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I want, however, to follow the main tenor of the debate and talk about the enormous legacy that can be created by the Games—an economic and sporting legacy, and a hard legacy in the construction of buildings of dramatic architecture, several of which will continue to provide enormously significant facilities after the Games are over, on brownfield land which is derelict, contaminated and heavily scarred by Victorian industry. The Games will transform an area that has been neglected for so very long.
Another aspect of the hard legacy on which my noble friend Lady Ford enjoined us is that we should ensure that the local community also benefits directly.
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After the Games are over, there will be 9,000 new homes in and around the Olympic Park and nearly 40,000 new homes in the immediate area. These will be built in a hugely disadvantaged part of London. I was grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Valentine, for identifying the nature of the problems of the East End and the surrounding boroughs. It seems to me that all too often many decision-takers, and certainly those who comment on the Government's decisions, know the West End of London, the route of their journey to Parliament, Whitehall and the main railway stations well—except that they tend not to know Liverpool Street so well—but the land beyond Liverpool Street and the City is relatively less well known to them. As the noble Baroness, Lady Valentine, emphasised, these boroughs have the highest unemployment rate in the country and deprivation on a level unmatched elsewhere, although we recognise that other parts of the country also need careful attention in that regard.
The benefits of the Games must be measured in hard opportunities for the people. They will mean improvements in skills and opportunities. The Olympic Games will create construction and development opportunities. I also bear in mind the point that the noble Lord, Lord Crisp, emphasised about the health of people in deprived areas. There is no doubt at all that the five boroughs reflect their poverty in those terms. I understand his very important point that it is time that we shift even greater emphasis to aspects of mental health, and that poor physical health often derives from the poor state of mind of people who, for all sorts of reasons, feel unable to cope. I think he will recognise that some of these points are being registered very forcefully in other aspects of government activity within the Department of Health, and that there is a growing emphasis on the need for additional resources to be allocated to mental health. We want the Games to give an uplift to the East End and to lift morale, which will itself help to provide extra resources and an optimistic commitment to the Olympics among the people there, and to the circumstances in which they live.
The five boroughs are co-operating extraordinarily well on the Games. There is no doubt at all that they see the opportunities that they offer, and that is why they are positive. Everyone recognises that we must get a balance between benefits and costs, but it is also important to recognise that we have an obligation to provide the highest quality Olympics that have ever been held. We face challenges ahead in that regard. One such challenge is behind us: the Sydney Olympics were spectacularly successful. We have every expectation that those in Beijing will hit new heights. We face a significant challenge if we are to produce the best Games ever and the Government are all too well aware of that.
The usual constructive suggestion was made that these problems will best be solved by having a Cabinet Minister devoted to them as his or her sole occupation. I appreciate the attractions in changing the organisation of government. However, when I replied to a question on that matter two days ago, two former Cabinet Ministers said they did not think that changes of specification and responsibilities at Cabinet level added a great deal. I do not think that the Olympics will be
helped by a change in government organisation. The Olympics will be well delivered only if all government departments with responsibility in this area collaborate effectively. That is what we need to ensure. The very fact that we have set as the objectives the range of benefits which were identified in this debate helps greatly in this regard. I am confident that if we need to change government structure, that change will be effected. I think that it will be recognised—the Olympic committee recognises this—that, having won the bid, the government response to the challenge of preparing for the Games is far more advanced than any previous arrangements for such Games.
As was to be expected, the noble Lord, Lord Lee of Trafford, emphasised the enormous tourist advantages of the Games and the importance that we should attach to the wider tourist benefits to be gained across the whole of the United Kingdom. I link that with the other theme which came across strongly throughout the debate—that the Olympic Games will constitute a showcase for Britain. I hope that one of the aspects of that will be medals won by Britain. However, we can bet even more safely on the fact that we can provide for tourists to Britain an absolutely unparalleled experience in our artistic and cultural legacy, as several noble Lords mentioned. The noble Baroness, Lady Young, emphasised the cultural dimension of the Games, as did the noble Lord, Lord Rowe-Beddoe. We need to recognise across the nation that the Olympic Games will put the United Kingdom as a whole very much in the spotlight, in the same way that we are already seeing an enormous shift in the world's perspective on China. Its economic development is the most significant factor in that regard but we should not underestimate the showcase that the Olympic Games will provide for China too. The Games constitute a very great opportunity for the United Kingdom given its enormously rich cultural assets. I was grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Rowe-Beddoe, for emphasising the contribution that Wales can make in that regard, but it applies to all parts of the United Kingdom.
We want to link cultural and artistic aspects to the cultural Olympiad which will run alongside the Games. Cultural aspects of the Games do not comprise just the opening and closing ceremonies although those provide the most dramatic showcase and appear on worldwide television. The Games are an opportunity to celebrate the values of the Olympics and the cultural dimension attached to those. We are planning to develop that across the nation.
The right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chelmsford brought a different dimension to the debate. He referred to the multicultural setting in east London in which the Olympics will take place and to the need to provide a lasting legacy of sound values for young people and communities. I very much appreciated his contribution. The noble Lord, Lord Rowe-Beddoe, said that he was also moved by the speech. The Olympics will take place in a part of east London that needs to be given a sense of hope and to be the subject of good news rather than the bad news with which it is often associated in the media. The Games should lift young people's idealism. The churches have a great deal to offer in that regard and all faith organisations in the multi-faith community of
east London can play their part. We should appeal to them to do so because their influence in east London is so very strong. That strength needs to be built on.
Given her responsibilities and roles outside the House, the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, made a very measured, constructive speech in which she emphasised the necessity of maintaining high morale and support for the Games. She pressed upon us the damage to morale if we were unable in due course to produce a proper budget. I assure her that we recognise that factor. These are not easy issues. There is no doubt that certain aspects relating to the development of the Games, not least the nature of the site, are proving challenging with regard to costs. But I assure her that we take her representation seriously. We recognise the advantages that we can derive from being able to make progress in the near future on the budget. I hope that she will recognise that every energy is being devoted towards that objective.
I was grateful for the contribution of the noble Lord, Lord Newby. We recognise that the Olympic Games present an enormous opportunity within schools and educational programmes to promote commitment to sport and Olympic ideals. I agree that we need to make progress in that area. We are devoting some £40 million towards a trust to promote sport and the cultural dimensions of the Games. He will recognise that this is a pump-priming activity. However, there is no doubt that one department of government which sees the enormous opportunities of the Olympic Games is the Department for Education and Skills. Several noble Lords emphasised that we need to change the culture of young people. The noble Baroness commented that we must move from being couch potatoes. There are opportunities. In the past year, we have been supporting the Schools Games. They made an enormous impact. We recognise that we have to provide opportunities for competition for young people. We have to move sport up the educational agenda. It will be recognised that in the past things were not read in these terms. We know the costs of the selling-off of playing fields in previous decades. A stop has now been placed on that. But what is more important is that within schools we recognise—it is why we emphasise it within the school curriculum—the great importance of the commitment to physical activity and exercise. Those factors all relate to the stimulus which the Olympics can provide.
It has been an interesting and in many ways an enormously constructive debate. Every noble Lord who participated has recognised the challenge which the Olympics present. Five years from the delivery of the Games, we see the challenges rather than achievements. Of course, the Government are vulnerable to the charges presented by the noble Lord, Lord Howard, in a series of detailed questions to which there are not immediate or easy answers. I make this appeal to him. First, we will meet the issue with regard to costs very shortly. Secondly, of course the role of the Opposition is to challenge the Government, but let us recognise this fact: we shall deliver on behalf of our nation the best Olympic Games ever only if everyone in this country is committed and devoted towards that objective. We need the help of all parties. We need to sustain all
bipartisan support. Today we have had a debate which should encourage him in that bipartisan activity rather than in being too critical.
The Government are pleased that the Motion has been timed for today. It was important that the Olympic Games were brought to the fore at this stage. I congratulate the noble Baroness on having done so.
Baroness Valentine: My Lords, I found the debate stimulating and interesting. I thank all noble Lords who offered insights. I found particularly valuable the comparisons with the Millennium Dome, the Manchester Commonwealth Games and Barcelona, and even failed sporting bids. I referred to turning couch potatoes into runner beans. When the noble Lord, Lord Lee, spoke about the three "p"s, the debate risked taking a distinctly vegetarian turn. I particularly thank the noble Lord, Lord Davies, for his response on behalf of the Government. I congratulate the Government on the progress to date in preparing for the Games.
In summary, I remind the House of my key points. We need to focus on the benefits which the Olympics will bring. We need to work hard now to achieve them. The legacy of the Olympics and Paralympics needs to be more than medals and venues. There is the opportunity to bring lasting change, both physical and social, to east London. But that requires clarity on which body is in the lead between 2012 and 2020, and that body needs the powers and resources to deliver. It also requires public and private sectors jointly to commit to bringing more of the workless into employment, not through worthy but unsustainable job-creation schemes but by identifying the needs of employers and helping people without jobs to meet those needs through appropriate training and support. We must also learn lessons from our recent past. We know that regeneration will be painfully slow unless the infrastructure to establish true communities and link them to existing workplaces is created too.
Lastly, to deliver a successful legacy as well as the Games needs a clear commitment from government. There are two key roles. The chairmanship of the ODA needs to be resolved and I continue to believe that we need a Cabinet-level Minister whose job is to bang heads together across departments and to champion the legacy. I beg leave to withdraw the Motion for Papers.
Motion for Papers, by leave, withdrawn.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): My Lords, with the leave of the House I shall repeat a Statement made in another place by my right honourable friend the Minister for the Armed Forces. The Statement is as follows:
"Before starting the Statement proper, I should like to pay tribute to Rifleman Coffey, who was killed in Iraq on Tuesday. Our thoughts go to his family and friends at this time.
"With permission, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a Statement about the UK military commitment in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The UK first deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992, as part of UNPROFOR, in response to inter-ethnic violence resulting from the collapse of the former Republic of Yugoslavia. We are all sadly familiar with the atrocities committed during the Bosnian War, which resulted in an estimated 100,000 people killed and the forcible displacement of some 1.8 million people."After three years of conflict and following a NATO air and land campaign, a ceasefire in Bosnia-Herzegovina was agreed in 1995. This was followed by the brokering of the General Framework Agreement for Peace—more commonly known as the Dayton agreement—underpinned by the deployment of NATO forces."The international community has retained a military presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina since then, initially through NATO and, since 2004, through an EU force. At its peak, the international community presence, under NATO, amounted to some 60,000 troops, including some 12,000 UK personnel. "Today there are approximately 6,000 international troops in EUFOR, of which some 600 are from the UK. This significant reduction over the years is testimony to the continuously improving security situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. "With the UK's involvement in the UN, NATO and now EU forces, we have been operating in Bosnia-Herzegovina for some 15 years, contributing to the maintenance of a safe and secure environment. Indeed, we led EUFOR for its first year of operations and have been the lead nation in Task Force (North West). "Over the years, UK troops have been engaged in large numbers of operations to recover illegally held weapons, ammunition and explosives, as well as assisting the local authorities to combat organised crime. I would like to set out the detail of some of our successes."There are still dangerously high levels of small arms and light weapons in Bosnia-Herzegovina and, while a number of international organisations are implementing initiatives in this field, they are all dependent on donors. Last November, I had the pleasure of opening an explosive waste incinerator designed to destroy surplus small arms ammunition. The UK funding for that project amounts to some half a million pounds."In addition, the UK continues to fund the training of junior officers from all of the three main ethnic backgrounds, thereby contributing to the building of the state. In this financial year, UK support for this project is in the region of £1 million. The UK is also assisting in the development of the NATO trust fund mechanism to facilitate the resettlement into civilian life of up to 6,000 personnel made redundant through defence reform processes. The project will aim to provide training and advice to former soldiers who are returning to civilian life.
"It is clear that Bosnia-Herzegovina is becoming increasingly safe. In recent years, there have been increasing indications of a security situation that is approaching normality. Parliamentary and presidential elections took place last year, and they were judged to be free and fair. Significant steps in defence reform have been made, resulting in the establishment of a single, multi-ethnic military force that is compatible with NATO. That has resulted in Bosnia-Herzegovina being able to contribute a small number of troops to operations in Iraq. "Perhaps most important, the majority of people displaced from their homes during the war have chosen to return, many of them to areas where they do not belong to the majority ethnic group. In recognition of progress in all those areas, Bosnia-Herzegovina was invited to join NATO's Partnership for Peace programme last autumn, on the condition that there will continue to be full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. NATO will closely monitor its efforts."The time is right, therefore, to reassess the role of the international military presence. In December, EU Foreign Ministers agreed in principle to transition EUFOR from a large dispersed force structure to a smaller, centralised one. On Tuesday, at a meeting of the Political and Security Committee, EU member states gave the final approval, in light of the continually improving security situation, to this change. The resulting reduction in force levels, from approximately 6,000 troops to 2,500 troops, will allow Bosnia-Herzegovina to take more control of its own affairs. The EU decision to move to transition is in accordance with clear military advice that the security situation is stable and that the local authorities are able to cope with all but the most serious incidents."The Welsh Guards, who are currently deployed, will therefore not need to be replaced with any further manoeuvre troops. More than 600 troops, principally from the Welsh Guards, will return to the United Kingdom. That will mean that the UK's future in-theatre commitment for the next phase of EUFOR will be a small number of staff officers in the Sarajevo HQ, although we will continue to contribute to the pan-Balkans operational reserve force. A small number of troops will be needed to ensure a smooth transition to the new EUFOR structure and to dismantle the base at Banja Luka."As we come to the end of UK military operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, we can look back and see the contribution that our Armed Forces have made to the rebuilding of a country destroyed by conflict. As with other theatres of operation, they have been central in establishing a secure environment in which political solutions and reconstruction can be pursued."But while much has been achieved by the UK, our efforts have not been without significant losses. We must remember those UK service men and women who were injured or who laid down their lives trying to protect the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and I pay tribute to them. A series of commemorative events, both in Bosnia-Herzegovina
and in the UK, is being planned to honour the 55 personnel who lost their lives and the many thousands who were deployed. I will provide further detail of these events in due course."But we must look forward as well as back. There is still progress to be made, particularly in pushing forward key political reforms, ensuring less nationalism in political discourse and developing state-level institutions. The UK must, and will, remain engaged as Bosnia-Herzegovina strengthens her position within Europe and beyond".
My Lords, that concludes the Statement.
Lord Astor of Hever: My Lords, I thank the Minister for repeating the Statement and for giving us advance sight of it. I declare an interest as a trustee of the Fund for Refugees in Slovenia, which was founded to provide relief to Bosnian refugees, primarily in Slovenia. The charity has been concentrating on helping Bosnians to return to their pre-war homes, particularly in the Srebrenica region. I join the Minister in paying tribute to Rifleman Coffey, and from these Benches we send our condolences to his family and friends. We also echo the Statement in remembering all those United Kingdom service men and women who died or were injured trying to bring peace to Bosnia-Herzegovina over the past 15 years.
Much progress has been made in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and we welcome those successes referred to in the Statement. However, it would be naive to see this announcement as an end to all the problems there and to expect a smooth transition for Kosovo. On every front, 2007 looks set to be an extremely challenging year for the Balkans region. Serbia remains an unstable country that is led by a radical party whose leader is currently in The Hague facing charges of genocide. The recent unrest in Kosovo, and Belgrade's unwillingness to engage constructively in the final status talks, have cast a shadow over President Ahtisaari's proposals for supervised independence in Kosovo. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, separatist forces in the entity of Republika Srpska continue to hamper Bosnia's progress. Too many Serbs believe in a greater Serbia and that all Serbs should live together. What message is our pull-out sending them? Will they not be emboldened by the lack of an international military presence that has long served as a deterrent to their aspirations?
High Representative Christian Schwarz-Schilling has just announced an extension of his role until 2008, which is an extra year on top of his original mandate. That reversal of an earlier decision has been taken after a realistic assessment of the obvious uncertainties in the region. At the same time, the decision has been made to reduce the international military presence by cutting EUFOR numbers from 7,500 to 2,500. Will the Minister explain the remarkable discrepancy between those two assessments of Bosnia-Herzegovina's stability?
If the Bosnians are deemed incapable of taking greater control over their own affairs on a political level, why are the Government so confident that they can be self-sufficient on a military level? We hope that the decision has been taken because of a genuine belief that lasting stability can be maintained in the
Balkans region and not because the Government need all the troops that they can get in Afghanistan. What provisions have been put in place to allow a future increase in the number of troops in the region if needed?
The alleged war criminals General Mladic and Radovan Karadzic are still at large. Who will be responsible for trying to bring them to justice? To argue that the region is now stable suggests that a lesser emphasis is now being put on the surrender of those two individuals. How many of our troops, and from what other countries, will remain in the pan-Balkan force, mentioned in the Statement? Finally, how many of our own troops will remain to continue the important task of training the Bosnian forces, particularly in the essential task of mine clearance?
Lord Garden: My Lords, from these Benches we, too, offer our condolences to the family and friends of Rifleman Coffey, who was killed in Iraq earlier in the week. We warmly welcome the Statement as an indication of improvement in the security situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is always difficult to judge the exact moment when one can make a significant drawdown and there are inevitably some risks associated with it.
I note the report in today's New York Times of a statement released in Brussels that said that, in doing this,
"the Union would be prepared to 're-establish a more robust military presence if needed' in the months after the reduction".
Other reports talk about such a contingency for the next six months. The Statement does not mention that. Perhaps the Minister could clarify whether there is such a contingency, so that it may be necessary to put some more forces in during the transition period. If so, is the UK committed to such a reserve of force capability?
The Statement reviews the history of our involvement in Bosnia-Herzegovina and shows how the progressive move from the military operations under NATO auspices to the civil military under the EU, and progressively towards total civil, has been the right approach. It also shows that we have been at this problem now for 15 years. This is a lesson that we need to learn for our other stability operations worldwide: they take a very long time to achieve what we are seeking.
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BAUM Management S.à.r.l. is the management company and the sole manager of Central American Timber Fund FCP-SIF and was especially established for this purpose.
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CATF has a specialized Supervisory and Audit Committee ("SAC") overseeing the activities of CATF. The SAC has five members and has at least three unitholders and two professionals. The three 'unitholder'-members will -except at the start of the Fund- finally be elected at a meeting of the unitholders, while the professionals will be appointed directly by the Management Company. See also art. 7 of the Management Regulations.
The first members of the SAC have been appointed by the Management Company, whereby the SAC is chaired by Mr. Gert Jochems (chairman and compliance professional).
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Speechly Bircham Pfeiffer is a Luxembourg law firm specialized in banking, investment funds and management, corporate and tax law. As part of the international Speechly Bircham Pfeiffer group, the Luxembourg office has access to a wide range of legal experts and benefits from a strong international reputation.
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Predominantly a white school so I will assume a lack of maintenance as like the rest of the country.
The maintenance decisions are done via the department of Education, they will also decide who the contractors are to construct and maintain their buildings and facilities. South Africa got Affirmative Action, so anyone can guess.
Negroes, the most absurd life form to ever exist!
That's your next stop after alienating "evil Whitey"
He hates whites yet he's got a profile picture of Gorillaz, which is a British white band. Never change, stupid porch monkeys.
Filthy buggers, wishing for the deaths of White children.
Let them become Zimbabwe...The small White population in SA is the only reason why they are not a Zimbabwe.
Negroes have always bitten the hand that feed them. Their stupidity won't allow them to learn from Zimbabwe.
How any White person can approve of these apes is beyond me.
Most of us won't leave. SA is our country.
I'll enthusiastically second this one.


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New health minister Daniel Poulter has insisted politicians are becoming more far-sighted in their approach to debates about service reconfiguration.
The Conservative minister was asked by HSJ how he would respond to MPs from his own party who campaigned against reconfigurations that would improve the quality of patient care.
"What we've seen increasingly… is that MPs are being more responsible in how they approach service reconfiguration," Dr Poulter said.
"I think it's unlikely that an MP would, on their own back, pick a fight with local clinicians who are giving them the opposite message.
However, NHS Confederation chief executive Mike Farrar said that while MPs were "shifting a bit", they "were not all the way there" in terms of not making political capital from service reorganisation proposals.
He urged NHS leaders to build an evidence base for the benefits of reconfiguration. He thought it likely reconfiguration "would feature quite strongly" as an issue in local parliamentary candidates' campaigns in the run-up to the next election.
During a debate organised by think tank 2020health Mr Farrar said there had been a long-held view among sitting MPs that they would be "Kidderminstered" unless they fought to keep local services open. He was referring to the victory of Richard Taylor, a campaigner against the downgrading of Kidderminster's hospital, as an independent candidate in the 2001 general election.
Mr Farrar suggested this view could be outdated because "a doctor could stand against them saying 'this service is not as safe as it could be'", and win because they favoured a popular service reconfiguration.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Hunt yesterday outlined his priorities for the health service, in his first public address since becoming health secretary.
Mr Hunt told a reception at the Conservative party conference that he had identified four priorities for "the next couple of years".
"It's time to move the debate on to talk about outcomes," he said. "After taking a lot of soundings I've decided to focus on four areas.
The second was the "challenge of caring for people with dementia", the third was long-term conditions, and the fourth was mortality rates for major diseases.
He also called for "much greater integration and working between sectors" in health and social care, and said integration was "going to be as important as competition".


On 26 October the Business Development and International Liaison unit hosted representatives of the Limpopo Development Collaborative Platform (LDCP) to discuss how HSRC researchers might be able to contribute towards this substantial research initiative. Stakeholders in this collaborative platform include the Limpopo Provincial Government, private corporations and research agencies.
Anglo American Platinum and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) represented the LDCP. Three HSRC units (EDP, DGSD and RIA) participated in this meeting with their inputs, taken together, illustrating the impressive footprint of their diverse research initiatives in Limpopo. Dr Glenda Kruss, Executive Director of CESTII, chaired this exploratory conversation to consider how to bring social scientists and M&E experts into the LDCP initiative.
Several researchers raised the HSRC flag at the prestigious International Population Conference, by presenting pertinent findings from their work.
SALGA hosted its provincial Small Town Regeneration (STR) and Regional Economic Development (RED) conference in Delmas, Mpumalanga, on 24 and 25 October 2017, which was aimed at discussing ways to regenerate, restore and strengthen small town economies in the province.
On 6 October 2017, the HSRC hosted the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Roadshow on behalf of the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI). The event was well attended and the theme was the role of science, technology and innovation (STI) indicators in monitoring South Africa's inclusive socio-economic development.
The City of Cape Town hosted its annual Informal Economy Summit at the City Hall on the 10th of October 2017, which included an input session and panel discussion facilitated by two EPD members, Professor Leslie Bank and Dr Andreas Scheba. This years' summit was organised under the theme "Building Sustainable Informal Trading Markets as drivers of Local Area Economic Development" and the objective was to discuss how informal markets in the City can be better supported to promote enterprise growth, formalisation and inclusive economic development.
The HSRC hosted the launch of the Gauteng Rental Housing Strategy on 12 October 2017. This follows the 2015 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the HSRC's Economic Performance and Development (EPD) unit and the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements.
The HSRC will, on the margins of the 17th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers' meeting being hosted by South Africa, lead the Academic, Science & Technology Cooperation forum. South Africa will host the IORA Council of Ministers' Meeting from 14 to 17 October 2017 in Durban during which the country will also assume the chairpersonship of IORA.
The Department of Science and Technology, through its Innovation for Local Economic Development programme, hosted a seminar at the end of August to promote the ownership of innovation assessment tools among resource-poor local municipalities.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST), through its Innovation Partnership for Rural Development Programme (IPRDP), recently held a seminar in Polokwane to share experiences and learnings from the implementation of 525 Point-of-Use (POU) water filtration devices in two pilot communities in the Capricorn district.
The Economic Performance and Development (EPD) research programme of the HSRC, whose role in the project is to develop a fit-for-purpose monitoring and evaluation framework, attended and presented during the seminar. Other participants were from the DST, Department of Water and Sanitation, Water Research Commission, Centre for Public Service Innovation, Municipalities, the VulAmanz team, service providers, councillors and community members.
At the end of August 2017, the HSRC's Economic Performance and Development research programme (EPD) completed a ten-month research and capacity building intervention for selected District Land Reform Committees in 10 districts across South Africa. Supported by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and the Belgian Technical Cooperation the project aimed at increasing the capacity of DLRCs to identify the land needs and use of the poorer segments of local land seekers in their districts.
Can the budget help transformation?


Thanks for catching us up! It sounds like you've been busy in a good way.
I'm not sure where anyone can go that isn't "floody, earthquakey, firey, or hurricaney." I guess all areas of the world have their challenges… the key is to be smart (if possible, travel when you are least likely to experience these things), be brave (don't let fear limit you), and be open (to new experiences… even ones that might take you to a damaged area to help clean up or, at least, bring in much-needed tourist dollars).
Thanks, Janis! Good advice and reminder. It might be a good idea to take our dollars to needed areas!
Thanks for the great catch-up, Lynn. And Roxy is adorable…how could that cute face do anything 'naughty'?
Well, for starters, she's eaten the cover on my Nook reader…twice! LOL!
Wow, a great one year catch up. I like the idea of picnic lunches on explorations… might have to try that one out. And thanks for the ping back! And the book ideas. I'm hoping to get back into some leisure reading this winter. It's good to have you back in the blogosphere.
Thanks, Pat. They say you don't know what you've got till it's gone. I've really missed it!


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Jane Arraf
Jane Arraf covers Egypt, Iraq, and other parts of the Middle East for NPR News.
Arraf joined NPR in 2017 after two decades of reporting from and about the region for CNN, NBC, the Christian Science Monitor, PBS Newshour, and Al Jazeera English. She has previously been posted to Baghdad, Amman, and Istanbul, along with Washington, DC, New York, and Montreal.
She has reported from Iraq since the 1990s. For several years, Arraf was the only Western journalist based in Baghdad. She reported on the war in Iraq in 2003 and covered live the battles for Fallujah, Najaf, Samarra, and Tel Afar. She has also covered India, Pakistan, Haiti, Bosnia, and Afghanistan and has done extensive magazine writing.
Arraf is a former Edward R. Murrow press fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Her awards include a Peabody for PBS NewsHour, an Overseas Press Club citation, and inclusion in a CNN Emmy.
Arraf studied journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa and began her career at Reuters.
The Aftermath Of Iran's Missile Attack On An Iraqi Base Housing U.S. Troops
By Jane Arraf • Jan 14, 2020
The conflict between the United States and Iran has flared dangerously in Iraq — and in few places more so than a remote desert air base, more than 100 miles northwest of Baghdad. Iran fired at least 10 ballistic missiles at the sprawling Ain al-Assad base last week in response to the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike in Baghdad that killed top Iranian commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and an Iraqi paramilitary leader.
NPR international correspondent Jane Arraf and freelance photographer Alexander Tahaov were among a group of journalists invited to tour the base earlier this week.
U.S. Defense Secretary Says No Plans To Leave Iraq, Forces Being Repositioned
By Jane Arraf & Vanessa Romo • Jan 6, 2020
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced on Monday that some forces are being repositioned inside Iraq, not leaving the country.
Two other U.S. officials told NPR that some are going to Kuwait temporarily.
In A Day Of Turmoil, Repercussions Of Soleimani Killing Grow More Widespread
By Bobby Allyn & Jane Arraf • Jan 5, 2020
Updated at 11:50 p.m. ET Sunday
As thousands of mourners flooded the streets of Iran on Sunday to mourn the death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a series of dizzying developments convulsed the Middle East, generating new uncertainty around everything from the future of U.S. forces in Iraq to the battle against ISIS and the effort to quell Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Amid the fallout of the U.S. drone strike on Friday that killed Soleimani, Sunday saw the following whiplash-inducing developments unfold almost simultaneously:
U.S. Steps Up Deportations To Iraq, Despite Worsening Violence There
By Jane Arraf • Dec 28, 2019
The apartment in Baghdad where Jimmy Aldaoud lived — and died, just two months after being deported from the U.S. — has been cleaned and emptied. But on the windowsill in the bedroom, there's a remnant of the fear he felt about being sent to a country where he'd never been: two plastic toy pistols with orange foam tips and bright pink suction-cup darts.
"He would sleep with these in his hands," says Samir Kada, another deportee from the U.S. who lives next door and looked out for him. "He said, 'If anybody comes, I'm going to pull it on them. I swear to God.' "
U.S. Military Official Warns Of Dangerous Escalation In Iran-Backed Attacks In Iraq
Rockets struck Baghdad's international airport compound Thursday, as the country tries to contain anti-government protests which have shaken the foundation of the Iraqi government. The attack appears to be the latest in what a senior U.S. military official described as a dangerously escalating campaign by Iran-backed militias.
'He Helped Save People And You Killed Him': Iraqi Dad Mourns Son Killed In Protests
By Jane Arraf • Nov 20, 2019
Khazaal Salih sits in a tent next to a photo of his son, just back from the framing shop. In the gold-framed photo, Abbas wears a disposable blue surgical mask to protect him from tear gas. He's smiling and raising his fingers in a victory sign. At the top of the photo is the date — Nov. 6, 2019 — when the young man was killed by Iraqi security forces during an anti-government protest.
In Syria, U.S. Military Says Fight Will Continue Against ISIS
At a military base in Hasakah province in northeastern Syria, a Bradley armored fighting vehicle churns up sand as it speeds past a TV camera, an American flag flying behind its turret.
The Bradley, airlifted in from Kuwait, was demonstrated for a small group of journalists, the first group of reporters taken by the U.S. military to Syria since President Trump announced late last month that he would leave troops there to protect oil installations.
A Look At U.S. Military In Syria
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
'They Have Stolen Everything From Us': Iraq's Anti-Government Protests Continue
By Jane Arraf • Nov 5, 2019
Essa, 23, shakes a can of red spray paint, crouches over the sidewalk near Baghdad's Tahrir Square and scrawls something shocking about Iran's supreme leader.
"Khamenei is an ass," it reads.
'We Didn't See A Body': Baghdadi's Death Draws Doubts In Lands Where ISIS Ruled
By Fatma Tanis, Jane Arraf, Daniel Estrin, Lama Al-Arian & Alex Leff • Oct 29, 2019
Updated on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. ET
In Iraq and Syria, news of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death has stirred a mix of responses — from joy to disbelief to dread.
Since President Trump announced this weekend that Baghdadi died during a U.S. military operation in Syria, analysts have been grappling with the implications for the militant organization that has now lost its main chief in addition to all the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria.
'We Didn't Believe We Would See The Sun Rise': Refugees From Syria Arrive In Iraq
By Jane Arraf • Oct 18, 2019
A convoy of blue and white minibuses rolls into the Bardarash refugee camp in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, about 100 miles east of the Syrian border. The buses are full of crying babies, small children peering excitedly out the windows and worried-looking adults. Many of them have only the things they could carry with them in hours of walking to the border.
'I've Got Nothing Over Here': Michigan Man Deported By ICE Dies In Baghdad
By Merrit Kennedy & Jane Arraf • Aug 9, 2019
Jimmy Aldaoud was deported from the U.S. in June to Iraq, a country that his family said he had never set foot in. Two months after he arrived there, his family got word that he was found dead in Baghdad.
Aldaoud was born in Greece, his sister Mary Bolis said, after his family fled Iraq. He didn't speak Arabic.
He was 41 when he died, and he arrived legally in the U.S. in May 1979 when he was a year old, his lawyer, Chris Schaedig, said. He lived near Detroit until he was put on a plane to Najaf by U.S. federal officials.
'I Want To Go Back': The Yazidi Girls Who Did Not Want To Be Rescued From ISIS
By Jane Arraf • Jun 19, 2019
Zahura Sinan passes around wrapped candy to guests sitting on carpets in the family's living room in a village in northeastern Syria. It's to celebrate the first day of freedom for two Yazidi girls, liberated from the ISIS family who held them captive for two years.
"This is like their birthday," says Sinan's son Mahmoud Rasho, the Yazidi official who found the girls in a detention camp for ISIS families. For now, his family is taking care of the girls at their home near the city of Hasakah.
Yazidi Children, Torn From Their Families By ISIS, Forget Their Identities
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
In Syria, An Orphanage Cares For Children Born To Yazidi Mothers Enslaved By ISIS
By Jane Arraf • Jun 6, 2019
A little girl with enormous blue eyes watches, mesmerized, as Fajriya Khaled gives a tiny 3-month-old baby a bottle.
The girl is 1 1/2. She wears a white party dress with sequins and pink roses on the bodice, and a pink sash. On her wrist is a string bracelet — perhaps for luck. In her ears are the gold earrings she was wearing when she was brought to the orphanage as a baby — a sign that, although abandoned, she was not unloved.
'Revenge Is For The Weak': Kurdish Courts In Northeastern Syria Take On ISIS Cases
By Jane Arraf • May 29, 2019
Judge Amina, fuchsia sunglasses perched atop her long, blonde hair, commands the ISIS prisoner to enter.
Mahmoud Amir, a 22-year-old Syrian, walks in, wearing slippers, sweatpants and a black, long-sleeved T-shirt. He lowers himself into an office chair, facing three judges seated behind a long desk. In his hands, he holds the black fabric blindfold that guards have just removed from his eyes.
Misery Grows At Syrian Camp Holding ISIS Family Members
In northeast Syria, an overcrowded detention camp is home to more than 73,000 people who lived in the former ISIS caliphate. Almost three-quarters of the al-Hol camp residents are children — born to Syrian, Iraqi and other foreign parents who flocked to the ISIS caliphate over the five years it ruled territory here.
In recent visits to the camp, NPR was told of babies dying from malnutrition and disease, and found women collapsed by the side of the road.
Freed From ISIS, Yazidi Mothers Face Wrenching Choice: Abandon Kids Or Never Go Home
By Jane Arraf • May 9, 2019
It's the night before a group of Yazidi women and children freed from ISIS in Syria cross the border home to Iraq.
A pale young woman with shrapnel wounds stretches out on a mattress. An older woman in a velveteen housedress leans against the wall cradling her bandaged arm — broken by an ISIS wife who accused her of taking food in the last days of the caliphate.
On the floor near a small heater warming the concrete room, a 5-year-old girl has been crying for so long that her sobs have turned to jagged coughs.
'We Pray For The Caliphate To Return': ISIS Families Crowd Into Syrian Camps
By Jane Arraf • Apr 19, 2019
The women huddle for shelter from the rain under a corrugated iron roof, their long black cloaks dragging in the mud as they wait in line for food and pray for the return of the ISIS caliphate.
The squalid al-Hol camp, in the Kurdish-majority region of Syria known as Rojava, is filled with more than 72,000 people — most of them women and children who came out of the last piece of ISIS-held territory in Baghouz.
Freed From ISIS, Few Yazidis Return To Suffering Families, Many Remain Missing
By Jane Arraf • Mar 14, 2019
Mazen looks like he wants to disappear into his gray hoody as he sits in the corner of a tent in a camp for displaced Yazidis in Iraq. The 13-year-old boy's eyes are haunted and huge in a face still gaunt from not getting enough to eat.
After almost five years held captive by ISIS, Mazen says he wants to talk about what happened to him but he doesn't have the words.
"How do I feel?" he says as if bewildered by the question. "Really I don't know how to feel."
News Brief: FAA Grounds 737 Max, Mueller Team Member Leaves
By David Schaper, Carrie Johnson & Jane Arraf • Mar 14, 2019
The Federal Aviation Administration now faces an awkward question.
Trump Wants To Use Iraqi Base To Watch Iran. Now Iraqi Parties Want U.S. Forces Out
By Jane Arraf • Feb 15, 2019
With a single line, President Trump fanned the flames of a push in Iraq to expel U.S. forces, just as he declared he wanted to keep troops in the country.
"We spent a fortune on building this incredible base. We might as well keep it," Trump said in a CBS interview on Feb. 3, referring to the Ain al-Asad military base in Iraq's western desert. "And one of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem."
Remembering Lamia Al-Gailani, Pioneering Iraqi Archaeologist
By Jane Arraf • Feb 2, 2019
"Can you imagine?" Iraqi archaeologist Lamia al-Gailani was fond of saying, her voice rising in delight.
It was often about some item showing the ingenuity of Sumerian civilization, like a scythe made of clay the last time I toured the National Museum of Iraq with her, last spring.
I'd known Gailani since the 1990s. She was one of a generation of women — accomplished, unconventional and entirely original — who first drew me to Iraq.
Iraqi Has Returned To U.S. After ICE Deported Him Against Court Orders
Muneer Subaihani had lived in the United States for almost 25 years when he was arrested by U.S. immigration authorities last summer and deported back to Iraq. That's when the U.S. lost track of him.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported him in contravention of a U.S. federal court order two years ago halting the deportations of about 1,400 Iraqis. Subaihani was one of them. In a rare move, the court ordered ICE to find him and bring him back to the United States.
A U.S. Commander Went For A Rare Stroll In Baghdad. Many Iraqis Just Shrugged
By Jane Arraf • Jan 7, 2019
It had been years since anyone had seen an American military commander walking around the streets of downtown Baghdad.
So when Marine Brig. Gen. Austin Renforth went with his Iraqi counterpart for a tour of the city's most crowded neighborhoods on Friday, it wasn't clear what kind of reception he would get.
Sixteen years after the United States and its coalition partners invaded Iraq, most Iraqis still blame the U.S. for disbanding the Iraqi army and for the security vacuum and devastating civil war that followed.
'They Know I'm Different': Deportee Struggles In Iraq After Decades Living In U.S.
Naser al-Shimary is waiting at the arrivals gate at Baghdad's international airport. He says he's so nervous his "heart is skipping beats."
"Last time I held my wife and son was May 2017," says Shimary, 29, speaking English with an American accent. "That was the last time I got to kiss them and hold them."
In Iraq, A Race To Protect The Crumbling Bricks Of Ancient Babylon
Mohaned Ahmed is standing on scaffolding at the ancient site of Babylon, dipping water into a bucket and sponging the bricks around a stone relief showing a dragon with a serpent's head.
The image is so well defined it looks as if it might have been made yesterday instead of more than 2,000 years ago. But below it, the bricks and mortar of one of the ancient world's grandest cities are disintegrating.
Ancient Babylon In Iraq Restored
UNICEF Official Calls Yemen A Living Hell For Children
The humanitarian situation in Yemen is worsening, with millions of children at risk of starvation and fighting intensifying despite international pressure for a cease-fire in the country's civil war, according to a senior United Nations official who last week visited the rebel-held port of Hodeidah.
Record-Setting Sale Of An Ancient Assyrian Stone Relief Sparks Looting Fears In Iraq
A bidding war at Christie's this week sent the price of a 3,000-year-old stone relief from $7 million to more than $28 million, setting a world record for ancient Assyrian artworks and raising fears among some archaeologists that soaring prices will fuel the market for looted antiquities as well as legally acquired ones.


HP and Acer are the first two hardware partners to announce laptops running Windows 10 S, the brand new locked-down version of Windows meant for colleges. In addition to a complete range of HP laptops listed right here so that you can choose from, desktops of varied specifications can be found as nicely. We can try to introduce the lacking file from the CD landed together with your HP help. According to stories on several on-line forums, the telemetry software—which the HP customers stated they by no means opted to have put in and had no idea was frequently operating within the background—was pushed out in a recent update.
ServersServers: If the above mentioned varieties are private computer systems for personal use, servers aren't private computers. So, turn to the HP computer store at HSN to start out outfitting that house workplace the way in which you really need it. HP laptop bundles are where to show for the telecommuting household.
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HP began work on The Machine two years in the past, when Martin Fink turned CTO and head of HP Labs. And its solely 2 months previous….want to get my laptop computer more servicing or change of elements. At just 2.6 pounds and half an inch thick, it's insanely skinny and light-weight, particularly for a laptop with a touchscreen and a convertible design.


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Stories-A History of Appalachia
Appalachia Rod Mullins History Society Steve Gilly Documentaries Binge-Worthy Documentary Folklore Storytelling
Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins tarafından hazırlanmış olup, Player FM ve topluluğumuz tarafından keşfedilmiştir. Telif hakkı Player FM'e değil, yayıncıya ait olup; yayın direkt olarak onların sunucularından gelmektedir. Abone Ol'a basarak Player FM'den takip edebilir ya da URL'yi diğer podcast uygulamalarına kopyalarak devam edebilirsiniz.
Tümünü oynan(ma)dı işaretle ...
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Manage series 108570
A look at the history of the Appalachian region, one story at a time.
Stories-A History of Appalachia benzeri
History of Japan
Isaac Meyer
This podcast, assembled by a former PhD student in History at the University of Washington, covers the entire span of Japanese history. Each week we'll tackle a new topic, ranging from prehistoric Japan to the modern day.
The History of Byzantium
thehistoryofbyzantium@gmail.com
A podcast telling the story of the Roman (Byzantine) Empire from 476 AD to 1453. www.thehistoryofbyzantium.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Irish History Podcast
Fin Dwyer
The Irish History Podcast brings you on a journey through Ireland's fascinating past. This podcast is not just dates but an enthralling account of Ireland's history, looking at daily life through the ages. The show is currently focused on the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s (see below), while the archive contains the stories of Ireland's ancient High Kings, Viking raiders and the Norman Invasion of the Middle Ages. The story of the Great Famine has proved the most popular to date,Between 184 ...
Documentary on One Podcast
RTÉ Documentary on One
Multi award winning documentaries from Ireland telling real life stories. With over 1,800 documentaries on offer, the Documentary On One Podcast has the largest archive of documentaries available in the world, dating as far back as 1954, right up to the present day. Winner of over 340 national and international awards. Producer of podcast series 'GunPlot' and 'The Nobody Zone'. Immerse yourself in a world of sound, story and character.
The History of Egypt Podcast
Dominic Perry
Discover ancient Egypt, in their own words. This podcast uses ancient texts and archaeology to uncover the lost world of the Nile Valley. A tale of pharaohs, pyramids, gods, and people. The show is written by a trained Egyptologist and uses detailed, up-to-date research. We dive deep into the ancient society, to uncover their fascinating tales. A member of the Agora Podcast Network. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The History Network
The military history podcast specialists, looking at all aspects of war through the ages.
The History Chicks
The History Chicks | Wondery
Two women. Half the population. Several thousand years of history. About an hour.
Let's Go Together
Let's Go Together, a new podcast from Travel + Leisure, features diverse voices sharing their unique travel experiences and inspiring others to explore the world. Each week host Kellee Edwards, award-winning travel expert, speaks to guests about inclusivity, including episodes that introduce an adventurer who climbed Machu Picchu in his wheelchair and the first documented black woman to visit every country in the world. Come back every Wednesday for a new episode!
Tides of History
Wondery / Patrick Wyman
Everywhere around us are echoes of the past. Those echoes define the boundaries of states and countries, how we pray and how we fight. They determine what money we spend and how we earn it at work, what language we speak and how we raise our children. From Wondery, host Patrick Wyman, PhD ("Fall Of Rome") helps us understand our world and how it got to be the way it is.
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
In The Way I Heard It, Mike Rowe gives a different take on a variety of topics—from pop culture to politics, history to Hollywood, each mystery is a trueish tale about someone you know, filled with facts that you don't. Delivered with Mike's signature blend of charm, wit, and ingenuity, these stories are part of a larger mosaic—full of surprising revelations, sharp observations, and intimate, behind-the-scenes moments drawn from Mike's own life and career.


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RAISING THE BAR: Brad Sweet riding high of confidence into Cedar Lake mega /
RAISING THE BAR: Brad Sweet riding high of confidence into Cedar Lake mega event
Tags: Brad SweetCedar Lake Speedway
Kasey Kahne Racing has been the most dominate team in the early stage of 2020
Ten-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz has been the standard of excellence in Sprint Car racing for almost two decades.
Now, reigning champion Brad Sweet said he believes he and his Kasey Kahne Racing team have reached the high bar Schatz had set and have surpassed it.
"I feel like we're the best team out here," said Sweet, of Grass Valley, CA. "I've been kind of saying that. That just comes from confidence and winning races. You know, being the car to beat night in and night out right now. We're still working hard. We know Donny is gunning for us. Logan (Schuchart) is gunning for us. There's a lot of other great guys out there gunning for us.
Brad Sweet and NAPA Auto Parts crew / Trent Gower photo
"It's not easy. It's not easy to keep winning. It's not easy to stay on top of the mountain, but we're working hard to obviously win another champion and try to win as many races as possible."
In 17 races, so far, this season Sweet's worse finish is 12th – his only finish outside the top-10. He currently has five wins, 14 top-five finishes – 13 of them podium finishes – and 16 top-10 finishes. He started the year off winning the DIRTcar Nationals title and came up one spot sort last week from winning his third Jackson Nationals title.
Entering this weekend's three-day Independence Day Spectacular at Cedar Lake Speedway July 2-3-4 – which will also feature the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models – Sweet holds a 66-point lead over Schatz, who currently has two wins.
Sweet and his NAPA Auto Parts team proved they could go after a championship, even with adversity in the way, at Cedar Lake last year. During a single-day Feature doubleheader – due to rain the night before – a part broke on Sweet's car in the first Feature while he was running third, taking him out of the race. The damage was enough to warrant bringing out a back-up car. Wasting no time, the team had it ready in less than an hour before the second program of the night started.
Their hard work paid off with Sweet dominating the 35-lap Feature and picking up his second win at the 3/8-mile speedway.
"It shows we have a really great team to overcome things like that," Sweet said. "We were actually kind of disappointed because we felt like we had a good shot to win both of the nights and were on a good run. You never want to have those types of issues. Those are kind of what win championships when you're able to overcome the adversity you see a lot of the times throughout a World of Outlaws season."
Brad Sweet (top) versus Donny Schatz (bottom) / Trent Gower photo
After Cedar Lake, Sweet won eight more races – ending the year with 16 in total – and only finished outside the top-10 twice in the remaining 36 races of the season, leading to his championship win by four points over Schatz.
"We were pretty focused last year and pretty determined," Sweet said. "Obviously, we looked at that as we lost points, so we didn't want to lose that night. Like I said, you're going to have those nights. It's just how do you overcome them? How do you rebound from them? With this race team, we're getting more and more confidence and they work really really hard to be as well prepared as anyone out here and probably the most well-prepared team there is."
He and his team will look to sweep another weekend in Wisconsin this year by winning the special $3,000-to-win Elimination Showdown race on Thursday and then the regular $20,000-to-win shows on Friday and Saturday. They already swept the weekend at Beaver Dam Raceway early this season and came close to sweeping the Jackson Nationals last weekend with a win, a third-place finish and a second-place finish.
Schatz, who has be searching for consistency with his team this year – recently coming off an 18th-place finish, fifth-place finish and eighth-place finish, respectively, at the Jackson Nationals – recognized Sweet and his team have reach the bar he set.
"They've (KKR) had a good target to chase for a while," said Schatz, of Fargo, ND, after finishing second to Sweet at Beaver Dam. "It's time to move that bar again… It is what it is. This is a humbling sport. It's a humbling game. We're not hanging our heads. Some nights you're going to run second. There's a lot of night you're going to run second to that (KKR #49) car. We just keep digging."
You can purchase tickets for the three-day event at Cedar Lake Speedway by clicking here.
If you can't make it to the track, you can watch all three nights of the action live on DIRTVision. Saturday's race will also be live on CBS Sports Network at 9 p.m. (ET).
Bergeron Wins Fourth iRacing World of Outlaws Sprint Car Race of Season at Cedar Lake
iRacing World of Outlaws Sprint Car Preview: Cedar Lake


This question of theodicy is an age-old one, and as you point out, it's had numerous explanations. In the case of Christian Science, what you relate from Erickson's book is unfortunately a caricature that neither explains Christian Science nor makes realistic conclusions about it. One doesn't necessarily expect Erickson, or the reader, to share the same theological sentiment as in Christian Science, of course, but let's see if I can at least clarify the subject a little, — not to convince you about it, but to indicate where it stands.
As seen from a Christian Science perspective, if God is omnipotent and omnipresent, and if "God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good" (Gen. 1:31), did God make evil, or can there be such a thing as evil? Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, saw man (in the generic sense of both men and women) having a spiritual connection with God that constituted a spiritual nature not confined to the physical phenomenon. She saw a consistency throughout the Bible of God's goodness and the omniscience of Spirit, or God (such as Joseph's high sense of God's presence, which both protected him and blessed his enemies.) Man's spiritual nature is tied directly to God and His goodness, and can never be repudiated, terminated, or degraded.
In this sense Mary Baker Eddy regarded evil as a phenomenon of an unrealistic and incomplete concept of God and man. While one may in that manner say that evil is illusory, the context should not be misunderstood. It is foolhardy to conclude simplistically that Christian Science regards evil as just a "trick of the senses," because the manifestations of evil can appear very real indeed, and need to be handled; but this can be addressed prayerfully on the basis of our higher relationship to God. An understanding of this brings the native goodness of that relationship into our human experience.
In this context, one does not expect the human body to be immortal. However, when one understands more clearly man's spiritual relationship to God, the rigors of the human experience become less arduous, problems are found to be resolved, and even physical issues are healed.
On the other hand, if you adopt the premise that man is essentially a material creature, then it's very difficult to realize man's spiritual nature. However one might think about this, we are all God's creation. The more spiritual we can see that creation, the more we overcome material limitations.
This question of theodicy is an age-old one, and as you point out, it's had numerous explanations. In the case of Christian Science, what you relate from Erickson's book reads unfortunately like a caricature that neither explains Christian Science nor makes realistic conclusions about it. One doesn't necessarily expect Erickson, or the reader, to share the same theological sentiment as in Christian Science, of course, but let's see if I can at least clarify the subject a little, — not to convince you about it, but to indicate where it stands.
There is a challenge of context in dealing with Christian Science, because it is not easily reconciled with everyday terminology.
As seen from a Christian Science perspective, if "God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good" (Gen. 1:31), did God make evil, or can there be such a thing as evil? Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, saw man (in the generic sense of both men and women) having a spiritual connection with God that constituted a spiritual nature not confined to the physical phenomenon. She saw a consistency throughout the Bible of God's goodness and the omniscience of Spirit, or God (such as Joseph's high sense of God's presence, which both protected him and blessed his enemies.) Man's spiritual nature is tied directly to God and His goodness, and can never be repudiated, terminated, or degraded.
In that sense Mrs. Eddy regarded evil as a phenomenon of an unrealistic and incomplete concept of God and man. While one may in that manner say evil is illusory, the context should not be misunderstood. It is foolhardy to conclude simplistically that Christian Science regards evil as just a "trick of the senses." The manifestations of evil can appear very real indeed, and need to be handled; but this can be addressed prayerfully on the basis of our higher relationship to God.
One does not expect the human body to be immortal. However, when one understands more clearly man's spiritual relationship to God, the rigors of the human experience become less arduous, problems are found to be resolved, and even physical issues are healed. The more spiritual we can see God's creation, the more we overcome material limitations.
This question of theodicy is an age-old one. In the case of Christian Science, what you relate from Erickson's book reads unfortunately like a caricature that neither explains Christian Science nor reaches realistic conclusions. One doesn't expect Erickson, or the reader, to share the same theological ideas as Christian Science, of course, but let's see if I can at least clarify the subject.
From a Christian Science perspective, if "God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good" (Gen. 1:31), did God make evil, or can there be such a thing as evil? Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, saw man (both men and women) having a spiritual connection with God that constituted a spiritual nature not confined to the physical phenomenon. She saw a consistency throughout the Bible of God's goodness and the omniscience of Spirit, or God (such as Joseph's high sense of God's presence, which both protected him and blessed his enemies.) Man's spiritual nature is tied directly to God and His goodness, and can never be repudiated, terminated, or degraded.
Thank you for your thoughts though I am puzzled. I had not given thought to approaching the topic from the perspective of Christian Science though it is an intriguing idea. Perhaps a future post or series is in order!


Rare set of six dining chairs by Lane Furniture, Alta Vista Virginia. Set consists of 2 armchairs and 4 side chairs. We had the frames sand blasted and powder coated a brown color to match the leather seats and cane backs. Armchairs have rosewood arms. Armchairs are 23" wide 22" deep and 30.75" high. Side chairs measure 19.5" wide, 22" deep and 30.75" high. Seat height is 18".


text:
Home News Campus Second KSUnite rally scheduled for October
Second KSUnite rally scheduled for October
By Dene Dryden
Kansas State University students and faculty gather for the KSUnite Rally at Anderson Lawn on Nov. 14, 2017. (File photo by Alanoud Alanazi | Collegian Media Group)
In a letter released this morning in the K-State Today newsletter, chief diversity and inclusion officer Bryan Samuel announced that a second KSUnite is in the works for October.
University, student leaders promote unity at KSUnite event
Samuel wrote that after listening to faculty, staff and students who expressed the importance of the inclusion and diversity efforts — KSUnite especially — he invites the Kansas State community to "save the date" for Tuesday, Oct. 9 for the second KSUnite event.
The letter does not specify whether classes will be canceled on that day or not, but Samuel wrote that more details will follow.
"Although KSUnite began as a response to critical issues on our campus, continuance of this initiative will move our campus proactively along the diversity continuum as we annually recommit to our land-grant mission — 'full education privileges for all' — and showcase the various successes and accomplishments of our work," Samuel wrote.
On Nov. 14, 2017, the K-State Unity Walk and KSUnite rally took place in response to a series of events that occurred in the Manhattan community in the weeks prior, including the appearance of white nationalist posters on campus and the self-vandalization of a car with racist graffiti.
Other initiatives mentioned in Samuel's letter include the realization of a multicultural center, a spring 2019 Campus Climate Survey and the development of a strategic diversity plan that aligns with K-State 2025 and Strategic Enrollment Management plans.
ksunite
Dene Dryden
http://www.denekdryden.portfoliobox.net/
I'm Dene Dryden, and I graduated in May 2020 with a Bachelor's of Arts in English. Before graduating, I worked at the Collegian for more than three years as a copy chief, managing editor and editor-in-chief. I also served a term on the Collegian Media Group Board of Directors. While at K-State, I also worked at Wildcat 91.1 FM. My cat Robyn is the light of my life, and I take compliments in the form of coffee.
KSUnite 2022 DEIB Conference: A Journey to Justice
KSUnite takes action to make K-State a community
'That experience destroyed the day for me': Effects of KSUnite Zoom bombings linger
KSUnite Zoom bombings were beyond administration's expectations, chief diversity and inclusion...
Emma Witter - Oct 14, 2020


Well as you've just heard me say at some length at the event today, this report we've commissioned, along with the ACCC previously, and it's been part of a suite of things we've been doing to address the very genuine issues that there are in our banking and financial system. The Financial System Inquiry all through to this most recent report, the Laker Review, that went into CBA and of course there's the Royal Commission so there's a lot of work that's being done, a lot of changes that are being made. Increased accountability has been a key part of that. Increased powers for ASIC to deal with misconduct in the banking sector and increased penalties. I mean the penalties we are now imposing on bank misconduct both for individuals and on banks themselves are as strong as anywhere else in the world. But what I've said today is, if we want a stronger banking system and a more competitive banking system, then as customers, we have to claim it back. As customers, we need to make the banking system more competitive by going out there and arming ourselves for a better deal. This is what the Productivity Commission are saying. They're saying if we want a more competitive banking system then we need customers not being put to sleep with bewildering regulation and not being put to sleep with infantilizing regulation which leaves it to everybody else, but to ensure that as customers we actually stand up to our banks ourselves and get the best deal we possibly can. Now as a Government we need to support that with the right information and ensure that those customers are empowered by owning their own data. The opening banking regime that we are putting in place is that real change that we believe will deliver competitiveness to the banking system in Australia that we have not seen in generations.
Before the Royal Commissioner, though, I would never have asked my bank, are you taking money out of my dead mother's account?
Well as you know that very issue had already been resolved and was publicised well before the Royal Commission. So I don't know what the point is.
There's a lot customers can do a lot. Customers can hold their banks accountable by changing banks. I mean, one of the statistics that I found really interesting was that in the past two years, only one in three people was interested in switching banks. Now, we need to be armed with what we can take back to take a better deal, and it is no different to what is happening in the electricity industry, and consumers getting out there and asking for that better deal, demanding that better deal, and being prepared to change the business and take it elsewhere if you are not happy with the deal that you are currently getting. We want to encourage customers to do that. But that is not the only thing. Of course there is the safety net is provisions we have put in place, of course there's the tougher penalties and greater resources to hold banks to account and doing all of these things, and that is why we have been doing this now for almost five years. Lots of change, lots of action, and at the end of the day we want to see those customers getting a better deal.
The report recommends or suggests that the ACCC should be the champions of competition. Is that something the Government will adopt and what impact will that have on customers?
The ACCC doesn't actually agree with that recommendation. We have had this conversation with the ACCC because that was contained in draft report, so that is not one we have indicated we were looking on favourably. The government is the champion of competition around the Council of Financial Regulators table. The Treasury is directly represented at the Council of Financial Regulators and indeed I attend that meeting more regularly than I think previous Treasurers ever have, so competition is incredibly important to me and it's the Government's role to be that champion of competition policy.
If you say that customers should desert the big four Banks, because when you're talking about swapping banks, the Royal Commission showed they were all as bad as each other. Is that not one of the reasons why people haven't swapped?
Well I mean, go to IMB, go to Bendigo, go to the Bank of Queensland. Now I'm going to have to list out every single bank here to show that I'm not showing any favoritism to any one. I'm saying, go where you get the best deal. Go where you get the best deal. And what we need to be careful of is those who will tell you to disengage from the system, let the government protect you, just totally walk away and don't take your own interests into account. That is what the banks and other big companies, big energy companies, that is what they're relying on. They're relying on you to go to sleep. And as customers we have to be on the front foot; we have to be demanding a better deal. A more competitive market is one where customers are out there fighting for that better deal.
Treasurer, can I ask, did you approve the $450 million Great Barrier Reef Foundation grant before the Prime Minister and Environment Minister met with the group?
This was done through the ERC process and the Cabinet process as per usual.
And what was the Treasury's response when it learned of the initiative?
Well these are matters that are done through Cabinet and you don't expect me to go through Cabinet processes in public do you?
Well no government goes through the details of Cabinet processes, that is why the Cabinet is in confidence. It was approved by Cabinet along with every other expenditure commitment that was contained in this year's Budget. It was done in the normal process.
[inaudible]… You talk about individual responsibility there. What about those at the helm of these banks? What would you like to see happen there ultimately? Is jail term appropriate for these people?
We have already upped those penalties. That's already happened.
That is not for politicians to decide. We have put the penalties in place, we have put the laws in place, we put the resources into ASIC to pursue these issues, and then the courts decide what penalties or other things are meted out. I applaud what has happened through the Australian Banking Association for putting this new code in place. I think that is a positive move and I commend them for doing that. I commend them where they are listening and then moving forward. I welcome some of the announcements they have made on drought more recently and we welcome that. But at the end of the day there does need to be a tough cop the beat. That is ASIC, and ASIC has needed to be strengthened and more empowered and have tougher penalties at hand and we have given them all those things. It is a matter of acting right across the board, and that is what we have done. We are not making any false promises to people. We are creating a more competitive, more accountable and fairer banking system, but one that most importantly is stable and strong and underpins the entire Australian economy. Without a strong banking financial system you do not have a stronger economy. And if you don't have that you don't have funding for hospitals, you don't have funding for schools, you don't have funding for disability support or pensions, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme – that all depends on a stronger economy, and a strong banking and financial system that is competitive and accountable is necessary for that and that is what the Turnbull Government is delivering.
Treasurer, quick question on Brexit, if you may: what's your assessment of the direction that this strategy is going for the UK?
Well one of the things I learn when I go to the G20 is that there are some people's jobs I certainly wouldn't want. This is a very challenging issue for the UK Government and I commend Chancellor Hammond and, of course, Prime Minister May for dealing with what is a very challenging set of circumstances. So I'm not going to be a commentator on what they're doing. I know they are applying themselves fully to what is a very difficult challenge. It is important for the global economy. It is very important for the European economy, the British economy, and I have only been anything but totally impressed by the way Chancellor Hammond has been applying himself to this very difficult task.
Well I am not engaging in the internal politics of the United Kingdom or the path that they're adopting, pursuing the Brexit vote that occurred there some years ago. It is for them to manage that and handle that and I commend them for the very professional and determined way that they are proceeding with trying to resolve that issue.
Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron of France are meeting for dinner tonight. If you were at the table, what would you tell them?
Well I am not at the table. I will check to see if the invitation came in the mail, but I'd say it's… The Prime Minister engages with the other world leaders. I had the opportunity to engage with my counterparts in Buenos Aires just a couple of weeks ago, and I think Chancellor Hammond has been showing real leadership.
Just back onto the bank report, of the dozen or so recommendations, are there any that the Government will commit to?
I think I have indicated to you today that we're looking very carefully at a couple that we are quite attracted to. The integrity officer, I think, has a lot of merit, but we're not going to rush into this. We'll consider that carefully. On top of that there is the access regime, and the new payments platform, I think that's a real… [inaudible]. It fits in well with what we have been doing more broadly, but, again, a lot of people have to be consulted about how we might proceed with that. There were a range of other issues that go to commissions and rent structures and the mortgage broking industry. They were, a lot of them, canvassed in the earlier report, and they are quite complicated. The government is not rushing on that response. There will be a report from the Royal Commission in the not too distant future. And there will be another opportunity to potentially fashion any response to issues raised there or here together.
Have you ever needed to switch your bank at all?
Have you ever needed to switch your bank?
Well I have been getting a good deal. For a long time. But I constantly make sure I do and that is what I think I'd encourage all consumers to do, whether it is your first account and they have come along to your school and they want you to open that little bank account like I did when I was seven years old or nine years old, or however old I was, and it is an important choice that you make.
Are you still with your first bank?
I actually am. But I always check to make sure it's the right place for me to be. It is not a passive decision, it is an active one. So long as it's an active choice that people are making then I think we put strength in the system.
Just on company taxes, will you confirm that the Government will bring debate on company tax cuts as a priority when Parliament resumes?
It will be on when we come back. Ok. Thank you.


text:
function difference_map_sparse_reconstruction(d, y, max_degree;
	beta = -0.14,
	x0 = nothing,
	time_limit = 10.0,
	d_pseudo = nothing,
	delta_treshold = 1e-10,
	verbose = true
	)

	# Check and set up parameters
	M, N = size(d)

	if max_degree > M
		error("Max degree ($(max_degree)) is larger than number of available predictors/covariates ($(M))")
	end

	if x0 == nothing
		x0 = (randn(M) .- 0.5)'
	end

	if d_pseudo == nothing
		d_pseudo = pinv(d)
	end

	# Define the functions used for the update
	num_zero = M - max_degree

	# Init temp variables
	xn = x0
	delta = Inf
	iteration = 0
	start_time = time()

	# We use the stdev in the last max_var_steps iterations as an indication
	# of stability:
	# xs = zeros(Float64, M, max_var_steps)

	# Main loop
	while( delta > delta_treshold )

		iteration += 1
		xo = xn

		# Update x
		xn = xo + beta * ( A( fB(xo, beta, num_zero), d, d_pseudo, y )  -
			B( fA(xo, beta, d, d_pseudo, y), num_zero ) )

		# Change in x in this step
		delta = sum((xo - xn) .^ 2)

		# How well do we reconstruct?
		reconstruction_distance = residual_sum_of_squares(y, B(xn, num_zero) * d)

		# Print some info
		if verbose
      println(@sprintf("DM. iter %s\n  reconstruction distance = %0.5e\n  L2 norm of update distance = %0.5e", iteration, reconstruction_distance, delta))
      show(xn)
      println()
    end

    # Break if over time limit
    delta_t = time() - start_time
    if delta_t > time_limit
    	break
    end

	end

	if verbose
		println("Finished after $(iteration) iterations.")
	end

	# Ensure the solution is sparse.
	x = B(xn, num_zero)

	return( x, iteration, aic(d, y, x) )
end

A(x, d, d_pseudo, y) = x .- ( (x*d .- y) * d_pseudo )

function fA(x, beta, d, d_pseudo, y)
	Ax = A(x, d, d_pseudo, y)
	Ax - (Ax - x)/beta
end

function B(x, num_zero)
	# Set the num_zero smallest values to 0
	res = copy(x)
	res[sortperm(x[:])[1:num_zero]] = 0.0
	res
end

function fB(x, beta, num_zero)
	Bx = B(x, num_zero)
	Bx + (Bx - x)/beta
end

residual_sum_of_squares(y, yhat) = sum( (yhat .- y) .^ 2 )

# AIC assuming independent errors and constant variance:
#   AIC = 2k + n [Ln( 2(pi) RSS/n ) + 1]
function aic_from_rss(rss, d, coefs)
	k = sum(abs(coefs) .> 0)
	m, n = size(d)
	return( 2*k + n * (log(2*pi*rss/n) + 1) )
end

aic(d, y, coefs) = aic_from_rss( residual_sum_of_squares(y, coefs * d), d, coefs)

# Return the reconstruction that gives the lowest AIC assuming independent errors and
# constant variance.
function min_aic_difference_map_reconstruction(d, y;
	time_limit = 2.0,
	max_degree = nothing,
	min_degree = 1
	)

	M, N = size(d)

	if max_degree == nothing
		max_degree = int( 2*sqrt(M) )
	end

	# Pre-calc so we need not do it each time.
	dps = pinv(d)

	degrees = min_degree:max_degree
	num_degrees = Base.length(degrees)
	xs = zeros(Float64, M, num_degrees)
	its = zeros(Int64, num_degrees)
	aics = zeros(Float64, num_degrees)

	time_per_run = time_limit / num_degrees

	for i in 1:num_degrees
		deg = max_degree + 1 - i
		x, its[i], aics[i] = difference_map_sparse_reconstruction(d, y, deg;
			time_limit = time_per_run, d_pseudo = dps, verbose = false)
		xs[:,i] = x'
		println("Min AIC DM, degree = $(deg), aic = $(aics[i]), its = $(its[i])")
	end

	p = sortperm(aics)
	bestindex = p[1]
	bestmodel = xs[:,bestindex]
	degs = reverse(degrees)[p]

	return( bestmodel, degs[1], xs[:,p], its[p], aics[p], degs )

end

# Zero center and unit variance of each row of a matrix.
function zero_center_and_normalize(d)
	d0 = d .- mean(d, 2)
	d0 ./ std(d, 2)
end

# Use stability selection (in the spirit of Meinshausen & Buhlman) with the
# DM sparse reconstruction to find the covariates that are most consistently
# in the selected set.
#
#  inclusion_probability = stability_selection_dm(d, y)
#
#
# Outputs:
#  'inclusion_probability' is the probability that a covariate/feature is
#                          selected when half the samples are used and the features
#                          reweighted by a random weight uniformly sampled in [alpha, 1].
#
function stability_selection_dm(d, y;
	num_bootstrap = 100,
	alpha = 0.20,
	min_degree = nothing,
	time_limit = 1.0,
	verbose = true
	)

	p, n = size(d)

	if min_degree == nothing
		min_degree = int(p/2)
	end

	#dn = zero_center_and_normalize(d)

	halfsize = int(n/2)
	counts = zeros(Float64, 1, p)

	time_per_dm = time_limit / (2*num_bootstrap)

	for i in 1:num_bootstrap

		# Randomly reweight the covariate/predictor values.
		dr = dn .* (alpha .+ (1.0 - alpha) .* rand(p, n))

		# Randomly split the sample in two sets.
		permutation = shuffle(collect(1:n))
		set1 = permutation[1:halfsize]
		set2 = permutation[(halfsize+1):n]

		# Run the difference map sparse reconstructions on each set.
		degree = rand(min_degree:(p-1))
		dm1, its1 = difference_map_sparse_reconstruction(dr[:,set1], y[:,set1], degree; time_limit = time_per_dm, verbose = false)
		dm2, its2 = difference_map_sparse_reconstruction(dr[:,set2], y[:,set2], degree; time_limit = time_per_dm, verbose = false)

		# Update the counts for the selected features
		counts += abs(sign(dm1))
		counts += abs(sign(dm2))

		if verbose
			println("$(i):")
			#println("  dm1 = $(dm1)")
			#println("  dm2 = $(dm2)")
			println("  counts = $(counts/(2*i))")
		end
	end

	# Normalize frequency to a probability
	probs = counts / (2*num_bootstrap)

	# the final stability score is the maximum frequency over the steps
	# result <- apply(freq,2,max)
	return probs
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Multidisciplinary courses are being developed at a number of US colleges and universities to highlight the connections between the rise or fall of world civilizations and the sustainable or unsustainable uses of soil and water resources. The content presented in these courses is complex because it includes concepts from disciplines as varied as geology, soil science, politics, economics, history, and anthropology. The learning goals for the courses include developing skills in the critical analysis of complex "real-world" problems for which there is often no simple or correct solution. Didactic materials for such courses are limited. Field trips to sites around the world that present some of the issues covered in the course would be ideal, but are logistically challenging. We considered that a series of virtual field trips (VFTs) to sites around the world would allow us to present students with complicated real-world situations, with which to practice critical analysis skills. The VFTs envisaged are neither tutorials nor field/lab exercises. Rather, they are meant to be complex, multi-faceted representations of a past or current civilization and how it affects or is affected by its environment. We expect that the students will use the VFTs to explore the relationships between physical geography and culture and how the decisions or actions of a civilization impact natural resources and the environment and thus affect its fate. A goal of the VFTs is that through consideration of their experiences, students arrive at novel associations that lead to dynamic in-class dialogue about the material presented and a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the situation in the field. This article describes the process of assembling a VFT, and analyzes the technological and didactic choices the process requires. Our experience with a pilot VFT suggests that no single medium (i.e., video clips, interactive maps, animation sequences, etc.) is comprehensive enough to meet the course learning goals. Thus, a web-based, open architecture format was selected for the VFTs because of its simplicity, flexibility and extensibility. Each medium was selected for its ability to support the course learning goals. The learning process was mediated by the VFT text, questions for thought, and in-class discussions. Preliminary results with the pilot VFT are encouraging.
Jacobson, A.R., Militello, R. & Baveye, P.C. (2009). Development of computer-assisted virtual field trips to support multidisciplinary learning. Computers & Education, 52 (3), 571-580. Elsevier Ltd. Retrieved April 22, 2019 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/66904/.


Focus. Webster defines the word 'focus' as: "a subject that is being discussed or studied; the subject on which people's attention is focused." So I ask you this question, what or who are you focused on?
If you were given a blank white sheet of paper with a small, black dot in the center of the paper, what would you focus on? Most of us would focus on the small, black dot; while just a few of us would focus on the blank, white sheet of paper. In other words, most of us would limit our focus to the small, black dot instead of allowing our minds to focus on the beauty of the blank, white sheet of paper. We need to learn to focus on the positive, not the negative.
I have spent time recently focusing on well… my focus. I have noticed that a lot of my energy has gone into negative thinking (aka focusing on the small, black dot). "Poor me, why me, how did this happen, etc." That's not me and that's not what God intends for me.
I have made a commitment to stop negative thinking and thoughts when they enter my mind. I know it sounds easier than it is, but I am going to give it my best. I am also going to focus on healing. Healing from this terribly tragic divorce I have recently gone through. Healing from the pain, anger, confusion, hurt, and bitterness it has caused inside my heart. Bitterness toward people I thought were close friends and come to find out, were not. Resentment toward others who could have helped, but chose not to. The most excruciating pain caused by lies. I will let these go. I will change my focus and better my life.
Have you been focusing on the negatives? If so, would you please join me and train your brain also? If you are a believer, pray for strength. Pray that anytime negativity overtakes your mind, that God would help you regain control. The world is already full of negatives, let's be the change and focus on the positive! We can do it together!