text:
KBR Counter-Recruitment
Kellogg Brown and Root Counter-Recruitment
VIGIL FOR THE WOUNDED
CODE PINK & OTHERS SHED LIGHT ON US WAR CASUALTIES: FROM THE FRONT LINE TO THE BACK DOOR.
Sea Shepherd Crew Attacked by Seal Hunters and Arrested
The 11 activists arrested by the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Mounted Police after an altercation with seal hunters remain on the Coast Guard ship, possibly bound for Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Eleven crew members are being held prisoner on the Amundsen, a Canadian Coast Guard ship. The fate of the eleven arrested crew is uncertain. They have all vowed to refuse bail and to refuse food.
Assaulted with a deadly weapon, injured, and then arrested, and all this because they attempted to take a picture of a sealer.
see also: Latest info on arrested Sea Shepherd activists I Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Long-awaited Arab American National Museum set to open May 5
Michigan, 01.04.2005 19:01
Walking down the bustling stretch of Michigan Avenue by Dearborn's City Hall, there's something you just can't miss: a museum is being installed. And not just any museum; it's the first museum in the country to preserve Arab American history. It's quite fitting that the museum found a home in Dearborn, the unofficial Arab capital of North America, and it's even more meaningful that the home is right across from Dearborn's City Hall. "We could have chosen another site, but none was as symbolic as this one," said Dr. Anan Ameri, Director of the Arab American National Museum. "Being across from city hall shows that when you see Dearborn, you can't look past the Arab-American community."
"The Miami Model" showing Saturday, April 2
Minneapolis/St. Paul, 01.04.2005 18:00
Documentary showing in St. Paul about the FTAA and the November 2003 protests in Miami.
U.S. Soldiers Told to 'Beat the F**k Out of' Detainees
NEW YORK, NY -- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is charging that U.S. Army documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that the mistreatment of detainees in Iraq was much more widespread than the government has admitted.
The advocacy group also accused the Army of failing to comply with a court order to release the documents and manipulating the media "to minimize coverage and public access."
10th annual Tulane Environmental Conference
IRAK: A DOS AÑOS DE SAQUEO Y MASACRE
Uruguay, 01.04.2005 15:20
La lógica de la fuerza bruta
Aufkl�rung im Fall Oury Jalloh gefordert
Germany, 01.04.2005 14:20
Oury Jalloh starb am 7. Januar 2005 in einer Gewahrsamszelle der Dessauer Polizei. Der 21-J�hrige Mann aus Sierra Leone verbrannte bei lebendigem Leib auf einer Pritsche gefesselt, ohne dass ihm jemand zu Hilfe kam. Viele Fragen zu den genauen Umst�nden des Todes und dem Verhalten der verantwortlichen Polizisten sind noch ungekl�rt. Im folgenden soll ein �berblick �ber das was geschehen ist und die AKtivit�ten in diesem Zusammenhang gegeben werden.
Trauerfeier f�r Oury Jallow in Dessau 26.03.
Diversas jornadas de conmemoración y protesta
20 años de Día del Joven Combatiente
stop the killings
Peasant Leaders fast against killings of activists
University of Montana EAC in solidarity with Biscuit Protestors
The Environmental Action Community, a student group at the University of Montana, has worked to build awareness here on campus, to educate, and to activate our students and faculty in solidarity with the efforts to halt the Biscuit logging project. The Wild Siskiyous Banner looks great at the University of Montana!
The Envrionmental Action Community tabled in the University Center, describing the cutting of protected Late Successional Reserves and the threats to Roadless Areas from the Biscuit Logging Project. The Siskiyou's bioregion is of international significance and efforts to stop this destructive logging project are important throughout our country. Montana has over 6 million roadless acres and most people are strongly opposed to development of roadless areas. This issue resonates strongly here.
related: [ Support for yesterdays Biscuit Protest Action and Lars Larson is a criminal ]
A report on india's natural resources
I write this by the glow of my laptop screen and the flame of a palm oil candle. When I arrived home to my room this evening the only light was from the white petroleum wax candles that were burning in the window of each floor of the hotel. The electricity was out most of the day as well.
The power goes out where I am staying at least once a day, sometimes for a few minutes, other times for hours at a time. When it first happened, a few hours after my arrival, I thought that it was intentional, remembering the first time that I was in India, in Jaipur, where electricity would be cut for two hours a day in each district for energy conservation purposes. From 4-6 o'clock we would sit in the clinic where I was studying Ayurvedic medicine, enjoying the loss of the computer, the lights and the noise that electrical power produces.
I came to look forward to this time, and thought it a great idea that could benefit every industrialized country where electricity churns 24 hours a day.
Joan Norman, 74 year old arrested for direct action at Fiddler timber sale, released from jail
Message I received this morning..(Thursday)regarding 74-year-old Biscuit resistance warrior Joan Norman.
"Joan got out of jail last night; her attorney was granted the emergency release petition, and she was released O/R. Friends and supporters welcomed her and they went out for pizza and beer."
She is reported to be in great spirits and she spent her time in jail administering to other women to find their courage and thier spirit to rise up!
[ previous stories about Joan ]
Long story short, today I got $700 worth of tickets on my bike in Gresham
Today, as I often do, I commuted to work by bike. Living at 75th and Holgate and riding to 242nd and Burnside in Gresham is a pretty long ride for me on my mountain bike but one that I usually thoroughly enjoy.
Nearing the end of my ride in downtown Gresham, I cut through a parking lot as I always do. Taking a right out of this lot, I see 3 guys crossing the street. Otherwise the street is void of traffic. We did this I kinda stop, they kinda stop, who is going to do what sort of thing. Like a deer in headlights. I manuever around the guys thinking no harm no foul. Even though and especially so that one of the guys' coat was open and I could see a badge attached to his belt.
Thinking everything is cool, I approached the next stop sign. T-intersection across from Jazzy Bagels.
As I got to the intersection, one of the guys (officers) yelled at me from behind. As I always wear a helmet I didnt hear what he said, but being an avid rider, I am used to being yelled at. Especially in Gresham. And as usual my rhetorical response is fuck you!(say what you will)! Badge or no badge you yell at me and I will yell back. I did. Fuck You!
Shredding the Haitian Constitution: UN Betrayal in Port au Prince
On February 28 Brazilian UN troops, part of the MINUSTAH mission in Haiti, stood by as police opened fire on unarmed demonstrators, killing five and wounding dozens.
Following the demonstration UN officials condemned the shooting and for the first time stated that if this happened again they would intervene "with force if necessary". They also restricted the police from attending several demonstrations later that week.
These bold, and ultimately disingenuous, statements from UN special envoy Juan Gabriel Valdes created a moment of hopefulness and peaceful demonstrations swelled in numbers over the past weeks in response to the heightened security brought about by conspicuous police absence. People felt a new degree of safety and the nonviolent pro-democracy movement was gaining tremendous momentum.
Until last Thursday, March 24, when police once again opened fire on thousands of unarmed demonstrators in Cite Soleil as they courageously took to the streets to demand the return of President Aristide and the release of all political prisoners in Haiti. Reports indicate that between 3 and 5 people were killed.
read more >>most recent reports from Haiti from Sasha Kramer: [ Police Brutality in Port au Prince puts UN Mandate to the Test (2005.03.25) | Walking a Tightrope Between Hope and Fear: Northern Haiti One Year after the Coup (2005.03.17) | Lavalas Officials throughout Northern Haiti Forced into Hiding (2004.12.24) | Community Schools in Northern Haiti: A plea to the international community (2004.12.23) | Peaceful Demonstration in Cap Haitien a Success despite Ongoing Repression / Beloved Mayor Continues to Serve his Community from Hiding (2004.12.21) ]
previous reports to portland indymedia about Haiti by Zoe Moskovitz and Sasha Kramer: [ The Politics of Injustice in Haiti: The Cases of Auguste and Chamblain (2004.09.01) | Hard hit Municipalities:The Attempt to Destroy Lavalas and the Consolidation of the Coup (2004.08.21) | The Dismantling of Popular Education Under the new U.S-backed Regime in Haiti (2004.08.21) | Reportback form Haiti: Resistance and Repression Six Months After the Coup (2004.08.21) ]
More info: [ HaitiAction.net ]
Now it's History (Ireland)! Peter Hart replies on Tom Barry and Kilmichael (but not Dunmanway)
Hart Ignores Brian Murphy criticism, says Meda Ryan analysis "not rational" Historian Brian Murphy will give a talk in Cork on April 15th to address the accusations that Tom Barry was a "serial killer" who lied about the infamous British false surrender at the Kilmichael Ambush of November 1920, and part of an IRA strategy aimed at targeting Protestants during the War of Independence. This article attempts to explain some of the background behind this ongoing historical debate. (An introduction to this discussion can be found at this Indymedia article: What Is The Dispute About Kilmichael And Dunmanway Really About? The accusation that the IRA had a sectarian policy during the War of Independence will be addressed in a talk from historian Brian Murphy in Cork on April 15 at 8pm in the Imperial Hotel) Jim O'Sullivan - Killed after British Surrender Peter Hart, author of The IRA and Its Enemies (1998) is interviewed in the current edition of History Ireland. Interviewer Brian Hanley asked Hart about his assertion that Tom Barry lied about the British false surrender at the Kilmichael ambush (which resulted in the death of two IRA soldiers who rose to take it and the subsequent annihilation of the Auxiliary force). But Hanley does not question Hart on the equally contentious claim that the post-truce Killings of Protestant men in Dunmanway in 1922 were the logical outcome of a sectarian anti-Protestant strategy pursued by the IRA during the War of Independence. Michael McCarthy - also Killed after British Surrender This is unfortunate, not least since Hart insists on a strong relationship between Kilmichael and Dunmanway: "one is as important as the other to an understanding of the Cork IRA" (1998:292). The killings in Dunmanway were "the culmination of a long process of social definition that produced both the heroes of Kilmichael and the victims of the April massacre". (ibid) (These and other references to Kilmichael and to Tom Barry that pepper Hart's account undermine his curious assertion that Kilmichael occupies only 6% of his book and his claim that Tom Barry appears as a "minor character".) The omission of a reference to Dunmanway is also surprising given that the interviewer wrote in The Village (Nov 6 2004) that the Dunmanway question is "much more serious" than the "increasingly sterile debate about Kilmichael". Why then is Dunmanway ignored in the interview (except where Hart interjects a reference, of which more below)? It goes to the heart of Hart's contention that the violence of the war of Independence "had an ethnic basis." Whatever the reason, there is meat in the interview, but unfortunately not much. Hart asserts a) that he delivered a considered defense of his views on Kilmichael to postgraduate history students in Maynooth ("The Truth about Kilmichael", 9 December 2004, followed by "Christmas drinks"), b) that the History Ireland interview is not the place to answer his critics in detail, and further c) that he will publish a detailed refutation. In other words a) Peter Hart has delivered a refutation (Maynooth); b) he is not delivering it (History Ireland); but c) he will deliver one (unspecified place and time in the future). Knowledge of what was said in Maynooth is in short supply, since the audience was small and select. It would be of help (not least to neutrals in the debate) to publish the Maynooth talk here on Indymedia (I have written to Brian Hanley, who lectures in Maynooth, to see if that is possible). In the meantime, and in the absence of a more detailed response, we will make do with the morsels we have been provided with. Hart's eyewitnesses Ned Young, last Kilmichael survivor, died Nov 13 1989 Peter Hart is circumspect about the sources of his anonymous eyewitness information that no false surrender took place at Kilmichael, confining himself to observing that "most" of the interviews were "conducted by someone else". Three were conducted by the Rev Dr John Chisolm, who admitted in another context to using a "free hand" in composing recollections of IRA veterans, to visiting a location in order to "imagine" and then write up an IRA training camp, and to allowing the prevalence of "my own style", when editing the memoirs of Liam Deasy (in Ryan 2003: 44, 274-5, 315). Is Hart's an implied admission that the information may not be wholly reliable? Is he distancing himself from it? Even if so, the Chisolm interviewees do not say there was a false surrender; they do not mention the point. Hart does not address at all the problem that his two anonymous interviewees spoke at a time when records indicate that only one infirm ambush survivor, Ned Young, was still alive (though not at that stage in full control of his faculties). Young died on 13 November 1989. Hart reported that he conducted his final interview, with scout 'AF', on 19 November 1989. I wrote previously (see web link in summary above): "This is an anomaly that needs to be addressed — and for which there may be a simple explanation. As of yet, it has not been proffered." Meda Ryan's (author of Tom Barry IRA Freedom Fighter) dating of the death of ambush survivors is supported by other accounts. In the absence of revelation of who Hart's interviewees were, he should be asked if he has unearthed previously unknown participants in the ambush. (There is anecdotal evidence that, as with the GPO in 1916, claims of participation swelled after the event.) It is Hart's anonymous interviewees who allege that the story of the false surrender is itself false. It would be of value if Peter Hart could clarify the following in relation to the interviews: 1. Were notes used or was/is there a tape recording? 2. Who was present at the interviews? 3. Why was confidentiality insisted on? (i.e. the interviewee's reasons). 4. Why is confidentiality necessary now, as the interviewees are deceased? Naming names The absence of detail in Hart's account, his unwillingness to name his sources, as compared to Meda Ryan who names hers, leaves us with little option but to conclude that Ryan's is the more accurate account: that there was indeed a false surrender that participants spoke of openly. An academic peer review might be the best way this matter could be concluded. Peter Hart might be asked if he would submit to one. Alternatively, if there are tape recordings, as Peter Hart suggests in his book, then perhaps Meda Ryan and Brian Murphy might be allowed to listen to the tapes under a guarantee of confidentiality. After all Peter Hart says he "respects" Murphy and Ryan's contributions to history. Ryan "not rational" Cherry Picking: The Passage that Hart Left Out When asked specifically about the criticisms of Meda Ryan and Brian Murphy, Hart asserts that as Murphy's work on British propaganda is not yet published he cannot answer Murphy's criticism. But Murphy's charge that Hart misrepresented the British admission that loyalists in the Bandon area did indeed engage in active informing during the war has been in the public domain since 1999 (see "Cherry Picking" for more detail). It is contained in a review of Hart's book in The Month, a partial sentence from which is reprinted as a promotional blurb when The IRA and its Enemies was re-printed. In his talk on British propaganda on 15 October last in Dublin Murphy drew attention to Hart's editorship of The Record of the Rebellion, with the title British Intelligence in Ireland 1920-21, the Final Reports (Cork University Press 2002). Hart quoted the Bandon passage in full (see "Cherry Picking") on page 49. However, this is accompanied by footnote 28. In the footnote Hart refers to the fact that he mentioned this passage in The IRA and its Enemies, giving pages 293-315, but no exact reference. Then, instead of apologising or even explaining why he made the significant omission, he justifies his use of the text! He writes several lines among which are found: "Some condemned West Cork Protestants did give, or try to give, information but there is no evidence that they acted en masse despite this statement." Hart then quotes the notorious Major AE Percival of the Essex Regiment to indicate that a few gave information. The reviewer of Hart's edition of the Record in The Irish Times, Brendan O'Cathair, described this footnote as "disingenuous". Brian Murphy noted in his talk that "the issue casts a serious reflection on Hart's use of sources". Hart's response to Meda Ryan is surprising. He asserts that her book contains "almost no new evidence". Not content with that put down, he also asserts that the critical analysis of his work by a woman historian is "not rational". Peter Hart is the first to spot this alleged failing on Meda Ryan's part, and he will probably also be the last. He should withdraw this comment in relation to someone whose contribution to history he "respects". (Peter Hart has accused his critics of criticizing him in an "objectionable way" - see Indymedia link above) Reviewers of Ryan's Tom Barry IRA Freedom Fighter (2003) have remarked on the wealth of evidence that Ryan has unearthed. She removed the lynchpin of Hart's case, that Tom Barry did not mention the false surrender until the publication of his Guerilla Days in Ireland in 1949, that he invented it many years after the battle. The apparent failure to mention it in a major 1932 article by Barry on Kilmichael for the Irish Press was promoted by Hart as a most significant item of evidence. However, Ryan quoted a contemporaneous letter from Barry to the Irish Press criticizing the paper for editing out the reference. False surrender noted in 1921 Tom Barry in 1949. The year his Guerrilla Days in Ireland was published As Ryan showed, reference to the false surrender first appeared in print in 1921 from a British source, Lloyd George's imperial advisor Lionel Curtis, who wrote: "It is alleged by Sinn Fein that a white flag was put up by the police, and that when the attacking party approached to accept the surrender, fire was opened on them." (in Ryan 2003: 56). While also referring to mutilated bodies (a piece of British atrocity propaganda) Curtis expressed himself unsure of the truth of this "notorious episode". However, he said the surrender story was "obtained from a trustworthy source in the district". (ibid) Piaras Beaslai's life of Michel Collins in 1926 contained: "When volunteers advanced to take the surrender, they were fired on". (ibid) Hart asserted that General Crozier, commander of the Auxiliaries at that time (who resigned in protest at the failure to curb Auxiliary atrocities) referred to the false surrender in Ireland Forever, (1932), only because he wished to curry favor with republicans. Hart appears to have missed Barry's reference to the false surrender in a piece he wrote for the Irish defense forces magazine, An Cosantoir, in 1941. Of course, as Hart himself admits, the false surrender story was "circulating within the IRA as early as 1921", (1998:27 fn 21). So why would Barry be required to invent it in 1949? Ryan's interviews with Kilmichael veterans all elicited references to the false surrender. Down through the years, the only person to cast doubt on the false surrender is Peter Hart, arriving on the scene in 1998. There has never been the slightest hint that any participant in the Ambush ever denied that it occurred — apart of course from the anonymous admission promoted by Hart, which cannot be validated. If the false surrender story was a gigantic lie, it was one concocted by over 36 members of the ambush party and three scouts that stood the test of time until Peter Hart came along. Hart's anonymous source, who regarded the story as an "insult" to the memory of those who fought at Kilmichael, contained his umbrage for well over 60 years, before deciding to get it off his chest and revealing it to a visiting Canadian academic. It is surprising that during all that time no ambush participant, even in the anonymous and confidential accounts given to the Bureau of Military History in the 1950s (some years after the celebrated and world wide publishing sensation that was Tom Barry's Guerrilla Days in Ireland in 1949) blurted out that Barry's false surrender story was a tissue of lies. Peter Hart's witness for the prosecution did not avail himself of the opportunity. Instead he silently nursed his grievance concerning the supposed monumental insult to those who fought at Kilmichael for another 30 years. If Peter Hart had not come along, the anonymous source might have taken the story to his grave and we would now know nothing about it. In which case this opportunity to question the methods of revisionist historiography might also have been lost. In his interview Peter Hart refers to the revisionist debate as being "incoherent". Readers are left to judge for themselves where the incoherence lies. Psycho Killer The notorious Major AE Percival. His Essex Regiment tortured & executed prisoners. He surrendered Singapore to a force of Japanese on bicycles in 1942 In the interview Hart implies that his reference to Barry as a "serial killer" was journalistic inference. In fact it was a direct quotation from Hart, given to the Sunday Times (April 19, 1998): "Barry is still considered to be an idealistic figure, unlike the great majority of his comrades he was little more than a serial killer and thought of the revolution largely in terms of shooting people. His politics were very primitive." Hart's outburst is one that Ryan demonstrates to be false, as is Hart's claim that Barry had a record of killing prisoners. There is clear evidence that Barry released combatants after battle, based on whether the particular British regiments they were from did or did not torture and/or execute IRA prisoners. For example, after the Rosscarbery ambush Barry permitted medical treatment for prisoners in the local convent. (Ryan 2003:111) A policy decision was taken to execute members of the notorious Essex Regiment, which exacted brutal treatment on IRA prisoners (commanded by Major AE Percival, who was to gain world renown in 1942 when he surrendered the British garrison in Singapore to a force of Japanese on bicycles). In the interview Hart refers to "serial killers on both sides" who were "not necessarily psychopaths". They were "individuals and small groups who did the dirty work". Thus the Dublin 'squad', commanded by Michael Collins, which wiped out the British intelligence apparatus on Bloody Sunday in November 1920 (one week before the Kilmichael ambush), were "hard men" who did this "dirty work". Barry is consigned to membership of this group of not necessarily but maybe psychopaths. However, Hart's forthcoming biographical subject, Collins himself, was a sort of 'hail fellow well met' who "would be a great guy to have a beer with or be friends with". The difference between Collins and Barry would appear to be that the former gave orders to others to do the shooting, while the latter was a commander in the field (and perhaps not such a gregarious drinking companion). Frankly, I find these distinctions facile. Hart says "I respect people who took the moral aspect of the choices they took seriously" who refused to become assassins or to engage in ambushes. One wonders how the IRA could have defeated the British Empire had it been staffed by soldiers who refused on moral grounds to be part of an ambush party. After this comment Hart goes on to discuss the Kilmichael ambush. Tom Barry leads Kilmichael Ambush survivors in 1966 In his soliloquy on the distinction between certain types of republicans, Hart said "I do think highly of those republicans who tried to put their ideals above tactics, who tried to avoid or refused to be drawn into sectarian violence that they found morally wrong: people like Tomas MacCurtain, Terence MacSwiney, and then Sean Moylan and Liam Lynch who tried to stop the Civil War". It is either a faulty memory or perhaps some other factor that caused Hart to fail to mention Tom Barry in that regard. Brian Hanley might have reminded Peter Hart of Barry's role in attempting to stave off Civil War, as his book, The IRA 1926-36, refers to it (2002:143). Reference to Tom Barry the peacemaker conflicts with the tabloid depiction of Tom Barry the "serial killer" or "hard man". Similarly the evidence that Tom Barry let British prisoners go does not gel with the story of the prisoner killer. Presumably that is why it is ignored. Taken with Brian Murphy's revelation on the use of archive material, perhaps we should not be surprised. Hart misrepresents criticism of documents he claims are genuine, but which his critics say are British forgeries. He asserts that his critics "can't deal with the contents". Presumably he has Meda Ryan and Brian Murphy in mind. In his book Hart makes great play of an alleged captured battle report from Barry that gets basic facts wrong, not least about the time and circumstances of the ambush or how casualties occurred, and which does not mention the false surrender. Hart asserted that there is no case of the British ever having forged an IRA document. He will be surprised to note that Brian Murphy has come across many such instances. Hart insists that the document is genuine, despite its many shortcomings as to matters of fact that would ordinarily come as second nature to Barry. Hart is forced into convoluted argument as to why Barry would lie about basic facts that have no bearing on his immediate or historical legacy. RIC & Auxiliaries take time off from "hunting assassins" (from captured British officer's papers) Murphy and Ryan accuse Hart of being selective in accepting some parts of a document as accurate and, for no logical reason other than that it does not suit his argument, rejecting another part. The use of the Record is a classic example. Hart dismisses criticism of his analysis of the Dumanway shootings. He then immediately accused his critics of not wishing to subject "Tom Barry or anybody else who takes it upon himself to kill other people" to any form of scrutiny. Aside from the asinine nature of this observation, the physical juxtaposition of the Dunmanyway killings with the name of Tom Barry is unfortunate. Hart must surely be aware from reading Meda Ryan's book, if not from his own less than exhaustive researches, that Tom Barry rushed from Dublin to stamp out the wave of killings. A finding of irrationality in relation to Meda Ryan's analysis, and Peter Hart's assertion that there is "almost" no new evidence in her book must be considered perverse in the circumstances. Hart must know that Ryan has shown conclusively that those shot in Dunmanway were on a list of "helpful citizens", left behind by K Company of the Auxiliaries when they left Dunmanway Workhouse. It is but one example of new evidence produced by Ryan. Her relating of the list to the existence of the paramilitary loyalist gangs that operated with British forces is also new. Does Peter Hart still sit in dogged dismissal of this evidence? His book dismissed official references to the loyalist gangs for no apparent reason other than, again, it did not suit his argument that Protestants who were shot by the IRA were shot because of their religion. Is it possible that Peter Hart has not read Meda Ryan's book? "Neighbour against Neighbour" Hart's account of Kilmichael reinforces his view that this was a war of "neighbour against neighbour" (as the flyleaf of Hart's book has it). I have already written that Hart's depiction of what happened at Kilmichael is the basis for his assertion that this was an ethnic and not an anti colonial or anti imperialist conflict. Undermining the accepted account of the Kilmichael ambush (and battle of Crossbarry, where Hart alleges that only 10 British soldiers died, not the accepted figure of thirty five to forty) is essential for Hart's view to survive. Strict adherence to his a priori construct forces Hart to dismiss all evidence to the contrary. As noted above, official references to the paramilitary loyalist "Anti-Sinn Fein league" in Dunmanway and other areas of West Cork, working alongside the RIC and other British forces, are dismissed out of hand by Hart. To admit the existence of this unique, to the South, organisation of paramilitary loyalism would be to admit that, as was recognized even by British commentary, there was no sectarian element to the IRA's targeting of informers or other enemy agents. Tom Barry in 1920: "The British had gone down into the mire to destroy us and our Nation and down after them we had to go" Ryan quotes Lionel Curtis writing early in 1921 on when "a brave prelate" spoke out in Cork, "his flock … turned their back on him" and evoked the rejoinder "we take our religion not out politics from Rome." Therefore, "to conceive the struggle as religious in character is in any case misleading,,,, Protestants in the south do not complain of persecution on sectarian grounds. If Protestant farmers are murdered, it is not by reason of their religion, but rather because they are under suspicion as Loyalist. The distinction is fine, but a real one." (2003:170) There is little sense in Hart's book that the rhetoric of opposition to, or of adherence to, the British imperial system animated those fighting in what Manus O'Riordan has called the 20th Century's first war for democracy. Even though Tom Barry and other republican leaders saw their role as defeating the colonial system and the British Empire, and that the British and their allies (including unionists) saw their role as defense of that system, Hart is blind to his animating factor. The British saw Irish independence as a potential domino that could topple the Empire. And they were right, since leaders of anti colonial movements in Asia and Africa took great encouragement from the Irish example. This is unremarkable in a certain sense but needs to be emphasized because Peter Hart has no conception of its importance or relevance. It leads him to ignore the efforts of British propaganda to impose a sectarian ethnic character on the War of Independence. It is classic colonial policy to portray the enemies of imperialism as sectional or 'tribal' interests opposing the evenhanded efforts of progressive colonial administrators to steer an even course in the midst of great difficulties, etc. In a sense Peter Hart's is a replay of British propaganda of the period. For example he emphasizes the Protestant religion of casualties of IRA violence and downplays or ignores the fact that religion was immaterial to Tom Barry, who was always careful to draw a distinction between 'loyalist' and 'Protestant'. Barry noted that "bigotry was not confined to the Protestants for the ignorant and petty-minded Catholics had their fair share of this ancient curse". (in Ryan 2003:170) Hart's big failure is the inability to note that many Protestants supported the War of Independence. But then to see that would negate the central plank of his argument. More Roman Catholics than Protestants were found to have been and were exposed or shot as informers in West Cork. Left-wing veneer Another aspect of Peter Hart's work is the adoption of a sort of sociological history, which gives his analysis a left-wing veneer, evidenced by apparent concern for tramps and vagabonds being the object of IRA attentions. Similarly a hierarchy of rank within the IRA is remarked upon in one of the many asides that clutter Peter Hart's account. Thus the scouts that played an important role during the Kilmichael and other ambushes are "small fry" that are generally written out of history. As Meda Ryan has pointed out (in one of her many lucid findings) this observation bears no relationship whatever to the military situation at the time, to the important and highly exposed role played by scouts, or to the formal recognition afforded to them by Tom Barry and others. What does stand out from Hart's account is a consistently negative attitude to Tom Barry and attempts to undermine his historical standing, despite evidence to the contrary. Negative view of unionism What is new in Peter Hart's interview is a more negative view of unionism and its role. Thus, though "there was no ethnic cleansing in the Irish revolution (although the attacks on Catholics in Belfast came close) … unionists had direct links to death squads, and people like Edward Carson encouraged the riots in the shipyards. Incidentally, I think that one of the big untold stories of this period is how Protestant churches behaved In the North - it's not a pretty picture." If nothing else, that comment, if given wide enough currency, may put an end to the promotion of Peter Hart's views by unionist and Orange web sites. Nationalist rhetoric is recognized as having an anti-sectarian character and intent: "One key difference between North and south was that in the South it was not the Free State or the Catholic church that was responsible for anti-Protestant violence - they were largely blame free." If that is the case, why does Peter Hart insist that the killings in Dunmanway were carried out on the basis simply of targeting Protestants? If true a blatantly sectarian act and one that Hart says was in keeping with the sectarian and ethnically based war carried out on the republican side (which included those who were to lead the Free State). Of course Meda Ryan has demonstrably set out the circumstances under which, in defiance of an IRA amnesty, these post truce killings of informers and enemy agents took place and their non-sectarian character. She shows the united opposition to the killings from both pro and anti-Treaty sides during this pre-Civil War period. It may be that Peter Hart has begun to subjectively respond to and to unconsciously accept the criticism of Murphy, Ryan, Lane, Clifford, O'Riordan and others. It may be that some of the criticism is refracted through the academic community. If so it begins to render his overall thesis in relation to ethnic and sectarian conflict in Ireland, to use his own terminology, "incoherent". Hart says that to impose "categorical differences" between republicanism and unionism is a "partitionist fallacy". However, the only way in which a sectarian form of government could be preserved in Ireland was to allow the creation of sectarian state in Northern Ireland, separate from the non-sectarian character of Irish nationalism, connected to but also separated off from the politics of the British state. In effect a colonial enclave having the trappings but not the substance of democracy. Peter Hart offers us sectarianism on an all-Ireland basis. His anti partitionism is a justification of Partition on the basis of sectarian irreconcilability. It is an unfortunate legacy of the 26 County State that the emergence of a vibrant and secular civil society has created an intelligentsia that confuses the ideological history of the state with those who fought to bring it into existence. Almost from the day that Michel Collins was shot the southern state mapped out a policy of conservative ideological control based on the Roman Catholic Church and preservation of the border, combined with a political rhetoric calling for its end. The attraction of Peter Hart's analysis is that it projects this political outlook backwards into the War of Independence period. However, it reads history backwards. This may be a reason why some find Hart's analysis congenial Examination of the ideas and actions of those who fought the War of Independence reveals that this is not what they had in mind. Britain imposed the Oath of Allegiance and Partition, as it was determined to partly salvage through aggressive diplomacy what could not be achieved in war. For a comparatively short historical period it appeared as though there were two sectarian states — appearance, not reality, there was in truth only one. Irish nationalists were controlled ideologically in the South, through control by the Roman Catholic Church of many aspects of civil society, and coercively in the North through systems of discrimination and abuse of state power. Since the 1960's they have broken out of the 'Catholic and Irish' role ordained for them by the settlement imposed by the Treaty of 1921. An assertion of Irishness being equal to Roman Catholicism would be regarded as political lunacy. The association of Protestant and Unionist is still the preserve of unionist political orthodoxy. Unfortunately, there are those who occasionally attempt to project a unionist consciousness on to southern Protestants as a whole and who promote the Orange Order as part of Protestant 'culture'. Protestants in the south usually give them short shrift. The reason anti-sectarian ideas have such a hold on republican and Irish nationalist consciousness in general is because of the efforts and outlook of Tom Barry, Sam Maguire (a Protestant republican from Dunmanway after whom the GAA all Ireland football trophy is named) and others before and after them. To get back to Peter Hart, maybe he has moved on from his 1998 work, but he has not answered the criticism. That, by his own admission, we still await. What we have in the History Ireland interview is a combination of defensive assertions and contradictory comments, combined with a sexist characterization of the work of Meda Ryan. http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/mar2005/murphy_meeting_cork_b.gif http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/mar2005/cherrypicking.gif http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/mar2005/barryquoteb.gif http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/mar2005/last_survivor_ned_young.gif http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/mar2005/barry_leads_survivors_1966.gif http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/mar2005/jimosullivan_kilmichael_casualty.gif http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/mar2005/michel_mccarthy_kilmichael_casualty.gif http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/mar2005/tom_barry_in_1949.gif http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/mar2005/major_ae_percival.gif http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/mar2005/ric__auxiliaries_relax.gif
Eddie Rickenbacker's: San Francisco Bar Celebrates Genocide And Abuse Of Women
Eddie Rickenbacker's is a bar in San Francisco's Financial District. While the bar has received good reviews, even by supposedly progressive newspapers, it is home to one of the most offensive and racially insensitive displays one can find in the city. Along with displays of guns used in the wars of extermination against the Native American population, there are what is claimed to be the teeth of Monasetah. A sign above the teeth claims that they were "knocked out of her mouth in a jealous pique" by General George Armstrong Custer. It has been claimed that, following the Battle of Washita, Custer invited officers "desiring to avail themselves of the services of a captured squaw to come to the squaw Round Up Corral, and select one." Custer took first choice, Monasetah, and lived with her during the winter and spring of 1868 and 1869. One would expect offense at the display of human remains of a woman kept as a sex slave by a former US general, but the display has been around for years with little complaint. If the display is real, than it could be in violation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act but even if it is fake and intended just to add atmosphere, it is a clear sign of an acceptance by the bar's owners and patrons of a form of racism and misogyny that would never be allowed if the remains were claimed to be those of any other ethnic group. The bar's owner, when questioned about why he has a Native woman's teeth on display, replied that concern for cultural sensitivity was "not living in reality."
Read More With Photos
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Eddie Rickenbacker's is a bar in San Francisco's Financial District. While the bar has received good reviews, even by supposedly progressive newspapers, it is home to one of the most offensive and racially insensitive displays one can find in the city. Along with displays of guns used in the wars of extermination against the Native American population, there are what is claimed to be the teeth of Monasetah. A sign above the teeth claims that they were "knocked out of her mouth in a jealous pique" by General George Armstrong Custer.
It has been claimed that, following the Battle of Washita, Custer invited officers "desiring to avail themselves of the services of a captured squaw to come to the squaw Round Up Corral, and select one." Custer took first choice, Monasetah, and lived with her during the winter and spring of 1868 and 1869. The display has been around for years with little complaint. If the display is real, than it could be in violation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. If it is not real and is merely intended to add atmosphere, it shows acceptance by the bar's owners and patrons of a form of racism and misogyny that would never be allowed if the remains were claimed to be a person from any other ethnic group. The bar's owner, when questioned about why he has a Native woman's teeth on display, replied that concern for cultural sensitivity was "not living in reality."
Read More With Photos | More Coverage Of The Fight Against Racism
San Francisco Protest Against Charles Schwab's Support for Social Security Privatization
On Thursday, March 31st, more than one thousand people, including workers and labor and community activists held a mass demonstration in front of Charles Schwab's San Francisco headquarters to challenge it to withdraw support for privatizing Social Security and the pensions of California workers. People made a human chain stretching several city blocks as part of the one of the biggest-yet single-day grassroots mobilization to defeat President Bush's and Gov. Schwarzenegger's plans to create private accounts that would give a windfall to financial firms. Reports and Photos: 1 | 2
Social Security's privatization would cause guaranteed benefits to be cut by nearly half and increase the federal debt by $5 trillion. Gov. Schwarzenegger is supporting an initiative in California for the November ballot that would eliminate secure pensions for millions of Californians and end death and disability benefits for the survivors of police and firefighters. Many see it as a clear conflict of interest for firms that manage retirement accounts to promote privatization. The San Francisco demonstration coincided with similar demonstrations in seventy-five cities across the country.
Charles Schwab is a major backer of the push to privatize Social Security. Privatization opens the Social Security system and pension investments to corruption and Enron-ization because politicians will decide which Wall Street firms will make billions in fees off workers' private accounts.
More information about the national campaign targeting Charles Schwab and other Wall Street firms: Wall Street Greed or the AFL-CIO
Community Protest to Demand Open Grand Jury in Eric Kleemeyer Case
Eric Kleemeyer was killed by Santa Clara Police on January 4th, 2005. He refrained from pulling over, as he was driving to his mother's house. He was unarmed and feared for his life, due to a previous beating that went unreported. Police boxed him in a driveway across the street from his mom's house. He was 22 years old. Without identifying themselves or asking him to step out of the car, they opened fire and shot him 9 times. An ambulance arrived, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The family and their attorney have had their case juggled by several people in the District Attorney's office, and they received very short notice of the hearing that will take place on April 1st. The family recently learned of a third car that had pinned Eric in when he was shot. His family believes that after the shooting, the cars were moved to make the scene look like Eric had rammed a police car.
Eric's family is trying to get an open Grand Jury to consider the case. There will be a protest on Friday, April 1st starting at 12pm. It will be held at the District Attorney's office, at the corner of Hedding and First Streets at 70 W. Hedding in San Jose. Eric's cousin Katrina says, "We need as much help as we can get. We owe it not only to Eric and Rudy Cardenas, but to the community at large. Thanks in advance for your time and your help." His family is also asking for people to call George Kennedy at the District Attorney's office, at 408 299-3099 and demand an open grand jury. Read more | Justice for Eric Kleemeyer online journal
Eric Kleemeyer was killed by Santa Clara Police on January 4th, 2005. The police say that he refrained from pulling over, as he was driving to his mother's house. He was unarmed and feared for his life, due to a previous beating that went unreported. Police boxed him in a driveway across the street from his mom's house. He was 22 years old. Without identifying themselves or asking him to step out of the car, they opened fire and shot him 9 times.
Eric's family is trying to get an open Grand Jury to consider the case. There will be a protest on Friday, April 1st at 12pm. It will be held at the District Attorney's office, at the corner of Hedding and First Streets at 70 W. Hedding in San Jose. The family is also asking for people to call George Kennedy at the District Attorney's office, at 408 299-3099, and demand an open grand jury.
Read more on Indybay's Police and Prisons Page
Tasers, Beatings, & Systemic Abuse: An Inside Look At San Jose Police Brutality
From Fault Lines Issue # 9: Law enforcement in San Jose is taking heat for putting its citizens at serious risk. Between 1990 and 2000 San Jose had a higher ratio of killings by police to the overall homicide rate than any other of the largest 50 U.S. cities. In the wake of the killing of a young woman, shot for waving a vegetable peeler in her kitchen, tasers were brought into use by the San Jose Police Department, theoretically in order to lower the rate of use of deadly force. A report soon to be issued by the Coalition for Justice and Accountability says that since tasers were introduced, the rate of killings by the SJPD, instead of decreasing, showed a dramatic increase. Additionally, from April until September of last year, tasers— which are potentially lethal—were used 90 times. Tasers were used on mentally ill people in situations that then escalated, ending up in two deaths at the hands of police.
In addition, an undercover agent, Michael Walker, is now on trial for the killing of Rudy Cardenas, who was unarmed when Walker shot him in the back in downtown San Jose a year ago. The San Jose Main Jail, meanwhile, which houses 4,000 inmates, is a murky world of violence and abuse. For a glimpse at what goes on behind the locked doors of the Main Jail, Fault Lines acquired interviews with a former staff member, Nancy Rutherford, and a former inmate, Martín Rodriguez. Rodriguez is seeking legal recourse. Read Peter Maiden's Faultlines Article
On Thursday, March 31st, more than one thousand people, including workers and labor and community activists held a demonstration in front of Charles Schwab's San Francisco headquarters to challenge it to withdraw support for privatizing Social Security and the pensions of California workers. People made a human chain stretching several city blocks as part of the one of the biggest-yet single-day grassroots mobilization to defeat President Bush's and Gov. Schwarzenegger's plans to create private accounts that would give a windfall to financial firms. Reports and Photos: 1 | 2
Social Security's privatization would cause guaranteed benefits to be cut by nearly half and greatly increase the federal debt. Gov. Schwarzenegger is supporting an initiative in California for the November ballot that would eliminate secure pensions for millions of Californians and end death and disability benefits for the survivors of police and firefighters. Charles Schwab is a backer of the push to privatize Social Security. Privatization would open the Social Security system and pension investments to corruption as politicians would decide which Wall Street firms will make billions in fees off workers' private accounts.
Read more on Indybay's Poverty and Housing Page
Looking Into The Mirror, Sen. Gregg Calls for Increased Military Spending and Tax Cuts
New Hampshire, 31.03.2005 23:22
In the current debate over the government spending, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) has recommended a federal budget that includes increased funding for the military, increased tax cuts, and cuts in mandatory spending including Medicaid.
immigration (en)
2nd april international day of struggle against internment centres
[2nd april] demonstration 18h00 Placa Universitat
Altres infos:: [ 31.03] Ariadna Pi squats in the turist bus at Plaça Catalunya:::Radio against frontiers :::Video: No Lager - Nowhere - European Action Day:::Abroad: the rules reinforce exclusion :::poster::: Convocations : València - Almeria - Jaén - Andalusia - Extremadura - Madrid - Europa
+info :: immigration + Web Jornada Europea april 2 + No Border Network
inmigración (es)
2 de abril jornada internacional de lucha contra los centros de internamiento
[2 abr] Mani unitaria 18h Pl Universitat
Otras infos:: [ 31.03] Ariadna Pi okupa el autobús turístico en Plaça Catalunya:::Radio contra las fronteras:::Video: No Lager - Nowhere - European Action Day:::Estrangeria: el reglamento reafirma la exclusión:::cartel:::Convocatorias : València - Almeria - Jaén - Andalucía - Extremadura - Madrid - Europa
+info :: immigración + Web Jornada Europea 2 de abril + No Border Network
immigració (ca)
2 d'abril jornada internacional de lluita contra els centres d'internament
[2 abr] Mani unitària 18h Pl Universitat
Altres infos:: [ 31.03] Ariadna Pi okupa un autobus de turistes a Plaça Catalunya:::Ràdio contra les fronteres:::Video: No Lager - Nowhere - European Action Day:::Estrangeria: el reglament referma l´exclusió:::cartell::: Convocatòries : València - Almeria - Jaén - Andalusia - Extremadura - Madrid - Europa
+info : >>>immigració + Web Jornada Europea 2 d'abril + No Border Network
Until Every Cage is Empty
March 19th, Yorkshire. A noisy march made a 2 mile journey through Harrogate, Yorkshire making its way to the site of Covance, where a new primate lab is reportedly planned. The march was accompanied by a huge police presence.
Five years after 64 beagle dogs were killed in experiments by the company, the march had a two fold significance: to draw attention to the ever expanding Covance site and their plans for primate specialisation and to mark the 5th anniversary of the demise of these innocent victims of corporate madness.
Pictures | Report: www.covancecampaign.com
Free Party in Manchester
Strangeways on the case again. The only crew who continue to represent the party scene in Manchester. This collective is like a machine that dont stop, and if they say they are gonna parrty, they will. Regardless of anything that might get in their way. For example if they cant get a venue, those in the know still get to party in their basement!
So they got the venue together at the last minute, and a fine huge warehouse it was too. A bit far outta town, but not hard to find. Strangewayz setup with the projectors atop the huge van. Amazing visuals, the main projection was 60+ feet across, plus a second projector and lazers. The system seemed to be runnin as it should. The scoops pumping out enuff bass when you were close up. Although they were experiencing problems with the generator and they lost power a few times. They got this sorted out and kept the party rockin.
Stop The Fence! - Border Protest April 2
Saturday April 2nd
STOP THE WALL!
March and protest the construction of the third wall at the border of San Diego and Tijuana. For information go to http://www.stop-the-wall.org
Education against disarmament??
Just another snippet of our increasingly fascist reality... Lockheed Martin NOVA will be hosting breakfast for parents and students at Dogwood Elementary School (their "business partners") in Fairfax County on Saturday, April 23. This is part of the increasingly sick and perverted business-school partnership program of this school district.
UC Berkeley Student Senate Bars Military Recruiters
The Associated Students of the University of California at UC Berkeley have unanimously passed a resolution denying military recruiters use of facilities and assets because of the military's discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Student bill 20107, states that "the presence of military recruiters on campus violates the University of California's own nondiscriminatory policy" and "calls on Chancellor Birgeneau, the UC-Berkeley administration, and the UC Regents to take measures to bar military recruiters from UC-Berkeley and throughout the UC system." The resolution goes on to state that the ASUC shall deny the use of ASUC facilities and assets to military recruiters and calls on the U.S. military to immediately revoke its discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Much of the success of this resolution can be attributed to the November 2004 FAIR v. Rumsfeld ruling by the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The ruling states that universities may bar military recruiters from their campuses without risking the loss of federal money, which had been a major deterrent in anti-recruitment efforts.
In addition, the student senate passed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Read More | Past Counter-Recruitment Coverage: 1 2 3 4
FBI Pressures Anarchist Internet Administrator Into Disclosing IP Addresses
(from the Open Newswire): It's all getting very real. The administrator of flag.blackened.net, a major anarchist internet host, has gone public with a harrowing account on FBI thuggery.
According to the report on their discussion forums, two comments were posted to subdomains hosted by the server, including Infoshop.org, which claimed responsibility for "propaganda of the deed." Although the administrator "Dave" is under some kind of government gag order, he did say this: "Both incidents involve topics which are completely out of line for consideration here at flag and really I can only view them in two ways. Either people are simply ignorant about the murderous history of the FBI, or, as is my belief in one case, they are trying to make flag vulnerable to government intrusion."
Belle Isle Aquarium to close April 3
The City of Detroit is scheduled to close the Belle Isle Aquarium on Sunday, 3 April. The Friends of the Belle Isle Aquarium (FOBIA) are continuing to try to convince the city not to close the BIA, including a rally on Saturday at 10am, and, the Aquarium is closed, they have vowed to become a "government in exile" and fight for reopening under a future City administration.
Biotech Conference in SD
San Diego is such a huge hotbed of biotech, people really need to start a movement against it right here!
"San Diego biotechnology executives will gather Tuesday for the annual CalBio life science conference with R&D on their minds: regulators and dough." - a recent Union Tribune article
From June 19 to 22, 2005, a powerful lobbying consortium, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), is holding its annual international convention in downtown Philadelphia. And while more than 10,000 biotech industry leaders gather to plan the expansion of their corporate control over life itself, grassroots activists will once again converge to confront them and expose the truth that the experimental science they call "innovation" really spells "Biodevastation" for human health, food security, local autonomy and biodiversity.
SD Convention Tuesday | BioDev.org | Infoshop.org
Confronting Peak Oil
The story of "Peak Oil", the impending inability of the petroleum industry to continue to support our industrial society due to depletion of oil and natural gas reserves, is arguably the most under-covered story in the dominant media today. While it has been generally accepted within the petroleum industry for more than a decade, and has more recently begun to drive international geopolitical activity by the powerful States, it is still unknown or discounted at the mass level. This is a tragic state of affairs, well illustrated by the current "development" plans in Hamilton, which include: - Ongoing suburban sprawl development, with its attendant road construction - A dream of air travel and cargo transport (the least fuel-efficient, and thus most vulnerable, mode of travel) as a "wealth generator" for the city in the long term. - A willingness to take on what will become unserviceable levels of debt. Proactive change at the local and regional level has the potential to ease the social shock of transition to a world of scarce and expensive energy, and its attendant long term economic decline. Critical to this, however, is the time frame over which the economic impacts of "oil peaking" take hold. The following article, by oil industry consultant, and energy adviser to George Bush, Matthew Simmons, published in the February edition of "Oil World" magazine indicates that this may occur sooner than many had previously thought.
Balance de la marcha del 24 de Marzo
Jueves 31 de Marzo 2005 | Informe de la Marcha del 24
Marcha del 24 de Marzo de 2005 en Córdoba
BFRA240305
South Africa, 31.03.2005 14:30
Power lines, and the struggle for democracy in Bayview
Columbia Committee Finds 'No Evidence' of In-Class Anti-Semitism
Criticizes Columbia Grievance Procedures, Finds Ample Evidence of Outside Political Harassment of MEALAC Professors.
After recieving testimony from over 120 Columbia students, faculty members, administrators and alumni, an ad-hoc committe charged by University President Lee Bollinger to invesitgate claims of in class intimidation of pro-Israeli students found "no evidence of any statements made by the faculty that could reasonably be construed as anti-Semitic." The committe found contradictory though "credible" evidence that one Professor, Joseph Massad, engaged in a single incident that "exceeded commonly accepted bounds" of classroom conduct.
However, the report noted that "we have no basis for believing that Professor Massad systematically suppressed dissenting views in his classroom. To the contrary." The committe also found far more ample evidence that outside political opponents engaged in continued harassment of professors in the MEALAC department. "Testimony that we received indicated that in February 2002 Professor Massad had good reason to believe that a member of the Columbia faculty was monitoring his teaching and approaching his students, requesting them to provide information on his statements in class as part of a campaign against him." The committe also noted that "a small group of unregistered auditors attended Professor Massad's lectures, and their frequent interruptions and hostile asides disturbed many of the students."
[Full Report || NY Times Article || Columbia Spectator Article]
[Past Indymedia Coverage of Columbia 1 || 2 || 3]
CCTV cameras all around us (but some destroyed)
ACTION FOR MIGRANT RIGHTS
Today, Tomorrow and every day...
Living Wage Celebration
Come celebrate the Living Wage victory at Georgetown! When: Friday, April 1, 2:30-5:00 PM Where: Copley Lawn at Georgetown University
By a 3-2 vote, City postones JTTF proposal for 3 weeks
In a 3-2 vote, the City Council postponed the resolution that would affect the Portland Police Bureau's participation in the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The resolution would have mandated that no police officer can have a higher security clearance than the Police Chief or Mayor (who in this case is the Police Commissioner).
Leonard and Adams voted against postponing the resolution. Mayor Potter, Salzman, and Sten voted for the postponement. The rationale for postponing was to give a 3 week chance to negotiate with the FBI. Even if an accord is made, this proposal is important, and should be passed regardless.
There was much excellent testimony. Numerous people testified in support of the proposal, but said they felt the city should not work with the FBI through the JTTF at all. This is a position I agree with. Regardless of the outcome of this proposal, and the city participation in the JTTF, the federal government is still going to be spying on Oregon citizens, still be violating our rights, both according to the Bill of Rights, according to Oregon law and according to plain old decency.
Such behavior is antithetical to democracy. It is unfortunate that the Portland City Council did not give a clear no tonight. The people testifying tonight sure did. One can only hope that the City Council will follow their lead in 3 weeks.
Chicago Office of Rainforest Action Network Opens with Pressure Campaign against Banks
Chicago, 31.03.2005 07:01
The Rainforest Action Network has opened a new branch office in Chicago, and is working with Chicagoans to pressure major banking interests to stop funding environmental desruction. In the past five years, RAN has successfully lobbied two of the three largest banks in the United States to adopt ethical investment standards which forbid investment for logging in forests. Now, with a new Chicago office, RAN is pressuring the third bank of those big three -- Bank One and its corporate parent JPMorgan Chase -- to join the ethical-standards bandwagon. Chicagoans have protested and picketed Bank One affiliates in recent weeks, building efforts toward an International Day of Action scheduled for Tuesday, April 12, 2005.
SF Board of Supes Decides to Enact Moratorium on New Marijuana Dispensaries
3/29/05: The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 9-0 today in support of a moratorium on the opening of new marijuana dispensaries. After the negative press that marijuana dispensaries have gotten in the last several weeks, some people have seen this outcome as inevitable. Many medical cannabis supporters spoke in favor of the moratorium as a way for the city to help provide safe access to marijuana, while several people said that a moratorium could limit patients' access to medical marijuana and make people go to the "black market."
The resolution, which was sponsored by District 5 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, calls for a forty-five day initial moratorium that could be extended. The media storm around the opening of a new dispensary in the same building as a residential hotel where many recovering addicts live led to the realization that there are over 35 marijuana dispensaries in San Francisco. A Land Use Committee hearing will reportedly be held at City Hall's Room 263 on April 25th at 2 PM to address the regulation of cannabis dispensaries.
Read more about the SF Moratorium on Indybay's Drug War News Page
comMUNIty Mutiny Against Transit Fare Hikes in SF
On April 2nd at 12noon SF Reclaim the Streets and the Coalition for Transit Justice are inviting the community to come out to Dolores Park for a street party to oppose a MUNI fare increase. The party will leave the park at 1pm. RTS says that people should "Dress to Impress," since the event will be a masquerade ball. Organizers say, "Make sure you and your friends aren't marooned on the desert island of loneliness... Think of something fun to bring, share, or do at the party. If you want to see something happen, make it happen!"
Read more | SF RTS Website | Earlier Indybay coverage of the MUNI fare increase


Wilkes-Barre, in northeastern Pennsylvania, is an industrial city that serves as the seat of Luzerne County. Through partnerships with both public and private organizations, Wilkes-Barre coordinates many economic development projects that shape the future of its residents and the nearby communities. The parades scheduled throughout the year bring the surrounding communities together and strengthen their desire to work for a common cause.
Wilkes-Barre residents take their Veterans Day parade seriously. It requires military precision, John Paul Karpovich, parade committee member and master sergeant in the Pennsylvania National Guard, told "The Times Leader." The committee spends about six months training more than 100 military groups to march in the right place at the right time. In addition to the marching military personnel, the parade features marching bands, floats, and nonmilitary components such as vintage cars and candy handouts for the kids.
The Wilkes-Barre Saint Patrick's Day Parade is part of a two-day event. Day 1, on a Saturday, begins in Scranton, Pennsylvania. On Sunday, the crowd migrates to Wilkes-Barre, where the parade has a less rowdy and more family-friendly ambiance. Additional activities might include a morning race to benefit a local charity, face painting sessions, Saint Patrick's Day storytelling at a local bookstore, a pipe-and-drum group, and Irish folk and string band performances.
The Wilkes-Barre Christmas Parade takes place in late November. A public mural-painting session precedes the parade, as do a downtown community cleanup, a craft-making session at the historical society, a community sing at noon and Christmas storytelling. The town schedules Santa's arrival for about 3:15 p.m. A tree-lighting ceremony follows the parade.
The Wilkes-Barre area has a strong Polish heritage, so an annual Kielbasa Parade comes as no surprise. It takes place in Plymouth, five miles from Wilkes-Barre. Two stages on the sidelines might feature up to 20 bands, playing polka, zydeco, rock and oldies. Kielbasa vendors compete for the honor of King Kielbasa in fresh and smoked categories. A panel of judges selects the winners, but to avoid brand loyalty, brand names are hidden. In order to distinguish their products, kielbasa makers create elaborate presentations, using hula dancers, lighting and other special effects.
Mercer, Lisa. "Parades Near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/parades-near-wilkesbarre-pennsylvania-102816.html. Accessed 21 April 2019.


Bump Bag Of Money (Extended Remix) , the latest cut from Wale featuring Rockie Fresh, Trina, Tyga & More on the assist. It was released on Friday, August 17th, 2012. Things are improving for Wale with each new offering, and Bag Of Money (Extended Remix) is certainly no exception. It's a worthy addition to the Wale's catalogue, which has seen much evolution as of late. We're definitely anticipating the next step.
Have you heard Wale's Arrival? Check out Wale's profile page for the most recent info, news, songs, and mixtapes.


text:
\section{Introduction}
\noindent In uplift modeling, the effect $ E $ of a cause $ C $ applied
on an entity $ \mathbf{x} $ is estimated. Effect is defined as a measure
of behaviour. When this behaviour is paired with a higher probability of
occurring after the application of $ C $, an uplift is associated. In essence,
the uplift is thus the positive net impact of $ C $ on $ E $ for a specific
$ \mathbf{x} $, as defined in (\ref{eq:uplift}).
\begin{equation} \label{eq:uplift}
	\fontsize{9.0pt}{10.0pt} U(C, E, \mathbf{x})
	\doteq p(E = 1| C = 1, \mathbf{x}) - p(E = 1| C = 0, \mathbf{x})
\end{equation}
While above formulation describes the objective, it is impossible to
derive from data due to the fundamental problem of causal inference
\cite{holland1986}. As such, an estimation of the uplift $ \hat{u}(C,
E, \bm{\phi}(\mathbf{x})) $ over a generalisation $ \bm{\phi}(\cdot) $
of the entities is needed. Typical applications of such models are
found in direct marketing \cite{devriendt2018}, as well as medical
scenarios \cite{rzepakowski2012}.

While the collection of experimental data in the context of direct marketing
seems acceptable, the inability to handle concept drift is not \cite{fang2018,tsymbal2004}.
Contrasting a medical setting where concept drift is likely of lesser concern.
However, the randomised collection of experimental data could prove problematic.
This due to the need for a sufficient amount of controlled -- or untreated -- cases.

Alas, every model is learned on the basis of data. However, the method of
gathering this data tends to quickly diverge from a purely random manner,
given an experienced based learner as defined in the field of reinforcement
learning (RL).

\iffalse
Consider, a
telecom company, where a cellphone subscription ($ E $) is often promoted by
offering a \textit{free}, accompanying smartphone ($ C $). Uplift models provide
a strategy to optimally distribute these promotions. However, after the release
of a competitor smartphone, a once persuadable customer might no longer be
interested in the original campaign and thus the uplift model has to be
considered outdated \cite{tsymbal2004}. Whereas the release of a new smartphone
might notify the maintainers of the uplift model, some more subtle drifts might
not.

Concept drift is likely of lesser concern in a medical setting. However, the
randomised collection of experimental data could prove problematic. As a
sufficient amount of controlled -- or not treated -- cases must be gathered
to accurately learn causal relationships. Alas, every model is learned on the
basis of data. However, the method of gathering this data tends to quickly
diverge from a purely random manner, given an experienced based learner as
defined in the field of reinforcement learning (RL).
\fi

While in RL some state could potentially transition to a subsequent state,
in this first formalisation this consideration is omitted in favour of bandit
algorithms \cite{robbins1952}. Research on causally aware bandits is reliant
on either a real environment \cite{sawant2018,li2010}, or a simulation
\cite{lee2018,sen2016,lattimore2016,bareinboim2015}. Depending on the
projected use of the model, testing experimental algorithms on a real
environment might prove detrimental.

It is therefore crucial to formulate a variety of simulated environments to
both validate and benchmark these algorithms. As such, a simulation offers the
ability to consult a ground truth -- or counterfactual -- to properly measure
performance. This research contributes a method by which such causal simulations
are to be created. The method presented is highly generic and covers a wide range
of situations a causal bandit could be faced with.

\section{Simulating an environment}
When constrained with $ C \in \{0,1\} $, an uplift model provides an estimated
difference between two conditional probabilities. If such a difference is absent,
$ C $ does not offer any causal relationships in the environment. Therefore,
this difference is assumed. As such, any causal simulation should provide at
least two distinct distributions; $ \mathcal{D}_0 $ for the controlled cases,
and $ \mathcal{D}_1 $ for the treated cases where $ E \sim \mathcal{D}_i = p(E=1
| C=i, \mathbf{x}) \in \mathbb{D} $ as in (\ref{eq:uplift}).

When $ k $ causes are to be modeled, the simulation ought to provide $ k+1 $
distributions. A difference could be caused by the interaction of unobserved
confounders \cite{bareinboim2015}. Any unobserved confounder will introduce a
dimension to $ \mathcal{D}_i $ and is discussed in a following section.

\begin{figure*}[h!]
	\centering
	\begin{subfigure}[t]{0.3\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[height=1.2in]{sin}
		\caption{Sine base, with $ \lambda(C=0)=2 $, $ \lambda(C=1)=1 $
		and $ \mathbf{g} = (0.7, 0.7)^T $}
		\label{fig:sine}
    \end{subfigure}%
    ~
	\begin{subfigure}[t]{0.3\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[height=1.2in]{poly}
		\caption{Polynomial base, with $ q=5 $}
		\label{fig:poly}
	\end{subfigure}
	~
	\begin{subfigure}[t]{0.3\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[height=1.2in]{mix}
		\caption{Mixture base}
		\label{fig:mix}
	\end{subfigure}
	\caption{Examples of different $ b $ in two dimensions where green
	is $ p_{\text{sim}}(E=1 | C=1, \mathbf{x}) $ and red is $ p_{\text{sim}}
	(E=1 | C=0, \mathbf{x})  $}
\end{figure*}

\subsection{Requirements of a simulation}
A number of elements are required in order to simulate a real environment.
These elements should be taken into account by the signature of a simulation
and are defined as follows.

\iffalse
In order to generically mimic a real environment, a number of requirements
must be defined to impose a signature implementation of such simulation,
providing situational problems with current, static uplift models.
\fi

\begin{description}
	\item [Drift] In order to test algorithms against drift, in function of time,
	drift must be made a parameter. This can be modeled numerically as $ d(t): t
	\rightarrow \mathbb{R}^+ $, exerting an influence on a simulation while remaining
	unknown to the algorithms. If $ d(t) $ fluctuates heavily, a more volatile
	simulation is created. Less so when $ d(t) $ remains stagnant.

	\item [Base functions] Given a single cause situation ($ C \in \{0, 1\} $),
	while considering a binary effect ($ E \in \{0, 1\} $), four different
	combinations of $ C $ and $ E $ can be formulated. As such, a simulation
	should account for these combinations through the aforementioned two
	distributions $ \mathcal{D}_i $. In their most extreme case, the probabilities
	associated with $ p(E=1 | C, \mathbf{x}) $ are $ 0 $ and $ 1 $ and must be paired with both
	states of $ C $. Any interpolation between these probabilities is left to
	the functional form of the distribution. The complexity of this interpolation
	will impose a degree of difficulty for the tested algorithm and its method
	of approximation and should thus be parametrised through what we define as
	a \textit{base function} $ b $,
	\begin{equation} \label{eq:sim_sign}
		b(C, \mathbf{x}, d(t)): C \times \mathbf{x} \times d(t) \rightarrow [0, 1],
	\end{equation}
	$ \mathbb{D} $ can now be simulated by $ b $ where $ \mathcal{D}_i $ is simulated
	by $ b(C=i, \mathbf{x}, d(t)) $ which we shall denote $ b_i $.

	\item [Effect] An algorithm capable of handling the environment directly,
	must operate while only receiving some $ \mathbf{x} $ and $ E $ after
	the application of their chosen $ C $. In this binary effect situation,
	the simulation should return either $ 1 $ or $ 0 $ representing $ E $,
	as in reality. As such, any value from $ b $ will be used as a parameter
	in a Bernoulli experiment.

	\item [Evaluation] The target of an optimal uplift model is to only
	apply $ C $, when $ \mathbf{x} $ presents a positive causal relationship
	to $ E $. The notion of this relationship can be presented to the evaluation
	method as the ground truth is now known through $ b_i $. Furthermore, different
	intrecacies of the simulation might form additional interest as the evaluation
	method is highly dependent on the target an algorithm optimises for. With
	$ b_i $, such intrecacies can be shared to other evaluation methods.
\end{description}

\subsection{Composing the simulation}
We now turn to the problem of composing different $ b_i $. Depending on the
dimensions describing $ \mathbf{x} \in \mathbb{R}^N $, the domain $ \mathbf{d}
\in \mathbb{R}^M $ of $ b $ holds different implications.

When $ N > M $, some dimensions of $ \mathbf{x} $ will have no influence on $
\mathcal{D} $, rendering them obsolete. With $ N = M $, every dimension will
influence $ \mathcal{D} $. In the case of $ N < M $, a group of size $ M - N $
unobserved confounders are simulated. To account for an $ M $-dimensional
domain, a base function $ b $ must be called with some $ \mathbf{x'} =
(\mathbf{x}, \mathbf{u})^T $, where $ \mathbf{u} \in \mathbb{R}^{M-N} $
represents the unobserved confounders. The larger the influence of $ \mathbf{u} $
on $ b $ and thus $ \mathcal{D} $, the stronger the influence of the confounder.
As the name indicates, $ \mathbf{u} $ ought to remain unobservable, i.e. remain
unknown, to the tested algorithm.

The manner in which the dimensions of $ \mathbf{x'} $ interactively influence
the simulation is left to $ b $. As such, the method by which $ \mathbf{u} $
confounds $ \mathcal{D} $ is another parameter of difficulty for the algorithm,
though one which we will not further explore in this first formalisation.

While many implementations can be defined for $ b $, we present three different
approaches, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
\begin{description}
	\item [Sine base] One approach is to make use of the trigonometric functions
	(Figure \ref{fig:sine}). This due to their periodic nature, useful for $ d(t) $.
	Their output range $ [-1, 1] $ is linearly adjusted in (\ref{eq:sine}), with
	$ \mathbb{I}(\cdot) $ as the indicator function and $ b(C, \mathbf{x'}, d(t)) $
	denoted $ b $ for brevity,

	\iffalse
	This due to their certain output range of $ [-1, 1] $
	which is easily adjusted to $ [0, 1] $, alongside their periodic nature for
	$ d(t) $. Such trigonometric base function is defined in (\ref{eq:sine}) with
	$ \mathbb{I}(\cdot) $ as the indicator function and $ b(C, \mathbf{x'}, d(t)) $
	denoted $ b $ for brevity.
	\fi

	\begin{small}
		\begin{equation} \label{eq:sine}
			\fontsize{8.5pt}{10.0pt} b_i = \frac{1}{2} \left[ \sin\left( d(t) +
			\lambda_i \prod^M \left[\mathbf{x'}_m + \mathbb{I}(i=0) \mathbf{g}_m
			\right]\right) +1 \right],
		\end{equation}
	\end{small}
	while drift $ d(t) $ is accounted for through simple summation, interaction
	in the dimensions of $\mathbf{x'} $ is achieved by multiplication. The
	complexity of $ b_i $ is parametrised through the addition of a positive integer
	$ \lambda_i $, governing the frequency of its sine wave such that every cause ($ C=i $)
	could have a different complexity. A displacement vector $ \mathbf{g} \in \mathbb{R}^M $,
	monitors the strength of the causal relationship as $ \mathbf{g} $ will provide
	a difference between $ \mathcal{D}_i $. If $ \mathbf{g} = \mathbf{0} $ no difference
	is accounted for. A disadvantage of such sine base is the relative ease in which
	their shapes are estimated.

	\item [Polynomial base] An alternative to the sine base is the polynomial
	base in (\ref{eq:poly}). Where $ \sigma(\cdot) $ is the logistic sigmoid
	function, binding the polynomial to a range of $ [0,1] $. The polynomial
	base offers more erratic shapes than the sine base (Figure \ref{fig:poly}),
	allowing for more rigorous testing. As such, testing using this polynomial
	base will be more involved with regards to the approximation method.
	\begin{equation} \label{eq:poly}
		b_i = \sigma\left(\left(\mathbf{k}_i + h(d(t))\mathbf{1} \right)^T
		\bm{\upsilon}_i(\mathbf{x'}) \right)
	\end{equation}
	With coefficients $ \mathbf{k}_i \in \mathbb{R}^q $, where $ \mathbf{k}_0
	\neq \mathbf{k}_1 $ and $ q \in \mathbb{N}^+ $, $ h(d(t)) \rightarrow [a, b] $
	ensuring some periodic evolution in the interval $ [a, b] $, $ \mathbf{1} $ as
	a $ q $-dimensional vector with $ \mathbf{1}_j = 1 \text{ } \forall \text{ }
	j=1,2,...,q $ and
	\begin{equation*}
		\bm{\upsilon}_i(\mathbf{x'}) \doteq \left(1, \prod^1 \upsilon(
		\mathbf{x'}), \prod^2 \upsilon(\mathbf{x'}), ..., \prod^{q-1}
		\upsilon(\mathbf{x'})\right)^T,
	\end{equation*}
	where $ \bm{\upsilon}_0(\mathbf{x'}) \neq \bm{\upsilon}_1(\mathbf{x'}) $
	and $ \upsilon(\cdot) $ will uniformly select one dimension of $ \mathbf{x'} $
	providing a polynomial interaction with a maximum degree of $ q-1 $,
	leaving $ q $ to be a parameter of complexity.

	\item [Prior model base] An argument against above base functions is one of
	reality. These base functions offer a wide range of complexity, both in
	approximation and in causality, yet their complexity comes entirely from a
	numerical perspective. A more reality based $ b $ could be a previously
	trained model, which despite lacking a method to incorporate $ d(t) $ as in
	(\ref{eq:sim_sign}), could prove useful to relieve a new model from its initial
	random policy before deployment.
\end{description}

Recall that a causal simulation ought to provide multiple distributions
$ \mathcal{D}_i $. One strategy to remain independent of a chosen base function
is to compose a mixture of different base functions for every $ \mathcal{D}_i $
(Figure \ref{fig:mix}). Such mixture will provide a wider range of simulations,
yielding a more valuable evaluation.

\subsection{Accounting for robustness}
Probability is a measure of uncertainty governing the occurrence of an event.
Such uncertainty can be caused by many parameters, though the most reasonable
one is the unobserved influence of other dimensions. While the explicit introduction
of unobserved confounders is described above, this section elaborates on
the implicit introduction of such unobserved confounders through the addition
of noise.

As such, noise will become another parameter of a simulation. Recall that a
requirement of a simulation was to provide a strictly binary effect $ E $.
Therefore, a noisy addition must happen before any Bernoulli experiment takes
place. While noise can be governed through any distribution, one approach would
be Gaussian as in (\ref{eq:noise}).
\begin{equation} \label{eq:noise}
	p_{\text{sim}}(E=1 | C, \mathbf{x'}) = \sigma(3P)
\end{equation}

Where $ P \sim \mathcal{N}\left(b(C, \mathbf{x'}, d(t)), \beta^{-1}  \right) $,
$ \beta $ is the precision and $ \mathbb{E}[P] = b(C, \mathbf{x'}, d(t)) $. By
multiplying $ P $ with a scalar $ 3 $, the logistic sigmoid function can cover
much wider range of the Gaussian noise. This multiplication is not mandatory and
can thus be left out. One requirement of the noise is that the expectation should
equal $ b(C, \mathbf{x'}, d(t)) $ so as to keep its dependency.

\section{Conclusion and further work}
This short paper describes the necessity to test causally aware, experience
based learners in simulated environments. Arguments for this necessity were
founded by the shortcomings of data to test concept drift $ d(t) $, the
dangers of testing experimental algorithms in a real environment and the
ability to correctly evaluate these algorithms for their causal decisions.
As such, we introduced a general method of composing such simulation that
properly tests the robustness of an agent.

Many extensions of this preliminary work can be identified. A first is one of
state transitions to accommodate a wider range of algorithms. A second extension is
a thorough analysis of the interaction of $ \mathbf{u} $ to more precisely compose
both specific situations as evaluations. Following this extension is the wide range
of possible base functions and their properties that require further investigation.

\section{Appendix}
Documented code composing simulations of above signature can be found
at \url{https://github.com/vub-dl/cs-um}.
\fontsize{9.3pt}{10.3pt}\selectfont
\input{arxiv.bbl}
\bibliographystyle{aaai}
\end{document}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Coors Light and Jonas Brothers Announce a Limited Edition Batch of Brothers' Favorite Beer
Coors Light and GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum powerhouse trio Jonas Brothers have teamed up to create a limited edition batch of Coors Light that the guys helped to brew. The bottles will feature a custom label that nods to the brothers' album art and will be available for 21+ fans to purchase in mid-November in select markets
The release of a limited edition beer is another key moment in Coors Light and Jonas Brothers' long history of love for each other. This year alone, Joe had Coors Light bottles with custom labels at his wedding and Coors Light and Kevin had a fun cameo in the band's "Only Human" video.
"We are long-time fans of Coors Light and were really excited to be invited out to the Coors brewery," said the Jonas Brothers. "We can't wait for our fans to try the limited edition six-packs of Coors Light that we helped to brew. And it's pretty amazing that our faces are on the iconic mountains on the bottle."
During their time in Colorado on their sold out Happiness Begins tour, Jonas Brothers made a dedicated stop at the Coors Brewery in Golden to see where their favorite beer is made and be part of creating their own batch.
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Coors Light Brewed with the Jonas Brothers will be available in mid-November, while supplies last in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Nashville and Tampa.
Funko gives Batman the 80th Anniversary Treatment!
LifeStyle June 07, 2019
#FriendshipGoals? PARIS HILTON and KIM KARDASHIAN debut "Best Friend's Ass" music video
LifeStyle May 24, 2019
A new Jonathan Van Ness doc series starts on YouTube this week
MEGHAN and PRINCE HARRY open up to...
Obsessed With March 08, 2021
Here's the TRUE story behind Mark Wahlberg...
JUSTIN BIEBER opens up about PAST DRUG...
JUSTIN BIEBER is battling LYME DISEASE
PRINCE HARRY and JON BON JOVI recreated...
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I dream about basking the sunshine in local cafes,sampling the cuisine and just taking in the smells and sounds .
Wouldn't mind a change of ride either.
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text:
What steps can help promote an infant's health before birth?
What happens in the hospital?
What are some health conditions of newborns?
What are the best strategies for feeding?
What is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?
What are some ways to promote infant safety in a car?
What can parents expect during their infant's well-child visits?
Why are immunizations important for my infant's health?
Infant Care and Infant Health: For Patients and Consumers
Other topics on NICHD's site that might be of particular interest to new parents and infant caregivers include:
Adventures in Parenting (PDF - 929 KB)
(Available in Spanish as ¿Qué Significa Ser Padres? (PDF - 51 MB)
This 67-page booklet is a guide to parenting based on RPM3 (Responding, Preventing, Monitoring, Mentoring, and Modeling). The booklet briefly explains how these terms pertain to parenting. Then it is divided into age groups (0 to 3 years, 4 to 10 years, and 11 to 14 years) to show how these principles apply during each stage of a child's early life, using stories about children and their parents to illustrate.
This important educational effort, formerly known as the Back to Sleep campaign, focuses on actions parents and infant caregivers can take to help infants sleep safely and to reduce the risk of SIDS and other causes of infant death.
NIH Health Information: Infant and Newborn Care
NIH Research Results for the Public: Infant Health
National Library of Medicine MedLinePlus
Infant and Newborn Care
Preterm (or Premature) Infants
Parent Information: Infants & Toddlers
March of Dimes: Baby Care 101
HealthyChildren.org
AAP Policy Statement on Breastfeeding
AAP Policy Statement on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Jaundice and Your Newborn
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
All About Sleep
Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke Fact Sheet
A Primer on Preemies
Heat Stress from Enclosed Vehicles (journal article)
National Safety Council: Surviving Hot Weather
WHO Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding
Services, Resources, and Support
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a professional organization whose mission is "to attain optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents and young adults." Among the resources it offers parents is a listing of car seats and safety seat manufacturers . Also, AAP provides some general instructions on car seat installation.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists provides a list of answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) on car safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides a listing of inspection stations to help parents confirm that their infant's car seat is correctly installed. Find the inspection station nearest you.
Childhood Vaccinations
The CDC has available a Parents' Guide to Childhood Immunizations.
An online tool from the CDC allows parents to customize an immunization schedule for their child.
SIDS Risk Reduction
The NICHD Safe to Sleep® Campaign summarizes the best ways to reduce an infant's risk for SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death.
Child Care Provider Guidelines for Safe Sleep is published by the AAP . The guidelines were written especially with child care providers in mind.
Tips and Tools for Infant Care and Safety
Safety Checklists and more are available from the AAP . This website offers downloadable growth charts, immunization records, and safety checklists.
The AAP offers an audio-recorded interview with Jatinder Bhatia, MD, FAAP, on infant nutrition and first foods.
NICHD: Tummy Time explains the importance of making sure infants get enough time on their tummies to help their physical development.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission offers a booklet entitled The Safe Nursery (PDF - 603 KB). This booklet can help parents and caregivers prevent dangers from furniture and baby equipment.
To check for recalls and safety advisories for car seats, strollers, and other baby equipment, consult this online resource provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The AAP maintains a listing of pediatric health care providers that can be accessed here: Find a Pediatrician.
All About Sleep , produced by the AAFP, is an article (also available as an audio recording) that helps parents and caregivers understand their child's need for sleep and the child's sleep patterns. It also offers tips to establish a bedtime routine that can help the whole family get a good night's sleep.
Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from the NICHD, NIH, or HHS.
Spotlight: Healthy Pregnancy for Every Body
Release: Umbilical cord milking may be linked to higher risk of brain bleeding in preterm infants