NewzIntel.com

Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI: Diamondback Energy, Inc. Announces Appointment to the Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIDLAND, Texas, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Travis Stice, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) (“Diamondback” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce that effective February 3, 2025, the Company added Darin G. Holderness to the Board of Directors.

    Mr. Holderness has over 30 years of experience in various roles of increasing responsibility in the energy sector, including, among others, founder and Chief Financial Officer of P&A Exchange LLC, an oilfield services company, Chief Financial Officer of ProPetro Holding Corp., an oilfield services company, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Concho Resources, an oil and gas exploration and production company, and over nine years with KPMG LLP, where his practice focused on the energy sector. Mr. Holderness has served on the board of directors of JMR Services LLC, an oilfield services company focused on the plug and abandonment of oil and gas wells, since May 2024. Mr. Holderness also served on the board of directors of Ranger Oil Corporation from September 2016 to October 2021, including as its chairman from February 2018 to January 2021, and served on the board of directors of Rock Solid Lifestyles, Inc. from September 2016 to April 2024. Mr. Holderness graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 1986 and is a Certified Public Accountant.

    “Diamondback is excited to announce the addition of Darin to the Board of Directors as the fourth Board member from the Endeavor merger completed late last year.  Darin knows the Permian Basin and knows the Diamondback story well from his time spent in various roles throughout the Permian.  I am confident his skillset, particularly as a member of the audit committee, will complement the Board well,” stated Mr. Stice.

    About Diamondback Energy, Inc.

    Diamondback is an independent oil and natural gas company headquartered in Midland, Texas focused on the acquisition, development, exploration and exploitation of unconventional, onshore oil and natural gas reserves primarily in the Permian Basin in West Texas. For more information, please visit www.diamondbackenergy.com.

    Investor Contact:
    Adam Lawlis
    +1 432.221.7467
    alawlis@diamondbackenergy.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s InSight Finds Marsquakes From Meteoroids Go Deeper Than Expected

    Source: NASA

    With help from AI, scientists discovered a fresh crater made by an impact that shook material as deep as the Red Planet’s mantle.
    Meteoroids striking Mars produce seismic signals that can reach deeper into the planet than previously known. That’s the finding of a pair of new papers comparing marsquake data collected by NASA’s InSight lander with impact craters spotted by the agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).
    The papers, published on Monday, Feb. 3, in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL), highlight how scientists continue to learn from InSight, which NASA retired in 2022 after a successful extended mission. InSight set the first seismometer on Mars, detecting more than 1,300 marsquakes, which are produced by shaking deep inside the planet (caused by rocks cracking under heat and pressure) and by space rocks striking the surface.
    By observing how seismic waves from those quakes change as they travel through the planet’s crust, mantle, and core, scientists get a glimpse into Mars’ interior, as well as a better understanding of how all rocky worlds form, including Earth and its Moon.

    Researchers have in the past taken images of new impact craters and found seismic data that matches the date and location of the craters’ formation. But the two new studies represent the first time a fresh impact has been correlated with shaking detected in Cerberus Fossae, an especially quake-prone region of Mars that is 1,019 miles (1,640 kilometers) from InSight.
    The impact crater is 71 feet (21.5 meters) in diameter and much farther from InSight than scientists expected, based on the quake’s seismic energy. The Martian crust has unique properties thought to dampen seismic waves produced by impacts, and researchers’ analysis of the Cerberus Fossae impact led them to conclude that the waves it produced took a more direct route through the planet’s mantle.
    InSight’s team will now have to reassess their models of the composition and structure of Mars’ interior to explain how impact-generated seismic signals can go that deep.
    “We used to think the energy detected from the vast majority of seismic events was stuck traveling within the Martian crust,” said InSight team member Constantinos Charalambous of Imperial College London. “This finding shows a deeper, faster path — call it a seismic highway — through the mantle, allowing quakes to reach more distant regions of the planet.”
    Spotting Mars Craters With MRO
    A machine learning algorithm developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California to detect meteoroid impacts on Mars played a key role in discovering the Cerberus Fossae crater. In a matter of hours, the artificial intelligence tool can sift through tens of thousands of black-and-white images captured by MRO’s Context Camera, detecting the blast zones around craters. The tool selects candidate images for examination by scientists practiced at telling which subtle colorations on Mars deserve more detailed imaging by MRO’s High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera.
    “Done manually, this would be years of work,” said InSight team member Valentin Bickel of the University of Bern in Switzerland. “Using this tool, we went from tens of thousands of images to just a handful in a matter of days. It’s not quite as good as a human, but it’s super fast.”
    Bickel and his colleagues searched for craters within roughly 1,864 miles (3,000 kilometers) of InSight’s location, hoping to find some that formed while the lander’s seismometer was recording. By comparing before-and-after images from the Context Camera over a range of time, they found 123 fresh craters to cross-reference with InSight’s data; 49 of those were potential matches with quakes detected by the lander’s seismometer. Charalambous and other seismologists filtered that pool further to identify the 71-foot Cerberus Fossae impact crater.
    Deciphering More, Faster
    The more scientists study InSight’s data, the better they become at distinguishing signals originating inside the planet from those caused by meteoroid strikes. The impact found in Cerberus Fossae will help them further refine how they tell these signals apart.
    “We thought Cerberus Fossae produced lots of high-frequency seismic signals associated with internally generated quakes, but this suggests some of the activity does not originate there and could actually be from impacts instead,” Charalambous said.
    The findings also highlight how researchers are harnessing AI to improve planetary science by making better use of all the data gathered by NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) missions. In addition to studying Martian craters, Bickel has used AI to search for landslides, dust devils, and seasonal dark features that appear on steep slopes, called slope streaks or recurring slope linae. AI tools have been used to find craters and landslides on Earth’s Moon as well.
    “Now we have so many images from the Moon and Mars that the struggle is to process and analyze the data,” Bickel said. “We’ve finally arrived in the big data era of planetary science.”
    More About InSight
    JPL managed InSight for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight was part of NASA’s Discovery Program, managed by the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built the InSight spacecraft, including its cruise stage and lander, and supported spacecraft operations for the mission.
    A number of European partners, including France’s Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), supported the InSight mission. CNES provided the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument to NASA, with the principal investigator at IPGP (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris). Significant contributions for SEIS came from IPGP; the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany; the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in Switzerland; Imperial College London and Oxford University in the United Kingdom; and JPL. DLR provided the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument, with significant contributions from the Space Research Center (CBK) of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika in Poland. Spain’s Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) supplied the temperature and wind sensors.
    A division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado. The Context Camera was built by, and is operated by, Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego. 
    For more about Insight, visit:

    InSight Lander

    For more about MRO, visit:

    Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

    News Media Contacts
    Andrew GoodJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-2433andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
    Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600|karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
    2025-013

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Drive for Better Fuels NASA Employee

    Source: NASA

    Two words come to Tim Stiglets’ mind when he thinks about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi – growth and opportunity.
    The Waveland, Mississippi, resident has experienced both in his career at the south Mississippi NASA center.
    He started as a summer intern onsite with Lockheed Martin in 2002. When The University of Southern Mississippi graduate joined the NASA team in 2019, he really started to understand how much activity happens at the unique federal city.
    NASA Stennis is home to more than 50 companies and organizations sharing in site operating costs.
    As a management and program analyst in the NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate, Stiglets serves as the manager of the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Program. He describes the program as a one-stop shop for engineering data.
    Product lifecycle management (PLM) consists of technology, people, processes, and tools to track a product throughout its lifecycle.
    Think of it in terms of building a LEGO set. From the time one gets the idea of building the set, to when it is finished, played with, and taken apart, there is a lot to track.
    Stiglets’ work involves much bigger pieces, ranging from managing data for how a test stand is configured to tracking the configuration of NASA Stennis buildings and utilities systems that make up the infrastructure for America’s largest rocket propulsion test site. NASA Stennis facilities are valued at more than $2 billion.
    His work gives him a front-row seat to the growth and opportunity potential of NASA Stennis.
    “The cool thing about PLM is I get to be involved, in some small way, with NASA’s Artemis work, commercial test customers and all the Center Operations projects that support the federal city,” he said.
    The center tests rocket engines and stages to power future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. NASA Stennis also works with such commercial test customers as Relativity Space, Blue Origin, Rolls-Royce, Evolution Space, and Vast (formerly Launcher Space).
    “PLM is a center capability that we have evolved, so it does not matter if it is a water system, a test stand or building that is involved. It all kind of relies on, and ultimately somewhere down the line, hits the PLM system that has the drawings and engineering data needed for the project. That is probably the coolest thing about my work. I get to see a lot of different things that are going on in different areas.”
    Stiglets said it feels like every time he turns around, there is someone leasing a new building or joining the NASA Stennis federal city. The center has lease agreements for use of land and infrastructure with Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, and Evolution Space.
    “We have a get-it-done kind of attitude,” Stiglets said. “We are going to do whatever it takes to get the job done. If it is testing engines or anything else, we are going to get it done. From a propulsion testing standpoint, commercial companies that lease areas onsite can come in and have access to contract support and to the NASA folks who have decades worth of knowledge. The companies can leverage all of that expertise and tap into the knowledge.”
    The Long Beach, Mississippi, native speaks with enthusiasm when describing his time at NASA Stennis, where growth and opportunity continue forward.
    “How cool is it to work for NASA, even coming in as a contractor,” Stiglets said. “You get to be involved with something bigger and much beyond south Mississippi. The excitement of being involved with NASA so many years ago was very cool for me, especially being a college student. I still have that same excitement. Many years have passed, and day-to-day work changes, but ultimately, you are still looking to achieve big goals.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Offers Free Rebuilding Tips to Georgians in Laurens and Toombs Counties

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Offers Free Rebuilding Tips to Georgians in Laurens and Toombs Counties

    FEMA Offers Free Rebuilding Tips to Georgians in Laurens and Toombs Counties

    If you are making repairs to your home after Tropical Storm Debby (Aug. 4–20) or Hurricane Helene (Sept. 24—Oct. 20), you can get tips from FEMA to make your home safer and stronger at Home Depot in Dublin (Laurens County) and at Lowe’s in Vidalia (Toombs County).FEMA Community Education Outreach (C.E.O.) Mitigation Specialists are available to answer questions and offer home-improvement tips along with proven methods to prevent or reduce damage from future disasters. They will also offer tips and techniques on rebuilding hazard-resistant homes. Mitigation is an effort to reduce the loss of life and property damage by lessening the impact of a disaster. The FEMA specialists will be available at these locations during the times and dates listed below:LOCATIONSHome Depot1833 Veterans Blvd.Dublin, GA 31021Lowe’s Home Improvement3209 East First St.Vidalia, GA 30474TIMES AND DATES Monday through Saturday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Feb. 3, 2025, through Feb. 15, 2025.  
    jakia.randolph
    Mon, 02/03/2025 – 13:31

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Station Nation: Meet Tandra Gill Spain, Computer Resources Senior Project Manager in the Avionics and Software Office 

    Source: NASA

    For astronauts aboard the International Space Station, staying connected to loved ones and maintaining a sense of normalcy is critical. That is where Tandra Gill Spain, a computer resources senior project manager in NASA’s Avionics and Software Office, comes in. Spain leads the integration of applications on Apple devices and the hardware integration on the Joint Station Local Area Network, which connects the systems from various space agencies on the International Space Station. She also provides technical lead support to the Systems Engineering and Space Operations Computing teams and certifies hardware for use on the orbiting laboratory. 
    Spain shares about her career with NASA and more. Read on to learn about her story, her favorite project, and the advice she has for the next generation of explorers. 

    Where are you from? 
    I am from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 
    Tell us about your role at NASA. 
    I am the Apple subsystem manager where I lead the integration of applications on Apple devices as well as the hardware integration on the Joint Station Local Area Network. We use a variety of different software but I work specifically with our Apple products. I also provide technical lead support to the Systems Engineering and Space Operations Computing teams. In addition, I select and oversee the certification of hardware for use on the International Space Station, and I research commonly used technology and assess applicability to space operations.   
    How would you describe your job to family or friends who may not be familiar with NASA? 

    Tandra spain
    Computer Resources Senior Project Manager

    I get the opportunity to provide the iPads and associated applications that give astronauts the resources to access the internet. Having access to the internet affords them the opportunity to stay as connected as they desire with what is going on back home on Earth (e.g., stream media content, stay in touch with family and friends, and even pay bills). I also provide hardware such as Bluetooth speakers, AirPods, video projectors, and screens. 
    How long have you been working for NASA? 
    I have been with the agency for 30 years, including 22 years as a contractor. 
    What advice would you give to young individuals aspiring to work in the space industry or at NASA? 
    I have found that there is a place for just about everyone at NASA, therefore, follow your passion.  Although many of us are, you don’t have to be a scientist or engineer to work at NASA. Yearn to learn.  Pause and listen to those around you. You don’t know what you don’t know, and you will be amazed what gems you’ll learn in the most unexpected situations. 
    Additionally, be flexible and find gratitude in every experience. Many of the roles that I’ve had over the years didn’t come from a well-crafted, laid-out plan that I executed, but came from taking advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves and doing them to the best of my ability. 

    What was your path to NASA? 
    I moved to Houston to work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center immediately upon graduating from college. 
    Is there someone in the space, aerospace, or science industry that has motivated or inspired you to work for the space program? Or someone you discovered while working for NASA who inspires you?  
    I spent over half of my career in the Astronaut Office, and I’ve been influenced in different ways by different people, so it wouldn’t be fair to pick just one! 
    What is your favorite NASA memory? 
    I’ve worked on so many meaningful projects, but there are two recent projects that stand out.
    Humans were not created to be alone, and connection is extremely important. I was able to provide a telehealth platform for astronauts to autonomously video conference with friends and family whenever an internet connection is available. Prior to having this capability, crew were limited to one scheduled video conference a week. It makes me emotional to think that we have moms and dads orbiting the Earth on the space station and they can see their babies before they go to bed, when they wake up in the morning, or even in the middle of the night if needed.  
    In addition, since iPads are used for work as well as personal activities on station, it is important for my team to be able to efficiently keep the applications and security patches up to date. We completed the software integration and are in the process of wrapping up the certification of the Mac Mini to provide this capability. This will allow us to keep up with all software updates that Apple releases on a regular basis and minimize the amount of crew and flight controller team time associated with the task by approximately 85%. 

    What do you love sharing about station? What’s important to get across to general audiences to help them understand the benefits to life on Earth? 
    When I speak to the public about the space station, I like to compare our everyday lives on Earth to life on the station and highlight the use of technology to maintain the connection to those on Earth. For example, most people have a phone. Besides making a phone call, what do you use your phone for? It is amazing to know that the same capabilities exist on station, such as using apps, participating in parent teacher conferences, and more. 
    If you could have dinner with any astronaut, past or present, who would it be? 
    I would have dinner with NASA astronaut Ron McNair. He graduated from the same university as I did, and I’ve heard great stories about him. 
    Do you have a favorite space-related memory or moment that stands out to you? 
    As I mentioned previously, human connection is extremely important. As an engineer in the Astronaut Office, I worked on a project that provided more frequent email updates when Ku-Band communication was available. Previously, email was synced two to three times a day, and less on the weekend. When the capability went active, I sent the first email exchange. 
    What are some of the key projects you’ve worked on during your time at NASA? What have been your favorite?  
    There have been so many projects over the past 30 years that I don’t think I could select just one. There is something however, that I’ve done on many occasions that has brought me pure joy, which is attending outreach events as Johnson’s “Cosmo” mascot, especially Houston Astros games.    

    What are your hobbies/things you enjoy outside of work? 
    I enjoy crafting, traveling, mentoring students in Pearland Independent School District, spending time with family, and my Rooted Together community. 
    Day launch or night launch?  
    Night launch! 
    Favorite space movie? 
    Star Wars (the original version) 
    NASA “worm” or “meatball” logo? 
    Meatball 

    Every day, we’re conducting exciting research aboard our orbiting laboratory that will help us explore further into space and bring benefits back to people on Earth. You can keep up with the latest news, videos, and pictures about space station science on the Station Research & Technology news page. It’s a curated hub of space station research digital media from Johnson and other centers and space agencies.  
    Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to get the updates delivered directly to you.  
    Follow updates on social media at @ISS_Research on Twitter, and on the space station accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters Leads Colleagues in Calling for Reinstatement of Inspectors General Fired by President Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led a group of 38 colleagues in a letter to President Trump, strongly condemning the President’s recent decision to remove Inspectors General (IGs) from at least 18 government agencies, and demanding their immediate reinstatement. The IGs who were removed included those overseeing the Departments of Defense, State, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, and the Social Security Administration, and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. In the letter, the senators assert that President Trump’s actions violated the law and threaten the independence of these non-partisan watchdogs. Peters helped lead the Inspector General Independence and Empowerment Act, which was signed into law in 2022 as part of the FY 2023 national defense bill, to require a President to provide a 30-day notice and substantive reasons for removal in writing to Congress before an Inspector General can be removed.  
    “Inspectors General are responsible for providing independent oversight of federal programs by working to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and protect taxpayer dollars – oversight our federal agencies desperately need,” the senators wrote. “The federal government and the American people count on these officials to operate in a professional and non-partisan way to hold our government accountable—regardless of who is in power.  Without strong, qualified, and independent officials to lead these critical efforts, the Administration risks wasting taxpayer dollars, and allowing fraud and misconduct to go unchecked.”  
    “While the President has the authority to remove Inspectors General from office, Congress has established clear requirements to ensure such removals are transparent and are not politicized,” wrote the senators. “With respect to your firings Friday night, Congress has not received either the mandatory 30-day notice or a rationale for their removal.  Because your actions violated the law, these IGs should be reinstated immediately, until such time as you have provided in writing ‘the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons’ for each of the affected Inspectors General and the 30-day notice period has expired.”    
    In addition to Peters, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA),  Patty Murray (D-WA),  Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and John Fetterman (D-PA). 
    The full text of the letter can be found here and below.  
    Dear Mr. President,  
    Your decision Friday evening to remove Inspectors General (IGs) from at least 18 offices across government—including those overseeing the Departments of Defense, State, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, and the Social Security Administration, as well as the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction—does not comply with current law and could do lasting harm to IG independence.  These officials, which include those appointed by Presidents of both parties, including many during your first Administration, collectively conduct oversight of trillions of dollars of federal spending and the conduct of millions of federal employees.  Removing these non-partisan watchdogs without providing a substantive and non-political reason is not lawful, and undermines their independence, jeopardizing their critical mission to identify and root out waste, fraud, and abuse within federal programs. 
    Inspectors General are responsible for providing independent oversight of federal programs by working to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and protect taxpayer dollars – oversight our federal agencies desperately need.  They play a key role in improving government efficiency and effectiveness and have helped identify and recover billions of taxpayer dollars.  IG independence is the foundation of this work, and IGs must be free of political influence so that they can carry out their important mission with integrity and credibility.  The federal government and the American people count on these officials to operate in a professional and non-partisan way to hold our government accountable—regardless of who is in power.  Without strong, qualified, and independent officials to lead these critical efforts, the Administration risks wasting taxpayer dollars, and allowing fraud and misconduct to go unchecked. For example, just this week the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued an unlawful memo directing agencies to pause nearly all federal grants and loans, which significantly disrupts the administration of over a trillion dollars of critical assistance to communities, businesses, and organizations across the country.  It is especially vital to have independent watchdogs at each of these agencies to conduct oversight of the impacts of this unconstitutional and unprecedented directive.     
    While the President has the authority to remove Inspectors General from office, Congress has established clear requirements to ensure such removals are transparent and are not politicized.  The law requires that the President provide a written 30-day notice to both Houses of Congress and include “the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons for any such removal or transfer.” With respect to your firings Friday night, Congress has not received either the mandatory 30-day notice or a rationale for their removal.  Because your actions violated the law, these Inspectors General should be reinstated immediately, until such time as you have provided in writing “the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons” for each of the affected Inspectors General and the 30-day notice period has expired.   
    Lastly, if you believe it is necessary to place any of the affected IGs on administrative leave before the 30-day notice period has ended, the law requires that you submit a separate notification to Congress explaining how the IG presents a threat as defined in the Administrative Leave Act. 
    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins 28 Colleagues in Demanding Answers and Action from HHS Officials on Disruption to Head Start Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and 27 of their colleagues today in issuing a letter to Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Dorothy A. Fink, M.D., and Acting Director of the Office of Head Start, Captain Tala Hooban, expressing concern about the acute financial impacts and lingering uncertainty faced by Head Start programs across the country as a result of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo that imposed a government-wide hiring freeze.  
    While the White House later clarified that Head Start would not be targeted by the funding freeze and the OMB later rescinded memo, Head Start programs were temporarily unable to access the Payment Management System (PMS) to access their allocated federal funds. As a result, Head Start programs nationwide have not had funding disbursed in a timely manner—imperiling their ability to pay staff and keep educational and child care programs up and running.  
    “Head Start programs cannot pay their teachers and staff and continue normal operations without the assurances of payment processing and notices of grant renewals and awards,” wrote the Senators. “This will impact children, families, and communities across the country, particularly the rural communities where these programs represent a large share of the child care options.” 
    “Even if this issue extends beyond the Office of Head Start, we urge you to do everything in your power to ensure these programs receive transparent and frequent communication on the progress of their funds being released. Head Start programs operate on razor-thin margins and cannot survive without timely intervention. Children, families, employees, and educators all depend on these critical federal funds,” the Senators continued.  
    In addition to Sens. Welch and Kaine, the letter was signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.),  Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.).  
    The full text of the letter is available here and below.  
    Dear Acting Secretary Dr. Fink and Acting Director Captain Hooban: 
    We are writing today to raise ongoing, urgent concerns experienced by Head Start programs in our states and across the country. These concerns include (1) a lack of clarity on the status of renewals and notice of awards in the February 1st grant cycle, (2) delays in processing reimbursements through the Payment Management System (PMS), and (3) a lack of clear communication with grantees throughout this confusing time.  
    We request your immediate action and assurance on the following: 
    All requests for disbursements of funds submitted through PMS to be promptly processed to allow all Head Start programs to draw down federal funds; 
    Programs on the February 1st grant cycle will be notified of their renewal or notice of award before the deadline to ensure no lapse in funding or program operations; and  
    Transparent and consistent communication with Head Start programs to address the ongoing challenges.  
    Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has provided critical early childhood education and comprehensive services to nearly 40 million low-income young children and their families in communities across the nation. Today, Head Start programs are supported by 250,000 staff to serve nearly 800,000 children across the nation. Head Start’s comprehensive services ensure children receive age-appropriate health care, dental care, immunizations, and health insurance, and they provide referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support. For the last several years, Congress has worked in a bipartisan manner to recognize this longstanding federal program’s important work by providing increased appropriations.  
    Since the morning of Tuesday, January 28th, the Head Start community has faced immense uncertainty and disruptions by the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo (M-25-13), directing federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.” While the Trump Administration later clarified that Head Start would not be the target of the funding freeze many Head Start programs across the country were unable to access the PMS to draw down federal funds. PMS was reinstated, but programs across the country have not had funding disbursed in a timely manner. 
    Head Start programs cannot pay their teachers and staff and continue normal operations without the assurances of payment processing and notices of grant renewals and awards. This will impact children, families, and communities across the country, particularly the rural communities where these programs represent a large share of the child care options.  
    Even if this issue extends beyond the Office of Head Start, we urge you to do everything in your power to ensure these programs receive transparent and frequent communication on the progress of their funds being released. Head Start programs operate on razor-thin margins and cannot survive without timely intervention. Children, families, employees, and educators all depend on these critical federal funds.  
    Once these issues are resolved, we request you provide responses to the following questions: 
    What factors contributed to delayed disbursements to Head Start programs through the Payment Management System? What steps will be taken to ensure such delays will not occur in the future? 
    How many Head Start programs were impacted by this delay and what were the immediate consequences on operations and services for children and families? 
    What factors led to the lack of communication about grant renewals and awards for the February 1st cycle? What steps will be taken to ensure timely notices in the future? 
    We thank you for your quick attention to this matter.  
    Sincerely, 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Leads Letter to HHS Officials Demanding Answers and Action on Disruption to Head Start Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, led a group of his colleagues in issuing a letter to Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dorothy A. Fink, M.D. and Acting Director of the Office of Head Start Captain Tala Hooban expressing concern about the acute financial impacts and lingering uncertainty faced by Head Start programs in Virginia and across the country as a result of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo that imposed a government-wide hiring freeze.

    While the White House later clarified that Head Start would not be targeted by the funding freeze and the OMB later rescinded memo, Head Start programs were temporarily unable to access the Payment Management System (PMS) to use their allocated federal funds. As a result, Head Start programs nationwide have not had funding disbursed in a timely manner – imperiling their ability to pay staff and keep educational and child care programs up and running.

    “Head Start programs cannot pay their teachers and staff and continue normal operations without the assurances of payment processing and notices of grant renewals and awards,” wrote the senators. “This will impact children, families, and communities across the country, particularly the rural communities where these programs represent a large share of the child care options.”

    “Even if this issue extends beyond the Office of Head Start, we urge you to do everything in your power to ensure these programs receive transparent and frequent communication on the progress of their funds being released. Head Start programs operate on razor-thin margins and cannot survive without timely intervention. Children, families, employees, and educators all depend on these critical federal funds,” the senators continued.

    In addition to Kaine, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Andy Kim (D-NJ).

    The full text of the letter is available here and below.

    Dear Acting Secretary Dr. Fink and Acting Director Captain Hooban:

    We are writing today to raise ongoing, urgent concerns experienced by Head Start programs in our states and across the country. These concerns include (1) a lack of clarity on the status of renewals and notice of awards in the February 1st grant cycle, (2) delays in processing reimbursements through the Payment Management System (PMS), and (3) a lack of clear communication with grantees throughout this confusing time.

    We request your immediate action and assurance on the following:

    • All requests for disbursements of funds submitted through PMS to be promptly processed to allow all Head Start programs to draw down federal funds;
    • Programs on the February 1st grant cycle will be notified of their renewal or notice of award before the deadline to ensure no lapse in funding or program operations; and
    • Transparent and consistent communication with Head Start programs to address the ongoing challenges.

    Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has provided critical early childhood education and comprehensive services to nearly 40 million low-income young children and their families in communities across the nation. Today, Head Start programs are supported by 250,000 staff to serve nearly 800,000 children across the nation.[1] Head Start’s comprehensive services ensure children receive age-appropriate health care, dental care, immunizations, and health insurance, and they provide referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support. For the last several years, Congress has worked in a bipartisan manner to recognize this longstanding federal program’s important work by providing increased appropriations.

    Since the morning of Tuesday, January 28th, the Head Start community has faced immense uncertainty and disruptions by the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo (M-25-13), directing federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.” While the Trump Administration later clarified that Head Start would not be the target of the funding freeze[2], many Head Start programs across the country were unable to access the PMS to draw down federal funds. PMS was reinstated, but programs across the country have not had funding disbursed in a timely manner.

    Head Start programs cannot pay their teachers and staff and continue normal operations without the assurances of payment processing and notices of grant renewals and awards. This will impact children, families, and communities across the country, particularly the rural communities where these programs represent a large share of the child care options.

    Even if this issue extends beyond the Office of Head Start, we urge you to do everything in your power to ensure these programs receive transparent and frequent communication on the progress of their funds being released. Head Start programs operate on razor-thin margins and cannot survive without timely intervention. Children, families, employees, and educators all depend on these critical federal funds.

    Once these issues are resolved, we request you provide responses to the following questions:

    1. What factors contributed to delayed disbursements to Head Start programs through the Payment Management System? What steps will be taken to ensure such delays will not occur in the future?
    2. How many Head Start programs were impacted by this delay and what were the immediate consequences on operations and services for children and families?
    3. What factors led to the lack of communication about grant renewals and awards for the February 1st cycle? What steps will be taken to ensure timely notices in the future?

    We thank you for your quick attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Civil Society Organizations Brief the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on the Situation of Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal, Belarus and Luxembourg

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    Committee also Discusses Gender-Inclusive Approaches to Digitisation with the Working Group on Business and Human Rights

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was this afternoon briefed by representatives of civil society organizations on the situation of women’s rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal, Belarus and Luxembourg, the reports of which the Committee will review this week.

    In relation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, speakers raised concerns regarding gender-based violence and abuse of internally displaced women and girls in the context of the escalating conflict, and the impact of the withdrawal of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    On Nepal, speakers addressed discrimination against vulnerable women, including indigenous women and girls, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women, and women sex workers; anti-discrimination legislation; and the participation of women in political processes.

    Non-governmental organizations speaking on Belarus raised topics including the dissolution of civil society organizations, imprisonment of women human rights defenders, and barriers to access to justice for women.

    Regarding Luxembourg, a speaker raised issues related to a lack of gender sensitive policies and measures to address intersecting forms of discrimination, and the subordination of women through the social system.

    The National Human Rights Commissioner of the Democratic Republic of the Congo spoke on the country, as did the following non-governmental organizations: Centre for Migration, Gender, and Justice; Groupe d’Action pour les Droits de la Femme; and SAVIE ASBL LGBT.

    Regarding Nepal, the following non-governmental organizations spoke: Forum for Women, Law and Development; Feminist Dalit Organization; Nepal Indigenous Women Federation; Sex Workers and Allies South Asia and Team; Campaign for Change, Mitini Nepal, and Intersex Asia; and Visible Impact.

    The following non-governmental organizations spoke on Belarus: Belarusian Helsinki Committee; Human Constanta; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions; Coalition against gender-based and domestic violence; and Our House.

    A representative of the Consultative Commission of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg on Human Rights spoke on Luxembourg.

    The Committee also held an informal meeting with the Working Group on Business and Human Rights and representatives from civil society and the business sector on “increasing the bottom line through smart, gender-inclusive, rights-focused approaches in digitisation.”

    Opening the meeting, Nahla Haidar, the newly elected Committee Chairperson, said artificial intelligence and digital technologies had revolutionised everyday life and business practices across sectors in ways that were never envisioned in the past.  She called for action to prevent bias and discrimination against women through cyber-enabled modalities; expand women’s economic opportunities in the new digital era; and equip women and girls with necessary skills, capacities and tools to contribute to providing digital solutions.

    In the meeting, speakers discussed topics such as measures to prevent discrimination of women in the private sector, and particularly in the field of technology; measures to promote access to science, technology, engineering and maths education for women; measures to address the impacts of artificial intelligence on women; and measures to protect women’s rights in the energy transition era.

    Committee Experts and members of the Working Group spoke in the meeting, as did representatives of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Trade Organization, and various private sector and civil society organizations.

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s ninetieth session is being held from 3 to 21 February.  All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 4 February to consider the report of the Democratic Republic of the Congo submitted under the exceptional reporting procedure (CEDAW/C/COD/EP/1).

    Opening Remarks by the Committee Chair

    NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chairperson, said that during each session, the Committee invited national and international non-governmental organizations to informal public meetings to provide specific information on the States parties that were scheduled for consideration by the Committee.  She welcomed the representatives of non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions that had come to provide information on the States parties whose reports were being considered this week: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal, Belarus and Luxembourg.

    Statements by Non-Governmental Organizations from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal and Belarus

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    On the Democratic Republic of the Congo, speakers, among other things, said violence against displaced persons was on the rise in the State.  Gender-based violence, specifically, was rampant, leaving survivors with limited access to justice.  Displaced women had a lack of access to reproductive health care and were giving birth in unsafe conditions.  The economic struggles that displaced women and girls faced were equally alarming.  With scarce income opportunities, many were driven to survival sex, which exposed them to sexual exploitation and abuse.

    The withdrawal of the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo raised real concerns.  Plans from national authorities to take on the responsibilities of the Mission remained lacking.  Armed militias and members of the security forces continued to abuse women with impunity.  There were also “tolerance houses” where internally displaced women and girls were sexually abused.  Justice remained inaccessible for most survivors.

    Speakers called on the Government to bolster administrative capacities; ensure the transfer of United Nations facilities to the armed forces; investigate “tolerance houses” and hold perpetrators of gender-based violence criminally liable; control the spread of weapons; and ensure justice and dignity for all women in the State.  Speakers also called for a national migration strategy that was gender-responsive; mechanisms for gender-based violence prevention, mitigation, and response; provision of health services and resources, especially with regards to maternity health, that connected to related concerns such as food insecurity and nutrition; and programmes to expand livelihood provisions that supported displaced women and girls.

    Nepal

    Speakers said Nepal had yet to enact a robust anti-discrimination law, making women more vulnerable to abuse. There was a need to criminalise discrimination against women and eliminate all discriminatory legal provisions against them.  The State party also needed to allocate sufficient human and financial resources to public bodies working on women’s rights.  Appropriate support needed to be provided to women victims of violence.

    Fifteen per cent of Nepal’s population of women faced multiple forms of discrimination; many women faced social exclusion and violence.  Some girls did not report crimes due to a lack of trust in the justice system.

    Nepal needed to amend the Constitution to address historical discrimination of indigenous women and to recognise the customary laws of indigenous people.  The Government needed to amend the act on the rights of persons with disabilities to address the rights of indigenous women with disabilities. Access to justice needed to be promoted for indigenous women and women with disabilities.

    Nepal had failed to ratify the Palermo Protocol, and human trafficking and sex work were treated as the same in the country.  Sex workers faced various forms of discrimination and violence.  Nepal’s legislation had a direct impact on sex workers’ access to citizenship.  Legislation on trafficking in persons needed to be amended to differentiate between trafficking and sex work.  The Government also needed to facilitate sex workers’ access to citizenship and promote awareness raising campaigns on the rights of sex workers.

    Lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex girls faced harmful treatment and violence, and systematic discrimination in education and healthcare in Nepal, and the Government had failed to act in response.  The Government needed to ensure such women could access single women’s allowances, redefine marriage to include gender-free terminology, and support this group’s access to rights.

    Education on sexual and reproductive health remained optional and inadequate in Nepal.  It needed to be made compulsory.  Legislation needed to be amended to fully decriminalise abortion, particularly abortions in cases of rape.  The State also needed to amend legislation to include sexual and reproductive health and rights and sensitise health care providers and community members on safe births.  It further needed to decriminalise sexual relations between consenting adolescents under the age of 18.

    The meaningful participation of women in political processes was lacking; many women politicians faced violence. Nepal needed to investigate historic violence against marginalised women, collect disaggregated data on women, enhance women’s leadership capacities, take measures to eliminate discrimination against marginalised women and girls, and provide quality health services to all women and girls, particularly indigenous women, at a minimal cost.

    Belarus

    Speakers on Belarus said the Constitution did not provide effective protection against discrimination. Women’s rights to education and health care were limited. Belarus had institutionalised discriminatory food provisions; women and girls were not able to access fruit and nuts, leading to long-term health risks.

    Access to justice for women was undermined by the persistent persecution of women human rights defenders.  Women activists had been falsely labelled as terrorists despite their peaceful actions.  The State had systematically dissolved various civil society organizations, including many that supported women.  Almost 2,000 non-governmental organizations had been forced to liquidate. All women’s organizations that had prepared shadow reports to the Committee for the last review had been liquidated.  It was immensely difficult to find legal assistance due to the political suppression of lawyers.  In 2022, the Government had forcibly liquidated all trade unions.  Six women trade union activists remained in prisons.

    At least 139 women were political prisoners in Belarus.  They lacked access to healthcare and were persistently ill-treated. Imprisoned women faced forced labour and modern forms of slavery.  If women refused to work, they were put in “cages of shame” and forced to stand outside for several hours.  Women prisoners earned between five and 10 euros per month and faced harsh penalties for not meeting quotas.

    When domestic violence cases were reported to police, police screened the political activities of the victim rather than provide support.  Victims and aggressors were invited together to meetings with authorities, promoting impunity.

    Women migrants were vulnerable to trafficking and violence.  Domestic violence was not a ground for asylum in Belarus. 

    Luxembourg

    No non-governmental organizations spoke on the situation of women in Luxembourg.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said that there were many laws and policies for women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but there was weak implementation.  How was the transitional justice policy being implemented for women? Was there a plan to promote the security of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

    The Expert shared the non-governmental organizations’ concern regarding the suppression of civil society in Belarus. Were there plans to update the national action plan on human rights in Belarus, and were there plans to establish a national human rights institution?

    Another Expert asked about anti-trafficking activities being carried out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. To what extent were women represented in local governments and decision-making bodies in Nepal?

    One Committee Expert asked about financial resources devoted to implementing the national gender equality plan in Nepal.  What were areas of concern related to sexual and reproductive health services in Belarus?

    A Committee Expert asked about problems regarding access to justice for Dalit women in Nepal.  How common was the dowry custom in Nepal?  Why was the dowry for younger women and girls lower?

    Another Committee Expert asked if the Democratic Republic of the Congo had laws on the accountability of military personnel and contractors involved in violence against women.  What social protection system and benefits did Belarus have for women and girls?

    One Committee Expert asked about legal provisions that needed to be challenged.  What needed to be done to educate girls and society about the harms of the kumari practice in Nepal, which isolated girls from their community?

    A Committee Expert called for information on the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s national action plan on the development of the security forces.  What action had been taken to dismantle non-governmental armed groups in the east?  Was it still possible for non-governmental organizations in Belarus to protect women and interact with the Government?

    Responses by Non-Governmental Organizations

    Nepal

    Responding to questions on Nepal, speakers said there was a very low percentage of women in federal and provincial decision-making bodies in Nepal, and an even lower percentage of Dalit women. There needed to be increased representation of women in these bodies.  There were several laws that directly discriminated against women, including laws on legal residences, which considered women and girls’ residences as those of their husbands and fathers.  Divorced women lost their property rights.  It was prohibited to oppose gender biases in cultural and social practices.  Nepal’s laws did not recognise lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women as minorities; this needed to be done.

    In Nepal, the parents of women paid dowries, and less dowry was paid for younger women.  Dowry payments were most prevalent in the south of the country. The Criminal Code criminalised this practice, but it still existed.

    Sexual and reproductive health education was part of the school curriculum but was no longer a compulsory subject.  There were also gaps in sexual and reproductive health legislation, with many marginalised women not able to access sexual and reproductive health services.

    Dalit women and other marginalised women could not easily access the justice system.  They were not made aware of where and how to access justice and faced violence and discrimination from the police because of their identity.

    Belarus

    Responding to questions on Belarus, speakers said Belarus’ Gender Equality Council did not include non-governmental organizations working on human rights and gender equality.  Belarus’ legislation on incitement to hatred was used to oppress women human rights defenders.  One such woman had been imprisoned for seven years under this legislation.  Raids, inspections and blocking of websites were tools used by the Government to restrict the activities of civil society organizations.

    Statements by National Human Rights Institutions

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    GISÈLE KAPINGA NTUMBA, National Human Rights Commissioner of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said the Democratic Republic of the Congo was going through one of its darkest times in recent history, marked by the invasion of the M23 rebels in the east of the country, which was facing a protracted, violent crisis.  Many women and girls had been displaced and were facing heightened risks of sexual violence and rape.  The National Human Rights Commission had conducted investigations into sexual violence linked to conflict, engaging with competent institutions to address this problem and combat impunity.

    The Commission welcomed that the Government had implemented several measures to protect women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence, including a law criminalising such violence and enshrining access to justice for victims.  However, there was still a long way to go until these measures could effectively protect civilians from sexual and gender-based violence.  The number of internally displaced persons continued to grow, and there had been many cases of rape reported.  There needed to be increased funds to limit the circulation of small arms and light weapons, build new camps, and increase humanitarian aid for internally displaced persons.  Care for victims of sexual and gender-based violence needed to be given by trained professionals.

    The national fund for compensation for the victims of gender-based violence had helped victims to access care. The Commission also welcomed the organisation of travelling courts to combat impunity.  The Government needed to restore peace in the east and take steps to protect civilians from gender-based violence, and provide internally displaced persons with adequate aid.  Armed groups needed to respect the rules of international humanitarian law and implement an immediate ceasefire.  The international community needed to promote peace by adopting sanctions against M23 and other armed groups.

    Luxembourg

    LAURA CAROCHA, Human and Social Sciences Expert, Commission consultative des Droits de l’Homme du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg [Consultative Commission of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg on Human Rights], welcomed the efforts made by Luxembourg to combat discrimination against women since the last report, while noting persistent shortcomings, including a social system that kept women in a subordinate position to men.  Luxembourg’s policy favoured a “neutral” approach that was not gender sensitive.  Ms. Carocha urged politicians to openly acknowledge this systemic patriarchal domination and to make the deconstruction of this mechanism a priority.  To this end, it was imperative that the Government finally implemented the principle of gender mainstreaming in a cross-cutting manner in all its policies. 

    Luxembourg’s equality efforts lacked an intersectional approach and the Government rarely addressed multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.  Disability was conspicuously absent from the National Action Plan for Equality between Women and Men, while the gender dimension was neglected in the National Action Plan on Disability.  It was essential to have detailed data, disaggregated by gender, age, ethnicity, disability and education level, to better understand and address the different forms of discrimination that women faced.  The Government also needed to impose concrete actions on companies, municipalities and administrations in terms of gender equality and the fight against discrimination against women.

    All actions taken in the fight against discrimination against women needed to be carried out in close collaboration with civil society.  This cooperation needed to be translated into lasting partnerships and political will to ensure that the contributions of civil society were seriously considered in the decision-making process.

    Ms. Carocha concluded by calling for the recognition of multiple forms of discrimination, and a proactive and participatory response from the Government to gender inequalities rooted in societal dynamics.  This meant adopting structural solutions that addressed the root causes of discrimination.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert offered condolences to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including families of civilians who had lost their lives. What did the National Human Rights Commission wish the Committee to highlight in the dialogue with the State party?

    Another Committee Expert asked about measures to prevent conflict-related gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    One Committee Expert asked if humanitarian aid groups were able to access Goma and deliver food, health and menstrual products?

    A Committee Expert expressed concern regarding the lack of participation from women’s organizations from Luxembourg in the dialogue.  What progress had been made in reforming the Constitution?  Was there an initiative to amend the timeframe for authorising abortions in the State?  The State party did not publish data broken down by origin.  Could data be provided on migrant workers in Luxembourg?

    Another Committee Expert asked about Luxembourg’s process for identifying stateless persons.

    Responses by National Human Rights Institutions

    GISÈLE KAPINGA NTUMBA, National Human Rights Commissioner of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said that in Goma, people in displacement camps had been bombarded.  They had no power and no water, and the Rwandese army was on its way in. The international community needed to assist the Democratic Republic of the Congo in creating humanitarian corridors to assist internally displaced persons fleeing the region.  The State had approved laws and measures on preventing sexual violence, but implementing these was a challenge, particularly in regions where the Government did not have control.  In the dialogue, the Committee needed to ask the Government to choose diplomacy over other means, as the population was dying for nothing. Those involved in the conflict needed to be prosecuted.  The international community needed to condemn the situation in the east and promote diplomacy.

    Meeting with the Working Group on Business and Human Rights

    Statements

    ANDREA ORI, Director, Groups in Focus Section, Human Rights Treaties Branch, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the meeting would address the nexus between business and human rights, and gender and digital technologies. Cooperation and practices in digital fields needed to not perpetrate discrimination against women.  There was room for improvement on measures addressing gender discrimination in the workplace, representation of women in leadership positions, workplace harassment, and labour rights for women. Women were over-represented in low-paying jobs.  Stereotypes hindered women’s access to finance and investments, and women had less access to technology and digital services.  Today’s discussion would focus on enhancing the promotion and protection of women.

    NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chairperson, said artificial intelligence and digital technologies had revolutionised everyday life and business practices across sectors in ways that were never envisioned in the past.  Strategic, innovative modalities to better safeguard the rights of women and girls called for partnerships, joint approaches and harmonised frameworks.  Women needed to be engaged in digital developments from the beginning.  States needed to avoid the re-inventing of stereotypes, bias and discrimination and the perpetuation of violence against women through cyber-enabled modalities; safeguard women’s livelihoods and expand economic opportunities in the new digital era for them; and equip women and girls with necessary skills, capacities and tools to contribute to providing digital solutions.

    This briefing was anticipated to be the first in a series of collaborative efforts to address substantive issues on women’s economic rights in a digital world based on the provisions of the Convention.  Business and human rights principles and the jurisprudence of the Committee and standards could be systematically deployed to uphold and respond to women’s rights protection and economic empowerment, particularly through inclusive digital technologies.

    Sadly, gender equality had often been constrained by interpretations outside the text of the Convention, resulting in persistent gender gaps and disparities.  Critical partnerships would enable the Committee to explore a collaborative and coordinated approach for bridging digital gender inequalities to create a more inclusive and equitable digital future for women and girls, one that was not only free of all forms of violence but also offered them equal opportunities to access and utilise digital technologies to boost their livelihoods and human capital assets.

    LYRA JAKULEVIČIENĖ, Chairperson of the Working Group on Business and Human Rights, said that this year, the Working Group was preparing a report on the use of artificial intelligence in businesses and its human rights impacts.  It focused on the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies and procurement by States and businesses, looking at biases and other issues.  The use of artificial intelligence and other technologies had many benefits and but also created concerns, including related to gender, and these would be captured in the report.  Synergy with the Committee would help both bodies to advance their agendas and strengthen the global protection of human rights, particularly for vulnerable women and girls.

    ESTHER EGHOBAMIEN-MSHELIA, Committee Expert, said 300 million fewer women than men had access to mobile internet globally.  Although about a third of small and medium enterprises were owned by women, women were under-represented in discussions on the global value chain.  States needed to focus on the energy transition and artificial intelligence technologies, as if they did not address issues in these fields, the gender gaps would widen.

    FERNANDA HOPENHAYM, Gender Focal Point of the Working Group on Business and Human Rights, said the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights had a cross-cutting gender perspective, and this needed to be addressed by States and businesses.  The Guiding Principles said that States needed to include a gender perspective in all policies on business and human rights.  It also called on businesses to respect human rights and to implement measures promoting diversity and inclusion.  Women needed to be able to access remedies in cases in which their rights were violated.  Technologies needed to be gender sensitive, responsive and transformative.

    Panel Discussion

    In the ensuing discussion, speakers, among other things, said women faced many barriers to accessing the labour market; these needed to be addressed.  Countries needed to change company cultures to address discrimination against women employees, and promote diversity and family-friendly policies.  Businesses needed to consider documents outlining the rights of women and girls, such as the Convention, and use tools to assess the effectiveness of gender equality measures.  They also needed to create an enabling environment for women.  Another key requirement was to conduct human rights due diligence with a gender lens.

    Some speakers expressed concerns related to discrimination against women in the technology sector.  Many companies lacked a gender lens when assessing their value chains and were not carrying out gender-related due diligence.  There was evidence of disproportionate harm to non-binary women and the targeting of women human rights defenders online.  Companies were actively amplifying gender biases.  The Committee and the Working Group needed to work with civil society and to call out companies by name when they violated human rights.  They also needed to promote corporate accountability and prevent regression.

    Speakers presented measures to change cultural mindsets to support women to succeed professionally; to promote a healthy work-life balance for women; to raise awareness of women’s rights among businesses; and to develop rules and tools to protect women and girls on social media platforms.

    Some speakers said technology could allow for greater access to education for women and girls, so women needed increased access to it.  One speaker said girls had less opportunities to study in fields such as programming and robotics.  With simple reforms and measures encouraging participation, more and more women and girls would choose information technology as a profession, they said.

    Some speakers expressed concerns that artificial intelligence technology was not sufficiently regulated.  It was possible for artificial intelligence systems to learn and reproduce societal biases and there were also privacy concerns regarding the data that these systems used.  One speaker presented efforts to eliminate biases in artificial intelligence systems and to develop tools to ensure that such systems respected human rights.

    One speaker called for respect for women’s rights in the energy transition.  Women had strong roles to play in preventing child labour in the energy sector and supporting children’s access to education.  Businesses needed to ensure women’s experiences were incorporated in energy transition programmes, and to finance science, technology, engineering and maths education programmes for women, speakers said.

    ________

    CEDAW.25.002E

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the information media; not an official record.

    English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Could AI kill human creativity?

    Source: University of South Australia

    04 February 2025

    Artificial intelligence (AI) was designed to solve problems, enhance productivity, and push the boundaries of innovation. But since the rise of generative AI such as CHATGPT and DALL-E, people have had concerns about its potential to overshadow or replace key human skills.

    Now, University of South Australia researchers have explored the complex relationship between AI and human creativity finding that while AI can generate creative outputs, it fundamentally relies on human intervention.

    It’s a valuable finding that has significant implications for educational practices, job creation, and the future of work. And a relief for those concerned about AI rivalling human jobs.

    Yet it raises issues for employers and educators who need to better understand these disruptive technologies to enable their staff and students to meet their full potential.

    Generative AI technologies continue to expand, but the most popular are ChatGPT (the AI ‘wordsmith’) and DALL-E (the AI ‘artist’) which respectively produce swathes of human-sounding text, or instantly credible artwork at the simple press of a button. Recently, the two have been joined by their Chinese counterpart, DeepSeek.

    UniSA researcher Professor David Cropley says learning how AI can augment human skills is key to successfully adopting it.   

    “The future of work suggests that machines – AI, automation, and robots – will take over routine, algorithmic, predictable tasks, freeing up people to focus on unpredictable, non-algorithmic, and creative work,” Prof Cropley says.

    “However, if AI is capable of creativity, then this premise breaks down, and the future of work for humans is far less certain.

    “In our research we explored the relationship between AI and humans, finding that generative AI is not a replacement for human skills like creativity, but rather a supplement or a tool that we will need to manage.

    “It’s easy to understand through an example: if I prompt an AI art program like DALL-E2 to ‘produce an oil painting in the style of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, showing a young woman scrolling through her mobile phone and looking bored’, it will create a picture, and does a good job of satisfying that prompt.

    “But this does not mean that the AI is creative. Yes, the resulting picture is novel and effective, but it’s not because AI had any special ability, but because I produced a creative prompt. The only thing the AI really did was save me the trouble of learning how to paint.”

    In Australia, the use of generative AI is rapidly growing with nearly 40% of employees using the technology for work purposes, and one in five doubling their use over the past year. Only 20% of employees believe their business is taking full advantage of generative AI.

    UniSA researcher Dr Rebecca Marrone says more research is needed to understand how AI can best support human skills.

    “A few years back there were wild claims that AI was truly creative and could rival the best human skills. But we’re starting to see a more moderate and reasoned point of view,” Dr Marrone says.

    “AI’s strengths lie in speeding up information-gathering and evaluating ideas based on predefined criteria. It swiftly handles routine and data-intensive tasks, and this lets people to engage more deeply with creative processes.

    “There’s no doubt that generative AI is very impressive, but whatever you generate – and the key word here is ‘you’ – it’s dependent on what you tell the AI to deliver.

    “AI does not operate independently; it’s literally prompted by a person, and we need to remember that.”

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contacts for interview:  Prof David Cropley E: David.Cropley@unisa.edu.au
    Dr Rebecca Marrone E: Rebecca.Marrone@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IICA ORGANIZES A CUSTOMIZED THREE DAYS TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMME “ESG FOR BOARD MEMBERS” AT THE UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND PACIFIC, BANGKOK, THAILAND

    Source: Government of India (2)

    IICA ORGANIZES A CUSTOMIZED THREE DAYS TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMME “ESG FOR BOARD MEMBERS” AT THE UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND PACIFIC, BANGKOK, THAILAND

    PROGRAMME COVERED KEY ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL-SOCIAL-GOVERNANCE (ESG) CONSIDERATIONS IN BOARD DECISION MAKING AND IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON BOARD’S ACCOUNTABILITY

    Posted On: 03 FEB 2025 9:53PM by PIB Delhi

    The School of Business Environment, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) organized a customized three days residential training and certification programme “ESG for Board Members” from Jan 30 – Feb 01 2025 at the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. This initiative is inspired by Dr. Ajay Bhushan Prasad Pandey, Director General & CEO, IICA conveying the importance of leadership buy-in for achieving Net-Zero and other relevant sustainability targets by embedding ESG in the corporate strategy aligned with global expectations from multiple stakeholders. The programme was inaugurated by Mr. Gerd Trogemann, Regional Manager, Global Policy Network and Regional Programme, Asia-Pacific, United Nations. 

    The programme covered key aspects of building a business case of Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG) considerations in Board decision making, it covered aspects of ESG’s Indian as well as global context, guided the participants on how to begin with ESG journey, embedding ESG in to corporate strategy, Impact of climate change and Board’s accountability, designing business models for resilience, Risk mitigation, evolving role of Board in corporate accountability, Stakeholders engagement for ESG success, Governance of CSR and role of Board, Public disclosures on ESG, Business and Human Rights due diligence, effective grievance redressal mechanisms, future trends impacting businesses, and essentials of becoming ESG Impact leaders.  

    The sessions were delivered by prominent experts and facilitators including Prof. Garima Dadhich, Dr. Harpreet Kaur, Ms Olga Nilova, Mr. Bharat Wakhlu, Ms Belinda Hlatshwayo, Ms Nusrat Khan, and Dr. Ravi Raj Atrey. On the third day, delegation from Thailand based companies presented their ESG journey, best practices and challenges faced in strategizing and implementing ESG, the Indian delegation of public and private companies had a peer learning exposure through this exercise. The programme has benefitted CMDs, Directors, Independent Directors, Board Members, and other sr. leaders from corporate both public and private in the realm of ESG, it provided a unique opportunity to the participants to not only contribute to sustaining businesses in today’s rapidly changing world but also to co-create a collaborative system of exchange of knowledge and ideas at elite level.

    IICA enjoys unique distinction of offering a credible  six months ESG Professional programme  contributing to build a cadre of ESG professionals and Impact leaders. As per the recommendations of the High Level Advisory Committee and keeping in view the needs of Board representatives, this capsule programme was launched by the School of Business Environment-IICA in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme Regional Office for Asia and Pacific.  

     

    ****

    NB/AD

    (Release ID: 2099348) Visitor Counter : 71

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) signs MoU with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

    Source: Government of India

     Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) signs MoU with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

    The MoU aims to develop a digital programme which focusses on experiential learning aimed at promoting financial literacy for school children

    Posted On: 03 FEB 2025 5:44PM by PIB Delhi

    An MoU has been signed between Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and Strategic Educational Professionals Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), for developing a digital programme which focusses on experiential learning aimed at promoting financial literacy for school children. It is envisaged to provide this content to select schools, including rural schools, through a pilot project. This programme envisages delivery of this program through training of school teachers.

    The Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Harsh Malhotra stated this in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    NB/AD

    (Release ID: 2099212) Visitor Counter : 40

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DH calls for influenza vaccination as influenza activity increases in Hong Kong and northern hemisphere

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    DH calls for influenza vaccination as influenza activity increases in Hong Kong and northern hemisphere
    DH calls for influenza vaccination as influenza activity increases in Hong Kong and northern hemisphere
    ******************************************************************************************

         ​The Controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health, Dr Edwin Tsui, today (February 3) reminded members of the public that the seasonal influenza activity in Hong Kong and many other countries and regions in the northern hemisphere remains at a high level. All sectors of the community should heighten their vigilance and enhance personal protection measures against influenza, including receiving seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) to protect their health and that of their family members. Those who plan to travel should stay alert to the situation of infectious diseases in their destinations, and observe strict personal and environmental hygiene.           “Hong Kong entered the influenza season in early January. The CHP has recorded 199 adult cases of intensive care unit admissions or deaths due to influenza in the first four weeks, as compared with 127 cases in the same period in the last influenza season. Among them, there were 122 deaths and over 70 per cent of these severe or death cases did not receive SIV. For the deaths, nearly 90 per cent involved persons aged 65 or above. For children, the CHP has recorded nine cases of severe paediatric influenza-associated complications. Seven of them were unvaccinated,” he said.           Dr Tsui said that as the influenza activity in many parts of the northern hemisphere (including the Mainland, Japan, Korea, as well as Europe and North America) remains at a high level, people who are going to travel should pay attention to the influenza situation at their destinations before departure and take appropriate personal protective measures, including receiving SIV as soon as possible and consider wearing a surgical mask when staying in crowded places. Regardless of whether in Hong Kong or abroad, if people develop respiratory symptoms, even if mild, they should wear surgical masks and seek medical advice promptly.            “With reference to previous surveillance data, virus activity will continue to increase for a period of time after the start of the influenza season before peaking. Currently available data indicate that the influenza activity level is still on the rise. In view of the high levels of influenza activity locally and in the northern hemisphere in the coming weeks, all persons aged 6 months and above (except those with known contraindications) who have not yet received SIV, particularly the elderly and children who have a higher risk of becoming infected with influenza and developing complications, should act immediately to minimise the risk of serious complications and death after infection,” Dr Tsui said.           As of February 2, a total of about 1 932 000 doses of vaccines were administered under the various vaccination programmes, representing an increase of about 6.4 per cent over the same period last year and an all time high, surpassing the total number of doses administered under the various vaccination programmes in year 2023/24 (i.e. about 1 873 000 doses). The number of schools participating in the SIV School Outreach has also increased significantly this year. About 1 030 kindergartens/child care centres (98 per cent), about 640 primary schools (98 per cent) and about 490 secondary schools (98 per cent) have completed or are arranging the SIV school outreach activities. This is higher than last year’s participation rate (80 per cent of kindergartens/child care centres, 95 per cent of primary schools and 70 per cent of secondary schools). The SIV coverage rate for children aged 6 months to under 2 years remained relatively low at about 21.0 per cent. Although slightly higher than that of the same period a year ago, the coverage rate was still lower than that of other age groups of children. To enhance relevant vaccination services and boost the vaccination rate, the Government has opened the DH’s Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) to all children aged 6 months to under 2 years. Parents may book an appointment for their children to receive vaccinations at designated MCHCs via the online booking system.           For the latest information, members of the public can visit the CHP’s seasonal influenza and COVID-19 & Flu Express webpages. 

     
    Ends/Monday, February 3, 2025Issued at HKT 19:13

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Benefits Accorded to Classical Language

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 03 FEB 2025 4:23PM by PIB Delhi

    The support available to the languages notified as classical languages include awards in Classical Languages, centers of excellence for studies in classical languages, and creation of professional chairs in central universities.

    The Government of India had earlier notified the following languages as Classical Languages:

    Tamil, 2004

    Sanskrit, 2005

    Telugu, 2008

    Kannada, 2008

    Malayalam, 2013

    Odia, 2014

    The Ministry of Education, through the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru, works towards the promotion and development of all Indian languages, including Classical Languages. Various institutions and Centres of Excellence have been established to support research, documentation, and scholarly activities related to these languages:

    Tamil: The Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai, established in 2008, is dedicated to the promotion and development of Classical Tamil.

    Sanskrit: The Government of India promotes Sanskrit through three Central Universities—Central Sanskrit University (New Delhi), Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University (New Delhi), and National Sanskrit University (Tirupati). These universities were granted Central University status in 2020 to strengthen Sanskrit education and research.

    Telugu: The Centre of Excellence for Studies under the in Classical Telugu functions at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.

    Kannada: The Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada is located in Mysuru, Karnataka.

    Malayalam: The Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Malayalam operates from Tirur, Malappuram, Kerala.

    Odia: The Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Odia is based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

    Furthermore, very recently, The Government notified 5 more languages such as Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali as Classical Languages vide Gazette Notification dated 04.10.2024.

    This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    ***

     

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    E-mail: – pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2099152) Visitor Counter : 75

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How universities can help make our cities more accessible for people with disabilities

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Carmela Cucuzzella, Dean, Faculty of Environmental Design, Université de Montréal, Full Professor School of Design, Université de Montréal

    Those designing university courses should ensure issues of universal accessibility are embedded throughout a student’s academic journey. (Shutterstock)

    People living with disabilities, ranging in severity, regularly face barriers. Oftentimes, built environments are designed in ways that fail to consider the needs of those in situations of disability. That can include improperly sized ramps for wheelchair users or public spaces that are not sensory friendly.

    One 2024 study found that most buildings in Canada are not accessible for people with disabilities.

    This lack of accommodation can have a serious impact on a person’s quality of life. For example, people with disabilities report challenges in their workplaces, such as a lack of automatic door openers and poor signage and way-finding.

    If our public spaces are not accessible to all, then they cannot be truly public. The first step in changing our built environment is to bring awareness to the different forms of disabilities that people in Canada experience.

    The number of people in Canada living with disabilities increased by about five per cent from 2017 to 2022. In 2022, the Canadian Survey on Disability showed that 27 per cent of Canadians aged 15 years and older had one or more disabilities that impacted their daily activities.

    As a professor in a school of design and the dean of the Faculty of Environmental Design at the Université of Montréal, I believe it’s urgently important to explore how faculties of architecture, design, landscape architecture and urbanism can inform design practices through the way we teach and conduct research.

    Our objective must be to teach students how to make our built environment more inclusive and universally accessible through creative means rather than basic technological add-ons.

    In 2022, the Canadian Survey on Disability showed that 27 per cent of Canadians aged 15 years and older had one or more disabilities that impacted their daily activities.
    (Shutterstock)

    Solutions remain cumbersome and stigmatizing

    In 2022, 72 per cent of people with disabilities reported that they experienced one or more barriers to accessibility due to their condition. The Canadian government has recognized these challenges by setting ambitious nationwide accessibility targets for 2040.

    Standards exist for accessibility and inclusivity in Canada, but they are not systematically applied. Furthermore, when designing for universal accessibility, the emphasis is on conformity rather than experience, on separation rather than integration, and on functionality rather than fulfillment.

    Take, for example, a multi-storey office building that provides separate entrances and facilities for people with disabilities. The building complies with the minimum accessibility requirements set by local building codes, but does so in a way that isolates people with disabilities rather than integrating their needs into the overall design. This building does not provide the same experience to all people and therefore separates rather than includes diverse populations.

    The universal accessibility of public spaces and buildings is a complex design problem. It is especially difficult for retrofits, since solutions can quickly become costly, particularly in heritage buildings.

    But if changes are managed carefully, costs can become manageable. Universal accessible design is also challenging for new buildings and spaces, but if universal design is prioritized right from the outset of a project, architects and developers can create inclusive environments that accommodate diverse needs without incurring substantial additional expenses.

    Universities that offer teaching and research programs in universal accessible design can make a real difference.
    (Shutterstock)

    How universities can help

    Universal accessible design is not just a question of following a set of codes, but rather a question of designing for an equitable, qualitative accessible experience. This means ensuring that all people, regardless of their physical or mental situations, are offered equivalent spatial experiences.

    Universities that offer teaching and research programs in a universal accessible design can make a real difference. But it’s integral that teaching is developed alongside the research, as understanding of needs and best practices are in continual renewal.

    Faculties with such programs and courses could achieve this by enabling students through creative engagement of this difficult subject. Furthermore, being in these design environments allows students to understand these societal issues as leverage for innovative solutions, rather than just satisfying building codes.

    Those designing university courses should ensure issues of universal accessibility are embedded throughout a student’s academic journey, and included in a way that helps empower the graduating students.

    Students graduating from these programs will become the young professionals in the fields of design, architecture, urbanism or landscape architecture.

    Unfortunately, the exact likelihood of students specializing in universal accessibility — and applying their knowledge in their careers — is challenging due to limited specific data. But there is an increasing recognition of the importance of accessibility in various sectors, leading to more roles that require expertise in universal design and inclusive practices.

    For instance, in Québec, efforts are being made to integrate and retain people with disabilities in the workforce, highlighting the need for professionals trained in inclusive access and universal accessibility.

    Accessiblity in the classroom

    Incorporating more discussion on universal accessibility in the classroom and in university research environments can help students apply their expertise in the design of our built environment throughout their careers.

    Yet, higher education institutions are still not giving enough attention to courses related to universal accessibility and design. Institutions in Canada often struggle with how to provide students living with disabilities with barrier-free environments.

    A national research project led by the Université of Montréal called Quality in Canada’s Built Environment is bringing together research groups from universities across the country to develop solutions based on the lived experiences of people living with diverse conditions. This is a key research approach to help sensitize students across the many programs touching the built environment that is also having an impact on student learning experiences.

    In 2020 alone, more than 77,000 students graduated in the fields of architecture and related studies in Canada. If every graduate is sensitized to the barriers faced by people living with disabilities, we could begin to see a shift in how our built environments are imagined and constructed by those who design them.

    By fostering dialogue between research, education and practice, universities can ensure a future where accessibility is seamlessly integrated into the every day.

    Carmela Cucuzzella receives funding from FRQSC and SSHRC.

    – ref. How universities can help make our cities more accessible for people with disabilities – https://theconversation.com/how-universities-can-help-make-our-cities-more-accessible-for-people-with-disabilities-245639

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – “In Bukavu, young people are joining self-defense militias”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – “The situation in Bukavu is calm at the moment, but young people are flocking en masse to the recruitment centers of the self-defense groups of the so-called ‘Wazalendo’ militias,” report Fides sources from the capital of the Congolese province of South Kivu, which is now also threatened by the advance of the rebel movement M23, after it has already taken Goma (capital of the province of North Kivu).”The M23 seems to have stopped its advance on Bukavu,” say the observers. “So we are living from day to day without really knowing what to expect. The army has also launched a campaign to recruit civilians to join self-defense groups. Many young people have answered the call of the authorities and are now strengthening the ranks of the so-called ‘Wazalendo’ militias.” The observers report that “life is slowly recovering in Goma too. Electricity has returned to some neighborhoods and, since yesterday evening, internet connections have also been restored. Schools have reopened today, at least those that were not intended to accommodate displaced people.” “As for the displaced people, the various refugee camps around the city have meanwhile been dismantled; those who were able to do so have returned to their places of origin; the others have been forced to take shelter in schools and other public buildings,” the observers continue.According to the Congolese Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO), the health situation in the city is very serious. “Several health facilities are working beyond their capacity: there is a lack of beds, medicines, medical equipment, emergency kits, blood donations, fuel, surgical supplies and other equipment,” says a report dated January 30, sent to Fides. “The morgues are overflowing (more than 770 lifeless bodies have already been collected, others are still scattered in the streets of the unsafe districts and are in an advanced stage of decomposition)”. According to the report, 2,800 injured people are in the city’s hospitals. Many of the injured remain at home without adequate medical care, while the risk of epidemics remains high.At the political level, the Heads of State of the member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment to continue to support the Democratic Republic of Congo in its efforts to preserve its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity” at the end of their extraordinary summit on 31 January in Harare (Zimbabwe). There is therefore a fear that the conflict will expand into a confrontation that goes beyond the Great Lakes region, as the President of Burundi explained in a video published on his YouTube channel: “If there is no peace in eastern Congo, there will be no peace in the region. The conflict does not only affect Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, but the entire region”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 3/2/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Supercharging literacy & numeracy achievement through te reo Māori

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is driving better outcomes for Māori students by providing kura and schools high-quality structured literacy and numeracy resources in te reo Māori.

    “My aspiration is for all tamariki Māori to flourish and be successful in their learning. This is the first time children learning through te reo Māori are being taught using structured approaches in a way designed specifically for them. We’re ensuring tamariki and their teachers have access to the tools they need to succeed and learning isn’t left to chance,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

    From Term 1, all 310 kura and schools from Years 0 to 8 using Te Marautanga o Aotearoa will begin receiving Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā (structured literacy) kits and Poutama Pāngarau (numeracy) workbooks and Pāngarau resources. These resources have been purposely created based on the science of learning and will benefit 27,000 students across the country.

    “Packs have a book for each phase of learning that provides yearly guidance, lesson plans and activities. Digital versions of the resources will also be available online to ensure flexibility for schools and parents. Professional learning and development will continue to be available for teachers throughout 2025, ensuring they have the confidence to teach in a structured way.”

    Schools can also use Hihira Weteoro, a purpose-built phonics check to understand how a child’s reading and oral language learning through te reo Māori. Checks will happen at 20, 40 and 55 weeks of schooling and will help identify those who need extra support earlier.

    “Parents can have confidence this Government is putting the foundations in place so their children can strive to do their best at school. I am committed to lifting achievement for Māori learners and close the equity gap that has persisted for too long. We will ensure every child gets the very best start so they can grow the New Zealand of the future,” Ms Stanford says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Legacy of MLK Jr. Carried On at UConn Health’s Inaugural Service and Advocacy Summit

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    On Jan. 30 the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. was celebrated at the first Service and Advocacy Summit at UConn Health.

    The summit’s keynote speaker was Linda Sprague Martinez, Ph.D., director of the Health Disparities Institute.

    She kicked off her address with the famous words of MLK: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman.”

    “We see inequities in health care and in health outcomes across a spectrum of chronic conditions,” she stressed in her address to faculty, students, and staff about the benefits of “Community Based Participatory Research Advancing Health Equity.”

    “Participatory research is a collaborative approach to research,” she says. “Advancing health equity requires conducting research with the community. Working in partnership facilitates an environment in which we are co-learning.”

    She adds, “People in the community know what they need to be healthy,” and recommends research priorities originate in the community, building trust relationships with the community members, and then co-designing research protocols based on community identified priorities.

    “If we are not translating knowledge generated in community settings in partnership with community members, we are not going to bring about meaningful change,” reports Sprague Martinez.

    Student showcase on Jan. 30 (UConn Health Photo/Tina Encarnacion).

    As a strong example of participatory research, Sprague Martinez shared how her UConn Health Disparities Institute is collaborating with the state of Connecticut’s Commission on Racial Equity for Public Health to launch a community-based research project recruiting citizens from across the state as community research advisors and faculty to advance health equity.

    Sprague Martinez serves UConn School of Medicine as professor in the Department of Medicine and Department of Public Health Sciences, and faculty affiliate at UConn School of Social Work.

    At the event student organization’s such as UConn School of Pharmacy Diversity Committee, Pathway Scholars Foundation, Student National Medical Assoc (SNMA), Latin Medical Student Assoc (LMSA), Medial Students for Choice (MSFC), and the Student Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee (SDEIC) also showcased their community outreach efforts.

    Class of 2027 medical student Uma Mehta was one of the student organizers of MLK Week, along with Cailyn Regan and Jenn Casparino, and attended the Summit’s student showcase.

    Medical student Uma Mehta visiting the LMSA table at the MLK Week student showcase.

    “When I think of MLK I envision hope, symbols of resistance, and expression of ideals,” shared Mehta. “For our patients things are at times uncertain, especially after a diagnosis. But as providers we can help give them a sense of hope, autonomy, and power over their diagnosis. This can be really helpful, healing, and powerful.”

    MLK week festivities also celebrated the health care disparities research of medical and dental students in a research poster showcase outside the Academic Rotunda lobby.

    All medical students are required as part the curriculum to complete a Public Health Certificate in Social Determinants of Health and Disparities. In fact, UConn medical school was the first in the nation to require students to complete a certificate curriculum in social determinants of health.

    Final projects for the second-year students were displayed in the Rotunda Lobby for over a week with live poster session presentations.

    Medical student Uma Mehta also had the opportunity to share her student research team project to School of Medicine Dean Dr. Bruce T. Liang.

    For example, Joseph Chopra of Bedford, New Hampshire is a second-year medical student. He presented his research team’s project focused on solving the issues of the underserved COPD population in Connecticut’s census. His research team is proposing a community-driven initiative and inexpensive intervention tool to improve indoor air quality thru DIY air filters.

    “Our COPD populations are underserved. COPD is associated with more sickness and poorer outcomes overall. COPD leads to worse outcomes for older people too,” said Chopra. “We wanted to find an intervention that helped.”

    Chopra has been inspired by MLK’s legacy and also the community outreach efforts he has witnessed while in medical school at UConn.

    Second-year UConn medical student Joseph Chopra presenting his student team’s poster on COPD and how to help the underserved community with its health disparities.

    “I have found a lot of inspiration from the people inside the community. Community outreach is very important and its wonderful to have the opportunity to learn from them about health disparities,” he says.

    Second-year medical students Samantha Mae Mallari of Milford and Ethan Knapp of Ridgefield were presenting their research project for their student team.

    It was about “Evidence-Based Strategies to Address Coronary Heart Disease in Norwalk, CT” and how a soda tax, produce prescription program, and Farmer’s Market could potentially lead to a healthier city.

    “Coronary artery disease and diabetes are big issues and we need to address their root causes,” shared Knapp. “We need to focus on diet.”

    They have both really enjoyed UConn School of Medicine’s teachings about health disparities and the certificate program.

    Second-year medical students (both right) Ethan Knapp and Samantha Mae Mallari presenting their student team research outside the Academic Rotunda on Jan. 30.

    “It’s a good way to teach us all the social factors that go into medicine, and for a well-rounded curriculum,” says Knapp. “A lot of our medical school graduates stay in Connecticut to serve underserved populations, so it’s good for us to learn how to address all their social determinants of health.”

    Mallari concludes, “We have MLK Day, but we should be thinking about health disparities always, especially in the medical field.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Health Patients and Cancer Center Honored at Play4Kay Game

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The XL Center in Hartford was a sea of pink on Sunday, Feb. 3, as fans traded their UConn blue for pink attire at the annual UConn Women’s Basketball Play4Kay game. Among those participating in the celebration were breast cancer patients, doctors and staff from the Breast Cancer Program at the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at UConn Health.

    Play4Kay brings communities together and honors cancer survivors in their struggle with cancers affecting women. Play4Kay was the vision of Hall of Fame Coach Kay Yow of the University of North Carolina, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 and after a 22-year on-again, off-again public battle, passed away in 2009.

    Each year, UConn Women’s Basketball partners with UConn Health’s Cancer Center to create an unforgettable experience for patients battling cancer. At Sunday’s game, seven courageous individuals were given the opportunity to participate in a special pregame and halftime ceremony, celebrating their strength and resilience.

    Before the game, patients June Gonzalez, Bobette Hylton, Jane Buden, Natasha Santana, Kristy Lankford, Crystal Driscoll, and Michelle Behme stood in the player’s tunnel, high-fiving and cheering on the UConn Women’s Basketball team as they took the court. The moment was filled with joy, encouragement, and a powerful display of community support.

    At halftime, these inspiring patients returned to center court, where they were honored alongside doctors, nurses, and staff from the UConn Health Cancer Center. The crowd erupted in applause, recognizing not only the patients’ ongoing fight against cancer but also the dedication of the medical team that supports them.  Each participant was gifted a UConn basketball signed by Coach Geno Auriemma as a gift from the team.

    Crystal Driscoll and Dr. Susan Tannenbaum

    Dr. Susan Tannenbaum, an associate professor of medicine who will be retiring from UConn Health later this year after more than twenty years of dedicated service, joined the patients in recognition of the exceptional care provided to them, alongside Dr. Yueming Chang, assistant professor of medicine, Dr. Alvaro Alvarez-Soto, third-year oncology fellow, and Jessica Santos-Martinez, Breast Cancer Program Coordinator.

    Since joining UConn Health in 2003, Dr. Tannenbaum has been a pillar of strength and a guiding light for countless cancer patients and their families. With unwavering dedication, compassion, and expertise, Dr. Tannenbaum has made a profound impact, providing care and hope during some of life’s most challenging moments and will be missed by many.

    For the patients, the experience was both uplifting and unforgettable. “It was such an incredible moment to feel that love and support and be there with Dr. Tannenbaum who I am going to miss so much,” said Michelle Behme. “To be on that court, surrounded by so much encouragement, meant the world to me.”

    Kristy Lankford, a teacher in her early 40s moved to Connecticut and was maintaining care for a stage 0 cancer caught in 2020.  Last October when she was feeling ill, she visited a walk-in center thinking she had a virus but was sent to oncology where she was surprised to learn that the cancer had spread to her liver and bones.  She had eight months of chemotherapy, and continued to work throughout her treatment as her students provided a good distraction.  In addition to the care she receives from Dr. Tannenbaum, she also receives treatment at the Dana-Farber Institute. “Working with both Dr. Tannenbaum at UConn Health and the Dana-Farber Institute feels like having multiple levels of coordinated care, ensuring I have the best options,” said Lankford.

    June Gonzalez, known to her friends as Jewels, had been treated for thyroid cancer in 2006, in October of 2024 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery in December.  She had started radiation just days before her attendance at the game.  She has been recieving care with Dr. Chang for her breast cancer and Dr. Beatriz Raquel Tendler for her thyroid.  “I am blessed to have my care at UConn Health, everyone at UConn Health is amazing.  I wouldn’t change anything about my doctors and the staff there,” said Gonzalez.

    All the patients agree that annual breast cancer screenings, listening to your body, and self-advocacy are essential for early detection, effective treatment, and improved outcomes.

    “This event is about celebrating hope and resilience,” said Jessica Santos-Martinez- Breast Cancer Program Coordinator. “Our patients are warriors, and we are proud to stand beside them in their journey.”

    The collaboration between UConn Women’s Basketball and UConn Health is a testament to the power of sports, community, and compassionate care. It serves as a reminder that no one fights cancer alone and that every victory, big or small, deserves to be celebrated.

    UConn Health’s Cancer Center is dedicated to providing top-tier care, groundbreaking research, and unwavering support to patients and their families.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Ensuring the consistent enforcement of EU law regarding parity of treatment for foreign-language lecturers in Italian universities – P-000286/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-000286/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Ciaran Mullooly (Renew)

    This question concerns the Commission’s actions in Case C-519/23[1] enforcing the judgment in Case C-119/04[2]. Interministerial Decree Law No 688 of 24 May 2023 is the latest legislative measure by the Italian Government aimed at implementing the ruling in Case C-119/04 and granting foreign-language lecturers (lettori) the settlements for reconstruction of career due to them under EU law. However, ambiguities in the Decree Law have led to varying interpretations by Italian universities.

    To ensure the uniform and consistent application of EU law in this matter, can the Commission clarify:

    • 1.whether, as acknowledged by the University of Milan and other universities, the judgment in Case C-119/04 confirms the right of lettori to career reconstruction settlements covering their entire period of employment, from the date of first hire to the present or retirement;
    • 2.whether it remains the Commission’s position that the reconstruction of lettori careers must use, as a minimum benchmark, the part-time researcher parameter, or more favourable parameters established in rulings by local Italian courts;
    • 3.whether the contract that has been in place since 1994 at La Sapienza University of Rome, a university whose documentation was cited by the Commission in infringement Cases C-212/99[3] and C-119/04 against Italy, remains contrary to EU law?

    Submitted: 22.1.2025

    • [1] Case C-519/23: Action brought on 10 August 2023, European Commission v Italian Republic, OJ C 338, 25.9.2023, p. 15.
    • [2] Judgment of the Court of Justice of 18 July 2006, Commission of the European Communities v Italian Republic, Case C-119/04, ECLI:EU:C:2006:489.
    • [3] Judgment of the Court of Justice of 26 June 2001, Commission of the European Communities v Italian Republic, Case C-212/99, ECLI:EU:C:2001:357.
    Last updated: 3 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Mastercard plans to get rid of credit card numbers. We could be heading towards the end of cards

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology

    Antonina St/Shutterstock

    Mastercard has announced plans to remove the 16-digit number from their credit and debit cards by 2030 in a move designed to stamp out identity theft and fraudulent use of cards.

    The numbers currently used to identify cards will be replaced with tokenisation and biometric authentication

    In 2022, Mastercard added biometric options enabling payments to be made with a smile or wave of the hand.

    Tokenisation converts the 16-digit card number into a different number – or token – stored on your device, so card information is never shared when you tap your card or phone or make payments online.

    The first rollout of these numberless cards will be through a partnership with AMP Bank, but it is expected other banks will follow in the coming 12 months.

    Why card security is important

    There is nothing quite like the sinking feeling after receiving a call or text from your bank asking about the legitimacy of a card transaction.

    In 2023-2024 the total value of card fraud in Australia was A$868 million, up from $677.5 million the previous financial year.

    Credit card numbers and payment details are often exposed in major data breaches affecting large and small businesses.

    The cost of credit card fraud in Australia rose by almost $200 million last financial year.
    CC7/Shutterstock

    Late last year, the US Federal Trade Commission took action against the Marriott and Starwood Hotels for lax data security. More than 300 million customers worldwide were affected.

    Event ticketing company Ticketmaster was also hacked last year. The details of several hundred million customers, including names, addresses, credit card numbers, phone numbers and payment details were illegally accessed.

    So-called “card-not-present fraud”, where an offender processes an unauthorised transaction without having the card in their physical possession, accounts for 92% of all card fraud in Australia. This rose 29% in the last financial year.

    The Card Verification Value (CVV) (or three-digit number on the back of a credit card) aimed to ensure the person making the transaction had the physical card in their hands. But it is clearly ineffective.

    Benefits of removing credit card numbers

    Removing the credit card number is the latest attempt to curb fraud. Removing numbers stops fraudsters processing unauthorised card-not-present transactions.

    It also reduces the potential for financial damage of victims exposed in data breaches, if organisations are no longer able to store these payment details.

    Companies will no longer be able to store card data, reducing the risk of data breaches.
    ESBProfessional/Shutterstock

    The storage of personal information is a contested issue. For example, the 2022 Optus data breach exposed information from customers who had previously held accounts with the telco back in 2018.

    Removing the ability of organisations to store payment details in the first place, removes the risk of this information being exposed in any future attack.

    While any efforts to reduce fraud are welcome, this new approach raises some new issues to consider.

    Potential problems with the new system

    Mastercard has said customers will use tokens generated by the customer’s banking app or biometric authentication instead of card numbers.

    This is likely to be an easy transition for customers who use mobile banking.

    However, the use of digital banking is not universal. Many senior consumers and those with a disability don’t use digital banking services. They would be excluded from the new protections.

    While strengthening the security attached to credit cards, removing numbers shifts the vulnerability to mobile phones and telecommunication providers.

    Offenders already access victims’ phones through mobile porting and impersonation scams. These attacks are likely to escalate as new ways to exploit potential vulnerabilities are found.

    There are also concerns about biometrics. Unlike credit card details, which can be replaced when exposed in a data breach, biometrics are fixed. Shifting a focus to biometrics will increase the attractiveness of this data, and potentially opens victims up to ongoing, irreversible damage.

    While not as common, breaches of biometric data do occur.

    For example, web-based security platform BioStar 2 in the UK exposed the fingerprints and facial recognition details of over one million people. Closer to home, IT provider to entertainment companies Outabox is alleged to have exposed facial recognition data of more than one million Australians.

    Will we really need cards in the future?

    While removing the numbers may reduce credit card fraud, emerging smart retail technologies may remove the need for cards all together.

    Smartphone payments are already becoming the norm, removing the need for physical cards. GlobalData revealed a 58% growth in mobile wallet payments in Australia in 2023, to $146.9 billion. In October 2024, 44% of payments were “device-present” transactions.

    Amazon’s innovative “Just-Walk-Out” technology has also removed the need for consumers to bring a physical credit or debit card all together.

    Amazon Go and the world’s most advanced shopping technology.

    This technology is available at more than 70 Amazon-owned stores, and at more than 85 third-party locations across the US, UK, and Australia. These include sports stadiums, airports, grocery stores, convenience stores and college campuses.

    The technology uses cameras, weight sensors and a combination of advanced AI technologies to enable shoppers in physical stores make purchases without having to swipe or tap their cards at the checkout line.

    Such technology is now being offered by a variety of other vendors including Trigo, Cognizant and Grabango. It is also being trialled across other international retailers, including supermarket chains Tesco and ALDI.

    While Just-Walk-Out removes the need to carry a physical card, at some point consumers still need to enter their cards details into an app. So, to avoid cards and numbers completely, smart retail tech providers are moving to biometric alternatives, like facial recognition payments.



    Read more:
    Paying with your face: what will convince consumers to use facial recognition payment technology?

    Considering the speed at which smart retail and payment technology is entering the marketplace, it is likely physical credit cards, numberless or not, will soon become redundant, replaced by biometric payment options.

    Gary Mortimer receives funding from the Building Employer Confidence and Inclusion in Disability Grant, AusIndustry Entrepreneurs’ Program, National Clothing Textiles Stewardship Scheme, National Retail Association, Australian Retailers Association. .

    Cassandra Cross has previously received funding from the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Cybersecurity Cooperative Research Centre.

    – ref. Mastercard plans to get rid of credit card numbers. We could be heading towards the end of cards – https://theconversation.com/mastercard-plans-to-get-rid-of-credit-card-numbers-we-could-be-heading-towards-the-end-of-cards-248545

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A deadly bird flu strain is headed for Australia – and First Nations people have the know-how to tackle it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nell Reidy, Research Fellow, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University

    ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock

    A virulent strain of bird flu continues to spread across the world. Australia, New Zealand and Pacific nations are the only countries free from the infection, but this will no doubt change.

    Known as “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza” or H5N1, the bird flu strain had killed more than 300 million birds worldwide as of December last year, including both poultry and wild bird populations.

    Birds have always been part of the cultures and livelihoods of Australia Indigenous people. They feature in songs and dance, and are used for food and customary practices such as ceremonies and craft. Many of these practices continue today.

    To date however, Indigenous peoples have not been adequately included in federal government planning for the arrival of H5N1.

    So what is the likely result? Agencies and organisations will be ill-prepared to support Indigenous people experiencing intense social and cultural shock. And the opportunity to draw from the strengths of Indigenous organisations to tackle this impending disaster will have been squandered.

    What is H5N1?

    First identified in Hong Kong in 1997, H5N1 has since spread globally.

    H5N1 is a viral infection primarily affecting birds – both poultry and wildlife. As overseas experience has shown, it can lead to population declines in wild birds and disrupt local ecosystems. Infected birds may exhibit symptoms such as lethargy, respiratory distress and neurological signs such as paralysis, seizures and tremors, and sudden death.

    The virus also affects mammals including humans.
    Since November 2003, more than 900 human cases have been reported across 24 countries. About half these people died.

    While Australia has suffered several severe avian influenza epidemics since the 1970s, the H5N1 strain has not yet affected birds in Australia. But when it does, the damage may be profound.

    Birds are vital to Indigenous culture

    Australia’s diverse, unique bird population comprises about 850 species, 45% of which exist only in Australia.

    Birds are highly significant to many Indigenous groups.

    The adult magpie goose and its eggs, for example, are an important food source for groups in the Kakadu region.

    In Tasmania, Indigenous groups are revitalising customary practices by harvesting mutton birds. And bird feathers are used by Indigenous artisans in fashion and jewellery-making.

    If H5N1 makes birds sick and diminishes their populations, Indigenous people’s livelihoods and wellbeing – social, emotional, and spiritual – will be severely affected.

    Many birds are already struggling

    Of greatest concern are the fate of threatened and endangered bird species. Indeed, Australia’s Threatened Species Commissioner, Dr Fiona Fraser, has warned the forthcoming H5N1 event may be more ecologically devastating than the 2019–20 bushfires.

    Migratory birds, such as waders that travel from Siberia to lake systems throughout Australia, may take years or decades to return – if they return at all.

    Even relatively healthy bird populations, such as emus, may be at risk in areas where local populations are dwindling.

    The challenge has become more pronounced following the 2019–20 bushfires that affected vast areas of Australia’s southeast. Biodiversity in these burnt forests was later found to have declined, especially in bird populations.

    These challenges mean Australia’s native bird populations may struggle to remain healthy and sustainable, and their availability to Indigenous groups is likely to diminish.

    Mobilising Indigenous know-how

    Indigenous people are deeply engaged in caring for Country and caring for their communities. This makes them a strategic asset when planning for the arrival of H5N1.

    For example, Indigenous rangers are deeply engaged in land and water management including habitat restoration and biodiversity surveys. So, they are well placed to protect and monitor native species.

    Traditional Owners and Indigenous rangers manage 87 dedicated “Indigenous Protected Areas” covering 90 million hectares of land and six million hectares of sea.

    Indigenous health organisations will also be crucial to identifying human illness, should rare animal-to-human transmissions occur.

    Shire councils and land councils are also well-placed to identify and monitor the impacts of bird flu.

    It’s time for Indigenous inclusion

    Indigenous inclusion in the federal government’s response to the threat H5N1 has been late and inadequate

    This means Australia is already behind in supporting Indigenous groups to understand the threat and how to respond if they observe it – including how to deal with sick or dead birds.

    To fill these gaps in public information, National Indigenous Disaster Resilience at Monash University has produced a bird flu fact sheet.

    Indigenous community organisations demonstrated an extraordinary capacity for leadership during COVID-19. The muscle memory to mobilise in response to another outbreak remains strong.

    Indigenous groups must be centred in preparing and responding to H5N1. What’s more, Indigenous culture needs to be foregrounded when considering how the virus might affect the social, psychological, spiritual, and economic wellbeing of communities.

    In response to concerns raised in this article, a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said the federal government was “working to engage with First Nations communities to ensure we meet community needs” before and during an outbreak of H5N1.

    The department’s Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy was surveilling for avian influenza in northern Australia, including working with Indigenous Rangers. Indigenous engagement has also included presentations delivered virtually and on-country.

    “By fostering close partnerships with First Nations communities and Indigenous rangers, and leveraging access to a broad collaborative network, NAQS is able to facilitate trusted avenues for First Nations communities and Indigenous rangers to report concerns about wild bird health across northern Australia,” the spokesperson said.

    States and territories were planning local responses, and nationally coordinated, culturally appropriate communication activities were being developed. The spokesperson said Parks Australia was also working with Traditional Owners at jointly managed national parks, and with the Indigenous Protected Areas network, in developing plans to prepare and respond to any H5N1 detection.

    Bhiamie Williamson is a director of Country Needs People, and the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute

    Vinod Balasubramaniam receives funding from Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia.

    Nell Reidy 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. A deadly bird flu strain is headed for Australia – and First Nations people have the know-how to tackle it – https://theconversation.com/a-deadly-bird-flu-strain-is-headed-for-australia-and-first-nations-people-have-the-know-how-to-tackle-it-245758

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Willis appoints Paul Graziano Growth Leader for Corporate Risk and Broking, North America

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis, a WTW business, (Nasdaq: WTW), today announced the appointment of Paul Graziano as Growth Leader for North America. Graziano will focus on driving the development of a consistent framework to unify our revenue growth efforts across Willis in North America.

    Graziano has more than thirty years of industry experience. He joins Willis from Marsh, where he was most recently Managing Director and Global Engagement Partner. He also brings extensive experience working with C-suite executives from Fortune 500 companies, as well as entrepreneurs, COIs and emerging growth companies. Previously, Graziano was Chief Business Development Officer at JLT, prior to its acquisition by Marsh in 2019. Before joining JLT, he spent 18 years at Aon as an Executive Vice President with numerous leadership roles.

    Graziano is based in Denver and is a graduate of Indiana University.

    Commenting on Graziano’s appointment, Adam Garrard, Chairman, Global Risk and Broking, said, “I am delighted to welcome Paul to the Willis team. His extensive experience focused on growth strategies and unique solutions for clients with complex risk profiles aligns perfectly with the growth plans for Willis in North America.”

    About WTW

    At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk, and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce, and maximize performance.

    Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you.

    Learn more at wtwco.com.

    Media Contact

    Douglas Menelly
    Douglas.Menelly@wtwco.com +1 (516) 972 0380

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Banning wildlife trade can increase trade of other threatened species

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Takahiro Kubo, Senior Researcher in National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) & Visiting Researcher in ICCS, University of Oxford

    Governments often use bans to protect wildlife that’s most threatened by trade. However, in our recent study we ask the question: could banning wildlife trade in one threatened species increase the trade in other threatened species?

    The expansion of online markets has made it easier for people to buy and sell wildlife. This potential for larger-scale commercial trade creates a potential threat to wildlife, particular when populations are small, which is often the case for species that inhabit islands.

    To deal with the risk of overexploitation, the government of Japan, one of the world’s largest wildlife markets, banned the trade of three threatened species: the giant water bug, the Tokyo salamander and the golden venus chub.

    While the ban successfully halted legal sales of the policy-targeted species, it had an unintended consequence: an increase in the sales of similar, non-banned species, some of which are threatened.

    This pattern, known as the “spillover effect”, suggests that when a species is no longer available, demand often moves to alternative species rather than disappearing entirely. However, these effects affected different species in different ways, with the spillover lasting for more than a year for water bugs, but disappearing over the same period for the salamanders and freshwater fish.

    These spillovers can be problematic as they can drive buyers to seek exotic pet species from other countries or even continents. Based on past experience in Japan and elsewhere, we know that these are often then released into nature by those that can no longer keep them. This increases the pressure on native fauna through competition and the spread of disease which may threaten not only native wildlife but also human health. Our findings highlight the need for a more comprehensive approach to wildlife trade regulations – one that considers both direct conservation efforts and indirect global impacts.

    Balancing bans

    While wildlife trade bans can play an important step, their ability to address overexploitation on their own is limited. To conserve species, we need complementary strategies that can manage demand and monitor supply.

    Prior to a ban, it is key to work to reduce the demand for the species to be targeted or redirect it to species that are well managed and not of conservation concern. This would be likely to minimise the effects of any unintended spillover after the trade ban comes into effect. If buyers understand why a species is at risk and are offered sustainable alternatives, they may be less likely to shift their interest to other vulnerable wildlife.

    Governments also need to enforce stronger monitoring to be able to track which species are traded and in what amount. This may be hard to implement across all trade but is feasible when we talk about online legal trade, which represents a large part of the global wildlife trade. Instead of focusing only on banned species, authorities should keep an eye on similar species that could become the next target for trade.

    For this to be effective, international cooperation, in the form of data sharing, for example, is critical since wildlife trade crosses borders. Countries need to work together to track and regulate trade so that bans don’t simply push demand to other regions.

    Finally, promoting legal, ethical and sustainable alternatives – such as responsible captive breeding programs or well-managed wild source populations – can help meet consumer demand without harming wild species.

    Our study serves as an important reminder: conservation has no silver bullets and we must be willing to embrace a multitude of tools if we are to deal with the different sides of an issue as complex as the wildlife trade. If we only focus on banning species without considering how the market will react, we risk simply moving the risk of extinction from one species to the next. A well-rounded approach – one that includes consumer behaviour change, improved monitoring and sustainable alternatives – offers the best chance of protecting wildlife for the long term.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Takahiro Kubo receives funding from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). He is a member of the IUCN SSC CEC Behaviour Change Taskforce.

    Diogo Veríssimo is the Chair of the IUCN SSC CEC Behaviour Change Taskforce.

    Taro Mieno 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. Banning wildlife trade can increase trade of other threatened species – https://theconversation.com/banning-wildlife-trade-can-increase-trade-of-other-threatened-species-247148

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why should humanities education persist in an AI age? Self-development, to start

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Johannes Steizinger, Associate Professor of Philosophy, McMaster University

    Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots has become rampant among students in higher education.

    While some might be ambivalent about the impact of generative AI on higher education, many instructors in the humanities scramble to adapt their classes to the new reality and have declared a crisis of their teaching model.

    Professors and students alike argue that unrestricted use of generative AI threatens the purpose of an education in disciplines like philosophy, history or literature. They say that, as a society, we should care about this loss of intellectual competencies.

    But why is it important that traditional learning not become obsolete — as some predict?

    Today, when corrupt leaders promote AI development, AI reflects repressive political biases. There are serious concerns about AI disinformation, so it’s critical to consider the original purpose of modern universities.

    I consider this question as a historian of philosophy who has examined how modern ideas have intersected with democratic and fascist societies.

    Ideas informing the modern university

    The idea of the modern university emerged amid the European Enlightenment. Inspired by a new ideal of humanity focused on an individual’s independence from authorities and traditions, philosophers such as Wilhelm von Humboldt, Friedrich Schleiermacher and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel introduced education as the proper path to self-development.

    The German term Bildung captures this broad understanding of the educational process, denoting the activity of shaping yourself according to your inner purpose.

    For the philosophers of Bildung, self-development couldn’t take place in isolation but required a community of equals where mutual recognition and critical engagement with each other unlocked everyone’s potential.

    They envisioned the university as a community of learners where teachers facilitate the self-development of students by supporting their critical faculties instead of adapting them to fulfil predetermined roles for society. They believed education should prepare for lifelong learning about the self and world.



    Read more:
    Does a university undergraduate degree lead to a ‘good job?’ It depends what you mean

    Concern about concentration of power

    It was Humboldt who turned these lofty ideals into concrete reforms, laying the groundwork for the modern university and its research-led teaching model. For Humboldt, the realm of Bildung had political significance.

    Living under Prussian absolutism, he feared the paternalism of the state that turned its citizens into loyal subjects under the pretence of furthering their spiritual and material welfare.

    He was critical of the attempt of Frederick the Great, the Prussian king, to regulate economic life and to control private consumption. Humboldt saw such a concentration of power as a despotic tendency that all forms of government could succumb to, including oligarchy and democracy. He therefore insisted on spaces for individual expression and free association. Literary salons were the initial community space for Bildung, and were a model for the modern idea of universities.

    A drawing by Georg Melchior Kraus depicts the salon of Duchess Anna Amalia, showing, among others, writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in discussion. The image suggests the important role of women and community in the Bildungs context.
    (Wikimedia)

    Women, Black philosophers shape ideals

    Yet, as critical thinkers such as Germaine de Staël have noted from early on, the Enlightenment betrayed the universal aspiration of its ideals by restricting their application mostly to a certain class of white and male Europeans.

    The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen from 1789 restricted active citizenship to male property owners and did not abolish slavery. Advocacy for applying equal rights to all was soon taken up by members of oppressed groups to justify their emancipatory pursuits.

    Early feminists in late 19th-century Germany, such as the philosopher and writer Hedwig Dohm, demanded access to educational institutions so that women could also “become who they are.”

    We find a similar battle cry in the United States, where writer and educator Anna Julia Cooper regarded the higher education of Black women as a key step to social change.

    Both point to thinkers outside the European canon of male authors that helped shape the idea of Bildung. Its emancipatory appeal should not surprise us, since a plausible definition of the main harm of oppression is that it deprives individuals of the capacity to self-develop and to express shared experiences collectively. The opportunity to develop one’s capacities in accordance with one’s true values is a key characteristic of a just society.



    Read more:
    How whiteness was invented and fashioned in Britain’s colonial age of expansion

    Understanding as a collaborative process

    I believe that the idea of Bildung still captures the value of humanities education. In-depth engagement with the complex manifestation of human cultures seen in philosophical ideas, forms of knowledge or literary texts fosters important skills necessary for self-development.

    Students learn critical thinking, enabling them to question authorities and discern their own convictions from received values. They experience thinking as a process which takes time and demands the exploration of different points of view — similar to democratic decision-making.

    Methods to understand others are therefore an important subject of the humanities. The humanities nurture the ability to connect and to develop solidarity with each other.

    The classroom itself is a space where students experience understanding as a collaborative process by discussing with their peers and the instructor.

    Instructors must actualize high-level pedagogical goals by creating concrete exercises through which intellectual skills can be learned and practised.

    Assessing claims, justifying evaluations

    Writing an essay has been the pinnacle of traditional humanities education, since it demands employing the full set of interpretative tools such as identifying sources, analyzing arguments, assessing claims and justifying evaluations independently. It also demands expressing oneself intellectually.

    Basic analytic skills such as formulating an argument or giving an objection can be taught in class. But in-class assignments cannot replace pondering an issue over some time and expressing one’s interpretation of it.

    The important exercise of individual study is deprived of its value when students use technological shortcuts to complete writing tasks. AI-driven chatbots undermine a key part of the learning process through which students improve their critical thinking. This happens through sustained engagement with complex issues, through which students grow by overcoming challenges and practising habits of thinking.

    Relying on AI can undermine processes through which students improve their critical thinking.
    (Pexels/Cottonbro)

    Dangers of ‘cognitive offloading’

    Empirical studies show the negative impact of delegating cognitive tasks to external aids, also called cognitive offloading, on critical thinking skills. Cognitive offloading can have dire political consequences. While we do not live under absolutism anymore, the ugly head of despotism raises its head again.

    In the U.S., as seen recently in Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration, the economic elite dominates the political system. Tech oligarchs have found a president who is using his vast powers to further their interests and is prepared to do so without checks and balances.

    More than ever, we need citizens who have learned to think for themselves and developed capacities for paying attention to and caring about complex challenges in our ever-changing world.

    At their best, the humanities are a laboratory to cultivate essential skills for critically assessing the status quo and imagining better alternatives in both political and economic life.

    Johannes Steizinger 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 should humanities education persist in an AI age? Self-development, to start – https://theconversation.com/why-should-humanities-education-persist-in-an-ai-age-self-development-to-start-246099

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: This year, make a commitment to understanding your world better: practise the art of slow looking

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sienna van Rossum, PhD Candidate, Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University

    gilber franco/Unsplash

    We are in a rapidly changing visual culture where it is increasingly inadequate to take images at face value.

    There is an ever-increasing prevalence of image manipulation and AI imagery. And in the attention economy, our attention has become a precious, sought-after resource. Images participate in this redirection of our attention with an endless production line of new, stimulating content to maximise user engagement.

    In this environment, there is an increasing demand to prioritise visual literacy with the same rigour as we do with writing and reading.

    We need to look more closely at images – to practise slow looking.

    What is it you’re looking at?

    The act of slow looking involves taking a pause and thoroughly describing what you see.

    Often, we jump to the image’s meaning by identifying its contents. But it is important to discern what the image actually “looks like” and how this influences its reading.

    The aim of looking slowly is not just to verify what is real, fake or AI. After all, there will become a time when it is too difficult and time-consuming for the average person to determine every AI-generated image without a watermark or label.

    While the ability to detect whether something is AI is one important skill, this should not be the only reason to practise slow looking. To only determine if it is fake or real can ignore what an AI image can also tell us about our cultural climate.

    In December, Madonna shared a deepfake of her embracing the Pope from digital artist RickDick.

    Satirical images of the pope have a long history. As early as the 16th century, artists depicted the head of the Catholic Church alongside the profane as a means of critique and provocation.

    RickDick’s deepfakes, in their eerie sense of realness, prove a new means to continue to satirise and provoke viewers in the digital age. We can deduce on close inspection that these images of Madonna and the Pope are not real photographs, but we can look even further to also discern what nevertheless gives these AI images their potency.

    Fake or not, the lifelike, intimate embrace of the two icons probes an old but ongoing friction between perceived acts of blasphemy in pop culture and the sacred authority of the church.

    In this etching from 1555, the Pope has three heads: one wears the papal tiara, one wears a turban, and one is an infant.
    The Metropolitan Museum of Art

    The act of slow looking develops visual literacy. It examines why certain images go viral, why some move us above others and what they say about our reality, values or beliefs.

    Beginning to look slowly

    To begin this practice, imagine you are trying to describe an image to a friend who cannot see it. What’s happening in the image? What is its scale? What colours are used? How is it made? Where and how are you viewing it – on your phone, a billboard or poster?

    Adopt a questioning stance to spot possible biases or blind spots – your own, or of the creator of the image. What is possibly missing from the image? Whose perspective is it or isn’t it showing?

    This process can be significantly enhanced through using your hands: draw or paint what you see. It doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming. Nor do you need to be “good” at it. Drawing on a scrap piece of paper with an old ballpoint pen you have on your desk for even just a few minutes can connect the mind and body into a deep awareness of your visual field.

    Try drawing what you see, to really examine it and have a deeper connection with it.
    Eepeng Cheong/Unsplash

    Pick anything to draw from your immediate surroundings or screens. This is all about the process: it is not the goal to have a finished artwork.

    Key details that weren’t apparent before will emerge through this creative practice and help you analyse how an image works, why it is or isn’t engaging and what are its multiple possible meanings.

    Slowing down

    That we should look more slowly in our fast-paced, oversaturated visual culture is not a new concept, especially in the art community.

    Numerous galleries such as London’s Tate Gallery, the National Gallery of Australia , and most recently Ipswich Art Gallery’s 2024 Arriving Slowly exhibition host “slow looking” events to initiate this practice.

    These events often take the form of a guided tour and provide prompts to build the viewer’s analytical skills, with the additional benefit of building a communal engagement to look slowly together.

    We are all creators and consumers of images. It is important for all of us to reflect on where our attention is being directed, and why, in the constant flood of images.

    We have a shared responsibility in how we examine images. Now, more than ever, our visual literacy would benefit from creative practices to slow us down. At both individual and collective levels, we should prioritise looking intently at how our images remember the past, define our present, and envision the future.

    Sienna van Rossum 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. This year, make a commitment to understanding your world better: practise the art of slow looking – https://theconversation.com/this-year-make-a-commitment-to-understanding-your-world-better-practise-the-art-of-slow-looking-240218

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Should Australia mandate cancer warnings for alcoholic drinks?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Visontay, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Alcohol and Long-term Health, University of Sydney

    Hryshchyshen Serhii/Shutterstock

    Alcohol causes huge harm in Australia, responsible for 5,800 new cancer cases per year. Yet many of us remain in the dark about its health risks.

    In January, the United States’ Office of the Surgeon General, the country’s leading public health spokesperson, recommended warnings about alcohol’s cancer risks should be displayed on drink packaging.

    These messages have already been made obligatory in Ireland and South Korea.

    So, do they work? And should we mandate them here?

    Isn’t a glass of wine or two good for me?

    Most of us know heavy drinking is unhealthy.

    Yet the belief a few glasses of wine helps protect against heart disease and other conditions has persisted. That is despite evidence in recent years showing the benefits have been overestimated and the harms underplayed.

    In fact, any level of alcohol use increases the risk for several types of cancer, including colorectal cancer (affecting the large intestine and rectum) and breast cancer.

    In recent years, the evidence has strengthened showing alcohol plays a clear, causal role increasing cancer risk and other serious health problems, as well as all-cause mortality.

    One study estimated how many new cancer cases will develop across the lifetimes of the 18.8 million Australian adults who were alive in 2016. It predicted a quarter of a million (249,700) new cancers – mostly colorectal – will arise due to alcohol.

    We know what causes this harm. For example, acetaldehyde – a chemical produced by the body when it processes alcohol – is carcinogenic.

    Alcohol also increases cancer risk through “oxidative stress”, an imbalance in the body’s antioxidants and free radicals which causes damage to DNA and inflammation.

    It can also affect hormone levels, which raises the risk for breast cancer in particular.

    Australians unaware of the risk

    While the harms are well-known to researchers, many Australians remain unaware.

    Figures vary, but at best only 59% of us know about the direct link between alcohol and cancer (and at worst, just one in five are aware).

    Perhaps the best evidence this message has failed to sink in is our continued love affair with alcohol.

    In 2022–23 69% of us drank alcohol, with one in three doing so at levels deemed risky by the National Health and Medical Research Council. For both men and women, that means having more than ten standard drinks per week or more than four in one day.



    Read more:
    Mother’s little helper: interviews with Australian women show a complex relationship with alcohol

    What are other countries doing?

    Like Australia, the US already has warnings on alcohol about its impacts on unborn children and a person’s ability to operate cars and machinery.

    The US Surgeon General wants additional explicit warnings about cancer risk to be compulsory.

    Alcohol packaging in Australia warns about pregnancy risk.
    Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock

    This follows Ireland, the first country to mandate cancer labels for alcohol. From 2026, alcohol packaging will include the warning: “there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers”.

    Other countries, including Norway and Thailand, are also reportedly investigating cancer warning labels.

    Since 2017, alcohol producers in South Korea have had to choose between three compulsory warning labels – two of which warn of cancer risks. However they can instead opt for a label which warns about alcohol’s risks for dementia, stroke and memory loss.

    Will Australia follow suit?

    Australian health bodies have been advocating for cancer warnings on drink packaging for over a decade.

    Currently, whether to include warnings about alcohol’s general health risks is at the discretion of the manufacturer.

    Many use vague “drink responsibly” messages or templates provided by DrinkWise, an organisation funded by the alcohol industry.

    Pregnancy warning labels (“Alcohol can cause lifelong harm to your baby”) only became obligatory in 2023. Although this covers just one of alcohol’s established health effects, it has set an important precedent.

    We now have a template for how introducing cancer and other health warnings might work.

    With pregnancy labels, the government consulted public health and industry bodies and gave a three-year transition period for manufacturers to adjust. We even have examples of colour and formatting of required labels that could be adapted.

    Perhaps most promisingly, four in five surveyed Australians support adding these cancer-specific warnings.

    Cancer warnings already feature on some tobacco products in Australia.
    Galexia/Shutterstock

    Would it work?

    We know the existing “drink responsibly”-style warnings are not enough. Research shows consumers find these messages ambiguous.

    But would warnings about cancer be an improvement? Ireland’s rules are yet to come into effect, and it’s too early to tell how well South Korea’s policy has worked (there are also limitations give manufacturers can choose a warning not related to cancer).

    But a trial of cancer warnings in one Canadian liquor store found they increased knowledge of the alcohol–cancer link by 10% among store customers.

    Cancer messages would likely increase awareness about risks. But more than that – a 2016 study that tested cancer warnings on a group of 1,680 adults across Australia found they were also effective at reducing people’s intentions to drink.

    The evidence suggests a similar policy could replicate the success of cancer warnings on cigarette packaging – first introduced in the 1970s – at increasing knowledge about risks and reducing consumption. Smoking rates in Australian adults have declined steadily since these warnings were first introduced.

    It may take years before Australia changes its rules on alcohol labelling.

    In the meantime, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the current national low-risk drinking guidelines, which aim to minimise harm from alcohol across a range of health conditions.

    Rachel Visontay receives funding from the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales.

    Louise Mewton receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dementa Australia, Australian Rotary Health, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC).

    – ref. Should Australia mandate cancer warnings for alcoholic drinks? – https://theconversation.com/should-australia-mandate-cancer-warnings-for-alcoholic-drinks-246890

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley Call for Reinstatement of Inspectors General Illegally Fired by Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    February 03, 2025

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are demanding the immediate reinstatement of Inspectors General (IGs) from at least 18 government agencies, in a letter to Donald Trump strongly condemning his recent decision to remove them from their crucial posts. 

    The IGs who were removed included those overseeing the Departments of Defense, State, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. In the letter, which Wyden and Merkley sent with 30 colleagues, the senators underscored that Trump’s actions violated the law and threaten the independence of these non-partisan watchdogs.   

    “Inspectors General are responsible for providing independent oversight of federal programs by working to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and protect taxpayer dollars – oversight our federal agencies desperately need,” the senators wrote. “The federal government and the American people count on these officials to operate in a professional and non-partisan way to hold our government accountable—regardless of who is in power.  Without strong, qualified, and independent officials to lead these critical efforts, the Administration risks wasting taxpayer dollars, and allowing fraud and misconduct to go unchecked.” 

    The senators continued: “While the President has the authority to remove Inspectors General from office, Congress has established clear requirements to ensure such removals are transparent and are not politicized,” wrote the senators. “With respect to your firings Friday night, Congress has not received either the mandatory 30-day notice or a rationale for their removal.  Because your actions violated the law, these IGs should be reinstated immediately, until such time as you have provided in writing ‘the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons’ for each of the affected Inspectors General and the 30-day notice period has expired.”   

    Full text of the letter is here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s Project 2025 agenda caps decades-long resistance to 20th century progressive reform

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Colin Gordon, Professor of History, University of Iowa

    There has long been a tug-of-war over White House plans to make government more liberal or more conservative. Douglas Rissing/iStock / Getty Images Plus

    For much of the 20th century, efforts to remake government were driven by a progressive desire to make the government work for regular Americans, including the New Deal and the Great Society reforms.

    But they also met a conservative backlash seeking to rein back government as a source of security for working Americans and realign it with the interests of private business. That backlash is the central thread of the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” blueprint for a second Trump Administration.

    Alternatively disavowed and embraced by President Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign, Project 2025 is a collection of conservative policy proposals – many written by veterans of his first administration. It echoes similar projects, both liberal and conservative, setting out a bold agenda for a new administration.

    But Project 2025 does so with particular detail and urgency, hoping to galvanize dramatic change before the midterm elections in 2026. As its foreword warns: “Conservatives have just two years and one shot to get this right.”

    The standard for a transformational “100 days” – a much-used reference point for evaluating an administration – belongs to the first administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

    President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Bill in Washington on Aug. 14, 1935.
    AP Photo, file

    Social reforms and FDR

    In 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression, Roosevelt faced a nation in which business activity had stalled, nearly a third of the workforce was unemployed, and economic misery and unrest were widespread.

    But Roosevelt’s so-called “New Deal” unfolded less as a grand plan to combat the Depression than as a scramble of policy experimentation.

    Roosevelt did not campaign on what would become the New Deal’s singular achievements, which included expansive relief programs, subsidies for farmers, financial reforms, the Social Security system, the minimum wage and federal protection of workers’ rights.

    Those achievements came haltingly after two years of frustrated or ineffective policymaking. And those achievements rested less on Roosevelt’s political vision than on the political mobilization and demands made by American workers.

    A generation later, another wave of social reforms unfolded in similar fashion. This time it was not general economic misery that spurred actions, but the persistence of inequality – especially racial inequality – in an otherwise prosperous time.

    LBJ’s Great Society

    President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society programs declared a war on poverty and, toward that end, introduced a raft of new federal initiatives in urban, education and civil rights.

    These included the provision of medical care for the poor and older people via Medicaid and Medicare, a dramatic expansion of federal aid for K-12 education, and landmark voting rights and civil rights legislation.

    As with the New Deal, the substance of these policies rested less with national policy designs than with the aspirations and mobilization of the era’s social movements.

    Resistance to policy change

    Since the 1930s, conservative policy agendas have largely taken the form of reactions to the New Deal and the Great Society.

    The central message has routinely been that “big government” has overstepped its bounds and trampled individual rights, and that the architects of those reforms are not just misguided but treasonous. Project 2025, in this respect, promises not just a political right turn but to “defeat the anti-American left.”

    After the 1946 midterm elections, congressional Republicans struck back at the New Deal. Drawing on business opposition to the New Deal, popular discontent with postwar inflation, and common cause with Southern Democrats, they stemmed efforts to expand the New Deal, gutting a full employment proposal and defeating national health insurance.

    They struck back at organized labor with the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, which undercut federal law by allowing states to pass anti-union “right to work” laws. And they launched an infamous anti-communist purge of the civil service, which forced nearly 15,000 people out of government jobs.

    In 1971, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce commissioned Lewis Powell – who would be appointed by Republican President Richard Nixon to the Supreme Court the next year – to assess the political landscape. Powell’s memorandum characterized the political climate at the dawn of the 1970s – including both Great Society programs and the anti-war and Civil Rights movements of the 1960s – as nothing less than an “attack on the free enterprise system.”

    In a preview of current U.S. politics, Powell’s memorandum devoted special attention to a disquieting “chorus of criticism” coming from “the perfectly respectable elements of society: from the college campus, the pulpit, the media, the intellectual and literary journals, the arts and sciences, and from politicians.”

    Powell characterized the social policies of the New Deal and Great Society as “socialism or some sort of statism” and advocated the elevation of business interests and business priorities to the center of American political life.

    A copy of Project 2025 is held during the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago.
    AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

    Building a conservative infrastructure

    Powell captured the conservative zeitgeist at the onset of what would become a long and decisive right turn in American politics. More importantly, it helped galvanize the creation of a conservative infrastructure – in the courts, in the policy world, in universities and in the media – to push back against that “chorus of criticism.”

    This political shift would yield an array of organizations and initiatives, including the political mobilization of business, best represented by the emergence of the Koch brothers and the powerful libertarian conservative political advocacy group they founded, known as Americans for Prosperity. It also yielded a new wave of conservative voices on radio and television and a raft of right-wing policy shops and think tanks – including the Heritage Foundation, creator of Project 2025.

    In national politics, the conservative resurgence achieved full expression in President Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign. The “Reagan Revolution” united economic and social conservatives around the central goal of dismantling what was left of the New Deal and Great Society.

    Powell’s triumph was evident across the policy landscape. Reagan gutted social programs, declared war on organized labor, pared back economic and social regulations – or declined to enforce them – and slashed taxes on business and the wealthy.

    Publicly, the Reagan administration argued that tax cuts would pay for themselves, with the lower rates offset by economic growth. Privately, it didn’t matter: Either growth would sustain revenues, or the resulting budgetary hole could be used to “starve the beast” and justify further program cuts.

    Reagan’s vision, and its shaky fiscal logic, were reasserted in the “Contract with America” proposed by congressional Republicans after their gains in the 1994 midterm elections.

    This declaration of principles proposed deep cuts to social programs alongside tax breaks for business. It was perhaps most notable for encouraging the Clinton administration to pass the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996, “ending welfare as we know it,” as Clinton promised.

    Aiming at the ‘deep state’

    Project 2025, the latest in this series of blueprints for dramatic change, draws most deeply on two of those plans.

    As in the congressional purges of 1940s, it takes aim not just at policy but at the civil servants – Trump’s “deep state” – who administer it.

    In the wake of World War II, the charge was that feckless bureaucrats served Soviet masters. Today, Project 2025 aims to “bring the Administrative State to heel, and in the process defang and defund the woke culture warriors who have infiltrated every last institution in America.”

    As in the 1971 Powell memorandum, Project 2025 promises to mobilize business power; to “champion the dynamic genius of free enterprise against the grim miseries of elite-directed socialism.”

    Whatever their source – party platforms, congressional bomb-throwers, think tanks, private interests – the success or failure of these blueprints rested not on their vision or popular appeal but on the political power that accompanied them. The New Deal and Great Society gained momentum and meaning from the social movements that shaped their agendas and held them to account.

    The lineage of conservative responses has been largely an assertion of business power. Whatever populist trappings the second Trump administration may possess, the bottom line of the conservative cultural and political agenda in 2025 is to dismantle what is left of the New Deal or the Great Society, and to defend unfettered “free enterprise” against critics and alternatives.

    Colin Gordon receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and the Russell Sage Foundation.

    – ref. Trump’s Project 2025 agenda caps decades-long resistance to 20th century progressive reform – https://theconversation.com/trumps-project-2025-agenda-caps-decades-long-resistance-to-20th-century-progressive-reform-247176

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Books of mana: 10 essential reads for Waitangi Day

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angela Wanhalla, Professor of History, University of Otago

    In the 185 years since te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed between Māori rangatira and the British Crown, Māori have been writing about its meaning, sharing their stories and seeking justice.

    For some years, we have been reading and thinking about this mass of written work by Māori. While we know and love these titles, we were aware many New Zealanders have little idea that Māori scholarship stretches back to the earliest books published in this country.

    So, in 2018 we collaborated with Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (the Māori Centre of Research Excellence) and Te Apārangi Royal Society of New Zealand to curate a list of Māori non-fiction publications. Our list formed the inspiration for Books of Mana: 180 Māori-Authored Books of Significance, published this week by Otago University Press.


    Co-edited with Jeanette Wikaira, and featuring short essays by leading Māori writers about their relationship to books, mātauranga Māori and the written word, it showcases 180 Māori-authored books published between 1815 and 2022.

    For generations our ancestors created sense, meaning, stories and histories from the mountains, rivers and coastlines, and recited generations of history and knowledge through whakapapa, karanga, whaikōrero, mōteatea and pūrākau.

    With the arrival of Europeans in the late 18th-century, Māori adopted new tools for recording and passing on knowledge. Pen and paper were rapidly added to the kete and used to weave stories, to engage in creative expression, and as a way to connect and resist.

    Much of this writing holds prestige, authority, power, influence, status and even charisma. The word that we think best describes these books is mana.

    We encourage all New Zealanders to know more about these remarkable books. At a time when Māori language, culture, identity and te Tiriti are politically threatened, Māori writing is essential for anyone serious about understanding the past, present and future of Aotearoa New Zealand from a Māori perspective.

    This Waitangi Day, consider reading any one of these 180 books. But to help make the selection even easier, here are ten that are accessible in bookstores or local libraries.

    These titles address language revitalisation, leadership, politics and history. They are also relevant to the world we find ourselves in today.

    Ngā Pepa a Ranginui, The Walker Papers – Ranginui Walker


    To understand contemporary political debates it is worth looking to the past. Ranginui Walker was one of New Zealand’s leading intellectuals. His collection of opinion pieces, originally published in the Listener magazine between 1973 and 1990, are collated in Ngā Pepa a Ranginui, The Walker Papers.

    All of these opinion pieces remain relevant today. As a communicator between the worldviews of Māori and Pākehā, the range of topics he wrote about was extraordinary, from fishing rights, to Māori ideas about health, to critiques of government policies.

    Tōku Reo, Tōku Ohooho – Chris Winitana

    Ranginui Walker said te reo Māori is a taonga. In Tōku Reo Tōku Ohooho, Chris Winitana tells the story of the people who fought for its retention and revitalisation from the 1970s – and why this kaupapa remains so vitally important today. The book is available either in English or te reo Māori and will be of interest to many as we strive to keep te reo Māori alive.

    Huia Histories of Māori: Ngā Tāhuhu Kōrero – Danny Keenan

    A stellar lineup of Māori writers will help deepen your knowledge of custom, the natural world, language, health, politics and cultural expression in editor Danny Keenan’s recently republished book Huia Histories of Māori. It covers a vast array of topics, from waka migration traditions, to the introduction of Christianity, to the New Zealand Wars and much more.

    Navigating the Stars: Maori Creation Myths – Witi Ihimaera


    In Navigating the Stars: Māori creation myths Witi Ihimaera shows how we have always been storytellers, intellectuals and knowledge makers. Pūrākau (legends) are retold for the 21st-century by this pioneer of the Māori novel and short story.

    We are in awe of the way the author honours this storytelling tradition and strengthens it for the future. This is a big book that starts our national history with Māori creation narratives, and challenges us to think differently about our past.

    Te Kōparapara: An introduction to the Māori world – Michael Reilly & others

    If you are looking to build your knowledge of te ao Māori (the Māori world), but don’t know where to begin, we recommend Te Kōparapara. It’s a really accessible introduction to Māori culture, tikanga, history and contemporary society.

    Wayfinding Leadership – Chellie Spiller, Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr & John Panoho

    Our tūpuna (ancestors) guide us into the future. Chellie Spiller, Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr and John Panoho look to waka navigators in Wayfinding Leadership. It’s part practical guide about how to lead for the collective good, but also part introduction to Māori philosophy. And it’s all cleverly told through the boldness, radical vision and skill of those who laid the foundations for Māori to flourish in these islands.

    Imagining Decolonisation – Bianca Elkington, Moana Jackson & others


    The bestselling Imagining Decolonisation explains what decolonisation looks like for Māori and Pākehā in an accessible way, and sets out what is required for our country to become a just society.

    A particular highlight is the contribution of the late Moana Jackson. A lawyer who was passionate about the transformative possibilities of te Tiriti for Aotearoa, his writings about justice reform and constitutional change will continue to shape generations to come.

    A Fire in the Belly of Hineāmaru – Melinda Webber & Te Kapua O’Connor

    A Fire in the Belly of Hineāmaru: A collection of narratives about Te Tai Tokerau, translated into te reo Māori by Quinton Hita, is an invitation into Te Tai Tokerau histories, lands and esteemed ancestors, told through the lives of peacemakers, strategists, explorers and entrepreneurs (available in both English and te reo Māori editions).

    Mokorua – Ariana Tikao

    Mokorua is an inspiring account of the author “re-indigenising” through receiving her moko kauae. We love how she weaves that story into a personal reclaiming of language and identity. Matt Calman’s photographs are particularly striking, too.

    From the Centre: A writer’s life – Patricia Grace


    A favourite book is From the Centre: a writer’s life, an uplifting memoir by one of our most gifted fiction writers. It stresses the power of reading for cultivating imagination, anchoring identity and deepening a sense of belonging.

    We treasured reading about Grace’s life growing up, how she responded to instances of injustice and unfairness, and how she had the courage to write about everyday Māori families. The gentle weight of this beautiful work, in both a physical and emotional sense, will live with us for a long time.

    These books enrich our scholarship and our everyday life. We hope you take some time this Waitangi week to engage with Māori writing, and that you come to love these taonga as much as we do.

    Angela Wanhalla has received previous funding from Royal Society Te Apārangi and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga for this book project.

    Jacinta Ruru has received previous funding from Royal Society Te Apārangi and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga for this book project.

    – ref. Books of mana: 10 essential reads for Waitangi Day – https://theconversation.com/books-of-mana-10-essential-reads-for-waitangi-day-248521

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –