When you're shopping for life insurance, there are many variables that can determine which plan is right for you.
If you currently don't have life insurance, or if you're one of the 30% of Americans who have life insurance, but say they need more, then you know how challenging picking the right plan can be.
The good news is, there are some parameters that can make choosing from among life insurance quotes a much easier process.
Wherever you stand on the purchasing spectrum, these handy comparison tools will help. Then, you can feel confident that no matter which plans you pick –it's the right one for you and your family.
Before we begin talking about how to compare quotes, let's back up just a bit and talk about Life Insurance 101.
You've heard about life insurance, and you know you need it for long-term protection, but do you know how it works?
In a nutshell, life insurance is an account you pay into while you're living, that's paid out upon your death. It helps protect your dependents financially when you're gone and can be used to pay for everything from your funeral expenses to your children's college tuition.
Yet, while the concept sounds simple, life insurance quotes are a far cry from one-size-fits-all.
Let's take a look at some things to consider when you begin shopping around.
The first thing you'll need to decide when you begin comparing life insurance quotes is whether you want term life insurance or permanent life insurance.
Term life insurance provides coverage for a set number of years (usually 10, 20, or 30). If you die within the time period, your beneficiaries receive the death benefit, which typically equals the amount of the premium you've paid.
With term life insurance, you're essentially just paying down your death benefit, and only for a set number of years. Thus, the initial payment is lower.
In comparison, premiums paid on permanent life insurance are used to fund the death benefit, and to accrue cash value. Therefore, they typically come at a higher price.
Because term life insurance is only paid into for a set number of years, it can be especially beneficial to people in their early family years, such as couples with young children.
This is because, if one spouse dies, the other is left not only caring for himself or herself, but for family, with such financial responsibilities as college payments, weddings, and more.
Do you have a big expense coming up in the next 20 years or so? If so, term life insurance may be for you. When that timeframe is up and your policy expires, you'll always have the option to reevaluate your policy and switch to another if you desire.
This is a policy that guarantees financial protection for your lifetime, as long as you make the required payments.
There are breakdowns within the permanent life insurance umbrella, including whole life insurance, universal life insurance, variable life insurance, variable universal life insurance, and survivorship life insurance. Here's a handy guide to the main types.
For simplicity's sake let's focus on one of the most prominent types: whole life insurance.
Whole life insurance is a form of permanent life insurance that has a set premium you pay into every year and accumulates tax-deferred cash value.
A whole life insurance policy purchased by a young person in good health will come at a lower premium than one purchased by someone older. With set payments, this option could save money over the course of a lifetime.
However, keep in mind that premiums paid for permanent life insurance can be significantly higher than those paid for term-based plans.
If you want to be 100% certain that your death benefit will be extended to your beneficiaries when you die, this option might appeal to you. Term life insurance requires that you die within the set timeframe for such benefits to be extended.
This policy type allows you to accumulate cash value as you pay your premium. If you need to access that cash as a loan, it's there when you need it.
The next step in comparing life insurance quotes is to determine how just how much coverage you and your family will need.
To do so requires adopting a long-term perspective. It's not enough to simply consider your current circumstances. You must also look at what you want in the future, and what your long-term goals and objectives include.
Step 1: Figure out your immediate obligations.
Simply put, if you died today, how much would your family need to survive? Key figures to include in this calculation include your mortgage, childcare, outstanding medical bills, and current college costs.
Step 2: Think about the future.
How much money will your family need to comfortably survive without you, not just immediately, but for a long time into the future? There are many tools and calculators designed to help you determine this number.
While you'll be left with a figure that should give you an approximate idea of how much coverage you'll need, keep in mind that for the most part, these are estimates.
Industry recommendations point to leaning toward a little more life insurance than you think you'll need, to account for any unforeseen expenses or circumstances.
Once you've determined which policy type best fits your needs and how much coverage you'll need, your next step in comparing you life insurance quotes is to determine their true price.
If all you had to go on were the premium payments, this would be an easy comparison. Term life insurance payments are typically cheaper, as they only cover a set period of time.
Yet, it's not that simple. To see how much each policy is truly worth, you must consider the entire cost of the plan over the course of time.
For example, money paid into a policy today is worth one amount, but over the course of a lifetime or even a decade, that worth can (and will) change.
So how do you know how much you're really paying? Check your insurance ledger statement.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) requires that life insurance companies provide you with two interest-adjusted cost indexes, which show the adjusted price of your policy depending on when your payments are received.
One is your net payment cost index. This reveals how much your policy will cost per year, on average, as you continue to pay into it. It's calculated by taking into account your premiums paid annually and your dividends received, then adjusting for interest.
This is a helpful resource, especially if you're primarily interested in a number of death benefits the policy you're considering will provide.
Overall, the rule of thumb is that the lower the net payment cost interest, the lower the policy is overall.
The other index is your surrender cost index. This index, used for permanent life insurance policies, reveals how much you'd stand to make if you surrendered your permanent policy in the future, and claimed your cash value.
This index will be especially important to you if you're looking at life insurance as an investment.
Another important piece of financial information to ask for when shopping around life insurance quotes is a cost disclosure form.
Mandated by the Department of Insurance, this form outlines all related costs and fees of the policy, accounting for changes in the time value of money. This form can be especially useful when you're comparing your policy in question against other plans.
It's true that not all life insurance quotes are created equal. In fact, almost none of them are.
However, navigating the diverse and complex world of life insurance doesn't have to be a solo effort.


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RPM Package Manager (RPM) (originally Red Hat Package Manager, now a recursive acronym) is a free and open-source package management system. The name RPM refers to the  file format and the package manager program itself. RPM was intended primarily for Linux distributions; the file format is the baseline package format of the Linux Standard Base.

Although it was created for use in Red Hat Linux, RPM is now used in many Linux distributions such as PCLinuxOS, Fedora, AlmaLinux, CentOS, openSUSE, OpenMandriva and Oracle Linux. It has also been ported to some other operating systems, such as Novell NetWare (as of version 6.5 SP3), IBM's AIX (as of version 4), IBM i, and ArcaOS.

An RPM package can contain an arbitrary set of files. Most RPM files are "binary RPMs" (or BRPMs) containing the compiled version of some software. There are also "source RPMs" (or SRPMs) containing the source code used to build a binary package. These have an appropriate tag in the file header that distinguishes them from normal (B)RPMs, causing them to be extracted to /usr/src on installation. SRPMs customarily carry the file extension ".src.rpm" (.spm on file systems limited to 3 extension characters, e.g. old DOS FAT).

History
RPM was originally written in 1997 by Erik Troan and Marc Ewing, based on , , and  experiences.

 was written by Rik Faith and Doug Hoffman in May 1995 for Red Hat Software, its design and implementations influenced greatly by , a package management system by Faith and Kevin Martin in the fall of 1993 for the Bogus Linux Distribution.  preserves the "Pristine Sources + patches" paradigm of , while adding features and eliminating arbitrary limitations present in the implementation.  provides greatly enhanced database support for tracking and verifying installed packages

Features
For a system administrator performing software installation and maintenance, the use of package management rather than manual building has advantages such as simplicity, consistency and the ability for these processes to be automated and non-interactive. rpm uses Berkeley DB as the backend database although since 4.15 in 2019, it supports building rpm packages without Berkeley DB (–disable-bdb).

Features of RPM include:
 RPM packages can be cryptographically verified with GPG and MD5
 Original source archive(s) (e.g. , ) are included in SRPMs, making verification easier
 Delta update: PatchRPMs and DeltaRPMs, the RPM equivalent of a patch file, can incrementally update RPM-installed software
 Automatic build-time dependency evaluation.

Local operations
Packages may come from within a particular distribution (for example Red Hat Enterprise Linux) or be built for it by other parties (for example RPM Fusion for Fedora Linux). Circular dependencies among mutually dependent RPMs (so-called "dependency hell") can be problematic; in such cases a single installation command needs to specify all the relevant packages.

Repositories
RPMs are often collected centrally in one or more repositories on the internet. A site often has its own RPM repositories which may either act as local mirrors of such internet repositories or be locally maintained collections of useful RPMs.

Front ends
Several front-ends to RPM ease the process of obtaining and installing RPMs from repositories and help in resolving their dependencies. These include:
 yum used in Fedora Linux, CentOS 5 and above, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and above, Scientific Linux, Yellow Dog Linux and Oracle Linux
 DNF, introduced in Fedora Linux 18 (default since 22), Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, AlmaLinux 8, and CentOS Linux 8.
 up2date used in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS 3 and 4, and Oracle Linux
 Zypper used in Mer (and thus Sailfish OS), MeeGo, openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise
 urpmi used in Mandriva Linux, ROSA Linux and Mageia
 apt-rpm, a port of Debian's Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) used in Ark Linux, PCLinuxOS and ALT Linux
 Smart Package Manager, used in Unity Linux, available for many distributions including Fedora Linux.
 , a command-line utility available in (for example) Red Hat Enterprise Linux
 , for Sailfish OS

Local RPM installation database
Working behind the scenes of the package manager is the RPM database, stored in . It uses Berkeley DB as its back-end. It consists of a single database () containing all of the meta information of the installed RPMs. Multiple databases are created for indexing purposes, replicating data to speed up queries. The database is used to keep track of all files that are changed and created when a user (using RPM) installs a package, thus enabling the user (via RPM) to reverse the changes and remove the package later. If the database gets corrupted (which is possible if the RPM client is killed), the index databases can be recreated with the  command.

Description
Whilst the RPM format is the same across different Linux distributions, the detailed conventions and guidelines may vary across them.

Package filename and label
An RPM is delivered in a single file, normally with a filename in the format:
 for source packages, or
 for binaries.
For example, in the package filename , the  is , the  is , the  is , and the  is .
The associated source package would be named

RPMs with the  extension do not depend on a particular CPU architecture. For example, these RPMs may contain graphics and text for other programs to use. They may also contain shell scripts or programs written in other interpreted programming languages such as Python.

The RPM contents also include a package label, which contains the following pieces of information:
 software name
 software version (the version taken from original upstream source of the software)
 package release (the number of times the package has been rebuilt using the same version of the software). This field is also often used for indicating the specific distribution the package is intended for by appending strings like "mdv" (formerly, "mdk") (Mandriva Linux), "mga" (Mageia), "fc4" (Fedora Core 4), "rhl9" (Red Hat Linux 9), "suse100" (SUSE Linux 10.0) etc.
 architecture for which the package was built (i386, i686, x86_64, ppc, etc.)

The package label fields do not need to match the filename.

Library packaging
Libraries are distributed in two separate packages for each version. One contains the precompiled code for use at run-time, while the second one contains the related development files such as headers, etc. Those packages have "-devel" appended to their name field. The system administrator should ensure that the versions of the binary and development packages match.

Binary format
The format is binary and consists of four sections:
 The lead, which identifies the file as an RPM file and contains some obsolete headers.
 The signature, which can be used to ensure integrity and/or authenticity.
 The header, which contains metadata including package name, version, architecture, file list, etc.
 A file archive (the payload), which usually is in cpio format, compressed with gzip. The  tool enables retrieval of the cpio file without needing to install the RPM package.
 The Linux Standard Base requires the use of gzip, but Fedora 30 packages are xz-compressed and Fedora 31 packages might be zstd-compressed. Recent versions of RPM can also use bzip2, lzip, or lzma compression.
 RPM 5.0 format supports using xar for archiving.

SPEC file
The "Recipe" for creating an RPM package is a spec file. Spec files end in the ".spec" suffix and contain the package name, version, RPM revision number, steps to build, install, and clean a package, and a changelog. Multiple packages can be built from a single RPM spec file, if desired. RPM packages are created from RPM spec files using the rpmbuild tool.

Spec files are usually distributed within SRPM files, which contain the spec file packaged along with the source code.

SRPM
A typical RPM is pre-compiled software ready for direct installation. The corresponding source code can also be distributed. This is done in an SRPM, which also includes the "SPEC" file describing the software and how it is built. The SRPM also allows the user to compile, and perhaps modify, the code itself.

A software package could contain only platform independent scripts. In such a case, the developer could provide only an SRPM, which is still an installable RPM.

NOSRC
This is a special version of SRPM. It contains "SPEC" file and optionally patches, but does not include sources (usually because of license).

Forks
, there are two versions of RPM in development: one led by the Fedora Project and Red Hat, and the other by a separate group led by a previous maintainer of RPM, a former employee of Red Hat.

RPM.org
The rpm.org community's first major code revision was in July 2007; version 4.8 was released in January 2010, version 4.9 in March 2011, 4.10 in May 2012, 4.11 in January 2013, 4.12 in September 2014 and 4.13 in July 2015.

This version is used by distributions such as Fedora Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux and derivatives, openSUSE, SUSE Linux Enterprise, Unity Linux, Mageia, OpenEmbedded, Tizen and OpenMandriva Lx (formerly Mandriva).

RPM v5
Jeff Johnson, the RPM maintainer since 1999, continued development efforts together with participants from several other distributions. RPM version 5 was released in May 2007.

This version is used by distributions such as Wind River Linux (until Wind River Linux 10), Rosa Linux, and OpenMandriva Lx (former Mandriva Linux which switched to rpm5 in 2011) and also by the OpenPKG project which provides packages for other common UNIX-platforms.

OpenMandriva Lx is going to switch back to rpm.org for 4.0 release.

OpenEmbedded, the last major user of RPM5, switched back to rpm.org due to issues in RPM5.

See also

 Autopackage — a "complementary" package management system
 Delta ISO — an ISO image which contains RPM Package Manager files
 dpkg — package management system used by Debian and its derivatives
 List of RPM-based Linux distributions
 pkg-config — queries libraries to compile software from its source code

References

External links
 RPM.org project home page
 RPM and DPKG command reference
 The story of RPM by Matt Frye in Red Hat Magazine
 How to create an RPM package
 Video tutorials for Building and Patching the RPMs
 RPM Notes - Building RPMs the easy way
 Packaging software with RPM, Part 1: Building and distributing packages
 Learn Linux, 101: RPM and YUM package management

Archive formats
Free package management systems
Linux package management-related software
Red Hat software

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


provides stability to the soil of a landscape bed.
Soil Health– Pine Straw decomposes relatively quickly, providing nitrogen richnutrients to plant life.
Weed Suppression – The stringy characteristics of Pine Straw act as a great weed barrier when applied at a good depth.
Visually Appealing – The essence of a natural landscape look, with a rich golden hue.


Does Your Family Worship God Together?
We recently celebrated singlehood, which is not always thought of as a gift by you who are currently single. This may sound trite, but be encouraged to live life "to the full" as you fulfill God's purpose. Follow in the steps of Jesus!
Now we'll look at families. Joshua said to the children of Israel "if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Jos. 24:15. The children of Israel responded several times "we will serve the Lord," but Joshua told them "You cannot serve the Lord. Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel."
One more note to fathers (or to the single mothers among us.) It is your responsibility to lead your family in worship; you are not called to be a great singer, speaker, or reader, but you are called to worship God with your family. Fathers, you may worry that you are not good enough to lead your wife and children in worship. Maybe your wife is "more spiritual"? Face that fear and deal with it, man. The Holy Spirit wants you to seek your Father with your whole heart, and on the way you are called to model to your children the life of a repentant believer. Your greatest strength may be found in worshiping God with your wife and children; your purpose in life will be made more clear as you accept this God-given task!


text:
Home Technology Maruti Alto 800 test drive, review and video
Maruti Alto 800 test drive, review and video
It's not everyday that you get to test a car that's likely to be a surefire best-seller, but that's just what this is – a first drive of Maruti's all-new Alto 800, a car that in all probability will start life at the top of the sales charts.
The new Alto is a car Maruti has poured its heart and soul into to get right. What the company wants is continuity and progress. It wants the Alto 800 to take off from where the current Alto stands today, and for that Maruti's designers have given it an identity that is instantly recognisable.
So there's an overriding feeling of familiarity as you walk upto the car. The compact dimensions, the high-mounted headlights and the thick 'C' pillar at the rear of the car tell you this is an Alto instantly. But the new bits stand out as well. The new two-part grille is attractive, the high-mounted petal-shaped headlights stand out, there's a hint of a chin spoiler, which looks sporty, and the wheel arches are mildly flared as well. Unlike the earlier car, this one is mildly tipped forward too, adding to that sporty feel. The design is familiar around the back, but here too there are fresh new details like the crystal-like tail lights and some sculpting on the hatch that adds a spicy touch.
What makes the car look a bit awkward from some angles however is the massive ground clearance, something that just doesn't sit well with the compact dimensions. The conservative Alto 800 however is likely to appeal to a wider audience than Hyundai's overtly styled Eon, which draws polarised opinion.
The new Alto 800 is built on the same wheelbase as the earlier car and plenty of suspension bits are carried over, but the structure has been heavily modified to make it stiffer. Maruti's engineers have concentrated on keeping it light too. The roof, for example, is made of thinner steel, but has corrugations for added rigidity.
The biggest change however is in the cabin. There's an all-new and more contemporary-looking dash, with a strong 'V' around the centre console, and plastic quality has been improved considerably. There are plenty of silver accents in the cabin, and there's a horizontally aligned bottle holder placed ahead of the gear lever, which is quite innovative.
The inclusion of new slimmer seats means there is marginally more space for passengers but this is a car that's hard to get comfortable in. The small front seats with their integrated headrests, for example, lack decent back support and the rear-seat back isn't too comfortable either. Space is also only marginally better than the current car, which means it's very cramped, especially in the rear. The moulded roof lining and fully clad pillars however improve the ambience of the cabin tremendously.
There are big changes under the bonnet as well. Maruti may continue to call this 800cc motor the F8D but changes made are quite far-reaching. There are new short skirt pistons, the compression ratio of the engine has been increased and the air inlet system has been made longer. Torque as a result is 11 percent better, and you can feel it.
Push down on the accelerator and the Alto 800 sets off in a much more determined manner. Responses at low engine speed have always been a strength of this motor, and now it's better. You don't need to rev hard to get a move on and you can upshift quite early, so overtaking is not as much a challenge as before. At very low revs, there's a jerky throttle action, which is typical of other Maruti motors as well and hence driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic is not very smooth. Out on the highway, the improved motor feels more eager thanks to improved performance at the top end of the rev range. In fact, there's a sporty note at higher revs and the engine doesn't feel as thrashy as before.
The gearbox too has been improved over the earlier car with a new cable type shifter. The gearshift is fairly smooth but it still doesn't have the precision or crisp action of more contemporary competition.
The ride is simply outstanding for such a small car and it copes admirably well with everything that's thrown at it. The Alto 800's tall springs and 80 profile tyres absorb potholes and ruts with ease but as expected, the Alto 800 is never as well settled as a bigger car. There is always a nervous bit of vertical movement when the road gets uneven, but it's not to the point of being uncomfortable.
When it comes to driving pleasure the Alto 800 really won't excite you. There's no excess of power for one, and the handling is pretty soggy too. The steering feels a bit vague, especially around the straight-ahead position, and the car doesn't like to be cornered hard. But then, the kind of person who is buying this car isn't going to really care.
The new Alto 800 may not have the same modern feel as the Hyundai Eon but certainly feels a generation ahead of the previous Alto with better interiors, dynamics and performance. It's a claimed 15 percent more efficient than the earlier car (at 22.74kpl) and it looks more contemporary too. Is that enough to keep its popularity sky-high? That will finally depend on the price. However, assuming a Rs 3.15 lakh sticker for the base, air-con-equipped version, Maruti's latest will continue to be the best-selling car on Indian soil after it goes on sale on October 16 this year.
Type 12-valve, 796cc, 3 cyl,
Power 47bhp
Torque 7.03kgm
Type Front wheel drive
Gearbox Manual, 5-speed
Tyres 145/80R12 (tubeless)
Front Gas filled McPherson Strut, Torsion Roll control device
Rear Coil spring, Gas filled shock absorbers with three link rigid axle and isolated trailing arm
Front Solid discs
Rear Drums
Detailed Maruti Alto 800 photogallery
Watch video review here
AutozMarutiTechnology
Excellent reviews.I think the Maruti Alto 800 is going to rule over the sales record as it has 800's DNA or the people's car DNA.People will sought it as their first choice in comparison to other new launches.Its booking has already crosses 10000 mark.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Anime similar to this would be 'Another'. Same sort of dark atmosphere and mystery minus the time travel.
Struggling manga author Satoru Fujinuma is beset by his fear to express himself. However, he has a supernatural ability which forces him to prevent deaths and catastrophes by being sent back in time before the incident occurred, repeating time until it is prevented. One day, he gets involved in an incident that has him framed as a murderer. Desperate to save the victim, he sends himself back in time only to find himself as a grade-schooler one month before fellow classmate Kayo Hinazuki went missing. Satoru now embarks on a new quest: to save Kayo and solve the mystery behind her disappearance.


16.Jun.2009 | Thanks for visiting Groovelab Recordings.
Finally you can get new and previously Groovelab tracks online. We made sure all previously released Groovelab EP's are remastered and sound as good as possible.


text:
Пауль Ахатиус фон Пфицер (12 сентября 1801, Штутгарт — 30 июля 1867, Тюбинген) — германский , , ,  и , брат поэта Густава Пфицера.

Биография

С 1807 по 1819 год учился в штутгартской гимназии, затем изучал право в Тюбингенском университете, где также слушал лекции по философии и естественным наукам.

С 1823 по 1826 год работал секретарём в вюртембергском министерстве внутренних дел; затем сдал квалификационный экзамен и стал юстиц-асессором и позже оберюстиц-асессором в Тюбингене, однако в 1831 году был уволен с государственной службы за сочинение «Briefwechsel zweier Deutschen» (Штутгарт, 1831; 2-е издание — 1832), в котором он проповедовал присоединение к Пруссии как единственную надежду немецкой нации; работал адвокатом и научным журналистом.

В конце 1831 года Пауль Пфицер был избран членом второй палаты; позже был председателем торгового суда в Штутгарте. В 1833 году был избран от Тюбингена в ландтаг Вюртемберга, где заседал до 1838 года и был одним из лидеров оппозиции; 1846 году занял должность помощника мэра города. В 1848 году был в мартовском кабинете министром школ и церкви (с 9 марта по 13 августа), но по болезни вышел из состава кабинета. С 1851 по 1858 год был придворным советником в Тюбингене, затем вышел в отставку по состоянию здоровья. В 1864 году был награждён Орденом вюртембергской короны.

Сочинения Пфицера, по мнению ЭСБЕ, отличались «изяществом изложения и сильной диалектикой». Наиболее известные работы: «Gedanken über das Ziel und die Aufgaben des deutschen Liberalismus» (Тюбинген, 1832); «Ueber die Entwickelung des öffentlichen Rechts in Deutschland» (Штутгарт, 1835); «Das Recht des Steuerverwilligung» (там же, 1839), «Gedanken über Recht, Staat und Kirche» (сборник публицистических и философских статей, Штутгарт, 1842), «Zur deutschen Verfassungsfrage» (там же, 1862).

Примечания

Литература

Ссылки
 Статья в ADB

Немецкие писатели


text:
Burundi's finest specialty coffee thanks to Ngogomo's outstanding work
10 April, 2020 | Coffee
Burundi's finest specialty coffee
The History of Ngogomo CWS
Ngogomo CWS Today
Harvest & Post-harvest
Quality is the objective
Production controls
Coffee in Burundi
Sobre Bugestal
Toffee, plum, lychee
Muyinga
1,689 masl.
Red Bourbon
Smalholders
There are 1,802 smallholders living around Gasorwe, Burundi who deliver their cherry to Ngogomo Central Washing Station (CWS). In addition to operating nine washing stations in Burundi and processing excellent coffee, Bugestal is also working with communities to increase farmer livelihoods and general equality in coffee producing areas.
The story of coffee production on Ngogomo hill begins with a fisherman. The fisherman had made his livelihood catching fish in a stream near the location where the station is located today. When the fish disappeared, the fisherman, unable to find a reason or solution to the problem of the disappearing fish, switched to coffee farming.
Coffee farming proved to be a more stable profession, especially considering the ideal climate and soil composition, which produced high quality cherry. Many of the neighbors of the farmer–turned–fisherman decided to follow suit and began farming their own coffee trees. The successful story of his coffee plants and the good quality of the cherries around the area meant that the people living nearby also started to grow coffee trees.
Ngogomo is one of the main stations in the province of Muyinga, It was constructed in 1992 and today serves more than 1,800 farmers on 18 hills.
The station is overseen by sustainability and CWS manager Severin Nizigiyimana. With 10 fermentation tanks, 3 soaking tanks, 258 drying tables, 4 selection tables and 10 floating tanks the station can process up to 1,500 metric tonnes of cherry each season.
The processing season runs from April to June. Ngogomo CWS also participates in a number of farmer outreach and support projects include a goat and pig project, Farmer Hub, strengthening cooperatives and distributing fertilizer and coffee trees.
All coffee trees in Burundi are Red Bourbon, which is tightly controlled by the government for reasons of quality. Because of the increasingly small size of coffee plantings, aging rootstock is a very big issue in Burundi.
Many farmers have trees that are over 50 years old, but with small plots to farm, it is difficult to justify taking trees entirely out of production for the 3-4 years it will take new plantings to begin to yield.
In order to encourage farmers to renovate their plantings, Bugestal purchases seeds from the Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU), establishes nurseries and sells the seedlings to farmers at or below cost. In 2018, their first year growing seedlings, Ngogomo CWS produced 72,377 seedlings.
Despite the ubiquity of coffee growing in Burundi, each smallholder producers a relatively small harvest. The average smallholder has approximately 250 trees, normally in their backyards.
Each tree yields an average of 1.5 kilos of cherry so the average producer sells about 200-300 kilos of cherry annually.
Before Bugestal erected the washing station, farmers and their families de-pulped cherries at home. The labour required was significant. Ngogomo CWS saves families valuable time while offering good prices for their cherry.
The average cherry buying price for Bugestal in 2019 was significantly above average. CWSs make the first payment to farmers between 15-30 June.
The second payment comes later in the summer. If the coffee wins a competition or sells for extremely high specialty prices, Bugestal gives another payment approximately a year after the harvest season.
During the harvest season, all coffee is selectively hand-picked. Most families only have 200 to 250 trees, and harvesting is done almost entirely by the family. Bugestal knows that even small distances can be time consuming and expensive to travel for smallholder farmers, and they know that receiving cherry immediately after harvest is crucial to quality.
Therefore, smallholders can bring their cherries either directly to a central washing station (CWS) or to one of the 10-15 collection sites situated throughout growing areas.
Farmers are paid the same for their quality cherry regardless of where they bring their cherries. In this way, farmers are not disadvantaged due to their location, and Bugestal bears the cost of transport to CWS's.
Approximately 70% of the total coffee yield in Burundi is processed as fully washed, like this lot. Quality assurance begins as soon as farmers deliver their cherry.
All cherry is floated in small buckets as a first step to check its quality. Bugestal still purchases floaters (damaged, underripe, etc) but immediately separates the two qualities and only markets floaters as B-quality cherry.
After floating, the higher quality cherry is sorted again by hand to remove all damaged, underripe and overripe cherries.
After sorting, cherry is de-pulped within 6 hours of delivery. During pulping, cherry is separated into high and low grade by density on a Mackinon 3-disc pulper outfitted with an additional separation disk.
The coffee is then fermented in water from a nearby stream for 10-12 hours, depending on ambient temperature. Trained agronomists check the beans by hand regularly to ensure fermentation is halted at the perfect time.
After fermentation is completed, coffee is run through washing and grading canals. As the beans flow through, wooden bars that are laid across the canal prevent beans of specific densities from passing through. These bars are spaced across the channel.
While the first blockade stops the most-dense beans, the next is arranged to stop the second most-dense beans and so on. In total, the channel separates beans into seven grades according to density.
The beans are then transported to the drying tables where they will dry slowly for 2-3 weeks. Pickers go over the drying beans for damaged or defective beans that may have been missed in previous quality checks. The beans are covered with tarps during periods of rain, the hottest part of the day and at night. On the table, the beans are dried to 11.5%.
Once dry, the parchment coffee is then bagged and taken to the warehouse. Bugestal's team of expert cuppers assess every lot (which are separated by station, day and quality) at the lab. The traceability of the station, day and quality is maintained throughout the entire process.
Before shipment, coffee is sent to Budeca, Burundi's largest dry mill. The coffee is milled and then hand sorted by a team of hand-pickers who look closely at every single bean to ensure zero defects.
It takes a team of two hand-pickers a full day to look over a single bag. UV lighting is also used on the beans and any beans that glows—usually an indication of a defect—is removed.
The mill produces an average of 300 containers of 320 bags per year. Budeca is located in Burundi's new capital city, Gitega, with a population of around 30,000 people.
Since there are approximately 3,000 people working at the mill, mostly as hand pickers, this means that Budeca employs nearly 10% of the total population in Gitega for at least half the year (during the milling season).
The same is true in the provinces of Ngozi and Kayanza, where Greenco and Bugestal are the first employers in the region during the coffee harvest season.
This has an incalculable impact on a country like Burundi, with unemployment rates above 50%, especially in rural areas and among young people.
Coffee arrived in Burundi during the 1940s with the Belgian colonial government.
The Belgian government, which oversaw and administered to the twin territory of Ruanda-Burundi between 1922 and 1962, made coffee growing mandatory during their rule. When the Belgian government withdrew, many stopped tending their trees because it was no longer compulsory.
However, many also saw the economic advantages of continuing to grow coffee, and the industry became central to Burundi's national economy.
The coffee industry in Burundi remained in the public sector until the start of the 21st century, when the government privatized some elements of the coffee chain. As a result of this relatively recent change, there are very few foreign companies involved in Burundi's coffee sector.
Today, Burundi's coffee industry is fueled by the 2 million smallholders producing more than 80% of the country's total coffee export.
To put this number in perspective, consider that the entire population of Burundi is only a little under 11 million people, so smallholder coffee producers comprise nearly a fifth of the total population.
As Carlos Bobillo Barbeito, Managing Director at Greenco & Bugestal in Burundi says, "The country lives off coffee; everyone has someone who lives off coffee…It's the backbone of the economy."
All coffee trees in Burundi are Arabica. There was an attempt to introduce Robusta into Burundi with the establishment of a large plantation. The plantation was destroyed during a civil war and unrest near the end of the 20th century.
Bugestal's headquarters are located in Ngozi Province in the Northern part of Burundi, approximately 150km from Bujumbura, the largest city and previously the capital of Burundi.
Bugestal operates nine washing stations in Ngozi and Muyinga provinces and works with more than 15,000 farmers. Coffee washing stations are all certified by UTZ, 4C and C.A.F.E.
Bugestal is part of the Sucafina Group, a family owned coffee company promoting farm-to-roaster trade.
Bugestal creates social impact at origin using farm-direct supply chains and works in collaboration with the Kahawatu Foundation to help farmers improve their livelihoods through the increase of coffee production.
Direct trade with Rodolfo Ruffatti from Finca el Salvador
New seasonal espresso from Chontalí in Peru
Ineffable Coffee by LITTLE
Kangurumai a volcanic coffee from Muranga
Sweet and tropical natural processed coffee by Romario Umaña
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Antequera, a city located on the main crossroads of Andalusia, has been, and is currently, the mandatory passage of travelers of all times.
Enjoy the maximum comfort of a hotel in Antequera, with always friendly and professional attention, all near the Caminito del Rey.
Enjoy a hotel in Antequera with a golf course, spa and adaptable spaces for holding events. From the Hotel Antequera you can explore the natural wonders and historical gems of one of the most beautiful cities of Malaga, declared World Heritage by UNESCO. An essential place in Andalusia.
Minimum 2 nights if the stay passes through Saturday.
Sorry, the Celebrate Valentine's in Antequera pack is no longer available so we've forwarded you to a similar one. Alternatively please use our spain golf holiday search page or check some of the offers on our home page.


Starfleet Intelligence was a branch of Starfleet responsible for gathering and analyzing information concerning neighboring powers in the galaxy, and for carrying out covert investigations regarding possible threats to Earth and, later, the Federation.
This prohibition might have stemmed from the repeated insistence of Gene Roddenberry, "Our people are explorers and scientists – THEY DON'T GO SNEAKING AROUND!!!" Not everyone agreed, but this edict did lead to the Second Treaty Of Algeron with the Romulans, of which "The Pegasus" made the first known mention, constituting an agreement on the UFP's part not to develop cloaking technology.
According to several novels, including The Lost Era series of novels, Uhura was recruited for Starfleet Intelligence shortly after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, eventually rising to the rank of admiral and serving as head of Intelligence.


We need Medical, Dental, Vision, and General Volunteers for each of our clinics.
1. See our list of upcoming clinics to find when we're next in your area.
2. Read the below descriptions to see what area you can help in.
3. Sign up for our email list below to make sure you never miss another opportunity.
4. Join us at our office or the clinic in your area!
5. Tell your friends and share your experience on social media.
Our dental section aims to take patients out of pain, remove infection and put patients on the path to better oral health. We provide the tools, supplies and personal protective equipment you require so all you need to do is show up and provide life changing care! See the individual clinic page for more information.
While we do always have a place at our clinic for postgraduate dental students, pre-dental are limited to non-clinical tasks. Dental schools and volunteer groups, should contact info@healingcaliforniacharity.org to find out more.
Our vision section provides eye exams, glasses fabrication and dispensing to our patients on site. To make it easier for the patients we serve, we generally try to dispense during the event. Our finishing equipment produces custom single vision glasses on site and we team with the Essilor Vision Foundation for any glasses that need to be sent off site.
We are in need of optometrists, ophthalmologists, ophthalmic techs, dispensing opticians and vision labs. While pre-optometry students are welcomed, they are limited to fabrication and dispensing.
Please sign up for volunteer email updates at the bottom of this page or visit our upcoming clinic pages so you never miss a volunteer opportunity.
Medical professionals serve in our triage sections. You will be taking patient histories, vitals and making sure our patients are healthy enough to receive services.
Registered Nurses, LVN's, EMT's and other medical professionals are needed for this section. The requirements for other medical volunteers vary by the demands of the individual clinic.
Please sign up for volunteer email updates at the bottom of this page so you never miss a volunteer opportunity.
You don't need to be a trained professional to be a vital part of the Healing California volunteer team. There are a variety of tasks that general volunteers can help out with at a clinic.
Because we are a healthcare organization, certain general volunteer roles are restricted to those with appropriate training. However, from setting up equipment to helping with patient registration, there's a role for a variety of skill-sets within our clinics. There are a number of roles that do not require training or experience but still give you an important, hands on role.
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text:
Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism
Country Reports on Terrorism
Country Reports on Terrorism 2007 (html format)
Chapter 2 -- Country Reports: South and Central Asia Overview
Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
"May I emphasize, ladies and gentlemen, that we were the prime victim of terrorism and terrorism was never, nor is it today, a homegrown phenomenon in Afghanistan. Therefore, this threat can only be overcome if addressed appropriately across its regional international dimensions.…Recognizing that constructive regional cooperation is vital to a successful counterterrorism strategy, we proposed the holding of Joint Peace Jirgas between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and we were pleased for the support that this initiative has received from our friends in the international community."
–Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Statement, 62nd UN General Assembly, New York
Terrorism remained a serious problem in the region, directly and indirectly threatening American interests and lives. Increasingly, South and Central Asian terrorists expanded their operations and networks across the region and beyond. To varying degrees, U.S. cooperation with regional partners on counterterrorism issues continued to increase, but much is left to be accomplished.
Despite progress in Afghanistan, the Taliban-led insurgency remained strong and resilient in the South and East. Although the insurgency absorbed heavy combat and leadership losses, its ability to recruit foot soldiers from its core base of rural Pashtuns remained undiminished.
Pakistan continued to suffer from rising militancy and extremism. The United States remained concerned that the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan were being used as a safe haven for AQ terrorists, Afghan insurgents, and other extremists.
Terrorists staged numerous attacks in India and continued to foment terrorist ideology. India continued to rank among the world's most terror-afflicted countries. Terrorists, separatists, and extremists took more than 2,300 lives this year. Although clearly committed to combating violent extremism, the Indian government's counterterrorism efforts were hampered by its outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems.
Neighboring Bangladesh continued to arrest extremists, but porous borders and internal political strife threatened the progress made against violent extremists. Although the Caretaker Government made a concerted effort to crack down on corruption and address the root causes of violent extremism within its borders, mistrust between Bangladesh and India stymied potential counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries.
In Sri Lanka, both the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government engaged in numerous violations of the 2002 Cease-fire Agreement that left more than 5,000 people dead since hostilities started again in 2006. The LTTE reverted to targeting civilians in bus bombings and claymore mine attacks, while the government used anti-LTTE paramilitaries to terrorize citizens suspected of having ties to the Tigers. Both the LTTE and armed groups allied to the government engaged in wide-spread human rights abuses including extra-judicial killings, abductions, and extortion.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) briefly entered into a coalition with the government in the spring, withdrew from the coalition in September, and rejoined the government in December. The Maoists continued to engage in violence, extortion, and abductions, and tensions remained high throughout the year. Various separatist groups fought with the government as well as with each other as crime, abductions, and general lawlessness were evident throughout Nepal.
A sustained commitment to counterterrorism by Central Asian states resulted in relatively few terrorist attacks. With U.S. support, Central Asian states have undertaken to improve the capabilities of their border forces and build new border posts to impede terrorist movements and interdict drug smuggling, some of which financed terrorism in the region. The sheer length of the border and local corruption remained obstacles in Central Asia's efforts to control its borders, however. More widely, popular grievances over governance and poor economic growth enhanced the conditions that terrorists and other extremists could exploit to recruit and operate in some parts of the region, such as the Ferghana valley.
Central Asia's most significant terrorist organizations include the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and a splinter group, the Islamic Jihad Group (IJG). However, radical extremist groups such as Hizbut-Tahrir (HT) foment an anti-Semitic, anti-Western ideology that may indirectly generate support for terrorism. HT, an extremist political movement advocating the establishment of a borderless, theocratic Islamic state throughout the entire Muslim world, has followers in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and elsewhere. The United States has no evidence that HT has committed any acts of international terrorism, but the group's radical anti-American and anti-Semitic ideology is sympathetic to acts of violence against the United States and its allies. HT has publicly called on Muslims to travel to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight Coalition Forces.
Afghanistan struggled to build a stable, democratic, and tolerant government in the face of vicious attacks by the Taliban and related groups on Coalition Forces, civilians, international NGOs, and other soft targets, most notably through suicide bombings. Supported by the international community, the Afghan government has made suppression of terrorism and establishment of effective law-enforcement mechanisms a high priority. The Afghan government reached out to neighboring Pakistan through a Joint Peace Jirga to find ways to root out economic and social factors contributing to terrorism. Reconciliation of low- and mid-level insurgents remained a high priority, and the Program for Strengthening Peace and Reconciliation (PTS) has brought in over 5,000 Taliban and other insurgents who have wearied from the violence and lack of opportunity offered by extremism. The Government of Afghanistan was exploring additional efforts to strengthen and expand PTS reconciliation efforts.
The Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups (DIAG) program, the follow-on to the earlier Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program, has disbanded 161 illegal armed groups and collected almost 36,000 weapons in 62 districts since its inception in March 2005. In April 2007, in an effort to achieve greater local government support, DIAG began offering development assistance to qualifying districts. DIAG operations expanded, intensifying efforts to build political will at the provincial and local levels to target the more threatening illegal armed groups.
In 2006, the Combined Joint Task Force (then CJTF-76), which had led the Coalition Forces' campaigns against terrorism, turned this responsibility over to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The ISAF used a combination of effective counterinsurgency means and methods, including synchronized use of combat (air and ground forces) and non-combat means (building civil governance and aiding reconstruction and development) to fight terrorism, extremism, and attempts to undermine the constitutionally constituted government. The careful targeting of insurgent leaders and insurgent centers, and proactive operations against them, were aimed at eliminating terrorists and facilitating the flow of reconstruction and development. The increasingly professional and effective Afghan National Army (ANA), and to a lesser extent, the Afghan National Police (ANP), more often took the lead in counterterrorism operations and cooperated closely with the United States. In December, the ANA combined with UK and U.S. forces to retake the Taliban-held town of Musa Qala in southern Helmand Province.
New integrated civilian-military counterinsurgency approaches in the east, particularly Nangarhar, have begun to yield successes. Despite progress, the Taliban-led insurgency remained a capable, determined, and resilient threat to stability and to the expansion of government authority, particularly in the Pashtun south and east. The insurgency continued to suffer heavy combat losses, including senior leaders, but its ability to obtain AQ support and recruit soldiers from its core base of rural Pashtuns remained undiminished. Taliban information operations were increasingly aggressive and sophisticated.
Streams of Taliban financing from across the border in Pakistan, along with funds gained from narcotics trafficking and kidnapping, have allowed the insurgency to strengthen its military and technical capabilities. At a Joint Peace Jirga held in August, Pakistani President Musharraf acknowledged that support to the Afghanistan insurgency was being provided from within Pakistani territory.
The Taliban continued to target police, police recruits, government ministers, parliamentarians, civil servants, and civilians, including urban crowds, in numerous violent incidents. Having increased the use of improvised explosive devices, suicide bombings became both more numerous and more costly in terms of innocent lives lost. According to media reports of UN- compiled figures, terrorists launched approximately 140 suicide bombing attacks this year, inflicting large numbers of civilian casualties.
Terrorists, often supported by criminal gangs, have also increasingly turned to kidnapping foreigners, most notably the July abduction of South Korean missionary aid workers. This kidnapping was an attempt to extort ransom as well as to make a political point; the Taliban killed two hostages before releasing the remaining 21 after talks with the Afghan and South Korean governments.
Insurgents also targeted international NGOs, UN workers, and recipients of NGO assistance. They attacked teachers, pupils (especially girls), and schools. They also threatened and often brutally killed those who worked for religious tolerance, including ex-insurgents, tribal leaders, and moderate imams, mullahs, and religious scholars. The Taliban coupled threats and attacks against NGOs with continued targeting of Provincial Reconstruction Teams, de-mining teams, and construction crews on road and other infrastructure projects.
Bangladesh continued to arrest dozens of alleged members of Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB), the banned Islamic extremist group responsible for a wave of bombings and suicide attacks in late 2005, and recovered bomb-making materials and weapons from their hideouts. The arrests, combined with the execution in March of six senior JMB leaders, appeared to have depleted the membership of the organization. Although there was speculation that JMB remnants might try to reorganize to launch a new wave of attacks, no such terror campaign unfolded.
On May 1, three small bombs went off at railroad stations in the major cities of Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet. Authorities found a message signed by "Zadid al-Qa'ida" at each of the sites threatening non-governmental agencies if they did not leave Bangladesh within ten days. The deadline passed without incident and it remained unclear who was responsible for the attacks.
Neighboring India continued to allege that the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and other anti-India insurgency groups operated from Bangladesh with the knowledge of senior Bangladeshi government officials. India also blamed the terrorist group Harakat ul-Jihadi-Islami-Bangladesh (HUJI-B) for bomb attacks in the city of Hyderabad in May and August. Bangladesh strongly denied these allegations. The absence of counterterrorism cooperation between India and Bangladesh fueled mutual allegations that each country facilitated terrorism inside the borders of the other.
Bangladesh's caretaker government pledged to pass a series of amendments that would strengthen Bangladesh's Anti-Money Laundering Act and a draft Anti-Terrorism Act, but failed to do so by the end of the year. The legislation would help Bangladesh enter Egmont, the international body of Financial Intelligence Units that plays a critical role in fighting terror financing.
The caretaker government took a strong stance against corruption and arrested many leading politicians and businessmen on graft charges. The United States launched a $20 million, five-year anti-corruption program in Bangladesh to further transparency and good governance efforts, necessary foundations for counterterrorism activity.
U.S. and Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies cooperated well on several cases related to domestic and international terrorism. The United States continued to fund Antiterrorism Assistance programs for Bangladeshi security forces. Bangladesh also continued cooperation with the United States to strengthen control of its borders and land, sea, and air ports of entry.
India continued to rank among the world's most terror-afflicted countries. The conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, attacks by extreme leftist Naxalites and Maoists in eastern and central India, assaults by ethno-linguistic nationalists in the northeastern states, and terrorist strikes nationwide by Islamic extremists took more than 2,300 lives this year. The Indian government's counterterrorism efforts remained hampered by outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems. The Indian court system was slow, laborious, and prone to corruption; terrorism trials can take years to complete. Many of India's local police forces were poorly staffed, lacked training, and were ill-equipped to combat terrorism effectively.
The Indian government accused Islamic extremists for the following terrorist attacks:
The February 19 attack on the Friendship Train service between New Delhi and Lahore, Pakistan that killed dozens;
The May 18 bomb blast at the Mecca Masjid (Mosque) in Hyderabad that killed eleven;
The August 25 nearly simultaneous explosions on at an amusement park and a market in Hyderabad that killed dozens;
The October 11 blast at a Sufi mosque in Ajmer, Rajasthan, that killed three;
The October 14 explosion in a cinema in Ludhiana, Punjab, that killed seven; and
The November 23 three simultaneous explosions on in judicial complexes in Lucknow, Varanasi, and Faizabad (all in Uttar Pradesh) that killed 13.
These attacks, which killed and injured both Muslims and Hindus, were probably conducted by extremists hoping to incite anger between the Hindu and Muslim communities. Indian officials claim that the perpetrators of these attacks have links to groups based in Pakistan and Bangladesh, particularly Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami, among others.
These groups also have links to terrorist activity in Jammu and Kashmir. The number of civilians killed were approximately half of that in the previous year. In May, the Indian government acknowledged that the level of infiltration across the Line of Control had fallen, but noted that insurgents had in some case shifted routes to enter India through Bangladesh and Nepal. Attacks in Kashmir continued. For example, on October 11, two civilians and five soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device (IED), and on July 29, six people were killed when a bomb exploded on a tourist bus.
The Government of India is very concerned with the threat from leftist extremist (Maoist or agrarian Naxalite) groups to India's internal stability and democratic culture. Leftist extremist groups were very active in wide areas of impoverished rural eastern and central India, and also operated in parts of southern India. Hundreds of people were killed in conflicts between the government and various leftist extremist groups, such as the Naxalites and the Communist Party of India; Maoists (CPI-Maoists) and the government; and between the groups themselves. There were at least 971 Naxalite attacks in the first seven months of the year, approximately equal to that of the entire previous year. Leftist extremists were highly active across a wide swath of India, including the states of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. They were also active in some areas of Orissa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Extremists have targeted elected officials: On March 4, CPI-Maoists shot a Member of Parliament from Jharkhand and five others during a soccer game, and on August 25, leftist extremists killed the son of a former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh during a cultural performance in the city of Hyderabad. Ethnic-linguistic separatist groups were responsible for numerous attacks in Northeastern India, particularly in the states of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, and Meghalaya.
Several proscribed terrorist groups operated in the northeast, including the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and the People's Liberation Army. At least 850 died in conflicts between dozens of insurgent groups and security forces, and in conflicts between the groups.
Lack of security, remoteness, and inhospitable terrain combined to prevent the government from providing security and other basic services in many of the areas in which the leftist extremists and the northeastern separatist groups operated. Both types of groups increased the level of sophistication of attacks this year by using satellite phones and sophisticated IEDs. In some districts, they took control of a large proportion of the territory, making it impossible for government service providers to enter the area. Infighting, particularly among groups in the northeast, may have slowed the increase in the attacks, but poverty and isolation combined to make the rural, mountainous, and forested areas of India vulnerable to both the Maoists and those who claimed to be fighting for liberation in the northeast.
The United States-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group (CTJWG) has met nine times since its creation in 2000, most recently on November 28. India participated in CTJWGs with 15 other countries, and in multilateral CTJWGs with the EU and with the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, an organization that promotes economic cooperation among Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal. In October, the Indian government held the second round of consultations with Pakistan under the bilateral counterterrorism joint mechanism, and hosted a ministerial level meeting of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation on Counterterrorism.
Kazakhstan continued to aggressively combat terrorism and extremism locally and strengthened its cooperation and timeliness in sharing information with the United States. There was little movement, however, on counterterrorism legislation, and the long-delayed draft law on money laundering remained stalled in Parliament. In June, Kazakhstan hosted over 50 partners for the third meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism.
In April, authorities began Kazakhstan's first ever trial concerning the financing of terrorism. According to press reports, the trial involved two leaders of the banned East Turkistan Islamic Party and an unnamed organization in Central Asia. In April, authorities arrested approximately 20 people in Shymkent and other cities, accusing the individuals of organizing terrorist acts against Special Services' employees. In July, a trial began in the case of ten members of a radical Islamic Wahabi group suspected of organizing terrorist acts in and around Astana and Almaty. Also in July, an Almaty court sentenced ten individuals from the terrorist group Jamaat Muhadjir, who were detained in 2006, on allegations of planning a series of terrorist attacks. Nine of the individuals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to twenty-five years. According to press reports, there is one Kazakhstani national being detained in the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
The Islamic extremist group Hizbut Tahrir (HT) remained the only group designated and outlawed as an "extremist" organization under the Law on Extremism. There were several instances of arrests of individuals associated with HT, as well as the confiscation of printed materials and electronic media. In August, a closed trial began against 30 members of HT arrested in December 2006 on accusations of activities in support of a banned extremist organization, the stirring of national and religious enmity, and establishing an organized criminal group. The list of fourteen banned terrorist organizations was unchanged from 2006.1
Kazakhstan, with China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which established a Regional Antiterrorism Center in Tashkent. Kazakhstan is also a member of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasia Group, a regional anti-money laundering organization modeled on the Financial Action Task Force, with the objective of integrating Kazakhstan, Belarus, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, and Uzbekistan into the global system of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism.
The Kyrgyz Republic took political, legislative, and law enforcement steps to disrupt and deter terrorism. Since 2001, Kyrgyzstan has hosted the Operation Enduring Freedom Coalition airbase at Manas International Airport near Bishkek. In October 2006, Kyrgyzstan adopted an antiterrorism law that provided for establishment of an antiterrorism center to coordinate the activities of state agencies and facilitate international cooperation. In November 2006, President Bakiyev signed a comprehensive law on "Counteracting Terrorist Financing and Legalization (Money Laundering) of Proceeds from Crime." The law obligates financial institutions to report any suspicious activity and bank transactions that exceed the threshold of $25,000. The law also established a Financial Intelligence Service, an administrative body charged with collecting and analyzing information related to financial transactions, developing systems to prevent and detect suspicious transactions, and submitting cases to the prosecutor's office for further action.
Kyrgyzstan's military and internal forces worked to improve their counterterrorism capabilities and to expand cooperation with regional partners. Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Cooperative Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which established lists of banned terrorist groups in an effort to streamline cooperation. With U.S. assistance, the Kyrgyz National Guard opened a counterterrorism training facility. Also in December, the Ministry of Defense opened a U.S.-funded facility to house a non-commissioned officers academy.
While Nepal experienced no significant acts of international terrorism, several incidents of domestic terrorism and politically-motivated violence occurred in urban areas and in the Terai. In 2007, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists), a designated organization on the Terrorism Exclusion List (TEL), became part of the interim government. Despite ending their ten-year insurgency by signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in November 2006, and entering into the interim government in April 2007, the Maoists, the only U.S.-designated terrorist organization in Nepal, continued to engage in violence, extortion, and abductions. The Maoists withdrew their ministers from the interim government between September and December, but left their members in place in the interim Parliament. The government failed to hold the Maoists accountable for violating the peace process, and law enforcement efforts against terrorist activity were minimal. The Maoist People's Liberation Army (PLA) ostensibly settled into UN-monitored cantonments but at times attempted to circumvent the disarmament and combatant verification process. The Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League, which included former PLA members, grew increasingly prominent during the year, carrying on the Maoist militia's tactics of abuse, abduction, assassination, intimidation, and extortion in cities and villages.
Ethnic tensions increased in the southern Terai plains. From mid-January to early March, as Madhesis (Terai inhabitants culturally and linguistically close to India) protested against the failure of the interim constitution and the interim government to address their concerns, an occasionally-violent popular uprising, the Madhesi Andolan, left many dead. Over a dozen extremist groups in pursuit of independence or autonomy and some criminal elements followed the Maoist lead of "negotiation" via armed struggle. Competing factions of Madhesis clashed with each other, with the Maoists, with hill-origin Nepalis, and with police, instigating numerous strikes, demonstrations, and Indo-Nepal border road closures. The most violent of these groups were factions of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (People's Terai Liberation Front), which had broken with the Maoist-affiliated Madhesi Mukti Morcha (Madhesi Liberation Front) insurgency in 2004 in order to bring about the secession of the Terai from the rest of Nepal. The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha factions became increasingly more violent through 2007, despite splitting into five factions by the end of the year. The Maoists exacerbated bloodshed in the Terai in a scramble to regain influence it had lost in the region. On March 21, confrontation between Maoists and Madhesis at a rally in Gaur resulted in the massacre of over 25 people, most of them Maoists. The Government of Nepal largely ignored the conflict in the Terai.
Anti-money laundering legislation remained stalled in Parliament, although the government responded favorably to U.S. requests to be prepared to freeze the assets of individuals and entities involved in the financing of terrorism when or if such assets were discovered. The United States provided substantial antiterrorism assistance and training to Nepal's security forces, including courses on crisis management, post-blast investigations, and terrorist crime scene investigations.
International terror organizations, including al-Qa'ida (AQ) and its supporters, operated and carried out attacks in Pakistan. Violence stemming from Sunni-Shia sectarian strife and militant sub-nationalists also claimed civilian lives. Attacks occurred with greatest frequency in the regions bordering Afghanistan: Balochistan, the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), and the adjacent Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), but militant attacks continued to grow and target urban centers including Karachi, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi.
The trend and sophistication of suicide bombings grew in Pakistan this year. The December 27 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in a suicide bombing after a political rally in Rawalpindi, was the most prominent suicide attack. Between 2002 and 2006, the Department recorded approximately 22 suicide attacks in the country, whereas in 2007 there were over 45 such attacks. These suicide attacks often resulted in large numbers of casualties, and several occurred in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. A number of these attacks targeted well-protected government targets and made use of coordinated and complex operations, such as the November 24 and September 4 suicide attacks in Rawalpindi. On October 18, the most deadly suicide attack in Pakistan's history took place against Bhutto's homecoming procession in Karachi, killing over 130, and injuring hundreds more. In separate suicide attacks in Peshawar and Charsadda, extremists targeted Federal Minister for Political Affairs Amir Muqam in November, and former Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao in December and April; neither were killed, although there were civilian casualties.
Extremists led by Baitullah Mehsud and other AQ-related extremists re-exerted their hold in areas of South Waziristan and captured over 200 government soldiers, who were later released after a local peace deal collapsed. Earlier this year, extremists took over the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in Islamabad for a number of months until they were ousted in July during a military operation. Extremists have also gained footholds in the settled areas bordering the FATA, including Swat, Tank, and DI Khan. The Taliban broke a peace agreement between the government and local leaders associated with the Taliban, which contributed to the increase in attacks. Maulana Hasan Jan, a prominent Islamic teacher who preached against the practice of suicide bombings, was assassinated in September. Taliban-linked extremists have closed barber shops and CD and music stores that were alleged to be anti-Islamic, through a series of bombings and threats in the NWFP. A number of girls' schools have closed due to similar threats. Pakistani security forces continued to fight militant leader Maulana Fazlullah in Swat, a settled area in NWFP, after his group tried to implement Sharia law there and displaced court and law enforcement authorities. As of early December, Pakistan's military was conducting enhanced operations against Fazlullah, although Islamabad will likely continue to face challenges to its ability to enforce its writ of law there.
The government's crackdown on banned organizations, hate material, and incitement by religious leaders continued unevenly. Madrassa registration, foreign student enrollment in madrassas, and financial disclosure requirements remained a source of friction between government and religious leaders.
AQ's continued public calls for the overthrow of President Musharraf remained a threat to Pakistan, despite government efforts to eliminate AQ elements. Pakistan continued to pursue AQ and its allies through nationwide police action and military operations in the FATA and elsewhere. Despite having approximately 80,000 to 100,000 troops in the FATA, including Army and Frontier Corps (FC) units, the Government of Pakistan's authority in the area continued to be challenged. While military operations caused disruptions in militant activities, there were no reports of the government capturing or killing any senior AQ leaders. Over 1,000 Pakistani military personnel have been killed since 2001 while carrying out counterterrorist operations.
Pakistani security services cooperated with the United States and other nations to fight terrorism within Pakistan and abroad. Hundreds of suspected AQ operatives have been killed or captured by Pakistani authorities since September 2001. Close cooperation between Pakistani, British, and American law enforcement agencies exposed the August 2006 London-Heathrow bomb plot, leading to the arrest in Pakistan of Rashid Rauf and other alleged conspirators connected to the case. On December 15, 2007, Rashid Rauf escaped from police custody in Rawalpindi and remained at large. Two of the police officers guarding him were arrested and questioned.
Pakistan's leaders took steps to prevent support to the Kashmiri militancy, and the number of violent attacks in Kashmir was down by approximately 50 percent from 2006, according to public statements made by the Indian Defense Minister. Meetings in September 2006 led to the March establishment of the Anti-Terrorism Mechanism to coordinate Pakistan-India exchange of information on terrorist threats.
Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) and other Kashmir-focused groups continued regional attack planning. In 2007, Kashmir-focused groups continued to support attacks in Afghanistan, and operatives trained by the groups continued to feature in AQ transnational attack planning.
Armed conflict between the government and militant Baloch nationalists continued. Pakistani press reported that the government killed the leader of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Nawabzada Balach Marri, in November, although the details remained unclear. The BLA and its sympathizers responded with violent protests and terrorist attacks against the government leaving more than 12 dead. (Pakistan declared the BLA a terrorist organization in April 2006.)
Sectarian violence claimed hundreds of lives this year and increased since 2006, according to data from the Institute for Conflict Management. In November, more than 100 people were killed in Sunni-Shia fighting in Parachinar. In April, approximately 80 people were killed in Kurram (in the FATA), when sectarian fighting broke out after a religious procession was attacked.
In 2006, President Musharraf and governmental agencies developed the FATA Sustainable Development Program (SDP) to accelerate economic and social development and strengthen political administration and security in the region. The government created a FATA Development Authority and filled all of its executive positions in November 2006. Pakistan allocated 120 million USD in its FY-2007 budget for FATA development programming, with the bulk going to education and infrastructure projects. While capacity remained a serious challenge, the government continued to build schools, enhance security, and provide training and education.
Although Pakistan continued to work with the UNSCR 1267 Committee to freeze the assets of individuals and groups identified as terrorist entities linked to AQ and the Taliban, several UN-sanctioned entities continued to operate in Pakistan. In September, the long-awaited anti-money-laundering (AML) ordinance was adopted by presidential decree. Unfortunately, parts of the ordinance did not meet international norms and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations, particularly in the areas of designated offense categories and the statutory definition of money laundering. The AML ordinance formally established a Financial Management Unit (FMU) to independently monitor suspicious transactions.
The State Bank of Pakistan required all informal money changers (or hawaladars) to register as authorized foreign exchange dealers and meet minimum capital requirements, although enforcement was uneven. The regulation had limited success in consolidating the national foreign exchange regime, subjecting it to more stringent regulation and accounting standards. Despite government efforts, unlicensed hawalas still operated illegally in parts of the country (particularly Peshawar and Karachi). The informal and secretive nature of the unlicensed hawalas made it difficult for regulators to effectively combat their operations. Most illicit funds were transacted through these unlicensed operators.
Pakistan arrested or detained several high-profile terrorist suspects, but faced significant challenges in prosecuting such cases. The government freed 28 militants in November, three of whom were convicted on terrorism charges, in exchange for the release of 213 Pakistani soldiers held by militant commander Baitullah Mehsud. In August, the government released Muhammad Naem Noor Khan without formally charging him, even though the government claimed at the time of his arrest in July 2004 that he was a top AQ operative.
The United States and Pakistan engaged in a broad range of counterterrorism cooperative efforts including border security and criminal investigations, as well as several long-term training projects. Pakistan is the third largest recipient of U.S. military and economic assistance. (See Chapter 5, Terrorist Safe Havens (7120 Report), for further information on U.S. Assistance for Pakistan.)
Approximately 5,000 people were killed and many thousands more displaced as the conflict escalated between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Sri Lankan government took effective control of the Eastern Province in midyear, but the LTTE continued to control much of the north and carried out attacks throughout the country. The Sri Lankan Army remained deployed across the country in all areas it controlled to fight the insurgency. The Special Task Force (STF) police were deployed both in the east and in strategic locations in the west. Although a Cease-fire Agreement was nominally in effect, the level of violence rose to that associated with the period prior to the signing of the agreement in 2002.
The LTTE and government forces engaged in retaliatory attacks throughout the year. On November 28, an LTTE suicide bomber attempted to assassinate Minister for Social Services and Welfare Douglas Devananda. (This was at least the 11th attempt on the Tamil leader's life.) On the same day, a parcel bomb killed at least 19 in a shopping area in southern Colombo. The likely perpetrator was the LTTE, although there is some public speculation that this may have been a criminal, rather than LTTE, attack. Other major LTTE attacks included attacks on the Anuradhapura Air Base (October); the first-ever LTTE attacks by air of Katunayake Airport and a gas storage facility in Colombo (March), the Palaly Air Force Base in Jaffna (April), and parcel bombings of two intercity buses in southern Sri Lanka (January). Many of these attacks appeared to have been reprisals for offensive actions taken, or at least alleged to have been carried out, by the Government of Sri Lanka, such as attacks on busses and villages and the air raid on November 2 that killed LTTE political chief S.P. Tamilchelvan.
A breakaway group from the LTTE, the Karuna Faction, was also responsible for extrajudicial killings and attacks against the LTTE and its alleged civilian supporters in eastern Sri Lanka. Its former leader, Karuna Amman, was arrested in London on charges of immigration fraud in November. A rival leader, Pillayan, has since consolidated control of the Karuna faction and displaced cadres loyal to Karuna.
The government took control of Sri Lanka's eastern province by July, but was unable to move forward on elections, devolution of power, and economic development programs because of instability and the fragility of the national governing coalition. The LTTE maintained control of much of the north and retained the capacity to mount attacks throughout the country. In late November and December, government forces increased activity against targets in the north.
The LTTE continued to finance itself with contributions from the Tamil Diaspora in North America, Europe, and Australia, by imposing local "taxes" on businesses operating in the areas of Sri Lanka under its control, and reportedly by extortion operations in government-controlled areas. The LTTE also used Tamil charitable organizations as fronts for its fundraising. In November, the USG designated under Executive Order 13224 and froze the U.S.-held assets of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization, a charity associated with the LTTE. The LTTE previously used such funds for weapons purchases on the international black market and also captured arms from Sri Lankan security forces. The Sri Lankan Navy sunk three LTTE supply ships in September and another in October.
Human rights groups and other observers have accused all parties to the conflict with carrying out abductions and extrajudicial killings. The LTTE and the Karuna faction were charged with forced conscription and child recruitment. In general, the LTTE did not intentionally target U.S. citizens or assets, limiting attacks to Sri Lankan security forces, political figures, civilians, and businesses. However, attacks occurred within the vicinity of the U.S. embassy and personnel; the U.S. Ambassador was traveling in a helicopter that came under mortar fire in February. The LTTE subsequently apologized for the incident.
Sri Lankan cooperation with the FBI resulted in arrests of persons charged with material support to terrorist groups. The U.S. provided training for relevant Sri Lankan government agencies and the banking sector. The Government of Sri Lanka cooperated with the United States to implement both the Container Security Initiative and the Megaports program at the port of Colombo.
As the poorest of the former Soviet countries, the Tajik government's main impediment to counterterrorism remained its lack of resources. The government, particularly the Border Guards, lacked appropriate technical equipment, personnel, and training to effectively interdict illegal border crossings and to detect and analyze hazardous substances. As a result, Tajikistan could serve as a transit country for extremists and terrorists traveling to and from Afghanistan and Pakistan. The United States and other donors assisted the government of Tajikistan to secure its 1400 kilometer porous border with Afghanistan.
Assistance included a $5 million U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) radio program to improve Border Guard communications capability. DOD held four Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) sessions with Tajikistani security forces to improve their capacity to conduct counterterrorism operations. The U.S. Embassy administered training which included chemical weapons response and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) detection training. These programs will help Tajikistan stop potential terrorists who may attempt to cross the Tajikistani border, and will enable Tajikistan to better control its borders.
Tajikistan endorsed the joint U.S.-Russia co-chaired Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. In November, it hosted a regional conference to discuss with its neighbors more effective cooperation to counter WMD proliferation. The Tajikistani government also participated in regional security alliances, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Since September 11, 2001, the Government of Tajikistan has allowed its airspace to be used for counterterrorist actions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Tajikistan prohibited extremist-oriented activities and closely monitored groups it listed as terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and Hizbut-Tahrir (HT). The Government of Tajikistan believed that HT, in particular, was active in the northern part of the country. Analysts believed that supporters of terrorist groups such as al-Qa'ida and the IMU were active in the region this year.
The Government of Tajikistan did not provide safe haven for terrorists or terrorist organizations. However, the country's poor economic climate and repressive government policies to restrict Islamic religious practice provided conditions that religious extremists could exploit. Events occurred in Tajikistan that may have been terrorism-related. A small bomb exploded outside the Supreme Court on June 17, causing no injuries or serious damage, and another bomb detonated at a conference hall on November 14, killing one person. These incidents remained under investigation at year's end.
Under the guise of fighting extremism, the Government of Tajikistan has taken increased measures against opposition parties in the country, particularly the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), the only legal Muslim opposition party in Central Asia.
Turkmenistan's longtime president, Saparmyrat Niyazov, died in late December 2006, and it remained too early in the presidency of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to assess any change in the government's counterterrorism policy. The Government of Turkmenistan, while generally supportive of counterterrorism initiatives, increasingly was viewing counterterrorism through a domestic security lens and was receptive to international counterterrorism initiatives as they related to the country's effort to prevent terrorist activity on its own soil. The government cooperated with a variety of international organizations and partner countries in conducting counterterrorism training events for government personnel, including, for example, canine bomb detection training and professional seminars on terrorism and security studies.
While the government continued to strictly control access into and passage through Turkmenistan at official border crossings and along main roads, clandestine passage was still possible due to long and porous borders that stretch across mountain and desert terrain, as well as the small size and uneven quality of Turkmenistan's border guard and customs services. Turkmenistan's law enforcement and security agencies exert stringent security control over all aspects of society making it unlikely that Turkmenistan could easily be used as a terrorist refuge. The Government of Turkmenistan strictly controlled religious expression, and radical or extremist forms of Islam were not tolerated.
The government maintained a military-style counterterrorism unit with hostage rescue and explosives threat management capability, as well as a Department for the Prevention of Terrorism and Organized Crime in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Government of Turkmenistan continued to support humanitarian assistance related to the War on Terror and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The government entered the names of individuals and organizations on terrorist financing lists into its banking system.
The Government of Uzbekistan did not provide safe haven for terrorists or terrorist organizations and continued to work aggressively to combat terrorist groups and other suspected Islamic radicals. Nevertheless, widespread poverty and the government's repressive security policies created conditions that religious extremists could exploit. In the past, Uzbekistan's porous borders, particularly in the Ferghana Valley, allowed for people and illicit goods to move in and out of the country with relative freedom. The government responded to these threats with impressive tightening of border controls, especially in the Ferghana Valley and increased its cooperation with Kyrgyzstan. It did not, however, systematically address the conditions terrorists might exploit to gain popular support and recruits for their cause.
Supporters of terrorist groups such as the Islamic Jihad Group (IJG), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), the IMU-affiliated East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and other al-Qa'ida (AQ)-affiliated groups were active in the region, and terrorist groups in the region continued to target both the Government of Uzbekistan and western interests. Members of these groups expressed anti-U.S. sentiments and some have attacked U.S. interests in the past, including a 2004 suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent conducted by the IJG. USG personnel and facilities continued to operate at a heightened state of alert.
In contrast with 2005, when the Government of Uzbekistan ended virtually all counterterrorism cooperation with the United States, there were a few modest steps in resuming cooperation. In November, the government of Uzbekistan extended for another year a protocol giving over-flight rights to commercial aircraft contracted by the Department of Defense, and permitted several over-flights of such aircraft in 2007.
Tashkent hosts the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) Regional Antiterrorist Structure (RATS), which said it had both facilitated combined counterterrorism exercises among SCO member states and begun work on developing a coordinated terrorist database. Uzbekistan is also a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which said it held counterterrorism exercises and made progress in coordinating counterterrorism efforts.
Nonetheless, the Government of Uzbekistan did not participate fully in the SCO or CSTO exercises. The government increased its participation in counterterrorism-themed UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) programs, and took part in two out of three regional terrorism prevention activities organized by UNODC.
1 The list of Kazakstan's fourteen banned terrorist organizations included al-Qa'ida, the East Turkistan Islamic Party, the East Turkistan Liberation Organization, the Kongra Gel/Kurdistan Workers' Party, Asbat al-Ansar, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Taliban, Aum Shinrikyo, the Boz Gurd, Jamaat of Central Asian Mujahadins, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, the Social Reform Society, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and its splinter group, the Islamic Jihad Group.


The current state of business in the world is one of rapid change and companies are opening up a new front in global competition. The 10th ICSI & GCSI event will publicise theoretical and technological advances in all aspects of systematic innovation, which include but are not limited to product, process, and service innovations. The conference will contain plenary speeches/tutorials by world-renowned researchers/practitioners and parallel technical sessions. It will foster networking and collaboration among the participants to advance theories and practices as well as to identify significant trends for innovation in the digital era.
Providing a platform for research, development, and promotion of innovation methods, tools, systems, and applications.
Integrating various innovation-related methods such as systematic innovation, TRIZ, deBono methods, biomimicry, analysis of Intellectual Properties, etc., for synergetic usage.
Providing in-depth training/consultation/database/tools/knowledge in the fields related to innovation methods.
Organizing related experts and organizations for win-win collaborations.
State-of-the-art keynotes, tutorials, and invited special speeches by world-class speakers, including Professor Jonathan Linton (the Editor-in-Chief of Technovation), Professor Andrew Lyons (the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Logistics: Research & Applications), Professor Daniel Sheu (the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Systematic Innovation, and Area editor of Computers and Industrial Engineering), Professor Darrell Mann (the Editor-in-Chief of The TRIZ-Journal, CEO of Systematic Innovation Ltd), and Professor Run Hua Tan (VP, Hebei University of Technology), etc.
Selected excellent papers will be recommended to submit toward publication in reputable journals such as Technovation, the International Journal of Systematic Innovation, the International Journal of Logistics: Research & Applications, and Engineering Design/Innovation Methods areas of Computers and Industrial Engineering. Papers are subject to peer reviews.
GCSI provides an excellent platform and global recognition for your outstanding innovation projects in the International Arena.
ICSI/GCSI provide excellent networking opportunities for researchers and practitioners to learn from one another and world-leading experts in the field related to innovation methods.
First 40 paid international registrants can enjoy a one-day free tour of beautiful Liverpool vicinity which is known as the European Culture Centre.
Participants are invited to submit manuscripts based on their conference presentations for possible publication in one of the supporting journals (based on the number of submissions and paper quality) with the intention of publishing a Special Issue that is dedicated to the 2019 ICSI conference. Only submissions that were presented at the conference by one of the authors may be invited to the Special Issue. The conference organizing committee will issue invitation letters to the best papers presented at the conference.
Researchers working in the area of innovation management from academia, industry, government and research establishments as well as doctoral students are invited to submit their abstracts/papers/projects.
Other new technologies, theories, and applications related to systematic innovation such as IP/Patent Management or Techniques, Neural Linguistic Programming, Axiomatic Design, VA/VE, Lean, 6 Sigma, QFD, etc.
Only on-time, full-paper submissions are eligible to participate in the Paper Competition and be peer-reviewed toward journal publication. To participate in the Paper Competition, choose the paper competition option and select the appropriate category in the online registration process. An international judging committee will blind review the papers for the awards.
Interested participants can download appropriate forms and submit their papers/projects on the web site or via email to icsi2019@i-sim.org with subject "2019 ICSI/GCSI Submission" and clearly state whether they want to be considered for the paper competition.


Jesus told a bunch of stories about lost stuff. Lost coins. Lost sheep. Even lost sons -- wich are called prodigles. In the end they get found and theres always a party! Even for the nawty prodigles. The moral of the story is Jesus loves you and your pets no matter what.


Hey beautiful people all over the world, it was a pleasure to explore the Porta Vescovo Dolomiti Resort in Arabba, Italy.
When you like skiing, the italian kitchen valued and you want to see a panorama which reduced to silence, you are exactly right in the Porta Vescovo Dolomiti Resort in Arabba, Italy. I recommend you to visit the Viel dal Pan Restaurant (where excellent service, a panorama for gods and good food are capitalized) and enjoyed the incredible groomed slopes (where you could make your swing).
I hope I could bring you my experiences a little bit closer about this awesome weekend!
In these case I would like to thank the ladies from PRCO Agency-Germany, Cover PR, to the Burz cottage, Cesa da Fuoch and the Viel dal Pan Restaurant.


In the retail world, price transparency is the norm. Consumers hop on sites like Amazon to shop around, read reviews, find the best deal and "Buy now with 1-Click." Should shopping for healthcare be that simple, too? As more Americans pay higher out-of-pocket costs for medical services, they're asking for prices up front more often. Here are a few ways price transparency can benefit patients and your practice, especially if you offer cash-pay services.
Help make care affordable. How do you shop for something on Amazon or any other retailer? You look for quality — and the lowest price. To compete, retailers regularly adjust their prices. Providers that offer cash-pay services like LASIK or cosmetic surgery are often faced with the dilemma of competing on price. Consider this: When your practice lays its cards on the table, you force other providers to do the same and offer comparable pricing. What if you offered an a-la-carte service menu and bundled service packages? You might also explore affordable alternative treatments with patients if alternatives exist. Show patients you're concerned about their health and their wallets.
Generate leads. Highlight financing options or even a price estimator on your website, and ask the patient for a name, email address and phone number. Lead generators serve as an open door for a more personalized connection with patients. Use these opportunities to educate your new leads about the services you offer as well as the benefits. Ask the patient about their healthcare needs and be ready to share the affordable options that can meet those needs.
Build trust. Avoid sending patients surprise bills. Transparency will help you form an honest, open relationship. Consumers want to know the cost of services in advance, so they can shop around and make the best choice for their budget and their health. If you can't provide an exact amount, at least give customers a good-faith estimate.
Transparency will give you an edge over your competition. When consumers look for healthcare costs, they're more likely to schedule with a practice that's open about its prices. Price transparency is here to stay – be a leader in the movement to serve your patients better.