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Conferences -
Sizzling summer workshops 2021 -
2021 summer workshops -
Plain English -
SENSE conference
Online conference fees
In line with the reduced scale of the conference programme and because both the conference and the workshops are being presented online (thanks to Zoom), the pricing for both has been simplified and considerably reduced: to attend all three half-days of the conference will now cost only € 60 for members of SENSE and € 75 for non-members. The fee for attending an online workshop is now € 30 for members and € 60 for non-members. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to book separate tickets for just one or two conference days.
When you come to register, if you can't find the option you are looking for, please contact us.
Category Standard fee
SENSE members € 60.00
Members of sister societies* € 67.50
Non-members € 75.00
What this fee includes:
Three afternoons of online conference sessions
Online networking time in small groups before, during and after the conference sessions
Workshops Standard fee
Members and non-members pay different fees to attend the online conference and workshops (membership costs only € 80 per year).
* MET, NEaT, SfEP, APTRAD, EASE
N.B. SENSE is not registered for VAT and does not charge VAT.
Click here to register for the online conference
© Images by photographer Michael Hartwigsen of SENSE's inaugural conference, held in celebration of our 25th Jubilee, at Paushuize, Utrecht on 14 November 2015. All rights reserved.
Englishes now!
trends affecting language professionals
Jenny Zonneveld, the Netherlands
MS Word is one of the essential tools of our trade and mastering it will give you more time to focus on and enjoy creating beautiful language. But in order to deliver ready-to-use documents, editors and translators often have to tidy up the client's draft first. Tackling this can be a quick-and-easy way to impress, but many language professionals lack the finer points of MS Word, so they pass up this opportunity.
Besides picking up many productivity tips, you'll learn and practise how to tidy up a document by:
defining and applying styles to create a consistent layout;
controlling numbering and bullets;
applying headings to generate the perfect table of contents;
dealing with headers and footers in large documents with multiple sections.
If you want to focus on your clients' message rather than on what MS Word does when you're not looking, then this one's for you! Focusing as it does on the practical aspects of tidying up a document rather than on the individual word features, this workshop is ideal for any language professional who wants to use MS Word more efficiently and effectively. Participants should bring their own laptop to the workshop.
Jenny Zonneveld has a business background. Before she became a freelance translator, copywriter, and editor over 20 years ago, she spent more than 15 years at a firm of management consultants and worked in the UK, USA, Belgium, and the Netherlands. At the start of her freelance career Jenny compiled and prepared a series of reports stretching to hundreds of pages and including many tables and images, all in MS Word. In 2002 she developed a two-day hands-on MS Word workshop for SENSE, which was presented several times. From 2004 to 2006 it was offered to translation students as part of the Editing Minor run by SENSE and the ITV School of Interpreters & Translators.
John Linnegar, Belgium
An increasing number of authors are having to write in English as their SL or FL. This places the onus on copy-editors and revisors to improve authors' writing so as to render it accessible to readers. Sometimes, in order to do so optimally, grammar skills need to be honed further. The incorrect or inappropriate use of connectors (either verbal connectors or punctuation marks) is a particularly troublesome aspect of much writing that requires editorial intervention.
This workshop will focus on the devices that can be used in written texts to ensure a smooth flow and logical connections between the parts of sentences, and even between sentences themselves. Skilled use of the appropriate connectors ultimately leads to texts that convey an author's intended meaning most effectively. Such texts are also more accessible to readers.
We will be investigating ways of using (and 'abusing') both verbal connectors – conjunctions, relative pronouns, sentence adverbials – and punctuation marks – in particular the comma, the semicolon, the colon, the dash, parentheses – not only correctly but also to achieve the author's intended effect or meaning.
The participants will 'learn by doing' by engaging with a selection of substandard texts and considering ways of making them flow more smoothly and logically, using any or all of these devices. What will emerge from this workshop is a better grasp of how to use each of these connective devices to best effect.
An author and a passionate copy-editor with some 40+ years' of manuscript improvement behind him, John Linnegar is a former teacher of English at secondary school and undergraduate levels. His specialty as an editor is law. In 2009 he published a book on common errors committed by writers in English in South Africa (NB Publishers, reprinted 2013); in 2012 he co-authored Text Editing: A Handbook for Students and Practitioners (UA Press) and in 2019, together with Ken McGillivray, wrote and published grammar, punctuation and all that jazz … (MLA Publishers). He contributes regular articles on the usage and abusage of the English language to professional bodies.
Making reporting guidelines more useful for authors and language professionals: In biomedical science and beyond
Jennifer de Beyer, United Kingdom
This talk from the UK EQUATOR Centre (www.equator-network.org) will introduce reporting guidelines, why and how they are developed and disseminated, their quality, and the evidence for them.
Reporting guidelines aim to help authors in preparing journal articles by listing the minimum information needed about a particular study design in order for the results to be replicated or used. Originating in the biomedical sciences in the 1990s, they have since spread to research areas such as education, livestock, and environmental research – and new fields continue to adopt them. As funders and journals endorse and sometimes require their use, language professionals are often asked to use reporting guidelines or suggest checklists themselves. They could be required either to guide manuscript development or to flag missing information during copy-editing. However, reporting quality remains poor in every study design and research area studied, despite the promotion of reporting guidelines.
I will talk about why reporting quality has been slow to improve and what is being done in response. One reason is that users often struggle to choose an appropriate reporting guideline, there being more than 400 available for research involving people alone. In the absence of an agreed-upon development methodology or an overseeing body, the quality and utility of reporting guidelines remains variable, in addition to which the guidelines have overlapping and competing applications. Ongoing work to improve the way in which guidelines are developed and disseminated, and how users are supported, will be presented, as will the tools for authors and editors to use. I shall include in my presentation the role that language professionals can play in promoting reproducibility through reporting guidelines and in influencing how they are developed and disseminated.
After training in laboratory research and working in academic editing, Jennifer de Beyer joined the EQUATOR Network's UK Centre at the Centre for Statistics in Medicine (CSM), University of Oxford. Here she develops online and in-person training in academic writing and using reporting guidelines for clear, transparent research reporting. She also provides editing and writing support for CSM's team of medical statisticians and methodologists.
The EQUATOR Network is an international initiative dedicated to improving the quality and transparency of health research. It focuses on research reporting, so that future research is based on a sound body of evidence. Through its four centres in the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Australia, EQUATOR raises awareness of reporting guidelines, provides online resources, develops education and training, and conducts research into research quality and transparency.
Honing skills through near-peer exchange: How language professionals and academics can shape each other's outcomes, practice and well-being.
Wendy Baldwin, Spain
Translators and editors have a number of options for engaging in peer exchange, allowing them to benefit from their peers' expertise and improve their practice and outcomes. But what if language professionals (LPs) could engage in a similar exchange with near-peers, professionals who work in adjacent areas of content and/or practice? Imagine a translator of anthropological texts working in parallel with an anthropologist: How might the partnership work and what knowledge, skills and benefits might accrue to each?
In this talk I present an LP–academic co-working model (LPAC) that I have been using with different academic partners and which has benefitted all the parties in various ways. The model draws on current social writing practices in academia: at the LPAC's core are regular, structured co-working sessions during which the LP and the academic meet (in person or online) to work in parallel on individual tasks, with slots agreed upon for goal-setting, focused work, stocktaking and discussion.
I then discuss how the overlap and complementarity inherent in the LP–academic pairing shapes the benefits each offers the other in the context of the LPAC, focusing on the dimensions of discipline, language(s), career stage, and geographical location. One major benefit is knowledge exchange and improved outcomes: for example, the academic contributes content expertise and insight into current academic/publication practice; the LP provides their expertise in language and writing. The other type of benefit, equally crucial to both LPs' and academics' long-term practice, relates to cognitive–affective well-being: the supportive nature of the model means that both partners are likely to become more focused, motivated and productive and feel less isolated.
I end by outlining guidelines for setting up an LPAC and best practices for keeping these mutually beneficial partnerships going.
Wendy Baldwin is an authors' editor and Spanish–English translator specialising in scholarly texts in linguistics, language acquisition, education, computer science and engineering. Prior to starting her freelance business in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain, Wendy trained in linguistics in the United States and taught academic writing at universities and colleges there and in Sweden. She has recently returned to her academic writing roots, offering writing courses and workshops to academics and PhD students in the Basque Country.
Tiina Kinnunen, Finland
Tired of the memes where the freelancer translator is the only one staying up late or working during the weekend? Yes, they might be funny, but on the flip side of the coin is the cold truth. This is how the public sees us: as poor language nerds, working from home in their sweat suits and woolly socks, doing this for the love of language.
It's time to change this. How can language professionals position themselves as experts commanding respectable fees? A Finnish initiative by 10 experienced professional translators, 'The Translator's Guide to the Industry', offers practical advice on networking, brand image and management, marketing price negotiations, and much more. The initiative has also spawned cooperation between the authors and universities that train translators, which has resulted in guest lectures, workshops and articles.
We hope to empower other self-employed and freelance language professionals to position themselves correctly as experts in the language market and to benefit from others' best practices. We aim also to establish and strengthen professional networks both to boost sales and to provide back-up and additional language services for clients.
Tiina Kinnunen is a Finnish professional sub-titler and translator who has been working in the field for more than 30 years, and also training and mentoring numerous translators. A co-author of the Translator's Guide to the Industry, she's spreading the word of best professional practices at various events. She's an active participant in translation conferences and a contributor to the university education of translators in the form of guest lectures and university visits.
Sally Hill, the Netherlands
To ensure the money keeps rolling in, freelance language professionals must keep their skills up to date but also follow changes in the market and in clients' needs. Adjusting the way we run our businesses sometimes means learning new skills and even branching out into new areas. However, as freelancers we are not necessarily well equipped to make such changes on our own, and we must therefore make use of others in our network – be this in the form of a mentor or of sharing with others who are going through the same process.
In this presentation I will share with you how an increase in clients' requests for writing services led me to get interested in medical writing. I will recount how I got in touch with others in this field and helped set up a network for science and medical writers in the Netherlands. Organising and attending events for the network has led not only to new contacts but also several new clients. I've also learned a lot more about using social media platforms. An additional discovery along the way is that many young scientists with language skills are looking to move away from academia and into writing jobs in the Netherlands – a move that may need the support of organisations such as SENSE.
This session will probably be of interest to language professionals – freelance or otherwise – looking to move into new areas. I hope to give you pointers on how you can use your network to explore new options, discover new talents and expand your business. Those interested in learning more about medical writing and the newly formed Netherlands SciMed Writers Network are also very welcome to attend.
Sally Hill studied biology at the universities of Sheffield and Nijmegen. A former research scientist, she works as a freelance medical writer, editor and trainer in scientific writing at Dutch universities. She finds her experience in education sometimes slows down her editing work, though using the comments function to educate her non-student clients about good writing is not necessarily a bad thing. She is a keen networker and helps organise meetings for other Netherlands-based science and medical writers. She's also a contributor to and editor of the SENSE blog.
Brian Mossop, Canada
Translators and editors face a conflict between business pressures to produce quickly and professional pressures to achieve adequate quality. There is no easy way to resolve this conflict, but I will present some food for thought on the matter, giving special attention to two factors: attitude to the job and the difficult concept, 'quality'. My presentation will be punctuated at intervals with opportunities to make comments or ask questions.
Brian Mossop was a French-to-English translator, reviser and trainer at the Canadian Government's Translation Bureau from 1974 to 2014. He continues to lead workshops and webinars on revision in Canada and abroad. Since 1980, he has also been a part-time instructor at the York University School of Translation in Toronto, teaching revision, scientific translation, translation theory and translation into the second language. For more, visit www.yorku.ca/brmossop.
Simplicity. Accessibility. Readability. Is the writer's intention understood at first reading? These are the battle cries of the Plain Language Movement. But what exactly can the editor or translator do towards making texts meet these requirements?
When editors exercise their craft, they often tend to think of the standard facets of editing: copy-editing, substantive and structural editing, perhaps with some degree of formatting or styling for consistency. The need also to apply Plain English principles seems to be overlooked far too frequently, to the neglect of the target readers. In this day and age, conveying messages simply has become an important consideration.
During this session, I shall share some of the fundamental elements for adapting texts following Plain English principles. For those unfamiliar with them, this is an undoubtedly useful skill to acquire and cultivate, because it will gain them a reputation for transforming turgid writing into attractive, accessible and readable text that readers will delight in reading. And which will reflect well on its originators. These principles include:
Striving for shorter, less complex sentences and paragraphs, simpler synonyms rather than more 'difficult' words, and strong, active verbs instead of brain-numbing nominalisations.
Preferring the active over the passive voice, using more visual elements such as vertical lists, and expressing ideas and arguments positively rather than negatively are yet further devices to employ.
And, of course, using punctuation not merely correctly but effectively.
Thanks to the many examples of unplain and plain English to be shared with them in an accompanying handout – and some audience participation – the participants in this session will leave with a Plain English 'toolkit'. That kit is bound to equip them with the approach and skills needed to implement such a reader-oriented approach to improving texts. That's the plain truth.
Editing in the era of digital nomadism: How I look after my mental and physical health
Marieke Krijnen, Belgium
I share, in the form of accounts of a number of short tips, how I deal with being a digital nomad editor: someone without a dedicated home office who often spends periods of time away from her home base. While having the freedom to work from anywhere is an enormous privilege, it also brings potential mental and physical health problems such as loneliness, isolation, burnout, back or neck problems from staring at a laptop screen all day, and a lack of exercise because you can't commit to classes, for example.
I share practical ways in which I have dealt with these problems, such as joining digital support communities, using ergonomic tools with my laptop, using apps to block my email account after working hours, finding a way of exercising that is not dependent on where I am located at that moment, and much more.
Marieke Krijnen is a former academic who left academia in 2017 to become a full-time copyeditor. She has since completed a number of training courses and is a member of SENSE and the SfEP. She has edited hundreds of dissertations, monographs and journal articles and is loving the freedom of freelancing while belonging to the warm and welcoming editing community.
Excel tips for self-employed language professionals
Search engine optimization (SEO) for translators
Setting up Word Styles and table of contents (ToC)
Terminology extraction and management
The plain truth: applying Plain Language to creating accessible, user-friendly texts
An ergonomic workspace: keep fit while you work – Jenny Zonneveld
CPD: Changing professional development – with Lloyd Bingham
De Back to Basics: Customer Service for Language Professionals – Christy de Back
Editing slam! – Daphne Visser-Lees and Curtis Barrett
How the language industry has changed over the past 20 (or so) years – John Linnegar
How to increase your visibility and market your services – Claire Bacon
Intercultural business communication – Nandini Bedi, Kenneth Quek, Wendy Baldwin (panel discussion)
Keep track to keep up: organizing your workflow – Ashley Cowles
Language skills in global times – Ellen Singer
Money management: why you should pay yourself a salary – Martina Abagnale
On being a specialized generalist – Jasper Pauwels
Peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing – Martina Abagnale, Anne Oosthuizen, and Danielle Carter
Personal branding: Lessons learnt through trial and (t)error – Anne Oosthuizen
Positive strategies to combat imposter's syndrome – John Linnegar, Naomi Gilchrist, Betsy Hedberg (panel discussion)
Prompt! Investing in creativity... – Lizzie Kean and Carola Janssen
Recognizing and working with inductive/deductive communication styles – Nandini Bedi
Spanish wine and translation: What could they possibly have in common? – Rebecca Reddin
The freedom of freelancing: deciding on a digital nomad journey – Maaike Leenders
What the SENSE Mentoring programme can do for you – Nandini Bedi, Kate Sotejeff-Wilson, Jackie Senior, and Jenny Zonneveld (panel discussion)
Working as collaborative translators in arts and culture – Danielle Carter


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Marc Lourdes: Our Colleague Remembered
Marc Lourdes, Tatler Asia's Regional Digital Content Director, passed away this weekend in a tragic accident.
They say good leadership is about being of service to others, not being served by others. It is to be a mentor, not just a boss. That was Marc Lourdes.
On February 5, 2022, we lost a leader, a colleague, and a friend.
Marc Lourdes, 40, our Regional Digital Content Director, died tragically in a motorcycle accident in Kelantan this weekend, and the impact of his life cut short is one that has instantly been felt profoundly in our hallways.
Marc encouraged, inspired, listened. He always pushed when he knew we could do better, and he cheered when we succeeded. He was patient and kind, but most of all, he was present. Marc was a brilliant journalist with a data-obsessed mind and breaking news mentality that kept all of us moving forward and pushing to do our best. He was constantly curious about what was happening, both in the world and down the street, and always thinking about how we could apply the latest trends to the stories we published. He would often drill our editors––his teams––with his hallmark questions of "what's the angle?" and "why is this a good story?" He pushed them to think consistently about what truly mattered––telling the best story they could.
With Marc, it was never about just filing a piece to tick a box. Details, precision and the means needed to win mattered to him. He calculated everyone's goals down to a single point because he cared that much, and celebrated with them when they achieved them. He wanted to––needed to––succeed in his job not just because it was what he signed up to do, but because he so passionately believed in the vision and the people he led. And that was what mattered to Marc the most.
"Marc was a great person and a true professional," says Michel Lamunière, CEO and Chairman of Tatler Asia Group. "He was intelligent, cultured, had a great sense of humour and a love of life. We will all miss his presence greatly and offer our deepest condolences and prayers to his family, his wife Darshini and his friends all over the world."
Marc began his career in journalism over 17+ years ago and worked for some of the biggest media companies in Asia. Before Tatler Asia, he was Vice President at Astro, a Malaysian satellite TV provider, heading up the Indian business unit. In his time there, he impressively grew the digital traffic by 1300% in just one year. Previously he had been the Head of Digital at CNN Asia and held many roles at Yahoo, including Editor in Chief of Singapore and Malaysia.
Marc leaves a massive hole in the Tatler Asia editorial team. We will miss his work hard, play hard philosophy, his humour and his innate curiosity and unashamed geekery––be it about Star Wars, the MCU, his beloved Manchester United, or any number of his many passions. Marc's drive, legacy, and love for life will continue to live with all of us.
Rest in Peace Marc.
Marc's friends have created a page where friends and colleagues can donate in memory of Marc to a cause he was passionate about. Find out more details here.
Copyright©2022 Tatler Asia Limited. All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions.

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Daniel Mark Hardy (born 17 May 1982) is an English former mixed martial artist who fought in the welterweight division. During his professional MMA career, which began in 2004, Hardy fought in multiple promotions, such as Cage Force and Cage Warriors, before signing a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2008. In 2010, he fought Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship, but lost the bout via decision.

Biography
Hardy was born in Nottingham, England, where he began martial arts training at the age of 5. Hardy's initial education was in Taekwondo, and he later began competing at the age of 7. He started practising other martial arts as a teenager, which included Karate, Jujutsu, Judo and eventually wushu. After he had finished college, he began Muay Thai and Boxing at the age of 19. He then moved to Mixed martial arts a year later. His nickname, "The Outlaw", comes from the screen name he used online when he was looking for training partners after a disagreement with a coach which led to his former training partners being forbidden to work with him.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Hardy defeated Akihiro Gono via split decision in his UFC debut at UFC 89. Gono was left swollen and bloody by several of Hardy's left hooks. Gono rocked Hardy on several occasions. In the third round, Gono pushed Hardy to the canvas and while there, landed an illegal knee to the head of the downed fighter causing the fight to be stopped for a lengthy period and a point deduction for Gono. Hardy recovered and went on to win the split decision (29–28, 28–29, and 29–28).

Hardy knocked out Rory Markham at 1:09 of the first round with a clean counter left hook on 21 February 2009 at UFC 95. In his post-fight interview, Hardy retorted to Markham's pre-fight accusation that he had weak hands by exclaiming to the ecstatic crowd, "No punching power? What do you have to say about that?"

Hardy next faced Marcus Davis at UFC 99 on 13 June 2009. The grudge between the two began with the Irish-American Davis fighting in the UK against local fighters and defeating them all. Hardy stated that the UK was his home and he did not want Davis in it, building a fan base. It started to get personal when Hardy began openly insulting Davis, calling him a 'fake Irishman' and stating that Davis's website "looked like a St. Patrick's day gift shop blew up." Afterwards, on a UK underground MMA website, Hardy encouraged fans to post photoshopped pictures of Davis in a homosexual fashion. The pictures upset Davis, causing him to confront Hardy at a UFC 99 press conference. The two continued to argue, but finally agreed to settle it in the cage. After a three-round war, the judges awarded Hardy a razor-thin split decision victory. Davis stormed out of the cage, ignoring Hardy's attempts to make peace. Davis later told reporters that he wanted a rematch with Hardy in Ireland or Boston, as well as stating how controversial he thought the decision was. Hardy insisted in his post-fight interview with Davis (and after the event to fans) that all of the controversy was an effort to get Davis off his game-plan and that it was nothing personal.

On 14 November 2009 at UFC 105, he faced Mike Swick, who replaced an injured Dong Hyun Kim. At a press conference in Manchester Hardy was the underdog coming into the fight, but managed to rock Swick early in the first round with a straight right hand, which appeared to dent the American's confidence. Hardy won the fight via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 29–28) and booked his place as the #1 contender for the UFC Welterweight Championship. In being awarded the title shot, Hardy became the first English fighter in UFC history to receive one. UFC President Dana White confirmed at the post-fight press conference that the fight would most likely be held in Las Vegas. Hardy stated in a post-fight interview with Sherdog.com that the next event in Las Vegas (UFC 109) in February was too early for him and he would rather wait.

Title shot
Hardy fought Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title on 27 March 2010 at UFC 111 in Newark, New Jersey. During the bout, St-Pierre was able to take Hardy down at will, controlling him with effective ground and pound. St. Pierre also attempted a kimura in the first and fourth rounds, but Hardy escaped. St-Pierre won the bout via unanimous decision. After the fight, St-Pierre stated his surprise that Hardy refused to tap. In the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Hardy stated "....tap?...I don't know the meaning of tap."

Post-title fight
Hardy faced Carlos Condit on 16 October 2010 at UFC 120 in his home country. During an exchange late in the first round, both Hardy and Condit threw left hooks at the same time: Hardy's punch staggered Condit, although Condit's punch dropped Hardy. Condit followed up with two more punches on the ground, causing the referee to stop the fight at 4:27 of the first round, giving Hardy his first KO loss.

Hardy faced Anthony Johnson on 26 March 2011 at UFC Fight Night 24. Going into the fight, both fighters expressed a desire to stand up and trade with one another, however Johnson contradicted what he had said before the fight, and mostly utilised his wrestling to grind out a unanimous decision victory for all three rounds.

Hardy faced Chris Lytle on 14 August 2011 at UFC on Versus 5. Hardy stated that he had changed his training going into the fight, moving to Las Vegas to train at the Country Club with Roy Nelson to work on his grappling, particularly his wrestling defence/offence. He lost the fight via guillotine choke late in the third round. The bout was awarded Fight of the Night honours. Despite losing four fights in a row, Lorenzo Fertitta quoted he would not cut Hardy from the UFC, stating: "I ain't cutting Dan Hardy. I love guys that war!".

Hardy faced Duane Ludwig on 26 May 2012 at UFC 146. Hardy defeated Ludwig via first-round KO with a perfectly timed left hook, earning him his first victory since 2009.

He defeated Amir Sadollah via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, and 30–27) at UFC on Fuel TV 5 on 29 September 2012.

Hardy was expected to face Matt Brown on 20 April 2013 at UFC on Fox 7.  However, Hardy was diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White pattern  and replaced by Jordan Mein.

Medical condition
In 2013, Hardy was diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. A treatment for Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome is ablation, cauterising of heart tissue to fix the electrical pathway issue, however Hardy has refused to have this treatment on the basis that the condition has never actually given him any problems. Eventually in October 2018 Hardy said in an interview that he has been medically cleared and eligible to return to fighting.

During his hiatus, Hardy has served as a commentator for UFC's Fight Pass events, and works as an analyst on Fox Sports. In August 2017, Hardy joined Sky Sports as an analyst for Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor. On 15 August 2019 Hardy appeared as a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience, revealing he is joining USADA testing pool in order to be eligible for competition.

While on commentator duties for the second Polaris Squads event, Hardy revealed that he was planning to make his return to professional MMA for one final fight in the UFC at some point in 2021.

UFC commentator
While working as a commentator at UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till on 26 July 2020, Dan Hardy was involved in a verbal confrontation with referee Herb Dean after Hardy took offence to what he believed to be a late stoppage by Dean in a bout between Francisco Trinaldo and Jai Herbert. UFC president Dana White indicated afterwards that he would not take action against Hardy but that he would not tolerate any confrontations of officials in future.

In March 2021, news surfaced that Hardy was released from UFC after he had been involved in another argument with a female UFC employee. Hardy disputed that he was terminated, however, and stated "I am no longer working directly with the UFC, 'female' part is irrelevant. It was a disagreement over an opportunity missed, or withheld, and I'd love some answers but can't get any."

In May 2021, Hardy announced that he was released from his UFC fight contract.

Personal life
Hardy is a fan of punk, metal and hardcore music. His favourite hardcore bands include Earth Crisis, Madball, and Blood for Blood. His opening song is "England Belongs To Me" by the British Oi! band Cock Sparrer, and he and the band have recorded a version of the song together. He has a passion for art, rarely spending a day without a sketch pad in his bag until the age of 22. He gave up his degree in art and design in his final year at Nottingham Trent University to pursue MMA full-time.
Hardy lives in England. In recent years, he has also become an outspoken critic of trophy hunting on numerous occasions, even calling Matt Hughes "bad for the sport" due to his trophy-hunting in the States and abroad. Hardy is an agnostic.
In 2015, Hardy was part of the Great Britain team for the first leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Hardy married UFC fighter Veronica Macedo on December 25, 2022.

Championships and achievements

Ultimate Fighting Championship
Knockout of the Night (One time)
Fight Of The Night (One time)
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship
Cage Warriors Light Welterweight Champion (One time)
Cage Warriors Welterweight Championship (One time)
CombatPress.com
2019 Broadcast Analyst of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Win
| align=center| 25–10 (1)
| Amir Sadollah
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
| Nottingham, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 24–10 (1)
| Duane Ludwig
| KO (punch and elbows)
| UFC 146
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 3:51
| Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 23–10 (1)
| Chris Lytle
| Submission (guillotine choke)
| UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 4:16
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 23–9 (1)
| Anthony Johnson
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
| Seattle, Washington, United States
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 23–8 (1)
| Carlos Condit
| KO (punch)
| UFC 120
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 4:27
| London, England
|
|-
| Loss

| align=center| 23–7 (1)
| Georges St-Pierre
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 111
|
| align=center| 5
| align=center| 5:00
| Newark, New Jersey, United States
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 23–6 (1)
| Mike Swick
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 105
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
| Manchester, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 22–6 (1)
| Marcus Davis
| Decision (split)
| UFC 99
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
| Cologne, Germany
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 21–6 (1)
| Rory Markham
| KO (punch)
| UFC 95
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 1:09
| London, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 20–6 (1)
| Akihiro Gono
| Decision (split)
| UFC 89
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
| Birmingham, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 19–6 (1)
| Daniel Weichel
| TKO (elbows)
| Ultimate Force: Punishment
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 1:49
| Doncaster, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 18–6 (1)
| Chad Reiner
| TKO (punches)
| CWFC: Enter the Rough House 6
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 2:10
| Nottingham, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 17–6 (1)
| Manuel Garcia
| Submission (punches)
| CWFC: Enter The Rough House 5
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 2:21
| Nottingham, England
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 16–6 (1)
| Yoshiyuki Yoshida
| DQ (accidental groin kick)
| GCM: Cage Force 5
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 0:04
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 16–5 (1)
| Hidetaka Monma
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| GCM: Cage Force 4
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 0:29
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 15–5 (1)
| Daizo Ishige
| Decision (unanimous)
| GCM: Cage Force EX Eastern Bound
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 14–5 (1)
| Willy Ni
| Submission (guillotine choke)
| CWFC: Enter The Rough House 2
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 0:39
| Nottingham, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 13–5 (1)
| Alexandre Izidro
| TKO (punches)
| CWFC: Enter The Rough House
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 4:56
| Nottingham, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 12–5 (1)
| Danny Rushton
| TKO (retirement)
| CWFC: Showdown
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 5:00
| Sheffield, England
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 11–5 (1)
| David Baron
| Decision (unanimous)
| 2 Hot 2 Handle: Road to Japan
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 3:00
| Amsterdam, Netherlands
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 11–4 (1)
| Forrest Petz
| Decision (unanimous)
| Fightfest 2
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
| Canton, Ohio, United States
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 11–3 (1)
| Diego Gonzalez
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| CWFC: Strike Force 5
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 0:19
| Coventry, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 10–3 (1)
| Matt Thorpe
| Decision (split)
| CWFC: Strike Force 4
|
| align=center| 5
| align=center| 5:00
| Coventry, England
|
|-
| NC
| align=center| 9–3 (1)
| Diego Gonzalez
| NC (overturned)
| CWFC: Strike Force 3
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 1:19
| Coventry, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 9–3
| Sami Berik
| Decision (unanimous)
| CWFC: Quest 3
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
| Sheffield, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 8–3
| Lautaro Arborelo
| TKO (punches)
| CWFC: Strike Force 2
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 3:52
| Coventry, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 7–3
| Alexandre Izidro
| Decision (unanimous)
| KOTC: Warzone
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 5:00
| Sheffield, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 6–3
| Stuart Barrs
| TKO (punches)
| UK Storm 2
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 2:44
| Birmingham, England
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 5–3
| David Baron
| Submission (triangle choke)
| CWFC: Strike Force
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 3:10
| Coventry, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 5–2
| Andy Walker
| TKO (punches)
| CWFC: Quest 1
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 3:26
| Yorkshire, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 4–2
| Lee Doski
| Submission (injury)
| Fight Club UK 1
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| N/A
| Sheffield, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 3–2
| Aaron Barrow
| KO (head kick and punches)
| CWFC 9: Xtreme Xmas
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 0:13
| Sheffield, England
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 2–2
| Pat Healy
| Submission (guillotine choke)
| Absolute Fighting Championships 10
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 3:50
| Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 2–1
| Andy Melia
| Submission (punches)
| CWFC 8: Brutal Force
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 3:55
| Sheffield, England
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 1–1
| Paul Jenkins
| Decision (majority)
| Full Contact Fight Night 2
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
| Portsmouth, England
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 0–1
| Lee Doski
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| Extreme Brawl 7
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 4:59
| Bracknell, England
|

See also

 List of male mixed martial artists

References and footnotes

External links

1982 births
Living people
English male mixed martial artists
Welterweight mixed martial artists
English practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
English Muay Thai practitioners
English male taekwondo practitioners
British wushu practitioners
Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo
Mixed martial artists utilizing wushu
Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing
Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai
Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Sportspeople from Nottingham
People educated at West Bridgford School
English agnostics
English male boxers
Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Can not open a text file just after creating it from webservice I am unable to open the file just after creating the file in c# webservice code .
The directory is not present initially. So the program creates the directory and the file. Then tries to open the file to write a line. But it fails to open the file. The error is the file is open in another process.
I tried to open the file from windows explorer. the file opens but error message is still coming.
I tried to delete  the folder C:\Test, it says file is open is in WebDev.WebDevServer40.exe
Any help please.
[WebMethod]
    public string saveFileUploaderName(string name)
    {
        string path = "c:\\Test";
        string filename = "Test.txt";
        string completeFileName = Path.Combine(path,filename);
        if(!File.Exists(completeFileName))
        {
            Directory.CreateDirectory(path);
            File.Create(completeFileName);
        }
        StreamWriter writer = File.AppendText(completeFileName);
        writer.WriteLine(name);
        writer.Flush();
        writer.Close();
return "success";
}

A: File.Create returns a stream, but you're discarding it.
So (I think!) you either need to use the returned stream, or explicitly close it before trying to open a new stream to the same file.

A: You need to close the file, try:
File.Create(completeFileName).Close();

A: Use the File.AppendAllText instead.
This will create the file if it doesn't exist.
Your code would be as simple as
[WebMethod]
public string saveFileUploaderName(string name)
{
    string path = "c:\\Test";
    string filename = "Test.txt";
    string completeFileName = Path.Combine(path,filename);
    File.AppendAllText(completeFileName, name);
    return "success";
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Dr. Grace LaJoy Henderson
is the author of over thirty books. Her foster care story, A Gifted Child in Foster Care: A Story of Resilience, Classroom Set and her children's book series, The Gracie Series, are in public and charter schools.
Pearson Higher Education published two chapters from her foster care story in a college textbook. Newspapers, radio and television has featured her publications and her story.
Grace LaJoy received her Doctorate in Christian Counseling with an emphasis in Writing and Research, from Faith Bible College in Independence, Missouri. She earned two masters degrees, in Education, and Curriculum and Instruction, from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. Her bachelor's degree in Social Psychology is from Park University in Parkville, Missouri. Her Associates degree in Office Management is from the Metropolitan Community Colleges in Kansas City, Missouri.
Grace LaJoy has an array of experiences working with children in both school and community settings. She served at the Kansas City, Missouri School district as a Lead Family Worker, Parent-School Liaison, and Student Discipline Specialist. She managed a contract with the Missouri Children's Division, in which she provided court-ordered services for children in foster care and their birth parents. She has also volunteered her time as Children's Church Teacher, Sunday School Teacher, Youth Department Leader, Youth Drama Director, and Vacation Bible School Teacher.
She has served as psychology and college success instructor as well as academic coach. Outside of higher education, she is a keynote speaker, workshop leader and guest author at schools, libraries and other organizations.
Dr. Grace LaJoy is available for reading poetry and excerpts from her books, sharing her foster care and finding mother stories, and conducting aspiring author workshops. She is able to provide inspiring presentations to elementary and secondary students and adults.
Grace LaJoy was born in the outskirts of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She grew up in Kansas City, Missouri's inner city, where she eventually spent some time in foster care. After taking her out of foster care, Grace's father traveled back and forth with her between Charlotte, North Carolina, Detroit, Michigan, and Kansas City, Missouri. Grace moved back Kansas City, Missouri at the beginning of her senior year and graduated from Westport High School in 1984. Over the years, she has become a poet, author, speaker and workshop leader.
Grace LaJoy began writing at a very early age, keeping her first poem when she was only 12 years old. She ended up with a folder filled with over 200 poems and songs. She would share her writing with family, friends, at school and at church. Ultimately, she became the "go to" person for honor and appreciation poems at her church. Her desire to share her poetry more widely led her to create 20 laminated posters, with illustrated backgrounds, featuring her poetry.
Grace LaJoy's career as an author began in 2003 when she wrote and published her first book of poetry. She, and the book, received an endorsement from the national motivational speaker, Les Brown, after he heard her present a poem she wrote entitled, I Forgive You. She went on to write more books, like Writer's Breakthrough: Steps to Copyright and Publish Your Own Book, to help aspiring authors who do not know where to begin; and her foster care story, A Gifted Child in Foster Care: A Story of Resilience, which shares how she overcame a very challenging childhood.
Speaker, Workshop Leader
In addition to being an author, Grace LaJoy is also a speaker and workshop leader. She has been an approved speaker for Stonecroft Ministries since 2009. Since 2003, she has served as guest presenter at schools, colleges, churches and other organizations. She has conducted self-publishing workshops for aspiring authors, catering to both youth and adult audiences.
Dr. Grace LaJoy hoped her life stories and experiences would inspire, encourage and empower others, which is why she named her business Inspirations by Grace LaJoy, LLC. She believes that even if only one person feels uplifted by something she wrote, then, her mission for writing it is accomplished. She usually writes new things when she feels an "inspiration" come over her, and she pens right away. That inspiration was especially present when she published her latest two sets of books, The Gracie Series and Finding Mother Series.
Inspiration for The Gracie Series
Grace LaJoy became inspired to write The Gracie Series after a funny real life situation concerning the mailman delivering a tin of popcorn and leaving it outside behind a bush when there was no one available to receive it. After searching for the delivered popcorn, she actually found the popcorn behind the bush. Her co-worker said, "you should write a little children's book about your experience." So, Grace LaJoy set out to write the first book in the series, "Popcorn Behind the Bush" just for fun. But, more story ideas from her real life childhood experiences began to come to her mind. So, she wrote about ten stories all at once and decided to begin The Gracie Series with only six of them. The name Gracie stems from the fact that the author was affectionately called "Gracie" by her siblings when she was a little girl.
Inspiration for the Finding Mother Series
Grace LaJoy became inspired to write the Finding Mother Series when she found her mother after 49 years. Everybody who knew her well knew of the emptiness she had lived with not having a mother. Whenever she would share her foster care story, it was with the thought she would never find her mother in this lifetime. So, she is excited to finally be sharing her intriguing story with the world.
Dr. Grace LaJoy Henderson is a true example of a multi-faceted person, who shares her life through her writing.


Since 1931, Roberts Brothers Tire Service has been in the business of quality auto repairs and the best selection of tires. We put the word service in our name for a reason; it's in everything we do. Stop in and see us at our shop in Pine Bluff, AR. We're close to White Hall, and Sheridan, and wherever you live.
Enjoy a free tire rotation with every oil change, and free rotations with every tire purchase from our shop. Don't have time to wait with your vehicle? Our free shuttle service will take you anywhere within city limits. Schedule your next appointment with us today.
Roberts Brothers Tire Service is located in the heart of Pine Bluff, at 1415 E Harding Ave. The shop is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Give us a call now at (870) 534-2911 to schedule your next appointment.
No matter what you drive, we can fix it—loaders, forklifts, tractors, daily drivers, everything. Need your oil changed? A brake repair? Roadside assistance? Steering & suspension repairs? Give us a call. We'll service your vehicle and make it run like new again.
Roberts Brothers Tire Service is the supermarket of tires. Choose tires from great brands like MICHELIN®, BFGoodrich®, and Uniroyal®. In addition, we stock a variety of specialty tires, including commercial, farm, and industrial tires. If it's round, rubber, and rolls, we got it.


text:
Yemen rebels claim attack on Saudi oil facility in Jiddah
Yemen's Houthi rebels say they struck a Saudi oil facility in the port city of Jiddah with a new cruise missile, just hours after the kingdom finished hosting its virtual Group of 20 leaders summit
By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press
NOTIFIED: Jan. 18, 2021
Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Yemen's Houthi rebels said they struck a Saudi oil facility in the port city of Jiddah on Monday with a new cruise missile, just hours after the kingdom finished hosting its virtual Group of 20 leaders summit.
An unnamed official at the kingdom's Ministry of Energy acknowledged the attack in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency late Monday. It came after videos of a small explosion at a Saudi Arabian Oil Co. facility in Jiddah circulated on social media all day. A projectile struck a fuel tank at the Jiddah distribution station and ignited a fire, the official said.
Col. Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, blamed the Yemeni rebels for what he called "a cowardly attack which not only targets the kingdom, but also targets the nerve center of the world's energy supply and the security of the global economy."
Brig. Gen. Yehia Sarie, a Houthi military spokesman, tweeted that the rebels fired a new Quds-2 cruise missile at the facility. He posted a satellite image online that matched Aramco's North Jiddah Bulk Plant, where oil products are stored in tanks.
That facility is just southeast of Jiddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport, a major airfield that handles incoming Muslim pilgrims en route to nearby Mecca.
Online videos appeared to show a tank farm similar to the bulk plant on fire, with wailing sirens heard and police cars alongside a highway by the facility. Details of the videos posted predawn Monday matched the general layout of the bulk plant. However, passers-by could not see damage to the tank farm from the highway running beside the facility later Monday morning.
A satellite photo from Planet Labs Inc. later published by TankerTrackers.com appeared to show damage to one of the tanks at the bulk plant and what appeared to be fire-suppression foam on the ground near it.
The Saudi energy official said that firefighters had brought the blaze under control and the strike had not resulted in any casualties or damage to oil supplies.
Earlier, the U.S. Consulate in Jiddah said it wasn't aware of any casualties from the claimed attack. It urged Americans to "review immediate precautions to take in the event of an attack and stay alert in case of additional future attacks."
Saudi Aramco, the kingdom's oil giant that now has a sliver of its worth traded publicly on the stock market, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its stock traded slightly up Monday on Riyadh's Tadawul stock exchange as crude oil prices remained steady above $40 a barrel.
The claimed attack comes just after a visit by outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the kingdom to see Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , a meeting that reportedly included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The kingdom also just hosted the annual G-20 summit, which concluded Sunday.
A Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Houthis since March 2015, months after the rebels seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa. The war has ground into a stalemate since, with Saudi Arabia facing international criticism for its airstrikes killing civilians.
The Houthis have used Quds, or "Jerusalem," missiles to target Saudi Arabia in the past. The Quds-1 has a copy of a small, Czech-made TJ-100 jet engine, with a range of 700 kilometers (435 miles). United Nations experts have said they don't believe the missiles are built in Yemen and instead have been sold or traded to them in violation of an arms embargo.
Iran uses a copy of TJ-100 engines in its drone program. U.N. experts, Arab countries and the West say Iran supplies arms to the rebels, allegations denied by Tehran.
The Quds-1 was used in a missile-and-drone strike on the heart of the kingdom's oil industry in 2019 that shook global energy markets. The U.S. believes Iran carried out that attack amid a series of escalating incidents last year between Tehran and Washington, something Tehran denies.
Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
Head of DC National Guard discusses inauguration security


Student researcher to conduct research on uptake of the heavy metal cadmium by an aquatic plant. The research requires the use of radioactive isotopes which requires meticulous neatness and record keeping, as well as special training. The goal is to determine the mechanism by which the plant takes up this common environmental contaminant. Student must be willing to work at least two semesters + summer.
Student Skill-Set Needed: Ability to work independent; meticulous record-keeping skills; meticulous laboratory skills, including pipetting, diluting, weighing, etc.


text:
Нижний Лопас () — упразднённая деревня в Кигинском районе Республики Башкортостан Российской Федерации. Входил на год упразднения в состав Арслановского сельсовета. Жили башкиры (1959, 1972).

География
Располагалась на р. Ай, в 37 км к юго-востоку от райцентра и 30 км к северо-востоку от ж.-д. станции Сулея (Челябинская область).

Географическое положение
Расстояние (по данным на 1 июля 1972 года) до:
 районного центра (Верхние Киги): 37 км,
 центра сельсовета (Арсланово): 12 км,
 ближайшей ж/д станции (Сулея): 30 км.

История
Основана в конце XIX века после разделения д. Кулбаево на 2 населённых пункта: Верхний и Нижний Лопас.

До конца 1950-х гг. входила в состав Асылгужинского сельсовета.

Существовала до середины 1980-х гг..

Население
В 1896 и 1906 годах насчитывалось по 114 человек, в 1920—218 (учтены вместе с населением деревни Верхний Лопас), в 1939—180, в 1959—125, в 1969 — 125.

Достопримечательности
Вблизи урочища  находится Верхне-Лопасская писаница, древний (около 5 тысяч лет) памятник наскального искусства.

Литература

Примечания

Ссылки
 Нижний Лопас

Населённые пункты, упразднённые в 2005 году
Упразднённые населённые пункты Кигинского района
Населённые пункты на реке Ай


AMMAN (IDN) - Amnesty International johas urged Jordan to "take immediate action" to help up to 12,000 refugees who have been denied entry to the country and are struggling to survive in desperate, freezing conditions in "no man's land" on the Jordanian side of the border with Syria.
The appeal came one day after the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR expressed "grave concern for nearly 12,000 people trying to flee the country who are now stranded in remote areas along the north eastern Jordanian border, and urged the Government of Jordan to allow them entry, prioritizing admission for the most vulnerable".
The population includes about 11,000 people in Rukban (about 8 kilometres to the west of the point at which the Iraq, Syria, and Jordan borders meet) and 1,000 people in Hadalat (some 90 km further west), and has been growing in recent weeks, according to the UN, UNHCR said.
"It includes elderly people, others who are sick or wounded, children, women, and others who are vulnerable and need help, Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told the regular press briefing in Geneva on December 8.
"By denying sanctuary to civilians seeking safety on their soil, the Jordanian authorities are fuelling a humanitarian disaster on their doorstep," said Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Head of Refugee and Migrants' Rights at Amnesty International.
Amnesty International believes that anyone from Syria seeking asylum should be considered to be in need of international protection due to the widespread human rights abuses being committed in the conflict," including war crimes and crimes against humanity".
"Closing the border to those in need of asylum is in violation of the principle of non-refoulement – the obligation not to return individuals to a situation where they would be at risk of persecution or international human rights abuses," Amnesty said in a media release December 9.
The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR announced on December 8 that the number of refugees on the border has risen sharply since the start of November, from 4,000 to 12,000 following the recent intensification of conflict in Syria. Since 2011 Jordan has granted refuge to more than 632,000 Syrian refugees.
The rise in the influx of Syrians to Jordan's borders in recent months is the result of an intensification of hostilities inside Syria combined with the fact that the two other countries neighbouring Syria who have received considerable numbers of refugees – Lebanon and Turkey – have also effectively closed their borders to Syria's refugees.
Jordan is one of five countries in the region hosting 95% of refugees from Syria and is struggling to cope with the added strain of this influx. Only 52% of Jordan's humanitarian funding requirements for refugees have been met by international donors and the authorities are calling on the international community to substantially increase their commitments.
"The international community must also do much more to help support Jordan and share responsibility of tackling this crisis," Sherif Elsayed-Ali said.
It is urgent that the international community steps up its commitment both in terms of humanitarian and other financial assistance to Jordan and by resettling greater numbers of refugees from Syria, added Sherif Elsayed-Ali.
"It is clear that Jordan and other countries in the region are under incredible strain from the influx of refugees. However, the Jordanian authorities cannot watch as thousands of desperate refugees fight for their lives in the freezing cold with little access to food, clean water or warm clothing and shelter," said Sherif Elsayed-Ali.
Nevertheless, as the conflict in Syria continues, Amnesty considers it critical that Jordan and Syria's other neighbouring countries keep their borders open to those fleeing bloodshed or persecution.
In 2012, Jordan stepped up restrictions at both official and informal border crossings and since mid-2013 the majority of its borders have remained closed to most people seeking refuge from Syria, with a few exceptions for particularly vulnerable cases. In July 2014, Jordan further increased restrictions on Syrians trying to enter through its eastern border crossings.
Since then, there is evidence of rising numbers of Syrians stranded at the border in "no man's land" just north of the "berm", which is a raised barrier of sand marking the Jordanian limit of the Jordan-Syria border near Rukban and Hadalat crossings.
Some refugees are forced to wait for up to three months before being allowed to enter Jordan, while others are turned away. Some have chosen to return to Syria after spending several weeks waiting in dire conditions.
Since the build-up of refugees at the border zone began in July 2014, the Jordanian authorities have restricted access to the area for international organizations. Amnesty is urging the Jordanian authorities to lift restrictions on international organizations seeking to provide assistance to refugees who are waiting to enter Jordan.
According to Amnesty, there is no justification for leaving refugees stranded at the border for weeks or months. At present, Azraq refugee camp in east Jordan is not at full capacity and three other transit sites have space to host more refugees. Host communities in urban areas should also be supported to be able to receive refugees who want to live in urban areas, Amnesty said.
Access through the official border crossing between the Jordanian city of Ramtha and Dera'a in Syria was restricted in 2012 blocking entry for certain categories of refugees, including Palestinians fleeing Syria, unaccompanied men who cannot prove family ties to Jordan, and people without identity documents.
In mid-2013 the western and eastern border crossings were also essentially closed to Syrian refugees, with a few exceptions made for the war-wounded and most vulnerable, according to Jordan's own criteria, some of whom are sent back to Syria following treatment, in contravention of international obligations. In May 2014 Jordan began stopping Syrians arriving at its international airport from entering unless they had a Jordanian residency permit or met a limited number of special exceptions.
Since December 2014 the authorities have allowed some refugees who arrive at the border to travel to a transit camp in Ruweishid where they are screened by the authorities before eventually being transported to Azraq refugee camp. An estimated 40 people are allowed into Jordan per day. However higher numbers of Syrians are allowed in by the Jordanian authorities but do not pass Jordan's opaque screening process and are then forcibly returned to Syria. Hundreds if not thousands are likely to have been returned this year alone.


text:
Inter Caetera
Posts — About
Modern Secular Religion
Years ago, during the long summer of New Atheism, in a rarely frequented corner of the internet I found an essay which attempted to establish a religious framework that should be followed by a post-religious society. One that would be in line with reason, discovery and science, one that would cultivate the spirit of curiosity and would be free from the perceived barbaric nature of revealed religion.
I was young then, and my mind was easily influenced by new, radical and rebellious ideas. The New Atheists (of the Dawkins and Hitchens variety) were experts at swaying crowds of people by performing a clever bait-and-switch. They claimed to encourage their followers to "think for themselves" while at the same time spouted wise-sounding nonsense that convinced the crowd that this is indeed what they were doing. These snake whispers proliferated from mind to mind, crossing culture and language borders. I believe a large part of this was the advent of popular science blogs and YouTube channels, which rode this train — exalting science and denigrating belief in religion. I must sadly confess that I, too, was one of the victims of New Atheist mind virus.
Even though I searched for this essay again, I found that the site where it had been posted has since been removed from the internet. However, the points raised in it left a lasting impact on my memory, because I have since never seen a more accurate and succint summary of the Modern Secular Religion. It attempted to formulate explicit beliefs which satisfied the requirement of blind adherence to Science, presented in a religious framework, but ended up making moral assumptions with brazen ignorance.
There are four pillars of the Modern Secular Religion, each building on the assumption made by the previous one. The fundamental truth is that each human being desires personal good according to the natural pyramid of needs, at the top of which is the desire to live a curious and interesting life. The means to obtain one's personal good must not interfere with anybody else's and therefore one must tolerate whatever means another chose as long as they do not cause tension and conflict. One should use reason and rational argument in order to find out how these means should be pursued efficiently and with tolerance for others. Finally, the ultimate goal of all humanity is to inspire curiosity and creativity in each other so as to understand and explain the universe by means of scientific inquiry.
The stage is set then, and I believe that this is a set of beliefs that most of my progressive friends would have no issues with accepting. The four pillars of the Modern Secular Religion then are: individualism, tolerance, rationalism and scientism.
We have already picked at rationalism and scientism at length elsewhere. However, in this particular case, we can once again reduce the problem to the fact that we cannot derive moral values from scientific observations. Science and reason can tell us what is efficiently good (i.e. "a gun is good for killing people"), but cannot tell us what is morally good ("should I shoot the man who's trying to hit me through the head with a skateboard?").
Another heuristic I have found over the years of analysing this kind of thought is that where there is a façade of scientism and rationalism, which cannot produce coherent normative statements, one will usually find utilitarism not further behind. Utilitarian morality, thanks to its famous slogan: "the greatest good for the greatest number of people," sounds simple enough that it cannot possibly be bad. It is almost always taken as a moral default by people with no exposure to metaphysics.
Utilitarianism indeed is not just bad, it's also logically wrong. Every mathematician will tell you, that you cannot optimise a function with two variables. But ignoring the paradox of that for a moment, "good" is not a quantifiable metric. When taken as an end in itself, good tends to mean happiness, which tends to mean pleasure. Perhaps one day, with enough advancement in neuroscience, we might be able to measure how much pleasure or happiness a person is feeling, but that does not exactly mean that an increase in neural activity is an increase in felt happiness. We would have to be able to measure and assign a numerical value to every single individual feeling to determine whether it is contributing to one's "good".
We cannot derive a morality from rationalism and scientism, then. What about the other pillars? Perhaps we might consider some kind of utopian libertarian society that provides maximum freedom to everybody. However, to enforce tolerance between individuals with needs that eventually conflict, there needs to be a certain sovereign group above them which will enforce this non-aggression principle, only kicking the can further down the road. That group must either already have absolute sovereign power (or tend towards it if established recently), or be bound by another power which then is the sovereign. On top of that, there is no actual incentive for individuals not to oppress others, either overtly or covertly, because there is no objective morality.
It is also worth mentioning and dispensing with the myth of scientific progress — the idea that when it comes to science, the only way is up. A common belief, especially among people who haven't had even cursory experience with philosophy of science, is that the entire scientific epistemology was constructed from the bottom up, through verifiable and falsifiable theories which eventually lead up to conclusions that we may definitely say are true (this is called "logical positivism"). In fact, if we look at the history of scientific discovery, we will find numerous examples of not even individual theories (relativity, heliocentrism, continental drift) but entire disciplines (chemistry, astronomy) replacing antiquated beliefs which had been considered "true". These days it's mostly seen in pseudoscientific fields like economics and sociology, where we notice various competing models and theories, but this only shows how far we are from a truly "scientific" understanding of the universe.
Finally, let us consider a footnote regarding the afterlife. What most followers of this religion would likely want to believe is that there indeed is no true life after death, that the particles of the body are scattered, the energy is released and the person simply ceases to be — except in the memories of the living. This is also supposed to serve as motivation to do good instead of bad. The problem is, naturally, that biologically humans tend to remember bad things better than good things. This is perhaps why the deceased person that is most commonly mentioned and remembered, even if not fondly, is a certain aspiring painter from Braunau am Inn.
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