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Alex B. Hill
health disparities, social justice, geography, food politics, medical anthropology
Tag: Conflict
when conflict health becomes military tactic?
Featured, Health
From refugee situations to border disputes, health crises that arise as a result of conflict are unfortunately quite common. Conflict health disrupts the ways that people access resources like food, water, and medicine. On the other hand, conflict health creates the circumstances where diseases spread, people are needlessly killed, and others are critically injured. These horrible results of conflict health are compounded by the destruction of infrastructure: roads, hospitals, etc.
What happens when conflict health becomes a military tactic? Since Medieval times (and before) armies attacking opposing castles would launch disease infested animal carcasses over the walls. In the 1800s, the US military gave smallpox blankets to indigenous North American groups in order to destroy their health and kill their populations. During apartheid in southern Africa, South African forces supporting RENAMO in Mozambique targeted health clinics and hospitals to cripple the health and infrastructure of the population.
During the World Wars, medics and vehicles with a red cross weren't supposed to be targeted because they weren't carrying out military actions. I had thought this idea was fairly widespread and that mercy was shown to health providers in times of conflict.
Recently, we have seen the complete opposite during the Libyan conflict. Libya's pro-Gadhafi forces have targeted those attempting to provide health services to protestors and the population. In the early days of the protests it was reported that the military was entering the hospital to dump out blood supplies so that injured protestors could not be saved. In similar actions, Red Crescent medics and ambulances have been shot at, Colm O'Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International Ireland, said:
"This was a deliberate attack on medical professionals, who were wearing full medical uniform and arrived in two clearly marked Red Crescent ambulances."
Ambulances have been bombed, The rebel spokesman confirmed that
"Gaddafi's forces shoot three ambulances, killing two drivers."
The Misrata hospital has been a flash point of intense shelling and fighting by Libyan forces. The hospital has been bombed from the air, shelled by tanks, and overrun by pro-Gadhafi troops.One person inside said,
"heavy tanks for Gadhafi troops start attacking the hospital – the bombs falling here 20 meters (66 feet) around us."
The health of the Libyan people is under seige as much as the repressive dictatorship of Gadhafi. Many countries including Egypt, Morocco, and the UAE have established military field hospitals to be able to help the wounded who are leaving Libya. UNICEF is deeply concerned about the impact of the conflict on children and has distributed emergency health kits which contain enough drugs, medical supplies and basic medical equipment to cover the needs of 60,000 persons.
The conflict in Libya, through the blatant attacks on health providers and facilities, has demonstrated a new level of disregard for the basic health of a population. This is an obvious example that Gadhafi must be removed from power if the Libyan people are to regain their health and livelihoods.
Featured on the Americans for Informed Democracy Blog, where I'm writing as a Global Health Analyst.
2011/04/13 2011/04/16 Alex B. HillAfrica, Conflict, conflict health, Gadhafi, Health, Libya1 Comment
From Oppression to Development: Chevron's Policy Rethink in the Nigeria's Bayelsa State
Development, Research
Presenting my research in style (photo credit: Nick Micinski, 2008)
As a Research Assistant to Dr. Rita Kiki Edozie in 2008, I participated in researching for Resource Scarcity and Abundance: Oil Democratization, and Conflict it he Niger Delta. The research proposal was submitted to the Global Area Thematic Initiative (GATI) 2006 in conjunction with two other Michigan State University professors.
My research is focused on the tripartite relationship between the Chevron corporations, communities in Nigeria's Bayelsa state, and the Nigerian government. A relatively new state in Nigeria, Bayelsa is at the tip of the Niger Delta, but has a long history of oil oppression. Oil corporations have long used government forces to violently repress opposition among communities who are unhappy with the exploitation of their resources. More recently oil corporations have started focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as well as more community friendly development projects.
Innocent impacts in Nigeria
Oil to the People?
The crouching tiger and the curse of black gold
2008/05/17 2013/03/17 Alex B. HillBayelsa State, Chevron, Conflict, development, Niger Delta, Nigeria, oil, scarcity, violenceLeave a comment
kenya's political history of turmoil
Development, Featured
If it happens in Africa it must just be the primal instinct based in tribalism. The mass media has been covering the situation in Kenya as a near exclusive tribal and ethnic conflict without accounting for the history of Kenya's political turmoil and where ethnicity is put into a colonial context. The crisis in Kenya is not solely ethnic and tribal. It is a crisis based on democracy and fueled by past divisions created by British colonial rule.
What we have seen recently is a devolution of 'democratic' elections into ethnic conflict. The Presidential incumbent, Mwai Kibaki, was made President in previous elections as the opposition candidate was declared unable to run by the constitution. Moving into the most recent elections Kibaki did not have the majority support. However, in the end tallies of votes Kibaki came out ahead of the opposition candidate, Raila Odinga. Odinga was running with his Orange Democratic Movement behind him. European Union observers declared Kibaki's second term as stolen when the national vote counts came back different than the district vote counts, putting Kibaki as the winner. What we then saw was a devolution of a 'stable democracy' in to "tribal" conflict. But, before we can even begin to grasp what this means in Kenya we have to examine and understand Kenya's history of colonial violence and created ethnic tension.
In 1888, the British took over the area known as Kenya as part of the 1885 Berlin Conference that divided the land area of Africa between the major European powers. The Germans formerly controlled the land. The colony known as British East Africa remained uninvolved in World War I. By the twentieth century 30,000 white British settlers began establishing themselves in the fertile highlands growing coffee and tea and commanding unjust political and economic power in the country. The highlands had traditionally been home to the Kikuyu people, who were forced off of their land and had to then seek jobs on their own former land under the employ of white settler farmers for a meager wage of newly imposed British currency. This injustice set off the start of the Mau-Mau rebellion lead by the Kikuyu people and the Land and Army Freedom movement in 1952. The country was placed under martial-rule. The British Long Rifles, the Home Guard (Kenyan soldiers), and the British army backed by Winston Churchill's command came together strongly against the movement and killed 42% of the rebel fighters. The capture and execution of Dedan Kimathi in 1956, the Mau Mau leader, essentially ended the rebellion. The Kikuyu rebellion was destroyed. The British consciously divided the Kikuyu and Luo people for fear that they would be too strong of a unifying force against their colonial empire. The Kenyan elites were able to take power with the election of the Kikuyu elite, Jomo Kenyatta.
The first elections in Kenya were in 1957. To the dismay of the British, the election was won by Kenyatta backed by his Kenya African National Union (KANU) party instead of the 'moderate' Africans the British had hoped for, but this was their own product of favoring the Kikuyu. Upon Kenyatta's death Daniel arap-Moi took power, stepping up from his Vice Presidential role. His succession to president was strongly opposed by the Kikuyu elite, known as the Kiambu Mafia. He held power in uncontested single-party elections from 1978 until 2002. Moi dismissed political opponents and consolidated his power. He put down Kikuyu coup attempts through execution of coup leaders. Moi was central in the perpetuating Kenyatta's single-party state, reflected in the constitution. In his 2002 and 2007 election wins, Moi exploited the mixed ethnic composition of Kenya and with a divided opposition of smaller tribes – Moi won. Moi represented an ethnic minority, the Kalenjin, that kept the Kikuyu out of power for many years. I am not sure if we are to assume the role of Moi as Vice President to Kenyatta was to appease the ethnic minority, but the Kikuyu's role as a benefiting elite was lost with Moi's succession.
Kenya's 36 million people are divided among more than 40 ethnic groups, each with its own identity, cultural traditions and practices, and separate language. The main groups are Kikuyu (22%), Luhya (14%), Luo (13%), Kalenjin (12%) and Kamba (11%), according to government figures. Now we see the colonial policy of "divide and conquer" lives on. The tradition of corruption in Kenyan politics continues and Kikuyu is pitted against the various ethnic groups. However, this is a created ethnic conflict in a country where ethnicity and politics are conjoined. Kenyatta was a Kikuyu elite created by the British colonialism, Moi was essentially a dictator for 30 years, and Kibaki undemocratically stole power and now for a second time. Instead of a conflict rooted in tribalism this conflict, "suggests that the undemocratic historical trajectory that Kenya has been moving along was launched at the inception of British colonial rule more than a century ago." What is most surprising is not that there is now an ethnic conflict in Kenya, but that it did not happen sooner.
Surprisingly, CNN acknowledged the roots of Kenya's ethnic political troubles. Neither candidate in Kenya's elections really represented the people or true democracy. Odinga's (Luo) Orange Democratic Movement was supported by Luhya and he promised to appoint a Luhya deputy if elected. Kibaki's government has had troubles and scandals dealing with corruption and graft since beginning in 2002. The BBC also gives a more accurate account of the conflict in Kenya. They suggest that the headlines talking of tribalism should better read: "Tribal differences in Kenya, normally accepted peacefully, are exploited by politicians hungry for power who can manipulate poverty-stricken population." But no one wants to read that. The main stream media has decided to final cover Africa as a front page story only because it provides a striking headline. As Kikuyu flee, the news wants to make Kenya out to be another Rwanda, but I wouldn't venture so far to say that it has become that terrible. This sentiment of violence influences writers at every level. One student writer can only focus on the violence in her article.
The US has condemned the violence in Kenya. "We condemn the violence that occurred in Kenya as its citizens await these election results, and call on all Kenyans to remain calm while the vote tabulation process is concluded," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said in a statement. The US would like to say how terrible it is that Kenyans have been denied democracy. However, I am not sure how we can claim to know democracy. Just as Kenyans, we too have never known real democracy in this two-party system full of government control and corruption. My swahili professor is from western Kenya, he is a Luo. The other day I asked him if his family was safe. He said they were, they had fled soon enough to miss the violence. I asked him about the history of ethnic favoring in Kenya and he said that it all started with Kenyatta. While this all goes on – colonial legacies of ethnic tension, stolen democracy, and a fear of continued turmoil, the US presidential primaries plug along. We as US citizens can only dream of democracy. While Obama, with Kenyan descent, gains popularity and primaries his family in Kenya watches. Will there be democracy gained anywhere? Will stolen votes bring conflict in the US too or maybe we do not have a knowledgeable enough electorate to protest.
2008/01/12 2011/04/15 Alex B. HillAfrica, Barack Obama, colonialism, Conflict, democracy, Kenya, Kibaki, Odinga4 Comments
everyone wants to keep their power, don't you?
As I sat at the conference table waiting for the theorists to arrive, I tried to understand the causes for the Rwandan intervention into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1998. After some time passed I realized that no theorist was coming to confer their knowledge upon me, so I decided to seek them out myself. But before analyzing theories and dissecting Rwanda's intervention in the DRC in 1998 (Second Congolese War), one must note that there were preceding events during the 1996 intervention that triggered the second intervention. Rwanda intervened in the DRC in 1996 because it's newly empowered Tutsi regime realized that the DRC's leader, Mobutu Sese Seko, was in support of the Hutu refugees and ex-FAR/Interhamwe, groups who had perpetrated the 1994 genocide of Rwandan Tutsis (Curtis 3). With Mobutu's support and the foreign aid flowing into the Hutu refugee camps (from aid agencies and bureaucracies) located in the DRC the ex-FAR/ Interhamwe was regaining strength and re-organizing. The ex-FAR/ Interhamwe, with the encouragement of Mobutu and the Hutu government began a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Congolese Tutsi. The Rwandan forces then intervened in 1996 in support of the rebel Congolese Tutsi units. The Rwandan forces had many victories and eventually the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo/DRC (ADFL) was formed with the Rwandan forces, Congolese Tutsis, and anti-Mobutu groups in the DRC.
However this relationship between Rwanda and the DRC's liberation forces did not last. The alliance with Laurent Kabila, who was leading the ADFL forces, had been an alliance of convenience rather than a uniting of ideologies. The alliance was based on overthrowing Mobutu and not on achieving a greater security for the region. Kabila began distancing himself from his Rwandan supporters and began creating divisions within the forces of the 'alliance.' Kabila soon called for all foreign troops to be out of the DRC, which threatened Rwanda's ability to eliminate the remaining Hutu militants. Rwanda, being interested in keeping hold of its regional political-military influence it had gained from the First Congolese War (intervention 1996) along with the growing threat from Hutu militants, decided that a second intervention would be necessary to keep its regional power and security. The Rwandan forces experienced a surprising amount of success and it looked almost to be a repeat of the 1996 intervention, but later it was evident that the Rwandan forces would fail (5). Another factor that led to Rwanda's failure was the creation of the RCD (Congolese Rally for Democracy), which became the new political face of the movement to oust Mobutu. With Rwanda and Uganda's involvement in Congolese affairs in the past years the RCD was condemned as an "instrument for neighboring countries to serve their interests" (6). To that same effect Kabila's forces were successful in stirring anti-Tutsi sentiment before the war, which made it difficult to garner indigenous support to move the rebellion forward (6). Ugandan forces pulled out and opened their own anti-Kabila front, but continued to send moral and military assistance also Kabila's regional allies: Angola, Chad, Namibia, and Zambia all contributed troops and support that eventually led to Rwanda's defeat in its second intervention (6). These foreign allies all contributed to a score of strategic victories that saved Kabila from a sure defeat by Rwandan forces and shifted the focus of the Second Congolese War (7). The new Rwandan government found itself isolated in the region and in much the same situation as Mobutu's regime, which they defeated just two years earlier.
The underlying causes of the Second Congolese War (Rwandan intervention in DRC, 1998) are based in a division of regional ethnic groups and the tensions of ideas between those militarized forces. Both Rwandan interventions were militarily launched to provide support for indigenous (Tutsi) rebellions (4). The national security for Rwanda was just as immediate as it was during the first intervention in 1996. The Hutu insurgency amounted to what some call a "virtual civil war" – which increased Rwanda's sense of being vulnerable and reinforced the 'siege' mentality which had fueled the regime's view of national security since it came to power after the 1994 genocide (5).
The international relations theory that best sheds light on the causes and reasons for the Second Congolese War and Rwandan intervention in 1998 is realism. Hobbes says that the classical realists would argue that the weakest has the strength enough to kill the strongest (Schecter, Sept. 7, 2006) – and therefore the newly in power Tutsis in Rwanda would still be under threat from the fleeing Hutu militant factions. The two groups: new Tutsi government and the defeated Hutu militants and government, both desired the control of the Rwandan state and because of that, could only become enemies and conflict is inevitable. Hobbes tells us there that will always be conflict when two men desire the same thing (Sept. 7, 2006). The classical realist, Rousseau, continues the argument noting that the Rwandan rational was to provide for their own self-interest and not depend on others (Sept. 7, 2006). When Kabila decided he was going to dismiss his Rwandan backers, the Rwandan government decided to end that convenient alliance and serve its self-interest to then move against Kabila. Rwandan again rationalized its alliance with Kabila being that it was set up previously to oust Mobutu and to continue rooting out the Hutu insurgency, and not necessarily in support of Kabila's movement to liberate the Congo. Thucydides would argue that every country seeks more power, because with more power comes more security (Baylis & Smith 167). All states suffer from the security dilemma where self-help is the only cure in which a state needs more power and opposing states will also seek power in response (Schecter, Sept. 7, 2006). Rwanda had an underlying motive to keep its borders free from Hutu insurgent attacks and a probable Hutu invasion after the 1994 genocide. Rwanda had gained a significant amount of regional power after the First Congolese War and wanted to be sure to keep a hold of that power in order to ensure its own security.
This moves us on to the contemporary realist argument. The Rwandan intervention in the DRC of 1998 was a near repeat of its intervention in the DRC in 1996. History very nearly repeated itself, the governments did not learn from their mistakes. However it is debatable if there were any mistakes to learn from. The new Rwandan Tutsi regime had its security in mind when it saw the growing attacks from the strengthening former Hutu armies and militias. Is it a mistake to act on an attack and threat from an opposing force outside a nation's borders? The Second Congolese War is a good example of the classical realist argument that there is no international order or law only power and force. The UN or other International Organizations did not intervene and Rwanda was forced to take the conflict into its own hands. Could a continuation of the 1994 genocide and thousands more deaths have been avoided by an international intervention? The classical theorists would argue not, since there is no international order or law except for power and force. Morgenthau, a contemporary realist, argues that the international order of power is a means and also an end – security. Rwanda used its power as a means to remain powerful in the region and ensure its national security in regards to its borders. Power of force was used as a means to a greater end of power in security (Baylis & Smith 167). The contemporary realists would also argue that peace can only be achieved by a balance of power, which is why Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Chad intervened on behalf of the DRC government because Rwanda was too powerful in the region. The argument continues with the point being made that the political sphere is autonomous therefore military power is critical. Rwanda could not depend on any political force to come to its aid, it had to depend solely on its military power. Waltz, as a defensive realist, reminded me that countries continuously pursue power without regard to regime type, or people (Baylis & Smith 163). In this case Rwanda was not concerned with the type of regime in the DRC. It only wanted to see the Hutu insurgency put down.
With all this realist theory being tossed around I felt sure that there is was also an element of social constructivism. Onuf argues that a social constructivist theorist would be sure to add to the argument by telling us that power is not only materialist, such as military or economic, but also that power involves ideas (256). In this particular case, the conflict is purely of ideas. The Rwandan government has the idea that the Hutus need to be stopped. The Hutus hold the idea that they need to fight against the Tutsis to regain control of the Rwandan government. Kabila believes that be needs to liberate the DRC and oust Mobutu. The conflict is purely of opposing constructed ideas of ethnic division and dislike. The socially constructed identities of the cultures in conflict are based on the non-state actors of the Hutu former FAR/ Interhamwe, the Rwandan Tutsi army, the ADFL in the DRC, and other various factors in support or opposition to the current government leaders of Rwanda and the DRC. The one hope in this conflict is that the ideas and institutions are not always path dependent, change is still possible because the state's interests are not a given.
This is where a semi-Idealist approach enters the scene. These socially constructed ideas of dislike for an ethnic group can be changed in the idealist's view. The Hutu and Tutsi factions can learn from their mistakes and conflicts and can work to create peace in the region. Kant informs us that an idealist theorist would argue that when these militant groups start thinking about the good of the state and not of themselves then there can be a peaceful end to the conflict (188). But herein lies the problem. How can one push out a constructed history of violence and hate? How can one throw out a deep past of conflict and dislike? How can a state ask its people to forgive and forget and move towards peace with such atrocities committed? The Idealists believe this 'peace' is a possibility when governments move towards a more democratic rule. Idealism doesn't have as easily applied and proven theory for conflict, yet it does present a solution instead of a look into the reasons for a conflict. Therefore I believe the realist argument neatly describes how and why this war happened, the social constructivist argument gives a wonderful insight as to where the reasons come from and how to move forward, and the idealist argument provides a possibility for a future security and harmony between state and non-state actors.
The theories that do not present a clear insight into the conflict are Economic, Political, and Institutional Liberalism. In this case there was no economic conflict, it was a conflict based on security. Therefore Smith argued with me that if each actor pursued its own economic self-interest there would be a natural harmony holds no water. The 'free' trade in minerals (diamonds) between Rwanda and the DRC is definitely questionable and lends nothing to the argument for the war's cause being that free trade and economic interdependence is supposed to equal up to no war. Political liberalist theorists' argument that democratic governments do not fight one another is thrown out since neither Rwanda nor the DRC can be said to have a secure democratic government. The fact that no international laws or organizations took action also defeats the Liberalist approach to understanding the Second Congolese War. Institutional Liberalists are pushed aside when it become evident that neither Rwanda nor the DRC was interested in making sacrifices for the other and were only concerned with creating temporary alliances to serve self-interest. To that same effect the only instance of interdependence is with regard to the security of the region with which neither actor was concerned. The institutional liberals theory is also thrown out by the fact that none of the international institutions, such as the UN or European Union, came to help resolve the conflict. The First and Second Congolese Wars were fought without any interference from international institutions maybe because the states who hold membership in such institutions had no 'mutual interest' in the DRC or Rwanda. For many reasons the UN (or other institution) should have aided being that liberal institutions are concerned with keeping regional security and promoting cooperation between states. This is one of the many unanswered questions that always seems to break down to question the motives of people in power.
What is most interesting in applying the theories of international relations to the Second Congolese War and Rwandan intervention in the DRC in 1998 is that most international theorists that I called upon are not concerned with the 'third' world or developing world, yet here I am using their theories to explain a conflict that resides in this passed over 'third' world orbiting somewhere in the realm of the neglected. I now understood why I would be sitting at the conference table by myself. No theorist was on his way to consider a 'third' world conflict. Applying the international theories to a conflict in Africa is somewhat of an irony in that the politicians and government officials that apply these theories did not give a second glance as to why the Second Congolese War occurred and would not care for the reasons Rwanda intervened.
Curtis, Marcus. 'Raison d'Etat Unleashed: Understanding Rwanda's Foreign Policy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Strategic Insights'. Vol. IV, Issue 7 (July 2005). . Date accessed: October 5, 2006.
Baylis and Smith. The Globalization of World Politics. Third Edition. Oxford University Press, New York: 2001, reprint 2005, 2006.
Schecter, Michael. MC220 World Politics and Security Class Lecture.
'Realism and Idealism' September 7, 2006. 'Liberalism' September 12, 2006. 'Social Constructivism' September 21, 2006. (citations only used when certain examples from lectures were not present in the Baylis & Smith book)
Research paper written in October of 2006 for an International Relations and Security Course. Look for more on the current DRC conflict soon.
2007/10/11 2011/04/15 Alex B. HillConflict, DRC, Hutu, International Relations, militias, Rwanda, security, TutsiLeave a comment
what does genocide mean to you?
We are back again to the age old debate of language and the way it is used – this time however the consequences are much greater. Genocide, how do you define it? In a Slate News, Senator Obama's comments are noted when referring to genocide. The article, titled "Getting comfy with genocide", gets deep into the definition of genocide and the consequences of our current use of the term.
Lemkin's definition, which was finally adopted in 1948 by the U.N. General Assembly, classified as genocide 'acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.' It is a definition that has lasted nearly six decades, and it is important to remember that it refers not merely to war between nations or war within nations, however terrible. It is not about the death of soldiers in armed combat or in foreign or civil strife. It is about the mass murder of defenseless civilians—men, women, and children—because they belong to a certain kind of group. And it's not just a matter of words. The United Nations convention on the prevention of genocide, signed by 138 nations, holds genocide to be a special category of crime that justifies "action appropriate for the prevention and suppression of genocide." The convention does not exclude abrogation of the sovereignty of a nation engaged in genocide in order to effect a humanitarian military intervention. The problem is that while it's going on, when it can still be stopped, it's often not evident just how grave a crime is being committed or whether it will eventually result in genocide if it's allowed to go unchecked. At what point, for instance, does "ethnic cleansing" become genocide? "Ethnic cleansing" can refer to the forced transfer of populations—bad enough—rather than the indiscriminate murder of them. "Ethnic cleansing," that hideous euphemism, becomes genocide when it involves mass murder with the intent to exterminate. Genocide is about annihilation.
In the debate candidates were asked how they would handle the genocide in Darfur. Slate News says the real question should have been:
"What would you do if you saw another Rwanda developing? In other words, a genocide that has little to do with previous U.S. intervention and is not our fault in any direct way, but one we could prevent—at a cost: U.S. troops, U.S. lives. President Clinton has apologized for his failure to intervene in Rwanda. Do you agree that the United States should commit itself to preventing genocide anywhere it threatens to occur?"
We have come to talking about the genocide in Darfur in a 'feel good' way. We cover it in debates, make up solutions that are not so feasible, and attempt to show how much we care. Is it possible to get comfortable with genocide? I covered that idea that it is very difficult for our minds to fathom the extent of genocide and the amount of mass killing that it entails, but is this the reason that it is so easy for us to be comfortable? This could be part of the argument, but I think it may also lie in the political framing that the world loves to use.
At any rate, it is pointless to argue the fine points of language; the definition of genocide – and actual work to stop genocide. This can be done in the same 'feel good' manner, but it can also include actions that everyone can take at home. Currently, Michigan's congress is working on bills of divestment from corporations that operate and support the government of Sudan. This would cut off a great deal of funding to the government of Sudan and hinder the country's ability to further the killing of their own people. The bill has passed the Michigan House of Representatives and is not working to pass the Senate. This bill is expected to be much harder to pass in the Senate, so if you live in Michigan call your senator and ask them to support this bill. There are numerous advocacy groups around the world. Michigan State University's campus has one such group associated with a national organization STAND: Students Taking Action Now Darfur. Check out what the MSU STAND: Spartans Taking Action Now Darfur chapter is doing and learn more about the genocide in Darfur. We can say "genocide is bad" as much as we want to, but it is still there looming, killing, waiting for us to completely forget – don't allow yourself to forget.
2007/09/19 2011/04/15 Alex B. HillBarack Obama, Conflict, Darfur, genocide, MSU, Rwanda, STAND, Sudan, UNLeave a comment
the impact of conflict on health
The correlation between violent conflicts and health may seem to be very obvious, but there is more to the issue than what crosses the mind. Everyone can make the simple connection that there is direct impact of conflict on being unbenefittal for the betterment of health. For example it is easy to read this <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6590965.stm
">article and see the obvious connection to artillery shells hitting a hospital in Mogadishu. Internal clashes and conflict creates a more difficult situation for humanitarian operations all over Africa.
Africa represents the highest rates of internal conflict and disease, especially HIV/AIDS. This disease has been used as a weapon in conflict. Many times infected soldiers are sent to the front lines to spread disease and infect the opposition, which generally turns out to be the innocent population. Populations affected by armed internal conflicts end up experiencing severe public health consequences from food insecurity, displacement, and combat. All this ends in a collapse of basic health services which are essential to the survival of the population.
I could not find the article again, but the BBC had reported on the difficulties faced by those bringing humanitarian aid to Darfur, Sudan. They constantly faced issues with the government shutting areas down or denying them entrance. infrastructures for basic health, or created systems for basic health become neglected or destroyed. In many cases the impact of conflict can be felt at the very lowest levels of a population; women are unable to protect their families, fathers just might not be present anymore, children have no access to schooling, and everyone suffers from an absence of basic health – no food, no medications, no stable doctors, and no way to deal with the injury inflicted by the violence of conflict.
With the renewed peace talks for Uganda, the twenty year civil war seems to be coming to a close and the health of the northern Ugandan population may be improving. The rebuilding effort is going to be long and difficult, but there is hope. Many organizations are beginning efforts to improve the health situation and support hospitals and health centers that have been impacted by the conflict.
There are so many topics that can be covered as a result of conflict in a country and its correlation to health. However, I am not here to expound all of the information available, but know that it is out there: sexual violence, psychological impact on children, and especially the toll on health workers. Conflict impacts health plain and simple, but there is so much more as the impact trickles down to the population, the families, and the children. The future of a country in conflict lies in its ability to rebuild and provide aid to their populations after conflict.
2007/05/09 2011/04/19 Alex B. HillAfrica, Chad, Conflict, conflict health, Darfur, disease, health care, UgandaLeave a comment
why is the african dirt so red. . . blood spilled
Last night I finally made it out the the theater to see the latest of Hollywood's Africa-related movies, Blood Diamond. I have to say I was a bit skeptical with Leonardo DiCaprio in the leading role. I have been very skeptical of the recent upswing in movies covering topics and issues around the African continent. Hollywood is running out of remakes and new material for movie production, maybe now they are deciding to open the world's eyes to the harsh realities that our governments and media didn't care to cover before. Blood is spilled on the African continent for many reasons, but none chains the West to the blood spilled more than conflicts over greed – gold, rubber, oil, and diamonds.
I was very impressed with the way the movie was produced. Bringing maps and information to the general public about conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone. Blood Diamond did not stray from bringing the suffering and blood shed to the big screen, it did not stray from highlighting the truths of such a conflict, it did not allow us to any longer duck and hide from the brutality that we fuel through our lust for shiny stones. It covered many important issues, more than just conflict or blood diamonds; it covered poverty, refugees, small arms, child soldiers, the West's attempts to help, UN involvement, and the corruption that lies beneath it all. Blood Diamond some might say is too violent or too full of bang-bang shoot 'em up, but I would say the movie balanced the bloodshed with the storyline of a greedy diamond runner and a Sierra Leonenian (?) man and his family caught up in the profit-driven conflict.
As the movie came to a close with a heart wrenching end that nearly brings tears to the eyes, I hoped immensly that more people would not keep their ideas of Africa as just a conflict ridden land. The credits rolled and many were in awed silence, some had tears running down their cheeks, and some left with no reaction. Behind me there was a group of teenaged girls. "It was so sad, so sad," said one. "It was horrible, I mean it was good, but horrible. I tried to hold it together, Stacy completely lost it, but I mean whatever." I bit my lip so hard I am sure it almost bled. 'Whatever!' The movie, besides showing intense, bloody conflict and tear-producing situations also showed that if you really care and want to make a difference, you can. With the story line of an American journalist seeking the truth behind the diamond conflict and who runs it all, Blood Diamond showed that with passion anything can be possible. Along with telling viewers that it is their, our, responsibility to be sure that any diamond bought is 'conflict-free' or 'clean'.
Foreign Policy magazine created a nice photo-essay about diamond conflicts, those affected, and the path of a conflict diamond from mine to storefront window. Foreign Policy interviewed the director, Edward Zwick about the movie. They noted that the new movie has the diamond industry worried about sales. Why is that an issue? They just might not make as exhorbitant an amount of profit as they once did. So sorry, your third Mercedes-Benz could save lives instead and supply a village with clean water and basic healthcare.
In additon National Geographic has a great article on blood diamonds and how to not buy illicit diamonds. I would recommend reading both articles by Foreign Policy and National Geographic. Likewise check out this website run by the World Diamond Council, an online source with a wealth of information on diamonds, conflict diamonds and the Kimberley Process, where the global diamond industry adopted a zero tolerance policy on conflict diamonds with the backing of the UN and many NGOs. They created the Kimberley Process is used by 71 goverments to certify that diamonds from their respective countries are conflict-free. The site also gives examples of how diamonds are helping people in Africa through healthcare, economy, and education.
This is really a great example of an African (over there) conflict that hits home and really affects us here in the West. I encourage and recommend that you all go and see Blood Diamond, read up on the issues, and learn about the positive uses and impacts that diamonds have for the people who usually suffer the consequences of conflict.
2007/01/02 2011/04/15 Alex B. HillAfrica, blood diamonds, child soldiers, Conflict, corruption, Foreign Policy, Leonardo DiCaprio, National Geogrpahic, Sierra Leone, World Diamond CouncilLeave a comment
Global Malnutrition and the Politics of Food
better health + growing population ≠ societal collapse #7billion


Sabres.com wants you to chronicle the top moments in the 2009-10 season with the Fans Top Five Plays of the Week countdown. Each week, we will select the top highlights - including goals, saves and hits - for fans to rank. Think we are missing one? Write in your own ballot.
Take a look at the nominees below and rank them 1-5 with 1 being your favorite. All videos are listed in chronological order and are not ranked.


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Hosted by Grant Turgeon, Trumpet Bookshelf is a series of compact summaries of books and booklets from the literature library of theTrumpet.com. Each episode is meant as a teaser to get listeners interested in studying a particular book or booklet again—or for the very first time. Find answers to life's most important questions. Unlock the vision of your marvelous future. Explore the vital titles in theTrumpet.com literature library—every Friday at 10 a.m. Central time.
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Coverstory: Parineeti Chopra Gets Candid About Work, Trolling, Depression And More
by Anuradha Choudhary | December 25, 2021, 21:47 IST
Parineeti Chopra. She's half-child, half goddess and a full-blooded woman at the same time. It's hard to define her because you don't know where to begin. She arrived with a bang with Ishaqzaade and then like a wayward comet, seemingly lost her trajectory. She was in danger of crashing out but bounced back with back-to-back films like Saina, The Girl On The Train and Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, where her histrionics were universally lauded. She loves to chat and has an intelligent take on everything under the sun. She's brutally candid about everything, be it body shaming, her failing career or her heartbreaks. She's learnt to love herself, to enjoy whatever life throws at her and have no regrets. She's learnt to be her own person and not give two hoots about what others think of her. She's learnt the importance of family, of friendships, even of doing nothing. Because you need to exhale. After years of wilting under depression, she's got her mojo back. She's realised that the sun she's seeking was blazing inside her all along. And she's pulsating with newfound radiance and energy. She shares her wisdom, her naivete, her joys as well as her sorrows in this all-encompassing interview, which explores the inner landscapes of her heart, mind and soul.
What has been on your mind lately?
My philosophy of life has always been to live in the moment.I genuinely have no other focus in life. Of course, I want to focus on my career. I want to do the best films with the best people. I don't want to be complacent anymore. So, what's on my mind ñ living life with purpose. That's my biggest thing right now.
After a long time, you've found your ground in Bollywood…
People always used to say they expect a good performance from me. That's a very privileged position to be in and I let go of that. I abused that position in the sense that I thought even if I am mediocre in the film, they will love me. That's not how it works.You shouldn't take your audience for granted. Sometimes, I chased money, sometimes I chased a hero who was in the film, sometimes I chased just the director. But coming back to my core is what has worked. So Saina, The Girl On The Train, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar they have really really worked for me. People are looking at me for my performances again.
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What forced you to go off track and then what forced you to come back again?
The first four years of my career were amazing and then the next four years didn't work. So I said, Okay cool, I tried this in my life, it didn't work, let's go back to what I know.î And the best thing is that my gut is so strong that I know what I'm doing is wrong, what I'm wearing is wrong or the person I'm dating is wrong. Lot of people started telling me you need to just be sexy, you need to do songs in films, you need to just romance the hero and you need to learn how to be a heroine. I think that was really regressive advice coming from people who have clearly not changed with time. And it was my mistake to listen to them. I am so glad I made mistakes early in my career because at least while I am still in my prime, I have the chance to come back.
Do you regret doing movies for money?
The process of elimination always works. So even with films, when I see them and cringe, I'm glad because it gives me clarity. But regret is not a part of my life. You can't regret, life is too short, you'll go mad.
Were you overestimating yourself at some point?
I became complacent and a little less focused. That's why this happened. That's why I was saying okay to mediocrity. I was never overconfident. When you have five flop films, people say she has gone mad. But they're actually just five bad decisions. I can proudly tell my grandkids that you know what, I did really bad work for four years. People abused me, my critics abused me and then I came back, what a great story to tell.
What would the Parineeti of 2021 tell the Parineeti of 2012?
I would say don't let what you have go easily. Don't become overconfident. Don't take it for granted. I was a child then and didn't know how to handle so much success so early. I wish I could go back in time and teach me how to handle it, but in the same breath I will say if it hadn't happened like that, I would have never learnt. I'm so much more appreciative of life. I'm so much more humble and thankful because these failures in all these departments gave me a crash course in life.
You are also a talent manager. So what would a talent manager tell Parineeti Chopra, the actress?
(Laughs) That's a good question. As a talent manager, I would tell Pari, ìBalance it better!î. I think I lost that sense of balance, I think I chose my personal life in a little lopsided way and I put my career down.
At one point it seemed as if Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar was not going to be released and today, it's such a celebrated film…
I did a round table of best performances of the year and I was just looking at that list, and I was like wow, when was the last time I was in this list? And that too, for a film that everybody had given up on. This is a film I shot five years ago, like in my fourth year in the industry. You know Dibakar Sir is doing so many conversations because he is being called to discuss the film everywhere. And that's just proof of the fact that in this industry you can't plan anything. My first film Ishaqzaade itself was in the dabba for 10 years. Nobody was making it and then they made it and it started our careers. It gave me a National Award. It's always been like that in my journey. (Chuckles) I think God loves drama. He loves taking me to the edge before giving me what I want. If I can win even one award next year, I am going to howl and scream on that stage because I waited too long and I have worked towards it for so long.
So you would agree that failure is temporary and talent is permanent?
I would love to be the poster child of that. I have been that actor who wants to do all sorts of work and wants to prove my talent and wants to do the best films and I lost that in between. So if I can be that comeback story, I would be so happy with my life. If I hold one single trophy next year, I will consider my life complete. Because I've seen a big fall, I want to climb back. I used to hear these stories of people who picked themselves up from the ashes and I used to be like, ìHaan, whatever hota hoga.î I just want to be validated for my struggle and my jounrey of the last four years. I don't want anything more than that.
Are you doing films for the right reasons now?
Yes, I really am. I would know my next eight films because I'd sign everything that came to me. That was a mistake. I was afraid of sitting at home and I was afraid of not having work. So I took up everything, which was a mistake. So today, if I don't have a film after Animal, I am okay with it. I will wait till somebody casts me.
Once we were having a backstage conversation and you said, Ranbir and Ranveer, the way they talk about movies, the way they have facts and figures, you feel so clueless…
I think that when you grow up in this industry, this is your world, it comes a little naturally to you. My dad deals with the Indian army and the automobile business. Cars and defence forces are in my blood. So if I decide to go into the automobile business, it will be easier for me because I have heard those conversations all my life. So what I'm doing is constantly playing catch up with these guys. I have spent the last nine years doing that. I am still learning, I don't think I will ever finish learning. Simple things like doing your makeup, doing your hair everyday, choosing your films, meeting the right directors and producers, understanding the trade, everything is alien to me. I learn from all these guys. I use the friendship to learn so much more, I listen more, I ask more questions because I do want to succeed.
Aditya Chopra has seen generations of actors. So when things were not going right with you, what's the kind of advice he gave you?
Adi and my relationship is amazingly honest. He's the kind of guy, if I mess up, he has the right to call me and scold me about it. And I'll listen because he knows so much more and I trust him. A very senior actor met me on a flight one day and he said, ìI just wanna say one thing, Parineeti, you are capable of much more why aren't you doing more?î and I was like ñ Wow! Everybody is saying the same thing to me, you know it was huge. It's very difficult to hear this sort of feedback, including from Adi. It's very difficult to keep hearing that you are messing up, you are messing up, fix it, fix it, fix it. But I am such an honest person that I was like, yes guys I agree, I want to do it. With Adi, I used to do the same thing. He used to tell me that I'm not doing well and I would sit in front of him and say, 'Adi, I am gonna do better, I am gonna do better, I am gonna do better'.
You have been vocal about mental health and body shaming. Why are these things so important to you?
I'd been trying to lose weight even before I became an actor. Because you're doing it in public, people feel that she didn't do anything in the first three years. And when the results start showing suddenly then they think she must have done it because of Bollywood pressure. Body shaming was a great thing that happened in my life. I have always agreed with the critics. When the critics said, she is not looking her best, I was like yeah buddy, I know! Mental health was a combination of many things that went wrong ñ like I lost a very big relationship in my life. I went through a big breakup which affected me for a year. My career started going down, that affected me for a long time. It didn't help that the journalists were writing rubbish about me. The Next Big Thing has gone down and blah blah blah. But there were nice people around me. My friends and my family were really amazing. The best thing that happened to me was that the producers and the directors didn't lose faith in me. Nobody wrote me off. Otherwise, I would have never gotten a second chance. Nobody gave up on me. That's why I couldn't give up on myself.
What's the kind of advice you would give people who are dealing with body issues, who are dealing with mental health issues?
For body shaming, you need to choose what you want in life. If you are unhappy with your fitness, stamina, health, size, anything, do everything you can to fix it because it's only gonna be good for you. Don't do it if you are happy with yourself, if you are happy with where your fitness is. Don't do it because others are saying it. I couldn't shoot for more than two hours without feeling exhausted. I used to hate my stamina, I used to hate my health. I used to not sleep properly, I was really unhealthy. Don't listen to people, whatever size you are, if you are satisfied, you are fine. Don't live your life for others. That's what I would say with body shaming. Mental health, talk to people. I don't think I would have been able to do it alone. I think I would have only taken the wrong calls and I would have slipped deeper into depression if I hadn't picked up the phone and said I am going mad, please come, talk to me. So it's important to have the right people around you, they can fix it within minutes for you. We women can really be complicated in our minds and we can make it worse for ourselves. But the right people can fix it for you.
Whom did you talk to?
My closest friends were Sanjana Batra, she is also a stylist, she was an amazing person to talk to and my brother Sehaj, who used to call me and abuse me whenever I would say something stupid. I would tell them of my issues and they would make me realise that they were non issues. They fixed it. So I think the people in your life can make it or break it. Your husband, wife, brother, sister...everyone can make a difference in your life. Being surrounded by the right people is the biggest gift.
What kind of relationship advice will you give girls?
I was never vocal about my relationships as I probably knew that they were not the one. If I find a man and I'm convinced that he's the guy I'm gonna be with all my life, I will go public with it in a second. The relationship advice that I would give people is honestly, choose to be with the person who makes you happy more than anyone else. (Laughs) And please don't ignore the red flags. We are so scared of being alone that we're okay with mediocrity. It's like we are so scared of sitting at home that we say okay to a mediocre film but when that film comes out, you regret it. So don't be like that when it comes to your love life.
What are the red flags you chose to overlook?
A lack of independence, a lack of life experience, you should have done adulting for a bit in life, paid your house bills, paid your rent, paid your electricity, basic adultingÖYou should not ignore those kinds of adulting attributes in a person. You shouldn't tolerate too much because you are not tolerating that person, you are teaching them how to treat you. You shouldn't ignore that red flag. If a person shows you who they are again and again, you should believe it. You can't live in hope, you can't live in perpetual hope that they will change.
You think your men got intimidated by you because you are so solid and so together?
I did most of the caretaking in my relationships. I think I chose people who were right for me for that moment. I didn't look at life-long potential. So they were very momentary decisions. I would just think about dating that person for now. I wouldn't think it through and then three months later, I would be like,' Oh God! Why did I do this?' So that's learning. This learning came to me after some experience. But I'm fine with my journey.
Has your relationship with your parents changed? In your teens, you had quite a combative relationship with them. Have you become a parent to them now?
You've answered the question for me. I left home when I was 17. So I left at that combative time. When I came to Mumbai and suddenly became successful, it was the worst phase of my life. Because I became selfish and self centred and thought only about my career. I didn't give the required love and importance to my family. I was so impatient with them because I was suddenly the queen of the world. Today, as you said, they are my kids. Not only my parents, my brothers also, all four of them are my children. I appreciate them so much more because I have spent the last few years alone in depression. And today I realise it was wrong of me to sideline them. (Laughs) I'm so glad about that. My fitness has come as a lesson, my film choices are a lesson, the importance given to my family are my lessons. I love it that in my early 30s I have gotten all these lessons that one generally gets in one's 50s.
During the lockdown, you had become this homebody and you started cooking and all that…
I know there were a lot of negatives, a lot of families were destroyed, a lot of lives were lost. But if I talk of only the positives, I played so many games online, I spoke to my family much more, I cooked so many things. If I know the A B and C of cooking it's because of the lockdown. I cooked so much. Not only that, I was one of those rare privileged ones who got to travel a lot during lockdown. I lived in London for so long, I went to Turkey, I went to Austria, I went to Maldives of course. I just appreciated that privilege so much more, I appreciated life so much more. I understood the importance of my family and friends, of relationships so much more. I think it made me an even better person.
Tell us about your six months in London…
It was awesome. Because of masks, you could go anywhere. You could walk on the roads, take trains, take buses I was in Dubai till yesterday. I'd gone to meet my friends over the weekend and it was amazing to just take taxis everywhere and sit in coffee shops and do normal things I used to do when I was in the university. I was in Turkey, shooting a film that I haven't announced yet. I was shooting a film for three months in Turkey when it was the worst time in India, that was March, April and June of this year. But we were in our little bubble, shooting the film and you really feel so thankful. I think COVID-19 helped all of us to look at life differently. So many people have moved out of Mumbai, they've started living in Goa or in their hometowns so as to be closer to their loved ones. And I think that's the biggest change that has come in all of us. It's beautiful.
Is there anything you miss about your old life?
Sometimes, you want to be anonymous, sometimes you don't want to have the pressure of global scrutiny. But in the same breath I would say that global scrutiny and expectations from people is a privilege not every actor gets. So that means you are important enough that people care. If I was a nobody and if people didn't care or if people didn't mob me at the airport, I would be depressed. So it's great that I am not anonymous.
Are you excited to shoot with Amitabh Bachchan in Uunchai?
Honestly, again at the risk of repeating myself, I'm thankful and humbled.When Sooraj Barjatya is directing you, when you are standing with Mr. Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Neena Gupta ó you are like, have they made a mistake ñ How am I here? But when they talk to you and they give you that confidence, it makes you feel that you are doing something right. Same way with Animal, I feel like I am in a dream world with these two films. Sandeep Vanga has chosen me to be opposite Ranbir Kapoor and Anil Kapoor in his next big film after Kabir Singh. It really feels like, ìOkay, it's coming back.î Slowly but surely it's all coming back. So I feel humbled, I feel excited and I am like a little student. I look at everything that every actor is doing and I feel so grateful that they have chosen me and allowed me to be a part of this film.
More on: Parineeti Chopra

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Some companies may require a 10% deposit, some may not require any. For larger projects, you'll almost always need to give a deposit, and it's good to ask how much the deposit will be before going forward with a project. The Newburgh contractor will know how much they need for a deposit when they've given you the estimate, so ask early.
Is your bill for Additions and Remodels in Newburgh an estimate or a final price?


Results of Ladies 18 hole Stableford Competition March 30th. 1st.Catherine O Driscoll(23) 37 pts. 2nd.Maura Coe (23) 35 pts.
Results of Ladies18 hole Stableford Competition March 23rd. 1st. Joan Murphy (25) 36 pts.c/back 2nd.Kate Hennessy(13) 36 pts.
The Ladies played 15 holes stableford on March 16th. 1st.Ann Mullins(13) 30pts.back9 2nd.Ger Hickey(20) 30pts. 3rd.Kate Hennessy(13) 29 pts. and Kate also won €24 for a birdie on the 5th. 21 played.
Junior Competitions over Easter Tuesday 22nd & Tuesday 29th of March. The draw takes place at 10am each day. Team Selection for the Fred Daly based on attendance and results.


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Q: How to use the python += operator correctly? I am trying to use the += operator but I keep getting incorrect results. We have a hair dresser in a salon who provides a service to her customers. During each day, she has 6 slots to book appointments, the intervals between each appointment are spaced equally. If she manages to book an appointment for a slot, we denote this with the variable 1, if she can't find a customer for that slot then we denote this with the variable 0.
Appointments_Booked = [1, 0, 1, 1, 1]  # Where 1 indicates an appointment booked and 0 no appointment booked.

def service_time():
    service = random.normalvariate(5, 1)  # The time the hair dresser takes to service her customers follows a normal distribution, the hair dresser takes around 5 minutes on average to service each customer
    return service

def wait_time():
    waiting_time_last_customer = 0  # The waiting time of the first customer is zero because there is no customer booked before him or her
    interval_time_between_slots = 5  # This is how much time we have between each appointment
    y = 0
    for x in Appointments_Booked:
        if x == 1:  # If we have a customer booked for a slot
            customer_service = service_time()  #How long we will take to service a customer
            waiting_time_present_customer = max((waiting_time_last_customer + customer_service) - interval_time_between_slots, 0)  # This is the formula to compute the waiting time of the current customer. It essentially says that the waiting time of the current customer is simply the interval time (space) between appointments minus how much the previous customer had to wait for service and then get serviced.
            y += waiting_time_present_customer  # THIS IS WHERE I AM ENCOUNTERING PROBLEMS
            print('waiting time =', y)
            print('service time =', customer_service)
        elif x == 0:
             customer_service = 0
             waiting_time_last_customer = 0
             y += waiting_time_present_customer
             print('waiting time =', y)
             print('service time =', customer_service)

My += is not doing what I want it to do, firstly I want the waiting time of the first customer to always be 0 because this customer does not wait simply because there is no other customer before him/her. Secondly the results are different for the other customers as well, for example, my output was:
waiting time = 1.449555339084272  #This does not make any sense because the first customer is supposed to have zero waiting time because they are first in line
service time = 4.400365861292478
waiting time = 0
service time = 0   # refA
waiting time = 0   # refA
service time = 4.42621491273674
waiting time = 1.0771427601173116  # The waiting time of this customer is supposed to also be zero because the service time (#refA) + waiting time(#refA) of the previous customer is zero.
service time = 6.077142760117312
waiting time = 1.0771427601173116  # The waiting time of this customer is also wrong because its supposed to be 2.154. The waiting time (1.077) + the service time (6.077) of the previous customer is 7.154 minus the interval 5 gives 2.154
service time = 4.166720282779419

What am I doing wrong with the += operator, or maybe I am doing something else wrong?

A: You're adding customer_service into your waiting times.  The standard single-server queueing model says that:
arrival_time(i) = arrival_time(i-1) + interarrival_time  # often exponential
begin_service_time(i) = max(arrival_time(i), end_service_time(i-1))
end_service_time(i) = begin_service_time(i) + customer_service(i)

where i is the customer number.  With proper initialization you can drop the i and just loop, since the updates depend only on the prior values.
You've chosen to discretize this to time slots, but it doesn't change the fundamental logic flaws of a) including the current customer's customer_service in the waiting time, and b) basing the result on the waiting time of the prior customer rather than the time they finished up.
There may be other flaws, but I stopped checking given that these are show-stoppers and you didn't provide the actual driver code to run your model.

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The so-called novichok poisoning of the former Russian double-agent Sergey Skripal in Salisbury resulted in a serious diplomatic crisis between Euro-Atlantic countries and the Russia Federation. Following the contradictory statements of the British government about the incidence, nearly 150 Russian diplomats were expelled from their positions in 25 countries. Communist Parties from the countries engaged in the expulsion campaign warn about the danger of imperialist belligerence.
The Communist Party of Canada (CPC) sees the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats as a part of "a plan for a new diplomatic and political deep-freeze between NATO countries and Russia" and adds that it serves to divert attention from the faltering economies in Europe and North America, and the war-mongering and anti-immigrant policies of the US and other NATO countries. The CPC calls on the government and on Parliament "to reverse course, and to speak up against the new Cold War descending on the world from London and NATO headquarters in Washington." According to the CPC, the expulsions should be reversed, any sanctions being considered should be discarded and diplomatic relations should be re-established. Canada must adopt an independent foreign policy of peace and disarmament, and oppose "the new Cold Warriors in Europe and North America while there is still time to prevent global catastrophe through conventional or nuclear war." See the link for the full text.
The Party of Communists USA (PCUSA) condemns militarist efforts to isolate and harass Russia. The PCUSA asserts that Russia earned "the US ruling class's eternal hatred" by blocking imperialism's attempt to overthrow the patriotic government in Syria and by retaking Crimea from the US puppet regime in Ukraine. The PCUSA stands in solidarity "with the anti-imperialist forces fighting for national sovereignty and self-determination."
The Communist Party of Ireland (CPI) reminds the historical crimes of NATO-EU based on "false intelligence". The CPI warns about serious global consequences of confrontation with Russia, including the possible use of nuclear weapons. Accusing the Irish government for "using this crisis to advance their strategy of aligning this state with NATO and the military strategy of the EU", the CPI calls to end the "servile and collaborationist approach of the Irish establishment to both the EU and NATO", demands the closure of the Shannon Airport to the US war machine, the ending of all co-ordination and involvement in EU military strategies including the battle groups and PESCO and the withdrawal of Irish soldiers from NATO Headquarters in the Hague and from NATO military engagements around the world. Their final demand is that the Irish military neutrality gets enshrined in the Constitution. See the link for the news on ICP.
The German Communist Party (DKP) calls for an international investigation including specialists from Russia, just as stated in the chemical weapons convention. The DKP demands from the Federal government to "find a way that will reopen a detente policy with Russia and will resume a political discussion process with rationality and objectivity", for peace and a good neighbourhood relationship with Russia. See the link for the news on ICP.
The French Communist Party (PCF) states that the French government is engaged in a "dangerous diplomatic spiral" by aligning themselves with diplomacies of ultra-conservative governments such as USA, Britain, Poland and Baltic countries. The PCF demands the immediate lifting of the "logic of sanctions". A week before the expulsions, the PCF had called for a diplomatic conference between Russia and the EU member countries in order to come up with a global regulation of the tensions. See the link for the full text.
The Pole of Communist Renaissance in France (PRCF) condemns the Russophobic hysteria. Claiming that there is no need to idealize Vladimir Putin in order to oppose the belligerence of Euro-Atlantic governments, the PRCF compares extensive governmental spendings for imperialist war projects with the dismantling of public services and social gains. The PRCF calls for workers to reject marching towards a probably third and last imperialist world war. It emphasizes that in their struggles the defense of peace must be associated with the defense of popular gains. See the link for the full text.


At the IUCN World Parks Congress 2014 in Sydney, Australia the connections between human health and nature were profiled like never before. The topic had an entire stream dedicated to it – Improving Health and Wellbeing: Healthy Parks Healthy People.
The proceedings of the stream have been recorded and compiled into a comprehensive report that offers an excellent overview of recent research and examples of Healthy Parks Healthy People and other similar approaches to park management in use around the globe.
The innovative approaches and recommendations of the stream, as well as research and diverse case studies, provide a useful guide to the Healthy Parks Healthy People approach and current practices.


James Gunn has been a very important figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2014, launching one of the most unexpected and incredible series within the franchise with Guardians of the Galaxy. He followed it up in 2017 with the equally successful Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but now it appears that his time working with Marvel Studios has come to an end. According to reports, James Gunn will no longer be writing and directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as I've developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.
As we learned last year, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was going to be the last movie in the series directed by James Gunn, though it wasn't going to be the end of his relationship with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Instead, he was set up to be a very important figure in the future of the cosmic side of things, developing the future of the movies set to take place in outerspace. Obviously that will no longer happen, and it's unclear at this point if Marvel Studios will specifically find a filmmaker to replace him in that role. It is also unknown if the production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will continue to use the script written by Gunn, as the writer/director just recently completed a draft.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is still targeting a release date at some point in 2020, and production is still expected to start up at the beginning of 2019. We will continue to follow this development, so stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for the latest updates regarding the project.


text:
Q: Disable Download Prompt Selenium Python Firefox I want to auto-download a CSV file without the download prompt. My code works until the prompt pops up. The button I click on to get the CSV uses Flash. I've got enable flash working.
mime_types =
"application/csv,application/vnd.adobe.csv,application/vnd.fdf,
application/vnd.adobe.xdp+xml,application/vnd.adobe.csv,"
os.environ['MOZ_HEADLESS'] = '1'
fp = webdriver.FirefoxProfile()
fp.set_preference('dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.libflashplayer.so','true')
fp.set_preference("plugin.state.flash", 2)
fp.set_preference("browser.preferences.instantApply",True)
fp.set_preference("browser.helperApps.neverAsk.saveToDisk", "text/plain,
application/octet-stream, application/binary, text/csv, application/csv,
application/excel, text/comma-separated-values, text/xml,
application/xml")
fp.set_preference("browser.helperApps.alwaysAsk.force",False)
fp.set_preference("browser.download.manager.showWhenStarting",False)
fp.set_preference("browser.download.folderList",0)
browser = webdriver.Firefox(firefox_profile=fp)

The solutions in this question have not helped. I think this may be do to it being an older version of firefox I'm currently using 68. That question is over 2yrs old. No matter what solution I try I still get the download prompt. I have a workaround where I send the enter key and it works but when I try to use task scheduler to run the script it messes up. I think it is because the task scheduler windows stays on top.


Chronic Heel pain that just won't go away? New research is now leading to more success!
Massage with a frozen water bottle.
Plantar fasciitis (commonly referred to as a heel spur) is a very common injury, that will affect up to 10% of the population at some stage during their life.
Those people who have this condition understand the pain that occurs every morning when they place their foot on the ground and hobble through to the kitchen or bathroom. Alarmingly it is not unknown to see clients that have had this condition for up to 2-4 years!
A recent scientific study has suggested that a strength program focusing on improving the strength of the foot musculature and actually improving the capacity of the plantar fascia to absorb load can be more effective in reducing pain when compared to a stretching program.
To understand this we will take a step back.
A recent understanding from tendon pain may be applicable to the management of plantar fasciitis. The concept of "mechanotherapy" in which a progressive strengthening exercise program can improve the capacity tissues (such as the plantar fascia or tendons) to tolerate workload.
What often occurs in this injury is that the capacity of the plantar fascia to absorb "load", such as the forces associated with walking or running becomes less than the capacity required for these tasks.
Sometimes it is important to take a short break from activity that aggravates the condition. However complete rest for an active person or an athlete is not sufficient to fix the problem.
Whilst rest will assist decreasing workload and likely decrease pain, continued rest will reduce the workload capacity of the tendon. This is a familiar concept; you don't use it, you lose it.
Rest for lengthy periods will reduce the capacity of the tissue further. As such when you wish to return to activity, the tissue capacity will be less than what it was previously and pain may return.
ULTIMATELY THE TISSUE NEEDS TO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TOLERATE THE WORKLOAD YOU WANT IT TO PERFORM.
This is where the new research conducted by Michael Rathleff is important. In these cases of heel pain that won't resolve it is often crucial to improve the capacity of the tissues in the foot to tolerate the demands that you place on them.
This is an innovative way of managing these types of conditions that regularly provides significant improvement. However, a word of warning, the exercise program must be individual and set at your level for the current ability of your tissues.
Unfortunately when attempting to condition the body to improve muscle size or the capacity of the tissues, it can take work and time. Often it takes 2 weeks for you to see improvement, 4-6 weeks for you to see marked improvement and 8-12 weeks before everyone can see your improvement.
Take charge and start your road to recovery with a thorough assessment from our expert Physiotherapists at Back On Track Physiotherapy.
Reference: Rathleff, M, Moolgard, Fredberg, U. et al., (2015). High load strength training improves outcome in patients with plantar fasciitis, A Randomized controlled study with 12 month follow-up. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and science in sports, vol. 24 pp, 292 – 300.


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Karim Huseyn oglu Mammadbeyov (, ; 27 March 1899 – 7 September 1938) was a Soviet Dagestani politician, social activist and revolutionary who participated in the Bolshevik movement in Dagestan and served in various government positions from 1921 to 1937.

Early life
Karim Mammadbeyov was born in the village of Yersi in the historical region of Tabasaran to an ethnic Azeri family of Mammad Huseyn Mammadbeyov, an office clerk, and his wife Seyid-Qayabika.

In 1915, while attending a Realschule in Derbent, Karim Mammadbeyov began attending revolutionary lectures and joined the Communist Party (at the time called the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party) in April 1917. In September 1917, he commenced his undergraduate studies at the University of Kazan, but the events following the October Revolution forced him to go back to Dagestan in early 1918. He actively participated in the events held by the Hummat party. After the British occupation of Dagestani ports, Mammadbeyov was delegated to Astrakhan to work with local Muslim labourers. He participated in active fighting in Dagestan until February 1919, when his was disbanded to due heavy losses to typhus. He received the Order of the Red Banner in 1922.

Political career
After the establishment of the Soviet power in the North Caucasus, Mammadbeyov was appointed head of the Dagestani Extraordinary Commission (Cheka) and well as People's Commissar (Minister) of Internal Affairs of Dagestan. In the next nine years, he served as Dagestan's People's Commissar of Finance and Head of the Dagestan Regional Branch of the State Political Directorate. In 1931, he was elected Chair of the Council of People's Commissars of Dagestan and served in that position until 1937.

While serving in that position, Mammadbeyov effectively suppressed anti-Soviet movements in Chechnya and Dagestan and trained native Dagestanis in civil service, which experienced severe shortage in local cadres. During his term, the first medical, pedagogical and agricultural speciality schools, the Kumyk national theatre, the Dagestan Song and Dance Ensemble, the Folk Instruments Orchestra of Dagestan and the Writers' Union of Dagestan were established.

On 27 September 1937, in the midst of the Stalinist purges, Mammadbeyov was removed from his position, expelled from the Communist Party and arrested as an "enemy of state" based on false allegations, accused of being an accomplice to "bourgeois nationalists". He was not shown the arrest warrant until his third month in custody and the case protocol was completed only five and a half months later. Mammadbeyov was executed by firing squad on 7 September 1938 in Moscow.

Personal life
From 1925, he was to married Lyubov Erlich, a fellow revolutionary and participant of the Russian Civil War in Dagestan. She was arrested together with her husband and sentenced to eight years in labour camps allegedly for supporting Trotskyism. Their son Harun was arrested in 1938, but acquitted soon afterward. He fought in the Great Patriotic War as a volunteer and died in the Battle of Moscow in 1941. Erlich-Mammadbeyova was released in 1948, having served her sentence, and died in 1988 in Moscow.

References

Dagestani politicians
1899 births
1938 deaths
Azerbaijani people of Dagestani descent
Soviet Azerbaijani people
Great Purge victims from Russia
Executed Azerbaijani people

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


DALLAS, Nov. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Making it easier for developers to connect sensors from a gateway to the cloud, Texas Instruments (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) today introduced Ethernet connectivity to the SimpleLink™ microcontroller (MCU) platform, a single hardware, software and tool platform for wired and wireless MCUs. The new SimpleLink MSP432™ Ethernet MCUs are based on a high-performance 120-MHz Arm® Cortex®-M4F core with an integrated MAC and PHY, helping accelerate time to market for grid infrastructure and industrial automation gateway applications. For more information, see www.ti.com/simplelinkethernet-pr.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 28th, 2017 at 8:19 am and is filed under Advertiser, News.


text:
Invasive species are the greatest threat to Australia's biodiversity after habitat loss. Once established, invasive species can alter an ecosystem and reduce local biodiversity. New species may be competitors, disturbers, consumers, or prey. They can cause local extinctions through predation, competitive exclusion, niche displacement and altered genetics of native species. The Swan Canning Riverpark is widely affected by affected by introduced weeds, fish and invertebrates.
A weed is an alien or introduced plant that is invasive. Weeds on the foreshore and in the water can be a serious problem for the Swan Canning Riverpark, competing with local plants for space and light. They usually don't suffer from pests or diseases, and animals may not feed on them, so they spread easily. They can overtake the natural vegetation, reducing native species diversity and habitat value.
Foreshore weeds mostly come from nearby gardens, farmland and market gardens. Seeds are blown or washed into bushland near streams and into drains leading to streams. Birds can introduce them in droppings and people often thoughtlessly dump garden waste containing seeds, bulbs or cuttings in bushland near the river.
Aquatic weeds may clog the waterway with their own biomass or by causing sediment build up. Stagnant waters are more likely to be deprived of oxygen, causing the death of aquatic life. Habitats for birds and other animals may be lost, recreational areas ruined and irrigation pumps clogged with plant material.
Invasive fish species Swan Canning Riverpark include pearl cichlids (Geophagus brasiliensis), goldfish (Carassius auratus), koi carp (Cyprinus carpio), mosquito fish (Gambusia holbrookii), silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus), spangled perch (Leiopotherapon unicolour) and redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis). Their introduction and spread can cause problems in waterways as they flourish, breed and compete with native species.
Introduced fish can:
establish feral populations that compete for food such as crustaceans, insects and plants, or feed directly on native fishes, causing native species to decline
become aggressively territorial, reducing available habitat for native fish and other water dwelling animals, and exhibit aggressive behaviors – such as fin nipping – that can seriously injure or kill native fish
introduce parasites and spread disease that may affect native fish and other freshwater animal life
alter habitats by digging in riverbeds, uprooting plants and muddying the river: this can increase the level of nutrients in the water and may lead to excessive algae growth
The Department of Fisheries is the lead agency for managing feral fish.
Many exotic fish common in the aquarium trade are hardy and have wide environmental tolerances and will survive and thrive in our local waterways. Pearl cichlids (Geophagus brasiliensis), a popular aquarium fish native to coastal rivers of Brazil and Uruguay, were first found in the Bennett Brook in March 2006 and are now well established in the upper Swan and Canning rivers.
Introduced invertebrates
Three invertebrate species introduced to the Swan Canning Riverpark are described here.
The Australian mud whelk (Batillaria australis) is a large marine snail with a persistent shell that disturbs soil and sediment and is widely distributed at a very high abundance. It is likely to be impacting the ecology and biogeochemical cycling of the river.
The Asian paddle crab (Carybdis japonica), also known as lady crab, is a swimming crab native to South East Asia (normally found in the waters of Japan, Korea and Malaysia) typically found in estuaries. It is not known to have established in Australian waters. Four individuals have been found in the lower Swan estuary since 2012.
The white sea squirt (Didemnum perlucidem) is an invasive colonial tunicate that has established sustaining populations around a number of ports in Western Australia. It remains listed as a marine pest and suspected and confirmed detections should be reported so its distribution can be tracked. Growth of this species appears to be highly seasonal. It can grow very fast in favourable conditions and is known to foul mussel beds and artificial structures. In the Swan Canning Riverpark it has been observed fouling seagrass meadows.
Managing invasive fauna
In Western Australia, the Department of Fisheries is the lead agency responsible for responding to and managing invasions of introduced fish and invertebrates. Actions are often a cooperative approach between the departments of Parks and Wildlife, Fisheries and Water, local government authorities and other major stakeholders.
The community's help is needed to curb the spread of invasive species in the Swan Canning Riverpark and the wider catchment.
The Department of Fisheries has launched a Don't Dump that Fish campaign to promote awareness of the damage aquarium species can cause if they are released.
You can also join in the fight against aquatic pests by reporting sightings of Asian Paddle Crab, the White Sea Squirt and other unwanted species. Download the PestWatch app.
Downloads and further reading
Introduced Marine Species in Western Australia (Department of Fisheries) - information on invasive species in the lower Swan Canning estuary
National System for the Prevention of and Management of Marine Pest Incursions - how to protect the Riverpark from invasive species
Parks and Wildlife's role in managing weeds in Western Australia
Pearl cichlid fact sheet104.29 KB
Assessment of the distribution and population viability of the pearl cichlid in the Swan River Catchment931.15 KB
Don't Dump that Fish brochure (Department of Fisheries)
Keeping fish as a hobby (Department of Fisheries)
Watch the Don't dump that fish video on YouTube, produced with funding from the State NRM office and in partnership with the departmenst of Fisheries and Parks and Wildlife
Australian mud whelk fact sheet99.55 KB
Drift algae, invasive snails and seagrass health in the Swan River: patterns, impacts and linkages4.93 MB - a brief report on ecological interactions of Batillaria australis
Asian paddle crab pest alert (Department of Fisheries)
Public engagement for the detection of the introduced marine species Charybdis japonica in Western Australia - details the situation prior to detection of the final Asian paddle crab specimen
White sea squirt information and potential control methods (Department of Fisheries)


Prevatte's Home Sales is proud to offer a wide selection of popular modular home floor plans by Holmes Building System - a North Carolina home builder!
Take a look at the following series of HBS floor plans (click to enlarge the picture), or let us help you customize a plan to suit your specific living needs!
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text:
Le Requiem des abysses est un roman à suspense de Maxime Chattam paru en 2011 chez Albin Michel.

Ce roman constitue le second volet d'un « Diptyque du temps », dont le premier volume est Léviatemps.

Résumé
À la suite des événements narrés dans Léviatemps, l'écrivain Guy de Timée et la prostituée Faustine se sont réfugiés dans un château du Vexin, non loin de La Roche-Guyon. C'est alors qu'un crime horrible est commis dans les environs, tandis que des événements mystérieux se produisent en marge des cercles ésotériques parisiens.

Éditions
Édition imprimée

Livre audio

Liens externes

Roman de Maxime Chattam
Roman policier français
Roman français paru en 2011
2011 en littérature policière
Thriller (roman) français


The National Council of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), will hold a crucial meeting tomorrow [Wednesday], over the row between two of the party's party bigwigs, Otiko Afisa Djaba and Bugri Naabu.
The two have been bickering in the past few days, exchanging abusive words on various media platforms in what many have described as a serious blot on the government's image.
Mr. Naabu in a subsequent media interview caused a stir when he reportedly suggested that Otiko Djaba was involved in the murder of the former NPP Upper East Regional Chairman, Adams Mahama.
A Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Obiri Boahen, told Citi News the development was 'unfortunate'.
He said tentatively, the Council has not invited the two individuals at the centre of the issue to the meeting.
The National Council is the second highest decision-making body in the party after Congress.


This quick, encouraging overview will help you get past the self-doubt that creeps into our psyches when we are under stress and not making as much progress as we hoped. Failure is only defined by our values and belief systems – and everyone operates under a different set of these. A Life Journey is no different than an Innovation Journey – we will stumble, make mistakes and have set-backs. It's all part of learning, growing, and achieving our goals.
Listen-in to learn more to help you avoid the fear, frustration and failure of your innovation initiatives.
Well, yes, what they said is true – the people they are hiring are smart and talented, but what they don't see is that many of them fear failure and that ONE thing will jeopardize the best innovation efforts.
Fear of failure stops us from doing the things that can move us forward to achieve our goals. While fear itself can sometimes be beneficial when it comes to self-preservation, fear of failure does us no good in the modern business world, yet It's all around us. Maybe you had a bad experience once before and it was so traumatic that you choose not to do it again. Perhaps it was a speaking engagement that went poorly and that fear is preventing you from taking another speaking engagement in the future. Or maybe you didn't grow up in a supportive environment at home and it's just hard for you to trust co-workers to help on a project, so you go it alone. Or maybe you have low self-esteem or get caught in the downward spiral of self-doubt and find yourself using negative statements like "I'll never be good enough to get that promotion" or "I'm not smart enough to get on that team" so you just never try.
Every one of us has experienced a Fear of Failure moment – some more than others. It can stunt a company's growth if you don't have the right people with the right personality and vision in positions that are directly accountable for innovation and growing your business.
So where did this "Fear of Failure" come from? If you went to traditional school, then you have definitely been trained to fear failure from an early age. Here's why: Getting the "right" answer the first time is the only thing that is rewarded in most schools. Getting the wrong answer is punished in a variety of ways: low grades, scolding, those disappointing looks from teachers, as well as being teased by other students. And what's really sad is that you've been trained to fear failure for 12 straight years!
When it comes to starting a business or growing a business, any successful entrepreneur will tell you that the fastest way to succeed is to jump in, make things happen, and be OK with failing repeatedly. "Fail fast and fail often" is a saying you've probably heard in entrepreneurial circles, yet failing is still not commonly accepted as a prerequisite for success.
When we start our innovation journey, failure is not an option, it's a reality. We may have some preconceived notions on what a potential customer is going to like, only to find in the concept screening that they never wanted that new product in the first place. We see this happening in the statistics – 85% of new products fail each year. And this has got to make corporate executives in charge of innovation efforts nervous because there's too much at stake both personally and professionally. Being a champion of a big idea that fails in the marketplace can become a career-killer in the current corporate environment. And a failed initiative does NOT achieve the original goal of the project – which is to make money – and this can be a bit of an embarrassment to the corporation as well as a red flag for shareholders.
For some companies, having a vendor as a scapegoat seems to be the more attractive reason to have a consultant, rather than what I believe is the bigger benefit – BETTER IDEAS WITH A BETTER CHANCE OF SUCCESS ON THE SHELF. I know for a fact that experienced innovators who skillfully make the most of collaboration and insights have a higher new products' success rate than any other process out there. Plus, there is a fearlessness about innovation consulting firms. We know all too well how to plan for a successful up-front journey. So let's put the odds of success in your favor and eliminate that fear of failure. You can do this by collaborating with internal teams to develop ideas, or collaborating with your agency partners and outside vendors – like an innovation firm – to provide a fresh perspective, along with new approaches to create a portfolio of profitable ideas. This is the win-win that everybody wants.
Thanks for listening. If you like what you've heard please go to iTunes and subscribe to the Innovation Café podcast. And while you're at it, please give me a Rating & a Review. This will make it easier for other listeners to find this podcast. Plus, you'll be automatically entered to win a $25 gift card to Target or Starbucks. We will be announcing a winner each month for at least 3 months to celebrate the launch of Innovation Café.
And make sure you tune in next week where we will be discussing Creative Thinkers versus Critical Thinkers in the innovation process. Until then, I'm wishing you blue skies and great ideas!


Okay, I'm sort of anti-trend, but my pro-sweets feelings are much stronger and thus cancel out my maltrend feelings.
1.) Cupcakes provide a socially acceptable way to serve and eat cake without any utensils or dishes. Anytime, anywhere you can eat clean food, it is reasonable to eat a cupcake.
2.) The plate of five (mini) cupcakes in the photo above was my third-ish trip to the table at a cupcake buffet I attended a couple of years back. My third trip was not my last trip. However, do to their small size, I didn't look like a total pig. Cupcakes mask gluttony.
3.) It is increasingly becoming the norm to top cupcakes with a glop of frosting the size of a kitten. This more than compensates for the lack of corner pieces.
4.) Unlike other treats, they don't melt. If your cupcake is my favorite of white cake and white frosting, it's barely messy at all.
5.) They come in many delicious flavors and with/without filling.
I quite possibly had a field trip to a local cupcake joint this evening.