revive. This looks specifically at two endangered European languages – Griko, spoken in parts of southern Italy, and Cornish, a language spoken in Cornwall in the southwest of England.

    This initiative brings together an international consortium of academic and industry partners to explore the integrated use of immersive technologies, data visualisation, archival research and co-creation to protect Europe’s heritage and linguistic capital.

    The aim is for immersive, interactive experiences to be hosted in museums and visitor centres to raise awareness of a region’s culture, as well as adapted to help with more formal language learning in schools and colleges for future generations.

    Participants of the Reviving Kusunda project universally acknowledged the unique way that VR can truly bring aspects of heritage to life, effectively “making intangible [heritage], tangible”.

    In the words of one participant from the Kusunda community: “When I watched the VR today, I felt I was watching the stories grandmother used to tell me. They were in front of my eyes as if they were real.”

    Fabrizio Galeazzi 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. How virtual reality could help revive endangered language and culture – https://theconversation.com/how-virtual-reality-could-help-revive-endangered-language-and-culture-247856

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Appoints Associate Circuit Judge for 16th Judicial Circuit, Fills Caldwell County Public Administrator Vacancy

    Source: US State of Missouri

    FEBRUARY 21, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe appointed a new Associate Circuit Judge for the 16th Judicial Circuit and filled the Public Administrator vacancy in Caldwell County. 

    John G. Gromowsky, of Kansas City, was appointed as Associate Circuit Judge for Jackson County in the 16th Judicial Circuit. 
    Mr. Gromowsky is a seasoned attorney with extensive experience in both prosecution and defense. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, where he served in several leadership roles, including a platoon leader and executive officer. Following his military service, he earned his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. 
    Gromowsky began his legal career as a law clerk in Jackson County before serving in multiple roles in the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, including as a Drug Task Force Prosecutor, Community Prosecutor, and Violent Crimes Unit attorney. In private practice, he spent over 16 years as a defense lawyer, handling trial work and appeals, including cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Active in his community, Mr. Gromowsky has served on public safety committees, coached youth sports, and held leadership positions within a local bar association. Mr. Gromowsky will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Lauren D. Barrett to the circuit court of the 16th Judicial Circuit. 

    Crystal McBrayer, of Kingston, was appointed as the Caldwell County Public Administrator.
    Ms. McBrayer is a longtime resident of Caldwell County and has experience in team leadership and community service. She is a graduate of Penny High School and currently works as a Sales Associate and team lead for Walmart. As Public Administrator, McBrayer will serve as the court-appointed guardian and conservator for individuals deemed incapacitated or disabled by the 43rd Judicial Circuit. She will also act as a personal representative for decedent estates and oversee the management of assets when no other responsible party is available.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Supporting Adult Learners at Community Colleges

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $1.1 million in grants for 22 community colleges statewide to implement wide-ranging action plans designed to help more adult learners access transformational educational opportunities that lead to upward mobility. These grants build on Governor Hochul’s multifaceted commitment to creating more workforce development opportunities to ensure every New Yorker can pursue a degree or credential that helps access jobs in high-demand fields. That includes the Governor’s transformational proposal to offer free community college tuition, fees, books, and supplies for adults ages 25 to 55 who pursue degrees in fields like health care, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and green jobs.

    “For millions of New Yorkers, community college can be the path to upward mobility and economic security, opening the door to a wide array of workforce opportunities,” Governor Hochul said. “Working with SUNY, we are tackling the barriers that stand in the way of New Yorkers accessing these potentially transformational educational pathways. The Adult Learner Leadership Initiative builds on our commitment to empowering people in every corner of the state to participate in generational economic opportunities.”

    Through SUNY’s Adult Learner Leadership Initiative, community colleges will work to break down barriers that stand in the way of students age 25 and older accessing and completing higher education programs. These measures will include expanded use of credit for prior learning, wraparound support, and flexible scheduling.

    More than one in four SUNY community college students are age 25 or older, with nearly two-thirds of them attending college part-time. What’s more, an estimated 1.5 million working-age New Yorkers have completed some college but have not yet obtained a degree.

    In support of Governor Hochul’s work to make higher education more affordable and build the workforce of the future, the new grants will help community colleges meet adult learners where they are, creating a greater sense of belonging on campus and addressing the unique needs of adults working to earn a degree.

    SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “SUNY’s community colleges are engines of upward mobility, and Governor Hochul’s proposal for a free community college degree in high-demand fields will help connect more working-age New Yorkers to economic opportunity. Our campuses are ready to step up to help more adult learners earn a community college associate degree and advance in their careers.”

    Adult Learner Leadership Initiative grant awardees are:

    • SUNY Adirondack Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners; use of online and blended learning
    • SUNY Broome Community College ($50,000): Expanded use of co-requisite models to address gaps in academic preparation; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners; use of online and blended learning
    • Cayuga Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of co-requisite models to address gaps in academic preparation; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; transparency on course schedules and advance course scheduling; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
    • Clinton Community College ($48,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
    • Columbia-Greene Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
    • Corning Community College ($41,928): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; expanded use of co-requisite models to address gaps in academic preparation; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; alignment of campus policies with adult learner needs
    • Dutchess Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings
    • SUNY Erie Community College ($50,000): Availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; transparency on course schedules and advance course scheduling; the use of online and blended learning
    • Finger Lakes Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; alignment of campus policies with adult learner needs
    • FIT ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; use of online and blended learning
    • Fulton-Montgomery Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
    • Jefferson Community College ($37,200): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; use of online and blended learning
    • Monroe Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
    • Niagara County Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners; alignment of campus policies with adult learner needs
    • North Country Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; use of online and blended learning
    • Onondaga Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners; use of online and blended learning
    • SUNY Orange Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
    • SUNY Schenectady Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; use of online and blended learning
    • Sullivan County Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
    • Tompkins Cortland Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
    • SUNY Ulster Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; alignment of campus policies with adult learner needs
    • SUNY Westchester Community College ($49,933): Expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; transparency on course schedules and advance course scheduling; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners

    Campuses will utilize grants to build out their strategies to support adult learners through July before beginning implementation no later than the fall 2025 semester. The grants are made possible through the SUNY Transformation Fund that Governor Hochul championed in the 2023-24 enacted State budget.

    Complete College America President Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva said, “Any viable effort to increase college completion and educational attainment rates on a state or national level must include proven strategies to support adult learners. New York and the SUNY system continue to serve as leaders in this regard through their advancement of programs, policies and practices that will pay off in the long term for the state’s learners, workforce, and economy. SUNY’s Adult Learning Initiative is one such program that clearly demonstrates the state’s strategic inclusion and prioritization of adults seeking to earn a degree or credential of value in their overall attainment efforts.”

    Jobs for the Future Director Rachel Pleasants McDonnell said, “We applaud this investment in SUNY’s community colleges to transform the adult learning experience. Free tuition for degrees in high-demand fields is an important step toward making postsecondary education more accessible to this growing population of learners. Equally as critical is SUNY’s comprehensive approach to strengthening career advising, making clear labor market connections, and accelerating emerging options like credit for prior learning.”

    Lumina Foundation Strategy Officer Dr. Katy Launius said, “Through the REACH Collaborative, SUNY community colleges created on-ramps to credentials in high-demand fields that lead to careers with family-sustaining wages. Their efforts to remove barriers, provide flexibility, and expand supports means that more of today’s students are achieving their goals for themselves and their communities.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ND Council on the Arts Opens Statewide Grant Opportunities for Artists and Organizations

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Funding Available – Early Applications Encouraged!

    BISMARCK, ND – North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) invites artists, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions across the state to apply for funding through its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) grant programs. With opportunities ranging from artist development to community arts initiatives, NDCA’s grants help sustain and expand North Dakota’s vibrant creative sector.

    Many programs have limited funding, so early submission is highly recommended. Artists and organizations are encouraged to apply for more than one program based on needs and eligibility. Applications are now being accepted, with funding contingent on availability.

    Grant Opportunities

    APRIL Deadline Grant Opportunities (Apply NOW for projects taking place after July 1, 2025)

    • Accessibility Grant (Up to $2,000) – Supports projects that increase arts accessibility for all audiences.
    • Artist Growth & Development ($5,000) – Provides support for 2 individual artists’ new creative projects in the disciplines of Literature and Music.
    • Arts in Education Collaboration (Up to $6,000) – Strengthens partnerships between K-12 educational institutions and artists.
    • Community Arts Access (Up to $4,000) – Expands arts programming in all disciplines in urban and rural North Dakota communities.
    • Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship (Up to $4,500) – Preserves and passes down cultural traditions.*Contact the Program Officer, Troyd Geist at tgeist@nd.gov for assistance with application submissions.
    • Institutional Support ($4,000–$11,000) – Provides operational funding for established arts organizations.

    Recurring Deadline Grants OPENING SOON! (Applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to project start date; visit each program’s webpage for upcoming FY26 deadlines.)

    • Artist in Residence (Up to $2,500) – Supports artist-led residencies in K-12 schools and educational settings.
    • Professional Development (Up to $1,000) – Assists artists and arts organizations with arts-related learning opportunities.
    • Special Projects (Up to $1,500) – Funds arts initiatives, events, and projects in all disciplines.

    “We are honored to support the creativity and cultural vibrancy of North Dakota through these funding opportunities,” said Jessica Christy, NDCA Executive Director. “We encourage artists, organizations, and educators to apply early and take advantage of these resources.”

    For general grant information, including questions about the online grant system, visit our Grant Support webpage or call (701) 328-7590. To see an overview, with links to each program, visit the Grants at a Glance webpage .

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why justice for Ukraine must be at the forefront of peace negotiations

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Oleksa Drachewych, Assistant Professor in History, Western University

    On Feb. 18, representatives from Russia and the United States met in Saudi Arabia to determine if peace in Ukraine is possible. Ukrainian representatives were not invited.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media that the meeting was a step in developing an “enduring peace” between Russia and Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in a media interview that the meeting was “very positive” and confirmed the true meaning of the talks was to start normalising relations between Russia and the U.S.

    Although U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed “the Russians want to see the war end,” Russian officials remain committed to their war aims. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced before the meetings that Russia would not return Ukrainian territory. After, he stated that should a peace deal be brokered, any peacekeeping forces could not come from NATO nations. The latter statement stunted growing European efforts to develop a security guarantee for Ukraine should a ceasefire be reached.

    Keith Kellogg, U.S. envoy for Kyiv and Moscow, said after his Feb. 20 meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the U.S. is aligned with the nation — and that any end to the war with Russia should ensure there is no “next war”. Yet White House officials do not seem to have Ukraine’s best interest in mind in negotiating a potential resolution to the war.

    For instance, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Feb. 12 that the U.S. government doesn’t believe NATO membership for Ukraine “is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.” He added that Ukraine would need to accept territorial concessions to Russia.

    Trump has also increasingly parroted Russian narratives — such as claiming that Ukraine started the war. He has also delegitimized Zelenskyy by claiming he is a “dictator” who refuses to hold elections — despite the nation’s constitution stating elections cannot legally be held under martial law.

    Trump also continues to demand 50 per cent of Ukraine’s natural resources to repay the United States for previous military and financial support. This has led to a deterioration in Ukrainian-U.S. relations at a time where Russian-U.S. relations appear to be improving.



    Read more:
    Ukraine’s natural resources are at centre stage in the ongoing war, and will likely remain there

    European leaders have responded with frustration. Zelenskyy has made his position clear that any negotiation must include Ukraine at the table. Ukraine would not accept an imposed peace.

    Any attempt at negotiating a lasting peace between the two nations must include accountability for Russian crimes.

    The realities of Russia’s invasion

    American overtures for peace have often referred to “stopping the millions of deaths” in Russia’s war in Ukraine. While on the surface this goal is admirable, it oversimplifies the realities of what the last three years of war have done to Ukraine. Namely, Russian forces have committed extensive war crimes and atrocity in Ukraine.

    Russian forces barrage Ukraine with drone strikes and terror bombing — including targeting civilians. Even as negotiations were happening in Saudi Arabia, Russian drones struck Odesa, injuring four civilians. This was the latest in a long line of such attacks. International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants are out for Russian military leaders on just this issue.

    The Ukrainian government has confirmed over 19,500 Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russian forces. But in July 2023, Russian officials claimed they had over 700,000 Ukrainian children in Russian territory.

    Investigative reporting confirms the Russian government is assimilating these children — forcing them to stop speaking Ukrainian and raising them with a Russian identity. These actions have also led to ICC arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner who oversees the program. Russia’s actions violate the UN Genocide Convention.

    Widespread sexual assault by Russian forces has been documented against Ukrainian men and women. Torture chambers have also been found in liberated cities. Russian forces committed mass murder in multiple Ukrainian cities — underscored by the discovery of mass graves in Bucha, Izium and Lyman.

    Mariupol, once a city of over 400,000 has been reduced to a population of 120,000 as of 2023. This showcases the devastation caused by Russian forces. Russia has also started seizing buildings to give to Russian settlers to further Russify the city.

    The realities under Russian occupation are only partially known. The Russian government has demanded Ukrainians living under occupation forfeit their Ukrainian identification documents and obtain Russian passports. In schools, Russia has fully implemented its nationalistic curriculum, which includes “anti-Ukrainian propaganda” aimed at assimilating Ukrainian children.

    Against international law, forcible Russification of the Ukrainian people has become a common feature of Russian occupation during this war.

    Ukraine’s fight for justice

    Ukraine continues to fight against Russian occupation. While it’s honourable to want to stop the deaths caused by fighting, the Russian regime’s actions in Ukrainian territory must be remembered too.

    This is why justice is just as important as resolution. While it’s unlikely Russian officials will find themselves before the ICC, there must be some form of accountability for Russian crimes against Ukraine if peace is negotiated. While present frontlines may dictate where Ukraine may be forced to cede territory or freeze conflict, the realities of Russian aggression cannot be ignored.

    Here, history offers a guide for what shouldn’t be done this time when brokering a peace deal.



    Read more:
    How Russia’s fixation on the Second World War helps explain its Ukraine invasion

    During the Second World War, Soviet forces committed extensive war crimes and atrocities. Yet the Soviet Union never faced a reckoning for those acts. Russian officials remember this. As a result, Putin feels empowered to commit similar atrocities in Ukraine — believing Russia, just as the Soviet Union, won’t face any consequences.

    For any possibility of lasting peace, accountability and justice for Russian war crimes must be at the forefront of negotiations. Otherwise, Russia will have learned it can act with impunity — threatening the likelihood of enduring peace for Ukraine.

    Oleksa Drachewych 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. Why justice for Ukraine must be at the forefront of peace negotiations – https://theconversation.com/why-justice-for-ukraine-must-be-at-the-forefront-of-peace-negotiations-250208

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in an extended meeting of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in a meeting of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture in the Federation Council

    February 24, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in a meeting of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture in the Federation Council

    February 24, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in a meeting of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture in the Federation Council

    February 24, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in a meeting of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture in the Federation Council

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in a meeting of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture. The participants discussed the issue of preparation for the government hour as part of the 585th meeting of the upper house of parliament.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko thanked Valentina Matvienko, Lilia Gumerova and other senators for their attention to the educational sphere and joint work on developing the Education Development Strategy.

    The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the education sector is one of the key areas for achieving the national goals set by President Vladimir Putin.

    “Russian citizens are actively involved in the work on the Education Development Strategy. More than 340 thousand respondents took part in the survey on the public services portal, and more than 1 thousand proposals were generated. In the conditions of global competition, we need to ensure the accelerated development of the educational system together. Our goal is to create equal and decent conditions for teachers, increase the prestige of the profession, raise its social status, attract young personnel to schools and retain them,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    The Deputy Prime Minister also noted the importance of ensuring equal access to quality education regardless of place of residence. To this end, thanks to the implementation of the national project “Education”, about a million school places have already been created, and within the framework of the national project “Demography” – almost 250 thousand places in kindergartens, and the construction of new facilities is planned within the framework of the national projects “Youth and Children” and “Family”.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized the growing demand for blue-collar jobs and professions. The “Professionality” project has been implemented since 2022.

    “As of today, 493 clusters have been created in 81 regions in 24 sectors of the economy and social sphere within the framework of “Professionality”. We strive to ensure that by the end of 2026 the project covers all 89 regions of Russia, and by 2030 a total of 940 clusters have been created,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

    The Government and the Federation Council also actively cooperate in the formation of regional policy in the field of intellectual property.

    “In the context of modern challenges, it is necessary to clearly define strategic directions for the development of education in the country. Government hour will be devoted to this topic,” said Lilia Gumerova, opening the meeting.

    According to her, during 2024, the committee carried out a number of events to improve the domestic education system. Recommendations were prepared, including on resolving issues of reducing the bureaucratic burden, improving the mechanisms for conducting the unified state examination, developing career guidance, secondary vocational education, pedagogical education, improving the higher education system, including the mechanism of targeted training, taking into account the experience of the admissions campaign in 2024.

    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: “Dare and Win!”: How February 23 was celebrated at the Military Training Center

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    © Higher School of Economics

    On the eve of Defender of the Fatherland Day in Military training center The HSE hosted ceremonial meetings and creative evenings of student amateur performances. Such events are held here every year on the eve of February 23, and not only HSE students, but also students from partner schools and honorary guests take part in them.

    “Conquer new heights”

    The guest of honor at the ceremonial meeting and creative evening of 4th-year students was Vice-Rector Sergey Rozhkov. After the State Flag of the Russian Federation, the flag of the HSE Military Training Center were carried out and the Anthem of the Russian Federation was performed, he congratulated all those present on Defender of the Fatherland Day.

    “I wish you good health, happiness and prosperity, to always move forward, and not to stop in the face of difficulties. You will have to conquer new heights, and it does not matter whether they will be connected with the specialty you have chosen or with service in the Armed Forces – as far as I know, we also have those who want to join the military service. Dare and win,” said Sergey Rozhkov, addressing the students.

    He also wished for a quick big victory in the special military operation. “We are really looking forward to it, it is important for all of us,” the vice-rector concluded.

    The head of the Military Training Center (VTC), Hero of Russia Vladimir Korgutov, also delivered welcoming words.

    “This national holiday firmly links the past, present and future of Russia, is a symbol of fortitude, courage, solidarity and unity, pride in one’s country and its history. And today we remember those who conscientiously fulfilled their military duty – in every home, in every family, there are reminders of the heroism of our grandfathers and fathers. Military exploits and traditions will never be forgotten,” he said.

    The Hero of Russia recalled the soldiers and officers who died during the SVO, including those who were personally known to the teachers of the Military Training Center. Those present in the hall honored their memory with a minute of silence.

    Award ceremony

    Vladimir Korgutov reported that in the run-up to Defender of the Fatherland Day, congratulations were sent to the Military Training Center “from many of our colleagues and comrades.” Among them were representatives of universities from different regions of Russia where military training centers operate. “We also congratulate them and advocate for us to have more joint projects,” he added.

    This was followed by a ceremony to present awards to the staff and students of the Military Training Center.

    For the consistently high quality of performance of official duties, Sergey Rozhkov presented a letter of gratitude from the Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Nikita Anisimov to the teacher Departments of the Ground Forces Aleksandr Alekseev, associate professor Andrey Cherkesov and the educational department dispatcher Olga Lobova. The vice-rector’s gratitude was awarded to associate professor of the Land Forces Department Viktor Prilyudko.

    A teacher received a commemorative badge of the city of Moscow “80 years of the Battle of Moscow” Department of Aerospace Forces Alexander Lyubimov. Andrey Cherkesov was awarded the medal “65 years of the Strategic Missile Forces” by the Council of Veterans of the Strategic Missile Forces. Gratitude from the head of the Military Training Center was announced to engineer Irina Petrova and senior engineer of the educational and training equipment department Yuri Kuprienko.

    In addition, the best students received incentives. This is not only a certificate or gratitude, but also a photo taken near the unfurled flag of the VUC together with Hero of Russia Vladimir Korgutov, as well as a “letter to the homeland” – a message to parents, which tells about the achievements of their son. Another form of incentive in honor of February 23 is the removal of a previously imposed penalty, and this is no less important for students than any other award.

    Tribute

    Holding concerts on the eve of February 23 is one of the traditions of the Military Training Center. First of all, it is a tribute to those who defended our Motherland during the Great Patriotic War and other wars, and to those who today, faithful to their military duty, continue to defend it.

    This year, not only students of the Military Training Center performed at the creative evenings, but also invited performers and creative groups, for example, the vocal studio “Kladez” from the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation under the direction of Oksana Kazakova. Famous songs of the war years and modern works were performed, including those written by the students themselves. A quiz on military topics was also organized for fourth-year students.

    Yaroslav Rodkin, 2nd year student of the OP “Strategy and production in communications“, acted as the host of the creative evening and read poems of his own composition. “I dedicated the poem “Soon Home” to the soldiers who are awaited at home, because at the front it is important to feel the support of relatives, and the poem “A Bullet Flies” – to the soldiers who died in battles for Russia,” he explained.

    Petr Kutukov, 2nd year student of the OP “Right“, performed the song “We Need One Victory” at two creative evenings – for his classmates and for fourth-year students. The participation of younger fighters in a concert for older ones is another tradition that helps pass the baton and strengthen the spirit of camaraderie.

    “I studied music in my school years and I love singing for the soul. I try to participate in extracurricular activities, and the concert for Defender of the Fatherland Day is a good opportunity to prove myself. This holiday is close to me: my great-grandfather, born in 1898, took part in four wars, my father and grandfather were officers. War songs have a special energy, many of them are written by people who know firsthand what war is,” said Petr.

    “The baton is in safe hands”

    Another tradition of the VUC is a farewell speech to graduates. At the end of the creative evening for 4th-year students, it was delivered by ordinary professor Adam Nizhalovsky.

    He reported that the HSE Military Training Center is one of the best among 137 military training centers in the country, and is distinguished by the high quality of students typical of the HSE, and a unique faculty: 2 generals, 20 colonels, 13 lieutenant colonels, 1 major, 1 “growing lieutenant”. Among them are 16 doctors and candidates of science, 11 combat veterans, including 4 holders of the Order of Courage, 2 holders of the Order “For Military Merit”.

    “We are the only military training center that has been commanded by a Hero of Russia for over ten years,” Adam Nizhalovsky emphasized. He assured those gathered that the baton is in good hands and that HSE graduates “will form the core of the country’s mobilization resource.”

    Then Tatyana Kravets, the guest of honor, the principal of School No. 1251 named after Charles de Gaulle, spoke, attending the event together with her students. She noted that today’s officers and students are growing up in schools. “We admire you. You were and remain our hope and support, and our graduates will honorably, as expected, replace you at your combat post,” the principal said.

    The students presented Vladimir Korgutov with a cake with the number 23 on it. “The doors of the Military Training Center are always open for you,” he assured.

    The Science of Encouragement

    Summing up the ceremonial events, Vladimir Korgutov noted in an interview with Vyshka.Glavnoe that they are an important part of the military-patriotic education of future officers. The presentation of awards is a way to encourage the best, and joint creative activities help to unite the team. “Students get to know each other better, are imbued with the spirit of patriotism,” the Hero of Russia believes.

    In his opinion, it is important to encourage not only experienced teachers, but also young officers and those who are engaged in ensuring the educational process. Alexander Lyubimov, the “growing lieutenant” mentioned in the parting words, the only one who received a state award for Defender of the Fatherland Day, successfully prepares the VUC team for the computer science Olympiads among cadets of military universities.

    “Olga Sergeevna Lobova is a senior warrant officer, a very good employee. Everything that concerns the plans for holding events, drawing up a schedule, distributing audiences – this is hers! Irina Valeryevna Petrova, also an excellent employee, keeps records of personnel, interacts with military registration and enlistment offices, and annually prepares an order from the Minister of Defense to assign ranks to our graduates,” adds Vladimir Korgutov.

    Among the students who have repeatedly received gratitude is a student of the OP “Applied Mathematics and Computer Science» Namig Damirov. Last year, he took 1st place in the individual competition at the All-Army Cadet Olympiad in Computer Science in St. Petersburg, leaving behind his peers from military universities, and his team took 2nd place in the specialized competition. Lieutenant Alexander Lyubimov took an active part in his preparation.

    “The competition is not easy, and we were pleased with the results. I hope that the foundation we laid will help the next generations of students who will represent the Military Training Center at this Olympiad,” Namig said.

    “Indistinguishable from Lev Leshchenko”

    Viewers shared their impressions of “Vyshka.Glavnoe”.

    “The concert was amazing. I especially remember the vocal and vocal-dance numbers of the invited artists, and the evening of amateur performances was wonderfully complemented by their professionalism. An unexpected surprise were the performances of the second-year students: wonderful singers – it was almost impossible to distinguish them from Lev Leshchenko,” says a fourth-year student of the OP “Business Management» Arseniy Samsonov.

    Completing his studies at the Military Training Center, he thanks Colonel Korgutov not only for mastering the military profession, but also for joining the army community, understanding its spoken and unspoken laws. “When I came to the Military Training Center in my second year, this world seemed alien and strange, but now I feel a part of it and am proud to be a reserve officer of the Strategic Missile Forces. I had previously planned to connect my career with the civil service, and the Military Training Center strengthened this intention in me,” the student says.

    “When they performed the song ‘Officers’ and the entire audience stood up, I saw tears welling up in Vladimir Aleksandrovich Korgutov’s eyes,” said Tatyana Kravets.

    “You understand, guys, he is a combat officer, a participant in the First Chechen War,” she addressed her students. “‘I sing to the officers who took pity on their mothers, returning their living sons to them’ – these words are about him. He received the title of Hero of Russia because there were no casualties in his unit. Think about it! He saved everyone!”

    “I liked the theme night,” adds eighth-grader Sergei Burov. “An hour and a half flew by in an instant, the war songs and poems went straight to my heart. If I manage to get into the Higher School of Economics, I will definitely go to study at the Military Training Center and will also perform at such concerts.”

    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 Canada: New Health Home Coming to Pictou County

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    More people living in Pictou County will have access to primary healthcare when a new health home opens in the fall.

    The Pictou County Collaborative Learning and Health Home Centre in New Glasgow will also provide better training opportunities for healthcare professionals.

    “This health home is unlike any other in the province. It will actively train doctors, nurses and other primary healthcare clinicians and staff, while providing residents with better access to primary care,” said Premier Tim Houston. “Expanding training capacity for primary care providers is critical to the long-term success of our healthcare system.”

    Work on the new centre has started and will include:

    • space for an expanded Westville Medical Clinic, which will relocate to the new centre
    • patient and family-centred care provided by healthcare professionals who are actively learning and specializing in their fields
    • a learning hub for physicians, nurse practitioners, family practice nurses, dietitians, social workers physician assistants and more
    • opportunities for research, evaluation, innovation and community engagement.

    The Pictou County Collaborative Learning and Health Home Centre will welcome new primary care providers who will have capacity to provide care to more Nova Scotians.

    It will serve as a proof-of-concept model that will be evaluated to be expanded to other health homes across the province.

    Quotes:

    “The Pictou County Collaborative Learning and Health Home Centre will provide the primary care services, training, and innovation that are needed to ensure Nova Scotians have the full service access to primary care that they need and deserve.”
    — Dr. Brad MacDougall, family physician, Westville Medical Clinic

    Quick Facts:

    • the new centre’s address is 609 Westville Road Rd., New Glasgow
    • expanding the Westville Medical Clinic will take about 3,000 Nova Scotians off the Need a Family Practice Registry
    • a health home model of care is where patients receive comprehensive care from a team of healthcare professionals that could include doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians, social workers or other healthcare professionals
    • there are 115 health homes across Nova Scotia
    Other than cropping, Province of Nova Scotia photos are not to be altered in any way.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: German election: the results explained as Friedrich Merz comes out swinging for Europe

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ed Turner, Reader in Politics, Co-Director, Aston Centre for Europe, Aston University

    Friedrich Merz, the presumptive chancellor of Germany, has confirmed he will seek a coalition with the social democratic SPD after the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) won the February 23 election, topping the poll with 28.5%. Although the SPD has gone from winning the last election to a record low result of 16.4% of the vote, it remains the only credible coalition partner for presumptive chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz.

    Among Merz’s first acts was a bold statement that his first priority is “to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA”.

    Things might have looked different for Merz. Had a small party, (the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, or BSW) won just 0.03% less of the vote, Merz would have needed to find a third coalition partner. That would have most likely meant trying to work with the Greens. This would have been a much more difficult circle to square for the centre right and an option that would have come with a far greater risk of early government collapse, if a deal could even have been reached in the first place.

    The far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) had a record result, coming second with a 20.8% share of the vote. Mainstream parties including the CDU/CSU have ruled out any sort of deal with the far right, which the AfD will now be viewing as an opportunity. A further period of CDU/CSU-SPD government at a time of economic challenges will leave the party feeling it has a good opportunity to capitalise on discontent and grow further.

    The 2025 election saw a record low vote share for the CDU/CSU and SPD. It’s notable that none of the leaders of the one-time Volksparteien (“people’s parties” – with a cross-class, cross-society appeal) were popular. Merz fared best among them but on a scale of -5 to +5 for popularity, he achieved an average of precisely 0.

    Worse still was the situation of the centre-right FDP, which crashed out of the parliament on a grand scale, getting just 4.3%, down 7.1 points. Its leader, Christian Lindner, who had brought about the downfall of the previous “traffic light” coalition between his own party, the SPD and the Greens, announced his retirement from politics. The Greens, with a respectable result (11.6%, down 3.1 points), will prepare for a spell in opposition.

    The election shows a country disunited, a long way from being at ease with itself. Observers are immediately struck by the difference between eastern and western Germany. In the east, the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came first in all five states (excluding Berlin, which is a mix of east and west). In the west, with some exceptions, the CDU/CSU was dominant.



    Read more:
    These maps of support for Germany’s far-right AfD lay bare the depth of the urban-rural divide

    It has been evident for some time that concerns about migration as well as a feeling of being treated as second class citizens is driving up support for the far right in the east. Now, opposition to military support for Ukraine and general pessimism are also playing into the trend.

    Age proved another very significant divide. Among those aged 18 to 24, the Left party got 25%, ahead of the AfD (21%). The CDU/CSU took just 13% and the SPD 12% . Among the over 60s, the picture is reversed. The CDU/CSU took 37% and the SPD 23%, while the AfD took 15% and the Left just 5%.

    The Left’s success, at least among the young, was the one big surprise of the election. After a torrid period which saw the departure of leading figure Sahra Wagenknecht and her followers to form a separate party, the Left looked unlikely to meet the 5% vote share threshold needed to enter parliament until very recently. An internal split over Israel and Gaza was also causing difficulties.

    However, the Left profited from the polarisation caused by Friedrich Merz’s decision to press ahead with a vote on hardline policies towards asylum seekers, including more border checks and turning away irregular migrants without processing an asylum claim. A savvy social media campaign spearheaded by the party’s youthful joint parliamentary leader Heidi Reichinnek also helped.

    Meanwhile, the BSW took just 4.97% of the national vote and will therefore not have any seats in parliament. It is however worth noting that the BSW’s popularity was also extremely uneven across the country and another example of geographical division. While it tanked nationally, its anti-migration, “anti-woke” and pro-welfare policies, mixed with its criticism of support for Ukraine, was a more popular offering in the east with results around the 10% mark, double the national average.

    What now for Europe?

    The SPD has claimed it will not enter government at any price. It has hinted it will put any coalition proposals to a vote among party members as a way of trying to exercise leverage over Merz. But, in truth, the party has nowhere else to go. There is no alternative to a CDU/CSU-SPD coalition apart from early elections or a fundamental rethink of the former’s approach to the AfD. Neither is an attractive prospect.

    All parties are also acutely aware of the tremendous pressure from other European countries for Germany to get its act together in the context of US president Trump’s assertiveness and the need to support Ukraine. But there are huge challenges to address on the domestic front. Merz has pledged tax cuts and higher defence expenditure, but there is no clarity at all how these will be paid for. Drastic reductions in welfare and other social expenditure would likely be a “no go” area for the SPD. An option might be to loosen Germany’s “debt brake” – constitutional restrictions on government borrowing. This is something Merz has been reluctant to do, but he has hinted he might consider it in the aftermath of the vote. This fundamental reform would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers of parliament, and if extra funds were only for defence, it is possible the Left and the AfD would combine to defeat it.

    So Germany’s election gives us a paradox: in some ways the outcome is rather familiar, with an old-school Christian democrat leading a coalition with the SPD, another party with a long track record in government – and indeed with some prospect of German leadership in Europe. But it is also a deeply uncertain result. Germany is a country facing huge challenges: sluggish growth, war in Europe and a US president questioning key tenets of the post-war transatlantic relationship. It’s not clear how to put together a governing coalition that can agree on how to face these challenges, and which can satisfy a starkly divided electorate. Turbulent times, in the country and across the continent, may well be ahead.

    Ed Turner receives funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

    – ref. German election: the results explained as Friedrich Merz comes out swinging for Europe – https://theconversation.com/german-election-the-results-explained-as-friedrich-merz-comes-out-swinging-for-europe-250690

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Entrepreneurship as a way out of poverty? Study in rural Kenya shows why it doesn’t always work

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ralph Hamann, Professor, University of Cape Town

    International development agencies and non-governmental organisations often seek to advance community development by fostering entrepreneurship. The premise is that poor people can enhance their household incomes by establishing small businesses or by adding value to natural resources.

    Such programmes commonly include training and the provision of loans to enable micro-entrepreneurs to get started. But these interventions aren’t straightforward and often fail to achieve their objectives.

    Prior research has pointed to the fundamental economic challenges of entrepreneurship in the context of poverty. Cultural and institutional factors also play a role. Researchers have argued, for instance, that cultural norms of collectivism shape how entrepreneurs define themselves. They are likely to prioritise their roles as mentors or community safety net. This constrains their ability to innovate and grow their businesses.

    We wanted to explore an entrepreneurship-focused intervention in more detail. Specifically, why do some people seem more inclined than others to adopt these new behaviours?

    In a recent paper we set out our findings based on a study we conducted with 25 participants in northern Kenya. We built on our combined interests in entrepreneurship in resource-constrained environments, identity theory, and community development. We found that programme participants responded to the intervention in very different ways, and that religion helped explain these differences.

    Our findings have implications for interventions promoting entrepreneurship as a means to reduce poverty. First, such interventions can create profound identity tensions for participants and so their proponents need to take into account local cultures much more than is commonly the case. Second, entrepreneurship-focused interventions can change participants’ behaviours in ways that potentially disadvantage the poorest community members, leading to greater inequality at the community level.

    On the ground

    The development intervention we examined was aimed at fostering entrepreneurship in extremely poor pastoralist communities. The programme built on a small government cash transfer and put recipients into savings groups of up to 30 people. Participants were encouraged to start small businesses in these group discussions. They also received training in life skills and basic financial and business skills, such as the concept of profit and how to buy and sell goods.

    We found that over the five-year period of our study, an increasing number of pastoralists began engaging in businesses involving the sale of livestock, beadwork, sugar, tea leaves, washing powder and other necessities. But we discovered that these new business-oriented behaviours created profound tensions for the participants, and participants responded in different ways.

    The source of these tensions was in how individuals defined themselves within the local culture.

    The collectivist culture in these communities involved norms such as nkanyit (loosely translated, respect), which meant that people should share their belongings with others. But the training and the credit repayment requirements associated with the intervention made this problematic.

    To make profits and repay loans, the programme participants had to deny other community members’ requests for handouts or loans. This contravened local norms and expectations. It also created the fear that community members might curse the entrepreneur or her or his family.

    One participant explained:

    Business is different from what we were doing; business is not to give credits and also not to just give things to people… but people can curse you {if you say no}.

    Yet participants responded to these tensions in different ways. Some (about one-third of our research participants) gave in to the existing expectations and the need to avoid curses. As a result, they gave handouts to community members and often this led to their business languishing or collapsing. One participant noted:

    When I have food {business goods} in the house, I can’t tell people that I don’t have anything, and they know that I do. I just give some to avoid {curses}.“

    Others, however, continued with the new business activities despite the threat of curses. We discovered that a key factor explaining this was religion.

    Christians believed that their faith would protect them from curses. For some this occurred from the beginning. Others, fearful of curses early on, came to believe that curses would not apply in the context of the businesses that they wanted to keep running.

    For instance, one participant argued:

    Don’t give to people because of the fear of curses, just say no and pray for protection from the curses because God is great.

    Implications

    We highlight the importance of people’s social identities – specifically religious identities – in explaining why some participants are more likely to adopt capitalist behaviours (such as borrowing money to invest in business, or charging consumers interest on loans) than others.

    Organisations delivering entrepreneurship interventions and education in contexts of extreme poverty need to be aware of what identities they are encouraging participants to construct, either directly or indirectly through training and mentorship, and even through the questions that they ask participants.

    They need to be careful about creating tensions between existing cultural norms and the new concepts and behaviours they are introducing.

    More broadly, there may also be unintended negative consequences at the community level. Among the research participants in our study that adopted the entrepreneur role, this was linked to a diminished willingness to support poor community members. So, even if participants in the programme benefit through higher incomes, their entrepreneurial behaviours reduce traditional habits of giving to the needy. This could increase hardships for the very poor and create greater inequalities.

    This article is co-authored by Jody Delichte, and it is based on her PhD research at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business. Jody currently works as an international development and culture consultant. We are grateful to Jeremy Upane for his translation support in the field.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Entrepreneurship as a way out of poverty? Study in rural Kenya shows why it doesn’t always work – https://theconversation.com/entrepreneurship-as-a-way-out-of-poverty-study-in-rural-kenya-shows-why-it-doesnt-always-work-246700

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Entrepreneurship as a way out of poverty? Study in rural Kenya shows why it doesn’t always work

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ralph Hamann, Professor, University of Cape Town

    International development agencies and non-governmental organisations often seek to advance community development by fostering entrepreneurship. The premise is that poor people can enhance their household incomes by establishing small businesses or by adding value to natural resources.

    Such programmes commonly include training and the provision of loans to enable micro-entrepreneurs to get started. But these interventions aren’t straightforward and often fail to achieve their objectives.

    Prior research has pointed to the fundamental economic challenges of entrepreneurship in the context of poverty. Cultural and institutional factors also play a role. Researchers have argued, for instance, that cultural norms of collectivism shape how entrepreneurs define themselves. They are likely to prioritise their roles as mentors or community safety net. This constrains their ability to innovate and grow their businesses.

    We wanted to explore an entrepreneurship-focused intervention in more detail. Specifically, why do some people seem more inclined than others to adopt these new behaviours?

    In a recent paper we set out our findings based on a study we conducted with 25 participants in northern Kenya. We built on our combined interests in entrepreneurship in resource-constrained environments, identity theory, and community development. We found that programme participants responded to the intervention in very different ways, and that religion helped explain these differences.

    Our findings have implications for interventions promoting entrepreneurship as a means to reduce poverty. First, such interventions can create profound identity tensions for participants and so their proponents need to take into account local cultures much more than is commonly the case. Second, entrepreneurship-focused interventions can change participants’ behaviours in ways that potentially disadvantage the poorest community members, leading to greater inequality at the community level.

    On the ground

    The development intervention we examined was aimed at fostering entrepreneurship in extremely poor pastoralist communities. The programme built on a small government cash transfer and put recipients into savings groups of up to 30 people. Participants were encouraged to start small businesses in these group discussions. They also received training in life skills and basic financial and business skills, such as the concept of profit and how to buy and sell goods.

    We found that over the five-year period of our study, an increasing number of pastoralists began engaging in businesses involving the sale of livestock, beadwork, sugar, tea leaves, washing powder and other necessities. But we discovered that these new business-oriented behaviours created profound tensions for the participants, and participants responded in different ways.

    The source of these tensions was in how individuals defined themselves within the local culture.

    The collectivist culture in these communities involved norms such as nkanyit (loosely translated, respect), which meant that people should share their belongings with others. But the training and the credit repayment requirements associated with the intervention made this problematic.

    To make profits and repay loans, the programme participants had to deny other community members’ requests for handouts or loans. This contravened local norms and expectations. It also created the fear that community members might curse the entrepreneur or her or his family.

    One participant explained:

    Business is different from what we were doing; business is not to give credits and also not to just give things to people… but people can curse you {if you say no}.

    Yet participants responded to these tensions in different ways. Some (about one-third of our research participants) gave in to the existing expectations and the need to avoid curses. As a result, they gave handouts to community members and often this led to their business languishing or collapsing. One participant noted:

    When I have food {business goods} in the house, I can’t tell people that I don’t have anything, and they know that I do. I just give some to avoid {curses}.“

    Others, however, continued with the new business activities despite the threat of curses. We discovered that a key factor explaining this was religion.

    Christians believed that their faith would protect them from curses. For some this occurred from the beginning. Others, fearful of curses early on, came to believe that curses would not apply in the context of the businesses that they wanted to keep running.

    For instance, one participant argued:

    Don’t give to people because of the fear of curses, just say no and pray for protection from the curses because God is great.

    Implications

    We highlight the importance of people’s social identities – specifically religious identities – in explaining why some participants are more likely to adopt capitalist behaviours (such as borrowing money to invest in business, or charging consumers interest on loans) than others.

    Organisations delivering entrepreneurship interventions and education in contexts of extreme poverty need to be aware of what identities they are encouraging participants to construct, either directly or indirectly through training and mentorship, and even through the questions that they ask participants.

    They need to be careful about creating tensions between existing cultural norms and the new concepts and behaviours they are introducing.

    More broadly, there may also be unintended negative consequences at the community level. Among the research participants in our study that adopted the entrepreneur role, this was linked to a diminished willingness to support poor community members. So, even if participants in the programme benefit through higher incomes, their entrepreneurial behaviours reduce traditional habits of giving to the needy. This could increase hardships for the very poor and create greater inequalities.

    This article is co-authored by Jody Delichte, and it is based on her PhD research at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business. Jody currently works as an international development and culture consultant. We are grateful to Jeremy Upane for his translation support in the field.

    – Entrepreneurship as a way out of poverty? Study in rural Kenya shows why it doesn’t always work
    – https://theconversation.com/entrepreneurship-as-a-way-out-of-poverty-study-in-rural-kenya-shows-why-it-doesnt-always-work-246700

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: Risk Strategies Appoints Craig D. Simon Managing Director, Private Equity

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Risk Strategies, a leading North American specialty insurance brokerage and risk management and consulting firm, today announced it has hired Craig D. Simon as Managing Director in its National Private Equity Practice. In his role, Simon will be responsible for brokering, servicing, and program administration for clients in the private equity sector.

    Based in New York City, Simon brings over 25 years of experience to the Risk Strategies private equity practice. Simon is an expert in designing and implementing non-traditional and alternative risk management programs. He is a well-respected industry expert whose opinion with clients and leading trade and business publications, is frequently sought.

    “Bringing Craig on board is a real win for this practice,” said Neil Krauter Sr., National Private Equity Practice Leader, Risk Strategies. “His reputation as both an industry expert and team leader are well deserved, and we are excited to see the difference he will make for our clients and our business.”

    Prior to joining Risk Strategies, Simon was a Team Leader for U.S. Energy & Power at Marsh. He also served as Senior Managing Director at Crystal & Company (now Alliant) for over 15 years, overseeing the firm’s liability insurance placement and brokering operations. Simon previously led the U.S. liability insurance brokering as the National Casualty Practice Leader for Willis North America (now Willis Towers Watson).

    “I’m excited to join the practice at Risk Strategies and work with a team of true specialists,” said Simon. “Over my career, I have seen the power that focused industry expertise has for clients. Risk Strategies has built its success on this approach, and I’m excited to help grow this business.”

    A graduate of Hofstra University, Simon holds a Master of Business Administration in finance as well as a Bachelor of Arts in economics.

    About Risk Strategies

    Risk Strategies, part of Accession Risk Management Group, is a North American specialty brokerage firm offering comprehensive risk management services, property and casualty insurance and reinsurance placement, employee benefits, private client services, consulting services, and financial & wealth solutions. The 9th largest U.S. privately held broker, we advise businesses and personal clients, have access to all major insurance markets, and 30+ specialty industry and product line practices and experts in 200+ offices – Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Grand Cayman, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, DC. RiskStrategies.com

    Media Contact
    Alana Bannan
    Senior Account Executive
    360-975-1812
    Rsc@matternow.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Africa relies too heavily on foreign aid for health – 4 ways to fix this

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Francisca Mutapi, Professor in Global Health Infection and Immunity. and co-Director of the Global Health Academy, University of Edinburgh

    There’s been a global trend in the reduction of aid to Africa since 2018. Donors are shifting their funding priorities in response to domestic and international agendas. Germany, France and Norway, for instance, have all reduced their aid to Africa in the past five years. And, in 2020, the UK government reduced its Overseas Development Aid from 0.7% of gross national income to 0.5%.

    Many health services across the African continent rely heavily on overseas aid to provide essential care. International funding supports everything from vaccines and HIV treatment to maternal health programmes.

    Cuts to aid, particularly unilateral ones, can have widespread implications. For instance, about 72 million people missed out on treatment for neglected tropical diseases between 2021 and 2022 due to UK aid cuts.

    The freeze of US aid to Africa in January 2025 is the latest in this trend. It’s already having significant and wide-ranging impacts across the African continent. For example, vaccination campaigns for polio eradication and HIV/Aids treatment through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) have been stopped. This puts millions of lives at risk. In South Africa alone, the cut of Pepfar’s US$400 million a year to HIV programmes risks patients defaulting on treatment, infection rates going up and eventually a rise in deaths.

    President Donald Trump’s actions have highlighted Africa’s reliance on foreign aid for health funding. I’m a global health expert who sits on various funding and advisory boards, including those of the World Health Organization (WHO), the UK government and boards of global resource mobilisation organisations. I am well aware of the competing funding priorities for international funders and have long advocated for local, sustainable health funding mechanisms.

    Long-term strategies to reduce aid dependency are critical. Breaking away from this current funding status requires concerted efforts building on proven best practice.



    Read more:
    How nonprofits abroad can fill gaps when the US government cuts off foreign aid

    Country-leadership and ownership

    African countries currently face the unique challenge of simultaneously dealing with high rates of communicable diseases, such as malaria and HIV/Aids, and rising levels of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

    But Africa’s health systems are not sufficiently resourced. They’re not able to provide appropriate, accessible and affordable healthcare to address these challenges.

    African governments spend less than 10% of their GDP on health, amounting to capital expenditure of US$4.5 billion. This falls short of the estimated US$26 billion annual investment needed to meet evolving health needs.

    Aid goes towards filling this funding gap. For example, in 2021, half of sub-Saharan African countries relied on external financing, such as grants and loans, for more than one-third of their health expenditures.

    Foreign aid has helped. But it clearly leaves African countries vulnerable to the political mood swings among funders.

    It also leads to loss of self-determination in terms of health priorities as, ultimately, the funder determines the health priorities. This is one reason why many programmes in Africa focus on a single disease, such as HIV. This leads to poorly integrated health services. For instance health workers or services are channelled into managing a single disease.

    New, underutilised financing options

    The current trajectory of reduced aid to Africa is likely to continue. Global aid is being directed to other challenges, such as conflict and illegal immigration.

    The continent cannot continue on the same path while hoping for different outcomes. Africa needs to grow a range of immediately available domestic financing options. Many of these are underutilised and include:

    1.) Diversifying domestic resource mobilisation. This should include commodity taxation to fund health. For instance, tobacco taxes which are currently underutilised in Africa.

    Zimbabwe offers a successful example. It has bridged donor resource gaps through its 3% Aids levy (started in 1999). Imposed on both individual and corporate incomes, it funds domestic HIV/Aids prevention, care and treatment programmes.

    Nigeria’s another country that’s taken initiative, prioritising domestic budget allocation to health. It recently absorbed the 28,000 healthworkers formerly paid by USAid. This demonstrates that domestic health financing in Africa is possible.

    2.) More private-public partnerships. Formed between local and international philanthropies or institutions, these can bridge financing gaps.

    One successful example is the 2015 health service provision partnership between the Kenyan government and GE Healthcare. GE Healthcare provides radiography equipment and services which the government pays for over time. This allows the government to budget and plan healthcare expenditure over several years.

    3.) Promotion of regional integration to boost local production. This will reduce the need for aid-funded imported medical products.

    For instance, the African Union’s harmonised Africa Medicines Authority registration facility creates a single continental market for medicines. This supports local producers and exporters, by allowing them to operate on a larger scale. It also makes production and distribution more cost-effective. Finally, it reduces the reliance on imported medicines, strengthening Africa’s pharmaceutical industry.

    4.) Leverage development finance institutions. These are specialised financial organisations – such as the Africa Development Bank, African Export-Import Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa. They can provide capital and expertise to projects deemed too risky for traditional investors. This includes support for health financing for infrastructure development, private sector development for small and medium-sized enterprises and the regional integration.

    One transformative initiative is the AfricInvest investment platform. With support from development finance institutions in the US and Europe, AfricInvest has raised over US$100 million for health investment in Africa. It has funded at least 45 dialysis facilities in Africa, delivering over 130,000 dialysis sessions annually, primarily to remote and underserved communities all at affordable costs.

    A combination of these approaches at national, regional and continental level will accelerate Africa’s withdrawal from aid dependency.

    Francisca Mutapi receives funding from the Aspen Global Innovation Programme, Scottish Funding Council funding to the University of Edinburgh, Academy of Medical Sciences, British Academy and the Royal Society. Francisca Mutapi is the Deputy Director of the Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA) Partnership and Deputy Board Chair of Uniting to Combat NTDS. She sits on the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and WHO Africa Regional Director’s Scientific Advisory Groups.

    – ref. Africa relies too heavily on foreign aid for health – 4 ways to fix this – https://theconversation.com/africa-relies-too-heavily-on-foreign-aid-for-health-4-ways-to-fix-this-249886

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –