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Author: Terri Elton
Church Leadership as Adaptive Identity Construction in a Changing Social Context
It is widely acknowledged that organizations and institutions in the Western world are changing dramatically, along with their forms of leadership. Churches are no exception to this trend. As a consequence, pastoral leaders must adapt and reshape the social identity of their Christian communities to address the new challenges of their changing social context. Looking through the lens of the social identity theory of leadership, this paper examines the efforts at congregational identity building of both the apostle Paul and a number of interviewed pastoral leaders in the US and Europe in order to explore innovative ways of community formation.
The apostle Paul is popularly perceived as a model leader, establishing robust churches that withstood the pressure of Greco-Roman society. But this is hindsight, attributing much greater leadership status to Paul than he actually experienced. He was a strongly and frequently contested leader, who needed to continually envision and construct the religious and social identity of the communities that he founded. How do you see Paul doing this in his epistles? What dimensions of identity have you encountered and how does Paul interact with them? What does that tell you about Paul's style, focus and skills of leadership?
Pastoral leadership seems to have shifted from:
-people management (pastoral care, spiritual guidance, and counseling) to
-church management (leading and influencing the congregation in its vision, organizing its ministries) to
-identity management (shaping how congregations participate in their neighborhoods and cities – not only to draw people out of the world, but to engage meaningful in their world and contribute to human well-being).
The first two 'styles' of pastoral leadership operate within an existing paradigm or church model, while the third 'style' adapts or even recreates this paradigm. One could argue that the apostle Paul's leadership fits especially the third style of (re)envisioning and (re)constructing church identity, although many of us have probably read and applied Paul as a pastoral leader in one of the first two styles.
Considering these shifts in style,
In which 'style' of pastoral leadership are you mostly involved? Why?
How is the identity of your church shifting its roots in its theology, its affiliations and/or its relationships with the surrounding community?
How would you evaluate the strength and clarity of your church's religious and social identity? Is it increasing, maintaining or decreasing? Why?
In what ways does the identity of your congregation relate to your location (neighborhood, city, country, etc.) and/or the social/ethnic/age groups you reach? What challenges do you face here?
In which ways does your leadership revolve around questions of identity? How has this changed from tasks and skills of one or two decades ago?
What major challenges have you experienced or significant lessons learned identity leadership in your church?
What do you wish you had learned in your ministerial education about identity leadership?
Jack Barentsen will share about these ideas at ARL's 2015 annual conference.
Jack Barentsen, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor and interim Chair of Practical Theology and Researcher Institute for Leadership and Ethics at Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Leuven, Belgium St. Jansbergsesteenweg 95 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Contact jack at: jack.barentsen@etf.edu or visit: www.etf.edu
Author Terri EltonPosted on March 28, 2015 Categories UncategorizedLeave a comment on Church Leadership as Adaptive Identity Construction in a Changing Social Context
Leading for Innovation: How to construct space that fosters creativity
Today's theological systems—churches, seminaries, and non-profit organizations—existamidst a choppy sea of cultural, social, and economic forces. Realities such as an unpredictable economy, a changing landscape of religious vocation, and the democratization of knowledge, often create serious adaptive challenges for theological organizations. An inability to address such adaptive challenges leaves organizations prone to chaos and even failure.
Cultivating the ability to respond creatively in the face of adaptive change may be an antidote for failure. Therefore, constructing holding environments that foster creativity may be important for the ongoing viability of theological organizations. In an effort to articulate how to foster organizational creativity, we can learn from the theological entrepreneurs in our midst. By examining how theological entrepreneurs create in response to a changing world, we might extract principles useful for how to foster creativity in larger organizational settings.
For more on this topic, some hear Michaela o'Donnell Long from Fuller Theological Seminary at the ARL Annual Meeting – April 16-18, 2015 in Chicago.
Author Terri EltonPosted on March 5, 2015 Categories UncategorizedLeave a comment on Leading for Innovation: How to construct space that fosters creativity
Author Terri EltonPosted on December 6, 2014 December 6, 2014 Categories bookTags innovation, zschieleLeave a comment on The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age


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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Nov. 20
KIEV -- Powerful explosions shook the area of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, amid escalating conflicts between Ukraine and Russia.
More than a dozen blasts were heard on Sunday close to the Zaporizhzhia NPP and at the site of the plant, the IAEA said in a statement. (Ukraine-Russia-IAEA-Zaporizhzhia Plant)
ASTANA -- Kazakhstan on Sunday held a snap presidential race, and six candidates, including incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, are running for the Central Asian country's top job.
According to the Central Election Commission, about 11.95 million registered voters will cast their ballots at more than 10,000 polling stations in Kazakhstan and abroad. (Kazakhstan-Presidential Election)
BAGHDAD -- The Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) in Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan said Sunday that 32 Kurdish militants were killed in airstrikes in northern Iraq and Syria.
A statement by the CTS said that more than 25 airstrikes were conducted by the Turkish forces on positions of the Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in many areas in northern Syria and mountainous areas in northern Iraq. (Iraq-Türkiye-Air Strikes-Death)
LOS ANGELES -- At least five people were killed and 18 others injured in a shooting on Saturday at a nightclub in the U.S. state of Colorado, said local police.
The incident took place at 11:57 p.m. local time (0657 GMT) at Club Q in Colorado Springs, the second-most populous city in the state, police said. (US-Colorado-Shooting)
CAIRO -- At least 12 people were killed and 27 others wounded on Sunday in a traffic crash in eastern Egypt, an Egyptian health official said.
The passenger bus of a private company collided with a trailer truck on a highway in Ras Ghareb city of the Red Sea Governorate, Ismail El-Araby, the undersecretary of the health office of the Red Sea Governorate, told Xinhua. (Egypt-Car Accident)
21st November 2022, 03:05 GMT+11

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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March 1st 2012
Become a Member and Help us to Make History in the State of Massachusetts by Advancing Labor Rights for Domestic Workers
We are writing to ask for your support for current Massachusetts organizing efforts in the campaign to achieve a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights for our state. New York State passed the historic first such law in 2010, and California is about to do so. Through our current campaign, we hope Massachusetts will be the third state in the nation to bring domestic workers under full protection of state labor laws, and thus correct the discrimination against domestic workers, historically mostly women of color, that dates from the days of U.S. slavery and Jim Crow.
The Brazilian Immigrant Center has been engaged in this organizing work since mid-2010 and has formed a broader Massachusetts Coalition for Domestic Workers with other sister organizations, such as the Women's Institute for Leadership Development (WILD), Massachusetts Alliance of Professional Nannies, Matahari, the Vida Verde Housecleaners Cooperative, and the Dominican Development Center. We and our coalition are coordinating closely with the National Domestic Workers Alliance in fighting for dignity and respect for domestic workers, today mostly immigrant women of color, including many in our own Brazilian community, but extending across widely ranging ethnic groups in the state. Our recent survey of Massachusetts domestic workers, for example, was completed in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Haitian Kreyol, Chinese, and Tagalog.
The current 2012 year will see some significant steps in organizing for the statewide campaign. In April domestic workers from throughout Massachusetts will join together in Boston for a Domestic Worker Congress, to define key workplace rights issues and to set priorities for the drafting of legislation for the new Bill of Rights. We plan on building broad support from labor, immigrant, women's and workers' organizations during the year, and to seek broad funding that will support each organizing group's efforts. This year we also will seek to gain sponsors from Massachusetts Senators and Representatives, in preparation for submitting a bill in January 2013 for consideration in next year's legislative session.
At this stage of the campaign organizing, it is important for us to expand our coalition, and to build a base of support across the state. We welcome your engagement with this compelling initiative. There are many ways that you can participate in the Coalition:
1) You can be a full member committed to organizing within your own community, and attending monthly Coalition meetings;
2) You can be an active supporter on record as endorsing the initiative, and attend monthly coalition meetings;
3) You can go on record as a supporter by lending your group's name to statements promoting the initiative, and perhaps play a part in lobbying legislators, or attending legislative hearings;
4) You can simply go on record as supporting the initiative, and agree to forward the coalition's mailings within your own communication networks.
Please reply to Natalicia Tracy, at ntracy@braziliancenter.org, or to Marcia at Marcia@braziliancenter.org to let us know the level of participation your can offer in this exciting campaign. I look forward to talking through the options with you, and to working together in the coming year.
I am looking forward to working to together!
Natalicia Tracy
© 2021 Brazilian Worker Center admin aHR0cHM6Ly9icmF6aWxpYW5jZW50ZXIub3JnL2luZGV4LnBocD9wYWdlPWFib3V0JmZhbWlseT1Eb21lc3RpY19Xb3JrZXJzJmNhdGVnb3J5PWMmZGlzcGxheT0xNjY=a [slab]site


A team from African Development Bank AfDB, led by its Transport Specialist, Mr. Mwila Aeron Katambula and Abia State government, have discussed the last lap of the $200m loan sought by the state for infrastructure development.
Katambula said his bank was eager to participate in some developmental projects.
"Our mission is a follow-up to the meeting we had before. We want to ensure that everything is ready, because we want to fast-track the projects that the bank will take up in Abia State," he said.
The team met with the state governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martins Azubike, state Works and Finance Commissioners, Eziuche Ubani and Obinna Oriaku. They inspected some federal roads at Aba in company of a team from the Federal Ministry of Works.
Governor Ikpeazu told the AfDB and FMW delegations that Abia State was anxious to see the commencement of reconstruction of its major roads in Aba, especially Port Harcourt and Ikot Ekpene and Ngwa among others.
Meanwhile, a varsity don, Placid Njoku, has described agriculture as the catalyst to grow the African economy.
Njoku, the pioneer Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, said yesterday at the 3rd graduation ceremony of Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, that Africans must take agriculture beyond obsolete level to a more advanced one to reap full benefits of the ancient profession.


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Benchmark ESG® is Happy to Welcome the Luthra Group as a New Subscriber
Benchmark Digital Relations
Cincinnati, OH, August 22, 2022 – Benchmark Digital Partners is happy to announce that Luthra has joined the Benchmark ESG® global subscriber group.
Founded in 1980, the Luthra Group started its business in the textile industry, diversifying into infrastructure development and environmental protection, and is now expanding geographically as a multidisciplinary organization that is substantially contributing to the growth of the Indian economy in infrastructure development and waste management. The Luthra Group has grown from an asset value of less than 10 crores to over 400 crores (approximately $50 million USD) today, with 1,500+ employees, seven full-fledged offices, and five divisions.
By implementing the Benchmark ESG® cloud-based Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) software platform, the Luthra Group will engage its teams in reporting safety concerns and incidents, systematically investigate and address the root-causes by driving critical actions to closure. The Luthra Group will leverage Benchmark's user-friendly and intuitive Permit to Work, Compliance Calendar & Safety Risk Assessment modules to digitally transform its overall EHS Risk & Compliance Management System, use the data for identifying systematic trends, and make informed decisions to improve their safety culture.
To learn more about Benchmark ESG®, visit www.benchmarkdigitalesg.com.  To learn more about the Luthra Group, visit https://www.luthraindia.com/.
About Benchmark ESG®
Benchmark ESG® (the next generation of Gensuite®) enables companies to implement robust cross-functional Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Solutions – locally, globally and across diverse operating profiles. Benchmark's comprehensive cloud-based software suite features intuitive, best-practice process functionality, flexible configurations and powerful extensions. For over two decades, Benchmark's digital platform has helped companies manage safe & sustainable operations worldwide, with a focus on fast return on investment (ROI), service excellence and continuous innovation. Join nearly 3,000,000 users that trust Benchmark ESG® with their software system needs for operational risk and compliance, EHS, sustainability, product stewardship, supplier risk, and ESG data management / disclosure reporting.
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AUTO FINANCE SINCE 1991
Investor Communications
Press Release Details
CPS to Host Conference Call on Fourth Quarter 2021 Earnings
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPSS) ("CPS" or the "Company") today announced that it will hold a conference call on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. ET to discuss its fourth quarter 2021 operating results. Those wishing to participate by telephone may dial-in at 877 312-5502, or 253 237-1131 for international participants, approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time. The conference identification number is 9319729.
A replay of the conference call will be available between February 15 and February 22, 2022, beginning two hours after conclusion of the call, by dialing 855 859-2056 or 404 537-3406 for international participants, with conference identification number 9319729. A broadcast of the conference call will also be available live and for 90 days after the call via the Company's web site at www.consumerportfolio.com.
About Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc.
Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. is an independent specialty finance company that provides indirect automobile financing to individuals with past credit problems or limited credit histories. We purchase retail installment sales contracts primarily from franchised automobile dealerships secured by late model used vehicles and, to a lesser extent, new vehicles. We fund these contract purchases on a long-term basis primarily through the securitization markets and service the contracts over their lives.
Jeffrey P. Fritz, Chief Financial Officer
Source: Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc.
© 2023 All Rights Reserved | Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc.. | NMLS #96016


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Żaneta Polkowska
Processes and the Resulting Water Quality in the Medium-Size Turawa Storage Reservoir after 60-Year Usage
By Marek Ruman, Żaneta Polkowska and Bogdan Zygmunt
The characteristics of water in the Turawa reservoir, one of the important storage reservoirs in Poland, were thoroughly studied. The reservoir and also the rivers flowing into the reservoir were monitored in the period 2004–2006 with respect to the basic physico-chemical parameters determining the quality of water such as water temperature, specific conductance, pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), water hardness, content of typical ions (sodium, potassium, sulphates, phosphates and chlorides), heavy metals, and so on. The observed seasonal and long-term changes of the parameters measured were discussed and the processes responsible for the changes suggested. The causes of the observed deterioration of the ecological status of the Turawa reservoir were given and the remedial operations proposed. The latter included improvement in the management of solid wastes and wastewater in the area, reducing the runoff of nutrients in the catchment, decrease in discharge of pollutants into the rivers flowing into the reservoir, removal of bottom sediments and also increasing the average water table and decreasing its fluctuations. The effect of the remedial operations will be further studied.
Part of the book: Water Quality
Glaciers as an Important Element of the World Glacier Monitoring Implemented in Svalbard
By Sara Lehmann‐Konera, Marek Ruman, Krystyna Kozioł, Grzegorz Gajek and Żaneta Polkowska
Glaciers are not only contributors to the sea level rise but also important players in the circulation of pollutants. Over a billion people apply glacial waters for domestic purposes; hence, both the quality and quantity of this water should be monitored. In this chapter, we concentrate on the archipelago Svalbard in the Arctic, a typical target area for xenobiotics from long range atmospheric transport (LRAT), holding an important share of the Arctic glacial ice cover. Literature review has been conducted over both the cryospheric metrics and the achievements of analytical chemistry in the environmental monitoring. Svalbard is a relatively well‐monitored part of the Arctic, with 17 glaciers regularly monitored for mass balance. In the chemical records of glaciers, a variety of substances have been determined, e.g., ions, heavy metals, or persistent organic pollutants (POPs), with the use of precise analytical techniques. However, knowledge gaps persist, preventing a formation of a reliable chemical inventory of Svalbard glaciers. Moreover, detailed studies on the deposition and transport of pollutants, rather than focusing on their presence only, are crucial future research recommendations.
Part of the book: Glacier Evolution in a Changing World
Ivan Arismendi
Oregon State University, United States of America
Cezara Voica
Zati Sharip
Pablo Fierro
University of Concepción, Chile
Claudio Valdovinos
Luis Vargas-Chacoff
Carlos Bertran
Roxana Ionete
Saim Suratman
Andreea Maria Iordache


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Website Precedent.in.ua
The Politics of Traditional Values
Author:yevdem
A seminar took place in Kyiv on 13 July – quietly, no political scandals or brawls. For all the lack of breaking news, it is a shame that the media and public paid virtually no attention to a truly surreal event, and the document which was enthusiastically discussed – the Ukrainian version of the Russian Orthodox Church's Basic Teaching on Human Dignity, Freedom and Human Rights http://www.strasbourg-reor.org/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=23&file=article&sid=765 . One National Deputy [MP] was so taken with it that he has already submitted a draft Resolution to the Verkhovna Rada "On adopting a Verkhovna Rada Declaration on Human Dignity, Freedom and Human Rights", based very closely on the "Basic Teachings". All sounds delightful and entirely innocuous but hold fire with such conclusions.
How the organizers decided who to invite to the presentation of the "Basic Teachings" in Ukrainian on 13 July is not known. Certainly the organizations which make up the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union only learned of the event from the scant information in the press and a rather odd press release, apparently from the Human Rights Ombudsperson's Secretariat yet only, for some reason, in English. The event was co-chaired by the Metropolitan of Simferopol and the Crimea Lazar, and the Ombudsperson Nina Karpachova, who stated that the document was "of civilization significance". The Ombudsperson's comments in general suggest that the staggering dissonance between the "Basic Teachings" and Ukraine's constitutional norms and the human rights which she is called upon to defend bothers her no more than it does Kolisnychenko.
The event was also attended by former President Leonid Kuchma, the above-mentioned National Deputy, some highly-placed public officials, a representative of the UN who was there for less than 2 hours and did not take part (there being no simultaneous translation) and some representatives of human rights organizations, including from Amnesty International in Ukraine.
This "document of civilization significance" was thus by no means only discussed by representatives of the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. We can hope that parliament will deal swiftly with Mr Kolishnychenko's draft resolution which would render meaningless more than one constitutional norm, yet the enthusiasm of some and silence of others can only bemuse.
I normally like to look up quotes given from the Gospels or other texts. It's as though for a fleeting moment or two you are sharing a path which is otherwise long and lonely. Yet here the words are the same and yet the path and landscape seem quite different. Christ who spoke to each individual has somehow disappeared and we're left with only sin on which human dignity is directly dependent. And what we should understand as sin, and therefore, what is needed for purification, also arouses serious reservations. One has the impression that moral purity depends effectively on sexual orientation and behaviour, on being law-abiding, etc. It is not only Christ of the Gospels who seems of little interest to the authors, but also the weakness and bitter repentance of Peter who indeed "before the rooster crowed twice" denied Christ three times (Mark 14:71-72) Strange lack of interest for any society, church or in fact for any individual from a post-Soviet country.
It is hard not to recall Soviet times since the accusations against "the West" and some unnamed, yet of course dangerous human rights norms are painfully familiar. Whether they really have got the essence of human rights so catastrophically wrong I would not like to say, however unfortunately the reader of this document can get seriously confused. If I wax indignant and begin arguing why vegetarians are not deviants, many readers will decide that somebody really made such an absurd accusation. When we read the following: "Human rights cannot be superior to the values of the spiritual world" not everybody will think to ask who precisely suggested anything to the contrary. Or, even more nonsensical: "Human rights cannot be a reason for coercing Christians into violation of God's commandments".
Something obviously mesmerized the Ukrainian public officials however it can hardly have been the power of argumentation. It remains unclear to the end what exactly is seen as wrong with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms aside from Soviet clichés about everything "from there" being bad. We read, for example: "Some civilizations ought not to impose their own way of life on other civilizations under the pretext of human rights protection. Human rights activity should not be used to serve the interests of particular countries". All of this is so reminiscent of the evermore aggressive rhetoric coming from Russian imperialists that one is appalled at the obvious desire evinced by Vadim Kolisnychenko and the Human Rights Ombudsperson to join in that chorus. The National Deputy got totally carried away with his criticism: "the contemporary system of so-called "universal human rights", reflected in the majority of international documents and enshrined in the Constitution and a number of laws of Ukraine, was formed largely on the basis of the liberal-protestant western tradition with its inherent human-centeredness and extreme individualism, does not work properly on Ukrainian soil."
Some words have, most regrettably, taken on some kind of magic force. Like the expression "traditional values" which all politicians and public officials, including the Human Rights Ombudsperson, are hurtling to defend, yet in no hurry to define, or at very least itemize. Under the present regime in the Russian Federation, the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate [ROC MP] is more and more actively consolidating its position as the "State religion". Yet what about in Ukraine where there are a considerable number of followers of different denominations or faiths, as well, of course, as non-believers? , Is concern about their rights to be considered the "corrupting influence of the West"? Those citizens have all grounds for asking who they should turn to when they read that "the Human Rights Ombudsperson Nina Karpachova noted the relevance and need to understand human rights from the church point of view. She assured her listeners that her position coincided with the position of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church [of the Moscow Patriarchate]" http://orthodoxy.org.ua/uk/tserkovni_hroniki/2009/07/15/25253.htm
The claim, made on many occasions in the "Basic Teachings" that the concept of sin and virtue, as opposed to that of human rights, is unchanging has no substance to it. Even if we look only at different Christian denominations, there is no united position on a number of the issues which the ROC MP is entirely categorical about. It is not so much human rights that the "Basic Teachings" are so vehemently against, as the principles of life in a pluralist democracy where you can't foist your own understanding of sin on others. The authors don't find this to their liking however they should not resort to wild exaggeration, oversimplification of complex life situations and fairytales about persecution or coercion of believers. Nobody would force a believer to commit what he or she considers a sin. However not everybody has the same view. Have we really not all suffered enough from regimes foisting their "one and only truth"?
There are some lessons that the ROC MP leadership stubbornly refuse to learn. In the "Basic Teachings" individual rights are subordinate to those of the group, and the individual is effectively just a component part of the whole which he or she should serve. We do not know when the authors of the document and their Ukrainian supporters last read the Gospels, however it is difficult to rid oneself of the feeling that for them Christ's words should also take second place to political interests. For all the absurdity of the reference to the Book of Genesis which is talking of God's creation of a female companion for Adam, there is more that is sinister than comical in the following:
"Human rights should not contradict love for one's homeland and neighbours. The Creator laid down in human nature the need for communication and unity, saying, 'It is not good for man to be alone' (Gen. 2:18)
"One's human rights cannot be set against the values and interests of one's homeland, community and family"
And when the regime uses tanks against its own citizens as in 1991, or to crush civilians of "brother nations" as in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968? Valery Marchenko, Vasyl Stus, Yury Lytvyn and Oleksa Tykhy died in a political labour camp where they'd been sent for "anti-Soviet activities". Following the logic of the "Basic Teachings" which reflect the official position of the Russian Orthodox Church, they all should have been silent about the stifling of freedom, oppression of their people and about the crimes of the regime. Silence, it would seem, is not just golden, but a positive virtue.
With such views it is totally clear why relations between the ROC MP and the Russian authorities are blooming however it would be good to hear, this time without rhetoric or hypnotic mantras, where the Ukrainian Ombudsperson and a deputy of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada saw the "civilization significance" in such a view. Have they so forgotten the recent past as to not be disturbed by the following?
"Public speeches and statements must not promote the spread of sin, perpetuate discord or disorder in society".
Who is to decide what promotes such things, and what to do with people who don't agree with such judgments? The questions are clearly rhetorical. It will all be decided by the regime which the Moscow Patriarchate, this time quite voluntarily, is serving.
However who those public officials in Ukraine that not only praised the "Basic Teachings", but are trying to "incorporate them into the public life" of democratic Ukraine, are serving is anything but a rhetorical question.
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Home » Business » North Korea behind over half of digital asset thefts in South Korea: report
North Korea behind over half of digital asset thefts in South Korea: report
Wahid Pessarlay
North Korea has been identified as the major culprit in a string of digital currency theft across South Korea.
The disclosure was made in a detailed report by South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), showing North Korean hackers spirited away with over $620 million. The figure makes up over half of the amount South Korean entities lost to bad actors in the industry to North Korean criminal gangs at 55%, while bad Chinese actors accounted for only 4.7%.
To grapple with the growing threat, the NIS stated that it has beefed up its industry monitoring, effectively stifling hackers' operations. As a result of the increased watch over the industry, the NIS identified that the country was averaging 1.18 million attacks each day from international hacking gangs.
"Even at this moment, numerous hacking organizations not only cause economic harm by stealing virtual assets but also threaten the safety and national security of our people, such as nuclear power plants and the defense industry," said Baek Jong-wook, deputy director of the NIS.
Part of the reason for the successful halting of criminal hacking attempts is certain policies implemented by regulators. In 2021, South Korea launched new Know Your Customer (KYC) rules for the digital assets industry that required users to use the same name in both bank accounts and digital currency exchanges.
Exchanges require obtaining permission from the Financial Services Commission (FSC) before beginning their operations. The FSC's requirements, including proof of reserves and separation of clients' funds from the firm, have been hailed as one of the most stringent in the world.
North Korea's hacking streak
Hacking gangs in North Korea have stolen billions in digital assets from individuals and entities worldwide. Elite hacking group Lazarus responsible for the cruel attacks on virtual currency funds using trojans, has been identified as operating out of the country.
There is speculation that the hacking groups are sponsored by the North Korean state, giving them access to state-of-the-art tools to raise foreign currency reserves in the face of debilitating economic sanctions.
Digital assets are not the only things of interest to the hackers, as traditional finance and nuclear research have been stolen by North Korean hackers. However, South Korea's NIS has warned citizens to brace for more attacks in 2023 as malware becomes more sophisticated and techniques evolve.
Watch: The BSV Global Blockchain Convention panel, Cybersecurity: A Safer World with Blockchain
National Intelligence Service


Interested to Book or need to alter any part of this itinerary to fit your need, e.g.accommodation, add/skip city, tour length.
•	Air Fare / Train fare.
•	Personal Expenses such as Laundry, telephone calls, tips & gratuity, mineral water, soft & hard drinks, rafting, rock climbing, paragliding, joy ride (Toy Train), porterage.
•	Additional sightseeing or extra usage of vehicle, other than mentioned in the itinerary.
•	Entrance Fees & Guide charges.
•	Any cost arising due to natural calamities like, landslides, road blockage, political disturbances (strikes), etc (to be borne by the client, which is directly payable on the spot).
•	Any increase in taxes or fuel price, leading to increase in cost on surface transportation & land arrangements, which may come into effect prior to departure.


Presents a glimpse of what life is like for the children of Wilcannia. Follows a 2000 kilometre expedition lead by an Aboriginal sites officer and a Barkindji elder. An attempt by the Barkindji to ensure continuity of their traditional knowledge and ways of life and to strengthen the confidence and sense of identity among the young people of Wilcannia.


Today English is the language used for international scientific communication. Before Second World War this role belonged to German. The issue of language is irrelevant. What is relevant to researchers is communication of new contents.
Besides English, researchers also use their native languages when working or teaching. For example, French is spoken in laboratories and teaching settings in France. Similarly, German is spoken in laboratories and teaching settings in German, Dutch in the Flemish region of Belgium, Catalan in Catalunia, etc. Therefore, many Friulian researchers have considered using Friulian in our laboratories, schools and Universities.But to do this and, above all, to teach science, we needed a scientific journal which, besides reports and case studies, also presented with the newly-coined technical words with which science comes up every day. The Friulian Journal of Science is a powerful sign for all researchers that Friulian is a lively language. Researchers are warmly invited to contribute to the JFS so as to make it a key reference for the scientific community and research in Friuli.


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Westwood Trails in Simcoe
The Towns at Harrisview in Ingersoll
The Enclave at Victoria Hills
Quick Closing Homes
What Are The Different Types of Condos?
By Sinclair Homes
More people than ever are choosing to live in town-homes and condominiums today. For some, this decision is about cost and convenience. For others, condos provide an added sense of community and safety. In this blog, we dig deeper into the different types of condos.
Condos are classified as either leasehold or freehold.
Leasehold: The tenant has a contract with a landlord and does not own their unit.
Freehold: You own the unit outright, or have a mortgage. Freehold condos fall into three sub-categories:
Below, we are going to break down the three subcategories of freehold condos and what the differences are between each of them.
Standard Condominium Corporations
This type of condo is the most common. It is defined as being a separate unit, or row-house. When you purchase a standard condo, you own the unit and in some cases, a parking spot. If your condo building has other amenities like a pool or a gym, you'd have access to those spaces but you wouldn't own them. In most cases, you will be subject to relatively high and fluctuating maintenance fees that are used to pay for and maintain common areas and landscaping.
Common Elements Condominium Corporations
This type of condo corporation doesn't have any units, but does have shared spaces or amenities. The owners of the land are responsible for the maintenance of these shared common elements and most often, require community members to pay maintenance fees.
Vacant Land Condominiums
Vacant land condos are defined as bare land that is sold and used to construct condominiums. Corporations register and sell their land as a condominium before any building begins. Vacant land condo owners not only own their home, but they also own the land that it sits on. Usually the maintenance fees for this type of condo are much lower because of this.
Benefits of Vacant Land Condos
Vacant land condos are attractive for several reasons.
As mentioned above, If you choose to go this route, you would own your unit and the land. This means that you are free to customize the inside of your home as well as your outdoor space in any way you'd like.
Vacant land condos generally have much lower condo fees because you would be responsible for your own maintenance.
The nominal fees that you'd pay are used for things like street maintenance and ensuring that the neighbourhood is always well-groomed.
At Sinclair Homes, we specialize in building vacant land condos. Our communities provide the privacy and space of a single-family home with the community feel of a condo.
If you are interested in a vacant land condo home, contact Sinclair Homes in Ingersoll today!
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Contenu | Pied de page
HI Institute
Armed violence reduction
From emergency to development
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© R. Binard / HI
HI has been promoting access to school for children with disabilities since 2004 and is developing projects in 31 countries in Latin America, West, Central, North and East Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
countries of intervention
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in 20118
Inclusive education, offering hope to children with disabilities
Children with disabilities are ten times less likely to attend school than other children. This exclusion limits their opportunities to acquire the skills they need to develop their full potential and to become active in their communities.
It deprives them of their civic, political and economic rights. Good quality Inclusive Education generates real hope for the future for many children. It also plays a vital role within the society at large, in tackling widespread stigma against disabled people.
Our work to improve the enrolment of disabled children in schools focuses on:
• supporting the education of children with disabilities in mainstream schools
• providing personalised support and assistance to the families
• developing teaching techniques and methods to be inclusive and adapted to disabled children
• adapting teaching and learning materials,
• developing referral systems for assistive devices and the accessibility of schools
• supporting disabled people's organizations to advocate for the right to inclusive education
• providing technical assistance to develop inclusive education policies at the national level
Innovation to boost inclusive actions
We rely on innovative working methods and technologies to conduct remote studies, adapt and improve teaching and learning techniques.
This also involves using voice output devices for non-verbal children, or screen magnification for people with visual impairment.
New professions are also developed such as specialist mobile teachers who can fill the gap in a Ministry of Education's system by ensuring that children and their teachers in remote regions have access to specialist knowledge, to allow them to attend their local schools.
Fields of intervention
Start of intervention
The depiction and use of boundaries, geographic names and related data shown on this map are not warranted to be error free nor do they necessarily imply official endorsement or acceptance by HI.
In Rwanda, 12-year-old Gilbert who has a physical disability caused by polio. He started school when he was 11 years old, in Ecole Ste Agnes, in Rutsiro District. HI staff identified him as an out of school child and referred him to be fitted for an appropriate wheelchair. They also worked with his family, community, peers and teachers to break down the negative stigma associated with his disability, improved the accessibility of the schools by creating ramps, accessible toilets, classrooms, desks and level pathways, developed a peer support system, and are training teachers to use a range of teaching techniques to accelerate learning for children who are late starters. Gilbert loves coming to the front of the class to share what he knows and be an active member of the class!
For more information about our projects and our approach to inclusive education
Julia MC GEOWN
Global Inclusive Education specialist
J.McGeown@hi.org
Photos: © R. Binard / HI - © J. Mc Geown / HI
HI is an independent and impartial aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.
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ITALY GROUP — are taste-centric places in Saint-Petersburg and Moscow with a friendly atmosphere, where passion for food is a cornerstone of our philosophy, where customer service is all about caring of our guests and kitchen is a centrepiece of each of the restaurants.
Every restaurant concept of ITALY GROUP helps our guests to open new gustatory experience, quality of life, develops and increases the gastronomic culture. Each place we have starts with the kitchen and necessity to find and create its unique taste. Our philosophy — is a taste in all its forms, varieties and locations.
In spring 2010 Michael Sokolov and Timur Dmitriev opened their first restaurant that they called ITALY. It was a success and immediately restaurant gained its reputation of the «best Italian restaurant to the North of the river Neva» (according to authoritative opinion of «Afisha» magazine) thanks to its excellent cuisine, glorious team work and impeccable service. It was powerful, bold start which lead to development of a brand new restaurant group in the city.
At the age of 18 Michael decided to be a part of tradition of Italian cuisine and went to Italy to learn it. He worked in restaurants in San-Marino, Milan, Piedmont. Returning to his hometown of Saint-Petersburg Michael quickly became brand-chef of one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Soon after he decided to open his own place and shared his dream with co-workers — one of them was Timur Dmitriev.
Timur went a long way from a waiter to a Deputy Managing Director of Saint-Petersburg famous restaurant «Probka». That was where he met Michel Sokolov who once shared with vision of opening his own restaurant. During next year, they were working on a concept of their very own first Italian restaurant.


The Farmerville man is accused of stabbing his friend following an argument in West Monroe.
A Farmerville man is facing charges of attempted manslaughter following a Saturday evening stabbing.
According to an arrest affidavit for Christopher Braswell, age 41, Highway 33, Farmerville, officers with the West Monroe Police Department were dispatched to McClendon Avenue regarding a stabbing.
Officers found the victim covered in blood with blood on the floor of his room.
Per the report, it was determined the victim had a sucking chest wound and a large stab wound in his back.
The victim said he was having an argument with Braswell when Braswell produced a large knife and stabbed him. The victim was airlifted for treatment.
Officers found Braswell on the steps of the 4th Judicial District Court. He said he was intoxicated at the time of the fight.
He said he became concerned for his safety and pulled the knife, stabbing the victim twice. He said the victim then began to batter him, so he dropped the knife and ran away.
Per the report, Braswell told officers, "I was wrong for stabbing my friend."
Braswell was booked into Ouachita Correctional Center on one count of attempted manslaughter. Bond has not been set.


The HFS-IMI-1100 Inline Fill and Seal Machine for Pre-Made Pouches are proudly designed and manufactured in the USA. Designed for Filling dry products such has: Trail Mixes, snack foods, powders, pet food and treats, plant food, cheese & more, this will work with 3 & 4 sided sealed, Doyen/Gusseted, terminated side gusseted pouches with re-sealable zipper, Velcro or slider. This robust machine is capable of speeds up to 60 PPM (product dependent) and pouch weight capacity up to 10 pounds. Features include quick change over for ultimate flexibility, Allen Bradley PLC, HMI and Servo's and AC drives. Eliminate down time with this state-of-the-art design, built for trouble free 24/7 multi shift operation.
Massman Automation offers a full line of bag and flexible pouch filling equipment as well as bag making and typing equipment.
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My story begins with my Granpappy. He was one of those tough old, hard drinkin' bastards, who lived through the hard times of the depression and wrenched his way through life. This photo is about 1947, that's a '39 Indian Chief he's on, and although he had other bikes before this one, it was his favorite. His eyes gleamed as he told me about getting some chrome done for it. If you look closely, you'll see the rod that runs from the shifter to the transmission, that's it ! He also told me, how him and my grandmother, rode in the dead of winter, it was the only transportation they had. Hard times.
Back then, mechanics did it all, rebuilt engines, bodywork and even painted. In fact, my first spray gun was his. I found it in the garage one day,an old siphon feed Binks no.7. I made my living with that particular gun for about the first 10 years.
My first chopper ! A rigid frame, girder front end with 12" pullback bars. I was about 12 years old , Easyriders Magazine had just hit the shelves and I was a big fan. Vulgar language, naked chicks, motorcycles, what's not to like ! Ever since I started riding bicycles, I'd back them up to the curb and park 'um in the street, on an angle,like the big bikes. Signs of things to come.
So, after high school I started wrenching at a GMC dealer.Then worked at Central Chevrolet for about a year, when a guy from high school asked me to paint his ElCamino. I had been doing some airbrush work for friends. I learned the basics of painting with big guns from an old biker from WestSpringfield. So I thought i'd do it, for the fun. It came out so good, I was inspired to try my hand at bodywork and painting for a living. I worked at a shop on Gasoline Alley in Springfield. It was right next to Van America (this is around the time when vans were the vehicle of choice) well the guy next store, painting murals on them was Rocky. This guy was awesome ! More inspiration ! At the time I was drivin' this badass '69 Cobra (which was a Torino ) 428 CJ DragPak, R-code car.
Well, me and that friend rented space from the guy I was working for and started Wizard autobody. The work was great, we did some very cool cars.We did restorations and custom paint, for about a year. I was young and my lifestyle cost more than we made. So, we split and I went to work for a long secession of bodyshops, fine tuning my craft.
I admired the work of area pros like Smily from Agawam,Ma. He did awesome ribbons.
Bob Mercier, from Ct. his use of pearls and candies, for graphics and murals was the coolest thing goin'.
And Rocky, who's airbrush work is still the best I have seen ever. So real, it was like a photo. Not cartoony like most out there. Real art !
Over the years I've been fortunate to have some very nice bikes and some very cool cars.
'51 Ford F-100, chopped and dropped with Merc. flathead 8, check out the exhaust running along the bed !
There are plenty more, I just have to find the pictures.


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icymi June 5, 2014
Here's What You Might've Missed at the 2014 CMT Music Awards
By Lindsey Weber
Photo: Michael Loccisano/2014 Getty Images
Did you miss the CMT Music Awards last night? Or maybe you just forgot to DVR them. (Or maybe you never planned to even watch.) No matter! Kristen Bell hosted, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Blake Shelton took home lots of awards, and weirdly, so did Lionel Richie (for a Luke Bryan duet called "Oh No/All Night Long.") Here's the rest:
Kristen Bell's cold-open featured Malin Akerman and Cheryl Hines talking about Bell's hosting gig last year and how she needs to use Tinder-like app, HOLLR, to find a co-host for this year. And then she gets in an elevator for a very silly parody of the Solange–Jay Z elevator fight. Yep! They went there.
Jason Derulo was there! Seriously. After ZZ Top performed "La Grange" and Florida Georgia Line did a bit of their "This Is How We Roll," out popped Jason Derulo to talk dirty to them. Because that's the name of his song, "Talk Dirty."
Ever wondered what John Legend's "All of Me" might sound like as a country song? Well, here:
And two of the big winners of the night, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, performed their new duet: "Somethin' Bad." Not so bad.
ICYMI: What Happened at the 2014 CMT Awards


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UFC 256: Deiveson Figueiredo – The bricklaying sushi chef who became a UFC champion
There will be just 21 days between the first defence of Deiveson Figueiredo's flyweight title and his next fight on Saturday
The bricklayer, the hairdresser, the motorcycle taxi driver.
It sounds like a nursery rhyme, but those are just some of the jobs Deiveson Figueiredo did before adding UFC fighter to the list.
The Brazilian, 32, struggled to make ends meet after leaving home on the edge of the Amazon rainforest to chase his dream.
But now he's the UFC flyweight champion and will make the second defence of his title against Brandon Moreno at UFC 256 on Saturday.
Figueiredo is also set to become the most lethal finisher the flyweight division has ever seen but, most importantly, he no longer has to worry about where his next meal is coming from.
"I struggled a lot, and not just me," he said. "I lived with my brother and two friends.
"There were days when we had money to eat, but sometimes we didn't."
'I'm from a poor family, but I pushed myself'
Figueiredo grew up in the small town of Soure, where water buffaloes roam freely and his father was a cowboy, and he worked on the farm until he was 13.
Then he discovered the Brazilian martial art of capoeira and left for the Para state capital of Belem, where he began training with UFC fighters Iuri 'Marajo' Alcantara and Michel 'Trator' Prazeres.
Figueiredo's younger brother Francisco, 31, followed the same dream, but times were tough. Sometimes Prazeres' mother had to give them food.
"The biggest struggle was at the end of the month, when we needed to pay the rent," Figueiredo added. "Then when we paid the rent, we didn't have money to eat."
Figueiredo worked security at a hair salon but, spotting an opportunity to earn more, he learned how to style men's and women's hair.
Then someone at Prazeres' gym owned a sushi store and Figueiredo trained to become a sushi chef. He also worked as a bricklayer while establishing himself on Brazil's professional MMA circuit and was still driving a motorcycle taxi when he signed with the UFC in 2017.
"I'm from a poor family, but I pushed myself," he said. "I worked hard for the dream to become a reality. Everything's changed now, and I'm so grateful."
Bringing the excitement back
Joining the UFC has allowed Figueiredo to buy things he's not been able to buy before. Designer sunglasses were one of his first purchases, plus he no longer has to cut his own hair.
So he has looked the part while breathing new life into the flyweight division, one which isn't renowned for entertaining finishes.
"I like to take care of myself and look good because I like to be a stylish guy," said Figueiredo.
"I've come to bring back the excitement of the flyweight division. I'm the champion and I plan to knock out every fighter. I'm going to bring the audience back to the division."
Since joining the UFC, Figueiredo has delivered on the promise he showed while struggling to get by in Brazil, building a professional record of 20-1.
After beating Joseph Benavidez twice this year to claim the flyweight title, he earned a first-round submission of Alex Perez at UFC 255 to go level with Demetrious Johnson for most finishes in UFC flyweight fights – seven.
Figueiredo then went straight back into training camp after agreeing to face Brandon Moreno in Las Vegas just 21 days later, which will beat the current record for shortest span between title fights – 56 days.
Moreno also fought at UFC 255, taking his record to 18-5-1, but if Figueiredo becomes the first man to finish the Mexican, 27, it would put him firmly in contention for Fighter of the Year.
"When I think about that, I feel really happy and proud of myself," he said.
"It will be great to win again on Saturday, take the belt back to Brazil and relax with my family."
'I want to knock Cejudo's mask off his face'
After watching his brother's dream become reality, Francisco is set to join him. His UFC debut is scheduled for January, but Deiveson's journey from rags to riches could continue with a 'super fight'.
Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt remains interested after a bout of coronavirus prevented him for challenging for the Brazilian's flyweight belt last time out.
But Figueiredo is also keen to face Henry Cejudo, who retired after retaining his bantamweight title in May.
The former two-weight world champion, 33, recently called Figueiredo "the lord of nothing"external-link and said he was only "babysitting" the flyweight title he vacated last December.
"I want them to talk more about me," said Figueiredo. "Those guys are only making me bigger and stronger.
"Cejudo's a masked clown. I can't wait for him to step in front of me so I can knock that mask off his face.
"I want to dominate my division, I want to make history. But I'm open to having a super fight at 135 (lbs, bantamweight)."
Veteran Tony Ferguson also returns in Las Vegas on Saturday. The American lightweight hopes to bounce back from his loss to Justin Gaethje in May as he faces Charles Oliveira, the Brazilian on a seven-fight win streak.
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Move Along Whelan – An End to the Wrecking Ball?
We are thrilled to announce that the City of Melbourne has unanimously approved a new review of built heritage in the Hoddle Grid at last night's Future Melbourne Committee meeting.
This is a major victory for heritage campaigners. MHA's hope is that this will now see ALL the recognised heritage structures up to the post-WWII era within most of our borders covered by a heritage overlay and therefore prevented from demolition or inappropriate development.
Both MHA and the National Trust made presentations at the meeting, urging Council to undertake the review all at once and as quickly as possible. Cr. Rohan Leppert proposed staging the review over two years,which is a satisfactory compromise to the four recommended by Planning Officers, given the scope of the project.
MHA also commends Cr. Leppert's move to extend the proposed area to include the area bounded by Latrobe, William, A'Beckett and Swanston Streets, which was not covered by the original plan, nor by the recent City North Heritage Review.
Cr. Jackie Watts made the important point that spending money on this review is not a cost but an investment, while Felicity Watson of the National Trust reminded us that when heritage guidelines are out-of-step with community expectation we see long and costly battles like the one being fought over the Palace Theatre, a building that should have received a higher level of protection years ago.
Since MHA first formed in 2010, one of our key campaigns has been the need for an updated Heritage Review of Melbourne's CBD (the last was conducted in 1984). We have worked hard to demonstrate the need for this review and have highlighted the many parts of the city with inadequate protection such as interiors, laneways, post-war buildings and so on.
MHA was pleased to see a unanimous vote and applauds the City of Melbourne in taking this important step to significantly improve the protection of Melbourne's built heritage.
We hope small laneway buildings will receive better protection.
The location/s of the first year's portion of the study be determined by management after further considering geographical, building type and urgency factors, as well as the ramifications of the Minister's recent application of interim heritage controls over nine "C186 part 2" buildings.
Refers this resolution to the 2016-17 Financial Year Budget and Planning process.
Link to the meeting minutes and the recording of the meeting on the City of Melbourne website.


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Beyonce and Jay Z to Tour Together This Summer?
Beyonce.comBeyoncé and Jay Z are taking their marriage on the road, according to a new report.
According to the New York Post, the duo will launch a stadium tour in late June. Reportedly, they will visit 20 stadiums across the country, including a potential date in New York on July 4.
Jay ended his Magna Carter World Tour in January. His wife completed her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour last month.
They both made cameos at the Coachella festival in California last weekend; Jay Z joined Nas for a performance, while Bey danced onstage during her sister Solange's set.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio


Icicle: climb Mont Blanc 4810m summit ascent and course (5 or 6 days guiding, with up to 3 days for summit bids), based in Chamonix Mont Blanc. Ascend via the Gouter, Trois Mont Blancs traverse, or Gonella Routes.
Summit: Mont Blanc 4810m is the highest summit in Western Europe. To get to the 'roof of Europe', we normally ascend by either the 'Traverse' route of the Trois Mont Blanc from the Midi, the Gonella route from the Italian Val Veny, or via the classic Gouter route.
USP: Our primary focus is on getting you to the summit, no faffing, no discussion, no fuss. If you train hard, are focused, and the weather plays ball, we'll get you up there. If you want us to wave a magic wand, and not put in the training before, this really isn't the mountain for you. We are doers, not dreamers.
Skills: For the Mont Blanc ascent you need excellent fitness, stamina and determination. You do not necessarily need any previous crampon or altitude experience, though it would be a real bonus. Any skills you have will help, as well as great balance combined with the ability to move quickly and efficiently over broken mountain terrain is essential. You should be confident on steep ridges, but don't worry as you are taught all the necessary ropework and skills during the week.
Effort: Due to the altitude and the length of the climb, we never declare the ascent to be easy. It is an unforgettable experience to reach the summit, and you will test the skills you have learnt along the way.
Acclimatisation: This course is focused on you summitting Mont Blanc, with other summits and nights spent at altitude to increase acclimatisation. There is a dedicated information page for Mont Blanc: summit focus, which details the experience and fitness required for the climb.
Instruction: A principal feature of this course are the evening theory sessions (optional attendance), where you can opt to be taught a wide range of extra skills including; from knots and ropework, crevasse rescue hoist systems, or route planning. Click for details. This helps maximise your climbing time during the days.
Photo: Climbers ascending the Bosses Arete towards the summit at dawn, having ascended via the Gouter.
Season: Ascents only offered when cable cars / trains are operating, to avoid huge approach walks. The dates for the Tramway Mont Blanc are mid June - mid September (link). This limits the duration of our season, but it maximises your summit chances, and is the ethical way of operating.
Huts: On the normal route there are two huts you could stay in, the Tete Rousse 3167m or Gouter 3835m. To reach the Tete Rousse takes approximately 2 hours from the Nid d'Aigle, and the Gouter is a further 2 hour climb above. All our Mont Blanc courses usually have spaces booked in the Gouter hut, to make the summit day shorter, and therefore easier. Occasionally we also use the Cosmiques 3613m, Tete Rousse 3187m or Gonella 3071m, dependent on conditions, weather and skills.
Principles: By sticking with our principles, we are making the summit a more realistic goal for you, and we are focusing on safety. We believe that for those of you who really do their research, you will be more attracted to a company who wants you to succeed more than the others. It isn't therefore a case of how often we operate this trip, but when and how we operate it.
Photo: Chris & Joe on the summit of Mont Blanc 4810m, ascent via Traverse, descent via Gouter.
Experience: Icicle has been offering guided ascents on Mont Blanc for nearly two decades now, and so we have excellent local contacts and detailed knowledge of conditions to optimise your summitting chances, not to mention being highly aware of risks to keep you safe too.
Contacts: It is through these local connections that we can sometimes be very flexible with our itinerary to enable you to attempt Mont Blanc on almost any day of your course, as we can often arrange spaces in mountain huts or on cable cars at very short notice, even in the key summer season.
Permits: From mid last summer, a new permit system was introduced on Mont Blanc, where proof of hut bookings was required and checked by Gendarmierie on the mountain. This changed nothing for our groups, as hut spaces are guaranteed. It does help enforce a 1:2 guiding ratio (1:1 on Traverse) for safety.
Flexibility: After the first training day at a 1:6 guiding ratio, you have four days guiding at a 1:2 ratio. These four days are more than any other operator provides, and are essential to give you flexibility for making a summit attempt on the first weather window.
Photo: Headtorches of teams illuminating the route from the Col du Dome to Vallot shelter and the summit ridge.
How can I improve my chances on Mont Blanc?
Reality: Mont Blanc isn't an ideal first Alpine 4000m peak, but on the other hand it is not technically difficult. You require excellent fitness and stamina, as well as great balance combined with the ability to move quickly and efficiently over broken mountain terrain. If you're unsure about what to expect, the Chamonix authorities have produced a very blunt leaflet about climbing Mont Blanc, and what to expect; link.
Experience: Whilst no experience is required for Mont Blanc, every single bit you do have or get before the course will stack the odds in your favour. Experience helps increase flexibility in terms of weather windows, routes, speed, and safety. Higher levels of experience will help raise summiting chances.
Weather: We can't book the weather, but we do guarantee to do our best to maximise your summit chances by tailoring the course to you, the individual. There's no reliable way of predicting weather on a particular week, but we only offer ascents in the key season where the weather is typically stable anti-cyclonic pattern, not pushing into the early or late season where weather can be more unsettled with fresh snowfalls.
Fitness: An ascent of Mont Blanc should not be underestimated, and you should arrive for this course in good physical condition as the climb will probably be the greatest physical exertion of your life. Please don't ignore this issue. You should be at least half marathon fitness, in a respectable time. It's even better if you are marathon fit! We highly recommend that you read our training page (click here) for details.
Acclimatisation: It's naive to say that 'X' days is 'ideal' for Mont Blanc ascents, as every exra day you spend at altitude will improve your acclimatisation. It can be as simple as reading a book at the Aiguille du Midi, sleeping in a rented hyperbaric chamber at home, or in tens of other ways. We recommend that you book on an Acclimatisation Weekend to extend your trip. By acclimatising earlier you provide more summit flexibility.
Photo: Jo & Jonathan on the summit of Mont Blanc 4810m, having climbed via the Gouter Route.
Please note that whilst the itinerary below is an ideal, the weather and conditions, as well as your skills, fitness, experience and acclimatisation all play a part too. In our decade of experience, we have found that hardly two weeks ever run the same, and even on a particular week sometimes different summit groups go on different days from different huts. Whilst the itinerary notes outline this, it is imperitive that you understand how flexible this course must be. You are dealing with the high mountains and extreme altitude, not a prescribed coach tour!
Travel to Chamonix to arrive for the 17:00 check-in followed by and course safety and itinerary briefings. There is time for kit checks or rental of equipment. Briefings are over by 19:00 and the team accompany the group to pre-dinner drinks. Many clients opt to travel out a day or two early to do an acclimatisation weekend course to provide an extra night of accommodation, and to ascend a 3000m peak. Night in Chamonix.
Day to learn and practice using crampons and ice axes on the Mer de Glace glacier (2000m). You also climb vertical ice, create ice anchors, and learn glacier travel skills. This is one of your most important days of the course in terms of skills development as it is essential to have good footwork on Mont Blanc. Guiding ratio 1:6 (max). Evening theory session / meeting with course hosts: click for info. Night in Chamonix.
Acclimatisation route to a summit. Continue to a mountain hut for the night or return to Chamonix. The aim is to develop your skills at altitude. The choice of the 1 or 2 day routes is made in reaction to which day you attempt Mont Blanc, as we can alter the itinerary to maximise your chances. Guiding ratio 1:2 (max). Evening theory session / meeting with course hosts: click for info. Night in Chamonix or hut.
Acclimatisation route to a summit. Either an Alpine start from the mountain hut or a second acclimatisation route. Typical routes for the last two days include Cosmiques Arete, Gran Paradiso, Petite Verte, Pointe Lachenal or Aiguille du Tour. Return to Chamonix to prepare for Mont Blanc. Guiding ratio 1:2 (max). Evening theory session / meeting with course hosts: click for info. Night in Chamonix.
Equipment and bag checks before you set off to climb up to one of the high huts, either the Cosmiques / Gonella / Gouter / Tête Rousse hut for the night. Guiding ratio 1:2 (max). The choice of route that you take on Mont Blanc, and which hut(s) you stay in is a function of the weather, conditions, and your skills and fitness. Often different teams suit different plans to maximise their summit chances. Night in hut on Mont Blanc.
Summit Mont Blanc 4810m from an Alpine start from the high hut, and descend to Chamonix. It is usual to reach the summit just after sunrise, to take advantage of the best snow conditions, and to minimise the risks of stonefall or late afternoon storms. Reach valley afternoon, celebrations in the evening. Guiding ratio 1:2 (max). In the evening there are optional drinks and a celebratory meal. Final night in Chamonix.
Breakfast then the accommodation check out is by 10:00. Most arrange their transfers for around this time for a flight from Geneva about midday. Some people opt to book a tandem paraglider flight in the morning to celebrate the weeks efforts, and prices for this are from 100€ for a c.30 minute flight. These flights can be booked in resort up to the day before you wish to fly. Depart for home.
ITINERARY NOTES: Where possible we follow itineraries. Mountain adventures are weather and conditions dependant, so occasionaly we are forced to alter the plans. If this is the case, suitable alternatives are offered. Please use this itinerary as a guide to the types of route / activity you attempt.
Photo: Climbers arriving at the Gouter mountain hut, which is the most popular route choice for our teams.
Before your ascent of Mont Blanc, you'll doubtless have loads of queries that pop into your head. Many people find that to speak to someone face to face is far easier and more informative that hundreds of e-mails, so we offer two options; 1) Book in a meeting with a course advisor in our Windermere office, or 2) Attend an open evening.
It's yet another thing that really sets us apart from web-based companies. Meet the real people in a real office, who you speak to on the phone, who answer your queries, and who are there to help manage logistics both before and during your trip. Ours is an infrastructure that is tangibly there to support you from start to finish.
Photo: Interior of the new Gouter mountain hut, showing the sleeping pods, and beds with pillows and duvets.
Standard Course Inclusions: 1) IFMGA Mountain Guide for five days, 2) Chamonix course hosts for logistics & briefings, 3) Evening technical instruction / briefing sessions, 4) Twin / double room B&B accommodation in Chamonix (inc. linen, bedding & towels) for the whole week, so you don't move out when in huts, 5) One night half board in mountain hut / base camp on Mont Blanc for you and guide, 6) Pre course information booklet, 7) Equipment discount voucher for our UK shop, 8) Free 36 page technical Course Instruction Booklet, 9) Road transport in Chamonix valley, 10) Icicle discounts privilege QR code list for reductions in local shops and restaurants in Chamonix.
Exclusions: 1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Equipment hire, 3) Cable cars & uplift (c. 80 euros depending on itinerary), 4) Optional second or more nights (not normally required) in a mountain hut / base camp on a half board basis for you and guide, 5) Personal laundry, telephone calls, lunches, evening meals in valley, & any purchases in mountain huts / hotels / restaurants, 6) Road transport outside Chamonix valley (not usually required), 7) Sunday pre-dinner drinks & Friday celebratory meal & drinks, 8) Activities insurance, & excess baggage charges.
Notes: This course assumes 1:2 guiding from Tuesday to Friday, after a shared glacier day of up to 1:6 ratio on the Monday. Note that in the exceptionally rare occasion where is there is just one person booked on a course, less 1:1 guiding days can be offered, however accommodation will be provided for the whole week, and guiding options and locations will be discussed with you within the budget paid.
Standard course accommodation - normally clients are based in self-catered flats (details), so take a look, and decide if it's for you. For more luxury, contact us for quotes in higher standard apartments, or hotels of any standard required. If you have / source your own course accommodation, or we cannot provide an upgrade, the standard course price has a £100pp reduction applied on your invoice.
Bespoke course? If your ideal date is showing as full on the list above, get in contact, as we also offer private 1:2 and 1:1 trips on any date during the season. The 1:1 price is £2499, and the 1:2 price is £1649pp. To book a bespoke 1:1 or 1:2 Mont Blanc trip, book one place on the 1:1 course (click for link) and we will adapt the invoice.
The trips are based in the Chamonix valley in the French Alps, at the foot of Mont Blanc. It is easily accessed via a 90 minute transfer from Geneva airport.
NEW for 2019! Helicopter drops are not allowed in France, but if you wish to avoid ascending the Gouter couloir, or to save energy, you can now arrange to fly in and out of the Gonella hut on the Italian route. This costs 300€ per flight (not included in the course price), and it can carry up to 5 people and a pilot.
Is it cheating? No more than taking the cable car and tramway on the Gouter route, or the cable car to Aiguille du Midi. Start at Nice beach at a low tide if your ethics are really that stringent.
A no holes barred podcast, to fully explain what an ascent entails physically and technically, including several examples of hill training.
We send a course specific equipment list to all those booking on our courses, but due to the popularity of this course, we outline a typical packing list for the Mont Blanc summit day in the list below.
See our Mont Blanc blog, by clicking on the Word-press logo to the right.
We offer a range of courses to suit you, with 5, 6, 10 or 12 days of actual guiding for your ascent. There isn't one plan that suits all.
Four days with extra guides (1:2) to make your ascent. No operators offer as many days 1:2 guiding. Most only offer 2 or 3 days 1:2.
Four days of 1:2 guiding, enable you to climb other summits as well as Mont Blanc, rather than some operatirs who use 4 days of a trip walking up and down from huts!
We usually start from the high huts on Mont Blanc (Gouter hut or the Cosmiques or Gonella), to give you the shortest summit climb.
Our prices are fixed in £ Sterling, to protect you from euro fluctuations, so you can budget accurately.
If you don't choose us?
Less days with the potential for summit weather windows = less chance of success.
Total itinerary flexibility to make your summit attempt at the first weather window when ready.
Some operators make you check out of your valley accommodation when you are in huts!
There's many offerings out there that cost upwards of £600-£1200 more than us. Why? For luxury half board chalet accommodation. We save you c.£100 per night on these prices. A bed is a bed, so we include accommodation, that is functional with basic self-catering facilities. That's quite some dinner and drinks you could have for the c.£100 per night savings, or you could keep your hard earned money in your bank account instead!
A key part of choosing a company is being able to come and talk about your plans with an experienced course advisor face to face. In an increasingly virtual world, we know our clients value speaking to real people, getting open and honest advice. The vast majority of our clients are British, and our office and outdoor store is based in Windermere in the English Lake District. Arrange a meeting, and come in for a coffee to discuss your course in person with a trip advisor. Many people opt for this service, and it is an integral part of what we offer, to ensure that you are prepared as possible.
As well as talking though your course, most clients have queries about the kit they will require, to avoid expensive mistakes, and we can show you some examples of that to consider. Others have training queries, about how to best prepare for your trip, and we will be able to steer you in the right direction. No question is too silly, and we'll have heard them all before! An integral part of booking is the ability to get good knowledgable advice, and a highly personal service. Unlike companies that only exist virtually in cyberspace, we are staffed by real people, in a real office, who offer real honest advice. Because we are tangible, we are accountable, and we take great pride in that and the service that we offer you. Get in touch to come in for a chat soon.
Feedback & photos from Mont Blanc summit... To read more specific feedback click here, and for all feedback click here.


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We need everyone in Tech! (and this is how we're going to do it)
According to the international real estate services provider Savills, Amsterdam is number four on the ranking list of best tech cities in the world. Wonderful news! The tech ecosystem has experienced enormous growth in the last four years, partly inspired by initiatives such as StartupDelta and StartupAmsterdam. However, the downside of the success is that, in addition to the economy, the inequality of opportunity has also grown. So let's not cheer too loud or celebrate ourselves too long. The last four years were the easy part (part I). The truly difficult issues are still ahead of us.
Growing fast or thriving together?
The choice that lies before us: further growth vs thriving together.
The starting point should be that tech is (again) of and for everyone. Currently, that's far from the case. The lack of diversity is enormous, with all the ensuing consequences. Melinda Gates aptly articulates this: "if we agree that artificial intelligence will take care of our elderly in twenty years' time, do we want it to be programmed by a white teenager from the US?".
Tech jobs are still concentrated mainly within and around Amsterdam. This pushes prices of houses and business premises to unprecedented heights. This not only drives teachers and artists out of the city, but will even hit startups in the long run. The spectre of a 'European Seattle or Palo Alto' could be prevented if we work to distribute the growth into the Metropolitan Area. To Purmerend, Almere, Haarlem, Zaanstad, Hilversum and other regions in the Netherlands. These regions have a huge (talent) potential that is now hardly being addressed.
A key to diversity and equal opportunities is to provide everyone with access to tech education, and tech jobs as a result. In addition to 'white teenagers', our commitment should be to educate and re- and upskill women, young people from underprivileged neighbourhoods, people with migrant backgrounds, employees from small and medium-sized businesses and large groups of people over 40 ('Generation X').
Why access to tech education is so difficult for certain groups
After countless conversations, experiments and events organised at several locations in Poelenburg (Zaanstad), Purmerend, Amsterdam Southeast and New-West, we became increasingly aware of the obstacles for certain groups.
A small selection of the experiences and examples of the past months:
During neighbourhood visits in deprived areas, we often heard they lack role models. None of their brothers, sisters or cousins are working in IT or tech, "and my father would prefer me to study law or medicine, since those are the respected jobs within my family ". We were regularly confronted with uncertainty about their own levels of learning: "but in order to code I need to be good at maths and English right?!".
Another example comes from Techionista -a provider of data science training for women- which received an email from a single mother who indicated that she could not stop her job in order to follow the training because the childcare costs would become too high. Exemplary is also the number of young immigrant women from Amsterdam West during the open day of a coding school, ran by a fancy tech incubator just around the corner from where they live. The turnout was exactly: zero. This is a clear example of 'using the wrong communication channels'.
But there were positive examples too.
For example, together with Codam, we organised a check-in event in the Poelenburg district. The first registrations for Codam college followed promptly. This is something we need to scale: events in our target neighbourhoods, at which tech educators present themselves.
In Molenbeek in Brussels, we met Ibrahim, a local entrepreneur, who is successfully managing a tech hub and coding school in the middle of his neighbourhood. The so-called Molengeek is a place where previously unemployed young people start their startups and gain digital skills at the coding school. Its pedagogical-didactical model appeals to young people with all education levels and allows them to perform well. We aim to bring MolenGeek franchises into our neighbourhoods in the Netherlands.
And our personal highlight was the visit of ROC Zuidoost at the Johan Cruyff Arena during TechConnect Week (October 2018). 80 vocational students listened breathlessly to Ajax' data analyst, who told them about his tech job and education, in the locker room of their heroes. Showcasing tech jobs on location, so that young people can get a better picture and idea of the job, is something we aim to do more often.
In the meantime it has become clear to us why certain groups do not yet participate in the ecosystem, and which buttons need to be pressed to get the desired effect.
In our opinion, these are: distribution, self-confidence, preconditions, discipline.
(Lack of) distribution, self-confidence, preconditions and discipline
We'll start with a short explanation of the obstacles.
Distribution problem.
The target groups mentioned above often do not recognise themselves in the advertisements and communications by tech educators and there aren't enough role models (in the vicinity). Neither is there an overview available of all tech jobs and skills needed. Inclusive recruitment is still only being applied by a few companies.
Low self-confidence.
As long as tech jobs will be associated with mathematical and English language skills, many will not bother to showcase their qualities in 'solution-oriented thinking' or 'learning-to-learn'. Tech courses and jobs are available at all levels and with various profiles. From vocational level to higher education, with or without a diploma from a previous education. Let's give everyone the confidence that there's a tech profile that suits them.
Missing preconditions.
Practical preconditions – such as the lack of financial means to enrol in a tech education or to purchase the hardware and software – stand in the way. It happens too often that a student, due to poverty at home, does not have the right laptop, which could lead to being expelled from a work group. Experiences of this nature could eventually lead to him or her dropping out. Schools in underprivileged neighbourhoods often don't have the facilities to include digital skills in the curriculum.
Lack of discipline.
The discipline of being on time, doing your homework and continuous learning are often motivated by a social context. Bad influence from friends or the situation at home could be at the expense of this discipline. A tech job requires a lot of discipline because of the character of the job: rapidly changing content and skills required.
What to do!?
But how do we ensure our target group becomes aware of all the good stuff the tech educators, digital skills trainers, and employers who seek tech talent have to offer?
These are the TechConnect initiatives we have already started. Will you join in?
tekkieworden.nl – The guide to studying and working in tech. For each level, (V) MBO, HBO and WO (vocational to higher education), we offer an overview and insight into education and job profiles in tech. A tool for students, parents, career counsellors, and youth workers.
Teachforamsterdam – A collaboration between the industry, secondary education and the teacher training programme at the University of Amsterdam / VU University has the goal to train 200 (hybrid) computer science teachers within four years. A hybrid teacher combines his or her job in tech with teaching IT at a school.
MolenGeek (in Amsterdam) – The opening of MolenGeek franchises in Poelenburg (Zaanstad) and Amsterdam Nieuw-West. Delegations from Nieuw-West and Poelenburg visited Brussels and conversations to launch a franchise in their neighbourhoods are in full swing. An actual tech hub in the middle of various Amsterdam-based communities. Goal: two branches to be opened in 2019.
TechEduFonds – Setting up a fund that makes resources available which financially facilitate everyone that wants to re- and upskill themselves. The TechEduFonds provides a facility for tuition, living and preconditions. Consider, for example, pre-financing training fees, retaining benefits, maintaining a childcare supplement, providing space for so-called Income Share Agreements, and so on.
'Digidoeners' – In every class, every week – together with FutureNL we will be teaching digital skills at every primary school in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. We provide the facilities in the classroom and support the teacher.
TechConnect Liaisons – In municipalities, neighbourhoods and communities we establish liaisons that are the switching point between the community (neighbourhood or district) and the TechConnect instruments. This way we can organize special Tekkie Worden Workshops, like we're doing in collaboration with Studiezalen in early March 2019. Young people learn to build a website in six lessons and get acquainted with the job profiles in tech.
SME Digital Power – The SME (MKB) Digital Power Program focuses specifically on SME's and their management. With this initiative we show that it is possible to teach digital skills to SME entrepreneurs and management in a practical way. This happens, among other things, in collaboration with De Koepel in Haarlem, where 'future proof MKB' is a focal point.
Workforce Pact – A collaboration of 30 corporates in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area that commit to re-skilling 20,000 employees into data-driven professionals. The cooperation aims to achieve acceleration, economies of scale and the encouragement of mutual mobility.
TechConnect Week – One week dedicated to tech jobs and digital skills, with trial lessons, company visits, guest lectures, job markets and assessments. The first edition took place in October 2018. We are going to repeat this in the coming years and make parts of TechConnect Week available for other events, such as TNW Conference. This way, new target groups are motivated to attend existing tech events.
The initiatives above have now been set-up.
Other initiatives such as 'Inclusive tech recruitment', 're-skilling the underemployed to tech jobs' and the 'accelerated scaling of new educational approaches (e.g. BIT-Academy, Make IT work)' are still being developed.
Over the past four years 'doing the ordinary, unusually well' was sufficient; it brought us tremendous growth. Yet in order to thrive together, more is needed. We have to go beyond our natural borders to bring worlds together. We will have to reach out and invite. We have four perspectives to understand in our work: diversity, poverty, education and economic development. We must persevere to remove all obstacles.
We need you. We need everyone in tech. Will you join us?
Onwards, Viktor Bos & Ruben Nieuwenhuis
Note: the authors don't consider tech as a sector, but as a (growing) part of all economic sectors. Tech jobs can therefore be considered at hospitals, governments, SMEs, corporates, startups, and so on.
About TechConnect
The Amsterdam Economic Board is the initiator of TechConnect. Together with dozens of stakeholders, the action programme has been developed to bridge the mismatch between supply and demand in the world of tech in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area over the next four years.
TechConnect will direct and help scale-up the many initiatives that will educate more people and get them to work, for example by introducing more diverse groups from society to tech. The ambition of the TechConnect programme is to provide a healthy breeding ground for tech talent development including sufficient capacity & educational levels – throughout the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, and to set an example in terms of diversity.
We want the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area to be seen as The Tech Talent Pool of Europe with the most diversity and inclusive character.
In concrete terms: in addition to the regular inflow, 50.000 extra people need to be activated in the next 4 years.
amsterdam economic board | labour market |
#slimgroengezond
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The diameter of hole A is smaller than the diameter of each of holes
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I would like to know whether the above sentence I created means that holes
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The diameter of hole A is smaller than the diameters of holes B and C, and B and C have the same diameter.

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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In Kentucky, Covington Catholic High School Reopens After Threats Students at Covington Catholic High School are back after threats closed school Tuesday. Covington students are at the center of debate over a standoff at the Lincoln Memorial last week.
In Kentucky, Covington Catholic High School Reopens After Threats
In Kentucky, Covington Catholic High School Reopens After Threats 3:49
January 23, 20195:46 PM ET
Sarah McCammon
Students at Covington Catholic High School are back after threats closed school Tuesday. Covington students are at the center of debate over a standoff at the Lincoln Memorial last week.
Students at Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky were back in class today. The school has become the center of a national uproar over a viral social media video that showed a group of students wearing Make America Great Again hats apparently staring down a Native American elder at the Lincoln Memorial.
The students had traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the anti-abortion March for Life rally when they encountered Nathan Phillips. The teen featured most prominently in the video, junior Nick Sandmann, appeared on NBC's "Today" show with his take.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "TODAY")
NICK SANDMANN: My position is that I was not disrespectful to Mr. Phillips. I respect him. I'd like to talk to him. I mean, in hindsight, I wish we could've walked away and avoided the whole thing, but I can't say that I'm sorry for listening to him and standing there.
CORNISH: NPR's Sarah McCammon has been talking to residents in Covington, Ky. She joins us from there now. And, Sarah, what's the mood like in that community now?
SARAH MCCAMMON, BYLINE: Well, this incident really is on people's minds. And things are starting to get back to normal to a certain extent with schools reopening, but there was a police presence there when I drove by this morning. People are concerned, they tell me, about the safety of these kids and also about how this reflects on the community.
I stopped at a coffee shop just down the street from the school, and I met Karisa Moore.
KARISA MOORE: I feel for the boys because I don't think that they went with the intent of this transpiring. And it's put them in the public eye, and it's put the school in the public eye. However, I always see that these are opportunities. These are opportunities to talk to people, to connect, to think differently.
MCCAMMON: Moore said she's been praying for everyone involved. And several people I talked to here said they didn't want to voice their opinions publicly, but they had very strong feelings. And they said it's just very sensitive. A couple people said they didn't want to go on mic with me because they were worried about their job security if they speak too freely. It's a very emotional issue here.
And when I asked people how they felt, I heard words like sad and embarrassed.
CORNISH: There are so many interpretations, especially on social media and the commentary about what happened and what it means. How are people there making sense of it?
MCCAMMON: Lots of different ways, and it seems to come down, like it does for much of the rest of the country, to personal experience, personal point of view. Again, I heard a lot of concern about the boys - about well-being, but also about how the adults here were doing their jobs, whether they were to mentor them and teach the kids about diversity.
I spoke to Tracy Siegman, pastor at First Christian Church of Covington, and she says this has come up in her knitting circle.
TRACY SIEGMAN: We all received the talk when we went out on a school trip that we should be mindful that we're representing our school and our community. And their behavior does not reflect well on their school or our community.
MCCAMMON: She says she's been thinking about how to talk to her congregation about this. And she says if this happened at her church, she'd want to see a long-term series of conversations about what happened and what it means.
CORNISH: Has there been any effort to get any kind of big public conversation going locally about this?
MCCAMMON: Well, there was a small rally yesterday hosted by a local Native American group. NPR member station WVXU was there and spoke to Guy Jones of Dayton, Ohio. He says things need to change in this country.
GUY JONES: We as a people have to go and put a stop to it. You've got all these young kids who are saying, let's make America great. Well, yeah, let's do that. And let's stop the hate.
MCCAMMON: On a much larger scale, the White House has said that President Trump might consider meeting with the boys after the shutdown is over. And separately, there's been talk about the boys meeting with Nathan Phillips, the Native American elder. So we'll see where those discussions go in the days to come.
CORNISH: That's NPR's Sarah McCammon. She spoke to us from Covington, Ky. Sarah, thank you.
MCCAMMON: Thank you.