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Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI: Fresche Solutions Appoints Pete Czornohus as Chief Commercial Officer to Lead Strategic Expansion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Fresche Solutions (“Fresche”, “Company”), a global leader in IBM i management and modernization, appoints Pete Czornohus as its new Chief Commercial Officer, effective immediately. This pivotal appointment aligns with Fresche’s ongoing commitment to strengthen its sales and customer engagement, ensure sustained growth, and deliver exceptional value to its customers.

    “Appointing Pete Czornohus as our new Chief Commercial Officer is a key step in accelerating our growth strategy and advancing our customer-centric approach,” said Joe Zarrehparvar, CEO of Fresche Solutions. “Pete’s strategic expertise and impressive track record make him the ideal choice for this role. His leadership and vision for commercial operations and customer excellence will be critical as we continue to expand our presence in the IBM i market and strengthen relationships with customers.”

    With over 40 years of industry experience, Pete will focus on executing Fresche’s strategic plan, driving revenue growth, and ensuring the company’s commercial strategies align with its long-term goals. Pete will also continue his role as General Manager of Software and Professional Services.

    “Becoming Chief Commercial Officer is an incredible opportunity,” said Pete Czornohus. “I look forward to the increased scope of my role at Fresche to drive commercial success, enhance customer relationships, and achieve new levels of growth. Together, we’ll set new benchmarks for customer excellence in the IBM i ecosystem and beyond.”

    Fresche empowers organizations to maximize their IBM i and technology assets. The appointment of Pete reflects Fresche’s focus on leadership excellence, innovation, and customer value as it continues to evolve and grow in the IBM i modernization sector.

    ABOUT FRESCHE SOLUTIONS 
    Pioneers in IT modernization, Fresche manages, modernizes, and maximizes the value of IBM i business critical systems. Our winning IP and proven solutions in Modernization, Cloud, Software and Application Services, and Strategy have earned the trust of global leaders from 2200+ companies. Transform your IT challenges into future growth and innovation with Fresche Solutions. Learn more at www.freschesolutions.com.

    Media Contact:
    Aneta Ranstoller
    VP, Marketing
    Fresche Solutions Inc.
    aneta.ranstoller@freschesolutions.com
    +1 800 361 6782

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/74f6697d-072b-4ce7-8e21-cf4ea010a5f2

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Financial Services Authority sets out its strategic plans

    Source: Isle of Man

    The Isle of Man Financial Services Authority has set out its intentions to drive continuous improvement in the Island’s regulatory environment.

    The Strategic Plan 2024-2027, published online today (Thursday 24 October 2024), highlights the priority initiatives that will be progressed over the next three years. Following a period of significant development, the Authority’s focus is on embedding its updated approach to supervision, maximising its use of data and developing its people.

    The theme is one of evolution, with the strategic plan identifying workstreams that support the objectives of protecting consumers, reducing financial crime and maintaining confidence in the finance sector through effective regulation. Officers will also continue to make an important contribution towards preparations for the Isle of Man’s next MONEYVAL evaluation.

    Where internal efficiencies and greater automation create additional capacity, projects will be progressed that the Authority believes will add real purpose and value for its stakeholders.

    The strategy, which has been shaped by feedback from Island firms to the 2023 industry survey, outlines high-level plans under the three strategic pillars of Infrastructure, Frameworks and People. The proposals will:

    • Strengthen organisational resilience and maximise the benefits of technology
    • Improve stakeholder engagement, and support a thriving, innovative and sustainable finance sector
    • Encourage a culture of excellence at the Authority

    Lillian Boyle, Chair of the Authority’s Board, said: ‘The Strategic Plan 2024-2027 aims to be both realistic and ambitious, setting out our immediate priorities and the matters we intend to address in the next three years. We believe that articulating our priorities serves to explain the Authority’s direction of travel, supports a collaborative approach with industry and enables Island firms to plan for the future with confidence.’

    The implementation of the strategy will be overseen at executive level by Bettina Roth whose position as Chief Executive of the Authority has been extended by the Board until the autumn of 2027. This will enhance the stability of the Authority’s leadership team to support the delivery of key initiatives.

    Mrs Roth added: ‘The world is changing at a relentless pace so it is essential to have the flexibility to deal with fresh challenges. Being nimble and having the ability to adapt our plans where necessary is critical if we are to seize opportunities for economic growth, while mitigating potential threats. We will provide periodic updates and statistics to outline the progress of our stated commitments and highlight any emerging areas of focus.’

    The Strategic Plan 2024-2027 is available to view on the publications section of the Authority’s website.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Naked protests in South Africa: a psychologist explores the emotional power of this form of activism

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Mpho Mathebula, Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand

    Naked protests are a form of public demonstration where individuals, often women, use the symbolic power of their naked bodies to challenge injustices. These protests have become an increasingly visible form of resistance, particularly in response to state violence, economic exploitation, and the oppression of women by men.

    While naked protests might seem provocative or shocking, they have a long and storied history in Africa. They are not only a powerful statement but also a direct challenge to norms in society around decency, control and vulnerability.

    As a research psychologist, I was drawn to the study of naked body protests because of their profound affective power. That’s to say I study how emotions like anger, fear, joy and empowerment are expressed and experienced by both the protester and the observer. I’ve interviewed numerous South African women who have taken part in naked protests in the past decade.



    Read more:
    Undressing for redress: the significance of Nigerian women’s naked protests

    My studies, which take an African feminist approach, show that these protests are not just acts of desperation or shock tactics. They’re rooted in a long tradition of resistance and decolonisation, drawing on generational power and emotional expressions. They are a feminist tactic that embodies both vulnerability and strength, using the body as a site of resistance and empowerment.

    Naked protests are complex – and, I argue, a powerful tool for reclaiming African women’s agency, dignity and voices.

    Colonialism and nakedness

    During colonialism, European countries ruled over African nations. Colonisers imposed their values, laws and social systems – including strict ideas about how women should behave and dress. These replaced many traditional African practices and beliefs. African women were required to cover their bodies because nakedness was seen as shameful or improper according to European moral standards.



    Read more:
    Naked protest: how ordinary citizens reveal truth to repressive regimes

    By protesting naked, African women are rejecting these colonial ideas and reclaiming their bodies as a form of resistance. They’re saying they refuse to be controlled by these outdated beliefs. So, naked protests are a decolonial action.

    African feminism sheds further light. It highlights the unique historical and social conditions that shape African women’s struggles. It recognises that African women’s bodies have been sites of both oppression and resistance for a long time, subjected to patriarchal and colonial control.

    Naked body protests in South Africa

    In South Africa, colonialism was followed by white minority rule. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation and discrimination, made law from 1948 to 1994. Black South Africans were denied political rights, restricted from owning land in white areas, and subjected to pass laws that controlled their movement. Black women bore the brunt of this oppression.

    In Durban in 1959, South African women protested against the 1908 Native Beer Act, which banned them from brewing traditional beer. Protesters attacked state beerhalls and, in a bold act of defiance, exposed their bodies as they faced police barricades. The police were often hesitant to confront or harm the women.

    In 1990, during the Dobsonville housing protest, women in Soweto stripped and protested against the demolition of their shacks by municipal police. They successfully drew media attention to their demands.

    This form of protest has endured, even in the country’s democratic era. As recently as 2024, women from the South African Cleaners, Security and Allied Workers’ Union staged a naked protest against the sudden termination of their contracts by private security companies.

    Psychology study

    But a primary focus of my research was the South African student protests that began in 2015. The #FeesMustFall movement saw students protesting against sexual violence and the high cost of education. Naked protests took place at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and related #RUReferenceList protests against rape at Rhodes University in Makhanda.

    My PhD study set out to understand naked body protests and contribute to their psychological understanding. I wanted to find out why women in particular use this form of decolonialist protest and what its emotional and social role is during and after the actions.

    I interviewed 16 women who participated in the protests, as well as drawing from podcast interviews with two other participants and a video of the 1990 Dobsonville protests.

    Anger and confrontation

    I found that anger and confrontation played a central role. During the #FeesMustFall protests, women’s decision to use their naked bodies was a deliberate, transgressive act aimed at disrupting structures that wanted to silence them.

    They weaponised their vulnerability and exposed the contradictions within these systems – where women’s bodies are often sexually objectified but deemed unacceptable when used as instruments of protest. By baring their bodies, these women confronted the state, universities, and society at large by placing their physical bodies in direct opposition to deeply ingrained social hierarchies.



    Read more:
    Angry student protests have put rape back on South Africa’s agenda

    The anger expressed in these protests is not random; it’s rooted in a collective and historical sense of injustice. The women told me they were responding to both the immediate issue of being excluded from higher education facilities and also broader, generational experiences of gender-based violence, racism and economic disenfranchisement. Anger became a way to assert control over their bodies in spaces where their presence had been marginalised, ignored or actively suppressed.

    By channelling their anger, these women redefined their relationship to both their own bodies and the public spaces they occupied. Their protests highlighted the connection between personal anger and systemic oppression.

    Joy in struggle

    Joy is another important affect in these protests. Women often experience a sense of joy and empowerment when they achieve the goals of their protests.

    This joy is not just a personal feeling but a collective one that binds women together. Joy is a form of resistance in itself because it defies the narrative of women as passive victims.

    Empowered and powerful

    When women take part in naked protests, they show that they have the power to make their own decisions. They feel more confident and in control.

    Participants made it clear that being part of these protests can deeply change how women feel about themselves. They discover their strength and ability to fight back.

    The #IAmOneInThree hashtag was based on the United Nations estimate that one in three women around the world will be sexually abused in their lifetime. A #IAmOneInThree naked protest took place at the University of the Witwatersrand in solidarity with #RUReferenceList protests at Rhodes University. Sibu, who took part, shared how carrying a sjambok (a whip) and singing struggle songs with other women made her feel:

    For me that moment was affirming … I felt powerful somehow. Because when you … have been raped … it made me feel weak … It made me feel like an object and not a person. And so I remember that moment feeling empowered, right, I have my sjambok, I have my sisters around me.

    Naked body protests in South Africa are a powerful form of feminist resistance that draws on deep historical and cultural traditions. These protests are strategic and affective forms of resistance that challenge patriarchy, sexism and colonialism.

    Mpho Mathebula 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. Naked protests in South Africa: a psychologist explores the emotional power of this form of activism – https://theconversation.com/naked-protests-in-south-africa-a-psychologist-explores-the-emotional-power-of-this-form-of-activism-238530

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group seeks local power in DRC, not just control over mining operations

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ken Matthysen, Researcher, IPIS

    The violence wrought by the Rwandan-backed rebel group M23 Movement is often narrowly framed as intended to control eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s resource-rich mining sites. The rebel group launched its most recent offensive in 2021 and currently controls vast territories in the south-east of North Kivu province, surrounding and cutting off the main city of Goma.

    Eastern DR Congo mines produce crucial raw materials such as tin, tantalum and tungsten, as well as abundant quantities of gold. It therefore seems logical to reduce explanations of conflict to the ambition by M23, and Rwanda behind it, to control the mines directly.

    We belong to a team of researchers who examine the various dimensions of conflict from different perspectives. Our findings, based on fieldwork and conducted in collaboration with in-country experts, show that this popular analysis does not paint the full picture.

    Conflict analysis often ignores historical and local dimensions. Our investigation with the Goma-based civil society organisation Association pour le Développement des Initiatives Paysannes therefore explored the local stakes and impacts of the M23 crisis. We interviewed more than 55 people in North Kivu (DR Congo), including members of M23, as well as soldiers and armed groups fighting them, local chiefs, state agents, teachers, taximen, traders and farmers who live on the frontline of the conflict.

    Our research reveals that M23 employs a more profound strategy to boost its position and military strength (through Rwandan support) in local struggles over land, authority and rents. M23’s disruptive strategy aims to replace Congolese authorities and overhaul local governance in areas it controls in eastern DR Congo. Key to this strategy is:

    • undermining and replacing local (customary) authorities

    • taking over strategic trade routes

    • the installation of an elaborate taxation regime.

    These strategies also allow M23 – and Rwanda – to generate revenues from the local economy, including rents from DR Congo’s mineral wealth, without necessarily directly controlling mines.

    Historical struggles over land

    Interviewees attached great importance to the historical context of the M23 conflict, explaining how struggles over land date back to independence in 1960. Going back to the 1930s and 1940s, the Belgian colonial administrators already organised large movements of migrant workers from Rwanda to work on plantations in DR Congo. The Rwandophone migrants and their descendants settled in North Kivu, becoming part of the local population.

    After independence, Hutu and Tutsi (Rwandophone) communities began to jostle for control over North Kivu’s fertile farmland with the Hunde and Nyanga communities there. As grievances over access to land and property rights increased, Rwandophone communities were stigmatised as “non-indigenous” and their land claims as illegitimate.

    As the Congo Wars broke out in the 1990s, people began seeking recourse to armed groups to settle land conflicts. Before the rise of M23 in 2012, two other groups (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie and later Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple) rose to protect the Rwandophone population in eastern DRC. They also grabbed and sold vast concessions of land – held by the state or other communities – to allied farmers and business people. These were typically from the Tutsi community.

    Given the country’s complex and under-enforced land laws, land claims became exceedingly difficult to verify or prove. This has strengthened the belief that the only way to secure access to land is by resorting to armed groups. Thus, M23 is perceived as the guardian of the Tutsi community’s access to land.

    This perception is well illustrated by a testimony of a local leader in Masisi territory:

    The wars of the last three decades have been motivated by a struggle for control over land … Indigenous people are driven out, dispossessed of their land in favour of others who are considered foreigners and refugees. … the M23 is made up of (Tutsi) pastoralists … and there are fields that their rivals had seized … it was one of their (M23) first concerns to start exploiting them.

    Most Congolese Tutsi have not asked for this “protection” by M23. But the ensuing grievances and ethnic tensions will haunt the relations between communities for years to come.

    Struggles over customary authority

    In DR Congo, customary chiefs play an important role in local land governance. They also adjudicate conflicts, bind people together through rituals, and represent the symbolic claim by a specific community to a given place.

    Many Congolese we spoke to perceive M23’s main aim to be control of power at the local level — undermining the existing authorities. The group has indeed sought to replace customary authorities with M23-appointed ones, at times assassinating Congolese chiefs. Local sources said M23 even burnt chiefdom archives, destroying evidence of claims to customary authority.

    M23’s economic grip

    Wherever M23 has a foothold, it installs an elaborate taxation regime. This involves checkpoint tolls, household taxes, dues on business, harvest taxes and forced labour. In doing so, the group generates the revenues to sustain the conflict. But this also strengthens its politico-administrative hold on the population, as taxation is a symbolic interface of public authority.

    Local armed groups that joined with the Congolese army to combat M23 deepen the problem. Called wazalendo (“patriots”), they are often unpaid and therefore rely on payments from the population to sustain their counter-offensive. As a result, taxation in eastern Congo has become heavily “militiarised”. Taxed by government forces, wazalendo and M23, civilians pay a heavy toll.

    The military nature of local governance could jeopardise future efforts to bring peace to eastern DRC.

    What about minerals?

    M23 has an impact on all aspects of local governance in eastern DR Congo. It has found ways to control and profit from the local economy in North Kivu, including mineral supply chains. It operates checkpoints along arteries and taxes minerals smuggled to Rwanda, alongside other trade flows.

    Having M23 control strategic trade routes in DR Congo, including those crossing into Uganda, is a benefit for Rwanda. From Kigali’s perspective, the resurgence of M23 in 2021 came at a perfect time to block Uganda’s efforts to improve the road network in eastern DR Congo towards its own territory. Rwanda and Uganda are locked in intense competition for Congolese informal trade, re-exporting its timber and minerals as their own, gaining taxes and foreign earnings that ought to benefit the Congolese treasury and population.

    What must be done?

    DR Congo’s resources play a large role in the M23 conflict, but our study underscores the historical roots of the conflict and its profound local impacts. These findings should inform locally meaningful and sustainable conflict resolution strategies.

    Since the M23 revival, land access, trade and security have become increasingly mediated by armed actors. Even after a possible M23 defeat, it will take years of local dialogue and mediation to undo this involvement of militia in local governance, resolve land issues, repair inter-community relations and remake customary authority. But that’s the only way to reach sustainable peace in North Kivu.

    Ken Matthysen works for the International Peace Information Service (IPIS)

    This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the Belgian Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD). The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of IPIS and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the Belgian Development Cooperation.

    – ref. Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group seeks local power in DRC, not just control over mining operations – https://theconversation.com/rwandan-backed-m23-rebel-group-seeks-local-power-in-drc-not-just-control-over-mining-operations-231318

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Avian architects: weaver birds in Africa have unique building styles

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Maria Cristina Tello Ramos, Lecturer, University of Hull

    A white-browed sparrow weaver looks up at a neighbouring roost. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

    From afar, the acacia trees look like they have been decorated with grass pom-poms. The birds have been busy, building shelters of straw and grass. Up close the real shape of the “pom-poms” becomes clear: grass tubes in the form of an upside down “U”, with an opening at each end.

    These structures are the work of white-browed sparrow weavers (Plocepasser mahali).

    White-browed sparrow weavers are cooperative breeders. Within a multi-generational family group, only one dominant pair will reproduce; all other birds, which are mostly kin (related), will help with the rearing of chicks. These birds do everything together: forage, defend their territory, feed new chicks – and build each of the many roosts that decorate the acacia trees they live in. The birds are found throughout central and north-central southern Africa.

    Year after year, family groups get bigger and, as they do, the number of roosts they build increases. Families might have as many as 14 individuals, so the birds need to build multiple roosts, including a few “spares”.

    There’s something intriguing about these roosts. Sometimes different families set up territories next to each other, in trees as close together as 10 metres.

    How do you tell families apart? By their roosts. Some families build roosts that are very long, with long entrance and exit tubes; others will build roosts that are much shorter, with hardly any tubes. Essentially, it looks like different white-browed sparrow weaver families have different architectural styles. Why?

    To find out, we studied more than 400 roosts built by 43 families in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. We confirmed that the roosts and nests built by groups that live next to each other have their own architectural style, and that environmental, physical or genetic attributes of these different family groups do not influence the structures’ configuration.

    We think that the birds’ building behaviour and the shape of the structures might be the result of social interactions. Animals often learn from each other how to do things, whether it is how to use tools (chimpanzees), how to sing the correct song (some bird species, humpback whales), or how to exploit new food resources (cockatoos). Learning from others within a group often results in animals showing group-specific behaviours, or animal cultures. In this sense animals, like humans, develop their own cultures.

    Measuring various factors

    There is a lot of diversity in the nests different bird species build, both in the shapes and the materials used, as well as the number of nests an individual might build.

    For example, sociable weavers (Philetairus socius) build massive multiple occupant “apartment buildings” made out of grass. Cape penduline tits (Anthoscopus minutus) build nests that look like satchels made out of vegetable fibres with the texture of a wool sweater. Male southern mask weavers (Ploceus velatus) will weave thousands of grass leaves to build multiple nests at one time, and swallows collect and stack together one mud pellet at a time to build their pottery nests.

    To better understand the lack of uniformity among different white-browed sparrow weaver families’ roosts, we measured 400 roosts, all still on the trees, built by 43 families in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. Some were new – less than a year old – and others were at least two years old. (All structures that we measured were also identified with a small ring. We did this for three years in a row, so we could tell if a structure was there before we started measuring and marking the structures or if it was built during our time there.)

    Those measurements confirmed that different families build roosts with different sizes and that, across years, families maintain their own architectural style.

    At the same time, we measured the temperature and wind speed at each of the families’ territories, the size of the birds, the height of the trees, how genetically related different families were to each other, and how far away the different families lived from each other.

    This allowed us to determine whether any of these factors could explain why different families build different roosts. For instance, maybe families living in hotter territories build roosts with shorter tubes than in cooler areas, since they would not need much material to insulate them from the cold at night. The similarity in their environment, we reasoned, might explain why weaver families living in close proximity to each other created similar roosts. Or perhaps families that were more closely related to each other (something like cousins and second cousins) would build similar structures?

    However, one by one, we excluded all environmental and genetic explanations for the differences in the structures built by different families.

    So what happens next?

    We plan to continue documenting the architectural styles of different white-browed sparrow weaver families and to record their building behaviour so we can determine how these birds coordinate their behaviour when building together.

    Looking in more detail at how the roosts built by these birds across Africa might differ could help us understand to what extent the environment, material availability, individual experiences, and social interactions between individuals affect the building behaviour of these birds.

    Maybe, like humans, some species of birds have their own architectural traditions passed on across generations through social interactions.



    Read more:
    Kalahari weaver birds lay bigger eggs when they have female helpers to feed nestlings

    Maria Cristina Tello Ramos received funding from the National Geographic Foundation and The Templeton World Charity Foundation.

    – ref. Avian architects: weaver birds in Africa have unique building styles – https://theconversation.com/avian-architects-weaver-birds-in-africa-have-unique-building-styles-240950

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Blinken holds a joint press availability with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Al Thani

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken holds a joint press availability with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, on October 24, 2024.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
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    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
    Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw

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    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH1EgtRhUCU

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Naked protests in South Africa: a psychologist explores the emotional power of this form of activism

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Mpho Mathebula, Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand

    Naked protests are a form of public demonstration where individuals, often women, use the symbolic power of their naked bodies to challenge injustices. These protests have become an increasingly visible form of resistance, particularly in response to state violence, economic exploitation, and the oppression of women by men.

    While naked protests might seem provocative or shocking, they have a long and storied history in Africa. They are not only a powerful statement but also a direct challenge to norms in society around decency, control and vulnerability.

    As a research psychologist, I was drawn to the study of naked body protests because of their profound affective power. That’s to say I study how emotions like anger, fear, joy and empowerment are expressed and experienced by both the protester and the observer. I’ve interviewed numerous South African women who have taken part in naked protests in the past decade.

    Read more: Undressing for redress: the significance of Nigerian women’s naked protests

    My studies, which take an African feminist approach, show that these protests are not just acts of desperation or shock tactics. They’re rooted in a long tradition of resistance and decolonisation, drawing on generational power and emotional expressions. They are a feminist tactic that embodies both vulnerability and strength, using the body as a site of resistance and empowerment.

    Naked protests are complex – and, I argue, a powerful tool for reclaiming African women’s agency, dignity and voices.

    Colonialism and nakedness

    During colonialism, European countries ruled over African nations. Colonisers imposed their values, laws and social systems – including strict ideas about how women should behave and dress. These replaced many traditional African practices and beliefs. African women were required to cover their bodies because nakedness was seen as shameful or improper according to European moral standards.

    Read more: Naked protest: how ordinary citizens reveal truth to repressive regimes

    By protesting naked, African women are rejecting these colonial ideas and reclaiming their bodies as a form of resistance. They’re saying they refuse to be controlled by these outdated beliefs. So, naked protests are a decolonial action.

    African feminism sheds further light. It highlights the unique historical and social conditions that shape African women’s struggles. It recognises that African women’s bodies have been sites of both oppression and resistance for a long time, subjected to patriarchal and colonial control.

    Naked body protests in South Africa

    In South Africa, colonialism was followed by white minority rule. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation and discrimination, made law from 1948 to 1994. Black South Africans were denied political rights, restricted from owning land in white areas, and subjected to pass laws that controlled their movement. Black women bore the brunt of this oppression.

    In Durban in 1959, South African women protested against the 1908 Native Beer Act, which banned them from brewing traditional beer. Protesters attacked state beerhalls and, in a bold act of defiance, exposed their bodies as they faced police barricades. The police were often hesitant to confront or harm the women.

    #FeesMustFall protests in South Africa in 2016. Alon Skuy/The Times/Gallo Images/Getty Images

    In 1990, during the Dobsonville housing protest, women in Soweto stripped and protested against the demolition of their shacks by municipal police. They successfully drew media attention to their demands.

    This form of protest has endured, even in the country’s democratic era. As recently as 2024, women from the South African Cleaners, Security and Allied Workers’ Union staged a naked protest against the sudden termination of their contracts by private security companies.

    Psychology study

    But a primary focus of my research was the South African student protests that began in 2015. The #FeesMustFall movement saw students protesting against sexual violence and the high cost of education. Naked protests took place at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and related #RUReferenceList protests against rape at Rhodes University in Makhanda.

    My PhD study set out to understand naked body protests and contribute to their psychological understanding. I wanted to find out why women in particular use this form of decolonialist protest and what its emotional and social role is during and after the actions.

    I interviewed 16 women who participated in the protests, as well as drawing from podcast interviews with two other participants and a video of the 1990 Dobsonville protests.

    Anger and confrontation

    I found that anger and confrontation played a central role. During the #FeesMustFall protests, women’s decision to use their naked bodies was a deliberate, transgressive act aimed at disrupting structures that wanted to silence them.

    They weaponised their vulnerability and exposed the contradictions within these systems – where women’s bodies are often sexually objectified but deemed unacceptable when used as instruments of protest. By baring their bodies, these women confronted the state, universities, and society at large by placing their physical bodies in direct opposition to deeply ingrained social hierarchies.

    Read more: Angry student protests have put rape back on South Africa’s agenda

    The anger expressed in these protests is not random; it’s rooted in a collective and historical sense of injustice. The women told me they were responding to both the immediate issue of being excluded from higher education facilities and also broader, generational experiences of gender-based violence, racism and economic disenfranchisement. Anger became a way to assert control over their bodies in spaces where their presence had been marginalised, ignored or actively suppressed.

    By channelling their anger, these women redefined their relationship to both their own bodies and the public spaces they occupied. Their protests highlighted the connection between personal anger and systemic oppression.

    Joy in struggle

    Joy is another important affect in these protests. Women often experience a sense of joy and empowerment when they achieve the goals of their protests.

    This joy is not just a personal feeling but a collective one that binds women together. Joy is a form of resistance in itself because it defies the narrative of women as passive victims.

    Empowered and powerful

    When women take part in naked protests, they show that they have the power to make their own decisions. They feel more confident and in control.

    Participants made it clear that being part of these protests can deeply change how women feel about themselves. They discover their strength and ability to fight back.

    The #IAmOneInThree hashtag was based on the United Nations estimate that one in three women around the world will be sexually abused in their lifetime. A #IAmOneInThree naked protest took place at the University of the Witwatersrand in solidarity with #RUReferenceList protests at Rhodes University. Sibu, who took part, shared how carrying a sjambok (a whip) and singing struggle songs with other women made her feel:

    For me that moment was affirming … I felt powerful somehow. Because when you … have been raped … it made me feel weak … It made me feel like an object and not a person. And so I remember that moment feeling empowered, right, I have my sjambok, I have my sisters around me.

    Naked body protests in South Africa are a powerful form of feminist resistance that draws on deep historical and cultural traditions. These protests are strategic and affective forms of resistance that challenge patriarchy, sexism and colonialism.

    – Naked protests in South Africa: a psychologist explores the emotional power of this form of activism
    – https://theconversation.com/naked-protests-in-south-africa-a-psychologist-explores-the-emotional-power-of-this-form-of-activism-238530

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group seeks local power in DRC, not just control over mining operations

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ken Matthysen, Researcher, IPIS

    The violence wrought by the Rwandan-backed rebel group M23 Movement is often narrowly framed as intended to control eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s resource-rich mining sites. The rebel group launched its most recent offensive in 2021 and currently controls vast territories in the south-east of North Kivu province, surrounding and cutting off the main city of Goma.

    Eastern DR Congo mines produce crucial raw materials such as tin, tantalum and tungsten, as well as abundant quantities of gold. It therefore seems logical to reduce explanations of conflict to the ambition by M23, and Rwanda behind it, to control the mines directly.

    We belong to a team of researchers who examine the various dimensions of conflict from different perspectives. Our findings, based on fieldwork and conducted in collaboration with in-country experts, show that this popular analysis does not paint the full picture.

    Conflict analysis often ignores historical and local dimensions. Our investigation with the Goma-based civil society organisation Association pour le Développement des Initiatives Paysannes therefore explored the local stakes and impacts of the M23 crisis. We interviewed more than 55 people in North Kivu (DR Congo), including members of M23, as well as soldiers and armed groups fighting them, local chiefs, state agents, teachers, taximen, traders and farmers who live on the frontline of the conflict.

    Our research reveals that M23 employs a more profound strategy to boost its position and military strength (through Rwandan support) in local struggles over land, authority and rents. M23’s disruptive strategy aims to replace Congolese authorities and overhaul local governance in areas it controls in eastern DR Congo. Key to this strategy is:

    • undermining and replacing local (customary) authorities

    • taking over strategic trade routes

    • the installation of an elaborate taxation regime.

    These strategies also allow M23 – and Rwanda – to generate revenues from the local economy, including rents from DR Congo’s mineral wealth, without necessarily directly controlling mines.

    Historical struggles over land

    Interviewees attached great importance to the historical context of the M23 conflict, explaining how struggles over land date back to independence in 1960. Going back to the 1930s and 1940s, the Belgian colonial administrators already organised large movements of migrant workers from Rwanda to work on plantations in DR Congo. The Rwandophone migrants and their descendants settled in North Kivu, becoming part of the local population.

    After independence, Hutu and Tutsi (Rwandophone) communities began to jostle for control over North Kivu’s fertile farmland with the Hunde and Nyanga communities there. As grievances over access to land and property rights increased, Rwandophone communities were stigmatised as “non-indigenous” and their land claims as illegitimate.

    As the Congo Wars broke out in the 1990s, people began seeking recourse to armed groups to settle land conflicts. Before the rise of M23 in 2012, two other groups (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie and later Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple) rose to protect the Rwandophone population in eastern DRC. They also grabbed and sold vast concessions of land – held by the state or other communities – to allied farmers and business people. These were typically from the Tutsi community.

    Given the country’s complex and under-enforced land laws, land claims became exceedingly difficult to verify or prove. This has strengthened the belief that the only way to secure access to land is by resorting to armed groups. Thus, M23 is perceived as the guardian of the Tutsi community’s access to land.

    This perception is well illustrated by a testimony of a local leader in Masisi territory:

    The wars of the last three decades have been motivated by a struggle for control over land … Indigenous people are driven out, dispossessed of their land in favour of others who are considered foreigners and refugees. … the M23 is made up of (Tutsi) pastoralists … and there are fields that their rivals had seized … it was one of their (M23) first concerns to start exploiting them.

    Most Congolese Tutsi have not asked for this “protection” by M23. But the ensuing grievances and ethnic tensions will haunt the relations between communities for years to come.

    Struggles over customary authority

    In DR Congo, customary chiefs play an important role in local land governance. They also adjudicate conflicts, bind people together through rituals, and represent the symbolic claim by a specific community to a given place.

    Many Congolese we spoke to perceive M23’s main aim to be control of power at the local level — undermining the existing authorities. The group has indeed sought to replace customary authorities with M23-appointed ones, at times assassinating Congolese chiefs. Local sources said M23 even burnt chiefdom archives, destroying evidence of claims to customary authority.

    M23’s economic grip

    Wherever M23 has a foothold, it installs an elaborate taxation regime. This involves checkpoint tolls, household taxes, dues on business, harvest taxes and forced labour. In doing so, the group generates the revenues to sustain the conflict. But this also strengthens its politico-administrative hold on the population, as taxation is a symbolic interface of public authority.

    Local armed groups that joined with the Congolese army to combat M23 deepen the problem. Called wazalendo (“patriots”), they are often unpaid and therefore rely on payments from the population to sustain their counter-offensive. As a result, taxation in eastern Congo has become heavily “militiarised”. Taxed by government forces, wazalendo and M23, civilians pay a heavy toll.

    The military nature of local governance could jeopardise future efforts to bring peace to eastern DRC.

    What about minerals?

    M23 has an impact on all aspects of local governance in eastern DR Congo. It has found ways to control and profit from the local economy in North Kivu, including mineral supply chains. It operates checkpoints along arteries and taxes minerals smuggled to Rwanda, alongside other trade flows.

    Having M23 control strategic trade routes in DR Congo, including those crossing into Uganda, is a benefit for Rwanda. From Kigali’s perspective, the resurgence of M23 in 2021 came at a perfect time to block Uganda’s efforts to improve the road network in eastern DR Congo towards its own territory. Rwanda and Uganda are locked in intense competition for Congolese informal trade, re-exporting its timber and minerals as their own, gaining taxes and foreign earnings that ought to benefit the Congolese treasury and population.

    What must be done?

    DR Congo’s resources play a large role in the M23 conflict, but our study underscores the historical roots of the conflict and its profound local impacts. These findings should inform locally meaningful and sustainable conflict resolution strategies.

    Since the M23 revival, land access, trade and security have become increasingly mediated by armed actors. Even after a possible M23 defeat, it will take years of local dialogue and mediation to undo this involvement of militia in local governance, resolve land issues, repair inter-community relations and remake customary authority. But that’s the only way to reach sustainable peace in North Kivu.

    – Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group seeks local power in DRC, not just control over mining operations
    – https://theconversation.com/rwandan-backed-m23-rebel-group-seeks-local-power-in-drc-not-just-control-over-mining-operations-231318

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Avian architects: weaver birds in Africa have unique building styles

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Maria Cristina Tello Ramos, Lecturer, University of Hull

    From afar, the acacia trees look like they have been decorated with grass pom-poms. The birds have been busy, building shelters of straw and grass. Up close the real shape of the “pom-poms” becomes clear: grass tubes in the form of an upside down “U”, with an opening at each end.

    These structures are the work of white-browed sparrow weavers (Plocepasser mahali).

    White-browed sparrow weavers are cooperative breeders. Within a multi-generational family group, only one dominant pair will reproduce; all other birds, which are mostly kin (related), will help with the rearing of chicks. These birds do everything together: forage, defend their territory, feed new chicks – and build each of the many roosts that decorate the acacia trees they live in. The birds are found throughout central and north-central southern Africa.

    Year after year, family groups get bigger and, as they do, the number of roosts they build increases. Families might have as many as 14 individuals, so the birds need to build multiple roosts, including a few “spares”.

    There’s something intriguing about these roosts. Sometimes different families set up territories next to each other, in trees as close together as 10 metres.

    How do you tell families apart? By their roosts. Some families build roosts that are very long, with long entrance and exit tubes; others will build roosts that are much shorter, with hardly any tubes. Essentially, it looks like different white-browed sparrow weaver families have different architectural styles. Why?

    To find out, we studied more than 400 roosts built by 43 families in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. We confirmed that the roosts and nests built by groups that live next to each other have their own architectural style, and that environmental, physical or genetic attributes of these different family groups do not influence the structures’ configuration.

    We think that the birds’ building behaviour and the shape of the structures might be the result of social interactions. Animals often learn from each other how to do things, whether it is how to use tools (chimpanzees), how to sing the correct song (some bird species, humpback whales), or how to exploit new food resources (cockatoos). Learning from others within a group often results in animals showing group-specific behaviours, or animal cultures. In this sense animals, like humans, develop their own cultures.

    Measuring various factors

    There is a lot of diversity in the nests different bird species build, both in the shapes and the materials used, as well as the number of nests an individual might build.

    For example, sociable weavers (Philetairus socius) build massive multiple occupant “apartment buildings” made out of grass. Cape penduline tits (Anthoscopus minutus) build nests that look like satchels made out of vegetable fibres with the texture of a wool sweater. Male southern mask weavers (Ploceus velatus) will weave thousands of grass leaves to build multiple nests at one time, and swallows collect and stack together one mud pellet at a time to build their pottery nests.

    To better understand the lack of uniformity among different white-browed sparrow weaver families’ roosts, we measured 400 roosts, all still on the trees, built by 43 families in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. Some were new – less than a year old – and others were at least two years old. (All structures that we measured were also identified with a small ring. We did this for three years in a row, so we could tell if a structure was there before we started measuring and marking the structures or if it was built during our time there.)

    Measuring the structures built by different family groups. Maria Tello-Ramos, Author provided (no reuse)

    Those measurements confirmed that different families build roosts with different sizes and that, across years, families maintain their own architectural style.

    At the same time, we measured the temperature and wind speed at each of the families’ territories, the size of the birds, the height of the trees, how genetically related different families were to each other, and how far away the different families lived from each other.

    This allowed us to determine whether any of these factors could explain why different families build different roosts. For instance, maybe families living in hotter territories build roosts with shorter tubes than in cooler areas, since they would not need much material to insulate them from the cold at night. The similarity in their environment, we reasoned, might explain why weaver families living in close proximity to each other created similar roosts. Or perhaps families that were more closely related to each other (something like cousins and second cousins) would build similar structures?

    However, one by one, we excluded all environmental and genetic explanations for the differences in the structures built by different families.

    The variety in roosts built by different families was clear. Maria Tello-Ramos, Author provided (no reuse)

    So what happens next?

    We plan to continue documenting the architectural styles of different white-browed sparrow weaver families and to record their building behaviour so we can determine how these birds coordinate their behaviour when building together.

    Looking in more detail at how the roosts built by these birds across Africa might differ could help us understand to what extent the environment, material availability, individual experiences, and social interactions between individuals affect the building behaviour of these birds.

    Maybe, like humans, some species of birds have their own architectural traditions passed on across generations through social interactions.

    Read more: Kalahari weaver birds lay bigger eggs when they have female helpers to feed nestlings

    – Avian architects: weaver birds in Africa have unique building styles
    – https://theconversation.com/avian-architects-weaver-birds-in-africa-have-unique-building-styles-240950

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE-supported Green Economic Forum 2024 facilitates green growth in Central Asia

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE-supported Green Economic Forum 2024 facilitates green growth in Central Asia

    Edil Baisalov, Deputy Chairperson of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic speaks in front of 500 participants of the Green Economic Forum 2024. (OSCE/Chyngyz Zhanybekov) Photo details

    Bishkek, 23 October 2024 – Over 500 participants from Central Asia gathered at the Green Economic Forum 2024 to set priorities for advancing sustainable development across the region. The event brought together government officials, international experts, and business leaders to explore strategies for green economic growth, environmental sustainability, and regional co-operation.
    Key discussions focused on renewable energy, eco-friendly construction, waste management, and green financing. The forum provided a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration, helping governments and businesses identify joint actions for green projects, ahead of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP-29) in Baku.
    In his opening remarks, Edil Baisalov, Deputy Chairperson of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, emphasized the forum’s importance in linking economic growth with environmental protection. “The green economy is not just a concept, it is a solution for achieving a balanced, long-term development that safeguards our natural resources,” noted Baisalov.
    Ambassador Alexey Rogov, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, underscored the significance of regional collaboration. “Promoting a green economy is essential for achieving sustainable development goals in the face of climate change. Today’s discussions fosters stronger partnerships between businesses, governments, and industry associations, paving the way for innovative solutions in Central Asia,” Ambassador Rogov stated.
    The forum also provided an opportunity for local businesses to showcase their eco-friendly products/ solutions at the exhibition held during the event. Entrepreneurs exchanged contacts and ideas, facilitating regional business connections and laying the groundwork for future contracts, which will boost cross-border collaboration on green innovations.
    The forum’s outcomes contribute to shaping national strategies and policies, driving the region’s transition towards a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE Presence in Albania hosts workshop to empower women in cybersecurity

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE Presence in Albania hosts workshop to empower women in cybersecurity

    Young women engage in the OSCE Presence-organized workshop on empowering women in cybersecurity, Tirana, 24 October 2024. (OSCE) Photo details

    With the aim to empower aspiring women in cybersecurity, the OSCE Presence in Albania, in partnership with the National Cybersecurity Authority, organized a workshop featuring testimonies and panel discussions from successful female leaders in the field, on 24 October 2024.
    The event provided a platform for these motivational women to share their personal journeys, discussing the challenges they faced and the opportunities available in the cybersecurity landscape.
    “We believe that cybersecurity represents not only a challenge for which we should all be prepared, but also a big opportunity to empower youth to become active part of this important sector”, said Brunilda Halili, National Community Safety Officer of the Presence.
    The workshop culminated in a hands-on cyber drill designed specifically for women students, aimed at enhancing their technical skills and confidence. Thirty-eight participants engaged in practical exercises that equipped them with essential capabilities for a future in cybersecurity.
    In the end of the interactive cyber drill, a 3rd year student of Information Technology at the Polytechnic University of Tirana, Xhorxhia Prenga, said: “Until today, I’ve been undecided about my future in the IT field. Today I decided that I want to continue my Master studies in cybersecurity, because now I understand the impact of this field in the society, and the many possibilities I will have to further advance my professional career in this dynamic field”.
    The event was part of the Presence’s project “Supporting national authorities and communities to effectively prevent and address safety and security issues – Phase II”.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Report 12/2024: Collision between a road-rail vehicle and a trolley near Brading

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    RAIB has today released its report into a collision between a road-rail vehicle and a trolley near Brading, Isle of Wight, 22 November 2023.

    The site of the accident near to Brading.

    R122024_241024_Brading

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    Summary

    At around 01:50 on Wednesday 22 November 2023, a road-rail vehicle, travelling in a work site, collided with a hand trolley being used by a work group on the Isle of Wight’s Island Line. The road-rail vehicle was being used to clear vegetation and was travelling between its work locations when the collision occurred.

    The road-rail vehicle was approaching the work group, who were repairing the track, on a descending gradient and was unable to stop before their site of work. When members of the work group realised that the road-rail vehicle was not stopping, they removed tools and equipment from the trolley and lifted it off the track. However, once removed, the trolley was inadvertently left too close to the track and remained foul of the road-rail vehicle’s path. The road-rail vehicle then collided with the hand trolley.

    As a result of the collision, the trolley struck two members of the track repair work group on the legs, pushing them into bushes beside the track. Both received minor injuries, attended hospital independently later that day and were then discharged. The collision was caused because the controller of site safety responsible for the track work group had not been informed of the road-rail vehicle’s movement before it approached, and because the road-rail vehicle was unable to stop in the expected distance once the machine operator realised the work group was ahead.

    Two underlying factors were that South Western Railway, the infrastructure manager for the track on the Island Line, did not have an effective process for planning and managing the risk of on-track plant movements, or for managing low adhesion risk for maintenance activities. A third underlying factor was that South Western Railway’s assurance processes had not identified informal working arrangements in possessions.

    Since the accident, South Western Railway has updated its risk assessment for machine movements and introduced new control measures to specifically manage the risks of conflicting sites of work within work sites and possessions. It has also addressed the deficiencies found within its assurance process for monitoring how possessions are managed.

    Recommendations

    As a result of the investigation, RAIB has made three recommendations, all addressed to South Western Railway. The first is to review how it manages safety during infrastructure work on the Island Line. The second is to review its assurance processes and the third is to provide its infrastructure maintenance staff and contractors with accurate information about its infrastructure.

    Additionally, three learning points have been identified. The first reinforces the importance of transport undertakings and on-track plant operators applying industry codes of practice in the event of an accident or incident involving on-track plant. The second concerns the importance of promptly reporting notifiable accidents to RAIB, and the third the importance of well-established process and procedure for dealing with post‑accident or incident evidence collection and testing.

    Notes to editors

    1. The sole purpose of RAIB investigations is to prevent future accidents and incidents and improve railway safety. RAIB does not establish blame, liability or carry out prosecutions.

    2. RAIB operates, as far as possible, in an open and transparent manner. While our investigations are completely independent of the railway industry, we do maintain close liaison with railway companies and if we discover matters that may affect the safety of the railway, we make sure that information about them is circulated to the right people as soon as possible, and certainly long before publication of our final report.

    3. For media enquiries, please call 01932 440015.

    Newsdate: 24 October 2024

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The Environment Agency increasing trout and eels in New Forest

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Sea trout and eels can now access more habitats in the New Forest after Environment Agency fits fish pass made from natural materials

    The new fish pass will help sea trout and eels move upstream.

    The Environment Agency has improved access for sea trout and eels in the upper reaches of the New Forest’s Highland Water ecosystem.  

    A bespoke structure has been built to create more favourable conditions for fish to migrate upstream over a wider range of water levels and flows. The fish can now access over 2km of habitat under a greater range of flows.  

    The multi-species fish pass was constructed where the stream passes under the A31 through a culvert onto a weir, which previously made migration more challenging. 

    The new fish pass will greet eels who have travelled 4,000 miles from the north-west Atlantic Ocean.

    Vicky Gravestock, a fisheries officer with the Environment Agency, said:  

    The barrage structures, used to ease migration, have been designed to help both sea trout and eels move upstream over a wider flow range, increasing successful migration. We hope we have played our small part in the lifecycle of these fish by making more habitat available to continue their journey.  

    We had to meet strict standards to deliver these works in the New Forest because it is a protected site. During construction, we used natural materials, which were in keeping with and sympathetic to their surroundings. We were able to use the in-house skills of our wood workshop in Rye, in East Sussex, and then apply the skills of our field team to tailor and fit the structures on site. 

    The success of the project will continue to be assessed as part of the Environment Agency’s fish-monitoring programme in Hampshire, Sussex and on the Isle of Wight, next summer. At the end of this year, the sea trout redds, which are nests created to lay their eggs, will also be counted.   

    Sea trout are known to spawn throughout the New Forest. The fish enter the river system from the Solent, in late spring making the journey upstream to spawn in December. Some of them migrate out to sea as smolts, or young trout, live their adult lives at sea and then return to freshwater to spawn again.  

    Eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea in the north-west Atlantic Ocean. From there, they journey 4,000 miles over two years to Europe. Once they reach freshwater estuaries, they turn into young eels, known as elvers, up to 12cm long and swim up into rivers. Here they can live for up to 20 years, before returning to the Sargasso Sea as mature adults to spawn.

    How it was before the fish pass went in. Conditions were less favourable for migration.

    Background: 

    Contact us:

    Journalists only: 0800 141 2743 or communications_se@environment-agency.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ministers aim to create ‘top destination for women’s sport investment’

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Four Welsh organisations benefit from a UK government investment scheme as UK Government ministers seek to create a ‘top destination’ for women’s sport.

    Cricket ball next to a boundary rope.

    • Four Welsh organisations benefit from UK government investment scheme as ministers seek to create ‘top destination’ for women’s sport.
    • The Genero Adran Football League, Cardiff Dragons netball team, Celtic Challenge Rugby Union competition and England and Wales Women’s Cricket are all beneficiaries of the scheme.
    • Welsh Secretary says: “It’s really important that the UK Government develops schemes like this to make sure our female sportspeople get the investment they need to achieve success.”

    Four Welsh women’s sport organisations are set for a boost after being named as part of a UK Government scheme to grow investment in elite women’s clubs and leagues as part of a new pledge to make the UK the world’s top destination for women’s sport investment.

    The Department for Business and Trade will today [Wednesday 23rd October] launch the 2024-25 Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator scheme, which will bring over 20 elite leagues, competitions and teams together with investors and industry experts to help them secure transformational investment and sponsorships.

    It will provide them with comprehensive market insights, seminars, connections and networking opportunities over a series of sessions, led by the Department for Business and Trade in collaboration with Deloitte, which will give them the tools and expert insight to help them attract investment and grow their business.

    Elite rightsholders in Wales, the Genero Adran League, Cardiff Dragons, Celtic Challenge and England and Wales Women’s Cricket have been named to take part in the scheme. The announcement will be made at a sport investment conference at Rothschild & Co today, involving leaders from major UK sports and some the world’s most prominent international investors.

    Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, said:

    Wales has a proud history of producing world class female athletes and it’s fantastic to see this scheme being set up to encourage investment in women’s sport and help develop the stars of the future.

    Women’s sport has long been underfunded to it’s really important that the UK Government develops schemes like this to make sure our female sportspeople get the investment they need to achieve success.

    Wales Netball & Cardiff Dragons CEO, Vicki Sutton, said:

    Being part of the Department of Business and Trade and Deloitte Programme for the last year has been incredibly beneficial for netball in Wales and for my development and understanding as a leader in the sports sector.

    Women’s sport is on the rise and this programme has come at exactly the right time to compliment the worldwide movement currently in progress.

    Minister for Investment Poppy Gustafsson said: 

    The UK is already an elite home of women’s sport, and my goal is to make us the top destination for women’s sport investment.  

    The launch of this scheme, a week after our record-breaking International Investment Summit, shows the UK is truly the best place to do business in this fast-growing industry. 

    Off the back of the latest figures showing the industry could be worth over £1 billion this year, I’m looking forward to speaking to investors and clubs, leagues and teams today about how the Accelerator can drive this growth even further.” 

    Deloitte Sports Business Group Lead Partner Tim Bridge said:

    We’re witnessing a surge in investment opportunities within women’s sport. The rise of dedicated funds and brand sponsorships for women’s and girls’ clubs, leagues and competitions signals a powerful shift.

    The Accelerator programme has been built to connect investors and brands with these opportunities, showcasing the strength and remarkable growth potential of women’s sport. This influx of investment will be instrumental in driving professionalisation and boosting participation across the UK, creating a lasting impact for women’s sport at all levels while delivering significant economic returns.

    The scheme will capitalise on the rapid growth of the women’s sport industry, which is expected to be worth over £1 billion by the end of the year according to Deloitte, marking a 300 percent increase since 2021.

    The Government’s pledge to make the UK the top destination for women’s sport investment comes after the record-breaking International Investment Summit held just last week, which secured £63 billion of private investment into the UK which will create over 38,000 new jobs across the country.

    Full list of the elite sports represented in the 2024-25 Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator: 

    • Football 
    • Cricket 
    • Rugby union 
    • Rugby league 
    • Tennis 
    • Golf 
    • Netball 
    • Volleyball 
    • Cycling

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Derby celebrates over a decade of Purple Flag status

    Source: City of Derby

    With October marking Purple Flag Month, Derby is celebrating over 10 years of holding the Purple Flag accreditation. The city was first awarded the purple flag in July 2013 for its city centre evening and night-time economy.

    The Purple Flag recognises towns and cities that provide a safe, welcoming, and well-managed night-time economy, similar to the Blue Flag for beaches and the Green Flag for parks. The Purple Flag is only accredited to towns and cities that are welcoming to everyone, offer safe ways for visitors to travel home, provide a good mix of venues, and are appealing after dark.

    With safety being a top priority, the accreditation means that Derby has benefitted from more visitors, lower crime and anti-social behaviour, and a safer city centre. It also recognises the hard work that goes on both on the streets and the planning from local authorities to make the city centre safer at night.

    Visitors and residents who go on nights out in Derby can benefit from increased safety, such as the teams of volunteers and workers who give up their weekends to keep people safe. Street pastors, BID wardens, taxi marshals, licensing officers, Derbyshire Police, door staff, ambulance crews and CCTV operators also work together to ensure the safety of Derby’s visitors and residents.

    Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Public Safety and Leisure said:

    I am proud to be a cabinet member of a city that has repeatedly met the high standards required for the Purple Flag status. For over a decade, Derby has been recognised as a city that puts in hard work and collaboration, from local authorities to volunteers, to ensure the safety of everyone at night.

    This recognition, for over 10 years, shows that together, we gave created an evening and night-time economy that is vibrant and safe, and we are committed to going even further in the future to ensure the safety of everyone, particularly women and girls in our city.

    Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council, said:

    I am incredibly happy to be celebrating Purple Flag Month. I am also proud that Derby has retained its status of being a Purple Flag city for over a decade now. Through a partnership effort, our teams have been working hard to ensure that Derby remains a safe city for all. This year we have also invested £147,679 of government funding in new CCTV cameras in the city centre to make everyone, particularly women and girls, feel safer at night.

    I look forward to working further on the city centre’s safety and ensuring that Derby is a safe and welcoming city for all. We have an ambition to use the next application as a launch pad to go beyond the Purple Flag standard and do even more for community safety.

    Derby City Council is currently in the process of reapplying for the Purple Flag status, and the council remains confident that the city’s vibrant and well-managed night-time economy will once again meet the high standards required. The reapplication process will be an opportunity for the Council to showcase its ongoing efforts to prioritising safety at night, particularly for women and girls.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Language is the key to understanding the soul of a country”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Photo: freepic.com

    21 countries and 52 universities open their doors every semester to HSE students participating in the international academic mobility program. In the fall semester of this year, Sofia Malyukova, a third-year student of the bachelor’s program, went to study at the Ca’Foscari State University (Venice, Italy) under the academic mobility program.Foreign languages and intercultural communication» Foreign language schools National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    Her training in Ca’Foscari, whose rich history spans over 150 years, will last for two modules: from September 2024 to February 2025.

    Why Italy and the University of Venice

    — I have dreamed of studying in Italy since the 10th grade, and today, thanks to the HSE School of Foreign Languages, my dream has come true. I chose the Ca’Foscari University of Venice thanks to the positive feedback from students of our educational program who had already studied in Venice and were absolutely delighted with this university. In addition, the process of creating a curriculum turned out to be quite easy, since Ca’Foscari offers an extensive list of subjects for international students.

    Studying at the HSE School of Foreign Languages

    — I studied Italian from the age of 14 with a teacher, outside the school curriculum, because I was always attracted by the culture and history of Italy, and language is the key to understanding the soul of the country. Now my level of Italian is C1-C2, which allows me not only to communicate freely at the university, but also to feel confident outside of it.

    Having entered the first year of the bachelor’s degree program at the School of Foreign Languages (SFL) of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, I decided to choose French as my second foreign language because I wanted to learn another language from scratch. And I continue to intensively develop my Italian skills thanks to the variety of extracurricular activities of the HSE School of Foreign Languages related to Italian: I take part in annual International scientific and practical conference for students and postgraduates “Lingua e cultura italiana: soft power in the XXI century”, and also help with the preparation of events for the Italian Club of the HSE University School of Economics.

    Educational program at the University of Venice

    — The program for this semester is intense. I will study English and French, the theory of the first foreign language, the theory of teaching a foreign language, intercultural communication. Mobility at Ca’Foscari University will certainly bring me new unique experience for my future career. This university is one of the strongest in the field of linguistics. Here I will be able to expand my knowledge in a unique intercultural academic environment and learn how cultural differences affect corporate interaction, which is especially important for my specialization “Intercultural Corporate Communication”, which I will begin studying this academic year.

    Life in a city of contrasts

    — Venice certainly made a strong impression on me right away. It is a city that seems like a fairy tale and almost unreal, especially when you see it for the first time. Walking along narrow streets, crossing numerous bridges, you understand that every corner here breathes history. Venice is a city of contrasts. On the one hand, it is a tourist center, which is felt most strongly in the city center. But once you turn aside, go deeper into lesser-known neighborhoods, you find yourself in quiet, almost deserted places, where it seems that time has stopped.

    Of course, at first we had to get used to the absence of familiar streets, avenues and cars. Instead, locals travel by water trams (vaporetto), which is very convenient and fast.

    As for the climate, there is very high humidity, which is especially noticeable during the rainy season (usually late October and February). On rainy days, the streets can be slightly flooded, a phenomenon called “high water” (aqua alta), and then you have to go around the streets next to the canals. So living on the water is not only romantic, but also difficult. On the other hand, it has its charm: Venice is surrounded by water, and you always feel it.

    When I was choosing a place to live, I wanted to live not in Venice itself, but on the mainland, where there are more amenities for living. That’s why I found an apartment in the small town of Mestre, 15 minutes from Venice. These cities are connected by regular buses and trains, so there are no problems with transportation.

    And for students in Venice, there is a special transport card that allows you to move around Venice and the nearby cities (Mestre and Marghera) by bus, tram and vaporetto. Some campuses of Ca’Foscari University are located near vaporetto stops, so students also actively use this transport. However, in Italy there are often strikes during which employees of the transport industry do not work, so you have to plan your routes in advance.

    Ca’Foscari is like home

    — Studying at the University of Venice is an unforgettable experience due to the intercultural exchange, as students from all over the world study here. Among my friends there are not only Italians, but also guys from Japan, Korea, Turkey, America, Great Britain, Russia.

    All foreign students are treated very kindly, including by teachers who value foreign students very much and are always ready to help. All Italians are very hospitable and open, so I immediately felt at home among them.

    At the university, classes usually start early in the morning, but some subjects can be held in the evening, depending on the course. The class lasts for an hour and a half, which is universal for all Italian universities. In addition to classes at the Italian university, I take some compulsory subjects of my educational program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics online.

    Overall, my workload here is distributed very conveniently, thanks to which I have time to devote to additional education, my hobbies and travel around Italy. For example, I have already managed to visit seven cities: Rome, Milan, Florence, Verona, Peschiera del Garda, Padua and Treviso.

    As for the canteen, the university has one, but not all campuses. For example, some campuses are just classrooms in historical buildings, where there is no canteen. Moreover, breaks between classes last only 15 minutes, so it is best to take a snack from home to avoid standing in line at the canteen. I cook at home most often, but I also like to try different dishes of Italian cuisine. Sometimes we get together with foreign friends at Italians, cook pasta together and chat, exchanging impressions and telling each other about our cultures.

    Studying here is a unique cultural experience that I will definitely not forget. Venice teaches you not to rush, to enjoy the moment and the beauty around you. There is a special magic in Venice that cannot be explained in words, but can only be felt by seeing the city with your own eyes.

    Advice for those who want to take part in academic mobility

    — First of all, it was necessary to draw up an individual curriculum and coordinate it with the educational office. I chose the subjects that I would study in Italy and transfer upon my return. Therefore, it is very important that the content of the curriculum corresponds to the subjects studied at that time in our educational program at the School of Foreign Languages of the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    The motivation letter was also an important document, as it was where I could explain how the opportunity to participate in the mobility program was connected with my academic and career goals and why my candidacy should be selected. The motivation letter is the only opportunity to “talk” to the admission committee, so it is very important to talk about your experience, personal qualities and plans for the future. Do not be afraid to fully disclose your achievements and show your desire for new heights!

    In addition to the motivation letter, letters of recommendation from teachers play a significant role. In my experience, it is important that they reflect various aspects of your activities. For example, I attached recommendations that covered not only my academic successes, but also extracurricular achievements (active participation in the life of the HSE School of Foreign Languages and the HSE School of Foreign Languages Italian Club, experience of volunteering at Olympiads and working as a teaching assistant).

    My main advice is to start preparing for the competition in advance and carefully work through each document. Approach this process as responsibly as possible and keep in mind that the commission pays attention not only to your academic achievements, but also to how you show yourself outside of your studies. Show your activity and interests, tell how the academic mobility program is connected with your plans for the future, and then your chances of successfully passing the selection will increase significantly.

    And of course, don’t be afraid of anything. Follow your dream, dare and be sure that getting the coveted letter that you have passed the competitive selection for the academic mobility program is quite possible. Good luck!

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s video message to the Virtual Launch of the UNEP Emissions Gap Report

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Download the video: https://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergr…

    The message of today’s Emissions Gap report is clear:

    We are teetering on a planetary tight rope.

    Either leaders bridge the emissions gap, or we plunge headlong into climate disaster – with the poorest and most vulnerable suffering the most.

    This report shows annual greenhouse gas emissions at an all-time high – rising 1.3 per cent last year.  They must fall 9 per cent each year to 2030 to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the very worst of climate change.

    Current policies are taking us towards a catastrophic 3.1 degrees Celsius temperature rise by the end of the century.

    As this report rightly puts it, people and planet cannot afford more hot air.

    The emissions gap is not an abstract notion.  There is a direct link between increasing emissions and increasingly frequent and intense climate disasters. 

    Around the world, people are paying a terrible price.

    Record emissions mean record sea temperatures supercharging monster hurricanes;

    Record heat is turning forests into tinder boxes and cities into saunas;
     
    Record rains are resulting in biblical floods.

    Today’s report shows affordable, existing technologies can achieve the emissions reductions we need to 2030 and 2035 to meet the 1.5 degree limit.

    But only with a surge in ambition and support.

    The upcoming United Nations climate conference – COP29 – must drive progress in two ways. 

    First, COP29 starts the clock for countries to deliver new national climate action plans – or NDCs – by next year. 

    Governments have agreed to align these plans with 1.5 degrees.

    That means they must drive down all greenhouse gas emissions and cover the whole economy – pushing progress in every sector.

    And they must wean us off our fossil fuel addiction: showing how governments will phase them out – fast and fairly; and contributing to global goals to accelerate renewables rollout and halt and reverse deforestation.

    The largest economies – the G20 members, responsible for around 80 per cent of all emissions – must lead. I urge first-movers to come forward.

    Second, finance will be front and centre at COP29. 

    Developing countries urgently need serious support to accelerate the transition to clean energy and deal with the violent weather they are already facing. 

    COP29 must agree a new finance goal that unlocks the trillions of dollars they need. And provides confidence it will be delivered.

    We know the price of climate inaction is far greater.

    This would require a significant increase in concessional public finance, that can be complemented by innovative sources, such as fossil fuel extraction levies.

    The COP29 outcome must also send clear signals, to drive action on debt relief and reform of the Multilateral Development Banks to make them bigger and bolder.

    Today’s Emissions Gap report is clear: we’re playing with fire; but there can be no more playing for time.

    We’re out of time.

    Closing the emissions gap means closing the ambition gap, the implementation gap, and the finance gap.

    Starting at COP29.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to Launch Call for Applications under National Crime Prevention Strategy

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Government of Canada to Launch Call for Applications under National Crime Prevention Strategy

    Gabriel Brunet
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
    Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
    819-665-6527
    Gabriel.Brunet@iga-aig.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister MacKinnon to visit the Gordie Howe International Bridge worksite and meet with workers

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Minister of Labour and Seniors, Steven MacKinnon, will be in Windsor to visit the Gordie Howe International Bridge worksite and meet with workers.

    Minister of Labour and Seniors, Steven MacKinnon, will be in Windsor to visit the Gordie Howe International Bridge worksite and meet with workers.

    He will be accompanied by Irek Kusmierczyk, Member of Parliament for Windsor—Tecumseh.

    A photo opportunity and media availability will follow.

    Please note that all details are subject to change. All times are local.

    Date:    Friday, October 25, 2024

    Time:    2:30 p.m. EDT

    Place:   Gordie Howe International Bridge
                  35 Prospect Avenue
                   Windsor, Ontario

    To register, contact media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca with your name and media outlet before 10:00 a.m. EDT on Friday, October 25, 2024. 

    Matthieu Perrotin  
    Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor
    Office of the Minister of Labour and Seniors
    matthieu.perrotin@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement on United Nations Day

    Source: Government of Canada News

    “Today we mark 79 years since the United Nations was founded based on peace, equality and the rule of law. Eight decades later, Canada firmly believes that the United Nations is still the only global institution capable of addressing the challenges of our time. There’s no alternative that brings together nations of all sizes on an equal footing to collectively address the complex issues we are all facing…”

    October 24, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada 

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

    “Today we mark 79 years since the United Nations was founded based on peace, equality and the rule of law. Eight decades later, Canada firmly believes that the United Nations is still the only global institution capable of addressing the challenges of our time. There’s no alternative that brings together nations of all sizes on an equal footing to collectively address the complex issues we are all facing.

    “We need this unique and essential forum more than ever. This year, we have seen the most armed conflicts since the United Nation’s inception. They have displaced millions, with women and girls often bearing the brunt of the violence and instability they bring. Climate change has led to more frequent and severe weather events, including flooding and droughts, and contributed to rising levels of extreme poverty, inequality and instability. In a rapidly changing world, the United Nations is critical in driving global solutions.

    “Canada is a key contributor to the United Nations and its sixth-largest donor. Our contributions are numerous and varied. We champion efforts to speed up the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs], with our prime minister serving as co-chair of the SDG Advocates. We firmly support sustainable development and climate change initiatives and strongly advocate for human rights and gender equality.

    “At the recent United Nations General Assembly, Canada reiterated that countries around the world are faced with a choice. We can choose a world where rules can be broken by the powerful, bringing us back to darker times of tension and conflict. Or we can choose a world that upholds human rights, opportunities for all, peace and prosperity—bringing us to a world where people solve problems by working together.

    “Canada remains committed to ensuring that the United Nations continues to be a force for good in the world. We are actively working with partners so that the organization remains fit for purpose now and in the future. This means a United Nations that embodies the principles on which it is founded. This should be reflected in the top leadership which is why Canada calls for the next secretary-general to be a woman and for countries intending to put forward candidates to give due consideration to women candidates.

    “As we look ahead, Canada is committed to working with the United Nations and its member states to consolidate the gains in gender equality made to date and to confront efforts to reverse the progress made on existing rights and principles and stifle further needed progress. Together, we will work toward a strong, effective United Nations as a pillar of the rules-based international system.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada reduces immigration

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan: a plan that will pause population growth in the short term to achieve well-managed, sustainable growth in the long term. For the first time ever, the levels plan includes controlled targets for temporary residents, specifically international students and foreign workers, as well as for permanent residents.

    October 24, 2024—Ottawa—Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan: a plan that will pause population growth in the short term to achieve well-managed, sustainable growth in the long term. For the first time ever, the levels plan includes controlled targets for temporary residents, specifically international students and foreign workers, as well as for permanent residents.

    Immigration is essential to our country’s economic success and growth. As Canada reopened following the pandemic, the needs of businesses were greater than the supply of workers available to support their recovery. We took decisive measures to attract some of the world’s best and brightest to study and work in Canada, and to integrate them into the economy quickly. This meant a faster economic recovery. It also meant that robust immigration helped prevent a recession, while contributing to Canada’s workforce.

    In response to the evolving needs of our country, this transitional levels plan alleviates pressures on housing, infrastructure and social services so that over the long term we can grow our economic and social prosperity through immigration. This unprecedented plan offers a comprehensive approach to welcoming newcomers—one that preserves the integrity of our immigration programs and sets newcomers up for success. Canadians also expect a well-managed immigration system from the Government of Canada.

    The 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan is expected to result in a marginal population decline of 0.2% in both 2025 and 2026 before returning to a population growth of 0.8% in 2027. These forecasts account for today’s announcement of reduced targets across multiple immigration streams over the next two years, as well as expected temporary resident outflows resulting from the 5% target, natural population loss and other factors.

    With this year’s levels plan, we have listened to Canadians. We are reducing our permanent resident targets. Compared to last year’s plan, we are:

    • reducing from 500,000 permanent residents to 395,000 in 2025
    • reducing from 500,000 permanent residents to 380,000 in 2026
    • setting a target of 365,000 permanent residents in 2027

    The Levels Plan also supports efforts to reduce temporary resident volumes to 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2026. Given temporary resident reduction measures announced in September and this past year, Canada’s temporary population will decrease over the next few years as significantly more temporary residents will transition to being permanent residents or leave Canada compared to new ones arriving.

    Specifically, compared to each previous year, we will see Canada’s temporary population decline by

    • 445,901 in 2025
    • 445,662 in 2026
    • a modest increase of 17,439 in 2027

    These reductions are the result of a series of changes over the past year, including a cap on international students and tightened eligibility requirements for temporary foreign workers, implemented to decrease volumes and strengthen the integrity and quality of our temporary resident programs. The changes are designed with long-term economic goals in mind to make sure that we continue to attract the best and the brightest.

    These changes will help provinces, territories and stakeholders align their capacities and allow the population to grow at a sustainable pace as we encourage institutions to do their part in better welcoming newcomers.

    Other measures from the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan include the following:

    • Transitioning more temporary residents who are already in Canada as students and workers to permanent residents
      Representing more than 40% of overall permanent resident admissions in 2025, these residents are skilled, educated and integrated into Canadian society. They will continue to support the workforce and economy without placing additional demands on our social services because they are already established, with housing and employment.
    • Focusing on long-term economic growth and key labour market sectors, such as health and trades
      Permanent resident admissions in the economic class will reach 61.7% of total admissions by 2027.
    • Strengthening Francophone communities outside Quebec and supporting their economic prosperity
      Of the overall permanent resident admission targets, Francophone immigration will represent 
      • 8.5% in 2025
      • 9.5% in 2026
      • 10% in 2027

    Through this plan, we are using our existing programs so that everyone—including newcomers—has access to the well-paying jobs, affordable homes and social services they need to thrive in our beautiful country.

    Aïssa Diop
    Director of Communications
    Minister’s Office
    Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
    Aissa.Diop@cic.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Communications Sector
    Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
    613-952-1650
    media@cic.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Each year, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship tables the Immigration Levels Plan, a forward-looking snapshot of immigration targets for the next three years.

    Each year, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship tables the Immigration Levels Plan, a forward-looking snapshot of immigration targets for the next three years.

    The plan provides permanent resident admissions targets for 2025, with notional commitments for 2026 and 2027. For the first time, we’re extending our levels plan to also include targets for temporary residents, taking into account the full scope of all newcomers and helping reduce temporary resident (TR) volumes to 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2026.

    Development of the levels plan

    When developing the Levels Plan, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) considers

    • priorities and objectives for immigration, including those set out in the Immigration Refugee and Protection Act
    • economic and regional needs
    • international obligations and commitments
    • processing capacity
    • the capacity to settle, integrate and retain newcomers

    Throughout the year, IRCC engages with a broad range of stakeholders and partners, including provinces and territories, to help inform our plan. IRCC also conducts public opinion research through surveys and focus groups with newcomers, Canadians living in rural areas, Francophones living in communities outside of Quebec, as well as Indigenous Peoples.

    Findings from these consultations and public engagement initiatives informed the Immigration Levels Plan and are published in the Levels Consultation Report.

    Permanent resident targets

    Permanent resident (PR) programs include economic streams, family reunification, refugees and protected persons, and humanitarian and compassionate admissions.

    This year’s levels plan reduces permanent resident targets starting in 2025 and forecasts decreases for the following two years, resulting in a pause in population growth in the short term to achieve well-managed, sustainable growth and economic prosperity for the long term.

    The plan

    • represents an overall decrease of 105,000 admissions in 2025, as compared to projected 2025 levels
    • prioritizes in-Canada applicants and pathways for those already here
      • More than 40% of anticipated PR admissions in 2025 will be from those who are already in Canada as temporary residents.
      • Research has demonstrated that newcomers with in-Canada experience have positive long-term success. These skilled, educated newcomers can continue to support the workforce and economy, without placing additional demands on our social services.
      • Adjustments will be made to our economic immigration streams to prioritize transitions of workers already here to permanent residents and to be responsive to labour market needs—our in-Canada focus. We will put emphasis on our federal economic priorities in programs, including the Canadian Experience Class and regional immigration programs, to attract workers we need, such as in health care and trades occupations.
    • focuses on economic immigration, with approximately 62% of total permanent resident admissions that will be dedicated to the economic class, in key sectors such as health and trades, by 2027
    • continues to reunites families and loved ones, including spouses, children, parents and grandparents. In 2025, nearly 24% of overall permanent resident admissions will be allocated to family class immigration
    • upholds Canada’s long-standing commitment to resettle the world’s most vulnerable, including human rights defenders, LGBTQI+ refugees, religious and ethnic minorities, and women and children in precarious situations
    • strengthens Francophone communities outside Quebec and supports their economic prosperity. Of the overall permanent resident admission targets, Francophone immigration will represent
      • 5% in 2025
      • 5% in 2026
      • 10% in 2027

    These targets allow for a continued increase in volume year-over-year of Francophone admissions outside Quebec, despite decreased overall PR levels.

    Temporary resident targets

    In March 2024, Canada announced a plan to decrease the number of temporary residents to 5% of the total population over the next three years, including temporary foreign workers and international students. Starting in 2025, Canada will have targets for temporary residents as part of the levels plan.

    TR targets will capture the number of new workers and students arriving in Canada:

    • Student arrivals are aligned with the previously announced
    • Worker arrivals are those under the International Mobility Program and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

    TR targets were calculated by assessing a number of factors, such as the number of individuals expected to depart Canada in each program (such as when a permit expires), individuals transitioning to permanent residents, approval rates for each program, estimated renewal rates and other factors.

    As such, categories excluded from the TR targets but included in the stock of TRs are:

    • Work or study permit extensions or change of status from within Canada (since we would be counting an individual’s status more than once). This is factored into the outflows.
    • Seasonal workers who enter and leave Canada within the same year (since they aren’t a part of our year-end population count).
    • Asylum claimants who are seeking protection in Canada (since they are entitled by law to have their claim assessed so we can’t control the volumes like we do with other programs).

    Measures designed to achieve the 5% target

    • International student cap: IRCC introduced an annual cap on international student study permits, including a further 10% reduction in 2025 relative to 2024 targets.
    • Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP) reform: IRCC tightened eligibility requirements for PGWPs to better align the program with immigration goals and labour market needs.
    • Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW Program) reform: ESDC introduced a 10% cap on employers hiring temporary foreign workers under the low-wage stream, and announced an increase to the starting hourly wage for temporary foreign workers in the high-wage stream by 20%.
    • Limiting work permits for spouses of temporary residents: IRCC is tightening work permit eligibility for spouses of international students and temporary foreign workers.

    For more information, please consult our latest news release on strengthening temporary residence programs for sustainable volumes.

    Taken together, the targets are expected to result in a net decrease in temporary residents over the next two years. Specifically, compared to each previous year, we will see:

    • 445,901 fewer TRs in 2025
    • 445,662 fewer TRs in 2026
    • a modest increase of 17,439 TRs in 2027

    Asylum

    Like many countries, Canada is experiencing more asylum claims as the number of displaced people worldwide continues to grow, and that contributes to growing volumes. To align with our humanitarian responsibilities, the government has been working on several measures to address integrity issues and strengthen the in-Canada asylum system, including

    • implementing a partial visa requirements for Mexican nationals
    • improving claims processing while maintaining the fairness and integrity of the asylum system, as announced in 2024
    • reviewing visa decision making so that our highly trained officers have the right tools to detect fraud and reduce the number of non-genuine visitors
    • exploring more measures to further strengthen visa integrity

    Impact of the Plan

    • The 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan is expected to result in a marginal population decline of 0.2% in both 2025 and 2026 before returning to a population growth of 0.8% in 2027.
    • The plan will reduce the housing supply gap by approximately 670 000 units by the end of 2027.
    • Continued robust GDP growth and enable GDP per capita growth to accelerate throughout 2025 to 2027, as well as improve housing affordability and lower the unemployment rate.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Miller Tours Marshall Health’s Community Project Funding Site

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

    Washington D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) toured the former Strayer University building on Marshall Health’s Teays Valley Campus to see how the $3 million community project funding Congresswoman Miller secured is being used to advance medical research opportunities and health services.

    Click here for photos and b-roll

    “Marshall Health Network is committed to serving West Virginians by equipping their physicians with the necessary tools to provide the best quality care for their patients. I am glad that Marshall Health can use the funding I secured for them towards renovating the former Strayer University facility into a toxicology laboratory and occupational health suite. This will allow their staff to perform important medical research and ensure that students and physicians receive an invaluable educational experience to help them succeed in the medical field. I look forward to coming back once all renovations have been completed and to hear updates on the impact their critical work has on the region,” said Congresswoman Miller.

    “I extend Marshall Health Network’s deepest gratitude to Congresswoman Miller for her unwavering support and commitment to improving health care access in West Virginia. Congresswoman Miller’s advocacy for critical funding and resources has been instrumental in moving this project forward, ensuring that our region has the tools necessary to address the ongoing challenges of substance use and workplace safety. By championing initiatives like this state-of-the-art medical toxicology center at Marshall Health – Teays Valley, Congresswoman Miller is helping to create safer environments for workers, empower employers and support individuals in recovery. We are truly grateful for her leadership and steadfast dedication to the wellbeing of our community,” said Kevin W. Yingling, R. Ph., M.D., CEO of Marshall Health Network.

    “We are so appreciative of Congresswoman Miller’s support for our major priority initiatives: addiction and behavioral health, gerontology and healthy aging, obesity and diabetes, and rural health and primary care, which emphasize our commitment to the health and wellbeing of West Virginians. In addition to expanded clinical services, the new facility in Putnam County will offer vital instruction and hands-on experience in toxicology for students in a variety of health care fields. The center will also serve as a foundation for future research, resulting in new job creation,” said David Gozal, M.D., M.B.A., Ph.D. (Hon), vice president for health affairs and dean of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University.

    Congresswoman Miller touring the former Strayer building with Marshall Health Network

     Congresswoman Miller with Marshall Health Network

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet Welcome $23 Million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for Denver, Colorado Springs Airports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet welcomed $23 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve airport infrastructure in Denver and Colorado Springs. This funding comes from the Airport Terminals Program, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
    “Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law keeps investing in Colorado and creating good-paying jobs. This time by improving travelers’ experiences at both Denver International Airport and the Colorado Springs Airport,” said Hickenlooper. “Giddy up!”
    “I’m grateful the FAA is supporting Colorado’s airports as they improve and modernize to meet our state’s changing needs,” said Bennet. “These dollars will help ensure our airports can continue to fuel our economy and better connect communities across our state.”
    Specifically, this funding includes:
    Airport Name
    Project Description
    Funding
    Denver International Airport
    Increase the efficiency and capacity of its baggage handling system
    $15 million
    Colorado Springs Airport
    Improve energy efficiency, ensure accessibility, and modernize gate areas
    $8 million
    Just this year, Hickenlooper and Bennet have welcomed nearly $140 million from the FAA for Colorado’s airports.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, Peters, Durbin, Stabenow, Duckworth, and 18 Fellow Senators Demand Stellantis Keep Its Promises to Autoworkers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 – In a letter sent yesterday to the automative giant that is responsible for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and more, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and 18 of their colleagues urged Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to honor the collective bargaining agreement signed last year with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the promises the company made to strengthen and expand good-paying union jobs in America.
    “We are writing to express our growing concerns about the failure of Stellantis, under your leadership, to honor the commitments it made to the United Auto Workers (UAW) in last year’s collective bargaining agreement…” wrote the senators. “We urge Stellantis not to renege on the promises it made to American autoworkers and to provide details on the timelines for these investments.”
    In the contract ratified last year, Stellantis committed to: 
    Make nearly $19 billion in new investments and product commitments in the U.S.;
    Re-open the plant in Belvidere, Illinois that was “indefinitely idled” last year;
    Establish a parts and customer care Mega Hub in Belvidere;
    Continue to manufacture the Dodge Durango in Detroit through 2025; and
    Manufacture the next generation Dodge Durango in Detroit starting in 2026.
    Instead, Stellantis has taken actions that undermine the commitments made to the UAW and leave “behind thousands of American workers who built the company into the auto giant it is today,” wrote the senators. These actions may include moving the next generation Dodge Durango out of the U.S. and into “low-cost” countries like Mexico, as well as delaying planned investments to reopen and expand the Belvidere assembly plant.
    This year, Stellantis has spent over $8 billion on stock buybacks and dividends to benefit its wealthy executives and stockholders. During the first six months of this year, Stellantis has generated over $6 billion in profits, making it one of the most profitable auto companies in the world. The company has also benefited from billions of dollars in financial assistance from American taxpayers and the federal government. In July, the Department of Energy announced Stellantis would receive nearly $335 million in federal dollars to support Belvidere Assembly Plant’s conversion to electric vehicle production.
    “Last year, while blue collar auto workers in Belvidere were being laid off indefinitely, you were able to receive a 56 percent pay raise, boosting your total compensation to $39.5 million, which made you the highest paid executive among traditional auto companies,” wrote the senators. “We believe that if Stellantis can afford to spend over $8 billion this year on stock buybacks and dividends, it can live up to the contractual commitments it made to the UAW. This is especially true given the billions of dollars in financial assistance American taxpayers have spent to support your company and the enormous sacrifices autoworkers have been forced to make over many decades.”
    Joining Sanders, Peters, Durbin, Stabenow, and Duckworth on the letter are Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
    To read the full letter, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boilermakers host successful USA clay shoot, youth day

    Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

    This is what we’re supposed to do as a union. We stick together and take care of each other, and we stick together to take care of our community—and that’s the youth.

    John Fultz, IVP-Northeast

    In partnership with the Boilermakers union, the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance raised more than $120,000 in the annual USA Boilermakers Kansas City Sporting Clays Shoot and hosted more than 60 youths at a Boilermakers Get Youth Outdoors Day in separate events this past September.

    Now in its third year, the youth event doubled attendance from previous years. Kids enjoyed the day Sept. 15 at Powder Creek Shooting Park in Lenexa, Kansas, learning gun safety, skills, blasting clays and fishing under the guidance of Boilermakers and other union volunteers. All supplies—from fishing gear to protection and ammunition—were provided, as well as lunch for all.

    IVP-Northeast John Fultz was among the event volunteers. He spent the day baiting hooks, taking fish off the hooks and watching kids’ smiles light up with each catch.

    “I really enjoyed it—it was like being with my grandkids when they caught their first fish,” he said. “It makes you happy to see them so successful and to watch the moms and dads get excited for their little ones.”

    Fultz said being covered in worms for a day was worth it. He noted that IBB staffer Mallory Smith volunteered all day fixing fishing poles, baiting hooks, helping kids however she could—and also covered in worms.

    “This is what we’re supposed to do as a union. We stick together and take care of each other, and we stick together to take care of our community—and that’s the youth.”

    The following Saturday, on Sept. 22, 116 men, women and youth met at Powder Creek for USA’s popular sporting clays competition. Twenty-five teams competed, each firing 100 rounds per person along the course’s stations. Union partners, Boilermaker local lodges and other unions sponsored the stations to offset event expenses.

    The 2024 Kansas City shoot winners were:

    Highest overall team score: Callender Printing

    Class A high score: Boilermakers Local 363

    Class B high score: Mark One

    Class C high score: IBEW Local 226

    Top overall shooter: Austin Post

    Top senior shooter: Clinton Shipp

    Top youth shooter: Charlie Jenkins

    Top female shooter: Kym Savage

    “I want to especially recognize Kym Savage for her work organizing Boilermakers, volunteers, donations, and all the effort she put into the youth event and shoot coordination,” Fultz said. “And it was fun to have her on our team to enjoy the hard work she’d put into the event. Winning as the day’s leading female shooter was well earned.”

    Profits from the shooting event support U.S.A.’s mission to “unite the community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage.” This was the 15th year for the Boilermaker-sponsored event. The Boilermakers union is a charter member of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance. Free membership is available to all Boilermaker members. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Report Shows NASA’s $75.6 Billion Boost to US Economy

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s work, including its Moon to Mars exploration approach, is advancing science and technology for the Artemis Generation, while also driving significant economic growth across the United States, the agency announced Thursday.
    In its third agencywide economic impact report, NASA highlighted how its Moon to Mars activities, climate change research and technology development, and other projects generated more than $75.6 billion in economic output across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., in fiscal year 2023.
    “To invest in NASA is to invest in American workers, American innovation, the American economy, and American economic competitiveness,” says NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Our work doesn’t just expand our understanding of the universe — it fuels economic growth, inspires future generations, and improves our quality of life. As we embark on the next great chapter of exploration, we are proud to help power economic strength, job creation, scientific progress, and American leadership on Earth, in the skies, and in the stars.”
    Combined, NASA’s missions supported 304,803 jobs nationwide, and generated an estimated $9.5 billion in federal, state, and local taxes throughout the United States.
    The study found NASA’s Moon to Mars activities generated more than $23.8 billion in total economic output and supported an estimated 96,479 jobs nationwide. For investments in climate research and technology, the agency’s activities generated more than $7.9 billion in total economic output and supported an estimated 32,900 jobs in the U.S.
    Additional key findings of the study include:

    Every state in the country benefits economically through NASA activities. Forty-five states have an economic impact of more than $10 million. Of those 45 states, eight have an economic impact of $1 billion or more.
    The agency’s Moon to Mars initiative, which includes the Artemis missions, generated nearly $2.9 billion in tax revenue. These activities provided about 32% of NASA’s economic impact.
    The agency’s investments in climate change research and technology generated more than $1 billion in tax revenue.
    Approximately 11% of NASA’s economic impacts are attributable to its investments in climate change research and technology.    
    NASA had more than 644 active international agreements for various scientific research and technology development activities in the 2023 fiscal year. The International Space Station, representing 15 countries and five space agencies, has a predominant role in the agency’s international partnerships.
    In fiscal year 2023, NASA oversaw 2,628 active domestic and international non-procurement partnership agreements, which included 629 new domestic and 109 new international agreements, active partnerships with 587 different non-federal  partners across the U.S., and partnerships in 47 of 50 states. 
    NASA Spinoffs, which are public products and processes that are developed with NASA technology, funding, or expertise, provide a benefit to American lives beyond dollars and jobs. As of result of NASA missions, our fiscal year 2023 tech transfer activities produced 1,564 new technology reports, 40 new patent applications, 69 patents issued, and established 5,277 software usage agreements. 
    Scientific research and development, which fuels advancements in science and technology that can help improve daily life on Earth and for humanity, is the largest single-sector benefitting from NASA’s work, accounting for 19% of NASA’s total economic impact.

    The study was conducted by the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
    To review the full report, visit:
    https://go.nasa.gov/3NEtUIq
    -end-
    Meira Bernstein / Melissa HowellHeadquarters, Washington202-615-1747 / 202-961-6602meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / melissa.e.howell@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: St. Louis area state parks and historic sites host fun fall activities

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JEFFERSON CITY, MO, OCT. 18, 2024 – Fall fun abounds at Missouri state parks and historic sites. From Halloween hikes to spooktacular events, there’s something for everyone!

    Friday, Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m. – Halloween Night Hike at Mastodon State Historic Site.
    Celebrate Halloween with a family-friendly night hike at Mastodon State Historic Site! Participants will cover some non-spooky Halloween topics. Don’t worry – no jump scares here! Meet at the start of the Spring Branch Trail, located in the picnic area at 1800 Seckman Road in Imperial. From there, participants will hike the 0.8-mile loop, featuring an accessible packed gravel surface. Those attending are invited to wear a non-scary, family friendly Halloween costume. Costume or not, you should come dressed for the weather and wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and bring a flashlight. Space is limited and registration is required. To register, call or text 636-215-9784 or visit icampmo.com.

    Saturday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. – Spooktacular Halloween at Meramec State Park.
    Meramec State Park is hosting its annual Spooktacular Halloween event on Saturday, Oct. 19. Join the park team for a coloring contest, a scavenger hunt, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, a movie and more! This will be held in the park campground at 115 Meramec Park Drive in Sullivan. The event is free, open to the public and registration is not required.

    Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – International Archaeology Day at Mastodon State Historic Site.
    Celebrate International Archaeology Day at Mastodon State Historic Site. All the free interpretive programs will be accessible from the museum parking lot at 1050 Charles J. Becker Drive in Imperial.

    Registration is required for the Archaeological Evidence program, but not for the afternoon programs. Starting at 10 a.m. in the museum auditorium, visitors can learn about archaeological evidence with a hands-on program. Participants will learn how to order evidence and how to sort facts from inferences and opinions. They will also have the opportunity to interpret a mock archaeology site. This program is designed for families with elementary-aged children, but all are welcome. Space is limited and registration is required and can be done by calling or texting 636-215-9784. At 1 p.m., guests can discover archaeological sites around the world in this interpreter-led presentation, “Archaeology Around the World.” From 3 – 4 p.m., try your hand at the ancient hunting technique of atlatl throwing. In the event of rain or other inclement weather, this program will be canceled.

    Saturday, Oct. 19, noon – 3 p.m. – Bones, Graveyards and Burials at First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site.
    The leaves are falling, winds are howling, and ghostly spirits are calling in St. Charles, Missouri. It’s the perfectly creepy, chilly time of year to join the First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site team and archaeologist for an eerie program exploring mysterious customs and the stranger side of burials. So, come learn about the interestingly spooky secrets beneath your feet and beyond! Presenters will cover topics ranging from specific challenges archaeologists face when they come across a burial, to the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery, to the history of the expression “saved by the bell.” Throughout the program, they will discuss local burials and archaeological digs that occurred right here in St. Charles. Members of the Archaeological Institute of America will also be on hand providing programs in honor of International Archaeology Day. Join the free program in the backyard of the historic site located at 200 S. Main St. in St. Charles.

    Monday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. – Homeschool Hour: Outdoor Literature at Mastodon State Historic Site.
    Homeschoolers are invited to join the team at Mastodon State Historic Site for fun, educational activities. Each Homeschool Hour has two time slots, with the 10 a.m. slot for all ages, while the 1 p.m. slot is strictly for homeschoolers ages 10 and up and includes more advanced activities. Registration is required and space is limited. To register, call 636-464-2976 or visit icampmo.com (morning session) or icampmo.com (afternoon session). The majority of this session will take place outside, so dress appropriately. Mastodon State Historic Site is located at 1050 Charles J. Becker Drive in Imperial.

    Thursday, Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. – Toddler Thursdays at Mastodon State Historic Site.
    Come learn, create and play at Mastodon State Historic Site. Designed for toddlers and their grown-ups, Toddler Thursdays focus on different topics and include activities and a craft. Join the team in the museum auditorium at 1050 Charles J. Becker Drive.

    Thursday, Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. – St. Francois Adventure School: Bugs at St. Francois State Park.
    Our world is full of fascinating bugs. Homeschoolers and their adults are invited to join the park naturalists to get an up-close look at some of our tiny friends that have six, eight or more legs! The day begins at 9:45 a.m. with check-in at the campground amphitheater, followed by the first portion of the program at 10 a.m. After a discussion on the diverse world of insects, spiders and other arthropods, we will head out on Swimming Deer Trail to see if we can get a bug bingo. Students ages 5-8 will have a 0.25-mile hike while students ages 9-14 will have a 2-mile hike. Each child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times, especially on the trail. Strollers will not be allowed on the trail. Registration is required and space is limited. To register, call 573-358-2173 or visit icampmo.com (ages 5-8) or icampmo.com (ages 9-14). St. Francois State Park is located at 8920 U.S. Highway 67 N. in Bonne Terre.

    Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. – 10 a.m. – Babler’s Halloween Weekend at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park.
    This event is free, open to the public and registration is not required. Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park is located at 800 Guy Park Drive in Wildwood.

    The weekend schedule follows:

    Saturday, Oct. 26
    10 a.m. – Wile E. Coyote – Speed on over to the park to learn about Missouri’s wiliest mammals yet: coyotes. Meet at the visitor center at 10 a.m.
    2 p.m. – Slither Me Timbers – Slither on over to meet one of Babler’s resident snakes and learn more about snakes, including how they are beneficial to you. Meet at the visitor center.
    4-8 p.m. – Babler’s Howl-oween – Trick-or-treating will be at the visitor center.
    8 p.m. – Camper Judging – Any camper who wants to participate in the Halloween decorating contest will be rated by a panel of judges. Judging starts at 8 p.m.

    Sunday, Oct. 27
    10 a.m. – Batty Business – Join an interpreter in learning about Missouri’s only flying mammals. Meet at the visitor center.

    Saturday, Oct. 26, 5-8 p.m. – St. Francois Halloween at St. Francois State Park.
    Everyone is invited to partake in some Halloween fun at the St. Francois State Park campground at 8920 U.S. Highway 67 N in Bonne Terre, Missouri. From 5-6 p.m., there will be a costume contest. The costume contest photo booth will run from 5-6 p.m. at the campground amphitheater stage, so stop by and get entered in the contest. There will be five categories: 0-3 years old, 4-7 years old, 8-12 years old, 13 years and older, and best group costume. Please keep the costumes family-friendly. From 6:30-8 p.m., trick-or-treating is open to the general public and will take place in the park campground. Driving through the campground will not be permitted during these hours. Participating campsites will be given a Halloween placard to post. Campers are responsible for providing their own candy to hand out and trick-or-treaters should bring a flashlight and bag for candy. At 8 p.m., the best decorated campsite award will be presented.

    Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Rural Heritage Day at Felix Vallé House State Historic Site.
    Join the fun at Ste. Genevieve’s annual Rural Heritage Day. This festival celebrates rural Ste. Genevieve and features activities that allow participants to explore the area’s cultural history. Activities include free self-guided tours of the Felix Vallé House at 198 Merchant St. in Ste. Genevieve as well as live demonstrations and hands-on activities in the Shaw House courtyard. This is a communitywide event with multiple locations in downtown Ste. Genevieve hosting public programs.

    Saturday, Oct. 26, 2 – 8 p.m. – Halloween Hootenanny at Washington State Park.
    Come out to Washington State Park, located at 13041 State Highway 104 in De Soto, for the park’s annual Halloween Hootenanny.

    This year’s event schedule is as follows:

    2 p.m. – Web Master: Nature’s Greatest Artist – Join the park team at the amphitheater for a closer look at the life of an arachnid. Journey through the different species and have a closer look at Missouri spiders.
    4 p.m. – Haunted Happenings – Meet in front of the showerhouse, where you can sit back, relax and enjoy popcorn around the campfire as the park team shares spooky stories.
    6 p.m. – Masks and Mayhem – Campers and non-campers alike are invited to dress up and meet at Campsite #2, and trick or treat their way around the campground loop. Registered campers are also invited to participate in the campsite decorating contest.

    For detailed information on any of these activities, please visit mostateparks.com/events. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Elephant Rocks State Park conceptual development plan survey now online

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JEFFERSON CITY, MO, OCT. 18, 2024 – Representatives from Missouri State Parks invite the public to provide input for Elephant Rocks State Park’s conceptual development plan update. A 30-day comment period will begin Oct. 19, with a survey available online at mostateparks.com/cdp.

    This survey kickstarts the conceptual development planning process. Input regarding the park’s recreational opportunities, infrastructure and amenities will help guide the park’s future development.

    For more information on conceptual development planning, please visit mostateparks.com/cdp or call Daniel Engler, planner, at 573-751-5382.

    Elephant Rocks State Park is located at 7406 Highway 21 in Belleview.

    For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Missouri Medicaid Enhances Maternal Health by Reimbursing for Doula Services

    Source: US State of Missouri

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 22, 2024

    CONTACT: Baylee.Watts@dss.mo.gov 

    JEFFERSON CITY, MO – The Missouri Department of Social Services’ MO HealthNet Division (MHD) is proud to announce that on October 2, 2024, the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) approved a State Plan Amendment (SPA) that enables the state to begin reimbursing for doula services.

    This CMS approval aligns with Missouri’s emergency regulation, which was published on September 27 and took effect on October 1. The emergency regulation was necessary to ensure these valuable services could be accessed as quickly as possible. A newly filed permanent regulation is expected to receive full approval and become operational when the emergency rule expires in six months.

    The SPA clarifies how doulas are defined for Medicaid billing and outlines service definitions. Doulas interested in these services should look for an upcoming provider bulletin that will provide details, including reimbursement rates. This bulletin will also contain information about future educational webinars aimed at helping doulas with enrollment and addressing any questions.

    Medicaid participants will have access to the following doula services:

    • Prenatal Support: Sessions aimed at enhancing health literacy, covering what to expect during pregnancy and childbirth, identifying normal experiences, communicating concerns to providers, and discussing nutrition, exercise, tobacco cessation, and self-monitoring of existing health risks or conditions.
    • Community Navigation: Connecting pregnant and postpartum women on MO HealthNet (Medicaid) to resources and assistance programs based on individual needs.
    • Childbirth Support: Assisting with birth planning, what to expect, and providing non-medical support during labor while respecting personal and cultural preferences.
    • Postpartum Support: Sessions designed to help women understand what to expect, identify normal experiences, communicate concerns to providers, transition back to well-woman care, family planning, screening for postpartum depression, parenting education and skills, and transition to other insurance as necessary.
    • Lactation Education: Offering up to two lactation education and support sessions that cover the fundamentals of breastfeeding.

    MHD is implementing a range of strategies to enhance maternal and infant health outcomes within Missouri’s Medicaid program. Providing reimbursement for doula services is a vital part of a comprehensive approach to improve maternal health.

    For more information on maternal and infant health in Missouri, please visit healthymomsbabies.mo.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –