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After much thinking I have arrived at a definition of Swadeshi that, perhaps, best illustrates my meaning. Swadeshi is that spirit in us which restricts us to the use and service of our immediate surroundings to the exclusion of the more remote. Thus, as for religion, in order to satisfy the requirements of the definition, I must restrict myself to my ancestral religion. That is the use of my immediate religious surrounding. If I find it defective, I should serve it by purging it of its defects. In the domain of politics, I should make use of the indigenous institutions and serve them by curing them of their proved defects. In that of economics, I should use only things that are produced by my immediate neighbours and serve those industries by making them efficient and complete where they might be found wanting. It is suggested that such Swadeshi, if reduced to practice, will lead to the millennium, because we do not expect quite to reach it within our times, so may we not abandon Swadeshi even though it may not be fully attained for generations to come.
Let us briefly examine the three branches of Swadeshi as sketched above. Hinduism has become a conservative religion and, therefore, a mighty force because of the Swadeshi spirit underlying it. It is the most tolerant because it is non-proselytizing, and it is as capable of expansion today as it has been found to be in the past. It has succeeded not in driving out, as I think it has been erroneously held, but in absorbing Buddhism. By reason of the Swadeshi spirit, a Hindu refuses to change his religion not necessarily because he considers it to be the best, but because he knows that he can complement it by introducing reforms. And what I have said about Hinduism is, I suppose, true of the other great faiths of the world, only it is held that it is specially so in the case of Hinduism.
Following out the Swadeshi spirit, I observe the indigenous institutions and the village Panchayats hold me. India is really a republican country, and it is because it is that, that it has survived every shock hitherto delivered. Princes and potentates, whether they were Indian born or foreigners, have hardly touched the vast masses, except for collecting revenue. The latter, in their turn, seem to have rendered unto Caesar what was Caesar's and for the rest have done much as they have liked. The vast organization of caste answered not only the religious wants of the community, but it answered to its political needs. The villagers managed their internal affairs through the caste system, and through it they dealt with any oppression from the ruling power or powers. It is not possible to deny of a nation that was capable of producing from the caste system its wonderful power of organization. One had but to attend the great Kumbh Mela at Hardwar last year to know how skilful that organization must have been which, without any seeming effort, was able effectively to cater for more than a billion pilgrims. Yet, it is the fashion to say that we lack organizing ability. This is true, I fear, to a certain extent, of those who have been nurtured in the new traditions.
We have laboured under a terrible handicap owing to an almost fatal departure from the Swadeshi spirit. We, the educated classes, have received our education through a foreign tongue. We have, therefore, not reacted upon the masses. We want to represent the masses, but we fail. They recognize us not much more than they recognize the English officers. Their hearts are an open book to neither. Their aspirations are not ours. Hence, there is a break. And you witness not in reality failure to organize but want of correspondence between the representative and the represented. If, during the last fifty years, we had been educated through the vernaculars, our elders and our servants and our neighbours would have partaken of our knowledge; the discoveries of a Bose or a Ray would have been household treasures, as are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. As it is, so far as the masses are concerned, those great discoveries might as well have been made by foreigners. Had instruction in all the branches of learning been given through the vernaculars, I make bold to say that they would have been enriched wonderfully. The question of village sanitation, etc., would have been solved long ago. The village Panchayats would be now a living force in a special way, and India would almost be enjoying self-government suited to its requirements.
And, now for the last division of Swadeshi. Much of the deep poverty of the masses is due to the ruinous departure from Swadeshi in the economic and industrial life. If not an article of commerce had been brought from outside India, she would be today a land flowing with milk and honey!1 But that was not to be. We were greedy, and so was England. The connection between England and India was based clearly upon an error. But she does not remain in India in error. It is her declared policy that India is to be sheld in trust for her people. If this is true, Lancashire must stand aside. And if the Swadeshi doctrine is a sound doctrine, Lancashire can stand aside without hurt, though it may sustain a shock for the time being. I think of Swadeshi not as a boycott movement undertaken by way of revenge. I conceive it as a religious principle to be followed by all. I am no economist, but I have read some treatises which show that England could easily become a self-sustained country, growing all the produce she needs. This may be an utterly ridiculous proposition, and perhaps the best proof that it cannot be true, is that England is one of the largest importers in the world. But India cannot live for Lancashire or any other country before she is able to live for herself. And she can live for herself only if she produces and is helped to produce everything for her requirements within her own borders. She need not be, she ought not to be, drawn into the vortex of mad and ruinous competition which breeds fratricide, jealousy and many other evils. But who is to stop her great millionaires from entering into the world competition? Certainly, not legislation. Force of public opinion, proper education, however, can do a great deal in the desired direction. The hand-loom industry is in a dying condition. I took special care, during my wanderings last year, to see as many weavers as possible, and my heart ached to find how they had lost, how families had retired from this once flourishing and honourable occupation. 1. "Had we not abandoned Swadeshi, we need not have been in the present fallen state. If we would get rid of the economic slavery, we must manufacture our own cloth and, at the present moment, only by hand-spinning and hand-weaving."
- Mahatma: Vol. II, p.21.
If we follow the Swadeshi doctrine, it would be your duty and mine to find out neighbours who can supply our wants and to teach them to supply them where they do not know how to proceed, assuming that there are neighbours who are in want of healthy occupation. Then every village of India will almost be a self-supporting and self-contained unit, exchanging only such necessary commodities with other villages where they are not locally producible. This may all sound nonsensical. Well, India is a country of nonsense. It is nonsensical to parch one's throat with thirst when a kindly Mohammedan is ready to offer pure water to drink. And yet thousands of Hindus would rather die of thirst than drink water from a Mohammedan household. These nonsensical men can also, once they are convinced that their religion demands that should wear garments manufactured in India only and eat food only grown in India, decline to wear any other clothing or eat any other food. Lord Curzon set the fashion for tea-drinking. And that pernicious drug now bids fair to overwhelm the nation. It has already undermined the digestive apparatus of hundreds of thousands of men and women and constitutes as additional tax upon their slender purses. Lord Hardinge can set the fashion for Swadeshi, and almost the whole of India will forswear foreign goods. There is a verse in the Bhagvad Gita which, freely rendered, means masses follow the classes. It is easy to undo the evil if the thinking portion of the community were to take the Swadeshi vow, even though it may for a time cause considerable inconvenience. I hate legislative interference in any department of life. At best, it is the lesser evil. But I would tolerate, welcome, indeed plead for a stiff protective duty upon foreign goods. Natal, a British colony, protected its sugar by taxing the sugar that came from another British colony, Mauritius. England has sinned against India by forcing free trade upon her. It may have been food for her, but it has been poison for this country.1 1. "We are too much obsessed by the glamour of the West. We forget that what may be perfectly good for certain conditions in the West is not necessarily good for certain other, and often diametrically opposite, conditions in the East. Free trade, which may have been good enough for England, would certainly have ruined Germany. Germany prospered only because her thinkers, instead of slavishly following, England took note of the special conditions of their own land, and devised economics suited to them."
- Young India: May 12, 1927
It has often been urged that India cannot adopt Swadeshi in the economic life at any rate. Those who advance this objection do not look upon Swadeshi as a rule of life. With them it is a mere patriotic effort not to be made if if involved any self-denial. Swadeshi, as defined here, is a religious discipline to be undergone in utter disregard of the physical discomfort it may cause to individuals. Under its spell, the deprivation of a pin or a needle, because these are not manufactured in India, need cause no terror. A Swadeshist will learn to do without hundreds of things which today he considers necessary. Moreover, those who dismiss Swadeshi from their minds by arguing the impossible, forget that Swadeshi, after all, is a goal to be reached by steady effort. And we would be making for the goal even if we confined Swadeshi to a given set of articles, allowing ourselves as a temporary measure to use such things as might not be procurable in the country.
There now remains for me to consider one more objection that has been raised against Swadeshi. The objectors consider it to be a most selfish doctrine without any warrant in the civilized code of morality. With them to practise Swadeshi is to revert to barbarism. I cannot enter into a detailed analysis of the proposition. But I would urge that Swadeshi is the only doctrine consistent with the law of humility and love. It is arrogance to think of launching out to serve the whole of India when I am hardly able to serve even my own family. It were better to concentrate my effort upon the family and consider that through them I was serving the whole nation and, if you will, the whole of humanity. This is humility and it is love. The motive will determine the quality of the act. I may serve my family regardless of the sufferings I may cause to others. As, for instance, I may accept an employment which enables me to extort money from people. I enrich myself thereby and then satisfy many unlawful demands of the family. Here I am neither serving the family nor the State. Or, I may recognize that God has given me hands and feet only to work with for my sustenance and for that of those who may be dependent upon me. I would then at once simplify my life and that of those whom I can directly reach. In this instance, I would have served the family without causing injury to anyone else. Supposing that everyone followed this mode of life, we should have at once an ideal state. All will not reach that state at the same time. But those of us who, realizing its truth, enforce it in practice, will clearly anticipate and accelerate the coming of that happy day. Under this plan of life, in seeming to serve India to the exclusion of every other country, I do not harm any other country. My patriotism is both exclusive and inclusive!1 It is exclusive in the sense that in all humility I confine my attention to the land of my birth, but it is inclusive in the sense that my service is not of a competitive or antagonistic nature. Sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas is not merely a legal maxim, but it is a grand doctrine of life.2 It is the key to a proper practice of Ahimsa or love. It is for you, the custodians of a great faith, to set the fashion and show by your preaching, sanctified by practice, that patriotism based on hatred "killeth" and that patriotism based on love "giveth life".
From an address at the Missionary Conference, Madras, on Feb.14, 1916.
- Speeches & Writings of M. Gandhi: P.336
"My patriotism is not an exclusive thing. It is all embracing and I should reject that patriotism which sought to mount upon the distress or exploitation of other nationalities. The conception of my patriotism is nothing if it is not always, in every case without exception, consistent with the broadest good of humanity at large."- Young India: April 4, 1929
"My nationalism, fierce though it is, is not exclusive, is not devised to harm any nation or individual. Legal maxims are not so legal as they are moral. I believe in the external truth of 'sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas'. (Use thy own property so as not to injure thy neighbour's)."- Young India: March 26, 1931. | <urn:uuid:57c9d307-373a-4ad6-adc6-9339933f8156> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | http://www.gandhiashramsevagram.org/swadeshi/definition-of-swadeshi.php | 2024-12-13T21:45:00Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066119651.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20241213202611-20241213232611-00761.warc.gz | en | 0.975915 | 2,889 | 2.890625 | 3 |
The two-stroke power valve system is an improvement on the conventional two-stroke engine, giving a high power output over a wider RPM range. The power valve, also known as the exhaust valve, opens and closes the exhaust port, allowing the engine to produce steady power based on the throttle. This means that whether the rider opens wide at the start or on a straightaway, power valves ensure top performance at either end without an unnecessary thrill ride.
A two-stroke engine combines the intake stroke and the compression stroke in one action of the piston, and the combustion stroke and the exhaust stroke in the other. The power valve controls the exhaust flow at certain RPMs to give more power and better throttle response. Depending on how the power valve is set up, it will stay closed at lower RPMs and then open up once the engine revs up. This changes the size and shape of the exhaust cylinder port as well as the timing.
A stuck power valve can cause problems such as a reduction in power output, making it feel like the engine has about half the power, and a rich air-fuel mixture, which can eventually foul the spark plug.
Characteristics | Values |
Purpose of a two-stroke power valve | Controls the exhaust flow at certain RPMs to give more power and better throttle response |
When the power valve opens | Once the revs reach a certain RPM |
Effect of a power valve | Changes the size and shape of the exhaust cylinder port as well as the timing |
Adjustment | The power valve can be adjusted to open up at a different RPM, changing the power curve |
Issues with a power valve | Sticking, worn or broken power valve |
What You'll Learn
- Power valves control exhaust flow at certain RPMs
- Power valves can be adjusted to open at different RPMs
- A stuck power valve can cause problems with starting, throttle response, horsepower and exhaust sound
- Tuning the air-fuel ratio can prevent power valves from sticking
- Using the correct oil and oil mix ratio can prevent power valves from sticking
Power valves control exhaust flow at certain RPMs
Power valves are an integral part of the exhaust valve system, which is found on almost all modern sportbikes. This system aims to optimise the exhaust flow by controlling the amount of exhaust gas that exits the engine. The valves can open or close to change the exhaust flow, and this process is controlled by a servo motor.
The servo motor, directed by the engine control unit, utilises a pulley system to rotate cables connected to the valve, allowing it to open or close. This mechanism enables the adjustment of the valve based on engine RPM, optimising performance across different engine speeds.
By manipulating the valve, the system can create back pressure at lower RPMs, which increases torque and enhances acceleration. Additionally, the valves are partially closed at idle and low RPMs to reduce noise, adhering to noise regulations.
Removing the power valve and retuning the engine can result in a flatter, improved torque curve. However, this modification may trigger a fault code, illuminating the fault indicator light on the dashboard.
Overall, power valves play a crucial role in controlling exhaust flow, optimising performance, and meeting noise regulations.
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Power valves can be adjusted to open at different RPMs
The power valve should be closed at low RPM and open at high RPM. The power valve does this with centrifugal weights (Governor) that overcome spring pressure and move the power valve linkage. The linkages are usually spring-loaded to close them at low RPM. Each manufacturer has a different way of moving the power valve.
The power valve is a piece of metal that moves down and covers part of the exhaust port, making it smaller. Large ports mean large horsepower, but they also mean a narrow power band. By making the port smaller, the power valve helps make the power band wider. It does this by keeping more of the fuel mixture in the cylinder and out of the exhaust pipe at lower RPM.
When the power valve opens, it increases the size of the exhaust port and allows the exhaust gases to flow more freely, giving better performance at higher revs.
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A stuck power valve can cause problems with starting, throttle response, horsepower and exhaust sound
A stuck power valve can cause a range of problems with a two-stroke engine, including issues with starting, throttle response, horsepower, and exhaust sound.
The power valve in a two-stroke engine controls the exhaust flow at certain RPMs, allowing for more power and better throttle response. When the engine is off, the power valve should be closed. If the power valve is stuck open, the engine may be more difficult to start, especially when cold. This is because a stuck open power valve results in a larger exhaust port, reducing the compression ratio and making it harder to turn over the engine.
A stuck power valve can also cause poor throttle response and low-end power. When the valve is stuck open at lower RPMs, the exhaust velocity slows down due to the increased port size. This can make the bike feel sluggish and boggy when accelerating, as the engine is not able to rev up quickly.
Additionally, a stuck power valve can affect top-end horsepower. If the valve is stuck closed, the exhaust port is too small, restricting the exhaust flow. This reduces power output and makes it feel like the engine has about half the power. The engine may also struggle to reach higher RPMs, resulting in a lack of "power band" feeling or over-rev.
Finally, a stuck power valve can alter the exhaust sound. When the valve is stuck open, the bike will generally sound louder because more air and fuel can flow out of the exhaust, similar to the throttle being stuck wide open.
It is important to address a stuck power valve to prevent further issues and ensure optimal performance of the two-stroke engine.
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Tuning the air-fuel ratio can prevent power valves from sticking
Tuning the air-fuel ratio can be an effective way to prevent power valves from sticking in two-stroke engines. This is because a poorly tuned engine can lead to a build-up of carbon on the piston, cylinder ports, and exhaust power valve, which can cause the power valve to stick.
The air-fuel ratio (AFR) is the ratio of air to fuel in the combusted charge. For gasoline engines, the ideal AFR range is generally from 12:1 to 15:1, which means 12 or 15 parts of air to 1 part of fuel. However, the "best" AFR can vary depending on the engine and its setup, as well as factors such as application and power output.
To tune the AFR, you need to adjust the jetting of the carburetor. This can be done by learning how to jet the air screw, which is not as difficult as some people think. By tuning the AFR, you can prevent excessive carbon build-up and keep your two-stroke engine running efficiently.
In addition to tuning the AFR, using the proper oil and oil mix ratio for your specific bike and riding style is also important to prevent power valve sticking. The bigger the engine displacement, the less oil you need because you're not revving it as high. If you're riding at lower RPMs, you also want an oil with a lower flashpoint that burns more efficiently to reduce build-up and smoke.
By tuning the AFR and using the correct oil and oil mix ratio, you can help prevent power valve sticking and keep your two-stroke engine running smoothly and reliably.
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Using the correct oil and oil mix ratio can prevent power valves from sticking
Two-stroke engines require the right lubrication to function properly. Unlike four-stroke engines, two-stroke engines do not have an internal oil reservoir. Instead, they rely on the oil mixed directly into the gasoline for lubrication.
The correct oil mix ratio is crucial to ensure the smooth functioning of two-stroke engines. The mix ratio is the proportion of gas to oil, expressed as a ratio. For example, a 50:1 ratio means 50 parts gas to 1 part oil. Using the correct oil and oil mix ratio can help prevent power valves from sticking.
Different two-stroke engines may require different mix ratios. Modern chainsaws, string trimmers, leaf blowers, and other small-engine two-stroke equipment typically recommend a 50:1 oil mix ratio, while some may recommend 40:1, and older two-stroke equipment might even call for 32:1.
Using the wrong lubrication in a two-stroke engine can lead to piston and cylinder damage, requiring an expensive engine rebuild. Therefore, it is essential to consult the manufacturer's instructions or the engine manual to determine the correct oil mix ratio for your specific two-stroke engine.
Additionally, the type of oil used is also important. A good quality, low-smoke two-stroke engine oil will help reduce carbon deposits and improve engine performance. Synthetic oils can provide a cleaner burn and increase engine life, while mineral oils, though cheaper, tend to leave more buildup inside the engine, requiring more maintenance.
Furthermore, the freshness of the oil-gas mixture is a factor to consider. Pre-mixed fuel should be used within 30 days to ensure stability and combustibility.
By using the correct oil and oil mix ratio, you can help prevent power valves from sticking in your two-stroke engine, ensuring optimal performance and prolonging the life of your equipment.
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Frequently asked questions
A two-stroke power valve controls the exhaust flow at certain RPMs to give the engine more power and better throttle response. Depending on how the power valve is set up, it will stay closed in the lower RPM range, and then once it revs up to a certain RPM, it will start opening up. This effectively changes the size and shape of the exhaust cylinder port as well as the timing.
If the power valve is stuck open when it should be closed, the engine could be noticeably more difficult to start, especially when it is cold. When the power valve is sticking open at a lower RPM, the exhaust velocity is slower because the port is too big, making the engine feel sluggish and boggy when you try to accelerate.
If the power valve is stuck closed, the exhaust port is too small, so there’s not enough flow. This greatly reduces the power output, making it feel like the engine has about half the power because it won’t “rev out”. There won’t be any “power band” feeling or over-rev because it might not even be able to rev that high. | <urn:uuid:5c4a5c84-cf17-4bad-bb75-316114db6852> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | https://medshun.com/article/can-i-run-two-stroke-no-powervalve-removed | 2024-12-11T01:30:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066071149.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20241210225516-20241211015516-00720.warc.gz | en | 0.947248 | 2,232 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Due to differences in – inter alia – language, culture, and economic priorities, Belgium has been increasingly federalized through successive state reforms. What does it mean for the country as ‘the mother of all elections’, scheduled for 2014, draws closer?
Federalism in Belgium
The federalisation of Belgium formally started in 1970 and is still ongoing. In 1993, Belgium’s unique federal system, consisting of a central state, three economic Regions (Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels-Capital Region) and three cultural Communities (French-speaking, Dutch/Flemish-speaking and German-speaking), was enshrined in the Constitution.
The Flemish Community comprises the Flemish Region plus the Flemish-speaking inhabitants of the Brussels-Capital Region. The French Community consists of the French-speaking part of the Walloon Region plus the French-speaking inhabitants of the Brussels-Capital Region. The territory of the German-speaking Community lies within the Walloon Region. All entities have their own capital, government, parliament, administration, and symbols (flag, anthem, ‘national holiday’). The Flemish Region and the Flemish Community merged into one political structure.
The Regions have powers in territory-related fields (e.g. environment, agriculture), the Communities have ‘language-based’ competencies (e.g. culture, education). The Federal level manages the public finances, the army, the judicial system, social security, foreign affairs, substantial parts of public health and home affairs, as well as everything that does not explicitly come under the Communities or Regions.
The subnational entities not only have far-reaching internal political, legal and spending autonomy, but also foreign responsibilities in the fields for which they are domestically competent, including the right to conclude treaties on those matters. The Regions and Communities also play a direct role in day-to-day European decision-making. The Maastricht Treaty allowed regional ministers to be members of the Council instead of national ministers, provided that there is only one head of delegation who speaks for his/her state as a whole: any federal or regional minister should defend the Belgian point of view, and the Belgian votes cannot be divided. The representation of Belgium in the Council is regulated by Cooperation Agreements of 1994 and 2003 between the federal and subnational governments. Depending on the topic, a federal or regional minister represents Belgium, according to a rotation system.
Separatism in Flanders
The two most visible and most media-covered rifts between the Northern and Southern part of Belgium are related to language and economy. The former is mainly apparent in and around Brussels, where Flemish- and French-speakers live on the same territory, giving rise to struggles about political representation and language use in public services. The latter fissure is country-wide: while in the 19th century Wallonia was the economic engine of Belgium, Flanders has become the most prosperous region throughout the 20th century. Flanders has witnessed increasing separatism in the past decades. Political parties striving for Flemish independence present the financial transfers – via the national budget and social security – from North to South as an important argument for their case.
Flemish nationalism was initially represented in politics by the Volksunie (People’s Union). Due to ideological differences within the party, it was split up into several new parties. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the Vlaams Blok (Flemish Bloc), explicitly advocating Flemish independence, gained increasing electoral support, even after the party was convicted for incitement to discrimination and racism and changed its name to Vlaams Belang (VB, or Flemish Interest). In the past years, however, its popularity has quickly declinedto around 8% at present. In the latest national elections, in 2010, N-VA (New Flemish Alliance) – which defends less radical points of view than VB but still wishes to establish Flanders as an independent state after a gradual ‘evaporation’ of Belgium – became the largest political party in Flanders and even in Belgium. N-VA’s popularity rose until 2012, but throughout the year its support in Flanders stagnated at around 36%.
However, the success of nationalist parties does not reflect an overwhelming preference for Flemish independence. In a 2011 poll, only 22% of the respondents supported an independent Flanders. In Wallonia, there are no significant political parties striving for Walloon independence. Yet, while Flemish politicians increasingly push for further federalisation or even an independent Flemish State, reflections on a ‘Plan B’ sporadically pop up on both sides of the language border.
The campaign for the 2012 local elections shows how topical the issue of further Flemish autonomy is in Flanders. The elections were unusually characterized by discussions on national topics. N-VA explicitly communicated that voting for that party was a first step towards the next national election, planned in 2014. Its leader Bart De Wever, who became mayor of his hometown Antwerp, first called on the Belgian prime minister to start talks on a “confederation” and only later referred to local issues in his victory speech.
The balance of power in Belgian politics
The Flemish political parties signed an agreement in 1989 to create a cordon sanitaire against VB, meaning that they would not enter into government talks on any level with this party. After it changed its name, no new agreement was signed, but government talks with VB are still taboo.
There is no such cordon against N-VA; the party is a member of the Flemish Government since 2009, together with social-democrats and Christian-democrats.
N-VA took also part in the national government formation talks after the 2010 elections – which lasted for 541 days and were herewith the longest in world history – but could not find common ground on a number of issues. The current federal government is composed of social-democrats, Christian-democrats and liberals from both sides of the language border, and is implementing the 6th Belgian state reform, including a transfer of additional competences to the Regions and Communities, as well as a reform of the voting constituency system. While the government has a comfortable majority of 96 seats in 150-seat legislative chamber, it has no majority on the Flemish side; this point is often raised by Flemish nationalist parties when challenging the legitimacy of the government or the Belgian state.
While the political right is rather popular in Flanders, Walloon voters have a clear preference for left-wing parties. The governments of the French Community and Walloon Region are both composed of social-democrats, Christian-democrats and greens.
The Brussels problem
As far-reaching autonomy or independence of Belgium’s subnational entities are increasingly discussed by politicians and in the media, some practical concerns have been voiced, such as the position of Brussels. The Brussels-Capital Region is physically encapsulated in the Flemish Region, but the overwhelming majority of its inhabitants (approximately 85%) is French-speaking. The region generates around 19% of Belgium’s GDP, nearly all official institutions of the national and subnational entities are located in Brussels, and the Belgian capital hosts most EU institutions and a number of other international organisations such as the NATO. In the event of a split-up of Belgium, both Flemish and Walloon authorities would likely ‘claim’ Brussels. In 2011, the parliament of the French-speaking Community unanimously adopted a resolution stipulating that, from then on, it would use the name “Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles” in its communications, campaigns and in the administration. This move was met with strong criticism from the Flemish government; the Flemish and national authorities do not use this denomination, neither do the Flemish media and some French-speaking media. Although the establishment of this ‘Federation’ has no far-reaching practical or legal consequences, it reveals much about the problems the status of Brussels could produce if Belgium would be divided in two.
Separatist parties and the EU
There is a general pro-European consensus among most political parties in Belgium. This consensus, combined with a low salience of EU issues to the general public, results in a low politicization of European topics. Yet, the separatist parties in Flanders hold diverging positions towards the EU. While VB explicitly rejects the current organisation of the EU, N-VA is usually viewed as contributing to the Belgian permissive consensus. However, this party takes an ambiguous approach. On the one hand, it views the EU as the most suitable macro level: it supports the austerity policies that are currently promoted by the EU, as well as deeper military integration – the EU could provide the necessary military security for the very small state that Flanders would be. On the other hand, its position on other issues is ambivalent. For example, in spring 2011, N-VA first advocated for the possibility to unilaterally reinstate border controls in the Schengen zone, and a month later stated that the Community method should be followed in the reform of the Schengen zone and that the European Commission is the best placed actor to lead this process. Also its favourable attitude towards financial support for EU members in crisis, such as Greece, is somewhat strange in the light of its firm resistance against financial transfers within Belgium. VB is unequivocally opposed to financial transfers within the EU.
There are a number of practical and legal obstacles for Flemish independence. Should Flanders become an independent state, the new country would have to re-negotiate accession to the EU, and its membership would be subject to approval by all the EU members. Other problematic issues include European citizenship, the currency, and the applicability of international treaties concluded by the EU. The Flemish nationalist parties have not yet communicated clear strategies for clarifying the uncertainties about the legal position of new states in the EU.
A look ahead
The next election period in 2014 (with regional, federal and European elections possibly on the same day or at least in the same period) has been dubbed ‘the mother of all elections’. For the N-VA, the final push to Flemish independence (even if it speaks about a more moderate post-independence state: confederation) is at stake. It hopes to profit from dissatisfaction with the current government led by a French-speaking socialist that has to carry out austerity policies. But the fact that the European elections coincide with the elections in Belgium might work against the N-VA. It could be forced to abandon its ‘constructive ambiguity’ on Europe: how does it see the transition for Flanders from a Belgian sub-state to an EU member state (if possible at all); what is its position on further European integration in financial, economic, budgetary (including fiscal capacity) and political dimensions as proposed in the Van Rompuy Report on the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); in other words, how much sovereignty that it does not want to share at the Belgian level is it prepared to surrender to the European level?
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
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Trees with bright yellow flowers can brighten any landscape, even on a cloudy day. There is room in almost any garden design for the many shades of yellow found in flowering trees and in the shrubs, annuals, and bulbs that can accompany them. Here are some of the favorite yellow flowering trees of landscapers and home gardeners in North America.
Favorite Yellow Flowering Trees
1. Golden chain tree, also known as golden rain tree (Laburnum species)
The golden chain tree, with its coat of golden blooms, is often described as the “Goldilocks” of the landscaping world. This spectacular yellow flowering tree doesn’t like summers that are too hot or cold, and it is fussy in many other ways. Still, if you can meet its exacting horticultural requirements, its beauty makes it well worth the effort.
The golden chain tree drips with yellow flowers 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm) long in late spring. Young trees bear so many blooms that they may need staking to stay upright. The fragrance of this tree’s abundant yellow flowers is not sweet, but it is not unpleasant and becomes something gardeners associate with the tree’s magnificent floral display.
Golden chain trees need cool summers. They are especially well-adapted, for example, to the climate around Bar Harbor, Maine, where famed landscape architect Beatrix Farrand (1872-1959) introduced them about a century ago.
This deciduous tree needs full sun and room to grow. A mature golden chain tree will be 15 to 25 feet (5 to 8 meters) tall and almost as wide. It needs well-drained, rich soil of neutral pH. This tree needs moisture every week during the summer but cannot stand being flooded.
All parts of the golden chain tree are poisonous, so it is best to plant it where there will not be a lot of traffic from pets and children.
Golden chain tree is suited for cool-summer areas in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 7. Plant the September golden chain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) for fall flowering, “Narrow Rocket” (Laburnum anagyroides) if you prefer narrower chains of yellow flowers, or “Vossli” (Laburnum × watereri) for its distinctive, crinkled bark as it ages.
See more beautiful blooming trees.
2. Yellow trumpet tree, also known as Brugmansia (Brugmansia species)
The show-stopping yellow flowers of the yellow trumpet tree make it a wonderful addition to any tropical or subtropical garden in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 through 11. This plant can be cultivated as a fast-growing annual shrub in landscapes where summer nights stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) or as a small tree with winter protection in parts of South Florida, the Gulf Coast, Texas, California, and Hawaii. Just be forewarned that it can become invasive in frost-free climates.
The flowers of the yellow trumpet tree can grow from 4 to 24 inches (10 to 60 cm) long, depending on the variety. Their fragrant flowers are strongest at night. These beautiful flowers draw hummingbirds to the landscape.
Yellow trumpet trees grow best in full sun, although they appreciate a few hours of afternoon shade in exceptionally hot and dry climates. They don’t care about soil as long as it is well-drained. If you are growing your yellow trumpet tree as a container plant, soil mixes designed for azaleas and camellias will be fine.
This beautiful plant is both thirsty and hungry. Container plants need to be watered twice a day during the summer, with excess water draining out the bottom of the pot.
Yellow trumpet trees need heavy fertilization if they are grown in nutrient-deficient soils. Larger plants can be fertilized twice or three times a week. Even young yellow trumpet trees need fertilizer at least once a week. Fertilizer mixtures that encourage blooming, such as 10-50-10 with micronutrients or 15-30-15 with micronutrients, get the best results.
Different varieties of yellow trumpet trees produce different colored flowers. For yellow blooms, choose Brugmansia aurea. There are also red, purple, pink, white, and apricot flower varieties. All parts of the plant are toxic to people and pets.
Aphids, cabbage worms, whiteflies, and spider mites are big problems for yellow trumpet trees grown in containers. Treat affected leaves with rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol to remove visible pests.
3. Magnolia butterfly tree (Magnolia acuminata x Magnolia denudata)
Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ is covered in early spring with masses of canary yellow, tulip-shaped flowers, each 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) across, that have an intoxicating, lemony scent, making it one of the best trees for a fragrance garden. The naked branches of the tree are covered with flowers for 7 to 9 days until the dark-green, oblong, elliptical leaves emerge.
A deciduous tree, this magnolia can be cultivated either as a shrub or as a small tree, depending on how it is pruned. Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ is resistant to cold and heat and can be grown as a specimen tree or in a hedge.
Be sure to plant Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ in a yard or large garden. It can grow 10 to 15 feet (3 to 6 meters) wide and 25 to 30 feet (8 to 10 meters) tall. It can grow in loam, sand, or clay soil, but it will not do well in poorly drained soils. It needs strong sun for 6 to 8 hours a day and protection from dry, cold winter winds. This tree will bloom in late winter in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 and 9, but flowering will be delayed until early to mid-spring in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 7.
For a light shade of yellow, consider a kousa dogwood.
4. Tabebuia tree, also known as trumpet tree and tree of gold (Tabebuia species)
Do you live in a part of North America with only light winter frosts, or maybe no winter frost? Then, you may want to try one of 160 species of tabebuia trees, some of which produce a spring spectacle of clusters of yellow flowers, each 1 to 4 inches (2.5 to 10 cm) wide.
The trumpet tree gets its name from its tubular flowers, which have multiple stamens and frilly edges. Most tabebuia trees bear yellow flowers, but some varieties display spring in white, red, or magenta. The flowers give way to long seed pods, which add interest to the tree during the cool season. Silvery leaves add to the landscape value of the tree.
Choose a variety of yellow tabebuia that your nursery can ensure grows only 25 feet (8 meters) tall. Some varieties grow to 160 feet (50 meters). You also want to confirm that you are getting a variety that can withstand a light freeze unless you live where there are never any winter frosts. Tabebuia trees can grow in sand, loam, or clay with acid, alkaline, or neutral pH but need good drainage.
Expect to trim brittle branches and dead wood during the cool season. Otherwise, this tree needs very little care.
5. Cassia tree, also known as popcorn plant (Senna didymobotrya)
Cassia is a species that can produce a small tree, 25 feet (8 meters) tall, in warm climates or that can be grown as an annual plant in containers in cool climates. At any size, the cassia tree produces a showy display of yellow flowers during summer’s hot, humid days. The flowers produce long bean-like seed pods (cassia is a legume) that are a favorite food of songbirds.
Cassia tree gets its nickname “popcorn plant” from the odor it releases, which is uncannily like buttered popcorn. Resist the urge to taste the plant, however, because all parts of the plant are strong laxatives.
Cassia trees prefer well-drained, acidic soil or even neutral soil. It needs full sun. It can be grown as a container plant anywhere but is best adapted to USDA Hardiness Zone 9 as a landscape plant.
6. Yellow oleander (Nerium oleander ‘Isle of Capri’)
If you have ever driven the freeways in Los Angeles, you undoubtedly have seen miles and miles of oleanders. This Mediterranean plant is well-adapted to hot, dry summers, alkaline, rocky soils, and air pollution. It bears flowers all summer in cooler climates and year-round when protected from frost.
Oleanders can be grown as a multi-stemmed bush or a single-trunked tree. If you want your oleander to have a tree form, you must buy a two-year-old plant and prune it to just one stem. Then, you need to support that stem with a bamboo pole, cutting off any additional stems rising from the crown of the plant just beneath the soil line,
No pruning is necessary if you want to grow your oleander as a bush. Just give it additional fertilizer the first year after planting, and give it weekly watering during summer drought.
Oleanders need full sun. If you live in a location where winter temperatures fall below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 Celsius), oleanders should be grown as a container plant so you can give them winter protection. Be aware that all parts of the plant are poisonous to pets and people, as is smoke from burning the plant. Choose the ‘Isle of Capri’ cultivar for bright yellow flowers.
If you want yellow flowers and cannot find this variety of oleander, consider the tipu tree, a cold-hardy yellow jacaranda, or even a sweet acacia. But don’t plant these yellow flowering trees near a patio or a swimming pool. For a patio, consider a Lydian broom.
7. Hybrid witch hazel Arnold promise (Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’)
The hybrid witch hazel Arnold Promise is a potentially tree-sized understory plant that bursts into yellow flowers in the late winter or early spring. One of the first flowering plants in cold-winter climates, this cross between Chinese witch hazel and Japanese witch hazel sometimes produces spidery yellow flowers while snow is still on the ground.
While this hybrid witch hazel can be trained into the shape of a tree, its natural habit is vase-shaped, with low branches. Its 6-inch (15 cm) long oval leaves with toothed edges turn yellow to orange in the fall.
The hybrid witch hazel Arnold Promise is not incredibly fussy about soil. It prefers acidic soil, with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, but can grow even in alkaline soil. It prefers full sun but can grow in partial shade. It has few disease or pest problems, although Japanese beetles can cause cosmetic problems when they chew its leaves.
Hybrid witch hazel Arnold Promise is adapted to USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 8.
8. Azalea (Rhododendron species)
Azaleas are shrubs that can grow to the dimensions of small trees. They are not deciduous, not evergreen shrubs or small evergreen trees like most other rhododendrons, but many more varieties have yellow flowers. These azaleas make an eye-catching understory plant for taller trees with yellow flowers, such as the Cornelian cherry (which is actually dogwood).
Azaleas need well-drained soil with an acidic pH, but they grow well in raised beds when these conditions are unavailable.
The Narcissiflora azalea (Rhododendron ‘Narcissiflora’) bears yellow flowers in late spring and early summer. Solar Flare Sunbow azalea (Rhododendron ‘Solar Flare Sunbow’) has a honeysuckle fragrance with abundant yellow flowers.
They are adapted to USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 8. Admiral Semmes Native Azalea (Rhododendron ‘Admiral Semmes’ ) is a native azalea with fragrant bright yellow flowers that stand up to summer weather. It is suited for USDA Hardiness Zones 6 through 9.
9. Bailey acacia (Acacia baileyana)
A fast-growing, large evergreen shrub or small tree, the acacia tree blooms in late winter to early spring. The small, bright, yellow, rounded flowers create a striking floral display. It’s an excellent plant for slopes and banks.
More yellow blooming trees and shrubs
I hope the pictures above have inspired you to add at least one tree with yellow flowers. The bright yellow blooms will add color to your landscape and make you happy whenever you see them.
Here are a few more trees and shrubs that will put on a vibrant yellow flower display:
- cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas)
- perforate St John’s-wort (Hypericum perforatum)
- forsythia, also called golden bell Forsythia suspensa)
- golden trumpet tree (Tabebuia chrysotricha)
- yellow buckeyes (Aesculus flava)
- palo verde trees (Parkinsonia)
I haven’t seen a lot of yellow flowering trees in our area, but I’m definitely planning to include one in my landscape this year. They are absolutely gorgeous!
More Colorful Trees You’ll Love
11 Yellow Spring Flowers To Make Your Garden Pop
Spring is almost here, and with it, an explosion of color! Check out these cheery yellow spring flowers, and see which ones you’d like in your garden.
10 Yellow Perennials For Shade You’ll Fall In Love With
Get ready to fall in love with these plants’ bright, cheerful blooms that can brighten any dull corner. | <urn:uuid:c014882a-b58d-48b6-8a4b-abe9dfbac0e9> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | https://www.backyardgardenlover.com/yellow-flowering-trees/ | 2024-12-07T08:49:56Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066426671.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20241207071733-20241207101733-00176.warc.gz | en | 0.927697 | 3,031 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Identity theft is an age-old problem, but blockchain technology is now emerging as a modern-day solution.
What is identity theft
Encyclopedia Britannica defines identity theft as the use of an individual’s personally identifying information by someone else (often a stranger) without that individual’s permission or knowledge. This form of impersonation is often used to commit fraud, generally resulting in financial harm to the individual and financial gain to the impersonator.
This is a rather apt definition. The theft of someone’s personal information to be used in a fraudulent, deceptive, or in any other malicious manner) is a very serious issue indeed, one that can lead to great financial loss or even graver consequences.
Here are a few statistics to highlight the severity of the identity theft issue:
In 2018 for example, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) collected reports about negative customer experiences in the marketplace. The agency received 444,602 reports of identity theft. This figure represented about 15% of the 3m reports compiled by the agency throughout that year.
2019 was also a bad time for identity theft issues, as financial losses due to identity fraud climbed to almost $17bn.
And things got even worse in 2020, as the FTC received a total of 4.7m reports, with identity theft taking the number one spot.
A brief history of identity theft
The arrival of the internet, mobile technology, and the omnipresence and predominance of social media in our lives took the problem of identity-related fraud to entire new levels. There have been some pretty high-profile scandals involving identity theft over the past two decades, but stealing someone’s identity by impersonation or any other means is a centuries old issue.
Here’s a brief recounting of how identity theft has changed along with the times:
19th century America
Nowadays, most people would associate identity theft with credit card fraud or online romance scams. But if you asked any American citizen living in the United States of the 1800s, their responses would be radically different. In those days, those with the right to vote (white people only) would congregate in the nearest courthouse, swear on a Bible before a judge that they were who they said they were and that they had not already voted, and in they went. In due course, the court’s clerk would go through the list of attendees, and everyone would call out the name of the candidate they wanted to vote for. This system, known as viva voce, was the law in most American states during the early 19th century (Kentucky maintained this system as late as 1891). Viva voce, which would usually be held amidst a carnival atmosphere, was hardly a solid voting framework, so while people would be asked to swear their identity on a Bible, the possibility for fraud was obvious, and election results were often dubious.
Paper ballots began appearing around this time, but early ‘ballots’ were often scraps of paper with someone’s name scrawled on it. The ballots were not standardized or validated in any way before they were cast into the box, which would give rise to the practice of ‘ballot stuffing’ (that is, writing a name in hundreds or thousands of paper scraps to give a chosen political candidate an unfair advantage.)
Frank Abagnale, the many faces of identity theft
Conmen, impersonators, and traveling salesmen have been a feature of real life since society came into existence. There have been many well-known cons, but perhaps one of the best known is the case of Frank Abagnale, an American con man and impostor who refined his craft to such a degree that the US Government would eventually hire him as a security consultant to combat fraud. Abagnale, whose exploits entered the mainstream thanks to the biographical 2002 film Catch me if you can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, is known to have assumed at least eight different identities throughout his career. These identities included an airline pilot, a lawyer, and a physician. He was eventually caught but served less than five years in prison before starting work for the government.
Identity theft in the digital era
While Abagnale’s criminal life was somewhat glamourized by Hollywood (and, to be fair, he did change his ways and turn his life around, going as far as writing five books, including Real U Guide to Identity Theft), the very real problem of stealing someone’s identity for personal gain can have devastating consequences. Abagnale’s crimes, while non-violent in nature, did cause severe financial loss to many organizations and agencies.
The advent of the digital era gave fraudsters a ready-made platform for this type of activity. Armed with the relative anonymity granted by the internet, instances of identity theft increased exponentially. Soon, the issue became a global problem.
Today, identity theft can take many forms: From medical identity theft (the obtention of medical services or prescription drugs under a false identity, for example), social media identity theft (using someone else’s pictures to create social media accounts -‘catfishing’-), to social insurance theft (using stolen or fake social security numbers for financial gain), child identity theft, etc.
So what’s the modern solution to a centuries-old problem
While the procedures and techniques to carry out the theft have evolved from the earlier ballot stuffing or Abagnale’s cheque forging to the more sophisticated hacks of the modern era, the core problem is identical: To steal someone’s identity for fraudulent purposes.
Looking closely at any of these past instances of identity issues, something obvious immediately emerges: The targets of these cons were centralized frameworks. The court’s clerk, for example. Only one person to fool into thinking that the individual voting is who they say they are, or that they haven’t voted before. Or the ballot box, for example. One simple box that can easily be carried around, concealed, and manipulated. Or Abagnale fooling banking clerks. In all of these cases, a single point of failure exists. Breach this point, and the theft is inevitable.
Decentralization is an obvious strategy to counter this problem. Distribute the ballots across, say, 100 boxes, and the offenders’ tampering efforts would become 100 times more difficult. The analogy of the court clerk is a good one to illustrate the decentralization theory. If only one clerk is in charge of the candidate list, they’d be easy to bribe, threaten, or manipulate. But if 1,000, or 10,000 clerks were in control of the candidate list… This is a perfect analogy for how blockchain works. In a blockchain network, hundreds, maybe thousands of nodes (‘clerks’) hold an identical list of records, and every node is watching. The idea of manipulating thousands of nodes soon becomes moot.
But this decentralization comes with its own set of problems. How is identity verified by so many nodes? How are a person’s credentials transported, and shared? This is where Self-sovereign identity comes in.
The principle of Self-sovereign Identity (SSI) refers to an individual’s ability and entitlement to have and retain control over their identity and credentials, without being forced to use a centralized, third-party authority as an intermediary acting as a ‘gatekeeper’ of the individual’s identity credentials. This model offers individuals a way to securely store their identity data via unique identifiers and selective disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII). SSI places the individual, rather than the organization, at the center of the identity framework.
It is important to understand that sovereignty in this context means that the individual is in control of managing their identity, rather than issuing it. The SSI model proposes that the individual retains control over their identity assets and credentials (passports, academic certifications, diplomas, etc.) The crucial distinction between traditional identity models and SSI is that when the sovereign individual presents any of these credentials to a third party, the third party does not need to query the issuer to verify them or prove ownership, as this proof is provided by the blockchain that contains those credentials.
SSI represents the new paradigm for any user-centric identity management solution, and any such solution must consider the user to be central to the administration and management of identity. Furthermore, any SSI solution must be interoperable with other systems across multiple locations (always with the user’s explicit consent), and enable true control of that digital identity. SSI must also be transportable: it cannot be locked down (centralized) to any one entity, locale, or geographical location. This paradigm shift results in an identity framework that is structurally formed to work from the individual’s perspective, rather than that from a centralized organization’s perspective.
How does SSI help to resolve the identity theft issues
Wide scale fraud often relies on the fact that the targeted information is centralized in a single database, server, or any other data storage facility. Because of this single point of failure, if the facility is breached, bad actors can instantly gain access to thousands, even millions of records.
The SSI principle is based on a distributed ledger model, which means that the prized data is no longer stored in one single, vulnerable location. Instead, the information is distributed across hundreds, or perhaps thousands of nodes. Hackers would be faced with the monumental task of infiltrating every single node to access the data, which would be costly, time consuming, and ultimately yield paltry results. In other words, the incentive for the hacker is no longer there.
Besides, businesses can do API calls to a user’s encrypted data vault, and only access what is required. All information is transmitted using secure and trusted peer-to-peer messaging channels, so the authenticity and integrity of the data can always be checked by verifying digital signatures.
Alata PRISM is here to end identity theft
Atala PRISM offers high-end SSI solutions to enterprises and their customers. This identity management model empowers end-users to own their identity and have complete control over how their personal data is used and accessed. Data is shared with other individuals or organizations over secure and private peer-to-peer communication channels.
What does this mean for enterprises? Firstly, it reduces greatly the cost that identity handling and theft incurs. Nowadays, businesses are forced to become identity providers and security experts. Background verification agencies charge increasingly higher fees to verify documentation with the issuing authorities. With Atala PRISM’s hacker-proof security and privacy, enterprises can quickly and easily reduce such operational expenses and put an end to fraudulent behaviour around fake identification.
Secondly, the verified digital identity and credentials solution offered by Atala PRISM eliminates long forms and the need for countless passwords. It makes life easier by enabling single-click access to products and services thus streamlining customer experience and elevating it to the benefit of everyone.
To learn more about Atala PRISM and discover the opportunity decentralized identity can offer your business, contact us at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:3a5727e4-6133-4e17-addf-84a82456c23b> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | https://atala.mymidnight.blog/ending-identity-theft/ | 2024-12-07T09:15:14Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066426671.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20241207071733-20241207101733-00491.warc.gz | en | 0.959454 | 2,315 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Nit (Net, Neit, Neith) was the predynastic goddess of war and weaving, the goddess of the Red Crown of Lower Egypt and the patron goddess of Zau (Sau, Sai, Sais) in the Delta. In later times she was also thought to have been an androgynous demiurge - a creation deity - who had both male and female attributes. The Egyptians believed her to be an ancient and wise goddess, to whom the other gods came if they could not resolve their own disputes.
It is thought that Neith may correspond to the goddess Tanit, worshipped in north Africa by the early Berber culture (existing from the beginnings of written records) and through the first Punic culture originating from the founding of Carthage by Dido. Ta-nit, meaning in Egyptian the land of Nit, also was a sky-dwelling goddess of war, a virginal mother goddess and nurse, and, less specifically, a symbol of fertility.
Her symbol is remarkably similar to the Egyptian ankh and her shrine, excavated at Sarepta in southern Phoenicia, revealed an inscription that related her securely to the Phoenician goddess Astarte (Ishtar). Several of the major Greek goddesses also were identified with Tanit by the syncretic, interpretatio graeca, which recognized as Greek deities in foreign guise the deities of most of the surrounding non-Hellene cultures. A Hellenistic royal family ruled over Egypt for three centuries, a period called the Ptolemaic dynasty until the Roman conquest in 30 A.D.
Neith was a goddess of war and of hunting and had as her symbol, two crossed arrows over a shield. Her symbol also identified the city of Sais. This symbol was displayed on top of her head in Egyptian art. In her form as a goddess of war, she was said to make the weapons of warriors and to guard their bodies when they died.
Her name also may be interpreted as meaning, water. In time, this meaning led to her being considered as the personification of the primordial waters of creation. She is identified as a great mother goddess in this role as a creator.
Neith's symbol and part of her hieroglyph also bore a resemblance to a loom, and so later in the history of Egyptian myths, she also became goddess of weaving, and gained this version of her name, Neith, which means weaver. At this time her role as a creator changed from being water-based to that of the deity who wove all of the world and existence into being on her loom.
As a goddess of weaving and the domestic arts she was a protector of women and a guardian of marriage, so royal woman often named themselves after Neith, in her honour. Since she also was goddess of war, and thus had an additional association with death, it was said that she wove the bandages and shrouds worn by the mummified dead as a gift to them, and thus she began to be viewed as a protector of one of the Four sons of Horus, specifically, of Duamutef, the deification of the canopic jar storing the stomach, since the abdomen (often mistakenly associated as the stomach) was the most vulnerable portion of the body and a prime target during battle. It was said that she shot arrows at any evil spirits who attacked the canopic jar she protected.
In the late pantheon of the Ogdoad myths, she became identified as the mother of Ra and Apep. When she was identified as a water goddess, she was also viewed as the mother of Sobek, the crocodile. It was this association with water, i.e. the Nile, that led to her sometimes being considered the wife of Khnum, and associated with the source of the River Nile. She was associated with the Nile Perch as well as the goddess of the triad in that cult center.
As the goddess of creation and weaving, she was said to reweave the world on her loom daily.
The Greek historian, Herodotus (c. 484-425 BC), noted that the Egyptian citizens of Sais in Egypt worshipped Neith and that they identified her with Athena. The Timaeus, a Socratic dialogue written by Plato, mirrors that identification with Athena.
Plutarch (46 - 120 A.D.), said the temple of Neith (of which nothing now remains) bore the inscription:
I am All That Has Been, That Is, and That Will Be.
No mortal has yet been able to lift the veil that covers Me.
In much later times, her association with war and death, led to her being identified with Nephthys (and Anouke or Ankt). Nephthys became part of the Ennead pantheon, and thus considered a wife of Set. Despite this, it was said that she interceded in the kingly war between Horus and Set, over the Egyptian throne, recommending that Horus rule.
Anouke, a goddess from Asia Minor was worshiped by immigrants to ancient Egypt. This war goddess was shown wearing a curved and feathered crown and carrying a spear, or bow and arrows. Within Egypt, she was later assimilated and identified as Neith, who by that time had developed her aspects as a war goddess.
In art, Neith sometimes appears as a woman with a weaversÕ shuttle atop her head, holding a bow and arrows in her hands. At other times she is depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, as a snake, or as a cow.
Sometimes Neith was pictured as a woman nursing a baby crocodile, and she was titled "Nurse of Crocodiles". As the personification of the concept of the primordial waters of creation in the Ogdoad theology, she had no gender. As mother of Ra, she was sometimes described as the "Great Cow who gave birth to Ra".
A great festival, called the Feast of Lamps, was held annually in her honor and, according to Herodotus, her devotees burned a multitude of lights in the open air all night during the celebration.
There also is evidence of an resurrection cult involving a woman dying and being brought back to life that was connected with Neith.
Generally depicted as a woman, Nit was shown either wearing her emblem - either a shield crossed with two arrows, or a weaving shuttle - or the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. Nit was probably linked with the crown of Lower Egypt due to the similarities between her name, and the name of the crown - nt . Similarly, her name was linked to the root of the word for 'weave' - ntt (which is also the root for the word 'being'). She was also often shown carrying a bow and arrows, linking her to hunting and warfare, or a sceptre and sceptre and the ankh sign of life. She was also shown in the form of a cow, though this was very rare.
In late dynastic times there is no doubt that Nit was regarded as nothing but a form of Hathor, but at an earlier period she was certainly a personification of a form of the great, inert, primeval watery mass out of which sprang the sun god Ra...
- The Gods of the Egyptians, E. A. Wallis Budge
As the mother of Ra, the Egyptians believed her to be connected with the god of the watery primeval void, Nun. (Her name might have also been linked to a word for water - nt - thus providing the connection between the goddess and the primeval waters.) Because the sun god arose from the primeval waters, and with Nit being these waters, she was thought to be the mother of the sun, and mother of the gods. She was called 'Nit, the Cow Who Gave Birth to Ra' as one of her titles. The evil serpent Apep, enemy of Ra, was believed to have been created when Nit spat into the waters of Nun, her spittle turning into the giant snake. As a creatrix, though, her name was written using the hieroglyph of an ejaculating phallus - - a strong link to the male creative force a hint as to her part in the creation of the universe.
According to the Iunyt (Esna) cosmology the goddess emerged from the primeval waters to create the world. She then followed the flow of the Nile northward to found Zau in company with the subsequently venerated lates-fish. There are much earlier references to Nit's association with the primordial flood-waters and to her demiurge: Amenhotep II (DynastyXVIII) in one inscription is the pharaoh 'whose being Nit moulded'; the papyrus (Dynasty XX) giving the account of the struggle between Horus and Set mentions Nit 'who illuminated the first face' and in the sixth century BC the goddess is said to have invented birth.
There is confusion as to the Emblem of Nit - originally it was of a shield and two crossed arrows. This was her symbol from the earliest times, and she was no doubt a goddess of hunting and war since predynastic times. The symbol of her town, Zau, used this emblem from early times, and was used in the name of the nome of which her city was the capital. The earliest use of this Emblem was used in the name of queen Nithotep, 'Nit is Pleased', who seems to have been the wife of Aha "Fighter" Menes of the 1st Dynasty. Another early dynastic queen, Mernit, 'Beloved of Nit', served as regent around the time of king Den.
Her most ancient symbol is the shield with crossed arrows, which occurs in the early dynastic period... This warlike emblem is reflected in her titles 'Mistress of the Bow... Ruler of Arrows'.
- A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
The later form of the Emblem is what some people believe to be a weaving shuttle. It is possible that the symbols were confused by the Egyptians themselves, and so she became a goddess of weaving and other domestic arts. It was claimed, in one version of her tale, that she created the world by weaving it with her shuttle.
She was linked to with a number of goddesses including Isis, Bast, Wadjet, Nekhbet, Mut and Sekhmet. As a cow, she was linked to both Nut and Hathor. She was also linked to Tatet, the goddess who dressed the dead, and was thus linked to preservation of the dead. This was probably due to being a weaver goddess - she was believed to make the bandages for the deceased.
She might have also been linked to Anubis and Wepwawet (Upuaut), because one of her earliest titles was also 'Opener of the Ways'. She was also one of the four goddesses - herself, Isis, Nephthys and Serqet - who watched over the deceased as well as each goddess protecting one of the four sons of Horus. Nit watched over the east side of the sarcophagus and looked after the jackal-headed Duamutef who guarded the stomach of the dead. Also, during the earliest times, weapons were placed around the grave to protect the dead, and so her nature of a warrior-goddess might have been a direct link to her becoming a mortuary goddess.
Her son, other than the sun god Ra, was believed to be Sobek, the crocodile god. She was regarded as his mother from early times - the two were mentioned as mother and son in the pyramid of Unas - and one of her titles was 'Nurse of Crocodiles'. She was also regarded, during the Old Kingdom, as the wife of Set, though by later times this relationship was dropped and she became the wife of Sobek instead. In Upper Egypt she was married to the inundation god, Khnum, instead.
"Give the office of Osiris to his son Horus! Do not go on committing these great wrongs, which are not in place, or I will get angry and the sky will topple to the ground. But also tell the Lord of All, the Bull who lives in Iunu (On, Heliopolis), to double Set's property. Give him Anat and Astarte, your two daughters, and put Horus in the place of his father."
- Nit Addressing the Gods Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt
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As researchers dedicated to creating social impact, we strive to improve the lives of communities impacted by our work. However, the same communities are rarely included in our research processes beyond answering survey questions. Often, they are limited to being data sources, from whom we generate insights for policymakers to guide their programmatic decisions.
Thus, those most impacted by the policy decisions often have the least influence over them—they often are excluded from identifying problems/needs they care about most, interpreting data finds, and shaping recommendations. This approach not only overlooks the valuable locally contextualised knowledge they possess, but also fails to uphold the principles of dignity.
Participatory approach to research
A participatory approach to research empowers communities to actively participate in decisions that impact their lives. It recognises the importance of listening to the voices of communities regarding what evidence is needed and how it should be interpreted and used. Evidence is a valuable resource that should be accessible to communities and influenced by their perspectives, ultimately shaping policy decisions.
Recently, through Project Sampoorna in Jharkhand, India—(as part of the consortium, IDinsight is a monitoring and evaluation partner)—IDinsight used communication techniques and participatory methods like visual tools (storytelling boards and videos) to engage with school students and teachers—the primary respondents in the research. Through these tools, IDinsight shared some of the findings generated from the project’s baseline. This approach ensured participants’ inclusion in interpretation of data, thereby helping shape programmatic action based on their in-depth knowledge of school realities—this is a step toward more participatory research.
About the project
Project Sampoorna is a social-emotional learning (SEL) initiative led by the Government of Jharkhand in partnership with a consortium of non-profit organisations. At the request of our partners, we integrated a participatory lens in our evaluation efforts to ensure greater involvement of students and teachers.
Since the idea of using a participatory lens was explored after the implementation and evaluation designs were already finalised, the participatory elements were adapted accordingly and were focused mainly on sharing baseline findings.
We had collected baseline data primarily through student and teacher interviews and classroom observations. We wanted to share our learnings on student social-emotional skill levels, teacher behaviour, school climate, etc. to help teachers and students use this new evidence. We also wanted to get teachers’ and students’ input to contextualise our findings.
However, communicating complex survey findings with teachers and students, and ensuring their engagement, was fairly new to IDinsight—we typically share findings with policymakers and decision-makers but rarely with community members on the ground. We knew that sharing findings should not involve technical terms or a digital presentation; instead, we needed something simple, fun, inclusive and relatable. We worked with IDinsight’s Dignity and Lean Innovation teams to develop a plan and selected three school activities:
- Short video on baseline findings shared with teachers and parents on WhatsApp
- Storyboard presentation and ‘Draw Your Vision’ activity with students
- Discussion on baseline findings with teachers
In this blog, we share the team’s lessons from planning and executing a participatory approach to sharing our findings with students and teachers in government-run schools of Jharkhand.
Key Lessons learnt from participatory work in schools
Phase 1: Planning
Lesson 1: Evidence/data needs careful framing to ensure relevance, simplicity, and sensitivity
To engage stakeholders with our findings effectively, the careful selection and framing of the data were crucial.
For the video and storyboard presentation, we started by identifying the target audience and clearly defining key takeaways we wanted to communicate. We then shortlisted the most relevant and easy-to-understand findings to include.
For the discussion with teachers, we selected findings that, apart from being relevant and simple, were also those that we needed additional context on. We were mindful of sensitively framing the findings, especially those that highlighted improvement opportunities. Take a hypothetical example: If a finding states that “60% of teachers scold students for wrong answers,” we frame it as “most students feel cared for and heard by their teachers; however, data also shows that some teachers might scold students in the class.” In this way, we combine a negative finding with a positive one.
Input from teammates with experience in community engagement, including those outside of the project team, as well as our implementation partners who routinely work with these participants, played a valuable role in framing the findings. Additionally, we sought feedback from a group of teachers through a small pilot to ensure the findings were easy-to-understand, allowing the key takeaway to shine through.
Lesson 2: Visualising step-by-step execution of activities before school visits helps identify potential roadblocks and brainstorm solutions
To ensure smooth execution of our planned activities, we visualised the entire process from entering the school to conducting the activities to leaving the school. This helped us identify potential challenges, develop solutions, and gain more confidence.
We planned to conduct the storyboard presentation and drawing activity with students, and discussion with teachers in each school on a single day; hence, time optimisation was of utmost importance. To ensure efficient dissemination, we talked to school leaders, teachers, and implementing partners in advance. We clearly shared the goals of the school visits, communicated the logistical support needed, and confirmed teacher and student availability. This helped us reduce the time needed to initiate and organise the activities upon reaching the schools.
Phase 2: Execution
Lesson 3: Communication techniques should be familiar, inclusive and relatable to ensure audience engagement
To engage teachers and students with data effectively, we needed to use formats that resonated and had limited technical concepts. Our usual methods of sharing findings with clients would not have suited this context.
We therefore chose storytelling and activity-based techniques to communicate. For instance, the storyboard presentation and drawing activities we chose were part of the students’ day-to-day academic curriculum. The story we built was quite relatable because it included a teacher trying to improve her relationship with students and working with them to improve the class climate. Alongside verbal storytelling, we used a storyboard printed on a large flexible material stuck to the class blackboard—which, again, the students were used to looking at every day during class. The storyboard helped add to how relatable the story was—we used characters that looked like them, wore the same uniforms, and sat in similar classrooms. The drawing activity was a group activity; students enjoyed working with colours and collaborating on what they wanted to draw.
Since videos are always fun to watch, easy to understand, and shareable on social media, we developed an animated video for teachers and parents. When we showed this video to teachers, they found the story similar to what they had experienced in schools and were positive that both parents and other teachers would like and learn from it! Before starting the drawing activity, we also showed the video to the students, which inspired their drawing ideas.
Lesson 4: Using local and colloquial language by a familiar/relatable presenter helps the audience connect with the activities
To ensure relatability with the students, our team’s Field Manager took on the role of the storyteller for the storyboard presentation. It was important for the presenter to be someone the students could connect with in terms of language and cultural familiarity. We created a concise script in the local language with a colloquial touch, making it simple for students to understand.
As storytelling was a new format for IDinsight, we conducted multiple mock sessions with the team to refine the script and improve the tone and energy of delivery. Once finalised, our Field Manager diligently rehearsed the script with teammates and children in his community to improve its delivery.
While delivering the storyboard presentations in schools, we actively engaged the students by asking simple questions they answered in unison. This interactive approach helped maintain their attention and connection with the story.
Similarly, the video script went through several revisions with our video production agency to ensure the language avoided jargon and appeared friendly and relatable.
Lesson 5: Creating a comfortable and safe environment is necessary for good participation and candour
IDinsight’s interaction with students and teachers is typically limited to when we visit schools for data collection on our monitoring and evaluation work. This was the first time we visited schools to share our findings instead, and creating a comfortable environment for students was a top priority for their participation, enjoyment, and learning.
We collaborated with our implementation partners, who regularly engage with schools. Their presence helped us establish a rapport with school leaders, teachers, and students. Our partners facilitated introductions, conducted icebreaker games with students, and helped us communicate better with teachers and students.
We also actively participated in icebreakers, which helped students feel at ease with us. The “draw your vision” activity allowed quieter students to express themselves through art, ensuring inclusivity. We also emphasised that participation in the activities was voluntary and respected students’ choice not to participate.
With teachers, we initiated conversations with a round of introductions and discussing the subjects they teach. We empathised with their experiences and challenges, creating a comfortable space for them to share their thoughts and opinions openly.
Phase 3: Insights Generation
Lesson 6: Document participants’ insights and recommendations to inform programme design and implementation
Given our goal of seeking input on the baseline findings, our activities were specifically designed to generate valuable insights. We took diligent notes on teacher and student responses and observed their levels of engagement. While the input on findings from teachers was relatively straightforward, the feedback from students was particularly interesting.
This is because the latter was in the form of semi-structured discussions, and drawings we reviewed to derive meaningful insights. We shared these valuable insights with our partners to inform programme improvement efforts. For example, an artwork showcased classmates supporting a student with a physical disability and including him in their playground games. This vision could be used to build a student parliament-led project to ensure a disability-friendly school environment and infrastructure.
Our initial foray into participatory methods as part of the Sampoorna project has been a valuable learning experience. These insights will shape our future work and contribute to the broader landscape of similar projects at IDinsight. As we move forward, we are excited to refine our approach further, deepen our collaborative efforts, and continue making a positive impact in the communities we serve.
I would like to thank Sumedha Jalote, Neha Raykar, and Debendra Nag for their reviews and valuable input on this blog. Special thanks to Tom Wein for his guidance in shaping this work and encouraging thoughtful reflection and knowledge sharing. | <urn:uuid:5391cd8e-329a-4424-b578-f1ee4c622a9f> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | https://idronline.org/article/monitoring-evaluation/lessons-from-participatory-research-in-jharkhand/ | 2024-12-06T01:12:58Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066367647.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20241206001926-20241206031926-00731.warc.gz | en | 0.961968 | 2,216 | 2.78125 | 3 |
This month has the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru and the 60th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement. The concept of a country’s policy not aligning with others can be traced to Congress of Vienna (1814–15) when Switzerland’s neutrality, by which that country would stay away from the conflicts of others, was recognized.
Not attending that last few summits, had signaled India’s sudden departure away from NAM and having adopted the policy of multi-alignment. This has raised eyebrows of those who still believe in the true spirit of Non-Alignment of which India has been the champion for a long time.
What is NAM?
- Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
- After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
- Drawing on the principles agreed at the Bandung Conference in 1955, the NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, and Yugoslavia.
- It was an initiative of then PM Jawaharlal Nehru, Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah, Indonesian President Sukarno, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.
- The countries of the NAM represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations’ members and contain 55% of the world population.
Membership of NAM
- Diverse members: Membership is particularly concentrated in countries considered to be developing or part of the Third World, though the NAM also has a number of developed nations.
The reason behind NAM creation
- Balancing the US and USSR: Non-alignment, a policy fashioned for the Cold War, aimed to retain the autonomy of policy (not equidistance) between two politico-military blocs i.e. the US and the Soviet Union.
- The NAM provided a platform for newly independent developing nations to join together to protect this autonomy.
- Changing with emerging scenarios: Since the end of the Cold War, the NAM has been forced to redefine itself and reinvent its purpose in the current world system.
- Focus towards development: It has focused on developing multilateral ties and connections as well as unity among the developing nations of the world, especially those within the Global South.
Fading significance of the NAM
- Loosing relevance: The policy of non-alignment lost its relevance after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the emergence of unipolar world order under the leadership of the US since 1991.
- De-colonization was largely complete by then, the apartheid regime in South Africa was being dismantled and the campaign for universal nuclear disarmament was going nowhere.
- Freed from the shackles of the Cold War, the NAM countries were able to diversify their network of relationships across the erstwhile east-west divide.
India and the NAM
- Important role played by India: India played an important role in the multilateral movements of colonies and newly independent countries that wanted into the NAM.
- India’s policy was neither negative nor positive.
- India as a leader: Country´s place in national diplomacy, its significant size and its economic miracle turned India into one of the leaders of the NAM and upholder of the Third World solidarity.
- The principle of ‘acting and making its own choices’ also reflected India’s goal to remain independent in foreign policy choices, although posing dilemmas and challenges between national interests on international arena and poverty alleviation.
- Preserving the state’s security required alternative measures: Namely, the economic situation with the aim to raise the population’s living standards challenged the country’s defense capacity and vice versa.
- Fewer choices: Wars with China and Pakistan had led India to an economically difficult situation and brought along food crisis in the mid-1960s, which made the country dependent on US food.
- India’s position was further complicated due to agreements with the Soviet Union about military equipment.
- This placed India again in a situation where on one hand the country had to remain consistent on the principles of NAM while on the other hand to act in a context with fewer choices.
What is meant by Strategic Autonomy?
- Strategic autonomy for India denotes its’ ability to pursue its national interests and adopt its preferred foreign policy without being constrained in any manner by other states.
- In its pure form, strategic autonomy presupposes the state in question possessing overwhelmingly superior power.
- This is what would enable that state to resist the pressures that may be exerted by other states to compel it to change its policy or moderate its interests.
- Today’s ideation of ‘strategic autonomy’ is much different from the Nehruvian era thinking of ‘non-alignment’.
- Strategic autonomy is today a term New Delhi’s power corridors are well-acquainted with. It is an issue & situation-based, and not ideological.
Beyond Power-Politics nexus
- Strategic autonomy for India is both about power-politics and responsibilities.
- India’s quest for strategic autonomy is more about justice in terms of creating the international system where all states’ voices will be heard and decisions are made on value-based consensus.
- Such an idea is often misunderstood and confused with ‘opposing some states and allying the others.’
What dictates India’s alignment now?
India acknowledged the importance of economic growth as a factor in domestic poverty alleviation and for the realization of national interests in the international arena.
(1) National security
- China’s rise and assertiveness as a regional and global power and the simultaneous rise of middle powers in the region mean that this balancing act is increasing in both complexity and importance, simultaneously.
- China’s growth presents great opportunities for positive engagement, but territorial disputes and a forward policy in the region raise concerns for New Delhi, particularly in the Indian Ocean and with Pakistan.
(2) Global decision-making
- Another distinctive feature of India’s foreign policy has been the aim to adjust international institutions consistent with changes in international system.
- The support for strengthening and reforming the UN as a multilateral forum, restructuring the international economic system and preserving independence in its decision-making has become an integral part of India’s foreign policy.
(3) Prosperity and influence
- India’s 21st century’s strategic partnerships with two of the biggest economies, the USA and EU rely heavily on trade and technology cooperation.
- In addition, the partnership with the USA has touched the boundaries of strategic issues like cooperation on counter-terrorism, defence trade, joint military exercises, civil nuclear cooperation and energy dialogue.
- Another means to execute India’s foreign policy strategy of autonomy has been forming extensive partnerships with other emerging powers.
- India has been an active G4 country speaking for the reform of the UN Security Council and having been elected seven times as a non-permanent member.
- As a result, there is an overlap of countries in different platforms, as can be seen in cases of India’s partnership with BRICS, SAARC, etc.
- The purpose of India is to increase the participation and share of developing countries in global policy-making.
Benefits out of strategic alignment
- India needs investments, technology, a manufacturing ecosystem to employ millions of its young population and improve its living standards.
- It requires advanced weapons and technologies for its military. India is ambitious and wants to be a great power and the US and the Western world recognise this and are willing to partner India.
- US along with France, are India’s principal backers in the UN Security Council and also support its membership in it.
- The Quad of India, US, Japan and Australia is also slowly institutionalizing the multilateral partnership that is committed to an open, secure, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
China’s “not-peaceful rise”
- India is a long term rival for China, which does not want India’s rise. It wants to keep India boxed into South Asia, and tries to keep it off balance using Pakistan which it arms and supports.
- It has made inroads into the region using the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It continues to block India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and continues to needle in the UNSC over Kashmir.
- We all know the recent heat up after Ladakh standoff. It occupies parts of Indian Territory and also claims the entire state of Arunachal.
Hence, the Non-alignment is difficult because,
- We have to safeguard ourselves from a power which has trampled upon all her neighbours most blatantly and the whole world has seen and withstood them with deafening silence.
- China has kept our territory since 1962 violating all international norms and we could do nothing with this diplomatic tool called Non- Alignment.
- Any policy formulation has to serve the national interest.
- The US prefers its partners to pay for and manage their own security, but collaborate in all possible ways — weapons sale, sharing civil and military arsenals, diplomatic support, intelligence sharing etc.
- It will be pragmatic to take advantage of the great power rivalry by suitably aligning with a power that India can derive maximum benefit from.
But Wait, NAM still matters!
(1) Global perception of India
- India’s image abroad has suffered as a result of allegations that creep into our secular polity and a need arises to actively network and break out of isolation.
- India’s partnership with America faces an uncertain future in the post-pandemic period ahead of the regime change under Joe Biden.
- Indeed, India is overtly keen to upgrade a quadrilateral alliance with the US, Japan and Australia — but there too, we’re all dressed up and nowhere to go. There is no concrete commitment yet.
- We can sense the growing proximity between the NAM member countries and China.
- As it is, one-half of NAM comprises members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, which remains highly critical of the plight of Indian Muslims.
(2) For the Impulsive U.S.
- For India complete dependence on the U.S. to counter China would be an error.
- As the U.S. confronts the challenge to its dominance from China, the classical balance of power considerations would dictate accommodation with Russia.
- A strong stake in India’s relations with the US could reinforce Russia’s affinity for China.
- Russia, these days looks less pragmatic to see Indian ties with its rivals as a joint venture, not an alliance in which they could pursue shared objectives to mutual benefit.
Importance of NAM: As a power booster for multilateralism
The NAM can never lose its relevance because-
- Cold War has revitalized with time: Critics of NAM who term it as an outcome of the Cold War must also acknowledge that a new Cold War is beginning to unfold, this time between the US and China, which if reflected in Trade War, Protectionism, Indo-Pacific narrative, etc.
- NAM provides a much bigger platform: NAM becomes relevant to mobilize international public opinion against terrorism, weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), nuclear proliferation, ecological imbalance, safeguarding interests of developing countries in WTO (World Trade Organization) etc.
- NAM as a tool for autonomy: NAM’s total strength comprises 120 developing countries and most of them are members of the UN General Assembly. Thus, NAM members act as an important group in support of India’s candidature as a permanent member in UNSC.
- A podium for India’s leadership: India is widely perceived as a leader of the developing world. Thus, India’s engagement with NAM will further help in the rise of India’s stature as the voice of the developing world or global south.
- NAM for multilateralism: Though globalization is facing an existential crisis, it is not possible to return to isolation. In the world of complex interdependence, countries are linked to each other one way or another. With rising threats such as climate change, terrorism, and receding multilateralism, the global south and NAM countries find themselves in a precarious condition.
- NAM as a source for soft power: India can use its historic ties to bring together the NAM countries. India’s strength lies in soft power rather than hard power. Therefore, NAM cannot be based on the current political structure where military and economic power is often used to coerce countries.
- NAM as a tool for institutional reforms: Global institutions such as WTO and the UN are facing an existential crisis because only a few nations dictate their functions. India can use the NAM platform to push for reforms in these institutions for a more equal and democratic world order.
In the post-COVID-19 world, India will have to make a disruptive choice — of alignment.
- In the threat environment marked by a pushy China, India should aim to have both- American support and stay as an independent power centre by cooperation with middle powers in Asia and around the world.
- Complete dependence would be detrimental to India’s national interest such as its ties with Iran and Russia and efforts to speed up indigenous defence modernization.
- Rather than proclaiming non-alignment as an end in itself, India needs deeper engagement with its friends and partners if it is to develop leverage in its dealings with its adversaries and competitors.
- A wide and diverse range of strategic partners, including the U.S. as a major partner is the only viable diplomatic way forward in the current emerging multipolar world order.
Though sections of the Indian establishment still want to reinvent non-alignment under ever new guises, India is showing signs of pursuing strategic autonomy separately from non-alignment.
- India continues to practice a policy of non-alignment in an attempt to maintain sovereignty and oppose imperialism.
- Indo-US ties are complementary, and a formal alliance will only help realize the full potential of these relations.
- India, thus, emphasizes the relations with the region and emerging powers not only in terms of economic development but also as actors with similar understandings and expectations of the world system.
- In some way, the relations can be described as expectations without expectations. States interact with each other in expectations to change the international system, but without expectations to ‘ally or oppose.’
- India believes in making value-based decisions and maintains its coherent foreign policy. As it is familiar with the phrase ‘multi-vector’ foreign policy, it is high time to maximise its potential. | <urn:uuid:612afadf-7563-409d-956a-1e86da508c1d> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | https://www.civilsdaily.com/burning-issue-non-aligned-movement/ | 2024-12-09T22:06:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066053598.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20241209214559-20241210004559-00847.warc.gz | en | 0.948422 | 3,107 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Say you’re a 3rd-grade public school teacher with $50,000 in student-loan debt. The federal Stafford Teacher Loan Forgiveness program sounds like a great idea: teach for five years while you make monthly payments right-sized for your income, and the government will forgive $5,000 of what you owe.
But then comes the fine print. Accepting the $5,000 resets a different loan-forgiveness clock—the one that would have erased your outstanding debt entirely after 10 years, since you’re a public employee. To access that benefit, now you’re stuck with another decade of payments, or 15 years in all. It’s hard to follow, and would be even if the explanation were not buried in Section 8 of the “Public Service Loan Forgiveness Employment Certification” form in the third paragraph of the subsection titled “Other Important Information.”
Welcome to the world of student loans and debt forgiveness for teachers, a patchwork of overlapping programs, contradictory regulations, and expensive subsidies that date back to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s signing of the National Defense Education Act of 1958. This 60-year experiment in using federal loan dollars to encourage students to become teachers could be poised for change as Congress considers reauthorizing the Higher Education Act. There is broad, bipartisan agreement that simplifying the nation’s byzantine student-loan programs is an important goal, which is a good start. But lawmakers must also examine how these programs may have encouraged more teachers to pursue education master’s degrees and driven up their price, and whether loan forgiveness programs actually do what they are supposed to — recruit and retain teachers, to the benefit of students.
A Labyrinth of Loans
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the rudimentary satellite Sputnik into low-earth orbit, thus marking the beginning of the “space race.” It was also the dawn of preferential federal student-loan programs to benefit students in critical fields, including teaching. Not only did Congress pass legislation using federal dollars to issue low-interest-rate loans to students in certain subject areas, but borrowers who went on to be teachers could have up to half of that debt forgiven. Lawmakers believed high-quality teachers unburdened by student-loan debt could now fully focus their efforts on educating the next generation of scientists and engineers to defeat the Soviet menace.
Federal student-aid programs have expanded sporadically in the decades since, and today, 9 out of every 10 student-loan dollars nationwide come from the federal government, totaling $96 billion in 2015–16 (see Figure 1). The borrowing limits and repayment rules are different for each loan program, and many of the terms like interest rates and fees vary as well. Students must fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form in order to obtain federal loans, but their finances have little bearing on their eligibility.
Students preparing to become teachers are eligible for four different types of federal loans. Through the Stafford Loan program, undergraduates can borrow between $5,500 and $12,500 each year from the U.S. Department of Education, depending on how many years they’ve been in school and whether they are considered financially dependent on their parents. Federal Perkins Loans—the descendants of the original “space race” loans—are also available at some, but not all, colleges and universities, with a combination of federal and institutional support worth up to $5,500 per year. Graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 a year using the Stafford Loan program, after which they may use the PLUS Loan program, which provides loans up to the cost of attendance, calculated as tuition plus living expenses.
In addition, federal TEACH Grants of up to $4,000 each year are available to aspiring teachers. While called “grants,” the funds come with complex strings attached and ultimately function more like loans. To avoid repayment, recipients must teach in a high-need field in a low-income school within one year of graduation, and spend four of the next eight years in that or a similarly qualifying role. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 74 percent of recipients will not meet those requirements and be required to repay their “grant” in full, with accrued interest dating back to the day the funds arrived.
Students preparing to be teachers access these programs in various ways. To get a sense of how much student-loan debt teachers accrue, on average, we look at federal loan data from the 2011–12 school year for undergraduate students who majored in education, who account for approximately 9 out of 10 students in traditional teacher-training programs nationwide. Graduates of those programs comprise about 70 percent of U.S. teachers.
Among undergraduate education majors, some 67 percent borrowed federal student loans—5 percentage points more than the overall population of bachelor’s degree recipients (see Figure 2). They accrued about as much federal debt, at $26,792, on average. Some 13 percent had Perkins Loans, with an average debt of $3,142. In addition, about 30,000 students nationwide receive TEACH Grants each year, worth $2,881, on average.
Teachers who go on to pursue master’s degrees accumulate significantly more debt. In 2011–12, 59 percent of students who completed master’s degrees in education borrowed federal loans for graduate school and accumulated $37,750 each, on average, from their graduate studies alone. In all, 67 percent of students who finished a master’s program in education carried student-loan debt from their undergraduate and graduate degrees, owing $48,685, on average.
A Maze of Forgiveness Programs
If navigating four different types of loans was not confusing enough, teachers may qualify for as many as four different loan-forgiveness programs passed by Congress in fits and starts over the past two decades.
Since its space-race inception, the Perkins Loan program has offered generous loan-forgiveness terms for teachers. Borrowers who work in a low-income school or in subject areas their state designates as in critical need, such as math and science, qualify to have a percentage of their Perkins debt canceled each year for five years until all of the debt is forgiven. But the generous nature of this benefit is limited, since few teachers have these loans and those who do tend to have low balances. Unlike every other forgiveness program, Perkins borrowers apply for forgiveness through their school rather than the federal government.
The limited availability of the Perkins program is partly what prompted Congress to create the Teacher Loan Forgiveness program for the more widely available Stafford Loans in 1998. Like the Perkins program, borrowers need either to teach high-need subjects or in schools serving predominantly low-income students. However, $5,000 of their Stafford debt is canceled in a lump sum after five consecutive years of monthly payments. Certain teachers can have even more debt forgiven: in 2004 and 2006, Congress increased the loan-forgiveness benefit to $17,500 for teachers in math, science, and special education.
Congress acted again in 2007 to provide more loan forgiveness, creating the TEACH Grant program for teachers and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), which benefits teachers and other public employees. Under that program, all outstanding student-loan debt is forgiven after 10 cumulative years of monthly payments while the individual is working in any federal, state, local, tribal, or 501(c)(3) nonprofit job.
Also in 2007, lawmakers passed legislation to decrease the amount workers had to pay each month. Through the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) program, monthly student-loan debt payments were capped at 15 percent of income beyond a large exemption. Three years later, that program was made more generous, with a 10 percent cap. The more-generous IBR program and PSLF are only applicable to Federal Direct Loans, as opposed to older Federal Family Education Loans, which were more costly to the government and were phased out in 2010. However, because of this technicality, in order to take advantage of these generous new payment and forgiveness programs, borrowers with older loans often need to consolidate them.
The piecemeal expansion of these programs over time reflects political expediency and the government’s efforts to wring inefficiencies out of the loan program. Under the old Federal Family Education Loan program, the government relied on private lenders to make most government-backed loans; as the government began to cut lenders’ subsidies in the 1990s and beyond, eventually moving to all direct lending in 2010, lawmakers had extra funds on their hands.
While lawmakers could have used those savings for anything, teacher loan forgiveness was an attractive option. Reallocating savings to other programs is more politically popular than reducing spending, so deficit reduction was always unlikely. But procedures and practices in Congress make it difficult to reallocate spending to just any government program—it’s much easier to reallocate those funds within the same agency or even the same set of programs.
Thus, Congress kept the savings in the federal student-loan program but shifted the funds from private lenders to teachers—a move hardly any politician could oppose. With each major change, lawmakers created a new forgiveness program without eliminating the old ones, unwilling to risk some subset of teachers losing out.
The benefits from loan-forgiveness and income-based repayment programs can add up. For a teacher earning the average starting salary of $36,141 with a typical undergraduate loan balance, enrolling in an income-based plan would save her as much as $200 a month: she’d pay $100–150, compared to $300 under the standard 10-year repayment plan. And because those lower payments cover little more than the accruing interest, with the forgiveness plan, after 10 years, most of her principal balance remains and will be forgiven.
That’s if she follows the right sets of rules at the right times, however. These programs are difficult to navigate and access, with competing sets of rules that affect borrowers in ways that are hard to predict. Loan-forgiveness programs do not automatically kick in once the requirements are met. Borrowers must re-enroll in income-based plans every year, track each loan type against the applicable loan-forgiveness qualifications, and submit paperwork to the federal Department of Education, or, in the case of Perkins, to the college they attended. And not only do the programs fail to work together well, they can contradict one another. At this point, the public-service forgiveness program is almost always the best option, making the older forgiveness programs developed specifically for teachers more like potential traps than benefits.
For example, Perkins Loans are not eligible for the income-based repayment plans unless the borrower consolidates the loans with her other federal student loans. But if she does that, her Perkins Loans lose eligibility for forgiveness under the Perkins program. If a teacher wants to maintain that benefit but repay her other loans under an income-based plan to qualify for public-service loan forgiveness, she’ll have to be sure she is paying off her Perkins Loan separately.
Then there is the Stafford Teacher Loan Forgiveness program. Teachers who take advantage of it after five years of payments, which gets them $5,000 to $17,500 in forgiveness, disqualify those years of payments from counting toward the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which forgives all outstanding debt at year 10.
Add to that the TEACH Grants, which automatically transform to loans, with back interest due, if teachers fail to hew to all of the rules. Meanwhile, teachers don’t make payments on these grants unless and until they convert to a loan, which can have dramatic and unintended side effects on loan forgiveness. Because the teacher does not make payments on them while they are grants, she is not accruing years of payments toward public-service loan forgiveness.
Say a teacher has $10,000 in TEACH Grants and another $50,000 in federal loans. After one year teaching in a high-needs school, she takes a job in a non-qualifying school nearby for the next four years. All the while, she has been making income-based payments on her $50,000 in loans, and at year five, is halfway toward receiving public-service loan forgiveness.
But in that fifth year, the TEACH Grants automatically convert to loans, because it has become impossible for her to meet the length-of-service requirement to teach at a high-needs school. Now she owes an additional $10,000 in student-loan debt, plus at least $2,000 in interest, and is facing 10 more years of payments before forgiveness. If she had instead opted to convert the TEACH Grants to a loan in year one, she would have avoided that problem and made only 10 years of payments. And even though her debt amount would have been greater, her payments would have remained the same, because the monthly bill is based on income, not debt. The “grant” money will cost her five additional years in income-based payments—years in which her income is growing, so her monthly debt-repayment bills will as well.
For Graduate School, the Sky’s the Limit
Another surprising side effect of loan forgiveness and income-based repayment programs is an explosion in teachers pursuing expensive graduate degrees—for free. Federal rules mean that taxpayers foot the bill, not teachers.
If a teacher with a master’s degree goes on to earn the median teacher’s salary in the U.S., even after making 10 years of income-based payments, she won’t have paid back more than the first $17,000 in federal student loans she borrowed as an undergraduate before the remainder of her debt is erased. Every dollar she borrowed for graduate school—which under federal rules can include living expenses—ends up being “free” (i.e., forgiven). That investment might be worthwhile if master’s degrees produced better teachers. However, an overwhelming amount of research has shown that teachers who have a master’s degree are no more effective, on average, than those who do not.
Yet our national investment in these programs is growing: more teachers are earning master’s degrees and amassing more student-loan debt to cover the costs. The percentage of teachers with a master’s degree grew from 42 percent in 2000 to 48 percent by 2012, while teacher salaries, adjusted for inflation, have been flat since 2004 (see Figure 3).
In 2000, 41 percent of master’s of education recipients had federal loans with an average balance of $26,650, including undergraduate and graduate school debt. By 2012, after the implementation of Grad PLUS and the promise of unlimited forgiveness, borrowing rates were up to 67 percent of students and the total average debt jumped by more than 80 percent, to $48,685. Compare that with students seeking a master’s in business administration: among students with loans, the average debt grew by only about 10 percent, from $40,839 in 2000 to $44,219 in 2012. You read that right: teachers now leave graduate school with about as much federal debt as MBAs.
Complicated and generous loan-forgiveness programs might be worth it if there were some evidence that loan forgiveness, rather than other interventions, is the best policy approach. In fact, there has never been a clearly stated rationale for loan forgiveness and there are no rigorous studies showing that it helps recruit or retain teachers. These programs are instead a politically convenient response to budgetary surpluses in the federal student-loan program, accounting rules, and turf wars between congressional committees. This pattern has repeated itself throughout the history of federal financial aid for higher education. It’s why the system is so complicated now, and why it’s so hard to reform.
A Better Way Forward
If Congress is convinced that the federal government should spend money to boost teachers’ disposable income, capping debt payments and forgiving loans are poor strategies. Subsidizing payments is a roundabout way of subsidizing income. Loan forgiveness does nothing to reduce a teacher’s monthly loan burden and its benefits are back-loaded. Plus, it is an opaque benefit. Teachers will struggle to understand what benefits they qualify for in advance. They might not ever learn about them, and the restrictions on who qualifies will arbitrarily shut out or deter otherwise deserving teachers.
A simpler approach would redirect the money for various loan-forgiveness programs to a federal income-tax credit for teachers. Lawmakers could tailor the tax credit in various ways, such as limiting the number of years teachers could claim it, or limiting eligibility to teachers in schools serving predominantly low-income students. Such credits could do all of the things loan-forgiveness programs are supposed to, such as boost teachers’ pay, offer an incentive to stay in the profession, and transfer federal resources to local schools. And they would free teachers from complicated, competing rules and regulations.
Of course, this would amount to a sizable increase in federal spending for K–12 education, benefiting a specific group of people—teachers. The politics of such investment is uncertain, especially since loan forgiveness and tax credits are the responsibility of different congressional committees. It’s also unclear whether federal intervention to raise teacher pay is desirable, would have a positive effect on retention, and would benefit student learning.
For one thing, money is not the main reason teachers cite for leaving the profession; working conditions are (see “The Revolving Door,” research, Winter 2004). A 2014 National Center for Education Statistics report shows that of teachers who left teaching voluntarily, only 7 percent left due to salary. The biggest reason cited by far was “personal life factors.” And among those who switched between teaching jobs, salary was rarely the biggest reason mentioned. Instead, it was “personal life factors” and “school factors” (otherwise known as “I didn’t like where I worked”).
In order to justify a federal policy to pay teachers more, policymakers would need to prove that higher pay would lead to better teachers and outcomes for students. They would also ideally be able to prove that recruiting better teachers (and thus depleting the labor pool for other careers) is beneficial to society. They would then need to explain why, if teachers are underpaid compared to their societal contributions, the federal government is able to recognize this and act on it but states and local school districts are not. And, finally, they would need to demonstrate that districts won’t simply use federal benefits to supplant planned increases in teacher pay. Perhaps all of the current subsidies baked in through loan forgiveness already are suppressing teacher salaries.
We don’t know the answers to these questions, but neither does anyone else, particularly members of Congress. They have consistently used federal dollars to create programs that benefit a limited group of individuals and institutions of higher education with no evidence that this approach benefits society, or even the targeted individuals. Of particular concern, the dynamics that led Congress to create multiple programs in the first place remain and are likely to work against consolidating the programs now. Simplification will be hard, because someone or some group will almost always end up with a smaller government benefit.
The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act presents an excellent opportunity for policymakers to create a clearer and fairer system with fewer hidden subsidies and perverse incentives. Doing that means asking basic questions, and being prepared for large-scale change. How should federal funds advance our education goals? Is paying for graduate school a sound investment in our nation’s teachers and schools? Do existing loan-forgiveness programs actually work, and how well? Advocates and policymakers must not let the prospective elimination of some programs be the enemy of simplifying and supporting others.
Jason Delisle is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Alexander Holt is an independent consultant in Washington, D.C.
This article appeared in the Fall 2017 issue of Education Next. Suggested citation format:
Delisle, J., and Holt, A. (2017). The Tangled World of Teacher Debt: Clashing rules and uncertain benefits for federal student-loan subsidies. Education Next, 17(4), 42-48. | <urn:uuid:bef7f7a3-10ea-4cc4-97bb-d24fa9b8abd1> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | https://www.educationnext.org/tangled-world-of-teacher-debt-rules-uncertain-benefits-federal-student-loan-subsidies/ | 2024-12-12T16:41:22Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066110042.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20241212155226-20241212185226-00147.warc.gz | en | 0.967027 | 4,222 | 2.6875 | 3 |
There are numerous reports of paranormal activity, making
it the most haunted American cemetery.
St Louis Cemetery Number 1 is one of three Roman Catholic cemeteries which make up Saint Louis Cemetery. It opened in 1789, to replace the old Saint Peters Cemetery, once located closer to the heart of the city. New Orleans was redesigned after the huge fire of 1788. It was thought that it would be healthier to have the cemetery further away from where people lived.
Though this high walled St. Louis Cemetery Number 1 is only one square block in diameter, it is the resting place of over 100,000 departed New Orleans citizens, due to burial customs, based on practicality. Because New Orleans has issues with high ground water, and a lack of land for burial, nearly all the graves are in above-ground vaults, which offered a variety of choices, showing the creativity of the human spirit. One does see one or two very old slab graves, with a slab of cement, bricks on top of the burial site, to keep the coffin(s) from popping out!
The traditional family vault ranged from simple to very grand: The deceased was placed in a wooden coffin, that was put in the above ground rectangular slot in the vault, and kept there for a year and a day. The coffin was then removed, and the bones were put in a bag, labeled and shoved to the back of the vault, leaving room for the next family member who may pass on. Sometimes the vault had another slot for an emergency, in case a death happened in the family or group before the year and a day time frame had elapsed. The grander the vault, the more slots were available. Sometimes, another vault space was borrowed in cases of multiple deaths in one year.
There were also group vaults, where a group of families or an organization got together and bought a large vault for their final resting place. These group vaults took on a variety of shapes in this cemetery of house-like vaults, which altogether resemble a neighborhood of structures for the dead.
Alleys and pathways wind around the various vaults of the very prominent, making the way to the very back of the cemetery, to the resting place of the lowly of their society. The paupers field area of unmarked graves is located here, for people who couldn’t afford to buy a vault, and had no one to offer a space in another vault for burial. Also in the back of the cemetery is where the Protestant and Jewish minorities were buried, separate from the Catholics, yet still allowed in the cemetery.
St Louis Cemetery Number 1 is the final resting place of a variety of characters; some of the very notable, others that were flawed yet good citizens, and some very infamous characters with personal issues as well.
In the notable category
One can find the family vault of Etienne de Boré, King’s Musketeer turned sugar entrepreneur and Mayor of New Orleans.
One can find the family vault of Paul Morphy, a world famous chess champion.
Also of note is the large memorial vault honoring the remains of the men who died in the Battle of New Orleans.
Flawed yet good citizens
Bernard de Marigny is best known for his love of gambling, and bringing the game of Hazard (craps) to New Orleans, though he also served honorably on the New Orleans City Council and as President of the Louisiana Senate. Because of his debts from gambling, Bernard sub-divided part of his plantation into sixty ft lots, which he sold to individuals for home development, becoming a real estate broker for a time, making money to feed his habit and support his luxurious, spoiled life-style. At the end of his life, he died without money because of his gambling, which eventually ate through the family fortune.
Infamous characters with personal issues
Model citizen turned Brigand, Barthelemy Lafon – Got off to a great start, as an architect, engineer, city planner for the City of New Orleans, making some great contributions. In 1803, when Americans began to flood New Orleans, he became Deputy Surveyor of Orleans County, and developed new housing and buildings in the Lower Garden District. However, after the Battle of New Orleans, he gave up his gifts and service, and joined the notorious Lafitte brothers, becoming a pirate and smuggler, being seduced by the thrills and easy, ill-gotten money. He died from yellow fever.
Voudou Priestess – Marie Laveau – She and then her daughter sought fame and attention through practicing Voudou “magic” for both the good of people and to bring negative consequences to those whom they thought deserved it. They developed huge followings and cult status.
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS
There are numerous reports of paranormal activity, earning this cemetery the honor by some as the most haunted cemetery in the United States. Here are just a few.
When a grave isn’t properly respected as a person’s remains, and honor due them is missing, entities have become restless, and haunt the area. Sometimes having personal regrets about life’s choices can cause restless spirits.
Voudou Priestess – Marie Laveau
Marie began life as an illegitimate daughter of a neglectful plantation owner and a free creole women. She married at 18 to a Haitian free man. Marie became a hair dresser to the wealthy after he died. She began to practice Voudou, and developed a huge following, by doing both good works, and other not so nice acts through her supposed magical powers, conjured up from a dark power.
Her practice was based on elements of the Catholic religion, African religion and culture. Realists say that the results of her magical powers were based on the information she was able to gather through her hair dressing occupation and the vast network of informants made up of the creole servants, working in the wealthy households. Others say she actually used the black arts of darkness.
Why? Perhaps she was trying to get even or have power and respect from her father’s class, and society in general, becoming something above her lowly beginning. Her many followers came from all walks of life, from the wealthy to the poor.
She did volunteer to take care of the sick along side the priest during the many epidemics which rolled through New Orleans, perhaps to develop good PR among the people, or perhaps because she did have a heart and a will to do good, underneath all her issues, and her quest for power and fame. When she died, her daughter, also named Marie took over her mother’s Voudou cult.
Marie Laveau was buried in an unmarked tomb, not in the family vault. Because of the fame and attention she received through practicing Voudou ” black magic”, the authorities didn’t want to turn the cemetery into a shrine for her followers. Her daughter Marie, also a Voudou Priestess was buried in the family vault years later, which may seem unfair to Marie Laveau, and perhaps has some regret about becoming involved with Voudou, as she is also seen praying twice a day at Saint Louis Cathedral-Basilica.
The Entity of Henry Vignes – Victim of a betrayal by a trusted person
Henry was a seaman, who foolishly gave the papers to his family’s vault to his landlady, who owned the building where he lived. He trusted her to be in charge if he died at sea. She proved to be of poor character, and she sold his vault for her personal gain. When he suddenly died, before he could seek justice, there was no vault to put him in, so he was buried in an unmarked grave in the back of this cemetery in the pauper’s field area.
Suffering a sudden, unexpected death, especially at the hands of another can cause restless spirits.
The entity of a young man – known as Alphonse – Never has gotten past his own demise…
He is lonely and misses his loved ones terribly. He seems to long for his home, and mourns his own death. This entity behaves like his life was suddenly taken from him, perhaps the victim of a member of the Pinead Clan, or a disease.
The Entity of Marie Laveau
Was not a happy camper, for a very long time. Her distinctive apparition had been seen in the area of her unmarked tomb, probably fuming, frustrated with the living, and longing for the fame and power she enjoyed during her life-time as a Voudou Priestess.
Perhaps she has regrets about turning from her Catholic faith, dividing her worship with the black arts, causing her burial to be anonymous. She has been seen, in a foul mood, storming along a pathway, chanting curses, aimed at the living.
She slapped a man who was passing by the area of her unmarked tomb. Perhaps he unknowingly stepped on her grave Perhaps he looked a lot like someone she was furious with when she was still alive.
Many believe that her death didn’t stop her from practicing her black magic, using the powers of darkness. Some say she turns herself into a black crow or a big black dog. Both such animals have been seen roaming the cemetery. Many people leave notes, requests, and offerings on the family vault for her.
Entity of Henry Vignes
In search of a vault for his remains.
Appears to the unsuspecting tourist or tour guide in a full, solid form, looking very much alive. He is described as tall, dressed in a white shirt, with piercing blue eyes, still looking for his family’s lost vault, or a place in someone else’s vault, so he could be properly buried.
It has been reported by witnesses, who are visiting the cemetery that the entity of Henry will approach the unsuspecting person, and ask if they know where his family’s old vault, for the Vignes family, is located. He then walks away and suddenly disappears.
Sometimes this entity will tap the living on the shoulder, and ask, “Do you know anything about this Tomb here?”
At family funerals, Henry has asked the mourners if there is any room in the vault for his remains.
Lonely entity of a young man – Alphonse
The entity of this young man will walk up to the visitor, looking like a real, live person, will take their hand into his ice cold hand, and with a big smile on his face, ask for help in going to his home. He will start to cry and then disappear.
This same entity is very much afraid of the Pinead family vault, and warns visitors to stay away from it.
The entity of Alphonse has been seen carrying vases and flowers from other vaults to his own, perhaps to try to make himself feel better.
Yes indeed, in a big way! Evidence abounds, pointing to the restless ones who walk its pathways, searching for the something that keeps them in this world.
Throughout the years, the living have gathered evidence of Orbs, taken photos with entities in full form, recorded EVPs, and experienced strange paranormal activity. The entity of Henry Vignes’ image has been seen in photos, wearing a dark suit with no shirt. On EVPs, he pleads with the living, “I need to rest!” The entity of Alphonse will also appear in photos, and his voice has been recorded on EVPs as well.
The restless, bitter entity of Marie Laveau – May have mellowed a bit. While her angry presence has been seen and heard by many eye witnesses throughout the years, she may have found some peace. Perhaps to try to calm her spirit, a plaque about Marie and her Voudou practice was placed on the outside of an unmarked tomb that possibly is her resting place, though nobody knows for sure. People have marked three Saint Louis-cemeteries on the outside of the vault, leave a note about their request, and leave an offering. When they believe that their wish came true because of her, they draw a line through the three Xs.
499 Basin Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
St. Louis Cemetery Number 1 can be found just northwest of Basin St, and just 1 block west of N. Rampart St, which is the furthest inland border of the French Quarter. It is 8 blocks from the Mississippi River, being the riverside border of the French Quarter. St. Louis St. borders the cemetery’s eastern side, while its western and northern sides have the Iberville public housing as its neighbors.
NOTE: Because of its closeness to the Iberville public housing, which in the past has housed a few people who like to rob tourists in the narrow alleys between vaults, there is a high wall surrounding the cemetery, and the cemetery closes at 3:00 sharp. It is strongly recommended that tourists visit via a tour group. When the gates are locked, the cemetery is left to the restless spirits who walk its paths.
Tom and I took the Haunted Cemetery Tour, run by a preservation group. No ghost stories were told, but we learned a lot about this cemetery and the people whose remains are in these vaults.
- HAUNTED PLACES: The National Directory
by Dennis William Hauk – Penguin Books 2002 - The Saint Louis Cemetery page on Wikipedia
- “The Ten Most Haunted Places in New Orleans, Louisiana To see a Real Ghost!” on Haunted America Tours
Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr
Our Photos are copyrighted by Tom Carr
Visit the memorable… Milwaukee Haunted Hotel
VIDEOS TO WATCH: | <urn:uuid:344eb3c1-d835-4f6c-aeb9-b6e2dfe7189a> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | http://hauntedhouses.com/louisiana/st-louis-cemetery/ | 2024-12-11T03:04:42Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066072935.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20241211020256-20241211050256-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.98384 | 2,843 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Quick Guide to Sharpening Garden Tools:
– Step 1: Clean your tools to remove any dirt or rust.
– Step 2: Inspect for damage and identify sharp edges.
– Step 3: Choose the right sharpening tool: a mill file for larger tools, and a whetstone or diamond hone for finer blades.
– Step 4: Sharpen the tool, maintaining the original angle.
– Step 5: Clean and oil the tool to prevent rust.
Gardening is more than just a hobby; it’s a passion that requires time, effort, and the right set of tools. But even the best garden tools can lose their edge, literally and figuratively, if not properly maintained. Sharpening your garden tools is not only about keeping them effective but also about keeping you safe. Dull tools require more force to use, increasing the risk of accidents. Plus, a sharp tool makes gardening tasks easier and more enjoyable.
The helpful team at Lowcountry Ace understands the importance of maintaining your gardening arsenal. Whether you’re pruning delicate blooms with shears, slicing through tough soil with a trowel, or chopping thick branches with snips, having sharp tools can transform gardening from a chore into a delightful experience. And let’s not forget, proper tool maintenance extends the life of your investments, ensuring your beloved garden tools are ready and able for seasons to come.
Keeping your tools sharp, clean, and in good working order not only enhances your gardening efficiency but also protects your plants from damage and disease. Let’s dig into how to sharpen your gardening tools in a few simple steps, ensuring safety and maintaining the joy of gardening.
Identifying Tools That Need Sharpening
When spring rolls around, it’s time to get your garden back in shape. But before you start, you need to make sure your tools are ready for the job. Not sure which tools need sharpening? Here’s a quick guide to help you identify them.
Pruning Shears and Snips
These are your garden’s surgeons. They help you cut and shape your plants, keeping them healthy. If your pruning shears are dull, they can damage your plants instead of helping them. Look for signs of dullness, like if it’s hard to cut through stems or if the cuts are jagged.
A sharp harvest knife makes harvesting your fruits and veggies a breeze. A dull knife can crush or damage your produce. If you have to apply more force than usual, it’s time to sharpen your knife.
Hand Tools, Trowels, and Hoes
These are the workhorses of your garden. They dig, weed, and till the soil. If they’re dull, you’ll find yourself working harder and possibly damaging your plants or soil structure. Check the edges for bluntness or nicks.
How Do I Know If They Really Need Sharpening?
Here are a few simple tests:
- Visual Inspection: Look for visible signs of wear, like nicks, dents, or a shiny, polished edge.
- The Paper Test: Try cutting a piece of paper with the tool. If it cuts cleanly, it’s sharp. If it tears or can’t cut, it needs sharpening.
- The Performance Test: If you’re using more force than usual or the tool isn’t performing well, it probably needs sharpening.
Keeping your tools sharp is not just about making your gardening easier. It’s also about safety. Dull tools require more force, increasing the risk of accidents. Plus, clean cuts are better for your plants, reducing the risk of disease.
Now that you know which tools need sharpening, let’s move on to preparing your tools for sharpening. This next step is crucial for a successful sharpening session.
Preparing Your Tools for Sharpening
Before you start sharpening your garden tools, it’s important to prepare them properly. This will make the sharpening process easier and more effective. Here’s how to get your tools ready in a few simple steps:
First things first, you need to get rid of any dirt, plant material, or other debris stuck to your tools. Use a stiff brush or a piece of cloth to clean them off. This step is important because debris can interfere with the sharpening process and may even cause your tools to rust.
Wash and Dry
After removing the loose debris, wash your tools with soapy water to ensure they are completely clean. A clean tool will give you a clear view of the blade’s condition and make it easier to sharpen accurately. After washing, dry your tools thoroughly with a towel to prevent rusting. Water is an enemy to metal!
If your tools have developed rust, don’t worry, you can still save them. Use sandpaper or steel wool to scrub off the rust. Start with a coarser grit sandpaper to remove the bulk of the rust, then switch to a finer grit to smooth out the surface. For tough rust, soaking the tool in white vinegar overnight before scrubbing can work wonders.
Sandpaper and Steel Wool
Sandpaper and steel wool are your best friends when it comes to preparing your tools for sharpening. After removing rust, you can use these materials to polish the blade and remove any remaining imperfections. This step ensures that your sharpening efforts are not wasted on a damaged or uneven surface.
By following these preparation steps, you’re setting yourself up for a successful sharpening session. Clean, rust-free tools are much easier to sharpen, and the effort you put into preparation will pay off in the form of sharp, efficient garden tools. With your tools now ready, you can move on to the actual sharpening process with confidence.
Next, we’ll explore the specific techniques and tools needed to sharpen different types of garden tools, ensuring they’re in top condition for your gardening tasks. Whether you’re dealing with pruning shears or a sturdy spade, the right approach will make all the difference. Stay tuned for detailed insights into bringing your garden tools back to their best.
Sharpening Techniques for Different Tools
Sharpening your garden tools not only makes your gardening tasks easier but also prolongs the life of your tools. Let’s dive into how to sharpen different types of garden tools using the right techniques and tools.
Pruning Shears and Snips
Mill File & Diamond Hone: For pruning shears and snips, you’ll want to start with a mill file to remove any nicks and smooth out imperfections. Follow up with a diamond hone to refine the edge. Focus on the beveled edge only, maintaining the original angle.
Beveled Edge & Single-Bevel: Most pruning shears have a single-beveled edge, meaning you only need to sharpen one side. Keep the file or hone at the same angle as the bevel to ensure an evenly sharpened blade.
De-burring: After sharpening, a burr (a thin ridge of roughness) may form on the opposite side of the edge. Gently remove this burr by running your file or hone lightly across the flat side.
Harvest Knives and Straight-edge Hoes
File Direction & Diamond Hone: Use a diamond hone for your harvest knives, moving in one direction along the blade’s edge to maintain consistency. A flat file works well for straight-edge hoes, using even strokes to maintain the edge.
Angle Consistency: The key to a sharp edge is maintaining a consistent angle. Typically, a 20-degree angle works well for knives, while hoes might require a slightly more obtuse angle.
Fine, Coarse Hone: Start with a coarse side of the hone to remove any significant dullness or damage, then finish with the fine side to polish the edge.
Trowels and Spade Shovels
Flat File: Use a flat file for trowels and spade shovels. Secure the tool and file along the edge, maintaining even pressure to ensure a uniform sharpness.
Edge Cleaning & Safety Precautions: After filing, clean any metal filings from the edge. Always wear gloves and protective eyewear when sharpening to prevent injuries.
Broadforks and Other Non-Sharp Tools
Maintenance & Adjustment: While not all garden tools require a sharp edge, tools like broadforks still need regular maintenance. Check for any loose screws or parts and tighten them. Clean the tool after each use to prevent rust.
Cleaning & Oil Treatment: Use a wire brush to remove dirt and rust. After cleaning, apply a light coat of oil, such as Camellia oil, to protect the metal from rust and keep moving parts working smoothly.
By following these sharpening techniques, you can ensure your garden tools are always ready for the job. The helpful team at Lowcountry Ace is always available to provide advice and supplies for your garden tool maintenance needs. Keep your tools sharp, and they’ll make your gardening efforts more productive and enjoyable.
Aftercare and Maintenance
After you’ve sharpened your garden tools, it’s crucial to take steps to maintain their condition. This ensures they stay sharp and functional for as long as possible. Here’s how to do it:
Once your tools are sharp, applying a light coat of oil is essential. This prevents rust and keeps the tools moving smoothly. A little goes a long way. Use a clean rag or towel to apply the oil evenly across all metal surfaces.
There are several types of oils you can use for your garden tools. Tung, linseed, and even walnut oil are excellent choices. Each of these oils dries quickly and provides a protective layer against moisture and rust. Linseed oil is particularly recommended for wooden handles, as it penetrates deeply and preserves the wood.
Proper storage is key to keeping your tools in good shape. Ensure they are stored in a dry and clean area where they are easily accessible. Tools left on the ground can get damp or damaged, so consider hanging them up.
For storing tools over longer periods, like during the off-season, applying mineral oil is a great option. It’s heavier than the oils used for regular maintenance and provides a thicker barrier against rust.
A clever storage solution is to use magnetic knife strips. Install these strips on walls or in your storage shed. They can hold a variety of tools and keep them off the ground, reducing clutter and minimizing damage risk. This method makes it easy to grab the tools you need without digging through a pile or drawer.
By following these aftercare and maintenance tips, you’ll extend the life of your garden tools significantly. Regular lubrication and proper storage are simple yet effective practices that keep your tools in top condition. And remember, the helpful team at Lowcountry Ace is always ready to assist with advice and the right products for your garden tool care. Keep your tools well-maintained, and they’ll serve you well in creating a beautiful garden.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sharpening Garden Tools
When it comes to maintaining your garden tools, sharpening them is a key practice for ensuring they work efficiently and safely. However, many gardeners have questions about the best practices for sharpening their tools. Below, we address some of the most common queries with simple, straightforward advice.
Can I use a kitchen knife sharpener on garden tools?
While you might be tempted to use a kitchen knife sharpener for convenience, it’s not the ideal solution for garden tools. Kitchen knife sharpeners are designed for smaller, thinner blades and may not be effective or safe for the thicker, often more robust blades of garden tools. Instead, using a mill file, whetstone, or diamond hone is recommended depending on the tool. This ensures a more appropriate sharpening technique that matches the specific needs of each garden tool.
How often should I sharpen my garden tools?
The frequency of sharpening your garden tools can vary based on how often you use them and what you’re using them for. As a general rule, sharpening at the start of the gardening season will prepare your tools for the work ahead. However, if you notice your tools are becoming dull mid-season, giving them a quick sharpen can improve their performance. For heavily used tools like pruning shears, a mid-season touch-up might be necessary to keep them in optimal condition.
What is the best way to test the sharpness of my tools?
There are a few simple methods to test the sharpness of your garden tools. One straightforward way is to visually inspect the blade. Look for any nicks or dullness along the edge. Another method is the paper test: try slicing through a piece of paper with the tool. A sharp blade should cut through the paper cleanly and easily. For tools like pruning shears, you might also test them on a plant in your garden. A clean, easy cut indicates a sharp tool, while a jagged or difficult cut suggests it’s time for sharpening.
Keeping your garden tools sharp is not just about making your gardening tasks easier; it’s also about safety. A sharp tool is more predictable and requires less force, reducing the risk of accidents. If you’re ever unsure about how to properly sharpen your tools, the helpful team at Lowcountry Ace is ready to assist. With the right knowledge and tools, you can ensure your garden tools are always in the best shape for the job.
Taking the time to sharpen your garden tools is more than just a chore; it’s an investment in your garden’s future and your own safety. By following the simple steps we’ve outlined, you’re not only ensuring that your tools last longer, but you’re also enhancing your overall gardening experience. Sharp tools mean cleaner cuts, less effort, and more enjoyable gardening.
At Lowcountry Ace, we understand the importance of keeping your garden tools in top condition. It’s not just about the immediate results; it’s about fostering a relationship with your garden that is both fruitful and fulfilling. We’ve seen how well-maintained tools can transform gardening from a task into a passion. And when your tools work with you, rather than against you, the joy of gardening only grows.
A sharp tool is a safe tool. Dull blades can make gardening a struggle and even lead to accidents. By keeping your tools sharp, you’re taking an important step towards safer gardening practices. And if you ever have questions or need assistance, the helpful team at Lowcountry Ace is here to help. We’re not just a store; we’re a community of gardening enthusiasts committed to helping you achieve your gardening goals.
So, whether you’re pruning delicate flowers or tackling tough soil, the state of your tools can make all the difference. Visit us at Lowcountry Ace for all your gardening needs, from high-quality tools to expert advice. Together, we can ensure that your garden tools—and your garden—thrive for seasons to come.
Happy gardening from all of us at Lowcountry Ace!
Lowcountry Ace Hardware: Your one-stop shop for home improvement. We offer quality products from trusted brands and expert advice from our experienced staff. Located on James Island, visit us for tools, hardware, fishing gear, power tools, building materials, grills & smokers, electrical and plumbing supplies, and more. | <urn:uuid:22813562-0b66-48f3-ad80-0e8b1c4205fa> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | https://www.lowcountryace.com/2024/03/21/how-do-i-sharpen-garden-tools/ | 2024-12-06T04:05:24Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066368854.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20241206032528-20241206062528-00582.warc.gz | en | 0.913533 | 3,254 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Physician-Assisted Dying is Now Legal in Multiple Places, But the Taboo Persists
Taboo topics occupy a difficult place in the history of medicine. Society has long been reticent about confronting stigmatized conditions, forcing many patients to suffer in silence and isolation, often with poorer care.
"Classically, doctors don't purposely kill people. That is really the core of the resistance."
AIDS activists recognized this in the 1980s when they coined the phrase Silence = Death to generate public debate and action over a growing epidemic that until then had existed largely in the shadows. The slogan and the activists behind it were remarkably successful at changing the public discourse.
It is not a lone example. Post-World War II medicine is better because it came to deal more forthrightly with a broad range of medical conditions from conception/abortion, to cancer, to sexually transmitted infections. The most recent issue to face such scrutiny is physician-assisted dying (PAD).
"Classically, doctors don't purposely kill people…that is really the core of the resistance" to PAD from the provider perspective, says Neil Wenger, an internist and ethicist at the University of California Los Angeles who focuses on end-of-life issues.
But from the patient perspective, the option of PAD "provides important psychological benefits ... because it gives the terminally ill autonomy, control, and choice," argued the American Public Health Association in support of Oregon's death with dignity legislation.
Jack Kervorkian, "Dr. Death," was one of the first to broach the subject when few in polite society were willing to do so. The modern era truly began twenty years ago when the citizens of Oregon embraced the option of death with dignity in a public referendum, over the objections of their political leaders.
Expansion of the legal option in North America was incremental until 2016 when the Supreme Court in Canada and legislators in California decided that control over one's body extended to death, at least under certain explicit conditions.
An estimated 18 percent of Americans now live in jurisdictions that provide the legal option of assisted death, but exercising that right can be difficult. Only a fraction of one percent of deaths are by PAD, even in Oregon.
Few organizations of healthcare professionals in the U.S. support PAD; some actively oppose it, others have switched to a position of neutrality while they study the issue.
One doctor wanted to organize a discussion of physician-assisted dying at his hospital, but administrators forbade it.
But once a jurisdiction makes the political/legal decision that patients have a right to physician-assisted death, what are the roles and responsibilities of medical stakeholders? Can they simply opt out in a vow of silence? Or do organizations bear some sort of obligation to ensure access to that right, no matter their own position, particularly when they are both regulated by and receive operating funds from public sources?
The law in California and other U.S. jurisdictions reflects ambivalence about PAD by treating it differently from other medical practices, says David Magnus, an ethicist at Stanford University School of Medicine. It is allowed but "it's intentionally a very, very burdensome process."
Medical decisions, including withdrawing life support or a do not resuscitate [DNR] order, are between a physician and the patient or guardian. But PAD requires outside consultation and documentation that is quite rigorous, even burdensome, Magnus explains. He recalls one phone consult with a physician who had to re-have a conversation with a patient at home in order to meet the regulatory requirements for a request for assistance in dying. "So it is not surprising that it is utilized so infrequently."
The federal government has erected its own series of barriers. Roused by the experience in Oregon, opponents tried to ban PAD at the national level. They failed but did the next best thing; they prohibited use of federal funds to pay for or even discuss PAD. That includes Medicare, Medicaid, and the large health delivery systems run by the Pentagon and Veterans Affairs. The restrictions parallel those on federal funding for access to abortion and medical marijuana.
Even physicians who support and perform PAD are reluctant to talk about it. They are unwilling to initiate the discussion with patients, says Mara Buchbinder, a bioethicist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has interviewed physicians, patients, and families about their experience with assisted dying in Vermont.
"There is a stigma for health care workers to talk about this; they feel that they are not supported," says Buchbinder. She relates how one doctor wanted to organize a discussion of PAD at his hospital, but administrators forbade it. And when the drug used to carry out the procedure became prohibitively expensive, other physicians were not aware of alternatives.
"This just points to large inadequacies in medical preparation around end-of-life conversations," says Buchbinder, a view endorsed by many experts interviewed for this article.
These inadequacies are reinforced when groups like the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC), a 140-member organizational alliance that champions improved end-of-life care, dodges the issue. A spokesman said simply, PAD "is not within the scope of our work."
The American Medical Association has had a policy in place opposing PAD since 1993. Two years ago, its House of Delegates voted to reevaluate their position in light of evolving circumstances. Earlier this year the Council of Ethical and Judicial Affairs recommended continued opposition, but in June, the House of Delegates rejected that recommendation (56 to 44 percent) and directed the Council to keep studying the issue.
Only those with the economic and social capital and network of advocates will succeed in exercising this option.
Kaiser Permanente has provided assisted dying to its members in multiple states beginning with Oregon and has done "a wonderful job" according to supporters of PAD. But it has declined to discuss those activities publicly despite a strenuous effort to get them to do so.
Rather than drawing upon formal structures for leadership and guidance, doctors who are interested in learning more about PAD are turning to the ad hoc wisdom of providers from Oregon and Washington who have prior experience. Magnus compares it with what usually happens when a new intervention or technology comes down the pike: "People who have done it, have mastered it, pass that knowledge on to other people so they know how to do it."
Buchbinder says it becomes an issue of social justice when providers are not adequately trained, and when patients are not ordinarily offered the option of a medical service in jurisdictions where it is their right.
Legalization of PAD "does not guarantee practical access, and well-intentioned policies designed to protect vulnerable groups may at times reinforce or exacerbate health care inequalities," she says. Only those with the economic and social capital and network of advocates will succeed in exercising this option.
Canada provides a case study of how one might address PAD. They largely settled on the term medical aid in dying – often shortened to MAID – as the more neutral phrase for their law and civil discourse.
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) decided early on to thread the needle; to not take a position on the core issue of morality but to proactively foster public discussion of those issues as the legal challenge to the ban on assisted dying headed to that country's Supreme Court.
"We just felt that it was too important for the profession to sit on the sidelines and not be part of the discussion," says Jeff Blackmer, CMA's vice president for medical professionalism.
It began by shifting the focus of discussion from a yes/no on the morality of MAID to the questions of, "If the court rules that the current laws are unconstitutional, and they allow assisted dying, how should the profession react and how should we respond? And how does the public think that the profession should respond?"
"I had to wear a flack jacket, a bulletproof vest, and there were plainclothes police officers with guns in the audience because it is really really very controversial."
The CMA teamed up with Maclean's magazine to host a series of five town hall meetings throughout the country. Assisted dying was discussed in a context of palliative care, advanced care planning, and other end-of-life issues.
There was fear that MAID might raise passions and even violence that has been seen in recent controversies over abortion. "I had to wear a flack jacket, a bulletproof vest, and there were plainclothes police officers with guns in the audience because it is really really very controversial," Blackmer recalls. Thankfully there were no major incidents.
The CMA also passed a resolution at its annual meeting supporting the right of its members to opt out of participating in MAID, within the confines of whatever law might emerge.
Once legislation and regulations began taking shape, the CMA created training materials on the ethical, legal, and practical consideration that doctors and patients might face. It ordinarily does not get involved with clinical education and training.
Stefanie Green is president of Canadian Association of MAID Assessors & Providers, a professional medical association that supports those working in the area of assisted dying, educates the public and health care community, and provides leadership on setting medical standards. Green acknowledges the internal pressures the CMA faced, and says, "I do understand their stance is as positive as it gets for medical associations."
Back in the USofA
Prohibitionism – the just say no approach – does not work when a substantial number of people want something, as demonstrated with alcohol, marijuana, opioids for pain relief, and reproductive control. Reason suggests a harm reduction strategy is the more viable approach.
"Right now we're stuck in the worst of all worlds because we've made [PAD] sort of part of medicine, but sort of illicit and sort of shameful. And we sort of allow it, but we sort of don't, we make it hard," says Stanford's Magnus. "And that's a no man's land where we are stuck."
If you were one of the millions who masked up, washed your hands thoroughly and socially distanced, pat yourself on the back—you may have helped change the course of human history.
Scientists say that thanks to these safety precautions, which were introduced in early 2020 as a way to stop transmission of the novel COVID-19 virus, a strain of influenza has been completely eliminated. This marks the first time in human history that a virus has been wiped out through non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as vaccines.
The flu shot, explained
Influenza viruses type A and B are responsible for the majority of human illnesses and the flu season.
Centers for Disease Control
For more than a decade, flu shots have protected against two types of the influenza virus–type A and type B. While there are four different strains of influenza in existence (A, B, C, and D), only strains A, B, and C are capable of infecting humans, and only A and B cause pandemics. In other words, if you catch the flu during flu season, you’re most likely sick with flu type A or B.
Flu vaccines contain inactivated—or dead—influenza virus. These inactivated viruses can’t cause sickness in humans, but when administered as part of a vaccine, they teach a person’s immune system to recognize and kill those viruses when they’re encountered in the wild.
Each spring, a panel of experts gives a recommendation to the US Food and Drug Administration on which strains of each flu type to include in that year’s flu vaccine, depending on what surveillance data says is circulating and what they believe is likely to cause the most illness during the upcoming flu season. For the past decade, Americans have had access to vaccines that provide protection against two strains of influenza A and two lineages of influenza B, known as the Victoria lineage and the Yamagata lineage. But this year, the seasonal flu shot won’t include the Yamagata strain, because the Yamagata strain is no longer circulating among humans.
How Yamagata Disappeared
Flu surveillance data from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) shows that the Yamagata lineage of flu type B has not been sequenced since April 2020.
Experts believe that the Yamagata lineage had already been in decline before the pandemic hit, likely because the strain was naturally less capable of infecting large numbers of people compared to the other strains. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the resulting safety precautions such as social distancing, isolating, hand-washing, and masking were enough to drive the virus into extinction completely.
Because the strain hasn’t been circulating since 2020, the FDA elected to remove the Yamagata strain from the seasonal flu vaccine. This will mark the first time since 2012 that the annual flu shot will be trivalent (three-component) rather than quadrivalent (four-component).
Should I still get the flu shot?
The flu shot will protect against fewer strains this year—but that doesn’t mean we should skip it. Influenza places a substantial health burden on the United States every year, responsible for hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths. The flu shot has been shown to prevent millions of illnesses each year (more than six million during the 2022-2023 season). And while it’s still possible to catch the flu after getting the flu shot, studies show that people are far less likely to be hospitalized or die when they’re vaccinated.
Another unexpected benefit of dropping the Yamagata strain from the seasonal vaccine? This will possibly make production of the flu vaccine faster, and enable manufacturers to make more vaccines, helping countries who have a flu vaccine shortage and potentially saving millions more lives.
On a visit to his grandmother’s nursing home in 2016, college student Lewis Hornby made a shocking discovery: Dehydration is a common (and dangerous) problem among seniors—especially those that are diagnosed with dementia.
Hornby’s grandmother, Pat, had always had difficulty keeping up her water intake as she got older, a common issue with seniors. As we age, our body composition changes, and we naturally hold less water than younger adults or children, so it’s easier to become dehydrated quickly if those fluids aren’t replenished. What’s more, our thirst signals diminish naturally as we age as well—meaning our body is not as good as it once was in letting us know that we need to rehydrate. This often creates a perfect storm that commonly leads to dehydration. In Pat’s case, her dehydration was so severe she nearly died.
When Lewis Hornby visited his grandmother at her nursing home afterward, he learned that dehydration especially affects people with dementia, as they often don’t feel thirst cues at all, or may not recognize how to use cups correctly. But while dementia patients often don’t remember to drink water, it seemed to Hornby that they had less problem remembering to eat, particularly candy.
Where people with dementia often forget to drink water, they're more likely to pick up a colorful snack, Hornby found. alzheimers.org.uk
Hornby wanted to create a solution for elderly people who struggled keeping their fluid intake up. He spent the next eighteen months researching and designing a solution and securing funding for his project. In 2019, Hornby won a sizable grant from the Alzheimer’s Society, a UK-based care and research charity for people with dementia and their caregivers. Together, through the charity’s Accelerator Program, they created a bite-sized, sugar-free, edible jelly drop that looked and tasted like candy. The candy, called Jelly Drops, contained 95% water and electrolytes—important minerals that are often lost during dehydration. The final product launched in 2020—and was an immediate success. The drops were able to provide extra hydration to the elderly, as well as help keep dementia patients safe, since dehydration commonly leads to confusion, hospitalization, and sometimes even death.
Not only did Jelly Drops quickly become a favorite snack among dementia patients in the UK, but they were able to provide an additional boost of hydration to hospital workers during the pandemic. In NHS coronavirus hospital wards, patients infected with the virus were regularly given Jelly Drops to keep their fluid levels normal—and staff members snacked on them as well, since long shifts and personal protective equipment (PPE) they were required to wear often left them feeling parched.
In April 2022, Jelly Drops launched in the United States. The company continues to donate 1% of its profits to help fund Alzheimer’s research. | <urn:uuid:d7174f03-8b22-4eca-befb-0cd242de5c0b> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | https://upworthyscience.com/physician-assisted-dying-is-now-legal-in-multiple-places-but-the-taboo-persists/ | 2024-12-01T18:08:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066035857.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20241201162023-20241201192023-00546.warc.gz | en | 0.969309 | 3,468 | 2.625 | 3 |
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. These episodes of breathlessness can last from several seconds to minutes and occur multiple times throughout the night. It is estimated that around 22 million Americans suffer from this condition, although many cases go undiagnosed due to its nature as an invisible disorder.
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This occurs when the throat muscles intermittently relax and block the airway during sleep, resulting in difficulty breathing and reduced oxygen levels in the blood stream. Other types include central sleep apnea which results from signals within your brain not reaching your respiratory system correctly; complex-sleep apnea syndrome where both OSA and central are present; and upper airway resistance syndrome which involves narrowing of the upper airway but without complete obstruction.
It’s important for individuals with symptoms suggestive of any type of sleep apnea to seek medical advice for diagnosis and treatment options available so they can get back on track towards better health outcomes.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder linked to disruptions in breathing during sleep. It can be caused by several different factors, including physical abnormalities of the upper airway, lifestyle choices and underlying medical conditions. There are three main types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central and mixed.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of this disorder. OSA occurs when the muscles at the back of throat relax too much while sleeping, causing an obstruction that blocks airflow through the airway. This results in pauses in breathing or shallow breaths throughout the night which can cause snoring or gasping for breath as well as disrupted sleep patterns. Factors such as obesity and smoking have been linked to increased risk for developing OSA due to their effects on muscle tone around the throat area.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) is less common than OSA but still affects a significant number of people each year. CSA happens when signals from your brain fail to reach your breathing muscles, resulting in pauses between breaths or shallow breaths throughout the night without any obstruction blocking airflow through your airways like with OSA . This form can be caused by certain medications or illnesses affecting how your brain sends signals to control breathing during restful states like sleeping .
It’s important for anyone who suspects they may have one of these forms of sleep apnea to consult with their doctor about diagnosis and treatment options available so they can get quality restful nights’ sleeps free from disruptions associated with this condition
The Different Types of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that can have a range of physical and mental health consequences. It occurs when breathing stops or becomes shallow during sleep, resulting in poor quality of rest. There are three main types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common form of this condition and occurs when the airway collapses or becomes blocked due to excessive relaxation of throat muscles during sleep. This type usually results from anatomical abnormalities such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids, obesity-related fat deposition around the neck area, recessed chin or small jawbone structure etc., which causes an obstruction in normal airflow while sleeping.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) on the other hand is caused by disruption in communication between brain signals and breathing muscles due to neurological conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s disease etc. The individual may not be able to control their own breathing patterns properly leading to pauses in breath during sleep. Mixed Sleep Apnea combines both OSA and CSA with various symptoms from each type present at different times throughout the night making it more difficult for diagnosis and treatment plan formulation than either one alone.
It is important for individuals who suspect they may have any kind of sleep apnea to seek medical advice as soon as possible so that an accurate diagnosis can be made and appropriate treatment options discussed with them before further complications arise from untreated cases.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that affects millions of people around the world. It is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, which can cause disruptions to normal sleep patterns and lead to daytime fatigue, irritability, and other health issues. Knowing the symptoms of this condition can help individuals seek treatment before their health deteriorates further.
One common symptom of sleep apnea is snoring. This occurs due to airway obstruction caused by relaxed or collapsed tissues in the throat, resulting in noisy inhalation and exhalation as one sleeps. Other signs include frequent awakenings throughout the night accompanied by gasping for breath or choking sounds; morning headaches; dry mouth upon awakening; difficulty concentrating during the day; mood swings; depression or anxiety; and high blood pressure levels. If someone notices any combination of these symptoms, they should consult with a doctor immediately for proper diagnosis and treatment options.
Another indicator that an individual may have sleep apnea is if they are excessively sleepy during waking hours despite getting adequate amounts of rest at night. This could be due to poor quality sleep caused by pauses in breathing while asleep which disrupts normal sleeping patterns. Individuals who experience excessive daytime drowsiness should take note if it persists over time because it could be indicative of a more serious underlying issue such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
Diagnosing sleep apnea is a multi-step process that begins with an initial consultation. During this appointment, the doctor will ask questions about your medical history and lifestyle to determine if you are at risk for sleep apnea. The doctor may also perform a physical exam and take measurements of your neck size, body mass index (BMI), and other factors that could contribute to the condition.
The next step in diagnosing sleep apnea is typically an overnight sleep study or polysomnogram. This test monitors your brain activity, breathing patterns, oxygen levels, heart rate, and other vital signs while you are asleep. It can help confirm whether or not you have obstructive sleep apnea and provide insight into how severe it is. Additionally, some doctors may recommend home testing devices such as pulse oximeters or portable monitoring systems that allow patients to track their own sleeping habits over time.
In addition to these tests, doctors may use imaging scans such as X-rays or CT scans to look for anatomical abnormalities in the airways that could be contributing to the condition. These tests can also help rule out any potential underlying conditions such as tumors or enlarged adenoids which might be causing obstruction during sleep. Ultimately, all of these diagnostic tools work together to give doctors a comprehensive picture of what’s going on so they can make informed decisions about treatment options moving forward
Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea
Treatment for sleep apnea can vary depending on the severity of the condition. Mild cases are often treated with lifestyle changes such as avoiding alcohol or sleeping in a different position to improve air flow. In more severe cases, medical intervention may be necessary and there are several options available. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is one of the most common treatments and involves wearing a mask that delivers pressurized air into your nose while you sleep. This helps keep your airways open so that you can breathe easily during the night.
Another option is an oral appliance which works by moving your lower jaw forward slightly to increase space in the throat area allowing easier breathing when asleep. Surgery may also be recommended if other treatments have not been successful, however this should only ever be considered as a last resort after all other options have been explored and discussed with a doctor or specialist first.
Finally, making lifestyle changes such as losing weight, quitting smoking and reducing stress levels can help reduce symptoms of sleep apnea significantly without having to rely on medication or surgery for relief from symptoms. Exercise regularly, practice good sleeping habits and try relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation can also help improve overall health and wellbeing which will contribute towards better quality sleep free from snoring or obstructed breathing at night time
Understanding the Benefits of Snore-Free Sleep
Snoring is a common problem that can have a serious impact on both the person snoring and their partner. Snoring can be disruptive to sleep, leading to fatigue during the day, as well as other health issues such as high blood pressure. Fortunately, there are treatments available for those who suffer from snoring.
Sleep apnea treatment centers provide comprehensive services designed to reduce or eliminate snoring and improve overall sleeping quality. These services include lifestyle changes such as avoiding alcohol before bedtime and losing weight if necessary; medical interventions like Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy; and surgical procedures such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). Each of these approaches has its own benefits in terms of reducing or eliminating snore-related symptoms.
In addition to improving sleep quality through reduced noise levels, treating sleep apnea can also lead to improved mental clarity and alertness during waking hours due to better restful nights’ sleeps. Furthermore, it may help reduce cardiovascular risks associated with untreated obstructive sleep apnea by restoring normal oxygen levels in the body during night-time respiration cycles. With all these potential benefits in mind, seeking professional assistance at a Sleep Apnea Center is highly recommended for anyone suffering from excessive snoring or breathing difficulties while asleep.
How to Get Started at the Sleep Apnea Center
The first step in getting started at the Sleep Apnea Center is to schedule an appointment. The team of experts will be able to assess your individual needs and provide you with a personalized plan for treatment. Depending on the severity of your sleep apnea, they may recommend lifestyle changes such as weight loss or positional therapy, or they may suggest other treatments such as CPAP machines or oral appliances. It’s important to discuss all options available so that you can make an informed decision about what’s best for you and your health.
Once a course of action has been determined, it is essential to follow through with any recommended treatments or therapies in order to ensure successful results. This includes attending follow-up appointments and making sure that any prescribed medication is taken correctly and consistently. Additionally, if lifestyle changes are necessary, it’s important to stick with them in order to maintain long-term success from treatment.
At the Sleep Apnea Center, we understand how difficult it can be when dealing with sleep apnea symptoms and therefore strive to provide our patients with compassionate care every step of the way. Our team works closely together in order create customized solutions tailored specifically for each patient’s unique needs so that everyone can achieve restful nights without interruption due snoring or other breathing issues related to sleep apnea
Common Questions and Answers
Sleep Apnea is a condition that can cause serious health issues if left untreated. Many people may have questions about the diagnosis, treatment options, and how to get started on their journey towards improved sleep quality. This section will provide answers to some of the most common questions related to Sleep Apnea.
One of the first questions many people have is what causes Sleep Apnea? In general, it occurs when there are obstructions in the airway that prevent proper breathing during sleep. These obstructions can be caused by excess tissue in the throat or nasal passages, an enlarged tongue or tonsils, obesity, genetics, smoking or alcohol use before bedtime and more. It is important for individuals to understand any potential risk factors they may have so they can take steps towards reducing them prior to seeking medical help for Sleep Apnea.
Another question often asked by those with suspected Sleep Apnea is how do I know if I need treatment? Symptoms such as snoring loudly at night (or being told you do), waking up frequently throughout the night gasping for breath and feeling tired even after sleeping for long periods of time are all signs that should not be ignored as they could indicate a problem with your breathing while asleep. If these symptoms persist over time then it would be wise to seek out professional medical advice from a doctor who specializes in treating Sleep Apnea patients so you can receive an accurate diagnosis and determine which treatment option best suits your needs.
The Importance of Quality Sleep
The quality of sleep that a person gets can have significant impacts on their overall health and wellbeing. Poor quality sleep can lead to fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, impaired memory and cognitive functioning, and an increased risk for developing chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease. Furthermore, lack of adequate restorative sleep has been linked to depression and anxiety. It is therefore essential that individuals strive to achieve good quality sleep in order to maintain optimal physical and mental health.
One way to ensure good quality sleep is by treating any underlying medical conditions which may be causing disrupted or disturbed sleeping patterns such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is a condition where the airway becomes blocked during periods of deep relaxation during the night resulting in brief episodes of interrupted breathing. Treatment options for OSA include lifestyle modifications such as weight loss if necessary, positional therapy (sleeping on one’s side), CPAP therapy (continuous positive airway pressure) or oral appliance therapy (a custom-fitted device worn while sleeping). These treatments can help reduce symptoms associated with OSA including snoring and daytime fatigue thereby improving overall quality of life.
In addition to treatment for existing medical conditions which may affect the quality of one’s sleep it is also important to practice healthy habits before bedtime such as avoiding caffeine late in the day, limiting screen time prior to going to bed and establishing a regular routine around going to bed at approximately the same time each night so that your body knows when it’s time for restful slumber. It is also important not only how much we are sleeping but also what we are doing during our waking hours; making sure you get enough exercise throughout the day will help promote better nighttime restfulness so you can wake up feeling refreshed each morning instead of groggy from poor-quality shut eye!
What is the impact of poor quality sleep on overall health and well-being?
Poor quality sleep can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being. It can lead to a weakened immune system, increased risk of obesity and other chronic diseases, increased stress levels, and impaired cognitive functions, such as memory and concentration. Quality sleep is essential for restoring the body and mind and allowing them to function optimally.
What are the consequences of untreated sleep apnea?
If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to a wide range of health issues, including high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and depression. It can also cause dangerous daytime drowsiness, which can lead to motor vehicle accidents and other potential dangers.
What lifestyle changes can be made to help treat sleep apnea?
Making certain lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and medications that can interfere with sleep, maintaining a healthy body weight, and exercising regularly, can help reduce the severity of sleep apnea symptoms. Additionally, avoiding sleeping on your back can be beneficial, as this position can cause the airways to collapse.
What treatments are available for sleep apnea?
Treatment for sleep apnea depends on the type and severity of the disorder. Common treatments include lifestyle modifications, the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, mouthpieces, surgery, and other therapies. Generally, CPAP is the most effective treatment and should be considered first.
What is the importance of quality sleep?
Quality sleep plays a vital role in overall health and well-being. During sleep, the body has the opportunity to repair itself, restore energy levels, and prepare for the next day. Quality sleep helps to regulate hormones, improve mood and concentration, and reduce the risk of certain medical conditions. | <urn:uuid:d0bef6f8-0c65-4226-95cc-0bcc399273f7> | CC-MAIN-2024-51 | https://circadianbluelight.com/sleep-aid/snore-free-sleep-the-sleep-apnea-center | 2024-12-01T20:34:58Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-51/segments/1733066036672.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20241201192453-20241201222453-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.95487 | 3,242 | 3.78125 | 4 |
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