Operating firmly outside the limelight, with an attitude that tilts more towards the can-do than the could-do, these disruptive forces are, each in their own little ways, re-thinking society's more pressing challenges and, more importantly, bringing tangible and actionable solutions to them. These are the people walking the walk, the people developing social and educational blueprints for the future, the people making a difference for generations to come.
Photography by Joke De Wilde (c).
Jessica (1970) is founder and editor-in-chief of Girls Like Us, an independent magazine that shines a light on women issues. She also runs Girls Heart Brussels, a yearly weekend for women in our country's capital.
What core issues do you aim to address with Girls Like Us and Girls Heart Brussels?
With both projects I aim to create more visibility for women – queer or not – and give them a platform where they can express themselves creatively while straying away from the clichés and stereotypes that mainstream media, unfortunately, still love to present. Being queer is more than just rainbow flags and pride parades. I believe there are many other women out there who, like me, don't recognise themselves in these, which is why Girls Heart Brussels and Girls Like Us offer a message that deviates from this standard, content-wise as well as aesthetically.
Can you explain the concept of Girls Heart Brussels?
Visit.Brussels (the city's tourism office) came to me and suggested I organise a weekend for queer women in Brussels. At that point, they mainly catered to gay men, with a focus on big events and parties, such as La Demence. There were barely any initiatives for (LGBT/queer) women. So initially, they expected me to organise a huge event, such as an enormous club night for women combined with a hotel deal. Eventually I was able to persuade them that a cultural event is the better way to go, if only because Brussels counts quite a lot of female artists. That's how Girls Heart Brussels became a bi-annual cultural weekend for women linked to an existing event such as Art Brussels or Pink Screens.
Was it difficult to convince city officials?
Girls Heart Brussels is now fully backed and financed by Bianca Debaets, the state secretary for equal chances. Nonetheless, I keep noticing that political actors tend to be reluctant to support projects that are more "niche". Politically, it's easier to endorse a huge event such as a Gay Pride than a micro-project such as mine, simply for the visibility aspect. But today's world isn't as uniform, there's a lot of fragmentation within different movements.
How political is your message?
Girls Like Us has clearly become more feminist over the years, with a message that caters to women in general rather than solely to queer ones. Fifteen years ago I was editor-in-chief and founder of a Dutch magazine called KUTT, whose message was clearly ultra-lesbian. But I feel like I've moved on from that, Girls Like Us being proof.
Being queer is more than just rainbow flags and pride parades.
How have you seen LGBTQ media evolve?
Back when I started out in media and publishing, the new-feminism wave was inexistent, and the same goes for lesbian women's visibility in the media. If they got any, it was most likely a very heteronormative message, often including butch-looking women. But now, fifteen years later, things have changed immensely. I'm not sure if I can call these mainstream platforms, but bigger media such as Dazed & Confused, i-D and VICE's Broadly all share content that's more diverse, refreshing and unconventional, in a manner representative of today's queers.
Is there a specific message you'd like to share with future generations eager to fight for queer rights?
I'd say that there's a lot of work that still needs to be done. Nothing is a given. I'm astounded time and time again how little has changed for women when you look at the big picture. I wish for future generations to quit focussing on and glorifying the ego. Don't try to be the next Picasso, or the next Alexander Wang or whatever. Do your own thing, and do it collectively, with as many like-minded people as you possibly can find.
Bénédicte (1977) is director of Mentor-Escale, a Brussels-based non-profit that aims to promote the well-being of unaccompanied foreign minors.
Which core issues does Mentor-Escale aim to tackle?
We offer our assistance to unaccompanied foreign minors, supporting them in their journey to become active citizens. That's our core mission. Our actions progress along with the developments in the political world. Something we're actively working on at the moment is the accompaniment of teenagers to get out of the different centres they end up in after arriving in our country.
How exactly does this process happen?
Often these teenagers are recognised as refugees rather quickly, which means they have two months to leave their centre and find their own place to live. They have to get by all by themselves, but often they're kids who are barely 16 years old, who have to live in a private studio, go to school and have an advanced level of autonomy we would never ask of our own children of a similar age. And we're talking here about teens who don't speak our country's languages and who come from an extremely different world. We to try and work with them so they can find the self-empowerment to put their talents to use, help them understand how Belgian society works. There's a multidisciplinary team of social workers and pedagogical professionals that comes in at that point. Every unaccompanied minor arrives here with different situations. Some don't have banks in their country, so we teach them how to open a bank account, how cash dispensers work, how the CPAS/OCMW can help them financially while they're still in school – that sort of stuff. It's a support system that tries as much as it can to provide individual accompaniment.
What are the biggest difficulties foreign unaccompanied minors face?
It depends from case to case, but what remains a big issue to tackle is education. Secondary school education is compulsory in Belgium, which obliges unaccompanied foreign minors to find a school as fast as possible. Meaning they often end up in schools that don't conform to their needs. That's why we constantly need to build bridges with different schools, to help them understand what an unaccompanied foreign minor is exactly. It's no surprise that for these youngsters, language is the biggest challenge. At first they're placed in a special class to learn Dutch or French, but often their language skills aren't on point yet when they leave this class, hindering their further education. Society asks them to go to school as fast as possible, but in reality they often need more time. In many cases they've been through heavy traumas, which makes it more important to first create a confidence between the country and the minor.
It's a whole lot cheaper for the state to offer unaccompanied foreign minors adequate coaching than having to pay long-term medical costs, or long-term unemployment benefits.
How do they end up here?
We don't necessarily ask the minors to tell us where they came from, nor why they came. For us, they are refugees recognised by the Belgian state. We'll try to put in place a relationship of mutual trust, and then, after a while, they'll tell us their story. Many come from countries that are currently involved in heavily armed conflicts, such as Syria and Afghanistan. But we also get some from Eritrea, where the current authoritarian government causes an entire generation of young people to leave the country.
Is there a message you'd like to share with Belgian citizens eager to do their part in helping unaccompanied foreign minors?
There's definitely work to be done, and various ways to help. For one, foster families can take in an unaccompanied foreign minor, mostly the youngest ones amongst them, who are under 14 years of age. Any citizen who feels engaged and motivated to do so can apply to become a guardian to an unaccompanied foreign minor. Then there's also a newly developed system of sponsorship. Solitude is often a big issue for these teens, they get home after school and find themselves all alone. The nights can be long. At its core, I'd love for people to realise that unaccompanied foreign minors are completely torn away from their country. What they want is to feel safe, create a new home, a new family, and find new friends. But unfortunately there's still a negative image attached to the term refugee.
How could this image be changed?
They should be given a voice in the media. We have some teenagers who would be open and ready to speak to the press, but we can't go about contacting hundreds of journalists time and time again. I'd love to try and work on this with a group of minors, to see how they could share their story. But the link with the press is imperative. A few photography exhibitions at the local library won't alter people's perceptions of unaccompanied foreign minors. We have to humanise the term. For many, it is still too abstract of a term.
What kind of contributions do you expect from the political world?
It's crucial we talk about the specificity of unaccompanied foreign minors. Every sector should have sufficient knowledge of who they are, how to help them and how to be attentive towards them. And nobody should forget that, in the end, they're children. There are, unfortunately, few organisations in Belgium working towards autonomy of unaccompanied foreign minors. But structures such as Mentor-Escale are indispensable, to intervene at a key point in these children's lives, to give them the tools they need to become active citizens, and, most importantly, to feel good in our country. Otherwise they might end up completely lost, or even in psychiatric care. It's a whole lot cheaper for the state to offer unaccompanied foreign minors adequate coaching than having to pay long-term medical costs, or long-term unemployment benefits.
Sofie (1988) is a former policy assistant at the European Parliament, who founded Toekomstatelier de l'Avenir (TADA) in 2012, an educational project providing voluntary Saturday schooling to underprivileged children.
Which core issue do you aim to address with TADA?
TADA's main aim is to counter educational inequality specifically, and integration issues in general. We invite children aged 10-14 that are born into underprivileged homes in the Region of Brussels to take practical courses taught by experts from the professional field – who lend their services on a voluntary basis – in order to introduce these kids to the job market, and into society as a whole.
What are the main causes for concern when it comes to educational inequality today?
Compared to other OECD-countries, Belgium scores catastrophically when it comes to educational inequality. The acuteness of the problem becomes even more clear in the Region of Brussels, where as many as one in three children are born into poverty. What makes matters even worse is the fact that schools simply can't keep up with today's educational demands. Schools no longer just have to teach kids how to read, write and calculate; they now additionally have to make sure their students are multi-skilled, tolerant, empathic, entrepreneurial, multilingual and digitally dextrous. Schools don't have the means to keep up with these demands anymore, and TADA helps give them a push in the back while trying to give as many youngsters as possible equal opportunities.
While we're on the subject of traditional education, is there something you'd like to see differently in schools?
I'd love to see more of an innovative approach to education in Belgium. Students in classrooms are still learning things that were instructed fifty years ago, like for example, learning material about the Siberian tundra, and other things that anyone can easily look up online, while skills such as handling diversity and good citizenship are barely, and in some cases never, touched upon.
You mention Brussels being a Region with particularly acute needs. What makes it different from other Belgian cities?
Poverty, for one. But what makes matters even more difficult in Brussels are the many different languages people speak, hindering integration. It's not rare to see a student speak one language at home, another one with his friends and a third one in class. In the long-term, multilingualism proves to be incredibly enriching but during the formative years you'll often see these children having difficulties with all of these languages.
The situation in French-speaking schools located in the more impoverished neighbourhoods of our capital could easily be compared to schools in Colombian ghettos.
What triggered your interest in educational inequality?
Back when I was working for the European Parliament I followed educational matters closely. I had lived in Brussels for a while already and knew how disastrous the situation was. Back then the number of school dropouts could be compared to those in Greece. I recently read an article by Dirk Jacobs, a social scientist at ULB, in which he stated that the situation in French-speaking schools located in the more impoverished neighbourhoods of our capital could easily be compared to schools in Colombian ghettos. The situation isn't getting any better. In any case, that's how I came into contact with IMC Weekendschool, our Dutch equivalent and TADA's biggest source of inspiration. During a congress in the European Parliament, their founder and I got talking, which is when I came to the conclusion that a similar initiative was indeed in Brussels.
How does TADA work organisation-wise, and what are its biggest challenges at the moment?
TADA is funded with private money from philanthropists, companies and individual gifts. To me this shows the strength of the citizen and society. Up until now we've never laid hands on any government subsidies. TADA can be compared to a fast-growing start-up, encountering problems most start-ups have to deal with at one point or another. Quick growth requires lots of money and lots of volunteers, which requires lots of structural and operational know-how.
Do you expect support from the political world as well?
We would of course be open to that. But TADA will always be an organisation funded, for the most part, with private money, to show the strength of society's citizens. However, if you'd ever want to make a scale of things, I do think it's crucial to have a support structure that's as broad as it can possibly be.
Is there a message you'd like to share with future generations of change-makers battling for equality in education?
Go for it, and start out as a naive optimist. Endure, don't give up. You can move mountains, as long as you're able to find the right people who are ready to strive for the same goal with you. You can make a difference, which is something you should never forget.
Georgios (1976) has been Charleroi's Bouwmeester since 2013, assuming responsibility for the city's overall urban development and visual identity.
What do you do as Bouwmeester, and why does Charleroi need one?
Well, it's important to note that we use the Flemish word Bouwmeester, instead of the French term Maître-architecte. The literal definition of Bouwmeester, which includes 'bouw' or 'construction', comes much closer to what we actually do here. Maître-architecte would imply that all we do is architecture but we go much further than that, making equal use of architecture, graphic design, urban planning and events. We renovate the city with all these disciplines. To give you an immediate example, Charleroi's Google Images' search results used to look pretty tragic. You'd have a look at the first picture and you'd ask yourself "what the hell happened over here?" No one ever thought of taking beautiful photographs of the city. It's also up to us to change these things, making the city more attractive to its virtual visitors and changing the city's image.
A couple of decades ago you left the city and moved to Brussels, stating that you'd never want to stay put in Charleroi. What made you come back?
I indeed swore to leave Charleroi and never come back when I was 18 years old, because that's how you think at that age. I only wanted one thing, and that was to see the world, to discover other cities. Which I did – I worked in Athens (with Aris Zambicos) for three years, and in London (with Zaha Hadid architects) for two years. I wanted to see how these large organisations functionned. Coming back to Charleroi to open my own agency, Reservoir A, seemed like a natural next step. While I could have started one in Brussels, or maybe even anywhere else in the world, I feel Charleroi is more interesting. It's also here that our projects are the most needed.
What is it like to now be politically involved, after having worked for private companies for such a long time?
An architect's work always covers political questions. At these large companies I wasn't yet familiar with the political aspects of things. At an agency you mostly work on a small fraction of a project, which makes it a lot harder to have a global vision of the impact your work has. But every architectural creation is also a political one that touches upon public space. Back at Reservoir A, my associate and I were our own bosses, which forced us to defend our plans, ideas and projects on a political level in order to establish them. This is precisely where things get interesting, when you succeed in proposing a project that goes further than just architectural design, one that will change the lives of a city's inhabitants for the better.
We need to bring the great metropolitan functions back to the city.
So it's a matter of finding a balance between your own artistic vision and the wishes of the political world? How do you keep this balance?
It's not an easy task, that's for sure. It's a continuous challenge of convincing the person in front of you that the solution you propose is the right one and that it's a solution that didn't just pop out of a magic hat, but rather one that's linked to an entire series of political issues. Policymakers should trust us. When the city counsel puts a Bouwmeester team in place, they shouldn't tell us they know better. I'm an architect, so logically I know my trade. My colleague Sébastien Lacomblez is a graphic designer who's been working on graphic identities for years. He knows what he's doing. There needs to be a strong mutual confidence between the political world and us.
What are Charleroi's most urgent needs in terms of urban development today?
In one sentence: we need to bring the great metropolitan functions back to the city. We have to reconstruct the city, recreate a beating heart. We're doing this, for instance, through the renovation of the Palais d'Expositions, a new fine arts museum and by bringing quality housing in the city centre. And the list doesn't limit itself to institutions – public squares and streets are up for substantial renovations too. Just have a look at Place Charles II. Despite being Charleroi's central square, it looks neglected and decrepit. Or the communal square, which resembles a parking lot. In four years these areas will be renovated and it'll be a true breath of fresh air for Carolos. The city centre belongs to everyone, and unfortunately in Charleroi we completely abandoned it at one point. So, one of the most important and compelling tasks we have in front of us is the restructuration of Charleroi's urban plan and territory, to be able to put the right functions back in the right places.
Against whom are you fighting?
It's maybe not a question of fighting against someone but rather a battle with someone. A Bouwmeester isn't supposed to be a warrior, who heads to the battlefield on his own like an idiot. He'll be dead in a matter of minutes. The smart thing to do is to fight the battle collectively, which is why we have to put as many interesting collaborations in place as we possibly can.
To you, what should Charleroi look like in an ideal world?
I've asked myself this question many times already. We'll have one big privilege here because we won't be under the sea. But jokes aside, Charleroi is a topographical city, its landscape took form through its industry, just look at its many slag heaps. It's now up to us – and up to our successors – to use this industrial heritage for the best, to create a new individuality and singularity that allows Carolos to live here in the best possible way.
Tile is artistic director of Antwerp-based cultural centre Het Bos, with Robin and Peter in charge of music programs.
How would you describe Het Bos' core mission and goal?
Tile: In order to correctly describe what we do and who we are you need to know the venue and organisation's history a little bit. We started out in a venue called Scheld'apen 18 years ago. The space was a bit dilapidated, and getting there from the city centre was quite a hassle. It was a DIY-art space, basically, founded by a group of artists eager to do their own thing. Two years ago we had to leave the building, and found Het Bos' current venue with help from the city of Antwerp, in the north of the city centre. Together with the physical move there was a mental need for all of us to relate more to the city, to include the outside world and no longer solely focus on what we were doing ourselves. That's how Het Bos became the cultural house it is today, one that actively tries to connect with its surrounding environment and with city life.
Robin: What makes us different from other cultural venues is, according to me, the fact that the artist takes the central position. Maybe that's because of our history and development, but we're much less product-oriented and commercial. We try to support communities that have trouble finding their place in the city. And while their events might not always attract huge crowds, we are convinced that they deserve attention.
What's the importance of cultural venues such as Het Bos in today's world?
Tile: Up until recently, different artistic disciplines tended to be tightly categorised. You'd have – and this is often still the case – a museum next to a concert hall, next to a restaurant, next to a cinema. Nowadays there's a strong need to relate all of these with each other, to connect these disciplines.
Peter: You'll notice, when looking at our programme, that many events are intertwined and run together. Say a metal concert or a hip hop showcase next to an instrument-building workshop and an exhibition. Those are, to me, the perfect evenings at Het Bos.
How does the organisation work exactly? Your website mentions that Het Bos is constantly looking for volunteers.
Tile: We have a core team of about eight members. Although I do understand why people would think that we're run exclusively by volunteers exactly because of our collective attitude, which we put strongly forward.
How have Antwerp citizens' attitudes towards underground arts and music changed over the years?
Robin: Antwerp has grown considerably. The cultural offer has nearly doubled over the last ten years. Grassroots initiatives play a big role in this, small groups of people hosting their own events all around town, often in unlikely places.
Would you say there's a political statement behind what you do?
Robin: We do engage in public and social debates as much as we can, starting from an artistic point of view. But we're in no way radical or tied to a political party.
Tile: We're not radical, but at a certain point you do have to make radical decisions to protect the organisation's core values. You'll only find vegetarian and organic food at Het Bos, for example, which indeed counts as a statement. While most of us aren't vegetarians, it's still a way for us to draw the line and bring out our philosophy to the outside world. Nonetheless it's hard for me to put a political stamp on things. It just seems so normal to us to be open-minded towards all possible cultures and people.
Peter: We do feel engaged with several issues, of which we want the political world to make a change and for which we want to be a support base. For example, we work together with the children from Linkeroever's asylum centre and organise workshops for them. We give the issues attention, in our way, and that's our form of activism.
That said, is there any support or contribution you expect from the City?
Tile: We receive subsidies, and while what I'm about to say might seem contradictory, I do feel that state subsidies allow us to keep our independence. We're free to take a stand for issues close to our hearts, to make our own decisions, to organise the events we want.
In an ideal world, what will Het Bos look like in, say, ten years?
Peter: In terms of scale we've found the sweet spot already. While the venue isn't enormous, we manage to give room for the ideas and plans we deem relevant.
Robin: I would love to see the amount of lectures and discussion evenings expand. There aren't enough of those in Antwerp at the moment. And I think the entire process of the move to this new building has been quite turbulent… But I'm convinced we're headed in the right direction, as long as we guard this open-mindedness, and as long as we're able to give space to new initiatives. These things require energy, and take time, but are definitely pleasures.
Emilie (1980) started the non-profit Infirmiers de Rue in 2005, bringing basic health care to the homeless and striving to reinsert them in society.
What is Infirmiers de Rue, and what's the organisation's core goal?
Our objective is to reinstall long-term homeless people in a safe housing situation. We're active in Brussels and have a team on the streets, and a team that guides formerly homeless people in their newfound living situation while simultaneously working towards the creation of new housing. This happens in collaboration with the city's communes. Next to all that we aim to raise awareness through lectures and workshops to spread the message in other cities.
How does the process of getting someone off the streets and back into a home take place?
It's a matter of following and guiding a homeless person up until the moment that he or she is placed in either an accompanied accommodation, a studio apartment or even a nursing home and feels comfortable and safe in it. We strongly strive towards the regain of self-confidence, and aim to help the homeless believe that in fact they are worthy of self-care. And then, little by little, they'll gain more autonomy up until the point they're capable of living individually without our additional help. It's a long procedure that can take many years, but we're convinced that it's the way to go in order to end homelessness in Brussels.
So your goal will only be reached when homelessness is eradicated? Do you think it's an achievable end goal?
Yes, although this will happen in stages. For the moment we focus on the most vulnerable ones, those that have been living in the streets for more than eight years. Brussels counts different organisations that concern themselves with the rest of the homeless population. Which means that, if we coordinate properly amongst us all, we can get there. Housing creation plays a big part in this process too, of course, which is the most pressing matter at the moment. If there are enough available roofs, this goal can be reached quite fast.
What can the citizen do in order to help the cause?
Every citizen can, and should, become our partner. It's as simple as reporting when there's a homeless person in the neighbourhood, either through Samusocial (who handles emergencies), or via us. We don't have eyes everywhere, and we need benevolent citizens who turn to us when they see new people living on the streets, or when a homeless person becomes ill. It's a social and civic responsibility, really, one that doesn't demand a lot of engagement yet one that helps us immensely.
It's a long procedure that can take many years, but we're convinced that it's the way to go in order to end homelessness in Brussels.
You mentioned a collaboration with the Region of Brussels and its communes. Is there anything else you expect from the political world?
At the moment, I notice a true will from the city's officials towards the creation of long-term housing for the homeless. What needs to be strengthen, though, are the urbanism laws that allow for housing to be more easily and rapidly available. There's no time to lose. During the time it takes for a new law to be installed we risk having several deaths. We can't allow ourselves to wait much longer, which is why we need to act now.
You've been doing this for ten years, how have you seen the situation evolve?
At the start we told ourselves that it would never be possible to get every homeless person off the streets. That some of them are there by choice. But once you start observing in the field, you notice that nothing is less true. Some of them will only tell themselves that it's a conscious choice, solely because it allows them to survive, something they tell themselves every day because if they won't, it's easy to become suicidal. Once we notice the person regaining confidence and self-esteem, we notice their discourse change too.
And how have people's opinions and attitudes surrounding the issue of homelessness changed?
A year ago other associations still laughed when we stated that the eradication of homelessness is possible. Right now it's really a crucial objective for 2017 to convince everyone, from the citizen to the politician, that, little by little this can and will happen. Someone who doesn't work with the homeless on a day to day basis, who's always been told that they've always been there and that they'll always be there… Of course he or she will believe that this is a fact. It's up to us to encounter as many citizens as possible and convince them that of the contrary, and that we need their help to achieve this.
Mieke (1974) is active at EVA, the world's third largest vegetarian association. She is chairwoman of board of directors and currently lives near Sint-Niklaas where she also pursues vocal jazz.
What is EVA, and what's the organisation's core goal?
We're a vegetarian society based in Ghent, so we logically strive for less meat consumption, for less animal cruelty and a better environment.
How did you end up as chairwoman of EVA's board of directors?
I've been a vegetarian for as long as I can remember. During my studies at Ghent University I discovered EVA and little by little I completely immersed myself into it. Actually it was my straightedge punk ex-boyfriend that, at the time, convinced me to quit consuming meat. And I never turned back. Then, just a couple of months ago, I saw the job opening pass by on Facebook and went for it.
What are the biggest challenges to overcome when it comes to creating a meat-free world?
It used to be challenging to convince people of the simple facts that meat-free diets are better for the environment, in many cases healthier for your body and better for the animals in general. Fortunately, we don't have to do this anymore, because people know. There has been a lot of media attention on the topic and education around vegetarianism and veganism has evolved greatly. You're no longer a pariah when you go out to eat as a vegetarian. What's more difficult nowadays is that you have to convince people that it's easy to be a vegetarian, that it's no longer a hassle. In the minds of many the idea still reigns that a complete meal consists of meat and potatoes… So it's up to us to assure them that a plant-based lifestyle is, in fact, an easy one.
Have you noticed other changes in attitude towards vegetarianism and veganism over the years?
Well, the word veganism generally still carries negative undertones for most people. Vegans are, unfortunately, still seen as freaks, or people think they're weird. It stays, for the most part, a generation issue. There's no use in trying to convince retired people, for example. They probably won't do a 180 at that stage in their lives. But when I look at my son, who's been confronted with vegetarianism since he's been born, I notice that he talks about the issue like an ambassador.
Tobias Leenaert, EVA's founder, always stated that he wanted to promote a vegan lifestyle to people without calling them out for eating meat. Is this still the case? And how successful is this approach?
We indeed try to persuade people with a positive message, which has always been and always will be the red thread in EVA's communication. Diehard vegans have already been convinced ages ago. It's amongst the occasional vegetarians, or so-called flexitarians, that we're able to gain the most. Many small actions make a big one. We're convinced that things need a natural flow to evolve, and of course we hope that those opting for occasional plant-based meals will quickly come to realise the benefits, motivating them to shift towards a completely meat-free lifestyle.
When I look at my son, who's been confronted with vegetarianism since he's been born, I notice that he talks about the issue like an ambassador.
Ghent is supposedly one of the worlds' most veggie-friendly cities, with more restaurants that cater to vegetarian per capita than anywhere else in the world. Is EVA's presence in Ghent a cause or a consequence of this?
I think EVA is partially responsible yes. Ghent has been our home base since 2000, and has always strongly supported restaurants catering to vegetarians. But one is linked to the other, of course. There's a laudable open-mindedness in Ghent, one that doesn't limit itself to restaurants I might add. School cafeterias and other large kitchens have done more than their fair share to contribute to our cause, and have showed themselves adamant in helping to fulfil EVA's cause. Our 'Donderdag Veggiedag' (vegetarian meals in schools and companies every Thursday) concept was met with great enthusiasm. We've worked out entire programs for these large kitchens to show them that it's easy to make vegetarian food in large quantities and that it's definitely not an expensive endeavour.
When is EVA's goal achieved? And would you say this is a realistic goal?
Our work is done when animals stop dying through slaughter. There's a long road ahead of us in order to achieve this. And the world is big, of course. I don't think it's possible to eradicate meat consumption fully, but we can perform miracles through small acts. Which is why associations such as EVA will always be necessary, to come closer and closer to this goal. Notwithstanding that governments also have to pull their weight, for example by promoting research on alternative protein sources, or by supporting initiatives such as 'Donderdag veggiedag' in federal and state-run institutions, or by protecting the farmers and offering them a sustainable alternative too.
What would you say to a next generation of vegans battling for a more plant-based world?
I'd tell them that the last thing to do is to snub people. Which is my personal opinion as well as EVA's. Don't try to convince people by shouting at them, it simply won't work and people will dislike you in the process. The better way to go is to constantly improve your arguments.


Irma is long gone but her effects will be felt for weeks and months to come. We are committed to helping those who have been affected by Hurricane Irma in whatever way we can. From mucking out houses to washing clothes to providing temporary housing, we are helping to begin the process of returning people to normalcy.


I love slalom skiing. Wakeboarding is fine. We even surf behind the ski boat these days. There is something, however, I love about that feeling of creating a big rooster tail, feeling the rhythm, living in that moment. I don't own a boat (I whine about that here sometimes) but I have a good friend who will, if I pout enough, take me for a ski every now and then. This past long weekend we launched the boat on the Fraser River and took a cruise towards Vancouver, had lunch on Rempel Island… and I got out the ski.
Something happens to me when I water ski that rarely happens in the real world. I can truly, for a few brief moments, live in the moment. I'm not thinking about the mortgage or my problems, I don't even care about my family or my finances. All I want to do is cross the wake and lean. I'm not a great slalom skier but I am a decent one and so I don't have to think much about falling or screwing up. I just "am".
About a month ago we went skiing on Alouette Lake during an overnight campout with two of my kids, my ski boat buddy Rod, and a lifelong friend Martin. We woke up Sunday morning and soon realized that no one, not a single person, was on the entire twelve-mile long lake. I put on the ski and dipped into the 72 degree water. Within seconds I was up and began the rhythm, the poetry that is slalom skiing. I was alone on a lake surrounded by mountains on all four sides, the water was glass and warm. I was fully alive.
I wish more of my life was like those moments. Too much of life is lived looking forward or backwards, worrying about stuff and people and problems, trying to make a living while wishing I was in Rod's boat. Life has a way of taking up most of our time. Few of us are rich enough to spend our life waterskiing. It's tempting, isn't it, to pine for that which we do not have and miss out on the blessings we should enjoy.
Mindfulness. In counseling I talk about it all the time but often fail to live it myself. Mindfulness is allowing yourself to be in the moment, enjoy the journey, and appreciate what is happening right now. We are a discontented people who have been raised with champagne wishes and caviar dreams; never satisfied and constantly stressed.
I got a little Pelican kayak for my birthday last week from some good friends and family who know me enough to realize that I need to paddle something. For most of my life I have been passionate about whitewater canoeing. I have canoed the Nahanni, the Clearwater River, the Foster River, the Muskeg River, several rivers in Colorado and northern Canada. I've done the Kootenay River four times now with my boys, my brother, my dad and my best friends from Alberta. When I dream of canoeing I dream of the Churchill River, of Great Devil Rapids, of wrapping a canoe around a rock on Donaldson Chamber with my old friend Don Hand. Paddling is in my blood and I have tried to instil that love in my three boys. Floating down Otter Rapids in your life jacket is something everyone should do at least once in their life. I have memories of friends and moments, so many moments, that will stick with me for life. My happy places – rivers and lakes and slalom skis and Rod's boat.
I am trying to live other moments as well. Moments at work, playing with Angus, kissing the people I adore, talking with friends, playing in the band. It's tempting, isn't it, to forget to enjoy what is happening at this very moment and dream of times long past or dreams to come. Mindfulness reminds me to smile right now, even on dry land.
I'm still going to paddle my new kayak out to Rempel Island this week.
Ahhh, 'Zen'. Like your analogy of finding zen on dry land.
Every time I read a post of yours Scott I can relate on some level; this time it is the water, Allouette Lake, the Fraser. We probably pass each other on the street. Its funny, it used to blow me away to be talking to someone 1/2 way across the world. Now I am taken back when I find out a blog I follow is based right in my back yard.
This summer I bought (or are buying) a little cabin on Hatzic Lake; I have befriended people who own a party barge and are kind enough to include me almost every evening when they cruise the lake and swim off the boat.
I love to watch the Heron, the Eagles soar and catch fish, for the first time in my life I saw a Kingfisher dive into the lake and come up with a fish.
I am so blessed, you are so blessed to live where we live. Lakes, rivers, mountains surround us in every direction.
Oh I saw a guy wakeboarding for the first time this summer; that is unreal! Blew me away to see them doing it.
I've never managed to get up with 2 skies let alone one or done!!
OMG! That is so funny! Did you grow up here? I was raised in Chilliwack. Lived in Mission 12 years ago and just moved back a couple of years ago.


Sayyiduna 'Abdullah ibn Busr (radiyallahu 'anhu) reports that Nabi (sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: 'Glad tidings (tuba) for the one who (on the day of judgement) finds an abundance of istighfar in his book of deeds'.
'Allamah Mundhiri (rahimahullah) and 'Allamah Busiri (rahimahullah) have both declared the above Hadith as authentic (sahih). Imam Nawawi (rahimahullah) has declared the above Hadith as good (jayyid).
The arabic word used in this Hadith is 'tuba'. Some Muhaddithun are of the opinion that 'tuba' refers to a tree in Jannah or Jannah itself. However the meaning that was cited in our translation above, ie. Glad tidings seems to be the most likely meaning here.


The email address associated with your Rewind account is the one we will send any and all updates/information pertaining to your subscription and/or store.
For those who have been with us for a minimum of 3-6 months (depending on your given, paid plan) and are requesting an export of your data, this is the email address we will send your ZIP file to.
1. At the top of the home page in the Rewind app, click on "Settings".
2. In the 'Contact Details' section, next to 'Contact Email Address', select "Edit".
4. In the blank text box, enter in the new email address you wish to use for your Rewind account, then click "Save".
Your new email address is now the primary email associated with your Rewind account.


text:
The Free Library > Business and Industry > Business, international > Albawaba.com > October 21, 2010
The Free Library > Date > 2010 > October > 21 > Albawaba.com
Abu Dhabi Police Chooses Cisco to Transform Its Communications Infrastructure.
<a href="https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Abu+Dhabi+Police+Chooses+Cisco+to+Transform+Its+Communications...-a0240054379
MLA style: "Abu Dhabi Police Chooses Cisco to Transform Its Communications Infrastructure.." The Free Library. 2010 Al Bawaba (Middle East) Ltd. 18 Jan. 2022 https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Abu+Dhabi+Police+Chooses+Cisco+to+Transform+Its+Communications...-a0240054379
Chicago style: The Free Library. S.v. Abu Dhabi Police Chooses Cisco to Transform Its Communications Infrastructure.." Retrieved Jan 18 2022 from https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Abu+Dhabi+Police+Chooses+Cisco+to+Transform+Its+Communications...-a0240054379
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Summary: Cisco Unified Communications to Provide Police Service With More Flexibility, Scalability and Security .
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced today that the Abu Dhabi Police has chosen to deploy CiscoA Unified Communications technology solutions at its headquarters and throughout its branch offices across the United Arab Emirates to help create a safer society.
At a ceremony held at GITEX 2010, the Abu Dhabi Police confirmed that Cisco IP telephony solutions, which provide an enhanced infrastructure for the transmission of data, voice and video, will be installed at its headquarters and branch offices throughout the Abu Dhabi emirate.
Highlights / Key Facts:The Abu Dhabi Police service is using the latest innovations to provide better public services.
The deployment of latest Cisco Unified Communications and collaboration solutions is an example of these innovations.
The police service needed a flexible, scalable and highly secure infrastructure to be able to deploy more services and applications.
Ease of communication between all stakeholders (HQ, branches, staff and public) was also a key requirement.
Cisco Unified Communications solutions help to improve workforce productivity and lower the cost of operating branch offices by simplifying management and reducing the necessary equipment.
The solutions are designed to improve communication with constituents and to meet regulatory compliance requirements.
The Abu Dhabi Police service is addressing the complexities of the workplace where employees are geographically dispersed and information overload is considered normal.
The Cisco solutions will help broaden the scope of collaboration within the police service to encompass document and text-based applications such as e-mail and instant messaging, as well as team workspaces and voice and video conferencing in a way that matches each individual's needs.
With IP telephony being the first phase of this deployment, the aim is to consolidate all the police's branch and the headquarters infrastructure in the emirate of Abu Dhabi into a single unified IP telephony system to include voicemail, unified messaging, presence and the Cisco Unified Personal Communicator.
This will allow future services to be rolled out more quickly to enhance communications and provide citizen services to the wider community.
Executive Quotes:Colonel Anwar Al Mullah, Director of Information Technology and Telecommunications at Abu Dhabi Police"The Abu Dhabi Police is seeking to keep up to date with the latest advancements by implementing the best international practices in the field of information technology, to achieve our aim of preserving safety and security for the whole community.
With Cisco collaboration solutions, we will be able to achieve our goal of improving and accelerating interaction between our teams, thereby helping citizens to access relevant business information in real time.
The solutions will also enable faster decision making and increase responsiveness to the public needs.
"Wayne Hull, director and general manager, Cisco, UAE"As the UAE continues to build a world-class city, Cisco supports the UAE in delivering world-class citizen services.
Cisco is helping Abu Dhabi Police to take a holistic approach to achieving a highly secure communications environment by providing the strategies, tools and resources needed.
Our technology solutions will enable the Abu Dhabi Police service to improve its information management processes, enhance citizen communications, and increase interorganizational collaboration.
" 2010 Al Bawaba (www.
albawaba.
com)
2010 Al Bawaba (Albawaba.com)
Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company
COPYRIGHT 2010 Al Bawaba (Middle East) Ltd.
Albawaba.com
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Western Region Development Council signs an MOU with the Western Region Municipality.
'Discover Science' wins 'Best TV Youth' award at the ABU Prizes in Tokyo.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I am glad to finally see the use of the word 'Hybrid' as pertaining to writers recently. I've been a hybrid artist in many creative forms but it's nice to see the term taking off within the industry now. The best of both worlds.
You earned Fifth Place and won a prize at my "Got Green?" St. Patrick's Day Blog O'hop.
I didn't even know there was a contest on. Thanks very much, Mark. I just enjoyed writing about my memories.


Short Sharp Shocks: This is week four of my posts featuring research presented at the conference on Applications of Behavioural Economics, and Multiple Equilibrium Models to Macroeconomics Policy Conference held at the Bank of England on July 3rd and 4th 2017.
George Evans began his work on adaptive learning in his Ph.D. dissertation at Berkeley in the early 1980s. When the rest of the profession was swept up by the rational expectations revolution, George persevered with the important idea that perfectly correct beliefs about the future cannot be plucked from the air, they must be learned. For an introduction to George's work, I highly recommend the book co-authored with his long-time co-author, Seppo Honkapohja.
George and his co-authors use their analysis to argue that a large fiscal intervention, a short-sharp shock, can knock the economy out of region C and back into region A. Readers of this blog will know that I have expressed scepticism of that idea in the past, largely because I am not a big fan of the basic NK model. However, this is the most convincing rationale in favour of a large fiscal stimulus that I have yet seen. ... If you are a young researcher who is thinking of working in macroeconomic theory and policy, consider working on models of expectations formation.
I had been planning, for some time, to run a conference on the topic of multiple equilibria sponsored by Warwick University. Andy Haldane and Sujit Kapadia had been talking with Alan Taylor of U.C. Davis about organizing a conference on the topic of behavioural economics. After talking with Andy, Sujit and Alan, we decided it would be ideal to combine our plans into a single conference that would highlight the promise of studying the marriage of psychology with multiple equilibria in economics. The video ... explains why this is a fruitful idea.
In addition to the introductory video, linked above, we also recorded videos from many of the conference presenters and discussants. I will be releasing these videos in a series of posts in the coming weeks and I will discuss the research associated with the accompanying topic. You can find links to the original papers on the conference website linked here. Stay tuned.
09:35 - 10:30: Keynote Address: Do Low Interest Rates Punish Savers'?
9:00am Cars Hommes, University of Amsterdam, "Behavioral Learning Equilibria for the New Keynesian Model"
10:30 am Jasmina Arifovic, Simon Fraser University, "Escaping Expectations - Driven Liquidity Traps"
11:30 am Bill Branch, University of California, Irvine Perpetual, "Learning and Stability in Macroeconomic Models"
2.00 pm Mordecai Kurz, Stanford University, "Stabilizing Wage Policy"
3:00 pm Diogo Pinheiro, CUNY Brooklyn, "Refinement of Dynamic Equilibriun"
4:30 pm Arunima Sinha, Fordham University, "A Lesson from the Great Depression that the Fed Might have Learned: A Comparison of the 1932 Open Market Purchases with Quantitative Easing"
6:45 pm Conference Dinner, with address by James Bullard, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
8.30 am Damjan Pfajfar, University of Tilberg, "Are Survey Expectations Theory - Consistent? The Role of Central Bank Communication and News"
9:30 am Stefano Eusepi, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, "In Search of a Nominal Anchor: What Drives Inflation Expectations?"
11:00 am In - Koo Cho, University of Illinois, "Gresham's Law of Model Averaging"
12:00 p m Martin Ellison, Oxford University, "Time - Consistent Institutional Design"
2:00 pm Klaus Adam, University of Mannheim, "Can a Financial Transaction Tax Prevent Stock Price Booms?"
3.00 pm Kevin Lansing, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, "Explaining the Boom - Bust Cycle in the US Housing Market: A Reverse - Engineering Approach"
4:30 pm Thomas Sargent, New York University, "Sets of Models and Prices of Uncertainty"
8:30 am David Evans, University of Oregon, "Optimal Taxation with Persistent Idiosyncratic Investment Risk"
9:30 am Anmol Bhandari, "Fiscal policy and debt management with incomplete markets"
11:00 am Chris Gibbs, University of New South Wales, "Disinflationary Policies with Imperfect Credibility"
12:00 pm Kaushik Mitra, University of Birmingham, UK Comparing Inflation and Price Level Targeting: the Role of Forward Guidance and Transparency"
Declining Desire to Work and Downward Trends in Unemployment and Participation, by Regis Barnichon and Andrew Figura: Abstract The US labor market has witnessed two apparently unrelated trends in the last 30 years: a decline in unemployment between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, and a decline in labor force participation since the early 2000s. We show that a substantial factor behind both trends is a decline in desire to work among individuals outside the labor force, with a particularly strong decline during the second half of the 90s. A decline in desire to work lowers both the unemployment rate and the participation rate, because a nonparticipant who wants to work has a high probability to join the unemployment pool in the future, while a nonparticipant who does not want to work has a low probability to ever enter the labor force. We use cross-sectional variation to estimate a model of non-participants' propensity to want a job, and we find that changes in the provision of welfare and social insurance, possibly linked to the mid-90s welfare reforms, explain about 50 percent of the decline in desire to work.
External and Public Debt Crises, by Cristina Arellano, Andrew Atkeson, and Mark Wright: Abstract In recent years, the members of two advanced monetary and economic unions -- the nations of the Eurozone and the states of the United States of America -- experienced debt crises with spreads on government borrowing rising dramatically. Despite the similar behavior of spreads on public debt, these crises were fundamentally different in nature. In Europe, the crisis occurred after a period of significant increases in government indebtedness from levels that were already substantial, whereas in the USA state government borrowing was limited and remained roughly unchanged. Moreover, whereas the most troubled nations of Europe experienced a sudden stop in private capital flows and private sector borrowers also faced large rises in spreads, there is little evidence that private borrowing in US states was differentially affected by the creditworthiness of state governments. In this sense, we can say that the US States experienced a public debt crisis , whereas the nations of Europe experienced an external debt crisis affecting both public and private borrowers. Why did Europe experience an external debt crisis and the US States only a public debt crisis? And, why did the members of other economic unions, such as the provinces of Canada, not experience a debt crisis at all despite high and rising provincial public debt levels? In this paper, we construct a model of default on domestic and external public debt and interference in private external debt contracts and use it to argue that these different debt experiences result from the interplay of differences in the ability of governments to interfere in the private external debt contracts of their citizens, with differences in the flexibility of state fiscal institutions. We also assemble a range of empirical evidence that suggests that the US States are less fiscally flexible but more constrained in their ability to interfere in private contracts than the members of other economic unions, which simultaneously exposes the states to public debt crises while insulating them from an external debt crisis affecting private sector borrowers within the state. In contrast, Eurozone nations are more fiscally flexible but have a greater ability to interfere with the contracts, which together allow for more public borrowing at the cost of a joint public and private external debt crisis. Lastly, Canadian provincial governments are both fiscally flexible and limited in their ability to interfere, which allows both for more public borrowing and limits the likelihood of either a public or external debt crisis occurring. We draw lessons from these findings for the future design of Eurozone economic and legal institutions.
Expectations and Investment, by Nicola Gennaioli, Yueran Ma, and Andrei Shleifer: Abstract Using micro data from Duke University quarterly survey of Chief Financial Officers, we show that corporate investment plans as well as actual investment are well explained by CFOs' expectations of earnings growth. The information in expectations data is not subsumed by traditional variables, such as Tobin's Q or discount rates. We also show that errors in CFO expectations of earnings growth are predictable from past earnings and other data, pointing to extrapolative structure of expectations and suggesting that expectations may not be rational . This evidence, like earlier findings in finance, points to the usefulness of data on actual expectations for understanding economic behavior.
Trends and Cycles in China's Macroeconomy, by Chun Chang, Kaji Chen, Daniel Waggoner, and Tao Zha: Abstract We make three contributions in this paper. First, we provide a core of macroeconomic time series usable for systematic research on China. Second, we document, through various empirical methods, the robust findings about striking patterns of trend and cycle. Third, we build a theoretical model that accounts for these facts. The model's mechanism and assumptions are corroborated by institutional details, disaggregated data, and banking time series, all of which are distinctive of Chinese characteristics. The departure of our theoretical model from standard ones offers a constructive framework for studying China's macroeconomy.
Demystifying the Chinese Housing Boom, byHanming Fang, Quanlin Gu, Wei Xiong, and Li-An Zhou: Abstract We construct housing price indices for 120 major cities in China in 2003 - 2013 based on sequential sales of new homes within the same housing developments. By using these indices and detailed information on mortgage borrowers across these cities, we find enormous housing price appreciation during the decade, which was accompanied by equally impressive growth in household income, except in a few first-tier cities. Housing market participation by households from the low-income fraction of the urban population remained steady. Nevertheless, bottom-income mortgage borrowers endured severe financial burdens by using price-to-income ratios over eight to buy homes, which reflected their expectations of persistently high income growth into the future. Such future income expectations could contract substantially in the event of a sudden stop in the Chinese economy and present an important source of risk to the housing market.
Networks and the Macroeconomy: An Empirical Exploration, by Daron Acemoglu, Ufuk Akcigit, and William Kerr: Abstract The propagation of macroeconomic shocks through input-output and geographic networks can be a powerful driver of macroeconomic fluctuations. We first exposit that in the presence of Cobb-Douglas production functions and consumer preferences, there is a specific pattern of economic transmission whereby demand-side shocks propagate upstream (to input supplying industries) and supply-side shocks propagate downstream (to customer industries) and that there is a tight relationship between the direct impact of a shock and the magnitudes of the downstream and the upstream indirect effects. We then investigate the short-run propagation of four different types of industry-level shocks: two demand-side ones (the exogenous component of the variation in industry imports from China and changes in federal spending) and two supply-side ones (TFP shocks and variation in knowledge/ideas coming from foreign patent- ing). In each case, we find substantial propagation of these shocks through the input-output network, with a pattern broadly consistent with theory. Quantitatively, the network-based propagation is larger than the direct effects of the shocks, sometimes by several fold. We also show quantitatively large effects from the geographic network, capturing the fact that the local propagation of a shock to an industry will fall more heavily on other industries that tend to collocate with it across local markets. Our results suggest that the transmission of various different types of shocks through economic networks and industry inter-linkages could have first-order implications for the macroeconomy.
What Do Data on Millions of US Workers Reveal About Life-Cycle Earnings Risk?
The 5th Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences will provide an open exchange of economic expertise and inspire cross-cultural and inter-generational encounters among economists from all over the world. From 19 to 23 August, the participating 18 Nobel Laureates and 460 young scientists will have plenty of opportunity for an intensive exchange of ideas.
The meeting will open on 20 August with a keynote address by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and will also feature "a panoramic view on the situation and prospects in Latin America" by Mario Vargas Llosa, the 2010 Nobel Laureate in Literature. The scientific programme will address central fields of the discipline, ranging from econometrics, game theory, and neo-classical growth theory to mechanism design and systemic risk measurement. The overarching question "How useful is economics – how is economics useful?" will also be subject of the meeting's closing panel debate on Mainau Island on Saturday, 23 August.
The scientific programme of the 5th Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences will comprise lectures and panel discussions (accessible for all registered meeting participants and guests), as well as discussion sessions and master classes (both accessible only for participating Nobel Laureates and young scientists).
A detailed version of the programme including all lecture titles of the participating laureates with links to their abstracts is available in the Lindau Mediatheque. Please find a PDF version of the printed programme here. To get an overview of the meeting schedule you can also download the programme structure.
18 Laureates will attend the 5th Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences. Among 17 economists there will also be Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Laureate in Literature in 2010, participating in the meeting. Please find further information on the Laureates' profiles including their CVs in the Lindau Mediatheque.
At the Milken Global Conference for the next few days.
At a session on Abenomics, and the "three arrows" (monetary stimulus, fiscal stimulus, and supply-side structural reform).
I'll post the video from interesting sessions.
Information technologies and infrastructure play an increasingly important role in daily life. But at the same time, cyber security is becoming increasingly threatened. How does society deal with these conflicting challenges.
This keynote INET panel features speakers Steven Bellovin, Yvo Desmedt, Amir Hertzberg, and Bart Preneel, moderated by Thomas Ferguson.
INET: Human After All - April 10-12: The Institute for New Economic Thinking is hosting its fifth annual conference with its partner the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. The conference topic is the economics of innovation and the impact of innovation on society. Speakers will include a roster of newsmakers, including former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, Nobel laureates Joseph Stiglitz and James Heckman, former co-CEO of Research In Motion Jim Balsillie, Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane, former head of the U.K. Financial Services Authority Adair Lord Turner, Harvard University professor and best-selling author Michael Sandel, and author, essayist and President of PEN International, John Ralston Saul. Watch Live beginning at noon EST.
CANADIAN ROOM 1:00–2:45 PM LUNCH KEYNOTE ( OPENING ) Is Innovation Always A Good Thing? Technology and innovation create "disruption." That basically means creating new markets or value networks, which eventually disrupts earlier technologies. New products, new inventions, new sources of demand are all possible. Yet, the very innovation that creates these opportunities also can create job losses as well as having significant distributional consequences for society as a whole.
The panel seeks to explore this duality.
Innovation: Do Private Returns Produce the Social Returns We Need? The machines of the frst age replaced and multiplied the physical labor of humans and animals. The machines of the second age will replace and multiply our intelligence. The driving force behind this revolution will, argue the "techno-positivists," exponentially increase the power (or exponentially reduce the cost) of computing. The celebrated example is Moore's Law, named after Gordon Moore, a founder of Intel. For half a century, the number of transistors on a semiconductor chip has doubled at least every two years. But the information age has coincided with—and must, to some extent, have caused—adverse economic trends: stagnation of median real incomes; rising inequality of labor income and of the distribution of income between labor and capital; and growing long- term unemployment. Are the great gains in wealth and material prosperity created by our entrepreneurs in and of themselves sufficient to produce desired social returns demanded in today's world?
Have we Repaired Financial Regulations since Lehman? The 2008 global financial crisis led to the worst recession in the developed world since the Great Depression. Governments had to respond decisively on a large scale to contain the destructive impact of massive debt deflation, (although there is some question as to the degree to which this represented support for the financial ser - vices industry vs the needs of the real economy). Still, large financial institutions such as American International Group, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Countrywide Financial, Washington Mutual, Wachovia, Northern Rock, and Landsbanki collapsed; thousands of small-to-medium- sized financial institutions failed or needed to be rescued; millions of households lost their retirement savings, jobs, homes, and communities; and numerous non- financial businesses closed. Five years later, we are still experiencing the effects of the crisis. Are the financial reforms and regulations introduced since the onset of the crisis likely to be effective in preventing another catastrophe?
Innovation: To What Purpose? Innovation is said to be essential for survival in most industries. Yet, innovation can be very risky—some inno - vations can even destroy value. How can managers and entrepreneurs know what to do, and how should this trade-o ff between innovation and risk be treated? What are the broader social goals that ought to be achieved via innovation?
The Great Recession interrupted a long boom in real house prices in many countries. In the U.S., the collapse in house prices and residential construction, the surge in mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures, as well as the dramatic tightening in mortgage standards and fall in household leverage played a major role in the recent financial crisis. Similar factors have affected a number of other countries. These developments have prompted a great deal of new research on housing and mortgage markets, macroeconomic models with housing credit channels, and macro-prudential regulation and macroeconomic stability.
To inform researchers and policymakers of these efforts and to foster future advances, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the IMF Research Department and the Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking are sponsoring a two-day conference to provide a venue for original theoretical and empirical studies on the macroeconomics of housing, focusing on the lessons learned from the crisis and outstanding issues that remain to be addressed.
Fiscal Multipliers: Liquidity Traps and Currency Unions, by Emmanuel Farhi and Iván Werning, NBER: We provide explicit solutions for government spending multipliers during a liquidity trap and within a fixed exchange regime using standard closed and open-economy models. We confirm the potential for large multipliers during liquidity traps. For a currency union, we show that self-financed multipliers are small, always below unity. However, outside transfers or windfalls can generate larger responses in out- put, whether or not they are spent by the government. Our solutions are relevant for local and national multipliers, providing insight into the economic mechanisms at work as well as the testable implications of these models.
1 Introduction Economists generally agree that macroeconomic stabilization should be handled first and foremost by monetary policy. Yet monetary policy can run into constraints that impair its effectiveness. For example, the economy may find itself in a liquidity trap, where interest rates hit zero, preventing further reductions in the interest rate. Similarly, countries that belong to currency unions, or states within a country, do not have the option of an independent monetary policy. Some economists advocate for fiscal policy to fill this void, increasing government spending to stimulate the economy. Others disagree, and the issue remains deeply controversial, as evidenced by vigorous debates on the magnitude of fiscal multipliers. No doubt, this situation stems partly from the lack of definitive empirical evidence, but, in our view, the absence of clear theoretical benchmarks also plays an important role. Although various recent contributions have substantially furthered our understanding, to date, the implications of standard macroeconomic models have not been fully worked out. This is the goal of our paper.
Our results confirm that fiscal policy can be especially potent during a liquidity trap. The multiplier for output is greater than one. The mechanism for this result is that government spending promotes inflation. With fixed nominal interest rates, this reduces real interest rates which increases current spending. The increase in consumption in turn leads to more inflation, creating a feedback loop. The fiscal multiplier is increasing in the degree of price flexibility, which is intuitive given that the mechanism relies on the response of inflation. We show that backloading spending leads to larger effects; the rationale is that inflation then has more time to affect spending decisions.
In a currency union, by contrast, government spending is less effective at increasing output. We show that consumption is depressed, so that the multiplier is less than one. Moreover, price flexibility diminishes the effectiveness of spending, instead of increasing it. We explain this result using a simple argument that illustrates its robustness. Government spending leads to inflation in domestically produced goods and this loss in competitiveness depresses private spending. Applied to current debates in Europe, this highlights a possible tradeoff: putting off fiscal consolidation may postpone internal devaluations that actually help reactivate private spending.
It may seem surprising that fiscal multipliers are necessarily less than one whenever the exchange rate is fixed, because this contrasts sharply with the effects during liquidity traps. Our analytical approach allows us to uncover the crucial difference in monetary policy: although a fixed exchange rate implies a fixed nominal interest rate, the converse is not true. Indeed, we prove that the liquidity trap analysis implicitly combines a shock to government spending with a one-off devaluation. The positive response of consumption relies entirely on this devaluation. A currency union rules out such devaluations, explaining the negative response of consumption.
In the context of a currency union, our results uncover the importance of transfers from the outside, from other countries or regions. In the short run, when prices haven't fully adjusted, positive transfers from the rest of the world increase the demand for home goods, stimulating output. We compute "transfer multipliers" that capture the response of the economy to transfers from the outside. We show that these multipliers may be large and depend crucially on the degree of openness of the domestic economy.
Outside transfers are often tied to government spending. In the United States federal military spending allocated to a particular state is financed by the country as a whole. The same is true for exogenous differences in stimulus payments, due to idiosyncratic provisions in the law. Likewise, idiosyncratic portfolio returns accruing to a particular state's coffers represent a windfall for this state against the rest. When changes in spending are financed by such outside transfers, the associated multipliers are a combination of self-financed multipliers and transfer multipliers. As a result, multipliers may be substantially larger than one.
9:00 – 10:15 am "Trade Dynamics in the Market for Federal Funds"
10:45 am – 12:00 pm "Banks' Risk Exposures"
1:00 – 2:15 pm "Unemployment and Business Cycles"
2:45 – 4:00 pm "Conventional and Unconventional Monetary Policy in a Model with Endogenous Collateral Constraints"
4:00 – 5:15 pm "Leverage Restrictions in a Business Cycle Model"
9:00 – 10:15 am "Measuring the Financial Soundness of U.S. Firms, 1926—2012"
10:45 am – 12:00 pm "The I Theory of Money"
1:00 – 2:15 pm "Is There 'Too Much' Inequality in Health Spending Across Income Groups?"
2:15 –3:30 pm "Retirement, Home Production and Labor Supply Elasticities"
6:15PM: Keynote Speaker, Introduction: John Williams (SF Fed, President), Lord Adair Turner (INET, Senior Fellow; former Chairman of the UK Financial Services Authority), "Credit, Money and Leverage"
I am at the TIGER Forum: Economic Growth: Challenges for Regulatory Change in Toulouse, France today (TIGER = Toulouse - Industry - Globalization - Environment - Regulation).
Lots of good speakers, e.g. Jean-Claude Trichet talks tomorrow evening.
Do In-Work Tax Credits Serve as a Safety Net?
With outsize debt putting the stability of credit markets and the pace of economic growth at risk, will Americans embrace shared sacrifice to set the country on a path toward fiscal health? Or is the problem essentially the result of gridlock in Washington? And what does "shared sacrifice" actually mean? Who will bear the heavier burden: the rich, the elderly, the middle class? Are Simpson and Bowles still relevant? Our panel will examine the economics and politics around our accumulating public debt and annual deficit, with an eye toward palatable and realistic solutions. Can we grow our way out of the mess? How will we cope with the twin hazards of graying demographics and healthcare inflation? Back to the credit markets: Are Treasuries as safe as they seem?
There was remarkably little discussion of increasing revenues through tax rate increases. There was some discussion of increasing revenue, but it was mainly about eliminating deductions like home interest rather than increasing tax rates. Instead, most of the focus was on, surprise, "entitlement reform" with only Orszag being careful to point to health care costs as the main problem to solve.
The most entertaining moment was when the business guy on the panel, David Cote, said that unlike in business where what you think, say, and do must align, for Congress these are different decisions. Senator Corker said he was offended by that comment and went on to defend Congress (e.g. saying many people in business don't understand that politicians have to represent a diverse constituency). Ha. A Republican fighting with a business rep, then defending government. Too bad he wants to cut the crap out of it.
Other than that, the degree of hawkery and the implicit assumption that the only way to solve problems with our long-run budget picture is to cut social insurance programs the working class relies upon was, in fact, irritating. The continued discussion about deficit reduction as the key to spurring private sector growth was similarly irritating. It's exactly what we heard about the Bush tax cuts, and we know how that turned out. A huge increase in the debt load with little (if any) increased growth to show for it.
Finally, as far as I recall, the word "unemployment" did not come up. In the short-run, deficit hawkery is what's standing in the way of doing more to help with the unemployment problem. The key question -- whether the concern in the short-run with the debt rather than the unemployed is justified in the short-run (it isn't in my view) -- was not even discussed.
I am here today (Milken Global Conference 2013).
One quick first impression based upon the schedule of sessions. In the last few years, two or three years ago more so than last year, there were quite a few "soul-searching" sessions from the financial industry. How did financial markets fail, how can they be fixed, etc. That's not to say that there wasn't a lot of resistance to regulation from the industry, but they were at least dealing with the main issues, there was an attempt at an honest appraisal from many, and there were quite a few sessions on the topic.
There are sessions on regulation this year -- I'm currently in one called "Global Financial Regulation" (usual TBTF discussion so far, just turning to leverage) -- but compared to previous years the main concern now appears to be where we are headed in the next few years, opportunities for investment, etc. I suppose that's good news for the economy, but for financial stability? There's still a lot of work to be done, and an eroding will to do it.
LUNCH KEYNOTE (OPENING) GROWTH ADJUSTMENT AND CONVERGENCE IN ASIA: THE CHALLENGE AHEAD?
The developed economies of Europe, North America, and Japan are facing tremendous challenges related to indebtedness and stagnation. How will the developing economies of Asia respond to this challenge as they reorient their growth strategies to meet the rising aspirations of their people?
The transformation of basic science into viable inventions that improve the well-being of mankind is a delicate process. The study of innovation, both in the past and the present, reveals a complex process that involves complementary contributions from government, the financial markets, and the investment community What has worked in past and what current strategies are being successfully employed by nations around the world?
PLENARY PANEL INTERSUBJECTIVITY: RENÉ GIRARD'S VISION OF MIMETIC DESIRE AND ECONOMIC DYNAMICS Rene Girard, a French-born literary scholar, has developed a theory of the formation of desire that is based upon interactions between individuals. The process he calls mimetic desire, when brought to bear on economic thinking, may have profound implications for the theory of the consumer/individual, for the normative conclusions of economic theory, and for economic dynamics in an era of environmental challenges. A group of scholars who have been engaged exploring the implications of Girard's thinking and the ramifications for the social sciences provide a window into this new realm of economic thinking.
Adair Lord Turner explores the role of financial, monetary, and fiscal policy management in this era of deficient aggregate demand, and discussants explore the implications of Turner's thinking on monetary financing of debt in light of the current challenges facing many nations at the forefront of the world economy.
The architecture of the international monetary system has important implications for the privileges and responsibilities of the reserve currency countries at the center of the system. As China continues to develop and become a leading economy in the global system, it will be important to understand the evolving role of the RMB as a potential new reserve currency and to understand both the domestic and international ramifications of this institutional evolution.
BREAKOUT SESSION A THE EURO ZONE CURRENCY SYSTEM: CATALYST OR WRECKING BALL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION?
INET's financial stability research program encompasses a range of working groups. These focus on the causes and consequences of the instability of the financial system, and on new modeling approaches to credit and the macroeconomy. Agent-based and network-based models provide a window into the system's dynamic instability, while legal and political-economic approaches shed light on the institutional architecture of the financial system.
This session will feature the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) initiative on New Approaches to Economic Challenges (NAEC). NAEC is an organisation-wide reflection process to upgrade the analytical frameworks and strengthen the policy advice of the OECD. Its objective is to develop a strategic policy agenda for inclusive growth. The financial and economic crisis is a key motivation for NAEC, but the reflection also aims to identify policy options to address the current challenges we are facing (slow growth, high unemployment, increasing inequality), as well as the rise in interconnectedness and complexity of the world economy.
The formation of expectations and the subtle implicit assumptions regarding knowledge held by consumers, businesses, investors, and policy makers is a foundation stone that must be thoroughly explored so that models of economic dynamics represent the phenomena under investigation in an illuminating manner. The obvious presence of non-routine change, or what Frank Knight called radical uncertainty, challenges the very notion that dynamic economic systems can be modeled as closed systems. How do these models perform? If dynamic economics is better envisioned as an open system, what can researchers do to understand and analyze the decision making process? What are the implications for economic policy and governance of open system dynamics?
The INET research program on IKE is working at the University of Copenhagen, New York University, and the University of New Hampshire to understand the implications of fallibility for economic systems. In these sessions, IKE researchers will discuss how they model risk in asset markets and the evolution of asset prices in a world characterized by imperfect knowledge.
EXPLORATIONS IN NEW ECONOMIC THINKING SESSION B WHAT IS THE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN ECONOMICS?
Many of our global problems – from climate change to financial crises – arise from people's failure to cooperate adequately to achieve socially desirable outcomes. There is a widespread recognition that we need a deeper understanding of human nature in order to discern new opportunities for human cooperation. The Kiel Institute and the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig are developing an interdisciplinary program with INET to examine new avenues of how psychological and neuroscientific knowledge about human motivation, emotion and social cognition can inform models of economic decision making. How can a profounder understanding of human motivation and preferences lead to a broader appreciation of our prospects for pro-social and sustainable economic behaviors?
The Chinese economy has developed at a remarkable pace over the last 30 years. The integration of China into the world economy has led to extraordinary flows of foreign direct investment, infrastructure buildup, and an impressive export capacity. As we look to the future, both domestic and international considerations bear on the capacity for China to continue on this robust course and for the world to adjust to China's growth and changed role. The differences in philosophical, legal, and governance systems between China and the West suggest that the challenges will be formidable and that cooperation and mutual benefit will require extraordinary attention.
How do different nations handle the problem of social design? What is the role of legal systems in creating and implementing that design? There is a large body of comparative evidence on the behaviors and performance of different legal traditions. These concerns are of vital importance to emerging nations as they plot their course toward institutional deepening and maturation to facilitate their development.
The extraordinary development of the emerging economies has been associated with increasing incomes and rising inequality. In the developed world, the integration between emerging and mature economies also has been accompanied by rising inequality, most profoundly in the United States. A myriad of causes related to trade, policy, and technological change have been cited as, reasons for the unequal distribution of income and wealth in varying degrees. As the process continues, what are the implications for societies across the planet as these three large and powerful economies move into the future?
Both the international economy and the economies of many individual countries are badly out of balance. Not surprisingly, political polarization and social cleavages are sharply increasing within many, though not at the same rate. This panel looks at the varying experiences of Europe, the US, and some countries in Asia, considering not only the domestic roots and complications of policy making, but also how austerity continues to generate major turmoil and challenges to existing political arrangements.
INET's Human Capital and Economic Opportunity working group discusses advances in Chinese inequality research and critical findings of working group members.
LUNCH KEYNOTE WHAT IS DEVELOPMENT?
Many developing countries have experienced rapid increases in GDP growth, and traditionally this was considered an adequate proxy for improved human welfare within these countries. However, in recent years some countries have experienced higher growth accompanied by environmental degradation, rising inequality and, social unrest. As a result, we are forced to ask what it is that constitutes real progress and development in a society.
The INET program on financial instability and macroeconomics has developed a series of studies on dynamically unstable systems. Shadow banking instability, contagious network dynamics, and stock/flow interactive models will be discussed to showcase a series of research projects that are unfolding with INET support.
A key question for many countries is how to re-invigorate growth after the crisis. The INET@Oxford program is collaborating with an international group of scholars on new approaches to understanding economic growth and innovation from a complex systems and evolutionary perspective. This session will review recent work and discuss its potential implications for re-thinking public policy approaches to economic growth.
When economies exhibit dreadful results is it because we have flawed understanding? Or are correct models often ignored? Are good economists listened to? Does scientifically robust work prevail when it conflicts with the desires of the powerful? What are the lessons of economic history for understanding the role of expertise in guiding social outcomes?
Central banks across the planet are engaging in a robust agenda that would have been unrecognizable just a few years ago. Quantitative easing, macro prudential monitoring, asset market support in Europe have all made it much more difficult to understand what a central bank does and does not do.
Can central banks easily mop up liquidity and shrink their balance sheets when the world economy begins to recover, or will inflationary dynamics emerge? In the mystical realm of money, are central banks courting controversy that will threaten their credibility and stature within society? If they lose their leading role what will markets condition their expectation upon?
I am at the Atlanta Fed today (on a panel). I'll post as I can.
The purpose of the meetings is to "provide a globally recognised forum for the exchange of knowledge between Nobel Laureates and young researchers." These young researchers -- at least the ones interested in macro -- are the ones who will be most likely to shake off the shackles of the past and develop new theories of the macroeconomy. So I'll be curious to see how that topic is handled. Will Stiglitz push hard in this direction and if so, how will the other Laureates, e.g. Phelps and Prescott, respond? Note that Prescott's abstract starts with "This is the golden age of aggregate economics." Stiglitz's abstract, on the other hand, begins with "The standard macroeconomic models have failed, by all the most important tests of scientific theory." Those two talks aren't until later in the week, but as I said I'll be very interested to see how this critical issue is presented to the upcoming generation of economists.
Update: I'm glad Stiglitz is here. In the opening panel, he began the discussion of macro models, and said (to applause) that macroeconomic models played a role in creating policies that caused the crisis. He also attacked austerity. Without him, there wouldn't be a strong advocate for these views at this meeting.


text:
Conrad Marentius Carlsrud (Kjose, Larvik, Vestfold, 9 de febrer de 1884 – Waterbury, Connecticut, 21 d'octubre de 1973) va ser un atleta i gimnasta noruec que va competir a principis del . Va prendre part en dues edicions dels Jocs Olímpics.

Com a gimnasta, el 1906 va prendre part en els Jocs Intercalats d'Atenes, en què guanyà la medalla d'or en la prova per equips del programa de gimnàstica. Dos anys després, als Jocs de Londres tornà a disputar la prova per equips i guanyà la medalla de plata. També disputà la prova individual, però es desconeix la posició final.

Com a atleta va destacar en el llançament de javelina. Als Jocs de 1906 finalitzà en vuitena posició de la prova de llançament de javelina, estil lliure, mentre el 1908 es desconeix la posició exacte en què acabà en aquesta mateixa prova.

Referències

Medallistes noruecs als Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1906
Medallistes noruecs als Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1908
Atletes noruecs
Llançadors de javelina europeus
Persones de Vestfold
Persones de Larvik
Morts a Connecticut
Gimnastes artístics d'Oslo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Hi, I reached installation on the server, just updated VPS.
Well done, your Asqatasun is installed !
Well except Java. Errors are described below, and too I will attach the response about versions.
What log need to be viewed, I am a beginner in programming and administration of servers, therefore many thanks for any help.
UPD - Find log, but not see error.
24-01-2016 10:40:56:021 0    INFO  com.mchange.v2.log.MLog  - MLog clients using log4j logging.
I talked to technical support of a hosting, told that from server side problems aren't present. All required modules are set, but still a log the empty. Any errors it isn't fixed.
try delete, but script not want work.
I didn't find the solution.
If not, you may try to use the 8080 port instead of 8280.
Regarding the logs, your installation seems to be OK.
I haven't seen the content of the uninstall script. How do you know it doesn't work?
Now i try install on 8080 port.
27-01-2016 11:34:23:758 0    INFO  com.mchange.v2.log.MLog  - MLog clients using log4j logging.
27-01-2016 11:35:14:170 0    INFO  com.mchange.v2.log.MLog  - MLog clients using log4j logging.
You don't have permission to access /asqatasun/ on this server.
I haven't seen the content of the uninstall script.
The last packet successfully received from the server was 4,485 milliseconds ago.  The last packet sent successfully to the server was 24 milliseconds ago.
27-01-2016 20:43:13:984 0    INFO  com.mchange.v2.log.MLog  - MLog clients using log4j logging.
Can you give us more information about the way you set, the tomcat port?
The last trace seems to show that the connexion is lost between the application and the mysql server.
Is your mysql installed on the same machine?
Yes all require modules install on server, it's live web server.
where is your Tomcat ?
If you want change defoult Tomcat port.
Change Port to another, and restart Tomcat!
Snx all, now i test server and create translate.Aw, add new topic.
@mfaure, does the install script check the tomcat port ?


text:
Meryl Streep's Golden Globe speech
Streep takes aim at Donald Trump in Cecil B. Demille Award acceptance speech
By Maclean's January 9, 2017
Meryl Streep accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017. (Paul Drinkwater/NBC via AP)
Actress Meryl Streep was honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, a lifetime achievement award, at the 2017 Golden Globe Awards. She used her acceptance speech to attack Donald Trump's divisive politics, defend the free press and make a case for more empathy.
Here is the text, in full:
"I love you all, but you'll have to forgive me. I've lost my voice in screaming and lamentation this weekend, and I have lost my mind sometime earlier this year. So I have to read.
Thank you, Hollywood Foreign Press. Just to pick up on what Hugh Laurie said, you and all of us in this room really belong to the most vilified segments in American society right now. Think about it: Hollywood, foreigners, and the press.
But who are we? And what is Hollywood, anyway? It's just a bunch of people from other places. I was born and raised and educated in the public schools of New Jersey. Viola was born in a sharecropper's cabin in South Carolina, came up in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Sarah Paulson was born in Florida, raised by a single mom in Brooklyn. Sarah Jessica Parker was one of seven or eight kids from Ohio. Amy Adams was born in Vicenza, Venento, Italy. And Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem. Where are their birth certificates? And the beautiful Ruth Negga was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, raised in Ireland, and she's here nominated for playing a small‑town girl from Virginia.
Related: Donald Trump's reaction to Streep
Ryan Gosling, like all the nicest people, is Canadian. And Dev Patel was born in Kenya, raised in London, is here for playing an Indian raised in Tasmania. So Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if we kick them all out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.
An actor's only job is to enter the lives of people who are different from us and let you feel what that feels like, and there were many, many, many powerful performances this year that did exactly that: breathtaking, compassionate work.
But there was one performance this year that stunned me. It sank its hook in my heart not because it was good. There was nothing good about it, but it was effective, and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh and show their teeth. It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter, someone he outranked in privilege, power, and the capacity to fight back. It broke my heart, and I saw it, and I still can't get it out of my head because it wasn't in a movie. It was real life. And this instinct to humiliate when it's modeled by someone in the public platform by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody's life because it gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. When the powerful use definition to bully others, we all lose.
This brings me to the press. We need the principal press to hold power to account, to call them on the carpet for every outrage. That's why our founders enshrined the press and its freedom in our Constitution. So I only ask the famously well‑heeled Hollywood Foreign Press and all of us in our community to join me in supporting the Committee to Protect Journalists because we are going to need them going forward and they'll need us to safeguard the truth.
One more thing. Once, when I was standing around on set one day, whining about something—we were going to work through supper or the long hours or whatever—Tommy Lee Jones said to me, 'Isn't it such a privilege, Meryl, just to be an actor?' Yeah, it is, and we have to remind each other of the privilege and the responsibility of the act of empathy. We should all be very proud of the work Hollywood honors here tonight.
As my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia said to me once, 'Take your broken heart. Make it into art.' Thank you, friend."
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FILED UNDER: Donald Trump Golden Globes Meryl Streep