text:
Slower US job growth expected, but enough to support economy
Washington, United States Published: Sep 06, 2019, 01:17 PM(IST)
File photo. Photograph:( Reuters )
The Labour Department's closely watched monthly employment report on Friday will come in the wake of a survey on Tuesday that showed manufacturing contracting for the first time in three years in August.
US job growth likely slowed further in August, but the pace of gains probably remains sufficient to keep the economy expanding moderately amid rising threats from trade tensions and weakness overseas that have left financial markets fearing a recession.
The Labor Department's closely watched monthly employment report on Friday will come in the wake of a survey on Tuesday that showed manufacturing contracting for the first time in three years in August. The economy's waning fortunes, underscored by an inversion of the US Treasury yield curve, have been largely blamed on the White House's year-long trade war with China.
Washington and Beijing slapped fresh tariffs on each other on Sunday. While the two economic giants on Thursday agreed to hold high-level talks in early October in Washington, the uncertainty, which has eroded business confidence, lingers.
The economy is also facing headwinds from Britain's potentially disorderly exit from the European Union, and softening growth in China and the rest of the world.
The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates again this month to keep the longest economic expansion in history, now in its 11th year, on track. The US central bank lowered borrowing costs in July for the first time since 2008.
"The general message from the labour market is that businesses are cutting back on hiring, but they are not laying off workers and that is important," said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody's Analytics in West Chester, Pennsylvania. "Consumers are what's keeping the economy moving at this point."
Nonfarm payrolls probably increased by 158,000 jobs last month after advancing 164,000 in July, according to a Reuters survey of economists. The anticipated job gains would be below the monthly average of 165,000 over the last seven months, but still above the roughly 100,000 per month needed to keep up with growth in the working-age population.
The unemployment rate is forecast unchanged at 3.7 per cent for a third straight month.
August job growth could, however, fall short of expectations because of a seasonal quirk related to students leaving their summer jobs and returning to school. Over the past several years, the initial August job count has tended to exhibit a weak bias, with revisions subsequently showing strength.
Other factors favouring slower job growth include declines in both the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing and services industries employment measures in August. In addition, global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported a 37.7 per cent jump in planned job cuts by U.S-based employers in August.
Bullish consumers
But first-time applications for unemployment benefits, a more timely indicator of labour market health, have been hovering near historically low levels. Consumers were very bullish about the labour market in August and the government likely started recruiting for the 2020 Census last month.
Though the trade impasse does not appear to be spilling over to the labour market, job growth has been slowing since mid-2018.
The government last month estimated that the economy created 501,000 fewer jobs in the 12 months through March 2019 than previously reported, the biggest downward revision in the level of employment in a decade. That suggests job growth over that period averaged around 170,000 per month instead of 210,000. The revised payrolls data will be published next February.
The government has also trimmed economic growth for the second quarter. The employment report is expected to show average hourly earnings gaining 0.3 per cent last month, matching July's rise. But the annual increase in wages is seen dipping to 3.1 per cent from 3.2 per cent in July as last year's surge falls out of the calculation.
"Recent downward revisions to estimates of economic growth, corporate profits, and employment growth all suggest that the economy is displaying classic late-cycle symptoms," said Michael Feroli, an economist at JP Morgan in New York. "Moreover, these symptoms are unlikely to go away entirely even if a truce is reached in the current trade tensions."
The length of the workweek will also be watched for clues on how soon companies might start laying off workers. The average workweek fell to its lowest level in nearly two years in July as manufacturers and other industries cut hours for workers. It is forecast rising to 34.4 hours in August from 34.3 hours in July.
"While one month does not make a trend, hours worked is a leading indicator worth noting," said Beth Ann Bovino, US chief economist at S&P Global Ratings in New York. "A prolonged drop in hours worked signals that businesses may reduce hiring, with layoffs and cutbacks in private spending to likely follow."
Manufacturing employment is expected to have risen by 8,000 jobs last month after increasing 16,000 in July. But factory payrolls could surprise on the downside after the ISM reported on Tuesday that its gauge of factory employment dropped in August to its lowest level since March 2016.
Manufacturing has ironically borne the brunt of the Trump administration's trade war, which the White House has argued is intended to boost the sector. Factories cut overtime for workers in July.
Government employment could get a lift from hiring for the 2020 decennial census, which could create roughly 40,000 temporary jobs.
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On Wednesday, TMZ and Variety reported that the singer entered a mental health facility amid her father's health issues.
The actress and singer has been reminiscing about her Disney Channel days recently, and fans can't get enough of her throwback photos and videos.
Bebe Rexha, who partnered with Lay's for their "Turn Up the Flavor" program, spoke to INSIDER about the Monsoori dress that she wore to the 2019 Grammys.
Jessica Biel turned 37 years old on Sunday and husband Justin Timberlake honored her by sharing several photos of the couple over the years.
Miley Cyrus spoke about her experience in the LGBT community during an interview with RuPaul for his podcast, "RuPaul: What's the Tee With Michelle Visage."
JLo was part of a Motown tribute with Smokey Robinson and Ne-Yo at the Grammys. Fans criticized her inclusion and thought a black artist should have led the performance.
Following a disagreement with the Grammys, Ariana Grande didn't attend the award show. However, the singer showed fans the dress she would've worn.
Ariana Grande shared the cover art for her fifth album, which features "Imagine" and "7 Rings." "Thank U, Next" will be released on February 8.
The rapper behind "Bodak Yellow" is a stripper-turned rap star, with a stint as a reality TV actress and Instagram influencer in between.
In the February issue of Harper's Bazaar, the "Second Act" star said that she had to figure out how to love herself in order to have successful romantic relationships.


Beste Manon, Ik heb een Appartement/Huurwoning/Kamer/Woonboot voor je te huur in Groningen.
Open to novelty and easy-going, a traveler and yoga instructor currently studying/working and looking for a cosy place to live for the next year with another friend (we would be 2 girls). We are not the "party animal" type :-).


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Geotechniques and Others
Conceptual Design of Boeng Cheung Lake Dredging Project
Leave a Comment	/ Geotechniques and others / By Avishek
Suttisak Soralump*1, Avishek Shrestha2, Kobid Panthi2
1. Geotechnical Engineering Research and Development Center (GERD), Bangkok, Thailand
2.SILA Geotechnique Co. Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand
The paper presents various slope stability techniques adopted for the dredging of sand from Boeng Cheung Lake at Cambodia. The sand required for the construction of a new airport was supposed to be extracted from this lake and was also to be used for soil improvement through the vacuum consolidation method. From the data of 17 reported boreholes (BHs), a 3D lithology of the area was created using software, Rockware, and the various regions where good quality of sand could be extracted were delineated. Using the minimum value of strength parameters, limit equilibrium method (LEM) was adopted to evaluate FS for various slopes. Slopes that are either in a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio were found stable. With these slope ratio analysis was done for each BHs and critical ones were suggested. Through the use of finite element modeling software, PLAXIS, the extent of movement of the area upon dredging was also investigated. The maximum distance that will be affected by the excavation work was found to be 300m. Furthermore, probabilistic slope stability analysis was also performed and boreholes demonstrating lower FS in terms of slope stability were reported. From the numerical modelling, the minimum permissible water level to be maintained after excavation work was also determined. In the areas for slope 1:3 reducing water level was prohibited, whereas for 1:4, water level is permitted to drop by 5m. As for the preliminary instrumentation plan, installing inclinometer at every 500m interval was suggested and monitoring it after the dredging work. From research in the market, cutting suction dredger was recommended in place of jet suction dredger, considering the type of soil the area possessed.
Keywords: Boeng Cheung Lake, Slope stability analysis methods, Dredging
Conceptual design of excavation work at Boeng Cheung Loung Lake project is awarded to SILA Geotechnique Co. Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand by Cambodia Airport Investment Co. Ltd, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Boeng Cheung Loung Lake is located at Kandal Province, Cambodia approximately 35 km south of Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. The soil investigation was conducted at 17 locations having the area of approximately 1.5M m2.
The distance between the airport and proposed excavation site is around 1.4 km. The location of proposed airport and zone of excavation is shown in Figure 1. The sand required for the construction of the new airport was proposed to be extracted from the Boeng Cheung Loung Lake. Therefore, slope stability analysis was undertaken to ensure that the dredging of the sand could be done without failure and excessive movement of the area was checked.
The yellow boundary shows the dredging area for the extraction and this study is focused specifically at this area. Likewise, the requirement of instrumentation for monitoring the movement of the slope in future and the possibility of sand flow was also analyzed.
Figure 1. Yellow boundary representing dredging area for the excavation
2. Analysis of boreholes
The location and information of different boreholes were used to create a database in Rockworks. Through the database, visualizing the site in 3D, calculating approximate volume and acquiring required section for slope stability analysis were done. Information of 17 boreholes were provided by the client. In Rockworks the studied area is divided into two rectangular areas. The lithology of each borehole was imported in the data base of Rockworks and for ease in visualization, 3D multi-log view was generated as shown in Figure 2.
Four boreholes, namely BH 21 to BH 24 comprised area B, while area A consisted of boreholes, BH 24 to BH 37 as shown in Figure 3. From the boreholes, it was found that mainly 4 types of soil and Sandstone is present at the site. According to USCS, the soil of the excavation site is classified as Silt with high plasticity (MH), Sandy clay (SC), Clayey sand (SC), Fine Sand (SM).
Figure 2. 3D multi-log view of boreholes
Figure 3. Approximated study areas A and B
2.1 Volume calculation
The aim of the excavation is to extract the sand required for Vacuum consolidation during the construction of an international airport at Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The clean sand (SM) and other soils including clayey sand (SC) and even sandy clay (CL) through a thorough washup can be used for VCM. It was found that the most predominant soil at the excavation area is the clayey sand, followed by sand and sandy clay respectively. The most desirable soil that can be used without much treatment will be the sand which is found in the leftmost part of the area A and more at area B.
If it's possible further investigation with a borehole at the left side of the excavation area can be done to ascertain it and the quantity of this soil may be increased accordingly. The client plans to use clayey sand too after washing it up. They are abundantly found in both of the areas and the sandy clay which requires the most cleaning (if appropriate to use) is found sparsely.
RockWorks15 was used to generate different sections of the study area which were then imported in AutoCAD to calculate the volume of materials (manually) that can be acquired at excavation slope of 1:3 and 1:4, and are shown in Table 1 and Table 2 respectively.
Table 1. Approximate volume of soil from the study area (1:3)
Soil Dredging Area, A Dredging Area, B Total Volume (m3)
Silt with high plasticity (MH) 4,594,975 1,578,925 6,173,900
Clayey Sand (SC) 11,447,374 5,465,764 16,913,138
Sand (SM) 2,489,070 3,027,075 5,516,145
Sandstone 3,781,091 1,599,040 5,380,131
Sandy Clay (CL) 681,000 1,847,010 2,528,010
Sandstone 3,247,610 994,800 4,242,410
2.2 Investigation of different section
From the information of boreholes provided, database was created in Rockworks 15. Investigation of different section of the study area was then carried out to determine the most desriable as well as undesirable area for the excavation. Three sections were considered for analysis as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4. Delineation of Section 1,2 and 3 for investigation
BH 32 – BH 31 – BH 30 – BH 29 – BH 28 – BH 27 comprised Section 1 and is at the leftmost side of the study area. BH 33 – BH 34 – BH 36 – BH 26 – BH 25 comprised Section 2 and it lies at the middle portion of the study area A. The third section (Section 3) is extended from the rightmost portion of study area A to B and consists of boreholes namely, BH 35 – BH 37 – BH 24 – BH 23 – BH 22 – BH 21.
Figure 5. Section 1 (BH32 – BH31 – BH30 – BH29 -BH28 -BH27)
The thickness of soil layer for silt with high plasticity soil (MH) is low for this section (within 5m) and hence is considered relatively safe from slope stability considerations. The area under BH 30 is the most suitable area to get high amount of sand. Throughout the other section, there is abundant amount of clayey sand.
Figure 6. Section 2 (BH 33 – BH 34 – BH 36 – BH 26 – BH25)
The thickness of the undesired soil layer, silt with high plasticity (MH), increases as we proceed from BH 33 to BH 25. The thickness of MH is the most at BH25 area (10 meters) and hence it can complicate the excavation process. Also, the amount of desirable soil is quite less for both BH 26 and BH 25 as only a small portion of clayey sand is sandwiched between MH and sandstone. In this section the most suitable area is under BH 34 as abundant clayey sand as well as sand is found under this zone.
Figure 7. Section 3 (BH 35 – BH 37 – BH 24 – BH 23 – BH 22 – BH 21)
This section is extended from study area A (BH 37- BH 35 – BH 24) to study area B (BH 21 -BH 22 – BH23 – BH24). BH 24 is a bridge between area A and area B and the area under BH 24 is the most undesirable section as there is a presence of thick layer of high plasticity silt (MH) (more than 10 meters) as well as sandstone is present from 15 meters to 30 meters, hence the amount of usable soil is very less (considering SC to be usable). In area B, the most usable area is under BH23 where the thickness of MH is low and sandstone is absent. There is also a presence of sand (SM) at deep depth (around 15 m) and clayey sand (SC) at shallow depth.
3. NUMERICAL MODELING
The numerical model of Boeng Cheung Loung Lake was conducted using SLOPE/W and PLAXIS 2019. All the parameters used in numerical analysis was used from the result of soil investigation report conducted on December, 2019. The slope stability analysis helps determine the soil mechanical properties, the shape and the location of the possible failure surface.
3.1 Slope Stability Analysis:
Slope stability analysis was performed to determine the safety factors of the lake during and after the excavation using limit equilibrium method Morgenstern Price Method (Zhu, Lee, Qian, Zou, & Sun, 2001). The limit equilibrium method (LEM) (Duncan, Wright, & Brandon, 2014) is the most common method of analysis because the calculation method is straightforward with accuracy comparable to rigorous methods like finite element and finite difference approach. This analysis was carried out for various cases to design the excavation slope at multiple locations. The locations used are based on the soil investigation report conducted on December, 2019.
a) Worst Case Scenario:
Analysis was preliminary conducted for the worst-case scenario to determine the slope of excavation. This analysis helps in determining the slope of excavation for when the strength parameters are minimum. Strength parameters used in this analysis was taken from the results of each borehole investigation. The strength parameters were determined from quick direct shear test. The plot between cohesion and degree of saturation for various boreholes is shown in Figure 8. From this plot, the value of cohesion was selected as 5 kPa for preliminary analysis as shown in Figure 8. The degree of saturation plotted are in the range of 83.51% – 96.92%.
Figure 8. Cohesion and Degree of Saturation for Soil Samples for Various Boreholes
Similarly, the relationship between friction angle and depth for samples obtained from various boreholes is shown in Figure 9. The result shows that the friction angle increases with depth and hence 3 values of friction angle was used for the analysis and is shown in Table 3. Furthermore, the relationship between unit weight and depth of samples obtained from various boreholes were also plotted and is shown in Figure 10. The result shows that the unit weight increases with depth and hence has been categorized into 3 values of unit weight. The parameter used in the analysis is shown in Table 3.
Figure 9. Relationship between Friction Angle and Depth for samples for various boreholes
Figure 10 . Variation of Unit weight with depth for samples for various boreholes
Table 3. Material Property used for the worst case scenario
Material Properties Used
Cohesion (kPa) Friction Angle (φ) Unit Weight (kN/m3)
First Layer 5 8 20
Second Layer 5 20 20.5
Third Layer 5 28 21
The result obtained from site investigation was used in numerical analysis using SLOPE/W. The model used four slopes (1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4) for the preliminary slope stability analysis. From the site inspection and discussion with client representatives, it was determined that the water in Boeng Cheung Lake is always full and hence the analysis was based on lake with full ponding throughout the year. The analysis was not conducted for the case with drawdown of water. The summary of Slope stability analysis for various slopes (1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4) with ponding is presented in Table 4.
Table 4. Factor of Safety for Various Slopes for worst case scenario
Case Slope Water FoS
Case 1 1:1 With Ponding 0.64
From the preliminary analysis, it has been found out that the slope is not stable at 1:1 and 1:2 and it is highly not recommended to use these slopes during the excavation work. Slope of 1:3 and 1:4 have factor of safety greater than unity, and hence detail analysis was further carried out at each borehole locations and section to select the suitable slope for the excavation.
b) Analysis with soil layers from each borehole
From preliminary analysis, the design slope for the excavation of Boeng Cheung Lake has been identified as 1:3 or 1:4. Detail analysis was further conducted at each bore hole location to determine its safety factor. Various materials found from soil investigation result was separately categorized to identify the variance in material property of each soil type. The plot between cohesion and friction angle was obtained for various soil samples as shown in Figure 11. The material property of each soil type was identified from the plot and was used in numerical analysis. The material property used for the analysis is as shown in Table 5.
Figure 11. Plot between Cohesion and Friction Angle for different materials
Table 5. Material Properties used in Numerical Analysis
Soil Types Cohesion (kPa) Friction Angle (φ) Unit Weight (kN/m3)
CL 12.74 10.17 20.7
MH 4.61 3.55 16.6
ML 8.82 8.5 17.4
SC 1.84 20.37 20.5
SM 4.51 24.83 20.9
Sandstone (CL) 45.63 18.47 21.4
Cross section was plotted at location where soil investigation work was carried out for slope 1:3 and 1:4. The result is summarized in Table 6 . The allowable factor of safety used for this analysis is 1.3 and the cases that are below 1.3 are highlighted red.
Table 6. Factor of Safety for slope 1:3 and 1:4 at various borehole locations
S.N Borehole no. Factor of Safety
1 BH 21 1.55 2.91
10 BH 30 1.70 1.96
Finite Element Modelling:
PLAXIS (Brinkgreve et al., 2016) is a finite element program for geotechnical applications in which soil models are used to simulate the soil behaviour. It's implementation consists of three stages, known as input stage, calculation stage and postprocessing stage. Input stage contains model design,assigning the material parameters, boundary conditions, loading and meshing.
To determine the factor of safety using the FEM, repeated analyses are performed, each time reducing the strength of the soil by a slightly greater factor, until an unstable condition results. This unstable condition is evidenced by failure of the solution to converge. The term strength reduction factor (SRF) (Dawson, Roth, & Drescher, 1999) is used rather than factor of safety, FS, although SRF and FS are the same in principal. Like the factor of safety, the strength reduction factor is the factor by which the shear strength must be divided so that the reduced strength is in barely stable equilibrium with the shear stresses. All borehole profiles were analyzed in FEM and the material properties used in the analysis for each borehole. E modulus of the soil were chosen based on the correlation with SPT otained from the test report.
With the material properties as input for various soil layers, finite element analysis was carried out for excavation slope of 1:3 and 1:4 to determine the displacement in the horizontal direction and factor of safety was calculated based on c-phi reduction method. The results of the analysis are tabulated in Table 7. Safety factor obtained from both LEM and FEM yield identical results. The factor safety of BH25 and BH26 for both 1:3 and 1:4 is less than 1.3 and requires preventive measures during excavation. It is recommended to avoid these boreholes and area to their vicinity, if possible. Likewise, it is also recommended to maintain the slope of 1:4 for locations with borehole BH26 and BH37.
Table 7. Displacement and FS results from FEM
S.N Borehole no. Displacement (ux), meters Displacement (uy), meters Factor of Safety
1 BH 21 0.0863 0.0971 0.1058 0.1068 2.272 1.749
4 BH 24 0.07306 0.08305 0.1871 0.1865 1.726 1.491
5 BH 25 0.0622 0.09232 0.1503 0.1495 1.254 1.052
6 BH 26 0.058 0.06963 0.1091 0.1093 1.244 1.057
7 BH 27 0.2307 0.2535 0.05181 0.06297 2.273 1.895
8 BH 28 0.1481 0.158 0.3634 0.321 1.691 1.296
9 BH 29 0.117 0.1303 0.3093 0.3076 2.157 1.705
10 BH 30 0.08375 0.09679 0.2223 0.2214 2.152 1.641
11 BH 31 0.06593 0.07688 0.154 0.1524 1.685 1.321
14 BH 34 0.04702 0.05162 0.1128 0.113 2.18 1.722
16 BH 36 0.1006 0.08242 0.1574 0.1632 2.671 1.237
Furthermore, displacement of the slope at various locations was obtained for BH25 and BH27 for excavation slope of 1:3 and 1:4. BH25 was chosen in this analysis as this location has the minimum factor of safety and has the maximum chance of failure. Likewise, BH27 was found to have the maximum displacement among all borehole locations and hence a detailed analysis was conducted in this section. The graph plotted between total displacement and depth shows the movement of sand after the completion of excavation work. Depth in the analysis is measured from the bottom to the top.
Figure 12. Total displacement of BH 27 (1:4)
Figure 13. Total displacement |u| at different chainage (BH 27; 1:4)
Figure 14. Total displacement |u| at distant location from excavation (BH 27; 1:4)
From the analysis, the maximum distance that will be affected by the excavation work was found to be 300m. The displacement at 300m for BH 27 was 1.25mm and 1.45mm for slope 1:4 and 1:3 respectively. So, the possible affected area by the excavation shall be not more than 350m from the point of excavation and hence it is recommended to maintain the buffer distance of 350m. It is also advised not to place any heavy equipment in the buffer zone.
Probabilistic analysis:
Engineering data on soil or rock mass properties are usually scattered and hence simple probabilistic methods are useful in summarizing the scatterings to get a better understanding of the data – and of the corresponding uncertainties associated with engineering performance. The concept of probability (Griffiths & Fenton, 2007) with various geotechnical uncertainties was used for determination of probability of failure. Coefficient of variation was used to determine the variation of soil properties (i.e. cohesion, friction angle and unit weight). The coefficient of variation was separately determined for various material obtained from site investigation and was compared with the available variation values from the literature. Coefficient of variation is the ratio of standard deviation to the mean. The result of coefficient of variation for different material is shown in Table 8.
Table 8. Coefficient of Variation for different soil properties
Soil Group Mean Standard Deviation Coefficient of Variation (%)
Cohesion (kPa) Angle of Friction (o) Unit Weight (g/cc) Cohesion (kPa) Angle of Friction (o) Unit Weight (g/cc) Cohesion (kPa) Angle of Friction (o) Unit Weight (g/cc)
MH 8.70 9.06 1.59 2.31 2.29 0.05 26.53 25.24 2.98
ML 10.68 8.65 1.72 1.62 0.23 0.03 15.17 2.68 1.54
CL 21.14 12.94 1.89 8.59 3.27 0.11 40.63 25.31 5.80
SC 11.18 26.67 2.00 2.98 2.44 0.07 26.66 9.16 3.41
SM 7.79 30.27 1.99 1.82 2.38 0.05 23.32 7.87 2.62
Sandstone 49.46 19.27 2.09 4.14 0.59 0.04 8.36 3.08 1.69
The probability of failure was estimated for slope 1:3 and 1:4 at the locations where soil investigation was carried out. The probability of failure was estimated based on quality measure of likelihood and probability proposed by (Santamarina, Altschaeffl, & Chameau, 1992). The factor of safety estimated from mean value of strength parameters and probability of failure for all borehole location is presented in Table 9.
Table 9: Probability of failure for slope 1:3 and 1:4 at various borehole locations
S.No. Borehole Slope Factor of Safety Probability of Failure (%) Remarks
1 BH21 1:3 2.50 0.00
1:4 3.15 0.00
5 BH25 1:3 2.23 0.18 Acceptable
1:4 2.72 0.10 Acceptable
7 BH27 1:3 2.54 1.00 Possible
10 BH30 1:3 2.38 0.00
Borehole BH25, BH26 and BH27 has the possibility of failure and requires propoer attention during the excavation work. It has been determined that the slope 1:3 is acceptable for all boreholes except for BH25 and BH26.
4. Allowable water withdrawal
All the previous analysis has been conducted with an assumption that the water in lake will not be affected by the excavation work and will remain full throughout the year. But the analysis was also conducted by numerical modelling to determine the minimum water level that is permissible after the excavation work. The analysis was conducted for BH25 with slope 1:4 and BH37 for slope 1:4 and 1:3. It has already been discussed in previous sections regarding BH25 and need of avoiding this section during the excavation work. This analysis presents the impact at this location with removal of water. Similarly, BH37 was used in this analysis because this location has the minimum permissible factor of safety along the borehole location tested. It has been determined that, if excavation is continued in BH25 with slope 1:4, the water level should never be reduced. Similarly, it is not recommended to excavate the lake with excavation slope of 1:3 as factor of safety will be less than 1.3 even when the lake is completely filled (Figure 16). Likewise, for the excavation with slope 1:4, the maximum permissible reduction in water level is 5m and it is advised to consider this result during the excavation of Boeng Cheung Lake.
It is recommended to closely monitor the slope if the factor of safety is less than 1.3 after reduction of water level. It is required to investigate the source of water nearby that might be required if the water level reduces again. Likewise, if the factor of safety is less than 1.1, the water level should be filled in the lake and people nearby should be alarmed regarding the impact that might occur in coming days. If the factor safety reaches 1.0, the nearby area should be evacuated as soon as possible for the safety of people living nearby. It was informed by the client representatives that the water level will be constant throughout the year, this analysis was conducted to determine maximum permissible reduction in water level. If any unforeseen circumstances lead to the reduction in water level, there might be the necessity of further site investigation and further analysis
Figure 15 Factor of Safety Vs water level for BH 25 (1:4)
5. Instrumentation
There are specific instruments that geotechnical engineers install for the purpose of monitoring the behavior of geotechnical structures during its construction and operation. Its purpose is multi-fold, serving both investigative and monitoring functions that are in part a necessity to ensure the economic feasibility of the project operations and in part due diligence to ensure safe operations. Investigative functions includes providing an understanding of the ground conditions for prefeasibility and design purposes, providing input values for design calculations, and checking for changing ground conditions as workings progress to greater depths. Installation of instruments for monitoring the behavior of slope after the excavation is recommended for Boeng Cheung Lake.
Figure 17. Plan View showing the proposed Location of inclinometer
On the basis of site investigation and FEM analysis, it is recommended to install the inclinometer (Stark & Choi, 2008) every 500m and monitor constantly. The inclinometer should be placed close to the excavation slope and location should be accessible for monitoring the results. It is recommended to install the manual inclinometer as the probability of failure of the slope is low and impact due to its failure is not severe. The preliminary location of inclinometer is shown in Figure 15. It is recommended to install 14 inclinometers. The proposed number and location of the inclinometer is based on the preliminary analysis and its final number and location should be based on geological topography of the location. Likewise, it is also recommended to install the permanent benchmark in nearby location. The benchmark should be used to record Easting, Northing and Elevation at the location where inclinometers are installed. It also helps in observing the movement and settlement of the slope, if any.
6. Dredeging mechanism and recommendation
Dredging is an excavation activity usually carried out at least partly underwater, in shallow seas or fresh water areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and disposing them at different location (Bray, 2008). The operation is undertaken by special floating plant, known as dredger. A dredgers can dig, transport and dump a certain amount of underwater laying soil in a certain time and can dig hydraulically or mechanically. Hydraulic digging make use of the erosive working of a water flow. The flow will erode the sand bed and forms a sand-water mixture before it enters the suction pipe. Hydraulic digging is mostly done with special water jets mostly in cohesionless soils such as silt, sand and gravel. Mechanical dredgers come in a variety of forms, each involving the use of grab or bucket to loosen the in-situ material and raise and transport it to the surface. The choice of the dredger for executing a dredging operation depends on conditions such as the accessibility to the site, weather and wave conditions, anchoring conditions, required accuracy and so on. Cutter suction dredger and Jet suction dredger are the two possible dredging equipment that can be used for the excavation.
To determine the type of dredger for excavation of Boeng Cheung Lake, consultation with the manufacturers of both cutting suction dredger and jet suction dredger was done. It was found that the clay layer needs to be removed first to extract the underlying sand layer. The general excavation depth of cutting suction dredger is 20m and if this remains true, it is highly advised to extend the excavation area and conduct additional site investigation work to obtain the same amount of sand. Since, the manufacturer has agreed to modify the dredger as per the requirement of the client (30 m depth) , the excavation work can be executed with cutter suction dredger. Likewise, we also know that the lake consists of clayey sand and sandy clay, and for using it, it is recommended to use additional sand washing machine.
If we are looking to just suck the sand without digging, then jet suction may be used but it can take overburden of around 3m only, so for the section with clay deposit greater than 3m, it might not be usable. Theoretically, the jet suction dredger can only be used for the extraction of cohesionless material (pure sand) and since the lake consists of sandy clay and clayey sand, the use of jet suction dredger is limited.
The presence of fine content and plasticity index in clayey sand is shown in Table 0. The soil contains high amount of fine content material and has high plasticity index. This soil cannot be extracted using jet suction dredger. Hence, based on the site investigation report, it has been observed that the jet suction dredger can only be used at certain sections.
Table 10: Plasticity Index and Fine Content for Various Soil Property
S.No. Soil Property Plasticity Index (PI) % Fine Content (FC) %
1 Clay (MH) 19.9 – 34.6 76.8 -93.3
2 Clayey Sand (CL) 16 – 27.8 50.5 – 83.2
3 Sandy Clay (SC) 7.2 – 12.8 26.7 – 44.3
4 Pure Sand (SM) – 13.1 – 33.7
Therefore, cutting suction dredger is recommended for the excavation of Boeng Cheung Loung. It can be used for the excavation of clay layer and extract the sand. The clay should be properly relocated before extraction of sandy materials. The jet suction dredger as mentioned before can be used only at some locations where the depth of clay layer is less than 3m. It is also recommended to consult the manufacturer in detail about the possible equipment to be used since the capacity of the dredging equipment to meet our demand greatly depends upon the specifications of different models existing in the market. Nonetheless, whichever equipment is used, settlement will occur upon extraction of the sand which by the analysis shows not to be affecting area greater than 350 m.
Conceptual design of for the excavation of Boeng Cheung Loung Lake is proposed in this report. The analysis was based on the results from Site Investigation, LEM and FEM analysis. The conclusion and recommendation has been listed below:
It has been found that the location with BH28, BH29 and BH30 have sand layer in shallow layer and it is recommended to start the excavation from this section.
The amount of fine sand is found mostly in areas under BH 30, BH 29 and BH 28. Under BH 30, the sand is found at a depth nearly of 5 m whereas for BH 29 and BH 28 they are found at depths of 20 m. The red zone BH 26 – BH 25 and BH 24 consists of thick deposits of high plastic silt (MH) and is underlain by sandstone too. It is recommended to conduct further soil investigation (3 bore hole investigation) proximity to BH 30 to determine the soil property in this region. There is a high possibility that this region might have clean sand. The detail description of the borehole investigation result is as shown in Figure .
Figure 18. General information obtained from different sections
Soil Investigation at BH21, BH22 and BH23 shows the presence of pure sand layer. BH 23 and BH 25 consists of sand (SM) and are found in deeper (17 m) and shallow depths (5 m) respectively. However, in area B the stretch available for the excavation is not enough. To utilize the material of this section, its width needs to be increased and excavation should be carried out accordingly.
The factor of safety at location BH25 and BH26 is very low and if possible, it is recommended to avoid this area. If avoiding is not possible then slope of 1:4 (Figure 16) must be strictly used in this region with constant monitoring of the slope whereas in other boreholes 1:3 is satisfactory. If not, there is a possibility that this slope might fail during or after excavation.
Figure 19. Plan view showing the proposed excavation slope and buffer Zone
From FEM results we can see that the high displacement in x-direction occurs for BH 27 and BH 28, ranging from 21 -25 cm, being more for slope at 1:3 than at 1:4. This is because of the low SPT values reported and the E modulus shall correspondingly decrease. Similarly, BH 23 also reported for lower SPT values throughout its depth (less than 10) which resulted in relatively larger displacement (27 cm for 1:3 slope, 12 cm for 1:4 slope). Other BH to consider are BH 36 and 37 with displacements ranging from 12 to 14 cm.
FEM analysis exhibited that the maximum distance that will be affected by the excavation work is 300m. The displacement at 300m for BH 27 was found to be around 1.25mm and 1.45mm for slope 1:4 and 1:3 respectively. So, the possible affected area by the excavation shall be not more than 350m from the point of excavation and hence it is recommended to maintain the buffer distance of 350m. It is also advised not to place any heavy equipment in the buffer zone.
For the excavation with slope 1:3, the maximum permissible reduction in water level is 4m. Likewise, for the excavation with slope 1:4, the maximum permissible reduction in water level is 6.5m.
The result from probabilistic analysis shows the possibility of failure at BH25, BH27 and BH28. So, it recommended to maintain the slope 1:4 at these locations and should be constantly monitored during the excavation period.
The quantity of clayey sand is high in Boeng Cheung Lake and it's highly recommended to clean the clay before using it for the construction of airport.
Bray, R. N. (2008). Environmental aspects of dredging: CRC Press.
Brinkgreve, R., Kumarswamy, S., Swolfs, W., Waterman, D., Chesaru, A., & Bonnier, P. (2016). PLAXIS 2016. PLAXIS bv, the Netherlands.
Dawson, E., Roth, W., & Drescher, A. (1999). Slope stability analysis by strength reduction. Geotechnique, 49(6), 835-840.
Duncan, J. M., Wright, S. G., & Brandon, T. L. (2014). Soil strength and slope stability: John Wiley & Sons.
Griffiths, D. V., & Fenton, G. A. (2007). Probabilistic methods in geotechnical engineering (Vol. 491): Springer Science & Business Media.
Santamarina, J., Altschaeffl, A., & Chameau, J. (1992). Reliability of slopes: incorporating qualitative information (abridgment). Transportation Research Record(1343).
Stark, T. D., & Choi, H. (2008). Slope inclinometers for landslides. Landslides, 5(3), 339-350.
Zhu, D., Lee, C., Qian, Q., Zou, Z., & Sun, F. (2001). A new procedure for computing the factor of safety using the Morgenstern-Price method. Canadian geotechnical journal, 38(4), 882-888.
From shirt to a coat
Book Summary: Tuesdays with Morrie: an old man, a young man and life's greatest lesson
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Stoicism and the Pandemic
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The "Zum Roten Eichhörnchen" restaurant offers our guests a special place to eat, relax and unwind. Experience the fusion of modern Bavarian specialities and DORMERO classics and look forward to tickling your taste buds with a special selection of culinary delights. Through the large window facade you can enjoy the view directly over the large garden. In fine weather, the spacious terrace with pond provides plenty of green outdoor space in which to linger awhile – that Black Forest feeling is guaranteed!


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These 4 Companies are Humanizing Business Content for the Mainstream
May 17th, 2020 Conference SMW Staff
Business news has gone mainstream. Millennials are educating themselves with meme accounts and even sharing their investments on social media.
The Internet has democratized business just as it has nearly every other industry. The way people consume business news is changing thanks to disruptors like Morning Brew and an ever-growing pool of content creators like Bullish, which specifically focuses on the financial markets.
And what about traditional business education? Studies show that MBA admissions were already down across the board pre-COVID 19—and remote learning is primed to surge as people increasingly question the high price-tags of IRL higher ed. That's a big advantage for online education startups like Section4, which is on the mission to democratize access to business strategy training.
During the #SMWONE panel "Business, But Make It Human," creators from Morning Brew, Section4, and Bullish joined Public.com's marketing lead Katie Perry for a candid conversation about how new media and education companies are translating business-speak for mainstream audiences. Public is an investing app that puts a social layer on the stock market, allowing investors to easily share the "why" behind their trades and exchange ideas in the comments and in dedicated group chats.
Here are the primary insights and takeaways:
Authenticity is the name of the game
New formats like video and audio are key to rising abouve the noise
Humanize business content for the mainstream
Business goes mainstream
While traditional business outlets like the Wall Street Journal still play an important role in the way people learn about happenings in the financial markets, new players are playing an important role when it comes to analyzing this information for younger audiences who prefer to get their news from people who act like they do.
Kinsey Grant should know. She cut her teeth working as a traditional business news reporter before joining the Morning Brew as Business Editor and host of the Brew's popular "Business Casual" podcast, which you can check out on Apple and Spotify.
"We are our core reader and listener. A lot of the people who are creating content for Morning Brew are the kinds of people we would target with that content," Grant said. "I know my audience well because I am part of that audience."
On the podcast, Grant sits down with executives and entrepreneurs—recent guests include Mark Cuban, Arianna Huffington, and Chamath Palihapitiya—to give listeners an inside track into how today's business leaders think.
Her interviews also tend to give listeners a rare glimpse into these leaders' humanity. In a recent interview with Palihapitiya, she gets the VC to disclose his daily routine, which includes striving for 10,000 steps a day by pacing around his home during calls.
Brian Hanly, CEO and Founder of Bullish, says he started the media company after realizing that there was a gap in the market for people who are "curious" about the public markets. His company focuses on enlightening its audience through unique formats, like mini-documentaries and even a satirical series that links astrology to personal finance.
"We're focusing a lot on video storytelling," he said. For example, Bullish just launched a series called, Trendline, which tells the stories behind public companies in straightforward and conversational language.
Time to reimagine the MBA?
With universities wrapping the year early and the 2020 fall semester called into question, the debate around the rising costs of higher-ed has accelerated in recent weeks. Regarding advanced business degrees like MBAs in particular, Section4's head of creative product Jerllin Cheng says that a myriad of factors play a role, but cost is the big one.
"The MBA is not dying," she said. "There are very few people who get an MBA and think, 'I got nothing out of that.' But what you do hear people say is, 'That cost so much money.'"
Section4 is an online education venture built around the insights of Scott Galloway, the outspoken entrepreneur and NYU professor who recently inked a deal with VICE for a new business show designed for millennials.
Cheng says that the primary format for Section4's curriculum is video, and its focus is on training professionals with tools needed to solve business problems in the modern era. It's not designed to replace the MBA, she said. Rather, it's a tool for bringing this level of thinking to a wider audience.
"If you take our courses, it's okay if you don't know what EBITDA means," she said. "We try to make sure there's a safe community where it's okay to ask. We don't need you to know the terms. We're really trying to teach you how to think and give you the tools to get to the insights yourself."
When leaders tweet
It would be difficult to have a conversation about the humanization of business without broaching the topic of CEOs who now, thanks to social media, can share their thoughts with the world in real-time.
Some recent examples of this: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky's heartfelt memo to employees regarding layoffs and Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield's illuminating tweet-storm about how COVID-19 was impacting his company. And then there's Elon Musk, who has never been shy to showcase his personality and opinions on social media.
"What we're seeing pan out is a true 21st-century leader. It's not only about shareholder value and returns, but also employees," Hanly said. "What is happening at a lot of companies is a lot of indecision, so I respect the directness of leaders like Elon."
Grant added that consistency plays a role when it comes to whether a CEO humanizing themselves is seen as negative or positive. And for leaders navigating a crisis, there are few things more important than transparency and communication.
"Now, more than ever, the CEO as someone who is willing to be open about their own experiences is more valuable than ever," she said.
The big takeaway: Whether you're a brand marketing to a new generation of consumers, a media outlet informing and entertaining them, or an education platform training them, authenticity is the name of the game.
Want to start investing alongside friends and experts? Use this link to download Public's free investing app and get started with a free slice of stock. Valid for U.S. residents 18+. See Public.com/disclosures.
Join 100,000+ fellow marketers who advance their skills and knowledge by subscribing to our weekly newsletter.
SMW Staff
SMW News, Social Media Week
Social Media Week is a leading news platform and worldwide conference that curates and shares the best ideas, innovations and insights into how social media and technology are changing business, society and culture around the world.
Marketing How to Win Social Media Conversions After The Holiday Rush
Marketing How Google is Preparing for Fully Immersive AR Environments


I recently had a chat with Niyi Aderibigbe from The Nerve Africa about the need for Africa to industrialize and be innovative about it. I am a firm believer that innovation is key in speeding up economic diversification and stimulating job creation. I also discussed the African startup scene and my project for African innovators. Where every year, the AIF recognizes the top innovators in Africa through the Innovation Prize for Africa.


After two and a half years as NPR's Moscow bureau chief, David Greene travels across the country-a 6,000 mile journey by rail, from Moscow to the Pacific port of Vladivostok-to speak with ordinary Russians about how their lives have changed in the post-Soviet years. Reaching beyond the headline-grabbing protests in Moscow, Green speaks with a group of singing babushkas from Buranovo, a teenager hawking "space rocks" from last spring's meteor shower in Chelyabinsk, and activists battling for environmental regulation in the pollution-choked town of Baikalsk. Through the stories of fellow travelers, Greene explores the challenges and opportunities facing the new Russia: a nation that boasts open elections and newfound prosperity yet still continues to endure oppression, corruption, and stark inequality.
Set against the wintery landscape of Siberia, Greene's lively travel narrative offers a glimpse into the soul of twentieth-century Russia: how its people remember their history and look forward to the future.


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Trade Credit Insurance provides protection of accounts receivable (sales to buyers on credit) from losses due to credit risks, such as default, insolvency and bankruptcy.The buyers can be in the same country of the insured business (domestic trade) or in another country (export).
Protection against losses due to insolvency or default.
Increased borrowing availability for the insured.
Allows the insured to lower their bad debt reserves.


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On-side mental health
EJ Weston
EJ began officiating when they were thirteen years old and, like many young hockey players, officiating was just a part-time job that involved hockey. Officiating took on a much more prominent role in EJ's life when the effects of multiple concussions forced them to quit playing competitive hockey at the age of fifteen. Suddenly, officiating was EJ's primary connection to the world of hockey in which they had grown up.
At the age of three, EJ started skating, and by the time they were five, they had convinced their Dad to enrol them in hockey. They were absolutely in love with hockey from an early age, and haven't looked back ever since. Today, EJ is a Level III official working out of Victoria and has recently worked as a linesperson in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League, BC Female Midget AAA league, Junior Women's Hockey League, and in Canada West University Women's Hockey competition.
Away from the rink, EJ is known around Victoria for their work in advocacy and community support around mental health, LGBTQ+ issues. This was not an intentional choice on EJ's part. It all began when they enrolled in a course entitled "Social Justice" at Royal Bay Secondary School in their Grade 11 year. EJ was honest enough to admit that their primary motivation in taking the course was to ensure they could have a class with their best friend.
As part of this course, students are required to create an action plan; something that the student can execute to advance social justice issues in their community. From that action plan sprang Westshore Youth Pride; an organization focused on providing support for the LGBTQ youth once they had left high school. From that starting point, there was no going back and EJ has been deeply involved in community advocacy ever since.
Despite their current professional focus on issues of mental health, EJ was never particularly open about their own struggles. From the age of eleven, EJ began experiencing what they can now identify as depression, anxiety, and PTSD caused by physical abuse they suffered from the age of 5-15. Their overwhelming feeling was fear and that fear led them to self-isolate. Mental health was not talked about in school and EJ didn't know anybody else who was experiencing similar problems. At that time, EJ saw a counsellor, but it didn't really help. At the age of eighteen, EJ went back into therapy as those issues became more prominent but they were still not ready to share their story.
"It was scary… [I was] very much trying to keep it a secret. I didn't want to be seen as a freak"
If mental health came up in conversation, EJ would quickly quiet down. They didn't want others to know what they were going through. This was primarily because mental health was still being talked about something that happened to other people. For EJ, it was still too personal to discuss openly. As EJ became involved in mental health advocacy and community support, they knew that would have to change. A key part of being a leader in mental health advocacy is sharing your own story but that didn't make it less scary for EJ.
Officiating was an escape during EJ's teen years as they tried to keep feelings of depression and anxiety from "creeping" up on them. Officiating was an outlet for them to focus on something positive and build skills that would help them on their mental health journey. However, the pressure of officiating also combined with issues with mental health. EJ remembers challenging games and abusive coaches that would increase their anxiety about stepping on the ice. EJ also struggled with their fair share of injury problems, and there were definitely times where officiating was too much of a challenge. However, the experience of officiating was overall, an overwhelmingly positive one and EJ felt the pull of getting back on the ice far stronger than the anxiety of what might happen once they did so.
The impetus to be more open about their mental health journey came from a deeply personal and urgent place. EJ refereed the gold medal game at the 2015 Bantam Female Championships in Kamloops and their performance in that tournament caught the attention of BC Hockey's leadership group. But on the heels of that success, EJ was assaulted by a player in November 2015 and missed the remainder of that season. In only their second month into the 2016/17 season, EJ suffered a traumatic brain injury while refereeing a Female Midget A game. Only a few years after they were forced to step away from playing hockey at an elite level, EJ was faced with the possibility of having to leave officiating behind as well.
Post-concussion syndrome is not limited to headaches and inability to exercise. EJ was suffering severe neck and back pain as a result of their injuries, as well as irreparable brain damage. Their speech was impaired, they couldn't sleep; everyday normal activities had become an ordeal. It was only after multiple intense neurology tests that they were diagnosed with a permanent brain condition. They had been prescribed opioid medication to help manage their pain. As they attempted to manage the pain, both physical and emotional, EJ quickly became addicted to their pain medication.
"They were giving me street-level narcotics… and from there I just slowly spiralled… November to June 2nd was the darkest time in my life."
EJ likens their mental health journey to a water balloon. Over the years of neglecting their mental health the grip on their water balloon got tighter. When they started their social justice work the grip got looser, but slowly again the grip on the water balloon got tighter. When they took those drugs, their water balloon popped and their life started falling apart.
Their grades in school dropped, they stopped their social justice work, they isolated themself from their friends. EJ was spending all of their money on drugs. They wanted to numb themselves from the pain. They didn't know they could reach out for help until it was too late.
EJ knew they were in trouble but, at the time, there was a twelve-month waiting list to access youth mental health services. It seemed like the help they desperately needed just wasn't available. On June 2nd 2017, EJ had ten painkillers in their pocket; enough to cause an overdose. But something kept EJ from taking them.
"I had the pills, I had them in my pocket for two days…"
As much as EJ hates construction traffic, it saved their life. Because of construction, EJ decided to take a different route home and drove past West Shore Child Youth and Family Services. When they saw the building they thought of their Dad and their best friend. They made a decision. EJ pulled an illegal u-turn and decided to go in and demand counselling. EJ's determination saved their life. Within a few months, they were able to look back and see how close they had been to dying and EJ was doubly determined to share their story and help others before they reached that point.
"Once you share your story… that's where you create change. If you look [people] in the eye and share your story… you take things out of fiction and add a human element, and they can't deny you then"
It was not smooth sailing from that point but EJ was determined to succeed. They continued to struggle with injuries during the 2017-18 season but they were happy to be back on the ice. During the off-season, EJ's physical health improved tremendously and in October 2018, they earned their first Canada West University Women's Hockey assignments as well as a nomination to officiate at the 2019 Canada Winter Games. Both were unthinkable even twelve months ago. Although EJ missed out on selection for this event, they say even being nominated was an honour because it's a recognition of how far they've come. As recently as Thanksgiving, EJ was told that they had a "roughly eight percent" chance of being nominated. This quick change was completely down to the work they'd done over since that pivotal day on June 4th 2017.
"You can't go over to a coach and say 'hey, I know that was tripping, but have you heard about depression?' You know what I mean? [laughs]"
Even now, EJ would say that while they are open to discussing their mental health journey, they still aren't advertising it. They struggle with the lack of a connection between hockey and mental health. It was very easy for them to move from LGBTQ+ advocacy to mental health because of the connection between the stress of being a queer adolescent and mental illness. The connection has improved over the years with research into issues of post-concussion syndrome, CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy), and mental illness but EJ is hopeful that the officiating community can continue to actively build that connection.
"I hate to say 'awesome' but it is awesome [to have a group of officials] that can talk about it"
As EJ began to share their story, they quickly found a community of officials that were not only sympathetic but were experiencing similar issues of struggling with mental health. Not only was this overwhelmingly positive feedback a relief for EJ but they also felt like they were giving positive feedback to those people with whom they shared their story. In doing so, EJ has found a community of people who are able to support each other. The ability to say "hey, I've had a tough game or a rough couple of days and I need some support" without having to explain why has been hugely beneficial.
"At the end of the day I'm still a drug addict, right? I just don't have drugs. I'm still a victim of abuse. They're not affecting me as much anymore now because I know how to live with these things and I have a supportive and loving community around me. They're not drowning me as much anymore. As much as these things suck, I'm grateful for them. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today without these experiences. I am who I am today not despite these things, but because of them."
For EJ, the most important thing is to create an environment where officials can discuss issues without feeling judged, as well as creating a platform to help officials feel like their stories will be heard and acknowledged. There is also a role for governing bodies to include issues of mental health into their certification and educational curricula to help normalize the issue and eliminate the stigma.
On-Side Mental Health is proud to publish and share EJ's story in the hope that it will encourage other officials to speak out and find support when they experience challenges with their mental health.


text:
Inicio › Our Lady Of Pilar DVD
Our Lady Of Pilar DVD
Title: Our Lady of Pilar
Format: DVD Worldwide use Digital Video Disc
Marian Apparitions Collection
This happened during the life of Our Lady
According to tradition Angels were sent to accompany and transport His Mother and their Queen to visit Saint James in Zaragoza, Spain where he was staying at the time. Her mission was to tell Saint James that the Lord was pleased with the work he had been doing, evangelizing the people of Spain, but that now his Lord's desire was that he return to Jerusalem to be martyred.
The tradition of the Shrine, for almost 2000 years, has been that our Lady was carried on a cloud by Angels to Zaragoza. The following events are chronicled to have taken place on the night of January the 2nd, 40 A.D. While they were traveling, carrying their precious Passenger, the Angels were industriously carrying a pilar of marble and carving a miniature image of our Lady.
Come to Zaragoza, Spain to a shrine built where the Angels transported Our Lady while she was still alive.
Watch the Preview
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen DVD
Arianism video download DVD
Beatification of the Mexican Martyrs DVD
Beato Federico DVD


text:
RCWs > Title 28A > Chapter 28A.210 > Section 28A.210.090
28A.210.080 << 28A.210.090 >> 28A.210.100
RCW 28A.210.090
Immunization program—Exemptions. (Effective until July 1, 2022.)
(1) Any child shall be exempt in whole or in part from the immunization measures required by RCW 28A.210.060 through 28A.210.170 upon the presentation of any one or more of the certifications required by this section, on a form prescribed by the department of health:
(a) A written certification signed by a health care practitioner that a particular vaccine required by rule of the state board of health is, in his or her judgment, not advisable for the child: PROVIDED, That when it is determined that this particular vaccine is no longer contraindicated, the child will be required to have the vaccine;
(b) A written certification signed by any parent or legal guardian of the child or any adult in loco parentis to the child that the religious beliefs of the signator are contrary to the required immunization measures; or
(c) A written certification signed by any parent or legal guardian of the child or any adult in loco parentis to the child that the signator has either a philosophical or personal objection to the immunization of the child. A philosophical or personal objection may not be used to exempt a child from the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.
(2)(a) The form presented on or after July 22, 2011, must include a statement to be signed by a health care practitioner stating that he or she provided the signator with information about the benefits and risks of immunization to the child. The form may be signed by a health care practitioner at any time prior to the enrollment of the child in a school or licensed day care. Photocopies of the signed form or a letter from the health care practitioner referencing the child's name shall be accepted in lieu of the original form.
(b) A health care practitioner who, in good faith, signs the statement provided for in (a) of this subsection is immune from civil liability for providing the signature.
(c) Any parent or legal guardian of the child or any adult in loco parentis to the child who exempts the child due to religious beliefs pursuant to subsection (1)(b) of this section is not required to have the form provided for in (a) of this subsection signed by a health care practitioner if the parent or legal guardian demonstrates membership in a religious body or a church in which the religious beliefs or teachings of the church preclude a health care practitioner from providing medical treatment to the child.
(3) For purposes of this section, "health care practitioner" means a physician licensed under chapter 18.71 or 18.57 RCW, a naturopath licensed under chapter 18.36A RCW, a physician assistant licensed under chapter 18.71A or 18.57A RCW, or an advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW.
[ 2019 c 362 § 2; 2011 c 299 § 1; 1991 c 3 § 290; 1990 c 33 § 193; 1984 c 40 § 5; 1979 ex.s. c 118 § 4. Formerly RCW 28A.31.106.]
Severability—1984 c 40: See note following RCW 28A.195.050.
Effective date—Severability—1979 ex.s. c 118: See notes following RCW 28A.210.060.
Immunization program—Exemptions. (Effective July 1, 2022.)
(3) For purposes of this section, "health care practitioner" means a physician licensed under chapter 18.71 or 18.57 RCW, a naturopath licensed under chapter 18.36A RCW, a physician assistant licensed under chapter 18.71A RCW, or an advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW.
[ 2020 c 80 § 27; 2019 c 362 § 2; 2011 c 299 § 1; 1991 c 3 § 290; 1990 c 33 § 193; 1984 c 40 § 5; 1979 ex.s. c 118 § 4. Formerly RCW 28A.31.106.]
Effective date—2020 c 80 §§ 12-59: See note following RCW 7.68.030.
Intent—2020 c 80: See note following RCW 18.71A.010.


Cara Stewart, of El Dorado, recently donated $750 worth of books to the Kids Need 2 Eat program. Stewart raised $500 in donations, which was matched with $250 from Usborne Books. She also was helped with the project by Jennifer Bosley.


Windows 10: What does it mean for the future of Microsoft?
Make no bones about it, Microsoft has seen what its competitors have done with their free OS offering and want a piece of that action with the Microsoft executive VP of operating systems confirming that Windows 10 is anything but a "one-time upgrade". Customers that download it will get free upgrades on their free-for-the-first-year OS and, by Microsoft's own admission, this is Windows-as-a-service.
What about after the first year though?
Microsoft failed to elaborate on how much it plans to charge those Windows 7, 8.1, and Phone 8.1 users after a year of them using Windows 10 has passed. Others don't levy charges on their customers for new OS versions or have a subscription built in and the way Microsoft prices its OS after the initial year will have a massive bearing on how successful the OS ends up being.
The top brass at Microsoft will presumably be looking at Windows 10's first year as make-or-break in terms of whether it can choose to charge a lot or a little. If customers take it for the first year and then leave in their droves shortly afterwards it could be catastrophic and make the poor performance of Windows 8 seem small fry in comparison. There is also the fact that a positive customer experience on Windows 10 will directly translate into Office 365 adoption going skywards, which is one of the products Microsoft does, and will continue to, charge a fee for.
Lost in the back somewhere was the news that Microsoft will also be bringing its new OS onto the Xbox One and binning the current Windows 8 Live Tile inspired interface that controls its video games console. This will extend to video game streaming of any game from an Xbox One to a Windows 10 device and some gamers might already be thinking could they one day charge for Windows 10 on Xbox One as well? Definitely but it's almost certain the Windows 10 subscription would be instead of one for Xbox Live and another part of the "one Windows to rule them all" philosophy.
In creating this new Windows-as-a-service culture it is catapulting itself into a future that isn't completely unknown, but will take a lot of getting used to for a company that has for so long relied upon Windows licenses to see it through.


The coach of Chelsea Maurizo Sarri has opened the door of a potential exit for 27 year old Victor Moses to leave the club in January when the transfer window opens, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.
Sarri had firm talks with Moses and told the Nigerian that he isn't part of his future plans for the team and he is free to leave if an offer which match his valuation by Chelsea is tabled by teams.
Moses moved from his role as in integral player during the reign of Antonio Conte to a player who has just 26 minutes of league football under Sarri whose team are currently unbeaten in all competitions.
A different approach and tactics from that of Conte has seen the Nigerian shifted to the flanks as opposed to previous seasons where he played and flourished as a right wing-back.
Among the options available to Sarri, Moses is down the pecking order with youth team graduates Calum Hudson Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheeks now ahead of the former Wigan Athletics man, who recently retired from international football with Nigeria.


The global clinical chemistry analyzers market is anticipated to reach USD 16 billion by 2025 growing at a healthy 5.5% CAGR over the forecast period (from 2014 to 2025). High prevalence of various chronic diseases is expected to positively affect the market as it considerably increases demand for clinical chemistry analyzers for better diagnosis.
In addition, awareness regarding the benefits of these devices is also expected to be a vital demand driver in the overall market. The introduction of highly advanced clinical chemistry analyzers has resulted in enhanced point-of-care (POC) testing capabilities. This has led to numerous opportunities for further market growth. These advancements include better resolution, modeling & parameter estimation, computer-assisted interpretation, artificial intelligence, and better pattern recognition.
The global clinical chemistry analyzers market is categorized as per products, tests, end use, and regions. On the basis of products, the categories are analyzers (small, large, medium, & others), reagents (standards, controls, calibrators & others), and others. Reagents held the largest demand share in 2015. This can be attributed to the availability of a wide range of reagents in the market. They differ as per the specific needs of clinicians. These reagents mainly include substrates, lipids, enzymes, electrolytes, and specific proteins that are essential for precise & accurate analytical procedures. Furthermore, reagents are considered highly cost-efficient and possess optimum sensitivity, precision, and linearity. These properties ensure reduced performance variation.
On the basis of tests, the market is divided into electrolyte panel, basic metabolic panel (BMP), liver panel, renal profile, lipid profile, specialty chemical tests, and thyroid function panel. The BMP segment accounted for a substantial share in the overall market in 2015. Rising occurrences of various lifestyle-induced disorders such as obesity and several other metabolic deformities are chief factors that propel this segment. Lipid profile is expected to grow at a lucrative CAGR over the forecast period. Growth of this segment is due to rising adoption rates owing to the need for screening tests for triglyceride & cholesterol levels in case of diabetes & cardiovascular disorders.
According end use, the clinical chemistry analyzers market is segregated into academic research centers, hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, and others. Hospitals dominated the end-use segment in 2016, as a result of high patient volume, large sample volumes, and frequent readmissions. Moreover, a well-developed healthcare infrastructure that facilitates successful diagnosis of illnesses resulted in the greater share of hospitals. The segment is further expected to grow rapidly as hospitals today are increasingly inclined toward getting fully automatic systems with integrated quality-assurance abilities and the capacity to process large quantities of samples.
Major players operating in the global clinical chemistry analyzers market are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.; Siemens AG; F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG; and Johnson & Johnson. These companies often take to mergers & acquisitions, collaborative strategies, and development activities for manufacturing novel and highly developed products for a considerable market growth over a period of time.
The Pictus 700 by Diatron MI PLC is a small footprint, random access, and fully automatic floor clinical chemistry analyzer. The Pictus 700 uses Windows-based software for all its operations and is very sensitive with bar-coding for reagent & sample identification. The product also accepts several sizes of primary tubes. It can attain a total throughput of almost up to 780 tests every hour.


This Synthesis by Yves Bertoncini tries to present the main analyses and guidelines resulting from the round table on struggling against islamist terrorism, within the Think Tanks Tandem initiative, on 809 July 2016.
The first session of the href="http://www.institutdelors.eu/media/thinktankstandem-presentationen.pdf?pdf=ok" target="" >Think Tanks Tandem initiative was held at the abbey of the Vaux-de-Cernay close to Paris on 809 July 2016. It was attended by some forty representatives of German and French think tanks as well as by German, French and European authorities.
The first round table addressed the issue of migration policy, while the second round table was devoted to the struggle against Islamist terrorism. This second round table was introduced by Kristina Eichhorst, crisis and conflict management coordinator with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and by Yves Bertoncini, director of the Jacques Delors Institute, and began with an address from Gilles de Kerchove, EU coordinator for the struggle against terrorism.
Numerous German and French speakers intervened: this Synthesis by Yves Bertoncini (also available in href="http://www.institutdelors.eu/media/luttecontreterrorismeislamiste-bertoncini-ijd-oct16.pdf?pdf=ok" target="" >French and href="http://www.institutdelors.eu/media/terrorismusbekaempfung-bertoncini-jdib-okt16.pdf?pdf=ok" target="_blank" >German) endeavours to present the main analyses and guidelines resulting from the exchange of French and German views, identifying the points both of divergence and of convergence that emerged.
The Synthesis of the first round table on migration and asylum policy, written by Nicole Koenig, is also available.


text:
Japan claims anchor role in KL-Singapore High Speed Rail bid
byadmin	January 7, 2018	General
Japan's ambassador to Malaysia, Makio Miyagawa (right) says the Japanese package will be a truly holistic one with the best HSR technology via the first invented and world-renowned high-speed railway system, the Shinkansen. — Picture by Yusof Mat IsaKUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 ― Japan is making an all-out bid for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) contract to construct Southeast Asia's largest ever infrastructure project.
The Japanese package would be a truly holistic one with the best HSR technology via the first invented and world-renowned high-speed railway system, the Shinkansen, plus total transfer of technology and local vendor development to greatly benefit Malaysian and Singaporean companies, including small and medium enterprises, said Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Makio Miyagawa.
"We will be offering our best suited technologies to Malaysians and Singaporeans as well as full-fledged training for the officials, operators and engineers of both countries so that they can start the operations by themselves from Day One.
"Japan would also like to offer the most comprehensive financial package which would certainly help the two nations to reduce as much of their financial burden as possible in introducing this system," Miyagawa told Bernama in an interview.
Bids for the HSR, described as a game-changing joint-venture between Malaysia and Singapore, must be submitted by the middle of this year with the contract expected to be awarded by year-end.
Other bidders for the project may include from China, South Korea and France.
The 350-kilometre HSR is intended to cut travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to 90 minutes and stimulate the economy of several localities along the route, and it is projected to start operations around 2026.
Malaysia's MyHSR Corporation Sdn Bhd and Singapore's HSR Private Ltd announced on December 20 last year that they would start accepting bids for a railway "assets company" which will be responsible for designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining all rail assets.
Second Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani was reported to have said that the project, which will have eight stations, would cost around RM50-RM60 billion.
Miyagawa pointed out that Japan's engagement posture would tie closely with the country's long-standing philosophy of economic assistance particularly in Asia.
"The philosophy of our economic assistance has all along been in such a way that Japan has assisted the recipient nations to stand on their own feet. It would not like to dominate the benefits but to share them. It would withdraw from the operation when you are ready to take over. If you would like us to stay on for some years, we would. It is not the Japan's way to win (a contract) and run away. That would be irresponsible," the Ambassador added.
He said Japan had already been offering technology, human capital and financial resources to enable its companies to collaborate with companies in Malaysia and Singapore so that the all the companies and private sector could go hand in hand to advance together.
"In the high-speed rail system, our government and private sector would be ready and are very keen to collaborate with the local industries in Malaysia and Singapore so that the gradual transfer of technology and human capital will succeed and will help newly-introducing technology nations like Malaysia and Singapore to operate the system right from the start," Miyagawa added.
And he said that this long-lasting project would certainly invigorate and reinvigorate as well as reenergise the economies of Malaysia and Singapore linking up the two cities as well as mega cities now prospering in Asia.
"The connectivity will increase and along the alignment many cities will flourish. And that is why we are very happy to participate in this project."
Japan's edge over other bidders, he said, should be viewed from the most important aspect in any public transport system ― safety.
Here, Japan has an impeccable record recognised worldwide.
"Japan invented the bullet train technology. The advantage of the Shinkansen is that it has been operated for almost 50 years without any fatal accident or human capital problems. This is the merit of the system which is based upon the superiority of the hardware as well as the excellence of the software operations based upon the accumulated know-how of the engineers and operators in Japan," he said. ― Bernama
Previous 娛樂 周杰倫演唱會升級 化身英雄降星國 2018/01/06
Next Swaraj to inaugurate PBD of ASEAN today in Singapore


The source files for this module are listed below. You can also download the module VB_ZIP as a zip archive; this archive contains all the source files and documentation.
The ZIP VBScript module provides easy ZIP support for your VB Script files.
This script makes use of the freeware program 7-Zip for zip file manipulation. 7-Zip can be downloaded from http://www.7-zip.org/. Please make a donation to the developers of 7-Zip; 7-Zip is a very useful and qualitatively good program!
Once 7-Zip is installed, you have to specify the path to the 7-Zip executable (7z.exe) in the constant csZipAppPath at the top of this source file.
To start a new, empty zip file, use the MakeNewZipFile routine. If you want to add a file or a folder to an existing zip file, use the routines AddFileToZip and AddFolderToZip respectively. These routines can also be used to generate a new zip file; if the destination zip file is not present, it will be created first.
If you want to zip a file or folder into a like-named zip archive, you can use the routines GetZipPathForFile and GetZipPathForFolder. These routines take a file or folder file/path, and create a like-named zip file/path from them that is located in the same folder. The result of these routines can be passed as a second parameter to the AddFileToZip and AddFolderToZip routines.
The supported compression in this VB Script is limited to plain zip only, but this can be changed very easily by altering the used command line options.
' This code is freely distributable, as long as this comment remains intact.
' and at your own risk.
' More information about this module can be found in the accompanying HTML file.
Const csZipAppPath = """C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe"""
sCmdLine = csZipAppPath + " a -tzip "
sCmdLine = sCmdLine + "-r "
sCmdLine = sCmdLine + "\*.*"
sCmdLine = sCmdLine + """"
GetZipPathForFile = Left(sFilePath, nStartExt) + ".zip"


Da Lat Mountain Biking is one of the most physically challenging of our bike rides. This ride starts out with a good warm up before pushing through a series of punishing hills.
Da Lat Mountain Biking is one of the most physically challenging of our bike rides. This ride starts out with a good warm up before pushing through a series of punishing hills. Save yourself for the end on this one. Fantastic views throughout the ride and a great sampling of the terrain with lakes, pine forest and small country farms.
The day tour starts from Dalat and heads out to the east past Xuan Huong Lake and up through an area of flower farms. The road turns to dirt after 6 km and meanders around Victory Lake before turning to single track.
where the hills start to rise up in front of you. The trail varies between a wider dirt trail and technical single track.
This section of the ride has great rolling sections, some very tough hills and steep descents.
After we have pounded out the steepest (but thankfully one of the shortest) hill on the ride, we come to a beautiful clearing that looks out over the forested area to the north of Dalat. We take a well earned rest here to have lunch.
Lunch consists of fresh veggies and fruits, baguettes with an assortment of toppings and a French-style pastry to satisfy your sweet tooth. Dalat is known as the vegetable garden of Vietnam and lunch offers you a chance to try some of Dalat's tasty produce.
After lunch we head out of the forest and back into the beautiful farmland area that sits at the mouth of the valley. We briefly overlap a section of trail ridden earlier and head back to Dalat on sealed road to complete a lopsided, crazy looking figure 8.
The total ride covers about 37 kilometers and moves from Dalat at 1500 meters to an elevation of around 1650 meters and then back down again. A great ride for those looking for varied terrain, a challenge and something slightly technical. Trip ends.


Soup making I started with this Tarala Dalal's lemon and coriander soup. I find it so easy peasy, very relieving in cold or if you wanna enjoy something lemony, salty drink. Rich in Vit C helps to comfort in cold. Now my son enjoys having this too, making it reminds me of my old time. When me n hubby two of us used to enjoy our soup bowls with all romance, chit-chat and much more.
Soups are a liquid form of food served hot or cold. They are normally served as an appetizer before the main course. Soups are full of flavors and very nutritious. In this lemon and coriander soup, I have not done any modification except stalk I used simple water. The vegetable stalk will add more flavors to this soup.
So let see how to prepare this tangy, salty lemon and coriander soup step by step.
First of all, heat the oil in a pan and add garlic. Fry it until the raw smell of garlic goes away.
Now add chopped onion and fry until color changes to golden brown. Add chopped cabbage and carrot. Fry it for 2-3 min. Keep stirring it.
Now add water, lemon juice, salt as per taste and corn flour. Mix well as corn flour tend to make lumps if not. Add chopped coriander and boil it for 5-6 mins.
Serve immediately, with the goodness of Vit C, lemon, and coriander soup is ready to serve.
Add black pepper if required.
You can skip adding corn flour. Corn flour makes it little thick, otherwise this soup is watery with flavors.
Sending this to BM #83 Kids soups n stews theme.
You can skip adding corn flour.
Feel like making this soup, just love coriander in soups, am so tempted now.
That's quite interesting the combinations of ingredients you used..and enjoying soups this way is wonderful!
I am sure this is very therapeutic.
The soup looks very flavourful , I have had it a couple of times in restaurants . Simple , yet delicious .
That is one flavorful soup and love such light soups over creamy thick ones.


Mary-Cay Gallagher received a Bachelor of Arts degree and a secondary teaching credential from Notre Dame College for Women in Ohio. After moving to California, she obtained a California teaching credential and taught high school english and history.
In 1985, Ms. Gallagher obtained her Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California. She has been practicing in the area of Workers' Compensation defense for the past 18 years. Ms. Gallagher practiced civil litigation for five years before beginning the practice of Workers' Compensation law.


text:
From Confrontation to Cooperation in South Asia: Lessons from Sikhism and Sufism
Much can be learned from the centuries-old relationship between Sufism and Sikhism.
The relationship between Sufism and Sikhism dates back to the time of Guru Nanak (1469-1539), who led a modest life of profound, spiritual devotion, focused on building bridges of love, tolerance, co-existence, and harmony among peoples of diverse faiths and socio-economic status. So immersed in piety and teaching his disciples to live spiritually, honestly, and harmoniously was the Guru, that many of his Muslim contemporaries, especially Sufis, called him a true Muslim.
Guru Nanak traveled extensively – including to Mecca for Haj, different provinces of Afghanistan, and Baghdad – in search of divine knowledge and mystic scholarship. This gave him more exposure to Islam and its various mystic schools of thought than to any other religion. And, of course, for 64 long years, one of Guru Nanak's closest companions and servants was Mardanda, who remained a Muslim until he died. According to the custodian of the shrine of Miyan Mir in Lahore, the descendants of Mardana still live there, and they refer to themselves as Sikh-Muslims.
Upon his death, Guru Nanak left behind a large number of Hindu and Muslim disciples, each side claiming him as theirs, for he had lived with them so harmoniously and treated them so equally, so respectfully, and so sincerely that neither side was willing to give up his body to the other. Today, the shrine of Guru Nanak is visited not only by Sikhs but also by Hindus and Muslims, each seeking his blessings in their distinct ways.
It was in this mutually reinforcing spiritual relationship that evolved between Sufism and Sikhism that Guru Arjan Dev invited Miyan Mir, a leading Sufi of his time and Pir of the Sufism's Qaderi Order, to lay the foundation stone of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab. Indeed, the commonality of the values and principles, which the Gurus and Sufis had been teaching their followers, was so deeply focused on humanism that Guru Granth (the central religious text of Sikhism) includes 112 couplets and four hymns by Khwaja Fariduddin Ganjshakar (1173-1266), a prominent Sufi of the Chishti Order, who lived in Punjab. This underscores the deep relationship between Sufism and Sikhism, and the influence they had on one another.
Since the emergence of Sikhism in the 15th century, the differences between the Sikh and Muslim communities have been traced to realpolitik. These differences have rarely emanated from the shared path, which the Sufis and the Gurus followed to reach truth by serving the vicegerents of God on this earth, while inviting them to love, tolerate, and help one another.
Afghanistan is the birthplace of many great Sufis of the subcontinent, including the sultan-ul hind: Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. He was born in Chisht, Herat, sometime in 1141, and eventually settled down in Ajmer, following a dream in which Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) blessed him to do so. To restore this spiritual connection, Afghanistan has recently proposed to establish a sister-city relationship between Chisht of Herat and Ajmer of Rajasthan, both to honor the legacy and contributions of the great Sufi and to further strengthen cultural ties between Afghanistan and India, based on the two countries' shared past and intertwined destiny.
The Chishti Order of Sufism – which influenced the thinking and teaching of Guru Nanak – interpreted religion in terms of human service, inviting its followers "to develop river-like generosity, sun-like affection, and earth-like hospitality." The highest form of devotion, according to Chishti, was "to redress the misery of those in distress, to fulfill the needs of the helpless, and to feed the hungry."
To implement these universally good deeds, the followers of Chishti and other Orders of Sufism set up khanaqas, community centers with feeding and lodging facilities, which were built in rural areas throughout India. The Chishti Order khanaqas welcomed anyone, regardless of faith, race, or caste, and offered them food and shelter, spiritual guidance, psychological support, and counseling. By creating egalitarian communities within a stratified society, the Sufis successfully spread their teachings of love, spirituality and harmony. Indeed, it was this example of Sufi brotherhood and equity that drew people to Islam.
Revisiting the Basic Precepts
To restore peace and harmony in South Asia today, we do not need to look much farther afield. We should simply revisit the basic precepts of Sufism and Sikhism. In a fast shrinking, interdependent world, nations should tear down walls of hatred, hostility, and self-defeating, zero-sum designs to undermine each other. These artificial human obstacles to their collective progress should be replaced by honest, results-oriented efforts to achieve regional integration for peace and prosperity for all. That is what the great Sufis and Gurus of Central Asia and South Asia preached and promoted, so that human tragedy was replaced by human harmony through universal human service and fraternity under one beneficent, merciful God and its many different, beautiful manifestations.
Last year's Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Kathmandu, Nepal, debated the many common challenges that confront the nations of South Asia. Extreme poverty, weak governance, a lack of connectivity, a lack of energy, and security threats continue to cause widespread human suffering throughout the SAARC region, a region otherwise richly endowed in nature and civilization. To address the root-causes of these problems and to exploit the region's vast natural and human potential for the collective security and prosperity of all their nations, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called on his fellow SAARC leaders to "change the rules of the game and the playing field among the nations from confrontation to cooperation."
In effect, Ghani maintained that so long as the South Asian nations remained locked up in a zero-sum mindset, undermining one another, they would struggle to develop and advance together on a sustainable basis. The president noted that to change the status quo was "the test of leadership." For inclusive, transformational leadership, which South Asia direly lacks, we need to draw inspiration from the kind of leadership that Guru Nanak exhibited during his lifetime. As noted, Guru Nanak led his Hindu and Muslim followers by example, so much so that he had erased from his followers' minds any differences among their ethnicity, faith and caste. In other words, he unified them around an ethos that promoted the general wellbeing of all people.
Afghanistan, where many of this region's Sufis, Gurus, poets, and scholars were born and where they made remarkable contributions to the region's shared, rich civilization, has been a target of the so-called Muslims that daily terrorize innocent Afghans, burn down their schools and madaares, and increasingly carry out suicide terrorist attacks inside their mosques where the innocent and the poor pray and worship God. They ruthlessly kill civilians – men, women, and children – in the name of a religion of peace, tolerance, harmony, and co-existence, whose true message the great Sufis of Afghanistan – like Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti – spread throughout South Asia.
Indeed, the Sufis' was the real jihad, the greater jihad, whose message of universal brotherhood naturally resonated with and attracted believers of different faiths and social castes. Theirs was the straight path, the path of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), from which today's killers of innocent Muslims and non-Muslims have long and far deviated, increasingly serving the political, short-sighted interests of realist states in the international system.
Because of this deviation from the noble teachings and traditions of Islam – whose image they have harmed terribly – the terrorists who often kill and destroy, in the guise of jihad, will not succeed in their worldly designs, even at the cost of innocent human lives. Certainly Afghanistan didn't succumb to their brutal, inhumane atrocities against its people during the 1990s; rather, the brutality which eventually spelled their own downfall. Nor would the country's courageous people ever cease their greater jihad to secure and rebuild their country, in partnership with the international community.
The enemies of humanity in South Asia and beyond should be reminded of what Islam really stands for, as communicated by another great Sufi-poet of the region, Saadi Shirazi:
Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you've no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain!
M. Ashraf Haidari is the deputy chief of mission of the Afghan Embassy in India. He formerly served as Afghanistan's deputy assistant national security adviser, as well as chargé d'affaires and deputy chief of mission of the Afghan Embassy in the United States.
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