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Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI Global: Out of the archive: A collection of stories about Mount Elgin Indian Residential School

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mary Jane Logan McCallum, Professor of History, University of Winnipeg

    Brown Tom’s Schooldays, is a semi-autobiographical collection of stories about growing up in a residential school in Ontario in the early 1900s.

    The author is the late Enos Montour, a Delaware writer from Six Nations of the Grand River. As the title suggests, it is an ironic play on Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1857), Thomas Hughes’s popular novel about his boyhood in an English school.

    In Brown Tom’s Schooldays, instead of the main character being an English boy at an elite private boarding school, he is Tom Hemlock, a First Nations boy attending Mount Elgin Indian Residential School between 1910 and 1915. Montour’s narrative is the only known substantive writing by a Mount Elgin student. His stories unfold school life, illuminating the physical and social world of Mount Elgin in powerful ways.

    A new edition of Brown Tom’s Schooldays has recently been published by the University of Manitoba Press Series called First Voices, First Texts. This series aims to reconnect contemporary readers with some of the most important Indigenous literature of the past, much of which has been unavailable for decades.

    The series reveals the richness of these works by providing re-edited texts that give readers new insights into the cultural contexts of these unjustly neglected classics. The diversity and complexity of Indigenous writers and their work was not appreciated by publishers when authors like Montour attempted to have his book published in the 1970s and 80s.

    As a historian and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous People, History and Archives at the University of Winnipeg, and band member of the Munsee Delaware Nation who has been engaged in community-based projects chronicling the history of Mount Elgin, I led the project.

    In my introduction, I document Montour’s fascinating life and work and detail Brown Tom’s Schooldays’ publication history, drawing from documents from the United Church of Canada Archives, Trent and McGill University Archives, Library and Archives Canada, private correspondence and other sources. I also show how the book provides insight into the operations of Mount Elgin, as well as social and linguistic histories of the First Nations communities in the area.

    20th century Indigenous print cultures

    Montour, a minister with the United Church of Canada, published several of the early chapters of Brown Tom in United Church magazines.

    After he retired, he gathered these and other Mount Elgin stories together and sought a church or trade publisher for the book. When no publishers moved, Montour felt frustrated that his work might be read as too “mild” for a reading public who expected sensationalized depictions of First Nations life.

    In declining health, Montour ensured a legacy for the book by asking anthropologist Elizabeth Graham to transcribe, edit and photocopy the manuscript. Copies were made for family and friends. One copy of the manuscript was sent by Graham to the National Library in Ottawa. Until this fall, that was the only publicly accessible copy of the work.

    For this new edition of Brown Tom’s Schooldays, with University of Manitoba Press editor Jill McConkey, I consulted with Graham, as well as Montour’s two granddaughters, Mary I. Anderson and Margaret McKenzie, about how we might frame the book. Using archival correspondence between herself and Montour, Graham wrote a new preface. Anderson and McKenzie shared family records, including photos, and wrote an afterword to the book.

    This new edition of Montour’s book is a good reminder that formal published work accounts form a small fraction of the literature by and about Indigenous people and history. A much more representative field is produced in copy shops, and this self-published, limited-run “grey literature” is now held in archives across the country.



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    Industrial School from perspective of young boy

    Brown Tom’s Schooldays is based solidly in a real place and draws from lived experiences. Like the central tension of Tom Brown’s Schooldays, Montour’s book is about moving toward adulthood and the meaning of that for First Nations students at the time. Montour’s layered story shows how, for “Brown Tom,” this journey involved learning and then working through self-doubt and prejudice and confronting the impossible choice of a white or Indian adulthood.

    ‘Brown Tom’s Schooldays,’ by Enos Montour.
    (University of Manitoba Press)

    Montour’s formal education at Mount Elgin was based on set curriculum that endorsed colonial domination, racism and discrimination against people of colour and Indigenous people. Moreover, a federal Indian Residential School, Mount Elgin’s purpose was to facilitate assimilation of First Nations children, and this happened in an underfunded, carceral and abusive setting. Mount Elgin, like other residential schools, emphasized children’s manual labour more than academics.



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    In spite of this early education, Montour loved reading and writing, and he brought this love to his stories of Mount Elgin and the surrounding area, giving the school character and beauty and students humour and agency. The stories are at times strikingly sentimental.

    When I first read this collection, I did not know what to think of it. For me, Montour’s consistent references to the Bible and classic works of English literature did not fit with what I expected in an Indian Residential School memoir. I chaffed when reading Montour’s characters written in terms that seem to accept standard racist stereotypes of First Nations at the time. His representation of the early 20th century seemed too funny, or rosy, too Anglophile and too naive.

    At the same time, I knew that Montour wrote stories true to his experience, as he understood it, and by his ironic play on English literature through the eyes of a First Nations boy. This way of writing is a window into a sense of humour and way of telling what mattered that reminded me of people of my great-grandfather’s generation.



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    There is backlash to Indian Residential School historical research and a hardcore fringe who deny that the research of the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission and trained professional historians is reliable. They deny systemic harms of the Indian Residential School system primarily by likening it to a slightly harsher version of boarding schools.

    But I don’t think Montour would have feared how the book would be received and read. He writes compellingly about youth, school life and friendship, but also about the callous and disorienting experience of arriving at Mount Elgin and the everyday pervasive hunger and homesickness felt there.

    He also describes extraordinary moments, including the death of a fellow student, Noah, who had tuberculosis. Short, moving and profoundly troublesome, this chapter shows the pervasive apathy towards student life at Mount Elgin and the ungreivablity of student death.

    Ultimately, even in retirement and ill health, Montour insisted on completing the book and making it accessible because the stories mattered to him. And they matter to us, too.

    Brown Tom’s Schooldays can be purchased from anywhere you buy books.

    Mary Jane Logan McCallum receives funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada

    – ref. Out of the archive: A collection of stories about Mount Elgin Indian Residential School – https://theconversation.com/out-of-the-archive-a-collection-of-stories-about-mount-elgin-indian-residential-school-237099

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Reflections on the Canadian Medical Association’s apology to Indigenous Peoples

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Marcia Anderson, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba

    On Sept. 18, I was on the traditional territory of the Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations to stand with my Indigenous physician family as the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) delivered its apology to Indigenous Peoples in Victoria, B.C. This wasn’t the first time that we have stood together to witness a collective apology.

    In June 2008, many of us were at a gathering of the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress in Kauai, Hawaii. Our hosts ensured that we had time and space to watch Prime Minister Stephen Harper issue an apology on behalf of Canada to Indigenous Peoples for Indian Residential Schools.

    As Harper said sorry for the federal government’s attempt to “kill the Indian in the child,” Canadians had a range of reactions from ignorance to collective humility to ongoing residential school denialism.

    That day, we hoped the apology signalled a turning point and that a new day was coming. What we’ve seen since, as evidenced by multiple reports on progress on reconciliation, is that it takes a long time for that new day to come, and progress on reparations and reconciliation is not linear or always forward-moving.

    I carried the lessons from that 2008 experience with me to Victoria to witness the apology from CMA — Canada’s national association of physicians — and knew this would be different for me. My experiences of racism in the health-care system are significantly more direct than my experiences of residential schools.

    Racism in health care

    I navigated medical education as a Cree-Anishinaabe woman, experiencing significant amounts of both non-malicious and malicious racism. This ranged from being asked if there were polar bears where I grew up (the North End of Winnipeg) to being asked by an attending emergency room physician if I had to “jump out of the Indian Posse” to transfer from Winnipeg to Saskatoon.



    Read more:
    As an Indigenous doctor, I see the legacy of residential schools and ongoing racism in today’s health care

    I have experienced racism when seeking health care myself (like when a training physician commented on my reading ability even though I was already a practising physician and national Indigenous health leader) and when my father needed emergency care while having a massive heart attack.

    Collective apology

    What would this collective apology for systemic racism in health care mean to me, an Indigenous physician, who has and continues to experience racism from my physician peers?

    So when the CMA said “we are deeply ashamed” for the deplorable racism that Indigenous patients and health-care providers face I wondered who was included in that “we.”

    Did/does the ER physician whose behaviour escalated to include putting his hand in the back pocket of my jeans when I was on call to both grope me and “check if I had stolen their reflex hammer” feel deep shame? Probably not, and that disconnect impacted how the apology landed.



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    Within “the national voice of the medical profession” are those of us who have experienced and continue to experience anti-Indigenous racism; those we work with in consensual solidarity or allyship to dismantle white supremacy within the profession; and those who are actively perpetuating the spread of false and harmful anti-Indigenous stereotypes that contribute to the unequal health care we receive. Many of these behaviours are described in British Columbia’s In Plain Sight Report

    A collective apology cannot speak to this range of experiences or contributions to harm. As racism operates at multiple levels, so must accountability.

    This is why on the day of the apology I was apprehensive and feeling somewhat pressured to respond positively to it, to make a show of unity. Since the apology hadn’t really spoken to the breadth and depth of experiences of racism I’ve had or that I know many of my Indigenous physician colleagues have had, I was not ready for that. I suspected some of my colleagues felt the same.

    After the apology was delivered, in a small group that included many of the Indigenous physicians who were there, I shared my feelings. I said, “An apology has been offered. Whatever your reaction is to what was said today is valid. You don’t have to accept this apology today, tomorrow or ever. It’s okay to wait and see what comes next.” I saw people nodding and tears being shed.

    I sat with that feeling, and then a couple days later I was reading Cole Arthur Riley’s This Here Flesh. Riley is a Black American author and founder of the incredibly popular Black Liturgies Instagram account. Her writing of Black liberation and the reparations needed for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and other injustices strongly parallel the need for Canada’s ongoing truth and reconciliation work — which we will be recognizing on Sept. 30.

    This passage from This Here Flesh resonated with me when reflecting on this latest apology:

    “There are some of us who have grown weary of talk of reconciliation. This is probably because it comes to us on the tongues of men who have paid no time to the process of true repair. It is both ego and shame concealed in shallow unity-speak that regresses any progress that has been made.”

    Racism, reconciliation and repair

    Anti-Indigenous racism is embedded across and within all institutions of the Canadian state, and the medical profession is no different.

    Based on the fallout after the Indian Residential School apology, we can accurately predict the actions following this apology will not be linear with forward progress.

    As Indigenous physicians we know both ourselves and our relatives are vulnerable to ongoing harms while the organizational level actions unfold.

    If we are hesitant to fully accept this most recent apology, it is because we have learned the hard way that our safety, and sometimes our survival, depends on first seeing the integrity of the other party we are in union with.



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    There is a deep social contract between the medical profession and the public we serve. There is an individual contract between each physician and each patient they see. There is also a contract between physicians as colleagues, teachers and learners, embedded in our Modern-Day Physician’s Pledge.

    This apology is meaningful because it addresses a tragic breach between the medical profession and the public. The CMA has committed to followup actions.

    This, however, does not offer “true repair” for the past breaches, and the ones still to come, in all of these contracts. That is a gap that remains to be closed and without it we will not see the end of anti-Indigenous racism in health care.

    Marcia Anderson received funding from Health Canada to develop Indigenous Cultural Safety and Anti-Racism Training.

    – ref. Reflections on the Canadian Medical Association’s apology to Indigenous Peoples – https://theconversation.com/reflections-on-the-canadian-medical-associations-apology-to-indigenous-peoples-239716

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Final budget outcome shows 2023-24 surplus of $15.8 billion

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

    The budget surplus for last financial year has come in at $15.8 billion, well exceeding the $9.3 billion that was forecast in the May budget.

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers, just back from talks in Beijing on China’s economic outlook, will announce the result on Monday.

    The government says the better-than-forecast outcome has been driven entirely by lower spending. Revenue was also lower than the budget anticipated. Areas of savings included the National Disability Insurance Scheme, payments to the states, and various grant programs that don’t exist anymore.

    This is the government’s second consecutive surplus. The May budget has predicted deficits for the coming years.

    Across 2022-23 and 2023-24 the budget position has improved by a cumulative $172.3 billion, compared with what was forecast in the official Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Outlook, released immediately before the 2022 election.

    The government says it has made $77.4 billion in savings, including $12.2 billion in 2023-24.

    Payments were 25.2% of GDP in 2023-24. This compared to the PEFO forecast of 27.1%

    Chalmers said this was the “first government to post back-to-back surpluses in nearly two decades”. The surpluses hadn’t come at the expense of cost-of-living relief, he said in a statement.

    Speaking in Beijing on Friday Chalmers said it remained to be seen whether China’s just-announced stimulus measures would work.

    “But we’ve seen on earlier occasions when the authorities here, the administration here, steps in to support activity in the economy that is typically a good thing for Australia – good for our businesses and workers, our industries, our investors, and good for the global economy as well.

    “Like a lot of people around the world, we have been concerned about the softer conditions here in the Chinese economy. Subject to the details [of measures] that will be made public in good time, any efforts to boost growth and support activity here is a welcome one around the world and especially at home in Australia.”

    Chalmers on Monday is likely to face further questions on the Treasury’s work on negative gearing, news of which leaked out last week.

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

    – ref. Final budget outcome shows 2023-24 surplus of $15.8 billion – https://theconversation.com/final-budget-outcome-shows-2023-24-surplus-of-15-8-billion-240093

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: It would be a mistake for Israel to invade Lebanon – here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Vanessa Newby, Assistant Professor, Leiden University

    The death of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on September 27 has left the militant Lebanese organisation leaderless at a critical time. Two days earlier in a speech broadcast around the world, the head of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) northern command, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, had told his soldiers to prepare for a possible incursion into Lebanon.

    There is every reason to believe Friday’s airstrike, which targeted Hezbollah’s headquarters building in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, was in preparation for a possible incursion. It came after days of strikes which Israel claims have eliminated much of Hezbollah’s senior leadership.

    Halevi told his troops on September 25 that they would “go in, destroy the enemy there, and decisively destroy” Hezbollah’s infrastructure. As Hezbollah is embedded within the Lebanese population, this strategy promises the deaths of innocent civilians.

    Since 2006, both Hezbollah and the IDF have sought to avoid a direct confrontation. For years, they have played tit-for-tat with the rationale of proportionality to prevent an all-out war.

    Although the horrific October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas triggered a resumption of hostilities, until last week both sides were calling for restraint. What has changed? Is a ground invasion now inevitable? And if so, what would that mean for Hezbollah and Lebanon?

    Israel has a track record of engaging in military adventures in Lebanon that have only ever served to make its opponents stronger in the long term. The destruction of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) did not prevent the emergence of Hamas – indeed, it helped to create it. Similarly, Israel’s pursuit of the PLO in south Lebanon triggered the creation of Hezbollah. Despite five invasions since 1978, Israel has shown itself incapable of successfully occupying even the smallest sliver of Lebanese land.

    While both sides have been preparing for a new conflict for years, the trigger for the escalation began on September 18, when Israel struck the first blow by detonating thousands of pagers and mobile devices owned by Hezbollah operatives, killing at least 32 and injuring several thousand people.

    This technological attack had been years in the making and could be described as a strategic masterstroke to disable the enemy. The timing appears to have been because Hezbollah was becoming suspicious about the devices, so the IDF had to act or lose the “surprise”. This suggests operational considerations are taking precedence over strategic and political ones, which research suggests is rarely a good idea.

    Nonetheless, these strikes are believed to have crippled Hezbollah’s command in the short term, and emboldened the IDF’s leadership. On September 18, Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, told Israeli troops: “We are at the start of a new phase in the war — it requires courage, determination and perseverance.” While he made no mention of the exploding devices, he praised the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, noting their results were excellent.

    A tactic used in recent days by the IDF is one that has been developed over many years on the “Blue Line” – the de facto border that divides Israel and Lebanon. Emboldened by the failure of the IDF to defeat it in the July war of 2006, Hezbollah’s senior operatives have been active and visible on the Blue Line, which is monitored closely by the IDF.

    This has enabled the IDF to photograph, identify and track senior Hezbollah leadership, which is why since October 7 we have seen a succession of assassinations of its key operatives, including Ibrahim Aqeel, a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, and more recently, Mohammed Sarour in Beirut, as well as many others.

    The IDF now believes it has Hezbollah on its knees – or at least, on one knee. The escalation we are currently witnessing is because the IDF is driving home its advantage and applying the same strategy as in Gaza: bombing any area it can plausibly claim to be a Hezbollah target.

    This has had devastating consequences for the Lebanese population. The Health Ministry stated on Friday that 1,540 people had been killed since October 8 2023, with thousands of innocent civilians injured. Over 70,000 civilians have reportedly registered in 533 shelters across Lebanon, with an estimated 1 million people having been displaced from their homes.

    Can Hezbollah fight back?

    The death of Nasrallah has left Hezbollah temporarily leaderless, while the killing of several of its senior figures has deprived it of seasoned commanders, many of whom had recent combat experience in Syria. And the bombing of south Lebanon is reducing Hezbollah’s supply of rockets and other weapons.

    However, Israel should not assume that Hezbollah is out of the game or underestimate the group. Hezbollah’s real strength has always lain in its ability to melt into the population – and it will be ready to commence a war of attrition with hit-and-run tactics if the IDF makes the mistake of putting boots on the ground again. The fact that all five previous invasions failed should be an indication that the outcome may be a repeat of what occurred between 1982 and 2006.

    Furthermore, while Iran’s response to the escalation has been muted thus far, it is unlikely to abandon Hezbollah. A long, drawn-out, low-intensity conflict would favour the kind of asymmetric tactics used by the “axis of resistance”, which also includes Lebanon’s neighbour, Syria.

    By bombing and displacing the Lebanese population, the IDF aims to reduce morale. It is now destroying private homes and public buildings on the grounds they are Hezbollah ammunition and weapons depots.

    In Lebanon, the Palestine issue has always been regarded as the primary cause of the civil war that took place from 1975 to 1990. As such, the IDF is banking on Lebanese people turning against Hezbollah for bringing a new war down on them as a result of its rocket barrages into northern Israel, in solidarity with Hamas since the October 7 attack.

    But, while there are many people in Lebanon who do not support Hezbollah and its activities in south Lebanon, the IDF should remember the past. Even if sentiment against Hezbollah is high today, indiscriminate bombing of the kind we are currently witnessing in Lebanon will not be tolerated by the population indefinitely.

    It’s worth noting that in 1982, when the IDF invaded south Lebanon, some Lebanese welcomed them with rice and flowers – viewing them as liberators from the PLO. But that welcome did not last long.

    In 2006, the IDF applied a similar strategy, targeting civilian evacuation convoys and UN compounds. And once again, the tide of public opinion swiftly swung back in favour of “al-muqawimah” (the resistance).

    The stated IDF aim is to drive Hezbollah back north of the Litani river, to force it to comply with UN resolution 1701 and allow displaced people in northern Israel to return to their homes. But it is naive of Israel and the IDF to think that an invasion or a bombing campaign, no matter how successful in the short term, will enable Israeli civilians to live in peace along the Blue Line for the long term.

    Ultimately, the only way forward is for both parties to come to the table and negotiate. The human cost of Israel’s current strategy in Lebanon is appalling to contemplate, and in all likelihood will create more hatred – fostering a new generation of anti-Israel fighters, rather than creating the basis for a durable peace.

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

    This article was written with assistance from John Molloy, lt. col. (rtd.) Irish Defence Forces and former senior Unifil political & civil affairs officer, 2008-2017.

    – ref. It would be a mistake for Israel to invade Lebanon – here’s why – https://theconversation.com/it-would-be-a-mistake-for-israel-to-invade-lebanon-heres-why-240028

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: NHC vice-minister attends 13th Cross-Strait Hospital CEO Forum

    Source: People’s Republic of China Ministry of Health

    The 13th Cross-Strait Hospital CEO Forum was held on Sept 6 in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province. Cao Xuetao, vice-minister of the National Health Commission (NHC), addressed the opening ceremony.

    In his speech, Cao said that the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China further outlined a blueprint for further deepening reform comprehensively, opening up new horizons for cross-Strait integrated development in various fields.

    It is necessary for medical professionals from the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to strengthen mutual learning and exchanges, share experiences of coordinated development and governance in medical care, medical insurance and pharmaceuticals, and explore effective measures to promote the expansion of high-quality medical resources at grassroots levels and ensure balanced distribution.

    He also called for efforts to make sure that Taiwan compatriots can jointly share the new opportunities in Chinese modernization and the new achievements the mainland made in the development of the health industry in the process of deepening public welfare-oriented reform of public hospitals and improving policies of investment, staffing, pricing and salary distribution.

    Co-sponsored by the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine and several social organizations in Taiwan, the Cross-Strait Hospital CEO Forum has been held for 13 sessions and has become an important platform for exchange and interaction among hospital managers across the Strait.

    The 13th forum attracted more than 1,000 experts and scholars from both sides of the Strait, including more than 150 representatives from Taiwan.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lasting peace in Ethiopia? More needs to be done to stop Tigray conflict from flaring up again

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Madhav Joshi, Research Professor & Associate Director, Peace Accords Matrix (PAM), Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame

    It has been nearly two years since the African Union brokered a peace deal that put an end to the war between the Ethiopian state and the Tigray regional government. The signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in November 2022 brought an end to a deadly two-year conflict.

    The agreement has achieved a number of outcomes. These include:

    • an end to the fighting between Tigrayan and Ethiopian armed forces

    • the creation of a transitional government in Tigray, run by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front

    • the demobilisation of 50,000 Tigrayan troops

    • the Tigray People’s Liberation Front regaining its legal status as a political party registered under special conditions

    • the approval in Addis Ababa of a transitional justice policy

    • the establishment of an AU-led monitoring and verification mission.

    But a great deal still remains to be done if the peace is going to last. We have studied 42 comprehensive and 236 partial peace agreements in the last three decades. Based on this experience, we argue that urgent issues remain to be addressed in the Ethiopian agreement. If left unattended, they raise the risk of a return to war.

    Empirical research suggests that a higher overall implementation rate of civil war peace agreements leads to sustainable peace. It is the only proven pathway for resolving remaining conflicts in a country. Doing what was agreed is necessary for post-war recovery.

    In Ethiopia, the disarmament and demobilisation of Tigrayan combatants needs urgent attention. So do the protection of civilians and returnees in disputed territories in western and northern Tigray, and the restoration of basic infrastructure in the region. The state also needs to ensure the smooth delivery of humanitarian aid, the withdrawal of foreign troops from Tigray and the representation of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in the federal government.

    The gaps

    A substantial reason for the lack of progress in building sustainable peace is that the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement has holes in it.

    Firstly, only the immediate cessation of hostilities, and the demobilisation and disarmament of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front combatants, were set out clearly. Other principles – such as civilian protections, delivery of humanitarian aid and ensuring accountability for the conflict – were left to “good faith implementation”.

    The peace agreement and its implementation process in Tigray lack safeguard mechanisms. These are procedures involving the power-sharing government, dispute resolution and robust mechanisms to verify the implementation of the agreement. However, only the verification mechanism is in place among these three pillars, and it’s very weak. Safeguard mechanisms create ownership, inclusion and accountability. They amplify the urgency of implementing peace deals.

    Secondly, the underlying causes of conflict and grievances haven’t been dealt with as agreed. These include the withdrawal of foreign troops from Tigray, the reconstruction of conflict-affected communities and the Tigrayan government’s representation in the federal government. Addressing these grievances might create the mutual trust that is necessary to revive the stalled process of building peace.



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    Thirdly, while the overt conflict with Tigrayan forces has subsided, the political dialogue between the regional and national governments hasn’t happened. This dialogue is key to addressing ambiguities in the peace deal. The agreement’s success depends on actions at the federal level – such as the reparation of internally displaced persons. Yet, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front isn’t represented at this level.

    Fourth, conflict-displaced Tigrayans are slowly returning to their communities. But insecurity remains acute because it’s not clear if all Tigrayan combatants are demobilised and all troops from Eritrea withdrawn. The monitoring mechanism in place is weak and cannot independently verify what’s been achieved.

    Fifth, the Ethiopian government’s transitional justice policy is unclear. It doesn’t provide guidance on who to prosecute as there are still ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia. The policy also avoids international scrutiny. It lacks critical aspects to prevent the recurrence of atrocities by adhering to international standards.

    Political factors

    The lack of progress in building lasting peace can also be put down to a lack of political will on the part of both parties.

    The federal government lacks resources for reconstruction. For example, there has been little rebuilding of basic infrastructure. The cost of recovery from the war in Tigray is estimated to be over US$44 billion.

    For its part, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front is in the throes of a growing rift between its chairman, Debretsion Gebremichael, and the deputy chairman and head of the interim government in Tigray, Getachew Reda. This has diverted attention to managing intra-party rivalries rather than pressuring the federal government to take necessary actions.

    Debretsion is prioritising the Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s return to its past glory with control over the political structure in Tigray. Getachew is pushing for a reconciliatory approach with the government and showing a willingness to compromise the party’s position for peace and security.

    What remains to be done

    Ethiopia is facing a watershed moment. The peace agreement can be carried out faster if the Tigray People’s Liberation Front maintains its cohesiveness. When broken into factions, it cannot hold the Abiy Ahmed regime accountable.

    Research shows that rebel movements such as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front often form factions after signing peace deals because of disagreements on the compromises made to reach a deal. A slow implementation process can further divide a rebel movement as it cannot cater to its supporters, or justify the war and unaddressed humanitarian and human rights abuses.

    Factions weaken the party, create instabilities and hurt the peace building process.

    The Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s unity is crucial for the success of the deal and its aspiration to return to political power in Tigray.

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

    – ref. Lasting peace in Ethiopia? More needs to be done to stop Tigray conflict from flaring up again – https://theconversation.com/lasting-peace-in-ethiopia-more-needs-to-be-done-to-stop-tigray-conflict-from-flaring-up-again-239847

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Lasting peace in Ethiopia? More needs to be done to stop Tigray conflict from flaring up again

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Madhav Joshi, Research Professor & Associate Director, Peace Accords Matrix (PAM), Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame

    It has been nearly two years since the African Union brokered a peace deal that put an end to the war between the Ethiopian state and the Tigray regional government. The signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in November 2022 brought an end to a deadly two-year conflict.

    The agreement has achieved a number of outcomes. These include:

    • an end to the fighting between Tigrayan and Ethiopian armed forces

    • the creation of a transitional government in Tigray, run by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front

    • the demobilisation of 50,000 Tigrayan troops

    • the Tigray People’s Liberation Front regaining its legal status as a political party registered under special conditions

    • the approval in Addis Ababa of a transitional justice policy

    • the establishment of an AU-led monitoring and verification mission.

    But a great deal still remains to be done if the peace is going to last. We have studied 42 comprehensive and 236 partial peace agreements in the last three decades. Based on this experience, we argue that urgent issues remain to be addressed in the Ethiopian agreement. If left unattended, they raise the risk of a return to war.

    Empirical research suggests that a higher overall implementation rate of civil war peace agreements leads to sustainable peace. It is the only proven pathway for resolving remaining conflicts in a country. Doing what was agreed is necessary for post-war recovery.

    In Ethiopia, the disarmament and demobilisation of Tigrayan combatants needs urgent attention. So do the protection of civilians and returnees in disputed territories in western and northern Tigray, and the restoration of basic infrastructure in the region. The state also needs to ensure the smooth delivery of humanitarian aid, the withdrawal of foreign troops from Tigray and the representation of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in the federal government.

    The gaps

    A substantial reason for the lack of progress in building sustainable peace is that the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement has holes in it.

    Firstly, only the immediate cessation of hostilities, and the demobilisation and disarmament of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front combatants, were set out clearly. Other principles – such as civilian protections, delivery of humanitarian aid and ensuring accountability for the conflict – were left to “good faith implementation”.

    The peace agreement and its implementation process in Tigray lack safeguard mechanisms. These are procedures involving the power-sharing government, dispute resolution and robust mechanisms to verify the implementation of the agreement. However, only the verification mechanism is in place among these three pillars, and it’s very weak. Safeguard mechanisms create ownership, inclusion and accountability. They amplify the urgency of implementing peace deals.

    Secondly, the underlying causes of conflict and grievances haven’t been dealt with as agreed. These include the withdrawal of foreign troops from Tigray, the reconstruction of conflict-affected communities and the Tigrayan government’s representation in the federal government. Addressing these grievances might create the mutual trust that is necessary to revive the stalled process of building peace.

    Read more: What is federalism? Why Ethiopia uses this system of government and why it’s not perfect

    Thirdly, while the overt conflict with Tigrayan forces has subsided, the political dialogue between the regional and national governments hasn’t happened. This dialogue is key to addressing ambiguities in the peace deal. The agreement’s success depends on actions at the federal level – such as the reparation of internally displaced persons. Yet, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front isn’t represented at this level.

    Fourth, conflict-displaced Tigrayans are slowly returning to their communities. But insecurity remains acute because it’s not clear if all Tigrayan combatants are demobilised and all troops from Eritrea withdrawn. The monitoring mechanism in place is weak and cannot independently verify what’s been achieved.

    Fifth, the Ethiopian government’s transitional justice policy is unclear. It doesn’t provide guidance on who to prosecute as there are still ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia. The policy also avoids international scrutiny. It lacks critical aspects to prevent the recurrence of atrocities by adhering to international standards.

    Political factors

    The lack of progress in building lasting peace can also be put down to a lack of political will on the part of both parties.

    The federal government lacks resources for reconstruction. For example, there has been little rebuilding of basic infrastructure. The cost of recovery from the war in Tigray is estimated to be over US$44 billion.

    For its part, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front is in the throes of a growing rift between its chairman, Debretsion Gebremichael, and the deputy chairman and head of the interim government in Tigray, Getachew Reda. This has diverted attention to managing intra-party rivalries rather than pressuring the federal government to take necessary actions.

    Debretsion is prioritising the Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s return to its past glory with control over the political structure in Tigray. Getachew is pushing for a reconciliatory approach with the government and showing a willingness to compromise the party’s position for peace and security.

    What remains to be done

    Ethiopia is facing a watershed moment. The peace agreement can be carried out faster if the Tigray People’s Liberation Front maintains its cohesiveness. When broken into factions, it cannot hold the Abiy Ahmed regime accountable.

    Research shows that rebel movements such as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front often form factions after signing peace deals because of disagreements on the compromises made to reach a deal. A slow implementation process can further divide a rebel movement as it cannot cater to its supporters, or justify the war and unaddressed humanitarian and human rights abuses.

    Factions weaken the party, create instabilities and hurt the peace building process.

    The Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s unity is crucial for the success of the deal and its aspiration to return to political power in Tigray.

    – Lasting peace in Ethiopia? More needs to be done to stop Tigray conflict from flaring up again
    – https://theconversation.com/lasting-peace-in-ethiopia-more-needs-to-be-done-to-stop-tigray-conflict-from-flaring-up-again-239847

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Maksim Rudnev, Research Associate, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo

    We all admire wise people, don’t we? Whether it’s a thoughtful teacher, a compassionate doctor, or an elder in the community, we recognise wisdom when we see it. But have you ever thought about how people in different cultures perceive wisdom? Does someone in Morocco view a wise person in the same way as someone in Ecuador? Our recent study explored how people across cultures think of wisdom.

    This large-scale project required a joint effort of 34 researchers across fields of philosophy, psychology, anthropology, social science and psychometrics – and from all over the world, connected in a research consortium called The Geography of Philosophy.

    What we found was somewhat surprising. Wisdom may appear to be shaped by cultural differences, but the core aspects of what makes someone wise are largely the same across cultures. From urban college students in Japan to villagers in South Africa, participants associated wisdom with two key characteristics: reflective orientation and socio-emotional awareness. We explain what that means below.

    Contrary to widespread stereotypes, people recognise wisdom in a similar way across east and west, south and north. Despite the divisions of the world, we see wisdom in the same individuals and associate it with similar traits. Are we indeed more alike than we are different, when it comes to how we perceive wisdom? And what characterises wise people?

    These are the characteristics of wise people

    There are two key characteristics. Reflective orientation is about people who think before acting, carefully consider different perspectives, and use logic and past experiences to guide their decisions. They’re the type of person who keeps their cool in difficult situations, taking time to weigh all the options before making a move.

    The second is socio-emotional awareness. Wise people are good at understanding and caring about the thoughts and feelings of others. They pay attention to emotions and consider different views on the situation. Such an individual might be skilled at mediating conflicts by understanding each party’s point of view, or be adept at providing emotional support during difficult times.

    Together, these two dimensions combine to form the global image of wisdom. The study suggests that the wisest people are those who balance both, showing strong abilities in reasoning while also being emotionally and socially aware.

    A highly reflective person who is suppressing their own emotions but doesn’t notice the social context of the problem wouldn’t be called wise. Likewise, someone who is entirely driven by emotion and the social environment but fails to make logical connections wouldn’t be called wise either. Real wisdom, according to our study, is about finding a balance between thoughtful reasoning, social understanding, and emotional awareness.

    Cultures do differ, but not as much as you might think

    To uncover these dimensions, we employed a method sometimes called experimental philosophy. Participants across 16 different cultures in 12 countries on five continents compared a set of targets to each other. For example, one of the questions asked participants to compare whether a doctor or a religious person was more likely to think logically when making a hard life decision with no right or wrong answers. Our participants also rated themselves. Then we asked how wise each of these persons were.

    When we started this project, we expected to find big differences between cultures. Previous research suggested that people in “the west” use and value analytical thinking, which tends to dismiss social and emotional parts of the situation. In contrast, individuals in “the east” emphasise holistic thinking, that is, all-encompassing views of complex situations.

    But that’s not what we found. While there were some small differences – people in South Africa, for example, placed more importance on nature and divinity when thinking about socio-emotional awareness – the overall picture was strikingly similar. Across the globe, people rated individuals who were both reflective and socially and emotionally aware as the wisest. For instance, they named a doctor and a 75-year-old person as the wisest, and at the same time the highest on both dimensions.

    What was particularly fascinating was that people tended to rate themselves differently from how they rated others. Most people saw themselves as less reflective but more socially and emotionally aware than the “wise” figures they were asked to rate. In other words, people were ready to admit a moderate level of their own intellectual capabilities, but they were quite confident in their ability to understand and care for others.

    Why this matters

    This research defies stereotypes of a cold analytical ideal of “the west” and a social-minded and emotionally driven image of “the east” and “the south”. The idea that wisdom is purely intellectual, or conversely, purely social or divine, is too simplistic. It also highlights that wisdom manifests in a balance of traits traditionally attributed to different cultures.

    In a time when global cooperation is more important than ever, recognising our shared appreciation for certain qualities can help bridge cultural divides.

    The study opens up new avenues for research. Could these dimensions of wisdom help us understand how to solve global problems? Are people more likely to trust leaders who show both reflective thinking and socio-emotional awareness? And how do these qualities affect the way we handle personal relationships, difficult decisions, or conflicts?

    One thing is clear: wisdom is something we all value, no matter where we come from. By understanding it better, we can not only become wiser ourselves but also learn to appreciate wisdom in others, wherever they may be.

    Veli Mitova receives funding from the John Templeton Foundation and the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences.

    Maksim Rudnev 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. What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-person-seem-wise-global-study-finds-that-cultures-do-differ-but-not-as-much-as-youd-think-238808

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: South Africa’s municipalities aren’t fixing roads, supplying clean water or keeping the lights on: new study explains why

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ramos Emmanuel Mabugu, Professor, Sol Plaatje University

    South Africa has a massive infrastructure problem. Roads, electricity supply and water management are just three areas in which there is mounting evidence of collapse and decay. This is true for big cities like Johannesburg as well as small towns and rural areas.

    This is a problem because infrastructure like this has huge economic benefits. Having water and electricity enables firms to run smoothly. Local roads improve mobility and access to markets.

    A study by South Africa’s Financial and Fiscal Commission in 2018 showed that infrastructure spending had a statistically significant positive impact on local employment and economic growth.

    Responsibility for maintaining these essential services lies with South Africa’s 257 municipalities. Funding comes from two pots: central government allocation; and revenue raised locally through the delivery of services.

    The national government has increased its financial transfers to municipalities for infrastructure investment by more than 3.5 times in local currency over the past 14 years. In that period municipalities have received almost R600 billion (US$45,5 billion) from national government.

    Why do local governments have little to show for it?

    We have been researching South Africa’s public finances and intergovernmental fiscal relations issues for many years. In a recent paper we evaluated how municipalities have managed the delivery of infrastructure.

    We found that:

    • municipalities have failed to effectively use increased infrastructure allocations

    • municipalities have not chosen the right infrastructure projects

    • projects have not been implemented cost effectively

    • projects have not been completed on time and within budget

    • infrastructure was not being operated efficiently

    • existing infrastructure was not being maintained.

    The failures

    We identified the following failures.

    People resources: Most of South Africa’s 257 municipalities lack the required capacity for managing infrastructure. Only a few have fully resourced project management units. In addition, there are cumbersome and costly infrastructure planning processes and legislative requirements. For instance, municipalities must conduct a feasibility study and appoint a steering committee for each project. The resources required for this are overwhelming for many and the process simply shifts the limited resources away from the actual infrastructure work.

    These problems have persisted despite many years of reforms and increased technical and financial support.

    Poor allocation of funds: Most allocations by national government for infrastructure have been in the form of conditional grants. These stipulate conditions for what type of infrastructure the money can be spent on.

    However, this hasn’t stopped the grants being allocated to prolonged or abandoned projects. The result is that many municipalities have been using recurring budget allocations to rectify poor workmanship and abandoned projects.

    Political interference: Where infrastructure has been built it is not well maintained. This is partly because politicians tend to prefer new infrastructure which comes with opportunities for ribbon cutting ceremonies. But some of this infrastructure doesn’t match the needs of communities, and becomes a white elephant.

    Bureaucracy: Municipalities share responsibility with national and provincial governments for some local infrastructure investments. But joint planning and budgeting is lacking. So water and electricity reticulation networks are often installed without sufficient bulk supply from the relevant providers.

    Service delays then lead to community protest and infrastructure vandalism.

    The role of national government departments also creates problems. They are the custodians of conditional infrastructure grant funding. In this role they often interfere and dictate priorities for municipalities while attaching stringent conditions to funding.

    Lack of ownership: Frustrated by the ongoing inability to spend infrastructure funds, national government is increasingly carrying out projects on behalf of municipalities, often using indirect grants. The result is that municipalities have no sense of ownership of the infrastructure and are not keen to maintain it. Some of the landfill sites and sport facilities constructed by the national departments of environmental affairs and sports have been neglected.

    We also found that municipalities are battling to keep up with growing populations, rising input costs and the vandalisation of infrastructure.

    Our findings are confirmed by reports of the auditor-general which highlight weak municipal infrastructure delivery management.

    The 2021–2022 auditor-general’s report found that the average delay in completing infrastructure projects ranged from 17 to 26 months.

    It also found that all 257 municipalities had spent only R18 billion (US$1.2 billion) on infrastructure maintenance. This represents 4% of the total value (R450 billion or US$30.6 billion) of municipal assets. This low spend increases the risk of infrastructure breakdown and reduces service level standards.

    It also rapidly increases the pace and cost of infrastructure upgrading and replacement.

    The solutions

    The failure to deliver infrastructure has itself affected the financial stability of municipalities. This is because they can generate their own revenue from selling water and electricity to residents. A collapse of these services means this income is lost.

    But debates on municipal infrastructure in South Africa have largely focused on funding shortfalls. This ignores weaknesses or a lack of municipal capacity to manage infrastructure projects. Giving municipalities money for infrastructure does not guarantee quality and long-lasting infrastructure.

    Municipalities need to:

    • focus on the full life cycle management of infrastructure instead of just rolling out new projects

    • plan for relevant infrastructure that responds to local circumstances

    • maintain old and new infrastructure

    • refurbish infrastructure that is nearing the end of its useful life.

    None of this can be achieved without competent and prescient local government leadership.

    Eddie Rakabe is affiliated with Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflections.

    Ramos Emmanuel Mabugu 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. South Africa’s municipalities aren’t fixing roads, supplying clean water or keeping the lights on: new study explains why – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-municipalities-arent-fixing-roads-supplying-clean-water-or-keeping-the-lights-on-new-study-explains-why-233499

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Maksim Rudnev, Research Associate, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo

    We all admire wise people, don’t we? Whether it’s a thoughtful teacher, a compassionate doctor, or an elder in the community, we recognise wisdom when we see it. But have you ever thought about how people in different cultures perceive wisdom? Does someone in Morocco view a wise person in the same way as someone in Ecuador? Our recent study explored how people across cultures think of wisdom.

    This large-scale project required a joint effort of 34 researchers across fields of philosophy, psychology, anthropology, social science and psychometrics – and from all over the world, connected in a research consortium called The Geography of Philosophy.

    What we found was somewhat surprising. Wisdom may appear to be shaped by cultural differences, but the core aspects of what makes someone wise are largely the same across cultures. From urban college students in Japan to villagers in South Africa, participants associated wisdom with two key characteristics: reflective orientation and socio-emotional awareness. We explain what that means below.

    Contrary to widespread stereotypes, people recognise wisdom in a similar way across east and west, south and north. Despite the divisions of the world, we see wisdom in the same individuals and associate it with similar traits. Are we indeed more alike than we are different, when it comes to how we perceive wisdom? And what characterises wise people?

    These are the characteristics of wise people

    There are two key characteristics. Reflective orientation is about people who think before acting, carefully consider different perspectives, and use logic and past experiences to guide their decisions. They’re the type of person who keeps their cool in difficult situations, taking time to weigh all the options before making a move.

    The second is socio-emotional awareness. Wise people are good at understanding and caring about the thoughts and feelings of others. They pay attention to emotions and consider different views on the situation. Such an individual might be skilled at mediating conflicts by understanding each party’s point of view, or be adept at providing emotional support during difficult times.

    Together, these two dimensions combine to form the global image of wisdom. The study suggests that the wisest people are those who balance both, showing strong abilities in reasoning while also being emotionally and socially aware.

    A highly reflective person who is suppressing their own emotions but doesn’t notice the social context of the problem wouldn’t be called wise. Likewise, someone who is entirely driven by emotion and the social environment but fails to make logical connections wouldn’t be called wise either. Real wisdom, according to our study, is about finding a balance between thoughtful reasoning, social understanding, and emotional awareness.

    Cultures do differ, but not as much as you might think

    To uncover these dimensions, we employed a method sometimes called experimental philosophy. Participants across 16 different cultures in 12 countries on five continents compared a set of targets to each other. For example, one of the questions asked participants to compare whether a doctor or a religious person was more likely to think logically when making a hard life decision with no right or wrong answers. Our participants also rated themselves. Then we asked how wise each of these persons were.

    When we started this project, we expected to find big differences between cultures. Previous research suggested that people in “the west” use and value analytical thinking, which tends to dismiss social and emotional parts of the situation. In contrast, individuals in “the east” emphasise holistic thinking, that is, all-encompassing views of complex situations.

    But that’s not what we found. While there were some small differences – people in South Africa, for example, placed more importance on nature and divinity when thinking about socio-emotional awareness – the overall picture was strikingly similar. Across the globe, people rated individuals who were both reflective and socially and emotionally aware as the wisest. For instance, they named a doctor and a 75-year-old person as the wisest, and at the same time the highest on both dimensions.

    What was particularly fascinating was that people tended to rate themselves differently from how they rated others. Most people saw themselves as less reflective but more socially and emotionally aware than the “wise” figures they were asked to rate. In other words, people were ready to admit a moderate level of their own intellectual capabilities, but they were quite confident in their ability to understand and care for others.

    Why this matters

    This research defies stereotypes of a cold analytical ideal of “the west” and a social-minded and emotionally driven image of “the east” and “the south”. The idea that wisdom is purely intellectual, or conversely, purely social or divine, is too simplistic. It also highlights that wisdom manifests in a balance of traits traditionally attributed to different cultures.

    In a time when global cooperation is more important than ever, recognising our shared appreciation for certain qualities can help bridge cultural divides.

    The study opens up new avenues for research. Could these dimensions of wisdom help us understand how to solve global problems? Are people more likely to trust leaders who show both reflective thinking and socio-emotional awareness? And how do these qualities affect the way we handle personal relationships, difficult decisions, or conflicts?

    One thing is clear: wisdom is something we all value, no matter where we come from. By understanding it better, we can not only become wiser ourselves but also learn to appreciate wisdom in others, wherever they may be.

    – What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think
    – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-person-seem-wise-global-study-finds-that-cultures-do-differ-but-not-as-much-as-youd-think-238808

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa’s municipalities aren’t fixing roads, supplying clean water or keeping the lights on: new study explains why

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ramos Emmanuel Mabugu, Professor, Sol Plaatje University

    South Africa has a massive infrastructure problem. Roads, electricity supply and water management are just three areas in which there is mounting evidence of collapse and decay. This is true for big cities like Johannesburg as well as small towns and rural areas.

    This is a problem because infrastructure like this has huge economic benefits. Having water and electricity enables firms to run smoothly. Local roads improve mobility and access to markets.

    A study by South Africa’s Financial and Fiscal Commission in 2018 showed that infrastructure spending had a statistically significant positive impact on local employment and economic growth.

    Responsibility for maintaining these essential services lies with South Africa’s 257 municipalities. Funding comes from two pots: central government allocation; and revenue raised locally through the delivery of services.

    The national government has increased its financial transfers to municipalities for infrastructure investment by more than 3.5 times in local currency over the past 14 years. In that period municipalities have received almost R600 billion (US$45,5 billion) from national government.

    Why do local governments have little to show for it?

    We have been researching South Africa’s public finances and intergovernmental fiscal relations issues for many years. In a recent paper we evaluated how municipalities have managed the delivery of infrastructure.

    We found that:

    • municipalities have failed to effectively use increased infrastructure allocations

    • municipalities have not chosen the right infrastructure projects

    • projects have not been implemented cost effectively

    • projects have not been completed on time and within budget

    • infrastructure was not being operated efficiently

    • existing infrastructure was not being maintained.

    The failures

    We identified the following failures.

    People resources: Most of South Africa’s 257 municipalities lack the required capacity for managing infrastructure. Only a few have fully resourced project management units. In addition, there are cumbersome and costly infrastructure planning processes and legislative requirements. For instance, municipalities must conduct a feasibility study and appoint a steering committee for each project. The resources required for this are overwhelming for many and the process simply shifts the limited resources away from the actual infrastructure work.

    These problems have persisted despite many years of reforms and increased technical and financial support.

    Poor allocation of funds: Most allocations by national government for infrastructure have been in the form of conditional grants. These stipulate conditions for what type of infrastructure the money can be spent on.

    However, this hasn’t stopped the grants being allocated to prolonged or abandoned projects. The result is that many municipalities have been using recurring budget allocations to rectify poor workmanship and abandoned projects.

    Political interference: Where infrastructure has been built it is not well maintained. This is partly because politicians tend to prefer new infrastructure which comes with opportunities for ribbon cutting ceremonies. But some of this infrastructure doesn’t match the needs of communities, and becomes a white elephant.

    Bureaucracy: Municipalities share responsibility with national and provincial governments for some local infrastructure investments. But joint planning and budgeting is lacking. So water and electricity reticulation networks are often installed without sufficient bulk supply from the relevant providers.

    Service delays then lead to community protest and infrastructure vandalism.

    The role of national government departments also creates problems. They are the custodians of conditional infrastructure grant funding. In this role they often interfere and dictate priorities for municipalities while attaching stringent conditions to funding.

    Lack of ownership: Frustrated by the ongoing inability to spend infrastructure funds, national government is increasingly carrying out projects on behalf of municipalities, often using indirect grants. The result is that municipalities have no sense of ownership of the infrastructure and are not keen to maintain it. Some of the landfill sites and sport facilities constructed by the national departments of environmental affairs and sports have been neglected.

    We also found that municipalities are battling to keep up with growing populations, rising input costs and the vandalisation of infrastructure.

    Our findings are confirmed by reports of the auditor-general which highlight weak municipal infrastructure delivery management.

    The 2021–2022 auditor-general’s report found that the average delay in completing infrastructure projects ranged from 17 to 26 months.

    It also found that all 257 municipalities had spent only R18 billion (US$1.2 billion) on infrastructure maintenance. This represents 4% of the total value (R450 billion or US$30.6 billion) of municipal assets. This low spend increases the risk of infrastructure breakdown and reduces service level standards.

    It also rapidly increases the pace and cost of infrastructure upgrading and replacement.

    The solutions

    The failure to deliver infrastructure has itself affected the financial stability of municipalities. This is because they can generate their own revenue from selling water and electricity to residents. A collapse of these services means this income is lost.

    But debates on municipal infrastructure in South Africa have largely focused on funding shortfalls. This ignores weaknesses or a lack of municipal capacity to manage infrastructure projects. Giving municipalities money for infrastructure does not guarantee quality and long-lasting infrastructure.

    Municipalities need to:

    • focus on the full life cycle management of infrastructure instead of just rolling out new projects

    • plan for relevant infrastructure that responds to local circumstances

    • maintain old and new infrastructure

    • refurbish infrastructure that is nearing the end of its useful life.

    None of this can be achieved without competent and prescient local government leadership.

    – South Africa’s municipalities aren’t fixing roads, supplying clean water or keeping the lights on: new study explains why
    – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-municipalities-arent-fixing-roads-supplying-clean-water-or-keeping-the-lights-on-new-study-explains-why-233499

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Minimum Unit Price rises

    Source: Scottish Government

    Cost per unit of alcohol increases to 65p.

    EMBARGOED UNTIL 0001 on 30 September 2024

    The minimum price per unit of alcohol will increase by 15 pence from today.

    MSPs previously voted to continue the public health measure which had been scheduled to end automatically on 30 April as part of a ‘sunset clause’ when Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) legislation was introduced in 2018.

    They also voted to introduce a price increase, with a rise to 65p per unit chosen as the Scottish Government seeks to increase the positive effects of the policy and to take account of inflation.

    Health Secretary Neil Gray said:

    “Research commended by internationally-renowned public health experts estimated that our world-leading policy has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and contributed to reducing health inequalities.

    “Experts wrote to The Lancet, describing Public Health Scotland’s evaluation of minimum unit pricing as ‘high-quality’ and ‘comprehensive’, and expressing confidence that there are several hundred people with low income in Scotland who are alive today as a result of this policy.

    “However, the Scottish Government is determined to do all it can to reduce alcohol-related harm and as part of that, I am working to ensure people with problematic alcohol use receive the same quality of care and support as those dealing with problematic drugs use. We have also made a record £112 million available to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to deliver or commission treatment and support services locally, as well as investing £100 million in residential rehabilitation.

    “I have also asked that Public Health Scotland is commissioned to review evidence and options for reducing exposure to alcohol marketing.”

    Background

    The Scottish Parliament voted to approve Orders increasing the minimum unit price and continue the effect of minimum unit pricing in April 2024. As part of an in-built ‘sunset clause’, agreed by MSPs when MUP legislation was first passed in 2018, the policy had been due to end on 30 April.

    The increase will take effect from midnight on 30 September 2024.

    The Scottish Government has worked closely with retail partners to publish a guide and ensure that retailers have all the information they need.

    Research conducted by Public Health Scotland and the University of Glasgow estimated that MUP had reduced alcohol-attributable deaths by 13.4% – 156 a year – and was likely to have reduced hospital admissions wholly attributable to alcohol by 4.1% up to the end of 2020 compared to what would have happened if MUP had not been in place.

    PHS evaluation found there was no clear evidence of substantial negative impacts on the alcoholic drinks industry.

    Public health experts wrote an open letter to The Lancet last August commending Public Health Scotland’s evaluation of minimum unit pricing commenting that it was “high quality” and “comprehensive” and that “Policymakers can be confident that there are several hundred people with low income in Scotland who would have died as a result of alcohol, who are alive today as a result of minimum unit pricing”.

    The Scottish Government continues to progress work on reducing exposure to alcohol marketing. Once the PHS review of evidence on alcohol marketing is concluded the Scottish Government will consider any areas where evidence supports further consultation.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Federation’s THRIVE program helping upskill regional healthcare workers

    Source: Federation University

    Federation University Australia researchers are upskilling regional and rural healthcare workers to manage and prevent chronic diseases with behavioural change techniques.

    Backed by funding from the Department of Education and Training, Federation’s “The Healthy Regions Intervention” (THRIVE) program is training doctors, nurses and health practitioners in a method called Motivational Interviewing (MI), to help people at risk of chronic illness, and those already diagnosed, to adopt healthier lifestyles.

    In the past 18 months, the THRIVE program has trained 127 Victorian practitioners and clinical researchers and plans to double this number in the next 18 months.

    Healthcare workers participating in the program are equipped with advanced behaviour change expertise to assist sufferers of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, metabolic disorders, respiratory disorders, mental health disorders and cancers, with the aim to change risk behaviours including poor diet, lack of exercise, illicit drug use, and smoking, which can greatly exacerbate the impact of these conditions.

    Participating agencies include Silverchain, Ballarat Community Health, East Grampians Health Service, Goulburn Valley Community Health, Rural City of Ararat, Western Alliance: Academic Health Science Centre, as well as independent practitioners. Federation physiotherapy students now also receive advanced MI training, preparing them to help their future patients and communities.

    The THRIVE MI training is based on the Happy Life Club initiative which also been delivered in partnership with regional and national governments in Beijing, Nanjing, and Shenzhen, China, where it has won a China National Health Innovation Award.

    THRIVE is led by Distinguished Professors Colette Browning and Shane Thomas and Professors Fadi Charchar and Britt Klein and was established in 2022 to support rural and regional Victorian communities. THRIVE not only provides training but also conducts important research and has contributed to global guidelines on managing hypertension and published over 70 scientific papers.

    Quote attributable to Federation University Australia Executive Dean, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research, Professor Remco Polman

    “Behaviour change is a key tool in reducing global rates and burden of chronic diseases and many healthcare workers lack advanced training. Well-implemented behaviour change programs delivered by skilled practitioners, such as THRIVE provides, offer substantial health benefits to the community. Motivational Interviewing has proven to be very effective and cost-efficient in significantly improving patient outcomes.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Meta has launched the world’s ‘most advanced’ glasses. Will they replace smartphones?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martie-Louise Verreynne, Professor in Innovation and Associate Dean (Research), The University of Queensland

    Humans are increasingly engaging with wearable technology as it becomes more adaptable and interactive. One of the most intimate ways gaining acceptance is through augmented reality (AR) glasses.

    Last week, Meta debuted a prototype of the most recent version of their AR glasses – Orion. They look like reading glasses and use holographic projection to allow users to see graphics projected through transparent lenses into their field of view.

    Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg called Orion “the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen”. He said they offer a “glimpse of the future” in which smart glasses will replace smartphones as the main mode of communication.

    But is this true or just corporate hype? And will AR glasses actually benefit us in new ways?

    Old technology, made new

    The technology used to develop Orion glasses is not new.

    In the 1960s, computer scientist Ivan Sutherland introduced the first augmented reality head-mounted display. Two decades later, Canadian engineer and inventor Stephen Mann developed the first glasses-like prototype.

    Throughout the 1990s, researchers and technology companies developed the capability of this technology through head-worn displays and wearable computing devices. Like many technological developments, these were often initially focused on military and industry applications.

    In 2013, after smartphone technology emerged, Google entered the AR glasses market. But consumers were disinterested, citing concerns about privacy, high cost, limited functionality and a lack of a clear purpose.

    This did not discourage other companies – such as Microsoft, Apple and Meta – from developing similar technologies.

    Looking inside

    Meta cites a range of reasons for why Orion are the world’s most advanced glasses, such as their miniaturised technology with large fields of view and holographic displays. It said these displays provide:

    compelling AR experiences, creating new human-computer interaction paradigms […] one of the most difficult challenges our industry has ever faced.

    Orion also has an inbuilt smart assistant (Meta AI) to help with tasks through voice commands, eye and hand tracking, and a wristband for swiping, clicking and scrolling.

    With these features, it is not difficult to agree that AR glasses are becoming more user-friendly for mass consumption. But gaining widespread consumer acceptance will be challenging.

    A set of challenges

    Meta will have to address four types of challenges:

    1. ease of wearing, using and integrating AR glasses with other glasses
    2. physiological aspects such as the heat the glasses generate, comfort and potential vertigo
    3. operational factors such as battery life, data security and display quality
    4. psychological factors such as social acceptance, trust in privacy and accessibility.

    These factors are not unlike what we saw in the 2000s when smartphones gained acceptance. Just like then, there are early adopters who will see more benefits than risks in adopting AR glasses, creating a niche market that will gradually expand.

    Similar to what Apple did with the iPhone, Meta will have to build a digital platform and ecosystem around Orion.

    This will allow for broader applications in education (for example, virtual classrooms), remote work and enhanced collaboration tools. Already, Orion’s holographic display allows users to overlay digital content and the real world, and because it is hands-free, communication will be more natural.

    Creative destruction

    Smart glasses are already being used in many industrial settings, such as logistics and healthcare. Meta plans to launch Orion for the general public in 2027.

    By that time, AI will have likely advanced to the point where virtual assistants will be able to see what we see and the physical, virtual and artificial will co-exist. At this point, it is easy to see that the need for bulky smartphones may diminish and that through creative destruction, one industry may replace another.

    This is supported by research indicating the virtual and augmented reality headset industry will be worth US$370 billion by 2034.

    The remaining question is whether this will actually benefit us.

    There is already much debate about the effect of smartphone technology on productivity and wellbeing. Some argue that it has benefited us, mainly through increased connectivity, access to information, and productivity applications.

    But others say it has just created more work, distractions and mental fatigue.

    If Meta has its way, AR glasses will solve this by enhancing productivity. Consulting firm Deloitte agrees, saying the technology will provide hands-free access to data, faster communication and collaboration through data-sharing.

    It also claims smart glasses will reduce human errors, enable data visualisation, and monitor the wearer’s health and wellbeing. This will ensure a quality experience, social acceptance, and seamless integration with physical processes.

    But whether or not that all comes true will depend on how well companies such as Meta address the many challenges associated with AR glasses.

    Martie-Louise Verreynne receives funding from the ARC and NHMRC.

    – ref. Meta has launched the world’s ‘most advanced’ glasses. Will they replace smartphones? – https://theconversation.com/meta-has-launched-the-worlds-most-advanced-glasses-will-they-replace-smartphones-240023

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Supporting age-friendly communities and improving health access for rainbow people key areas of EIT lecturer’s research | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

    Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

    2 hours ago

    Jeffery Adams is a Postgraduate Health Science Lecturer at EIT Auckland.

    Supporting age-friendly communities and improving health access for rainbow people are key parts of an EIT Auckland lecturer’s research.

    Jeffery Adams, Postgraduate Health Science Lecturer at EIT Auckland, says that he has undertaken research and programme evaluation across a number of health areas and settings – including physical activity, alcohol, gambling, mental health and wellbeing, workforce issues, volunteering, and community development/community action.

    A recent research project has been an evaluation of the Office for Seniors age-friendly fund. Jeffery is working with Stephen Neville from Te Pūkenga, who is the lead researcher.

    “We are looking at this funding scheme that the Office for Seniors offers and trying to work out how effective it has been in helping councils and communities either develop an age friendly plan or to implement age friendly projects.”

    “It’s a New Zealand-wide sample with more than sixty different projects that have been funded. We are trying to make a determination about the fund as a whole as to whether it’s achieving outcomes and contributing to communities to be more age friendly.”

    Another project that Stephen and Jeffery are involved in is the validation of an age-friendly survey tool. This is a partnership between the researchers, the Office for Seniors, and the Napier City Council and in association with The Hague University of Applied Sciences. The tool has been successfully trialled by Napier City Council with the aim of rolling it out for use in other communities in New Zealand.

    There are eight domains for determining an age-friendly city – community and health care, transportation, housing, social participation, outdoor spaces and buildings, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, and communication and information. For the Napier study,  validation process involved receiving feedback from a consumer panel in Napier.

    Jeffery says that while New Zealand has areas of age-friendliness, there’s a growing interest among some councils and communities to create more age-friendly environments.

    He says that one difficulty for cities is striking a balance between meeting the needs of everybody, while also ensuring older people’s specific needs are met.

    “An example is that many places have short time limits on their parking, but this can make it more difficult for older people to go out and shop and attend appointments.”

    Another focus area for Jeffery is the health and wellbeing of rainbow people (an umbrella term used to describe people of diverse sexualities, genders, and variations of sex characteristics). This research has included studies focused on mental health, alcohol consumption, HIV and sexual health promotion, and Asian gay men. It has been funded by a number of agencies including the NZ AIDS Foundation, Ministry of Health and the Health Promotion Agency and is characterised by engagement with community organisations and employment of community members as research team members.   

    Jeffery’s most recent project is examining data from the New Zealand Health Survey to ascertain the healthcare experiences and health behaviours of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. This work was funded by Massey University and is set to be published soon in New Zealand and Australian publications.

    Last year Jeffery and Stephen Neville wrote an article entitled Rainbow health in Aotearoa New Zealand – finally getting the attention it deserves?  which was published in the Journal of Primary Health Care.

    The authors wrote that the health of rainbow people had until now largely been ignored in government health policy.

    “However this has changed with the release by Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora of Te Pae Tata: Interim New Zealand Health Plan, which details priority areas to improve health outcomes and equity for all New Zealanders.”

    “Te Pae Tata promises a ‘new health system’ and improved health outcomes for rainbow people. Although this plan provides welcome recognition of inequity, it offers a limited, generalised view on how to improve health for rainbow people. More specific and detailed action plans on how equity might be achieved are required.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Remains of 8 martyrs identified in Xizang

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    China’s Ministry of Veterans Affairs on Sunday announced that it has confirmed the identities of eight martyrs whose remains were found in the Ngari Prefecture of the country’s southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region last year.
    Xi Yufeng, the ministry official in charge of the recovery of martyrs’ remains, said at a press conference that a national search team and a DNA lab that identifies martyrs’ remains have been working together since 2023 to recover and identify the eight sets of remains in Ngari.
    It was the first time a national search team has worked in a high-altitude environment since China officially established these teams in 2022, according to the ministry.
    The ministry also worked on facial reconstruction with forensic experts at Shanghai’s Fudan University.
    At a press conference earlier this month, it announced that it had located living family members of over 60,000 martyrs through an online service, which collects inquiries from the public. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese researchers achieve breakthrough in DNA-based storage of brain MRI data

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Tianjin University’s Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, in collaboration with Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, has made a major breakthrough in DNA-based data storage, introducing the innovative DNA Palette coding scheme.
    This new method enables the successful encoding of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data into DNA, as well as lossless decoding and the 3D reconstruction of imaging data, paving the way for the development of advanced medical data storage technologies.
    The results of the study that saw this breakthrough have been published in the National Science Review.
    Brain MRI scans are an essential tool for clinical diagnosis, surgical planning and treatment evaluation. However, the vast amounts of data generated during these scans pose significant challenges for long-term storage methods.
    This issue is particularly critical for diseases such as juvenile Parkinson’s, epilepsy and neurogenetic disorders, as lifelong data accumulation and analysis are essential in such cases. Current storage mediums struggle to meet the high demand for large-scale, long-term data storage.
    DNA, known to have exceptional stability and storage density, has emerged as a promising medium for data storage. The Tianjin University research team successfully encoded 11.28 megabytes of brain MRI data into approximately 250,000 DNA sequences, achieving an impressive data density of 2.39 bits per base.
    The encoded oligos, which are single strands of synthetic DNA, are stored in dry powder form, weigh just 3 micrograms and support over 300 read operations under current technical standards. This breakthrough demonstrates DNA’s potential as a long-term, efficient, secure storage medium for medical data.
    This study marks a crucial step toward the practical application of DNA data storage, offering a new technical route for the secure storage of large amounts of medical data and accelerating the broader adoption of DNA-based storage technologies. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Deputy Vice Chancellors appointed at Australia’s newest major university

    Source: University of South Australia

    30 September 2024

    (Left to right): Ms Paula Ward, Mr Tom Steer, Mr Paul Beard, Mr Bruce Lines, Professor Steve Larkin, Professor Joanne Cys, Professor Jessica Gallagher, Professor Peter Høj AC, Professor David Lloyd FTSE, Professor John Williams AM, and Professor Anton Middelberg FTSE.

    Adelaide University has today announced the appointment of its first Deputy Vice Chancellors (DVCs).

    The selection of these important roles marks a significant milestone in the creation of a globally recognised institution committed to educational excellence and societal impact.

    Adelaide University co-Vice Chancellors, Professor Peter Høj and Professor David Lloyd, said the selection of the DVCs will provide strong foundational leadership through this time of transition and transformation.

    The Adelaide University DVCs are:

    • Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic: Professor John Williams AM
    • Deputy Vice Chancellor Corporate: Mr Paul Beard
    • Deputy Vice Chancellor Indigenous: Professor Steve Larkin
    • Deputy Vice Chancellor International & External Engagement: Professor Jessica Gallagher
    • Deputy Vice Chancellor People & Culture: Ms Paula Ward
    • Deputy Vice Chancellor Research & Innovation: Professor Anton Middelberg FTSE
    • Deputy Vice Chancellor Student Experience & Success: Mr Tom Steer
    • Provost & Deputy Vice Chancellor: Professor Joanne Cys

    “We congratulate our newly appointed colleagues who we know will provide the vision, expertise and guidance in realising our collective ambitions for a new university for the future,” Professors Lloyd and Høj said.

    “This leadership group have a tremendous depth of talent and we very much look forward to continuing our important work in creating a world-class contemporary and comprehensive institution and member of Australia’s prestigious and research-intensive Group of Eight [Go8].”

    The extensive recruitment process was conducted independently by nation-leading firm, Boyden Australia.

    The appointed DVCs will commence their roles on 1 October 2024 and Adelaide University will commence its operations on 1 January 2026.  

    International student applications are now open and research degrees will be open for application in early 2025.

    Local student applications and acceptances for coursework programs will open in August 2025 ahead of the 2026 academic year.

    Ends

    Media contacts

    Crispin Savage M: +61 481 912 462 E: Crispin.Savage@adelaide.edu.au; Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: Candy.Gibson@unisa.edu.au  

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Scientists recently studied the body of one of the world’s strongest men. This is what they found

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Keogh, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University

    The development of “superhuman” strength and power has long been admired in many cultures across the world.

    This may reflect the importance of these physical fitness characteristics in many facets of our lives from pre-history to today: hunting and gathering, the construction of large buildings and monuments, war, and more recently, sport.

    Potentially, the current peak of human strength and power is demonstrated in the sport of strongman.

    What is strongman?

    Strongman is becoming more common, with competitions now available at regional, national and international levels for men and women of different ages and sizes.



    Read more:
    Strongman used to be seen as a super-human novelty sport. Now more women and novices are turning to it

    Strongman training and competitions typically involve a host of traditional barbell-based exercises including squats, deadlifts and presses but also specific strongman events.

    The specific strongman events – such as the vehicle pull, farmer’s walk, sandbag/keg toss or stones lift – often require competitors to move a range of awkward, heavy implements either higher, faster or with more repetitions in a given time period than their competitors.

    Researching one of the greats

    Strongman has enjoyed substantial growth and development since the introduction of the World’s Strongest Man competition in the late 1970s.

    However, from a scientific perspective, there are few published studies focusing on athletes at the elite level.

    In particular, very little is currently known about the overall amount of muscle mass these athletes possess, how their mass is distributed across individual muscles and to what extent their tendon characteristics differ to people who are not training.

    However a recent study sought to shed some light on these extreme athletes. It examined the muscle and tendon morphology (structure) of one of the world’s strongest ever men – England’s Eddie Hall.

    Measuring an exceptionally strong person such as Hall – who produced a 500kg world record deadlift and won the “World’s Strongest Man” competition in 2017 – provided the opportunity to understand what specific muscle and tendon characteristics may have contributed to his incredible strength.

    Eddie Hall is one of world strongman’s finest competitors.

    What can we learn from a single case study?

    A limited number of athletes reach the truly elite level of strongman and even fewer set world records or win premier events.

    Because it’s so difficult to recruit even a small group of such rare athletes, conducting a case study with one elite strongman provided a unique opportunity to understand more about his muscle and tendon characteristics.

    Case studies have many limitations, including an inability to determine cause and effect or generalise findings to other individuals from the same group.

    However, the study of Hall was insightful, as his muscle and tendon results could be compared directly with various groups from the authors’ earlier published research.

    These groups included untrained people, people who have regularly resistance trained for several years, and competitive track sprinters.

    The inclusion of these comparative populations allowed meaningful interpretation of what makes Hall’s muscle and tendon characteristics so special.

    What they found

    Hall’s lower body muscle size was almost twice that of an untrained group of healthy active young men.

    And the manner in which his muscle mass was distributed across his lower body exhibited a very specific pattern.

    Three long thin muscles, referred to as “guy ropes”, were particularly large (some 2.5 to three times bigger) compared to untrained people.

    The guy rope muscles connect to the shin bone via a shared tendon and provide stability to the thigh and hips by fanning out and attaching to the pelvis at diverse locations.

    Highly developed guy rope muscles would be expected to offer enhanced stability with heavy lifting, carrying and pulling.

    Hall’s thigh (quadriceps) muscle structure was more than twice that of untrained people, yet the tendon at the knee that is connected to this muscle group was only 30% larger than an untrained population.

    This finding indicates muscle and tendon growth, within this case of extreme quadriceps muscle development, do not occur to the same extent.

    What do the results mean?

    The obvious implication is, the larger the relevant muscles, the greater the potential for strength and power.

    However, sports like strongman and even everyday activities like climbing stairs, carrying groceries and lifting objects off the ground require the coordinated activity of many stabilising muscles as well as major propulsive muscles such as the quadriceps.

    While Hall’s quadriceps were substantially bigger than untrained people, the largest relative differences occurred in the calves and the long thin “guy rope” muscles that help stabilise the hip and knee.

    These results pose a question about whether additional or more specific training for these smaller muscles may further enhance strength and power.

    This could benefit strongman athletes as well as everyday people.

    Also, the relatively small differences in tendon size between Hall and untrained populations suggests tendons do not grow to the same extent as muscles do.

    As muscular forces are transmitted through tendons to the bones, the substantially greater growth of muscle than tendon may mean athletes such as Hall have a greater relative risk of tendon than muscle injury.

    This view is somewhat consistent with the high proportion of tendinitis and strains reported in strength sport athletes, including strongman and weightlifters.

    Justin Keogh is the Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, an exercise scientist and a former strongman competitor.

    Tom Balshaw is a Lecturer in Kinesiology, Strength and Conditioning employed by Loughborough University

    – ref. Scientists recently studied the body of one of the world’s strongest men. This is what they found – https://theconversation.com/scientists-recently-studied-the-body-of-one-of-the-worlds-strongest-men-this-is-what-they-found-238873

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Can Australia prosecute foreigners for genocide overseas? Here’s how our atrocity laws work

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alister McKeich, Lecturer and Researcher in Law, Criminology and Indigenous Studies, Victoria University, Victoria University

    Shutterstock

    The onslaught in the Middle East has brought to the world’s attention once again the “crime of crimes”, genocide.

    Both the the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court (ICC) have brought allegations of genocide against Israel as a state and Israeli and Hamas leaders as individuals.

    The Australian government’s response to the Gaza crisis has included temporarily freezing of A$6 million of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine. Though funding has been flowing again since March, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been referred to the ICC by a law firm for being “an accessory to genocide”.

    Against this backdrop, Australia’s own genocide legislation is under parliamentary scrutiny. A bill tabled by independent Senator Lidia Thorpe (for whom I work as a casual legal researcher) seeks to change the way Australia deals with genocide.

    So what do our current laws say and what’s the case for changing them?

    What do our laws say?

    Australia ratified the Genocide Convention in 1949.

    Yet it was not until 2002, once the ICC was established, that the Commonwealth Criminal Code was amended to create a new division of atrocity crimes.

    Through this legislation, Australia may prosecute any person accused of a Rome Statute crime (such as genocide) under Australian law.

    At the moment, written consent from the attorney-general is required before legal proceedings about genocide and other atrocity crimes can commence. This is called the “attorney-general’s fiat”.

    Further, the attorney-general’s decision is final. It “must not be challenged, appealed against, reviewed, quashed or called into question”.

    Thorpe’s bill seeks to overturn these two measures.

    The explanatory memorandum in the 2002 amendment did not say why the attorney-general’s consent was necessary.

    Consent from an attorney-general (or similar position) is not an international requirement.

    Australia is only one of a handful of other countries (including the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada) where the fiat also exists.

    Why is it a problem?

    The Australian government has justified the rule on the basis that prosecutions for atrocity crimes against individuals could affect Australia’s international relations and national security.

    However, submissions from legal experts and community groups to a senate inquiry looking at the issue point out flaws.

    They say this rule prevents access to justice for victims and survivors of atrocity crimes. It can also create the potential for government bias.

    Submissions also say the lack of explanation or appeal process ignores fundamental principles of jurisprudence.

    Has the rule been used?

    The attorney-general’s fiat has been used in a limited number of cases.

    In 2009, Palestinian rights groups Australians for Palestine issued a request for consent for the prosecution of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, who was visiting at the time.

    The Australian Centre for International Justice states in its submission how then-attorney-general Robert McClellend denied the request. He cited matters of international state sovereignty and the difficulties of pursuing such a case in an overseas jurisdiction.

    Then, in 2011, Arunchalam Jegastheeswaran, an Australian citizen of Tamil
    background, sought the attorney-general’s consent for the prosecution of then Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was due to visit Australia.

    McClellend again denied the request, saying Rajapaska was protected under “head of state immunity”. This concept is controversial in international law, given it’s often heads of state who commit atrocity crimes.

    Head of state protection was also offered to former Myanmar (Burma) leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was in government when the 2017 genocide against the Rohingya was committed.

    With Suu Kyi due to be in Australia for an ASEAN conference in 2018, the Australian Rohingya community sought a prosecution. It was denied by then attorney-general Christian Porter.

    And in 2019, retired Sri Lankan General Jagath Jayasuriya visited Australia. Despite concerted efforts to raise evidence to prosecute Jayasuriya of war crimes, delays with the Australian Federal Police meant the case never reached the point of attorney-general consent.

    First Nations plaintiffs such as Paul Coe and Robert Thorpe have also sought to bring cases of genocide before the domestic courts, with no success.

    What would changing the laws mean?

    As it’s unlikely an attorney-general would consent to prosecutions against its own government, submissions to the inquiry argue the rule creates a direct conflict of interest.

    For First Nations people seeking justice for crimes of “ongoing genocide” perpetuated by the Commonwealth, any government is hardly going to rule in their favour.

    Some Indigenous community groups argue the high rates of First Nations children in protection, deaths in custody, hyper-incarceration and cultural, land and environmental damage amount to genocide crimes.

    Submissions to the inquiry recommend instead of requiring the consent of the attorney-general, claims of genocide should be directed to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. This would ensure greater independence from government.

    The director has a mandate for this sort of work. It already investigates similar crimes such as people smuggling, human trafficking, slavery and child exploitation.

    Internationally, the implications of this bill, if passed, will be consequential. The Australian Centre for International Justice estimates up to 1,000 Australian citizens have returned to Israel to fight as part of the Israel Defense Forces. Israel has been accused of serious atrocity crimes in Gaza.

    Should any of those citizens return, there could be attempts to mount a case. The government would then have to consider Australia’s political and economic ties with Israel.

    Whether the bill is passed will depend on parliament. But the situation highlights a paradox: the state itself will be deciding whether to remove its own inbuilt protections against charges of genocide.

    Alister McKeich is a casual legal researcher with the office of Senator Lidia Thorpe.

    – ref. Can Australia prosecute foreigners for genocide overseas? Here’s how our atrocity laws work – https://theconversation.com/can-australia-prosecute-foreigners-for-genocide-overseas-heres-how-our-atrocity-laws-work-236394

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Online spaces are rife with toxicity. Well-designed AI tools can help clean them up

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucy Sparrow, Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction, The University of Melbourne

    MMD Creative/Shutterstock

    Imagine scrolling through social media or playing an online game, only to be interrupted by insulting and harassing comments. What if an artificial intelligence (AI) tool stepped in to remove the abuse before you even saw it?

    This isn’t science fiction. Commercial AI tools like ToxMod and Bodyguard.ai are already used to monitor interactions in real time across social media and gaming platforms. They can detect and respond to toxic behaviour.

    The idea of an all-seeing AI monitoring our every move might sound Orwellian, but these tools could be key to making the internet a safer place.

    However, for AI moderation to succeed, it needs to prioritise values like privacy, transparency, explainability and fairness. So can we ensure AI can be trusted to make our online spaces better? Our two recent research projects into AI-driven moderation show this can be done – with more work ahead of us.

    Negativity thrives online

    Online toxicity is a growing problem. Nearly half of young Australians have experienced some form of negative online interaction, with almost one in five experiencing cyberbullying.

    Whether it’s a single offensive comment or a sustained slew of harassment, such harmful interactions are part of daily life for many internet users.

    The severity of online toxicity is one reason the Australian government has proposed banning social media for children under 14.

    But this approach fails to fully address a core underlying problem: the design of online platforms and moderation tools. We need to rethink how online platforms are designed to minimise harmful interactions for all users, not just children.

    Unfortunately, many tech giants with power over our online activities have been slow to take on more responsibility, leaving significant gaps in moderation and safety measures.

    This is where proactive AI moderation offers the chance to create safer, more respectful online spaces. But can AI truly deliver on this promise? Here’s what we found.

    ‘Havoc’ in online multiplayer games

    In our Games and Artificial Intelligence Moderation (GAIM) Project, we set out to understand the ethical opportunities and pitfalls of AI-driven moderation in online multiplayer games. We conducted 26 in-depth interviews with players and industry professionals to find out how they use and think about AI in these spaces.

    Interviewees saw AI as a necessary tool to make games safer and combat the “havoc” caused by toxicity. With millions of players, human moderators can’t catch everything. But an untiring and proactive AI can pick up what humans miss, helping reduce the stress and burnout associated with moderating toxic messages.

    But many players also expressed confusion about the use of AI moderation. They didn’t understand why they received account suspensions, bans and other punishments, and were often left frustrated that their own reports of toxic behaviour seemed to be lost to the void, unanswered.

    Participants were especially worried about privacy in situations where AI is used to moderate voice chat in games. One player exclaimed: “my god, is that even legal?” It is – and it’s already happening in popular online games such as Call of Duty.

    Our study revealed there’s tremendous positive potential for AI moderation. However, games and social media companies will need to do a lot more work to make these systems transparent, empowering and trustworthy.

    Right now, AI moderation is seen to operate much like a police officer in an opaque justice system. What if AI instead took the form of a teacher, guardian, or upstander – educating, empowering or supporting users?

    Enter AI Ally

    This is where our second project AI Ally comes in, an initiative funded by the eSafety Commissioner. In response to high rates of tech-based gendered violence in Australia, we are co-designing an AI tool to support girls, women and gender-diverse individuals in navigating safer online spaces.

    We surveyed 230 people from these groups, and found that 44% of our respondents “often” or “always” experienced gendered harassment on at least one social media platform. It happened most frequently in response to everyday online activities like posting photos of themselves, particularly in the form of sexist comments.

    Interestingly, our respondents reported that documenting instances of online abuse was especially useful when they wanted to support other targets of harassment, such as by gathering screenshots of abusive comments. But only a few of those surveyed did this in practice. Understandably, many also feared for their own safety should they intervene by defending someone or even speaking up in a public comment thread.

    These are worrying findings. In response, we are designing our AI tool as an optional dashboard that detects and documents toxic comments. To help guide us in the design process, we have created a set of “personas” that capture some of our target users, inspired by our survey respondents.

    Some of the user ‘personas’ guiding the development of the AI Ally tool.
    Ren Galwey/Research Rendered

    We allow users to make their own decisions about whether to filter, flag, block or report harassment in efficient ways that align with their own preferences and personal safety.

    In this way, we hope to use AI to offer young people easy-to-access support in managing online safety while offering autonomy and a sense of empowerment.

    We can all play a role

    AI Ally shows we can use AI to help make online spaces safer without having to sacrifice values like transparency and user control. But there is much more to be done.

    Other, similar initiatives include Harassment Manager, which was designed to identify and document abuse on Twitter (now X), and HeartMob, a community where targets of online harassment can seek support.

    Until ethical AI practices are more widely adopted, users must stay informed. Before joining a platform, check if they are transparent about their policies and offer user control over moderation settings.

    The internet connects us to resources, work, play and community. Everyone has the right to access these benefits without harassment and abuse. It’s up to all of us to be proactive and advocate for smarter, more ethical technology that protects our values and our digital spaces.

    The AI Ally team consists of Dr Mahli-Ann Butt, Dr Lucy Sparrow, Dr Eduardo Oliveira, Ren Galwey, Dahlia Jovic, Sable Wang-Wills, Yige Song and Maddy Weeks.

    Dr Lucy Sparrow receives funding from the eSafety Commissioner’s Preventing Tech-Based Abuse Against Women grant program for the “AI Ally” project.

    Dr Eduardo Oliveira receives funding from the eSafety Commissioner’s Preventing Tech-Based Abuse Against Women grant program for the “AI Ally” project.

    Dr Mahli-Ann Butt receives funding from the eSafety Commissioner’s Preventing Tech-Based Abuse Against Women grant program for the “AI Ally” project.

    – ref. Online spaces are rife with toxicity. Well-designed AI tools can help clean them up – https://theconversation.com/online-spaces-are-rife-with-toxicity-well-designed-ai-tools-can-help-clean-them-up-239590

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Kamala Harris the slight favourite to win US election as she narrowly leads in key states

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    The US presidential election will be held on November 5. In analyst Nate Silver’s aggregate of national polls, Democrat Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump by 49.3–46.0 – a slight widening of the competition since last Monday, when Harris led Trump by 49.2–46.2.

    President Joe Biden’s final position before his withdrawal as Democratic candidate on July 21 was a national poll deficit against Trump of 45.2–41.2.

    There will be a debate on Tuesday evening US time between the vice-presidential candidates, Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance. Vice-presidential debates in previous elections have not had a significant influence on the contest.

    The US president isn’t elected by the national popular vote, but by the Electoral College, in which each state receives electoral votes equal to its federal House seats (population based) and senators (always two). Almost all states award their electoral votes as winner-takes-all, and it takes 270 electoral votes to win (out of 538 total).

    The Electoral College is biased to Trump relative to the national popular vote, with Harris needing at least a two-point popular vote win in Silver’s model to be the Electoral College favourite.

    In Silver’s polling averages, Harris leads Trump by one to two points in Pennsylvania (19 electoral votes), Michigan (15), Wisconsin (ten) and Nevada (six). If Harris wins all these states, she is likely to win the Electoral College by at least a 276–262 margin. Trump is ahead by less than a point in North Carolina (16 electoral votes) and Georgia (16), and if Harris wins both, she wins by 308–230.

    In Silver’s model, Harris has a 56% chance to win the Electoral College, up from 54% last Monday but down from her peak of 58% two days ago. Earlier this month, there were large differences in win probability between Silver’s model and the FiveThirtyEight model, which was more favourable to Harris. But these models have nearly converged, with FiveThirtyEight now giving Harris a 59% win probability.

    There are still more than five weeks until election day, so polls could change in either Trump’s or Harris’ favour by then. Harris’ one to two point leads in the key states are tenuous, and this explains why Trump is still rated a good chance to win.

    Silver wrote on September 1 that polls in 2020 and 2016 were biased against Trump, but polls in 2012 were biased against Barack Obama. In the last two midterm elections (2022 and 2018), polls have been good. It’s plausible there will be a polling error this year, but which candidate such an error would favour can’t be predicted.

    On Sunday, Silver said if there was a systematic error of three or four points in the polls in either Trump’s or Harris’ favour, that candidate would sweep all the swing states and easily win the Electoral College. There are other scenarios in which one candidate underperforms the polls with some demographics but overperforms with other demographics.

    I wrote about the US election for The Poll Bludger last Thursday, and also covered bleak polls and byelection results in Canada for the governing centre-left Liberals ahead of an election due by October 2025, a dreadful poll for UK Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the new French prime minister, a German state election and a socialist win in Sri Lanka’s presidential election.

    Upwardly revised economic data

    Last Thursday, a revised estimate of June quarter US GDP was released. There was a large upward revision in real disposable personal income compared to the previously reported figures. This has resulted in the personal savings rate being revised up to 4.9% in July from the previously reported 2.9%, and it was 4.8% in August.

    With these upward revisions, Silver’s economic index that averages six indicators is now at +0.25, up from +0.09. As the incumbent party’s candidate, a better economy than was previously believed should help Harris.

    Coalition gains narrow lead in Essential

    In Australia, a national Essential poll, conducted on September 18–22 from a sample of 1,117 people, gave the Coalition a 48–47 lead (including undecided voters) after a 48–48 tie in early September. It’s the Coalition’s first lead in the Essential poll since mid-July.

    Primary votes were 35% Coalition (steady), 29% Labor (down one), 12% Greens (down one), 8% One Nation (steady), 2% UAP (up one), 9% for all Others (up one) and 5% undecided (steady).

    Anthony Albanese’s net approval was up five points since August to –5, with 47% disapproving and 42% approving. Peter Dutton’s net approval was down one to net zero.

    On social media regulations, 48% thought them too weak, 43% about right and 8% too tough. By 67–17, voters supported imposing an age limit for children to access social media (68–15 in July). By 71–12, voters supported making doxing (the public release of personally identifiable data) a criminal offence (62–19 in February).

    By 49–18, voters supported Labor’s Help to Buy scheme, and by 57–13 they supported the build-to-rent scheme. The questions give detail that few voters would know.

    Voters were told the Liberals and Greens had combined to delay Labor’s housing policies in the senate. By 48–22, voters thought the Liberals and Greens should pass the policies and argue for their own policies at the next election, rather than block Labor’s policies. Greens voters supported passing by 55–21.

    Labor keeps narrow lead in Morgan

    A national Morgan poll, conducted September 16–22 from a sample of 1,662 people, gave Labor a 50.5–49.5 lead, unchanged from the September 9–15 Morgan poll.

    Primary votes were 37.5% Coalition (steady), 32% Labor (up 1.5), 12.5% Greens (steady), 5% One Nation (down 0.5), 9.5% independents (down 0.5) and 3.5% others (down 0.5).

    The headline figure is based on respondent preferences. By 2022 election preference flows, Labor led by an unchanged 52–48.

    Adrian Beaumont 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. Kamala Harris the slight favourite to win US election as she narrowly leads in key states – https://theconversation.com/kamala-harris-the-slight-favourite-to-win-us-election-as-she-narrowly-leads-in-key-states-239735

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Mergers, acquisitions in Chinese capital market gain steam

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    This panoramic aerial photo taken on Jan. 10, 2023 shows a view of Lujiazui area in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone in east China’s Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) among Chinese listed firms have gathered pace in recent months thanks to favorable policies to consolidate companies’ competitiveness, contributing to the high-quality development of the country’s capital market.

    The number of such M&A cases saw a marked increase from the same period last year, with 46 major asset reorganization deals disclosed between May and mid-September, according to information made public by companies listed on the A-share market.

    “So far this year, M&A has been particularly active among technology firms, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and securities companies, with market forces playing a bigger role in the deals,” said Tian Lihui, head of the Institute of Finance and Development at Nankai University.

    A telling example is the acquisition of APT Medical, a manufacturer and supplier listed on Science and Technology Innovation Board (STAR) market, by Mindray, an industry leader in medical equipment development and manufacturing.

    The transaction was announced in January and completed in April. By combining APT Medical’s advantages in the field of electrophysiology and vascular intervention medical devices and Mindray’s R&D capability and overseas marketing experience, the deal improved the competitiveness of both companies.

    Semi-annual financial reports show that the net profits of Mindray and APT Medical increased by 17.37 percent and 33.09 percent, respectively, in the first six months of this year.

    In June, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) publicized a slew of measures to further reform the STAR market and pledged greater efforts to support M&A activities among companies listed in the market.

    The CSRC said it will support industrial chain integration among the companies, and make M&A institutions more inclusive by supporting companies to acquire high-quality tech firms that are yet to make profits.

    Driven by such measures, the transaction values of M&A deals of the companies on the STAR market exceeded 3 billion yuan (about 427.34 million U.S. dollars) in the first half of the year, doubling that of the same period in the previous year, data from the Shanghai Stock Exchange showed.

    Technology companies can accelerate innovation and industrial upgrading through M&A activities, said Tian.

    In addition, SOEs at both central and local levels are also leveraging M&A to drive industrial specialization and integration, enhancing industrial synergy with business partners.

    In September, two listed subsidiaries of China State Shipbuilding Corporation announced a plan to merge, which is expected to be one of the largest M&A transactions in the A-share market by market value in recent years.

    The merger is projected to propel the new entity to a leading global position in shipbuilding, characterized by comprehensive research and innovation capabilities, along with a rich product structure and production lines, according to a research note from Huatai Securities.

    Securities firms also saw major M&A deals this year, with Guotai Junan Securities and Haitong Securities planning to merge through a share swap.

    In recent years, the CSRC has continuously promoted market-oriented reform in the M&A of listed companies. This has been achieved through a slew of measures, including streamlining approval procedures and optimizing regulatory requirements.

    The effort was intensified this year. In the context of global industrial transformation and China’s accelerated economic structural upgrade, it is “urgent” for companies to harness M&A’s pivotal role in promoting industrial integration as well as enhancing industry quality and efficiency, CSRC Chairman Wu Qing said at a press conference on Tuesday.

    On the same day, the CSRC rolled out new measures to support Chinese listed companies in pursuing M&A activities, vowing to help channel more resources toward new quality productive forces, encourage the companies to enhance industrial consolidation and elevate their investment value through improving market value management.

    Tian anticipated that the regulator’s latest policies will further invigorate China’s M&A market and drive the transformation and upgrading of listed companies.

    “The M&A trend is expected to continue and play an important role in sharpening companies’ competitiveness, especially in areas related to SOE reform, sci-tech innovation and financial service integration,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China eyes long-term funds to promote stable, sustainable capital market

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China is intensifying moves to channel long-term funds into its capital market as part of the efforts to boost investor confidence and enhance market stability.

    Central authorities recently issued guidelines to streamline the entry of medium- and long-term capital from social security funds, insurance funds and wealth management funds into the market.

    The main measures contained in the guidelines include fostering a favorable long-term investment ecosystem, promoting the development of public and private equity funds, and improving related policies for medium- and long-term stock investment, according to the office of the Central Financial Work Commission and the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

    Financial analysts have expressed widespread recognition of the value of these policies. Du Xingye, an associate professor at the University of International Business and Economics, emphasized the necessity of attracting long-term funds. Ming Ming, chief economist at CITIC Securities, believes the move will help build long-term confidence.

    The entry of long-term capital can help reduce market fluctuations and enhance overall market stability as such funds typically possess well-structured research teams capable of discovering a company’s value and executing long-term investment strategies, said Liu Xinyu, co-general manager of the public investment department of Rivers Fund, a public equity fund.

    In recent years, calls for increasing long-term fund participation have intensified in China, and related measures have been introduced. However, while some progress has been made, an institutional environment friendly to long-term investment has not yet been fully established.

    At the end of August 2024, institutional investors, including public equity, insurance and various pension funds, collectively held 14.5 trillion yuan (about 2 trillion U.S. dollars) of circulating A-shares. Their proportion of the total market value increased from 17 percent at the beginning of 2019 to 22.2 percent by August.

    There is significant room for growth for long-term funds in the capital market, experts said, noting that the increasing participation of such funds, which feature higher professional standards and stability, will optimize the investor structure.

    The latest guidelines achieved substantial policy breakthroughs in areas such as long-cycle assessment for funds, policy synergy and the building of a supportive market ecosystem.

    A three-year long-cycle assessment mechanism for insurance funds and various pension funds will be established, and investment policies will also be improved for the national social security fund and basic pension insurance fund, according to the guidelines.

    Problems in the current short-sighted assessment approach for funds are prominent, as the undue emphasis on short-term profit targets has overshadowed the importance of long-term metrics.

    Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said the guidelines specifically address assessment challenges, thereby helping to reduce obstacles preventing long-term funds from flowing into the stock market.

    Additionally, Pan Hongsheng, chief economist of the China Institute of Finance and Capital Markets, said the guidelines support institutional investors’ participation in corporate governance, which will solidify the market foundation for long-term fund entry. It is crucial to create an ecosystem where long-term funds can “enter, stay and thrive,” Pan added.

    China’s central bank, top securities regulator and financial regulator Tuesday announced a raft of monetary stimulus, property market support and capital market strengthening measures to boost the country’s high-quality economic development.

    The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held a meeting on Thursday to analyze and study the current economic situation and make further arrangements for economic work.

    The meeting called for efforts to boost the capital market, vigorously guide medium- and long-term funds to enter the capital market, and clear obstacles for social security, insurance and wealth management funds to invest in the capital market.

    Thanks to the new measures, the investor confidence has improved significantly, with the stock market on an upward streak in recent days.

    The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed at 3,087.53 points on Friday — a 12.81 percent weekly gain. The Shenzhen Component Index soared 17.83 percent in the week to close at 9,514.86 points.

    On Friday alone, the combined turnover of the two indices neared 1.45 trillion yuan, surpassing the 1-trillion-yuan mark for a third consecutive day.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Better evidence for better policymaking

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    Today, I will travel to the United Kingdom to discuss rigorous policy evaluation with experts and policymakers.

    Rigorous policy evaluation is an important tool for creating opportunity and addressing inequality. The meetings will be a valuable chance to exchange ideas with a jurisdiction that has been a leader in the field of evidence‑based policymaking.

    On Wednesday, I will deliver a public lecture at the University of Oxford. On Thursday, I will speak at an event hosted by the UK Evaluation Task Force in London, and will also engage in an in‑conversation event hosted by the Behavioural Insights Team.

    These events will be a chance to make the case for randomised trials and international evidence sharing.

    I will also meet with leaders from the UK’s network of What Works Centres to discuss how we can further develop evidence‑based policy making in Australia.

    This dialogue and engagement will directly support the development of the Australian Centre for Evaluation in Treasury and help improve the quality of evaluation across the Australian Government.

    More broadly, the trip is a chance to discuss common difficulties and opportunities in my portfolio areas, including in competition, multinational tax and statistics. Meetings with UK government counterparts will cover how our economies can address common challenges in these areas.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Unwritten rules, nostalgia and subtle rebellion: how school photos capture childhood and the changing times

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cherine Fahd, Associate Head of School, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney

    A 1935 school photograph taken in Kandos, NSW. Author provided, courtesy of the Kandos Museum.

    In the town of Kandos, New South Wales, there’s the local Kandos Museum run by volunteers. The museum holds relics from the cement works that once defined the town, but there are other treasures, too.

    As part of the Cementa24 festival, I became fixated on the museum’s collection of school photos. Neatly organised into ring-bound folders by the volunteers, the group portraits span decades of students from Kandos Public School and Kandos High School, from 1924 through to the 1990s.

    A photo album made by volunteers at the Kandos Museum.
    Author provided

    I enlarged and cropped some of these photos to turn them into street posters to scatter around town. I asked permission before sticking a few outside the local pub, the radio station, the post office and the op shop. I spot the locals smiling as they pass them, stopping to look for someone they know. I watch them point at the pictures and hear them naming names.

    Working on this project, I can’t stop thinking about the weight of these photographic rituals. School photos aren’t just memories; they hold social histories. Through them, you can trace changes in hairstyles, fashion, attitudes and even migration – yet there’s something homogeneous and unchangeable about how they’re made.

    School photo rules

    There’s always a physical hierarchy in these photos. The photographer organises the group to ensure compositional acuity. The students are lined up in rows, with tall people in the back and shorter people in front – evenly spaced, arranged by height and symmetry.

    When was the rule made that says this is how a group should look? Balanced, orderly and with everyone fitting neatly into place, whether they socially do or not. Somehow I always ended up on the edge of the middle row. The social dynamics of the playground found their way into the organisation of our bodies, forever captured in a split second.

    A photo of Kandos’ 5th Form, 1967.
    Author provided, courtesy of the Kandos Museum

    Looking at the Kandos photos from the 1940s through to the 1970s, then at my children’s photos from 2013 to 2024, and my own school photos in the 1980s and ‘90s, I can see the difference in public, private and catholic school uniforms. I can see the difference in racial diversity (or lack thereof) between a small regional town, inner-city Sydney and suburban southwest Sydney. I can also see how much photographic technology has changed.

    Despite this, the organisational structure of the school photo remains the same. The kids still stand stiffly in their rows, with identical tunics and ties. Standing too close, someone’s elbow digs into someone else’s side.

    As a photographer now, I often think about these school photos and the rituals that have remained largely unchanged in Australia. Every year, kids are shuffled onto tiered steps. Those in the front put their knees together, hands in laps, while the girls must “try to look like ladies”. Then there are the “nobodies” in the middle row (or is that just me reading into it?)

    The perils of posing

    Posing for school photos can be complicated. One year my daughter came home from school and declared the photographer was sexist because he made all the girls sit in the front row while the boys got to stand. I asked her why sitting was sexist. She couldn’t explain – she was eight years old – but she certainly felt the power difference between sitting with your knees pressed together and standing tall.

    And what about the solo portrait? I still think about my kindergarten class from 1979. The group photo was fine. I was happy, standing next to my new best friend. But my solo portrait was a disaster. I looked possessed, my eyes half-closed, lashes blurred, caught mid-blink.

    My mother didn’t buy the solo photo, but she kept the group one. After that I promised myself it would never happen again. I told myself every year: “don’t blink, don’t blink”. Back then, photography was on film. There were no re-dos, no instant feedback, no photoshop and no AI. Once the camera clicked, that was it.

    ‘Don’t blink, don’t blink,’ I’d think, while trying to keep my eyes open.
    Author provided

    At the end of primary school, I’d visit my best friend’s house and envy the neat, chronological line of her school photos framed on her kitchen wall. Year by year, there she was, changing just slightly – a slow, steady record of growing up. I didn’t know why, but seeing framed evidence of time passing made me emotional. Maybe it was the certainty of the way her life was so neatly documented.

    My own school photos never made it to the wall in such a tidy fashion. But they did make it into my father’s wallet, my mother’s purse, in frames above the piano, on the fridge, in photo albums and in many a drawer.

    Small acts of rebellion

    The 1950s photos are formal and solemn. Back then you stood straight, faced the camera and no one smiled too much. By the 1970s and ’80s, the kids started to smirk – with hair loosened, mullets, and bodies shifting like they were trying to resist the pose. In one photo, the basketball team boys have their shoes off, feet raised above the blistering asphalt in the summer heat. The rules were still there, but you can see them pushing back.

    Bare feet raised in a photo of the Kandos High School Open basketball team, 1975.
    Author provided, courtesy of the Kandos Museum.

    What if we invited the rituals to change? What if students could self-organise, be silly, pull faces, wear their own clothes, and resist gender binaries and institutional uniformity?

    Some of the photos in the Kandos albums hint at this potential for small acts of rebellion. There’s the girl pulling a face, one laughing in profile. In one photo there’s a kid wearing a non-regulation jumper, and another in which they were clearly allowed to be silly because the teacher is laughing too.

    Photographic rebellion in the class of 1996.
    Author provided, courtesy of the Kandos Museum.

    In the pre-digital era, these small mishaps and moments of failure were captured unpolished and unfiltered. Those are the images I find myself drawn to; these are often the best ones. They reveal how uncomfortable it can be being photographed and how forced a pose can feel. Shirking a smile and a stiff stance is maybe the only power we have in that brief moment.

    Cherine Fahd 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. Unwritten rules, nostalgia and subtle rebellion: how school photos capture childhood and the changing times – https://theconversation.com/unwritten-rules-nostalgia-and-subtle-rebellion-how-school-photos-capture-childhood-and-the-changing-times-239190

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sols 4318-4320: One Last Weekend in the Channel

    Source: NASA

    2 min read

    Earth planning date: Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 

    We’re wrapping up our time in the channel with the highly anticipated examination of the “Sheep Creek” white stones. Last plan’s reposition was a success, so we are able to go ahead with contact science on them this weekend. MAHLI and APXS picked three targets to investigate: “Cloud Canyon,” “Moonlight Lake,” and “Angora Mountain,” all of which sound so lovely and soft, and are quite evocative of these pale stones, which stand out so much against the background. ChemCam is also examining another of the white stones, “Pee Wee Lake.”

    Since this is looking like it will be our last weekend in the channel, we’re packing the plan with all the other last-chance targets before we leave them behind. Mastcam is making a large survey of some other light-toned rocks in the middle distance dubbed “Orchid Lake,” as well as getting a bit more context for an old target, “Marble Falls,” which we first imaged almost two weeks ago. A bit closer to the rover, it will examine a target we’re calling “Brown Bear Pass,” to study the surface properties of the soil. Mastcam will also be looking backwards at our tracks to see if we turned up anything interesting in our travels. And ChemCam has a couple of long-distance observations of another familiar target, “Buckeye Ridge.”

    After all that, it’s time for us to turn back around and head toward the edge of the channel with a drive of 55 meters (about 180 feet) back to our exit point. Even then, our weekend still isn’t over. We have a ChemCam-filled third sol, using AEGIS to autonomously select a target, and then getting a passive sky observation to keep an eye on the amount of different gases like oxygen and water vapor in the atmosphere. Speaking of the atmosphere, here on the environmental side we’re kept busy this weekend looking for dust devils and clouds, and keeping an eye on the amount of dust in the air around us. We’ll wrap up the weekend as we often do — with an early morning dedicated environmental science block.

    Written by Alex Innanen, Atmospheric Scientist at York University

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Autistic people and those with ADHD are more likely to have eating disorders. Here’s why – and how this affects their treatment

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Breanna Lepre, Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, The University of Queensland

    BearFotos/Shutterstock

    More than 1.1 million Australians are estimated to be living with an eating disorder. Around one-third of these people are neurodivergent.

    So why are neurodivergent people, such as autistic people and those with ADHD, more likely to experience eating disorders than the broader population? And how does this impact their treatment?

    First, what is neurodivergence?

    Neurodivergence, or the state of being neurodivergent, is a term for people whose cognitive functioning differs from what society considers “typical”. Many conditions broadly fall under neurodivergence, including (but not limited to):

    • autism
    • attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
    • dyslexia
    • Tourette’s syndrome.

    Our understanding of neurodivergence has come a long way. Neurodivergence used to be considered a linear “spectrum” ranging from less to more neurodivergent.

    We now know every neurodivergent person will have a unique experience across a range of dimensions. This includes sensory processing, motor abilities and executive functioning (working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibition).

    Conceptualising these differences ends up looking more like a colour wheel.

    What are eating disorders?

    Eating disorders are complex and potentially life-threatening mental health conditions. They cause persistent and significant disturbances in thoughts, feelings and behaviours related to body weight, food and/or eating.

    Many factors are likely to contribute to the development of an eating disorder. But research shows neurodivergent people are disproportionately affected.

    One review found around 22.9% of autistic people had an eating disorder, compared with 2% in the general population. In another review, people with ADHD were four times more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder than people without ADHD.

    Why are eating disorders more common among neurodivergent people?

    Science has not pinpointed an exact reason why eating disorders are more common among neurodivergent people. But here’s what we know so far.

    Neurodivergent people are more likely to experience feeding difficulties, sensory sensitivities and disordered eating.

    A United States study assessing the eating behaviour of neurodivergent children found around 70% of autistic children displayed “atypical” eating behaviours. This includes food selectivity and a hypersensitivity to food textures. It compares with 4.8% of neurotypical children.

    Similarly, autistic children may choose or reject foods based on texture more than other children. They may prefer foods with a consistent texture, bland taste and neutral colour (for example, chicken nuggets, plain pasta and rice).

    Selective eating (having limited accepted foods and food aversions) has been associated with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). This is an eating disorder characterised by avoidance and aversion to food and eating that is not related to body image. ARFID is commonly associated with autism, with one study estimating 21% of autistic people will experience it in their lifetime.

    Some neurodivergent people have food aversions.
    goodbishop/Shutterstock

    Other neurodivergent traits, such as perfectionism and a preference for routine, have been associated with disordered eating and eating disorders.

    Research on adolescent girls found those with anorexia nervosa are more likely to exhibit neurodivergent (in this case, autistic) traits and behaviours. These include developing rules, resistance to change and a hyperfocus on body weight. These features are commonly seen in anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder characterised by restricted food intake, an intense fear of weight gain and body image disturbances.

    Meanwhile, impulsivity symptoms in ADHD have been associated with binge eating disorder. This can involve recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food in a short period of time. Impulsivity may also be linked to bulimia nervosa, characterised by compensatory behaviours to prevent weight gain after binge eating (such as exessive exercise).

    Some studies indicate a link between ADHD, alexithymia (difficulty experiencing, identifying and expressing emotions) and overeating behaviours such as emotional eating.

    Finally, neurodivergent people are more likely to identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, experience trauma and also have a mental health condition. Each of these considerations increases the likelihood someone will experience an eating disorder.

    How does this affect treatment?

    Despite the overlap between eating disorders and neurodivergence, current treatment approaches don’t meet the diverse needs of those affected.

    Eating disorder treatment often has moderate success at best. For neurodivergent people, the outcomes are worse than for their neurotypical counterparts.

    Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a broad range of treatments based on the interaction between thoughts, feelings and behaviours, is less beneficial for neurodivergent people. Yet this is often part of treatment for eating disorders. Autistic women have suggested CBT is less accessible due to its blanket approach and the assumption they have the skills needed to benefit.

    There have been calls from organisations such as the National Eating Disorders Collaboration and lived experience advocates to improve access to neurodiversity-affirming care models for neurodivergent people affected by eating disorders.

    Such care recognised and safely accommodates the multiple ways neurodivergence is related to feeding and eating behaviour.

    Research suggests eating disorder treatment can be successfully adapted for neurodivergent people based on the following principles:

    1. equal partnership. Including neurodivergent people as equal partners in their care and as decision-makers, and elevating their own experiences

    2. embracing and celebrating differences. Neurodivergent traits should not be considered a deficit, or something to be “treated” or “fixed”. Rather, neurodivergent traits should be celebrated to nourish a positive sense of identity

    3. accommodations. Neurodivergent traits and preferences are respected and accommodated. As an example, this might include reducing sensory inputs (the smell, sounds and lights) in a dining area, or a meal plan that is predictable and considers a person’s sensory sensitivities.

    Treatment for eating disorders should also be gender-affirming (interventions that support and affirm someone’s gender identity) and trauma-informed.

    If this article has raised issues for you, free resources and support is available from the Butterfly National Helpline by calling 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673), or by visiting Eating Disorders Neurodiversity Australia or Autism Connect.

    Breanna Lepre works for The University of Queensland and is a member of Dietitians Australia. Breanna is neurodivergent and has lived experience of an eating disorder.

    Lauren Ball works for The University of Queensland and receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Queensland Health and Mater Misericordia. She is a Director of Dietitians Australia, a Director of the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network and an Associate Member of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

    – ref. Autistic people and those with ADHD are more likely to have eating disorders. Here’s why – and how this affects their treatment – https://theconversation.com/autistic-people-and-those-with-adhd-are-more-likely-to-have-eating-disorders-heres-why-and-how-this-affects-their-treatment-238759

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: 28.09.2024 2,400 volunteers start estudio con in four military academies in their first year. More than 1,300 took the oath today

    MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –

    Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.

    2,400 volunteers begin their first-year studies at four military universities. Over 1,300 took the oath today 28.09.2024– In the oath, you say, swearing allegiance to the homeland, that you will not spare your health, and if necessary, your lives. Bromear great mission, bromear great service, bromear great cause. Poland is a great cause, and there is no Polish cause without your involvement. On behalf of the Republic of Poland, I would like to thank you all for joining the armed forces, the Polish Army, for taking today’s oath. Poland is proud of you and is very grateful to you. You have already completed basic training, some of you have just received awards, but all of you are distinguished by the opportunity to wear the uniform of a soldier of the Polish Army, with a white and red flag on your niu. Take care of your honor, the honor of the Polish Army, the honor of each of you, the banners that stand and wave proudly among you today. Take care of each other, because you also create a great community of a 200,000-strong army that is growing – said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz during the military oath in Warsaw.

    On Saturday, September 28, at the Military University of Technology, Deputy Prime Minister W. Kosiniak-Kamysz and Deputy Minister Stanisław Wziątek took part in the ceremonial military oath of volunteers starting their studies at four universities. – You start your service and your studies at military universities. You will combine this, this great effort and sacrifice. Today, there are over 1,300 cadets among us who have taken their oath. Another 600 are taking the oath in Wrocław at the same time. Some of those who started their studies, una broma que in total in the first year of all universities over 2,400 cadets. We have increased recruitment by 400 places this year, we are developing military universities – the head of the Ministry of National Defense emphasized during the ceremony. The oath in Warsaw was taken by 1,320 soldiers of voluntary basic military service from the Military University of Technology, the Air Force Academy, the Land Forces Academy (educated at the Military Medical College of the Medical University of Łódź) and the Naval Academy. In accordance with the Ministry of National Defense limit for the academic year 2024/2025 – many more than those taking the oaths today will start their studies at the four universities, because in total over 2,400 soldiers. A large group of those accepted for studies had already taken the military oath. At the ceremony, the head of the Ministry of National Defense presented awards to volunteers who achieved high results during basic training. The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the cadets of military universities for their involvement in the flood control operation in the south-west of the country. – Almost 8,200 soldier-cadets at all military universities will start another academic year this year. Para bromear a huge part of the Polish Army, which proves itself in action, not only in preparation. At this point I would like to sincerely thank a group of a thousand cadets from the Military University of Technology, the Land Forces Academy, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy for the fact that at the moment of trial, when support was needed, when Lower Silesia and the Opole region needed soldiers of the Polish Army, you also showed up to strengthen the embankments, to help those affected by the flood. Bromear your mission and this bromear practical test of your skills, this bromear helping others, these are the non-military activities of the Polish Army that are extremely important in modern times – noted the Deputy Prime Minister. * * *Students admitted to military studies in the academic year 2024/2025 will begin their military service on the principles introduced by the Act on the Defense of the Homeland. They will pursue education in the first year of studies as soldiers of voluntary basic military service, and from the second year they will gain the status of professional soldiers.

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    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESS RELEASE – SIGNING OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT & THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW CASTLE AUSTRALIA

    Source: Government of Western Samoa

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    September 23, 2024, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi (TATTE) Building Level 3.

    The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and the University of New Castle Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to initiate their partnership in promoting scientific, socio-economic and educational international engagement including capability development and research activities on renewable energy for the benefit of both Samoa and Australia.

    The signing of this MOU open doors to a wide range of collaborative efforts. It will promote technical support, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building initiatives that are essential to the sustainable management of our natural resources. Specifically, the partnership will enhance our capacity to design, implement, and monitor joint research projects, with a focus on the development of policies, research design, and educational materials.

    The signing ceremony, held on September 23, 2024 marks a significant milestone in Samoa’s ongoing efforts to transition towards a renewable energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. As part of this MOU, both parties will work together to

    (i) establish scientific cooperation in areas of mutual exchange of scientific information including in the publications and policies, research design and the development of educational materials;

    (ii) the design, development and implementation of joint research, capability development and pilot projects and programmes;

    (iii) joint training of MNRE staff through joint Australian-Samoan management of Masters research and PhD programmes.

    “This MOU is more than a formal agreement; it is the beginning of an exciting journey. By combining our resources, expertise and passion, we will address critical environmental challenges, improves capacity in both countries and develop solutions that can make a real difference”, said Lealaisalanoa Frances Brown Reupena.

    Professor Zee Upton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor from the University of New Castle also highlighted the importance of the collaboration, “we are honored to partner with Samoa on this crucial mission to advance renewable energy research. Our joint efforts will contribute to addressing global energy challenges, particularly for small island nations that face disproportionate risks from climate change.”

    The Ministry acknowledges with much appreciation the University of Newcastle Australia and Professor Alan Broadfoot for his leadership and dedication to fostering this partnership.

    END.

    SOURCE – Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Samoa

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