text:
María Corina Machado
|María Corina Machado
Machado at a gathering in Guarenas in 2014
|Member of the National Assembly of Venezuela
|In office
5 January 2011 – 21 March 2014
|Succeeded by
|Ricardo Sánchez
|Personal details
7 October 1967
Caracas, Venezuela
|Political party
|Come Venezuela
|Other political
|Coalition for Democratic Unity
Súmate (2001–2010)
|Alma mater
|Andrés Bello Catholic University, IESA
|Industrial engineer
|Roman Catholicism
María Corina Machado Parisca (born 7 October 1967,[1] sometimes referred to as MCM) served as an elected member of the National Assembly of Venezuela (NA). She was the founder, former vice president, and former president[2] of the Venezuelan volunteer civil organization Súmate, along with Alejandro Plaz,[3] and a pre-candidate for the 2012 Venezuelan presidential elections.[4]
Machado was charged (together with other Súmate representatives) with conspiracy for funds Súmate received from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), triggering condemnation of the administration of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez from human rights groups supported by NED.
During the 2014 Venezuelan protests, Machado was one of the lead figures in organizing protests against the government of Nicolás Maduro.[5]
Machado was born 7 October 1967[1] as the "eldest of four daughters [of] a steel entrepreneur and an accomplished psychologist".[3] She acknowledges a "childhood protected from contact with reality" in a "conservative, staunchly Catholic family", that included education in private schools in Venezuela and boarding schools in the USA and several trips in Europe.[6] Her ancestors included the author of the 1881 classic Venezuela Heroica and a relative who was killed in an uprising against Venezuelan dictator Juan Vicente Gómez.[6]
Machado has a degree in industrial engineering from Andrés Bello Catholic University and a master's degree in finance from Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA, business school) in Caracas.[3][7][8]
In 1992 Machado – a mother of three – started Fundación Atenea (Atenea Foundation), a foundation using private donations to care for orphaned and delinquent Caracas street children; she also served as chair of the Oportunitas Foundation.[7][8] After working in the auto industry in Valencia she moved in 1993 to Caracas.[3] Because of her subsequent role in Súmate, Machado left the foundation so that it would not be politicized.[7]
According to The Washington Post, the founding of Venezuelan volunteer civil organization Súmate resulted from a hurried encounter between Machado and Alejandro Plaz in a hotel lobby in 2001, where they shared their concern about the course that was being shaped for Venezuela. Machado said, "Something clicked. I had this unsettling feeling that I could not stay at home and watch the country get polarized and collapse .... We had to keep the electoral process but change the course, to give Venezuelans the chance to count ourselves, to dissipate tensions before they built up. It was a choice of ballots over bullets."[3]
In 2004, Súmate led a petition drive for a constitutional presidential recall of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. According to CBS News, Chávez branded the leaders of Súmate as conspirators, coup plotters and lackeys of the U.S. government.[9] After the referendum, members of Súmate were charged with treason and conspiracy, under Article 132 of the Venezuelan Penal Code,[10] for receiving financial support for their activities from the NED. The Wall Street Journal in 2005 said Machado faced conspiracy charge stemming from the $31,000 grant from the NED for "non-partisan educational work".[7] Also in 2005, The New York Times said she was "the Venezuelan government's most detested adversary, a young woman with a quick wit and machine-gun-fast delivery who often appears in Washington or Madrid to denounce what she calls the erosion of democracy under President Hugo Chávez", and says the Venezuelan government considers her "a member of a corrupt elite that is doing the bidding of the much reviled Bush administration".[6]
A U.S. Department of State spokesperson said the decision to prosecute her was "part of President Hugo Chávez's campaign ... aimed at frightening members of civil society and preventing them from exercising their democratic rights", adding that the Bush administration was "seriously concerned" about the Supreme Tribunal of Justice's (TSJ) decision.[11] The criminal charges triggered condemnation from Human Rights Watch and democracy groups,[12][13] the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela,[14] and a coalition of world leaders.[15]
Machado acknowledged in 2005 the support of Venezuelans for Chávez, saying "We have to recognize the positive things that have been done", but says that the president is "increasingly intolerant".[6]
Machado and Plaz were invited to meet with National Assembly legislators in August 2006 for an investigation about Súmate's funding, but were denied access to the hearing, although they say they received two letters requesting their presence.[16]
According to The Christian Science Monitor, she also faces treason charges for signing the Carmona Decree during the 2002 coup attempt in Venezuela.[6][17] Machado says she wrote her name on what she believed to be a sign-in sheet while visiting the presidential palace.[6][17] The charges carry a penalty of more than a decade in prison; the trial was suspended in February 2006 because of due process violations by the trial judge, and has been postponed several times.[18]
Presidential candidacy
In 2011, Machado announced the launch of her pre-candidacy for the 2012 presidential primary elections.[4] According to the Los Angeles Times, "both Machado and Mendoza are already being talked about as potential presidential candidates in two years."[19] Michael Shifter said that Machado was a future presidential contender "who can effectively communicate a vision for a post-Chávez Venezuela that can appeal to enough Chávez supporters."[20] According to the Financial Times, "Machado is being dubbed the new face of the opposition ... Even President Hugo Chávez has spoken of confronting her in the 2012 presidential elections."[21]
On 13 January 2012, during the annual State of the Nation Speech delivered by Chávez to the Venezuelan National Assembly, Machado confronted him about shortages of basic goods, crime, and nationalizations of basic industries. "How can you say that you protect private property when you have been expropriating small businesses; expropriating and not paying is stealing."[22]
The winner of the 12 February 2012 primaries to be the opposition candidate against Chávez in the October presidential election was Henrique Capriles Radonski; according to the Associated Press, Machado "conceded defeat before the results were announced, saying she also will actively back Capriles".[23]
National Assembly
In February 2010, Machado resigned from Súmate[2] and announced her candidacy for the National Assembly of Venezuela, representing Miranda (Chacao, Baruta, El Hatillo and the Parroquia Leoncio Martínez de Sucre)[24] as a Justice First (Primero Justicia) party member of the Coalition for Democratic Unity (Mesa de la Unidad Democrática – MUD) in opposition to Chávez's party, United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela – PSUV).[25] In announcing her candidacy, she said Venezuelans were good, decent and free people who don't want to live with violence or hate; she promised to defend the right for Venezuelans to think freely and live without fear.[26] She said she hopes to build a "responsible government", transforming public institutions, especially the National Electoral Council (CNE).[27] In April 2010, Machado won the primary election to advance her candidacy.[28]
Machado campaigned actively in "slums once viewed as solid pro-Chávez territory", attempting to "capitalize on domestic problems, including widespread violent crime, power outages in some regions, a severe housing shortage and 30-percent inflation".[29] A representative of the Bolivarian Circles, supportive of the Chávez' regime, described Machado as la candidata contrarrevolucionaria (the counterrevolutionary candidate).[30]
Machado complained that MUD candidates faced "what she called a government-orchestrated propaganda machine that churns out spots ridiculing Chávez's critics, runs talk shows dominated by ruling party hopefuls and picks up all of the president's speeches",[29] and that she had to campaign with less funds as she "struggled to convince supporters and business leaders to contribute to her campaign because they fear reprisals by the government and Chávez-friendly prosecutors".[29] Venezuela's Constitution "prohibits government officials, including the president, from using their position to favour a political tendency. But the electoral authority, whose board comprises four chavistas and a lone oppositionist, says they can do it anyway," according to The Economist.[31] Chávez was accused of breaking campaign laws by using state-run television to "berate rivals and praise friends" during the election campaign; he denied breaking the law, and suggested that the only director of the National Election Council's five directors who is not pro-Chávez and who raised the issue could be prosecuted for making the charges.[32] According to a reporter for the Associated Press, Venezuela's electoral council "has for years ignored laws that bar the president and other elected officials from actively campaigning for candidates. Chavez ... has threatened legal action against Vicente Diaz, the lone member of the electoral council who has criticized his heavy use of state media ahead of the vote".[29] Machado said, "While we are visiting voters, going from house to house, the ruling party's campaign is imposed through televised speeches."[32] When the state-run television channel interviewed Machado, they ran images of her Oval Office meeting in 2005 with George W. Bush, described by an Associated Press reporter as "Chavez's longtime nemesis".[29] She said, "We have a campaign led by the PSUV with a lot of resources that we know are public resources – even when the constitution prohibits it.[29] The PSUV benefitted from frequent cadenas (Chávez speeches that every Venezuelan TV channel are mandated to run), while "the main government channel air[ed] a steady stream of rallies and ads featuring Chavez's red-clad candidates".[29] When Machado was interviewed by the state-run channel, the interview was "abruptly cut off" and "shifted to a campaign rally where Chávez spoke to a theater filled with supporters".[29]
Machado won election to the National Assembly in the 26 September 2010 polls, as the highest vote-getter in the nation;[21] she and fellow Primero Justicia Miranda candidate Enrique Mendoza were the "two highest vote-getters nationwide".[19] Machado said the president "made a big mistake by turning the election into a plebiscite on himself ... This is a clear signal that Venezuelans do not want an authoritarian government, a militarized government, a centralized government and a government that wants to turn Venezuela into Cuba ... A new phase begins today, and we've taken a big step toward the day when democratic values, freedom, justice and good governance prevail."[20] "We now have the legitimacy of the citizen vote. We are the representatives of the people."[33] "It is very clear. Venezuela said no to Cuban-like communism."[34]
On 21 March 2014, Machado appeared as an alternate envoy at the request of Panama at the Organization of American States (OAS), amid protests in Venezuela, to speak about the situation in Venezuela.[35] Following her appearance at the OAS, according to The Wall Street Journal, "pro-Maduro parliamentarians, who dominate the National Assembly" said her appearance at the OAS was prohibited by Venezuela's constitution, and removed her from the NA.[36] Machado responded by accusing Diosdado Cabello (President of the National Assembly) of having a "dictatorship in the National Assembly"[37] and said that her removal from the National Assembly was illegal.[38]
2014 Venezuelan protests
Machado was among the leaders of the opposition demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro in the 2014 Venezuelan protests. Venezuela's Congress on 18 March requested a criminal investigation of Machado for crimes including treason for her involvement in the anti-government protests.[39]
Machado responded to legal accusations made against her saying, "In a dictatorship, the weaker the regime is, the greater the repression."[40] After her removal on 21 March, Machado, along with supporters, began a march on 1 April toward downtown Caracas protesting against Machado's expulsion, where Machado attempted to return to her seat in the National Assembly. The demonstrators were prevented from leaving by the National Guard, which dispersed them with tear gas.[41]
Assassination accusations
In May 2014, a top Venezuelan government official, Jorge Rodríguez, presented allegations of a plot by opposition politicians and officials, including Machado, to overthrow the government of the Venezuelan President Maduro. The evidence provided by the Venezuelan government were alleged emails through Google that were addressed to others from both Machado and Pedro Burelli.[42] Burelli responded that the emails were falsified by the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN), showing what he said were the original emails.[43][44] In June, Venezuela's attorney general Luisa Ortega Díaz subpoenaed Machado along with Burelli, Diego Arria, and Ricardo Koesling;[45] one week later, on 11 June, arrest warrants were issued.[46] Burelli hired Kivu, a U.S.-based cybersecurity company, to analyze the alleged emails saying there was "no evidence of the existence of any emails between Pedro Burelli's Google email accounts and the alleged recipients", that the alleged emails presented by the Venezuelan government had "many indications of user manipulation" and that "Venezuelan officials used forged emails to accuse government adversaries of plotting to kill President Nicolas Maduro".[47][48][49][50]
In November 2014, government officials announced that Machado was to be formally charged on 3 December.[36][51] Machado and others stated that the accusations were false and were created by the Venezuelan government to deflect attention from Venezuela's economic problems and polls showing Maduro's approval rating at a record low of 30%.[36]
Target of violence
While attending the bicentennial celebration of Venezuela's Declaration of Independence on 5 July 2011, following controversial comments made earlier by Machado about Venezuela's dependency on Cuba and not being independent, Machado was attacked by an angry group of Venezuelan government supporters.[52][53][54] The group of about 50 threw stones and bottles at her;[52][53] authorities defended her, and one officer was injured, as Machado was evacuated from the area by a police motorbike.[52][53] Machado later thanked the authorities for defending her and apologized for any of their injuries.[53]
During Machado's presidential race in 2011, she and her companions were attacked on 16 October by a small group of the Motorized Front of the PSUV while in Turmero.[55][56] The group allegedly attacked Machado and her companions with kicks, punches and objects while saying "this is chavista territory and this does not fit any political opposition".[55][56] Machado and two of her companions were injured.[57]
On 30 April 2013, cameras covering the National Assembly were turned to the ceiling and the opposition claimed they were "physically assaulted in a planned ambush by supporters of President Nicolas Maduro's government". Machado was injured, along with other legislators in the National Assembly, saying she was attacked from behind, hit in the face and kicked while on the floor which left her with a broken nose. Machado said the brawl "was a premeditated, cowardly, vile, aggression". President Maduro responded to the situation saying, "What happened today in the National Assembly, we do not agree with violence. They tell us and we knew that the opposition was coming to provoke violence". No disciplinary actions was taken against any of the attackers after the incident.[58][59][60]
At a rally on 16 November 2013 showing support for the opposition party during municipal elections, Machado and other politicians were attacked, allegedly by government supporters,[61][62] with stones and fireworks.[62]
After leading protests in Bolivar state on 14 March 2014, Machado and others were attacked at the Puerto Ordaz airport.[63][64][65] The attack affected Machado, the Bishop of Ciudad Guayana, Mariano Parra, and other citizens in the area.[63][64] Soon after, the National Guard intervened to disperse the attack.[64]
While heading a meeting in Caricuao on 30 July 2014, members of colectivos attacked Machado.[66][67] The vehicle Machado was traveling in was heavily damaged, with the body and windows of the vehicle being struck with gun handles, sticks and stones.[66] Machado escaped and was then moved to the assembly place while colectivos followed breaking down the door where they then left the scene after confrontations with residents protecting Machado.[66]
Awards and recognition
U.S. President George W. Bush welcomed Machado to the Oval Office in May 2005.[68] After meeting with Machado and discussing Súmate's "efforts to safeguard the integrity and transparency of Venezuela's electoral process", a White House spokesperson said, "[t]he President expressed his concerns about efforts to harass and intimidate Súmate and its leadership".[69] Venezuela's foreign minister called Machado's meeting with Bush "a provocation," while Venezuela's interior minister said that she is a puppet of the CIA.[17]
Machado was hailed by National Review in 2006 as "the best of womankind and the difficult times many women face around the globe" on a list of Women the World Should Know for International Women's Day.[70]
In 2009, Machado was chosen out of 900 applicants as one of 15 accepted to the Yale World Fellows Program. The Yale University program, "aim[s] to build a global network of emerging leaders and to broaden international understanding worldwide. ... 'Each of the 2009 Yale World Fellows has demonstrated an outstanding record of accomplishment and unlimited potential for future success,' said Program Director Michael Cappello". The Yale World Fellows Program press release said, "Machado devotes herself to defending democratic institutions and civil liberties through SUMATE, the nation's leading watchdog for electoral transparency."[71]
- 2015 – Cádiz Cortes Ibero-American Freedom Prize was awarded "given the unblemished defense of freedom in your community and minimum requirements of the realization of human rights in the same, which has led them to be subject to public rebuke of their government, including the flagrant situation of imprisonment or the cutting of your minimal civil rights".[72]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 (Spanish) Machado, María Corina. Mi experiencia. Es ahora. María Corina. Accessed 25 April 2010.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 (Spanish) "Comunicado de Súmate sobre renuncia de María Corina Machado". El Universal (12 February 2010). Accessed 25 February 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Boustany, Nora. "Signing On To Challenge Hugo Chavez". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: 9 July 2004. p. A.15. Accessed 24 February 2010.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 (Spanish) de la Rosa, Alicia (11 July 2011). "Diputada Machado anunciará su precandidatura el próximo domingo". El Universal. Accessed 12 July 2011.
- ↑ Kurmanaev, Anatoly (23 December 2014). "Venezuela Protests Drive Poor to Maduro as Death Toll Mounts". Business Week. Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Forero, Juan (19 November 2005). "The Saturday Profile; Venezuela's Best-Loved, or Maybe Most-Hated, Citizen". The New York Times. Accessed 24 February 2010.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 O'Grady, Mary A. "A Young Defender of Democracy Faces Chávez's Wrath". Wall Street Journal, (10 June 2005); p. A9.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "María Corina Machado". El Universal, (24 April 2006). Accessed 24 February 2010.
- ↑ Chavez Calls Watchdog Group a Top Enemy. CBS News (3 December 2005). Previously at this link, also available at LexisNexis and archive.wn.com. Accessed 24 February 2010.
- ↑ Venezuela: Court Orders Trial of Civil Society Leaders. Human Rights Watch (7 July 2005). Accessed 24 February 2010.
- ↑ "Chávez intends to frighten opposition with NGO Súmate trial, says US spokesman". El Universal (8 July 2006). Accessed 24 February 2010.
- ↑ Venezuela: Court Orders Trial of Civil Society Leaders. Human Rights Watch (7 July 2005). Accessed 8 June 2006.
- ↑ Democracy Activists in Venezuela Threatened. World Movement for Democracy (16 July 2004). Accessed 8 June 2006.
- ↑ Súmate Trial Decision. Embassy of the United States, Venezuela (8 July 2005). Accessed 18 June 2006.
- ↑ International Coalition Expresses Concern for Democracy in Venezuela: Havel, Albright, McCain among signatories of letter to Chavez. National Endowment for Democracy, (11 November 2004). Accessed 15 August 2006.
- ↑ "Lawmakers fail to interrogate Súmate directors". El Universal (1 August 2006). Accessed 24 February 2010.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Ceaser, Mike (5 July 2005). "Anti-Chávez leader under fire". Christian Science Monitor. Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ A Decade Under Chávez: Political Intolerance and Lost Opportunities for Advancing Human Rights in Venezuela (PDF). Human Rights Watch (September 2008), p. 218. Accessed 24 January 2010.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Mogollon, Mery and Chris Kraul. "Venezuela elections weaken Chavez's hold". Los Angeles Times (28 September 2010). Accessed 1 October 2010.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Birnbaum, Ben. "Chavez opponents make gains: Bloc breaks supermajority in Venezuelan legislature". The Washington Times (27 September 2010). Accessed 1 October 2010.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Mander, Benedict. "Venezuela's opposition claims majority". Financial Times (28 September 2010). Accessed 1 October 2010.
- ↑ Wallis, Daniel and Andrew Cawthorne (14 January 2012). "Chavez says would respect Venezuela vote if loses". Reuters. Accessed 14 January 2012.
- ↑ "Venezuela's opposition picks Chavez's challenger". The Associated Press, USA today. (12 February 2012). Accessed 17 February 2012.
- ↑ (Spanish) "María Corina Machado lanzó su precandidatura a la AN". El Nacional (18 February 2010). Accessed 25 February 2010.
- ↑ (Spanish) Divulgación Elecciones Parlamentarias: Estado Miranda. Consejo Nacional Electoral, República Bolivariana de Venezuela. Accessed 1 October 2010.
- ↑ (Spanish) "María Corina Machado presenta su precandidatura a la Asamblea Nacional". El Universal (18 February 2010). Accessed 25 February 2010. Venezuela "es un pueblo de gente buena, decente, libre y los venezolanos no queremos vivir con violencia, con mas odios. Los venezolanos no queremos vivir con miedo". ... Aseguró que trabajará sin descanso para defender "el derecho a pensar libremente, para defender tu derecho a vivir sin miedo, a que nadie te imponga ideas, a un trabajo digno sin que importe tus ideologías políticas, a la propiedad de tus bienes y de que tus hijos se beneficien de ellos".
- ↑ (Spanish) Martinez, Eugenio G. "Hay que transformar las instituciones públicas". El Universal (22 February 2010). Accessed 25 February 2010. "María Corina Machado aspira a llegar a la Asamblea Nacional para comenzar a construir 'un gobierno responsable', desde un 'parlamento responsable' y lograr la transformación de las instituciones públicas, especialmente el CNE.
- ↑ (Spanish) Contreras A., Carolina. "Comisión Técnica anuncia resultados de primarias con 98% de votos escrutados". El Universal (25 April 2010). Accessed 25 April 2010.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 29.6 29.7 Toothaker, Christopher (19 September 2010). "Chavez foes face obstacles ahead of crucial vote". The Associated Press. Accessed 26 April 2012.
- ↑ (Spanish) Contrarrevolución carece de moral para solicitar servicios al CNE. Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias (ABN), (24 February 2010). Accessed 25 February 2010.
- ↑ "Chávez grapples with a 50/50 nation".The Economist (23 September 2010). Accessed 1 October 2010.
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Toothaker, Christopher. "Election official: Chavez breaking campaign rules". Associated Press (2 September 2010). Accessed 15 September 2010.
- ↑ Forero, Juan. "Chavez fails to solidify control". The Washington Post (28 September 2010). Accessed 1 October 2010.
- ↑ "Candidate María Corina Machado: Venezuela said no to communism". El Universal (27 September 2010). Accessed 1 October 2010.
- ↑ (Spanish) "Martinelli pide a la OEA que se ponga los "pantalones largos" y a Venezuela que libere a los presos". El Nacional. (24 March 2014). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Vyas, Kejal (26 November 2014). "Venezuela to Charge Opposition Leader in Alleged Plot to Kill President Machado Says Allegations Are False, Government Attempt to Stifle Rivals". The Wall Street Journal. Accessed 27 November 2014.
- ↑ "Venezuela opposition congresswoman's mandate revoked". BBC News Latin America (25 March 2014). Accessed 4 December 2014.
- ↑ "Venezuela: Opposition legislator Machado returns to Caracas". BBC News Latin America (27 March 2014). Accessed 4 December 2014.
- ↑ Ellsworth, Brian and Estaban Israel (19 March 2014). "Venezuelan Congress seeks probe of protest leader". The Star online. Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) "María Corina: En dictadura, mientras más débil esté el régimen, mayor será la represión". La Patilla (20 March 2014). Accessed 20 March 2014.
- ↑ Buitrago, Deisy (1 April 2014). "Venezuela troops block opposition leader from parliament". Reuters. Accessed 1 April 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) "En fotos y video: presentan 'escandalosos correos' que muestran el plan de magnicidio contra Maduro". Noticias24.com (28 May 2014). Accessed 16 June 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) "Burelli difundió correo que 'utilizó el Sebin para falsificar prueba'." (6 June 2014). El Universal. Accessed 14 June 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) "Judicial: dictan orden de captura a Burelli, Arria y Koesling". Reportero (11 June 2014). Accessed 16 June 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) de la Rosa, Alicia (4 June 2014). "Fiscalía libró órdenes de comparecencia para Burelli, Machado y Arria". El Universal. Accessed 14 June 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) "Ordenan captura de Diego Arria y otros dos opositores venezolanos". El Nuevo Herald. (11 June 2014). Accessed 11 June 2014.
- ↑ "Evidence in English | Evidencia en Castellano". Scribd.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles> Accessed 8 September 2014.
- ↑ "Expert Says Emails Used to Accuse Maduro Opponents of Assassination Plot Are Fake". Wall Street Journal (30 June 2014). Accessed 1 July 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) "Pedro Burelli presenta pruebas forenses de la presunta falsificación de correos". CNN. (1 July 2014). Accessed 3 July 2014.
- ↑ "Venezuela accused of forging Maduro assassination plot evidence". Reuters (2 July 2014). Accessed 7 September 2014.
- ↑ Ellsworth, Brian and David Gregorio (26 November 2014). " Venezuela to charge opposition leader over alleged plot to kill Maduro". Reuters. Accessed 27 November 2014.
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 (Spanish) Escarri, Ernesto and de la Rosa, Alicia (5 July 2011). "Agreden a diputada María Corina Machado al salir del desfile". El Universal. Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 53.3 (Spanish) "MCM tras ser agredida: 'la violencia es la faz tenebrosa de quienes se sienten derrotados'." Noticias24.com (5 July 2011). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) Angel Palacios, José (5 July 2011). "Chavistas agredieron a diputada María Corina Machado". El Carabobeno. Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ 55.0 55.1 (Spanish) "Violentos atacan a Maria Corina Machado en Aragua". El Universal (16 October 2011). Accessed 16 October 2011.
- ↑ 56.0 56.1 (Spanish) "MCM denuncia que fue agredida en Turmero por simpatizantes del gobierno (+ fotos)". Noticas24.com (16 October 2011). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) "María Corina relató los detalles de la agresión que ayer sufrió en Turmero". Noticias24.com (17 October 2011). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) "Los rostros golpeados de los parlamentarios opositores". El Nacional (1 May 2013). Accessed 10 April 2014.
- ↑ Shoicet, Caatherine (1 May 2013). "Lawmakers report brawl in Venezuelan National Assembly". CNN. Accessed 10 April 2014.
- ↑ Mogollon, Mary and Chris Kraul (19 March 2014). "Venezuelan officials say opposition leader faces criminal charges". Los Angeles Times. Accessed 19 July 2014
- ↑ (Spanish) "María Corina Machado denuncia agresión a marcha en Sabaneta". Noticiero Digital (17 November 2013). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ 62.0 62.1 (Spanish) "Oficialistas atacaron caravana de la Unidad". Notitarde (17 November 2013). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ 63.0 63.1 (Spanish) "Diputada Machado agredida por oficialistas en aeropuerto de Puerto Ordaz". El Universal (14 March 2014). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ 64.0 64.1 64.2 (Spanish) "María Corina Machado denunció que fue agredida en Puerto Ordaz". Ultimas Noticias (14 March 2014). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) "Cómo agredieron a María Corina Machado en aeropuerto de Puerto Ordaz (+ Video)". Venezuela Al Dia (14 March 2014). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 (Spanish) "María Corina Machado fue atacada durante una asamblea en Caricuao". Lapatilla.com (31 July 2014). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ (Spanish) "Así quedó carro de María Corina Machado tras agresión en Caricuao". Elpropio.com (31 July 2014). Accessed 23 December 2014.
- ↑ President George W. Bush welcomes Maria Corina Machado. The White House, (May 2005). Accessed 18 August 2006.
- ↑ "Bush expressed concern about Venezuelan government's harassment against Súmate". El Universal, (1 June 2005). Accessed 24 February 2010.
- ↑ "Women the World Should Know". National Review Online (8 March 2006). Accessed 1 July 2006.
- ↑ "Yale University President Announces 2009 Yale World Fellows". Yale News. 24 April 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2015.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "López, Ledezma y Machado galardonados con el Premio Libertad Cortes de Cádiz". El Nacional. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to María Corina Machado.
- Articles with Spanish-language external links
- Pages with broken file links
- Use dmy dates from October 2012
- 1967 births
- Community activists
- Venezuelan Roman Catholics
- Human rights in Venezuela
- Living people
- Venezuelan democracy activists
- People from Caracas
- Members of the National Assembly (Venezuela)
- Andrés Bello Catholic University alumni
- Justice First politicians
- Venezuelan women in politics
- Venezuelan anti-communists
- Conservatism in Venezuela
- Venezuelan human rights activists
- Venezuelan feminists


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Hello Pebbles Friends! It's Leanne here today, sharing a fun gift giving idea for those who love to sit back and enjoy their favourite movie! In our household we love to have regular movie nights and have been known to occasionally have a movie marathon or two while we are all on holidays! Right now my children are on Summer break and in the cool of the air-conditioning, they are relaxing with all their favourite flicks. It is one of our favourite destinations to spend time as a family and we don't even mind that we stay within the comforts of our own home. These holidays, I thought I would … [Read more...]
Favorite Phrases Layout
Hi Pebbles friends. Heather Leopard is here with a layout featuring one of my favorite phrases. This one is about the special bond between siblings, specifically sisters. While I don't have any siblings myself, I see how much these two adore each other and I just fell in love with this quote. This quote means so much to me. Obviously about their bond but also about my hopes and dreams for them, that they will be each other's rock as they share life's adventure. I chose to dominate the page with the quote and a single black and white photo zooming in on them holding hands. I will … [Read more...]
Children's art frame
Hello everyone! It's Eva on the blog today sharing a quick tutorial for a home decor for your baby or child. I really love the rose gold accents from the Warm and Cozy line and thought a word art frame would look lovely on my son's room. This quote is from a Beatles' song and reflects exactly how I feel about my baby boy. To make a word art frame, measure your frame and use white cardstock to cover the base. You could also use a patterned paper with a subtle pattern. Use your alphas and stickers to spell your phrase. Mix fonts to add interest to your decor. To decorate the … [Read more...]
Easy DIY Cookie Box
Hey Pebbles friends and fans, Becki here. If you have a few die cuts and a few patterned papers from the Holly Jolly collection you can have easy DIY cookie boxes made in just a few minutes. I started by gathering a few of my favorite patterned papers from the Holly Jolly collection. I grabbed two of each patterned paper for each box and one additional patterned paper for all the lids of the boxes. I ran each of the patterned papers through my electronic die cutting machine to cut all the pieces for the cookie boxes. It only took a few minutes to cut all the pieces. Assembling … [Read more...]
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subset: commoncrawl


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He is a Doctoral Student & holds an MBA from University of Wales. He is a postgraduate Diploma holder from the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing; the National body of Marketing in Sri Lanka. He is a member of Asia Marketing Federation (MAPMF), a member of American Marketing Association as well as a member of Chartered Institute of Marketing UK (MCIM).He held the post of Vice President for council of management at Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing, which acts as the consultative committee for SLIM, & Secretary General of the Asia Marketing Federation Sri Lanka Association (ACSA).
He is certified as a Professional Marketer by the Asia Marketing Federation and also holds the status of the 'Practicing Marketer' awarded by SLIM as well as the 'Chartered Marketer' status awarded by CIM(UK). Dhanesh's Marketing career spans over 17 years, in diverse but equally competitive industries such as Healthcare (Pharmaceuticals/Nutraceuticals/Surgical) Telecommunication, Education & Information Technology.
He started his career at UNICEL PVT LTD handling dental products manufactured by well established European organizations, thereafter joining Hemas Healthcare (Hemas Holdings (Pvt) Limited.) , Chemical Industries Colombo (CIC), IPCA Laboratories – which is in the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in India and Nawakrama Pvt Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Nawaloka Group of Companies & led the SLT Publications Pvt Ltd Marketing team at Sri Lanka Telecom PLC as the Marketing Manager.
Currently, he is working as the Chief Operating Officer at Xiteb (Pvt) Ltd.
He is also a guest speaker for certain Sales & Marketing programmes at Institutions, universities and a trainer/consultant for prestigious companies in Sri Lanka, Indonesia & Maldives.
Recently he was appointed as the Regional Director- Human Behaviour Academy, (HBA) United Kingdom.
How has your school played a role in building up your personality?
How did you start your career?
How did you accept the challenges of medical and pharmaceutical sector when going up in the corporate ladder?
How has Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) shaped your career as a lecturer?
Please share your experience of 7 years in brief as the Vice President of SLIM.
Tell us more about your position and duty as COO of Xiteb.
Some of my key duties at Xiteb are to strategize the overall marketing management plan along with budgets; Digital MARCOM plan and recruitment plan while conceptualizing the overall digital mix strategies for Xiteb. Even though conceptualizing is not very rosy with the lack of intellectual property acts to protect innovative ideas and with the state of deterioration of ethics across industries, it is prerequisite part of my duties to help key clients to develop their own concepts to accomplish their digital plans to satisfy their end customers while emphasizing the importance of customer's customer.
Did you achieve your success without any barrier? Or were there any barriers?
We would like to know about your family background in brief. How are they influencing you?
Has social media become a true competitor to print and electronic media?
I have written many articles on this subject and let me quote some of my views as follows."Social Media is 'now friends with' Print Media & Electronic Media." DJ
"Social media is the newest friend of print & electronic media." DJ. But, People in the print media and electronic media tend to perceive that 'Social Media' is a competitor and vise versa. However, can we agree with this argument?
Not at all. Whatever the articles or/and videos on print and electronic media publishes/telecasts can be uploaded onto social media and where allow viewers would talk about them throughout. As a result of this, print and electronic media life cycles will be stretched. It can be presumed that, print and electronic media would decline due to the emerging nature of web & social media and also due to world trends, which are reinforced and defined by modern customer behavior.
Print will be gone in 10 years, says Microsoft CEO
Then again social media will allow print/electronic media to survive. The argument and fact is that the content which appears on other media may perish then and there nevertheless the content uploaded in social media will be there forever. In other words, published data on print and electronic media can be viewed again and again, whenever customers want. Moreover, the money, invested on social media by organizations, would not be wasted and instead would be considered a lifetime investment.
We recognized you as a versatile person with a desire to quench the thirst of knowledge. What is your next milestone?
What is the message that you can give to younger generation as a modern marketer?
Always be honest to yourself. "More than the skills, values will bring you up.' So try your best to inculcate good values in your life. Even thought the result will be a little late, it will be definitely a good one." Any 'anti-digital media' Marketer can expect an early retirement in his/her career." So believe in Digital.
More importantly, 'do whatever you do with a greater passion'.
Finally you should remember one thing, "It is NOT what you know. It is always HOW you put what you know into PRACTICE. ".
God Bless you! May triple Gem bless you! Best regards!


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Holes tells the humorous story of Stanley Yelnats IV (Shia LaBeouf). Stanley is a young man growing up in a family cursed with generations of bad luck. On his way home one day, Stanley is wrongly accused of stealing Clyde "Sweet Feet" Livingston's (Rick Fox) sneakers from a charity auction.
For his punishment, Stanley must either choose between going to jail or spend months of detention at Camp Green Lake. Stanley chooses Green Lake.
The campers are ordered to dig holes, though no one is told why. Soon, Stanley begins to suspect that the Warden is looking for the buried treasure that belonged to wild-west outlaw Kissin' Kate Barlow (Patricia Arquette) over 100 years ago.
Stanley and the other young men at Camp Green Lake must find a way to escape, solve the mystery of Kissin' Kate Barlow, and break the Yelnats family curse, before the Warden finds the treasure and things get out of control!
For more information about the film, click here for the official Holes Web site.


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Description: Cosmo Cricket Embellishments span a wide range of products that will peek your creative interest with something new and unique. Be the first one in your group to use them in your crafting projects. Metal Charms- Four charms with designs of an arrow, heart, feather and medical cross. There is a hole at the top of the circle with a jump ring for attachment. Dangle them from gifts, create jewelry pieces and make the perfect accent. Measures approximately 1.5".
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Client Portal
T: 03333 21 9000 (GB) E: firstname.lastname@example.com
Bishop Fleming Chartered Accountants in Torquay, Devon.
50 The Terrace
01803 291100
Bishop Fleming has Accountancy offices across the West of England. Contact us today.
Welcome to Bishop Fleming Chartered Accountants in Torquay. Working with businesses, not-for-profit organisations and individuals, specialising in Audit, Accounts, Tax, VAT and Payroll in Torbay and Devon. Contact us in Torquay on 01803 291100 for further information.
By car
Follow the A379 (Torbay Road) along Torquay's sea front and past The Pavilion. At the roundabout take the 1st exit (A379) along the Harbourside. At the Clock tower roundabout take the 1st exit (A379) and drive up Torwood Street. Turn left at the traffic lights into The Terrace.
Drive up The Terrace and turn first right, then immediately right into the public car park, where you will pass some Disabled spaces and then next to those we have 4 allocated Bishop Fleming spaces.
By train
Travel time by taxi from Torquay Rail Station to our offices at The Terrace is approximately 10 minutes.
This website uses cookies to enhance the user experience. To learn more see our privacy policy. To accept our terms, please continue browsing.


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|Click para ir al ejercicio
Test your vocabulary with this exercise. Fill in the gaps writing down the synonyms or the words that match the definitions.
justlearnenglish.blogspot.com: para aprender y mejorar tu inglés en su forma original de manera fácil y divertida.
|Click para ir al ejercicio
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Good morning!
I just wanted to share a couple of baby cards!
I have a few friends that are having little
ones very soon....so now I am ready!!!
Sometimes...when I make one for a boy, I will make one
for a girl at the same time.
Just in case!!
PS....I have noticed that I now have 10 'followers'!!
(I really don't like the word followers...)
Thanks guys!


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Trade Shows are a great way to capture leads for your business. Remember that getting the lead is the most important part of any marketing plan. You are building a list of hot prospects that are interested in your product. The best kind of lead out there.
1. Don't sit behind the booth!
This is one of the biggest mistakes I see people at trade shows do. You spent a lot of money to be there. Don't waste it by sitting behind your booth like a bump on a log. Stand in front of your booth and be interactive with the people walking by. Catch their attention. Talk to them and invite them over to look at your materials. Answer questions related to your products. Don't just let them look and walk away.
Ask people that do come up to your booth if they have any questions. Ask them if they are familiar with your services or products. Engage the audience. Think about the carnies at the fair midway. You are similar to them. You don't get paid if people don't play. Now you don't have to as annoying or pushy as them but you do need to stand out and engage people so they don't just walk past your booth without talking to you. They may not even know they need your product but after you talk to them they might see a whole new light and really be interested in talking more. Guess what... That's a lead!
2. Get their name and phone number!
So what are you really at the trade show for? To get leads. If anyone tells you trade shows are just great name awareness, walk away and try not to laugh at them. Yes, that is one reason to be there but it's not the main reason. Just because they saw your booth, doesn't mean they will remember you once they've gone through two more rows of booths. You need to collect their information. If it's a Business to Business trade show, collect business cards from everyone you meet. If it's Business to consumer, have a simple form to fill out so you can follow up with them after the show.
One of the best things you can do it have a Free Report or Consumer Awareness Guide that you can mail or email to them after the show. Offer to send it to them the next day if they give you their name, email address and physical address. Now you are building your list. You now have someone specific to market to!
Offer a free giveaway item. Everyone has seen the fishbowl drawings at trade show booths. They don't do this just to get you to stop by their booth. They do it because you now have given them your contact information so they can follow up and market to you in the future. You should be doing the same. It doesn't have to be something big like a free vacation if that's not in your budget. It can be for a gift basket of your products or even as simple as a gift card to your local coffee shop. People always like the opportunity to get something for free. They will go out of their way and fill out your registration form in order to get something for free!
3. Stay to the end
It always amazes me how many vendors at trade shows stay for an hour or so and then pack up because they're bored or tired. Guess what! You paid to be there. Stick it out to the end. I've personally made more connections in the last 30 minutes of trade shows I've attended than in the entire three or four hours I've been there. This is especially important if you are in a Business to Business trade show. You can make more connections with the other vendors than the walk through traffic so don't discard the value of visiting the other vendors there also. It might be the best connection you make. You will never know if you leave after the first hour.
4. Follow up after the show
So many people I see at trade shows collect business cards or names on a list and never do anything with them. They expect that just because someone saw them at the trade show that they will call the vendor to buy something. It's your responsibility to follow up and get the sale. Not their's. This is your chance to make a great impression on them and follow up as soon as you can to set up a meeting, send them more information about you or just to ask them if they are ready to buy. Offer them a free estimate.
You just need to follow up as soon as you can and keep them in your database for future promotions.
This is how you can build a list quickly and use trade shows to build your list of prospects quickly and get the most out of any trade show you are part of.


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DIVA Confidential
Ruby Rose was broke, Sara Paulson won big, and Samira Riley reveals romantic proposal details
Ruby Rose/Instagram
Hello, and welcome to Curve's new online gossip roundup. This is a weekly cheat sheet that keeps tabs on the celebrities you care about: lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, and queer women. I've got my Google alerts set and my snark springs eternal, so let's get into the week of January 13, 2017.
Ruby Rose goes on Ellen, reveals she was broke
"I came here [LA!] to pursue acting and I was unemployed for two years, which was good," Ruby told Ellen. Was it? That has not been my take on unemployment but I suspect being an unemployed model/reality star is a very different experience from the norm. No one pays me $1000 to take pictures of myself with laxative tea or waist trainers or whatever.
"I created a short film called Break Free and it was really received well and I got a call from Jane Easton who casts OITNB and Girls… And she asked me to audition for Stella. Imagine not getting any work for two years and then getting to audition for the greatest show in the world… I started with a blow-up mattress from Target that me and my dog slept on for about a year and then next thing I know, I'm on the Ellen Show."
Ruby Rose seems like a delightful person with phenomenal cheekbones, but even she can't lure me into seeing XXX: Why Not Try To Get Vin Diesel Work.
Sarah Paulson wins Golden Globe, kisses Amanda Peet
Sarah Paulson was named Best Actress in a Limited Series for her role as Marcia Clark in The People v. O.J. Simpson. The show also won the award for Best Limited Series in a triumphant sweep. She queered up the joint by kissing her close friend Amanda Peet on the red carpet. Hopefully, Sarah's partner Holland Taylor, didn't mind. I would. But I'm petty and not a mature 74-year-old woman who let her gorgeous girlfriend attend the Golden Globes alone. Sarah wore an embellished silver and gold Marc Jacobs gown with a high neck and low back.
Samira Riley and Laura Morelli share their engagement story
In Out Magazine's Love Issue, February cover girls Samira Riley and Laura Morelli revealed intimate details of their romance and engagement. Morelli explains:
"We were coming up on our three-year anniversary, and I was like, I will wait until we have our three years and then propose. Then I thought, What am I waiting for if I know I want this woman to be my wife and I want to spend my life with her? I knew we were gonna be apart for a while — I was in New York shooting for Orange, and she was in Toronto for her new job on The Handmaid's Tale — so we'd planned this trip to Palm Springs as a light at the end of the tunnel. I realized I could propose right before and then we'd have the weekend there to celebrate. I found a ring, and they shipped it to me, and it was as if someone had handed me a ball of fire and said, "Here, tend to this." I was so nervous and terrified she knew it was coming, but she was so shocked that I couldn't get her to stop crying. She was hyperventilating. I thought, Oh, this is not good. This has gone too far. She was very clear she'd wait for me to be ready, so to give her something I knew she wanted so much was incredible. It was the most magical day of my life."
I recommend reading the whole piece for a behind the scenes look at how Laura left her husband for Samira. It's a juicy yet sweet story.
Queen Latifah is making her TV comeback in new Fox series
Out showrunner Lee Daniels convinced Latifah to return to Star on Fox for the first time since hit '90's sitcom, Living Single, launched her career. According to ET, "The new drama follows Star Davis (Jude Demorest), a young woman who grew up in foster care and decides to track down her sister, Simone (Brittany O'Grady), and her Instagram best friend, Alexandra (Ryan Destiny), and travel to Atlanta in pursuit of music superstardom. Queen Latifah plays Carlotta, the group's surrogate mother, while Benjamin Bratt plays talent agent Jahil."
Star premiered Jan. 4 on Fox at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Check it out! With two major QPOC involved, my fingers are crossed for quality representation.
Lesbian Olympian weds in gorgeous South African Wedding
Caster Semenya, a South African runner who won gold and silver medals in the 2016 and 2012 Summer Olympics, wed her girlfriend Violet Raseboya. The ladies look gorgeous and happy in a vibrant ceremony. Check out Caster's Instagram for more pictures to make your heart go "squee."
Lesbian couple hired as co-pastors of DC Church and if you listen closely you can hear evangelical bigots everywhere implode
According to the Washington Post, "Calvary Baptist Church, a progressive Baptist landmark in the heart of downtown Washington, has named a gay couple as co-pastors. Sally Sarratt and Maria Swearingen were presented to the congregation during worship services Jan. 8 and are set to begin their new jobs Feb. 26." They are a super cute couple.
Good luck with that girls!
Margaret Cho continues to beef with Tilda Swinton over whitewashing
I agree that whitewashing is vile and dated, but after Margaret Cho misrepresented Tilda's previous comments, I'm having trouble staying with her on this one. She really undermined herself by exaggerating the hostility of their email exchange and removing context from some of Tilda's comments. Tricky. Very tricky.
Lauren Jauregui fired back at people who use "free speech" to justify hate speech
Evan Rachel Wood looked gorgeously androgynous in a tux at the Golden Globes
But does that matter really in the larger scheme of things? Does that have significance? Is it a statement? Or is a suit a suit? You decide!
Older LGBTQ women who are confident and beautiful to remind you that pretty is foreverish, depending on your genetic code and skincare regimen
Follow Curve Confidential's Chloe Curran on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram


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If I were going to teach a course in philosophy (he said with tongue only partly in cheek), I would use for my text seven poems of John Updike, collected in a volume called Facing Nature, called "Seven Odes to Seven Natural Processes." Individually, the poems celebrate rot, evaporation, growth, fragmentation, entropy, crystallization and healing.
By "healing," for example, Updike doesn't mean some sort of spiritual redemption that you might find talked about in a traditional philosophy course, but the kind of biological healing that puts a scab on a wound, the "brilliant microscopic engineers," the platelets, threads of fibrin, lymphocytes, and microphages. "Our body loves us," Updike exults "and, even while the spirit drifts dreaming,/ works at mending the damage that we do."
These are long poems, filled with classic Updike wit, his canny gift for metaphor, his keen appreciation of science. Mostly the poems describe the physical context of "our tremulous venture," the healing that repairs the scraped knee, yes, but also the entropy, rot, and fragmentation that chisels away at our integrity. Even growth, which sounds benign, finds its fulfillment in senescence and death; the wound's scab can delay but not eliminate fragmentation's final bite. "Time's line being a one-way street,/ we must walk the tight rope or fly," our poet counsels.
Disintegration, yes, and death, but regeneration too. "The banana peel tossed from the Volvo/ blackens and rises as roadside chicory." All process is reprocessing, Updike says; give thanks for gradual ceaseless rot, nature's merciful counterplot.
Give thanks? How, then, in the grip of these natural processes over which we have no efficacious control, do we create that elusive and long-sought thing, the examined life, the transcendent self? When entropy's heartless arrow promises to grind every lofty cathedral and dog-eared book to dust, how do we assert that hopeful cry, "I was here -- and it mattered"?
Answering that question is, of course, the only reason for a course in philosophy. Art is an answer. Updike's works fill four shelves here in the college library where I write, which was Updike's way of paying attention. By paying attention we become, if even briefly in the great scheme of things, participants in the universe's consciousness of itself, which is, I suppose, no small thing. Paying attention, as many saints and poets have declared, is the highest form of prayer.


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When riding the green line train through Chicago to grad school last year, I would notice that as we left the downtown "Loop" business area and rattled deeper into the poverty-stricken South Side, people started looking different. Most obviously, the number of White people decreased and the number of Black people increased. By the time I reached my stop in the heart of the South Side, there were almost no non-Black people to be seen. I also began to notice something less obvious, however, about people on the South Side – there were way more people on crutches, in wheelchairs, and missing limbs here than in the wealthier parts of the city.
This observation is, of course, only supported by my own "quick and dirty" street research. Some other facts, however, contribute to its validity. The South Side is known for street violence. It makes sense that the bodies of the people living here would reflect this painful legacy. Also, poor people are not able to afford the same quality or amount of healthcare as wealthier people. Sadly, this lack of access to treatment results in debilitating conditions which could have been prevented. Furthermore, poor people often do not have the resources or education to make healthy eating choices. It is well known that there is more obesity among poor people, a condition which leads to a range of other health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.
I found myself strangely drawn to these people on the South Side with their broken, beat-up bodies. One day, as the bus I was riding lowered to meet the curb and a wheelchair rolled on, I raised my eyes to meet the gaze of a very large boy in a wheelchair. He looked around 10 years old, but his weight was probably twice that of a grown man. Part of me wanted to look away in disgust, but the other part of me held his gaze, driven by a deeper impulse. The look on his face was heartbreaking. There was a hint of childish innocence and curiosity, but also a wistful listlessness and despondency.
The bodies of this boy and of others I encountered on the South Side profoundly unsettled me. But as I resisted the urge to turn away and ignore them, I was able to see in them something more than just the grimy and grotesque. These are the sick people for whom Jesus came to rescue! If Jesus were walking again on this earth, I am sure he would wind up in Chicago's South Side at some point, putting his hand gently on the boy in the wheelchair's drooping head, making up a dirt-spit plaster for the woman with the white burn scar streaking across her brown face.
Me? I recognize a bit of the Pharisee in me – the part that wants to escape to the shady streets of my quiet suburban neighborhood, where joggers with sleek, toned muscles and expensive running clothes breeze past, and where I don't have to think about poverty and broken bodies. Yet, I am grateful for my exposure to the poor bodies on the South Side. In some ways, their scars, disfigurement, and pain seem more raw, more honest, and more ready for a Savior than the put-together, self-sufficient bodies of the wealthy. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't take care of our bodies and seek healthcare when we need it, or that we shouldn't work with the poor to increase their access to healthcare and their chance to lead healthy lives. I just wonder what we as the Church could gain from simply being with the poor and being in contact with their physical brokenness, and what we lose by ignoring them.


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War is Upon Us (McAlvany audio)
Daily Digest 12/12 - The Trillion Dollar Student Debt Trap, 22% Of Irish Population Living In Jobless Households
Spain to Provide Regions Up to $30 Billion of Funding for 2013
Spain will lend as much as 23 billion euros ($30 billion) next year to regional governments that can't sell debt on their own, adding to the Treasury's borrowing needs.
Budget cuts could close as many as four Ohio prisons
Up to four state prisons and a prison camp could be closed if cuts in the upcoming state budget hit 10 percent, Ohio's prison director has told the governor.
In an Oct. 1 budget assessment sent to Republican Gov. John Kasich's budget director, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Gary Mohr said the number of facilities — including three large facilities and one housing a special population — to be closed will depend on how deep the budget cuts turn out to be.
Gold bugs scoop up American Eagle coins
The surge in demand came immediately after the U.S. election and was "heavy with retail investors," said Chris Blasi, president of Neptune Global Holdings, a boutique precious metals firm in Wilmington, Del.
"After the election, investors felt that the gridlock in Washington and the policies that were supportive to gold were not going to change," he said. "There's also a degree of fear and uncertainty about what lies ahead for the economy, and that's where gold steps in as a safe haven."
US student loans: The trillion dollar debt trap
'Trip through hell' Ms McDevitt is not alone. Student debt is a one trillion dollar headache for the US economy - and it is only getting worse.
As the cost of a university education soars, default rates are on the rise. Some estimates say that more than five million borrowers in the US have defaulted on their student loans. Almost 375,000 people defaulted in the latest year alone, the US Department of Education says. And those borrowers can face dire consequences.
Corporate Pensions on Pace to Hit Year-end Deficit Record
Companies in the Standard & Poor's 1500-stock index will likely post a record end-of-year pension deficit for 2012, according to Mercer, a benefits consulting firm. The gap between their pension-fund assets and liabilities stood at $607.4 billion at the end of last month, an improvement from $619.1 billion at the end of October.
U.S. EIA raises forecast for oil demand growth in 2013
Global oil demand growth will be higher next year than was previously expected, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a monthly report on Tuesday.
The EIA raised its forecast for 2013 global oil demand growth by 70,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 960,000 bpd in its Short-Term Energy Outlook.
22% Of Irish Population Living In Jobless Households
The report finds that the percentage of people in jobless households increased very rapidly after the start of the recession, from 15 per cent in 2007 to 22 per cent in 2010. The percentage in Ireland is now double the average across Europe.
Unemployment Benefits Hang on 'Fiscal Cliff' Deal
The CBO estimates that unemployment insurance benefits totaled $94 billion in fiscal year 2012, while the unemployment rate averaged 8.3%. For comparison, it paid out just $33 billion in fiscal year 2007, when the rate was 4.5%
Japan in recession, BoJ eyes stimulus
Last month, Tokyo approved $10.7bn (€6.67bn) of spending, more than double a package announced in October. But polls suggest it will not be enough for PM Yoshihiko Noda and his Democratic party to avoid defeat at the elections on 16 December.
Japan's main opposition party has promised to spend heavily on public works and push the Bank of Japan to launch measures to boost growth if it wins.Recent polls suggest the party will win a solid majority and return to power for the first time since 2009.
Health care law surprise: $63 per-person fee for three years
Medical plans are facing an unexpected new fee. It's to help cover people with pre-existing conditions under President Obama's health care overhaul.
The $63-per-head fee -- buried in a recent regulation -- will hit health plans serving an estimated 190 million Americans, mostly workers and their families. It's payable starting in 2014.
Employers are not happy. The cost of compliance works out to tens of millions of dollars for the largest companies, maybe a few hundred for small firms. Most of that will get passed on to workers.
Muni Pension-Bond Sales May Increase Default Risk, Moody's Says
Illinois has borrowed $17.2 billion since 2003 for pension benefits, according to Moody's. The state's worst-funded retirement system has only 43.4 percent of assets needed to cover its obligations, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Moody's downgraded Illinois in January, citing its "severe pension under-funding."
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said yesterday that the battle to control employee pension costs "is our fiscal cliff and we need to deal with it" or ratings companies would lower the state's grade again.
Article suggestions for the Daily Digest can be sent to [email protected]. All suggestions are filtered by the Daily Digest team and preference is given to those that are in alignment with the message of the Crash Course and the "3 Es."
Looking for a financial adviser who sees the world through a similar lens as we do? Free consultation available.Learn More »
Prosper! is a "how to" guide for living well no matter what the future brings.Learn More »


text: The African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO) provides leadership in the response to HIV/AIDS in African, Caribbean and Black communities in Ontario. We are a provincial coalition of organizations and individuals committed to HIV prevention, education, advocacy, research, treatment, care and support for African, Caribbean and Black communities. ACCHO and its members strive to reduce the incidence of HIV among African, Caribbean and Black people in Ontario, and to improve the quality of life for those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS through the implementation of the Ontario HIV/AIDS Strategy for African, Caribbean and Black Communities 2013-2018 (the ACB Strategy). This is done through coordination of the implementation of the ACB Strategy, capacity development and community engagement, as well as research and advocacy. ACCHO is not an AIDS service organization (ASO).


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The Samsung Galaxy S4 is Android's flagship phone, but some people balk at Samsung's TouchWiz interface. Purists that enjoy the pure flavor of Android will appreciate the newly announced developer edition of the Galaxy S4. Unveiled at Google I/O 2013, the new S4 will run the latest version of Android and will receive updates through Google. This means owners will get the latest and greatest version of Android right away and won't have to wait for Samsung to customize TouchWiz. It'll have an unlocked bootloader and support both T-Mobile and AT&T frequencies.
The Galaxy S4 developer edition will be available on June 26th and will retail for $649. It can be purchased directly from the Google Play Store.
[Via Google]


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About New Leaders
As promised, Kim Fowler, our speaker for "Finding Resources for Your Classroom: Think and Wonder, Wonder and Think," sent out a document detailing the resources she shared during her presentation. Most of these are already included in the "Web Resources" page, but here is her email:
Finding Resources for Your Classroom: Think and Wonder, Wonder and Think Information from AASCD Session for New Leaders
- Arkansas Education Service Cooperatives—There are 15 co-ops located in Arkansas. A listing of those co-ops with contact information can be located at http://www.arkansased.org/contact-us/education-service-cooperatives.
- Organizations Within the State
- Arkansas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (AASCD)
- Arkansas Association of Education Administrators and Appropriate Constituent Groups (for administrator)
- Content Area Groups such as state level math/social studies/ELA, etc.
- Arkansas Department of Education Website located at arkansased.org
- Arkansas IDEAS website which is located at ideas.aetn.org CCSS resources are located at ideas.aetn.org/commoncore
- Common Core Units/Maps located at www.commoncore.org
Math Units are being posted and are available for download. ELA Units have to be purchased but fee is not exorbitant.
These maps can provide a beginning point for planning instruction…but planning will need to be tailored to meet the unique needs of classrooms.
- Examples of Effective CCSS Lessons can be found at the Teaching Channel located at www.teachingchannel.org
- Wide Variety of CCSS Resources at OER Commons website located at www.oercommons.org. This website includes lessons which have been evaluated based on the EQUIP Tri-State Rubric. An explanation of the use of this rubric can be located at the ideas.aetn.org/commoncore website. There are separate explanations for math and English/Language Arts located under each of those subjects.
Presented by Kim Fowler, Teacher Center Coordinator, O.U.R. Education Cooperative


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Current News
Local portable outhouse company pleads guilty to unlawful disposal of wastewater
The Vallecitos Water District is reviewing federal charges against a San Marcos based provider of portable outhouses following a guilty plea to charges related to unlawful disposal of wastewater throughout Southern California. Diamond Environmental Services (Diamond) staff admitted in federal court in San Diego to conspiring to illegally discharge into municipal sewer lines the contents of hundreds of company trucks used to empty portable toilets.
The conspiracy began in 2009. As a regular company practice, trucks full of waste pumped from portable toilets were dumped into municipal sewers at the company's various facilities, including in San Marcos, from 2012 to July 2016. By law, portable toilet wastewater is required to be discharged at specially designated facilities. Diamond's facility in the county of San Diego is Pump Station #1 in Point Loma, where large volumes of wastewater discharged throughout the city mixes with the pumped waste to help dilute the wastewater entering the treatment plant.
It costs about $75 per 1,000 gallons to use the pump stations, meaning Diamond avoided paying $1.3 million to $4.1 million in fees by discharging the waste into sewer systems not prepared to accept the volume nor the type of waste. Two Diamond staff face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine at their sentencing hearings, scheduled for August 28, 2017. Diamond has agreed to pay the sewer service providers up to $4.1 million in restitution. Vallecitos may pursue civil charges based on the results of the federal case in order to make Vallecitos rate payers whole.
Related articles


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Anthosachne Scabra
Plants perennial, loosely cespitose.Culms 25-150 cm tall, 0.6-1.7 mm thick, scabridulous, sometimes coarsely hairy.
Basal leaves: sheaths glabrous or hairy, absent or to 2.4 mm; auricles absent or to 2.4 mm long. ligule 0.2-1.2 mm long, membranous, truncate; blade 5-18 cm long, 1-7 mm wide, flat or rolled, both surfaces scabrous and coarsely hairy.
Inflorescence 9-35 cm long, with 1- 20 spikelets; middle internodes 10-24 mm long.
Spikelets solitary, tangential, not pedicellate, 15-35 mm long, with 6-12 florets.
Glumes unequal, obtuse to acuminate, veins scabrous, lower glume 1.3-12 mm long, 0.6-0.9 m wide, 3-6(7)-veined, upper glume 2-12.6 mm long, 0.6-0.9 mm wide, 4-8-veined.
Calluses usually longer than wide. Lemmas 8-20 mm long, scabrous, tapering into a scabrous awn, awn of lowest lemma (0.5)2-20 mm long, of other lemmas (3)15-60 mm long. Palea 55-90% as long as the lemma body, keels coarsely toothed, intercostal region retuse, truncate, or rounded.
AUSTRALIA: Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victori, New South Wales, Queensland.
NEW ZEALAND: Introduced to both islands.
Formal citation of name
Anthosachne scabra (R. Br.) Nevski See www.ipni.org/ipni/
Edgar, E. and H.E. Connor. 2000. Flora of New Zealand, volume 5. Grasses. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln, New Zealand.
Jacobs, S.W.L., R.H. D. Whalley, and D.J.B. Wheeler. 2008. Grasses of New South Wales, ed. 4. University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
Wang, S., M.J. Henwood, and C.M. Weiller. 2009. Elymus, pp. 96-99 in Flora of Australia, vol. 44a. Poaceae 2. CSIRO Publishing


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Sender: firstname.lastname@example.com
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 96 12:34:21 CST
From: DHKC Informationbureau Amsterdam 7360;email@example.com>
Subject: Turkey: People's Council founded in Gazi and Zubeyde-Hanim
To: email@example.com
On March 12, 1995, Gazi, a neighbourhood in Istanbul, made the headlines because of a massacre by the contra-guerrilla and the ensuing uprising of the people.
Now Gazi has the honour of being the first neighbourhood of taking the initiative to establish a People's Council. Despite some initial problems which had to be solved, the People's Councils will find ways of solving the problems of the people themselves and to organise the future of the neighbourhoods themselves. Only a unified and joint force can resist the enemy. This example is showed by the People's Council in Gazi.
It's a neighbourhood of which much will be heard in the
future. It's the neighbourhood which was the first to found a
People's Council which will determine the daily agenda. Gazi was
established as a
Gececondu, a slum area, in 1970 near the
Alibeykoy Dam It soon started to grow in the years of the massive
fleeing of the poor peasants of Anatolia who tried to survive in the
cities. From several provinces like Tokat, Dersim, and Erzurum Kurds,
Laz, Alevite and Sunni came to Gazi. With the increasing number of
people in Gazi, the problems of the workers grew as well. The state
abandoned the people in stead of helping the people with solving the
problems. With the help of people from the revolutionary
organisations, the Mafia -who sold the overpriced land several
times&38212;was driven away. From then on the trust between the
revolutionaries and the people in Gazi grew. From 1970 until 1980
Gazi, situated next to a dam, was without electricity, and it was
without water until 19987.
Until 1988 there was no public transport in this neighbourhood. It were the people in Gazi who lost their children under torture in the police stations. They were targeted by the gangs of civilian fascists and the police terror.
Their own experiences showed the people in Gazi they had to organise themselves. With their anger and this knowledge the people went onto the streets after the attack by the contra-guerrilla on March 12, 1995 and they threw up barricades. They demanded justice. After the massacre on March 12, 1995, the state is still longing for revenge. That's why they try to terrorise the people in Gazi even more.
Using the dis-organisation of the people, the state started its daily operations. Detention, torture and imprisonment were daily events. Besides, the problems with the supply of water and electricity remained.
The people were aware they could not solve their worries and problems without organising. That's how the discussion started about the People's Councils. Appeals were drafted to unite the old, the young, the Kurds, Turks, Alevite and Sunni under one roof.
Every phrase, article and statute was discussed in detail and with broad participation of the population the People's Council was founded for Gazi and the neighbouring area of Zuybede Hanim. The will and the initiative of the people were expressed all details. Generally speaking, the tasks of the People's Council are to take care of the problems and worries of the people, be it from a political, social or economical nature. The People's Council is the grass root organisation in several segments of daily life. The People's Council of Gazi and Zubeyde Hanim was announced after three months of discussions and meetings.
The People's Council, which will try to solve the problems and worries of the people in Gazi together and under one roof, which has the aim of unifying the people which went onto the streets after the massacre of May 12, fighting against oppression, was cheered by the people in Gazi. More than 1000 people were gathered in a overcrowded hall at the ceremony.
A lot of initiatives, institutions, intellectuals and artists expressed their support. On October 5, 1996, at noon, the festivities started Sultan festivity hall. It started with the circumcision of the children. A imam of the mosque and a Dede of the Alevites spoke the prayers.
The prayers of the two religious representatives (Sunni and Alevite) was an expression of unity and solidarity between the people in Gazi, gathered under the roof of the People's Council.
After the circumcision rituals, conducted by health care volunteers of the SES, the festivities were started with a lot of enthusiasm.
Ali Ekber Emre gave the opening speech on behalf of People's Council in Gazi and Zubeyde Hanim, explaining the reasons for founding such a council. He pointed to the fact that the state had not cared for Gazi for a considerable time, that it had in fact abandoned the people, leaving them alone with their infrastructural problems.
The state started a symbolic trial against the policemen who were responsible for the gruesome acts thousands of kilometres away of Istanbul. The problems in Gazi remain unsolved, on the contrary, the terror of the state increased.
We learned our lessons from all this. We saw we could not achieve
anything on our own. We realised things could only be moved with joint
forces and solidarity. The answer against those who want to divide and
rule is solidarity, A.E. Emre continued.
Ali E. Emre explained they had started their work already before founding the People's Council and had carried out several actions.
For example a medical examination, free of charge, was carried out in Gazi by specialist. They had examined the people three times, distributing medicines with a value of 300 million TL for free.
Then they addressed themselves to the electricity problem. After looking at the cause of the problem, a committee was formed among the merchants. This committee started its work already. Simultaneously a petition was started and 1.000 signatures have already been gathered.
All this, Emre emphasises, will stimulate us even more to continue and
give us more courage. A.E. Emre ended his speech by saying:
now on, we announce, the people in Gazi can no longer be divided with
political, religious and ethnic points of view. Out of unity and
solidarity, the people in Gazi has founded its People's Council,
expressing the joint will of our neighbourhood.
It was furthermore announced that the People's Council presently consists of 130 members, especially of merchants, housewives, pensioners, workers and youth.
Many musicians and groups participated at the opening ceremony, enchanting the people with their songs. The ceremony was also witnessed by representatives from several parties like the CHP (Republican People's Party), the HADEP (People's Democratic Party), the ODP (Freedom and Democracy Party) and by leading members from several organisations in the neighbourhood of Gaziosmanpasa and from many other associations and trade unions.
Messages of solidarity were send by several organisations and associations, as well as from the socialist papers Kurtulus, Atilim, Ozgur Gelecek, Isci Hareketi, Kervan and Partizan Sesi.
The cultural part of the program was received with enthusiasm. There were performances from the Children's Choir of the Mesopotamia Cultural Centre, the folk dance group from the HADEP in Gaziosmanpasa, Grup Ozgurluk Turkusu and Grup Yorum. The message from Nurtepe and Alibeykoy was very strong and enthusiastically applauded. The festivities lasted till 6 p.m. People sang and danced. The festivities ended with expressing the wish that the enthusiasm about the People's Council was going to be carried to all working class neighbourhoods.
On March 12, 1996, civilian fascists opened fire on some coffee-shops in Gazi to sow discord, conflicts and animosity among the several nationalities and religious creeds in Gazi. While the people waited for justice, the murderers were allowed to escape. Thereupon the people expressed their anger in protests which lasted for days. The people who hoped for justice were shot by the police, many were killed and hundreds of them were wounded, arrested and tortured.
After this attack a conflict did not rise between the Alevites and the Sunni, respectively the Turks and the Kurds. The common anger was directed against those who were responsible. But a certain distance and tension could be sensed since then.
In this situation the government acted with continuing repression, arrests, torture and terror against the people in Gazi.
Gazi needs unity, coherence and solidarity. The majority of the people are, economically seen, poor people. The infrastructure in this neighbourhood is deficient. The education facilities are insufficient as well, there are no medical facilities, no social insurance, no unemployment benefit.
We, the people in Gazi, came to the conclusion that the establishment of a People's Council is inevitable to create a culture of solidarity so the problems in the neighbourhood can be solved.
1. Our aim is to restore solidarity among the people, without national or religious divisions. Our people will be educated so attacks like the one on March 12, 1995, will never occur again.
2. It's our aim to establish a coalition against the police, the presence of armoured cars and the continuing arbitrariness and arrests, applying the principles of a state of law.
3. Another aim is to solve soaring problems, caused by an unequal distribution of income, like the deficient infrastructure, education, social security, health care, unemployment, housing, and food on a long term basis.
4. We will address the social and cultural problems of the people like drug abuse, gambling, alcoholism and other diseases which are caused by the influence of the system. The positive values of the people are taken as a basis.
5. We will take on the women's question. Besides addressing the problems of the housewives, the working women, the mothers, the fact that women are seen as a sexual object, a women's organisation will be founded, keeping in mind the social conditions.
6. In the field of production and consumption, organisations will be set up, developing a culture of solidarity. These organisations will be co-operations or unions which are not aimed at making a profit but who aim to lessen unemployment. Through this system pursuit of gain, conditioned by the system, will be confronted with a culture of solidarity.
7. All problems like recreation parks, market places, state hospitals etcetera, which are caused by the unjust distribution of income, will be addressed and serious steps will be taken to solve these problems.
8. According to the possibilities of the neighbourhood sport activities will be promoted and the people will be mobilised to participate in health enhancing sport. Sport will not be something to just watch, it will become something for children and women to participate in as well.
9. Families and associations will be active to improve the quality of education in the primary and secondary schools, to establish new schools, to make sure the number and quality of teachers will be increased and steps will be taken against high education fees.
10. According to our financial possibilities health care is now addressed by examining the people for free. This will be done on a permanent basis in the future.
11. Our neighbourhood will determine certain periods of time in which the people can celebrate circumcision celebrations and their weddings together. It will be tried to solve the problems with the least possible financial costs.
We reached the decision to found a People's Council to solve these and many other problems we have not even mentioned. It's our aim to solve our problems together and to create a collective culture of solidarity. One of the most fundamental principles of our People's Council is the participation of the people in the leadership. Participation is based on voluntariness.
1. It will be attempted to address all the problems concerning the people in our neighbourhood and to develop possible solutions.
2. A culture of solidarity and unity among the people in our neighbourhood should be developed and the bad culture should be abolished.
3. All affairs who do not have to be addressed by the courts, such as family quarrels and quarrels among the people in Gazi should be solved among each other in a peaceful manner.
These are the criteria for friendship and solidarity. The People's Council was founded in accordance with these criteria. The principles of this People's Council were agreed upon by all participants.
1. Objective: The People's Council is a civic popular institution which discusses all items concerning the people, it takes decisions and puts these decisions into practice. No difference will be made because of nationality, religion, creed or political views. The People's Council is a democratic institution, open to all segments of the population.
2. Tasks: The People's Council addresses economical, social, cultural, political and neighbourhood-specific problems of the people.
3. Organs of the People's Council: The People's Council consists of the General People's Committee, the Council Committee, the spokesperson, the secretariat and committees.
a) The General People's Committee is the supreme decision making and controlling body. All members participate on a voluntary basis.
b) The Council Committee is elected by the People's Committee. It has a limited number of members. The Committee Council decides on matters which do not concern the General People's Committee.
c) The Spokesperson is the person who makes the statements, decisions and bulletins of the Council known to the public.
d) The Secretariat complies to the directives of the People's Committee and the Council Committee. It organises and co-ordinates the meetings. The secretariat makes the protocols and controls the realisation of the decisions by the People's and Council Committees.
e) Committees are organs of the Council, consisting of a limited number of competent people. They directly address questions and problems which were discussed in the Council.
4. Elections, membership of the General People's Committee:
a) All inhabitants of the neighbourhood who have reached the age of 18 and who are not guilty of crimes against the people have the right to choose and the right to stand for election.
b) All those who are mentioned under a) are natural members of the General People's Committee.
c) The Council Committee will be elected by the General People's Committee. The organs of the Council Committee will be invoked by the Council Committee.
5. Elections:
a) The General People's Committee meets once a year to elect a Council Committee and it will meet once every six months to control its activities. The General People's Committee can be called together for extraordinary meetings by the Council Committee or by the people.
b) The Council Committee will be appointed by secret or open ballot, according to the will of the General People's Committee. The Council Committee consists of at least 25 members. According to the will of the General People's Committee, this number can be increased. The Council Committee will meet every first week of the month. If necessary, the Council will be called together by at least 1/5 of its members or by the secretariat. In these circumstances, the Council Committee must be called together by the secretariat at least 5 days before.
c) The spokesperson is elected by the General People's Committee or by the Council Committee. The period of office will be determined by the Council Committee.
d) The secretariat will be invoked by the People's or the Council Committee. It consists of at least 3 people, if necessary, the Council Committee can change the filling of the office.
6. Procedure of elections and decision making:
All organs of the Council will be elected by majority. Decisions are made by a majority of votes. In very important matters, like for example the dissolution of the Council or decisions which concern the public, a simple majority is not seen as sufficient in the beginning.
7. Exclusion from the organs:
Council members can be excluded from the organs because of immoral behaviour or lack of discipline which hinder the activities of the Council. In these cases the Council has the right to suspend a member from his task. The Council has to call together the concerned organ to decide about the membership of the suspended person. The Council members can exclude a member by a qualified majority of 3/4.
When a council member steps down, he has to give his reason to the council. The resignation can be rejected in case this member has been given a task because of his specific abilities or social position and the fulfilment of this task is not endangering his life when the resulting lack can not be filled in an adequate time. In all other cases, a resignation will be approved.
8. Final regulations:
Every member or all those who fulfil tasks, who are concerned with realising the decisions and who participate in the activities as a volunteer or as an elected person accepts the regulations of the People's Council. The regulations were confirmed by the meeting of the General People's Committee. The regulations and the constitution of the Council Committee were agreed upon and made public after several open meetings and a meeting of the General People's Council, consisting of more than 1.500 people, on October 5, 1996.


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BlackRock lands BGI funds, Barclays boosts capital
BlackRock Inc
The combined company, to be called BlackRock Global Investors, will have roughly $2.8 trillion of assets under management, more than double BlackRock's current size.
BlackRock, founded 20 years ago as a bond investment firm, has managed to sidestep the toxic assets and vehicles that have laid low many competitors, giving Chief Executive Laurence Fink a reputation as one of the shrewdest asset managers on Wall Street. The U.S. government selected BlackRock to manage troubled assets from Bear Stearns and American International Group Inc
The deal gives BlackRock exposure to exchange-traded funds, a product that has grown fast because it allows investors to buy assets easily that otherwise might be difficult to acquire, such as precious metals or foreign stocks. Exchange traded funds also typically have low management fees, which many investors have taken more seriously after a brutal decline in asset values in 2008.
Exchange-traded funds have been a growth area in an industry that's struggling for growth opportunities, said Ralph Cole, who helps manage $2.2 billion at Ferguson Wellman Capital Management in Portland, Oregon.
New York-based BlackRock grew from a one-room investment firm to the largest publicly traded asset manager in the United States, and now the world, through a series of acquisitions. In 2006, it bought Merrill Lynch & Co's asset management business for around $8.6 billion.
BlackRock is paying $6.6 billion in cash and the rest in stock. It is raising $2.8 billion from the sale of 19.9 million shares to a group of institutional investors. BlackRock did not identify them, but people familiar with the matter expected Middle East sovereign wealth funds to be among them.
The new share issuance helped push BlackRock's existing shares down $6.04, or 3.3 percent, to end trade on the New York Stock Exchange at $176.56 on Friday.
Barclays shares fell 4.1 percent to close at 292 pence, on concerns that the deal will leave the company more reliant on investment banking, which generates less-stable earnings.
But the deal also helps Barclays by shoring up its capital base. The bank said that it was recording a net gain of $8.8 billion on the assets, which should lift its core Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio by 1.5 percentage points to around 8 percent.
Barclays refused aid from the British government last year as the financial crisis engulfed the industry, and sold shares to Abu Dhabi and Qatar instead.
Banks are under increasing pressure from regulators to keep asset management and investment banking businesses separate, while clients are keen to work with independent fund managers. That means other banks are likely to split off their fund arms, and the asset management industry should consolidate.
The BlackRock deal scuppers the planned $4.4 billion sale of iShares, the exchange traded funds arm of BGI, to buyout firm CVC. CVC has until June 18 to improve its offer, but it is unlikely to counterbid as it wanted iShares rather than all of BGI, a person familiar with the situation told Reuters. It will receive a $175 million break-up fee.
Barclays, which bought the U.S. investment banking business of Lehman Brothers in September, said its trading performance up to the end of May had been generally consistent with trends it reported on May 7. The companies expect to close the deal sometime in the latter part of the fourth quarter.
San Francisco-based BGI's $1.5 trillion in assets will give BlackRock $2.8 trillion in assets under management, catapulting it to a dominant position with twice the assets of nearest rival State Street
BlackRock was able to pay for the deal in part because its shares have performed relatively well recently. The company's shares are up 36 percent so far this year through Thursday's close, roughly double the increase for the overall sector as measured by the Dow Jones U.S. Asset Managers Index. <.DJUSAG>
Other new investors would get a stake of about 10.5 percent in BlackRock and the deal will dilute the stakes of Bank of America
BlackRock, which pays a $3.12 annual dividend, will review its dividend policy once it closes on the deal and has paid off short-term credit facilities, CEO Fink said on a call.
Barclays has agreed not to sell any of its BlackRock shares in the first year without the asset manager's consent, and no more than half its holding in the second year.
Barclays Chief Executive John Varley and Barclays President Bob Diamond will each get a seat on BlackRock's board.
Diamond will receive a net consideration of $36 million before any deductions from shares he holds in BGI. He will have paid $10 million to acquire the shares since 2003, Barclays said.
Other BGI staff are in line for a windfall from a lucrative employee share ownership plan. If they exercise options, staff will own 9 percent of BGI.
Barclays was advised by its investment banking unit, Barclays Capital, and Lazard. JPMorgan Cazenove served as Broker and sponsor to Barclays. Citigroup and Credit Suisse were lead advisors to BlackRock.
(Additional reporting by Dan Wilchins in New York and Paul Hoskins and Simon Meads in London; Editing by Greg Mahlich and Matthew Lewis)


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The Museum of Modern Art's newest volume in the MoMA Primary Documents series is From Postwar to Postmodern, Art in Japan 1945–1989, a trove of primary source materials that offers a panoramic look at more than four decades of Japanese art after World War II, both as it unfolded and from the perspective of the present day. It is an invaluable critical resource for students and scholars alike, bringing together key documents, artist manifestos, and critical writings that discuss a range of artistic mediums, many of them translated into English for the first time.
e-flux » Announcements
// From our friends at E-Flux


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George Holbrook is Managing Partner of Bradley Resources Company LLC, a private investment company which organizes and finances ventures in technology, medical devices and natural resource and power plant development, and manages a portfolio of public companies.
Mr. Holbrook is Chairman of ThinGap, LLC and Director of Unite-to -Light. Former directorships include: Vapore, Inc. Pluromed, Tailsman, Inc., Merrill Lynch Institutional Fund 1977-2003, and Thoratech Corporation.
He is advisor to: Director's Council – Institute for Energy Efficiency UCSB, Emergence Fund, Music Academy of the West – Investment Committee, Alfred University – Trustee Investment Committee, Southern Connecticut Health Systems.
Mr. Holbrook earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. He also attended Philips Exeter Academy.


text: Delhommey 3,068 Report post Posted February 11, 2009 Closing arguments are expected Monday in the trial of a girl accused of assaulting a police officer, but her defense attorney claims police are to blame because officers mistook the 12-year-old for a prostitute. On Aug. 22, 2006, police were dispatched to the 2200 block of 24th Street to investigate three white prostitutes propositioning a white man and a black man selling drugs. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=dbb1f3ec0e4b1180 12 year old goes outside in short shorts to check breaker box. Plainsclothes policemen on the lookout for 3 white prostitutes grab her and abduct her under charges of prostitution. She fights to not be taken in. Luckily the jury is deadlocked: A deadlocked jury failed to reach a verdict Monday in the case of a girl accused of assaulting a police officer after officers allegedly mistook her for a prostitute. After eight hours of deliberation, a jury of three men and three women told Judge Roy Quintanilla they were hopelessly deadlocked in the case charging Dymond L. Milburn, now 15, in the Aug. 22, 2006, assault of Galveston police officer David Roark. http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=85aa1df1635a3bbb Share this post Link to post Share on other sites