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  • MIL-OSI USA: Voting Is Social Work: Empowering Social Workers to Empower Voters

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    When people and communities become disenfranchised, they have no say in the policies that govern their lives.

    The policies that impact whether or not their local school systems will be effective.

    The decisions that make affordable housing achievable or untenable.

    The choices about where concentrating economic development might help a neighborhood and create good-paying jobs – or where it won’t.

    For James Jeter, the co-founder and director of the Full Citizens Coalition – a Connecticut-based action group focused on undoing the injustices and harms caused by felony disenfranchisement – a big part of breaking the cycle of disenfranchisement is civic education and political advocacy.

    “If those who are convicted of felonies have their right to vote, then they have a direct say in what’s governing their town,” Jeter says. “They become more active and conscious of town governance. And they’re able to speak directly to something working, which has the ability to completely change the narrative in their communities about what is possible on a local level.”

    It’s both a moral and a personal mission for Jeter, who was incarcerated for nearly 20 years. He came home in 2017, started the coalition in 2018, and has been working on uplifting individuals and communities and enacting legal reforms in Connecticut ever since.

    But the issue of felony disenfranchisement isn’t just a Connecticut problem. The United States has a long history, especially in African American communities, Jeter explains, of restricting ballot access and using the criminal justice system to reduce the political power of communities of color.

    And it’s worked. Removing the right to vote has a generational impact on communities most affected by incarceration.

    “That cycle has to break somewhere, and for us, what we see is that it’s really hard to engage communities – to engage them on something that they’ve never experienced,” Jeter says. “We want to use the same tool that was used to disengage us to reengage us.”

    That tool is voting. And helping disenfranchised voters reengage with the electoral process through understanding and exercising their right to vote on all levels – local, state, and federal – is a goal that Tanya Rhodes Smith, director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work at the UConn School of Social Work, wholeheartedly shares.

    “Voting is complicated, and it’s intimidating, especially for vulnerable populations, like the unhoused, the formerly incarcerated, or those living in congregate care,” says Rhodes Smith. “We know that being a non-voter is a very isolating space, because voting is highly relational. Campaigns generally ignore non-voters— you don’t get campaign materials, or someone knocking on your door. Information on candidates in state and local elections in communities with low turnout can be very hard to find or even nonexistent.”

    That’s where social workers, explains Rhodes Smith, can play an important role in helping disenfranchised voters understand their rights – and register to vote.

    Money, Power, and Resources

    As co-founders since 2015, UConn’s Humphreys Institute has been the institutional home for Voting Is Social Work.

    Also known as the National Social Work Voter Mobilization Campaign, Voting Is Social Work supports nonpartisan voter engagement as central to social work’s mission, ethical mandate, and impact.

    “We’ve always believed that social work has the power to transform democracy,” says Rhodes Smith, “and we believe every social worker – and social service agency – should include nonpartisan voter engagement into their practice and work. Because we reach non-voters – those who are least likely to vote.”

    Social work was founded as a political profession, she explains, and has always been committed to not only working with individuals, but also working to solve the complex issues and barriers within the communities they serve.

    “When you think about social determinants of health – the environmental and socio-economic conditions in which people live, work, and play that have a powerful impact on our health and outcomes – these are shaped by money, power, and resources,” Rhodes Smith says. “And money, power, and resources are shaped by public policy and elected officials.”

    And who better to help people understand how to engage with those processes than the people who are already working within impacted communities?

    “From the standpoint of clients, guardians, people who are in foster care, overseeing foster care – the people who don’t have a say, or don’t believe they have a say, in the structures of policies that govern their lives – sometimes the closest person to you helping you navigate whatever hurdles have been presented in your life at the time are social workers,” says Jeter.

    “Having an understanding of the need and the ability to reach community, I think it impacts and benefits the community, especially when you’re training a generation of social workers to be conscious in this manner,” he continues.

    And training social workers is exactly what Voting Is Social Work does.

    De Facto Disenfranchisement

    Voting Is Social Work is active in all 50 states, says Rhodes Smith, and provides training and resources for students, faculty, schools, organizations, and individual social workers.

    Through a recently relaunched and robust website, the campaign provides easily accessible information so that social workers and others can first educate themselves and then work to give that knowledge to the clients and communities they serve.

    One of the challenges, Rhodes Smith explains, is that voter registration regulations and Election Day procedures vary widely from state to state. For individuals with special circumstances, complex rules can cause even more confusion.

    In the case of felony disenfranchisement, for example, many formerly incarcerated people who believe that they are not eligible to vote actually can cast ballots.

    “There are 20 million people in our country with a felony record, and more 4 million of them have lost the right to vote, currently,” says Rhodes Smith. “But there is this de facto disenfranchisement, because people don’t know the rules. They just assume that they can’t vote.

    “So, if social workers don’t know the rules, they can inadvertently suppress the political power of the people that they’re serving. And that goes for those who are in congregate care – that goes for all of the groups that are most vulnerable and most likely to not understand the complicated set of rules that are made state by state,” she says.

    In fact, an entire set of educational materials available through Voting Is Social Work is focused particularly on those individuals with special circumstances, who are more vulnerable to disenfranchisement due to their personal circumstances – including voters with disabilities, individuals who do not speak English, Americans residing outside of the U.S., including Uniformed Service members; survivors of domestic violence; and the unhoused.

    “Many people assume that if you don’t have a home, you can’t vote,” says Rhodes Smith. “We are big proponents of saying that anyone can register to vote. You don’t need a home. You don’t even need a shelter. You can register at a park bench.

    “So, we get that word out because, again – social workers are in these spaces.”

    All Year Long

    Over the last nine years, the reach of Voting Is Social Work has only broadened.

    The campaign has been endorsed by more than 20 national professional organizations, including the National Association of Social Workers; the Council on Social Work Education, which is the accrediting body of social work education; and the Clinical Social Work Organization.

    The campaign has trained thousands of students, faculty, and organizations on incorporating nonpartisan voter engagement into social work practice, according to Rhodes Smith.

    And the importance of the effort has only increased over the last decade – research has linked voting to higher earning and education, better health outcomes, and lower rates of recidivism. Areas of lower voter turnout – often referred to as “voting deserts” – receive less resource investment and have higher rates of arrest and incarceration.

    This year, in the midst of a contentious federal election cycle, and with Election Day fast approaching, the visibility around efforts to engage voters, to register nonvoters, and to address issues of voter disenfranchisement are highly visible.

    But for the organizers of Voting Is Social Work, nonpartisan voter engagement matters regardless of the election cycle, no matter who is on the ballot, and wherever an election is taking place.

    “Our goal is, all year long, are we giving people the information they need to participate in every election,” says Rhodes Smith.

    “Special elections, local elections, primary elections, general elections – are we connecting them to nonpartisan resources so that they can look up the candidates and they can be informed voters in their community? Are we helping them look up who represents them and build their political capital?”

    To learn more about, connect with, or take part in the Voting Is Social Work campaign, visit voting.socialwork.uconn.edu.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Additional Georgia County Now Eligible for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Helene

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Additional Georgia County Now Eligible for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Helene

    Additional Georgia County Now Eligible for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Helene

    ATLANTA – Homeowners and renters in McIntosh County who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Helene can now apply for FEMA disaster assistance.

    FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Previously, Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks,  Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Hancock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, Montgomery, Newton, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Wheeler counties were authorized for assistance to households.

    There are several ways to apply: Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or visit a Disaster Recovery Center. The FEMA Helpline is open every day and help is available in most languages. 

    The deadline to apply is Dec. 2, 2024.

    What You’ll Need When You Apply

    • A current phone number where you can be contacted.
    • Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying.
    • Your Social Security number.
    • A general list of damage and losses.
    • Banking information if you choose direct deposit.
    • If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name.

    If you have homeowners, renters or flood insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.

    For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4830. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.

    minh.phan

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China reports home appliance sales surge under trade-in program

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s ongoing trade-in program for home appliances has led to a surge in sales revenues which topped 69.09 billion yuan (9.7 billion U.S. dollars) since August, the latest data from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) showed Wednesday.

    As of Oct. 15, around 10.13 million consumers have benefited from the program for which the central government has provided more than 13.17 billion yuan in subsidies for consumers, the MOC said.

    MOC data showed that green and smart home appliances are favored by consumers, with products labeled with top-level energy efficiency accounting for more than 90 percent of the sales revenues during the period.

    Regions such as Hubei Province, Chongqing and Shanghai municipalities, and the city of Shenzhen have expanded the categories of home appliances eligible for subsidies according to local conditions, incorporating green and intelligent products such as sweeping robots, dishwashers, air purifiers, and unmanned aerial vehicles, the ministry said.

    In the next step, the ministry will continue to encourage various regions to speed up the implementation of subsidy policies and guide home appliance manufacturers as well as distribution companies to seize the consumption boom periods such as the Double Eleven online shopping festival to boost consumption under the trade-in program, it said.

    The Double Eleven online shopping festival, also known as the Singles’ Day shopping festival, is a Chinese version of Black Friday when discounts and sales promotions are usually offered for consumers in the month of November.

    In a significant push to stimulate consumer spending, China has rolled out an expansive trade-in policy across multiple sectors since August.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: U.S. Achievements in the Global Fight Against  Corruption

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Corruption poses a grave and enduring threat to U.S. national interests and those of our partners. When officials abuse their entrusted power for personal or political gain, the interests of authoritarians and corrupt actors win – at the expense of citizens, honest businesses, and healthy societies. As the Biden-Harris Administration took office, this longstanding challenge had metastasized. In some countries, oligarchs were teaming up with foreign kleptocrats to warp policy and procurement decisions in exchange for kickbacks – with no accountability. Corrupt officials were laundering stolen assets through the U.S. and global financial systems, while local investigators were ill-equipped to follow the money. Reformers in countries saddled with corruption had scarce public resources to actually address development needs. The Biden-Harris Administration tacked these challenges starting Day One, to ensure democracy delivers and corrupt actors are held to account.
    The first National Security Study Memorandum of the Biden-Harris Administration established countering corruption as a “core U.S. national security interest,” leading to the issuance in December 2021 of the first United States Strategy on Countering Corruption. Since then, the United States has taken action at home and around the world to curb illicit finance, hold corrupt actors accountable, forge multilateral partnerships, and equip frontline leaders to take on transnational corruption. The result has been historic progress in protecting the U.S. financial system from money-laundering, including in the residential real estate sector, while enhancing corporate transparency. This Administration has mobilized record levels of foreign assistance dedicated to anti-corruption, including $339 million in Fiscal Year 2023 alone – almost double the yearly average during the previous four years. This new assistance has unlocked support for anti-corruption institutions, leveled the playing field for law-abiding businesses, enabled journalists to team up across borders, and more. Expanded law enforcement cooperation and capacity-building have generated convictions of corrupt actors as well as the seizure, forfeiture, and return of criminal proceeds, while new anti-corruption offices at the Department of State (State) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) energized diplomatic and stakeholder engagement. The United States imposed sanctions on more than 500 individuals and entities for corruption and related activities, and established – for the first time in any jurisdiction globally – a new visa restriction for those who enable corrupt activity.
    U.S. progress on anti-corruption has produced concrete benefits for the American people and stakeholders around the world – enhancing prosperity, economic security, safety, and democracy, as outlined below. To bolster and sustain this work, the U.S. government has also modernized its approach to addressing corruption as a cross-cutting priority. Today, Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh will highlight the benefits of this work to American businesses and workers at a White House anti-corruption roundtable with leaders from 15 major U.S. companies.
    Advancing economic opportunity abroad
    Improving the business enabling environment: U.S. assistance advanced governments’ capacity to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute corruption, while encouraging anti-bribery compliance. State expanded its Fiscal Transparency Innovation Fund – to help willing partners improve budget transparency – while holding countries to account for progress in its Fiscal Transparency Report. In the past two years alone, a newly expanded State-Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) program facilitated U.S. collaboration with foreign counterparts on more than 50 transnational corruption and money laundering cases with a U.S. nexus. In coordination with State, experienced legal advisors from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) assisted foreign justice partners around the world in investigating and prosecuting corruption and money laundering cases, and recovering assets. And DOJ’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, in partnership with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, has recovered more than $1.7 billion and returned or assisted in returning more than $1.6 billion for the benefit of the people harmed by the corruption.
    Enforcing our bans on foreign bribery and money-laundering – and pressing other countries to do the same: To enable honest companies to compete overseas, the United States upheld its commitments under the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention by enforcing its foreign bribery and related laws and working with partners to monitor other countries’ progress in implementing the Convention, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024. Since the start of the Administration, DOJ has imposed more than $3.5 billion in total monetary sanctions under the Foreign Corruption Practices Act (FCPA) in 16 corporate resolutions, and announced charges against more than 70 individuals. For instance, this April the former Comptroller General of Ecuador was convicted of money laundering relating to his receipt of over $10 million in bribes from, among others, the Brazil-based construction conglomerate Odebrecht S.A. The Securities and Exchange Commission continued civil enforcement of the FCPA, with approximately $1 billion in total monetary sanctions in 22 corporate resolutions, spanning conduct in 24 countries, since the start of the Administration. DOJ is also enforcing the recently enacted Foreign Extortion Prevention Act, which criminalizes demands for bribes by foreign officials from U.S. companies and others. In addition, this August DOJ announced a new Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program to uncover and prosecute corporate crime – with a particular focus on foreign and domestic corruption, as well as violations by financial institutions of their obligations to take steps to detect and deter money laundering.
    Seizing windows of opportunity: U.S. assistance has become more agile via the establishment of USAID’s Anti-Corruption Response Fund (providing flexible support to countries experiencing new opportunities or backsliding), the State-DOJ Global Anti-Corruption Rapid Response Fund (providing assistance and case mentoring to foreign partners on short notice), and USAID’s Democracy Delivers initiative (which has marshalled $500 million in funding from the United States and others to help reformers deliver, including on their anti-corruption commitments). These innovations, informed by USAID’s Dekleptification Guide, are enabling the U.S. government to more nimbly pivot toward environments where local momentum can be bolstered by outside assistance.
    Bolstering integrity in high-risk sectors: In April 2024, the United States and its partners launched the Blue Dot Network – a mechanism to certify infrastructure projects that have met global standards for quality and sustainability, including transparency in procurement and provisions to limit opportunities for corruption. The United States also supported the launch of PROTECT, a collective action project to address corruption risk in the supply chain for critical minerals.
    Strengthening corruption safeguards in the Indo-Pacific: In June, the United States and thirteen other partners held a signing ceremony, after concluding eight rounds of negotiations in record time, for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Fair Economy Agreement. The Agreement aims to create a more transparent, predictable trade and investment environment across IPEF partners’ markets, including through binding obligations to prevent and combat corruption. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) and State are accelerating implementation by offering new anti-corruption technical assistance to IPEF partners, including workshops on procurement corruption.
    Dialoguing with the private sector: In 2021, State launched the Galvanizing the Private Sector as Partners in Combatting Corruption initiative, which connects companies and governments to strengthen business integrity and encourage governance reform. Commerce’s International Trade Administration organized the 2024 forum of the Business Ethics for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Small and Medium Enterprises Initiative – the world’s largest public-private partnership on ethical business conduct – at which stakeholders formalized policy recommendations on business integrity in public procurement.
    Protecting the U.S. financial system from abuse
    Expanding corporate transparency: To deter kleptocrats and criminals from laundering money through anonymous shell companies, the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) operationalized a new filing system for certain companies operating in the United States to report their beneficial owners – the real people who own or control them – pursuant to the bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act. Treasury held hundreds of outreach events across all states and territories, reaching thousands of stakeholders, to enable companies to quickly and easily comply with this reporting requirement.
    Closing loopholes for money-laundering: Treasury finalized rules to close two major loopholes in the U.S. financial system: (1) to increase transparency in the U.S. residential real estate sector, to ensure that law-abiding homebuyers are not disadvantaged by individuals laundering their ill-gotten gains, and (2) to safeguard the investment adviser industry from illicit finance. Treasury also proposed a rule to modernize financial institutions’ anti-money-laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) programs, to make them more effective and risk-based. Together, these rulemakings represent historic advances for the U.S. AML/CFT regime, in line with international standards, that will help the United States urge other countries to undertake similar reforms to curb illicit finance. The Biden-Harris Administration has also called on Congress to close even more loopholes that facilitate money-laundering by passing the ENABLERS Act.
    Blocking assets and denying entry to corrupt actors: Since the start of the Administration, Treasury has designated more than 500 individuals and entities for corruption and related activities, across six continents. That includes blocking the assets of 20 individuals and 48 companies in Fiscal Year 2024 for corruption in Afghanistan, Guatemala, Guyana, Paraguay, Western Balkans, and Zimbabwe. In tandem, State publicly issued corruption-related visa restrictions for 76 foreign officials and family members in Fiscal Year 2024, and 292 over the course of the Administration. These actions have protected the U.S. financial system from corrupt actors and promoted accountability in domestic jurisdictions. For example, just one week after the U.S. issuance of a public visa restriction on former Director of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) Intelligence Services Osman Mehmedagic for significant corruption, he was arrested by BiH authorities for abuse of office.
    Taking aim at enablers of corruption: In December 2023, President Biden issued an historic Presidential Proclamation establishing a visa restriction for those who facilitate and enable significant corruption and their immediate family members. This new visa restriction complements existing commitments to use sanction and law enforcement capabilities to target private enablers of public corruption. Earlier this year, the FBI and DOJ secured a guilty plea and a criminal penalty of $661 million from Gunvor – one of the largest commodities trading firms in the world – for facilitating bribery of Ecuadorian officials and laundering those bribes through U.S. banks. In addition, USAID launched new activities to incentivize integrity within professions that serve as gatekeepers to the international financial system.
    Upholding international standards: The United States has helped lead efforts to expand anti-corruption work at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), including improving assessment tools, mitigating risks associated with “golden passport” programs, and highlighting how non-financial sectors can be abused by corrupt actors.
    Keeping America and our partners safe
    Addressing corruption risk in the security sector: Security sector corruption can divert essential supplies, empower malign actors, threaten the safety of U.S. service members, and undermine U.S. military missions writ large. In the past year, the Department of Defense (DOD) incorporated corruption risk into its security cooperation planning – subjecting certain proposals to further scrutiny and identifying risk mitigation measures as needed. State also created new resources to weigh corruption risk as part of security sector assistance decision-making. In addition, State’s Global Defense Reform Program and DOD’s institutional capacity building programs advanced more transparent, accountable, and professional defense institutions. DOD continued running a training course on combatting corruption for partner military commanders and civilian leaders.
    Tackling organized crime and corruption: Transnational criminal organizations often rely on corruption to enable their criminal activities and evade accountability – which fuels narcotrafficking into the United States, human smuggling, cybercrimes, and more. The U.S. government is deploying anti-corruption tools to target criminal networks and their financial enablers, in line with the 2023 White House Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime.
    Standing up to Russia’s aggression: The United States has adapted to address the wartime needs of Ukraine’s anti-corruption stakeholders, as they close off a key vector for Russian dominance and advance Ukraine’s democratic future. In 2023, Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators and prosecutors achieved an 80 percent increase in prosecutions and a 50 percent increase in convictions, plus opened cases against high-ranking officials including the former head of the Ukrainian Supreme Court.  With U.S. support, Ukraine has advanced significant reforms on asset disclosure, launched a whistleblower portal, strengthened the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, and enhanced transparency and integrity in reconstruction.
    Securing a greener future: The United States has integrated an anti-corruption lens across sectors, with particular emphasis on addressing corruption vulnerabilities that threaten a secure, just energy transition for all. This includes USAID support to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), increased mining transparency in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, and innovations that address transnational corruption in green energy mineral supply chains across 15 countries.
    Protecting global health: Corruption curtails the ability of states to respond to pandemics and undercuts access to basic healthcare. USAID is tackling this challenge by releasing cutting-edge guidance on anti-corruption in the health sector and launching integrated programming. For example, in Liberia the United States is working with the government to curb theft of pharmaceuticals through civil society monitoring, law enforcement trainings, and public awareness campaigns.
    Addressing the root causes of migration: Combating corruption is a core component of improving conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras – so people do not feel compelled to leave their homes, in line with the U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America. Recent U.S. actions have included training up to 27,000 justice sector stakeholders in those countries to more effectively address corruption.
    Defending democracy by rooting out corruption
    Tackling electoral corruption: When candidates can be bankrolled by foreign adversaries and institutions captured by kleptocrats, citizens lose faith in their governments—or even in democracy itself. In response, USAID has launched new programs to bolster electoral integrity, strengthen independent media, and increase the transparency of political finance in high-risk locations.
    Lifting up civil society and independent media: The U.S. government has substantially expanded support to frontline activists and journalists, including through the Global Anti-Corruption Consortium. In addition, a new State Department initiative is training hundreds of journalists in transnational corruption investigations, while USAID’s new investigative journalist networks in Asia and Southern Africa are building capacity to track corruption across sectors and across borders. The Secretary of State established a new award for Anti-Corruption Champions, which has honored dozens of courageous civil society leaders and embattled reformers. In 2022, the United States also hosted the largest regular gathering of civil society activists fighting corruption – the International Anti-Corruption Conference – in Washington, DC, with keynote remarks from APNSA Jake Sullivan.
    Protecting sovereignty: Authoritarian actors like Russia and the PRC use bribery to interfere in the policy, procurement, debt, and electoral processes of other countries – undermining both sovereignty and democracy. The United States is standing up to this tactic by building the resilience of frontline actors to detect and deflect foreign-backed strategic corruption, educating partners about the kleptocrats’ playbook, harnessing sanction tools to deter threats, and increasing collaboration between practitioners working on anti-corruption and those addressing foreign malign influence – both within the USG and with likeminded partners. For example, in June the United States joined with Canada and the UK to expose Russia’s use of corruption and covert financing, among other tactics, to undermine democratic processes in Moldova.
    Restoring trust in American democracy: The Biden-Harris Administration has established the strongest ethics standards of any U.S. presidency. On his first day in office, the President signed an Executive Order requiring administration officials to take a stringent ethics pledge, which extends lobbying bans, limits shadow lobbying, and makes ethics waivers more transparent. The Administration also restored longstanding democratic norms by protecting DOJ cases from political interference, releasing the President’s and Vice-President’s taxes, and voluntarily disclosing White House visitor logs. And in the last year, the Office of Government Ethics finalized rules updating the standards for ethical conduct and legal expense funds for executive branch employees.
    Protecting American democracy from malign finance: Just as we defend democracy around the world, the U.S. government is working to keep American democracy safe from foreign adversaries. Actions to curb money laundering in the United States can help reduce the ability of foreign and domestic actors to make illegal campaign contributions and evade U.S. election laws. President Biden has called on Congress to go even further by passing the DISCLOSE Act, which would curb the ability of foreign entities and special interests to use dark money loopholes to influence our elections.
    Revitalizing participation in the Open Government Partnership (OGP): The United States rejoined the Steering Committee of OGP – a platform for civil society and governments to forge joint commitments and learn from each other– and provided assistance for OGP’s work on anti-corruption. Domestically, the United States has turbocharged OGP implementation by creating the U.S. Open Government Secretariat at the General Services Administration, an Open Government Federal Advisory Committee, an Interagency Community of Practice – spanning federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and engaged with hundreds of stakeholders to exchange lessons and expand transparency, accountability, and public participation. The United States also launched the first-ever Request for Information to feed into the 6th U.S. OGP National Action Plan and announced development of a toolkit to help federal agencies more meaningfully engage with the public.
    Modernizing and coordinating U.S. government efforts to fight corruption
    Institutionalizing anti-corruption as an enduring priority: Over the past four years, Departments and Agencies have made substantial organizational improvements to elevate corruption concerns. For example:
    The State Department’s new Office of the Coordinator on Global Anti-Corruption leads the integration of anti-corruption priorities into bilateral and other policy processes, conducts targeted diplomatic engagements, and drives strategic planning, including through the Department’s senior-level Anti-Corruption Policy Board. In the past year, the Office jumpstarted implementation of the Combating Global Corruption Act and completed an analysis of anti-corruption assistance to inform future State Department decision-making.
    USAID’s new Anti-Corruption Center, within the newly established Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance, serves as a hub of technical expertise and thought leadership – driving the integration of corruption considerations across USAID’s portfolio, supporting USAID Missions in developing localized approaches, managing a suite of programming focused on transnational corruption, and using its convening power and policy insights to forge strategic partnerships. Since 2022, USAID has released its first-ever Anti-Corruption Policy, which outlines a cross-sectoral approach to constraining opportunities for corruption, raising the costs of corruption, and incentivizing integrity – plus a host of tools to drive uptake across USAID.
    FBI’s International Corruption Unit expanded an agreement with the State Department to deploy six regional anti-corruption advisors to strategic locations around the world, where they organize regional working groups with local law enforcement officials, provide case-base mentorship, and facilitate coordination with the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre.

    Expanded interagency capacity has been complemented by the National Security Council’s establishment of a dedicated Director for Anti-Corruption position, for the first time, to ensure whole-of-government coordination and advance anti-corruption within key policy processes.
    Leading in multilateral fora: The United States has regained its leadership role in the international bodies that shape anti-corruption norms globally and can sustain momentum across time. In particular, the United States stepped into the presidency of the UN Convention against Corruption Conference of States Parties (UNCAC COSP), proudly hosting in December 2023 thousands of stakeholders in Atlanta, Georgia, led by the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. As part of its commitment to championing the role of non-governmental actors in the fight against corruption, the United States facilitated record civil society participation in UNCAC working group meetings, hosted the first UNCAC Private Sector Forum, and supported inclusive implementation of UNCAC commitments in Latin America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. The United States also participated in several peer reviews of our own anti-corruption practices over the last three years, and proudly made these results public. Alongside these multilateral fora, we convened the Global Forum on Asset Recovery action series to accelerate practitioner cooperation across the United States, Algeria, Honduras, Iraq, Moldova, Nigeria, Seychelles, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Zambia.
    Understanding corruption dynamics: The Intelligence Community developed and disseminated new resources to bolster intelligence prioritization, collection and analysis on corrupt actors and their networks. USAID commissioned research on topics like countering corruption through social and behavioral change and State initiated an interagency anti-corruption learning agenda and a small grants program to support it.
    Deepening external partnerships: The United States convened a series of coordination meetings with other bilateral donors and philanthropies in order to harmonize our anti-corruption approaches and galvanized anti-corruption resources across the donor community through the Integrity for Development campaign. USAID’s Countering Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge for Development brought together technologists, businesses, activists, and others to collaboratively address concrete corruption challenges.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Remarks by CE at press conference on “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” (with photos/video)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following are the remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the press conference on “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” today (October 16): Reporter: Some opinions, such as the League of Social Democrats, have demanded democratic reform for Hong Kong. Are political reform and universal suffrage on the agenda of this administration? The second question: the proposed regulation on subdivided flats do not cover the so-called “coffin homes” or “cage homes”. Why is this so? Will the Government consider extending the regulation to cover this type of subdivided flats? Thank you. Chief Executive: I have said more than once that the political reform has been settled at this moment with the introduction of, first of all, the new election system for LegCo (Legislative Council) members, for the Chief Executive, and also after improving the district administration system. At this moment, I think it is important to ensure that all these improvements of the different election systems will be run smoothly and also that they function effectively to realise the maximum benefit that all these improved measures intend to create. We still have time to make all these systems run, so that they could synergise and create extra value for society. It takes the efforts of everybody in these three systems to think of what they should do: they reform themselves so that they can contribute even bigger value to the overall good. And all these three systems work towards the same goal of creating positive value for Hong Kong as a whole. So what you have just said, I think, is settled. It will not be an issue in this term of the Government.      The second thing regarding subdivided flats. The system that I want to introduce through legislation is not to make what is illegal now legal. What is illegal now will continue to be illegal under the respective ordinances. Enforcement will be taken accordingly. And of course, we will step up the enforcement in concert with the new policy on subdivided flats, which will be introduced in residential buildings. So the intention is to, first of all, regulate subdivided flats using this basic housing concept, so that we will have a standard below which we will take action against, because they will not be regarded as the right standard for our households to live in. I think that is the intention, and we make this policy knowing that it is a difficult matter. That is why I hope it will be thoroughly debated in LegCo so that we can enhance it.      We also want to ensure that this new system will be able to tell the market, which in some way needs to exist – by the sheer evidence that over 110 000 households are living in these accommodations. We want this market to be healthy in existence. In other words, all the standards have to be met, and we will be taking action after a reasonable registration period and a reasonable grace period, giving the Secretary for Housing the flexibility to define the unsatisfactory units and enforce actions according to the actual situation, so that we will take them off the market, lot by lot, to ensure that things will progress in an orderly manner. It is not easy, but I think it is a problem everybody wants to see solved, and it is under this determination that I would really request that collectively, we discuss the system that I have recommended, and then come to a good consensus eventually at LegCo, so that we can pass a law for all these things to happen. And I think, in due course, we should be able to solve the problem of people having to live in substandard accommodation.Reporter: Two questions. First, some residents who are living in substandard subdivided units are worried that the new standards for Basic Housing Units will lead to higher rents, or that landlords will kick them out. How will the Government support these people who may lose their homes that they are currently living in? Second, in the sections on national security, part of the focus was put on public officers, such as proposing a new set of guidelines for them to abide by Article 23. Does this show that there are still some loopholes for public officers, such as within the civil service? Are civil servants confused on how to follow Article 23? Thank you. Chief Executive: First of all, the problem of some households living in substandard subdivided flats is a problem that has been long-lasting. In other words, it has accumulated over the years. We are very conscious of the fact that we have to do it in an orderly manner, so that adjustments can be made by the parties affected.      From now to the time we will actually take enforcement action, I think there will be a few years, because, first of all, we will have to pass the legislation, which I think it will probably be next year the earliest. Then, we will introduce a registration period. My suggestion is either 12 months or 18 months, because we are talking about 110 000 households. If you are talking about a 12-month registration period, it is roughly 9 000 a month. Whether it should be 12 months or 18 months, I think we can debate. We can let LegCo debate it. I am very willing to listen. Then, we will introduce a grace period for adjustments to be made structurally. That may be one year, two years again, subject to discussion by LegCo, because under the present legislation, tenants of these units are guaranteed two tenancies. We have to ensure that tenants’ rights are protected under the present law. Again, that is an issue for LegCo to debate. Over this period of time, I think people can make the right adjustment.      The third important point is the new entries. When there is a new supply of subdivided flats that haven’t been rented out, i.e. there are no tenants yet, and if it is a new operator, they can only enter the market with units that satisfy the standard. Otherwise, they will not be allowed to register. It is designed this way so that there will be no increase in the number of substandard subdivided flats. In other words, all new supplies will have to be conforming to our standard. And this new supply will, of course, be available for present tenants to consider moving into, because I believe that once the standards are clearly defined, operators will know very well how to do their calculation on what subdivision they will create, what flats they will then have to build to satisfy our standard. This supply of flats will also come out for people to consider. Then, of course, if the rent is not set reasonably, they will not have tenants. There are a lot of things, and also individual cases – as we always have very special individual cases – we will deal with individual cases specifically.      But overall, I think what is important is when I design any new measures, I always ask myself a question: if this new measure solves 95 per cent of the problem, should I still go ahead and deal with the remaining 5 per cent after the first implementation, or should I ignore it until I have a perfect solution to solve 100 per cent of the problem? I decide to go all out, even though there may be individual cases that we need to address, but overall, if the system solves the majority of the problem, I think we should go ahead, and then, after implementation, we deal with the special cases.      Regarding national security, the law has been created. We are now talking about implementation, and for implementation, there is never the best, only the better. I have always said I look for continuous improvement. The law is new, and we all need to increase our knowledge about it. It is just natural. I think it is a natural thing for any government when there is a new law, they, first of all, have to do some education, enhance familiarisation, do some system building and do some enhancement in the course. It is a natural process. Reporter: Good afternoon, Mr Lee. Firstly, with regards to the measure regarding the housing market in the Policy Address, why does the Government see the need to introduce property loan relaxation measures, and will this only benefit those who are looking to purchase high-end flats? And with subdivided units, how transparent would the Government be with the requirements and the corresponding criminal liabilities regarding the subdivided units? Is it worried that what it’s doing right now is going against the wish of Beijing to get rid of subdivided housing altogether? And lastly, with the focus of the Government on the economy for this year’s Policy Address, there doesn’t seem to be further efforts to stimulate the economy beyond areas such as those vis-a-vis access for some countries, relaxation of loans and even the reduction of spirits tax. Would you be concerned that these efforts would not be enough to kick-start the economy? And what do you think is the most eye-catching point of this year’s Policy Address? Thank you. Chief Executive: Well, thank you very much. First of all, we allow the mortgage rate to go back to 70 per cent for all kinds of properties because I think the introduction of extra measures were made at a time when the property market was too much of a problem for people to buy flats, so it has gone out of control. And you know that the property market has somehow consolidated. It has now settled down, so it will be unreasonable for measures that were introduced for a specific purpose that no longer exists now to continue. I think it will be something you don’t want the Government to not act on when some situation no longer exists, where what may be regarded as inappropriate still continues. So that is the first point.      The second point is, I do want to help people to buy their own flats if they can afford it, and from a lot of opinions I received in the consultation, the desire of Hong Kong people to buy their own flats continues to appear very strongly at the back of my mind. So I do want to help them to buy property by alleviating their burden of finding enough of a down payment. Of course, at the end of the day, he has to make his own calculation to assess whether he can afford it, but helping them in the first step to realise their dream, I think is something I should try to do my best. And that is why, when now I think the situation allows it, I set the mortgage rate to 70 per cent for all properties.      Regarding subdivided flats, I think we have to be realistic as to why subdivided flats exist. They exist over a long period of time because of need, because of actual needs of households, because of the lack of enough supply of flats. So we have to be realistic, pragmatic. We don’t live in a dream world. We live in the real world. So how do we pragmatically address the problem? It’s not easy, but I’m determined, and I think society supports that we should solve the problem. So I need collective wisdom, I think, during our consultation, during the study, when the study team worked very hard to do their own studies and consult stakeholders, they did an excellent job. And now I have come to a decision that, first of all, it has to be a legislative process so that it is clear. And when people are clear about what the rules are, then the market, which now exists but is not properly regulated, will become a regulated market, supplying flats which satisfy the standard. I think that is what any government would want to do. And I think what is done, what is proposed, is necessary according to the actual situation of Hong Kong. And I have said, the intention is not to make things that are illegal, legal. We just want to regulate residential flats that mainly create this market of subdivided flats, so the market will be providing flats of what we think will be a reasonable and liveable standard.      And if you spend time to read the Policy Address – in a way, I can understand why all these questions come out, because it is the first day of the release of the document. It has, in Chinese, over 31 000 words, so it does take time to really look at the things in detail. But a lot is done to help the economy to grow. What is important is that what we can strengthen, we will strengthen. At the same time, we look for new opportunities of growth. That is why, for some areas, we are recommending measures which I think is only probably 10 per cent of the final goal that I want to go. Some may be at a position of 20 per cent. So when all these things work together, they create a synergy effect.      Hong Kong has been growing as a whole from the macro angle because last year, the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth was over 3 per cent. This year, the economy will still grow. The GDP is expected also to grow between 2.5 and 3.5 per cent, and some analysts have suggested a rate of 3 per cent, so overall, we’re still growing. The economy is still going ahead. But of course, different sectors are at different stages, and I have to tell those sectors that are not doing too well, that I will roll out measures to help you, but you also have to help yourself. You have to change. You have to reform, find new ways to make a difference, a difference for you to be able to win. I think that has been in the DNA of Hong Kong people. And I make it no secret that we all have to work hard. That is why I say “reform together and build our economy together”. It is this togetherness that I want everybody to subscribe to, because working together will ensure that one plus one will be bigger than two. And when 7.5 million work together, when we work together, it will be bigger than a “7.5 million effect”. Thank you. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: O’Fallon, Missouri, Man Admits Child Sex Charges

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    ST. LOUIS – A man from O’Fallon, Missouri on Wednesday admitted engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old that he met online and discussing child sex with another 15-year-old victim.

    Andrew Haller, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to all of the charges he faced: two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.

    Haller admitted separately meeting two 15-year-old girls on Tumblr before moving their conversations to the encrypted app Telegram.

    The 15-year-old California victim told the FBI that Haller introduced the topic of “daddy dom,” and told her he was also sexually abusing another teen. Haller listed rules for the victim, including that she would have to ask his permission once a day to urinate, wear a collar at all times, and refer to him only as “Sir,” Dad” or “Daddy.” He also asked her for nude photos and sent her photos and videos of the other victim.

    After identifying Haller and performing a court-approved search of his home in November of 2023, the FBI identified the other victim. She told the FBI that she sent Haller sexually explicit photos at his direction. They met in person twice in 2023 and engaged in sexual activity. Haller struck her during the first visit and took pictures and videos of her, his plea says. He also discussed with her his desire to abuse children too young to talk or remember the abuse.

    Haller possessed 195 images and 92 videos of known or suspected child sexual abuse material, and sent that material to others via Telegram and Signal, another encrypted app, his plea says.

    Haller is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 28, 2025. The coercion charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and the child pornography charges each carry a five-year mandatory minimum sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes has agreed as part of the plea to ask for no more than 25 years in prison.

    The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Official Accused of Stealing Nearly $700,000 from St. Louis County Charity

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    ST. LOUIS – A former official of a charity that houses adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities has been indicted and accused of embezzling about $690,000 over more than a decade.

    Joelle Fouse, 57, was indicted October 9 with three felony counts of wire fraud. She is surrendering Tuesday and will appear in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to plead not guilty.

    The indictment says that Fouse was the manager / director of finance and human resources for the charity from October 2012 through December 2023, when she was terminated. Fouse was responsible for payroll, expense reimbursement and maintaining the charity’s books and records. She stole from the charity in three ways, the indictment says. Fouse provided false information to a third-party payroll processing company that caused the company to make 71 unauthorized payments totaling $139,810 to multiple bank accounts controlled by Fouse, the indictment says. The indictment also accuses Fouse of triggering 181 unauthorized expense payments into bank accounts she controlled, totaling $407,186. Finally, Fouse allegedly used her company credit card to make184 unauthorized purchases totaling $133,210. The charity also overpaid the employer portion of payroll taxes by about $10,694 due to the inflated payroll, the indictment says.

    The indictment says Fouse took cash out of ATMs and used the charity’s funds for travel, clothing, entertainment, restaurant meals, rent payments and day-to-day expenses for herself and relatives. She tried to cover up her crimes by making false entries in financial and accounting records, it says.

    The charity contacted the FBI and cooperated with their investigation.

    Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    Each wire fraud charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.

    The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Halloween events with Leeds City Council

    Source: City of Leeds

    Halloween Trail at Leeds City Museum

    Dare to explore a Halloween trail with artworks created by local schools, families, and our arts and crafts groups inspired by Halloween themed objects in the museum. Along the way, learn fun Halloween facts about the history of the holiday and how it’s celebrated around the world.

    Friday 25 October to Friday 29 November, cost: free

    Find out more: Halloween Trail https://bit.ly/3U8zXbY
     

    Once Upon a Nightmare: Twisted Tales Unveiled at Lotherton

    Experience a spine-chilling experience for brave souls aged 8 to 15. Step into the pages of twisted fairy tales and witness the serene grounds of Lotherton transform into a haunting world where your favourite fairy tale characters live out their darkest versions of reality.

    Friday 25 to Thursday 31 October, 5pm to 8:30pm, cost: £12.50 (£10 for children with a Breeze Pass/Lotherton members)

    Find out more: Once Upon a Nightmare: Twisted Tales Unveiled https://bit.ly/3Y3xQHr

    Spooky Skeleton Safari at Tropical World

    With Tropical World decorated for Halloween, come and explore the indoor zoo over the October half term. Uncover a host of spooky animal skeletons hidden in their mangroves, rainforest and enclosures, and discover interesting facts as you take part in the trail.

    Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November, cost: adults – £8.40, children 3 to 15 – £4.20, under 3s free

    Find out more: Spooky Skeleton Safari https://bit.ly/3ZZTK0I

    Spooky Skeletons: Scarytales at Lotherton


    This is a daytime event perfect for all ages. As you follow the twisted fairytales trail through the haunting grounds, gardens and house at Lotherton, all is not as it seems. Rattle your bones as you come face-to-face with a series of skeletons – making themselves at home and reimagining classic tales with a Halloween twist.

    Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November, cost: included in admission to Lotherton

    Find out more: Spooky Skeletons: Scarytales https://bit.ly/3ZX7N7v

    Halloween Hauntings at Temple Newsam

    Temple Newsam is infamous for its ghostly residents. Visit over October half term for spooky family fun. Enjoy the themed rooms and creepy crafts.  Staff will be hand to tell you eerie stories of past residents.

    Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November, cost: included in admission to Temple Newsam

    Find out more: Halloween Hauntings at Temple Newsam https://bit.ly/3Yijh49

    Spooky Streets: Halloween at Abbey House Museum

    Wander the museum’s Spooky Streets to encounter scary spiders, wicked witches, wily wolves, beguiling bats and skeletons pulling pints! Come dressed as your favourite Halloween character and pose for petrifying pics. There will be a terrifying trail and creepy competitions as you go around the museum and a monster bag of crafts and activities to take home.

    Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November, cost: included in admission to Abbey House Museum

    Find out more: Spooky Streets: Halloween at Abbey House Museum https://bit.ly/3Yjbumx

    Haunted Halloween Hunt at Kirkstall Abbey

    Join the Abbey’s family trail through the ruins to find creepy creatures, spooky statues and peculiar props. It’s not too scary so suitable for all the family.

    Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November, cost: included in admission to Kirkstall Abbey (free for Leeds residents)

    Find out more: Haunted Halloween Hunt https://bit.ly/3Nt4Xzn

    Calacas Crafts at Leeds City Museum

    Celebrate Mexican and Latin American artists by designing your own Day of the Dead mask or assembling your own flower crown. To help celebrate Day of the Dead at Leeds City Museum, your family can also add to one of their giant skull paintings!

    Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 October, 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm, cost: free

    Find out more: Half Term: Calacas Crafts https://bit.ly/4dDEqu4

    Leeds Zine Library Lates! Hallow’zine at Leeds Central Library

    Join the libraries team on the spookiest month for their Halloween edition of the zine library lates. There will be cats, bats and a monster of a party! On the night you can make a spooky zine, create some monster badges, and sew felt creatures all while enjoying their Halloween playlist.

    Wednesday 30 October, 5:30pm to 7:30pm, cost: free

    Find out more: Leeds Zine Library Lates! Hallow’zine https://bit.ly/4dCQ5Jy


    Spooktacular Family Day at Leeds Central Library

    Join authors and artists for spine-tingling stories, creepy draw-a-longs, and eerie activities.

    A light breakfast and drinks will be available on arrival, bring your own packed lunch and spooky outfits are encouraged. Family friendly and most suitable to children aged 6 years and over. A BSL interpreter will be present at all author talks in the Tiled Hall and at Jack’s Ghastly Masterclass.

    Thursday 31 October, 10:15am to 2:30pm, cost: free

    Find out more: Spooktacular Family Day https://bit.ly/4eBCp2P

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Event celebrates the Tak£500+ project success within local communities!

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    PB Working Group members#.

    The recent Tak£500+ Participatory Budgeting Project exceeded all expectations with an incredible £105,906 allocated to 108 fantastic local community projects – and an event to celebrate all of the wonderful projects took place at Seagoe Hotel, Portadown.

    Over 200 people came along to hear how the Tak£500+ Project had benefited communities right across the borough and to hear more about Participatory Budgeting and how it enables local people to decide how public funds are used to address needs in their area.

    Organised by the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Community Planning Partnership, an amazing 4286 people voted for the projects they wanted to see receive up to £1,000 funding, and the impact these projects left on each area was remarkable. All projects were centred around the Take 5 public health message.

    “This was the third year of the Tak£500+ project and it really did exceed all expectations once again,” commented the Lord Mayor, Councillor Sarah Duffy, “and the success of this project is all down to the local communities who put forward their ideas and then made them a reality.

    “Putting the decision making process in the hands of local people to tell us how public funds can be spent to address needs in their areas is vitally important and ensures that this money is spent in the best way possible, to really make a difference and a lasting impact on our residents

    “We are lucky to have such a rich community life in this borough and along with the Community Planning Partnership – and in particular the PB Working Group – made this project a huge success with lasting results across the borough.”

    Colette Rogers, Chair of Community Planning Strategic Partnership added, “This event was a wonderful reflection on just how meaningful and valuable the Tak£500+ Project is and demonstrated how powerful local communities can be at making decisions that leave a real and lasting impact in their areas.

    “This project is something we are passionate to build upon moving forward and we would love to welcome more partners on board to contribute their expertise and resources – as this is how we can increase our funding and support even more projects, with local communities reaping the benefits.”

    If you would like more information on how you can get involved as a partner, please contact Michelle Markey on 0300 0300 900.

    Also, watch this space for more details on the next Tak£500+ Project and how you can apply for funding for your community!

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Inflation, trade uncertainty and labour gaps cloud business outlook, says new global survey of chambers

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: Inflation, trade uncertainty and labour gaps cloud business outlook, says new global survey of chambers

    The findings of the ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF) 2024 Global Economic Survey capture perspectives from businesses on key economic and sustainability issues across economies that collectively account for 90% of global GDP.    

    Commenting at the launch of the survey results in Istanbul, ICC Secretary General John W.H Denton AO said: 

    “As the voice of the real economy worldwide, ICC has leveraged its unique institutional reach to provide a comprehensive global picture of the realities of doing business in today’s increasingly complex environment. We hope this real-time data will help shape the strategic response of governments to the key challenges faced by MSMEs.”  

    Global business environment  

    Rising prices and labour costs were cited as a significant challenge in the majority of countries surveyed, with more than 80% of respondents expressing concern that cost pressures will persist into 2025 — casting doubt on recent claims from prominent economists that inflation is “no longer a thing”.  

    Inflation has translated into significantly higher staffing costs for businesses in some 44 countries— a trend exacerbated in several regions by skills shortages in the local workforce, most notably North America and Europe.   

    The economic environment and tight financial conditions have hindered access to finance where findings show that high interest rates are limiting access to credit particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (80%), Latin America and the Caribbean (63%) and South Asia (60%). 

    Trade uncertainty was cited as a challenge by 50% of chamber respondents — with concerns highest in East Asia and Pacific (69%) the Middle East and North Africa (60%) and Latin America and the Caribbean (50%).   

    Despite these challenges, the respondents in more than 50% of countries covered by the survey expressed cautious optimism for the outlook for business in their respective economies — suggesting a large degree of resilience in the face of economic and operational risk.  

    Mr Denton added:

    “Though headline rates of inflation have generally receded in recent months, the impact of the price surge seen from 2022 is clearly having a sustained impact on the private sector in many countries. We need policymakers to be sensitive to the disconnect between macroeconomic data and the day-to-day experience of local businesses.” 

    Outlook on climate action  

    One month before the United Nations climate summit COP29, the survey also looked at the experience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in transitioning to climate-friendly business models.  

    In developing economies, chambers pointed to difficulties SMEs face in accessing clean sources of energy — both from national grids or decentralised generation.   

    In advanced economies, SMEs are held back by a perceived lack of access to cutting-edge green technologies and limited in-house capacity to implement emissions reductions programmes.   

    In both developed and developing economies, access to cost-effective finance to enable investments in decarbonisation was cited as a major challenge — pointing to the need for enhanced public support to enable SMEs to adopt green technologies and upgrade existing facilities.  

    Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Chair of the ICC World Chambers Federation added:

    “This survey highlights the crucial role chambers of commerce worldwide play as private sector champions. They are deeply in touch with the grassroots realities of doing business while maintaining a global perspective and remaining connected through our ICC World Chambers Federation.”   

    Read more and download the full report. 

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government Co-Hosts Business and Housing Summit

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    October 8, 2024

    Manitoba Government Co-Hosts Business and Housing Summit

    – – –
    Summit will Create Solutions for Homelessness Through Strategic Partnerships and Investments: Premier

    The Manitoba government is co-hosting a business and housing summit to build relationships between sectors to create affordable housing options and reduce chronic homelessness in the province, Premier Wab Kinew announced today. 

    “To end chronic homelessness in Manitoba, we need to work together as governments, as community and as business leaders,” said Kinew. “This summit is one part of our plan to instill hope and improve the lives of thousands of Manitobans through the safety and dignity of housing. These are important conversations where we come together and build solutions.” 

    “To end homelessness, we need to move beyond isolated efforts and build one unified strategy,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham, City of Winnipeg. “This summit is about breaking down silos and driving collaboration – across government, business and community – so we can create lasting, co-ordinated solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives.” 

    Today, the business and housing summit will bring together community leaders from across Manitoba to discuss the resources and tools available for the business sector to create affordable housing solutions. Summit participants include representatives from Indigenous leadership and organizations, business sectors, governments, community organizations and other agencies. 

    “The Business Council of Manitoba believes our community is strongest when we work together,” said Mike Pyle, board chair, Business Council of Manitoba. “By collaborating across industries, we can share knowledge and lead in our areas of expertise. We all have a role to play in providing safe, affordable housing for Manitobans and the business community is no exception. Collaborative initiatives like the business and housing summit allow us to ensure all voices are heard and all needs are met in our collective effort to make Manitoba a preferred place to live, work and invest.”  

    The summit takes place today, Oct. 8 at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It is co-hosted by the Manitoba government, the City of Winnipeg and the Business Council of Manitoba and supported by End Homelessness Winnipeg. Other sessions include:

    • an overview of federal, provincial and municipal programs related to housing and homelessness;
    • a panel presenting case studies describing recent partnerships between non-profit housing providers and private sector developers; and
    • an interactive session with business leaders to inform the response to housing and homelessness issues from all levels of government. 

    To learn more about the Manitoba government’s work related to housing and ending homelessness, visit http://www.gov.mb.ca/housing/index.html. 

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government is Prepared for Respiratory Virus Season

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    October 16, 2024

    Manitoba Government is Prepared for Respiratory Virus Season

    The Manitoba Government is prepared for the respiratory virus season with a comprehensive strategy designed to reduce the strain on the health-care system and keep Manitobans healthy, safe and informed, Health Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced today.

    “I encourage every Manitoban to get vaccinated and keep yourself, your loved ones and your broader community safe,” said Asagwara. “The previous government failed to prepare for respiratory virus season, they made cuts to health care and refused to listen to front-line workers. We’ve made significant progress in one year and the system is prepared to meet an increased need for care during this difficult season.”

    Preparation includes:

    • building up intensive care unit (ICU) and acute care beds so that everyone gets the care they need:
    • the Manitoba government has newly funded 18 ICU beds, for a total of 110 adult ICU beds, and eight pediatric ICU (PICU) beds, plus four step-down beds, for a total of 21 PICU beds; and
    • the Manitoba government has opened 112 acute care beds with a plan to open 70 more, 43 transitional care unit beds and 27 more opening in the coming months.  
    • vaccines to protect Manitobans and their loved ones:
    • influenza (flu) and COVID-19 vaccines are available at medical clinics, ACCESS centres, vaccine clinics, pharmacies, nursing stations and through public health;
    • the Manitoba government is providing the RSV vaccine free of charge to seniors over the age of 60, living in a long-term care home, and encouraging residents to get vaccinated through their long-term care facility; and
    • the Manitoba government launched a provincewide ad campaign to inform Manitobans about respiratory virus season and encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they are able.

    The minister noted the government knows staffing is critical when it comes to beds and the Manitoba government hired 873 net new health-care workers to the system in six months, marking over halfway to its goal of hiring 1,000 healthcare workers this year.

    “Considerable planning has occurred within the health system in an effort to mitigate or minimize service disruptions during respiratory virus season,” said Dr. Jose Francois, chief medical officer, Shared Health. “This planning has been strongly supported by our partners in government, who have worked in collaboration with clinical leaders to ensure Manitoba’s health system is as fully prepared as it possibly can be for the coming respiratory virus season.”

    Information and resources regarding the vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases, including resources for prevention, treatment and care of affected individuals in Manitoba, is provided at http://www.manitoba.ca/vaccine.

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Sudds highlights 9 federal properties in the National Capital Region available for housing development

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    October 16, 2024             Ottawa, Ontario                              ESDC

    Everyone deserves a place to call home. However, for many across the country, home ownership and renting is out of reach due to the unprecedented housing crisis Canada is facing. We need to build more homes, faster, to get Canadians into homes that meet their needs, at prices they can afford. That’s why in Budget 2024 and Canada’s Housing Plan, the federal government announced the most ambitious housing plan in Canadian history: a plan to build 4 million more homes.

    As part of this plan, the Government of Canada is identifying properties within its portfolio that have the potential for housing, and is actively adding them to the Canada Public Land Bank. Wherever possible, the government will turn these properties into housing through a long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to support affordable housing and ensure public land stays public.

    Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister for Families, Children and Social Development, with Anita Vandenbeld, Member of Parliament for Ottawa West—Nepean and Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, highlighted a property located at Baseline Road at Cedarview Road south-east corner that is now available for housing development through the Canada Public Land Bank. This property will help create up to 200 units and is one of 9 new properties in the National Capital Region that was added to the land bank last week.

    Other properties in the NCR include:

    • Hurdman North, a parcel west of Riverside Drive and south of Highway 417, Ottawa (4,000 units)
    • 315 Terminal Ave., Ottawa (300 units)
    • 1460 Riverside Dr., Ottawa (500 units)
    • 1250 Ledbury Ave., Ottawa (up to 200 units)
    • Southern Corridor, Woodroffe Avenue at Norice Street South, Corner to Merivale Road at Colonnade Road West Side, Ottawa (up to 1,000 units)
    • 1730 Robertson Rd., Ottawa (up to 500 units)
    • 1055 Aylmer, Gatineau (up to 200 units)
    • 210 Laurier, Gatineau (up to 400 units)

    A total of 70 federal properties have now been identified as being suitable to support housing. This list will continue to grow in the coming months, with further details on listed properties available soon.

    As part of the initial launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024, the Canada Lands Company, in partnership with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, issued a call for proposals for 5 properties located in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Montréal. The call for proposals for the properties in Toronto and Montréal closed on October 1, 2024, and evaluations have begun. The call for proposals for the Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa properties will close on November 1, 2024.

    To provide feedback on the land bank and its properties, the Government of Canada launched a call for housing solutions for communities: a secure online platform.

    To date, the Government of Canada has already received interest and feedback from provinces, territories and municipalities, as well as developers, housing advocates and Indigenous groups. This information will be used to develop and bring more properties to market starting this fall.

    To solve Canada’s housing crisis, the federal government is using every tool at its disposal. The Government of Canada is accelerating its real property disposal process to match the speed of builders and the urgency of getting affordable homes built for Canada. 

    Quotes

    “Safe, accessible and affordable housing options are out of reach for far too many Canadians. The launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024 laid the foundation for our efforts to unlock public lands for housing at a pace and scale not seen in generations. We are delivering on our promise to continue to add more properties to the land bank and meet the deliverables outlined in Budget 2024 to support a new, ambitious Public Lands for Homes Plan. In doing so, we can build strong communities and more affordable housing across the country.”

    The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos

    Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant

    “We need to build more homes in Canada, and one of the largest costs in building is land. With 14 more properties being added to the land bank, we’re growing the list of potential public lands where new homes can be built.”

    The Honourable Sean Fraser,

    Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

    “In Ottawa, we have the land we need to build more homes, and we’re going to put it to use. By getting more homes built on federal land, we’re going to give families in our communities a place to call home at prices they can afford. This brings us one step closer to solving the housing crisis here in Ottawa and across the country.”

     

    The Honourable Jenna Sudds

    Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

    “Canada’s Housing Plan marks a pivotal change in how all levels of government and community partners collaborate to address the urgent affordable housing challenges in cities like Ottawa. We are eager to seize the opportunities this plan creates—transforming vacant spaces, significantly increasing affordable housing, and revitalizing our city.”

     

    Yasir Naqvi

    Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre

    “Building homes on public land is a vital initiative that directly addresses the pressing needs of Ottawa residents, providing a tangible solution to the housing crisis and improving access to affordable housing for all.”

     

    Anita Vandenbeld

    Member of Parliament for Ottawa West—Nepean

    Quick facts

    • In Budget 2024 and Solving the Housing Crisis: Canada’s Housing Plan, the federal government announced an ambitious whole-of-government approach to addressing the housing crisis by building more homes, making it easier to rent or own a home, and helping Canadians who cannot afford a home. 

    • A key component of Canada’s Housing Plan is the new Public Lands for Homes Plan. This plan aims to partner with all levels of government, homebuilders and housing providers to build homes, faster, on surplus and underused public lands across the country. 

    • The Public Lands for Homes Plan supports the government’s goal of unlocking 250,000 new homes by 2031.

    • Budget 2024 also provided $500 million, on a cash basis, to launch the new Public Lands Acquisition Fund. This fund will buy land from other orders of government to allow the federal government to acquire more land for housing to help build middle-class homes. Work on the fund is already underway, and more details will be released in the coming weeks.  

    • In August 2024, a new tool for builders called the Canada Public Land Bank was launched with an initial 56 properties under the Public Lands for Homes Plan. 

    • As of October 8, 2024, there are 70 properties listed in the Canada Public Land Bank, representing a total of 385 hectares of land, which is the size of approximately 2,500 hockey rinks or almost 750 Canadian Football League football fields.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Geneviève Lemaire
    Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
    Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
    Genevieve.lemaire@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

    Media Relations Office
    Employment and Social Development Canada
    819-994-5559
    media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Gaetz Exposes Biden-Harris Administration “Border Czar” Cover-up to Help Harris Presidential Campaign

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Matt Gaetz (1st District of Florida)

    Washington, D.C. — This week, U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas exposing a White House cover-up related to Vice President Kamala Harris working as the “border czar,” which was done deliberately to assist candidate Harris in her presidential campaign. 

    Last month, following Vice President Harris’ denial of her involvement with the border crisis, Rep. Gaetz sent a letter to Secretary Mayorkas demanding all correspondence from DHS that refers to Harris as the “border czar” by August 30th. According to documents obtained by a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the Heritage’s Oversight Project, the White House’s Ian Sams got involved and apparently blocked the response. At the time he was doing this, Sams knew that within days, he would be moving to the Harris 2024 presidential campaign as a top spokesman. Sams’ actions may have been violations of the Hatch Act, agency ethics rules, and campaign finance laws. Therefore, Rep. Gaetz’s follow-up letter requests unredacted copies of the Sams’ correspondence on this matter.

    Full text of Congressman Gaetz’s letter to Secretary Mayorkas can be found HERE. Additionally, exclusive coverage of the letter by Fox News can be found HERE.

    LETTER TEXT

    Secretary Mayorkas:

    I am concerned that the good government work of your career employees—to respond in a timely fashion to a small but important request of a Member of Congress—was scuttled by a White House cover-up to assist candidate Kamala Harris in her campaign. The very staffer, Ian Sams, who blocked my oversight request is now a senior spokesman for the Harris campaign. At the time he was engaged in a cover-up for her using government resources, he already had lined up his job on her campaign, which he officially started less than two weeks later. This is shady.

    On August 7, 2024, I sent you an oversight request, and that week, House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman Comer apparently sent you a similar oversight request, requesting similar sets of information in your possession, which are required by law to be released. My letter requested a very simple production of, firstly, “communications Office of the Vice President and any employee (including detailees) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), between March 24, 2021 and March 24, 2022, using the term ‘czar,’ ‘border,’ ‘migration,’ or ‘immigration.’” An IT employee of DHS could collate and produce these documents in a matter of hours, if not minutes, and yet the August 30, 2024, deadline has come and gone without response. I, therefore, reiterate my document request. The American people know that Vice President Harris was appointed the “border czar” and bragged about her role, and I am confident that you have records that would again prove this.

    More troubling, however, is the FOIA response that the Heritage Foundation Oversight Project has provided my office (attached as “Exhibit A” and available at https://oversight.heritage.org/GaetzLetterBorderCzar.pdf). This FOIA production proves that DHS front-office career employees did their job. They forwarded my request and actively worked to get a response out to me on time. In fact, the day before the due date, on August 29, 2024, they raised the issue again to political appointees. Kudos to them. But the reason they did not respond to my request, apparently, is that the White House got involved. Ian Sams was forwarded the oversight request, and his directives to your subordinates are redacted, but he stopped the oversight in its tracks, to protect his boss, possibly in violation of the Hatch Act, agency ethics rules, and campaign finance laws.

    In addition to my outstanding request, please provide my office with unredacted copies of the Ian Sams correspondence on this matter to my office by October 25, 2024. Surely, you can produce one or two emails in two weeks.

    Sincerely,

    Matt Gaetz
    Member of Congress

    ###

    For updates, subscribe to Congressman Gaetz’s newsletter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada strengthens protection of freshwater with launch of standalone Canada Water Agency

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    October 16, 2024 – Winnipeg, Manitoba

    Fresh water is our most precious natural resource, needed for drinking, cleaning and sanitation, recreation, industry, agriculture, and ecosystem health. Water is also sacred to many Indigenous peoples and honoured as a giver of life. Yet, fresh water in Canada is under increasing pressure from climate change, pollution, and other threats. Canadians recognize the importance of fresh water and have called for action.

    Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, officially announced the establishment of the Canada Water Agency as a standalone federal entity headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Previously within Environment and Climate Change Canada for an interim period, the new independent Agency will strengthen freshwater management in Canada by providing leadership and improved coordination and collaboration federally and with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples. As a standalone entity, the Canada Water Agency will work closely with partners to deliver major elements of the Freshwater Action Plan, build a strong approach to freshwater protection, and help address transboundary freshwater challenges and opportunities.

    The Agency also will provide freshwater policy expertise and lead the development of a national freshwater data strategy, which will make it easier for Canadians to make informed decisions impacting their environment, economy, health, and safety. It will also work closely with Environment and Climate Change Canada and other federal departments and agencies to support and leverage freshwater science.

    The Canada Water Agency will administer freshwater funding programs in eight waterbodies of national significance: the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, Lake Simcoe, the St. Lawrence River, the Mackenzie River, the Fraser River, and the Wolastoq/Saint John River. Over the coming years, the Canada Water Agency will provide grants and contributions to hundreds of projects supporting the restoration and protection of fresh water in Canada funded by the historic $650 million investment outlined in Budget 2023.

    The Agency will be based in Winnipeg, a historical gathering place for Indigenous peoples and home to Lake Winnipeg—one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes and a priority Canada Water Agency waterbody. The Agency will also have five regional offices across Canada to ensure responsiveness to local freshwater issues. It is clear that the creation of the Canada Water Agency as a standalone marks an important step for Canada in protecting and restoring freshwater resources. Through its efforts, the Agency will help safeguard freshwater for generations of Canadians, which in turn improves upon the environment, economy, health, and safety of Canada.

    Quotes

    “Canadians value fresh water and understand its importance for health, prosperity, and cultural practices. Given pollution, land-use, and other stressors, we must take action now to safeguard fresh water. The creation of the Canada Water Agency is a key step in strengthening freshwater management, protection, and stewardship in Canada.”

    – The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

    “Tackling today’s freshwater challenges will require strong collaboration among governments, Indigenous partners, non-government organizations, academia, industry, and others. The Canada Water Agency will provide the leadership to foster the partnerships that we need to protect fresh water. I think that it is fitting that Winnipeg, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers which flow into Lake Winnipeg, is home to this important federal agency.”

    – Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water

    “Manitoba is so proud to be the home of the new Canada Water Agency. With over 100,000 lakes, Manitobans value our fresh water and care deeply about the health of our waterways. Our government is proud to have recently established Manitoba’s first-ever formal Nutrient Targets Regulation for Lake Winnipeg and its tributaries to reduce nutrient loading and restore the health of this important lake. We look forward to the increased opportunities for collaboration that will come from having the Canada Water Agency here in Manitoba, and our government is pleased to work together with the federal government, Indigenous communities, other freshwater experts, and all stakeholders to ensure the health of our waterways for generations to come.”

    – The Honourable Tracy Schmidt, Manitoba Minister of Environment and Climate Change

    Quick facts

    • In Budget 2023, the Government of Canada provided $650 million over ten years for the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, as well as $85.1 million over five years (and $21 million ongoing thereafter), for the creation of the Canada Water Agency. It also committed to introducing legislation to fully establish the Agency as a standalone entity.

    • Working with Indigenous peoples to seek their perspectives and support their participation is a central part of the mandate of the Canada Water Agency.

    • The Canada Water Agency was first established as a branch of Environment and Climate Change Canada in June 2023.

    • On June 20, 2024, Bill C-59 (which included the Canada Water Agency Act), received Royal Assent, paving the way for the creation of the standalone Canada Water Agency.

    Related products

    Associated links

    Contacts

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

    Media Relations
    Environment and Climate Change Canada
    819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
    media@ec.gc.ca

    Canada Water Agency’s X (Twitter) page

    Canada Water Agency’s LinkedIn page

    Environment and Natural Resources in Canada Facebook page

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Minister Champagne and Minister Holland on the release of the engagement report on modernizing Canada’s research support system

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Statement

    October 16, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario

    Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, made the following statement:

    “As scientists and researchers work to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges, their work becomes increasingly complex and interdisciplinary. To keep pace with this evolution, Canada must ensure its research support system also evolves and becomes more collaborative to best meet the needs of our diverse science and research communities. That is why in Budget 2024, our government announced that it will establish a new capstone research funding organization, within which the granting councils—the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research—will continue to exist and support excellence in investigator-driven research, including a clear and direct linkage with the Health Portfolio. This new organization will allow Canada to leverage the best parts of the current system, while also modernizing it to bring more coordination, cohesion and agility.

    “In June 2024, we asked the federal granting councils to jointly undertake engagement with the research community to help inform the government’s ongoing work to create the new capstone organization. We would like to thank the granting councils and all who participated in the engagement for their valuable input that will help shape the future of the Canadian science and research support system.

    “The granting councils have jointly submitted to us their summary report: What We Heard: Tri-agency engagement with the research community on modernization of the federal research support system. The government has reviewed the report and is taking it under consideration to advance the design and implementation of the capstone organization and a truly modernized, collaborative, inclusive and responsive research support system. We will continue to seek the perspectives of the science and research community, including Indigenous partners, researchers and communities, to ensure the strength of the new organization.

    Quick facts

    • Since 2016, including initiatives proposed in Budget 2024, the federal government has invested over $22 billion in science and research initiatives, including infrastructure and emerging talent, as well as other science and technology support measures.
    • Budget 2024’s investments include providing $825 million over five years, and $199.8 million per year ongoing, to increase support for master’s and doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows, as well as $1.8 billion over five years, and $748.3 million per year ongoing, to the federal granting councils to increase core research grant funding and support Canadian researchers.
    • The government’s work to modernize the research ecosystem is informed by the findings of the independent Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System.

    Contacts

    Audrey Milette
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
    audrey.milette@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 
    media@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Matthew Kronberg
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Health
    343-552-5654

    Media Relations
    Health Canada
    613-957-2983
    media@hc-sc.gc.ca

    Stay connected

    Find more services and information on the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website.

    Follow Canadian Science on social media.
    Facebook: Canadian Science | Instagram: @cdnscience

    Follow the department on social media.
    X (Twitter): @ISED_CA | LinkedIn: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Duclos highlights 3 new federal properties in Québec available to build more housing, faster

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The federal government announces the most ambitious housing plan in Canadian history: a plan to build 4 million more homes.

    October 16, 2024 – Québec, Quebec – Public Services and Procurement Canada

    Everyone deserves a place to call home. However, for many across the country, home ownership and renting is out of reach due to the unprecedented housing crisis Canada is facing. We need to build more homes, faster, to get Canadians into homes that meet their needs, at prices they can afford. That’s why in Budget 2024 and Canada’s Housing Plan, the federal government announced the most ambitious housing plan in Canadian history: a plan to build 4 million more homes.

    As part of this plan, the Government of Canada is identifying properties within its portfolio that have the potential for housing, and is actively adding them to the Canada Public Land Bank. Wherever possible, the government will turn these properties into housing through a long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to support affordable housing and ensure public land stays public.

    Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, highlighted that properties located at 94, 104 and 112 Dalhousie in Québec, Quebec, are now available for housing development through the Canada Public Land Bank. These properties are part of the list of 14 new properties added to the land bank last week.

    A total of 70 federal properties have now been identified as being suitable to support housing. This list will continue to grow in the coming months, with further details on listed properties available soon.

    As part of the initial launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024, the Canada Lands Company, in partnership with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, issued a call for proposals for 5 properties located in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Montréal. The call for proposals for the properties in Toronto and Montréal closed on October 1, 2024, and evaluations have begun. The call for proposals for the Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa properties will close on November 1, 2024.

    To provide feedback on the land bank and its properties, the Government of Canada launched a call for housing solutions for communities: a secure online platform.

    To date, the Government of Canada has already received interest and feedback from provinces, territories and municipalities, as well as developers, housing advocates and Indigenous groups. This information will be used to develop and bring more properties to market starting this fall.

    To solve Canada’s housing crisis, the federal government is using every tool at its disposal. The Government of Canada is accelerating its real property disposal process to match the speed of builders and the urgency of getting affordable homes built for Canada.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nuer people have a sacred connection to birds – it can guide conservation in Ethiopia and South Sudan

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Abebayehu Aticho, PhD student, researcher and conservationist, Jimma University

    The Nuer are a large pastoralist community living in western Ethiopia and South Sudan in east Africa. They rely on livestock keeping and have special beliefs and customs about how to live with nature. These are passed down from parents to children through the telling of stories.

    Uncommonly for east African pastoralists, the Nuer live in an expansive, low-lying floodplain. This Gambella region is shaped by the convergence of several rivers originating in the Ethiopian highlands. Its wetlands and lush greenery offer a unique habitat that supports both the Nuer and a wide variety of birds and other wildlife. The people have a centuries-old cultural connection with the local biodiversity.

    The Nuer are cattle herders who live in a region with many rivers. Peter Martell/AFP/Getty Images

    Our collaborative study involved Ethiopian and European scientists from diverse fields (such as ornithology, ethno-ornithology, biodiversity and nature conservation). We conducted interviews and 15 group discussions with Nuer people to understand their interaction with and knowledge of birds. The study included two districts and 400 households. We found a significant and seldom studied relationship with birds, which serve a range of purposes in Nuer life.

    Our study not only highlights the deep spiritual and cultural ties between the Nuer people and the avian world. It also underscores the importance of incorporating traditional ecological knowledge into contemporary conservation efforts.

    The Nuer’s relationship to birds can be a valuable model for sustainable human-wildlife interactions. It can contribute to the conservation of bird diversity and promote a more harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

    The role of birds in Nuer life

    Ethiopia, known for its rich biodiversity, is home to 821 bird species and over 80 indigenous ethnic groups. Among these, the Nuer community stands out for its unique admiration of birds, viewing them as sacred beings.

    The Nuer use three interchangeable names for birds: gaatkuoth (sacred children of God), kuoth (bearers of spirit), and diit (symbols of human twins). These terms reflect spiritual beliefs and also influence cultural practices, such as naming twins after birds. This Nuer tradition connects the prolific nature of birds to human fertility.

    In our study, participants recognised 71 bird species as having unique cultural roles. The birds that live near Nuer villages have seven distinct uses. Ten species are used as bushmeat. Five are for traditional medicine. Eight are fish indicators – by meticulously observing species like the African fish eagle, African pygmy kingfisher, pied kingfisher or malachite kingfisher, people can identify areas with high fish populations.

    A flock of birds fly from the branches of trees in South Sudan. Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty Images

    Seven birds serve as omens – they signal potential dangers like the presence of wild animals. Three are used to create protective amulets. Three are used to indicate the change of seasons – for instance the return of migratory western yellow wagtails is a reliable sign that the sunny, dry season will be replacing the rainy, wet season. And 45 are hailed for their aesthetic beauty, often linked with a sense of place. The vibrant plumage, melodious songs and elegant flight patterns of birds like the black-crowned crane, blue-naped mousebird and purple heron create a spectacle that significantly enhances Nuer life.

    This intricate knowledge of birds is communal: over 90% of participants agreed on the uses of these bird species.

    Indigenous knowledge and sustainability

    One of the most striking things about the Nuer community is the sustainable practice embedded within their traditional systems. When birds are used as amulets, for example, only small, non-invasive parts of the bird, like feathers, are utilised. These are fashioned into necklaces or bracelets believed to offer protection from dangers like diseases. The birds are not killed or significantly harmed, which preserves their populations.

    A Nuer village. fabio lamanna/Getty

    There are strict limits on when and how birds can be used in Nuer society. The use of birds as bushmeat or for making traditional medicine is carefully controlled by elders and within family structures. Hunting is typically allowed only during severe food shortages. It’s often restricted to those in dire need, such as impoverished households. Families with a history of twins, who hold birds in special reverence, are not allowed to hunt them.

    These cultural practices help prevent overexploitation of bird species, conserving them for future generations. They ensure that the use of natural resources remains sustainable.

    It’s important to raise awareness about the conservation of birds, which are used for various purposes across Africa. Traditional medicine, bushmeat and the making of amulets has a direct impact on bird populations.

    Nuer traditions balance human needs with the preservation of bird life. Our study therefore offers a compelling case and model for the conservation of avian and indigenous cultural diversity in Africa.

    Why this matters

    It is, however, essential to acknowledge that the Nuer’s cultural practices are not immune to the pressures of modern society. As globalisation and development continue to encroach on traditional lands, the Nuer people will face increasing challenges in maintaining their sustainable practices.

    Threats such as habitat loss, climate change and illegal wildlife trading could jeopardise bird populations. In recent decades, the expansion of large-scale agriculture in the Gambella region has emerged as a driver of habitat loss and wildlife decline.

    A Nuer boy watches a flock of migrating birds. Peter Martell/AFP/Getty Images

    This makes the Nuer people’s traditional conservation practices even more relevant to future generations. By recognising and valuing their knowledge and practices, we can learn valuable lessons for broader conservation efforts.

    Indigenous territories, despite their relatively small size, often harbour extraordinary biodiversity. Recognising this, the United Nations’ Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework places indigenous-occupied areas among conservation priority areas at the forefront of biodiversity preservation strategies.

    It is crucial to help the Nuer community adapt to changing circumstances while preserving their cultural heritage and ensuring the sustainability of bird biodiversity.

    Changkuoth Puok Diet, a lecturer at Gambella University in Ethiopia, contributed to this article.

    – Nuer people have a sacred connection to birds – it can guide conservation in Ethiopia and South Sudan
    – https://theconversation.com/nuer-people-have-a-sacred-connection-to-birds-it-can-guide-conservation-in-ethiopia-and-south-sudan-239420

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Parliamentary Secretary Sousa highlights new federal property in Mississauga available for housing development

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Parliamentary Secretary Sousa highlights new federal property in Mississauga available for housing development.

    October 16, 2024 – Mississauga, Ontario – Public Services and Procurement Canada

    Everyone deserves a place to call home. However, for many across the country, home ownership and renting is out of reach due to the unprecedented housing crisis Canada is facing. We need to build more homes, faster, to get Canadians into homes that meet their needs, at prices they can afford. That’s why in Budget 2024 and Canada’s Housing Plan, the federal government announced the most ambitious housing plan in Canadian history: a plan to build 4 million more homes.

    As part of this plan, the Government of Canada is identifying properties within its portfolio that have the potential for housing, and is actively adding them to the Canada Public Land Bank. Wherever possible, the government will turn these properties into housing through a long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to support affordable housing and ensure public land stays public.

    Today, Charles Sousa, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, highlighted a property located at 1 Front Street East in Mississauga, Ontario, that is now available for housing development through the Canada Public Land Bank. This property is one of 14 new properties added to the land bank last week.

    A total of 70 federal properties have now been identified as being suitable to support housing. This list will continue to grow in the coming months, with further details on listed properties available soon.

    As part of the initial launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024, the Canada Lands Company, in partnership with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, issued a call for proposals for 5 properties located in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Montréal. The call for proposals for the properties in Toronto and Montréal closed on October 1, 2024, and evaluations have begun. The call for proposals for the Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa properties will close on November 1, 2024.

    To provide feedback on the land bank and its properties, the Government of Canada launched a call for housing solutions for communities: a secure online platform.

    To date, the Government of Canada has already received interest and feedback from provinces, territories and municipalities, as well as developers, housing advocates and Indigenous groups. This information will be used to develop and bring more properties to market starting this fall.

    To solve Canada’s housing crisis, the federal government is using every tool at its disposal. The Government of Canada is accelerating its real property disposal process to match the speed of builders and the urgency of getting affordable homes built for Canada. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Langworthy Announces $2 Million in Federal Funding for the Ripley Interstate Shovel Ready Site in Chautauqua County

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) announced that the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) will receive a federal grant of $1,999,999 for the Ripley Interstate Shovel Ready Site (RISRS) project. The project is expected to generate $60 million in private investment and create 320 new jobs in the region.

    “The Ripley Shovel Ready Site will bring good-paying jobs, attract new businesses, and provide the economic boost Chautauqua County needs,” said Congressman Nick Langworthy. “This significant investment will drive this project forward and give the community new opportunities for economic growth. As someone who grew up in the Southern Tier, I will always make it a priority to bring our federal tax dollars home for meaningful efforts like this one.”

    “Securing this funding represents a significant advancement for the Ripley shovel-ready site, a key project that promises to drive economic growth and prosperity here in Chautauqua County. This additional $1,999,999 from the Appalachian Regional Commission will help build out critical infrastructure and bring this project one step closer to completion. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Congressman Nick Langworthy for his steadfast support. Congressman Langworthy has been a constant advocate for our residents, and is working with Chautauqua County to bring economic revitalization to our region. I also wish to thank Mark Geise, our Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CEO of the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, for his tireless efforts in bringing this vision to life. This site will attract new investments, create jobs, and promote the kind of economic development that will benefit our county for generations,” said Paul M. Wendel Jr., Chautauqua County Executive. 

    Congressman Langworthy sent a letter of support for this funding in April — read the full letter here. 

    The RISRS project will install critical infrastructure, including access roads, water, sewer, gas, and communication lines, transforming the 147-acre site into a shovel-ready location for future businesses. These improvements will help meet the growing demand for development-ready space from the manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing sectors, and will play a vital role in revitalizing the region’s economy.

    Funding for this project is provided through the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative, which directs federal resources to economic diversification projects in Appalachian communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Subdivided flats policy explained

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    (To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

    Chief Executive John Lee today said the new policy of regulating subdivided units (SDUs) balances the genuine demand for these flats with ensuring the market is healthy in its existence.

    Mr Lee proposed in his Policy Address to set minimum standards to eradicate inadequate SDUs through legislation.

    Elaborating on the policy initiatives at a press conference this afternoon, Mr Lee stressed that the system he plans to introduce through legislation does not intend to make what is illegal legal.

    “What is illegal now will continue to be illegal under the respective ordinances; enforcement will be taken accordingly, and of course we will step up enforcement in concert with the new policy of subdivided flats, which will be introduced in residential buildings.

    “The intention is to first of all regulate the subdivided flats using this basic housing concept, so that we have a standard below which we will take action against (owners), because it will not be regarded as the right standard for our households to live in. I think that is the intention.”

    Acknowledging that eradicating inadequate SDUs is a difficult matter, he expressed hope that the proposed system could be thoroughly debated in the Legislative Council to enable the Government to enhance it.

    “We also want to ensure the new system will be able to tell the market, which in some way needs to exist by the sheer evidence that over 110,000 households are living in this accommodation. We want this market to be healthy in its existence.”

    The Chief Executive also said the Government will allow an adequate grace period for pre‑existing SDU owners and households to make necessary arrangements, and handle SDUs in residential buildings by batches in an orderly manner.

    “We will be taking action after a reasonable registration period and a reasonable tolerance period, giving the Secretary for Housing flexibility so as to divide the non-satisfying units and enforce action according to the actual situation, so that it will take them off the market lot by lot.”

    Mr Lee added that he is determined to solve the problem.

    “I think we have to be realistic as to why subdivided flats (have existed) for a long period of time – because of need, because of the actual need of households, because of a lack of enough supply of flats. So we have to be realistic, pragmatic.

    “It is not easy, but I am determined, and I think society supports that we should solve the problem.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

    Source: US Department of Veterans Affairs

    Monica Rivera, thanks very much for that kind introduction.

    Katherine Martinez, it’s great to see you again. You are certainly a Veteran “worth knowing,” and I’m glad you could join us today. And thanks very much for your powerful remarks, especially about how VA can fit into Veterans lives, rather than Veterans trying to fit their lives into VA.

    Jaime Areizaga-Soto and our panel members—thank you for the great conversation this morning.

    And thank you, Nathan Maenle and team, for putting together the program today.

    I don’t have to look far to see Hispanic Americans making an impact at VA—serving Vets as well as they’ve served all of us.

    To close today’s program, I’d like to tell you about a few extraordinary VA teammates. One demonstrating leadership in a moment of crisis. Another, an example of a Veteran dedicating his life to serving other Vets. A third, a young cemetery director committed to honoring our fallen Vets and preserving their stories. And finally, an emerging leader dedicated to healing human suffering wherever he finds it.

    First, Fernando Rivera. Fernando’s the Executive Director of the Southeast Louisiana Health Care system and was born in Cuba. His mother was a government public relations professional. His father was a military officer. Both were disillusioned—to put it mildly—with the oppression of Castro’s communist regime, and secretly participated in the movement to overthrow the government. In 1961, Fernando’s father was imprisoned in Havana and paid the ultimate price for his efforts to ensure his family and country could live in freedom. He was executed.

    Fernando immigrated to the United States—New Orleans—in 1969 as a political refugee. He was nine years old. His mother worked three jobs to support him and his grandparents. As a young man he started at VA as a GS-5 Project Engineer—and advanced to roles including Medical Center Director, Network Director, and Acting Deputy Under Secretary. He’s been with VA for 39 years and counting. Along the way, in 1992, he met the love of his life—his wife Stacie—at VA. That’s part of the reason Fernando calls VA his family.

    Ten years ago, he went home—so to speak—when he helped bring VA healthcare back to New Orleans nearly a decade after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Fernando’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic set national standards, caring for over 1,600 infected patients, and coordinating responses across VA and private-sector healthcare systems. Just last month, Fernando’s steady leadership guided the Veterans, staff, and volunteers at VA when Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana. Fernando’s team responded quickly. They kept in close contact with the most vulnerable patients. When the storm had passed, Fernando had the medical center and 6 of 7 community-based outpatient clinics up and running within 24 hours and the final, most impacted clinic, up within 48 hours.

    Every day when Fernando goes to work, he reads a sign at the front of the hospital in New Orleans. It says, “The price of freedom can be seen within these walls.” Fernando says that he can never take for granted those who have served in uniform because they are the reason he and his family are free. Perhaps few can appreciate that freedom more profoundly than Fernando.

    Next, I’d like to talk about Francisco Vazquez. Francisco is the Medical Center Director at the Houston VA. His story of service starts with his beloved father, also named Francisco. His father grew up an orphan in Puerto Rico and saw the Army as a way out of the cycle of poverty and hopelessness he experienced. He joined the famous 65th Infantry Regiment shortly after his 18th birthday in 1951. Within a year, he found himself landing on the shores of Inchon, Korea. He stayed in the Army and Francisco, the younger, was born in Fort Chafee, Arkansas. When Francisco was eight, his father retired from the Army and moved the family back to Puerto Rico where he experienced firsthand the richness and warmth of the family-centered culture there.

    Francisco is very proud of his Puerto Rican heritage—where, as he says, “the island is beautiful … the food is amazing … and the people are welcoming, valiant, and determined.” After graduating from college, Francisco attended Navy Officer Candidate School, following his father in service to the nation. He served on the USS Okinawa for four years. His VA journey began in 1995 at the Central Texas Healthcare System. Since then, Francisco has served in seven VA hospitals. “We have the best mission in the world,” Francisco says. “We help our nation pay back part of the debt of gratitude we owe our Veterans for their service and sacrifice through the delivery of world-class care.”

    And for Francisco, it all goes back to the values his father modeled for him and his siblings during his Army career: honesty, hard work, humility, and putting the needs of others above your own. It was these values that inspired Francisco’s oldest son, Armando, to join the Army. And though Francisco’s father and son are no longer with us, their memory inspires and motivates him every single day to fulfill the second part of what President Biden calls our one truly sacred obligation as Americans, to prepare and equip the troops we send into harm’s way, and then care for them and their families when they come home. Three generations of Hispanic Americans who have put service and love of country at the forefront of their lives and are an example for us all.

    Next, I’d like to tell you about Marcos De Jesus. Marcos is the Director of the South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth, Florida. He was born in the Dominican Republic. When he was four, his mother—Maria—and he immigrated to Puerto Rico where he says he truly found his home. Marcos’ commitment to service started with the values taught by his mother—the belief that even if you don’t have much, you should still strive to give back to the world. By the time Marcos left for college it was only natural that he should join the ROTC program there, where the Air Force’s core value of “Service Before Self” resonated with him. Marcos served five years as an Air Force officer, deploying to Colombia and Abu Dhabi. He was impressed with the fact that in the Air Force he met people from all walks of life who were dedicated to one thing: serving their country.

    Like many Vets, when Marcos left the military, he searched for a similar sense of purpose and service. He found that purpose in the National Cemetery Administration in 2021.  His life came full circle when he returned to Puerto Rico for NCA’s Cemetery Director’s Development Program. Marcos takes pride in learning and sharing Veteran stories preserved in our National Cemeteries, especially through the Veterans Legacy Memorial site. Along the way, he met and married his wife, Barbara, from Caracas, Venezuela. Being a part of a Venezuelan family now, Marcos sees similarities in the values he witnessed growing up in Puerto Rico: courage, determination, and perseverance. Marcos jokes that he knows he and his wife will have debates about which heritage their children will claim. But they are certain of one thing—their children will inherit their shared values of hard work and service.

    Finally, I’d like to tell you about Dr. Alexander Tenorio. Alexander is a White House Fellow—one of America’s most prestigious programs for emerging leaders—serving with us here at VACO. Hispanic alumni of this program include the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Jaime Areizaga-Soto, our Chairman of the Board of Veterans Appeals, and Alberto Ramos, my Chief Speechwriter. Alexander and his family immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the 1980s, fleeing violence in their hometown. Alexander grew up poor in South Los Angeles, selling clothing on the streets to help his family make ends meet. It was on those streets that he saw drug use, gang violence, and the healthcare challenges the people in his community faced.

    So, he decided to go to medical school and become a neurosurgeon, one of the most under-represented specialties. During his residency in San Diego, Alexander came face-to-face with the horrific reality that is all too common along our southern border—individuals sustaining life changing wounds like Traumatic Brain Injury—T.B.I.—and spinal cord damage after falling from the 30-foot border wall—fleeing the same violence his parents did in the ‘80s. He’s dedicated his life to raising awareness of these tragic and preventable accidents, advocating for increased access to care for Hispanic and non-citizen populations. Alexander says that some of the most grateful patients he cared for as a resident in San Diego were our Vets. And that’s part of his motivation to serve his fellowship here at VA. His parents, who sacrificed so much to help him become a neurosurgeon, instilled in him the core value he lives by today: to help the helpless, and to heal human suffering wherever he finds it.

    So, why did I tell you about these extraordinary individuals this morning? Well, because frankly, these folks—Katherine, Francisco, Fernando, Marcos, and Alexander—know better than most what America is all about. And we need more leaders like them at VA. Because a diverse VA is a stronger VA. We all travel our unique journeys in life. Whether from Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, or Minnesota. And the convergence of those varied paths is what makes us stronger. We all cherish our freedoms as Americans. That’s why—you and I—are here to fight like hell for those who raise their hands to defend those freedoms. I thank you all for allowing me to join you this morning. God bless you all. And God bless our Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mozambique’s 2024 elections: 9 major challenges that will face the next president

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David Matsinhe, Losophone Research Specialist/Adjunct Professor in African Studies, Carleton University

    The incoming president of Mozambique faces an array of interconnected problems deeply rooted in historical, socioeconomic and political dynamics. He must balance meeting immediate needs with long-term structural change.

    The 9 October 2024 general election was Mozambique’s seventh since multiparty elections were introduced in 1994. The results are expected to be announced within two weeks from the poll date. International media reports indicate that the ruling Frelimo and its presidential candidate Daniel Chapo are poised for a landslide victory.

    This is likely to be confirmed by the electoral commission even though local media have pointed to widespread and brazen ballot stuffing and fake observers, among other irregularities, in favour of Frelimo.

    Frelimo has been in power since independence in 1975.

    Can the resource-rich but impoverished nation of 35 million expect a redirection of policies and strategies under Chapo to address its multifaceted crises?

    Chapo (47) was born after independence and promises to act with integrity. But the old guard placed him in power to protect and promote their interests.

    Mozambique’s crises stem largely from systemic corruption under Frelimo. It has prioritised political elites over national welfare. Its decades of mismanagement, embezzlement and patronage have left institutions weak and unable to address pressing social and economic issues.

    The country is fragmented. The government has neglected the development of inclusive, accountable governance and equitable infrastructure. Regional disparities are the result. This is especially so in Cabo Delgado province, where disenfranchised citizens have become vulnerable to extremist groups.

    This lack of unity and long-term planning has created a fragile state unable to withstand mounting internal and external pressures.

    As a Mozambican social scientist and human rights specialist, I have spent my adult life wrestling with my country’s complex economic, social, cultural and political dynamics.



    Read more:
    9 million Mozambicans live below the poverty line – what’s wrong with the national budget and how to fix it

    Mozambique stands at a critical point. The new president must confront the deep-rooted challenges with determination and comprehensive reforms.

    In my view, the new leader faces nine key challenges. These are a deep economic crisis, an Islamic insurgency in the north, climate change, drug trafficking, unemployment, corruption, poor infrastructure, kidnappings and unpaid public sector salaries.

    Economic crisis

    Mozambique’s economy has deteriorated, primarily because of structural imbalances and a dependence on extractive industries. GDP growth has declined sharply, from 7% in 2014 to 1.8% in 2023.

    Slower growth has resulted in over 62% of Mozambicans living in poverty.

    A public debt crisis was worsened by the “hidden debt scandal”: the discovery in 2016 of US$2 billion in previously undisclosed debts the government had guaranteed without the knowledge of parliament.

    This has limited the state’s capacity to invest in education, health and sanitation.

    Economic revival must be accompanied by targeted interventions to promote inclusive growth. All Mozambicans must benefit from economic activities to alleviate poverty.

    Insurgency

    Since 2017, extremist groups have used local grievances and regional disenfranchisement to destabilise northern Mozambique. Over 4,000 people have died. Nearly a million have been displaced.

    The conflict is rooted in socio-economic inequalities, made worse by the extraction of natural gas and rubies. Global and local actors compete for control.

    The new president’s role in mediating this crisis requires nuance. He must address the historical marginalisation of Cabo Delgado while balancing military and developmental responses.



    Read more:
    Between state and mosque: new book explores the turbulent history of Islamic politics in Mozambique

    He must also write a new chapter in the country’s deplorable human rights record. This is marked by widespread violations of the right to life, physical integrity, freedom from arbitrary detention, and freedoms of expression, assembly and the press.

    Climate change crisis

    Climate change intersects with Mozambique’s vulnerabilities. The country has been repeatedly struck by increasingly devastating severe cyclones, such as Idai and Kenneth in 2019.

    Deforestation has made it more fragile, reducing its capacity to mitigate flood and erosion risks.

    The new president will need to put in place policies that incorporate mitigation and adaptation strategies. He will also need to secure multilateral cooperation.

    Drug trafficking

    Drug trafficking networks have entrenched themselves. Porous borders, weak governance structures and endemic corruption have made Mozambique a corridor for heroin and cocaine trafficking.

    The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that US$100 million worth of heroin passes through Mozambique annually. This fuels informal economies that sustain political patronage networks.

    Tackling the problem requires stronger state institutions. It also requires regional and global collaboration to disrupt the transnational flow of narcotics.

    Unemployment

    Joblessness stands at over 70%, affecting youth in particular. Youth disenfranchisement risks perpetuating cycles of poverty, social instability and potential radicalisation.

    Policies promoting vocational training and entrepreneurship are essential. So is investment in labour-intensive sectors, such as agriculture and manufacturing.

    Corruption

    Pervasive corruption erodes public trust and stifles economic innovation. New efforts to combat corruption must go beyond superficial reforms. They must uproot the power structures that sustain these systems.

    Poor infrastructure

    Infrastructure is in disrepair. Urban roads are crumbling, public services are inadequate and electricity blackouts are frequent. Rural regions lack basic services such as clean water and healthcare.

    The next president will need to launch an ambitious infrastructure overhaul to improve living conditions and stimulate economic growth.

    Kidnappings

    Kidnappings, especially targeting the wealthy and business people, have created widespread fear and instability. The crime disrupts business operations and deters foreign investment, further harming economic growth.

    The high-profile nature of kidnappings suggests collusion between criminal networks and law enforcement as well as inefficiencies in the justice system.

    The persistence of kidnappings reflects broader governance issues. These include limited state capacity to respond effectively to organised crime.

    Unpaid public servants

    Delays in salary payments for public servants have worsened economic and social problems. The delays reduce public workers’ purchasing power. This has affected household consumption and local economies.

    Morale among employees is sapped, harming productivity and eroding trust in government institutions.



    Read more:
    Mozambique’s transgender history is on display in a powerful photo exhibition

    The new president must make public sector reforms. This includes auditing finances, improving revenue collection, enforcing fiscal discipline, promoting merit-based appointments, implementing probity laws, strengthening anti-corruption bodies, and diversifying the economy.

    The future of Mozambique rests on the ability of its next leader to address these profound and intertwined crises. It’s a huge task.

    Whoever it is will have to break from the Frelimo mould, reverse the damage done and set the country on a new path of clean governance, peace and inclusive economic growth.

    David Matsinhe 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. Mozambique’s 2024 elections: 9 major challenges that will face the next president – https://theconversation.com/mozambiques-2024-elections-9-major-challenges-that-will-face-the-next-president-240923

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What is Temporary Protected Status? A global migration expert explains why the US offers some foreign nationals temporary protection

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Karen Jacobsen, Henry J. Leir Chair in Global Migration, Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University

    Haitian students use mobile phones to record an exercise during an English class in Springfield, Ohio, on Sept. 13, 2024. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

    Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, have criticized the Biden administration’s decision to allow Haitian nationals who are in the U.S. to apply for permission to stay under a legal classification called Temporary Protected Status. Here is what this designation means and how it’s made:

    TPS permits foreign nationals who are already in the United States – even if they did not enter the country through an official or legal means – to remain for six, 12 or 18 months at a time if the situation in their home country is deemed too dangerous for them to return. Threats that prompt TPS designations include ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters, epidemics and other extraordinary and temporary conditions.

    The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designates a foreign country for TPS when conditions there meet requirements spelled out in federal law. Once the secretary determines that the foreign country is safe for its nationals to return, their protected status expires and people who have been granted it are expected to return to their home country.

    Congress created TPS as part of the Immigration Act of 1990. Since then, administrations have used it to protect thousands of people from dozens of countries. The first nations to be designated, in March 1991, were Kuwait, Lebanon and Liberia.

    As of March 2024, there were 863,880 people from 16 countries under Temporary Protected Status in the U.S. Another 486,418 people had initial or renewal applications pending. An estimated 316,000 people may also be eligible under two new extensions since that date.

    TPS beneficiaries may not be detained by federal officials over their immigration status or deported from the United States. They can obtain work permits and apply for authorization to travel outside the U.S. and return to it.

    People who receive TPS don’t automatically become legal permanent residents. But they can petition for an adjustment of their immigration status, such as applying for permanent residency, a student visa or asylum. Applying for a change of immigration status does not necessarily mean their application will be approved.

    Humanitarian measures

    TPS is not the only tool administrations can use to protect people from countries facing disaster or conflict.

    For example, a Haitian person currently living in the U.S. is eligible for TPS under a designation that lasts through Feb. 3, 2026. In contrast, a Haitian who travels through Mexico and applies for entry to the U.S. at the border is not likely to be admitted.

    However, there is a third possibility for Haitians, known as parole. The federal government can give certain groups permission to enter or remain in the U.S. if it finds “urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons” for doing so.

    People who enter through parole programs must have an approved financial supporter in the U.S., undergo a robust security vetting and meet other eligibility criteria. They typically can stay for one to two years, and may apply for authorization to work.

    One current parole program is for people from Latin American countries that are TPS designates. The U.S. government can grant advance permission to enter the U.S. to up to 30,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans each month. People fleeing these countries – all of which have been designated for Temporary Protected Status – can seek authorization to travel from their homes to the U.S. for urgent humanitarian reasons, and then stay for a temporary period of parole for up to two years.

    Immigrant rights groups rally at the U.S. Capitol following a federal court ruling that threatened the legal standing of thousands with Temporary Protected Status, Sept. 15, 2020.
    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    I’ve studied global migration and asylum policy for 25 years. I see both TPS and parole as legal and carefully considered ways to support people from countries experiencing wrenching conflict, disorder and disaster who are seeking safety in the U.S. Doing away with these programs, as Trump sought to do during his term in office, would make it extremely difficult for people in great danger to escape.

    Neither TPS nor parole programs are automatic roads to citizenship or permanent residence. They are ways to provide humanitarian assistance to people in appalling circumstances, such as rampant gang violence in Haiti and economic hardship and political repression in Venezuela and Nicaragua.

    Certainly, cities need more resources to support large numbers of immigrants. But offering temporary protection to people whose home countries are not safe places to live is a long-standing – and, in my view, crucial – element of U.S. immigration policy.

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

    – ref. What is Temporary Protected Status? A global migration expert explains why the US offers some foreign nationals temporary protection – https://theconversation.com/what-is-temporary-protected-status-a-global-migration-expert-explains-why-the-us-offers-some-foreign-nationals-temporary-protection-240525

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Elite corruption has the power to ignite mass protests in Nigeria – why police corruption doesn’t

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jacob Lewis, Assistant Professor, School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Washington State University

    Nigerians took to the streets in August 2024 to voice their frustration at a series of government policies. These policies had been ostensibly designed to make Nigeria more attractive for outside investment.

    The removal of fuel subsidies and the removal of the economic peg between the Nigerian naira and the US dollar have sent the Nigerian economy into a tailspin.

    Many Nigerians rely on government subsidies to make ends meet. The economic policy changes have resulted in a big rise in inflation, adding to the challenges for ordinary Nigerians.

    As economic conditions have worsened, the prominence of government corruption has risen. Protests and riots have exploded in the streets across the country in the form of #EndBadGovernance protests that call out government graft and poor governance.

    Does government corruption drive protests and social movements? While some scholars have argued that it does, others have argued that corruption is often a catch-all term for frustration over broad economic and democratic grievances. Others have noted that in some cases, increased perceptions of corruption correlate with less protest.

    These contradictory results reveal an important puzzle: why does corruption only sometimes seem to generate mass uprisings? If, for example, corruption is enough to generate citizen uprisings, then why do we only rarely see unified anti-police protests in countries like Nigeria, where police corruption is rampant?

    I argue that one key to this puzzle is the way different types of corruption are associated with increased or decreased protest mobilisation.

    I am a political scientist whose work focuses in part on African social movements and issues of corruption. I approach this by merging large statistical models with political psychological approaches.

    I conducted research in 2021 on different types of corruption shaping protests. I found that elite corruption had the power to mobilise protest. But that other forms of corruption – such as corruption in the police force – were less likely to lead people to take protest action.

    The implication of my findings is that anti-corruption protests are an imperfect signal for understanding everyday corruption experiences. The fact that people aren’t protesting doesn’t mean there’s nothing to complain about.

    Why elite corruption sparks protest

    To explain why corruption sometimes corresponds with protest movements and other times does not, I think it is useful to consider two types of corruption. Elite corruption refers to forms of graft and venality performed by political elites who seek to either enrich themselves or reshape the political system to their advantage.

    Police corruption refers to acts of self-enrichment or abuse perpetrated by police officers, often during traffic stops or in the process of police procedure.

    My findings show that citizens are generally more likely to mobilise in response to elite corruption than police corruption. Why?

    First, elite corruption tends to be intertwined with macro-level economic crises and scandals.

    Second, elite corruption provides a universal point of focus for protesters across an entire nation, rather than the highly localised experiences of police and bureaucratic graft.

    Finally, anger over police corruption may be suppressed by the safety concerns associated with demonstrating against armed security forces.

    I tested this argument using two methods. First, drawing from a 2017 household survey experiment that I conducted in five Nigerian states, I examined whether exposure to vignettes describing either elite corruption or police corruption shaped a respondent’s self-reported willingness to participate in a protest.

    The elite corruption vignettes included self-dealing and system-changing forms of corruption perpetrated by political elites. The police corruption vignette focused on the solicitation of bribes and unfair detention of citizens by the police. I then asked respondents:

    Many Nigerians join groups that engage in protests, strikes, or demonstrations. Now I would like to ask you about how willing you would be to join a protest or demonstration.

    Respondents were able to select a response between 1 (“not at all willing”) to 5 (“very willing / I already do”).

    I found that individuals who received the elite corruption vignette were statistically more likely to state that they would join a protest or demonstration.

    I then expanded this analysis via a statistical regression that measured whether perceptions of elite and police corruption (sourced from the Afrobarometer dataset) correlated with different levels of observed conflict (sourced from the Social Conflict Analysis Database).

    I thought it was best to test whether the results of my survey experiment, which capture a moment in time, reflected a broader reality, or whether it was just a fluke.

    Using the Afrobarometer data, I identified regions where citizens expressed particularly high or low perceptions of elite and police corruption. Then, using the social conflict analysis data, I measured the number of protest events in those regions.

    I found that while elite corruption perceptions were positively correlated with an increased number of observed protest events, police corruption perceptions were not.

    Together, these methods suggest that it is not enough to argue that citizens will rise up against corrupt governments. Rather, the ways in which a government is corrupt matter.

    Turning back to the August 2024 protests, one might ask: why now? Why did Nigerians spend ten days protesting against corruption when there had been rampant corruption for so long?

    My research suggests that the nature of the corruption claims – specifically, anger over large-scale government graft – is what counts.

    Recent developments seem to support this.

    What’s changed

    First, corruption perceptions have spiked. In 2021, Afrobarometer polled 1,600 Nigerians, asking them whether levels of corruption had risen, stayed the same, or decreased in the past year. At the time, just over 35% stated that corruption had “increased a lot”. One year later, that number had nearly doubled, jumping to just under 65%.

    This drastic increase in perceived corruption reveals a broader lack of faith in the government and concern over the future of the country.

    Second, tipping points help with mobilisation. The protests in early August arose as the financial crisis crystallised and as a series of economic policies brought into sharp relief the economic disparities between the rich and the poor.

    The removal of fuel subsidies is a particularly touchy subject in Nigerian politics. In 2012, Nigerians took to the streets over the same issue, leading to a week-long “occupation” of major Nigerian cities by protesters.

    Implications

    Protests are a highly visible signal that citizens are frustrated; however, it is easy to overlook the possibility that citizens may be widely upset about a broad array of issues, but only willing to speak out in response to some of those issues.

    There is a knock-on consequence to this; namely, that police corruption has a more direct effect on the lives of Nigerians than elite corruption, but often goes unaddressed.

    Jacob Lewis receives funding from the Department of Defense, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. He consults with the Anti-Defamation League on survey-based research.

    – ref. Elite corruption has the power to ignite mass protests in Nigeria – why police corruption doesn’t – https://theconversation.com/elite-corruption-has-the-power-to-ignite-mass-protests-in-nigeria-why-police-corruption-doesnt-239760

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Gangs’stories : A glimpse of hard lives around the world

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Dennis Rodgers, Research Professor, Anthropology and Sociology, Graduate Institute – Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement (IHEID)

    Gangs and gang members arguably constitute fundamental lenses through which to think about and consider the world we live in. They need to be understood in a balanced and nuanced manner, however, that goes beyond stereotyping and vilification. For the past five years, the GANGS project, a European Research Council-funded project led by Dennis Rodgers, has been studying global gang dynamics.

    Among the project’s various activities, researchers collected 31 gang member life histories from 23 countries around the world, to help us better understand the motivations, drivers, and events that can shape gang members’ choices and trajectories. Taken together, the stories offer a panorama of triumph and defeat, of ruin and redemption, of discrimination and emancipation, and highlight the frequent persistence of human beings, even in the most difficult of circumstances. The 31 stories will be published in different forms – including as an Open Access edited volume with Bloomsbury Press, and in two journal special issues – over the coming years. In the meantime, this special series for The Conversation offers a preliminary selection, each illustrating a key issue that has emerged from GANGS project research.

    Kieran Mitton tells us about the life of Gaz, a former Sierra Leonean gang member who became a poet and then a farmer. His remarkable trajectory is a testament to the way that gangster lives are by no means deterministic and that opportunities to leave the gang and change can present themselves in all sorts of ways at different moments in time.

    Ellen Van Damme offers us a portrait of Jennifer, the first female Honduran gang leader. Her story illustrates the frequently gendered nature of gangs, and the way that machismo and patriarchy constrain Jennifer’s life, even as a gang leader, highlighting the frequently fundamentally masculine essence of street gangs.

    Sally Atkinson-Sheppard worked closely with Sharif, who 10 years ago was her research assistant, to write the story of his journey from gang member in war-torn Bangladesh to human rights worker and advocate for street children’s rights today. His story is one of overcoming exceptional adversity and drawing on his past experiences to do good in the world today.

    Steffen Jensen recounts the story of Marwan, whose life is in many ways a reflection of contemporary South African history, as he has had to navigate the violence of apartheid, prison, the Cape Flat drug wars, and more. Central to his narrative are the binary notions of damnation and redemption, with gangs frequently the sources of both at different points in his life, highlighting the different ways in which they can influence life trajectories.

    Alistair Fraser and Angela Bartie present a portrait of 70-year-old Danny, a retired Glaswegian businessman who was a gang member in his youth, and that is based, uniquely, on interviews carried out over a 50-year period, in 1969, 2011, and 2022. They trace his changing self-reflexion about his past, highlighting how this mirrors the broader transformation of Glasgow from a “Mean City” in the 1950s to a thriving metropolis that was Europe’s Capital of Culture in 1990.

    From a very young age, Soraya was involved in drug trafficking in the barrio Luis Fanor Hernández, a poor neighbourhood in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, where Dennis Rodgers has worked for over 20 years. Known locally as “la Reina del Sur” (“the Queen of the South”), her story shows how rather than being empowering, her participation in the drugs trade reinforced forms of macho violence and patriarchal dynamics of domination.

    Dennis Rodgers received an Advanced Grant (no. 787935) from the European Research Council (https://erc.europa.eu) for a project on “Gangs, Gangsters, and Ganglands: Towards a Global Comparative Ethnography” (GANGS).

    – ref. Gangs’stories : A glimpse of hard lives around the world – https://theconversation.com/gangsstories-a-glimpse-of-hard-lives-around-the-world-227166

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mozambique’s 2024 elections: 9 major challenges that will face the next president

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David Matsinhe, Losophone Research Specialist/Adjunct Professor in African Studies, Carleton University

    The incoming president of Mozambique faces an array of interconnected problems deeply rooted in historical, socioeconomic and political dynamics. He must balance meeting immediate needs with long-term structural change.

    The 9 October 2024 general election was Mozambique’s seventh since multiparty elections were introduced in 1994. The results are expected to be announced within two weeks from the poll date. International media reports indicate that the ruling Frelimo and its presidential candidate Daniel Chapo are poised for a landslide victory.

    This is likely to be confirmed by the electoral commission even though local media have pointed to widespread and brazen ballot stuffing and fake observers, among other irregularities, in favour of Frelimo.

    Frelimo has been in power since independence in 1975.

    Can the resource-rich but impoverished nation of 35 million expect a redirection of policies and strategies under Chapo to address its multifaceted crises?

    Chapo (47) was born after independence and promises to act with integrity. But the old guard placed him in power to protect and promote their interests.

    Mozambique’s crises stem largely from systemic corruption under Frelimo. It has prioritised political elites over national welfare. Its decades of mismanagement, embezzlement and patronage have left institutions weak and unable to address pressing social and economic issues.

    The country is fragmented. The government has neglected the development of inclusive, accountable governance and equitable infrastructure. Regional disparities are the result. This is especially so in Cabo Delgado province, where disenfranchised citizens have become vulnerable to extremist groups.

    This lack of unity and long-term planning has created a fragile state unable to withstand mounting internal and external pressures.

    As a Mozambican social scientist and human rights specialist, I have spent my adult life wrestling with my country’s complex economic, social, cultural and political dynamics.

    Read more: 9 million Mozambicans live below the poverty line – what’s wrong with the national budget and how to fix it

    Mozambique stands at a critical point. The new president must confront the deep-rooted challenges with determination and comprehensive reforms.

    In my view, the new leader faces nine key challenges. These are a deep economic crisis, an Islamic insurgency in the north, climate change, drug trafficking, unemployment, corruption, poor infrastructure, kidnappings and unpaid public sector salaries.

    Economic crisis

    Mozambique’s economy has deteriorated, primarily because of structural imbalances and a dependence on extractive industries. GDP growth has declined sharply, from 7% in 2014 to 1.8% in 2023.

    Slower growth has resulted in over 62% of Mozambicans living in poverty.

    A public debt crisis was worsened by the “hidden debt scandal”: the discovery in 2016 of US$2 billion in previously undisclosed debts the government had guaranteed without the knowledge of parliament.

    This has limited the state’s capacity to invest in education, health and sanitation.

    Economic revival must be accompanied by targeted interventions to promote inclusive growth. All Mozambicans must benefit from economic activities to alleviate poverty.

    Insurgency

    Since 2017, extremist groups have used local grievances and regional disenfranchisement to destabilise northern Mozambique. Over 4,000 people have died. Nearly a million have been displaced.

    The conflict is rooted in socio-economic inequalities, made worse by the extraction of natural gas and rubies. Global and local actors compete for control.

    The new president’s role in mediating this crisis requires nuance. He must address the historical marginalisation of Cabo Delgado while balancing military and developmental responses.

    Read more: Between state and mosque: new book explores the turbulent history of Islamic politics in Mozambique

    He must also write a new chapter in the country’s deplorable human rights record. This is marked by widespread violations of the right to life, physical integrity, freedom from arbitrary detention, and freedoms of expression, assembly and the press.

    Climate change crisis

    Climate change intersects with Mozambique’s vulnerabilities. The country has been repeatedly struck by increasingly devastating severe cyclones, such as Idai and Kenneth in 2019.

    Deforestation has made it more fragile, reducing its capacity to mitigate flood and erosion risks.

    The new president will need to put in place policies that incorporate mitigation and adaptation strategies. He will also need to secure multilateral cooperation.

    Drug trafficking

    Drug trafficking networks have entrenched themselves. Porous borders, weak governance structures and endemic corruption have made Mozambique a corridor for heroin and cocaine trafficking.

    The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that US$100 million worth of heroin passes through Mozambique annually. This fuels informal economies that sustain political patronage networks.

    Tackling the problem requires stronger state institutions. It also requires regional and global collaboration to disrupt the transnational flow of narcotics.

    Unemployment

    Joblessness stands at over 70%, affecting youth in particular. Youth disenfranchisement risks perpetuating cycles of poverty, social instability and potential radicalisation.

    Policies promoting vocational training and entrepreneurship are essential. So is investment in labour-intensive sectors, such as agriculture and manufacturing.

    Corruption

    Pervasive corruption erodes public trust and stifles economic innovation. New efforts to combat corruption must go beyond superficial reforms. They must uproot the power structures that sustain these systems.

    Poor infrastructure

    Infrastructure is in disrepair. Urban roads are crumbling, public services are inadequate and electricity blackouts are frequent. Rural regions lack basic services such as clean water and healthcare.

    The next president will need to launch an ambitious infrastructure overhaul to improve living conditions and stimulate economic growth.

    Kidnappings

    Kidnappings, especially targeting the wealthy and business people, have created widespread fear and instability. The crime disrupts business operations and deters foreign investment, further harming economic growth.

    The high-profile nature of kidnappings suggests collusion between criminal networks and law enforcement as well as inefficiencies in the justice system.

    The persistence of kidnappings reflects broader governance issues. These include limited state capacity to respond effectively to organised crime.

    Unpaid public servants

    Delays in salary payments for public servants have worsened economic and social problems. The delays reduce public workers’ purchasing power. This has affected household consumption and local economies.

    Morale among employees is sapped, harming productivity and eroding trust in government institutions.

    Read more: Mozambique’s transgender history is on display in a powerful photo exhibition

    The new president must make public sector reforms. This includes auditing finances, improving revenue collection, enforcing fiscal discipline, promoting merit-based appointments, implementing probity laws, strengthening anti-corruption bodies, and diversifying the economy.

    The future of Mozambique rests on the ability of its next leader to address these profound and intertwined crises. It’s a huge task.

    Whoever it is will have to break from the Frelimo mould, reverse the damage done and set the country on a new path of clean governance, peace and inclusive economic growth.

    – Mozambique’s 2024 elections: 9 major challenges that will face the next president
    – https://theconversation.com/mozambiques-2024-elections-9-major-challenges-that-will-face-the-next-president-240923

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Elite corruption has the power to ignite mass protests in Nigeria – why police corruption doesn’t

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jacob Lewis, Assistant Professor, School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Washington State University

    Nigerians took to the streets in August 2024 to voice their frustration at a series of government policies. These policies had been ostensibly designed to make Nigeria more attractive for outside investment.

    The removal of fuel subsidies and the removal of the economic peg between the Nigerian naira and the US dollar have sent the Nigerian economy into a tailspin.

    Many Nigerians rely on government subsidies to make ends meet. The economic policy changes have resulted in a big rise in inflation, adding to the challenges for ordinary Nigerians.

    As economic conditions have worsened, the prominence of government corruption has risen. Protests and riots have exploded in the streets across the country in the form of #EndBadGovernance protests that call out government graft and poor governance.

    Does government corruption drive protests and social movements? While some scholars have argued that it does, others have argued that corruption is often a catch-all term for frustration over broad economic and democratic grievances. Others have noted that in some cases, increased perceptions of corruption correlate with less protest.

    These contradictory results reveal an important puzzle: why does corruption only sometimes seem to generate mass uprisings? If, for example, corruption is enough to generate citizen uprisings, then why do we only rarely see unified anti-police protests in countries like Nigeria, where police corruption is rampant?

    I argue that one key to this puzzle is the way different types of corruption are associated with increased or decreased protest mobilisation.

    I am a political scientist whose work focuses in part on African social movements and issues of corruption. I approach this by merging large statistical models with political psychological approaches.

    I conducted research in 2021 on different types of corruption shaping protests. I found that elite corruption had the power to mobilise protest. But that other forms of corruption – such as corruption in the police force – were less likely to lead people to take protest action.

    The implication of my findings is that anti-corruption protests are an imperfect signal for understanding everyday corruption experiences. The fact that people aren’t protesting doesn’t mean there’s nothing to complain about.

    Why elite corruption sparks protest

    To explain why corruption sometimes corresponds with protest movements and other times does not, I think it is useful to consider two types of corruption. Elite corruption refers to forms of graft and venality performed by political elites who seek to either enrich themselves or reshape the political system to their advantage.

    Police corruption refers to acts of self-enrichment or abuse perpetrated by police officers, often during traffic stops or in the process of police procedure.

    My findings show that citizens are generally more likely to mobilise in response to elite corruption than police corruption. Why?

    First, elite corruption tends to be intertwined with macro-level economic crises and scandals.

    Second, elite corruption provides a universal point of focus for protesters across an entire nation, rather than the highly localised experiences of police and bureaucratic graft.

    Finally, anger over police corruption may be suppressed by the safety concerns associated with demonstrating against armed security forces.

    I tested this argument using two methods. First, drawing from a 2017 household survey experiment that I conducted in five Nigerian states, I examined whether exposure to vignettes describing either elite corruption or police corruption shaped a respondent’s self-reported willingness to participate in a protest.

    The elite corruption vignettes included self-dealing and system-changing forms of corruption perpetrated by political elites. The police corruption vignette focused on the solicitation of bribes and unfair detention of citizens by the police. I then asked respondents:

    Many Nigerians join groups that engage in protests, strikes, or demonstrations. Now I would like to ask you about how willing you would be to join a protest or demonstration.

    Respondents were able to select a response between 1 (“not at all willing”) to 5 (“very willing / I already do”).

    I found that individuals who received the elite corruption vignette were statistically more likely to state that they would join a protest or demonstration.

    I then expanded this analysis via a statistical regression that measured whether perceptions of elite and police corruption (sourced from the Afrobarometer dataset) correlated with different levels of observed conflict (sourced from the Social Conflict Analysis Database).

    I thought it was best to test whether the results of my survey experiment, which capture a moment in time, reflected a broader reality, or whether it was just a fluke.

    Using the Afrobarometer data, I identified regions where citizens expressed particularly high or low perceptions of elite and police corruption. Then, using the social conflict analysis data, I measured the number of protest events in those regions.

    I found that while elite corruption perceptions were positively correlated with an increased number of observed protest events, police corruption perceptions were not.

    Together, these methods suggest that it is not enough to argue that citizens will rise up against corrupt governments. Rather, the ways in which a government is corrupt matter.

    Turning back to the August 2024 protests, one might ask: why now? Why did Nigerians spend ten days protesting against corruption when there had been rampant corruption for so long?

    My research suggests that the nature of the corruption claims – specifically, anger over large-scale government graft – is what counts.

    Recent developments seem to support this.

    What’s changed

    First, corruption perceptions have spiked. In 2021, Afrobarometer polled 1,600 Nigerians, asking them whether levels of corruption had risen, stayed the same, or decreased in the past year. At the time, just over 35% stated that corruption had “increased a lot”. One year later, that number had nearly doubled, jumping to just under 65%.

    This drastic increase in perceived corruption reveals a broader lack of faith in the government and concern over the future of the country.

    Second, tipping points help with mobilisation. The protests in early August arose as the financial crisis crystallised and as a series of economic policies brought into sharp relief the economic disparities between the rich and the poor.

    The removal of fuel subsidies is a particularly touchy subject in Nigerian politics. In 2012, Nigerians took to the streets over the same issue, leading to a week-long “occupation” of major Nigerian cities by protesters.

    Implications

    Protests are a highly visible signal that citizens are frustrated; however, it is easy to overlook the possibility that citizens may be widely upset about a broad array of issues, but only willing to speak out in response to some of those issues.

    There is a knock-on consequence to this; namely, that police corruption has a more direct effect on the lives of Nigerians than elite corruption, but often goes unaddressed.

    – Elite corruption has the power to ignite mass protests in Nigeria – why police corruption doesn’t
    – https://theconversation.com/elite-corruption-has-the-power-to-ignite-mass-protests-in-nigeria-why-police-corruption-doesnt-239760

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: For the first time in F1 history, a video game will be fully integrated with an F1 team

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: For the first time in F1 history, a video game will be fully integrated with an F1 team

    Bringing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle theming to some of the fastest cars on the planet marks the next chapter in Xbox and Alpine’s official partnership, showcasing the rich storytelling both brands are known for. The car liveries and race suits worn by drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon feature intricate details inspired by the game, including a map of the location’s players will explore, along with other branded elements from the games beautiful Collector’s Edition. The striking new car designs are revealed today, with their in-person debut set for Thursday, October 17. F1 and gaming fans alike can catch both cars in action at the United States F1 Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, from October 18 to 20. 

    “Working with the Xbox team to bring alive the incredible Indiana Jones and the Great Circle livery for the United States Grand Prix has been fantastic,” says Oliver Oakes, BWT Alpine Formula One Team, Team Principal. “The new look will be right at home in the Austin setting this weekend. In the past year, our partnership with Xbox has reached new heights and this is our biggest activation yet. There’s even more to come and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of the game when it comes out.” 

    We began teasing this collaboration with an epic real-life road trip. It all started in Los Angeles at a twilight-lit shipyard, where an Indiana Jones and the Great Circle-themed semi-truck set off, carrying a mysterious crate. Along its journey, the truck made stops at iconic U.S. landmarks like Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Bonneville Salt Flats, and White Sands National Park, before arriving, shrouded in secrecy, at the Circuit of the Americas during a breathtaking sunset. There, the crate was finally opened to reveal its special cargo. To relive this incredible journey, visit the social channels of BWT Alpine F1 team, Bethesda, MachineGames, and Circuit of The Americas (COTA). 

    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is developed by MachineGames and Bethesda Softworks, in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, and launches on December 9 on Xbox Series consoles, Xbox Game Pass and PC – with early access starting on December 6. The game is a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade’. In the year 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the mysterious Great Circle, and only one person can beat them to it – Indiana Jones. Blending cinematic set-pieces, puzzle-solving, and hand-to-hand combat, players will embark on an authentic Indiana Jones experience that spans the world during the height of the legendary archaeologist’s career. 

    Pre-orders for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are now open for Xbox Series X|S consoles and PC, with wish listing also available on PlayStation. Those who purchase the Premium Edition, Premium Upgrade or Collector’s Edition of the game will receive 3 days of early access, beginning December 6. More information on pre-orders can be found here. Stay tuned for more details at https://indianajones.bethesda.net/

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Polish pals embrace Derry’s Halloween spirit

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Polish pals embrace Derry’s Halloween spirit

    16 October 2024

    Derry’s Halloween celebrations have made such an impression on some Polish pals now living in Northern Ireland that they are preparing to take part in the parade for the eighth time.
    Eliot Von Feczko and Jerzy Feczko who now live in Donaghcloney, Co Down, first heard about Derry’s legendary Halloween celebrations via Facebook, and nine years ago decided to check out the fun for themselves.
    Eliot explained, “Halloween in Poland is very different to the way it is celebrated in Northern Ireland. It is culturally a very different event, in Poland our local celebrations are about memories of people who are no longer with us, but in Derry it is all about fun and enjoyment.
    “We first heard about Derry via Facebook and around nine years ago we decided to come and check it out for ourselves. We were so impressed that we decided to speak with the organisers and see how we could get more involved the following year. Since then, we have attended and taken part in the parade every year, apart from during the pandemic. We really love being part of something so special.”
    Determined to turn heads as they take part in the parade Eliot and Jerzy’s costumes are truly bespoke. With over 20 years’ experience working with arts and crafts their costumes are all designed and hand-made by Eilot.
    Jerzy explained, “This year the theme for our costumes is druids from Irish/Scandinavian folklore, with some modernisation. “We try and have a different costume every year. All the ideas and inspiration are the result of Eliot’s imagination and she handmakes our costumes every year. She’s a very creative individual so she doesn’t like to copy anyone else’s ideas.
    “It all depends on the individual costume, but each one can take up to 100 working hours as Eilot is making everything from scratch. All birds, feathers, flowers etc are hand stitched, she’s not using glue or any quick fix solutions. Our masks are handmade as well, built on real impressions of our faces so that they fit perfectly.
    “We also use Eilot’s artwork to decorate our home, so it’s pretty much Halloween all year round,” added Jerzy.
    With their costumes well in hand the friends are on the countdown to their favourite time of year, Eliot added, “Derry is an amazing place at Halloween, all the fabulous costumes, the performances, the parade… we really love the spirit and energy of the city at this time of year. Everyone gets really involved, so many people gathering together to create this spectacular event. We can’t wait to take part again this year. Give us a wave if you see us in the parade and have a great Halloween everyone,” she added.
    The Derry Halloween festival is led by Derry City and Strabane District Council, supported by Tourism Northern Ireland and The Executive Office, with additional support from Ulster University and Air Coach.
    Download the Awakening the Walled City Trail at derryhalloween.com And don’t forget that Derry Halloween is also on WhatsApp! Get the latest updates, exclusive sneak peeks, and instant info right on your phone. Don’t miss any of the spooky surprises in store! https://bit.ly/halloweenwhatsapp

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –