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Blizzard retools World of Warcraft's Mythic Dungeon International, offers $380K prize pool
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Patch Notes –
There are four classes for the World of Warcraft Mythic Dungeon International, and they've all received updates this week. Looking at each one, I can't help but wonder why they decided to update the content in the first place. I mean, this is a game that's already fairly combat intensive.
Blizzard is turning the Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) event into a series of annual events, as the developer opts to phase out the original format of randomly generated dungeons and replace it with a system that will create four themed dungeons each year.
You can make fun of MMORPG esports all you want, but Blizzard is offering a nice sum of money to participate in the World of Warcaft Mythic Dungeon International Tournament. This week, the company announced a change in the format of its Raider sports tournament, which will raise $380,000.
Over the past few years, we have continued to refine the IDM structure based on feedback from players and viewers, as well as our own experience with competitive PvE, Blizzard said. In the second season, we take it a step further by dropping the trophies and introducing a new structure.
After the success of the first season and the Big Push, we want to test the limits of the Core MDI program and challenge teams to prove that they are the best dungeons in the world. During the first season, Thames struggled to find the time to participate in the weekly time trials and qualify for the Broadcasting Cup. This format led to fatigue among the players and also reduced the commitment of the games as the same teams continued to compete in the cup each week. For our second season, we are introducing a new three-phase system, designed to reduce the demands on each team and make every moment count. The time trials will determine which teams advance to the group stage, where $80,000 in prize money will be awarded over four weekends. The top six teams from the global region groups, the best team from China and the last team from the new Last Stand tournament will qualify for the global finals, where $300,000 in prize money will be raffled off.
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Our seven-step guide
23 August - New York
The Sri Chinmoy Marathon
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Results for 2019 Self-Transcendence La Jolla Swim & Run
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Worldwide results
1998 Self-Transcendence Six and Ten Day Races
By Sahishnu Szczesiul
Sri Chinmoy Ten-Day & Six-Day Races - Wards Island Park,New York
Men DAY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Istvan Sipos, 38, HUNGARY 78 150 222 294 362 421 490 567 622 670
Georgs Jermolajevs,55,LATVIA 127 183 244 302 357 408 482 548 607 669
Norbert Karolyi, 22, HUNGARY 83 129 193 240 298 358 413 473 524 563
Christophe Rochotte,36, FRANCE 85 144 205 253 297 346 401 466 508 541
Misha Pavlovic,44,YUGOSLAVIA 79 129 179 226 271 314 358 401 435 476
Kelvin Sherrington, 37, WALES 67 121 175 205 242 280 333 384 432 470
Stefan Warum,24,AUSTRIA 68 112 159 201 257 301 332 361 400 453
Jozsef Horuyeki,44, HUNGARY 63 100 150 197 238 278 300 318 336 390
Pete Coffin, 51, USA 67 111 140 176 198 225 252 285 316 340
Ryne Melcher,19, CANADA 69 125 174 201 234 257 ---- ---- ---- ----
Elvira Janosi,42, YUGOSLAVIA 63 110 163 210 258 300 335 375 412 452
Men DAY 1 2 3 4 5 6
David Luljak,42,USA 103 185 285 381 476 541 *
Chip Merrow,33, USA 100 170 239 282 330 367
Dion Ward,24, NEW ZEALAND 75 132 188 240 288 347
Al Prawda,51, USA 90 142 184 237 287 333
Tom Smith,50, USA 132 153 170 257 275 327
Warren Craddock,51, CANADA 69 117 157 208 261 323
Elmar Grasser, 29, AUSTRIA 61 112 166 215 258 314
Dejan Maksimovic,31, YUGO 75 123 176 220 260 311
Claude Buisson,66, FRANCE 71 121 166 209 243 282
Carl Stelman,67, USA 68 118 164 212 251 271
Michael Moilanen,52, USA 61 115 151 188 217 265
Aleksandar Cekorov,26, MACED 64 108 159 191 229 264
Valeri Stobsky,33, BULGARIA 56 101 157 171 198 259
Harald Oswald,29, AUSTRIA 62 98 151 164 201 253
Bjarte Furnes,24, NORWAY 84 100 102 ---- ---- ----
Dipali Cunningham,39,AUSTRALIA 104 186 269 346 417 504 **
Pippa Davis, 51, UK-USA 94 162 233 300 362 414
Dhimati Schmidhuber,54,GERMANY 85 144 203 250 294 340
Nishima Knowsley,39, NEW ZEALAND 73 120 170 218 267 328
Dianne File,52, NEW ZEALAND 73 125 175 220 271 316
Brigitte Fischerlehner,27, AUSTRIA 65 113 157 198 235 273
Andrea Papp,35, HUNGARY 59 106 150 185 217 253
Gael Ballantine,34,NEW ZEALAND 68 110 150 181 216 252
Anami Schoneborn,35, GERMANY 68 113 152 183 200 230
* - 4th best alltime total, North America.
** - World Road best, six days, women
1998 Six and Ten Day Race Summary
By Atulya Berube
Thursday, 7 September, 2006
Georgs Jermolajevs,55, from Riga, Latvia had just finished a 1000 mile race in Nanango, Australia in the middle of March, and was here to defend his race record of 725 miles in the Ten-Day. Istvan Sipos,38, from Szeged,Hungary, was on the rebound after an off-year in 1997. He had won the 1300 miler in 1993, the Trans America race(2925 miles) in 1994, and the 1000 miler in 1996. These two men were the class of the field. Georgs bounded out of the blocks with only the young Hungarian Norbert Karolyi taking chase. Jermolajevs piled up 127 miles in the first 24 hours- a fair total for any 24-hour race- but maybe too much too soon. Istvan stayed back in the pack with 78 miles. Sipos is the master of even pacing and consistent effort. His multiday wins have been punctuated with rock-steady mileage and proper rest breaks.
The ten-day is an odd distance in the annals of multiday running- it got its beginning from the earlier SCMT Seven-Day and Five-Day races. The Six-Day is the standard, traditional multiday challenge. Records have been established from the late eighteenth and 19th centuries, yet, the 144-hour timeframe scares the average ultrarunner. Why would anyone want to run for so many days? The challenge. The Mountain. This is the only six-day in North America. Trail running has all but eliminated road multis in the US. The Ten-Day was conceived to break the rigid thinking of the past. Two-hundred and forty hours. The combination of the two races made for a mix of the past and the future, as new talent emerged and old warhorses continued to move along nicely.
After three days, Istvan Sipos had climbed to within 22 miles of Georgs Jermolajevs' lead, and after a third consecutive day of 72 miles on Day 4, he was only eight miles back!
As the Ten-day folks concluded their fourth day amid showers and fog, the six-day people began their journey. David Luljak was one of the favorites to start, having captured the 24- hour national championship last year, as well as NYRRC best local ultrarunner title. David checked in with a cautious 103 miles, carefully monitoring himself for the five remaining days ahead. Intermitent showers did not seem to faze 50 -year-old Tom Smith from Maryland, who roared around the course for 132 miles in his first multiday, leading thefourteen men. Dipali Cunnmingham from Melbourne,Australia led the mostly novice ladies group( nine-runners) with 104 miles as there were now 35 people on the course. Dipali had run the third fastest 1000 mile time for women last fall, and was in great shape. Only Pippa Davis from Massachusetts gave chase with 94 miles. Of the 24 people in the six-day, 17 were new to the distance.
During a brief thunderstorm near midnight, Istvan Sipos pulled ahead of Georgs for the first time. By the end of Day Five, Istvan had fashioned a five mile lead, and was seen smiling on the course. As Day Six concluded, Sipos had increased his lead, but showers and winds had drenched the course for hours, making life a little more miserable. Sipos passed Day Six with 421 miles to Georgs' 408. These totals were far below what this duo was capable of running, but the conditions were tough. Dipali had a one-mile lead over David after two days- 186 miles to 185, but the Luljak machine was just revving up. On Day Seven, David ran 100 miles on his third day, a brilliant total, distancing himself from his female rival and the rest of the field. A fourth day split of 96 miles brought his line to 381, an average of 95 miles per day. He looked in control and in good spirits, with no real problems. Later that evening, as we speculated on the possible records that might fall, the rain that had been sporadic the last few days suddenly picked up its intensity. The strong rains and wind were to stay with the race till its end.
As Day Nine ended, with no relief from the rain in sight, David had accumulated another 95 miles, giving himself 476 after five days. If he could somehow muster one more charge of 101 miles, a new American record would be his. Dipali garnered 417 miles, and had a fair chance of a women's road record, given her penchant for blitzing the last 24 hours. The rest of the field was scattered behind, somehow remaining cheerful as the toughness of this sport was testing their mettle. The rain continued in its intensity as the last day began. The course was now flooded in many areas, particularly under the bridges where runoff had nowhere to go. At this juncture, most of the runners were just hanging on. But the runners and helpers also bonded together, as our little family needed each others' help and concern to survive. Shoes and clothes were seen hanging anywhere that was dry, including the generator house.The tent area was under a lot of water runoff, making access to the tents difficult, and rest harder to come by. The clothes driwer never stopped running. It was hard to tell runners apart, as everyone was forced to where heavy rain gear.
Georgs Jermolajev tried running close to Istvan Sipos, bridging their gap as near as seven miles, until late afternoon fatigue brought him back to his tent to rest. As the last evening approached and the rain and wind intensified, the runners sucked it up for one more push. David's shins were not allowing any good speed to happen- he took two long breaks during the night hoping for a minor miracle to assist his mighty quest of 577 miles( unofficial US best by Stu Mittleman). Dipali was being hounded by the fatigue demon. She also implored the higher powers to intervene and give her strength to move quicker around the loop. Georgs tried an all-out crusade to catch Istvan before the time limit. Istvan never let up until the wee hours, chugging through the puddles with an eye on the scoreboard each time he ran past camp.
The casual observer might think- this is crazy, why, bother. The average ultrarunner might remark- too much running, not enough trees and hills. But the multiday runner often relishes the challenge, the opportunity to test his limits and abilities.There are people that can run super-long and live to talk about. They are specialists. To achieve new standards, whether personal or national, is one goal. Experiencing life apart from the ordinary, and to encounter one's inner ability to deal with difficult situations in a noble way are the memories of a lifetime that each multiday runner can explore. They are pioneers in a sport that has little understanding from the public but much to offer all of us. They are champions of life because they seek to conquer themselves.
With the clock ticking away the final hours, Georgs strode past Istvan time and again to try and make up the difference of 15 miles, only to fall short by one mile at the end. Istvan used the last four days as training for the 3100 mile race in June. Georgs ran a 6:40 last mile, his fastest of the race, to secure the closest finish in Sri Chinmoy multiday history. David came back to the track to trudge through the puddles for 65 miles the last day and 541 miles total- short of his goals, but a brilliant six-day nonetheless. Dipali pushed herself all night for 87 miles on the final day, emotionally drained from the effort. A new women's world road best of 504 miles was established. She became the third woman to ever run over 800 km in a six-day race.
With the advent of this ultra-duo in the Spring, the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team is grateful to the many volunteers, professionals and to Sri Chinmoy himself, who all make it possible for gifted runners to express their talents or discover their abilities as we all travel life's eternal road. Good luck to all ultrarunners.
Sahishnu Szczesiul
System Message: WARNING/2 (, line 22) Bullet list ends without a blank line; unexpected unindent.
Sri Chinmoy Ten-Day & Six-Day Races
Wards Island Park,New York April 30 - May 10, 1998
cerified, flat mile loop
10 -Day
Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Istvan Sipos, 38, HUN 78 150 222 294 362 421 490 567 622 670
Elvira Janosi,42, YUGO 63 110 163 210 258 300 335 375 412 452
Jozsef Horuyeki,44, HUN 63 100 150 197 238 278 300 318 336 390
David Luljak,42,USA 103 185 285 381 476 541
Dipali Cunningham,38,AUSTRALIA 104 186 269 346 417 504
Dejan Maksimovic,31, YUGOSLAVIA 75 123 176 220 260 311
Aleksandar Cekorov,26, MACEDONIA 64 108 159 191 229 264
Books you might find interesting
Sport and Meditation
Inner secrets to get the most out of training and competing
Sri Chinmoy Ten and Six Day Races
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About the Marathon Team
Sport and Meditation - a guide
7-step marathon training
Books by SCMT members
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Bhopal: It is sure to come as a let-down for greens and others pitching for solar panels on house rooftop. In two months of inviting applications, Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam could not get a single application from Bhopal showing interest in installation of panels under state government's net metering policy.
The policy allows consumers to produce and sell power to discoms, a scheme aimed at encouraging use of green power and reducing power bills of consumers. Under the net metering, non-conventional energy generated by individuals is first used in building as per requirement and surplus power is fed to the grid. Consumer gets paid back in terms of energy credits and adjustments in his bill against power transferred to the grid.
The draft policy was first approved by Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (MPERC) in May last year. In September 2016, the state cabinet also approved it; modalities were being worked out before coming out with facility domestic consumers, sources said.
"We are flooded with enquiries, but not even a single installation of domestic consumers has been done till now. Power consumers are enquiring, but are a bit apprehensive if it will translate into profits. One of the main reason is unawareness among officials of the discoms. Majority of discom officials are either not aware or they are cold because the installation of the meter is likely to eat into revenues of the discoms," said an official pleading anonymity.
"One other problem was availability of the bi-directional meters. The policy says either of the three, consumers, Urja Vikas Nigam or discoms can provide meters. It would have been better if meters were provided by the discoms, but now Urja Vikas Nigam has arranged meters. Another issue is who will take the lead. Consumers enquiring about it are waiting to see an example before they go for it," the official said.
As per policy, consumers who install rooftop solar power panel could transfer additional or surplus power to the grid which will be adjusted in bill of consumer.
Suppose a consumer has a monthly consumption of 750 units of power and is producing 450 units in a month from solar power panels installed on his rooftops. Of this, if he/she is using 300 units in day time, it means the remaining 150 units will go to the system. Taken together, the consumer's bill will automatically come down by 300 units because in the day time he/she had only used solar power, sources say.
And of 450 units for which he is billed, a discount of 150 units of power that he has injected into the system will be offered. Thus, the consumer will be billed for 300 units only, sources maintain.
In case user produces more power than he or she consumes during day and night, the additional power injected into the grid will reflect as energy credit in the bill and will be passed on to next month. In case power production remains more than consumption and energy credits keep adding up every month, at the end of the financial year, those credits will be converted into money credits that money will be adjusted against consumers' bill in next month, sources say.
For this facility, bi-directional meters will be installed in consumer's house. These meters will not only record power taken for consumption, but will also record power sold or given by consumers into the system, sources said.


Kevin enjoys being in PRA's healthcare studio because he works with a highly qualified team that compliments his 30+ years of experience in healthcare architecture. He appreciates the culture of the firm and the downtown Milwaukee location. Kevin is members of American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB), the American Society of for Health Care Engineering (ASHE), Wisconsin Healthcare Engineers Association (WHEA) and the American Hospital Association (AHA). His community involvement includes Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scouts and the Cedarburg Art Museum. Over the years he has developed a passion for wanting to do healthcare architecture because those buildings cover all aspects and types of building design and the work we do to create healthcare environments directly helps to enhance the health, wellness and healing of the individuals that use and interact in the spaces we create. Kevin lives in Cedarburg, Wisconsin with his wife and four children.


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Just one day into President Clinton's trip to China and there's already squabbling. Clinton told reporters he was disturbed by reports that police had picked up activists in Xian before his visit there Thursday. China's response: Mind your own business. But National Security Adviser Samuel Berger said Clinton would raise the issue with Jiang Zemin at their summit on Saturday. "People are not debris to be swept up for a visitor," Berger said.


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Bridge Initiative Research Publications Factsheet Factsheet: White Genocide Conspiracy Theory
Factsheet: White Genocide Conspiracy Theory
by Bridge Initiative Team
Published on 03 Feb 2020
https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/factsheet-white-genocide-conspiracy-theory/
IMPACT: The white genocide conspiracy theory is the belief that immigration by people of color, falling white birth rates, and the promotion of multiculturalism are all part of a deliberate plot to destroy the "white race." It is espoused by many white nationalist and white supremacist individuals and organizations, who often conflate or combine it with the similar "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory. Several individuals, including Brenton Tarrant, Anders Breivik, and Patrick Crusius have explicitly cited the white genocide conspiracy theory in order to justify their mass killing of people of color and non-Christians.
In the early 20th century Raphael Lemkin (a Polish lawyer) coined the term "genocide," motivated both by the mass killings and expulsion of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century and by the mass killings of Jews and other minorities perpetrated by Nazi Germany during World War II. Lemkin defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or an ethnic group." People who cite the white genocide conspiracy theory today incorrectly and dangerously attribute the individual killings of white people to a coordinated effort from people of color to murder and "replace" them. The FBI hate crime statistics (which are not complete but still provide a snapshot of the state of hate crimes in the United States) report 19 deaths attributed to anti-white bias since 2010. While all of these deaths were tragic, this number does not represent a genocide.
The genocide that most proponents of the white genocide conspiracy theory warn about is not necessarily violent. They claim that the "white race" is under threat due to falling birth rates among white women, the continued growth of "mixed race" marriages, and ongoing immigration of black and brown people into Europe and America. They allege that demographic change will result in white people becoming a minority in the United States in the near future, which they see as a negative development. These demographic changes are generally blamed on the rise of feminism, Cultural Marxist intellectuals, or Jews. For example, at the 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, VA, the gathered white nationalists chanted "Jews will not replace us" in reference to this theory.
Scholars trace the roots of the white genocide conspiracy theory to the era of slavery and white fears of slave rebellion. However, it wasn't until the Jim Crow era and the rise of the eugenics movement that people across the United States began to believe that "white America" was under threat.
In particular, Madison Grant's 1916 The Passing of the Great Race was extremely influential in bringing the theory to the mainstream. Grant, a zoologist who was affiliated with both the Immigration Restriction League and the Eugenics Research Association, asserted that "Nordic" people and the society they supposedly built in America were under threat due to immigration. American presidents, including Teddy Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding, and Calvin Coolidge, praised, quoted, or referenced the book in public. Adolf Hitler wrote Grant a letter thanking him for the book, claiming it was his "bible."
The book also rallied many anti-immigrant congressmen, and helped to inspire the passage of two major pieces of anti-immigration legislation: the Asiatic Barred Zone Act of 1917, which banned "undesirable" immigrants from entering the United States, restricted all immigration from Asia, and imposed a literacy test on immigrants; and the Immigration Act of 1924, which imposed a national origin quotas on immigration.
In 1978, the white genocide theory "exploded" in popularity again due to the publication of William Luther Pierce's The Turner Diaries, a deeply racist novel that imagines a white supremacist insurgency that culminates in mass genocide of non-whites and "race traitors." This book inspired the creation of many white supremacist groups, including The Order, a group named after the main organization in The Turner Diaries. One member of The Order was David Lane, who wrote the influential White Genocide Manifesto and the white nationalist creed the fourteen words. Lane was eventually sentenced to 190 years in prison for conspiracy, racketeering, and his role in the murder of Alan Berg, a Jewish radio host.
The white genocide conspiracy theory is similar to the "great replacement" conspiracy theory, which originated in France. In recent years the two have frequently been conflated, especially in online alt-right and white supremacist circles. The great replacement conspiracy theory has roots in French colonialism and anti-Semitism, but the actual term "the great replacement" was coined in a 2012 book by Renaud Camus, in which he argues that Europe is being "reverse colonized" by non-white immigrants. Both theories have been propagated by white supremacists of all nationalities.
On March 15, 2019, Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old white Australian man, attacked two mosques in Ōtautahi/Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand killing 51 Muslims. Tarrant explicitly referenced the white genocide conspiracy theory in his manifesto entitled: "The Great Replacement."
In his manifesto, Tarrant cites Anders Breivik as the inspiration for his attack. Breivik is a Norwegian terrorist and white supremacist who in 2011 murdered 77 people, 55 of whom were under the age of 20. Before his attack Breivik published a manifesto, "A European Declaration of Independence," claiming that "what is happening to the indigenous peoples of Western Europe and our cultures amounts to a merciless and bloody genocide." This so-called genocide is largely blamed on Muslims, whom Breivik describes as "wild animals." He calls on European armies to engage in coups d'état in order to end multiculturalism, and for the deportation of all Muslims from Europe who refuse to "assimilate" (i.e. convert to Christianity, change their names, stop speaking their mother tongues, and have only two children).
Tarrant's manifesto also references American mass murderer Dylan Roof. In June 2015 Roof killed nine African Americans while they were attending a bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Alluding to fears of white genocide, Roof states, "It is far from being too late for America or Europe. I believe that even if we made up only 30 percent of the population we could take it back completely. But by no means should we wait any longer to take drastic action."
In August 2019 Patrick Crusius murdered 22 people and injured 24 others in a shooting in Texas. Crusius drove eleven hours to the border town of El Paso with the intention of targeting Mexicans and halting what he called the "Hispanic invasion of Texas." Crusius posted a manifesto online shortly before his attack, titled "An Inconvenient Truth," in which he expressed support for Tarrant, claimed that the book The Great Replacement had inspired him to target Hispanic people, and stated, "I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion."
U.S. President Donald Trump has invoked the rhetoric of the white genocide theory when, for example, in 2018 he called Central American migrants "an invasion" in order to justify his family separation policy at the southern border. In February 2019, Trump ran some 2,200 adds on Facebook with the text "We have an INVASION! So we are BUILDING THE WALL to STOP IT. Dems will sue us. But we want a SAFE COUNTRY! It's CRITICAL that we STOP THE INVASION." These adds received approximately 2.2 million views in total. In 2016, Trump retweeted content from an account with the Twitter handle "@WhiteGenocideTM."
Subscribers to white genocide conspiracy theory do not define whiteness as simply having pale skin, but people who fit a particular profile of Euro-American heritage and Christian identity. Jews and Muslims are excluded from "whiteness," regardless of their skin tone, and are persecuted as such. Muslim immigrants from countries such as Syria and Iraq are especially reviled by white genocide believers.
The white genocide conspiracy theory has also been rhetorically used among Afrikaners, who are white South Africans and descendants of Western European (particularly Dutch) colonizers who settled in the Eastern Cape beginning in the 17th century. In March 2018, representatives of AfriForum, a white nationalist Afrikaner group, claimed that white farmers were being murdered on an average of one murder every five days, and that police were not taking sufficient action. The Afrikaans singer Steve Hofmeyr posted these claims on his Facebook page in 2013, although the post has since been removed. In August 2018 President Trump tweeted about "large scale killing of farmers" after reportedly watching Tucker Carlson discuss the conspiracy theory on a Fox News segment. British far-right media personality Katie Hopkins has also promoted the white genocide conspiracy theory on multiple occassions. The claim that white Afrikaans farmers are being mass murdered has been debunked.
Factsheet: Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson is an American right-wing commentator who has denounced the growing power of an "Islamic cult" in the Middle East, labeled white supremacy as a hoax, and advocated prompt handling of the "Islamic problem" that he believes is an imminent threat in the United States. read the complete article
Factsheet: Katie Hopkins
Katie Hopkins is a self-described "Christian conservative" English media personality and columnist for multiple media outlets. She uses her online platforms to spread misinformation and has a history of making anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, and anti-black comments. read the complete article
Factsheet: David Lane
David Lane was a white supremacist and separatist whose writings and slogans have had profound influence in white supremacist ideology. Lane's "Fourteen Words" slogan has been adopted by many white supremacists, including the perpetrators of the Pittsburgh synagogue and Christchurch mosques attacks. read the complete article
Factsheet: Fourteen Words
The "Fourteen Words" is a slogan that has served as a rallying cry for white supremacists and neo-Nazis around the world. Invoked in numerous mass shootings and targeted attacks on minority groups including African Americans, Sikhs, Jews, and Muslims, the "Fourteen Words" communicate the belief that the growth of minority communities poses an imminent threat to the existence of the white race. read the complete article
Factsheet: DONALD TRUMP AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
IMPACT: The 45th President of the U.S., Donald Trump has implemented anti-Muslim policies and nominated and appointed individuals to his administration with a history of anti-Muslim animus. He has also used his Twitter to amplify... read the complete article
FACTSHEET: DONALD TRUMP AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & PRESIDENT-ELECT
IMPACT: As a candidate and eventually the Republican nominee in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, Donald Trump's campaign included anti-Muslim rhetoric and policy platforms, and praised anti-Muslim organizations and activists. Trump also repeatedly provided a... read the complete article
Back to Factsheets


text:
import os
import PureCloudPlatformClientV2
from PureCloudPlatformClientV2.rest import ApiException

print('-----------------------------------------------------------------')
print('- Python3 Get Number of On-Queue Agents using Genesys Cloud SDK -')
print('-----------------------------------------------------------------')

# Credentials
CLIENT_ID = os.environ['GENESYS_CLOUD_CLIENT_ID']
CLIENT_SECRET = os.environ['GENESYS_CLOUD_CLIENT_SECRET']
ORG_REGION = os.environ['GENESYS_CLOUD_REGION']  # eg. us_east_1

# Set environment
region = PureCloudPlatformClientV2.PureCloudRegionHosts[ORG_REGION]
PureCloudPlatformClientV2.configuration.host = region.get_api_host()

# OAuth when using Client Credentials
api_client = PureCloudPlatformClientV2.api_client.ApiClient() \
            .get_client_credentials_token(CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET)

# Create an instance of the Routing API and Analytics API
routing_api = PureCloudPlatformClientV2.RoutingApi(api_client)
analytics_api = PureCloudPlatformClientV2.AnalyticsApi(api_client)

def get_on_queue_agents(queue_name):
    """ Get number of agents active on a queue given the name of the queue.
    Args:
        queue_name (str): Name of the Queue.
    Returns:
        int: Number of agents 'on-queue'.
    """
    queue_id = 0
    on_queue_agents = 0

    # Search for the routing id of the queue
    try:
        api_response = routing_api.get_routing_queues(name=queue_name)

        # Check for the number of entities returned
        if len(api_response.entities) <= 0:
            print("Queue not found.")
            return -1
        elif len(api_response.entities) > 1:
            print("Found more than one queue with the name. Getting the first one.")
        else:
            # Get the id of the queue
            queue_id = api_response.entities[0].id

    except ApiException as e:
        print("Error on RoutingAPI -> " + str(e))

    # Count the 'on-queue' agents on the queue.
    try:
        # Build analytics query
        query = PureCloudPlatformClientV2.QueueObservationQuery()
        query.metrics = ['oOnQueueUsers']
        query.filter = PureCloudPlatformClientV2.ConversationAggregateQueryFilter()
        query.filter.type = 'or'
        query.filter.clauses = [PureCloudPlatformClientV2.ConversationAggregateQueryClause()]
        query.filter.clauses[0].type = 'or'
        query.filter.clauses[0].predicates = [PureCloudPlatformClientV2.ConversationAggregateQueryPredicate()]
        query.filter.clauses[0].predicates[0].dimension = 'queueId'
        query.filter.clauses[0].predicates[0].value = queue_id

        # Execute analytics query
        query_result = analytics_api.post_analytics_queues_observations_query(query)
        result_data = query_result.results[0].data
        on_queue_agents = result_data[0].stats.count if result_data else 0
    except ApiException as e:
        print("Error on RoutingAPI -> " + e.body)

    return on_queue_agents

if __name__ == "__main__":
    queue_name = input("Enter queue name: ")
    on_queue_agents = get_on_queue_agents(queue_name)
    print(f"Number of agents in \"{queue_name}\": {on_queue_agents}")

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
From 6 January 2021, newly arrived foreign workers approved for entry into Singapore and staying in dormitories will go through an additional 7-day testing regime
From 6 January 2021, newly arrived foreign workers approved for entry into Singapore and staying in dormitories will have to stay at a designated facility to go through an additional 7-day testing regime, after completing their 14-Day Stay-Home Notice (SHN). The workers will be able to move into their dormitories1 only after completing the additional testing regime. The Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) introduced this new requirement to minimise the risk of an imported COVID-19 positive case transmitting the virus into the dormitories.
The 14-day SHN and a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) exit test reduces the risk of a missed positive COVID-19 case to very low levels. Nevertheless, as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has started approving the entry of a larger number of foreign workers into Singapore, the MTF considers it prudent to further reduce the risk of a missed COVID-19 positive case entering the dormitories and starting a new cluster.
During the 7 days at the designated facility, the newly arrived foreign workers will undergo additional swab tests, and will still be able to go to work. Any COVID-19 positive cases will be swiftly isolated and conveyed to a hospital or a Community Care Facility. Their close contacts will also be quarantined and isolated.
The Government will continue to review these latest measures and update our policies accordingly.


text:
package geo

import (
	"fmt"
	"github.com/kylelemons/go-gypsy/yaml"
	"os"
	"path"
)

// Provides a set of configuration variables that describe how to interact with a SQL database.
type SQLConf struct {
	driver  string
	openStr string
	table   string
	latCol  string
	lngCol  string
}

const (
	DEFAULT_PGSQL_OPEN_STR = "user=postgres dbname=points sslmode=disable"
	DEFAULT_MYSQL_OPEN_STR = "points/root/"
	DEFAULT_TEST_OPEN_STR  = ""
)

// Returns a SQLConf based on the $DB environment variable
// Returns a PostgreSQL configuration as a default
func sqlConfFromEnv() *SQLConf {
	var dbEnv = os.Getenv("DB")

	switch dbEnv {
	case "mysql":
		return &SQLConf{driver: "mymysql", openStr: DEFAULT_MYSQL_OPEN_STR, table: "points", latCol: "lat", lngCol: "lng"}
	case "mock":
		return &SQLConf{driver: "testdb", openStr: DEFAULT_TEST_OPEN_STR, table: "points", latCol: "lat", lngCol: "lng"}
	default:
		return &SQLConf{driver: "postgres", openStr: DEFAULT_PGSQL_OPEN_STR, table: "points", latCol: "lat", lngCol: "lng"}
	}
}

// Attempts to read config/geo.yml, and creates a SQLConf as described therein.
// Returns the DefaultSQLConf if no config/geo.yml is found, or an error if one arises during the process of parsing the configuration file.
func GetSQLConf() (*SQLConf, error) {
	DefaultSQLConf := sqlConfFromEnv()

	// TODO This should be redesigned so that the user specifies where the config file is
	//      We can still handle the issue where it doesn't exist, but that way it's not hardcoded.
	configPath := path.Join("config/geo.yml")
	_, err := os.Stat(configPath)
	if err != nil && os.IsNotExist(err) {
		return DefaultSQLConf, nil
	} else {

		// Defaults to development environment, you can override by changing the $GO_ENV variable:
		// `$ export GO_ENV=environment` (where environment can be "production", "test", "staging", etc.
		// TODO Potentially find a better solution to handling environments
		// https://github.com/adeven/goenv ?
		goEnv := os.Getenv("GO_ENV")
		if goEnv == "" {
			goEnv = "development"
		}

		config, readYamlErr := yaml.ReadFile(configPath)
		if readYamlErr == nil {

			// TODO Refactor this into a more generic method of retrieving info

			// Get driver
			driver, driveError := config.Get(fmt.Sprintf("%s.driver", goEnv))
			if driveError != nil {
				return nil, driveError
			}

			// Get openStr
			openStr, openStrError := config.Get(fmt.Sprintf("%s.openStr", goEnv))
			if openStrError != nil {
				return nil, openStrError
			}

			// Get table
			table, tableError := config.Get(fmt.Sprintf("%s.table", goEnv))
			if tableError != nil {
				return nil, tableError
			}

			// Get latCol
			latCol, latColError := config.Get(fmt.Sprintf("%s.latCol", goEnv))
			if latColError != nil {
				return nil, latColError
			}

			// Get lngCol
			lngCol, lngColError := config.Get(fmt.Sprintf("%s.lngCol", goEnv))
			if lngColError != nil {
				return nil, lngColError
			}

			sqlConf := &SQLConf{driver: driver, openStr: openStr, table: table, latCol: latCol, lngCol: lngCol}
			return sqlConf, nil

		}

		return nil, readYamlErr
	}

	return nil, err
}


text:
Welcome to this second Friends and Family letter, I hope you are staying warm and cozy this winter days! I wish you a festive, joyous and reflective time. Below you'll read about my reflections as well as my wishes for the next decade: for political prisoners to be freed, [...]
nisgua_admin2020-01-18T01:42:30+00:00January 18th, 2020|Accompanier Perspectives, Justice and accountability|
Sisters in struggle: Indigenous Environmental Network leadership trip to Guatemala
In September, NISGUA had the honor of hosting a delegation to Guatemala for representative leaders of the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN). The delegation featured talks with women land defenders, cultural exchanges, and a community visit to the Chixoy River watershed. There is also so much that cannot be captured [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-24T21:39:57+00:00November 1st, 2019|Defense of life and territory, Delegations|
Comunicado de CALDH frente a Captura del Prófugo Gen. Luis Enrique Mendoza, Acusado de Genocidio
Mientras Guatemalan realizaba sus elecciones generales el 16 de junio, el sistema de justicia hizo una captura importante. Detuvieron al ex-general Luis Enrique Mendoza en Baja Verapaz, cuando él fue a votar. Mendoza había sido prófugo durante casi ocho años. Mendoza fungió como Director de Operaciones (S3) durante la [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-25T00:39:24+00:00June 18th, 2019|Justicia|
CALDH Statement on Arrest of Fugitive Gen. Luis Enrique Mendoza, Accused of Genocide
As Guatemala held its general elections on June 16, the justice system made an important arrest. They captured retired general Luis Enrique Mendoza in Baja Verapaz, as he went to cast his ballot. Mendoza had been on the run for nearly eight years. Mendoza served as Chief of Operations [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-25T00:39:51+00:00June 18th, 2019|Justice and accountability|
Four lessons from survivors on the Day of Dignification for Victims
In 1999, the UN-sponsored Commission for Historical Clarification presented its report, Guatemala: Memory of Silence, which documented the crimes the Guatemalan state had committed against its own people during the Internal Armed Conflict. Each year, communities around Guatemala remember what they survived and those they lost on the National [...]
nisgua_admin2019-02-28T22:20:23+00:00February 25th, 2019|Justice and accountability|
Sobrevivientes del Terrorismo del Estado, Organizaciones Rechazan Amnistía en Guatemala
Organizaciones en Guatemala, entre ellas CALDH e HIJ@S, publicaron una carta abierta denunciando el intento del Congreso a aprobar una iniciativa de ley garantizando amnistía. La iniciativa de ley arriesgaría décadas de lucha por justicia, dejando los responsables de crímenes de lesa humanidad libres. La carta rechaza estos intentos [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-25T00:43:29+00:00February 14th, 2019|Justicia|
Survivors of State Terror, Organizations Reject Amnesty in Guatemala
Guatemalan partner organizations, including CALDH and HIJ@S, published an open letter denouncing Guatemalan congressional attempts to pass amnesty legislation. The proposed legislation could overturn decades of work for justice, allowing those responsible for crimes against humanity to walk free. The letter rejects these latest attempts to legislate impunity, at the expense [...]
Solidarity Update: December 2018
News recap: Organizations demand justice in wake of assassinations and ongoing violence in Ixquisis, TAKE ACTION to stand with communities working to protect community consultations, NISGUA Speaking Tour shares lessons from successful organizing in Chixoy-Copón Rivers Watershed, KCA sues Guatemalan State in international court, survivors of sexual violence in Military Zone [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T19:05:46+00:00January 15th, 2019|Defense of life and territory, Justice and accountability, Political Education, Solidarity Update|
Media Advisory: Social movements at risk as technical coup unfolds in Guatemala
For a downloadable version of this media advisory, click here. For nearly a year and a half, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales has repeatedly defied the rule of law by attacking the UN-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). On January 7, Morales announced that his administration would [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-25T00:44:19+00:00January 14th, 2019|Defense of life and territory, Justice and accountability|
Struggle for Justice for Sexual Violence Continues in Military Zone 21 Case
A survivor of sexual violence waits outside the courtroom for the Military Zone 21 case. Photo Credit: CALDH This article is about Indigenous women seeking justice for systematic sexual violence that was used as a tool of war against them. It contains several explicit descriptions of [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-25T00:46:08+00:00December 20th, 2018|Justice and accountability|
Boletín de ACOGUATE: septiembre-octubre 2018
En este boletín el equipo de ACOGUATE subraya varios desarrollos en casos jurídicos de alto perfil, incluyendo el caso por genocidio, el caso de Las Dos Erres y el caso de la Mina San Rafael. También explica unos puntos en la coyuntura de Quiché y Ixquisis. ¡Haz clic en [...]
nisgua_admin2018-12-25T18:29:04+00:00November 1st, 2018|Boletín de ACOGUATE|
Solidarity Update: September 2018
News recap: Court affirms that the state enacted genocide, but finds Rodríguez Sánchez not guilty in a split decision; Constitutional Court upholds temporary suspension of Escoal mine and calls on the State to consult impacted Xinka communities. This and more in this month's solidarity update. [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T19:05:47+00:00September 29th, 2018|Defense of life and territory, Justice and accountability, Political Education, Solidarity Update|
5 takeaways from the recent genocide trial verdict
We will use this genocide verdict to leave a good tree planted, with strong roots -- the fruits of which will be enjoyed by our children. - Edwin Canil, President of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation, survivor and plaintiff organization On September 26, in a split, 2-1 decision, [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T17:52:16+00:00September 28th, 2018|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|
Building the case: Military Intelligence is a key component in carrying out acts of genocide
Today, the trial against former Head of Military Intelligence José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez is expected to reach a verdict. As a key player under Efraín Ríos Montt's 1982-1983 dictatorship in Guatemala, Rodríguez Sánchez stands accused of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Ixil people. Over the past year, [...]
nisgua_admin2018-09-26T11:26:33+00:00September 25th, 2018|Genocide Trial|
"Any presumption of his innocence has crumbled. I ask the courts to find Rodríguez Sánchez guilty of genocide." – Edgar Pérez
"We're motivated to come here - come and listen, to see whether or not there will be justice in Guatemala." Today, the genocide retrial against former head of military intelligence José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez moved into powerful closing arguments, where plaintiffs synthesized key points in the [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T17:52:49+00:00September 7th, 2018|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|
Boletín de ACOGUATE: julio-agosto 2018
En este boletín el equipo de ACOGUATE hace un análisis histórico del caso Las Dos Erres y da actualizaciones sobre un caso por violencia sexual, el estatus de defensorxs criminalizadxs en Huehuetenango y la lucha del pueblo Ch'orti' de Morola. ¡Haz clic en la foto abajo para leer más! [...]
nisgua_admin2018-12-25T18:25:46+00:00September 1st, 2018|Boletín de ACOGUATE|
Boletín de ACOGUATE: mayo-junio 2018
En este boletín el equipo de ACOGUATE da actualizaciones sobre las luchas de la resistencia pacífica en Ixquisis, FAMDEGUA y CONAVIGUA. También cuenta sobre la visita de la relatora especial de las Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas en Guatemala. ¡Haz clic en la foto abajo [...]
nisgua_admin2018-12-25T18:21:00+00:00July 1st, 2018|Boletín de ACOGUATE|
Statement by genocide survivors on the death of Ríos Montt
On April 1, 2018, former Guatemalan dictator Efraín Ríos Montt died from a heart attack at the age of 91. Having initially been convicted in 2013 of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Ixil people, he died under house arrest facing a retrial. Today, survivors organized with the [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T17:53:06+00:00April 6th, 2018|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|
Statement by CALDH on the death of Ríos Montt
On Sunday, April 1, 2018, former Guatemalan de facto dictator Efraín Ríos Montt died of a heart attack. At the time of his death, he was being retried for genocide and crimes against humanity, after initially being convicted in 2013. Read the following statement by the Center for Human [...]
Solidarity Update: March 2018
News recap: Prayerful action on the Equinox at the Ohlone Shellmound and Village Sacred Site in California; Genocide retrial moves to Nebaj to hear testimonies from elderly and protected witnesses; Nearly 40 years later, former military officials stand trial for crimes against the Molina Theissen family; NISGUA's latest report celebrates community [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T19:05:49+00:00March 26th, 2018|Defense of life and territory, Justice and accountability, Political Education, Solidarity Update|
One more way to fight impunity: The Molina Theissen trial opens today
Nearly a year has passed since the March 2017 indictment of five former high-ranking officers in the Guatemalan military for crimes against humanity. They stand accused of having participated in the illegal detention, torture, and sexual assault of Emma Guadalupe Molina Theissen and the forced disappearance of her 14-year-old [...]
nisgua_admin2018-03-01T15:53:46+00:00March 1st, 2018|Justice and accountability|
Plaintiffs in the Military Zone 21 case appeal to the Constitutional Court, fighting to include important witness testimonies
Today, plaintiff organizations went to Guatemala's Constitutional Court to ask that the Court include testimonies from 35 key witnesses in the Military Zone 21 case – the largest case of forced disappearance to date in Latin America's history. The plaintiff organizations and public prosecutor claim that during the [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T17:26:26+00:00February 1st, 2018|CREOMPAZ / ZM21, Justice and accountability|
En el 21° aniversario de la firma de los Acuerdos de Paz de Guatemala, AJR dice que el Estado aún les debe justicia a los sobrevivientes
En medio del nuevo juicio del caso por genocidio de los acusados José Efraín Ríos Montt y José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez, la Asociación para la Justicia y la Reconciliación (AJR), el Centro de Acción Legal en Derechos Humanos (CALDH), y el Bufete de Derechos Humanos (BDH) publicaron un comunicado [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-25T00:51:05+00:00December 28th, 2017|Justicia|
On 21st anniversary of Guatemalan Peace Accords signing, AJR says State still owes survivors justice
In the midst of the ongoing genocide retrial of José Efraín Ríos Montt and José Mauricio Rodriguez Sánchez, the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR), the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH), and the Human Rights Law Firm (BDH) published a press release in the Guatemalan newspaper, El Periódico, to mark [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T17:11:21+00:00December 28th, 2017|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|
Youth add their voices to the cry for justice
Young Ixil university students stand in solidarity with genocide survivors outside of court.Photo credit: Ixil University students, Chemol txumb'al, FUNDEBASE, y AJR Friday, December 1, marked the seventh trial date since the case for genocide against Efraín Ríos Montt and José Mauricio Rodriguez Sánchez was reopened on [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T17:54:05+00:00December 5th, 2017|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|
Que su testimonio sea semilla que cae en tierra fértil
El siguiente comunicado fue publicado por el Centro para la Acción Legal en Derechos Humanos – CALDH y publicado aquí con su permiso. Jose Efraín Ríos Montt fue condenado a 80 años en prisión por genocidio y crímenes de lesa humanidad en contra del Pueblo Ixil el 10 de [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-25T00:51:19+00:00August 22nd, 2017|Justicia|
Solidarity Update: August 2017
News recap: "This Land is Ours": Hundreds march to demand the restitution of stolen and occupied lands at site of Military Zone 21; Former military officers to stand trial for crimes committed against Molina Theissen family; Thousands respond to international call to action against violent repression of peaceful protest in Casillas; Inter-American [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T19:06:45+00:00August 17th, 2017|Defense of life and territory, Justice and accountability, Political Education, Solidarity Update|
Solidarity Update: May 2017
News recap: Motions filed against former Constitutional Court judges for breach of duty in overturning the genocide verdict; Ríos Montt to stand trial for genocide for his role in the Dos Erres massacre; Accompanier perspective: "As You Come Home: Immigration, Reunion, and the Continuity of Power"; Thousands respond to action [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T19:06:47+00:00May 25th, 2017|Defense of life and territory, Justice and accountability, Political Education, Solidarity Update|
Solidarity Update: April 2017
Photo credit: Roderico Díaz. News recap: Honoring the life of Miguel Ramírez Matóm, witness in the Ixil genocide trial; Take action: Denounce impunity for attacks against environmental defenders; Communities in the Ixcán commemorate 10 years since the referendum that said 'no' to resource extraction; Announcing our fall tour: "Guatemala youth in defense of [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T19:06:47+00:00April 30th, 2017|Defense of life and territory, Justice and accountability, Political Education, Solidarity Update|
Trial opens against political prisoners from Huehuetenango
Today marks the opening of the trial against seven land defenders from northern Huehuetenango, all of whom have been held in pretrial detention as political prisoners for over a year. All seven are being accused of crimes that allegedly took place during community protests against the imposition of hydroelectric [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T18:15:41+00:00July 6th, 2016|Defense of life and territory, Huehuetenango|
CALDH reports from the closed-door retrial of Ríos Montt
The following are translations from the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH), plaintiff in the genocide case against former dictator Ríos Montt and his Head of Military Intelligence, Rodríguez Sánchez. CALDH and the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) are currently participating in the closed-door retrial of Ríos [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T17:54:26+00:00May 11th, 2016|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|
Family members of disappeared Marco Antonio Molina Theissen move forward in their search for justice
Photo of 14-year-old Marco Antonio Molina Theissen. Photo credit: Lucrecia Molina Theissen The submission of preliminary evidence in the Molina Theissen trial was expected in Guatemala's First Instance Tribunal last week but was halted by a defense appeal on the issue of amnesty. The court had previously ruled [...]
nisgua_admin2017-12-11T13:55:19+00:00April 26th, 2016|Justice and accountability|
News recap: CREOMPAZ: Public Prosecutor presents evidence in the largest case of forced disappearance in Guatemala's history; Closed-door genocide retrial moves to Ixil territory; Observer mission travels to Huehuetenango to document human rights violations in the context of hydroelectric projects; "Communities Rise Up" delegation builds connections across borders. This and more in this [...]
Open letter from civil society organizations from the Ixil region
The following is a statement released by Ixil human rights organizations in light of the decision to move the genocide retrial to Nebaj for three days this week. This is the first time the Court for High-Risk Crimes is moving the closed-door trial to Ixil territory, to hear from elderly [...]
nisgua_admin2020-01-01T21:26:28+00:00April 20th, 2016|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|
Tribunal hears testimonies of massacres in Nebaj, Quiché
The following is a translation of reports from the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH), one of the plaintiff organizations in the genocide case against former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt and his former head of military intelligence, José Mauricio Rodriguez Sánchez. While witnesses and plaintiff organizations continue to uphold the validity [...]
Sponsoring Communities take action: UUCA and NISGUA together in Guatemala
One of the pillars of international human rights accompaniment is the backing of a strong and active international network that commits to ongoing education of the international community about the human rights context of those we accompany, monitors the specific situations of those human rights defenders, and is ready [...]
nisgua_admin2017-12-08T21:40:33+00:00February 25th, 2016|Delegations|
Benedicto Lucas García and other high-ranking military arrested on charges of crimes against humanity
"We are talking about one of the biggest cases of forced disappearance in Latin America." - Thelma Aldana, Guatemala Attorney General Major arrests were made yesterday morning related to cases of crimes against humanity and forced disappearances committed between 1981 and 1988 by former high-ranking military officers. The remains of 558 people have been [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T17:26:55+00:00January 7th, 2016|CREOMPAZ / ZM21, Justice and accountability|
Step into the House of Memory
Earlier this year, the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH) inaugurated the permanent installation of the Casa de la Memoria, an art exhibit that empowers youth to reconstruct their historical memory through the creation of personal and collective identity. NISGUA accompanier Kayla Myers takes us on a photographic [...]
nisgua_admin2018-01-10T19:51:27+00:00November 27th, 2015|Accompanier Perspectives, Justice and accountability|
Retrial for Ríos Montt to take place behind closed doors
Legal battles over Efraín Ríos Montt's health have taken center stage over the past three months in the decades-long search for justice for genocide in Guatemala. On August 25, the three-judge tribunal ruled that Ríos Montt is mentally unfit to stand trial due to chronic and irreversible dementia. The [...]
nisgua_admin2018-01-10T20:00:01+00:00September 23rd, 2015|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|
Survivors call into question INACIF report claiming Ríos Montt too sick to stand trial
On Tuesday, Guatemala's National Forensic Science Institute (INACIF) published a report stating that former general Efraín Ríos Montt is mentally unfit to stand trial. The report was requested by Judge Carol Patricia Flores, the same judge who attempted to annul the genocide trial proceedings on April 18, 2013. The [...]
nisgua_admin2019-12-27T17:54:46+00:00July 9th, 2015|Genocide Trial, Justice and accountability|


text:
Sun | Opinion
— Aug 26th, 2003
We're setting it up for a guerrilla war
In Iraq, is it too late? Have we already alienated the population into supporting a guerrilla war?
I estimate we killed 10,000 Iraqis to -- if you believe the administration's recent explanation -- free them from Saddam's regime.
What we actually did was kill them as an act of revenge for the 9/11 terrorist attack.
But regardless of the actual number or which explanation one prefers, they're still dead. Future Iraqi deaths caused by the occupying force will generate more support for the guerrillas.
By blaming recent "acts of terrorism" in Iraq on disposed Baath Party members or foreign elements, our administration is trying to downplay or ignore the possibility that the Iraqi population may support a guerrilla war to oust the occupation forces.
Greg Iverson
AMUSEMENT CENTER
Showing no respect for mental health patients
You've seen the signs: Quiet! Hospital Zone!
Why do we slow down as we pass hospitals and wish better days for those who are receiving treatment for their illness? We do these things to show respect for the folks who are not well.
Why do we slow down in a school zone as we watch our young children going to school? We do that for their safety.
This respect will not happen if go-karts, bumper boats, and batting cages are next to the Kitsap Mental Health facility in East Bremerton.
This is a hospital zone. If the Tropical Paradise Family Fun Center is thrust upon a residential community, there will be no quiet for anyone.
I thought there were zoning regulations in Kitsap County that would never locate an "amusement fun center" next to a hospital. Perhaps I am living in a world where we have lost our sense of what is right. We see only the profit to be made for one individual on the selling of 5.3 acres of forested land over the rest of us who will be forced to "live with it."
There are no winners in this planned development. I see no quiet on Almira Drive, a once-peaceful two-lane road off Wheaton Way. Those days are ones worth keeping alive. This is my neighborhood, too.
Let us look at a better vision for Kitsap County and do the right thing. Relocate this amusement center for success, not failure.
Judith Krigsman
Editor's note: The amusement center will open next year after an agreement was reached Monday. See story on Page A1.
WAR ON TERRORISM
Bush not willing to protect airliners
Americans face a heightened threat of terrorists blowing up civilian airliners -- this time by shoulder-fired missiles.
President Bush rejected defending against this threat by equipping airliners with flare systems used by the military. He opined that it wasn't "cost effective" -- because it was estimated to cost $10 billion.
To be "cost effective," the positive "effect" must be greater than the negative "cost."
How do we dollarize the effect of saving 200 lives -- and the emotional cost of losing them?
How do we dollarize the effect of preventing another say $500 billion to $1 trillion drop in the value of stocks on the U.S. exchanges that would surely result?
How do we dollarize the effect on our fragile civilian aviation industry -- already operating under bankruptcy protection -- and their suppliers like Boeing?
How would the president weigh cost and effect if he believed that one of these potential American victims were his Mom, his Pop, Laura or the twins?
If the cost to prevent this tragedy were only $10 billion, it would be idiocy to do nothing -- financial idiocy -- moral idiocy -- and hubris or outright stupidity beyond measure.
When will our leadership take on the hard questions?
Stephen A. Wald
LETTER WARS
Atomic bombing saved many lives
In a recent letter, Brian Watson asks us to never forget the horrors of Aug. 6, 1945, the day the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. Later, we dropped another on Nagasaki.
Unfortunately it took the dropping of two bombs to convince the Japanese to surrender.
It is horrible to envision the instant deaths of so many people, however, it is a fact that the Japanese were prepared to sacrifice every man, woman and child on their home islands if the allies were to launch an invasion to end the war.
Conservative estimates of 1 million-plus casualties were predicted if indeed this invasion came to pass.
Let's remember the more than 55 million who died in World War II, including the countless civilians brutally slaughtered by the Japanese in their quest for power in Asia.
Let's especially remember the heroes entombed in Pearl Harbor, who perished in a sneak attack against the United States, and the 500,000 U.S. military and civilians who gave their lives in defense of our freedoms.
The United States did not ask for war, and I believe we ended it the only way we could, with the fewest casualties possible.
Frank Williams
Judges are less than our best
I get the very uneasy feeling that we have far less than the best among us sitting in judgment of what is best for all the rest of us out here among the great unwashed.
Many federal and state judges somehow find in our basic legal documents things that the greatest minds in the past 200 years never in their wildest dreams even considered. Things like finding the right to kill unwanted children before they are born, protecting those who traffic in pornography and finding a right to engage in a most debasing sexual act.
We have elected representatives to thrash out these issues. Do the appointed and anointed few now supercede the Congress? How far will this go before those making judgments are held accountable for perverting the Constitution that they took an oath to defend?
I find some of the edicts handed down by higher courts and without legislative involvement complicit in the great increase in violence against women and children.
I encourage those inclined to do so to petition God and their congressmen to begin managing federal courts in returning law making to the people's representatives.
Leonard R. Womack
They gave me quality care
While driving in Silverdale recently, I passed a new Planned Parenthood office and was reminded of the quality care I received from them when I was a young woman of modest means.
At a time when many people feel healthy and therefore put off regular care, I was provided annual checkups at a price I could afford. I am glad to hear that Planned Parenthood intends to rent space at the county health district.
And thanks to the letter from an uniformed reader I will be sending Ms. Carol Arends, chairwoman of the district's Board of Health, a letter in support of the new Planned Parenthood offices.
Marcela Heidt
10 COMMANDMENTS FLAP
Will the state be our god?
What is happening in the Alabama capital will determine the future of this country for the foreseeable future. Yet, the establishment press has virtually blacked out the story.
The issue is simple, albeit profound. Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore is refusing to remove a monument containing the Ten Commandments from the Alabama Supreme Court building as ordered by a federal judge. His defiance is justified, yea, constitutionally required.
The real issue is this: is America founded upon and subservient to the laws of God? Judge Moore and our founding fathers say yes. Today's federal courts say no. Will America acknowledge its dependence and subservience to God, or will it declare itself to be above God's laws and declare the state to be god?
If the U.S. Supreme Court, to which this case is being appealed, rules against Moore, it will have ruled that America is not founded upon the laws of God and, therefore, is not subject to God's laws. At that moment, America will have officially repudiated its founding principles and will have officially become a godless state. That is what hangs in the balance for this country.
As significant as the Moore case is to the future of America, the vast majority of our elected representatives are mute and dumb on the subject as well as our churches. Where are all of the so-called conservative Republicans?
They have run like roaches from the light to avoid this issue. Furthermore, where is President Bush on this fight? His silence on the subject is deafening.
Bill Collins
Letters to the editor should be 200 words or shorter, neatly printed or typewritten and about a current issue. Writers are generally limited to one letter a month. The Sun reserves the right to reject or edit all letters.
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TAXES State taking land off the rolls To the Editor: I wish to point out an area of taxation in this state that is rarely pointed out: the shrinking tax base. Every year hundreds, even thousands of acres of land is removed from ... [Read More...]
SUN COLUMNISTS Marshall's isolated, idyllic Bainbridge Island To the Editor: I can't help but feel that we should do all we can to help columnist Becky Marshall ("A Bainbridge-Illahee bridge? Not while we live") have the opportunity to live in the idyllic past ... [Read More...]
PIT-TO-PIER GRAVEL It's not worth the environmental impact To the Editor: An open letter to county, state and federal elected officials: I am a property owner and resident of Kitsap County. I own land on the shoreline of Hood Canal east of the ... [Read More...]
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Fuming over phones Editor: In a recent edition of The Sun, on the front page, was an article stating that U S West is seeking to nearly double their customers' phone bills. It further states that those with the lowest phone bills and ... [Read More...]
TRANSPORTATION BI bridge isn't the answer To the Editor: Charles Shank's recent letter to regarding a bridge, and new ferry terminal in Blakely Harbor is a solution looking for a problem. He suggests that Bremerton's only hope to prosper is to send its ... [Read More...]


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You are here: Home / Opera / Orchestra / Festivals / Schools / Television / Andrea Bocelli will perform live in Milan's Piazza Duomo to celebrate the inaugural opening of Expo Milano 2015
Andrea Bocelli will perform live in Milan's Piazza Duomo to celebrate the inaugural opening of Expo Milano 2015
April 29, 2015 Comment Off 83 Views
ANDREA BOCELLI TO PERFORM LIVE AT OPENING OF EXPO MILANO 2015
NEW YORK – APRIL 28, 2015 – On Thursday, April 30, Andrea Bocelli will perform live in Milan's Piazza Duomo to celebrate the inaugural opening of Expo Milano 2015. The evening will be LIVE STREAMED starting at 8:30PM EST, and can viewed here!
In celebration of this monumental occasion, Bocelli has dedicated "La Forze del Sorriso" (The power of a Smile) to the opening of Expo Milano 2015. During the performance, Bocelli's distinctive voice will be accompanied by the music of Andrea Morricone, and will be paired with soaring aerial images of Milan from the Duomo to Piazza Gae Aulient.
"I wanted to write some verses that invite people to smile," said the singer, "the smile is perhaps the scarcest of things these days, especially in Italy. Yet a smile carries a potent force, it is contagious and stirs optimism."
Bocelli will be accompanied by 71 musicians and 50 vocalists from the Rai Orchestra. The event will be hosted by Antonella Clerici in front of thousands of Milanese, including the Commissioner of Expo Milano 2015, Giuseepe Sala, the President of the Lombardy Region, Roberto Maroni, and the Mayor of Milan, Giuliano Pisapia.
Expo Milano 2015 is the Universal Exhibition that Milan, Italy, will host from May 1 to October 31, 2015. Over this six-month period, Milan will become a global showcase where more than 140 participating countries will show the best of their technology that offers a concrete answer to a vital need: being able to guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting the Planet and its equilibrium. In addition to the exhibitor nations, the Expo also involves international organizations, and expects to welcome over 20 million visitors to its 1.1 million square meters of exhibition area.
In addition to the livestream, the event will be broadcast live on the Italian State TV channel, RAI 1, for international audiences.
For more information, please visit: http://www.expo2015.org/en/news/tutte-le-news-/the-power-of-a-smile–andrea-bocelli-s-song-for-expo-milano-2015
Expo Milano 2015 promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKRi94IAipA
In : Opera, Orchestra / Festivals / Schools, Television
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NOVEMBER 5, 2019 NIGERIA STOCK EXCHANGE (Market Open) SUMMARY: All Share Index 26,401.06 Deals 3,473.00 Volume 368,179,046.00 Value N2,769,560,108.87 Market Cap N12,851,922,035,116.30 TOP GAINERS STANBIC 37 (2) GUARANTY 26.1 (0.9) UBA 6.3 (0.5) CCNN 16.4 (0.5) ACCESS 8.1 (0.3) TOP LOSERS UNILEVER 24.05 (-2.65) MRS 15.3 (-1.65) INTBREW 11.35 (-1.25) ETI 6.5 (-0.6) CUSTODIAN 5 (-0.45) CBN EXCHANGE RATE (NGN) Buying: $USD 305.95 £GBP 395.3792 EURO 341.6238 SWISS FRANC 309.7287 YEN 2.8216 Selling: $USD 306.95 £GBP 396.6715 EURO 342.7404 SWISS FRANC 310.741 YEN 2.794 CNBC COMMODITY PRICES (USD) Natural Gas 2.704 (0.08) Crude Oil (Bonny light) $59.24 Gold 1511.90 (0.50) Silver 18.10 (0.048) Copper 2.666 (0.013) Wheat 513.25 (-2.75) Coffee 103.90 (-0.10) Cotton 64.31 (0.08) Cocoa 2513.00 (12.00)
PVC and its many limitations
👤by Simon Kolawole  0 Comments
Mr. Fela Durotoye, a presidential aspirant, recently suggested that women should deny their husbands sex if they do not have the voter card, popularly known in Nigeria as permanent voter's card (PVC). He might have put things rather dramatically, but he was in essence hammering on the importance of registering to vote in the 2019 elections. I have also followed campaigns on social media asking Nigerians to get the PVC so they can vote, as INEC will not be counting prayer points and number of tweets on the election day. Under military regimes, there were threats not to pay civil servants their salaries or stop their children from attending school if they did not register to vote.
Sometime in 1991 at the University of Lagos, a few of us gathered and started discussing President Ibrahim Babangida's transition programme. We were busy analysing who should be president and who should not be. One of us, mischievously, stopped the discussion. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, "but we've been busy speaking English for one hour now over the elections. How many of us have registered to vote?" Not a single hand was up, including his. We all laughed it off but he went on: "We will sit down here and be speaking English while the area boys, agberos, bus drivers and conductors have all registered to vote, and they will be the ones determining our future."
That was the day I finally decided to register as a voter. It felt good to register and felt even better to exercise my right and civic duty. Even if your candidate doesn't win, you are somewhat happy that you registered your voice at the ballot. It is one of the things that make democracy beautiful. It is one reason democracy is described as government "of" the people, formed by the winner of the majority of votes. Another aspect of democracy that excites me is regular elections, during which you can decide to change or retain leaders. You are not stuck for life, unlike under military regimes and monarchies. Not forgetting, of course, the rule of law and all the freedoms that come with it.
However, as the campaign for PVC gains momentum, I am beginning to see another danger around the corner – the danger of unrealistic expectations. The way people talk about "PVC", you would think voting can on its own bring about good governance. If 100 million Nigerians are eligible to vote and they all troop out to pick the candidate of their choice, we seem to think that the end result will always be good governance and rapid development. That is the impression I get with this PVC talk. We tend to believe in the collective wisdom of the majority to pick a good leader. We, as well, believe in their collective wisdom to dump the leader if he or she does not deliver the goods.
I should think what the PVC guarantees you is just your basic right – the right to vote and be voted for when you attain a certain age. I will stretch my luck further by saying that, in fact, that is the only thing the PVC guarantees you. The PVC does not guarantee that you will vote wisely or make an informed choice. It does not mean the winner of an election is the best candidate on parade. It does not mean even if the best candidate wins, he or she would do well in office. The PVC does not make you smarter, does not defeat poverty, does not overcome hate and does not make you a prophet – all by itself. It has to be the PVC in addition to something else.
At election times, every candidate comes forward to promise us heaven and earth. It could be in council, governorship, legislative or presidential elections. The campaign promises are always about how rosy things would become "if you vote for me". I have never in my life heard any candidate promise to make life miserable for the people. I have never heard any candidate promise to be corrupt. They all tell us what we want to hear: that they will fight corruption, provide quality education, make the roads motorable, make the hospitals hospitable and generally make Nigeria a better place. Political season is the season of beautiful promises and grandstanding. Nobody is left out, trust me.
Confronted with an array of beautiful promises, the voter has to take a decision. Unfortunately, the PVC cannot help anybody here. Intelligent or intuitive decision-making can never be guaranteed by the PVC. You have to take the decision with the PVC tucked in your pocket. Who should you vote for? The candidate who speaks English like the Queen of England? The one whose oratorical prowess can put Martin Luther King Jr out of business? The one who dresses like a model or bank MD? The one who has a wonderful CV with a "sparkling" track record? The one who is very good-looking? The one who is so well packaged you think this is the messiah we've been waiting for?
Or, to go emotional, are you going to vote for the one who speaks your language or shares your religious beliefs? Or the one you were "instructed" to vote for by your leaders – the ethnic, religious, community and ideological influencers? Will you vote for a party simply because that is the one you have been supporting all your life, irrespective of who is flying the flag? Are you going to vote for a candidate for distributing rice and salt, thereby meeting your temporary needs? By the way, virtually every candidate distributes "something" – either directly or by proxy – at election times, so after you have collected from all sides, will your PVC help you choose who to vote for?
I have asked so many questions that are better answered by the individual voter. What determines my choice is not what determines your choice. But, globally, some things are established. For one, no election is guaranteed to produce the best candidate as winner. You win an election because you have the highest number of votes or seats, and this does not automatically mean you are more competent than your opponent. It only means you have a better support base on the strength of your party structure, finance, charisma, packaging and publicity. The candidate you defeated may be more competent than you, just that he is electorally weaker.
The question then is: how do you know a candidate who is going to do well in office? Nobody in this world can say for sure. For instance, when I saw the campaign materials of Alhaji Yayaha Bello in the "supplementary" Kogi governorship election, I said: finally, Kogi is going to have a proper governor. For once, I saw a candidate for Kogi governorship articulate a programme cutting across all sectors with beautifully designed pamphlets. He was young as well. But what did he do immediately he became governor? He married another wife and began to stockpile bullet-proof vehicles that look like bulldozers. How could a voter have foreseen this?
It was not as if Kogites had much of a choice. Alhaji Wada Idris, the incumbent that Bello "defeated", was a disaster for four years. Indeed, in most elections in Nigeria, voters are forced to pick between "one week" and "seven days". This is one problem PVC cannot solve. On the other hand, though, not many pundits gave Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode a chance when he was fielded as APC candidate in Lagos. He was not an orator like the incumbent then, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, or his major opponent, Mr. Jimi Agbaje (PDP). But for the strength of his platform, he could easily have lost the election. Three years in power and he has proved to be as competent as anyone. How could a voter have foreseen it?
Where am I headed? One, it is good to register and get your PVC. It guarantees you a vote. Who you vote for is within your control. Two, the PVC is just a card – it does not guarantee good governance. Even if you elect the most "competent" people into office, your PVC doesn't know what they will do when they get power. This is beyond your control. We have seen honest people get elected (or appointed) into public office but when they get there, they become something else. The PVC can do nothing about that. Three, you can get angry and vote out your senator, governor or president but nothing guarantees the next person will be any better. We've seen this a million times since 1960.
What then? Sit down, fold our arms and start shedding tears of hopelessness? I wouldn't think so. Voting with your PVC is just the beginning of the journey. It allows you to have your say even if you don't have your way. Thereafter, the real work begins. We have to begin to engage positively and constructively (not negatively and destructively) with whoever is in power. We must demand good governance and police the system closely. We don't have to like our leaders, but they are in power anyway. If they fail, we will all suffer the consequences. I am always amazed whenever I see Nigerians wish failure for their leaders just to prove a point of "didn't I tell you?" Who does that help?
The strongest power of the PVC is that we can keep waving it in the face of our leaders, reminding them that we have the power to send them packing. Some will even argue that we should keep voting in and voting out our leaders until we get it right. Knowing that they stand the risk of being voted out may actually be an incentive for them to perform. That is a beautiful argument. It reinforces the get-your-PVC argument. Your vote is your power. But then, there is also the assumption that most voters will take informed and dispassionate decisions. Those voting on sentiments may, unfortunately, outnumber those voting on merit. That is yet another limitation of the PVC.
Nevertheless, whatever our emotions and convictions may be, we need to be very realistic: nobody can transform this society overnight. I said this under President Jonathan, I am repeating it under President Buhari and I will say it again if Buhari is voted out. In life, good things take time. These are the pivotal questions we should be asking: are we moving forward or backward? Are the signals positive in spite of the temporary pains? If we are not impressed, we should engage with power meaningfully while preparing to do the maximum damage with our PVCs in the next election. We can only wish that the new leaders we are voting in will be any better. The PVC cannot guarantee that. Lottery.
AND FOUR OTHER THINGS…
BLIND KILLERS
It must be regarded as an irony that moments after US President Donald Trump told President Muhammadu Buhari that America would not tolerate "the killing of Christians" in Nigeria, a mosque was bombed, presumably by Boko Haram, in Mubi, Adamawa state, killing dozens of Muslims. I concede that I am naïve, but the poor security situation in Nigeria is a problem for everybody no matter the religion, state of origin or ethnicity. The killing of Catholic priests in Benue state has further worsened religious tension in the Middle Belt, but in truth nobody is safe. For a country that has, over the years, spent (and still spends) billions of dollars on "security", nothing could be more troubling. Helpless?
CODEINE CARNAGE
One of the best ways of getting the Nigerian government to act on any issue is for the foreign media to highlight it. It always works. We care more about how outsiders perceive us than what we really are. Kudos to the BBC for the excellent report on the abuse of codeine-containing medications in Nigeria. Kudos to Mrs Ruona Agbroko-Meyer, the Nigerian journalist, who did the wonderful job. The Nigerian media has been reporting this, and other social drug menaces, for years but government never acted until the BBC took it up. Can the CNN please help Nigerians highlight the parlous state of our public hospitals and medical centres? There is no way government won't act. Banker.
BUHARI IN AMERICA
President Buhari was guest of US President Trump last week and many people, critics inclusive, said it was Buhari's best international outing so far. He hardly put any foot wrong, although some have argued that we set the bar very low. Of interest to me, really, is the criticism that Buhari did not request that US should start buying Nigerian oil again – to counterbalance Trump's position that Nigeria should open up its market to American agricultural exports. Fair point. However, the US is now a net exporter of oil, so importing from Nigeria is of little or no economic value to them. For example, Nigeria is now a net exporter of cement, so why should any country lobby us to import from them? Why?
Who doesn't want to live long, especially when your health is not in a terrible state? Dr. David Goodall, renowned ecologist and botanist, is 104 years old and fairly in good health, but the fear of the future means he is no longer happy to be alive. He doesn't want to become a burden on anybody, he said, so he travelled from Australia to Switzerland to end his life. "I greatly regret having reached that age," he said on his birthday last month. "I'm not happy. I want to die. It's not sad particularly. What is sad is if one is prevented." His major reason is his "diminishing independence" – having to rely on people to help him do certain things. Life could be unfair, even in a different way. Mystery.
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Namo namah – Greetings – she answers in kind.
Bhavatyaah naama kim? – Your name (is) what?
Because she is a woman, the question starts with bhavatyaah.
Mama naama Devi – My name (is) Devi.
Mama naama, followed by your name.
Bhavatah naama kim? = Your name (is) what?
Mama naama… and finish with your name.
Mama naama Devi. Bhavatah naama kim?