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Report of the 5th Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel, Hungary, June 1996
Report of the 5th meeting of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP)
Hungary, June 1996
Dr Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu (Ghana, Africa, and Chairperson of STRP)
Dr Makoto Komoda (Japan, Asia)
Dr Roberto Schlatter (Chile, Neotropics)
Mr Allan Smith (Canada, North America)
Dr Keith Thompson (New Zealand, Oceania)
Mr Mihály Végh (Hungary, Eastern Europe)
Ms Louise Lakos (Hungary, Chairperson of Ramsar Standing Committee)
Dr Max Finlayson (Australia, ERISS)
Mr Gábor Nechay (Hungary, and Vice Chair for Europe on CBDs SBSTTA)
Mr Scott Frazier (Ramsar Database, Wetlands International, UK)
Ms Birgith Sloth (Denmark, DANAGRO)
Ms Szilvia Göri (Hungary, Hortobagy National Park)
Mr Delmar Blasco (Secretary General)
Mr Mike Smart (Senior Policy Advisor)
Mr Tom Kabii (Technical Officer- Africa)
Dr Montserrat Carbonell (Technical Officer - Neotropics)
AGENDA ITEM #1 Welcoming remarks
The Chairperson of Standing Committee welcomed all participants, conveyed Hungarys pleasure in hosting the meeting, thanked the Canadian Government for its financial assistance, and indicated she was pleased to be able to join the meeting even if only for one day. She stressed the important role of the STRP as an advisory group not only to the Standing Committee and Bureau, but also to the whole Conference of the Parties.
The Chairperson of the STRP thanked all participants for attending the meeting in spite of their tight schedules, the Canadian Government for financial support and Hungary for acting as host.
She indicated that the task of this meeting was to define STRP priorities for the coming triennium from the Strategic Plan (1997-2002), and from the Resolutions and Recommendations adopted at Brisbane (March, 1996); and that, furthermore, this meeting had to decide how these priorities should be carried out, by whom, and by when.
The Secretary General expressed his pleasure in being able to attend the meeting, since in his view this was a crucial event to chart the very significant tasks entrusted to the STRP by the Contracting Parties (CPs). He emphasised the importance of linking the Ramsar STRP with similar bodies under other conventions and institutions, such as the Convention on Biological Diversitys (CBD) Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advise (SBSTTA) and the Global Environmental Facilitys (GEF) Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP).
During an evening reception Dr Janos Tardy (Deputy Secretary of State, Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Regional Policy) welcomed the participants and mentioned the new national conservation law, before Parliament at the time of the STRP meeting, which amongst other measures would prevent construction and the use of toxic chemicals within 500m of any wetland in Hungary.
Ms B Sloth and Ms Szilvia Göri made a presentation on the wetland restoration work being done in the Hortobagy National Park with financial assistance from the Danish Government.
AGENDA ITEM #2 Adoption of Agenda
The agenda was adopted by consensus.
AGENDA ITEM #3 Development of 1997-1999 STRP Work Plan for submission to the 19th meeting of the Standing Committee (28 October - 1 November 1996): Review of STRP tasks arising from the Strategic Plan (1997-2002) and Resolutions and Recommendations adopted in Brisbane (March, 1996)
The Senior Policy Advisor introduced documents STRP 5.3 and 5.9, noting that document 5.3 was a summary of references to STRP in the Strategic Plan and Resolutions and Recommendations, while 5.9 was an annotated document prioritising these references.
When discussing the priority actions for the STRP, Dr M Komodas and Dr K Thompsons written comments (circulated to the participants) were taken into account.
Based on Document 5.9, the participants identified the priority tasks for STRP included in the Strategic Plan (1997-2002) and Brisbane Resolutions and Recommendations. The results, arranged from higher (Category 1) to lower (Category 3) priority, were as follows:
Category 1: Criteria for identifying wetlands for the Ramsar List - Ecological Character
Category 2: Restoration/ Rehabilitation - Management Planning
Category 3: Economic Evaluation - Global review of wetlands - Strengthening Links with other Conventions and Agencies - Ramsar Database
The Panel considered that it should also be involved in reviewing the Wise Use Guidelines and Additional Guidance, specifically with regard to toxic chemicals (Recommendation 6.14) and to environmental impact assessments -EIA- (Operational Objective 2.5 and Recommendation 6.2).
The Bureau will also consult the STRP when implementing Resolution VI.11 which instructs it to work on the consolidation of Resolutions and Recommendations of the Conference of the Contracting Parties.
AGENDA ITEM #4 Criteria (Operational Objective 6.3 and Resolution VI.2, VI.3)
Action requested by the CoP: Keep general criteria under review to ensure that they reflect global wetland conservation priories and values; continue to work on refining guidelines for application of fish criteria; take into account cultural values and/or benefits derived from wetlands; and consider the feasibility of designating sites on the basis of important natural hydrological functions.
Discussion: There was an in-depth discussion on this issue. While it was acknowledged that both the Strategic Plan (Action 6.3.1) and Resolution VI.3 required that the STRP review the existing Ramsar criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance, there were differing views concerning the nature of the output of this exercise.
Opinions ranged from those who considered that the existing criteria are broad enough to allow the identification of all wetlands that are internationally important, to those who considered that the criteria have to be revised in detail in order to make them more comprehensive. To those holding the latter viewpoint, the criteria should cover all aspects that could make a wetland internationally important, including their relevance to human societies, and all wetland types, including human-made sites.
To some, the criteria should be made attractive, convincing and easy to understand for decision-makers who may not have a scientific background. It was agreed that, while the criteria could be comprehensive, they should not be lengthy and cumbersome. Adding guidelines like those appended to the new fish criteria,and good examples to each criterion was thought to be helpful to make the concepts clearer. Guidelines and examples should take into account regional differences.
Some questions were raised about the meaning of "natural" and "near natural" in the existing criteria; some participants felt there were no "natural" wetlands left; others felt that inclusion of "near natural" was importnat to distinguish such sites from man-made wetlands. The term "biogeographical", was also questioned because of the different biogeographical classifications in existence.
It was recognized that few wetlands have been identified as internationally important using the existing Criteria 1 because it is very general, while Criteria 3 is clear and very specific, and hence easier to apply.
It was acknowledged that Resolution VI.3 requested the development of specific criteria for other taxa in addition to the existing ones based on waterfowl and fish. (The use of the term "waterfowl" was also questioned; the term "water bird" could be considered more appropriate., althought the Convention text speaks of "waterfowl"). It could be difficult to decide which are the taxa for which specific criteria should be developed, and where to put the limits, but the STRP would have to argue its case if it concluded that the request was not workable. It could be possible to use indicator groups, even though information might not be available in many instances. Crustaceans could also be important, as they are economically significant. While not requested by the Resolution, the STRP might also consider the need to develop specific criteria for ecological communities, such as coral reefs and mangroves. This would encourage island nations and draw attention to the inadequacy of the current criteria for these wetland types.
There was general agreement that the criteria dealing with animals and plants should be called the "biodiversity criteria".
Resolution VI.2 requested a review of the guidelines for application of the criteria based on fish, but this should be included in the general work concerning the criteria. It was recalled that the Brisbane Resolution did not respond to the Kushiro Recommendation to take fisheries into account as part of the criteria based on fish. In discussions at the Technical Session, the fisheries issue, included in the draft resolution, was postponed for a future "human issues" criterion, and therefore excluded from the final version approved.
Much of the discussion turned on the need and advisability of having a cluster of criteria for identifying wetlands as internationally important for their significance for human societies.
Some participants were clearly against criteria of this sort, considering that this issue should be included and developed within the "wise use" component of the Convention, and not within the criteria. To this group of participants criteria should be based on ecological parameters (not open to subjective interpretation), criteria based on wetland relevance for humans could open the door to all sorts of misuses, mainly by those who want to convert wetlands to other uses, likely to alter negatively their ecological character. There were also serious doubts about the possibility of monitoring the conservation and wise use of wetlands designated under such criteria, mainly because of the difficulty of establishing the baseline to do so. Some considered that values to humankind are implicit in the other values, and that it could be difficult to identify human-related values that are "international".
The argument in favour of including a cluster of criteria based on relevance to humans was that many wetlands are being and will continue to be used by humans. Thus, a clear acceptance of this fact could help to develop the concept of "wise use" as a means for maintaining the ecological character of the sites concerned. In addition, conservation will succeed only if it becomes part of the mainstream of the nature/human interaction, and not exclusively through isolated sites that are given special conservation status.
It should also be recognized that some uses contribute to the maintenance of the ecological character of sites (or at least the ecological character as it has been known for several hundred years). In addition, some wetlands could be clearly identified as important not so much for their ecological features but because of their significance for human societies, thus enhancing the relevance of the Convention in todays world. The dangers of misuse of this type of criteria are real, but it was felt that this danger could be overcome if the necessary safeguards are written into the criteria.
Some participants recognized that, from a political point of view, it would be appropriate to have a cluster of "human-related" criteria, even if from the scientific and technical point of view they could be difficult to develop, since so far most human uses of wetlands have been destructive. Others recognized that a new cluster related to traditional and cultural uses could be appropriate and not too difficult to develop.
A final round-table of STRP members indicated that: a) some participants were totally against developing "human-related" criteria because of the difficulty of drafting them and the misuse that could be made of them, even though they were all open to considering a draft text articulating criteria of this type; and b) the majority were not clearly against, but shared to some extent the concerns which were put forward by those in the previous group. Only the Secretary General was clearly if favour of developing such a cluster under the Ramsar criteria and recommending it to the Conference for adoption.
A report including proposals should be presented at the 6th STRP meeting in April 1997. In preparation of this report, Contracting Parties should be consulted, to obtain their general views, and Specialist Groups should be contacted about the "new" taxa and ecological communities.
Some discussion on guidelines for criteria followed. It was pointed out that all sets of criteria should have guidelines at least as good as those for the fish criteria. However, development of guidelines would be a second step, once the Panel had agreed on the basic clusters.
(a) consider the possibility of establishing three clusters of criteria, as follows:
cluster 1. Representativeness and Uniqueness - with special attention to hydrological functions, with the support of an expert on this issue.
cluster 2. Biodiversity - (a) general and (b) specific taxa: e.g. birds/waterfowl and fish with possible addition of mammals, reptiles, invertebrates. The possibility of developing criteria based on communities such as mangroves, coral reefs, peatlands and karst might be considered. Bureau to contact appropriate institutions to ensure that there is enough data before proceeding.
Note: Limnological aspects should be taken into account in both clusters 1 & 2.
cluster 3. Significance for Humans - there is no consensus that this cluster is advisable or required. However it was agreed to prepare a first draft. Issues to be considered: cultural/spiritual/religious/cosmological; traditional and other socio-economic uses; educational, research and recreational uses; benefits to humans of the ecological functions. These could be summarised under the concept of benefits and values for humans.
(b) focal points will present a report including proposals at the 6th STRP meeting in April 1997.
Focal points: Cluster 1 - K Thompson; Cluster 2 - Y Ntiamoa-Baidu; Cluster 3 - M Finlayson and A Smith
Bureau contacts: M Carbonell
AGENDA ITEM #5 Ecological character (Operational Objective 5.1; Resolution VI.1; Rec. 6.14)
Action requested by the CoP: Review and update the Montreux Record (MR); identify potential impacts on the ecological character of wetlands through global threats (toxic chemicals, climate change, sea level change); advise on the implementation of the revised procedure for the operation of the MR; and identify the effects of application of Resolution VI.1, especially at specific sites.
Discussion: There was some discussion about the definition of ecological character but it was decided not to spend any time trying to think of a better one at this point.
It was pointed out that "wise use" is not mentioned in the ecological character guidelines. Emphasis should be less on the guidelines themselves, and more on their application. This would imply changes to the Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS) and the National Reports, and raises the question of whether the existing criteria cover all the values of wetlands Ramsar is interested in. The RIS guigelines need to be improved as indicated in Res.VI.1 to reflect the need for extra/new information on the ecological character of sites. It was also recalled that the 6th CoP asked the STRP to involve other scientists in the evaluation of the application of the ecological character guidelines.
There was a general feeling that the MR guidelines, approved in Kushiro, have not been used. This indicates they may be a good idea but are not working, maybe because most countries consider the MR as a "red list". It was recognised that there is an urgent need to publicize positive examples of the MR. The Standing Committee should be asked to discuss and comment on this issue.
It was suggested that a workshop be organised before the 7th CoP in 1999, to debate these issues (definitions of ecological character and change, how to monitor, how to measure and what) and establish some guidelines.
It was suggested that wetland managers and universities could be requested to test the definition and the guidelines at specific sites and report to the STRP by the end of 1997 so that it can report to the Standing Committee; regional meetings could also be used to test the definition and the guidelines.
Some suggestions were also made of the possibility of getting students to carry out evaluations/test of the guidelines at MR sites, as well as testing them when Management Guidance Procedures (MGP) are being carried out.
(a) test the guidelines on ecological character (point 2 of Resolution VI.1) based on the data provided by Ramsar Information Sheet;
(b) review the guidelines on ecological character in the light of the results (a) and the criteria guidelines. Incorporate the wise use concept in them, and incorporate the whole into the consolidation of Resolutions and Recommendations;
(c) test the effectiveness of the Montreux Record (point 3 of Resolution VI.1) at sites with or without Management Guidance Procedure and at sites which could/should be included in the Montreux Record;
(d) prepare a document to be presented at the next STRP 1997 reviewing the existing Early Warning Systems methodology; and
(e) review and suggest methodologies and guidelines for assessing the threshold of change in the ecological character of wetlands taking special account of limnology, hydrology and keystone species; care should be taken with some indicator species, such as migratory birds, to ensure events occurring elsewhere do not introduce a bias.
To carry out (a), (b) and (c) the Bureau will contact CPs and managers of sites suggested by the Panel. Together with the Panel members, the Bureau will identify intern (or other) students, or locate adequate financial resources to carry out the analyses of these data and report to the STRP 1997.
Focal point: M Finlayson
Bureau contacts: T Jones
AGENDA ITEM #6(a) Ramsar Database (Operational Objective 5.4; Resolution VI.16)
Action requested by the CoP: To keep under review the content and structure of the Database; to assess data currently available in the database and identify gaps.
Discussion: The Database manager indicated there were no data for 14% of the sites and 9% did not have a map (31% had poor maps). The importance of the database was stressed, since bad data reflect badly on the Convention. It was agreed that Wetlands International, using data from other sources would prepare drafts of Information Sheets for those that had no sheet, and that the Bureau would submit these drafts for approval to the CPs concerned. The Database manager placed special emphasis on the need to indicate the criterion under which the site qualified and a justification of its use.
The Panel discussed how to improve the Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS), without changing the categories of information but altering their order to reflect better the baseline information required for comparison in case of changes in ecological character. The term "biophysical" was questioned in the light of the next information category "ecological features".
The Ramsar Information Sheet is annexed to this report.
Some time was spent debating the Classification System of Wetland Types. While recognizing the value of a standardized classification system, some Panel members felt that the Ramsar classification gives too much emphasis to a North American classification. The Ramsar classification, now out-dated, deals inadequately with certain major categories of wetland. When applied on a world-wide basis, the classification has many deficiencies, inconsistencies and overlaps, specially in relation to peatlands and coral reefs.
It was suggested that the present wetland classification could be tested against selected Ramsar sites, so that specific named wetland examples can be available to support the concern of the STRP over the present classification.
(a) recommend full implementation of Resolution VI.16 concerning provision of information and maps for new sites;
(b) recommend full implementation of Resolution VI.13 and Recommendation 5.3 concerning provision of information and maps for already listed sites. (This action will be supported by information provided by the Database manager);
(c) STRP members to send comments on the RIS "Explanatory Notes and Guidelines" document by 15 July, to the Bureau. This will include comments to call for greater detail on peatlands and coral reef descriptions (Dr K Thompson); requesting the inclusion of information pertaining to the management objectives at listed sites (Mr M Végh). The Bureau will attempt to provide a final draft by 15 August for the STRP to make final comments within one week;
(d) invite the Standing Committee to consider instructing the STRP to undertake a review (not necessarily modification) of the Ramsar Classification System of Wetland Type,
(e) recommends the following order of categories in the RIS (see Annex 1)
Bureau contact: M Smart
AGENDA ITEM # 6(b) Relationship between Ramsars STRP and the Convention on Biological Diversitys (CBD) Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advise (SBSTTA) and the Global Environmental Facilitys (GEF) Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) (Operational Objective 7.2; Resolutions VI.7, VI.9, VI.23)
Action requested by the CoP: Strengthen and formalise linkages between Ramsar and other international and/or regional environmental conventions and agencies; establish close working relations with the SBSTTA, STAP and other similar bodies; ensure the STRP includes or has access to hydrological expertise and develops links with organizations with technical skills in hydrology; and report to the 7th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties through the Standing Committee.
Discussion: The Secretary General reported on the actions already taken, notably through contacts with GEF, the Memorandum of Cooperation with CBD and links with the Chairman of SBSTTA, Dr Peter Schei, who had been to Ramsars 6th CoP in Brisbane and was very supportive of links between SBSTTA and STRP.
Mr Gabor Nechay indicated there are direct and practical points for cooperation between CBD and Ramsar, in relation to the conservation of biodiversity in wetlands.
He made reference to the report of the May 1996 meeting of the Bureau of the SBSTTA, specially about the need for the SBSTTA meetings to eliminate political interventions in order to become a really effective technical and scientific group.
Mr G Nechay identified technical points currently on SBSTTAs agenda on which the CBDs SBSTTA and Ramsars STRP could cooperate:
- identification of indicators of biological diversity and their review and promotion for use in assessing the effectiveness of measures taken under the CBD;
- advise CPs of ways and means to overcome the current lack of taxonomists, adopting a more practical approach of taxonomy to bio-prospecting and ecological research on conservation and sustainable use;
- the need to identify sound technology to promote the aims of the CBD, and access to that technology in combination with the clearing-house mechanism;
- means to identify and protect the knowledge of indigenous and local communities;
- to review the 1995 assessment of biodiversity and the methodologies for future assessments within the context of minimum standards of data to satisfy national reporting requirements; and
- to start the process of identifying, monitoring and assessing the components of biological diversity and the activities which have or are likely to have significant adverse impacts.
Mr G Nechay invited STRP to send a representative to the SBSTTA and its Bureau meetings. Mr A Smith (Canada) will try to attend the SBSTTA meeting in September 1996, and will send a report of the meeting to the Bureau as soon as possible for circulation to the STRP.
The Secretary General indicated that now that the link with the SBSTTA has been established, the STRP should seek the same kind of relation with the GEFs STAP. He also indicated that Ramsar would present a report on wetland biodiversity at the CBD Conference of the Parties in Buenos Aires in November 1996. A consultant was being hired, by WWF, to produce this report which would be circulated for comments from STRP before the Bureau transmitted it to the CBD Secretariat.
(a) establish links with the CBDs SBSTTA following the practice at this meeting, i.e. invite SBSTTA to send a representative to take part as observer in STRP meetings;
(b) encourage the SBSTTA and its Bureau to invite STRP to send a representative as observer to its meetings.;
(c) the Chair of the STRP and the Bureau to explore possible similar cooperation with the GEFs STAP;
(d) invite WWF-International and BirdLife International to STRP meetings, as observers;
(e) STRPmembers to obtain the agreement of the Chair of the STRP, through the Bureau, to represent Ramsars STRP at meetings of similar bodies or agencies. After participation in such meetings submission of a report to the Bureau is requested for circulation to all STRP;
(f) prepare short half-page accounts, including objectives, ways of operating, potential interest of establishing links for Ramsar, and name of contact point (address, telephone, fax and email), and send to the Bureau by 31st July 1996 for circulation to all STRP, of:
Bonn Convention Technical Council: R Schlatter
Global Water Partnership: M Smart
International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI): M Carbonell
International Association of Ecology (INTECOL): M Finlayson
International Biosphere-Geosphere program (IGBP): M Finlayson
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): M Finlayson
Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB): K Thompson
SCOPE: K Thompson
Society of International Limnologist (SIL): K Thompson
South Pacific Research and Environmental Program (SPREP): K Thompson
The Society of Wetland Scientists: A Smith
Valdivia Group: R Schlatter
World Heritage Convention: M Komoda
World Water Council: D Blasco
Working Group on Aquatic Birds (SIL): A Smith
Wetlands International Specialists Groups: S FrazierBureau contact: M Smart
AGENDA ITEM #6(c) Montreux Record (MR) and Management Guidance Procedure (MGP) (Operational Objective 5.1; Resolution VI.1)
Action requested by the CoP: Review and regularly update the MR; increase application of the MGP.
Discussion: The Senior Policy Advisor informed participants of the status of the MR and the MGP. He indicated that there were currently over 60 sites included in the MR, and over 30 Monitoring Procedures (formal name of the Management Guidance Procedure) have been carried out since 1988. STRP members and alternates involvement since the establishment of the STRP in 1993 has included, Dr P Bacon (Trinidad and Tobago) at the Nariva Swamp, Trinidad and Tobago; Dr F Letourneux (France) and Dr P Uhd Jepsen (Denmark) at the Dee Estuary, UK.
(a) the Bureau will increase the participation of STRP members and alternates in MGP missions;
(b) in the case of MR inclusions or deletions the Bureau should consult the STRP when appropriate, as indicated in Resolution Vl.1;
(c) the Bureau should go ahead with those sites in urgent need of application of the MGP -including Greece (see Recommendation 6.17.1), or in regions with few, well identified needs;
(d) in the case of regions with many CPs requesting MGPs the Bureau will provide information to the STRP and priorities will be set up at the STRP meeting in April 1997;
(e) the Bureau will prepare -for circulation to the STRP- a document listing the sites which in its opinion should be on the MR and which should be considered for application of the MGP;
(f) the Bureau will keep the STRP updated on MR site information.
Bureau contact: M Smart
AGENDA ITEM #6(d) Small Grants Fund (SGF) (Operational Objective 8.4)
Action requested by the CoP: To secure at least one million US dollars per annum ( ) and to allocate these funds effectively; to encourage and assist the preparation of high quality applications to the SGF.
Discussion: The Secretary General explained that at present all proposals are sent to IUCN and Wetlands International for technical evaluation, but that he intends to propose a change to this rule, so that only those proposals for which the Bureau needs help are sent to partners. The same could be done in the case of STRP members and alternates.
(a) the Bureau to send to STRP members, on a regional basis, those project proposals for which it requires clarification, interpretation and, in general, technical advice on specific questions;
(b) should the Secretary Generals proposal for evaluation of the projects be approved by the Standing Committee, the decision on funding should be made by the Secretary General in consultation with the Regional Representative and the member of the STRP of the region concerned;
(c) STRP to analyze with the view of modifying, if necessary, the form used at present for project evaluation. The Bureau to send out a draft evaluation form to STRP for comments by the end of 1996, and to incorporate those comments in a second draft to be discussed at the next meeting of the STRP in April 1997.
Bureau contact: M Smart
AGENDA ITEM #6(e) Any remaining technical issues
Restoration and Rehabilitation of Wetlands (Operational Objective 2.6; Recommendation 6.15)
Action requested by the CoP: Provide and implement methodologies; define guidelines on principles on wetland restoration and monitoring; identify ten best practice case studies and organise a technical session at the 7th CoP; and produce a list of key wetland sites in need of Restoration.
Discussion: There is a considerable number of publications on the subject and methodologies are generally site-specific, so it would be difficult to do the job requested without repeating what has already been done. It was stress that Ramsar should concentrate on recommending "ways of going about it".
(a) Bureau to develop a proposal for attracting funds, obtaining a secondment, or persuading a lead agency (to recruit a coordinator), to develop an analysis of what has/is being done, including what has worked and what has not (explaining methodologies), and prepare a report for the STRP meeting in 1997;
(b) produce a final report and conclusions on the result of (a) for Standing Committee consideration in 1998;
(c) the activity should include the identification of ten best practice case studies, with which STRP members will assist on providing names of possible examples;
(d) a proposal for the content and organisation of a Technical Session at the 7th CoP should be submitted at the next STRP meeting in April 1997;
(e) among those to be consulted should be interested CPs (e.g. Denmark, Netherlands, USA, UK, Sweden, Spain, Israel and others), as well as Wetlands International and other partners.
Focal point: M Vegh in consultation with Palle Uhd Jepsen
Bureau contacts: M Carbonell
Management Planning (Operational Objective 5.2; Recommendation 6.13)
Action requested by the CoP: Publish ten best practice case studies of management planning for Ramsar sites at local, regional and catchment or coastal zone levels; and monitor the Ramsar guidelines, including review of most recent advances in total or integrated catchment approach to management planning and to report the findings to the 7th CoP.
Discussion: There are very few management plans which follow the Kushiro Guidelines for management planning, and it is not therefore possible to make a good judgement on their implementation. National Reports presented for Brisbane should be the basic source of information. There is a need to focus on biodiversity management in wetlands and to see if the Kushiro Guidelines need to be revised.
It is important to consider that both successful and unsuccessful examples are educational. CPs should be informed of the sites chosen as "best practice case studies", and why.
(a) Identify good examples of management planning and implementation, using the National Reports presented at Brisbane as an initial source of information. The final selection of the ten best case studies should cover the widest possible range of wetland types;
(b) a letter/questionnaire to be prepared and sent out to all CPs and institutions which could contribute, including a request for information on the application of Ramsars Kushiro guidelines;
(c) the exercise should concentrate on Ramsar sites, especially those that have applied the Kushiro Guidelines in Management Planning, but not to exclude other good examples of wetland management planning;
(d) the focal points, with the assistance of other STRP members, will identify 15 good examples to be submitted for review at the next meeting of the STRP in April 1997;
(e) focal points should prepare a discussion paper for STRP in April 1997 reviewing the Ramsar guidelines and the integrated catchment approach concept, taking into account biodiversity in wetlands and the CBD;
(f) a proposal for a Technical Session at the 7th CoP should also be prepared for the next meeting of the STRP in April 1997;
Focal points: R Schlatter and M Komoda
Bureau contacts: M Smart
Economic Evaluation (Operational Objective 2.4; Recommendation 6.10)
Action requested by the CoP: Review content and implementation of recommended best practice in economic evaluations of wetlands at a Technical Session of the 7th CoP.
Discussion: The members of the panel indicated that there was no economic evaluation expertise within the group and therefore suggested that the Bureau contact the IUCN and the University of York to find out if they are prepared to continue being involved, how and to what extent. Dr M Finlayson agrees to contact Australian National Conservation Agency (ANCA), which has expertise in this field.
(a) STRP to co-opt an expert, through consultation by correspondence within the Panel, and if possible nomination by a CP. The aim would be to have the co-opted expert attending the next meeting of the STRP in April 1997;
(b) the Bureau -in the meantime- will investigate which institutions/agencies have expertise in this field (e.g. IUCNs Biodiversity Programme and the Wetlands international Sepcialist Group) and establish activity in this field within the new MedWet/LIFE project.
Bureau contact: M Smart
Development Assistance (Operational Objective 7.4)
The Panel felt they could not contribute to this task, other than advising when requested.
Global review of wetland resources (Operational Objective 6.1)
Action requested by the CoP (to Bureau and Partners): Begin to develop a quantification of global wetland resources, as baseline information for considering trends in wetland conservation or loss.
Discussion: It was pointed out that the UK has made available £ 30,000 for this task.
(a) prepare draft terms of reference by 31 July 1996 for a consultant to execute the project, and circulate (the draft ToR) to STRP for comments (to be received until 31 August);
(b) a draft report to be submitted to the next meeting of the STRP in April 1997.
Focal point: M Finlayson
Bureau contacts: T Jones
Education and Public Awareness (Operational Objective 3.1 and 3.2; Resolution VI.19)
Action requested by the CoP: None for STRP, but otherwise, to support and assist in implementing, in cooperation with partners and other institutions, an international programme of EPA on wetlands; to develop and encourage national programs of EPA on wetlands.
Discussion: Some Panel members, referring specially to Operational Objective 3.1 (Action 3.1.3), felt STRP should be asked, as appropriate, to advise on the scientific and technical content of resource materials, to avoid too strong an emphasis on descriptive material and insufficient coverage of ecological functioning and management options/consequences. Dr K Thompson offered to take the initiative on this subject and report to the STRP.
Toxic chemicals (Operational Objective 2.3; Recommendation 6.14)
Action requested by the CoP: report to the 7th CoP on the status of the issue of toxic chemicals as they relate to wetlands.
Discussion: Mr A Smith indicated that he has information from Dr Bill Shotyk (Geological Institute, University of Berne, Switzerland) in relation to the workshop being organized in Switzerland in October 1996. He offered to make the initial contact and report to the STRP.
AGENDA ITEM #7 Future meetings
Both the Chairperson and the Secretary General emphasized that little time was available for STRP work before the 7th CoP in 1999. Results of STRP work had to be ready by mid 1998 for submission to the 1998 Standing Committee meeting. The period mid 1996 to end of 1997 was therefore crucial, and there should be a minimum of two, perhaps three, STRP meetings.
a) STRP report to the 19th Standing Committee Meeting, 29 October -1 November 1996, Gland:
Decision: At the invitation of the Chairperson of the Standing Committee, and as agreed at the 5th Meeting of the STRP the Chair of the Panel, Dr Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu, will attend the 19th Standing Committee Meeting and will present a report on behalf of the STRP.
b) STRP representation at non-Ramsar meetings 1996/97:
Decision: STRP members participating in technical/scientific meetings may represent Ramsars STRP, but are requested to consult the Chairperson and the Bureau in advance.
c) Date and venue of 6th STRP Meeting:
Decision: It was agreed that the 6th Meeting of the STRP should take place in Gland, from Tuesday 15th to Thursday 17th April 1997. Participants are asked to arrive no later than Monday 14th, and leave no sooner than Friday 18th April to allow three full days of work. It was further agreed, subject to review at the 6th Meeting, that the 7th Meeting of the STRP should take place in Gland, from 18th to 20th November 1997. Possible dates for the 8th Meeting of the STRP could be around 14-16 April 1998, but these are subject to discussion at the 6th Meeting in April 1997.
AGENDA ITEM #8 Closure of meeting
The Hungarian hosts thanked Canada for the financial support provided for the organization of the meeting, and thanked all participants for attending.
The Secretary General thanked the Chairperson for her very able conduction of the meeting, and Canada for its financial support and the Hungarian hosts for their warm hospitality. He also indicated he was very pleased with the results obtained, and that he felt the meeting had achieved all its objectives -and more-, and stressed the important role of the STRP within Ramsar.
The Chairperson thanked the Hungarian hosts, especially Mr M Vegh, for their hospitality, and Canada for itsfinancial contribution. She congratulated the Bureau for the work done and the healthy relations among staff. Finally thanked all participants for having contributed greatly to the success of the meeting.
Rapporteur: Montserrat Carbonell


text:
> can you imagine kick it stick it
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Guardians of Middle-Earth coming to PC August 29
Update - Added information regarding console players claiming the PC code.
Lord of the Rings-themed MOBA Guardians of Middle-Earth started out as a console-friendly take on the popular PC genre. And now, it's coming back home. Warner Bros and Monolith announced today that GoME is coming to PC on August 29.
The PC version will include all of the characters, map skins, and Survival mode that were paid downloadable content on consoles, though you'll still have to purchase some items with in-game currency earned from playing matches. All 36 characters will also have alternate skins for purchase through Steam, letting you choose for example to play as Gandalf the Grey or his shiny White duds.
Warner Bros told Shacknews that console players will be able to claim a code for the PC version by checking their "Profile" section and then looking up the VIP code, and inputting it into Steam. That will gain them access to the base game in their Steam library.
If you didn't purchase it on console, you have a choice of three versions. The "Smaug's Treasure" version for $9.99 gives you a Smaug's Greed Relic and some in-game gold. The standard option, simply called Guardians of Middle-Earth, will cost $19.99 and include Gandalf, Galadriel, Hildifons, Mozgog, Bert, Legolas, and alternate skins for each. The "Mithril Edition" is $79.99, includes all of the characters and alternate skins, and grants you a Mithril Guardian Relic and a buddy key to give a friend. If you want to take a shortcut to unlocking characters, the store will sell six Guardian Packs at $14.99 apiece, each of which includes five guardians with their alternate skins.
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Dr. Elisa Bertino Conference Officer of 7th ARES Conference
August 12, 2012
The 7th International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security ("ARES") will bring together researchers and practitioners in the area of dependability. ARES will highlight the various aspects of security - with special focus on the crucial linkage between availability, reliability and security.
ARES aims at a full and detailed discussion of the research issues of security as an integrative concept that covers amongst others availability, safety, confidentiality, integrity, maintainability and security in the different fields of applications.
ARES will emphasize the interplay between foundations and practical issues of security in emerging areas such as e-government, m-government, location-based applications, ubiquitous computing, autonomous computing, chances of grid computing etc. ARES is devoted to the critical examination and research challenges of the various aspects of Secure and Dependable Computing and the definition of a future road map.
Selected papers that are accepted by and presented at the ARES Conference will be published, after further revision, in special issues of international journals.
More Information
Cyber Center presents paper at ICDE 2014 Conference
April 10, 2014
Dr. Elisa Bertino, Cyber Center Director, presented a paper at the recent IEEE 20th ICDE Conference in Chicago, ILRead Full Story
Brian Lamb School of Communication and Cyber Center Lecture
February 11, 2014
Feb. 19, 1:00 PM in Lawson 1142 Howard T. Welser, Associate Professor Dept of Sociology and Anthropology Ohio UniversityRead Full Story


text:
September 25, 2014
Associated Press
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Philadelphia Little League sensation Mo'ne Davis is headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Davis, the...
Read more...
By C. Kelly
Special to the NNPA from The Michigan Citizen
Technology is fundamentally changing the world in which we live. Just as the 1880s Industrial Revolution...
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By Frazier Moore
Let's just go ahead and make it official. "Thursday" should be renamed "Shonday."
At least it...
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By ELIZABETH HSING-HUEI CHOU
City News Service
The Los Angeles City Council this week tentatively approved a $15.37-per-hour minimum wage for workers at large...
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September 18, 2014
By Elizabeth Marcelllino
City News Service
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors moved on Wednesday September 17 to preemptively block the closure of a private...
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By Jazelle Hunt
NNPA Columnist
Just before Labor Day 2005, the world was stunned as images of Gulf Coast citizens, trudged through chaos and stagnant floodwaters, strewn with the debris of wrecked buildings and storm-tossed earth. The sights seemed to replay just before Halloween 2012, as coastal New York and New Jersey waded in icy waters and picked through the rubble of their destroyed property.
The incidents were separated by more than 1,300 miles, seven years, and two extreme weather events: Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. But a new Web media project titled, Katrina/Sandy, juxtaposes the storms to suggest that disastrous scenes like these may be on repeat, as extreme weather becomes a new global reality.
"We're not trying to say they're the same event…. But it's definitely a worthy thing to put [them] in context with each other when we think about, how do we respond better, how do we prepare better?" says Rachel Falcone, filmmaker, co-founder of Sandy Storyline (along with multimedia artist, Michael Premo), and co-creator of the Katrina/Sandy project.
"We're trying to tell stories that can impact and improve the recovery after Sandy, or at least improve it so that…we learn from the mistakes we made during Sandy and especially during Katrina. And also the successes…not all the stories are sad stories. Communities are coming together to meet needs successfully and create solutions."
Katrina/Sandy is the joint endeavor of two award-winning projects, Land of Opportunity and Sandy Storyline. Sandy Storyline is a crowd-sourced collection of Hurricane Sandy experiences, solicited and curated by a team of filmmakers. Land of Opportunity is a New Orleans-based multimedia project from a team of filmmakers that explores issues around housing; the Katrina/Sandy timeline is hosted as part of this larger project.
Created from donated footage and testimony from scores of local filmmakers and citizens around the country, Katrina/Sandy blends film, photography, and firsthand audio accounts into a powerful timeline before, during, and after the storms.
Viewers click points along the line and journey through footage of ravaging winds, relentless floodwaters, weatherworn residents, and weary homeowners. As the short films and accounts play, viewers can also segue to compelling documents, articles, and interviews that explore related issues.
In one scene from the Sandy accounts, a mother walks through her home, surveying gutted walls and detailing the bureaucratic ordeal of beginning the rebuilding process, as her young daughter wanders around calling out memories. In an accompanying scene from the Katrina footage, a father reflects on the 18 months he and his family have lived in a trailer on his property, waiting for the city to demolish his crumbling house so he can rebuild, as his young son plays nearby.
The similarities continue to unfold in straightforward, powerful vignettes. Notably, low-income residents share similar experiences of isolation and neglect. In Sandy's wake, it is elderly and disabled people stuck in high-rise public housing units without electricity, heat, or medications. Post-Katrina, it is mostly Black people slogging through hazardous floodwaters, searching for food and dry clothing.
Scientists and researchers almost unanimously agree that extreme weather events like these have become and will continue to be commonplace, as a result of climate change. Low-income and underserved communities, often home to people of color, will continue to bear the brunt of the effects.
"Folks who don't have resources are the hardest hit at every stage of disaster. Katrina continues to be an ongoing disaster for a lot of people, and that's clearly the bulk of what's going on on the ground in Sandy," says Luisa Dantas, filmmaker, director of Land of Opportunity, and co-creator of Katrina/Sandy.
"When we talk about looking ahead, and learning, and preparing, it's mostly around ensuring that folks who don't have access to resources are protected, and cared for, and able to recover and rebuild their lives just like everyone else can."
Marginalization of these communities continues in debates about land use, rebuilding, and the right to return in the aftermath of disasters. Outside this project, both Dantas and Falcone work on issues around housing rights; Dantas points out that this scenario plays out often around the country.
"Crisis isn't just a disaster on the scale of Katrina, but we've been looking at stories all over the country of crisis being used as a real excuse for policies that displace people, that put a premium on development agendas that aren't necessarily inclusive, and aren't necessarily being directed by the communities where they're set," she says, citing Detroit's economic crisis as an example and Katrina as an extreme case.
Sandy survivors are at the beginning stages of these issues.
"Right after the storm there was all these meetings the mayor convened around policy that were shocking," Falcone says. "There were town hall meetings, there's been a lot of discussion around policy…and around buyouts, and development, and who has a say in what's happening to different areas that are trying to rebuild. So we definitely see similar issues. But for us we feel like it's not yet written, so we wanted to invite people to help us tell that story."
Viewers are invited to share their post-Sandy stories at Sandystoryline.com/participate/share-your-story, and the Katrina/Sandy timeline can be viewed at http://beta.landofopportunityinteractive.com/#/compare.
Dantas and Falcone hope the timeline will help inform how people and officials prepare for this new normal.
"One really important thing to talk about with Katrina and the relationship to Sandy…is when a natural disaster becomes a manmade catastrophe. In the case of Katrina, the storm itself did not cause the lion's share of damage. It was the epic failure of manmade infrastructure. And similar situations happened in Sandy recovery," says Dantas.
"The Sandy anniversary is coming up and the decade of Katrina coming up in a year. The value of reflection isn't just looking at what's happened but also thinking about how what's happened can be applicable to your own community. We're really hoping that this work is driving home to people that this could happen to them, and if it were to happen to them, could they be better prepared?"
September 11, 2014
By FRED SHUSTER
Hundreds of federal agents raided Fashion District businesses in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday September 10, arresting nine people and seizing $65 million in a crackdown on what prosecutors called a scheme to launder cash for Mexican drug cartels. The raids — part of what federal prosecutors dubbed "Operation Fashion Police" — coincided with the unsealing of three federal indictments, one of which alleged that a Fashion District business was laundering ransom money payments made to secure the release of a U.S. citizen kidnapped and tortured in Mexico by the Sinaloa drug cartel. Federal prosecutors said other Fashion District stores were being used to launder money from drug traffickers and other offenders in what is known as a "Black Market Peso Exchange" scheme.
The garment trade and its nearly 3,000 businesses is the largest manufacturing sector in the area, officials said.
"Los Angeles has become the epicenter of narco-dollar money laundering with couriers regularly bringing duffel bags and suitcases full of cash to many businesses," according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Dugdale.
"Because Los Angeles is at the forefront of this money laundering activity, law enforcement in Los Angeles is now at the forefront of combating this issue."
The cartels' cash is "the lifeblood of their organization," Dugdale said. Prosecutors said three people were arrested in connection with the alleged laundering of ransom money paid to the Sinaloa cartel. According to a federal indictment, a business called QT Fashion accepted bulk amounts of cash and funneled it through 17 other Fashion District businesses at the direction of a Mexico-based business called Maria Ferre S.A. de C.V. The $140,000 in ransom was paid by relatives of a U.S. citizen who was kidnapped by the Sinaloa cartel after U.S. authorities seized more than 100 kilograms of cocaine the man had been responsible for distributing.
The man was taken to a ranch in Mexico, where he was beaten, shot, electrocuted and water-boarded, according to federal prosecutors. The man was released after the ransom was paid and is now back in the U.S., officials said. Andrew Jong Hack Park, 56, of La Canada Flintridge; Sang Jun Park, 36, of La Crescenta; and Jose Isabel Gomez Arreoloa, 49, of Los Angeles; were arrested in connection with the QT Fashion case, according to prosecutors.
Three other defendants named in the indictment — all of Mexico — remain at large. Three members of a Temple City family — Xilin Chen, 55; his son, Chuang Feng Chen, 24; and his daughter, Aixia Chen, 28 — were named in a second indictment accusing them of money laundering through Fashion District businesses called Yili Underwear and Gayima Underwear. Xilin Chen and Chuang
Chen were both arrested September 9, but Aixia Chen remained at large. Four people connected to a business called Pacific Eurotex Corp. were named in a third indictment, accusing them of money-laundering. The indictment alleges the defendants used the company as a repository to receive bulk amounts of cash that they knew or believed to be drug money, and laundered the funds.
Arrested in that case were Hersel Nemen, 55, of Beverly Hills, the company's CFO; Morad Neman, 54, of Westwood, the CEO; Mehran Khalili, 45, of Beverly Hills; and Alma Villalobos, 52, of Arleta. The Nemans are brothers, and Khalili is their brother-in-law, prosecutors said. In May, reacting to an upsurge in money laundering operations downtown, Homeland Security Investigations conducted an outreach program targeting 160 Fashion District businesses, said HSI Special Agent Claude Arnold. Two defendants — Neman and Villalobos — attended the symposium, in which the consequences of involvement in the illegal trans-national cash trade were explained, Arnold said.
During the raids, authorities seized $65 million, some in cash and some from around the world, prosecutors said. Millions of cartel dollars were retrieved from tightly packed banker's boxes in a Los Angeles condominium, at a mansion in Bel Air, and hidden in the bottom of a pet-food bag, according to Arnold. Such cash "contributes to the violence, pain and bloodshed," Arnold said.
As a result of the recent cash loss, the Sinaloa cartel is expected to "change the way it launders money in the future," said William Bodner, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Bodner said regulations put into effect in Mexico in 2010 restricted the amount of U.S. cash that could be deposited in banks spurred an increase in trade-based money laundering.
"This is just the beginning," Bodner said, addressing his message to businesses in the downtown textiles and wholesale district.
California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris said the two-year "Operation Fashion Police" has struck at the heart of the district's dirty money trade, leaving a "huge hole" in the profits of Mexican drug cartels. To anyone involved in such a criminal enterprise, Harris warned, "we'll track you down, and hold you accountable — and we'll take your money."
September 04, 2014
By Rebecca Rivas
Special to the NNPA from the St. Louis American
On Saturday August 30, Tarah Taylor, a labor organizer from Houston, knocked on St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch's door in Kirkwood.
A group of nine young people stood behind her anxiously waiting for a response.
"Unfortunately he wasn't home," she said, "but if he was home, I would have told him that the people of Ferguson have lost faith in the county being able to review this case fairly and it's imperative that he listen to them."
Taylor drove 12 hours from Texas to join a group of 400 young people from around the country for the "Black Lives Matter Ride" – a call to action to end state violence against black people. Joining local activists, the "riders" participated in several actions on Saturday, including the National March on Ferguson, a protest in front of the Ferguson Police Department and a picnic to raise the moral among the Ferguson community.
And, about 25 people canvassed in Kirkwood educating the prosecutor's neighbors about why he should recuse himself from the Michael Brown case. McCulloch is overseeing the investigation into the fatal shooting of the unarmed teen shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer.
"That's the ethical thing to do and the right thing to do to move forward towards healing in this community," Taylor said.
Kenjus Watson, 29, from Los Angeles, knocked on the door of an older white woman who lived two houses down from McCulloch. He introduced himself and got through a few of his talking points before she interrupted him.
"It was pretty quick that she said 'I know what's going on,'" she said. "She said she cares about her city and it hurt her."
Watson asked her take a stand with them and sign a petition. However, she refused to sign the petition even anonymously. So then he asked her to talk to McCulloch.
"Speak to Bob about how much you care about your city and what's going on with marginalized folks here," Watson told her. "Instead of talking about the weather, talk about the time that you shared with two people from Los Angeles who came here specifically to ask Bob McCulloch to recuse himself because his role in this case could be problematic."
She didn't answer.
Yet not all of his neighbors were willing to listen to the group. Chuck Leroi, who lives cattycorner to McCulloch, came out shaking with rage. With a TV production video camera on his shoulder, he walked briskly up to the young people, pointed the camera in their faces and asked them why they were there.
"That's an issue with Bob who happens to be a neighbor," Leroi said. "It's not an issue with you, me or anybody else."
He believed the canvassers couldn't knock on people's doors unannounced. However, the group's legal advisor assured the group before they went into the neighborhoods that they do not need a permit to do voter education. McCulloch is up for re-election in November.
The ride's mission "aims to end the insidious and widespread assault on black life that pervades every stage of law enforcement interactions; be it in custody or community," according to the group's press release.
Although black people make up 13 percent of the country's population, they make up more than one third of those killed in officer involved shooting across the country.
Rheema Calloway, 24 from San Francisco, said her journey to Ferguson started on Wednesday when she took a Megabus to Los Angeles. Then she hopped in one of the three 15-passenger vans that made the 36-hour ride to Ferguson from Los Angeles.
"It's been really emotionally draining," Calloway said. "I didn't know that ground zero was going to have that much effect on me, being that I've lost so many friends and family members. But this case was different because it wasn't black on black crime. The officer was supposed to protect and serve – but that hasn't been the case as it relates to African-American men and women."
Special to the NNPA from the New York Amsterdam News
An airlift of emergency supplies needed for those treating Liberians with the virus Ebola was launched this weekend by the U.N. children's fund, known as Unicef.
"The largest component of the supplies was chlorine," for disinfection, said Unicef's representative in Liberia, Sheldon Yetts. Other supplies in the airlift were oral rehydration salts and sodium lactate to help ensure people are rehydrated, as well as about 900,000 gloves for infection control.
"Health workers have suffered a disproportionate number of casualties from Ebola," said Yetts. "We need to make sure that health centers are disinfected and that people in Liberia feel safe to return to health centers."
Ebola, some experts say, is much less contagious than other more common diseases. The virus, much like HIV or hepatitis, is spread through blood or bodily fluids and is not airborne. Still, some countries in Africa are rejecting the World Health Organization's advisory and are slamming their doors on visitors from West Africa. Travelers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are banned from entering South Africa. Citizens returning home from these areas must undergo a strict screening process, a health ministry statement said.
Senegal has closed its border with Guinea, while Chad closed its border with Nigeria.
Air Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria's Arik Air, Togo's ASKY Airlines, British Airways, Emirates Airlines and Kenya Airways have together cancelled over 200 flights to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Kenya Airways froze routes to Liberia and Sierra Leone after Kenya's ministry of health called the Ebola outbreak "vastly underestimated" and that it is was "expected to continue for some time".
Only Brussels Airlines and Dutch airline KLM say they will continue flights. "Travelers are highly unlikely to be infected with Ebola, which cannot be transmitted under normal hygiene conditions," said KLM.
With apparently conflicting health advisories sowing confusion and fear, a Zimbabwe blogger penned her concern that the upbeat picture of "Africa Rising" was getting a black eye.
Writing in the Mail & Guardian's "Voice of Africa," blogger Fungai Machirori observed: "Over the last few years, meticulous work has gone into crafting the 'Africa Rising' narrative–namely rising economies (like South Africa and Nigeria), tech and innovation [think Kenya] and the growth of a middle class we might call 'post-African'—savvy, urban, cosmopolitan with no flies to swat off their faces and no begging bowls in their manicured hands.
"While the statistics do point to a truth, another truth still prevails," she cautioned.
"Across Africa, I have seen the consumerist dream [high-end malls, cars, mansions and general financial exuberance] coexist with abjection, poverty and depleted social services. The rich do exist, but they are not the majority.
"The spread of Ebola shows up the Africa Rising narrative … Quite instantly, Ebola has become 'the great leveler' among Africans, re-perpetuating stereotypes of barbarism and savagery; that Africans eat 'strange foods' like fruit bats and bush meat and other 'filthy creatures', that we are unclean, diseased and therefore dangerous.
"Ebola has opened up the way for the 'dark continent' narrative to re-emerge, if it ever really disappeared," she said. "Africa is collapsed into one territory, one country, one race, even if the fatality of Ebola represents about 0.15% of the continent. A dominant global hysteria has emerged that lends itself to racial profiling and generalizations. I'm wondering how far, if at all, the discourse around blackness has progressed."
At the same time, she said, "Ebola is serving to deepen regionalism [West Africa versus the rest of Africa]and the dangerous sort of nationalism that has often led to ineffectual collaboration across the continent.
"If Africa—given its wealth of human and natural resources—cannot contain Ebola, then we must sober up and accept that we haven't risen to where we should be, given the accompanying discourse of booming economies and commodity markets."
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Summer Reading Solutions from Scholastic
The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge:
Photo credit: Francisco Leal
Starting May 5, 2014, this free summer reading program invites kids (ages 4-14) to help set a NEW world record for summer reading!
The 2014 theme is "Reading Under the Stars" and offers free reading resources for teachers, parents, and kids.
New prizes for the winning schools include a school visit from David Shannon (winning elementary school) and Gordon Korman (winning middle school)!
Sign up your district, school, classroom, or children and get ready to read all summer.
Summer Reading Solutions for School Districts, Administrators, and Community Partners:
Custom Summer Book Packs
Schools, districts, or any organization that serves children can provide students with award-winning books, Common Core-aligned Think Sheets, and summer writing reflection journals.
Districts can use Scholastic TrackIt, an online tracking tool to measure students' participation and text complexity.
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Host a Summer Book Fair
Drive independent reading in your school by giving students access to books and the power of choice.
The new Book Fair App is a free tool for finding the perfect book.
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Summer Reading Solutions for Teachers and Families:
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Shop the summer eboutique for a wide variety of books for all ages and reading levels.
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Shop the summer eboutique for curriculum solutions, including best-selling paperbacks and classroom books at an educator discount.
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This item is discontinued.
The C8674 Converse Rapid Response black uniform boots are built with an athletic boot fit to allow maximum mobility and flexibility. These side zip boots are constructed with full grain black leather and ballistic nylon for durability, weight reduction, and breathability. The Mountain Trail rubber outsole on these Converse boots provide excellent traction and slip resistance. In addition, this mens tactical boot features a composite toe that is 100 percent non metallic and ASTM F2413 rated, making this the perfect airport friendly boot. The Converse C8674 also uses a conveinient side zipper to make this leather boot easy to get on and off. If you are a law enforcement or miltary professional looking for a durable boot that gives you the protection you need, then this Converse side zip boot is for you. Pick up the Converse C8674 today!
Harry's Army Surplus: Serving Dearborn and Metropolitan Detroit with army navy surplus, uniform gear, boots, army surplus and work clothing since 1950.


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Sooooo ... Lamar Odom. Isn't he supposed to be, like, holed up in a crack den somewhere? Apparently not. TMZ managed to get Lamar to open up for the first time since all of those drug rumors started, and guess what? Lamar seems like, er, totally fine. Obviously, not all addicts walk around looking like they're on death's door, so who knows. But this video certainly doesn't clear anything up. In fact, asked if he's spoken to Khloe lately -- whom he is supposedly not even on speaking terms with -- he laughed like that was the silliest question he'd ever heard and said, "Of course! That's my wife!"
Here's how it all went down:
TMZ videographer: Hey, your fans are worried about you. [Nice opener!] You doing okay?
Lamar: How do I look?
TMZ: You look great.
Lamar: There you go.
TMZ: So you don't have a drug problem, right?
Lamar: Naw.
TMZ: Think you need professional help?
Lamar: Naw.
[Stuff about basketball ... blah blah ... ]
TMZ: Spoken to Khloe, man?
Lamar: [Laughing] That's my wife! Of course!
Well, you can't exactly expect him to come out and admit he has a drug problem ... unless he's talking to Oprah. But he does appear healthy and like his old self in this video.
TMZ insists he's in denial. And certainly his recent DUI doesn't look good. Not to mention all of that talk about Khloe having no idea where Lamar even was.
But has all of this been exaggerated? Or is Lamar lying? Ack, who knows. Stay tuned.
Do you think he's telling the truth?
Image via Splash News
What perplexes me is that he is a professional athlete and it was my understanding that they received if not frequent at least regular drug tests. So why didn't he get in trouble with the league? It makes me skeptical that is just not some PR thing or even a way to drag him through the mud after cheating on his wife.
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Primo Construction pours footings for new Forks high school
Primo Construction of Carlsborg began pouring concrete today (Tue., Jan. 18) for footings for the new addition to Forks High School. The 30,000-plus square foot project is scheduled to be complete by early 2012. Here workers prepare for a pour for the new vocational/technical education building. Forks Forum photo by Chris Cook.
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A pizza delivery driver stared down the barrel of a gun Tuesday night while making a delivery in Bordeaux.
Police said the worker had just dropped off a pizza on Hinkle Drive when two men approached him with a handgun.
The robbers stole the driver's wallet and his white Honda and fled the scene.
The driver wasn't hurt. No arrests have been made.
Copyright 2013 WSMV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.


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Extreme Beer Fest tickets go on sale Sat, Sep 27 @ Noon EDT.
The wait is over! Download the BeerAdvocate app on iTunes or Google Play now.
Get 12 issues / year of BeerAdvocate magazine for only $9.99!
I get no respect!
Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by djrn2, Feb 14, 2013.
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Similar Internships
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SOCIAL MEDIA INTERNSHIP FOR ALZERINA JEWELRY UNPAID School Credit AvailableAlzerina.com
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PR/ SOCIAL MEDIA INTERNBookmark This
Tarantin Entertainment
DescriptionTarantin Enternatinment was founded in 2008 where the presiding President of the Corporation is a Legendary World-Renowned celebrity.
The Company has reach to over 2.5 Million dedicated Fans. The company has retained full ownership of its valuable Brands, which includes a diverse library of premium properties; Books, Movies, Mobile Games, Social Networks and Promotional Items.
The company is seeking Dynamic Marketing Interns for a 2.5 months period starting November 1st, to work remotely from Phoenix.
ResponsibilitiesThe Tasks:
- Promoting Global Brands.
- Communicating with international communities online.
- Contacting journalists / newspapers / magazines / TV, Radio Stations
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- Passion
Hours & Location
- Company is located in Los Angeles
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- Opportunity to work from home and/or a library setting under supervisor
- Upon good performance = Attending conferences and media events paid for by the company â?" expanding contacts.
- Upon an excellent performance = First option to join the company as a Director in the department of Sales and marketing.
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Please send your name, resume, and availability over the next 2 months to firstname.lastname@example.com
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One of the more original, hilarious and even heartbreaking stories of the year.
-Richard Roeper
In theaters:
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Spike Jonze
Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson
Kate M. said on Thursday, January 23, 2014 4:07:22 AM
It's a wonderful movie and touches on something you didn't mention, which how unconventional romantic relationships are viewed by others, from neighbor Adams casual acceptance to Mara's sense of betrayal.
I went into the movie unaware of who played the voice of Samantha, and was convinced that it was Emma Stone for much of the running time, which either is indicative of how much alike Stone and Johanssen's voices are or my lacking an acute ear for voicework.
samuel colunga said on Saturday, January 11, 2014 1:34:41 AM
Hey Richard, just watched it tonight after waiting a year to watch it.I agree completely. I give it an A.one of my favs of the year
JohnStern said on Sunday, January 05, 2014 2:32:00 AM
This looks great, but it doesn't hit our area until January 10th.


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text: It's the last days in "Jerusalem" — the last days of filming, that is, for a series of New Testament videos on the Mormon church's Jerusalem movie set near Goshen, about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City. The Utah-based faith will wrap up shooting in the next few days. The massive facility — the size of two side-by-side football fields — was completed in 2011. The New Testament project is just one of many of church productions that have been shot on the movie set.


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LEWISBURG, Pa. — The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Bucknell University will host a Bankers Roundtable Wednesday, May 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Walls Lounge of the Elaine Langone Center at Bucknell.
The fee for attending is $10 and includes lunch.
Speakers are Jon Vernam, director of the Bucknell SBDC; Dave Dickson, Small Business Administration regional director who will give an SBA update; Jim McClure, director of finance with SEDA-COG who will discuss economic development and finance programs; and Robert Hickox, director, Keystone Innovation Zone, who will discuss the Greater Susquehanna Valley KIZ.
Seating is limited; registration is required. Call 570-577-1249, email firstname.lastname@example.com, or fax 570-577-1768.
Posted May 17, 2007
The following links are virtual breadcrumbs marking the 27 most recent pages you have visited in Bucknell.edu. If you want to remember a specific page forever click the pin in the top right corner and we will be sure not to replace it. Close this message.


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City officials, gay rights activists to rally against hate crimes
Following the murder of a 32-year-old man on Friday night in Manhattan, local officials and gay rights groups will rally Monday night to demand an end to hate crimes.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other elected officials will join LGBT groups and other community members to march to the site of Friday's shooting and denounce hate violence.
Marc Carson, 32, was shot and killed in the West Village at about midnight on Friday. The suspected gunman, 33-year-old Elliott Morales, allegedly shouted anti-gay slurs at Carson before pulling out a gun and shooting him in the face near the corner of West Eighth Street and Sixth Avenue.
Friday's shooting follows a recent uptick in anti-gay hate crimes in the city. Two men were attacked by a group of men who hurled anti-gay remarks at them near Madison Square Garden earlier this month.
A march will begin Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the LGBT Center located at 208 W. 13th St. and end at the corner of Eighth Street and Sixth Avenue. A rally will follow at 6 p.m.
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
Home > News Releases > 2011 News Release > News Release
News Release
Sergeant Michael B. Webb
Kentucky State Police
Public Affairs Branch
Office (502) 782-1780
KSP Cadet Application Deadline Approaching For Written Exam in Richmond, Ky
Date of News Release: 08/29/2011
(Frankfort, Ky.) -- (FRANKFORT, KY) The Kentucky State Police will hold testing for its next cadet class at 2:00 pm EST on Sept. 21 and 9:00 am on Sept. 22 and 23 at Eastern Kentucky University. All application materials must be completed and returned to the KSP Recruitment Branch at 919 Versailles Road, Frankfort, KY, 40601 by Sept. 14. The next cadet class is scheduled to begin in May of 2012.
Interested applicants should visit the KSP website at http://www.kentuckystatepolice.org/recruit/process.htm. Information at the site includes an outline of the application process, a list of minimum requirements and disqualifications, a downloadable application form with a list of supporting documents required, a downloadable study guide for the written test and the following list of additional testing dates, times, locations and application deadlines:
Sept. 27, 2011: 9:00 a.m. CST, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Ky.
(Application deadline: Sept. 20)
Oct. 15, 2011: 9:00 a.m. EST, Morehead State University, Morehead, Ky.
(Application deadline: Oct. 7)
Oct. 22, 2011: 9:00 a.m. CST, Murray State University, Murray, Ky.
(Application deadline: Oct. 14)
Oct. 29, 2011: 9:00 a.m. EST, Eastern Kentucky University, Funderburk Building, Richmond, Ky.
(Application deadline: Oct. 21)
If more information is needed after visiting the website, applicants can call toll-free 1-866-360-3165 during office hours from 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday or leave a message any other time.


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How to Manage Pests
UC Pest Management Guidelines
Olive scale is an armored scale and like all armored scales, resembles a small encrustation on the plant. The adult female scale is about 0.10 (2.5 mm) inch long, with a grayish, oval, waxy covering. The male scale is more elongate with a black spot at one end. If the coverings are removed, the scale bodies of both sexes are reddish purple. Olive scale feeds on twigs, leaves, and fruits. However, it is most often noticed at harvest; dark purple spots occur on otherwise green to yellowish fruit where the scale has settled. There are several generations a year.
Early in the growing season (late May and June) first brood olive scale feed on and consequently deform young, rapidly growing fruit. A later brood, in July and August, causes the pronounced purple spotting of green fruit, rendering it worthless for most markets except perhaps black ripe process. Heavy olive scale infestations will also occur on branches, twigs, and leaves. Such infestations substantially reduce the productivity of a tree.
Olive scale can be effectively controlled by natural enemies and does not usually cause economic damage. Preserve natural enemies by selecting insecticides for other pests that do not kill beneficial insects. Chemical treatment is rarely needed for olive scale unless biological control is disrupted by treatments applied for other pests.
Biological Control
Organically Acceptable Methods
and Treatment Decisions
UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Olive


text:
The OutputLinks Communications Group (OLGroup) is a global marketing and publishing firm narrow-casting to various segments of the print and communications exosphere.
Our 12 divisions operate in multiple languages with magazines, newsletters and online platforms, supported by marketing and content development services.
We provide senior decision makers and technologists around the world with information of strategic importance to their companies print and communications objectives.


text:
Today's Ask Tony and Tucker question comes from Cindy. She says she was looking up at the weather and noticed the moon was "a waxing gibbous," what does that mean, and where did the words come from?
WTTG FOX 5 & myfoxdc5151 Wisconsin Ave. NWWashington, DC 20016Main Number: (202) 244-5151Newsroom: (202) firstname.lastname@example.com


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Hawaiiʻs Top 100 Realtors 2013
(page 5 of 19)
Iku S. Honda
Realtor®, Vice President, GCREP, SRES
Iku S. Honda® specializes in listing and selling luxury real estate. In the course of her career she has been designated company Vice President, International President's Premier and Previews Property Specialist. With over 25 years of experience, Iku has established a far-reaching international real estate network and continues to hold an exceptional track record of helping her clients achieve their lifestyle goals and dreams. Iku values and respects all of her clients and business relationships. Her personal goal of delivering top notch service and exceeding expectations has resulted in her achievement of ranking among the top 1 percent of her industry.
1314 South King St., 2nd Floor
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 226-2790
Kai McDurmin
Realtor®, Vice President
"Thank you to all of my clients and associates who have contributed to my success. This last year over 60 % of my clientele have been referrals from clients or from other associates in the community, here in Hawaii, the mainland U.S., and abroad. Their continued support truly inspires me to strive for the highest level of service that I can provide."
Kai has over 20 years of real estate experience and is a consistent top producer at Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties. A business acumen coupled with personal service is always the goal. Clients can count on complete confidentiality, honesty, comprehensive assessment, staging, & compelling marketing. Aligned with Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties, this is the winning combination to create the best results for your real estate sales.
Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties
1314 South King Street, 2nd Floor, Hon., HI 96814
Office (808) 593-6419
Mobile (808) 221-5957
Email: email@example.com
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Hawaii Business magazine invites you to comment on our articles and the issues they raise. Comments are moderated for offensive language, commercial messages and off-topic posts and may be deleted. Some comments may be chosen for inclusion in the magazine on the Feedback page.


text:
Tsujoi Am I a Moderator? Posts: 8,934
This is a SRPG for the NDS. I haven't gotten far, but the basic storyline is that you and two other friends are given a "Communication Player". Which is basically a NDS with email and all that jazz. Shortly after getting the device you figure out that this thing can summon demons that you defeat. You get these emails from "Observer" about future events that will happen and decide to try and prevent them from happening while trying to stay alive.
It seems like there's a built in dating sim as well...You can talk to certain people at different places to waste time on the clock and pick responses when asked a question. I'm guessing this has something to do with the multiple endings.
So, anyone else playing this yet?


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"Special thanks to the Rock for making my childhood dream come true! U have no idea how many couches and old mattresses I jumped off thinking I was one of y'all! U, Ultimate Warrior, Sting, Legion of Doom, Goldberg and The Undertaker I could watch all day plus many more! I feel like a little kid again. Thanks again Champ!"
- NBA superstar LeBron James
When he was just a child, Zach Gowen was diagnosed with cancer, and the future WWE star would be forced to amputate his leg when he was just eight years of age.
After the eight grade, Andre the Giant decided to drop out of school, as the future WWE legend did not believe that an education was needed in order to be a farmer.
Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Hart were classmates at Memphis Treadwell High School.
Traci Brooks spent much of her childhood on a pig and chicken farm in Ontario.
Andre the Giant was 6'3" and 240 pounds by the time he was 12 years old.
"There are so many Divas who have come and gone who have left their mark in WWE: Ivory, Jazz, Lita, etc. … Ric Flair says, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man," so if I had to choose one, it'd be the Diva who most people would consider the greatest Diva of all time, Trish Stratus. The only reason I'd choose her is because I know in my heart that I can put her down."
"I'm just grateful for the moments I got to spend with her. Both Moolah and Mae were an important part of my life in WWE, especially in my first couple years in the company as they were my biggest cheerleaders. They were always encouraging me and telling me they liked how I didn't 'wrestle like a girl'. She was an inspiration to me and so many of the girls in the locker room. I used to tell her 'Mae, I want to be just like you when I grow up'. I'm going to miss her a lot."