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11 Robert Fitzgerald, AM – Leadership in our Church – a shared responsibility of service
Leadership in our Church – a shared responsibility of service.
The only way that I can approach this topic is from a very personal viewpoint or "a view from the pews". Leadership in our Church is an important issue that should and must engage us all. Yet, I proclaim neither special insights nor knowledge and in dealing with this topic I know that I may be out of step with many or even simply wrong. But leadership is my responsibility and it is yours. It is our collective responsibility.
The Second Vatican Council was a watershed in life of the Church inspired by the Holy Spirit, through people of courage and vision, and must remain for us a guiding light for the future of our Church throughout the world and in Australia. More than thirty years on, its relevance has grown, not diminished. Its spirit, and its messages, must be reinvigorated if our Church is to be a truly relevant Church for us and for those who will come after us. It is indeed, unfinished business.
Let us commence however by placing on record an overwhelming appreciation for the great leaders of our Church both past and present, who have allowed our Church in Australia to flourish over the last 200 years. When we look at our Church in this country, we can only be reminded of the great achievements of those who have come before us. Bishops, priests, religious and laity, together, built the Church in Australia and allowed it to flourish in all aspects of our lives and the life of the nation. In education, medicine and community services, our Church has been at the vanguard of caring and educating. As importantly, our Church has had a profound influence on the social, economic and political policies and dimensions of our community over time. The recent publication by Edmund Campion "Great Australian Catholics" illustrates to us the great depth and breadth of leadership within our Catholic community. Our Catholic leaders in all their fields of endeavour and enterprise stand as strong testimony to the vibrancy of our Church in this community and as part of the universal Church.
It is worthwhile to reflect on the changing characteristics of our Church in Australia. Campion reminds us that the initial church in Australia was a church of the laity. Without priests, our convict forebears continued the practice of the faith for almost thirty years at the start of the colony's existence. It was not until 1820 that the first official priests were appointed to the colony being Frs Therry and Connolly. In those early days the Church was kept alive by the strong traditions and heritage of faith brought to this land by those first early settlers. But they like us adapted to the demands of a new and changing world. They were not saints, but they were committed to the faith. They accepted responsibility for the faith, as we must do today.
Campion goes on to describe the transformation of the Church over time in these terms:
"Throughout the 19th Century this rich, living popular religion was transformed by the priests: so that it became the Catholicism, most of it is new until just the other day: parochial, disciplined, observant, dutiful, obedient, fearful, guilty and sin obsessed; and also celebratory, colourful, comforting, heart-stirring, intelligent, pastoral and in the best sense sacramental."
Described in another way it moved from a "frontier or colonial" Catholicism to "parished" Catholicism. Today I think it is true that in the post Vatican II era we are yet to fully understand this emerging third period. What is clear today is that in Australia we see profound changes in the nature of Catholicism in our community. Catholic schools for many has become the main connection with their faith experience, Australian-Catholics have become wealthier, more educated, more enquiring, less patient, less guilt ridden and, less observant. And yet more Australians claim themselves to be Catholics than any other religion, the numbers in our schools have continued to flourish and demand grows, the Catholic universities and theological colleges are full of laity seeking a greater understanding of the faith, the Catholic institutions delivering social aid and support have continued to grow and expand and Catholics hold senior political, business and community positions. So different from our early heritage!
Another central understanding was highlighted in the Statement of Conclusions released in 1999, following the Oceania Synod. As Fr Michael Whelan, in an article in The Mix, correctly indicated that the Statement perhaps for the first time truly articulated the nature of the Church in Australia as an egalitarian Church reflecting the nature of its people.
The Hon Sir Gerard Brennan, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, in a recent speech, said, "Egalitarianism, tolerance and freedom in combination can be identified as the most fundamental and characteristic Australian values." He went on to pose the very important question "but whom do the egalitarian Australians treat as equals". Do these values pose a threat to the Church and faith in Australia as some claim? I believe that this is not so. Rather, they provide the very basis on which the Church can be strengthened, and faith refounded in our local community. The challenge is for leadership of our Church in this nation to be able to use these characteristics to energise our Church and our faith.
Who are our Leaders?
In considering this issue it is very important to understand that we are all followers, first and foremost. From the Successor of Peter to each parishioner we are all followers of Jesus Christ as revealed to us through the Gospel message. Our first and most important commitment is therefore to be true and worthy followers. Yet we all are called to be leaders. Leadership in Church is not something restricted to His Holiness, the Magisterium, individual bishops, priests or religious. Leadership comes to all of us in different ways, at different times. It takes many different forms and carries with it many varied responsibilities. As the people of God, as Church, we each have a vitally important role in the shared leadership of our Church.
Yet the nature of that leadership, the roles and responsibilities of that leadership differ greatly. It is important to understand that leadership is contextual. Contextual as to the time and place, and the role and responsibilities that we assume. There is no one model of leadership that suits all occasions and certainly not all times. A great leader at one time may be a poor leader at another time. A strong leader in one role may be a weak leader in another. But we do have guidance that is constant, and that is the model of leadership revealed by Jesus Christ through the Gospels. This remains the touchstone for leadership of the Church, today and into the future.
That model was of a loving, engaging father, who called children to him, encouraged them to ask questions, listened, explained and taught. He did not busy himself with structures of authority, as we know them today. His leadership and authority were born out of love and service to God and to the people. Yet he was strong and clear, just and fair, forgiving and compassionate in his leadership.
But what or who is Church?
This may seem a strange question but in many ways our Church seems to constantly struggle with this question.
Cardinal Edward Cassidy, past President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said in 1999 "The Catholic Church is not a national Church, nor is it made up of national churches, but it takes root and grows in different cultures, nations and peoples – one yet rich in its diversity."
Cardinal Konig, the former Archbishop of Vienna, said:
"How can or should the present structure of command, which in the past century has become so centralised be amended or improved? A gradual decentralisation is needed so as to strengthen the concern and responsibility of the college of bishops for the whole Church, under and with the Petrine office. That was the direction specified at the Second Vatican Council. At the same time the competence of individual bishops both locally and regionally needs to be strengthened. For they are the shepherds of their local Churches, the vicars of Christ in their own dioceses. That is why Vatican II described the Church as a communion of local churches."
As Fr Michael Whelan pointed out:
"The Second Vatican Council, in fact, gave no single image of the Church. It did, however, as Cardinal Konig implies here, begin to point to "communion" and "community" as terms of significance, emphasising collegiality, subsidiarity and the primacy of people over the law and structure, using terms like "people of god" and "pilgrim people" and recalling that it is the Sacrament of Baptism that gives us all, equally, our Christian identity."
In the Apostolic Exhortation "Eccelesia in Oceania" 2001 Pope John Paul II said,
"…complemented and illustrated in the understanding of the Church as the People of God and the community of disciples. Church as communion recognises the basic equality of all Christ's faithful lay, religious and ordained. The communion is shaped and enlivened by the Holy Spirit's gifts of offices and charisms."
Our Church is indeed the people of God. Each of us, men and women, has an equal right to participate in the full life of the Church because of the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. We all have an authentic role in the shared leadership of and responsibility for the Church, acknowledging the vastly different responsibilities and accountabilities and the different nature of authority given or earned, ministry or lay.
Whilst the Catholic Church is a universal Church, its life, its vitality and its energy is sourced through the Holy Spirit in and through local communities, cultures and peoples. It gives expression to itself in different ways and forms. Authentic leadership recognises this as something to be celebrated, something to be encouraged, such that it enriches the whole of the universal Church. Others, however, see this with fear, and rather than understanding how to use this great energy, seek to restrain it, inhibit it and reassert authoritarian ways. This type of leadership, lacking in vision and often full of fear, is not a leadership that can take the Church forward. It is not a leadership filled with the hopeful spirit of the risen Christ. It is often neither a just nor a compassionate leadership.
Another way of putting it is as stated by Bishop Brian Heenan, Bishop of Rockhampton, in his address to the Town Hall Forum on the Statement of Conclusions in 1999, when he said,
"I believe it reflects what I have always believed, that tension always exists between the universal and the local Church and that will never change. I strongly believe that the Roman Curia has little hope of understanding and supporting the Local Church, living the Gospel in its own culture, unless it has reliable contact and deep respect for the inculturation of the Gospel."
Leadership – Authoritarian or Engaging?
The Second Vatican Council sought to provide to the Church a new way forward in the understanding and exercise of leadership within our Church. Many then understood, more so than some today, that there were two models emerging which were in conflict with each other.
The Church model developed over the last few hundred years is closest to a military or authoritarian model in the traditional form. In that model the apex is the Chair of Peter. Down the pyramid flows the various levels of authority until at the base we find the people, parishioners or in military terms the troops. In this model authority flows down from the apex and accountability flows up from the base. Whilst in any military model self reliance is encouraged, at the end of the day it is a tightly structured organisation in which authority is paramount. This model attracts some. It is interesting in my experience that many who in their younger days rejected restrictions and authority actually enter into military, police or other similar services in the very desire to obtain that clarity of authority lacking in their lives. But it is equally true that the vast of majority of people do not. Likewise a highly authoritarian Church would attract some and turn away many others. This reflects the nature of humanity.
At the same time, however, the people of God were and are being encouraged by the Church to embrace democratic principles and practices. Throughout the world, particularly in recent times the Church has been the greatest proponent of democracy as encouraged by Pope John Paul II in Centesimus Annus. Just look at Poland. And in a democratic model, the triangle is turned upside down. At the top are the people who give authority to the lower levels to exercise power on their behalf and accountability flows up back to the people. Notions of transparency and accountability are all essential parts of the democratic processes.
It is not difficult therefore to see that those who seek to maintain a rigidly authoritarian model of Church must inevitably be in conflict with the very people of Church who have been encouraged to participate increasingly in democratic processes, processes that heighten the desire for active engagement, encourage questioning and promote shared responsibility.
The Second Vatican Council was a visionary attempt to bring those models together in a way that could work, accounting for the unique features of the Catholic Church including the Primacy of the Pope and the authentic communion of each Bishop with the Successor of Peter in a model of collegiality. The model seeks to maintain authority where it is appropriate and necessary, but seeks also to actively engage people at all levels from parishioners, priests, religious and bishops in the life well of the Church. It is vision of shared responsibility and leadership.
The great tragedy is that this visionary model may have been pared back and undermined over time.
Joseph Dunn in his text "No Lions in the Hierarchy", says:
"After Vatican II, for a brief moment, the doctrine of collegiality looked as if it might be taken with real seriousness, and be expressed in structures like the synod which would actively encourage participation, openness and genuine communication. What has happened to that inspiring vision? Edmond Hill put the matter bluntly in Ministry and Authority, "the proposers and supporters of collegiality were naïve enough to hand over its implementation to its most committed opponents, who being anything but naïve have done their best to neutralise it ever since."
There have now been ample demonstrations that some are seeking to move away from this vision.
This retreat from the vision of a new way forward for the Church also undermines much of the local initiatives within dioceses and parishes. The development of parish and pastoral councils, the active participation of laity, together with bishops and priests, has moved the Church forward in this nation. But with contradictory messages being sent from the Vatican, with a lack of openness and due process being exhibited, how can one be sure that these local and dynamic initiatives at diocesan and parish levels can be sustained.
More than thirty years on it is time to once again proclaim the vision of the Second Vatican Council, to seek a Church based on collegiality, openness, active engagement with its people, whilst at the same time maintaining and respecting the authority of His Holiness and the Magisterium, on matters central to our doctrines of faith. If we do not, then I fear that there will be an inevitable clash between the hopes and aspiration of people of Church and the demands and authority of the hierarchy of Church. For a more authoritarian model can no longer be compatible with or relevant to the reality of the lives of the people of God. More importantly it is not compatible with the Gospel image of leadership.
I am not proclaiming that there should be democratic church if that means "majority rules". I do not believe that vast majority of the people in Church believe that political democracy is appropriate, but they do seek active engagement and participation, openness and transparency in the very matters that so centrally affect their lives. They don't want a weak or indifferent Church or leaders whose opinions change with each new trend or view. They do want a compassionate, just and engaging Church that is capable of responding to their needs and aspirations, and responding to the demands of a modern world. Their love and loyalty is not in doubt. But neither should it be taken for granted.
Directed Autonomy
Archbishop John Quinn in his book, "The Reform of the Papacy", says "at the practical level, centralisation (by the Vatican) to the degree that it now exists presents a growing and impossible task in a world church of such diversity and in an age of instant communication and rapid change."
He looks at alternatives including what is described as directed autonomy as described by Robert Waterman,
"In directed autonomy, people in every nook and cranny of the company are empowered – encouraged, in fact – to do things their way. Suggestions are actively sought. But this all takes place within a context of direction. People know what the boundaries are; they know where they should act on their own and where not. The boss knows that his or her job is to establish those boundaries, then truly get out of the way."
Perhaps we can learn from this in order to allow this worldwide Church to harness and celebrate legitimate and creative diversity.
Pope John Paul II in his Encyclical Ut Unim Sint (1995) said:
"Legitimate diversity is in no way opposed to the Church's unity, but rather enhances her splendour and contributes greatly to the fulfilment of her mission."
Leadership and Justice
One of the most important aspects of leadership within our Church is to encourage a Church that stands for justice in the world. There is no doubt that the Church in Australia and throughout the world has a proud record in recent times of articulating strong and just positions. Pope John Paul II is a champion of many causes for justice. Our own Australian Bishops Conference has issued many outstanding social justice statements based on quality research and strong moral traditions. The Church's work in relation to recent issues concerning indigenous Australians, such as native title, reconciliation, asylum seekers, its continued commitment to a better and fairer deal for those most vulnerable in our community is obvious. The continued assertion of human rights in East Timor and in other countries is a clear illustration to the world and to the Australian community that the Church has not retreated from its call for a just society.
Leaders, be they lay, religious, priests or bishops, have an important role to play in public policy debates in this community and to seek to influence the national agendas. The greatest mistake that leaders within our Church would make would be to believe that their influence has lessened, or their right to speak out, or to actively participate in issues of public importance has diminished. Some would have you believe that is the case. Nothing could be further from the truth. The role of Church and its leaders in the articulation of a morally and ethically just framework, within which social and economic policy should be developed, will be immensely important in the years ahead. Tensions and divisions within our community will grow as inequality and injustice continues. The people of God and particularly our leaders, in all their different roles, have a clear responsibility to be at the forefront of reclaiming an ethical and moral agenda for this community.
However, is our own house in order? The only thing that diminishes our ability to influence this agenda is if we are seen to be hypocritical or inconsistent in our own approaches and practices. The principles of justice do not change depending on whether we are within or outside of Church. The call of Micah "to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God" does not have an extra line "but not in matters pertaining to Church affairs".
Leadership based on justice and practised with compassion is essential to the ability to preach the authentic message of social justice to the world.
Leadership and Service
One of the most central elements to be understood of leadership is that it must be exercised as one of service.
I was heartened in the Statement of Conclusions, when in describing the role and responsibilities of the Bishop, the Statement said, "in his Episcopal ministry he is ever mindful that he is at the service of the people of God". Yet in all the statements that followed, service is not mentioned again. Teaching, sanctifying and governing are reiterated many times and yet the true notion of service is not explored. How different this is from the approach of Jean Vanier when in his book "Community and Growth", predominantly written for the L'Arche communities, he talks of authority as a gift and as one of service. He quotes:
"the Brothers in the Taize community no longer call their leader the 'Prior' but the 'Servant of Communion'. This touches me deeply. Yes the leader's role is to facilitate communion; a community is fundamentally more a place of communion than a place of collaboration…We must remember that for all of us, not only the leader, are called to be servants of communion."
He reminds us that Jesus is the model of authority for Christians, and that on the night before he died he washed the feet of his disciples like a "common slave".
This does not mean that a leader, either appointed or elected, does not have to make decisions, often decisions that will not necessarily be favoured by his or her community. To acknowledge leadership as a gift of service does not indicate a lack of strength, courage or the ability to take the hard decisions. But if one sees oneself as a servant, then one is fully conscious always, that leadership is exercised out of service and out of love, and not out of authority given or mandated.
In the authoritarian model that some promote for Church, this is often forgotten, or given second place. It is the very model in Church where authority is mandated or given, that places a greater onus on those who are leaders within our Church to listen to, to consult with, and to actively engage with those at whose service the leader is appointed. Yes, it is abundantly true that in our Church bishops and priests do hold special ministries. But it is also true that such ministries are exercised in the service of the people of God, through the love and grace of God.
It is often said that respect cannot be demanded or commanded, it can only be earned. In Church if authority, through leadership, is truly to be used as a gift of God then it must also be earned in the service of people.
Leadership and Encouragement
Edmund Campion in his reflection on the Great Australian Catholics, noted that in recent times leaders in our Church have become "encouragers". In many senses the Second Vatican Council was about encouraging people, bringing to life the gifts and the talents that exist within all of us. It is said often that Pope John XXIII always preferred to affirm rather than to deny. "Today the Church prefers to use the medicine of mercy rather than severity," he said. This seems to be highlighted by the Australian Bishops in their letter following the Statement of Conclusion when the Bishops stated that "to correct errors not by blunt use of authority, but through dialogue and persuasion."
Some critics would say that this "encouraging" approach has failed in Australia. Some even scorn this approach and call for a tougher approach. If we were to simply look at the number of people who no longer actively participate in the sacramental life of our Church but still call themselves Catholics, we might accept that judgement. But that would be an ill-conceived and simplistic judgement. At the same time that our active numbers have been in decline so too has the participation in so many other areas of community life generally. The Church's decline in active participants takes place at a time when we have seen the rapid increase in individualism, materialism and consumerism promoted through media, economic policies and often by governments. We have been through recent periods where "greed was good", where individual self attainment was all that mattered and now even during the periods of economic growth there is an increased effort to further marginalise those who are already most vulnerable in our community. At the same time those already advantaged are being further advantaged. So is our Church failing or is it the conjuncture at a period of time of many other factors well beyond the immediate control of our Church? Yes, we as Church do share a responsibility, and it is not a time for complacency. It is time for careful reflection, considered (not simplistic) judgement and new vision. It is not a time for introspection, blame, and turning back the clock of time. It is not a time to see a style of leadership more keen to admonish than to encourage.
Leadership and Laity
As I have indicated in this paper, the leadership of our Church rests with all, laity, religious, priests, bishops and the Successor of Peter. It is important however to touch specifically on the role of laity and leadership in our Church. Following the Second Vatican Council, Australia embraced the role of the laity in a dynamic and vibrant manner in many areas, less so in others.
The emergence of pastoral and parish councils generally, at diocesan and parish levels was one indication. The significant increase in the number of men and women participating in various aspects of Church life increased dramatically. We saw the Bishops Conference appointing committees and commissions involving the laity, religious, as well as priests, to examine issues of social justice, peace and development. Catholic agencies such as Centacare, Caritas Australia and so on, all have at senior leadership positions, the laity as well as priests and religious. Many of our hospitals, schools, colleges and universities function with predominantly lay leadership deeply committed to the Faith.
Yet it is true that there was and is a growing disquiet or discomfort by some in Church. This clearly is behind the sentiments expressed in the Statement of Conclusions on the laity. The Statement recognised the vital commitment to the mission of the Church in the world by the laity and recognises our unique role in the mission of the Church that flows from the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
The Statement however raised concerns in relation to collaboration of the lay faithful, in the section dealing with the Priests. It says:
"Despite the goodwill involved, in the sometimes functional approach to priesthood, the identity of the priest has been further clouded when tasks have been entrusted to laity that belong to the ministerial priesthood. There has, at times, been a concomitant excessive involvement of the priest that should be attended to by committed and well-informed laity. This situation has had the effect of blurring the lines between baptism and priesthood and the ministerial priesthood with negative effects on both. Clarity in this area is essential for many reasons, not least of which are the preservations of the authentic identity of both priest and laity, good order within the Church and the promotion of vocations."
Indeed it is right and proper that we should examine the roles of laity and priests. A vicar-general of a Diocese spoke to me of his concern in relation to the priests in his diocese some years ago. He said that when he visited presbytery after presbytery there was in the eyes of those priests a deep sense of loneliness and uncertainty. In many ways, we had busied ourselves with the role of the laity following Vatican II and insufficiently with the role of the priest in the modern Church. That these roles should not be blurred is accepted. His Holiness continues to draw distinctions between the roles of clergy and laity. It is said by some that ministry is only for the clergy, and that a clear distinction must be drawn with the laity. Perhaps that is so, for nobody denies a very special ministry for priests within our Church. They have a unique relationship with their bishops and in turn with the Holy Office.
Yet it is equally true that the role of the laity, in active participation with the clergy, provides the greatest resource, energy and dynamic interaction for the future growth of our Church, both locally and universally. There is a need for clarification of those roles. But it would be a mistake to move backwards, to seek to reassert authority of priests where such authority is misplaced and unnecessary. In Australia as in much of the western world, the decline in the number of priests has meant a re-evaluation of the way in which our parishes are structured. Already we see that much of the responsibility for the organisation of parishes now rests with lay people. This should not surprise us for it was and is exactly the same in missionary countries with the small number of priests, the large distances and massive populations. The Church lived and breathed, came into being and continues through the active involvement of the laity. Perhaps it was only for a relatively short period of time in the Church's long life where such was other than the case. Perhaps an abundance of priests was the true aberration not the current shortages.
But it is not the shortages of priests that should dominate our thinking in relation to the future structures and the future leadership of our Church nor the future roles and responsibilities of priests and laity. Whether or not there is a surge or shortage in the number of priests, it should not impact on the way that we see the critically important involvement, participation, and leadership by the laity, both men and women, within our Church.
If we were only prepared to recognise the role of the laity as active participants in the leadership of Church because of the lack of priests then this would be a tragedy.
As Archbishop Weakland, former head of the Benedictine order, stated recently:
"the laity have their right to participate in the mission of the Church by reason of Baptism. It is not a shared ministry, delegated by a priest or bishop to them."
It may not be the same ministry as that of priest or bishop but it is the same mission. I can only urge that the blossoming of the laity not be crushed or hindered, but rather that we forge new ways of sharing in the mission of the Church – together, united, as one, recognising the differences and celebrating the diversity of our contributions. Let us train and skill our laity to give full witness to their mission as leaders.
Campion in "Australian Catholics" published in 1987 finished with the quote from Melbourne writer Wendy Poussard who in 1982 spoke these words:
"Among people who say, 'I am a Catholic', I see revival of confidence, a resurgence of Catholic culture. Twenty hard years after Vatican II, I once again hear the voice of the laity claiming our identity. We are the Church. We belong to the past and the future, to the people, to one another. We will determine in the end what the Church is and does. The ministerial servants of Church are accountable to us. The windows are still open."
Whilst I may share that vigour and enthusiasm, I cannot accept that the ministerial servants of the Church are accountable to us in such unqualified terms. Nor do I believe the laity in the end will of itself determine what the Church is or does, for the laity are not the holders of all wisdom. But I do believe that unless there is active shared leadership within the Church, both lay and clerical, men and women, then the resurgence of the Catholic culture, will at best be delayed, and at worst but an empty dream. There are those who believe that the very nature of authority and accountability in the Church should be radically changed. Perhaps they are right. I am less ambitious in my aspirations. Mine is simply to bring to life the vision that was given to us by the Holy Spirit in the Second Vatican Council, adapted for our time and place in History.
Leadership and the Australian Challenges
It is time for us to re-engage in the necessary dialogue about the future direction of our Church in Australia and throughout the world. To meet the challenges we will need strong but compassionate leaders at all levels within our Church.
The challenges to be confronted include redefining the nature of Catholic communities in Australia to meet the rapidly changing nature of a modern world, attracting young people back to the active participation in the Church, the continued maintenance of a strong voice in issues of social justice in an increasingly secular and inequitable world, the ability to re-engage with those who are poor and marginalised, to confront openly and honestly the hopes and aspirations of women members of our Church and their rightful place in the leadership of Church, and many other issues. They will need to be leaders who can build community rather than impose rules. They will need to allow the evolution of new, different and dynamic communities of faith to meet the changing needs and aspirations of the faithful.
To meet these challenges leaders who are able to capture the spirit of the Second Vatican Council and the special characteristics of the people of God in Australia will be required.
We will require bishops who, appointed after consultation with the Catholic community, are able to embrace a spirit of leadership that is open and welcoming. They will need to embrace new emerging models of Catholic community and centres of faith to meet the needs of the faithful. Loyal to the Magisterium of the Church, clear in their statements on moral and theological issues, yet welcoming of consultation, participation and engagement with all members of the faithful. They will need to be people who are able to stand in strong defence of the Church and the teachings of Jesus Christ, and will be able to articulate with courage, the social teachings of the Church. They will need to be people prepared to enter into public debates when needed, accepting criticism in defence of the fundamental principles that underpin the spiritual and social teachings of our Church. They will need to be people who have a commitment to community and as a consequence will pursue vigorous engagement with religious, lay and priests, in exploring fundamental issues of concern to the faithful. Above all they must embrace the role of the faithful in the shared leadership of Church.
Our priests will need to continue to explore ways of becoming even greater teachers of the Gospel, articulated in terms relevant to the hopes and aspirations of the faithful and of our current times. They must be great teachers, rather than great organisers or administrators. They must believe in the development of actively engaged communities, where leadership is a shared responsibility. They must, with the faithful develop practical means and ways that allow the full participation of religious, laity and those currently excluded, in the life and leadership of the local Catholic community. They must explore and encourage new models of faith communities to meet the demands and opportunities of the modern world. The community of faithful must recognise, encourage and support the role of the priest in the life of those communities, as pastor and teacher.
Religious leaders face great challenges as religious institutions go through great change. They must be people who have the love and the loyalty of their congregations to bring about the changes necessary to meet the new needs. They will be people capable, together with their counsellors, in identifying the needs particularly of those most vulnerable in our community. They must be leaders who are prepared to articulate the social teachings of the Church, enter into public debate when necessary and to take a stand based on the rich heritage and integrity of the works of their orders. They will be required to seek ways to ensure the charisms of their institutions live on but in new ways and that their resources are used to promote the gospel message in word and deed especially for those most vulnerable. They must never relinquish their responsibility to enliven and enrich the lives of the faithful.
The laity must share responsibility for the future of the Church community in Australia by accepting responsibility for both the strengths and weaknesses that exist within our Church. They must be prepared to explore new models of community to encourage all the faithful to full participation in the life of the Church. They will claim their rightful role in the shared leadership of their local and other Catholic communities, always working with our priests, recognising their special ministry as pastor and teacher. They too must be prepared to study the social teachings of the Church, then bring them to life in their local communities.
A Way Ahead
Archbishop Weakland in his book "Faith and the Human Enterprise" said this:
"In Church we need today a new and positive approach, one that will unite us, we need a new and hopeful vision of our role towards this world here and now.
"We need a new agenda, one that is positive but discerning, true to the Gospel and tradition but not afraid to raise the right questions for Church and cultures today, one that is humble but not fearful.
"What structures are best for this moment of history, so that both the unity of being and the plurality of cultural expression can be held together in that kind of creative tension that will bear fruit for the Church as it relates to the world?"
That is the challenge that now confronts us. We need to re-energise the vision of Vatican II not diminish it. We need to continue to modify the structures and processes of Church to allow the emergence of new and reformed Catholic communities in which responsibility and leadership are shared. We need a Church that can respond to the questioning of the faithful in our modern world, and not be fearful of it. We need to do so in an environment of prayerful collaboration, respect and openness.
We raise issues not to weaken our communion with Church or each other, but rather because we wish to strengthen it. We do so because we are concerned and committed to maintaining, indeed, growing and re-energising the Church in Australia and in the world.
Our Church must be welcoming and open to the issues raised and willingly seek to address the concerns of a questioning faithful in a modern demanding world.
The struggles and tension that I have highlighted in this paper are not new and my analysis not original and possibly flawed. But they are issues that confront all of us as followers and as leaders.
Leadership is our shared responsibility. Our guide, however, is Christ himself, who shows us that leadership and authority are gifts from God to be used in the love and service of the people of God.
Brennan, Sir Gerard, Discerning the Australian Social Conscience, The Jesuit Lecture Series, Jesuit Publications, 1999.
Campion, Edmund, Australian Catholics, Viking Press, Australia, 1987.
Campion, Edmund, Great Australian Catholics, Aurora Books, Australia, 1997.
Cassidy, Cardinal, The Catholic Weekly, 8 August 1999, Sydney.
Dunn, Joseph, No Lions in the Hierarchy, Columbia Press, Dublin, 1999.
Heenan, Bishop Brian, The Town Hall Public Forum on the Statement of Conclusions, Catalyst for Renewal, Sydney, 1999.
Quinn, John R, The Reform of the Papacy, Herder and Herder, New York, 1999.
Vanier, Jean, Community and Growth, 2nd Revised Edition, St Paul Publications, 1989.
Waterman, Robert H, The Renewal Factor, Bantam Books, New York, 1987.
Weakland, Archbishop Rembert, Faith and the Human Enterprise, Orbis Books, USA, 1992.
Whelan, Fr Michael, The Town Hall Public Forum on the Statement of Conclusions, Catalyst for Renewal, Sydney, 1999.
Leadership in Our Church – Workshop Notes
Over the two workshops a lively discussion ensued in relation to the role of leadership in our Church. The following only highlights some of the key points made and does not attempt to create a consensus view:
Leadership is a shared responsibility for all who call themselves Church. It does not rest with one person or one position. The question remains whether we are all prepared to accept the challenges and obligations that go with shared leadership.
Leadership is often misunderstood and confused with good management or administrative capacity. Leadership is the ability to engage people with good management skills, to tap into those with true vision, to be a catalyst for using other people's talents and bringing the collective gifts into a powerful alliance for a common good or purpose.
Leadership must be informed, listening, able to discern the gifts of others, supportive and encouraging.
Leadership in Church is missionary, it can only be exercised in the real world, not simply within Church constructs. True leadership in Church is one that can build and encourage a multiplicity of communities; operating differently but all centred in the Christian event – the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The military model of leadership and restrictive hierarchal structures are no longer appropriate to enliven the Church in the modern era. The notion of "leadership circles", where all are actively engaged in the ministry of leadership is a more appropriate model than the traditional top down pyramid.
Respect can never be imposed but can only be earned. True leadership earns respect, through authentic service to the leaders community.
Servant leadership takes years to learn. Not only must the leaders understand the true role of the servant but also the followers.
The role of leadership in the family by parents must be given greater recognition. It is a leadership role equal to other leadership roles in the Church.
Parish leadership must be about facilitating and co-ordinating the myriad of communities that can legitimately exist within the parish community – at schools, within workplaces, around youth, in retirement villages, as well as the worshipping community on Sunday.
Shared responsibility for leadership and Church will not be achieved until the issues of the role of women in Church are advanced and movement made towards the ordination of married men and women.
Language can be either divisive or inclusive. We must be careful in the use of our language, especially that which can alienate others or appear to create elite or class structures.
The role of the follower must be more fully explored and developed. In part it is to invest the leader with the ability and authority to lead. Without engaged and informed followers, leadership will always fail.
Leadership is always contextual as to time, place and role. Expectations that a person will always be a great leader in all circumstances is flawed and the current models in Church which appoint people for life or very long periods, in an ever changing world, may lead to unachievable expectations and ultimately failed leadership.
Leadership requires a real engagement in the world as it is, whilst seeking to change it, based on the gospel message. It requires courageous action and advocacy.
Leadership in the Catholic Church will be transformed, if we can truly embrace ecumenism. Alternative models of leadership in other religious bodies will help inform the role of religious leadership in our Church in the modern world.
Pope John Paul II has called for a re-examination of the Papacy in his encyclical Ut Unim Sint (Christian Unity). This should be


My wife and I have friends with whom we've traveled and visited monthly for well over 20 years. They have been good friends to us and we love them very much.
The woman in this couple has dementia (I don't have enough info to judge what kind) and I can see that it is tearing them apart. He is extremely smart, and remembers the date when he got is drivers license, as well as the temperature that day (he's 72). He has better memory than anyone I know. And she's falling apart. Between them I see condescension and eye rolling going both directions.
Now she's turned to me for advice, and I have to say I'm stumped. I have my own issues here (my wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's several years ago). I have no idea how to respond to our friend.
Which way can I send this troubled woman for help? She does NOT want to believe she has Alzheimer's, but whatever she does have it is becoming very obvious as she's losing more ability every day.
might get her to see a dr....tell the Husband the same thing.
As a friend you can only advise and as the other poster said-both the husband and wife must face reality that there could be a memory issue and to seek medical confirmation so the wife AND husband can get the help they need now and in the future. The wife could have something treatable, but if not, she can have many more years of good times with intervention and support-and the husband can also enjoy his life with her-but he needs to be supportive and helpful. He needs to be told this and hopefully as a friend you can find the best way to tell him. Call the Alz Hotline and ask for materials to hand over to the couple. Good luck!
I should have said she did get assessed and although she tells me it is not that bad, he tells me the dr. told her to stop driving immediately. Which she did not bother to hear or recall.
But I like the idea of responding to her that she needs to get her husband and herself back to the doctor she already saw and get some help there. I don't really WANT to be giving her advice - it isn't my core competency.
She did not hear or recall because she has anosognosia, which can be a characteristic of the dementias. She is unaware of having dementia. He will have to learn work-arounds and coping strategies.
I see very clearly that the majority of the issue is on his side. He's rolling his eyes when he should be recognizing what he heard is the disease. Unfortunately, I doubt he's willing to become a real caregiver, which puts them in jeopardy. They are both retired, and thus have way more time together than ever before. He's lost all compassion for her. I know from conversations with him that he feels trapped into keeping the marriage going. It's all so foreign to me, because I've been caregiving for my wife for a number of years now, and I feel we're in the groove.
It sounds like you are getting trapped in between a rock and a hard place. Do the best you can not to get too wrapped in their situation. "Exit.......stage left!"
Emphasize the importance of diagnosis to Mr. Husband. As Tess and terei mentioned, it could be something that is totally curable. And that would make their life WAY easier than if dementia is actually setting in.


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WDTN-TV Speaks with WU's EVP and Chief Innovation Officer
Home WDTN-TV Speaks with WU's EVP and Chief Innovation Officer
One of the definitions of the word inauguration is "the beginning of" and that is the hope obviously carried by millions of American voters who looked for change at the top in Washington, D. C. Much of the shift in this history making presidential administration was mobilized by black women – moved by the selection of a Black and Southeast Asian and distinctly bicultural woman as a vice presidential nominee. Now as Madam Vice President Kamala Harris, she is second in command of the United States of America, a soul stirring fact in a country that has been historically torn by racial division, with its global reputation recently smeared by domestic terrorism. Because Black Greek organizations and HBCUs have historically played major roles in political organizing, Harris' decision to attend an historically black college (HBCU) and become a member of the oldest Black sorority helped provide a foundation for her future involvement in politics. That topic was presented to Wilberforce Executive Vice President Tashia Bradley by WDTN TV news reporter Lauren Mixon:
https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/wilberforce-university-reflects-on-history-of-hbcus-as-first-vp-woman-of-color-takes-office/
CLIMB: Finish What You Need to Get Your Degree
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Take a look at Wilberforce University, the nation's first, private HBCU!
Wilberforce Unite Campaign Update
HBCU Presidents Chat with Ohio's Black Lawmakers
Join WU president, Dr. Elfred Anthony Pinkard Friday, February 19th from 11:30 am to 1 pm. He and Dr....
Center For Entrepreneurship, Social Good
The Center for Entrepreneurship, Social Good, and Transformational Leadership is supported through a generous gift from Dr. Mark and...
Greg Harbut Joins the WU Residency
Wilberforce University is creating more possibilities for its students. A new entrepreneur residency featuring...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Lance Thomas started in Wednesday's season finale but only managed two points in 11 minutes.
Thomas has been a thorn in the side of many fantasy owners this season, as his presence on the roster gave the Knicks coaches a steady veteran presence to lean on instead of giving minutes to more exciting or younger players. He averaged 18.3 mpg in 73 contests and still fell outside the top-275 in total value.


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Greg Nojeim
When Other Governments Want Your Stuff: Rules of the Road for Cross-Border Law Enforcement Demands
This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the public gaining access to the World Wide Web.1 Michelle Starr, Happy 25th birthday to the World Wide Web, CNET (Aug. 23, 2016), http://www.cnet.com/news/happy-25th-birthday-to-the-world-wide-web/#ftag=CAD590a51e. To say communications have come a long way since then would be quite the understatement. Today, billions of people around the world can be reached in seconds—a far cry from the time when email was only common among academics, government workers, and military personnel. Global connectivity can advance freedom, prosperity, and innovation, but it has also presented extraordinary challenges and opportunities for law enforcement. A prime example is digital evidence located overseas.
Before the internet, law enforcement officials investigating a crime rarely had to go through the trouble of obtaining evidence in a foreign territory. Now, the global popularity of U.S.-based companies such as Google and Dropbox has changed everything. In the Digital Age, German law enforcement officials investigating a crime that took place entirely in Berlin, with a German victim and a German alleged perpetrator, may often need access to communications content stored on servers on American soil. Under the current system, German officials would generally be able to compel the assistance of the American service providers only by filing a request under a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) or similar process, and then working with the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of International Affairs (OIA) to amass the information necessary for DOJ to make a probable cause showing in an American court.
There is a privacy benefit to requiring a warrant based on probable cause before a user's communications content is turned over to a country with a lower threshold for authorizing surveillance. However, the current process is sometimes painstakingly cumbersome2The MLAT process takes an average of ten months. See The President's Rev. Grp. on Intelligence and Commc'ns Techs., Liberty and Security In a Changing World, 227 (Dec. 12, 2013), https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2013-12-12_rg_final_report.pdf. and is not keeping up with the deluge of requests for electronic content the DOJ now receives.3The number of requests from foreign authorities for computer records handled by the OIA increased ten-fold within the last decade. The overall number of requests for assistance from foreign authorities increased by nearly sixty percent during that time. See U.S. Department of Justice FY 2015 Budget Request: Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty Process Reform + $24.1 Million in Total Funding, Dep't of Just. (July 13, 2014), https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/jmd/legacy/2014/07/13/mut-legal-assist.pdf. Moreover, the current system fails to protect the privacy of internet users' sensitive traffic data (such as email logs), which can be even more revealing than communications content.4 Greg Nojeim, When Metadata Becomes Megadata: What the Government Can Learn, CDT.org (June 17, 2013), https://cdt.org/blog/when-metadata-becomes-megadata-what-the-government-can-learn/. Under current law, U.S. providers may voluntarily disclose their users' traffic data to foreign governments,5 Although ECPA bars U.S. service providers from voluntarily disclosing metadata to "governmental entities" (18 U.S.C. § 2702(c)(6) (2012)), the Act defines "governmental entity" to include only U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies (18 U.S.C. § 2711(4) (2012)). This definition does not include foreign governments, which means U.S. communication service providers are free to voluntarily disclose user metadata—be it of a U.S. or non-U.S. person—to other governments. despite the fact that the U.S. government can only obtain such information with a warrant or a court order issued under 18 U.S.C. section 2703(d). Reforming the MLAT process should thus cover both content and traffic data. If it does, MLAT reform could be a unique opportunity to make domestic and international legal processes better suited to both legitimate law enforcement needs as well as privacy.
In July 2016, the DOJ proposed legislation that would be a step forward for law enforcement, but a leap backwards for privacy.6 Letter from Peter J. Kadzik, Assistant Attorney Gen., to Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States Senate (July 15, 2015) (conveying proposed legislation and a section-by-section analysis) http://www.netcaucus.org/wp-content/uploads/2016-7-15-US-UK-Legislative-Proposal-to-Hill.pdf [hereinafter DOJ Proposal]. Under its proposal, select foreign governments would be able to make surveillance demands directly to U.S. providers under their own domestic procedures and standards. The DOJ, with the concurrence of the U.S. State Department, would decide which countries may enter into a bilateral agreement permitting these direct demands, based on a series of "factors" that are supposed to indicate whether a country provides adequate substantive and procedural privacy and civil liberties protections.
Bilateral agreements could be a viable mechanism for partially addressing the problem of cross-border law enforcement demands (or C-BLED's) for digital content. Such arrangements should help decrease the wait time for law enforcement who need quick access to digital evidence stored overseas. They may also, in theory, encourage foreign governments to improve their privacy protections in order to qualify for such "express lane" agreements. However, substantial changes must be made to the DOJ's proposal to bring it more in line with human rights requirements. Here are some big-picture recommendations:
First, Warrants for Content. U.S. law must finally be updated to require a judicially approved warrant based on probable cause in order to access stored communications content in the United States. The U.S. already requires a warrant when a foreign government uses an MLAT request to seek content in the United States. The E-mail Privacy Act, which passed by a 419-0 vote in the House of Representatives, would require the U.S. government to obtain a warrant, as well, by updating the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (which currently permits the use of a mere subpoena to obtain certain types of emails).7 Email Privacy Act, H.R. 699, 114th Cong. (2016). The United States should get its own surveillance house in order before telling foreign governments what they should be doing with their surveillance practices.
Wiretapping. The provision of the DOJ bill that would allow foreign governments to conduct wiretapping on U.S. soil should be deleted.8 See DOJ Proposal, supra note 6, at § 3(a). Otherwise, the DOJ bill would go well beyond fixing the MLAT system—expanding surveillance to convey an authority to foreign governments not contemplated by the current system, and without many of the restrictions placed on such highly invasive conduct in the U.S. by the Wiretap Act.9 18 U.S.C. §§ 2516-2518 (2012).
Establishing a Credible Designation Process. Whether a foreign government's laws and practices provide sufficient substantive and procedural human rights protections should be based on whether a series of requirements are met, not on mere "factors" to consider. Moreover, although the DOJ and the State Department should play an important role in the decision making process, they should not be the only deciders because their decisions may be influenced by political and other factors. Instead, the DOJ's decision to certify a country for a C-BLED agreement should be made subject to the notice and comment procedures of the Administrative Procedures Act.10 5 U.S.C. § 553 (2012). This would enable human rights and other experts to share their knowledge and opinions about that particular country. The DOJ should be obligated to respond to public comments and, before moving forward, should obtain the Senate's advice and consent (as is currently required for the approval of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties.
Metadata Standards. ECPA should be amended to establish standards for disclosure of the most sensitive metadata (traffic data, such as email logs) to foreign governments. Traffic data can reveal one's interests, medical conditions, associations, and location over time. It is thus absurd to have no standard for foreign governments while requiring a court order based on specific and articulable facts for U.S. government access—the privacy invasion is severe, regardless of who obtains the metadata.
Encryption and the Scope of Provider Assistance. The DOJ's proposed legislation should bar foreign surveillance demands with provider assistance mandates that go beyond the level assistance providers must afford under current U.S. law. This would prevent the scope of such requests from reaching into the dangerous and politically dicey territory of mandated encryption backdoors—mandates that technology policy experts have warned would undermine the security mechanisms that internet users rely on to protect them from criminal hackers and rights-abusing governments.11See, e.g., Harold Abelson, et al., Keys Under Doormats: Mandating Insecurity by Requiring Government Access to All Data and Communications, CSAIL Technical Reports (July 6, 2016), https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/97690/MIT-CSAIL-TR-2015-026.pdf.
Reciprocity Provisions. The bill contemplates C-BLED agreements that are reciprocal (meaning the United States would obtain the same ability to make surveillance demands on the foreign providers in partner countries). However, there are no provisions in the bill that would operationalize these demands by the U.S. government. Clear, privacy-protective rules of the road for U.S. surveillance demands on foreign providers will be critical to avoiding abuse and gaining international acceptance of such bilateral agreements.
In addition to these big-picture recommendations, certain specific changes to the text of the legislation are essential:
Judicial Authorization. The DOJ legislation should require judicial or other independent authorization prior to any surveillance conducted pursuant to an agreement. It currently contemplates "orders" issued by foreign governments, not foreign courts. Moreover, those orders would be subject to oversight by independent authority only after-the-fact.
Evidentiary Standard. Judicial orders for surveillance under a C-BLED agreement should be based on a strong factual basis for the belief that a serious crime has been, is being, or will be committed, and a strong factual basis for the belief that information relevant to the crime would be obtained by the surveillance. The current standard in the proposed legislation is too weak and too vague.
"Serious" Crime Definition. Cross-border law enforcement demands under a C-BLED agreement should be limited to crimes for which the maximum period of imprisonment is three years or more, or that involve violence, risk of serious bodily harm or death, sexual assault, human trafficking, or crimes against children, including child pornography. The DOJ legislation limits such demands to "serious" crimes, but leaves "serious" undefined.
Requirements of Foreign Law. As indicated above, each of the "factors" that would be considered in determining whether to enter into a C-BLED agreement with another country should be sharpened and should become a "requirement." In addition, legislation should give countries an incentive to abandon data localization mandates and extraterritorial warrants, which threaten to fragment the global internet and leave vulnerable citizens at the mercy of oppressive regimes.
Surveillance Involving Americans. The DOJ's proposed legislation does not authorize U.S. providers to disclose communications content pursuant to orders that "target" U.S. persons or persons located in the United States. The legislation should define what "targeting" means. In addition, if a U.S. prosecution is based in part on C-BLED-gathered evidence volunteered to the U.S. government, that fact should be disclosed to the defendant. A judge should be able to suppress that evidence if it was collected in a way that abused a C-BLED agreement in order to circumvent U.S. privacy protections.
Notice. The DOJ proposal should, but currently does not, require that the target of the foreign government's surveillance receive notice. Such notice could be delayed in limited circumstances to protect the investigation or prevent risk of flight or serious bodily harm.12 U.S. law requires notice to the target of a wiretap, to other parties to the wiretap "in the interests of justice," and to persons whose stored communications content is disclosed pursuant to a wiretap or a court order issued under 18 U.S.C. § 2703(d). U.S. law does not require notice to a person whose stored communications content is disclosed pursuant to a warrant. 18 U.S.C. § 2703(b)(1)(B) (2012).
Bilateral agreements may be part of the solution to the problem of cross-border law enforcement demands. However, the DOJ proposal lacks adequate protections. If Congress considers C-BLED legislation, it should take an approach more respective of human rights and civil liberties of people in the United States and abroad. Such an approach will be crucial to carrying the global internet through the next twenty-five years and beyond.
Senior Counsel and the Director of the Freedom, Security, and Technology Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT). © 2016, Greg Nojeim. For CDT's more detailed analysis of the MLAT reform issue, see Cross-Border Law Enforcement Demands: An Analysis of the Department of Justice's Proposed Bill, CDT.org (Aug. 17, 2016), https://cdt.org/insight/cross-border-law-enforcement-demands-analysis-of-the-us-department-of-justices-proposed-bill-2/.


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Dive Technologies Selects Sonardyne for DIVE-LD AUV
Complete Suite for Navigation, Tracking and Control
Dive Technologies has selected a complete suite of Sonardyne navigation, tracking and control tools for its large displacement DIVE-LD autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), the company announced on 12 January.
DIVE-LD is being developed to meet a wide range of long-endurance mission requirements in the commercial, research and defence sectors. To support long-distance, long-duration navigation, while minimising complexity and payload space consumption, the vehicle is fitted with Sonardyne's SPRINT-Nav hybrid navigator. For underwater positioning and acoustic communications, it is fitted with Sonardyne's AvTrak 6 – a combined transponder, modem and emergency relocator beacon all in one. To cover all its concepts of operations, including tracking and communication during development and testing, Dive Technologies has also acquired Sonardyne's most capable Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) system, RANGER 2, with its latest, compact Gyro USBL. The 19ft-long, 48in-diameter DIVE-LD, designed for operations at depths up to 6,000m, is currently in production in the US with sea-testing ongoing in New Bedford.
Founded in 2018, Dive Technologies' rapid development programme has included support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and technology partnerships with organisations including the Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics at Virginia Tech. A key part of the development has been to opt for high-performance, off-the-shelf systems, such as SPRINT-Nav for navigation, allowing the company to focus on building certain customised systems in-house. SPRINT-Nav, available in a range of performance levels, all in the same form factor, also supports Dive Technologies' focus on mission adaptability, as does RANGER 2.
Tim Raymond, Dive Technologies' Director of Research and Development, says that RANGER 2 offered a proven platform with a track record across a wide range of use cases, offering flexibility and scalability in functionality and complexity. "With a new development effort underway for Dive Technologies' DIVE-LD autonomous underwater vehicle, we had a wide range of use cases in mind and needed a single system capable of supporting the various mission sets we had in mind […] We also needed a topside system which could scale in functionality and complexity with our vehicle as we continue to add features and capabilities, from our initial testing where our needs were just tracking and emergency commands, to more advanced features such as USBL aiding and SMS transmission of vehicle and data health metrics […] RANGER 2 is a good fit for both of these needs and it has enabled us to meet our challenging goals of simultaneous development and testing while maintaining consistent and impressive performance even in challenging operating conditions. The system has proven reliable, easy to use, and portable to support mobilisation on a variety of support vessels."
"The wide range of missions [Dive Technologies is] targeting as well as [its] focus on highly-scalable open software and hardware architectures aligns with where we see the industry heading. Our own philosophy has been about integrating and simplifying our systems by utilizing a common platform and software architecture, while also improving performance and offering flexibility and scalability. We look forward to seeing the DIVE-LD performing," added Sonardyne's Dan Zatezalo.


Community-based Services for Children with Disabilitiesfor over 15 years we work in disability field strive to establish sustainable, context- and needs-based services for children with disabilities, strengthen families and empower state authorities and local NGO actors to deliver, sustain and replicate best practices. Within the MACF funded project, in partnership with local NGO Anika we are establishing high quality day care centers for children with disabilities. Through these services we provide community based multi-disciplinary rehabilitation to children with disabilities and enable their inclusion in school and community life; westrengthen families through providing constant support and training and we increase capacity of the State to address the gaps faced by the children with disabilities through facilitating coordination and collaboration among different state actors as well as through advocacy and public awareness. We supported government to develop National Inclusive Education strategy and Action Plan for 2018-2020and a multi-disciplinary assessment tool to ensure the identification of acute needs of children with disabilities as well as relevant competencies/abilities.
Alternative Care for Infants with Disabilities aims at ending the institutionalization of infants with severe disabilities through developing alternative care options, gatekeeping, monitoring systems, and policy advocacy work, as well as training and developing the capacity of the service providers of alternative small-scale residential units for infants and young children.As part of UNICEF's larger program we have taken responsibility for training and developing the capacity of the service providers in small-scale alternative residential units, capacity building of medical staff and on-job support of care providers to ensure that they have sufficient knowledge and skills to provide quality care, supported through our on-the-job advice and continuing support. The training manual and guidance on Child Oriented Care and a Guidance on the role of Paediatricians in early intervention and developmental issues of children with disabilities developed under the project were endorsed by the state.
Institutionalization, replication and dissemination of Child-centered Inclusive Disaster Risk Reductioninterventions in South Caucasus focuses on ensuring sustainability and wider geographical coverage of the best practices and models attained by all partners in working on DRR. Since 2012 we implement ECHO funded project in four regions of Georgia. With our joint efforts state recognized importance of inclusive DRR putting it in state policies and practices. We developed Inclusive DRR training modules, guidebooks, DRR dictionary on Georgian sign language, trained teachers, developed Inclusive DRR cartoons and TV shows, and elaborated DRR standards for preschool institutions and its monitoring tool. We build capacities of government structures and advocate formalization of IDRR mechanisms for teachers' training at basic educational levels.
Improving Preschool Education in Georgia through Social Accountability Processes aims at improving the monitoring system of preschool education service provision and adequate resource allocation through introduction of the monitoring and feedback mechanisms and establishing a National Preschool Association (NPA) to extend the benchmarking approach and other social accountability practices to all Georgian municipalities and preschools. Project is funding from the WB Global Partnership from the Social Accountability. Together with our partner NGO Civitas Georgica we will address challenges of decentralized preschool system in Georgia, to design and establish monitoring and feedback mechanisms for all relevant stakeholders to assess and collaboratively improve pre-school education services in Georgian municipalities.
Supporting Human Rights and Protection of IDPs for over 5 years, with the financial support of BPRM we work with displaced Georgian families, their children, and youth in the IDP settlements to ensure their effective community-based referral, psychosocial counseling, youth empowerment and awareness rising on Gender Based Violence. OurProtection Referral Teams reach out to the population to provide them with the most current information on their rights and entitlements, including the existing medical, social, educational, and legal services in the region.
Youth UP 4 change: better skills for successful transition contributes to developing the entrepreneurial potential and increased access to education and training opportunities of disadvantaged youth for greater employability and advocates for coherent and cross-sectorial youth policies at local, regional and national levels. Two-year program is financed by European Commission's EU4Youth Program and implemented through local partner Children and Youth Development Center. Extensive capacity building activities for youth will rely on comprehensive labor market assessment to reveal the specific needs among young people. The youth empowerment will be further strengthened by support to non-formal educational institutions and other relevant stakeholders supporting social-economic integration of youth.


SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 24, 2012 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Progressive Finance, a merchandise lease to own financer, is announcing the launch of a new online customer account management system. 'This has been something we know our customers have been looking forward to, and we're extremely excited about everything this new system will be providing,' said Progressive Vice President Nate Roe.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 18, 2012 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Progressive Finance, a merchandise lease to own financer, has recently integrated click-sign functionality with their online contracts. This new system will allow for stores to forgo the process of printing contracts for the customers to physically sign, and instead allow the customers to digitally sign their contracts from a computer, tablet, or smart phone.


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Huawei Watch GT 2 #OneCharge2Weeks Launched in India
Watch is powered by Kirin A1, World's first chipset exclusively launched for wearables; promises 2 week battery after one charge
Published December 5, 2019 Comments 0
Huawei Consumer Business group, India today launched its much anticipated smart watch, the Huawei Watch GT 2. Focusing on consumer-centric innovation customised to suit their needs, the Huawei Watch GT2 comes with 2 weeks of battery life after one charge, supports Bluetooth calling, in-device music and capacity to store and play 500 songs. The new Huawei Watch GT-2 will have Super AMOLED display with 3D glass screen.
The watch is equipped with Huawei's proprietary Kirin A1 Chipset to improve on battery life. The Kirin A1 chipset integrates an advanced Bluetooth processing unit, a powerful audio processing unit, an ultra-low power consumption application processor and a separate power management unit. In daily use the Huawei Watch GT-2 can operate continuously for up to two weeks with both the intelligent heart rate monitor and call notification functions.
For Huawei Consumer Business Group, Huawei Watch GT-2 is just the first step in bringing the Kirin A1 to India. The Kirin A1 Chipset will help Huawei further its footprint in India's wearable segment down the road.
The Huawei Watch GT 2 is your Health and Fitness Manager for everyday wellbeing.
Huawei is committed to helping consumers better manage their own health. The upcoming Huawei Watch GT-2 is compatible with 15 sports including eight outdoor sports (running, walking, climbing, hiking trail running, cycling, open water, triathlon) and seven indoor sports (walking, running, cycling, swimming pool, free training, elliptical machine, rowing machine). In terms of heart rate monitoring, the user will be notified if heart rate is above 100bpm or below 50bpm for more than 10 minutes. The watch is also powered with sleep monitoring function.
Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Tornado Pan, Country Manager (Huawei Brand), Consumer Business Group, Huawei India said, "Huawei has always been at the forefront of ground breaking technology innovation at the doorstep of our customers. This versatile smart watch Huawei Watch GT2 further underlines our focus on health and fitness and help our customers manage it better. The watch scientifically monitors heart rate, physical activities and sleep pattern with help of accurate positioning feature. Well-equipped with many other features, the latest Huawei Watch GT2, will be users' own personal trainer that will monitor their vitals and guide them towards good health."
Baichung Bhutia, former captain of the Indian national football team, shared his experience after using the Huawei Watch GT2, "The watch is a perfect companion for fitness enthusiasts like me. It is tailor made for tracking and monitor physical activities and essentially plays the role of a personal trainer. It comes with an array of customized features for over 15 sporting activities, churning out a wide range of for better monitoring and management of physical health."
Huawei Watch GT2 will be available both online and at retail outlets across major cities of India to cater the massive demand of offline customers.
Price & Offers (46mm)
Huawei Watch GT2 variants are priced as follows- 46mm Sport (Black): INR 15,990; 46mm (Leather): INR 17, 990 and 46mm (Metal): INR 21, 990
Offline & Online: The watch will be available across Flipkart, Amazon, Croma and other leading retail stores. As part of pre-sale activity, the customers can book the watch 12 a.m. onwards, from December 12th to 18th, 2019 and they will get a Huawei Freelace worth MRP 6999 free. They are required to make the full payment for the watch at the time of booking the watch.
First Sale Activity: 19th -31st – The first sale for the watch will start from 12 AM (Midnight) and customer will get a chance to get the Huawei Minispeaker (INR 2999) for free. They can also avail the option of No-Cost EMI.
Online & Offline: The 42 mm variant of the watch will be available for INR 14990. Availability & offers will be announced at a later date.
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Home » NASCAR » News
Sauter to drive #30 AOL Chevrolet in 2004.
Robert Wilkins
NASCAR team owner Richard Childress announced today that Johnny Sauter will drive the #30 AOL Chevrolet for the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and will compete for the 2004 Rookie of the Year Award.
Sauter, 25, helped Childress claim the 2003 Busch Series Owner's Championship as part of a two-driver effort in the #21 PayDay Chevrolet with fellow Richard Childress Racing [RCR] driver Kevin Harvick. He also finished eighth in the 2003 Busch Series driver's points.
Sauter first competed in the NASCAR Busch Series with RCR in 2001 on a limited basis while also claiming the American Speed Association championship and rookie of the year award with a series record 10 wins. He moved into the #2 ACDelco Chevrolet in 2002 where he claimed his first Busch Series victory and finished 15th in the point standings.
"Johnny Sauter has been a big part of RCR's success the last few seasons," said Childress. "The move to the Nextel Cup is the next step in his promising career, so I wanted to make sure that step was taken with us. Johnny is the type of driver that fits the RCR mold so I know he'll do a great job in the AOL Chevrolet."
"Driving for RCR and AOL in the Nextel Cup Series is just an unbelievable opportunity for me, really a dream come true," commented Sauter. "RCR has been my home since Richard took the chance a few years back and put me in that Busch car. There isn't another team I would want to race for in my rookie year."
Childress also announced Kevin Hamlin will become Sauter's crew chief, moving to the #30 AOL team from the #31 Cingular Wireless team. Hamlin led Robby Gordon to a 16th-place finish in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup point standings, claiming both road course wins. Since joining RCR in 1997, Hamlin has nine Winston Cup victories, claiming wins with every driver with which he has worked.
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"Kevin Hamlin has the experience of working with almost every driver we've ever had here at RCR, taking each one of them to victory lane," added Childress. "He led both Mike Skinner and Kevin Harvick to the Winston Cup Rookie of the Year Awards, so I know he has the capability to help Johnny become successful. I am confident he can lead Johnny and the AOL team to a very successful 2004 season in the Nextel Cup series."
Hamlin will bring his entire 2003 #31 crew in making the move to join Sauter on the 2004 #30 AOL team.
"I am looking forward to working with Johnny and claiming another Rookie of the Year award for RCR," noted Hamlin. "I see him following the trend of having a strong rookie season and competing for wins. We'll have a strong, experienced crew coupled with a hard charging rookie, so I am excited about the 2004 season."
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"We're delighted that a promising young driver like Johnny Sauter will be in the seat of the #30 AOL Chevrolet. Pairing Johnny with an experienced crew chief like Kevin Hamlin will allow the AOL team to win races and aggressively compete for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2004," concluded Richard Taylor, Senior vice president of Brand Marketing for America Online. "Our partnership with NASCAR is a great fit with our AOL for Broadband high-speed offerings, and we look forward to continuing that partnership with this new team next season."
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After really enjoying the recent lifestyle posts by my favourite bloggers Lily Melrose and Lily Pebbles I decided to have a go at a lifestyle post myself (still with some beauty and fashion thrown in. obvs.) by making a little photo diary of my weekend away in London. My boyfriend has recently moved back up there so after I finished work on Friday I travelled up on the train reading 'The Perks of being a Wallflower' which I am now obsessed with after falling in love with the film. On Saturday we tubed into central for a spot of shopping, an incredible burger and oreo milkshake at Byrons and to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the musical. I'm a massive musical theatre geek so really enjoyed it, the set and tech in particular were amazing. I'd also really recommend Byrons for their dream of a milkshake creation alone! We actually spent ages walking around London after the show because you don't have people elbowing you out the way every five seconds at night, although there were some crazy drunk people- proven by the party bus we saw... Sunday was a super lazy day that consisted of my favourite causal crop and levis outfit, a topknot, Essie 'fiji' and walking into town purely to purchase an Elle magazine so I could get the Bumble and Bumble freebie. As if every blogger wouldn't do the same! On Monday I thought I'd make the most of being in London before I travelled back home so met up with some of my best uni friends for food at the incredible Breakfast Club, a mooch around Spitalfields market and some casual drinks that made us feel like high flying city dwellers. Strawberry and lime cider is my favourite because it tastes like an alcoholic petit filous, amazing! The Breakfast Club was also totally worth the bloggers hype, the decor alone was so kitsch and cool and my food 'The All American' provided me with the best pancakes I've ever had, although I do now need to go on a health kick this week... All in all I had a really great time and hope to do lots more lifestyle posts like this again in the future.
Do you like lifestyle posts? What did you get up to this weekend?
Those burgers look like they'd go down the treat!
Your hair looks so pretty, I've never been to London before, It's on my list!
I've been meaning to go to the Breakfast Club for SO long! I might just drag my boyfriend there tomorrow - your breakfast looked so yum!
What a fabulous post Megan, I LOVE reading lifestyle posts!
Sounds like you had THE best time in London.
I adoreee London and I'm planning on moving there next year, it's such a great city! Also I can't wait to try out the Breakfast Club, heard loads about it!


Rong Yiming, the Dean of Zhixin college. When graduating from the School of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Kentucky (UKY) in December, 1989, Rong Yiming was conferred upon the doctoral degree. Before returning to the motherland, Rong served as tenured full professor of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in USA, during which he was crowed distinguished professor of WPI for his outstanding contributions in scientific research. In addition, Rong was a fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). During 2010-2015, Rong was a professor with the Department of Machinery Manufacturing of Tsinghua University. Currently, Dr. Rong's research fields cover precision machining technology, modeling, simulation, and optimization in metal materials machining, and manufacturing system's production planning and tooling technology. In succession, Rong has presided over more than 50 scientific research programs, which were sponsored by federal agencies (like United States Science Foundation, Air Force Fundamental Research, and Department of Energy) and predominant manufacturing companies (like GM, Ford, Caterpillar, P&W, GE, and Ingersoll). In China, Rong presided over and partook in more than 10 programs like Natural Science Foundation, 973 Program, 863 Program, National Major Research Program, and industrial cooperation projects, etc. All told, Rong released two academic monographs and more than 300 technical papers, in addition to several application patents, etc.
Shi Jianghong, the Associate Dean of the Zhixin college. Dr. Shi Jianghong obtained her bachelor degree from Tsinghua University in 1987 and worked at Shanxi Academy of Urban & Rural Planning and Design, Shanxi Academy of Urban & Rural Planning and Design focusing on environmental engineering and environmental impact assessment from 1987 to 1998. Then Dr. Shi went to Tokyo University of Technology and Agriculture in Japan for continuing education and received PhD degree in 2004. After graduation, Dr. Shi returned to China in 2005 and worked at Beijing Normal University for ten years. Currently, Dr. Shi is a Teaching Professor in SUSTech. Since 1999, Dr. Shi's research has been focused on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals inclusive of estrogens, POPs, and plasticizers, and included consecutive study on their trace analysis technology, concentration distribution in environmental matrix, migration and transformation processes, biological degradation, environmental load evaluation, ecological risk assessment, and control technology. To date, Dr. Shi has published 42 Journal papers and obtained 12 national invention patents. In 2002 Dr. Shi obtained the Research Award from the Japan - China Society of Science and Technology Exchange for the outstanding achievements, and the technology invention award with her colleagues from the Ministry of Education. Her master student Zhang Hui won one famous scholarship of Zhou Tingru in 2014 due to outstanding achievement.
Wang Lingjun, a member of the CPC and postgraduate, graduated from the South China Normal University, and procured the Master of Science in Education. Presently, he serves as Associate Dean of Zhixin College, member of the Youth League Committee of the SUSTech, and director of the 9th General Counsel of Shenzhen Young Science and Technology Talents Association. In May, 2010, Wang joined SUSTech Preparation Office and successively took part in the work in relation to the school development, external public affairs, party affairs, education foundation, and council, etc., so he knows well the school's development history. Wang has funs in sports events like tennis, and he ever practiced at Plan International Plan China, Wenzhou Medical University, and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.
Ma Ying, a member of CPC and postgraduate, graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China, and ever served as instructor at Shuren College and Shude College. Currently, she is a member of the Youth League Committee of the SUSTech and instructor of Zhixin College. During her study in the college, she won a series of honors, such as bronze prize in "China Youth Volunteer Service Award", "Advanced Individual Award for Anhui Province Young Volunteers", and "Excellent Graduate", etc. In her daily life and work, Ma always espouses the principle "Grateful to Parents" and "To be a sincere man, and make friends with honesty". Ma is grateful to her old school for she has learned the spirit of "Plum blossom and willing ox". In her daily life, she will carry forward the spirit of her old school, and move ahead with the Southern University of Science and Technology.
Wang Dianyao (male, 29 years old), a native of Harbin City of Heilongjiang Province, graduated from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and procured the Master of Science in Management. After graduating from the university, Wang embarked on his postgraduate study as a recommended student. During his postgraduate study, he won a series of honors like "Excellent Graduate of the School", "Excellent Merit Postgraduate of the School", and "Excellent Bachelor Paper of Hubei Province",etc. In three consecutive years, he won full scholarship of the school. After graduating from the school, Wang successively served the Northeast Forestry University (211), the China Great Wall Asset Management Corporation, and SUSTech. Exclusive of overseas study, Wang basically got through the complete school life. Wang is fond of reading, writing, playing basketball, doing fitness, and playing guitar. All right then, see you at SUSTech!
Ren Yifei procured Master of Art History and Museum Curating from the Museum of the University of Sussex, and practiced at V&A Museum for two months. In addition, she ever took part in voluntary work at several small-scale exhibition halls. Ren is a lovely and cute home girl and fond of movie, delicious food, and different novel affairs. She hopes to laugh and grow together with those who love life the and are also in pursuit of novel things at SUSTech which has the new propositions, new connotations, and hard power.


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Afghanistan vs West Indies Commentary | Afghanistan and West Indies in India, 3 ODI Series, 2019
Afghanistan vs West Indies, 2nd ODI
Afghanistan and West Indies in India, 3 ODI Series, 2019 | 2nd ODI | Saturday 9th November | 08:30
200 (45.4) RR:4.37
WI win by 47 runs
Player of the Match Nicholas Pooran
Najibullah Zadran
Roston Chase
Sheldon Cottrell
West IndiesWI
AfghanistanAFG
2-0 up then, go the West Indies, with a game to go. Will we expect the bench to play a part in the third game? Or is the fruit of a whitewash too hard to ignore? What can Afghanistan do to avoid a whitewash? Batted first, lost. Bowled first, lost again. Probably, the absence of pressure in the third game might just help them to do well, whatever they do. Join us on Monday, 11th November, 2019 at 2 pm local (0830 GMT) for all The action from the final ODI at this same venue. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!
NICHOLAS POORAN HAS BEEN ADJUDGED THE MAN OF THE MATCH for his flamboyant innings. Thanks the almighty for giving him the opportunity to play well here. On his innings, Pooran says that he just stuck to his basics and then concentrated on playing his strokes. Promises that there is definitely more to come from him in future.
Victorious West Indies skipper, Kieron Pollard smiles on the reminder that West Indies have finally won an ODI series after 5 years. Praises his team for sticking to the plans which were laid out when they set foot from the Caribbean. On the pitch, Pollard says that it was on the slower side and they believed it will turn in the evening. Praises the openers for setting up a fine platform, though also admits that there was a collapse in the middle order. Wants to celebrate with the guys and soak in the atmosphere. Stresses that winning is a habit and they would like to keep winning. On the flies while playing, Kieron says that he has never played in such an environment and stresses that health too, is equally important. Hopes that in the final game, there are no such insects.
Afghanistan captain, Rashid Khan, feels that his team started well with the ball in the first 40 overs but then the momentum got snatched away. Praises Pooran for his knock. Although, he says that 248 was chaseable on this wicket, given the line-up that they have. On his bowling plans, in spite of the strong opening stand, Rashid says that the plan was to only keep bowling dots and wait for the batsmen to commit mistakes, which eventually happened, due to the sustained pressure. Lauds Najibullah and Nabi for putting their hands up but laments about his team not finishing off the job, which was the case in the first ODI as well. On the plans to break their losing rut in ODIs, Khan says that the focus only has to be on playing positive cricket and believing in themselves, as he adds that once that happens, they can get back to winning ways.
248 to chase. With dew present. Easy? Should have been. But it wasn't. Afghanistan never got set in this chase and struggled to cope with the slowing track. Only Najibullah Zadran crossed 50 while the next highest scorer was Rahmat with 33. Sheldon Cottrell did the damage with the new ball, keeping the pressure uptight and finishing with 3 wickets overall. But how good was Roston Chase? His 3/30 in 10 overs was what choked Afghanistan and they could not find a way. Hayden Walsh then cleaned up the tail with a 3-fer, which also included the wicket of Nabi (albeit a lucky one). Please stay tuned for the presentation...
2 matches, 2 different types of victories for West Indies. In the first game, Afghanistan were told to be unlucky, because dew hampered them in the second innings. If that was the case, what can be told about this game? Without a doubt, the pitch was difficult to bat on in the first innings but the Windies batted really well. Hope and Lewis played sensibly, not trying to go too hard and their 98-run opening stand set the platform. There was a collapse thereon but Nicholas Pooran's 67 took the 'visitors' close to 250, which looked to be a competitive total. And by and large, it indeed was.
At last. An ODI series win for West Indies. August 2014 was the last time when the Men from the Caribbean tasted a series victory in this format. Boy, has it been a long time coming.
Hayden Walsh to Sharafuddin Ashraf
OUT! CAUGHT! Flighted delivery on middle, Ashraf plays a slog sweep over mid-wicket but does not get the distance on it. It goes towards Hetmyer who takes a comfortable catch in the deep. WEST INDIES WIN BY 47 RUNS AND TAKE AN UNASSAILABLE 2-0 SERIES LEAD!
Tossed up delivery on off, Ashraf plays it to point.
BEATEN! Flighted delivery outside off, Ashraf looks to cut but misses it.