By Ian Schafer . Published on March 17, 2011.
Every time I come back from the SXSW Interactive conference, I get asked the same thing: "So what's the next big thing?" There seems to be this artificial pressure to "discover" the next Twitter. The next Foursquare.
It never used to be that way. SXSW Interactive used to be about academia. About teaching and learning from each other. About the future of technology and humanity. About criticism, heated discussion and debate.
This year's SXSW Interactive conference was the most attended, most sponsored and most talked-about yet. Mainstream media set up camp at the CNN Grille, and what used to be temporary brand installations were so built-out, it looked as if they were permanent fixtures in the Austin cityscape. It was spread out over miles, rather than consolidated in one location. People had to stay at hotels alongside the highway, or rented rooms and apartments rather than fit into one of the thousands of typically available hotel rooms surrounding the convention center.
So while it seems to some that the conference may have "sold out" by allowing itself to be taken over by brands, by letting in too many "beginners," or by letting itself get too big, I think it was the best one ever. Because this year, SXSW's "next big thing" was collaboration.
Sure, people discovered group messaging for the first time (Groupie, Beluga and Fast Society). People took a lot of photos with apps on their phones (Integra, Instamatic). People still checked into places on Foursquare and Gowalla and even into each other with Hashable. But if you looked and listened closely, this year's SXSW was all about finding ways to work together and building interoperable platforms. Connectivity and connections won.
Some of the most amazing things I saw at this year's conference were actually not apps, not sites, but APIs, platforms, and enhancements -- things that were meant to be built-upon or plugged into something else to make it better. API-masters The Mashery even had a Circus Mashimus Lounge to facilitate interactions between people and platforms, and platforms and each other.
Brands were all over it, too. American Express plus Foursquare. Brisk plus Hipstamatic. Samsung plus Twitter. Each of these brands used platforms to make their products more interesting, and more helpful. Checking into a participating location with Foursquare, and paying with your American Express card got you money back. Brisk cans featured drinkers' photos. Samsung featured stunning visualizations of SXSW-related conversations on Twitter. And there were many others.
Anecdotally, the feedback I heard about the "best" panels were ones that were about APIs and platform development, user experience and interface design, device and content convergence. All of those panels had one thing in common: connections (to people, content and information).
But some of the most positive feedback I got from the conference overall was not about its panels, but its attendees. Its size was its advantage. The sheer number of people to talk to, to learn from, was unprecedented. At any given point in time, you could be chatting with a brand manager. An engineer. A Hollywood agent. A developer. An entrepreneur. A venture capitalist. A manager for a nonprofit organization. Serendipitous conversations were plentiful, and only possible because of the collaborative and convivial atmosphere that can only be created by the convergence of so many different people with a shared passion for connectivity. Of course, as always, there were parties. But they were so plentiful and spread out, getting into them was easier than ever, only serving to facilitate serendipitous contact.
One thing the last few years has taught me is that collaboration -- not competition -- yields the most innovation and the best ideas. If, as Steven B. Johnson writes in "Where Good Ideas Come From," innovation is bred from the "adjacent possible," then SXSW made that adjacency possible for thousands of people. A city like Austin known for its live music, BBQ and bars makes for the perfect place to share ideas. It was a density of creativity and creative people where everyone mattered, and any form of elitism was rejected. People in VIP areas at parties wound up partying with everyone else. People boarded buses that took complete strangers to the Salt Lick (you shouldn't have to ask what that is), and took them back as friends. It's not normal or every day. But if that's what keeps Austin weird, I'm all for it. And I'll be back again next year. Just like everyone else, coming back smarter as a result.


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Q: Condition for files without an extension and or also looking at the file name - Python I am currently writing a program where files will be split. However, I am still learning at the moment. My code will look at files with extensions but there are files that would be flat flies as well. If the users enter only the filename without an extension it should also split it because the user entered the filename. I wrote the code below but it seems not to be working with only the file name. Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated. The code will also have to look only at the filename without the need of an extension.
input_entity = sys.argv[1]
input_date = sys.argv[2]

if input_entity.endswith(".csv") or input_entity.endswith(".txt") or input_entity:
        print("Processing file:", input_entity)
        process_file(input_entity, input_date, input_entity)
    else:
        for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(input_entity):
            for filename in [f for f in filenames if f.endswith(".txt") or f.endswith(".csv") or filesnames]:
                #print(os.path.join(dirpath, filename))
                file_path = os.path.join(dirpath, filename)
                print("Processing file:", filename)
                process_file(file_path, input_date, filename)
            break

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


"Ecological Imperialism and the Global Metabolic Rift: Unequal Exchange and the Guano/Nitrates Trade," (coauthored with Brett Clark (Clark listed first), International Journal of Comparative Sociology, vol. 50, no. 3-4 (2009), pp. 311-34.
The concept of ecological imperialism is seemingly unavoidable in our time. Obvious cases are all around us. One is the invasion and occupation of Iraq, which is at least partly over oil. Instances of ecological imperialism do not, however, stop with Iraq. Whether it is the renewed scramble for Africa, the flooding of the global commons with carbon dioxide, or biopiracy aimed at Third World germplasm, ecological imperialism is operating within a global economy predicated on accumulation. While the appropriation of resources from distant lands has taken place throughout human history, the origins and ongoing growth of capitalism are dependent upon further ecological exploitation and ecological unequal exchange.


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Health Alert: Updates to Government of Peru Quarantine and Movement Restrictions (November 1, 2021)
Health Alert: U.S. Embassy Lima, Peru
Event: Updates to Government of Peru Quarantine and Movement Restrictions (November 1, 2021)
On October 30, 2021, the Government of Peru announced the extension of emergency self-quarantine and movement restrictions due to COVID-19, effective Monday, November 1 to Sunday November 14, 2021.
The Jorge Chavez International airport in Lima remains open, and domestic land and air transportation continue with reduced occupancy in all other regions of the country.
From November 15, 2021, all passengers older than 45 years of age using commercial transportation to travel between provinces by land must present proof of vaccination to travel
Air Travel Restrictions:
Peruvians, resident foreigners, and non-resident foreigners 12 years of age or older must present proof of being fully vaccinated 14 days prior to boarding at their point of origin. Peruvians, resident foreigners, and non-resident foreigners 12 years of age or older who are not fully vaccinated must present a molecular test with a negative result (within 72 hours)  prior to boarding an incoming flight to Peru, in accordance with current health regulations. Children under 12 years of age must only be asymptomatic prior to boarding an incoming flight to Peru.
Effective through November 14, 2021, Peruvian citizens and permanent residents who have traveled from or transited through South Africa must quarantine in their home, lodging, or isolated space for a period of 14 days.
Effective through November 14, 2021, all non-Peruvian citizens and non-permanent residents who are traveling from or transiting through South Africa are barred from entering Peru.
As of November 1, 2021, the following provinces are considered "High Alert": Chanchamayo, Chincha, and Sullana.
All other provinces of Peru are considered as "Moderate Alert."
Additional Details for High Alert levels:
Monday-Sunday curfew is 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.
On all days of the week, restaurants may deliver from 4:00 a.m. until 11:00 pm. Pharmacy delivery is available 24 hours. Taking taxis and public transportation is allowed.
Monday – Sunday, supermarkets and grocery stores are open at 50% occupancy. Restaurants are open at 50% occupancy. Banks are open at 60% occupancy. Salons, spas, and barbershops at 50% occupancy by appointment. Casinos, gyms, movie theaters, churches are open at 40% occupancy.
Additional Details for Moderate Alert levels:
Monday-Sunday curfew is 2:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m.
On all days of the week, restaurants may deliver from 4:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. Pharmacy delivery is available 24 hours. Taking taxis and public transportation is allowed.
Beaches are open.
Additional Details for all alert levels
For current restrictions and the most recent decree from the Government of Peru (through November 14, 2021) please refer to (in Spanish): https://busquedas.elperuano.pe/normaslegales/decreto-supremo-que-prorroga-el-estado-de-emergencia-naciona-decreto-supremo-n-167-2021-pcm-2006935-1/.
Actions to Take:
Monitor local media for updates. Movement restrictions may be changed unexpectedly and with very short notice.
Always wear your mask outside. Face masks are required by Peruvian law. You may be fined if you do not wear one or do not comply with curfew and quarantine regulations. There are currently no exceptions for vaccinated individuals.
Double masks are required, and face shields are recommended in highly populated indoor areas, such as shopping malls, department stores, pharmacies, and grocery stores. You will not be permitted to enter without them.
Wash your hands frequently, and respect social distancing guidelines.
Carry a photo ID.
Continue to check https://diariooficial.elperuano.pe/normas for the latest related Peruvian government decrees.
See the Embassy's COVID-19 webpage for information about conditions in Peru.
Visit the CDC Travelers Health Page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html
Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive updates: https://step.state.gov/
Avenida La Encalada 1615
Santiago de Surco 15023, Lima
To receive alerts, enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Need help? Email: CASTEP@state.gov.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sjöfartshuset is boldly placed on Skeppsbron with a spectacular view over Strömmen. Here, we can accommodate 2 - 100 delegates in a distinguished 17th century building. Our own kitchen serves well-prepared food based on fresh products of the season.
Have you been to Sjöfartshuset Fest & Konferens and want to give your own comments?


text:
CSA recommends DVB-T2 for new DTT channels
France's TV and radio regulator the CSA, has proposed the immediate adoption of the DVB-T2 and MPEG-4 standards for all new DTT channels.
DVB-T2 will allow broadcasters to air four or more HD channels over a single multiplex and together with MPEG-4 will favour the development of HD, which is expected to be supported by 95% of French TV sets by 2015.
Once the government decides on the standard, the CSA will be able to launch a tender for the new DTT channels.
On the related issue of bonus channels for historic broadcasters, the head of the CSA said the European Commission is due to announce its decision by the end of September.
CSA's report on the DVB-T2 proposal can be downloaded by clicking on the following link:- SUR L'AVENIR DE LA TELEVISION NUMERIQUE TERRESTRE
Main source: Telecompaper
Item added: 13th September 2011


text:
stated on August 3, 2014 in comments on CBS' "Face the Nation":
Africa is spending "the highest percentage of their GDP on education of any part of the world."
Michael Bloomberg appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Aug. 3, 2014.
By Derek Tsang August 7, 2014
Bloomberg: Africa spends more on education than any other part of the world
Statesmen from nearly 50 African countries are in Washington this week for President Barack Obama's historic African Leaders Summit, which has been billed as an attempt to strengthen the United States' economic investments in Africa.
Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg praised the summit on Aug. 3's Face the Nation, pointing to investments from Chinese companies in African infrastructure. And education spending, Bloomberg said, is the best evidence of big things to come in Africa.
"China has looked at it and said this is a place where because they are spending highest percentage of their GDP on education of any part of the world, although in all fairness it's starting small," he said. "But you are going to create a middle class there that's going to want an awful lot of the products."
"The next big cities," he said, "are going to be in Africa."
That seemed to contradict the Western trope that African schools aren't meeting the needs of their students.
What we found is that Bloomberg is in the ballpark looking at data from 2008 but wrong when looking at more recent numbers.
While we didn't hear from Bloomberg, he may have been thinking of an article in his Bloomberg Businessweek by Howard French, author of China's Second Continent: How a Million Migrants Are Building a New Empire in Africa.
"African investment in education, among the highest in the world in terms of percentage of GDP, can barely keep up with the heavy demand for learning," French wrote, going on to cite Africa's recent gains in school enrollment across all levels of learning.
French referred us to a report by the McKinsey Global Institute, "Lions on the move: The progress and potential of African economies." That report pegs Africa's public spending on education as a percentage of GDP at 5 percent in 2008. That's "a smaller portion than the OECD countries' 6 percent," they wrote, "but more than in Latin America or some Asian countries." The OECD, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, is composed of 34 countries in every continent except Africa that are generally considered developed and high-income.
The above graph from a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report expands on the data from the McKinsey study and looks at spending per region across the globe. Both reports, we should note, only look at public spending on education -- data on private education spending isn't readily available for non-OECD countries.
If you take education spending as a percentage of government spending, not GDP, Africa actually beats out the OECD, 20 percent to 11, according to the McKinsey Global Institute. But looking at 2008 figures -- as did all the reports we found that looked at education spending for continents -- Bloomberg's wrong. Africa's close, and their progress on education is impressive by other measures, but the world's developed nations spend proportionally more on education.
Featured Fact-check
stated on January 4, 2022 in a Fox News appearance
Recently released Jan. 6 footage shows "these cops using massive amounts of force against unarmed Trump supporters, including women."
By Bill McCarthy • January 10, 2022
Updating the data
But part of the buzz about Africa is that its governments are rapidly increasing their spending on education. For instance, a 2011 UN report noted that Africa had increased its education spending by an average of 6 percent a year from 2000 to 2010.
The 2008 data also isn't perfect, because some notable countries are missing, including China.
So we set out to update the UN and McKinsey's analysis with more recent data.
Every year, UNESCO publishes public education spending as a percentage of GDP for every country where it's available, which works out to less than half of the 196 recognized countries almost every year. The World Bank keeps a database of these numbers, year-by-year.
To update the stats from UNESCO and McKinsey, we took the World Bank's dataset and removed every country that hadn't published new data since 2008. Then we took the most recent figure for the remaining 160 countries, and multiplied each country's percentage by its most recent GDP figure from the World Bank to get an estimate for total education spending for each country.
The data for every country is the most recent available, though the data isn't the same year for every country.
We then broke down the countries into geographic regions using a UN classification -- which segregates countries more or less by continents -- and took the total education spending for each region and divided it by each region's total GDP to get weighted averages. The results:
Source: PunditFact.com
As you can see from the chart above, Africa lags behind Latin America and Oceania, in addition to Northern America (the UN name for North America) and Europe.
The picture could look different for education spending as a percentage of government spending instead of GDP -- African countries' spending on education is increasing alongside their GDPs, albeit at a slightly slower rate -- but that's not how Bloomberg framed his claim.
Our ruling
On Face the Nation, Bloomberg said that Africa is spending "the highest percentage of their GDP on education of any part of the world" in the course of praising China's investment in Africa's growth.
Reports from the United Nations had Africa's proportional spending on education higher than everywhere but North America and Europe in 2008. But since then, Africa's overall economic growth has outpaced its governments increasing spending on education. Our calculations based on the most recent available data put Africa's proportional spending beneath every continent except Asia.
African countries do spend more of their governments' budgets on education than many developed countries, so Bloomberg's broader point about Africa's growth has some merit. But Bloomberg's claim cited GDP. We rate his claim False.
Michael Bloomberg on Face the Nation, Aug. 3, 2014
Email interview with Howard French, professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Aug. 5-6, 2014
Bloomberg Businessweek, "High Stakes in Africa: Can the U.S. Catch China?" July 31, 2014
The Wall Street Journal, "African Consumer Spending Expected to Double by 2020," Aug. 3, 2014
United Nations, "Classification of Countries by Major Area and Region of the World," 2012
The Atlantic, "The Next Asia Is Africa: Inside the Continent's Rapid Economic Growth," May 21, 2012
The World Bank, "Public spending on education, total (% of GDP)," Aug. 6, 2014
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, "Financing Education in Sub-Saharan Africa," 2011
McKinsey Global Institute, "Lions on the move: The progress and potential of African economies," June 2010
United Nations, "UN report reveals increasing spending on education in sub-Saharan Africa," April 27, 2011
The World Bank, "GDP ranking," July 1, 2014
The World Bank, "Africa's Growth Set to Reach 5.2 percent in 2014 With Strong Investment Growth and Household Spending," April 7, 2014
Read About Our Process
The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Derek Tsang
stated on September 15, 2014 a post on InfoWars.com:
"The U.S. State Department has ordered 160,000 Hazmat suits for Ebola, prompting concerns that the federal government is anticipating the rapid spread" of the virus.
By Derek Tsang • September 19, 2014
Julie Pace
stated on September 11, 2014 a question to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest:
The Obama administration is using as its "legal justification for these airstrikes (on the Islamic State), an authorization for military force that the president himself has called for repeal of."
Amy Klobuchar
stated on September 14, 2014 comments on CNN's "State of the Union":
Children who witness domestic violence are "twice as likely to commit it themselves."
Maria Cardona
"The Republican Party has the worst reputation in American polling of any political party in history."
stated on September 11, 2014 a post on Facebook:
A flight from Atlanta to Houston was canceled due to a "terrorist dry run."
Bob Beckel
stated on September 1, 2014 a discussion on Fox News' "The Five":
The United States has "the most number of deductions available to corporations" for the corporate income tax.
By Derek Tsang • September 9, 2014
Eric Bolling
The United States has "the highest corporate tax rate in the free world."
stated on August 20, 2014 comments on CNN:
"If black America were a country, it'd be the 15th wealthiest nation in the world."
stated on August 19, 2014 comments on Fox News' "America's Newsroom":
Because of President Barack Obama's failure to "push job creation," the black unemployment rate in Ferguson, Mo., is three times higher than the white unemployment rate.
By Derek Tsang • August 21, 2014
stated on August 19, 2014 stories:
Documents released by Edward Snowden reveal that American, British and Israeli intelligence agencies worked together to create the Islamic State.
Joy Reid
stated on August 4, 2014 comments on her MSNBC show:
"So far, the war in Gaza has left more than 1,800 Palestinians dead -- the population equivalent to 100 9/11s."
By Derek Tsang • August 7, 2014
stated on August 3, 2014 comments on CBS' "Face the Nation":
Greta Van Susteren
stated on August 2, 2014 comments on ABC's "This Week":
"So many people were critical of Secretary (John) Kerry going to Paris and talking with Hamas," because Kerry was seen as "supporting Hamas to the exclusion of the Arab League."
By Linda Qiu • August 4, 2014
Jake Tapper
stated on July 29, 2014 comments on CNN:
Israel in the last three weeks has "killed more Palestinian children, more than 200, than the total number of Israeli soldiers killed in military operations since 2006."
By Derek Tsang • July 31, 2014
Lawrence O'Donnell
stated on July 23, 2014 comments on his show:
Because of the current immigration crisis, Republicans want to "repeal" a 2008 law that President George W. Bush signed and "want to be on record as not wanting to protect children from ... sex trafficking."
stated on January 13, 2022 in an Instagram post:
Says Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said: "Two doses of the vaccine offers very limited protection, if any."
By Jill Terreri Ramos • January 14, 2022
stated on January 12, 2022 in a blog post:
By Madison Czopek • January 14, 2022
stated on January 12, 2022 in a speech.:
"We've brought in more than $81 billion in economic investment, more than four times any previous administration."
By Warren Fiske • January 14, 2022
stated on January 7, 2022 in a Facebook video:
"The Wisconsin voter roll has over 120,000 active voters who have been registered to vote for over 100 years."
By Amy Sherman • January 14, 2022
stated on January 9, 2022 in Public statement:
On not seeking a third term.
By Vanessa Swales • January 14, 2022
Viral image
stated on January 9, 2022 in a Facebook post:
A Mack Trucks employee told Joe Biden, "You can't drive anything besides the country into the ground."
By Ciara O'Rourke • January 13, 2022
stated on January 11, 2022 in a speech in Atlanta:
As a youth, "I got arrested" protesting for civil rights.
By Jeff Cercone • January 13, 2022
Retired U.S. presidents and members of Congress collect full salaries "for life."
stated on January 13, 2022 in a Facebook post:
"When a person cries, if the first drop of the tears come from the right eye, it's happiness. But when it comes from the left eye, it's pain."
stated on January 5, 2022 in a tweet:
Video shows Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer laughing at Novak Djokovic after he was stuck in an Australian airport.


Hi, my name is Rafael Benevides. I am a 41 years old Brazilian who lives in Orlando,FL. Here, I work as a Director of Developer Experience at Red Hat, helping Java Developers to adopt containers and microservices technologies so they can become experts.
My contact with technology begun in 1988/1989 when I did my first IPD(Data Processing Introduction) and MS-DOS training. On those days, computers were like from another planet. They were very expensive. Each computer had a price of a popular car. I also made DBASE3 and Lotus 123 trainings that year. So in 1994 my father and mother gave me an unforgettable birthday gift: It was a 486 Cytrix dx2 66Mhz with 8MB of ram and 100MB Hard Disk .
From 2001 to 2004 I worked at Lab. Neo Química as System Analyst (started as Support Analyst) and participated on Fox Project. A SAP R/3 installation project including modules: MM(Materials Management), FI(Financial), CO(Controlling), QM(Quality Management), PP(Production Planning), SD(Sales and Distribution) and WM(Warehouse Management). I was QM and PP Key-User.
After I finished my Lato Sensu post-graduation in 2004, I moved to Brasilia to work until May 2007 in Politec allocated in Brazilian Ministry of Justice where I participated in many projects that uses Java from Persistence Engine, passing by Business Component, and finally in view (Web or Desktop). I worked for Summa Technologies and INEP developing system with 20.000 simultaneous users.
In november of 2009 I joined Red Hat as JBoss Consultant. In 2012 I moved to Software Engineer working hard to promote enterprise Java solutions in an effective way. Since 2016 I become a Senior Product Manager, having the mission push even further the tools and practices that help developers to be more productive.
Thank you for reading. And I hope to see you again.


text:
Essex Property Trust to Buy BRE Properties in $4.3 Billion Deal
West Coast multifamily REIT Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESS) said it will acquire its former competitor, BRE Properties (NYSE: BRE), in a merger valued at approximately $4.3 billion. The transaction will create a combined company with a total market capitalization of approximately $15.4 billion.
Essex president and CEO Michael Schall noted during a conference call that in recent years the two companies have followed similar strategic paths, with a 90 percent geographic overlap of properties. The merger, he said, will result in the "only West Coast pure play in the public multifamily REIT space."
By combining the two multifamily REITs, "we expect to realize operating efficiencies and further enhance our growth profile," Schall said. Other benefits of the deal are projected to include a lower long-term cost of capital, and annual synergies that are expected to offset the anticipated increase in property taxes from California's Proposition 13.
Schall will serve as president and CEO of the combined company, and three directors from the BRE board will be added to the Essex board. Upon completion of the merger, which is expected in the first quarter of 2014, the company will retain the Essex name and will continue to trade under the ticker symbol ESS.
The two companies announced earlier this month that they were in exclusive merger negotiations. Under the terms of the agreement, each BRE common share will be converted into 0.2971 newly-issued Essex common stock, plus $12.33 in cash. The transaction values each BRE outstanding share at $56.21.
Essex said it has arranged $1.0 billion in committed financing, if needed, to fund the cash portion of the transaction. The company is also considering asset sales, joint ventures or new financing to fund the cash portion.
"This transaction allows us to maintain our strong balance sheet and is consistent with our disciplined approach to capital allocation," Essex Chief Financial Officer Michael Dance said. He added that combining with BRE "improves our financial flexibility and liquidity which we expect will reduce the combined company's long-term cost of capital."
Analysts at MLV & Co LLC said that over time, they expect the new company to be able to leverage the geographic overlap, realize operating efficiencies, and cut duplicate costs. The long-term positive aspects of the deal could include improved net operating income (NOI) growth and net asset value (NAV) expansion, they said. However, during the integration period the analysts warned that the transaction is likely to be dilutive to shareholders.
Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal adviser to Essex. The team included Gil Menna, John Haggerty and Mark Kirshenbaum.


eSchoolNews has listed its top 10 educational apps for Apple and Android devices for 2013. The applications range across K-University, free to paid, Humanities to Math & Science. It's a comprehensive list of useful apps to play with this summer! Check out this year's list here. You can see the list from 2012 here.
This entry was posted in Apple, Education, Educational Resources, Educational Technology, Google, Technology and tagged Android, Apple, apps, Education, Educational Apps, Educational Technology, iOS, iPad, mobile, mobile learning, tablets, Technology on June 19, 2013 by Jennifer Carey.


text:
Home / News / Business / Fourth Circuit errs again
The United States Supreme Court in 7:1 decision ruled on Monday, May 17, 2021 that the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals erred in its decision when it found that it lacked jurisdiction to consider certain grounds from the companies for bringing the case into federal court.
In 2016 Mayor and City Council of Baltimore sued Shell Oil, BP, ExonnMobil and Chevron alleging that their production and marketing of fossil fuel causes climate change. The suit was filed in Maryland Circuit Court.
Pursuant to the Article III of the US Constitution and accompanied 28 U.S. Code § 1441 Sets forth rules for the Removal of civil actions from state courts to the Federal Court.
On November 22, 2020 the following Briefs were filed on behalf of the Defendants: National Association of Manufacturers et al., State of Indiana and 12 other states, Chamber of Commerce of the United States, Washington Legal Foundation, Atlantic Legal Foundation, the Voice of the Defense Bar, and the Petitioners as amici curiae in support of petitioners who were the original Defendants in the circuit court case.
On December 23, 2020 Brief filed by amici curiae for: Chesapeake Bay Foundation Natural Resources Defense Council, Senators Whitehouse, Cardin, Blumenthal, Warren, Markey, and Van Hollen, 19 states and the District of Columbia, Mayor & City Council of Baltimore- and many others all in support of Baltimore City's allegation of climate change caused by the Defendants.
The Supreme Court ruled on behalf of the Defendants, remanding the case back to the Fourth Circuit to consider Defendants other grounds for removal of their case from the state court to federal courts .
EEOC dismissed Dr. Andrea Kane discrimination complaint
EEOC dismissed discrimination complaint by Queen Anne's County Superintendent Andrea Kane
Critical Race Theory shoved on students in public schools


text:
Skarbkowie – ród arystokratyczny (pieczętujący się herbem Abdank), wywodzący się z rodziny szlacheckiej sięgającej swoją historią średniowiecza. Tytuł hrabiowski otrzymał Fryderyk Florian, który, nie mogąc potwierdzić tytułu odziedziczonego po przodkach, otrzymał nowy tytuł od cara Mikołaja I dnia 26 marca/7 kwietnia 1846 roku.

Drzewo genealogiczne rodziny

 Fryderyk Florian ∞ 1) Prakseda Gzowska, 2) Pelagia Rutkowska
 1) Józef
 2) Henryk Stanisław Leon ∞ Aleksandra Okęcka
 Fryderyk Franciszek ∞ Róża Czyżewska
 Stanisław Henryk ∞ Zofia Czecz
 Jan Antoni Aleksander (ur. 1922) ∞ Maria Tyszkiewicz-Łohojska
 Jan Piotr (ur. 1971) ∞ Jennifer Walker
 Andrzej Karol (ur. 1925) ∞ 1) Shelagh de Fane Morgan, 2) Sheilagh Noel, 3) Marjorie Wallace
 1) Paweł (ur. około 1950)
 1) Karol Jan (ur. 1953)
 1) Andrzej Jerzy (ur. 1959)
 3) Sasza
 3) Stefan
 3) Dustin
 Stanisław
 Aleksander ∞ Felicja Szczepańska
 Henryk
 2) Władysław

Zobacz też
 Skarbkowie

Bibliografia
 Wielka Genealogia Minakowskiego

!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Cadence CS4 Fixed Spool Match Reel provides unparalleled value at only £39.99. The CS4 has been designed with a set of premium features that are found on reels costing much more. The carbon composite frame and side plates produce a lightweight, strong and corrosion resistant body. It features 8 ball bearings that produce a smooth retrieve and a reliable drag system. The reel comes with a shallow aluminium match spool and a shallow graphite match spool.
I have a pair of these in 3000 size and find them amazing value ( especially as they were free with the rods!). The line lay is more than adequate for medium range casting and the winding power for a small reel is exceptional. The flex in the body is minimal under normal use too. If I could change a couple of minor things to make it 5 stars it would be a slightly shorter stem ( for short fingered people like me) and the close position on the bail arm which sometimes hinders opening. All in all another quality item from cadence.


SinclaireStylers, happy Halloween! FREE DOWNLOAD all over this creepy weekend!
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"We wanna have it all" official video!


"Partnerships Between Health Care and Legal Providers in the Veterans H" by Jack Tsai, Margaret Middleton et al.
Jack Tsai, et al., Partnerships Between Health Care and Legal Providers in the Veterans Health Administration, 68 Psychiatric Serv. 321 (2016).
Tsai, Jack; Middleton, Margaret; Retkin, Randye; Johnson, Cindy; Kenneally, Kevin; Sherman, Scott; and Rosenheck, Robert, "Partnerships Between Health Care and Legal Providers in the Veterans Health Administration" (2016). Faculty Publications By Year. 2657.


Eligible employee will be provided one (1) initial meter kit for every 3 years and should contact ForaCare's customer service line to get the defected meters replaced. Any unauthorized usage of the code will be denied for service.
We recommend ordering enough for 3 month testing. For instance, if 3 tests per day, we recommend to order 6 boxes.


Blue Nile Falls - Source near Lake Tana, famed for its island monasteries, down stream to the wide blue falls.
Addis Ababa - Founded in 1887 and almost abandoned when a lack of fuel hampered the city.
Driving Regulations - British driving licence valid for one month, otherwise obtain a temporary Ethiopian driving licence.
Ethiopia is situated in North Eastern Africa bordering Sudan to the north and north west, Eritrea to the north and north east, Djibouti to the east, Somalia to the east and south east and to the south lies Kenya.
Ethiopia is one of the only countries that has not been colonised, which has resulted in the people having a strong identity and sense of pride who can be dividend into distinct groups. The Amhara: are the politically and culturally dominant ethnic group of Ethiopia, even though they are actually the minority in size. They are located primarily in the central highland plateau of Ethiopia and comprise the major population element in the provinces of Begemder and Gojjam and in parts of Shoa and Wallo. Their national clothes are basically white, the shawls and light blankets are worn over the shoulders by the men and women wear white dresses and wraps.
In comparison, the Galla peoples form the largest ethnic component in the country, comprising around 40 percent of the population. They are a pastoral and agricultural people who live mainly in central and southwestern Ethiopia, constitute about 40 percent of the population.
Ethiopian food is characterized by the spices used. However, grains such as sorghum, millet, teff, and wheat grow well in the temperate climate, and honey is commonly used. Berbere is an essential ingredient in Ethiopian cooking. It is a red paste made of spices and herbs. Flavoured butter called niter kebbeh is also important. Niter kebbeh is flavoured with onions, garlic, ginger and spices. Wat, or stew is an important traditional Ethiopian food. It can be made with chicken, beef, fish, or be vegetarian. It contains paprika and is very spicy. Wat is eaten with injera, an Ethiopian flatbread made from teff.


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Don Mordecai, who served on the Maine Charter School Commission until his resignation earlier this month due to health reasons, died Monday at his home.
Mordecai was a graduate of Colby College and received graduate degrees from Cornell University and Babson College. He had a longtime and varied career in education and a strong history of community service.


text:
French fascist praises Cameron
Posted on February 11, 2011 by petrel41
This video is called Johann Hari on Dylan discussing what Cameron and Osborne have done to the UK.
From News Line daily in Britain:
The bankers' man who is admired by Ms Le Pen!
LORD Oakeshott is the senior Liberal Democrat who quit their front bench in protest at the Tory-LibDem coalition's decision to allow the bankers to opt out of any hint of austerity, and to award themselves billions of pounds of bonuses.
He spoke for the Lib Dems on Treasury matters in the House of Lords.
He has blasted the 'commitment' by the Big Four banks in the so-called Project Merlin negotiations to increase lending to small and medium businesses, saying 'That is not a commitment at all. That's a weak, waffly gross lending aspiration with vast wriggle room. There's no commitment there.'
His verdict on the capacity of the Treasury team is: 'They've got an awful combination of arrogance and incompetence . . . most of them couldn't negotiate themselves out of a paper bag.'
He pointed the finger at Tory leader Cameron for a 'very soft deal' for the banks.
He said the 'settlement' with the banks would not stop multi-billion pound bonuses being paid – including to the bosses of taxpayer-funded companies. Speaking yesterday, on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said that banks had tied the government in knots and come out with a 'soft deal'. He said: 'The problem with this deal is that it sent out all the wrong messages, particularly from David Cameron but also the Treasury, that we had to do a deal with them. and I can tell you the only way you do a good deal with banks is if they don't think you've got to do a deal.'
He continued that the bonuses announced on Wednesday for Stephen Hester, the chief executive of RBS, and Eric Daniels, the outgoing chief executive of Lloyds, as 'extraordinarily wrong'. Daniels is to be paid a £1.45m bonus on top of his salary of £1m, and Hester £2.04m. Both banks are supported by the taxpayer.
The Barclays boss, Diamond, will now collect a bonus of at least £8m and Stuart Gulliver, of HSBC, at least £9m. This is while the working class and the middle class are being put on the wrack by the same coalition government.
But Cameron is not just the darling of the bankers.
For some time in the EU parliament the Tories have been part of a bloc of ultra-right wing parties, some of which have been described for some time as neo-fascist. The Tories have been much criticised for this position but have refused to quit the bloc.
Yesterday their policy bore fruit when Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's fascist National Front, praised David Cameron's 'muscular liberal' approach to the Muslims.
Ms Le Pen argued that the Cameron speech marked a significant rightward shift across Europe, saying: 'It is exactly this type of statement that has barred us from public life for 30 years.'
She added: 'I sense an evolution at European level, even in classic governments. I can only congratulate him.' The leader of the coalition is now the darling of both the bankers and the French fascists.
She will no doubt give her full support for his statements that he is willing to bring in additional anti-union laws to prevent trade unions fighting his savage cuts policy, and that a general strike will be illegal.
No doubt Tory statements that they intend to abolish collective bargaining in the NHS and education will also win her admiration. The National Front may well invite him to address some of their rallies.
Cameron is not a fascist. He is a right-wing Tory whose determination to anglicise the Muslims and smash the unions and the middle class in favour of the bankers is driving him rightwards.
The fact that Le Pen can greet him as some sort of convert must serve to redouble the determination of the workers movement, to change the leaders of the trade unions, and take the coalition on head-on in a general strike to bring it down, and bring in a workers government.
Such a government will carry out socialist policies and serve notice on movements like the French National Front that their end is nigh.
This entry was posted in Economic, Human rights, Racism and anti-racism and tagged David Cameron, France, Marine Le Pen, UK by petrel41. Bookmark the permalink.
17 thoughts on "French fascist praises Cameron"
Administrator on February 11, 2011 at 12:17 pm said:
TRUTHOUT'S BUZZFLASH DAILY HEADLINES
While the right wing claims that American capitalism leads the world, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is about to be acquired by new owners in Germany.
That's right, long the symbol of the so-called "free market," the likely sale symbolizes that Wall Street is no longer the center of the financial universe.
As of February 9, a New York Times article predicts, "A merger would potentially let customers trade stocks in New York, options tied to those shares in Paris and derivatives linked to them in Frankfurt."
The NYSE has long offered a favorite photo opportunity for US politicians and presidents, who would ring the famous opening bell of the market, symbolizing their support of the American "free enterprise system."
But it looks like, in the near future, the financial transactions of the global elite will officially be disbursed more and more around the world.
The right-wing nostalgia for the financial might of America that characterized the post-WWII generation is becoming increasingly exposed as a mirage.
The national boundaries of investment are being made ever more negligible by an international marketplace that owes no allegiance to any individual nation.
The NYSE, which was founded in 1792, will no longer be owned by Americans.
This single act won't stop the Tea Party from sipping on its cup of delusions, but at some point the reality will set in.
America's financial destiny is inextricably intertwined with that of the world.
Mark Karlin
Editor, BuzzFlash at Truthout
Administrator on October 19, 2011 at 12:26 am said:
Tories are still homophobic
The disgusting comments of James Malliff, Tory councillor for Wycombe, show that homophobia continues to exist in the Tory party.
He said on Twitter that if the party supports gay marriage, they "may as well legalise marriage with animals".
The Tory party has an appalling record. Most of its leadership voted to keep Section 28, which prohibited the open discussion of homosexuality in schools.
Today the cuts have a disproportionate effect on LGBT people. Welfare, housing and health organisations face closure.
Any discussion of LGBT rights that includes the Tories will be shaped by homophobic attitudes and values.
Rachel Harger, East London
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=26397
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It is the goal of CWJC of NEMS to encourage and equip women for life and employment through a personal relationship with Christ. We offered Bible Study, a Christian friend we call a Mentor and skill development in either a one-on-one or classroom setting. We believe in giving women a hand up instead of a hand out. Our desire is to help women to stand on their feet.
Secures and distributes a regular source of free food or groceries to needy residents in the community.
Hours: The Pantry is open every third Saturday morning from 8:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M.
This community clinic serves patients who range in age from birth to 65 and who need access to low cost or primary health care. The clinic will help those people who are employed, have had a reduction in work hours, or who are temporarily unemployed, and it will focus on those who do not have or cannot afford health insurance or patients who do not receive VA or disability benefits from the government.
This health care clinic focuses on children. It will make low cost or free, high quality and very comprehensive health and medical care accessible and available to children who range anywhere in age from birth to 18 years old. The clinic may be able to help those who have barriers or are not able to get otherwise needed medical care. The health care provided will focus on both prevention and wellness, as well as on treatment of chronic illnesses and acute conditions.


text:
Q: Bar charts flickering issue in charts js I am getting the flickering issue as well as zoom issue in charts js.that means I have a bar chart in this some levels are so high means some of them are 20k 30k and some of them 0.1 data so when I hover to the nearest less data bar it vanishes all the charts and it shows me only that charts but I don't want this how to disable that thing.
Real Charts :

the zoom or flickering that issue image :

 options: {
          legend: {

              display: true,
              position: 'left',
              labels: {
                boxWidth:12
            }
          },
         title: {

            fontSize: 14,
             text: output[k],
             display: true
         },
         responsive: true,
         maintainAspectRatio: false,

         scales: {

            yAxes: [{
                ticks: {
                    beginAtZero:true
                },
                scaleLabel: {
                 display: true,
                 labelString: 'No. of People'
               }

            }],
            xAxes: [{
             scaleLabel: {
              display: true,
              labelString: 'Age Group'
            }

         }],
         }
        }

A: add this on your code to disable zooming Y direction
zoom: {
            // Boolean to enable zooming
            enabled: false,
            // Zooming directions. Remove the appropriate direction to disable
            // Eg. 'y' would only allow zooming in the y direction
            mode: 'y',
        }

exaple:
    var myChart = new Chart(ctx, {
    type: 'bar',
    data: {
        labels: ["Red", "Blue", "Yellow", "Green", "Purple", "Orange"],
        datasets: [{
            label: '# of Votes',
            data: [12, 19, 3, 5, 2, 3]
        }]
    },
    options: {
        scales: {
            yAxes: [{
                ticks: {
                    beginAtZero:true
                }
            }]
        },
        pan: {
            enabled: true,

            mode: 'x',

            speed: 1
        },

        zoom: {
            enabled: false,
            mode: 'y',
        }
    }
});

Next time please provide your code


In an effort to put an end to speculations that the Jarkiholis will quit Congress with their supporters, Municipalities and Urban Local Bodies Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on Monday reiterated that they will never join BJP.
Rumours have doing the rounds for few weeks that the Jarkiholis will join the BJP along with their supporters, particularly after a showdown with Belagavi Rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar over Belagavi District Primary Land Development Bank polls for the posts of chairman and vice chairman.
Even on Monday morning, rumour mills were abuzz with reports of meeting between BJP MLA B Sreeramulu and Ramesh that is aimed to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. Speaking to media in Bengaluru, Ramesh, the younger brother of former minister Satish Jarkiholi said, "There is no truth in reports that we are joinng the BJP. We will never quit Congress." Saying that he was happy about the outcome of the PLD Bank elections, the Minister said, "Neither my supporters, nor her (Hebbalkar) supporters got elected. I had suggested the name of Mahadev Patil, a Maratha leader for the chairman's post. He has been unanimously elected." Ramesh said that he is willing to resign anytime to make way for his brother Sathish. The Minister also reiterated that he does not like Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar interfering in Belagavi politics. "Leave district politics to us. If need be, we will take the suggestions from senior leaders including Shivakumar," Ramesh said.


text:
Palantir moves toward stock listing with confidential filing
Peter Thiel, shown in 2015, co-founded Palantir in 2003 with a group of partners.
(VCG)
July 7, 2020 7:20 AM PT
Palantir Technologies Inc. said it filed confidentially with U.S. regulators for a public stock listing, taking a major step toward a market debut that has been many years in the making.
The secretive Silicon Valley company, which sells data analysis software used by governments and large companies worldwide, is seeking to go public by the fall, Bloomberg previously reported, though the timing could change.
Palantir has been weighing a direct listing of its shares on an exchange against an initial public offering, people with knowledge of the deliberations have said.
The company said in a statement Monday that it had filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a "public listing" of its stock, wording that has been used by other companies planning to pursue a direct listing. Such announcements typically specify a company is planning an IPO when that is the case. Palantir may still decide to pursue a traditional IPO to raise capital for the business.
Palantir is in the process of raising $961 million, $550 million of which it has already secured, according to a filing earlier this month with the SEC. That includes a $500-million investment from Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Holdings Inc. and $50 million from Fujitsu Ltd.
Those sums make listing the stock directly a more accessible path for Palantir, following in the footsteps of Spotify Technology SA and Slack Technologies Inc.
A direct listing wouldn't let Palantir raise money by issuing new shares, but it would allow it to bypass an investor roadshow and other formalities of an IPO, while letting current stockholders sell their shares at the opening bell rather than waiting until the end of a lock-up period.
Billionaire Peter Thiel founded Palantir in 2003 with a group of business partners including Alex Karp, the chief executive. In 2015, Palantir reached a valuation of $20 billion, though in recent years stockholders have sold blocks of shares for much less. It isn't clear what valuation the company would seek in going public.
The company told investors this year that it expects to break even in 2020 on revenue of about $1 billion.
In June, Palantir added three directors including the first woman to serve on its board, former Wall Street Journal reporter Alexandra Wolfe Schiff.
Dozens of law enforcement and government agencies around the world use Palantir to compile and search for data on citizens with the intent of combating crime, hunting terrorists and in recent months, tracking the spread of COVID-19. The pandemic has boosted business as companies use its products to help determine how to reopen.
However, Palantir is highly controversial for the way its tools have been used to compromise privacy and enable surveillance. Its use by police and immigration officials, in particular, has sparked numerous protests.
The Palo Alto-based company had long resisted a public offering to avoid getting valued as a consultancy, and to stay out of the public eye as it worked toward profitability, people familiar with the matter have said.
Its dependence on engineers customizing software for each client and bloated cost structure also resulted in consistent annual losses. That heightened the possibility that it wouldn't be valued as a software company despite its Silicon Valley credentials.
That changed last year, with customers using a new more automated product that has put Palantir on the path toward profitability.
Palantir's funders include Founders Fund, the venture capital firm started by Thiel. Other investors include Morgan Stanley, BlackRock Inc. and Tiger Global Management.
Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal Holdings Inc., has helped launch or advance Silicon Valley firms including Facebook Inc., where he has been a board member since 2004. Through Founders Fund and other investments, his influence has been extended to an array of technology companies. Thiel has also served as an advisor to President Trump, chastising other technology companies, in particular Alphabet Inc.'s Google, for their reluctance to work with the Defense Department.
Bloomberg delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world.


The jQuery team hosts all of its meeting in the #jquery-meeting IRC channel on Freenode.net. Normally everyone in the channel is muted unless a meeting is going on. Please be respectful to those participating. You can connect to the channel using an IRC client or use webchat.


text:
Difference between revisions of "Community-led initiatives in Europe"
Gil Penha-Lopes (talk | contribs)
== Overview ==
A wide diversity and growing number of community-led initiatives (CLIs) can be found all across Europe, with documented histories in some cases of over 50 years. Initiatives associated with the [[Transition]], [[Permaculture]] and [[Ecovillage]] movements, along with [[Community energy]], [[Solidarity economy]] and various forms of community food initiative are found across the whole of Europe, though distribution of particular networks can be clustered and/or patchy. Despite significant recent research effort, the full numbers, nature, scope and impacts of CLIs in Europe are not yet documented or established.
== Nature and Diversity of Community-Led Initiatives in Europe ==
According to findings of the [[TESS research project]] on community-led initiatives (CLIs), CLIs in Europe tend to be created in order to advance environmental and/or social dimenions of sustainability on the environmental and social dimensions. In a survey of members of CLIs from six European countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Scotland and Spain), more than ninety percent of respondents reported that the most important goal of community action for them was one of the following:<ref name="TESS D4.1"> Celata, F., Hendrickson, C., 2016. Case study integration report (TESS Project Deliverable No. 4.1)</ref>
==Diversity and structure of CLI in Europe==
* Providing opportunities for social interaction
* Using natural resources more efficiently
* Combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions
* Promoting more sustainable behaviour, life styles and social practices
Many CLIs are connected with specific networks, and some of these networks have particular strengths in or focus upon specific domains are activities, it is very common for a single initiative to operate simultaneously in multiple domains of activity. Among 63 initiatives surveyed in TESS, nearly fifty per cent were active in the domain of food, 38 per cent in waste, 28 percent on transport and 27 per cent on energy.<ref name="TESS D4.1" />
According to TESS, CLIs in Europe tend to be created with the goal to develop sustainability on the environmental and social dimensions, and with more than 90% of its members considering that the most relevant CLI goals for them are: "to provide opportunities for social interaction", "using natural resources more efficiently", "combating climate change by reduce GHG" and "to promote more sustainable behaviour, life styles and social practices" <ref name ="TESS D4.1"> Celata, F., Hendrickson, C., 2016. Case study integration report (TESS Project Deliverable No. 4.1)</ref>.
Key networks of CLIs in Europe include the [[Transition movement]], [[Ecovillages]], [[Permaculture movement]], [[Community energy]], [[Solidarity economy]], [[Degrowth]], [[Community-supported agriculture]] (CSA) and [[Slow food]]. These networks have many historical and present-day associations, with overlap, intersection and collaboration all common. Many can be regarded as some form or another of commoning movement, where communities of co-users or other stakeholders self-organise to create and implement appropriate governance and management mechanisms.<ref> Bollier, D., & S. Helfrich (eds.), 2012. The Wealth of the Commons. Amherst, MA: Levellers Press</ref> Many Transition initiatives and projects adopt methodologies from permaculture and solidarity economy, initiate community energy or CSA projects, and act as examples of degrowth in practice. Since 2014, ecovillage, permaculture and transition networks have formally collaborated at European level as the [[ECOLISE]] meta-network. These connections within and across networks promote the translocal mobilisation of social movements called for by, for example, researcher Flor Avelino as a strategy for collective nurturing and empowerment.<ref> Avelino, F., 2018. Time to ignite the power of Translocal social movements. http://www.thebrokeronline.eu/Blogs/Inclusive-Economy-Europe/Time-to-ignite-the-power-of-translocal-social-movements. Accessed October 7th 2018.</ref>
Although CLIs tend to be connected with a specific CLI network, and that initially the different networks were known to operate in few societal domains (such as Permaculture on Agriculture, Transition on Energy, Ecovillages on Community health) it is very common that, in these days, a single initiative does operate in different dimensions simultaneously, with nearly 50% of the studies initiatives in TESS being active and developing activities in the food domain, 38% on waste domain, 28% on the transport domain and 27% on energy domain <ref name ="TESS D4.1"/>. This also promotes the translocal social networking that researcher Flor Avelino appeals to be powered and nurtured. <ref>http://www.thebrokeronline.eu/Blogs/Inclusive-Economy-Europe/Time-to-ignite-the-power-of-translocal-social-movements</ref>
At the moment (2018) we find in Europe initiatives representative of the [[Transition movement]], [[Ecovillages]], [[Permaculture movement]], [[Community energy]], [[Solidarity economy]], [[Degrowth]], as well as from others such as the Colibris, Community supported agriculture, Slow food and Commons. Regarding their legal status,, most of the 62 CLI studied within TESS<ref name ="TESS D4.1"/> were cooperatives evenly distributed among countries. Nearly a quarter has no legal form and most considering and presenting it as an identifying characteristic of their organisation. Although there are cases of a more structured decision making process (general assemblies, committees, etc...), in most of the cases decisions are based on full participation and consensus.
Regarding their legal status, the majority of the 63 CLIs studied within TESS were cooperatives, with different organisational forms evenly distributed among the six countries involved.<ref name="TESS D4.1" /> Nearly a quarter of TESS case study initiatives had no formal legal organisation. Governance procedures vary in their degree of formality: some CLIs deploy structured decision-making process such as general assemblies and committees, some base decision-making on full participation and consensus.
At this moment, the [[Community-led initiatives by country]] pages are being developed and populated. The ones on [[Britain]], [[Germany]] and [[Portugal]] are the ones that benefited from more dedicated literature review and content creation from the pioneer authors of this wiki. We hope that change soon.
== Age and Geographical distribution of CLI in Europe==
Taking TESS project sampling as potential representative of CLIs in Europe, most were created around 2010, in the early times of the financial crisis, with nearly a quarter of the studied initiatives having more than 14 years of existence and another quarter being created between 2012 and 2016, showing an acceleration of initiatives being created <ref name ="TESS D4.1"/>. Some of the oldest initiatives we know of are the [http://findhorn.cc Findhorn intentional community], ecovillage in the UK that was founded in 1962 and the [http://www.cocagne.ch/ Les Jardins de Cocagne] and a first CSA-like initiative in Switzerland that started as early as 1978.
An assessment of number of CLIs in Europe is difficult and depends strongly on the sources we use. Not only each network might register and map a very different number of initiatives on their national and global maps, but also different mapping exercises come out with different numbers per network and country. However, based on the [http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/ ECOLISE map] for [[Transition movement]], [[Ecovillages]] and [[Permaculture movement]] we already reach 1000 initiatives in Europe <ref>http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/ ECOLISE map, accessed on June 2018</ref>. Adding the 250 [[Community energy]] initiatives <ref>https://www.rescoop.eu/, accessed on June 2018</ref>, two million [[Solidarity economy]] organisations <ref>http://www.solidarityeconomy.eu accessed on June 2018</ref> and nearly 2800 Community Supported Agriculture alike initiatives, we can start understanding the dimension of these movements in Europe.
An assessment of number of CLIs in Europe is difficult and depends strongly on the sources we use. Not only each network might register and map a very different number of initiatives on their national and global maps, but also different mapping exercises come out with different numbers per network and country. However, based on the [http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/ ECOLISE map] for [[Transition movement]], [[Ecovillages]] and [[Permaculture movement]] we already reach 1000 initiatives in Europe <ref>http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/ ECOLISE map, accessed on June 2018</ref>. Adding the 250 [[Community energy]] initiatives <ref>https://www.rescoop.eu/, accessed on June 21st 2018</ref>, two million [[Solidarity economy]] organisations <ref>http://www.solidarityeconomy.eu accessed on June 21st 2018</ref> and nearly 2800 Community Supported Agriculture alike initiatives, we can start understanding the dimension of these movements in Europe.
TESS project realised that most of CLI projects are either acting at the NUT3 spacial scale (city/municipality level) or SubNUTS3 (village, neighbourhood), with an almost equal share <ref name ="TESS D4.1"/>
*Distribution per countries?
[[File:ECOLISE Map.png]]
Table X - Number of CLI at ECOLISE website (including only initiatives from the Transition, Permaculture and Ecovillage movement) <ref>http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/</ref>,
Number of CLI at ECOLISE website (including only initiatives from the Transition, Permaculture and Ecovillage movement) <ref>http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/, accessed on June 21st 2018 </ref>,
In some European countries (such as [[Albania]] and [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]) there is currently an absence of CLI in the terms we know it (definitions and concepts). However, this gap needs further inquiry and ECOLISE is actively searching to understand and connect with partners, institutions and people that are able share and learn together the knowledge and experience between these countries and the ones are currently connected within ECOLISE.
== Ecovillages in Europe ==
GEN today lists more than 1000 local ecovillage projects and networks worldwide , among them approximately 130 in Europe. <ref name="Multiple TRANSIT Ecovillages report">Kunze, I., Avelino, F., 2015. Social Innovation and the Global Ecovillage Network. Research Report, TRANSIT: EU SSH.2013.3.2-1 Grant agreement no: 613169.</ref>
GEN today lists more than 1000 local ecovillage projects and networks worldwide , among them approximately 130 in Europe <ref name="Multiple TRANSIT Ecovillages report">Kunze, I., Avelino, F., 2015. Social Innovation and the Global Ecovillage Network. Research Report, TRANSIT: EU SSH.2013.3.2-1 Grant agreement no: 613169.</ref>, a number slightly lower than the number mentioned by GEN Europe, that includes 41 projects (aspiring to become ecovillages) and 50 Ecovillages <ref>https://gen-europe.org/about-us/ecovillages/index.htm, accessed on June 21st 2018</ref>, but much lower than the 430 community projects identified in 2014 by The independent Eurotopia-Directory <ref>Wurfel, M. (Ed.), 2014. Eurotopia: living in community : directory of communities and ecovillages in Europe. Würfel, Sieben Linden</ref>. ECOLISE maps currently 57 ecovillages <ref>http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/, accessed on June 21st 2018</ref>.
Within Europe there are several regional networks, such as the [https://www.balticecovillages.net/home/index.htm Baltic Ecovillage Network (BEN)] and the [http://rie.ecovillage.org/inicio/ RIE, the Red Ibérica de Ecoaldeas] which includes projects in Spain and Portugal. National networks are very widespread in Europe as shown by the [http://genfinland.weebly.com SUSTAINABLE LIVING COMMUNITIES OF FINLAND], the National Network GEN Hungary <ref>https://gen-europe.org/about-us/national-networks/index.htm. Accessed on May 24th 2018</ref> and [http://ecovillaggi.it RIVE], the Italian national network. Outside Europe, GEN is strong in Africa, Latin America and Asia <ref name="Multiple TRANSIT Ecovillages report"/>.
Within the GEN Europe there are 41 projects (aspiring to become ecovillages), and 50 Ecovillages (to confirm with GEN-EU) <ref>https://gen-europe.org/about-us/ecovillages/index.htm</ref>
The independent Eurotopia-Directory on communities in Europe 2014 lists 430 different kinds of community projects including a hard to define number of ecovillages in Europe. <ref>Wurfel, M. (Ed.), 2014. Eurotopia: living in community : directory of communities and ecovillages in Europe. Würfel, Sieben Linden.</ref>
Within Europe, there are several regional and national networks: Baltic, etc...
[https://www.balticecovillages.net/home/index.htm Baltic Ecovillage Network (BEN)]
[http://rie.ecovillage.org/inicio/ RIE, the Red Ibérica de Ecoaldeas] which includes projects in Spain and Portugal.
The ecovillages in Finland are organized in the National Network [http://genfinland.weebly.com GEN Finland SKEY - SUSTAINABLE LIVING COMMUNITIES OF FINLAND].
The ecovillages in Hungary are organized in the National Network GEN Hungary.<ref>https://gen-europe.org/about-us/national-networks/index.htm. Accessed on May 24th 2018</ref>
[http://ecovillaggi.it RIVE], the national network Rete Italiana Villaggi Ecologic
Outside Europe, GEN is strong in the Global South: in Africa, Latin America and Asia. The Senegalese government even set up a ministry for ecovillages fostering the evolution of traditional villages into ecovillages. <ref name="Multiple TRANSIT Ecovillages report"/>
While [http://findhorn.cc Findhorn intentional community], founded in 1962 and harbouring nearly 500 people, [http://www.solheimar.is/en Sólheimar] is one of the oldest communities in Europe. Founded in 1930 it is today a village with 100 inhabitants focusing on social, artistic and ecological aspects of sustainability <ref>http://www.solheimar.is/en. Accessed on May 28th 2018</ref>.
At ECOLISE map only 57 <ref>http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/</ref>
The [http://findhorn.cc Findhorn intentional community], founded in 1962 comprises an experiment in conscious living for 500 people guided by its core values of the [http://findhorn.cc/about/core-values Common Ground Agreement], the spiritual and education centre [https://www.findhorn.org Findhorn Foundation] and an [https://www.ecovillagefindhorn.com ecovillage].
[http://www.solheimar.is/en Sólheimar] is one of the oldest communities in Europe. Founded in 1930 it is today a village with 100 inhabitants focusing on social, artistic and ecological aspects of sustainability.<ref>http://www.solheimar.is/en. Accessed on May 28th 2018</ref>
[http://ecodorpennetwerk.nl Ecodorpen Netwerk Nederland]
The ecovillages in Norway are organized in [https://okosamfunn.no Norske Økosamfunn Forening (NOF)]
== Transition in Europe ==
Globally 934 initiatives and 26 Hubs <ref name ="Multiple TN Map website">https://transitionnetwork.org/transition-near-me/</ref>
Globally there are 934 local initiatives and 26 national or regional Hubs registered within [[Transition Network]] <ref name ="Multiple TN Map website">https://transitionnetwork.org/transition-near-me/, accessed in June 21st 2018</ref>. In Europe we can find nearly 630 initiatives <ref>http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/, accessed in June 21st 2018</ref> and 18 Hubs <ref name ="Multiple TN Map website"/>. While Transition hubs tend to form at various levels of scale to catalyse and support Transition, local initiatives are groups of local people who come together to design and implement collective sustainable to regenerative solutions in their area.
More than 630 initiatives <ref>http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/</ref>
18 Hubs <ref name ="Multiple TN Map website"/>
Transition hubs form at various levels of scale to catalyse and support Transition.
The first and oldest is [[Transition Town Totnes]] which was launched in 2006 and is home to [[Transition Network]] that coordinates and supports the [[Transition movement]] since 2007. Transition was quickly adopted in communities across Britain before spreading to other countries in the world.
Initiatives are groups of local people who come together to change their area.
The Hubs are usually national networks as shown by [http://transitionitalia.it Transition Italia] (Italy), [http://intranzitie.org România În Tranziţie] (Romania) and [http://www.reddetransicion.org Red de Transición (RedT)] (Spain). However, hubs can be informal and support territorial units crossing existing national/political borders, such as TINI, the national umbrella organisation for Transition Ireland & Northern Ireland, which is currently operation as an is an informal network with a Facebook page<ref> https://www.facebook.com/TINIreland/. Accessed on June 11th 2018</ref>. Also, some national hubs can by supported by existing organisations such as the Luxembourg case, which is supported by [https://cell.lu CELL, the Centre for Ecological Learning Luxembourg].
[[Transition Town Totnes]] in Southwest England was the world's first local Transition initiative, launched in 2006. Totnes is also home to [[Transition Network]], coordination and support organisation for the [[Transition movement]] since 2007, and the two organisations share an office in the town. Spreading initially by word-of-mouth through [[permaculture]] and other sustainability networks, Transition was quickly adopted in communities across Britain before spreading to other countries in the world.
TINI, the national umbrella organisation for Transition Ireland & Northern Ireland, is currently operation as an is an informal network with a Facebook page<ref> https://www.facebook.com/TINIreland/. Accessed on June 11th 2018</ref> and plans to re-develop the website and organisation structure.<ref> http://transitionmonaghan.org/transition-ireland-northern-ireland/. Accessed on June 11th 2018</ref>
[http://transitionitalia.it Transition Italia]
The national Transition Movement in Luxembourg is supported by [https://cell.lu CELL, the Centre for Ecological Learning Luxembourg],
While there are 4 initiatives listed on the international Transition Network<ref> https://transitionnetwork.org/transition-near-me/initiatives/. Accessed on June 10th 2018</ref> the Dutch Transition Town network lists 41 self-registered projects in different phases of development including 2 official Transition Towns (Groningen and Denveter).<ref> https://www.transitiontowns.nl/lokale-initiatieven/overzicht/. Accessed on June 11th 2018</ref>
A national hub [http://intranzitie.org România În Tranziţie]
The national hub [http://www.reddetransicion.org Red de Transición (RedT)]
== Permaculture in Europe ==
The [https://www.permaculture.org.uk Permaculture Association] was set up as a charitable unincorporated association in 1983 and in 2006 registered as a charity in England<ref> https://www.permaculture.org.uk/permaculture-association/history. Accessed on June 4th 2018</ref>
The [[LAND Network]] of permaculture learning and demonstration sites run by the [[Permaculture Assocation (Britain)]] includes 115 registered projects in England and around thirty others in Scotland and Wales.<ref>https://www.permaculture.org.uk/land. Accessed May 28th 2018.</ref> According to Andy Goldring, chair of the association, this comprises only a small fraction of the projects that actually exist, with substantial numbers of unregistered projects in cities such as Leeds (ten or more) and Bristol (fifty or more); the actual number of community-level permaculture projects in Britain is probably around 500-800.<ref>Andy Goldring, personal communication, May 2nd 2018.</ref>
== Solidarity Economy Projects in Europe ==
Solidarity Economy, whose number of initiatives count to more than two million and growing fast during the last decade <ref>Troisi, R., di Sisto, M. & Castagnola, A. "Social & Solidarity Economy as Development Approach for Sustainability (SSEDAS) - Final Report. (2015)</ref>.
Solidarity Economy initiatives count to more than two million worldwide and growing fast during the last decade <ref>Troisi, R., di Sisto, M. & Castagnola, A. "Social & Solidarity Economy as Development Approach for Sustainability (SSEDAS) - Final Report. (2015)</ref>. The [[SUSY report]] of 2015 on Social and Solidarity Economy indicates that while solidarity economy gained ground tremendously after the crisis of 2008, it is still a very young sector with most of the projects founded after 2012. <ref name="SUSY 2016">Troisi, R., di Sisto, M., Castagnola, A., 2018. [http://www.solidarityeconomy.eu/fileadmin/Media/_Global/PositionPaper/SUSY_research_Report_Full_310517.pdf ''Transformative economy: Challenges and limits of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) in 55 territories in Europe and in the World.''] Sustainable and Solidarity Economy, Firenze.</ref>
The [[SUSY report]] of 2015 on Social and Solidarity Economy indicates that while solidarity economy gained ground tremendously after the crisis of 2008, it is still a very young sector with most of the projects founded after 2012. <ref name="SUSY 2016">Troisi, R., di Sisto, M., Castagnola, A., 2018. [http://www.solidarityeconomy.eu/fileadmin/Media/_Global/PositionPaper/SUSY_research_Report_Full_310517.pdf ''Transformative economy: Challenges and limits of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) in 55 territories in Europe and in the World.''] Sustainable and Solidarity Economy, Firenze.</ref>
== Commmunity Energy Projects in Europe ==
== Community Food Production in Europe ==
Within Community Food Production we are considering Community Supported Agriculture projects, Self-Sufficiency projects as well as Community gardens. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is defined by the European CSA Research Group in 2015 as "a direct partnership between a group of consumers and producer(s) whereby the risks, responsibilities and rewards of farming activities are shared through long-term agreements."
'''Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Europe'''
According to [http://urgenci.net URGENCI], the International Network for Community Supported Agriculture, the first CSA-like initiatives in Switzerland were founded in 1978 (Les Jardins de Cocagne) and 1982 (La Clé des Champs), but the majority of todays CSA initiatives dates from 2007 or later. URGENCI's 2015 report on community-supported-agriculture in Europe documented CSA activity in 21 European countries and recorded 2,783 initiatives producing food for almost half a million people. When CSA-like initiatives like the French [[Jardins de Cocagne]] and all Italian GAS are also taken in account, these number rise to approximately 6,300 initiatives and one million consumers.<ref name="URGENCI CSA Report">Volz, P., Weckenbrock, P., Cressot, N. & Parot, J., 2016. [https://urgenci.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Overview-of-Community-Supported-Agriculture-in-Europe.pdf ''Overview of Community Supported Agriculture in Europe'']</ref> The same study found that these initiatives range from "fully democratic associations of farmers and consumers, through cooperatives of self employed farmers with volunteers, to more conventional firms supported by subscribers.<ref name="URGENCI CSA Report" />
Community Supported Agriculture initiatives in Europe are already approximately 6.300 <ref>Volz, P., Weckenbrock, P., Cressot, N. & Parot, J. European CSA Research Group (2016): Overview of Community Supported Agriculture in Europe. (2016)</ref>
According to [http://urgenci.net URGENCI], the International Network for Community Supported Agriculture, the first CSA-like initiative in Switzerland were started as early as 1978 (Les Jardins de Cocagne) and 1982 (La Clé des Champs) but the majority of todays CSA groups were founded after 2007.
According to [http://urgenci.net URGENCI], the International Network for Community Supported Agriculture, the first CSA in the Netherlands were established in 1994 with the movement increasing in recent years and changing from farmer based projects aiming for solidarity to more and more initiatives by city people looking for more sustainability and transparency in food production. The URGENCI report "Overview of Community Supported Agriculture in Europe" names 47 known initiatives in 2015, ranging from " fully-democratic associations of farmers and eaters, through cooperatives of self employed farmers with volunteers, to regular firms with subscribers".<ref>Volz, P., Weckenbrock, P., Cressot, N. & Parot, J. European CSA Research Group (2016): Overview of Community Supported Agriculture in Europe. https://urgenci.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Overview-of-Community-Supported-Agriculture-in-Europe.pdf. Accessed on June 7th 2018</ref>
According to [http://urgenci.net URGENCI], the International Network for Community Supported Agriculture, Austria has the highest share of organically cultivated area worldwide.
According to [http://urgenci.net URGENCI], the International Network for Community Supported Agriculture, the first CSA initiatives in Greece was started in 1995 and then more after 2010 in response to the crisis. The URGENCI report "Overview of Community Supported Agriculture in Europe" names 7 known initiatives providing for up to 2.400 people in 2015. The legal status of CSA in Greece is unclear which leads to a relatively slow development of CSA initiatives, even though there is a "s''urge of citizens' groups trying to tackle food in different ways, (... like) box-schemes, collective-buying groups, no-intermediaries markets, social solidarity grocery stores, non-profit supermarkets (...)''".<ref>Volz, P., Weckenbrock, P., Cressot, N. & Parot, J. European CSA Research Group (2016): Overview of Community Supported Agriculture in Europe. https://urgenci.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Overview-of-Community-Supported-Agriculture-in-Europe.pdf. Accessed on June 7th 2018</ref>
[[Category:Transferred to CfF wiki]]
A wide diversity and growing number of community-led initiatives (CLIs) can be found all across Europe, with documented histories in some cases of over 50 years. Initiatives associated with the Transition, Permaculture and Ecovillage movements, along with Community energy, Solidarity economy and various forms of community food initiative are found across the whole of Europe, though distribution of particular networks can be clustered and/or patchy. Despite significant recent research effort, the full numbers, nature, scope and impacts of CLIs in Europe are not yet documented or established.
1 Nature and Diversity of Community-Led Initiatives in Europe
Nature and Diversity of Community-Led Initiatives in Europe
According to findings of the TESS research project on community-led initiatives (CLIs), CLIs in Europe tend to be created in order to advance environmental and/or social dimenions of sustainability on the environmental and social dimensions. In a survey of members of CLIs from six European countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Scotland and Spain), more than ninety percent of respondents reported that the most important goal of community action for them was one of the following:[1]
Providing opportunities for social interaction
Using natural resources more efficiently
Combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Promoting more sustainable behaviour, life styles and social practices
Many CLIs are connected with specific networks, and some of these networks have particular strengths in or focus upon specific domains are activities, it is very common for a single initiative to operate simultaneously in multiple domains of activity. Among 63 initiatives surveyed in TESS, nearly fifty per cent were active in the domain of food, 38 per cent in waste, 28 percent on transport and 27 per cent on energy.[1]
Key networks of CLIs in Europe include the Transition movement, Ecovillages, Permaculture movement, Community energy, Solidarity economy, Degrowth, Community-supported agriculture (CSA) and Slow food. These networks have many historical and present-day associations, with overlap, intersection and collaboration all common. Many can be regarded as some form or another of commoning movement, where communities of co-users or other stakeholders self-organise to create and implement appropriate governance and management mechanisms.[2] Many Transition initiatives and projects adopt methodologies from permaculture and solidarity economy, initiate community energy or CSA projects, and act as examples of degrowth in practice. Since 2014, ecovillage, permaculture and transition networks have formally collaborated at European level as the ECOLISE meta-network. These connections within and across networks promote the translocal mobilisation of social movements called for by, for example, researcher Flor Avelino as a strategy for collective nurturing and empowerment.[3]
Regarding their legal status, the majority of the 63 CLIs studied within TESS were cooperatives, with different organisational forms evenly distributed among the six countries involved.[1] Nearly a quarter of TESS case study initiatives had no formal legal organisation. Governance procedures vary in their degree of formality: some CLIs deploy structured decision-making process such as general assemblies and committees, some base decision-making on full participation and consensus.
Taking TESS project sampling as potential representative of CLIs in Europe, most were created around 2010, in the early times of the financial crisis, with nearly a quarter of the studied initiatives having more than 14 years of existence and another quarter being created between 2012 and 2016, showing an acceleration of initiatives being created [1]. Some of the oldest initiatives we know of are the Findhorn intentional community, ecovillage in the UK that was founded in 1962 and the Les Jardins de Cocagne and a first CSA-like initiative in Switzerland that started as early as 1978.
An assessment of number of CLIs in Europe is difficult and depends strongly on the sources we use. Not only each network might register and map a very different number of initiatives on their national and global maps, but also different mapping exercises come out with different numbers per network and country. However, based on the ECOLISE map for Transition movement, Ecovillages and Permaculture movement we already reach 1000 initiatives in Europe [4]. Adding the 250 Community energy initiatives [5], two million Solidarity economy organisations [6] and nearly 2800 Community Supported Agriculture alike initiatives, we can start understanding the dimension of these movements in Europe.
TESS project realised that most of CLI projects are either acting at the NUT3 spacial scale (city/municipality level) or SubNUTS3 (village, neighbourhood), with an almost equal share [1]
Number of CLI at ECOLISE website (including only initiatives from the Transition, Permaculture and Ecovillage movement) [7],
In some European countries (such as Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina) there is currently an absence of CLI in the terms we know it (definitions and concepts). However, this gap needs further inquiry and ECOLISE is actively searching to understand and connect with partners, institutions and people that are able share and learn together the knowledge and experience between these countries and the ones are currently connected within ECOLISE.
GEN today lists more than 1000 local ecovillage projects and networks worldwide , among them approximately 130 in Europe [8], a number slightly lower than the number mentioned by GEN Europe, that includes 41 projects (aspiring to become ecovillages) and 50 Ecovillages [9], but much lower than the 430 community projects identified in 2014 by The independent Eurotopia-Directory [10]. ECOLISE maps currently 57 ecovillages [11]. Within Europe there are several regional networks, such as the Baltic Ecovillage Network (BEN) and the RIE, the Red Ibérica de Ecoaldeas which includes projects in Spain and Portugal. National networks are very widespread in Europe as shown by the SUSTAINABLE LIVING COMMUNITIES OF FINLAND, the National Network GEN Hungary [12] and RIVE, the Italian national network. Outside Europe, GEN is strong in Africa, Latin America and Asia [8].
While Findhorn intentional community, founded in 1962 and harbouring nearly 500 people, Sólheimar is one of the oldest communities in Europe. Founded in 1930 it is today a village with 100 inhabitants focusing on social, artistic and ecological aspects of sustainability [13].
Globally there are 934 local initiatives and 26 national or regional Hubs registered within Transition Network [14]. In Europe we can find nearly 630 initiatives [15] and 18 Hubs [14]. While Transition hubs tend to form at various levels of scale to catalyse and support Transition, local initiatives are groups of local people who come together to design and implement collective sustainable to regenerative solutions in their area.
The first and oldest is Transition Town Totnes which was launched in 2006 and is home to Transition Network that coordinates and supports the Transition movement since 2007. Transition was quickly adopted in communities across Britain before spreading to other countries in the world.
The Hubs are usually national networks as shown by Transition Italia (Italy), România În Tranziţie (Romania) and Red de Transición (RedT) (Spain). However, hubs can be informal and support territorial units crossing existing national/political borders, such as TINI, the national umbrella organisation for Transition Ireland & Northern Ireland, which is currently operation as an is an informal network with a Facebook page[16]. Also, some national hubs can by supported by existing organisations such as the Luxembourg case, which is supported by CELL, the Centre for Ecological Learning Luxembourg.
Solidarity Economy initiatives count to more than two million worldwide and growing fast during the last decade [26]. The SUSY report of 2015 on Social and Solidarity Economy indicates that while solidarity economy gained ground tremendously after the crisis of 2008, it is still a very young sector with most of the projects founded after 2012. [27]
According to URGENCI, the International Network for Community Supported Agriculture, the first CSA-like initiatives in Switzerland were founded in 1978 (Les Jardins de Cocagne) and 1982 (La Clé des Champs), but the majority of todays CSA initiatives dates from 2007 or later. URGENCI's 2015 report on community-supported-agriculture in Europe documented CSA activity in 21 European countries and recorded 2,783 initiatives producing food for almost half a million people. When CSA-like initiatives like the French Jardins de Cocagne and all Italian GAS are also taken in account, these number rise to approximately 6,300 initiatives and one million consumers.[30] The same study found that these initiatives range from "fully democratic associations of farmers and consumers, through cooperatives of self employed farmers with volunteers, to more conventional firms supported by subscribers.[30]
↑ Bollier, D., & S. Helfrich (eds.), 2012. The Wealth of the Commons. Amherst, MA: Levellers Press
↑ Avelino, F., 2018. Time to ignite the power of Translocal social movements. http://www.thebrokeronline.eu/Blogs/Inclusive-Economy-Europe/Time-to-ignite-the-power-of-translocal-social-movements. Accessed October 7th 2018.
↑ https://www.rescoop.eu/, accessed on June 21st 2018
↑ http://www.solidarityeconomy.eu accessed on June 21st 2018
↑ http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/, accessed on June 21st 2018
↑ https://gen-europe.org/about-us/ecovillages/index.htm, accessed on June 21st 2018
↑ Wurfel, M. (Ed.), 2014. Eurotopia: living in community : directory of communities and ecovillages in Europe. Würfel, Sieben Linden
↑ 14.0 14.1 https://transitionnetwork.org/transition-near-me/, accessed in June 21st 2018
↑ http://www.ecolise.eu/map-of-initiatives/, accessed in June 21st 2018
↑ 30.0 30.1 Volz, P., Weckenbrock, P., Cressot, N. & Parot, J., 2016. Overview of Community Supported Agriculture in Europe
Transferred to CfF wiki


text:
State retirees angry about dental insurance hikes
Dean Olsen
Aug 31, 2009 at 12:01 AM Aug 31, 2009 at 2:28 AM
Retired state workers are angry, but Gov. Pat Quinn's administration still plans to impose modest monthly premiums for retiree dental insurance beginning Oct. 1. The plan will save the state $12 million a year, officials say. Until now, state retirees didn't have to pay premiums for dental coverage. The new premiums — $11 monthly for members, $17 for a member and one dependent, and $19.50 for members plus two or more dependents — are the same amounts paid by active employees.
Retired state workers are angry, but Gov. Pat Quinn's administration still plans to impose modest monthly premiums for retiree dental insurance beginning Oct. 1
The plan will save the state $12 million a year, officials say.
"People are literally sticking their hands in my pocket and taking money without my permission," Dennis Russell, 56, a Springfield resident who retired from the state in 2005, said Friday. "It's just not right."
Alka Nayyar, spokeswoman for Quinn's Department of Central Management Services, said imposing dental premiums on retirees is "one of the many tough decisions the governor has had to make to help cut costs and get the state's financial situation back on track."
Until now, state retirees didn't have to pay premiums for dental coverage. The new premiums — $11 monthly for members, $17 for a member and one dependent, and $19.50 for members plus two or more dependents — are the same amounts paid by active employees.
76,000 affected
Retirees must notify the state by Sept. 18 if they want to drop their dental coverage. The premiums will affect about 76,000 state retirees, their dependents and survivors nationwide. Figures for Illinois itself were unavailable.
In addition to those enrolled through the State Employees' Retirement System, people affected by the new premiums include retired university employees, judges and lawmakers. Downstate teachers also are covered by a state pension arrangement, but they do not have dental coverage.
Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents or used to represent the largest chunk of retirees affected by the change, believes new premiums must be bargained.
AFSCME has filed a grievance against the premiums, but it's unclear whether that will prevent the premiums from taking effect.
"The union had no warning of this policy change, and we will use contractual, legal and other tools to attempt to reverse this action by the Quinn administration," Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer said in a statement posted on AFSCME's Web site.
Nayyar said CMS will respond to the grievance in the "proper forum."
Promises not kept
Christine Groves, 62, a Springfield resident who retired from the Department of Revenue, said state officials made promises during meetings with workers who were considering early retirement in 2002.
"They said our benefits would never change," she said. "That was repeated often. That was part of the bill of goods that was sold to get us to leave."
She said the planned dental premiums are "not a lot of money," but could pave the way for more efforts by state officials to erode retiree benefits.
Nayyar wouldn't address Groves' allegations about any promises made in 2002, when Republican Gov. George Ryan was in office.
Neither Nayyar nor Quinn spokesman Bob Reed would say whether Quinn has plans for more cost increases or changes in health benefits for retirees or active employees.
Nayyar said the dental premiums will "bring in additional revenue while equalizing the costs borne between active and retired members or their survivors."
Russell, a former CMS information-systems analyst, responded: "Excuse me, but I'm not a state worker anymore. When we retire, we figure all of those benefits, and that's a major consideration on whether we can afford to retire or not."
Russell and Groves said in separate interviews that the premiums wouldn't be a financial hardship for their families, but might strain some retirees' budgets.
Premiums a surprise
The premiums were a surprise for retirees who were informed through letters from the state in recent days.
Earlier this year, Quinn proposed a range of state health-insurance cost increases — some of them steep — for active employees and retirees to help resolve what now is considered to be a $5 billion budget deficit for fiscal 2010.
But the governor later dropped that plan. The dental premiums for retirees weren't part of that plan, which never received a vote in the General Assembly.
State Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, said his staff is fielding complaints from retirees about the dental premiums. Bomke said he sympathizes with them, but doesn't want to criticize Quinn for trying to deal with the fallout of a lingering national recession.
"He's got a tough decision to make," Bomke said.
The dental premiums are modest compared with those paid by most area workers and retirees outside of state government, according to employee-benefits consultant Drew Davis, president of Davis Financial Group in Springfield.
If dental insurance is offered at all, most private-sector employees and retirees pay up to four times more than the state premiums, Davis said, adding that the state dental plan is "pretty attractive" in terms of the services covered and levels of coverage.
Dean Olsen can be reached at (217) 788-1543 or dean.olsen@sj-r.com.
Payment delays
Without a tax increase or some other new revenue source, dental and many medical bills for state workers and retirees could take as long as 13 months to be paid, a state spokeswoman said.
"The state is desperately in need of new revenue sources if we're going to be able to make sure that claims are paid on time," said Annie Thompson, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
The state's ongoing fiscal crisis has resulted in delays of up to six months in paying health-care claims processed for the state by Philadelphia-based Cigna Corp., she said.
Because the state budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 underfunds state health coverage by $600 million — or 46 percent — delays in paying all medical and dental bills through Cigna are expected to increase to 400 days as the fiscal year goes on, Thompson said.
State government is considered "self-insured" for the health-care bills it pays through Cigna. Cigna processes claims for the state and doesn't provide its own health insurance.
As a result, the state has more power to slow down the payment cycle and stretch limited state tax dollars, Thompson said.
It currently takes in-network Cigna providers six months to get paid. The average delay for out-of-network Cigna providers is eight months, and the average delay in paying dentists is three months, Thompson said.
Of the 189,000 state workers, retirees and dependents covered by state-funded health coverage plans, 82,000 people — the largest single chunk — have their medical bills paid through Cigna.
The rest receive coverage through insurance products purchased by the state from companies and organizations that include Health Alliance, Personal Care, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Humana, UniCare and HealthLink, Thompson said.
At least for now, the state has been able to continue monthly premium payments to those groups, and claims filed by those groups have been paid on a more timely basis than Cigna claims, Thompson said.
--Dean Olsen