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ශ්රී ලංකාවේ ජනගහනය සහ ඒ ආශ්රිත කාලීන ප්රවණතා පිළිබඳව නිරීක්ෂණය කිරීමේදී කැපීපෙනෙන කරුණක් වන්නේ මෙරට සමස්ත ජනගහනයෙන් වැඩිහිටි ජනගහනය සැලකිය යුතු ලෙස ඉහළ යෑමකි. 1990 වසර අගවෙනවිට ශ්රී ලංකාවේ සමස්ත ජනගහනයෙන් 4.32% ක් අවුරුදු 65ට වැඩි පුරවැසියන්ගෙන් සමන්විත වූ අතර 2011 වන විට එම අගය 6.31% ක් දක්වා වැඩිවී ඇත. එය ප්රතිශතයක් ලෙස ගත්විට 46%ක පමණ ඉහළ යෑමකි.
Driving around Colombo on a balmy evening can be an overwhelming experience these days. Colombo, the city that gave birth to many of us, is growing, expanding and transforming in this post-war development phase. Much like a parent going through myriad emotions at the sight of a child blossoming into a teenager, you might catch yourself going through a range of sentiments about Colombo's metamorphosis.
The grandeur of the restored Racecourse Complex – the magnificent white structure that announces its comeback with an assortment of expensive shops, a massive rugby field, and meticulously-planned recreational areas for walking and cycling – commands attention.
There are expensive cars in its parking lot, beautiful people in sophisticated attire sipping coffee at the cafés at Rs. 300 a mug, children nagging their parents to buy them unwholesome edible treats, health-conscious individuals enjoying the opportunity of outdoor activity and street sweepers laboriously trying to keep the neighbourhood clean.
While there are many reasons to be grateful that this area has been regenerated, the vibe of exclusivity projected by this urban space – much like many other new and 'beautified' structures of post-war Colombo – can make one feel despondent. We read promising plans for the city in the newspapers, such as the recent bid for the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize in 2016.
Everyone should be happy that we now enjoy clean streets and user-friendly public spaces, but we should also be concerned that the concentration of power structures, productive systems and human capital – while generating new economic prospects for some – may create great inequality for others.
Urban regeneration worldwide generally means constructing or reconstructing city infrastructure in a way that accommodates a constellation of niche markets, seemingly accessible only to the better-off middle class and the elite. Colombo is no exception to this trend.
From Chicago to Rio, one segment of the population manages to integrate and thrive in performing networks in the economic sphere, while a significant other is excluded from such networks and prevented from benefiting fully from their basic rights as citizens.
We are already witnessing a twofold trend. First, certain spaces of the city have become the 'winning areas' (Fontan et al. 2003; Drewe et al. 2008) at the expense of others (i.e. area surrounding the Beira Lake). Second, one social segment enjoys the privileges of economic security, safe and aesthetically pleasing spaces, and social security, while another important segment is sentenced to vulnerability, poverty, or exclusion from the job market, services, and a high-quality living environment (Mandanipour et al. 1998).
This dual trend may widen existing social fissures that hinder unity, and instigate polarisation and fragmentation of our city. The 'winners' of Colombo's regeneration will connect with global networks, economic and political hubs, and ultra-rich people. The new and planned dwellings of voluntary and involuntary settlers run the risk of becoming slums yet again. This eventually results in a fragmented city like Chicago, where the north end is inhabited by wealthy, upper-class whites, whilst the South Side is a sprawling, crime-infested ghetto of poor whites, blacks and struggling immigrants.
How can we counter these adverse effects of urban rejuvenation? Investment in healthcare, education and other important services that are conveniently accessible to the newly-resettled communities would be a place to start. An essential objective of urbanisation must be to take precautionary measures which minimise problems that are costly to the security of the resettled population.
According to some urban planners, the impending fragmentation of cities is a potential asset. They argue that if social empowerment takes precedence over physical beautification, some of the adverse effects of urban regeneration could be overcome by creating bottom-up social creativity which allows disadvantaged neighbourhoods to be re-branded into ones that are unique in the arts, architecture, recreational and socio-cultural activities, entrepreneurship, political participation and the environment (Landry, 2000).
Social fragmentation is an inevitable consequence of the current model of development. And urbanisation is but one important component of the larger scheme of things.
The challenge is to find answers to this burning question: how do we empower all citizens within this paradigm?
The article was first published in the LMD magazine's September 2013 issue
If we look at what happened in Sri Lanka over the last 36 years and also look at the changes that have taken place from the decades following independence to now, we see the emergence of some crucial issues of development debate. The process adopted by all governments irrespective of the party in power, which is to follow guidance given by international financial institutions (IFIs) such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the Asian Development Bank, has led to new issues.
The development processes adopted by early post-independence governments gave priority to social welfare. These were influenced by the political process in the country where the left parties educated and informed people about their rights. Food at affordable prices was a right, and food subsidies was the outcome; education was a right, so free education became a policy; health was a right, and free health system became a policy; and exchange between producers and consumers was a right, so trade through cooperatives and government intervention was a policy.
All these changed drastically after 1977 under the guidance of IFIs. Privatisation of trade, education, health and other essential services have created tremendous problems. Trade liberalisation became a policy which affected domestic production in industry and agriculture. Indebtedness has tremendously increased and further debts are taken to build massive infrastructure not because people need them but to make the country attractive to foreign investment. These naturally give rise to new policy debates and new struggles for social and political justice. The government's response to these struggles has so far been repression and curtailment of democratic rights. However, democracy and participation of people in planning is an essential part of these struggles, and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have a right and a responsibility to join in these debates and struggles though it leads to disagreement with governments and their plans.
This disagreement with the government's approach to development has resulted in criticism of the NGOs being labeled as anti-governmental. The situation has arises where disagreement with governments become essential if they are to be pro-people. The private sector has reasons to oppose NGO's since the latter often criticise the private sector's destructive role. When the Eppawela Phosphate deposits were to be sold to a US and a Japanese company, NGOs were among the opponents; culminating in the prevention of the sale. When water was to be declared a commodity and sold for profit it was opposed by NGOs. In these instances the NGOs were supporting the people's struggles. IFIs have reasons to criticize NGOs since NGOs are seen to be undermining their agenda. The main accusation against NGOs is that they get foreign funds and play opposition to the role played by elected governments.
If we examine these accusations it is quite visible that it is the governments that get much more foreign funds and are implementing the agenda of these lenders playing a much more destructive anti-people agenda, particularly against the interests of the poor. This does not mean that NGOs have a right to be non-answerable to the poor, and that it is sufficient to be answerable to the donors. This is not so, since all these funds come in the name of the poor and the marginalized people then have a right to demand answerability at all levels. They also have a responsibility in being accountable to the donors and to the country governments.
However, there should be no obligation to obey them. Structures have to be set up to be answerable to the people, and planning must be done in consultation with them. One important task is to help people plan strategies that should be presented to the political parties when they formulate their manifestos, get promises and set up structures to make the politicians accountable. This role cannot be described as anti-governmental; it is pro-people and pro-governmental. Transparency, accountability and participation are essential.
Local / Village-based NGOs
There is another wide category of NGOs based at village level in Sri Lanka. These are formed by the local communities to meet some of the limited specific needs of the village or the community. The most common example is the maranadhara samithi, the societies to assist at funerals in villages. Members of the community join these and make a specific monthly contribution. When someone dies in the village and if she/he is a member, the family is assisted with a specific monetary sum and the society undertakes certain functions associated with the funeral ceremony. Another example is the rural development society which looks after the development activities of the village. There are also cooperative societies, praja mandalas (community councils) and sports clubs, thrift and credit societies and outfits adopted to do small scale savings where credit is made available in emergencies.
All these NGOs do not receive any external funding assistance. They run on membership contributions with rules and regulations formulated themselves. There are thrift and credit societies such as "Sanasa" and Women's Banks that have national scale links and which collect funds on a bigger scale. These could be useful instruments of building active participation of people in the political processes of the country. A combination of national and internationally linked NGOs and the sharing of understanding and visions at global and national level could improve democracy and political participation tremendously.
Role of foreign donor agencies
Foreign donor agencies have a responsibility to ensure that funds donated by them are not abused; and to ensure that these donations are used for the purpose given, and that the receiving organisations adopt proper accountability principles. Part of this responsibility is to ensure that decisions are taken by the correct people in the correct way and there are mechanisms that exist to achieve this. Since funds for donations are raised in the name of the poor, the donors too, have a responsibility of being answerable to the poor. These funds belong to the poor of the poor countries. Since many of the problems can only be solved in collaboration with each other, the implementers of programmes have a responsibility towards collaboration, as the donors have responsibility of collaboration with each other. If this collaboration does not exist it results in a divisive influence.
It is easy for donors to get partners to agree with their priorities, but both parties have to understand that the former have a lesser knowledge of the ground situations than some of their partners. So, it is necessary for donors to be guided by their partners. This does not mean that they do not have to think for themselves, but rather that they think of how problems could be overcome. They have to develop their own strategies that are collaborative with their partners. Most donors get a bulk of their funds from their respective governments. Governments too, have their own purposes in giving development assistance to poor countries. They sometimes prefer to channel their funds through donor NGOs, since they are often more effective and efficient. However, the purposes for which governments give development assistance are not the same as the purposes for which NGOs build partnerships. There are tendencies to influence donor NGOs to grant funds that meet the intentions of governments and Donor NGOs may have a tendency to request receivers to undertake projects for which it is easier to get government funds; these are called back donor funds. This is an issue on which one has to be cautious.
One easy and sure way of deciding whether one is heading in the right direction is to understand that the whole world is being pushed in opposite directions by two opposing forces. One force is the status quo that wants world economies to continue in the same direction. This is because they benefit and make profits from the present situation. The other force is the rest of the world trying to push the world in the opposite direction, because they know that they will not survive, unless the present direction is reversed. The easy way of judging an NGO is to see on which side it is on and in which direction it is pushing for change. There are very strong and worldwide NGOs such as OXFAM which are strong global networks. When they become powerful, they have a bigger responsibility to see that they are on the right side and pushing the world in the right direction. Sometimes it is not easy to get the constituency of one's countries to understand the issues correctly. But since donor NGOs have access to information and visit the recipients regularly they have a tremendous responsibility to communicate the situation to their constituency and explain the need for their actions. All donor NGOs must realize that this is their greatest responsibility towards the people they intend to help.
"The Monday Morning Question" is intended to be a forum to communicate diverse perspectives on reimagining development. Although this conversation began as part of the Center for Poverty Analysis's (CEPA) annual symposium in 2012, the ideas that are presented via the column are not limited to CEPA's ideological stand on development.Today, we invite Mr. Sarath Fernando, the Adviser to the Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform in Sri Lanka to share his views and observations on the role of non-governmental organisations in the development of Sri Lanka. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Poverty Analysis.
The article was first published in The Island on 26.08.2013
අඩු තරමින් හැම සති අන්තෙකම අපිට ආයිත් හිතන්න පුලුවන්. සතිය පුරාම අපි එකම චක්රයට අහුවෙලා දුවනවා. අපිට හිතන්න හුස්මක් කටක්ගන්න ලැබෙන්නෙ සති අන්තෙදි. සති අන්තෙදි මොනවද අපි හිතන්නෙ? ආයිත් ඊළඟ සතියේ දුවන හැටි ගැනද? ඇයි අපේ ජීවිත ගැන හිතන්නෙ නැත්තෙ?
හොඳින් ජීවත් වෙනවා කියන්නෙ මොකක්ද? බිල් ගොඩක් ගෙවන, බඩු ගොඩක් තියන, තව තවත් රැස් කරන, ඒ විතරක් නෙමේ ලෙඩ ගොඩාක් තියන මනුස්සයෙක් වෙනවා කියන එකද?
අගෝස්තු 11 වැනිදා රාවය පුවත්පතෙහි පළවිය.
We live in a time of severe ecological and economic challenges. In 2012 the world crossed a dangerous limit. A reading of 400 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric carbon dioxide was recorded by monitoring stations across the Arctic. This figure is at least 50ppm higher than the maximum concentration during the last 12,000 years, a threshold that granted us the privilege to develop agriculture and civilization. We have already begun to experience a substantially more chaotic climate that demonstrates this altered architecture of our atmosphere.
Extreme heat, dustbowl drought, stunted crops, climate change, and massive wildfires have resulted in major food crop losses in Russia in 2010, and the U.S. in 2012. In many countries in the West, increased costs for animal feed mean higher prices for milk, meat and processed foods based on corn and soy. Price rises on the international grain market will have a major negative impact on poor countries in Africa, Asia, and South America, where many people spend most of their personal income on food. Rocketing bread prices, food and water shortages have all plagued parts of the Middle East and analysts at the Center for American Progress in Washington say a combination of food shortages and other environmental factors exacerbated the already tense politics in the region. Recent studies in Sri Lanka indicate that predicted changes in rainfall, temperature, and the soil moisture deficit, will demand additional irrigation water to compensate for the crop water requirement now and in the coming years. Therefore the climate change effects on maha and yala seasonal rains will cause serious problem for agricultural activities, such as paddy and other field crop cultivations in the north, north central and eastern regions (Prof Shanthi De Silva 2012, Open University of Sri Lanka). 4 million Sri Lankans are already malnourished and the World Food Programme (2012) cautions anything up to 200 million more food-insecure people by 2050. Just as much we accept these hard facts about the creeping disaster of climate change, we must also recognize that environmental chaos represents an imminent threat to a multitude of human rights: the right to food, to water and sanitation, to social and economic development. This is only a sliver of evidence that tells us to 'care' about the environment, if not for its own sake, but for humanity's sake (a`la Nalaka Gunawardena).
Climate Injustice
The raison d'être of our consumer society – acquisition – is supported by polluting energy sources and guided by a pseudo-scientific principle of limitless growth. Bewitched by these ideas that run contrary to basic laws of biology, we imagine our society as above and beyond the rest of the living world. The truth, as former senior economist at the World Bank, Professor Herman Daly states, is different: "the larger system is the biosphere and the subsystem is the economy. The economy is geared for growth, whereas the parent system doesn't grow. It remains the same size. So as the economy grows, it encroaches upon the biosphere, and this is its fundamental cost." Whose wellbeing are we compromising in the name of incessant acquisition?"
In Moral Ground (Moore & Nelson 2011), South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu argues, that it is unjust that people in Africa — who don't reap the "benefits" of the reckless burning of fossil fuel — are suffering from droughts and crop shortages as a result of the West's consumption of oil. Although some perceive climate change as people of one culture (the developed world) destroying the material basis of another (Sheila Watt-Cloutier 2011), the issue cannot be confined to the Global South. The formation of the Earth's atmosphere affects rich and poor countries alike; and global warming, influenced by agriculture and civilization should get everybody's attention.
Moreover, we need to realize that 'our children are our future' is not merely a feel-good phrase, and that we have shared responsibility to not to compromise "the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (Brundtland Report 1987). As such, we have horizontal (to others that live among us) and vertical (to our descendents) responsibility to protect the environment. Although we know all this, why are we sleepwalking into such an unprecedented betrayal of intergenerational justice? In order to find answers, we must examine our basic way of making sense of who we are, what the world is, and our role in it.
Constructed Delusions
This is the Age of Reason, in which we have managed to bring ourselves to the verge of destruction by acting under the delusion that humans are separate from the Earth, and that we, are in control of it. The idea that 'we are the masters of the universe' stems from the belief that humans are the only beings of spirit and our adroitness grants us to rule over other 'less important' forms of life. Our hubris about human exceptionalism has even made us coin terms such as "individualism", that lead us to believe that we are exceptional rights holders, separate from one another and always in conflict or competition with each other. Another one of our sophisticated terms – "dualism" confirms that on one side are humans with spirit and value, and on the other side is the insentient physical world that was created for the purpose of serving our needs. In the process of constructing and strengthening these delusions, we have led ourselves to believe in our ability to exceed natural limits.
Since the late 19th Century, Darwin's findings about the biology of the evolutionary process have been misappropriated to define the industrial society. With phrases such as "survival of the fittest" (coined by the Victorian Social Darwinist Herbert Spencer), we see society as a jungle, where one must crawl over the other to survive and succeed. In other words, I can pursue my own welfare even at the expense of your (or everyone's) well-being. If we take a close look at what motivates multi-national corporations or nation-states, we observe a scaled-up manifestation of the same worldview that prioritizes success, growth, and exploitation of others.
Most of us rally behind Adam Smith's idea of the "invisible hand" of the market in our efforts to justify capitalism. This notion implies that if everyone works towards individual welfare, it will work for the benefit of the whole. There is an undeniable element of truth to this inference, as markets are profoundly efficient ways of distributing and re-distributing resources. Yet, when left completely unrestrained, they often end up being unfair. Markets need to be tamed within a political structure that minimizes the exploitative tendencies that arise. Though we are quick to spout Adam Smith's "invisible hand" in protesting the oppressive control of the economy by the government, we are oblivious to the real motivations of the world's top 200 oil, coal, and gas companies (with a net worth of about $7.4 trillion), Wall Street, or the politicians they have bought. The driving principle behind these entities is SocialDarwinism: using your position to get everything you can.
Similarly, the likelihood of the world's leading emitters of carbon such as the United States or the emerging economies of China and India cutting back the main source of emissions is extremely low. China's emissions now make up over 24% of total global emissions (UN Statistics Division, MDG Indicators 2012). The United States of America, the former world heavyweight champion of carbon pollution, is still generating 18% of the total followed by the European Union contributing 14%. India's emissions have jumped 9.4% to over two billion tons, placing it fourth in this game of existential "hawk-dove." None of these leading emitters has agreed to sign an international treaty that would obligate them to cut emissions. The excuse presented by the Global South is the difficulty of squaring the historic carbon debt of the overdeveloped world with the need for developing countries to accept universal emissions reductions now.
The hallmarks of our globalized society – greed, consumerism, and separation from nature, combined with the supine disposition of "democratic" governments are successfully fueling a mutually beneficial relationship that will eventually take us towards extinction. Their shared worldview thrives on limitless economic growth no matter what the long-term consequences may be.
Looking Inwards – A Starting Point
Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh believes that fundamental change can happen only if we fall back in love with our planet. When we recognize the virtues, talent and beauty of Mother Earth, he says, love is born in us. When we reconnect with it, we naturally want to do anything we can for the benefit of the Earth, and the Earth will do anything for our wellbeing. We need to start by revisiting ecological and evolutionary science that tell us that humans are part of interconnected, interdependent systems; that the thriving of the individual parts is necessary for the thriving of the whole; and that we are created, defined, and sustained by our relationships, both with each other and with the natural world. If we come to understand that deeply, we can invent new models of human goodness. As such, what is needed is an evolution of our current worldview that starts at the individual level and transmutes into the structures of society. In the article that follows this, we will look at how this awakening can occur at the individual and societal levels. What we need is a new ethic, derived by a community of diverse "mindful" people that can reimagine our place in the world.
"The Monday Morning Question" is intended to be a forum to communicate diverse perspectives on reimagining development. Although this conversation began as part of the Center for Poverty Analysis's (CEPA) annual symposium in 2012, the ideas that are presented via the column are not limited to CEPA's ideological stand on development.
The article was first published in The Island on 01.07.2013
Contrary to the claims of the present regime, its urban development agenda is neither autonomous nor a product of indigenous thinking, rather it follows the well trodden though hazardous path carved out by powerful global financial interests and institutions. In this article, we look at two World Bank reports -Turning Sri Lanka's Urban Vision into Policy and Action (2012) and Sri Lanka: Reshaping Economic Geography Connecting People to Prosperity (2010) -to underline how the interests of the state and a major global financial institution converge in ways that may limit the space for political engagement and alternative views regarding the unequal effects of the policies they advocate.
According to the Bank's reports, policy measures must focus on removing restrictions on land markets and promoting financing of low-income housing, identifying and solidifying the economic functions associated with different regional centers across the country, and address inefficiencies in "overlapping functions" of government bureaucracy by streamlining local government, especially in Colombo. We question these prescriptions not only because they are not grounded in a sound analysis of economic and spatial inequalities in Sri Lanka but also because they promote a convergence of state and market interests in ways that are politically problematic.
Misplaced stress on 'freeing' urban land and market instruments
The World Bank sees land market restrictions as a major impediment to urban development. In, Reshaping Economic Geography, the World Bank argues that the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) of 1935, preventing sale of state owned land given for various purposes, along with restrictive tenancy laws inhibit market "diversification." What this means in practical terms, however, is unclear. It also argues that by removing slums and providing clear title to the land and loans in new settlements, people will be able to buy and sell freely. What such a shift ignores is the class character of those who will benefit from an allegedly freer market.
The Bank papers over these issues, arguing that the resulting "beautification" of Colombo coupled with a boost in private land development will automatically benefit everyone. The stress in the Mahinda Chintana on improving "underserved settlements in the city of Colombo through private developers and liberate prime lands for commercial activities" already echoes this.As argued in our previous column, major investments in Colombo are geared towards enhancing its appeal as a destination for global tourism and capital rather than challenging urban inequalities.
The Bank's Urban Vision report argues that existing banking agencies have focused too much on "commercially viable groups," to the neglect of the poor and calls for expanding private housing finance to low-income households. Clear titles and secure tenure, a pre-requisite for such financing, are thus no longer entitlements but pathways to enhancing"bankability". Moreover, what such financial inclusion means in the context of broader socio-economic and political exclusion and dispossession, which result in poverty and low incomes in the first place, remains unexplored. The Bank also calls for the promotion of a private mortgage-default insurance market but the pitfalls of such financialisation in a broader economic context geared toward financial speculation in urban land are not addressed.
Beyond questioning the tensions papered over and issues ignored in the reports, we also want to emphasize those areas in which the World Bank appears to contradict itself by arguing that land market restrictions and state-owned land are severe issues for urban development. The Bank acknowledges that the Colombo Metropolitan Region contains only 10-20% of such land. Moreover, the LDOaffects less than 2% of Colombo's population.Finally, the Bank notes that rural commuters and migrant laborers in particular are unaffected by current land market restrictions such as the LDO. For example, according to the Bank, Colombo currently has about 400-500,000 commuters. Thus its misplaced emphasis on cutting land restrictions,signals the underlying project at work in the Bank's reports on urbanisation.
Spatially apolitical, historically blind
On a national level, attention is paid more generally to linking together the economic functions of different regions. Following the National Physical Plan, the Bank identifies cities in five metro regions (Colombo, North-Central, Southern, Eastern, and Northern) and nine metro cities (Ampara, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Colombo, Dambulla, Hambantota, Jaffna, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee). Reshaping Economic Geography focuses on the concentration of 50% of GDP in the Western Province with the regional primacy in manufacturing.
The World Bank report argues that in spite of the apparent imbalance indicated by these statistics, the government should promote"spatially blind" approaches that increase national welfare in order to encourage migration "by choice." The report recognizes that these approaches will not lead to actual economic transformation of the regions by redistributing industry. As the Bank puts it, instead of relocating industry and manufacturing to ease regional imbalances, the government ought to "identify what investors perceive as opportunities and constraints" for each specific region.
What this approach ignores however is precisely why different regions are associated with different economic functions in the first place. Given the historical importance of global capital in directing Sri Lanka's economy, first through the impact of tea plantations in the Central Province in colonial times to the emphasis on Free Trade Zones in Western Province since the late 1970s, it's telling that the Bank doesn't "operationalise" factors involving uneven development in its report. Excluding this basic reality means that the report ends up legitimating existing regional imbalances along with Sri Lanka's position as a dependent export-oriented economy.
More pertinent to the current political situation, the report renders invisible the effects of war on the North and East, translating the grave consequences to trauma-affected and displaced communities into a question of access to markets. Because of facts of "ethnolinguistic or religious heterogeneity," which remain unproblematised, the Bank argues that the state should administer "spatially targeted" policies to improve access. As the report puts it, "Language, ethnicity, or religion may divide one part of a country from another, effectively reducing market forces of migration and interregional trade".
This contorted description of the situation in war-affected areas completely ignores not only the flow of displaced persons but also the different spaces in terms of political access and power that have been carved out in the North and East by the LTTE and militarisation by the state. Moreover, it reinforces the government's position that the current political issues can be reduced to that of "development" while negatingthe deeper political roots of the conflict.
Putting market'efficiency' over deepening democracy
To touch on our last theme, the Bank's report on urban policy, in particular, concentrates on the overlapping regulatory functions of existing government institutions. It provides a brief history of the creation of the National Housing Development Authority, Urban Development Authority, and other important institutions pertaining to urban development with liberalisation under the Jayawardene regime after 1977. It then asks how these institutions have currently been reconfigured through the amalgamation of the Ministry of Defense and Urban Development. This narrative however ignores questions of political access, such as attempts to sideline local government, particularly the municipal councils, in current urban development projects, particularly in Colombo. Instead the report calls simply for increased efficiency.
While the Bank doesn't explicitly state its preference for the current political and administrative setup, arguing that current government hierarchy is indeed both "centralised and fragmented," the language used in its report on urban policy seems to effectively disable broader questions of political engagement. With people affected by major economic transformations such asinsertion of theurban poor into speculative real estate markets, and implementation of regional development projects that seem to reinforce uneven patterns of development,urbanisation policies promoted by the World Bank and the regime will have serious political and economic consequencesespecially for poorer sections of society.
"The Monday Morning Question" is intended to be a forum to communicate diverse perspectives on reimagining development. Although this conversation began as part of the Center for Poverty Analysis's (CEPA) annual symposium in 2012, the ideas that are presented via the column are not limited to CEPA's ideological stand on development. Today, we invite The Collective for Economic Democratisation in Sri Lanka to shed some light on Sri Lanka's post-war urban development and its implications for the wellbeing of the public. The Collective for Economic Democratisation strives for a historically grounded and socially relevant political economic analysis in solidarity with progressive struggles. Its articles and other resources can be found on www.economicdemocratisation.org
The article was first published in The Island on 24.06.2013
Colombo's urban development is driven by the idea of transforming it into a "world-class city" and a "preferred destination for international business and tourism", according to the Secretary, Defence and Urban Development. Therefore, many of the Urban Development Authority's (UDA) initiatives, apart from those related to flood control or road improvements, have focused on enhancing the image of Colombo by building urban landscapes and spaces for consumption that are 'world-class', such as the Dutch Hospital and the Race Course, and providing sweeping incentives to real estate corporations and investors to build luxury apartments and hotels.
A key question that arises is what is the place of the poor in a world-class metropolis? Currently, the Western Province, the most urbanised in Sri Lanka, is not only the most prosperous but is also home to the highest proportion of Sri Lanka's poor. The spiraling costs of living and lop-sided and non-inclusive growth will provide Colombo with more cheap labour to serve the elite. This is already evident from the number of the city's poor and elderly who now work long hours under adverse terms for private contractors keeping the streets clean.
Over the next few years around 70,000 families, largely from poor low-income communities from the inner city areas, are to be displaced and relocated, freeing up prime land for commercial exploitation. There has been little public discussion and scrutiny, let alone the active participation of these communities, in deciding on the need for, or the goals and terms of relocation, which will have profound implications for their rights and well-being.
Bringing the UDA under the Ministry of Defence was indication enough that the urban development agenda did not include democratic and accountable local governance. Rather than address shortcomings on the accountability and effectiveness of the Colombo Municipal Corporation by deepening democratic participation, the UDA, backed by the enormous human and technical resources of the military, has effectively sidelined it, and with it, local democracy itself. When the military does the work of the municipality, it is not just the physical but also the political landscape that is altered.
While hundreds of millions of dollars of loans are being contracted with multilateral and bilateral donors, including for projects that are merely of symbolic value, like the Lotus Tower project, there has been little investment in substantially enhancing public transport, upgrading low income settlements and quality low-cost social housing. The latter more often than not comes with forced relocation and is driven not by a vision of safeguarding rights and entitlements but of freeing up lands for commercial exploitation and investment.
Current development plans such as Mahinda Chintana propose to create a market for "pro poor" loans. The attempts to resettle communities are to be matched by offering collateral and housing loans to displaced residents. These loans tie into the broader attempt to incorporate the poor into official banking institutions, while a seemingly benign goal of development, such transformation of housing finance is also connected to removing land market restrictions for commercial developers. The state tenancy and land development laws are being revoked or reshaped in order to promote the private market. In a context of pre-existing inequalities, the market differentially benefits those with access to power and privilege. Thus in a certain sense the poor are being asked to participate in the very mechanisms of their dispossession.
The spate of high profile land deals involving global investors and capital is being touted as a sign of development and a promise of prosperity to come. However, it is well known that urban real estate is but a temporary parking place for speculative capital, which in the long run creates instability and potential for crisis. Successive financial crises, including the most recent one of global proportions, have been connected to the bursting of real estate bubbles. Moreover, even market insiders are expressing skepticism over possible oversupply of high-end real estate with a number of overpriced projects coming on the market at the same time. However, even if demand is borne out, the crucial question is whether this is a sustainable path to inclusive urban development?
The current trajectory of urban development in Sri Lanka cannot be disconnected from the military-market nexus, which is narrowing the space for rights while expanding the footprint of market and financial interests. In such a context, claiming the right to the city is central to the struggle to reclaiming social and economic democracy in Sri Lanka.
None of this, of course, in a certain sense is "new." Historically, from colonial times to the recent neoliberal decades, problematic political and economic transformations have had a major impact on the development of Colombo. In 1978, the Greater Colombo Economic Commission (GCEC) was created along with the National Housing Development Authority and the Urban Development Authority. Under the GCEC, Sri Lanka became one of the first countries in South Asia to establish Export Promotion Zones, which promoted tax incentives for foreign companies in the interest of capital and to the detriment of labour rights. The EPZs emerged against the background of the Jayawardena regime's attack on trade unions in 1980, what some economists innocuously refer to as "labour market flexibility." To return to the present, what we are arguing is that urban development in Colombo is not a neutral exercise to reorganise space and beautify the city. It reflects definite political interests and is implicated with powerful mechanisms of accumulation and exploitation.
Needless to say, the influence of powerful global actors, such as the World Bank or UN Habitat, cannot be ignored. Relying on narrow functionalist claims and driven by ahistorical ideas about the spatial dimensions of economic changes in different regions of the island, along with static "poverty" indicators, they obscure the political economy behind urban development. Thus, while the World Bank does propose mechanisms for consultation or supporting displaced residents, it fails to address the vested financial interests and the undemocratic nature of state policies that cause dispossession and help reconfigure the economic geography of urban spaces to suit metropolitan elite and finance capital.While these issues will be further explored in the next article, it is important, in conclusion, to reemphasise the importance of vigilant critique and struggles in advancing the right to the city and guarding against undemocratic urbanisation driven by real estate and speculative finance.
"The Monday Morning Question" is intended to be a forum to communicate diverse perspectives on reimagining development. Although this conversation began as part of the Center for Poverty Analysis's (CEPA) annual symposium in 2012, the ideas that are presented via the column are not limited to CEPA's ideological stand on development.Today, we invite The Collective for Economic Democratisation in Sri Lanka to shed some light on Sri Lanka's post-war urban development and its implications for the wellbeing of the public. The Collective for Economic Democratisation strives for a historically grounded and socially relevant political economic analysis in solidarity with progressive struggles. Its articles and other resources can be found on www.economicdemocratisation.org
The article was first published in The Island on 17.06.2013
What is the biggest ethical challenge facing us today? The reality that we have let economics guide our lives, and in doing so, we have devalued people and the associated virtues of respect, cooperation, empathy, and compassion. The primacy that we have allotted to economics underlies and complicates daily challenges we face; do the following - "stressed and tired", "juggling work and home", "surrounded by selfish individuals", "led by uncaring politicians", "in strained relationships", "constantly pressed for time", "never enough money, even for the basics" sound familiar? In other words, we have been carried away by the pragmatics of the "bottom line" dominate our decision-making, turning money, which is essentially a means, into an end in itself, while turning people, ethically understood as "ends in themselves" (according to Immanuel Kant) into mere means. The idea that money is a resource that should be used to serve our ethical ends—ensuring that our society functions in a way that addresses the needs of everyone—is increasingly losing its allure; instead due to our collective preoccupation with money, we have discarded our responsibility to individual and societal development and lost touch with our values, morals, and relationships with our community and the environment. This shift to market that aims at transforming society as a whole into a 'market society', has not only influenced the behaviour of individuals, government institutions, NGOs, and private organizations active in the domains of development, but also dampened intellectual diversity of ideas about human progress.
Do We Have Our Priorities Right?
Money-making is the raison d'être of the modern human civilization. At the individual level, many of us, encouraged by parents and society, embrace wealth accumulation as our prime achievement. Though most of us cannot afford to revolt against such goals created by the market culture, we must not underestimate the lasting impact such values have on our lives and the society at large. For example, these goals induce pressure on our educational institutions to reshuffle their priorities in favour of the pragmatic goal of preparing young people for the workforce, as if technical knowledge and the skills of obedience and productivity are more important than history, identity, meaning, purpose, values, creativity, and vision. In the business world, many investors do not see investing as a moral act, but a financial one. Instead of approaching investment as an opportunity to use their extra money to support those businesses they believe are serving society the best, these investors are motivated simply to use their extra money to make even more money for themselves: they choose to invest in what they think will be most profitable, regardless of whether the values the companies they invest in line up with their own.
The market culture has reduced people to being consumers. Our addiction to consumerism is not only promoted, but also required by the capitalist economic process which is driven by interminable desire for profits and consumption. According to the World Watch Institute (2013), there are now more than 1.7 billion members of the "consumer class"—nearly 50% of them in the developing world. A lifestyle and culture that became common in Europe, North America, Japan, and a few other pockets of the world in the 20th Century is going global in the 21st. Worldwide, the amount spent on goods and services at the household level—topped US$20 trillion in 2000, a four-fold increase over 1960 (in 1995 US$); and between 1950 and 1990 more goods and services were consumed than by all generations in human history! But the irony is that a high level of consumption does not necessarily guarantee happiness (Happy Planet Index 2006; Diener & Kahneman 2013 – Gallup Organization). According to the study, individuals can live long and happy lives without using more than their "fair share" of resources. Data shows that many poorer countries achieve levels of life satisfaction just as high as their wealthier counterparts, implying that above a minimum level, there is no apparent correlation between per capita income and life satisfaction. In fact, a recent study "Life in a Time of Food Price Volatility" (Oxfam/IDS 2012) shows that for most individuals in developed as well as developing countries, "home life is less harmonious, with the unpaid work of care left undone or shouldered by harassed working mothers, tired grandparents or children", begging the question as to whether we are chasing a mirage with our current model of development.
We often spout fashionable terms like "sustainable development", but do our daily activities and behaviour reflect the type of "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (Bruntland Report 1987)? Instead, we constantly engage in arguments about whether it is realistic to convince states to live within their ecological means, with open, localized economies and resources more equally distributed through new forms of democratic institutions, or whether it is fair to convince individuals that limits on material wealth and comfort are required to secure the environment for future generations.
What is the impediment, then? We have a structural problem: the over emphasis on economics has resulted in a de-emphasis on profoundly important things such as, relationships with other humans as well as with nature. This pandemic in turn has lead to an unsustainable world where everyone wants more and more - giving into our desires at every turn, rather than exercising control and limits. Such irresponsible behaviour is applauded in the current world which values consumption over restraint. This hierarchy of values, has seeped into our institutional structures (education, labour, politics, economy), through which disruptive social norms are endorsed and crystallized (Giri 2012; Loy 1997). Most of us take great pride in conforming to this socially-constructed hierarchy of values, defining ourselves, our worth, and success in terms of money and power, go through our entire lifetime without realizing the lasting negative impact that we are leaving behind.
What is the Way Forward?
Traditional economic theory posits that physical resources are finite while our cravings are infinite. As such, failure to reacquaint ourselves with the idea of self-limitation is a recipe for disaster. But again, this is not an inherent or necessary problem: it is socially constructed largely by how we have prioritized money above values and relationships. Individuals can and do transcend this constructed dichotomy, and collectively we can choose to dismantle it by changing how money and power function in society. We can start by thinking and talking more honestly about money, exposing and critically examining the mythology of economics representing the common good. There is a paradox in this mythology: on the one hand, we moralize money, associating wealth with virtue; on the other hand, we regard money as morally neutral. In this paradox, perhaps we strive to create a non-moral value system by which to run our lives, but that itself is only a clever disguise for the re-emergence of "might makes right." What gets lost is human dignity.
Development is about the well-being of people, and so it is values, relationships, and ethics that should be the end while money is merely one kind of means. It is not unrealistic to hold each other accountable to this standard and insist that our financial policies and social institutions uphold this ideal as well. It is imperative. There is no inherent reason why living true to our ideals or doing what is best for society, the global community, or the planet should be economically impossible. On the contrary, there is every reason to believe that our fundamental task is exactly to pool our resources, financial and otherwise, to solve these problems. Reintroducing the idea of restraint, personal limits, and spiritual growth into this highly commoditized and monetized world is an uphill battle. But we have to start somewhere.
"The Monday Morning Question" is intended to be a forum to communicate diverse perspectives on reimagining development. Although this conversation began as part of the Center for Poverty Analysis's (CEPA) annual symposium in 2012, the ideas that are presented via the column are not limited to CEPA's ideological stand on development.
The article was first published in The Island 27.05.2013


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I like fashion, intellectually, because it's such clear evidence of the human urge to decorate and present. Clothing is our most accessible art.
But what about art in the historical definition – painting, photography sculpture? While we can find clothing today even at the drugstore it seems, art's been traditionally more difficult to get hold of.
I have always found the hush of art galleries more unnerving than even the glare of salesladies in the Chanel section of Neiman Marcus. Silly, but true.
Introducing Saatchi Online
Charles Saatchi made a fortune in advertising, and used it to buy art. Time-honored tradition, for fortunes. Eventually he founded the Saatchi Gallery in London, and then Saatchi Online.
Art-buying in the virtual world is not new of course. Art.com sell prints and other pieces, Deviant Art provides a self-showcase for artists, Kathy Leeds hosts a very popular Facebook page showcasing artists, here. I've run a few Discovering Artists posts myself, featuring my stepmother's photographs, Anna Mavromotis' paper work, and Sandra Salin's flowers, as well as this piece that I purchased, over the Internet if not online per se, from Lily Stockman,
However, they've done a notable job of creating an online experience for browsing, considering, and most likely purchasing paintings and photography at Saatchi Online. I don't have data about the buying experience, since I haven't gotten that far, but at a guess they know what they are doing.
The site has several sections. The most expected is the online gallery. They've done a really good job designing the interactions. You can shop, as usual, by category. As a software person, I appreciate the evidence of thought put into categories, that's where real evidence of user experience discipline and customer knowledge shows up. You don't want a logical taxonomy so much as a map of user decision and entertainment patterns. Here you can search by type, or style, but also orientation.
Sometimes you need a portrait shape on a narrow wall, sometimes a horizontal landscape behind your big ol' sofa.
There's also a section for curated collections, which helps to break up what could be an undifferentiated stream of images into groups small enough to absorb, with the promise of intent to seed meaning. And Saatchi hosts competitions with judging and awards, so you can browse, in the moral equivalent of a Netflix, "I just want to watch Oscar-winning films tonight" indulgence.
The one bit that holds no appeal to me is the section on investing in art. Sure, prices may go up. They may also go down. I'd rather follow my heart than theory if I'm buying beauty. There's a sport aspect to art collecting and investing that I have seen up close, but doesn't resonate with me. I suppose if it helps artists, I'm a fan – if a confused one.
I chose the pieces to include in this post because I like them. The process gave me words for my preferences. Small patterns, geometry. flat paintings, who knew? The broad value of Saatchi's site, beyond commerce itself, is that of any online shopping – to educate one's eye and understand the market. To explore one's own taste and one's own style, in the company of knowledgeable companions. Or, you know, have a little fun.
All compensation for this post will go to Dress For Success.

subset: commoncrawl


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Stroke Care
Hennepin Stroke Center
716 South 7th Street
Purple Building, Level 5, P5.200
Minneapolis MN 55415
The Hennepin Stroke Center at Hennepin County Medical Center is a national leader in the treatment of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes with some of the fastest clot-busting drug delivery times in the U.S. The Hennepin Stroke Center is nationally recognized for rehabilitative care after a stroke occurs. Access Hennepin County Medical Center's annual Stroke Outcome Data (PDF).
We treat over 80% of patients in less than 60 minutes compared to the national average of 59%.
Hennepin County Medical Center has earned designation as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, by the Joint Commission and American Heart Association / American Stroke Association.
This is the highest and most advanced certification available for a stroke center.
- Specialized team members - Stroke patients at the Hennepin Stroke Center have 24/7 access to highly specialized stroke experts. Specialties include neurology, vascular neurology, interventional neurology, and radiology.
- Fastest possible treatment - Two million brain cells die each minute during a stroke. That's why time is of the essence during acute stroke care. Patients who come to Hennepin Stroke Center experience some of the fastest stroke treatment times in the U.S.
- State-of-the-art procedures, including:
- Carotid angioplasty and stent placement
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For more information about our stroke program call 612-873-8712. To make an appointment in our clinic call 612-873-6963. To refer a patient, contact Hennepin Connect.
We offer physical and emotional follow-up care for patients who have suffered a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Follow up in the Stroke Clinic is focused on review of the findings of the stroke work-up and, when needed, adjustments to the risk reduction plan as well as discussion of any problems or concerns. The Stroke Clinic is located in the Neurology Clinic. To schedule an appointment call 612-873-6963.
Order F.A.S.T. cards in English and/or Spanish.


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Space City FC recognizes it's great volunteers! In addition to serving as recreational program coaches and competitive program team managers, SCFC depends on its volunteers to do everything from helping put nets on goals to serving on committees.
Through our SCFC-Dynamo Premium Partnership, we awarded four home game tickets to 25 winners whom you nominated for their outstanding service: Ray Allen, Ward Beecher, Michael Berdich, Craig Buchman, Hector de la O, Jesse Flores, Paul Garcia, Crytstal Haddock, Jeff Havens, Ann Kaltenbaugh, Jennifer Linton, John Madden, Darien Morgan, Carlos Robles-Sanchez, Shiela Rudolph, Nathan Rue, Gale Saley, Nancy Silva, Ralph Silva, Chris Sutherland, Freddie Swift, Jeff Todd, Thomas Viner, Shawn Vinson, Andy Williams. Congratulations to these winners!
We thank you for the nominations and the kind words that you said about all of our nominees, some of whom were not eligible because they were not current volunteers or served on the Board of Directors. Here are all the narratives, by nominee in alphabetical order:
2750 W. Main, Suite BLeague City, Texas 77573


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9 Easter Eggs and Easter Bunny Icons Sets
Today we offer your attention 9 sets of Easter icons.
Lets get some history information about this holiday.
Easter, the principal festival of the Christian church year, celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion. Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. The Feast of Easter was established by the second century. But there had been dispute over the exact date of the Easter observance between the Eastern and Western Churches.
Easter eggs are special eggs that are often given to celebrate Easter or springtime. The oldest tradition is to use dyed or painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as jelly beans.


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Purity Body Wraps Ingredients
Purity Body Wraps are the only Australian provider of body wraps that prepare your wrap ingredients fresh on the day of your wrap. Therefore, there are no nasty chemicals or preservatives added.
Our entire product range is free from sulfates, parabens, propylene glycol, DEA, synthetics, artificial colours or fragrances and phthalates.
It is important to check that your body wraps provider is not using metal water baths to prepare and warm the wraps as this will compromise the quality of your wrap. Purity Body Wraps do not use any metal in the preparation of your Body Wraps because it affects the ionic charge of the clay affecting the ability of the clay to absorb impurities and toxins.


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New Delhi: Two days after the UPA chose Pranab Mukherjee for presidency, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was divided on Sunday over the presidential elections. But former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma refused to quit the race despite appeals from his leader Sharad Pawar.
A meeting of the NDA attended by leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Akali Dal, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Haryana Janhit Congress and Janata Party's Subramanian Swamy failed to agree on a possible candidate after contrasting views emerged.
To make the matters worse, the Shiv Sena stayed away, apparently peeved over the NDA's delay in picking a presidential candidate.
With the NDA divided over supporting Mukherjee - perhaps in return for the UPA allowing the NDA to select a vice-president - or backing Sangma or a third person, no decision could be taken on Sunday.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani has been authorised to talk to have wider consultations with NDA chief ministers and other parties. NDA convener Sharad Yadav of JD-U, which is said to favour Pranab Mukherjee, said: "NDA will meet sometime later again to take a decision in this regard."The Shiv Sena is against Sangma, the presidential candidate of the AIADMK and Biju Janata Dal.While JD-U and Akali Dal don't want the NDA to put up a candidate against Mukherjee, the Shiv Sena and Janata Party want a contest.
In 2007, the Sena went against the BJP and voted for Congress candidate Pratibha Patil because she is from Maharashtra.With a peeved Pawar finally letting Sangma know that he should quit the race, the NCP leader from Meghayala Sunday requested Pawar to support him."I am still in the race," Sangma told reporters here. "Pawar is saying he will appeal to me to withdraw, and I appeal to him to support me."He underlined that he was a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India, which had nothing to do with any political party.
Sangma admitted after talking to several NDA leaders that "they have some differences" over next month's presidential battle. "I talked to Mamata Banerjee. She said she is supporting (former president A.P.J. Abdul) Kalam. I said as Kalam has opted out of the race, so you should support me."
The BJP, with the 2014 Lok Sabha election in mind, is trying to win over both Mamata Banerjee, whose ties with the UPA are strained, and YSR Congress founder Jaganmohan Reddy, the emerging force in Andhra Pradesh."We will consult all non-Congress parties. The aim is to build stronger relations (ahead of the) Lok Sabha poll," said a leader.
The Left parties will meet Thursday to take a final call on the presidential battle, said general secretary Prakash Karat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist.As of now, Mukherjee is far ahead of everyone in the race. Even if Sangma contests with NDA support, Mukherjee is set to garner nearly half of all votes.
The presidential electoral college is made up of MPs and members of state assemblies.
Latest news from India News Desk
New Delhi: Two days after the UPA chose Pranab Mukherjee for presidency, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was divided on Sunday over the presidential elections. But former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma refused to quit the race despite appeals from his leader Sharad Pawar.


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The LG GM750 was released a few months ago, but we did not have a chance to get a closer look at the phone until CTIA 2010 held in Las Vegas from March 24 to 26. The
LG GM750 is one of the manufacturer's first smartphones running Windows Phone 6.5 and will measure 109.8 x 53.5 x 12.9 mm, features include a 3-inch touch screen display with a resolution of 240×400 pixels, 5-megapixel camera with autofocus, built-in GPS, Wi-Fi and accelerometer. The other specifications are still unknown at the time of this post, but we will be watching this one for you. LG Cell Phone News
LG GM750 Phone Pictures – LG Cell Phone Pictures
LG Cell Phone – Related Posts


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Aug 15, 2013 Ida Torres National 0
Japan will be going nuclear-free this coming September when Kansai Electric Power will be shutting down the country's only two online nuclear reactors as they will be undergoing mandatory safety checks. The reactors at the Oi nuclear plant were the only two ones that remained online out of the country's 50 reactors after the 2011 nuclear meltdown in Fukushima. The two reactors will be going offline on September 2 and 15 for an indefinite period of time.
The new guidelines issued by the Nuclear Regulation Authority last month has allowed utility operators to ask permission to restart 10 nuclear reactors. In fact, five separate plants submitted their applications on the day that the new safety rules came into place. This is just the first of many steps they have to undergo before being allowed to resume operations in their nuclear plants, if the NRA sees that they have strictly acceded to the guidelines. Observers say that this may signal the start of Japan's return to dependence on nuclear power generation, despite opposition to the technology.
The near catastrophic meltdown at Fukushima in 2011, the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl, woke up the public to the inherent dangers of being overly dependent on such a technology. There rose a strong and steady anti-nuclear sentiment, mostly accusing the government of having such a "cosy relationship" with utility operators, to the point that safety regulations are taken for granted, which led to the disaster in Fukushima. This made the government establish a new industry watchdog, the NRA, and also to impose stricter standards so that a disaster of that magnitude will never happen again.
[ via AsiaOne ]
Comments Off on JDP Startup Corner: Pros & Cons of Working with a Partner in Japan


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A veteran Oakland firefighter suffered life-threatening injuries Tuesday when a fire truck he was driving rolled over during a drill at Oakland International Airport, authorities said.
The firefighter was alone in an aircraft rescue rig when it tipped over on a taxiway during a turn in front of the Oakland Maintenance Center at 11:43 a.m., said Sean Maher, an Oakland city spokesman.
The firefighter was taking part in a simulated red-alert drill to test emergency response time to airport incidents, Maher said.
The firefighter, a 28-year veteran of the Oakland Fire Department, was not thrown from the vehicle, Maher said. He was transported to Highland General Hospital in Oakland in critical condition.
Several fire trucks and battalion chief's vehicles were parked outside the hospital into the afternoon. Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed was one of many to visit the injured firefighter. His family and colleagues were at his bedside, she said.
"We are all very hopeful and prayerful of his full recovery," the chief said. "The rig rolled over — for what reason we don't know right now. It's still under investigation."
She said, "Our main concern right now is for the firefighter, for his recovery and his family and that we give them the support that they need at this time. That's what our main objective is today."
The firefighter, she said, is assigned to Station 22 at the airport, where drills take place monthly. The victim was driving a special rig designed to spray foam on aircraft in the event of a fire, she said.
He has previously worked at department headquarters but transferred to the airport "to learn something different."
She said his colleagues have "nothing but the kindest things to say about him and the contributions that he made to his organization and his service delivery within the city of Oakland, so we're really hoping that this turns out OK."
The Rev. Jayson Landeza, who has been a chaplain for Oakland police and fire, also stopped by the hospital Tuesday afternoon.
"Lots of thoughts and prayers going to everybody in the department," Landeza said.
No other damage was reported. Airport spokesman John Albrecht said flights were not affected.
–Staff writer Henry K. Lee contributed to this report.


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2013 O'Brien Format 137
Josh Sanders all-new pro model features O'Brien's newly minted Fusion Core. Using top-to-bottom full length wood stringers, we were able to both reduce the overall volume of the board and decrease the weight of the fiberglass laminate, creating a board that is up to 1.5 lbs lighter than our standard core. We''ve also re-inviented the progressive rocker by lifting the centerline of the board toward the tips, resulting in a more vertical pop with no loss of speed to the wake. A subtle double concave through the clean midsection of the board softens impacts on landings. The base of the deck is finished off with four 0.7-inch Spine fins, our signature Delta Base for a faster ride and a full length step-down rail to increase edge hold.
Shape: Sanders/Johnson
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Reviewer: Ryan Shimabukuro
02/10/2013 12:57pm
The overall weight of the board with the bindings is amazing! This is the lightest setup I've ever ridden (including the honeycomb boards from back in the late 90's). The Format really is a smooth, consistent ride that locks in when on edge but releases from the wake clean. It has a strong, predictable pop off the wake, and the low swing weight makes for easy spins. The landings are incredibly soft, and the graphics really stand out on the water. Finally, the built in media mount is awesome. You don't have to worry about using a suction cup that comes off during a crash.


text: [move to tech-pkg] Rene Hexel wrote: > > Module Name: pkgsrc > Committed By: rh > Date: Mon Aug 13 19:20:17 UTC 2001 > > Modified Files: > pkgsrc/graphics/imlib: Makefile > > Log Message: > Autoconf apparently no longer uses "ltconfig" to configure libtool. As a > workaround, create a dummy "ltconfig" for the buildlink autoconf to pick > up. Fixes a build problem with buildlink-x11 and xpgwedge pointed out in > private mail by David Brownlee <firstname.lastname@example.com> > > XXX: in the long run, the buildlink autoconf macros probably need to be > updated and fixed to prevent similar problems in other packages. ltconfig has disappeared from libtool. LIBTOOL_OVERRIDE was resurrected to cope with this situation. Its not autoconf's fault. :) Nick


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- Full interview (0:10:02)
- Clip (2:46)NFL star shares the importance of having a life off the field and maintaining physical health.
NFL star shares his thoughts on the NFL labor dispute.
Ray Lewis was drafted by the NFL's Baltimore Ravens in the first round in '96 and is considered to be one of the best linebackers of all time. He's been selected to 12 Pro Bowls, named All-Pro 10 times, Defensive Player of the Year twice and the Super Bowl's MVP—only the second linebacker to win that award and the first ever on the winning team. The Florida native played at the University of Miami, where he was a two-time All-American before going pro. Lewis also has a foundation that provides personal and economic assistance to disadvantaged youth.


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What do chapters 16-20 of "The Fountainhead" have to do with Objectivism?How would I be able to show a visual aid for objectivism and the summary of chapters 16-20?
- print Print
- list Cite
In this section of the novel Roark has destroyed a low-cost multi-unit housing project because the "group of architects have destroyed his original design. With the help of Dominique Wynand, Roark blows up the complex. Dominique cuts her wrists in an effort to make it look like she was injured in the explosion and she nearly dies. Meanwhile Wynand takes a stand in support of Roark. This is an unpopular stand at the newspaper and Ellsworth Toohey decides to take advantage of the situation. He plans to bring down the Banner and Wynand with a planned strike by the employees of the paper. For a short time Dominique and Wynand are able to keep the paper open and going to the presses. However, Wynand is finally pushed to the limit and he gives in to the demands of Toohey and the power brokers. He sells out his values to keep the paper open rather than see it fall.
At his trial, Roark defends himself and his summation to the jury is the crux of Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. Roark tells the jury that the design of the building was his. He told them that he made a contract with Peter Keating to get the project built on the condition that no changes are made to his design. Keating caved in to the pressure of the other designers and let them change the design. Roark justifies the destruction of his own work and is found innocent of all charges.
These chapters directly prove the power of Objectivism if for no other reason than Roark's defense of his actions.
"The fundamental issue in life is survival. Roark points out that man comes onto earth with none of the goods necessary for his survival. Everything required for human life is a product of mans own effort. Man faces a constant alternative: He can survive by means of his own effort or as a leech fed by the productive work of others. "The creator originates. The parasite borrows. The creator faces nature alone. The parasite faces nature through an intermediary. The creator's concern is the conquest of nature. The parasite's concern is the conquest of men."(chap 19)
This is Objectivism. A great visual aid for this might be to Photoshop a 100.00 bill and then superimpose the word OBJECTIVISM onto the bill. You can see the word, but the big block letters will have the texture or picture of money.


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The Goppert Foundation has gifted the City of Ottawa $50,000 for the Ottawa Teen Park.
The gift, which came through the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, was announced at the April 17 Ottawa City Commission study session. The Chamber Foundation makes giving convenient and efficient for donors, helping them maximize their giving, simplify donations and contribute to the causes they love through charitable giving accounts.
"I was happy to help facilitate the opportunity for this gift," said Mike Skidmore, city commissioner and vice president of Goppert State Savings Bank.
The Teen Park fundraising has been ongoing since the beginning of the 2016, with pledges received from the city, Ottawa Rotary, Franklin County, an anonymous donor who gave $50,000 and funds from a Ottawa Middle School dodgeball tournament. In addition, a shoe drive also has raised money for the park. The total pledged and received before the Goppert gift was about $110,000.
"It is no surprise that the Goppert Foundation is willing to build on its previous philanthropic efforts in the community, but it is very significant to this project," Mayor Sara Caylor said. "They are absolutely ensuring the dreams of our teens will become a reality."
Play Task Force Chairperson Fonda Rose said the task force is excited about the donation. "We are going to do this thing and make the vision come true for our area youth," she said.
The first phase includes relocating the skate park amenities to the Teen Park location south of 15th Street and Kanza Park. It also will include three basketball courts and a zip line. The significant item in the second phase is the pump track, an above ground looped system with slopes and banks for bicycles, skateboarding and skating. All of the amenities planned for the Teen Park were identified by the teens in the Ottawa School District as features they would like to have and use.
The first phase began with dirt movement in early winter and recently soil testing for compaction. It is hoped that work on the concrete pads can begin by early summer. The Task Force is actively looking for
skilled labor to help with the concrete installation. If you want to volunteer, contact Public Works Director Michael Haeffele to coordinate with crews.
City Community Development Director Wynndee Lee said naming opportunities still exist for features, and it is hoped additional funds can be acquired by the fall so that by this time next year, nearly all of the features are installed.
For more information about the Teen Park or how to get involved, contact Lee at 785-229-3620 or email@example.com or visit play.ottawaks.gov.


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Tapioca is known as Sagu here in Malaysia.I never found this version of Sagu in any of the restaurants here . I make this whenever I have lemon and peanuts available in my pantry. No Tapioca without these main ingredients.
I make Indian version of Tapioca. little sweet, little sour and spicy 🙂 If you don't want spicy just eliminate green chilies. I usually make this at lunch time because its little heavy so you basically don't need any other side dishes. Please try this recipe if you have never made this before. Trust me its really good.
***Please add just enough water to cover Tapioca and soak over night. Don't add too much of water otherwise it will be too sticky in the morning.
- 2 cup Tapioca pearls (Soaked in water overnight)
- ¾ cup peanuts
- 1½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ lemon
- 3-4 small green chilies chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- coriander leaves
- salt to taste
- Cut potatoes in small cubes
- crush peanuts
- heat oil in pan , add green chilies and cumin seeds
- add potatoes once seeds crackle
- cook potato till they are light brown
- add peanuts
- add mix well
- add sugar and Tapioca
- Add lemon and mix well
- cover pan with lid and let it cook for 5-7 minutes
- Garnish with coriander and serve hot.
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Hey guys! During the summer this year I started going to the salon for eyelash extensions - a process that has dramatically changed my make-up routine and has given me a lot more confidence. It's fair to say that it is an addicting process, mostly because the benefits of it save me a lot of time and effort. In this post I will try to summarize my experience with this procedure, and the ways it affected me and my daily routine. Hope you enjoy!
I decided to try eyelash extensions, because my natural lashes are really light colored and I always feel the need to apply lots of mascara before I go anywhere. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having light colored eyelashes, and not accentuating your eyelashes at at all, for that matter. It is simply a personal preference, as it is the feature I tend to focus on when I do my make-up. It gives me a confidence boost, so personally I can only see it as a good thing. I'm one of those people who would choose mascara, if I was only allowed one make-up item for the rest of my life!
So far I have only done it twice and I have had no complications at all. I've seen scary stories floating around the internet, however I think it really depends on your beautician and their experience. I would recommend going to someone who has a good reputation and works in a good salon. Check their social media, online reviews and trust your intuition! The first time I got them done was in Latvia at Spray Tan Studio, and the second time I got them done in Vilar, Luxembourg. I have already been to Vilar before for a gelish nail treatment, and was excited to go back.
I went there with make-up free eyes, apart from some foundation around the area. Make sure you have clean eyelashes prior to treatment. The technician may choose to remove some of the foundation if there is too much, but it's not always the case. The treatment itself lasts about an hour and a half, or sometimes up to two hours. It really depends on the style of lashes (natural versus thick and glamorous) and also your natural lashes. For example it takes me a bit longer because my lashes are so light, that they are more difficult to miss, whereas with dark lashes you can easily catch them. Each eyelash is glued on separately to a natural lash.
The first time I went for super thick lashes (see photo here), which took about 2 hours, because to achieve such a look literally every single eyelash had an extension on. This time I went for a more natural look, which took about an hour and forty minutes. I have to say that the first time my lashes were falling out very fast and they felt quite thick and hard - perhaps the cluster effect made them more prone to falling out quickly. As you can see, this time I started off with a more natural set, and my lashes have remained pretty much the same 3 weeks later. The "after" photo was taken about an hour after the procedure, without any mascara on my new lashes.
I do like to wear mascara almost daily, also in this "3 week update" photo. I simply think of my lash extensions as my own eyelashes. While they are a "better" version of my own lashes, I still like using mascara to make them thicker. You can see that the lashes are not as "regular" as they were 3 weeks ago, however in terms of thickness they still look really good. With my first set, that was thick and voluminous, every time I used mascara my lashes would fall out or become clumpy. For that reason I prefer the more natural look, because it's easier to work with. The lashes still fall out every now and then, but they integrate well with my own lashes too. Feel free to zoom into the photos to have a better look!
Here is a list of things and habits that I have had to adjust due to my eyelash extensions:
- Using oil-free make-up remover around the eyes, because oil softens up the glue and will make them fall out a lot sooner. I like to use up ALL my skincare and make-up products, so at the moment I use an oil based remover on my face, and micellar water solution on my eyes. I usually soak the cotton pad really wet with the micellar water and then close my eye and keep the cotton pad on for about 10 seconds. If I have a lot of mascara on, I sometimes gently move it back and forth too. Then I clean the bit under my eyes as the previous action always gives me panda eyes haha.
- Sleeping without my beloved Wildfox sleeping mask (nostalgic insta-photo here) was a bit difficult at first, as I'm an extremely light sleeper. I absolutely love distancing myself from the world at night. However, the will to not destroy my brand new fab lashes was greater! I simply switched to sleeping with ear-plugs as surrounding sounds wake me up just as easily. Also, this was not an issue for me as I (usually) sleep straight, but falling asleep with your face on the pillow might dent the lashes or make them fall out quicker.
- The gentle make-up removing process seems to stop me from experimenting with make-up or using eyeliner. Whenever I used liquid eyeliner, it would go between the lashes (as it would with my natural lashes too), but this meant I had to remove more make-up. If I wouldn't do it properly, I'd wake up with dry eyeliner bits on my eyes. Also, the look my extensions give my face makes me feel like I genuinely don't need much more. Having said all that, I want to stress that this is definitely a good thing, because I'm not compelled to spend money on make-up anymore. My current foundation will last me at least 2-3 more months, my brushes are still good for a very long time and if I use mascara, it's just a random one from my little collection.
- It becomes an addicting process, because I get used to my lashes always being perfect, so it's difficult to envision how it would be without them. When I look at my "before" photo, I feel inclined to keep doing them forever. I personally have not experienced any bad side effects. My natural lashes were still as long as they were before, when I removed my first set of lashes. Having the extensions didn't make my natural lashes fall out quicker. I also had a great experience while they were being applied, so I have literally had no complications during this process. But where to draw the line? I just know that at the moment I'm happy to forget about the line!
All in all, having my lashes done has lowered my daily maintenance significantly and gives me a great feeling of confidence. They require maintenance and upkeep, however I would just say it's a different type of maintenance to your usual routine. In terms of price, I would say that for me it balances out the costs I would otherwise spend on make-up. I also think that the time and self-esteem I gained are invaluable benefits from this process. The lovely girls at Vilar salon in Luxembourg are currently doing a promotion where you can get your lashes done for 54EUR. That's a great price if you compare it to the £120 they charge you at the brow bar located at my job in UK. I think the main thing for price/quality is to do your research, because there are a lot of beauticians who are certified in this, so the prices will vary. The longevity of the extensions depends mostly on yourself. As each extension is glued onto a natural lash, it will fall out when the lash does. Your eyelashes have a typical lifecycle of around 2-3 months. The more careful you are with your new lashes, the longer they will stay!
You can follow Vilar on Facebook to see any updates on current promotions that they are doing. If you have any questions on anything I might have forgotten to add, don't hesitate to leave me a comment below! Hope you enjoyed. ♥


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Archive for May, 2011
May 11th, 2011
Client: Heritage Pine Augusta/Meleaver-McIntosh
Created HTML/CSS from Photoshop files. Created custom WordPress theme based on HTML files. Created a customized mortgage calculator for a special financing option.
Skills: HTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript/jQuery, WordPress
May 11th, 2011
Client: Goldman Reindorf Architects/Seltzer Design
Created HTML/CSS from Photoshop files. Created custom WordPress theme based on HTML files including a custom template with a slideshow built from uploaded images, and a custom post type for testimonials that are loaded in at random.
Skills: HTML, CSS, PHP, jQuery, WordPress
May 11th, 2011
evo'11 Conference
So the cat is officially out of the bag as of today – I will be speaking/doing a few workshops at evo conference this year. If you didn't attend evo's debut last year, you should definitely try to attend this year. I went last year and there was a ton of information that I walked out with and literally used the very next day. The conference is put together really well and I made a number of contacts that have had a significant impact on my business this past year. If you do anything online: blogging, web design or development, twitter or facebook – You should definitely attend! You won't regret it.


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Milan have officially declared Stephan El Shaarawy is not for sale after today's crunch meeting with the player.
"The meeting between Adriano Galliani, Stephan El Shaarawy and his entourage has taken place," read a statement on the club website.
"It all went well. Stephan, who has always been a Milan fan, confirmed his strong desire to continue playing in the Rossoneri jersey.
"That proposal was shared by Milan with conviction and trust. Milan and El Shaarawy go forward together, as they have done since June 2011.
"No transfer, no rumours, no links. Milan, the Rossoneri colours and the Pharaoh will absolutely stick together."
The 20-year-old striker had been linked with offers from Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Manchester City.
He struggled for form in recent months after the arrival of Mario Balotelli, who forced a change of tactics.
See the latest Serie A predictions and betting tips with Eurotips.co.uk [12]


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Great organizations are made up of great people. And for leaders at all levels within those organizations, the ability to find, hire, integrate, and retain great people is an absolutely critical skill—critical to their organization's success, and critical to their own success.
But for most people, making great appointments is difficult, time-consuming, and even scary. Few have received any formal training in it, and there are very few resources available to make up for that lack of training. This book fills that gap. It provides the conceptual background and the practical, everyday tools needed to make consistently successful hiring decisions. Great People Decisions is a comprehensive resource for managers who want to improve their personal competence at hiring and promoting people, and also for students interested in the field. Yes, hiring is difficult, but it isn't a mystery. It's a discipline that you can master—to help your organization, and to help yourself.
Author Claudio Fernández-Aráoz has been in the business of finding and growing great people for two decades. Now, in Great People Decisions, he provides simple but sophisticated guidelines covering the entire range of issues inherent in the hiring, promotion, and delegation of significant responsibilities to high achievers.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
Download the accompanying reference guide.
©2007 Claudio Fernández-Aráoz (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
There are no listener reviews for this title yet.
"Chapter sections"
So far it is a good book and helpful.
Any of the books that I have had to read for this program, they all are helpful.
Nothing so far,
Yes, if you could give us a chapter section for each book. I need to read the book out of sequence sometimes, and I need to be able to pick the chapter I have to read for each week. I can do this with my e-reader/Kindle, and I wonder why this device does not have this? If Kindle has it then surely audible aught to be able to have this technology also! It is important to get this on audible, I do not have the time to set and press play, then forward, and so on trying to find the chapter I need for each weeks reading.
This would be so helpful for those of use who use audible for our college courses!
Also, why do my books keep disappearing? I mean really!!! I don't have time for this. I go today to read/listen to Winning, and it is gone!!! I mean what the ....?
"Full of gold nuggets. I'll recommended to everyone"
not even people who are in the business.. great people decisions are needed in everday life
"Hard to Follow"
Too long. Hard to follow. Referenced graphs or charts in the story to understand something, but never explained it in words, so it made no sense to a listener with no visual.
"Great Book about HR"
Really good book for head hunting.
I gets great insights about how to find the right person for the right position in the right company.
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Total Nerd The Sexiest Women in Action Movies
List Rules Beautiful actresses who have appeared in at least 1 feature-length action film.
The sexiest women in action movies manage to command the screen with their physical abilities and their acting skills. These are women not to be toyed with, under any circumstances. They're hot, they're highly trained and they'll kick your butt to kingdom come if given the chance. Who is the absolute sexiest woman ever cast in an action movie? That's for you to decide. Vote for your favorites, and vote down those women that you don't think measure up. Also, feel free to add any actress that you think deserves a place of honor on this list!
Some of the sexiest women ever to appear in action movies include the likes of Uma Thurman ('Kill Bill'), Kate Beckinsale ('Underworld'), Angelina Jolie ('Lara Croft,' 'Wanted' and 'Salt') and Milla Jovovich ('Resident Evil'). Those are all shining examples of incredibly gorgeous women who've had sexy roles in several different action movies and/or franchises. Some actresses on this list have only appeared in one or two action films, but they were so smokingly hot they make the cut. Examples, you say? How about Geena Davis in 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' or Demi Moore in 'GI Jane'?
While many of the sexy actresses in action movies appeared in films during the 1970s and 1980s (Pam Grier in 'Foxy Brown,' Linda Hamilton in 'Terminator 2' and of course, Sigourney Weaver in 'Alien'), there are some recent roles worth noting. Jennifer Lawrence's turn as Katniss Everdeen in 'The Hunger Games' was stellar, Scarlett Johansson was a fantastic Black Widow in 'The Avengers,' MMA star Gina Carano kicked a** in Steven Soderbergh's 'Haywire' and Anne Hathaway promises to make an amazing Catwoman in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight Rises.' These are some of the hottest movie actresses from the best female action movies.Enjoy this list of some of the sexiest women ever to appear in action movies, and be sure to vote (and add anyone that's missing). Or else!
Ron Mexico added Jessica Biel
The A-Team
Also Ranked
#45 on The Most Trustworthy Celebrities in the World
#73 on The Greatest American Actresses of All Time
#72 on The Best Actresses in Film History
#29 on The Best American Actresses Working Today
Ron Mexico added Milla Jovovich
Resident Evil
Also Ranked
#63 on The Best American Actresses Working Today
#25 on The Greatest Former Child Stars
#12 on Natural Beauties Who Don't Need No Make-Up
#42 on The All-Time Greatest Action Stars
Rebecca Romijn
Also Ranked
#33 on The Best Marvel Movie Actors Ever
#86 on Natural Beauties Who Don't Need No Make-Up
Ron Mexico added Kate Beckinsale
Also Ranked
#11 on The Best Living English Actresses
#25 on The Best English Actresses of All Time
#27 on Famous Women You'd Want to Have a Beer With
#68 on The Best Actresses Working Today


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Ro'Kunas wrote:Having Trouble finding the letter Q equivalent! According to most sources I've found, there IS no letter corresponding to 'Q' in the Tau alphabet, yet in the Living Tau Lexicon (Which I adore) there are several words that start with Q or list it as a letter in a word!
Say what?!
The Q letter is not the only one. From memory, (C,K,Q),(F,S) And others have the same tau glyphs.
I think that the imperial transcription (by tau or imperial translator) uses the different Gothic letters based either on a complex system of rule, artistic license, or indifferently one for another.
This is not an isolated example.
Chinese language (mandarin) uses two transcription systems in French ( for example, the old, from occidentals "Pekin" and the new from chinese system "Beijing").


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March is coming to a close with all its fickle Southern tendencies! For a month that always ushers in the Spring season, this year's has sure given us the full spectrum of Mississippi seasons from winter freezes to summer heat. My children were out of school for Spring Break a few weeks ago, and we were able to spend the week at Busy Bee, our family farmhouse in Noxubee County. I always enjoy taking time there to unwind, enjoy unstructured family time, and get my fix of pasture walking and breathing in country air. This year, our Spring Break weather included some cold and rainy days, but we made the most of it, squeezing in at least a few of our favorite farm adventures.
I don't know if it's because of the burst of warmer weather we had early in 2017, but I can hardly remember a time at Busy Bee when the pre-Spring days were SO green! Although we had some freezing temperatures, the pasture carpet was full of new life. In these early Spring days, the green seems the most lush before summer's heat has the chance to tire it out. Of course, I always have my camera with me, and it was fun to capture a few glimpses of how Spring on the farm cracks through the more stark color and contrast of winter. For us, it was a week of seeing two seasons at once, sometimes in the same frame. I came home with renewed energy and excitement for the ideas I've wanted to tackle this year.


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Wedding, boutonniere


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Do I have to say "So Help Me God" during my enlistment/officer oath?
No. This is a common question with a simple answer. Simply ask the officer administering the oath to say "affirm" rather than "swear" and to omit the "So Help Me God" at the end. This secular option applies equally to all government oaths, including the oath of office for military officers and ROTC/Academy cadets and even the oath for jury duty. Anyone denied this right should contact MAAF for assistance. If the officer says the "so help me god" portion, simply do not repeat that portion. Drop your hand because the oath is over. You may also choose to set up a new ceremony, initiate an Equal Opportunity complaint against the officer for such discrimination, and/or contact MAAF for assistance.
It is illegal and unethical to force someone to swear to god if they do not want to. The governing regulation here is the Constitution Article VI Paragraph 3 "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office". Also, US Code Title 1 Section 1, right up front says "oath" and "swear" always include the option to affirm. Given this freedom, do the following two things:
- Use 'affirm' rather than 'swear' in the spoken oath and end prior to the 'so help me god' portion.
- Line-out and initial the 'so help me god' portion on the written paperwork.
- Contact MAAF if anyone threatens or has threatened your commission/enlistement/career in response to your request for these rights. MAAF can also coordinate for an officer willing to perform a secular enlistment or commissioning ceremony.
If applicable, point them at AR 601-280 "The Army Retention Program," Appendix D Paragraph 2k, which states specifically that the reenlisting soldier need not swear to god. Or to USC 512 Title 28 (Revision June 25, 1948 ch. 646, 62 Stat. 925) which clarifies that an oath of affirmation excludes the "so help me god" portion. Air Force should refer to AFI 36-2606 (Ch.3, 2. "Detailed Instructions for Completing the DD Forms 4/1 and 4/2", Table 3.9, Item Number 15 – Confirmation of (Re)enlistment Oath). Each service has similar alternatives which may be unclear in written policy but should be made clear by any legal advisor.


text:
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