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Tag: Senegal
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF): Memorandum to the Colonial Government of France (25.05.2022)
Author nilspeacePosted on May 25, 2022 May 25, 2022 Categories Africa, Army, Development, Diplomacy, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cameroun, Centrafricaine, Colonies Francaises d'Afrique, Congo Brazzaville, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Economic Freedom Fighters, EFF, Equatorial Guinea, Françafrique, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, RCA, Republique Centrafricaine, Senegal, South Africa, Tchad, TogoLeave a comment on Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF): Memorandum to the Colonial Government of France (25.05.2022)
World Food Programme: Hunger in West Africa reaches record high in a decade as the region faces an unprecedented crisis exacerbated by Russia-Ukraine conflict (08.04.2022)
Needs are escalating much faster than we are currently able to respond – this in an immensely complex and volatile operational environment.
DAKAR, Senegal, April 8, 2022 – The number of women, men and children affected by a food and nutrition crisis in West and Central Africa is expected to reach a new record high in June 2022 – quadrupling in just three years from 10.7 million in 2019 to 41 million in 2022 – unless appropriate measures are urgently taken, reveals the Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis released in March 2022.
Following the high-level conference in Paris on food security and nutrition situation in West Africa, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) are calling for longer-term political and financial commitments to address the worst food security and nutrition crisis to strike the region in ten years.
"The situation is spiralling out of control. Needs are escalating much faster than we are currently able to respond – this in an immensely complex and volatile operational environment," said Chris Nikoi, WFP's Regional Director for West Africa.
"Both governments and partners need a step-change in tackling the underlying drivers of hunger and malnutrition. Bold and rigorous political actions are needed now, including lifting barriers to the regional trade and ensuring the most acute needs are met during a lean season that is projected to be extremely challenging in the region" Nikoi added.
There is a high risk that the food and nutrition crisis will be further aggravated due to persistent insecurity that continues to trigger massive population displacement, the impact of the climate crisis, disrupted food systems, limited food production, barriers to regional trade and the socioeconomic fallout from the pandemic which has devastated national economies. Furthermore, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is violently disrupting the global trade of food, fertilisers and oil products, with the already high prices of agricultural products reaching record highs not seen in the region since 2011.
While the increase in staple food prices has been steady in all countries in the region, a staggering 40 percent jump from the 5-year average has been witnessed in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger, Mali and Mauritania – pushing basic meals out of reach for millions of women, men and children.
"This unprecedented food crisis the region is facing offers an opportunity for us to address the root causes of food insecurity in the sub-region by developing food and agricultural systems that are less dependent on external shocks, and a more productive and efficient local agriculture with a particular emphasis on the consumption of local food products" said Dr Gouantoueu Robert Guei, Sub-Regional Coordinator for West Africa and FAO representative in Senegal.
The nutritional situation also remains a grave concern in the region, particularly in the Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad where an estimated six million children under five are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2022. Nutritional analyses conducted across the Sahel and in Nigeria point to a crisis or emergency situation in several locations in Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigeria.
"Africa has the largest untapped potential of arable land, yet most of these countries import food. Governments need to support long-term agriculture plans for the next generation, including investments in developing agriculture, livestock and fisheries to achieve food security", said Benoit Thierry, IFAD Regional representative in West Africa.
The March 2022 Cadre Harmonisé projections suggest that in coastal countries, the number of food insecure people has doubled since 2020, rising from 3 million people in the June-August 2020 period to over 6 million in June-August 2022. This includes nearly 110,000 people facing Emergency (Phase 4) levels of food insecurity. The coastal region is likely to experience further increases in food prices and disruptions in the supply of agricultural products (especially fertilizers), due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
"Acute food insecurity is no longer restricted to the Sahel; it is expanding into Costal countries. We need to respond in a way that is sustainable, at the right scale, and that tackles the multifaceted socio-political and socio-economic elements of the crises the region faces. This will only be achieved through enhanced collaboration, coordination mechanisms at national and regional levels, and leadership at all levels, including from governments, donors, and UN agencies" Nikoi added.
Author nilspeacePosted on April 9, 2022 April 9, 2022 Categories Africa, Agriculture, Aid, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Burkina Faso, FAO, Food Insecurity, Food Security, IFAD, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Sahel Region, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, WFP, World Food ProgrammeLeave a comment on World Food Programme: Hunger in West Africa reaches record high in a decade as the region faces an unprecedented crisis exacerbated by Russia-Ukraine conflict (08.04.2022)
Opinion: The Françafrique countries should question it's need for France
The last two weeks or recent days the French President Emmanuel Macron have proven how the elites of Paris is disregarding the former colonies, if it is Mali or Algeria. I am sure behind closed doors and within trusted associates the words could be even striking. Because, these words has been said in public and with no proper excuse.
In that regard, when the Head of State of France is saying that. The previous colonies should question the need to be bound by mechanisms and by agreements tied to Paris. Since Paris clearly don't respect you or honour you.
Françafrique consist of Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad (Tchad), Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Comoros, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Togo, and Tunisia. That is lot of counties and huge part of continent. The French are involved also in republics and nations, which they were the colonial power over. However, this here piece about them. Since they have still a significant place and plays a role for the power-balance in these countries.
About the "Colonies Francaises d'Afrique":
The countries still bound by a monetary union and a common currency, which is Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo, These are all part of West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). The second monetary union of the CFA Franc are based on these countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. These countries are a part of the Central African Economic and Monetary Union (CAEMC).
The French and some of their allies tried to relaunch it as "Eco" in 2019 and that has gone nowhere. That should say a lot. I doubt that is only happening, because of regime changes. Nevertheless, I don't expect any serious movement on this matter anytime soon.
We know Benin said it wanted to leave CFA Franc … that hasn't happened either. Paris and the elites there has a way of keeping everyone under their control.
What would be healthy would be for all heads of state and parliaments, ministries and such evaluate the relations, agreements and ties with it's former colonial master. Since, as an independent nation it is nothing saying that you should be there forever or have to be mocked on a irregular basis by Heads of State of France. Neither, should the French has trade advantage or mineral extraction agreement, which other nations companies couldn't have. That could possibly make it more profitable and earn more tax-dollars to the state reserves in any given republic.
It is time for all of them to consider this. Everyone has some sort of ties and this is why they are still indirectly having influence. That is why everytime something happens or in regards to French interests. Things gets tense and you never know when things will pop-off. This is why the Republic's need to oversee and have a proper oversight of it. It is like this has have never been done.
All mechanism and statutory bodies, which is connected needs also to be looked into. This here will take time and needs to be inquires. There is a need to directly investigate and also see what sort of affects it has had over the years. If there is a beneficial relations or one-sided. Since, there might be some good parts, but a lot of it is a way of the French to never let go.
After everything Macron has done. The Francophone Africa needs to react and not accept this sort of acts. Right now he does this to Algeria and Mali. Who knows when the "wrong" head of state get elected somewhere and he will use his power to stifle them. Even if that was the will of the people and not the will of Paris. That is what is striking here and that is why these republic's needs to see over everything. We know the French will feel insulted and infuriated. Since they are entitled to it all. However, this wasn't their to begin with. This isn't Marseilles or Bordeaux, but it's Yaounde and Lome. Peace.
Author nilspeacePosted on October 6, 2021 October 6, 2021 Categories Africa, Development, Diplomacy, Economy, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Economic and Monetary Union, Central African Franc, Central African Republic, CFA, Chad, Chad (Tchad), Colonies Francaises d'Afrique, Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Françafrique, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Niger, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, West African Economic and Monetary UnionLeave a comment on Opinion: The Françafrique countries should question it's need for France
Senegal: Yewwi Aska Wi – Communique (07.09.2021)
Author nilspeacePosted on September 7, 2021 September 7, 2021 Format ImageCategories Africa, Development, Election, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Abdou Diouf, Abdoulaye Wade, Alliance pour la Repulique, APR, CRD, CRD et de la Coalition JOTNA, Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Françafrique, Jotna, Macky Sall, Mouvement de Defense de la Democratie, Ousmane Sonko, President Sall, Senegal, Western AfricaLeave a comment on Senegal: Yewwi Aska Wi – Communique (07.09.2021)
Senegal: Communique de Presse des Leaders du CRD et de la Coalition JOTNA – Une coalition de l'opposition, ce n'est pas La Coalition de l'Opposition (02.09.2021)
Author nilspeacePosted on September 2, 2021 September 2, 2021 Categories Africa, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags CRD, CRD et de la Coalition JOTNA, Jotna, SenegalLeave a comment on Senegal: Communique de Presse des Leaders du CRD et de la Coalition JOTNA – Une coalition de l'opposition, ce n'est pas La Coalition de l'Opposition (02.09.2021)
Senegal: Alliance Pour la Republique – Communique de Presse (28.06.2021)
Author nilspeacePosted on June 29, 2021 June 29, 2021 Categories Africa, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Abdou Diouf, Abdoulaye Wade, Alliance pour la Repulique, APR, Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Françafrique, Jotna, Macky Sall, Mouvement de Defense de la Democratie, Ousmane Sonko, President Sall, Senegal, Western AfricaLeave a comment on Senegal: Alliance Pour la Republique – Communique de Presse (28.06.2021)
UNOWAS: Mahamat ANNADIF reaffirms the mobilization of the United Nations to support Guinea-Bissau in its efforts to consolidate democratic institutions (03.06.2021)
Author nilspeacePosted on June 3, 2021 June 3, 2021 Format ImageCategories Africa, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags African Union, Alpha Conde, AU, Bissau-Guinean, Carlos Correia, CEDEAO, Communauté économique des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, Democratic Governance, Donor Conferance, Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, EU, European Union, General Muhammade Buhari, Good governance, Guinea-Bissau, H.E. Jose Marie Vaz, Head of State, Implementation, Inclusive Dialogue, Jose Marie Vaz, Macky Sall, Mandate, Miguel Trovada, Mr. Carlos Correia, Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, Peacebuilding Office, Political Enviroment, Political Issues, Population, Portuguese-Speaking Countries, Powers, Reforms, Republic of Guinea, Security Council, Senegal, Special Envoy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, UN, UNIOGBIS, United Nation, United Nation Security Council, United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-BissauLeave a comment on UNOWAS: Mahamat ANNADIF reaffirms the mobilization of the United Nations to support Guinea-Bissau in its efforts to consolidate democratic institutions (03.06.2021)
Opinion: Akon is building two Utopian cities now [where is the money for this?]
It's official that Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam aka Akon will build Akon City in Senegal in 2018. The American artist who has already pledged to build "Wakanda" in Senegal and it's supposed to start this year in Senegal. Now in 2021 he has pledged to build a second Akon City in Uganda.
The first "Wakanda" is to be built in Mbodiène, a town of 6,000 citizens in Senegal and is supposed to be the "original" Akon City. Where this is supposed to be designed by a Abu Dhabi architect and U.S. based developer. The city will run by a cryptocurrency "Akoin" and get electricity though Akon's Lightening Africa. That is already the dream project and the utopia of someone's wild dream.
Akon have earned millions of dollars with his music. He has dropped albums and is getting royalties that way. Just like his earning money on Lady Gaga to this day. Nobody will earn huge profits from Kardinal Offishal and Colby O'Donis. Nevertheless, as Akon continues to sell dreams.
We can wonder, if these will turn into nightmares. Akon is now supposed to build another Akon City. This time in Uganda. He has promised a city built by 2036. That gives him time to finish it by 15 years. However, that will be tough to complete and even get funding for. When you are not even fully financed your vanity project in Senegal.
Akon has only raised one third of US Billions he needs to build his Utopia in Senegal. Where his majestic and futuristic city is supposed to be built. He is going over the edge being able to this stunt twice. Not even dictators in their own home-countries are able to pull this off. That with the ability to skate of criticism and misuse of state funds to complete their vanity projects. Where they are building their home villages into a city. There will be big churches, stadiums and even airports. It is still not as utopian as Akon proposes.
Thomas Moore's Utopia isn't even like this. Neither is Asterix's 'The Mansion's of the Gods' where Rome and Julius Caesar wants to build a city around the rebellious Gaul village. In that story that fails and the architect have to give up. Still, that story of fiction can be replicated here in reality. Where a visionary and a salesman who wants to suddenly create a magnificent city out of nowhere.
Akon does the same and promises that twice. He promises this in Uganda… even before he has finished or even delivered anything in Senegal. A place where he has promised to deliver this since 2018. The state have given him land and his supposed to do it. While his not financing this himself. His not a Rockefeller or a Bill Gates.
That's not Akon's fault, but with his wealth he isn't able to finance or do this on his own. Akon needs financing, architects, developers and a natural progression of this. If he ever wants to build his Brasilia. No, this will not even be a town built around a company or a manufacturing plant. No, this is towns or cities built out of dust. Where they are supposed to just rise up from the ashes. They are supposed build a city out of nowhere.
That is the certain vanity projects fitting ill-advised kings or dictators. They usually does this to their home villages or home-towns. Where they will boost it and make it giant place. With a majestic mansion for themselves and other buildings of stature. They will even build statutes and other things to remind the public of their greatness. However, if this is failed. They will be like empty ghost-towns or company towns who failed after the company couldn't earn profits anymore.
Akon cities could easily end up in the same space as company towns or dictators vanity projects. As Akon isn't funding this himself. He promises grandeur and greatness, but have nothing else than promised land to build it on. Akon is supposed to be able to get investors and build these cities. If it is with his cryptocurrency or other ways. That is still an utopian dream.
The recording artist is supposed to pull off building to cities. The musician needs to be able to play on several of strings and ability to fund this. As much as he needs to fund all of his other businesses. The man who needs to cater to all of his wives and now all of these enterprises too. He is selling lofty dreams and hoping other people's money can be spent.
Akon would have a greater shot …. than the dictators and giant companies building towns across the world. What is striking here is the supposed sudden Wakanda or Utopia is supposed to happen in both Senegal and Uganda. They are needed to built with other people's money and goodwill of both states. As they are both giving away land to this development. Though the building of this cities are no natural growth or a city developing through the stages they usually do with added population and businesses.
Akon will most likely either able to create one of these. If not it will be a Gbadolite. A forgotten relic of the big-man and for life President Mobutu Sese Seko of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The same might easily happen to Akon City in both Senegal and Uganda. As he will have to make it viable for investors and they have to see these enterprises as profitable. Everyone investing has to get their cut and the people moving there have to suddenly be able to make a living in these cities. That without any official business or companies working there. They are just supposed to spring up and the seeds of a this visionary city is viable to feed itself.
That is why this a questionable dream. An Utopia or an Wakanda. If Akon isn't able to bring in the cash it will turn into a nightmare. It will be ghost-towns before they are even starting to exist. If he gets it built. It might die quickly too, as it is a generic and a manufactured towns without any natural life. This will make it harder to breathe life into it. Unless, his developers are planning the livelihoods and possible ways to actually live there. That shows how far-fetched these things are.
Akon is trading a dream or hoping to avoid a nightmare. These cities needs so much to work. Not only the building, but the funding and make them liveable. That is when this get real. So, how can Akon be able to build cities without spending his own money?
I want to wish Akon well, but feels sorry for the ones falling for it. I have a feeling like the fictional story of Asterix is what would happen here. The promise of an urban city beside the Gaul village. However, the architect had give up and the Roman city couldn't get built and had to give up. The same will most likely happen here.
I know the fans of Akon and the ones earning fortunes on his enterprises doesn't want this out. However, it is necessary to say this. Akon could just a be a con man too. Than he has made himself a king without even having the battle for the throne. That is legendary, but also scary. We can just wonder, if he will ever pull it off. Time will tell, but don't be sad if this all just a cash-grab and a heist of certain elites. Peace.
Author nilspeacePosted on April 6, 2021 April 6, 2021 Categories Africa, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Akon, Akon City, Aliane Damala Badara Thiam, Asterix, Gbadolite, GoU, Government of Uganda, Janet Museveni, Konvict Music, Mbodiène, Senegal, Uganda, Utopia, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta MuseveniLeave a comment on Opinion: Akon is building two Utopian cities now [where is the money for this?]
Senegal: Conference Episcopale – Proince Ecclesiastique de Dakar – Declaration des Eveques du Senegal suite aux Manifestations enregistrees sur toute l'Etendue du Territoire (08.03.2021)
Author nilspeacePosted on March 8, 2021 March 8, 2021 Categories Africa, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Abdou Diouf, Abdoulaye Wade, Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Françafrique, Jotna, M2D, Macky Sall, Mouvement de Defense de la Democratie, Ousmane Sonko, President Sall, Senegal, Western AfricaLeave a comment on Senegal: Conference Episcopale – Proince Ecclesiastique de Dakar – Declaration des Eveques du Senegal suite aux Manifestations enregistrees sur toute l'Etendue du Territoire (08.03.2021)
Senegal: Ordre Des Avocats du Senegal – Communique du Conseil de l'Ordre des avocats du Senegal (07.03.2021)
Author nilspeacePosted on March 7, 2021 March 7, 2021 Categories Africa, Army, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Abdou Diouf, Abdoulaye Wade, Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Françafrique, Jotna, M2D, Macky Sall, Mouvement de Defense de la Democratie, Ousmane Sonko, President Sall, Senegal, Western AfricaLeave a comment on Senegal: Ordre Des Avocats du Senegal – Communique du Conseil de l'Ordre des avocats du Senegal (07.03.2021)


Antwerp, Belgium – May 2017…Few classical concert halls are as grand or as well-equipped as the Queen Elisabeth Hall (QEH), and its accompanying congress center in Antwerp, Belgium. Having recently reopened its doors after a multi-year development program, the renowned home of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic has been equipped with state-of-the-art audio, video and lighting systems. Fundamental to the success of the ambitious project were the efforts of Belgium-based, full-service AV provider and integrator FACE, who selected a roll-call of market-leading brands. For the audio portion of the project, that meant turning to Renkus-Heinz for its beam steering expertise, with more than 70 loudspeakers now installed in the venue.
Careful consideration of the room's acoustical properties and coverage issues led to the specification of a 22-box primary left/right array comprising Renkus-Heinz VARIAi Modular Installation Array Systems. Powerful low-frequency woofers, lightweight neodymium compression drivers, and optimum ease of vertical control are among the primary benefits of the VARIAi boxes, which also feature advanced cabinet and waveguide designs.
The left and right arrays further comprise flown VAX15 subs and conventional RHX81 speakers for the side balconies, ensuring 270° audio coverage for each cluster. "The Renkus-Heinz team really helped us deliver the best possible result, drawing up the original EASE design and undertaking the first simulations for the placement of the speakers in cooperation with FACE," praises Kemland.


Stock Kitchen Cabinets. What are stock kitchen cabinets? Stock kitchen cabinets happen to be cabinetry that are pre-built into a specific size and then resold by a cabinetry dealer. Share cabinets are typically produced in a couple of inch increments. In some standard kitchen layouts such as a great L shaped kitchen you can lay cabinets out without much problem. But what do you perform when you are fitting cabinets among two walls? Well in the case the cabinet dealer may supply you with filler pieces to consider any large gaps that will eventually occur by using cupboards that are built within two inch increments. These cabinet filler pieces can be slice to fit the remaining gap relatively well. The main disadvantage with stock kitchen cabinets may be the aforementioned incremental sizing but also the quality. Although as with anything the lower to mid range priced stock cabinetry are typically made from thinner components and have economy hardware such as cabinet door hinges and drawer slides. There are a few advantages with using stock cabinetry the very first one that comes to mind is expense. Since stock cabinets are mass produced they can be quite affordable. Another advantage is speed, in most cases traders have access to larger warehouses in which the cabinets are stored, and you may have your stock curio cabinet order within a few brief weeks or in some cases days.
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This episode shows how to make kitchen shelves and some of the accessories in our kitchen. We made rough, open shelves out of fir balusters and painted 2x4s, 2x6s and 2x8s. Since the shelves are open, I wanted to make some cool-looking containers to hide cleaning products and other unsightly household products. I bought some ammo cans online that I spray painted and dip-dyed to use as storage containers.
I used Oak stair treads to make the open shelves above the countertops.
I used 1 1/4" balusters to act as supports for my pantry shelves around the refrigerator.
I painted 2x4s, 2x6s and 2x8s white for for my pantry shelves around the refrigerator.
I used L-brackets to connect the Oak shelves to the wall.
I purchased ammo cans online to use as storage containers.
The Oak treads I bought had a rounded front edge, so I trimed that off with my table saw.
I used my compound miter saw to cut the treads to the length I wanted.
We used an orbital sander to sand down the cut edges of the treads.
I wanted to secure the shelves to the studs in the wall, so I used my stud finder to locate the 2x4s.
I marked the location of the studs onto the Oak treads I cut.
I used the L-brackets to mount the shelves to the wall. To do so, I cut a recess in the Oak treads with a circular saw so that the L-brackets would fit flush. The inside corners of the L-brackets were a bit rounded, so after I cut notches with a circular saw, I had to carve down the edges with a knife.
I screwed the L-brackets to the underside of the Oak shelves and then stacked some scraps of wood on top of a milk crate to create scaffolding to support the shelves at the right height while I screwed them to the wall.
We painted the fir balusters using low VOC interior house paint in white.
I used my cordless drill to screw the balusters the wall and a level to make sure they were straight. I cut 2x4s 2x6s and 2x8s to length, painted them white and then set them on the balusters to make the shelves.
We spray-painted the ammo cans a flat grey.
I modified a cardboard box so that it was just a bit bigger than the ammo cans. Then I lined it with a plastic trash bag before pouring in high gloss house paint and dipping the ammo cans. It's important to have a place to set the cans while they dry that won't mess with the wet paint.
Good luck with building your own kitchen shelves and please email or tweet photos to @benuyeda or ben@homemade-modern.com.


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Q: Integrate Laravel Socialite with React Native Frontend using Passport I have a Laravel server with socialite and passport. I installed the coderello plugin to have the grant_social type. When I authorize the social, I reply from laravel to the client with a JSON with the social auth token. How can I capture it from my react app so I can use to make API calls? And how should I login with social? Should I use manual redirect with a WebView or should I use the official social's SDKs?

A: I solved using a view as response that contains a script that calls window.ReactNativeWebView.postMessage and in my React app I use onMessage callback inside the WebView.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


the server close it? Isn't there some kind of race condition?
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Exquisite tools that can transform mundane tasks into special events. Wood from the fast-growing longan fruit tree is hand-carved and sanded to shape measuring spoons. Useful in action and decorative at rest.


The Eucharist which was presided over by archbishop Józef Kowalczyk – the senior primate of Poland, was concelebrated by: senior bishop Stanisław Stefanek from Łomża, the bishop of Kalisz Łukasz Buzun, and the senior bishop Stanisław Napierała – the first Ordinary of Kalisz and also a few dozen priests from Polish dioceses. There were also priests from the parish church of St. Nicolas in Chełmża – a home town of blessed priest Stefan Wincenty Frelichowski, a martyr and a prisoner of Dachau – with the parish priest Krzysztof Badowski. The Holy Mass was attended also by: Eugeniusz Bądzyński – the former prisoner of the Dachau camp, members of the Secular Institute of Consecrated Life of the Holy Family, founded by archbishop Michał Kozala, representatives of the family of blessed bishop Michał Kozala, combatants, youth and flag-bearers of schools named by martyrs' names from Dachau, including delegation with the flag of the Junior High School no 1 in Chełmża named blessed priest Stefan W. Frelichowski with the head teacher Sławomir Wierzbicki and Fr. Łukasz Otremski and Fr. Marcin Nowicki.
KL Dachau was the Golgotha of the West for Poles and the Polish clergy. Among 1030 murdered priests, 868 of them were Poles. There, in the camp, they were to strengthen their vocation. Their life was full of prayer which was often said with painful mouths, and gave hope despite hatred from outside. In every act of sacrifice for another man, there was stronger defeat of those who considered themselves as rulers of the world. We only have a testament of those priests who spoke about their steadfast faithfulness to God in their priestly life. The Testament speaking about a duty of guarding holiness of marriage, life protection, responsible upbringing of young people and gaining a lot from our vocations given to us by the Creator. Their martyrdom was a sacrifice for individual saved lives, for Homeland and the Church – said the late bishop Janiak in the beginning of the Holy Mass.
In the homily archbishop Kowalczyk reminded about events which took place in Dachau 70 years ago and led to miraculous freeing many prisoners. All of them were to be murdered before their getting to the camp of American armies. Facing the fatal danger, prisoners launched a prayer to St. Joseph. Thanks to his interference, the camp was protected from death. The archbishop also mentioned blessed bishop Michał Kozal from Włocławek and blessed priest Stefan W. Frelichowski from Chełmża, who gave their life for Christ, and are an example for every Christian to follow. According to the example of Christ, their life and death became a propitiatory sacrifice for sins of the whole world, also their culprits'.
On the liberation day, in the camp there were 856 priests. From the year 1948 they made thanksgiving pilgrimages to Kalisz, and in 1970 they funded a chapel of Martyrdom and Gratitude in the underground of the sanctuary. When in April 2013, Fr. Leon Stępniak died at the age of 100, the last one from saved people, thanksgiving was continued by members of families, school youth, associations and institutions.
Speaking about martyrdom of priests, archbishop Kowalczyk used definite words to refer to wars and bloody persecutions of the Christians, especially, to a constantly endangered life from conception to natural death. – They lived in captivity, and we live at the times of not always well-used freedom. Today the man wants to decide for God, about someone's death or life. With neglecting fundamental Divine rights, the human life is endangered, especially where it is the weakest before the birth and at its end. It is accompanied by hypocrisy. Evil is not called by name. Murder of the unborn is defined abortion and killing the incurably ill or elderly people is given a false name of 'dignified dying' – said the senior primate.
Before the blessing at the end of the Holy Mass, participants went to the Chapel of Miraculous Image of St. Joseph of Kalisz where Fr. Tadeusz Kosecki from Gdynia, a former prisoner of KL Stutthof camp, read the Act of Entrustment to St Joseph, written in 1945 in Dachau.


During a disaster, information about evacuations, cyclone shelters and evacuation centres will be broadcast to the community via local ABC radio broadcasts and other media.
possibly street patrols and door knocking by emergency services.
If you are asked to evacuate it is because there is a real danger.


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Disclaimer! I'm really no kind of Java/Ant guy. So please do correct me @edvanbeinum. I thank you.
This article will show you how to use Ant to run the HTML5BP build scripts and then upload the optimised site to Amazon S3 with just one command (or two if you like).
I've bundled all these into a zip and put them in a Github repo if hunting each of those down sounds like a chore (which it was).
These JARs need to be available to Ant's classpath - one way to do this is to put them in $HOME/.ant/lib which is where Ant will automatically look for JARs.
which will spew out a lot of data, including loaded JARs.
Going over creating a bucket on S3 and how to get your security credentials is beyond the scope of this article. The S3 documentation is a good place to start.
To play nicely with the HTML5BP build script we are going to keep as much of our files separate from HTML5BP as possible. This will make it easier for us when we want to upgrade to the next version of HTML5BP.
Now, awstasks uses a rather limited mimetype library that doesn't recognise CSS and JS files so as a result it will upload CSS as the application/octet-stream type to S3. Luckily there is a way around this in the latest version of awstasks (which is why we compiled it from SVN earlier).
we will use that file a little later to tell awstasks about these types it doesn't recognise.
Add the name of your project in place of 'YOUR_PROJECT_NAME'. You'll see that the script gets the deploy.properties file and then create a new tasks called 'S3Upload'. The S3Upload task has the 'mimeTypesFiles' attribute where we give it the path to the mime types file we made earlier.
You may be wondering where 'dir.publish' property comes from. Good question. This build script is going to be included into HTML5BP's build script so our script will have access to the properties from HMTL5BP - here we tell the S3Upload task to copy the publish directory to our S3 bucket.
By default 'ant build' will build a production system, minifying and compressing the site and writing the output to the publish/ folder. We then call our new deploy script to upload the site to our S3 bucket.
Bear in mind that you'll need to re-add that line when you upgrade HTML5BP, but you can now build and deploy in one command.


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Wazeesupperclub.com Blog How the Quran is divided?
How the Quran is divided?
A juz' is sometimes further divided into two ḥizb (plural aḥzāb), and each hizb subdivided into four rubʻ al-ahzab. The Quran is also divided into seven approximately equal parts, manzil (plural manāzil), for it to be recited in a week.
When was the rise and spread of Islam?
The early rise of Islam (632-700) The Muslim community spread through the Middle East through conquest, and the resulting growth of the Muslim state provided the ground in which the recently revealed faith could take root and flourish.
What is the first Juz?
Surahs (from chapter – to chapter)
Name (Āyah – verse begins with)
1 (آلم (آ-ل-م Al-Baqarah (2:75) – Al-Baqarah (2:141)
2 سَيَقُولُ Al-Baqarah (2:142) – Al-Baqarah (2:202)
Al-Baqarah (2:203) – Al-Baqarah (2:252)
Which prophet is mentioned the most in the Quran?
Adam, the first human (25 times)
Elisha (al-yasa) 38:48, 6:85-87.
Job (ayyūb)
David (dāwūd)
Ezekiel (dhūl-kifl) (2 times)
Aaron (hārūn) (24 times)
Eber (hūd) (25 times)
Enoch (idrīs)
What surah does Juz 27 start with?
Surah Adh-Dhariyat ayat 31
What is the main idea of the spread of Islam?
2 The Spread of Islam Main Idea Reading Focus After Muhammad's death, Islam spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula, shaping a major empire within 100 years. While the empire eventually broke into smaller parts, Islam continued to spread.
How long is the first Juz?
eight verses
What are the 30 Juz in the Quran?
Quran Para 30
A Juz or Para of the Qur'an is just the division of the Qur'an into 30 distinct sections.
Quran Para 30, (also referred to as Juz 30) spans across the last 36 surahs, many of which are very short.
34 of the Surahs of Juz 30 were revealed at the earlier of time in Islam when the number of Muslims were small.
Is the Quran in chronological order?
This formula is known as the Bismillah and denotes the boundaries between chapters. The chapters are arranged roughly in order of descending size; therefore the arrangement of the Quran is neither chronological nor thematic. Surahs (chapters) are recited during the standing portions (Qiyam) of Muslim prayers.
What responsibilities are listed in duties 2 3 and 4 Islam?
What responsibilities are listed in duties 2, 3 and 4? The had to execute judgements, defend the lands, and enforce legal penalties.
How did Islam originate and spread?
Islam spread through military conquest, trade, pilgrimage, and missionaries. Arab Muslim forces conquered vast territories and built imperial structures over time.
How long is a Juz in the Quran?
about 20 pages
Why is the Quran not in chronological order?
Why was Quran not Compiled in its Chronological Order of Revelation? Even though, in the chronological order this Surah was revealed much later yet it was placed in the opening of the Quran because "Fatiha" means "To Open". In other words "Fatiha" also means the "Entrance".
Why is Surah 2 called the cow?
Surah 2:124-137 – The Cow – Al Baqarah (The title of this surah refers to an argument between Moses and the Israelites over a cow they should sacrifice in order to make known the murder of a slain man.
What does Quran mean literally?
The word Qur'an comes from the arabic word "Qaraa" which means to read,So the Qur'an is a noun from the verb qaraa . the Quran is a Holy Book that is revealed to the prophet Mohammed peace be upon him through which he was asked by Allah (God) to spread His word of peace and guidance that is known by Islam.
What is the main purpose of the Quran?
The Qur'an is the holy book for Muslims, revealed in stages to the Prophet Muhammad over 23 years. Qur'anic revelations are regarded by Muslims as the sacred word of God, intended to correct any errors in previous holy books such as the Old and New Testaments.
Who ordered Quran order?
The Quran was collected under the auspices of committee of four senior ranking Companions headed by Zayd ibn Thabit. This compilation was kept by the Caliph Abu Bakr, after his death by his successor, Caliph Umar, who on his deathbed gave them to Hafsa bint Umar, his daughter and one of Muhammad's widows.
Which Surah is half of Quran?
Surah Ikhlas is called 1/3rd of Quran.
Which Juz is the longest?
Al-Baqara
البقرة Al-Baqarah The Heifer
Arabic text English translation Audio of sura (ar)
Classification Medinan
Position Juz' 1–3
No. of Rukus 40
Where does the 5th Juz start?
The fifth juz' of the Qur'an contains most of Surah An-Nisaa, the fourth chapter of the Quran, starting from verse 24 and continuing to verse 147 of the same chapter.
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Foundation was invaded by very small pirates this week. The costumes were fantistic, along with some very well done face paintings and tattoo's (temporary of course). The children made jeweled biscuits,searched for hidden treasure,and played pirate themed games. They showed off their best pirate dance moves, mean pirate faces and pirate poses.


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adMISSION: HLS
Pembe: Working to support law students of African descent
Explore adMISSION: HLS
Alumni Perspectives
Assistant Dean's Corner
Inside the Black Box
Junior Deferral Program
Meet the J.D. Admissions Team
On and Off Campus
Transferring to HLS
We recently sat down with current 3L Brice Ngameni to learn more about his work as president and co-founder of Pembe, a non-profit organization focused on supporting students of African descent trying to get into — and succeed at — American law schools.
What inspired you to co-found Pembe?
I moved to the United States shortly after high school with the clear goal of becoming a lawyer, but I had very little understanding of what the path to becoming an attorney actually involved. During the ensuing undergraduate years and the subsequent work years, I set out to connect with as many lawyers as I possibly could. I peppered them with questions about their life as attorneys, how I could boost my LSAT score and what I could do to make my application more competitive. Over time, a cousin of mine (and co-founder of Pembe) was admitted to law school and was also able to give me much needed insights. Reflecting on this journey, the help I received along the way was invaluable. In many ways my co-founders Aïta Seck and Dani Makia faced equally daunting challenges on their way to law school. By creating Pembe, we simply wanted to pay it forward by assisting others in our immigrant communities who desperately look for connections to individuals familiar with the law school application process and willing to help. Rather than tackling this problem on an individual basis, we simply decided that only a systemic response could address the systemic problem of low representation of our community in the legal profession.
What was your own journey to law school like?
When I first moved to the United States, my journey to law school seemed very unlikely. I barely spoke English; I had no experience with American-style standardized tests; and I did not know a single attorney trained in the United States. My goal began to appear more attainable when I started meeting attorneys and asking them about the application process. Attorneys with similar immigrant or linguistic backgrounds had the greatest impact in making me believe my goals were within reach. One of them encouraged me to redouble my effort to obtain a strong LSAT score. I took his advice and enrolled in LSAT prep classes and buckled down to study intently on my own. I did not relent until I was satisfied with my score and confident that I would be competitive at the best schools. My success really came down to patience, perseverance and access.
What makes Pembe distinctive?
Pembe is unique in that we strive to connect our mentees with mentors who share not just an interest in and connection to the legal profession, but also a common ethnic origin and shared experiences and challenges. This is significant because research suggests that mentors who look like their mentees and share similar backgrounds and interests are much more able to inspire their mentees to reach their full potential. We also distinguish ourselves by our intense focus on mentee and mentor engagement. We screen our applicant pool to identify individuals who are relatively close to applying to law school (no more than two years away) and who are therefore most likely to find value in our program. We also have processes for frequent check-in with mentees and mentors to ensure regular contact between them. Lastly, our program recognizes that low LSAT scores represent a significant hurdle for many law school applicants of African descent. Our mentors help their mentees design a study plan and regularly discuss their progress in following that plan. Our mentors and mentees also have access to LSAT resource documents prepared by Pembe or generously made available by our sister organization Dear Future Colleague. We invite you to check out Dear Future Colleague! They are doing incredible work in the same space as Pembe.
What's your vision for the future of the organization?
Because low LSAT scores often pose a challenge to mentees in our target demographics, we are looking for partnerships and funding to expand our LSAT-related support. This expanded support would include discounted LSAT course fees, free or subsidized group tutoring, and a LSAT book library from which mentees could borrow periodically.
How can people interested in Pembe's mission get involved?
Our campaign to recruit mentees and mentors has just begun. The links to apply are now up and running on Pembeorg.com. Please visit our website to learn more about Pembe and apply.
We are also interested in partnerships with law firms and other organizations in order to provide expanded LSAT-related support to our mentees as soon as practicable.
What are some of your hobbies and interest outside of Pembe?
Like any self-respecting Cameroonian, I enjoy few things more than a good Champions League or World Cup soccer game. I play basketball whenever the weather permits, and I love reading classic African novels or watching history documentaries.
Filed in: Student Voices


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Top Private Pharmacy Colleges in Ooty
Each year Careers360 ranks and rates the Top Private Pharmacy Colleges in Ooty . The ranking is based on factors like quality of students, research output, industry interface, publications, academic productivity and so on. Read more here - Ranking Methodology.
City Mumbai (3) Ahmedabad (2) Chennai (2) New Delhi (1) Mangaluru (1) Manipal (1) Pune (1) Noida (1) Ranchi (1) Phagwara (1) Pilani (1) Rajpura (1) Belgaum (1) Kattankulathur (1) Moga (1) Solan (1) Ooty (1) Shirpur (1) Jaipur (1) Anantapuram (1) Mysuru (1)
Ownership Private (1)
Exam GPAT (2) BITSAT (1)
Year: Year 2019 2017 2016
Ooty Private
In Pvt. JSS College of Pharmacy, Ooty
NIRF Rank: 8


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Game prediction: Boise State 56, LaTech 14
By Kevan Lee Oct 1, 2008, 3:00pm PDT
Share All sharing options for: Game prediction: Boise State 56, LaTech 14
Many people will look at this game as a possible stumbling block for the Broncos because of how much Louisiana Tech has improved.
These people would be dead wrong.
Or Statesman employees.
This line of reasoning fails to look at the most important part of tonight's game: the greatness of the Broncos. If Boise State has proven anything over the last three games, they have proven that they did not take a step back this year. In fact, this team might even be better than last year's team.
Obviously, this is bad news for the Bulldogs. When the schedules came out this summer, no doubt LaTech circled this game as a possible chance to make a statement and pull an upset. But after Boise State's strong wins over Bowling Green and Oregon, the Tech faithful have to be feeling significantly less confident about the chances of that upset happening.
We certainly don't see an upset tonight. In fact, we see the Broncos dominating in ways that they have yet to dominate this season. The LaTech defense is too soft to hang with the Bronco offense. The LaTech offense is too meager to do much against the Bronco "D." And the special teams for both schools will essentially be a wash.
Sorry, Bulldog fans. Better luck next year. (Not.)
Other predictions:
The Bronco offense will play all four quarters, albeit with backup quarterbacks once the game is out of hand.
Ian Johnson will rush for 100 yards...times two.
Derek Dooley will be outcoached.
Kyle Brotzman will make that swinging gate extra point try work if it's the last thing he does.
Titus Young will score a touchdown.
Titus Young will fumble.
Taylor Bennett will do that weak quarterback slide right in front of an oncoming Jeron Johnson. Bennett will then go to the sidelines to change his pants.


Home » Genealogy Acronyms » A Meaning in Genealogy » What does A mean in Genealogy?
A Meaning in Genealogy - What does A mean?
The meaning of A is About and other meanings are located at the bottom which take place within Genealogy terminology and A has 4 different meaning. All meanings which belong to A abbreviation are take part only within Genealogy terminology and other meanings are not found. If you want to see other meanings, please click the A meaning link. Thus, you will be directed to page which indicates all meanings of A. Unless there are 4 different meanings A abbreviation at the bottom, please search again by typing question structures such as "what does A mean in Genealogy, the meaning of A in Genealogy". Besides, you can search by typing A in the search box which is found our website.
What does A stand for Genealogy?
We have compiled queries on search engines about A acronym in Genealogy and we gave place them in our website by selecting the most frequently asked questions. We think you asked a similar question to the search engine to find meaning of the A abbreviation in Genealogy and we are sure the following list will take your attention.
What does A meaning stand for Genealogy?
A meaning stands for Acre.
What is the meaning of A abbreviation in Genealogy?
The meaning of A abbreviation is "Age" in Genealogy.
What is shorthand of Ante ?
The shorthand of "Ante" is A.
What is the definition of A acronym in Genealogy?
Definitions of A shorthand is "Ante" in Genealogy.
What is the full form of A abbreviation in Genealogy?
Full form of A abbreviation is "Acre" in Genealogy.
Full meaning of A is "Age".
Explanation for A is "Age".


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Jimmy Kennedy worked as Head Chef in the Fairways Hotel
Jim (Jimmy) Kennedy, Oaklawns, 1935-2019
Jim Kennedy, Oaklawns, Dundalk, who died on February 25, 2019, after a long illness borne with great fortitude, was a very loving and caring husband and father.
Kind and gentle with a great sense of humour, he was loved by friends, work colleagues and all who knew him.
Born in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin, he was a son of James and Kathleen Kennedy, one of a family of four boys and four girls.
Sadly, his sister, Kathleen passed away. He is survived by his brothers, Paschal, Bill and Joe and sisters, Marie, Ann and Bernie.
Their mother, Kathleen died aged 32 giving birth to Joe. The family was split up, six taken into care, and the baby and Jim fostered by an uncle and his wife.
When Jim's new family moved to Limerick, he attended school there at The Crescent.
Aged 16, he went to take up a career in catering in Shannon. His love and total commitment to cooking lasted throughout his life.
He went to Frankfurt where he learned to speak fluent German. Subsequently he took up posts in the Savoy and Dorchester Hotels and Irish Embassy in London.
On returning to Ireland, Jim was employed as Head Catering Instructor in Rockwell College.
While on a weekend in Dublin he met his wife to- be Maureen. He said it was love at first sight.
He then moved to Dublin, worked in the Intercontinental Hotel, Ballsbridge and was then employed by CERT to start the first catering school in Maynooth College where many of the students who couldn't read were taught by the novice students for the priesthood.
Jim, by then married and with a daughter Margaret, was appointed as Head Chef in the Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast for four years and later Executive Chef for Trust House Forte in Lisburn for another three years.
With no let up in the Troubles they moved to Dundalk. He ran a pub in Stabannon for 15 years while also working as Head Chef in the Imperial Hotel and later Fairways Hotel.
Jim had a great love of Irish traditional music and played the jaw harp and Bodhrán.
He was recently given a medal and award for more than 45 years in Comhaltas, Forkhill.
He loved and enjoyed his golf, walking three dogs and singing in the Redemptorist Choir.
Jim was a great believer in Saint Padre Pio, and for many years, with Maureen, helped with buses to Knock and went several times to San Giovanni.
He also organised the Triduum in the Holy Redeemer for more than 35 years, and attended Saint Mary's Church in Drogheda every month where he was able to sell medals, calendars, etc., all to do with Padre Pio.
Whatever he took on was given total commitment.
Jim is survived by his wife, Maureen, daughter, Margaret, brothers, sisters and other family members.
He reposed at Shevlin's Funeral Home on Wednesday and was then taken to the Redemptorist Church where ceremonies were conducted by Father Eamon Kavanagh.
Beautiful trad music at the wake and before and after Mass was by Jim's traditional music friends. The Redemptorist choir sang beautifully.
Gifts celebrating his life were brought to the altar by family and friends. These included his chef's apron, bodhrán and jaw harp, photos of his wife and daughter and one of his hymn books for Saint Patrick's Day.
Readings and prayers of the faithful were again by family and friends.
Finally, Margaret spoke very movingly about her best Dad in the whole world.
Burial took place in St Patrick's Cemetery, Dowdallshill. RIP.


Insider Real Estate a Scam?
Secrets To Sell My House Legit or Scam?
Fast Track Profit System – Huge Conversion Rate! is a rather popular product. Now it is a bold claim to generate, so I decided to research this product and locate reviews including other advice to provide you with an accurate and actual review. I purchased the product to supply an impartial review to any or all my readers.
First off I've to state the ebook is fairly long. There is the right information inside, however, is any of it worth purchasing this ebook? The real question is: Will it work? I do not believe the ebook is a scam. But you will need some severe discipline to follow along with the ideas in this ebook.
This ebook has all you need to start. It teaches you exactly what you need, how to practice the steps, and how possible get started quickly. The ebook isn't hard to examine and follow, with graphics and diagrams to aid direct you.
There's a new menace in the world, something referred to as e-book scams. It comes in two kinds,: PDF ebooks instantly produce from automatically gathered information gathered from the Web, and PDF ebooks generated from taking legitamate printed PDFs, scanned and sold by somebody that does not possess the right of first publication. Fast Track Profit System – Huge Conversion Rate! comprises initial content and real content to help you buy with confidence.
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The good outweighs the bad. Even if you don't want anything to do with money, it's impossible to ignore your life-long relationship with it. Therefore, you should try to gain control of your finances so you can feel good. Below, you'll find many tips that will help further your financial knowledge.
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Legend tells us these are the words that the Native American leader Crazy Horse told his fellow warriors during the Battle of Little Big Horn, a battle many of us know as Custer's Last Stand.
The words, "Today is a good day to die" mean that there are fates worse than death; that it is better to die bravely than to live apologetically or timidly. This statement "Today is a good day to die" has become a rallying cry for the contemporary American Indian Movement. It was a rallying cry at Wounded Knee in 1973 and it is a rallying cry in our time inspiring action to stop the construction of the Dakota pipeline that is being built just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.
Over 200 tribes have joined together to support the Standing Rock Sioux in their struggle against this pipeline, to protect sacred sites from desecration and to guarantee the tribe's access to clean drinking water. Plans for the pipeline have been diverted before at the behest of white communities so this is difference of practice not principle. These native leaders reject the term "protesters," instead they are "protectors", protectors of the water and the earth.
A few weeks ago a clash between private security guards and protectors turned violent with 6 activists being bitten by dogs and 30 people pepper sprayed. Just this week there was a confrontation between activists and law enforcement where 141 people were arrested leading to accusations that the legal authorities are trying to repress freedom of speech and the right to protest.
In this context the statement "today is a good day to die" means it is better to die than to remain silent. It is better to die than be mistreated, disrespected, humiliated or ignored. "Today is a good day to die," means a willingness to take the risks that are necessary to meet humiliation with pride, to confront disrespect with self-respect, to counter repression with freedom.
And yet, the phrase also means much more than that for there is a fundamental difference between the way Western religion and Native American traditions see death. When Muslims speak of the commonalities between Islam, Christianity and Judaism they often say, "We are people of the book," and as we all know, every book has a beginning and an end. We who are shaped by Western culture tend to see life in a linear way with a beginning and an end and a straight line between the two.
The religion of the Indian does not come from a book. The religion of the Indian comes from Nature. Where Western Civilization tends to see things in a linear fashion, indigenous people tend to see life in a cyclical manner. Whereas a book may have a beginning and an end, nature moves in circles; Winter. Spring, Summer, Fall, sunrise, noon, sunset, midnight. Life moves in circles, constantly returning from whence it came and continuing to move with the cycles and seasons of death and life. Just as the leaves that fall from the branches nourish the roots of the tree, death and life are one.
Black Elk the Oglala Sioux shaman described it this way when he said, "Everything the 'power of the world' does is done in a circle. Birds build their nests in a circle and theirs is the same religion as ours…Our teepees are round like the nest of birds where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children." The circularity of the teepee and of tribal meetings is meant to reflect the circularity of life itself.
This difference between the Western and the Indian view is on display at Standing Rock today where many circular teepees have been set up in the path of the construction of a very linear pipeline.
The cycle of life and death is a theme in other cultures as well this time of year. In Mexico we have the Day of the Dead. In the Gaelic tradition we have Samhain. In Christian tradition we have All Souls and All Saints Days. Indeed, the pre-Christian origins of many of the traditions around this season have caused some discomfort among some who belong to the more conservative forms of the faith. Some churches have gone so far as to rename Halloween Holyween (and at least one church has a sign saying Hallowlujah for Holyween.) This is one way to show discomfort for the many pagan practices that have made their way into the church.
However, in my experience, most meaningful holidays and holy days are a conglomeration of influences from many different cultural sources. Indeed a strict puritanism always spoils a good holiday. The Puritans of New England did not celebrate Christmas or Easter or Halloween as they felt they were too rife with pagan imagery and tradition, eggs and bunnies, bows of holly and mistletoe, jack a lanterns. So this puritan tendency to avoid hybrid holidays is not new. But personally, given the choice between puritanism and a good party I will always choose the good party.
And let's be honest we need some holiday or holyday to gives us an opportunity to talk about death, because it is a conversation topic that is often avoided. It is the nature of our contemporary society that all too often we separate the living from the dead.
Here at our church we try to do things differently. Up on the hill we have a memorial garden that contains the ashes of the dear departed. But that garden is also a place where our children and our youth groups might have their meetings, or where people of all ages might dance around a Maypole or where a meditation class or contemplative prayer class might meet or a wedding or an animal blessing. The idea is to stop segregating life and death but to live life mindfully in the presence of death.
Archeologists and anthropologists tell us that some of the earliest evidence of human religion concerns the human attempt to live life mindful of the presence of death. Artifacts from ritual burials are some of the early signs that human beings turned to religion in order to live consciously with the knowledge of our own mortality.
The words of Chief Seattle remind us that our ancestors are not just a part of our past but part of our living present.
The poet Williams Wordsworth was a writer who aspired to stay close to Nature, to allow Nature to be his teacher. And so even though he was English he captured some of the same spiritual themes that one finds in Native American traditions.
Wordsworth poem "We are Seven" is one that speaks to me in a very personal way. Like the little girl in the poem I am one of 5 children. In a photo album in our family there is a picture of us all, my mother, my father, my sisters Merriane and Shannon, my brothers Sam and Bill. My parents look very young in the photo, younger than I am now. My older sisters and brothers also look very young. Two of those seven people in the photo are no longer living. My brother Bill died in a car accident when he was a teenager. My mother died of a stroke at the age of 72. And yet in that photo we are seven. The words of the poet ring true, "We are seven." In many ways that photograph of us seven speaks to a spiritual truth greater than the head count at the last family reunion.
Many years ago I heard a Taoist teacher about death and the Tao. This is not an easy thing to do as the Tao te Ching says of the Tao, "Those who know don't say, those who say don't know." But she said to understand the Tao is to be able to say, "Now that I have found the Tao I can die in peace," and this is fundamentally different from many other things for very few of us can say, "Now that I've won the lottery I can die in peace" or "Now that I have met the partner of my dreams I can die in peace" or "Now that I got the promotion I've been working for I can die in peace." In other words, to understand the Tao is to understand how it is possible to die in peace.
The elder Takatoka of the Manataka American Indian Council spoke of a similar experience when he said of that famous phrase, "Today is a good day to die" means that we are ready in our mind, heart and spirit to become one with the Eternal Spirit of the Creator. It means we are prepared to enter the never-ending and timeless River of Spirit to float forever. The Creator may later require our energy and spirit in the form of another creation so we may become the fodder and substance of something entirely new, return as fragment of another being or some other transformation as the will of the Creator may dictate. Who can say otherwise?" Such is the circle of life.
So the fundamental theological question does not really involve what we think about life after death. Instead the important question is about how we feel, Do we approach death with fear or trust? Do we trust whatever is next?
In North Dakota, at this moment, there is by one observer's estimation the largest gathering of Native American tribes since the battle of Little Big Horn. The hopes of the activists were raised even further this week when thousands of buffalo showed up thundering across the plains just as the law enforcement was taking action to stop the activists. One cannot help but feel that the Great Spirit is at work.
The Native American leader Crazy Horse did not die in the Battle of Little Big Horn but he was prepared to do so and he has become a symbol for the unbroken spirit of a people. In many ways this movement at Standing Rock is an action not only of the living but of the dead, not only of the present generation but of the ancestors, a reminder of a thousand broken treaties and a thousand un-kept promises.
The statement, "Today is a good day to die" is much more than a battle cry. It is a statement not only about death. It is about life and how we want to live. It means today is a good day to stand up for what we believe. Today is a good day to speak out for those who have not been heard. Today is a good day to take action, to oppose all the powers and principalities that like to bulldoze all opposition. Today is a good day to protect the water. Today is a good day to protect future generations. Today is a good day to stand up for the living and the dead. Today is a good day to die.
Americans have a tendency to give our elections religious significance. During the presidential primaries I took a trip to the beach passing a truck stop with a big marquee that read, "In God and Trump We Trust." Four days later it simply said, "In God We Trust," leaving no explanation for why God might jettison his running mate.
This tendency to infuse our elections with sacred meaning can distort exactly what an election is. On November 8 we elect a president. We do not anoint a messiah. Even so messianic hopes often become attached to political candidates across the liberal to conservative spectrum.
This elections season I've seen Facebook posts by Republicans, Democrats, Green Party, Libertarians and Independents presenting a candidate as the Second Coming. Like the truck stop owner most of us eventually learn to dial back our enthusiasm either before or after Election Day.
If someone is going to be our savior then someone else has to be the Devil. For the record, I met Hillary Clinton in the 1990's. Later media accounts notwithstanding I can say from direct personal experience that she does not have horns, tail or carry a pitchfork. Although I've never met Donald Trump from what I do know about him I gather he does not have a halo.
And I have deep sympathy for Jill Stein, candidate of the Green Party and Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, because as the youngest of 5 children I know just how hard it can be to get any attention in a crowded field of candidates. Ditto for everyone else on the ballot.
But as much as I love the song, "When the Saints Go Marchin' In" I predict that none of us are going to be singing it when the new Congress convenes and a new president is inaugurated. By January I think it will be very clear, if it is not so already, we are electing candidates and not consecrating saints.
When we attach messianic hope to a political leader we end in disappointment. Indeed, one of the reasons that Jesus was crucified is because he did not live up to the expectations of those who thought he would make their nation great again. So from an orthodox perspective, not even the Messiah can live up to everyone's messianic expectations.
For those of us who have lived through Bush fatigue and Obama disillusionment this will come as no surprise. We have yet to see a candidate who is truly All-Wise and All-Knowing. High hopes come crashing down. Too often we are shocked when human beings prove to have human limits. Then, more often than not, the date for the arrival of a new messiah gets postponed to the next presidential election. Thus the cycle continues.
This is why I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai who once said, "If you are planting a tree and someone tells you the Messiah has come, finish planting the tree, then go greet the Messiah." So I encourage you to vote. However, if you are engaged in meaningful work when the networks call the election, continue your work until it is done, then go hear the outcome.
When my daughter was young I became an adult scout leader and so I was literally a card-carrying member of the Girl Scouts. So although I am male I like to think that there have been times in my life when I could play the Woman Card.
This election season we have been hearing a lot about this elusive woman card. Two candidates locked in a fierce presidential election contest. One is accused of playing the woman card, the other accused of playing the man card.
To make matters worse, in the middle of this conflict some state legislatures have been passing laws suggesting that every one of us needs a bathroom ID card. Birthers hounded the president for years to produce his birth certificate – now all of us may have to produce a birth certificate just to go to the bathroom.
So this morning I want to speak about the woman card, the man card and the bathroom ID card, in that order.
First the woman card: I was a college exchange student in Manchester, England, in the years 1986-87. This means I was there while Margaret Thatcher was running for re-election as Prime Minister of Great Britain in her role as the leader of the Conservative Party or the Tories.
So I lived through Margaret Thatcher's campaign for Prime Minister and now I am experiencing Hillary Clinton's campaign for President and this morning I want to share some of the ways I think gender plays a role in elections regardless of whether the candidate is liberal or conservative, left or right.
I'll admit that it has been something of a struggle for me to come up with the perfect words to describe the challenges faced by both, Clinton and Thatcher, the conservative and the progressive. So I posted a question n the Unitarian Universalist Minister Association Facebook Group, "Does anyone know a more diplomatic way to say the following sentence, 'I've seen both women endure an unrelenting testosterone driven sh#%t storm'." Not a single Unitarian Universalist minister could think of a better sentence so there it is – without ministerial refinements.
Margaret Thatcher was Tory, a true conservative. In the late 80's I was a young man who agreed with the liberation theologian Oscar Romero who said "the heart is a little bit to the left." Some of my friends might have said my heart was so far to the left that it was having an out of body experience.
Even so, I came to have a lot of admiration for the Iron Lady of the right. I even bought and read her collected speeches as a sort of souvenir for that time in my life. Let me share with you one statement that I underlined in her book.
"There is a temptation, not easily resisted, to identify our opponents with the Devil, to suggest that politics presents us with a series of clear and simple choices between good and evil, and to attribute base motives to all who disagree with us. These are dangerous …tendencies; they embitter politics and trivialize religion and morality.
This morning I want to speak particularly about misogyny, which the dictionary defines as "dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women." Here is what I've learned by observing both Thatcher and Clinton. While disagreements are common in politics, and in an age with greater opportunity, public disagreements between male and female leaders are to be expected there are still some clear signs when debate disintegrates into misogyny.
If you compare a female opponent to a barnyard animal you might be a misogynist. If in the process of disagreeing with someone you call her a dog, a fat pig, a disgusting animal you might be a misogynist. In the 80's the most common insult hurled at Thatcher was that she was "a bloody stupid cow." I heard this so often that I assumed the term must not be as insulting as it sounds, at least in the English context (after all everything sounds more civilized in an English accent.) Later I would learn that yes, the term is exactly as insulting and pejorative as it sounds.
You might be a misogynist if in the midst of civil discourse about a political topic you find yourself referring to an opponent as a witch or by another word that rhymes with that word, another animal term. Once again, the goal is to move away from policy differences and into name-calling in order to delegitimize and dehumanize your opponent, to objectify her, to place her among the category of things not people, things that are not equal and things that do not deserve respect. I've heard many of these terms hurled at both Clinton and Thatcher.
Now let me ask you a question, "Is that statement sexist or does it just sound sexist?" Is it a pure coincidence that it contains every known condescending thing men have ever said about women throughout the history of the Western World that women are irrational, vindictive, unpredictable, temperamental. And that's before you even know the substance of the complaint, which includes the leadership role Beth Harwell played in ousting another representative with a well-known history of sexual harassment of women.
So when any woman is accused of playing the woman card, conservative or liberal, republican or democrat, we already know that the deck is stacked against her. It is true of the contest between Margaret Thatcher and Neil Kinnock, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, or in other contests that are lesser known or less widely publicized.
So let's talk about the man card. And let me make this as simple as possible, when man accuses a woman of playing the woman card you can be pretty sure he is playing the man card.
When you say that a woman doesn't look like a President or a Head of State in this country then you are playing the man card because America has never had a woman president. However, if you go to Argentina or Iceland or Israel or Pakistan or the Philippines or Germany or Ireland or Sri Lanka or Finland or Indonesia or Liberia or Chili or Argentina or Lithuania or Costa Rica or Brazil or Croatia or Nepal or Taiwan or Malawi or Kosovo or South Korea or Great Britain or any number of other countries you will discover there are people on earth who have demonstrated that they can look at a woman and see a President.
This podcast drew from the research of George Lakoff, author of The Political Mind and other books. Lakoff suggests that we get our ideas about the government of the nation from how we see our families governed. He identifies two common patterns of family management and governance. There is the strict parent model of family government and there is the nurturant parent model.
This difference in many but not all families is the difference between mom and dad. So while it would be more accurate to speak of the strict parent and the nurturing parent, for the purposes of this sermon (during this particular election season) I am going to be speaking about the strict father and the nurturing mother.
In the strict father family the world is seen as scary, dangerous and unfriendly place and for that reason the strict father is the dispenser of tough love. This model of parenting can be summed up in the name of 50's TV show Father Knows Best, the father knows right from wrong, good from evil. Obedience and loyalty are a virtue. The role of the father is be a protector who offers security from danger, safety in the storm of life. In this world competition is good because competition makes us stronger and better prepared for the rigors of a perilous world. The strict father teaches his children to be tough, self-reliant and strong because it would be wrong to send them out into the world without the skills they need to survive and thrive.
In the nurturing mother family the parent brings empathy, understanding and listening to the role of family governance. To love and nurture is what it takes to help children grow up and become the best possible person they can be. In the nurturing mother family there are more dialogues and fewer monologues. The goal is to create a family where people care for each other, nurture each other and support each other. In this family cooperation is good because it is through cooperation that we survive and thrive. The dominant theme is the ethic of care. The caring thing is the right thing.
Which brings me back to our current election; if you watched either of the two presidential debates it was not hard to see the clash between the strict father and the nurturant mother so much so that here in the United States we have good reason to feel like we are in a custody dispute between mom and dad. Our strict father and our nurturing mother are yelling at each other in the kitchen while we the children cower in the living room.
In other words, Fuller is suggesting that on some level we are all transgender. Here is where we can learn something from the Taoist tradition that tells us to work for the balance of Yin/Yang, complimentary opposites, like male and female. Lao Tzu taught that strength with out gentleness becomes oppression whereas gentleness without strength becomes chaos and anarchy, so the goal in life is find a strong gentleness and a gentle strength.
I think our binary on gender is breaking down simultaneous with our binary in politics. This year I predict there will be many split tickets revealing that there are no wholly republican Republicans or purely democratic Democrats, no entirely green Green Party members or libertarian Libertarians. The idea of politics as a great dualism is breaking down making. Just as some identify as transgender many are starting to identify as trans-party politics.
So far we've talked about the man card and the woman card so it's time for us to talk about the bathroom ID card. This election season has been marked by the effort of many different state legislatures passing or attempting to pass bathroom bills saying that people must use the restroom for the gender that is indicated on their birth certificate. Ostensibly, the argument goes that these bills are meant to protect women from predatory men who might otherwise lurk in the women's room. However, now I am beginning to wonder if these laws are being pushed because there are some legislators worried about someone one new walking in the door and overhearing some of their locker room talk.
So why are our elected leaders targeting transgender people this election season and engaging in fear mongering. I think it is because, to paraphrase the philosopher Eric Hoffer, "you can win an election without a belief in God but you can never win an election without a belief in a devil." This is something Margaret Thatcher also understood and cautioned us against. This year's candidate for Devil is transgender people. But this tendency to identify anyone as the devil simply embitters our politics and trivializes our religion.
So having raised the issue let me assure you that when you leave this sanctuary at the end of the service you will not need your birth certificate to go to the restroom. We do not have anyone standing at the doors to check your bathroom ID card. So rest easy my friends.
If you've ever read her collected speeches then you know that Margaret Thatcher just got the last word. Yes, I just played the Woman Card.
Al Herter, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Paris, emailed me the following story.
Next a Mullah approached him who said, "Today by the power of Allah you will walk."The skeptic was once again puzzled.
Next a Buddhist monk came up and said, "Through the power of Buddha you will walk today." "But there isn't anything wrong with me," thought the skeptic.
"But I am perfectly fine," thought the skeptic.
Finally the conference ended and as he was leaving he went out to the parking lot and noticed that his car had been stolen. And so he said.
In the Unitarian Universalist Church we have room for a lot of skepticism but we also pay attention when we hear the same message over and over again in many different holy traditions. This morning I want to talk about forgiveness. And while the religions of the world do not always have the exact same teachings about forgiveness, all of them agree that forgiveness is important and essential to leading spiritual life.
Of course, forgiveness is not only a religious thing. It is a human thing and sometimes it is even a political thing. A few years ago a friend sent me a picture from Australia where a skywriting airplane had spelled out the word "SORRY" in big bold letters across the sky.
The reason for this skywriting is that in Australia they observe a date called Sorry Day. It is a day when the people of European descent apologize to the aborigines for their mistreatment over many years. The history of Australia is similar to our own. European colonizers came and displaced the indigenous people, taking the best land and leaving the worst for the natives. There were also efforts to "civilize" the aborigines including forcibly separating children from parents and making them go to boarding schools where they could be assimilated into Western "Civilization" creating what has been called a Stolen Generation.
We reflect on their past mistreatment….
We apologise especially for the removal of children from their families, their communities and their country.
We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a … future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.
When I learned about Australia's National Sorry Day I began to wonder if we needed to institute something similar in our own country. Tomorrow is Columbus Day. So this might be a good time to contemplate the question, do we who are of European descent owe an apology to the Native Americans? Last week Denver, Colorado, became the 9th city in the United States to give Columbus Day a new name Indigenous People's Day. The goal of this movement is to move past the traditional narrative that Columbus "discovered" America and celebrate the cultures and traditions of the many indigenous peoples who inhabited this land for thousands of years before Columbus arrived including 532 recognized tribes here in the United States.
A few years back the Knox County Commission in patriotic fervor debated on whether to pass a resolution declaring that God is the foundation for the United States of America and at the time I remember asking the question – whose God? the god of the Cherokee or the Chickasaw, the god of the Catawba or the Muscogee, the god of the Shawnee or the Yuchi? The god of the Apache or the Navajo, the Hopi or the Sioux? Whose God is the foundation for the United State of America? And has anyone considered the possibility that God does not want credit for the foundation of this country? Indeed God might want us to apologize for the ways we as a country have treated many of God's children.
Last Sunday at sunset marked the beginning of the High Holy Days of the Jewish Calendar. This is a season when it is a tradition to apologize, to give and receive forgiveness, to say sorry. Rabbi Telushkin reminds us that during this season it is especially important for the strong to apologize to the weak, so parents should be sure to apologize to their children, to show that forgiveness is not a quality of the weak but an attribute of the strong. To apologize is to lead. To apologize is to accept responsibility. To apologize is to begin a journey into a better future grounded in mutual respect and positive regard.
The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict has been the backdrop for the High Holy Days for more than half a century reminding us that the journey to peace and reconciliation is not an easy one. However, I have an early memory of the peace treaty negotiated by Jimmy Carter, Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin which has held firm for decades. As a child I remember seeing a picture of those three men standing together, a Christian, a Muslim and a Jew with a banner of words, "Blessed are the peacemakers." That memory reminds me that people of all faiths can work together for peace.
That treaty was meant to be the first step, followed closely by a second step, the resolution of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, but that next step, despite the efforts of many, has yet to be taken and this failure to follow up on a hopeful start is something for which we all should feel profoundly sorry.
So perhaps we need to institute a Sorry Day. Here in America we can use the occasion to say sorry to the Native Americans and the African Americans who came to this country in chains to serve as slaves, the slaves that literally built the White House and Nation's Capitol Building. This year a candidate for president has suggested we need to ban Muslims from entering the United States because some may be terrorists. How quickly we forget that many Muslims came to this country against their will, stolen by slave catchers, forced to endure the agony of the Middle Passage, to bear the shame of the slave block, the whip, the lynching tree and the worst forms of terrorism that human beings have ever devised. I am willing to bet that some prayed to Allah as they laid the foundation of the White House and the cornerstone of the capitol building. So maybe it is Allah who is the foundation of the United States of America.
Perhaps, we need a National Sorry Day so that we can remember our own history accurately and thus lead the world more honestly. When we confront genocide in the world we can say honestly, we have been down that road and we do not recommend it. There has to be a better way. When we confront human trafficking we can say we've been down that road, and by most estimations are still going down that road, and we must choose a better direction and a better future.
According to Jewish tradition it is wrong to ask God to forgive us for something we've done to someone else. We must apologize directly to the person or persons who have been hurt by our decisions. God does not want to be your middleman. Instead we should take responsibility for our actions, talk directly to those affected and offer personal apologies whenever it will not cause additional harm.
An apology should never be a disguised form of egotism, where we apologize and feel better and the other person feels worse. The goal is to help heal the hurt, to build up the broken, to repair the damage. For this reason it is not enough to say "Sorry" one must seek to make amends for the wrong done and take steps that it will never happen again. Interestingly enough each one of these elements of forgiveness plays a role in Australia's National Sorry Day. The day is not about regret about the past but about taking tangible steps to right a wrong and co-create a better tomorrow.
Of course, making amends is no easy task. How does this generation make amends for the actions of past generations? How does one make amends for genocide, for the forcible separation of families, for treating others as less than human beings? How does one make amends for centuries of wrongdoing? There is no quick fix here, no simplistic formula. Part of the reality of forgiveness is that it requires us to face damage that can't be undone, words that cannot be unsaid, hurt that cannot be healed.
The Stoic philosophers use a natural image to describe this reality about how damage cannot always be undone. The Stoics tell us that humanity is organically one. We are one. All human beings are like branches from one tree. A branch that becomes disconnected from an adjacent branch will be disconnected from the whole tree. Once we allow ourselves to become detached from the tree it can be difficult if not impossible to restore this original unity. There is always a scar when the branch is grafted back on to the tree and for every re-grafting addition damage is done.
Sometimes when we apologize we are working for restoration and reconciliation and other times we are simply trying to graft the pieces of the tree back together with a certain knowledge that things will never be exactly the same again. Nevertheless, even when we can't undo all the damage an apology can still be a good thing. It can be very important to say or spell out that one word, "Sorry." And it can be a very big step to accept an apology. There is definitely hard work on both ends of that equation, giving and recieving.
So what we may need is a National Sorry Day here in the US for the Native Americans and for those who were slaves but also for every other kind of wrong including the more pedestrian wrongs of every day life. We need to set aside a day to apologize to our loved ones, our family and friends, our co-workers and fellow congregants. We need a time to apologize for our mistakes, our poor judgment and our acts of anger and hostility.
But don't just take my word for it. Draw wisdom from the practices of Judaism during the High Holy Days. Draw inspiration from the example of a Christian president, a Muslim president and a Jewish prime minister negotiating peace. Draw insight from the actions of the Australian people and their government. Remember that all the world's religion teach the value of forgiveness. All the religions of the world remind us that we need to give peace and forgiveness not only lip service but life service. We need to pay attention when all the world's religions are saying the same thing so that we can move beyond "talking the talk" and start "walking the walk." For when we forgive we show that we truly believe in all the world's religions.