text:
Lord Mayor congratulates Cruise Belfast initiative
Current: Lord Mayor congratulates Cruise Belfast initiative
The Lord Mayor has congratulated the organisers of the Cruise Belfast on an award-winning, record-breaking year in 2018.
The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Deirdre Hargey, has congratulated the organisers of the Cruise Belfast on an award-winning, record-breaking year in 2018.
Today (Wednesday 17 October) marks the end of an award winning cruise season for Cruise Belfast – the partnership between Belfast Harbour and Visit Belfast – with the arrival of the final ship of the year, the 'Black Watch'. Since March 2018 a record-breaking 185,000 passengers and crew have called at Belfast which has been named as one of Europe's most popular cruise destinations by the influential Cruise Critic website.
Cruise Critic, the world's leading cruise review site and online cruise community, named Belfast a one of the winners of its third annual Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards. The awards, which are based entirely on consumer ratings submitted with reviews, name the world's most popular cruise destinations.
Belfast was recognised as one of the best cruise destinations in the British Isles and Western Europe Cruise Destination award category. New in 2018, the awards also highlight the best cruise lines to visit each region. The other destinations names in the category are Edinburgh, Lisbon, Amsterdam and Bilbao.
The Lord Mayor commented:
"This award is the icing on the cake for what has undoubtedly been an astounding year for the Cruise Belfast programme, and a fitting tribute to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in helping to make our city one of the must-see destinations for cruise liners and their passengers."
"Tourism is central to the Belfast Agenda. Our goal is to double the value of tourism by 2020 and we are on track to achieve this through commitment, ambition, drive and significant investment. Initiatives such as Cruise Belfast are the cornerstone to us fulfilling our aspirations."
Michael Robinson, Belfast Harbour's Commercial Director, said:
"This has been a record breaking and award winning cruise season for Belfast with almost 200,000 visitors providing a significant boost to the local tourism sector. This is a great city and its popularity as a cruise destination continues to grow year on year, with an unprecedented 115 ships visiting during 2018. August was our busiest month ever with 24 cruise calls bringing over 40,000 passengers and crew.
"We are delighted that visitors have enjoyed their experience of Northern Ireland and Belfast Harbour continues to work hard with stakeholders to build on our current offering. The success of these efforts was seen earlier this year when we announced Disney Cruise Lines will be berthing here in 2019."
Mary Jo McCanny, Director of Visitor Services, Visit Belfast, added:
"With many millions of pounds of investment in our tourism infrastructure and visitor experiences, there has never been a better time to visit Belfast, and to be recognised by such a prestigious platform as Cruise Critic speaks volumes for the work that has been done to improve and enhance the cruise experience here.
"For everyone involved in tourism, it's rewarding to see that a large percentage of the reviews were classed in the 'excellent' and 'very good' categories, demonstrating the positive experiences cruise visitors have when visiting Belfast and Northern Ireland."
Destinations awarded in this year's awards received the highest ratings among cruisers who cruised to the destination in the past year and shared their experiences on Cruise Critic.
"Our data regularly shows that whether you're a first-time cruiser or you've sailed dozens of times, destination is a top consideration when shopping for a cruise," explained Colleen McDaniel, Senior Executive Editor of Cruise Critic.
"While tropical destinations will always be popular among cruisers, what's really exciting to see is the rise in esteem of destinations more known for their immersive and experiential offerings.
"By awarding top destinations and now the best lines that visit them, we're even better able to connect travellers with standout experiences available in the incredible places they're looking to explore."
For full details on this year's winners, visit the 2018 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards.
Cruise Critic boasts the world's largest online cruise community, with more than 350,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 500 cruise ships and over 300 worldwide ports.
Set up in 1999, Cruise Belfast is a marketing and visitor servicing partnership between Belfast Harbour and Visit Belfast to attract cruise visitors to Belfast and Northern Ireland. In the last decade, the number of cruise visitors to Belfast has quadrupled.
Published: 09/07/2020 Main_CruiseBelfastiii98056_16953 (468.9 KB)


text:
Travelogues Share This Page
Enchanting China!
by Suresh Kalathil
I had always been fascinated by this great country called China, right from my early childhood.
I studied with great admiration the great Chinese traveler and Philosopher Hieun Tsang who visited India and lived in India from 627 AD to 643 AD.
Ever since, I had this urge of visiting this great country. Both my wife and I have a penchant for traveling and we have a group of friends who share the same. So, while we strive to travel to one or the other location, this time, we zeroed in on China.
I took the onus of finding the right tour operator and being a huge country, we had to prioritize the cities and sites that we must visit during a short nine day trip.
The process of finalization of tour plans and budget was done over a period of five to six months.
Finally, all preparations done and we set out on our dream tour to "The Peoples' Republic of China".
While the enchanting tour covered several interesting sites and cities, I will dwell on the salient and most fascinating places that we visited.
Beijing:
Was quite awestruck and the sheer magnitude and development of this mega polis the Capital City of China. A sprawling city bustling with people! But the whole city was so well organized, the city traffic very disciplined, the road and the rail transport system was "immaculate" to say the least. The Underground railway system too was planned and punctual, where the trains adhere to the timings by seconds.
A few years ago, I had read that Beijing was one of the most polluted cities in the world and that people suffered respiratory problems like we have seen in the Indian Capital, New Delhi.
However, upon driving through the city, we noticed no pollution at all. When I enquired with our Tour guide, he told me that the Government had initiated decisive steps to bring down the pollution levels.
They plant one million saplings every year and today 48% of Beijing city is green, they have also relocated some major industries that were contributing the City's pollution.
We noticed that only battery operated two wheelers were used. They provide separate tracks for two wheelers, to ensure their safety.
Cleanliness and housekeeping has become a part of the culture. We never could see any garbage of pieces of paper in any part of the city, despite being one of having a very dense population.
It just goes to show, that such great achievements can be made, if there is
1. Political Will
2. People's determination/discipline
One of the most important sites that was on my "bucket list" was a visit to the Tiananmen Square, which is located in the center of the Chinese Capital. It is the largest city square in the world, even larger than the famous Times Square in New York. During April 1989, over one million students had gathered together at the square for a peaceful demonstration for pro-democratic reforms in China. This was met with a violent crushing of the event by the Chinese Security Forces armed with assault rifles, tanks and water cannons. While there is no consensus on the actual death toll, the estimates range to around 10, 000 students being killed at the square. China has effectively erased the event from its collective memory and suppressed common knowledge of the massacre.
As a young man in my twenties, I had watched the brutality of the military action on Television and those harrowing scenes had left an indelible mark in my heart.
I felt a strange pang of sorrow when we trod on the beautiful ground of that very historic Tiananmen Square. I offered a silent prayer for those young souls who had sacrificed their lives on that fateful day of June 1989, (incidentally the same month of our visit), 30 years ago.
The next and one of the "high points" of our China trip was the visit to "The Great Wall".
The Great Wall of China is the collective name of a series of fortification systems generally built across the historical northern borders of China to protect and consolidate territories of Chinese states and empires against various nomadic groups. Several walls were being built from as early as the 7th century BC by ancient Chinese states; selective stretches were later joined together by Qin Shi Huang (220–206 BC), the first Emperor of China. Later on, many successive dynasties have built and maintained multiple stretches of border walls. The most currently well-known of the walls were built by the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
As per the archaeological survey the entire wall with all of its branches measures out to be 21,196 km (13,171 mi). The Great Wall is recognized as one of the most impressive architectural feats in history.
Apart from defense, other purposes of the Great Wall have included border controls, allowing the imposition of duties on goods transported along the Silk route, regulation or encouragement of trade and the control of immigration and emigration. Furthermore, the defensive characteristics of the Great Wall were enhanced by the construction of watch towers, troop barracks, garrison stations, signaling capabilities through the means of smoke or fire, and the fact that the path of the Great Wall also served as a transportation corridor.
Mutianyu is a section of "The Great Wall" located around 70 Kilometres from the city of Beijing. This is by far the most well preserved sections of the Wall.
We arrived at Mutianyu and got a brief on the visit. We learnt that there was a helicopter service that sorties tourists for an aerial view of the Wall. Most of us opted for it. We drove to the helipad. It was a small four seater helicopter. The helicopter ride lasted for all of fifteen minutes, but the sight and the view will remain deeply etched in our memory for ever. The large expanse of the Great Wall spanned over the ups and downs of the mountains was truly breathtaking. The view from the Helicopter really gives us a perspective of the magnitude of the human effort in building the Great Wall.
After we completed the Heli tour, we finally drove to the foothills of the Mutianyu section. The ride by rope car takes us to the foot of the Wall. A climb up the stairs led us to the top of the wall. Oh! What a feeling!!
The Wall is built with granite, the wall is 7 to 8.5 metres high and the top is 4 to 5 metres wide.
- Watchtowers are densely placed along this section of the Great Wall - 22 watchtowers on this 2,250-metre (7,380 ft) stretch.
- Both the outer and inner parapets are crenelated with merlons, so that shots could be fired at the enemy on both sides - a feature very rare on other parts of the Great Wall.
- The Mutianyu Pass consists of three watchtowers, one big in the centre and two smaller on both sides. Standing on the same terrace, the three watchtowers are connected to each other inside.
While I stood on this mighty wall, with my wife beside me, I could not help but wonder about the human efforts to build this wall, in those ancient days without access to modern construction equipment, made me wonder, how many lives were lost during the construction. I asked this intriguing question and was shocked to hear that over one million lives were lost during the construction of the wall and that it was also infamously called "The World's largest Grave Yard". The rulers were so ruthless that not just the dead but those critically injured/ill too were buried under the wall. I felt a dull pain exacerbate in my heart, when I learnt of this sad fact/story.
So, what we were seeing as a man-made wonder and an "engineering marvel" has literally witnessed the blood and lives of over a one million men and the sorrow and tears of a million families….
Xian:
The next city of our visit was to the city of Xian and the most important locations in our itinerary. Xian, though a much smaller city, in comparison with Beijing, seemed more cosy and hospitable. The city was well planned and had a portion of the Great Wall passing bisecting the city into two sides.
During my early school days in the year 1977, our Geography teacher one day, brought a book containing the information of the discovery of a whole "army" of Terrakota Warriors. The pictures in this book and the explanation of the story was a huge revelation to us and had captivated my imagination on my impressionable mind. I had an innate desire to visit and see this magnificent discovery…..which finally was becoming a reality!!
"The Terracota Warriors", which is located in the Lintong County, outside Xian city, in Shaanxi Province.
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife.
The figures, dating from approximately the late third century BC were discovered in 1974 by local farmers. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. It is estimated that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits near Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians.
Four main pits approximately 7 metres (23 ft) deep have been excavated. These are located approximately 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) east of the burial mound. The soldiers within were laid out as if to protect the tomb from the east, where the Qin Emperor's conquered states lay.
Pit 1, which is 230 metres (750 ft) long and 62 metres (203 ft) wide, contains the main army of more than 6,000 figures.] Pit 1 has eleven corridors, most more than 3 metres (10 ft) wide and paved with small bricks with a wooden ceiling supported by large beams and posts. This design was also used for the tombs of nobles and would have resembled palace hallways when built. The wooden ceilings were covered with reed mats and layers of clay for waterproofing, and then mounded with more soil raising them about 2 to 3 metres (6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in) above the surrounding ground level when completed.
Pit 2 has cavalry and infantry units as well as war chariots and is thought to represent a military guard. Pit 3 is the command post, with high-ranking officers and a war chariot. Pit 4 is empty, perhaps left unfinished by its builders.
When I saw the Warriors in the pits and as I walked down the aisle looking at those behind, I was reminded of the words of my teacher and the animated explanation of the amazing discovery.
We had a great photo opportunity to buy souvenirs and models of the warriors and also to pose for a photograph with the only surviving farmer who was a young farming assistant in his early twenties during the discovery. He is in his seventies now.
Dongfeng City:
The Shaolin Temple was one of the most important locations of the entire tour. We drove to Dongfeng City from Luoyong City. It was a long three hours drive before we reached this mountainous city of Dongfeng. It was yet another magnificent sights.
The visit to the Shaolin Temple began by witnessing a fabulous "Kungfu" show which was demonstrated by the students who were trained at the Kungfu Martial arts School as a part of their school curricula. Unfortunately this school does not accept female students.
Shaolin Temple was established in 495 A.D. at the western foot of Songshan Mountain, 13 kilometers northwest to Dengfeng City, Henan Province. The then-Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-557) had the temple built to accommodate the Indian Buddhist monk and master Buddhabhadra, whom they called "Batuo" in China.".
As the first Shaolin abbot, Batuo (Buddhabhadra) devoted himself to translating Buddhist scriptures and preaching doctrines to hundreds of his followers. Thirty two years later, another Indian monk Bodhidharma arrived at Shaolin Temple, who was said to have crossed the Yangtze River on a reed. He spent nine years meditating in a cave of the Wuru Peak and initiated the Chinese Chan or Zen tradition at Shaolin Temple. Thereafter, Bodhidharma was honored as the first Patriarch of Chan Buddhism. As Chinese Kungfu also originated from Shaolin Temple, it has been recognized as the origin of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Kungfu.
Besides, it is known that martial arts have been practiced at the temple throughout its history. A legend had it that Bodhidharma found monks weak and unhealthy after long time meditation practices, so he developed the martial arts to strengthen them, which formed the basis of Shaolin Kungfu. However the unique aspect of Shaolin culture is the combination of Shaolin Kungfu and Chan Buddhism.
The Shaolin Temple has beautiful statues of the Buddha. One feels a deep sense of piety in the precincts of the temple. My wife and I, joined the devotees to light and incense stick, kneel and pray to the Buddha.
The experience gave me and Sneha a deep sense of calm and peace.
While the whole China trip was enchanting with vivid and varied experience in various towns and cities, it is these ancient cities with rich history that had really captivated my interest. The sprawling metropolis of Beijing, the trade and finance capital of China – Shanghai were equally fascinating.
Our visit to Longmen Grottos located around 12 kilometers from Luoyong city of Henan Province, was yet another fabulous experience. It was one of the finest examples of Chinese Budhist art with tens of thousands of statues of the Buddha and his disciples carved out of the rocks in the mountains. In 2000 the site was inscribed upon the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity," for its perfection of an art form, and for its encapsulation of the cultural sophistication of Tang China.
The manner in which Chinese people conducted themselves, the upkeep of the civic amenities was a real eye-opener. The travel by the bullet train covering 1240 Kilometers in just 4 hours, was truly unique and an experience that we can never forget in our lives.
The visit to China and the interaction with the Chinese was an endearing and memorable experience indeed….We were left asking for more…
More by : Suresh Kalathil
Hi Prasad!!
Thank you for the kind words and appreciation. I am sure you could re-live those moments of our travel together. Yes, it was a fabulous experience indeed and I look forward to embarking on more such travels with you.
Yes, we had benefitted immensely by your bargaining skills too, something the readers should know, that shopping in China is also a test for our bargaining skills.
SURESH KALATHIL
Thank you for sharing this awesome article. I felt as if I was seeing all those historic places in China once again !!! Your vivid description of each place along with accurate facts & figures was truly amazing.
I am sure that a lot of future travelers will be benefited from this inspirational write up. Being an avid writer, the words just flow from your pen I guess & your writing (just as your public speaking) inspires me & many more. Your attention to detail is one of the highlights of the article & the emotional touch especially "the silent prayer at Tienanmen Square" & for those burried under the Great Wall was fabulous. You have pointed out several things especially about the connection between Shaolin Kungfu and Chan Buddhism & the Terracotta Warriors, that I will remember for years to come. I look forward to travelling with you again & of course to reading your next immaculate write-up through which we get to re-live the entire experience. I love reading your articles repeatedly from time to time since they always have an interesting story to tell & for the quality of words that you use to describe every minute detail - its like a motion picture !!!
Many congratulations & a million thanks for another gem of an article from your impressive mine of information. Keep churning out more of such articles.
Prasad
P.S : A note of warning for future travelers about the Chinese food & the bargaining skills required while shopping in China would have probably added a touch of humour !
Narayan Prasad
Top | Travelogues

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The 11″ thick slab floor of a storage shed at a port facility settled up to 6 inches. Exploratory coring & non-destructive imaging (GPR & microgravity) indicated there were extensive voids below the floor.
Previous work on the adjacent bulkhead uncovered extensive voids below the exterior footings (pile-supported) and multiple abandoned, but unfilled, pipes under the floor.
Due to relatively thin voids, which were all less than 6 inches, any void filling grout had to be highly mobile. However, this posed environmental challenges due should the grout make its way into an unfilled abandoned pipe and into the adjacent waterway. The owner did not want to lift the floor, so grouting had to be sufficiently low mobility to prevent runaways, but also fill all voids at an economical hole spacing.
CJGeo proposed polyurethane grouting for this slab foundation repair project. A high density (3.3PCF free rise, 4PCF in place) TerraThane grout was proposed to balance mobility for completeness of fill and reaction time to avoid any runaway loss into the adjacent waterway.
CJGeo mobilized a two reactor polyurethane grouting rig and installed approximately 6300lbs of polyurethane grout over a three day period. Pneumatic rock drills were used to speed drilling.


If you were a Wizard reader in the mid- to late-'90s, then you probably recall how hot the magazine was for Kaniuga's self-published series Creed. After working on that series for several years he ended up at Marvel, where he illustrated the underrated Ghost Rider: Hammer Lane. After that he pretty much dropped off the comics map, going to the video-game industry, where he continued drawing and creating on franchises like World of Warcraft and Diablo.
But now he's return to the comics fold with a webcomic called Twilight Monk. The series, which updates every Monday, follows a cursed monk as he sets out from his monastic home in search for a cure to a mysterious disease that's afflicted him. Kaniuga says that this new series has the same sense of wonder as his first comic Creed, but "with a hell of a lot more kung fu!" Visit www.twilightmonk.com to see for yourself.


As a United States Marine and a Police Officer, I've always counted on shirts stays to keep my uniform looking its best. One thing is for you sure, you haven't worn real shirt stays until you've worn SHIRT STAYS PLUS! By far the best pair of shirt stays I've ever worn and now that I own a set, ill never wear anything else!


text:
Home > Newsroom > News Search > Lung Cancer Screening Program Earns Center of Excellence Designation
Lung Cancer Screening Program Earns Center of Excellence Designation
Alamance County woman credits screening program for saving her life
Greensboro— No one wants to learn that they have lung cancer. But Luana Hresko-Schaefer sees a silver lining in her diagnosis. "I would have died. That's just the simple fact of my medical condition. Lung cancer would have killed me." But her cancer was found early thanks to the low-dose lung cancer screening program at Cone Health.
The pack a day smoker knew her habit was a bad idea, but was careful about seeing her doctor and having regular X-rays. Hresko-Schaefer's doctor recommended a low-dose CT scan through the Cone Health Lung Cancer Screening Program at Alamance Regional Medical Center.
The screening found a tumor in Hresko-Schaefer's left lung. Since the program works closely with a dedicated team of physicians and surgeons, patients can often start treatment within days of their scan if needed. Hresko-Schaefer's doctors are confident that they caught the disease in time.
"Traditionally lung cancer has been very deadly because it usually goes undetected until it is advanced or has spread throughout the body," states Dan Entrikin, MD, radiologist with Greensboro Imaging, which is involved in the screening program. "Low-dose CT scans have been proven to catch lung cancers early, before they've had a chance to spread, when there are effective treatments that can potentially cure the disease. Patients also avoid the higher radiation exposure of regular CT scans. These low-dose scans are now recommended for select long-term smokers and former long-term smokers."
The lung cancer screening program at Cone Health has been named a Screening Center of Excellence by the Lung Cancer Alliance for its ongoing commitment to responsible lung cancer screening. "Low dose CT screening is the only proven, research supported, method of detecting lung cancer at an early and treatable stage," says Cone Health Lung Cancer Screening Program Navigator Sarah Groce, NP. "Cone Health not only recommends lung cancer screenings for those who meet the criteria, but by becoming a Designated Screening Center of Excellence, we show that we meet the highest national standards in providing this service in our community"
Designated Screening Centers of Excellence must:
Provide clear information based on the latest science as to who is a candidate for lung cancer screening.
Meet comprehensive standards developed by multiple professional bodies to ensure high quality, responsible screening to patients.
Use teams of physicians, surgeons and nurse navigators to guide and track patients through screening, diagnosis, and treatment in a timely and efficient manner.
As for Hresko-Schaefer, the Graham resident is a firm believer in lung cancer screening. "Stop smoking and have the low-dose CT scan done. It can save your life."
Cone Health offers lung cancer screenings at locations in Alamance, Forsyth, Guilford and Rockingham Counties. People wanting more information can call 336-547-1878 or go to conehealth.com/lungscreening, where a lung cancer screening video is available.
For media inquiries related to Cone Health, contact:
Doug Allred
External Communications Manager
On Twitter: @ConeHealthPR
Cone Health


text:
LRA / Government negotiations 1993-94 (2002)
Profiles: Accord Northern Uganda (2010)
Peace and conflict in northern Uganda 2002-06 (2010)
Searching for solutions in Juba: An overview (2010)
Interview: Hizkias Assefa (2010)
Interview: Julian Hottinger (2010)
Interview: His Highness Rwot David Onen Acana II (2010)
Interview: Jan Egeland (2010)
Negotiating in the shadow of justice (2010)
Chronology and key texts: Accord Northern Uganda (2010)
Further reading: Accord Northern Uganda (2010)
Introduction: Accord Northern Uganda (2002)
Causes and consequences of the war in Acholiland (2002)
Profiles of the parties to the conflict (2002)
Reaching the 1985 Nairobi Agreement (2002)
The peace process in northern Uganda 1986-1990 (2002)
Restoring relations between Uganda and Sudan: The Carter Center process (2002)
Implementing the 1999 Nairobi Agreement (2002)
The role of the religious leaders (2002)
Women's contribution to peacebuilding in northern Uganda (2002)
Kacoke Madit: A diaspora role in promoting peace (2002)
Reconciliation and justice: 'Mato oput' and the Amnesty Act (2002)
Which children count? The politics of children's rights in northern Uganda (2002)
Key texts and agreements: Accord Northern Uganda (2002)
Chronology: Accord Northern Uganda (2002)
Protracted conflict, elusive peace: Initiatives to end the violence in northern Uganda
Accord issue:
Billie O'Kadameri
Billie O'Kadameri describes negotiations between the LRA and the Ugandan government representatives between November 1993 and February 1994. He recounts government minister Betty Bigombe's efforts to make contact with the LRA, the security arrangements and confidence-building that took place, and her attempts to win support from the army for her efforts. He provides a detailed account of Bigombe's meetings with LRA delegations, the subsequent deterioration and collapse of the process, and the failed attempts by elders to restart it.
LRA / Government negotiations 1993-94
By the early 1990s, insurgencies in Lango and in Teso had largely ended but the war in Acholiland continued to intensify as the armed movement led by Joseph Kony consolidated its military capacity, with ever growing humanitarian and military costs. It became increasingly clear to the government that something needed to be done to end the conflict. The talks between representatives of Museveni's government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) between November 1993 and February 1994 were perhaps the most significant initiative by the government to engage directly with the LRA in political negotiations to end the war. But negotiations collapsed abruptly before a final agreement could be reached. This article examines the period leading up to these talks, the course of the negotiations and the events around their collapse, as well as initiatives to resume talks later that year.
Military evolution of Kony's forces
Joseph Kony established his group as a formidable military force in 1988. The new group was named the United Holy Salvation Army (UHSA) in an apparent attempt to distance it from the defunct Holy Spirit Mobile Force (HSMF), which had disbanded after Alice 'Lakwena' was defeated in November 1987. The speed of Lakwena's downfall, and the outright military defeat of the HSMF, reinforced confidence in the Ugandan army that any 'replay of the Holy Spirit war' would meet the same fate as the Lakwena rebellion. The emergence of Kony's force therefore did not worry the army initially.
Contrary to expectations, however, Kony's forces were strengthened following a combination of forced recruitment of the remnants of the UPDA rebels and Lakwena's lost rear forces, and daring attacks against the government troops in Gulu district in 1988-89. In late 1988, the NRA suffered a series of minor but militarily significant setbacks in rebel attacks. With news of such apparent rebel heroics, the population in Acholiland, many of whom were anti-Museveni, slowly began to believe that Kony was capable of causing trouble for the regime in Kampala.
Government's response
As the armed conflict intensified in the north, the government responded by stepping up its military campaign to destroy the insurgency and by creating political infrastructure to coordinate a response to the crisis in the region. During a cabinet reshuffle in mid-1988, Museveni created a new ministerial post to address the rebellion in Acholi. He chose one of his Acholi confidantes, Betty Bigombe, as 'Minister of State for Pacification of Northern Uganda, Resident in Gulu'. But the controversial connotations of the term 'pacification' soon resulted in the revision of the title to 'Minister of State in Office of the Prime Minister, Resident in Northern Uganda'.
It seemed Bigombe was sent to Acholi not to negotiate peace, but to convince remnants of the insurgents to come out of the bush. For five years most of what she did was to encourage the locals to tell their sons to give up the rebellion. The decision to start talking peace was a personal one by Bigombe, not backed by any official policy to end the war through dialogue.
Bigombe developed a reputation as a grassroots mobiliser, determined to make her mark in the area in spite of the cultural prejudice she endured in her first years as Minister (a woman trying to end a war between men). By the time she began to plan for talks with the LRA, she had established a reputation among ordinary Acholi as someone who could be trusted to handle the issue, although many Acholi remained sceptical about the overall intentions of the government.
Led by Col Peter Kerim, the NRA was meanwhile reshuffled to enable it to deal a decisive blow to the LRA. Although the military operations from mid-1989 weakened the LRA massively, Kerim was not able to secure the complete defeat desired by Museveni. Col Samuel Wasswa subsequently replaced Kerim as 4th Division Commander.
In 1990, Minister of State for Defence Maj. Gen. David Tinyefuza, who was the NRA's chief military combat strategist, was sent to northern Uganda to achieve a final military victory over Kony's forces. The military operations that began on 31 March 1991 later became known as 'Operation North'. During the operation there were reports of arbitrary arrests and detentions and blanket cordon and search operations intended to net the so-called 'rebel collaborators', which in the end generated resentment against the army and the government. Tinyefuza was recalled by President Museveni and subsequently dismissed in 1992.
By 1992 Kony's group had been renamed the United Democratic Christian Movement/Army (UDCM/A) – later to become the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The UDCA had, in the NRA's words, been reduced 'to hundreds instead of thousands'. Nevertheless, a sizeable contingent and a core of the leadership survived and occasionally attacked both civilian and military targets, especially in Gulu, including the abductions of 44 girls from Sacred Heart Secondary School and St. Mary's Girls School, both near Gulu. It was evident that the government knew that although Kony's armed movement had been weakened, it was still capable of causing trouble
In response, in 1992 Bigombe initiated village-based self-defence vigilante outfits known as 'Arrow Groups', a loose assortment of male villagers without central command, through which locals were supposed to protect themselves against attacks by rebels. Bigombe and the local government functionaries argued that if the UDCA fighters were poorly armed, which was partly true, then local people should not allow themselves to be taken captive or killed. In response, rebels targeted villagers in brutal reprisals.
The rebels had killed civilians suspected of government cooperation in the past, but the targeted killings of a more brutal nature became increasingly prominent immediately after the end of 'Operation North'. The attacks on civilians, though a direct reaction to the creation of the 'Arrow Groups', were not intended merely to eliminate government supporters among the villagers. They also appear to have been a regimented attempt at winning support by instilling fear of revenge if people did not cooperate with the rebels.
Initiating contact
Bigombe was having tea with Col Wasswa one evening in June 1993 when discussion turned to the rebellion. She asked Wasswa for documents captured from the rebels indicating their collaborators in Gulu. The next day Wasswa sent her hundreds of exercise books obtained from Kony's fighters over a five-year period. Leafing through these documents, she identified a couple of key people mentioned repeatedly. One was based in Kitgum and the other, Yusuf Okwonga Adek, was based in Gulu. Bigombe sought more information on Adek and learned that he was one of Kony's most trusted friends and advisers. Adek had been detained previously at Luzira prison on charges of collaborating with rebels but was released and returned to his home near Gulu town.
At this initial stage, Bigombe did not tell the army that she intended to make contact with Kony's group. She invited Adek to a discreet meeting where they discussed the origins of the rebellion and the reasons why it continued. She asked Adek's view on how to bring it to an end without spilling more blood. Adek was enthusiastic and they held three more meetings that week. It gave Bigombe an opportunity to learn more about the enigmatic Joseph Kony – of whom little was known even to government officials detailed to fight and defeat him.
Bigombe assured Adek that the government wanted to talk to Kony and asked if he could act as the intermediary. Adek was told he could travel through the bush to reach Kony's camp without fear of being held or harmed by the NRA. Bigombe wrote a letter to Kony, for delivery by Adek. After a week, he returned with a letter from Kony acknowledging receipt of Bigombe's letter and indicating that he needed 'to receive guidance from the Holy Spirit' and would respond if Adek returned in three weeks.
Previous efforts by various leaders to initiate contact with the insurgents had generally ended in failure. Intermediaries claiming to have close contacts were usually frauds who demanded goods such as money, bicycles, or the return of cows, in return for letters purportedly written by rebel commanders – most of them fake. The letters that Adek brought from the bush therefore came under close scrutiny, but were found to be genuine. Bigombe believed that Adek was honest, and he never asked for more funds than he would need for the job and sometimes never asked for anything at all, arguing that nobody needed money to buy anything in the jungle.
Engaging the NRA in the process
By the time Bigombe initiated contact with Joseph Kony, she had not informed even the President that such a process was underway. It is not certain whether Division Commander Col Wasswa had informed the head of state either. Knowing she had found solid ground, Bigombe consulted with Museveni, who encouraged her to proceed but to liaise with the army to avoid uncoordinated movements. When she consulted key figures in the army, some were cautiously enthusiastic, while others wanted her to 'negotiate the surrender of the rebels'. She argued her case by promising that a negotiated peace was more cost-effective than a military one.
Col Wasswa, whose support remained constant throughout the process, in turn briefed Brigadier Joram Mugume, NRA Chief of Combat Operations and Lt Col Fred Toolit, Director of Military Intelligence. They told him that Bigombe could continue her initiative without compromising army operations, which would continue as though no contacts were being made and would, in fact, be intensified to further weaken the rebels.
Again, Bigombe did not seem discouraged and went on with the initiative convinced it would take a tangible result for some of the army chiefs to recognise the virtues of the initiative. She also knew the President would rein in the commanders when the hour of reckoning came. She did not, however, make these 'internal contradictions' known to the LRA, fearing the rebels might abandon the process if they got the slightest hint that the government side was not acting in unison. Contrary to popular belief, Bigombe believed, and said so, that the President encouraged the initiative, although he did not openly support the initiative in order not to appear to have 'failed in defeating the rebels'.
It is clear that supporting the process would give the President two important advantages. If he allowed the initiative to continue, its limitations notwithstanding, and if it succeeded, he would quieten those who had always accused him of being militaristic and of never exploring peaceful solutions to conflicts. If the talks failed, he could still parade the initiative as an example of his government's attempts at ending the war peacefully 'which was derailed by the bandits who never knew what they wanted except to continue killing people'.
Pre-negotiations and confidence-building
By October 1993, the two sides were discussing the modalities and security arrangements for the first meeting. Courting the unknown, Bigombe was willing at this stage to comply with the demands made by Kony's group to begin face-to-face negotiations.
Security arrangements for the talks proved difficult, but were central to confidence-building. The army was extremely nervous about the risks. In 1987, while on a peace mission in Teso, three government ministers were abducted and held by Teso insurgents and one minister was killed in the crossfire when the army mounted a rescue operation. The army did not want Bigombe to meet a similar fate and refused to allow her to go unarmed. This issue delayed the setting of the meeting date for days. The LRA eventually yielded, indicating that they would trust Bigombe and 'her soldiers' to maintain security but that Bigombe would be held responsible if anything untoward happened. An intermediary further informed Bigombe that he was not sure whether Kony would attend the first meeting or even whether any of his senior commanders would attend. A meeting was set nonetheless.
During this period, Kony attended a funeral held close to the army barracks and spent the night nearby. Apparently, Kony had the impression the army knew of his presence but did not attack because talks were being organised. This contributed significantly to his confidence in the process.
The first Pagik meeting
The first face-to-face negotiations between the LRA and government representatives took place on 25 November 1993 at Pagik, in the Aswa region of Gulu. In addition to her army bodyguards, Bigombe was accompanied, at the LRA's suggestion, by several elders, including Yusuf Adek, as well as the author who was responsible for recording the proceedings. The NRA's Wasswa, Toolit and their aides also accompanied Bigombe. Upon arrival Bigombe seemed taken aback that only middle-ranking officers of the LRA were sent for such a historic contact. The delegation was selected apparently as a snub to the army's insistence on guarding the event, but they brought with them a tape-recorded message from Kony.
The LRA opened the proceedings with prayers led by their 'Director of Religious Affairs' Jenaro Bongomin. He indicated that Kony sent their delegation in response to the letters exchanged with Bigombe. Bigombe said that she had initiated the peace talks because of the suffering and insecurity experienced by Acholi as a result of the war. She pointed out that economic and social development would be blocked unless the war ended. The LRA team noted that they saw this first get-together as a contact meeting; if it went well proper talks for discussing the modalities for peace would follow. An LRA Commander, Cirilo Jurukadri Odego, insisted that if the talks were to succeed, then 'old wounds should not be re-opened' and that the LRA 'should not be publicly blamed for what occurred in the past because what is happening now marks a new beginning'. They declared they had come to the talks in good faith and would therefore not present any conditions to the government. They nevertheless had a number of requests.
They asked for the past to be forgotten and a general amnesty given to all the fighters. They insisted that the LRA should not be seen as a defeated force but as people who had responded positively to the peace initiative because the LRA itself wanted peace. They asserted that they were not 'surrendering' but 'returning home', and they did not want to be referred to as 'rebels' but as 'people'. The delegation described why they had begun their struggle, that they were fighting those who had rejected the way of God and therefore had to struggle against both the NRA and UPDA fighters. They further claimed the UPDA surrendered to the NRA in 1988 in order to return to battle against the LRA from a point of advantage and to avenge their earlier defeats. They insisted the negotiations should therefore exclude former UPDA officials.
Furthermore, they asked the NRA to cease hostilities in order to allow the LRA to organise their men for 'return'. They noted that the ceasefire they had requested the previous month by letter to Bigombe and Wasswa had been granted. They now wanted the government to formalise it. The LRA also wanted the opportunity to bring in their fighters from elsewhere, 'including from Kenya and Europe'. Referring to the earlier experience of UPDA demobilisation, they claimed that if these 'scattered' fighters were ignored then fighting would continue again at sometime in the future. 'If you don't allow us to bring out all our men, it means you want us to come and turn around fighting our own brothers in another war', said Jenaro Bongomin. They also demanded that the government treat their sick and wounded in government hospitals under the supervision of government and LRA officers. In return, they indicated their desire to open clinics in Acholi to treat diseases like AIDS, for which they claimed to have a cure. Because of the blood shed between LRA and NRA fighters, they recommended a formal traditional ritual performed by selected Acholi elders. Such a ritual could then 'formally mark a reunion between brothers who were once enemies'. They issued assurances that Kony himself, without whom no binding decision could be made in the LRA, would attend the next meeting.
In response to these requests, Bigombe promised the LRA delegation that the existing general amnesty and presidential pardon would cover them. She assured the delegation that no one in this war could be categorised as either victor or vanquished. Emphasising that 'the government is very sincere in its attempts to have you back home' she agreed that the past should be forgiven. She asked the LRA to establish the exact number of their sick and injured so treatment in government hospitals could be arranged. She also agreed not to bring former UPDA members to the talks.
Bigombe further indicated that although they understood that the LRA would need time to reorganise themselves for a formal return, the process should occur within a set time frame and as quickly as possible. Wasswa said the NRA on its part would order its troops to avoid operations against the LRA, who would be given an area in which to freely operate and regroup. Interestingly, both the LRA and NRA negotiators expressed their concern that a 'third force' might try to sabotage these arrangements in order to wreck the process, and they both agreed on the need to be vigilant to prevent this.
The day-long proceedings agreed on the arrangements for the next meeting and allowed LRA commanders to present their case and explain their cause. Bigombe did the majority of the talking, but Wasswa and Toolit also participated. Although intended as a confidence-building contact, the meeting turned into a negotiation session with the exchange of demands and offers. The tone was cordial and, by the end, all agreed they had gone far and paved the way for the next, bigger meeting that would include Kony. Confidence had been established to the point where the LRA was later able to send their representatives to the NRA's Gulu barracks, where Bigombe lived, to discuss the progress of the talks.
Bigombe's team initially felt that the absence of Kony and most of his senior commanders at the first talks was a snub. They were later told that 'the ear, the soul and one of the brains behind Kony's movement' was Jenaro Bongomin, who had led the prayers. He was the only person present when 'the Holy Spirit descended' upon Kony in 1987 and was among Kony's closest confidantes. Other participants were also key figures. Jackson Achama served as a Kony's personal secretary, Yardin Tolbert Nyeko – later to become one of the highest-ranking LRA officers – his close aide, as was Cirilo Jurukadri Odego, a former UPDA officer from West Nile.
Government caution
In the weeks after the Pagik meeting the NRA became increasingly interested in the talks. It soon became apparent that Col Wasswa – who had gone out of his way to use his budget to fund the peace process and to buy clothes, food and medicine for the LRA – was under considerable pressure. Brigadier Mugume and Lt Col Toolit indicated their concern that Bigombe had 'caved in too much' to LRA demands. Bigombe was also under political pressure. Her immediate boss, Prime Minister George Cosmas Adyebo, refused to give her the logistical and even public political support necessary to conduct the peace process. This may have been due to political differences, exacerbated by concerns over who would receive recognition for resolving the conflict in northern Uganda and over who was the pre-eminent politician of the north.
Bigombe was also under pressure not to over-publicise the progress made in the talks. There seemed to be some apprehension in government circles that over-publicising the talks would generate too much public expectation, and that if anything went wrong the government would be held responsible. Nevertheless, expectations grew among local people. They could see a marked change in the behaviour of the LRA and therefore supported the talks.
It is imperative to note the ad hoc nature of this process. At no time were the top army leadership including the President, willing to tell Bigombe unambiguously that she was doing the right thing and had their full support. It was clear that the army believed the President supported the initiative as he had not come out against it, but he had not clearly directed the army on what to do, how to cooperate and to what level. The lack of substantive political directive and guidance from President Museveni at this point left open to speculation his own motives regarding the process.
Stand-off over security
Three days prior to the scheduled meeting between Bigombe and the LRA 'top' leadership, a meeting was held with senior Acholi politicians and elders, among them former Ugandan Head of State General Tito Okello Lutwa and former Prime Minister and UPDM leader Eric Otema-Allimadi. Two LRA commanders also participated but were verbally attacked by Tito Okello, who condemned their atrocities against Acholi. Allimadi did not say much at this meeting although he was quoted as having spoken elsewhere condemning the rebels.
The LRA had expressed their wish to talk to the religious leaders in Acholiland, who were subsequently invited to attend the meeting between the government and the LRA. Anglican and Muslim leadership were willing to participate, with Rev. Macleod Baker Ochola and Sheikh Ochaya chosen to represent their respective faiths. Local Catholic authorities were, however, unwilling to send a representative. Why the Catholic Church took this stand remains unclear, but it was perhaps linked to the initial months of the UPDA rebellion when a senior Italian Catholic priest was accused by the security forces of aiding the rebels and was then deported. Another Catholic priest, the Canadian Fr Paul Donohue, based in Kitgum, was almost deported during 'Operation North' for similar reasons. On the other hand, the Catholic Church had also lost some of its priests at the hands of the LRA – including Fr Egidio Biscaro, who was killed at Pajule, and Cyril Obol, killed on the Gulu-Kitgum road – and therefore seemed hostile to the rebel group as well. Following this rejection the LRA became increasingly hostile to both the Gulu Catholic Church and the former political leaders.
On 10 January 1994, the negotiators met again in Pagik. But unresolved questions about security arrangements for the talks nearly caused them to collapse. The LRA had indicated that they wanted to be solely responsible for the maintenance of security at the second meeting; the NRA remained unwilling to accept this arrangement. When Bigombe's delegation of elders, religious and women's leaders, and army officials accompanied by soldiers arrived seven kilometres from the agreed venue, they were met by approximately one hundred members of the LRA. They refused to allow the NRA soldiers to police the venue. Thus the first negotiation task was to find a solution to this stand-off. Yusuf Adek and the author became intermediaries, making almost a dozen journeys between the LRA and NRA commanders. The LRA maintained that they had acted in good faith during the first meeting and allowed the government to provide security for the venue. On this occasion they wanted to be responsible for the security so that only one side would be blamed if problems occurred. As night-time drew near, Bigombe began to fear a great opportunity would be missed. Bigombe made direct contact with Kony by field radio, who reiterated that the talks would be postponed unless the negotiators came to the venue without armed escorts. She decided to go unprotected and asked Wasswa and Toolit if they were willing to do the same. They in turn requested permission from Brigadier Mugume by radio and, when it was refused, declined to go but sent their aides to accompany her.
They left for the venue at about 1800 hours. The team was searched thoroughly by the LRA guards to see 'if they were carrying charms'. They were then sprayed with 'holy water' to cleanse them before entering the venue. Over the next hour, LRA commanders arrived one-by-one, while a choir entertained the delegates with 'Holy Spirit' songs. When it was almost dark, the commanders welcomed Bigombe's team and expressed disappointment over the army officers' absence. However, because night had arrived, the LRA said the talks could not begin and that everyone should spend the night at the venue and talks would start the next morning. Bigombe thanked the LRA delegation, although she complained that people had been mistreated on the way to the venue, and explained that the delegation could not spend the night at the venue as the President was waiting to hear from her. If they did not return that night, it would be misunderstood.
After consulting Kony, who was in a house barely metres away, the LRA agreed for the entire team to go to Gulu and return the next morning. To prove their sincerity, they gave Bigombe thirty of their members as 'armed escorts' to take the minister back to Gulu. 'Let them guard you, because we do not want anything to happen to you and then we are blamed, because there are many people who are not pleased at what we are doing', said LRA Field Commander George Omona. Returning to Gulu at night, the roads were lined with curious villagers, who sang and ululated as the delegation passed.
Bigombe and Kony meet
When the team returned to Pagik the next day, they found the LRA's stringent measures had been removed and the environment was friendlier. When Kony arrived, it was apparent that he wanted to use this first meeting to tell the government, and especially the Acholi people, why he 'went to the bush'. In a four-hour speech, he held the Acholi community largely 'responsible for the war that had backfired with terrible results that everyone now blamed Kony for'. It also became clear why the LRA had insisted that Acholi elders participate in the talks. He claimed that Acholi elders sent them out and then abandoned them, forcing the LRA to turn their guns on their own people. Kony blamed them for Acholi's suffering and said that there were only three elders whom he could trust; the others were bloodthirsty people who had failed to guide the people in Acholi in its most serious hour of need. The LRA wanted to be seen as serious partners in the peace process and had begun to punish their troops who had committed atrocities in the villages.
Bigombe and Kony entered a one-to-one meeting. Kony informed Bigombe that he wanted to come out of the bush with all his fighters. He appealed to the government to enable the process to work and said he would not issue conditions to the government 'because the children in the bush are not my children but Acholi children', and the Acholi community should appeal to the government for the future development of their children. Kony then restated his request for more time to regroup his troops. He claimed that if the government really wanted peace, it should be willing to wait for just six months.
LRA/NRA relations deteriorate
The period following the second Pagik meeting was the first time since 1986 that almost the entire district felt secure. LRA fighters moved freely in the villages, entered army detachments and sat and sometimes ate with government soldiers. A third meeting soon followed at Lakwatimer Primary School on 24 January 1994. The meetings were cordial and were attended by all the senior LRA commanders except Kony, and by the NRA's Col Wasswa and Lt Col Toolit. The involvement of NRA officers was crucial because the focus was now on negotiating ceasefire arrangements as well as other aspects of the peace agreement in which the army would have to be directly involved. A follow-up meeting was held to work out the details. Bigombe participated in all these meetings.
Problems started to emerge as preparations got underway for a meeting between Kony, Bigombe and possibly President Museveni to reach a comprehensive settlement. The LRA delegation believed that the NRA was behaving arrogantly. On numerous occasions, the talks were almost abandoned because the LRA interpreted Col Toolit's remarks as belittling.
For their part, the NRA negotiators did not see the talks moving in the expected direction. At one of the meetings in Bigombe's house, Brigadier Mugume told LRA commander Otti-Lagony that he, 'thought you had come here to negotiate your surrender'. The LRA team felt humiliated by this and other remarks. Bigombe became increasingly uncomfortable with the way the NRA officers were handling the talks. Yet the LRA exacerbated the tensions by, for example, demanding uniforms 'since we are almost one now', which led to the question 'if you are negotiating a peace deal to come out of the bush, why do you need uniforms?'
Notwithstanding these misgivings, a larger meeting was organised at Tegot-Atto on 2 February 1994. At this meeting, Col Toolit almost went to blows with LRA Commanders Sunday Arop and George Omona. Arop was so furious that he threatened to harm elder Anania Akera, claiming that Akera was one of those who 'pointed his penis towards the bush and cursed us' – traditionally the ultimate curse that a father can perform against his offspring. Despite these tensions a ceasefire document was drafted and signed between Omona and Wasswa.
Bigombe was in a difficult position, trying both to facilitate a process and act as a representative of the government. Her position was further complicated by the fact that she could not make some of the crucial on-the-spot decisions without consulting the army. In private conversations Bigombe hinted that there were attempts at every stage to sabotage the talks from various quarters, including from her colleagues in the government.
After the meeting, the LRA informed Bigombe that they would not send their officers to Gulu town again for meetings, as they believed there was a plot to arrest them. Until the army clarified the situation, no meetings would occur. Even if no such plot existed, the behaviour of the government side had reinforced this perception and gave the LRA the perfect excuse to claim the threat was real. A follow-up meeting that was to take place on the Gulu-Kitgum border two weeks after the Tegot-Atto meeting was also postponed indefinitely. The army retorted by claiming the LRA had made contact with the Sudanese government and were now unwilling to continue with the talks. Curiously, the army officers did not inform Bigombe of this new development. She continued to send messages to the LRA, who explained they were willing to restart the talks but needed the army's reassurance they were up to no 'dirty tricks'.
On 6 February 1994, Museveni visited Gulu to attend the first anniversary of the visit by Pope John Paul II to the district. While addressing the crowd at Kaunda Ground, the President said that Bigombe had begun talks with the LRA to restore peace, but that the LRA had taken advantage of the talks to perpetuate 'banditry' and killing of the people. He announced that the LRA had seven days to surrender, otherwise the government would defeat them militarily.
The LRA did not take him up on this ultimatum. Two weeks later, it was reported the first group of LRA fighters had crossed the border and established bases in southern Sudan introducing a new dimension to the conflict. After a brief period of calm in Gulu and Kitgum, LRA troops returned with more sophisticated weapons including landmines. To some, their actions appeared to validate the army's earlier claims. Others blamed the President for scuttling the process. Either way, prospects for a peaceful settlement disappeared.
Elders' attempts at restarting talks
Bigombe did not give up. She continued to maintain contact with the LRA, hoping the process could be revived. While the LRA was willing to maintain contact with Bigombe, they were stronger after acquiring weapons from Sudan and refused to resume the talks in practice. Col Wasswa was removed from his Gulu post and Brigadier Chefe Ali, credited with ending the war in Teso, was brought to Gulu. Major General Salim Saleh was later sent to Gulu as Senior Presidential adviser on Military Affairs in northern Uganda. The government's strategy was now to end the war as quickly as possible by military means. For two years there were no apparent attempts at talks between the LRA and the government.
On 10 March 1996, the Rwot Achana led a delegation of forty people, twenty rwodi (hereditary chiefs) and twenty elders to meet President Museveni at his home in western Uganda asking that he accept 'that we continue to talk to them (i.e. the LRA) for peace.' LRA Lt Col Vincent Bebabeba Oola, alias Otingting, returned to Uganda in April 1996 and began addressing civilians throughout Aswa and Kilak counties, claiming the LRA wanted good relations with them. Two Gulu elders – Mzee Okot-Ogoni, whose niece Lucy Oringa was one of Kony's favourite 'wives', and Mzee Rwot Olanya-Lagony, brother to LRA Commander Otti-Lagony – arranged meetings with Bebabeba. They later contacted Salim Saleh indicating that they could restart peace talks with the LRA if Saleh was willing to support it. Their first estimates of costs were approximately eight million Uganda shillings (US$8,000). The government encouraged them to submit an increased budget of 153 million shillings (US$150,000). This was leaked to the national media with the headline 'Elders Demand UGshilling 153 Million'. The elders then made arrangements for ten of them to meet Bebabeba in June 1996.
Kony had previously indicated that Bebabeba could continue meeting the elders if he felt their efforts were serious, but warned that it might be a ruse by the government. A week after the elders' meeting with Saleh, the army captured Bebabeba's signaller. He revealed that Bebabeba had received orders from Otti-Lagony in Sudan that the elders were government decoys and should be killed. Saleh sent Brigadier Chefe Ali personally to the home of the Rwot Achana to tell the delegation not travel to the bush because the LRA planned to harm the elders. Achana informed the other elders, who claimed this information was a trick by Bigombe to sabotage their efforts because her own attempts had failed in 1994.
Okot-Ogoni and Olanya-Lagony travelled incognito for their rendezvous with Bebabeba. They were met at Ogoni's home by the same LRA troops that always came to collect them. They told the family they had come to take the elders to their commander. Barely metres away, the elders were shot dead. Escapees from Sudan later said Otti-Lagony had been furious that his brother was killed, but eventually accepted it as a freak order that backfired. Lagony apparently knew the orders were given but never knew his own brother would be among the elders travelling that day. Two and half months later, General Saleh's commandos killed Bebabeba at Koch-Goma.
Bigombe left Gulu in June 1996, after being defeated in the parliamentary elections where she claimed Saleh sponsored her opponent. Although there were a few subsequent attempts between Otti-Lagony and Saleh to maintain contacts between the LRA and the government, including an exchange of letters on possible peace talks, these initiatives did not progress. Thus the peace efforts started in 1993 died in 1994. It remains to be seen whether subsequent efforts will succeed.
View full accord issue
View full accord series


Any adult member of the parish. Check Calendar for Rehearsal Schedule.
Cantor – Anyone willing to lead the congregation in singing during mass.
Three-year commissioning process through the diocese. They assist the mass as the ministers of Holy Communion and those whom are homebound as needed.
Families in the parish that are partaking in the Eucharist that want to bring forth the gifts for consecration.
Training as part of the 5th grade curriculum every student receives in 5th grade to assist in mass and have the opportunity to serve up through their senior year in high school.
Greet parishioners before mass, take collection, trained in defibrillator.
Individuals who want to bring the word to the congregation.
All confidential Prayer Chain requests may be directed to Jean Mohr, our Prayer Chain Coordinator at 712-336-2559 or 712-320-5433. Prayer intentions may also be entered in the Prayer Request Book in the narthex of the church.
Amplification devices are available at St. Mary's to anyone who requests one. Anyone needing sign language interpreting services may request them by contacting the Parish Office. Caption services are also available upon request.


Dabbling in FinTech innovation, expanding internationally, integrating digital systems — businesses must make progress, but they're facing unfamiliar threats as they make these moves. And we're not just talking about cyberattacks. Businesses face mounting risk thanks to things like geopolitical uncertainties and regulation but are also threatened by something as seemingly arbitrary as group chat platforms.
New research from the realms of supply chain management, financial services and SMEs uncovers how businesses today are approaching risk mitigation and which threats are instilling the most fear.
76.8% of employee group chats in use are unsanctioned by their companies, and many of those employees are sharing sensitive corporate data over those group chat platforms. The latest analysis from SpiderOak also found that, surprisingly, professionals in IT and leadership groups are actually more likely to be using these unsanctioned group chats. Employees are using these tools simply because they are easier or "more fun," the report noted, yet private information, like strategic data, product-related documents, customer information and financial information, are often sent over these platforms, posing a significant risk to their organizations, the report concluded.
50% of financial service professionals cite global economic conditions as a top threat, more than double the number that said business model disruption was their top concern. That's according to SAP SuccessFactors and Oxford Economics, which surveyed 4,100 FinServ executives across markets. Increased global competition is also a top concern for these professionals, the research found, with 42 percent citing this specific threat. Analysts note that the largest of corporations are even less concerned about disruptions to their business models, despite 38 percent of industry professionals focusing on the accelerated pace of change in financial services.
49% of financial professionals say earnings uncertainty is a greater threat today than it was three years ago, according to the 2017 Association for Financial Professionals Risk Survey. For these executives, geopolitical risk is a major cause of earnings uncertainty; AFP President and CEO Jim Kaitz said this kind of risk can come "in the form of a surprise election result, new regulations or heightened diplomatic conflict" and noted that it is "a greater threat to organizations than ever before." Researchers at the AFP and Marsh & McLennan Companies found that financial factors, such as FX and interest rates, and business operations, like supply chain disruptions, pose the largest threats to organizations, with each cited by 24 percent of professionals in the survey.
40% more cyberbreaches impacted U.S. businesses in 2016 than the year prior, found CyberScout. Its latest analysis, released in conjunction with the Identity Theft Resource Center, found an all-time-high number of data breaches, with 1,093 incidents recorded in 2016. But researchers questioned whether the increase is due to more breaches or simply more publicly available data on the topic. The report found that more than half of these breaches (55.5 percent) were hacking/skimming/phishing attacks, many of which are business email compromises, in which a hacker sends a seemingly legitimate email requesting that a company pay money.
17% of SMEs say too much red tape is the biggest threat to their business, according to findings from Sage. Too much government bureaucracy and legislation were tied for the top challenge among small and medium-sized businesses, next to tax rates and access to tax relief for their companies. Those challenges surpassed the 15 percent that said access to capital is their biggest challenge. Sage released the data with a note to policymakers: "Listen up." Only 36 percent of SMEs said they feel fairly represented in the U.S.'s current political system.


text:
nmarchonelove4
Pikes Peak Children's Museum Secures Permanent Location, Launches "Brick by Brick" Campaign
Nohealani March
nohea@pikespeakchildrensmuseum.org
(Colorado Springs, Co) -- After 15 years as a mobile museum, the beloved Pikes Peak Children's Museum (PPCM) has secured a brick and mortar location that will eventually become the permanent space for the organization to grow and is encouraging the community to help build it from the ground up with their donations.
Following the announcement of the new location on Facebook Live on Dec. 1, museum board members unveiled its "Brick by Brick: Building a Community Museum Together" campaign. Donors will be encouraged to donate $25 to earn a digital certificate or a "brick" that signifies that they actually helped to build the museum up from their donations.
The new space has more than eight spaces for children to learn, play and discover what PPCM has to offer. Museum leadership intentionally chose to plant the facility in the historically-underserved southeast region of Colorado Springs, Colo.
"We could not be more excited to finally have a place all our own," said Annette Bone, the Board President of PPCM. "Opening up in southeast Colorado Springs was a deliberate choice on our part to help bring much-needed educational resources to these kids who may not be able to travel further north to reach other educational facilities. We want to be part of the revitalization of this community and support these kids who deserve something special in their area too."
PPCM leadership said they have enjoyed incredible support from the community over the years, particularly during the well-renowned Noon Year's Eve event, where children get to celebrate a typical New Year's Eve countdown except at noon on December 31, instead of midnight.
The financial risk, said Bone, is particularly high at this time as the pandemic has caused many nonprofits and small businesses to go belly-up.
"We absolutely need the support of the community, or it's possible we won't make it," said Bone. "We are hoping that by taking this leap of faith in securing a permanent location, our local community will have faith in us and show up, donate, and tell others to do those things for us too so that we can become a vital community resource for the children of Colorado Springs for years to come."
The lease for PPCM begins March 1, 2021, and the facility is expected to open its doors to the public in March 2021. Donations, sponsors and volunteers are "very much needed" according to Bone.
Anyone interested in donating to or volunteering for PPCM should contact the Pikes Peak Children's Museum board at 719-357-7726. Donations can be made directly to the organization by visiting https://www.pikespeakchildrensmuseum.org/fundraising.
Pikes Peak Childrens Museum Featured on Fox 21
PPCM President Interviewed on KRCC
We do not have any hours of operation yet. Hours of Operation are TBA as we get closer to the opening of the museum date in March 2021.
Mobile Museums
Indy Give
Please note that the address listed under Pikes Peak Children's Museum is ONLY our office space. The address for our museum will be announced closer to the date of opening in March 2021.
© 2020 by PPCM


Scotiabank's Tangerine, known as ING Direct before 2012, has already established itself as the leader when it comes to Canadian banking technological innovations, and the company is looking to cement this position by delving into facial-recognition-powered banking, according to a recent report from Bloomberg News.
Back in 2013, Tangerine was the first bank in Canada to implement fingerprint scanning via Apple's Touch ID technology, and also recently launched voice-enabled banking, as well as the ability to snap photographs of cheques and then have them automatically deposited into customer bank accounts.
"No one is sure what the gold standard is going to be, so you have to have the ability to be trying and testing and see what works," said Tangerine's chief executive officer Peter Aceto, in a recent interview with Bloomberg.
Tangerine was also one of the first financial institutions in Canada to launch internet banking back in 1998, as well a mobile banking platform in 2010, two dates that were significantly ahead of most of the company's competitors.
The latest innovation from Tangerine has the company delving deeper into biometric technology, more specifically facial recognition, although the financial institution says it's not ready to go into specifics regarding how it intends to use the technology yet.
Canadian bank RBC recently announced that it plans to implement fingerprint authentication in its mobile wallet app shortly after the announcement of Google's Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P late last month, two devices set to launch with Nexus Imprint technology.
The Bank of Nova Scotia purchased Tangerine – then known as ING Direct – for $3.1-billion CAD back in 2012.


Edusave Award winners from the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) and polytechnics will no longer have to wait two days to get their award money.
For the first time, PayNow will be used to disburse the awards, which were started in 1993, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday.
It will first be used in April, involving 9,000 ITE students. In September, another 25,000 ITE and poly students will be able to benefit from this.
PayNow is a service that lets people transfer money to each other almost instantly, just by using their mobile number or NRIC or Foreign Identification Number details.
MOE said this measure is being introduced "for greater convenience and efficiency, in line with Singapore's efforts to become a Smart Nation".
Award recipients currently get certificates and the money in the form of a cheque. They would have to go to a bank to deposit the cheque, before getting the money within two working days.
The use of PayNow means they will receive the money on the day of the awards ceremony itself.


Eliminate the causes of pain from elbow injuries permanently. A spectacular method that really does the job. A huge advance over what has been known.
Read more about how we fix your ELBOW INJURIES on our INJURY page. When you have an injury, it affects your WHOLE BODY, not just part of it. Find out what happens to other areas and how this STOPS you from healing completely.


text:
Q: Is there any reason why you all want to be notify whenever someone commit some codes? I know there are things like doing manual check to make sure the codes committed is fundamentally correct. But beside that? Reason i asking is because a big project there are so many commits everyday.

A: Generally speaking commit notifications are useful so that you have some idea what's happening in the code on a daily basis. For example, I know when a new feature has been implemented, or a bug fix is checked in. If there's so many commits that this gets lost in the noise then it might be worth filtering or reducing the number of commit messages you see (perhaps you can limit it only to specific modules you work on, for example).
That being said, aside from giving other developers the opportunity to at least cursorily review code, it can also notify people that:

*

*it's a good time to run an update from source control and merge any new changes if needed

*Hey, someone found a regex parsing bug in Foo but forgot to update Bar with it

*Oh, Bob's working on the Baz module, I should ask him to take a look at this too

You get the idea. Basically, it's meant to help foster transparency throughout the group, not just to put more eyes on a commit but to improve the development cycle for the team as a whole.

A: It can be useful if someone commits a change to one or more programs that you yourself may be working on. It's a heads up, if you will, that you may need to resolve some conflicts that may require further communication.
I've seen the situation where programmer A committed some changes and then went on vacation a couple of days later. Programmer B was also working on the same programs and there were some conflicts at the time Programmer B went to commit his changes. Normally this is no biggie, plus communication should always be kept open between the team members. In this case, Programmer B had some questions about the changes made by Programmer A, but had to wait a week until that programmer had returned. A heads up email, even an auto generated one, would have been helpful in this situation.
Just my two cents.

A: Many of the things mentioned above are useful when getting notified of checkins.  I typically use it for a couple of things:

*

*If the project breaks in some way, sometimes I can more quickly hone in on the problem because I've been aware of the checkins that have been going into the system.  It might point me to a solution more quickly

*It provides an easily searchable set of checkins (at least because i receive them in email).  Yes, your source control system has all that info, but it might not be easy to search the entire checkin comment.  With email, it's pretty trivial for me to go back and search for a user, module, keyword, etc and have Outlook cough up the relevant emails.

*I can easily keep track of younger developers and what they are doing.  It gives me a chance to see when they are checking in code and what they are doing with the code.  It gives ongoing chances to mentor outside of other regularly scheduled things like code reviews.

*It provides a way for the team to track progress and note when they might be checking in conflicts.

Even if there are many notifications, I don't feel that they have to be read in their entirety.  I skim them a bunch, but that's enough to get me back to the appropriate commits when I need more information.

A: Sure, you want to eyeball the code getting put in so you have some idea what other people in your team are doing, and you're not stuck in a cave just writing your code.
Even if you're not monitoring the code for the quality, you can have an idea what other people are working on.
It helps build the team.

A: I find it primarily useful for tracking.  In general such automatic notifications get filtered off into a bucket in my mailer, along with the "smoketest passed, smoketest failed" type email...then when there is a failure, you can track it back to the set of checkins fairly straightforwardly.
Note that one can also intuit the maturity of a project by the shape of the curve of checkins--number of lines of code changed per day as a function of total size of the code base.  It actually does give a reasonable idea of when you're going to be "done"...
Hope this helps!

A: Usually we have the updates to let everyone know that something has been updated and needs to be peer reviewed.  If you don't have to assign one user you can get it and deal with it when you have time.
I saw someone posted a system that sends twitter style messages to Yammer when they commit for a quick and easy "whats been changing" in the code style comment log.  Neat.  Can't find the link now though.

A: In many companies code reviews are mandatory, but done on the honor system. Emailed commit notifications implement a "trust, but verify" mechanism for these environments.

A: I use it mainly to gauge the heartbeat of the project. Each commit message is a pulse. In time, you'll get an some idea on what a "normal" pulse "sounds" like.
In a normal day, we get 4 to 6 commit messages. That slows down to 1 or 2 as the iteration date comes and stops about a couple of days before the iteration release. A day or two after the iteration, it starts picking up again and if bugs are found, we can get 1 commit message per hour as bugs are fixed. A regular day with few number of commits might mean a developer is having a hard time on some functionality, or spending too much time on stackoverflow.
I also find informative commit messages very useful. Sometimes, a manager or tester doesn't even have to ask the developers the status of a feature or a bug - just look at the commit messages to see if there is any work done on it.

A: My understanding is that the main reason for CCing commit reports to developers is to avoid conflict: you see a commit on a file you are working with so you know you're in trouble even before you commit. However, this is fairly distracting so there are tools (e.g., Palantir, old IBM Jazz) that will actually show you what files are being concurrently edited.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


PLANO, TEXAS (Dec. 14, 2016) – Pizza Hut, recognized as the pizza restaurant company which serves and delivers more pizzas than any other pizza company in the world, is expanding its ordering capabilities to include Alexa Voice Service on Amazon Echo, Amazon Tap, Echo Dot, Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets. With a simple phrase, and not a single phone or laptop lifted, Pizza Hut's new skill brings ease and convenience to the ordering experience for pizza-loving homes across the country.
The Pizza Hut skill differs from any pizza brand in the space by providing Alexa users with the convenience of ordering not only your favorites and past orders, but also directly from a menu of the most popular items from Pizza Hut.
Pizza Hut has increasingly added new ways to order over the last year. This summer, Pizza Hut was the first brand to announce the ability to order via "chatbot" on Facebook and Twitter messenger. Consumers can either repeat previous or favorite orders, as well as pick a pizza from a list of popular pizzas. They also announced earlier this year it's new "Visible Promise Time," which allows customers to see an estimated timeline of when their food will be ready prior to actually placing the order. The visible promise time works both for delivery and carryout, making it easier for customers to game plan around a timeframe.
The Pizza Hut skill for Alexa is available starting December 15 for placing a carryout or delivery order. For more information, visit blog.pizzahut.com or to order now, visit www.pizzahut.com.


Although there is conclusive evidence that one type of fat, trans fat, has no place in a healthy diet, we need to learn how to balance the other types of fats in the diet.
Health care professionals in turn shifted their nutrition counseling efforts toward encouraging a low-fat diet, and the food industry began to develop and produce of a wide-ranging assortment of "low-fat," "reduced-fat," "light" and "fat-free" items.
Americans responded with a substantial reduction in the percentage of calories consumed as fat. But humans have a biological preference for the taste of fat. With fat off the table, millions increased their consumption of dietary carbohydrates to compensate for the loss in flavor and appeal of foods. As a result, there has been a substantial increase in the waistlines of Americans.
Based on this balanced moderately high fat diet approach, my research team developed a 14-day cycle of menus comprised of three meals and two snacks per day that increases intake of foods high in the 18-carbon monounsaturated fat, oleic acid, and the 18-carbon and longer chain polyunsaturated fats (more commonly known as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids). To do this, we replaced high simple carbohydrate snacks with nuts, we replaced croutons in salads with avocado slices, and we used salad dressings high in safflower oil, canola oil and olive oil.


So many HiFi products are designed with an eye towards – good question, really… We so often are confronted with technical-looking monsters that fit into a living room about as well as a production-line assembly robot.
Most listening rooms in this world are living spaces – spaces in which, "among other things," we listen to music. We pay attention to this: with their peaceful, modest, yet modern forms, our loudspeakers integrate easily into almost any living room environment.
Design cannot just be its own sole purpose. It requires a focus. And perhaps our view of HiFi is best compared with a bookcase: stylish, unassuming, yet meaningful, a pleasant part of the room – just that, instead of reaching for something to read, if desired, one can select a piece of music…and, oh, such music!


Hi, and thanks for visiting the Spencer Family website that is our little bit of cyber space.
Tom continues to enjoy his rowing and has bought himself a really fast computer to make me envious.
Oh, at the top of the page, you were wondering who the handsome one is in the photo on the left…. Well that's me, I'm wearing my nerdy hat so that I don't overshadow Colin too much…. Oh, he's the rather whiskery looking one on the right along with our two better halves Julie and Linda.


NEW LISTING! Lakefront home on a large lot, dock, views, dog-friendly too!
This comfortable two-bedroom little gem is tucked away on an extremely large lot surrounded with large tall pine trees. The lake view is exceptionally great from this property, especially while sitting out on the raised screened in porch. You can even bring your dogs along on vacation when you stay here.
This peaceful property has an extended dock with a fishing pier on the end and a private boat ramp. When you want to head out, Newberry is just 15 minutes away and downtown Columbia about 45 minutes from your door. There is also a hammock for lazy afternoons.
Cozy with a nice fireplace and beautiful view!!!


text:
Turas Cholmcille - St Colmcille's Station, 9th June.
Circles Within Circles
"The pilgrim circles the cairn three times, praying, and then, placing his back to the stone, makes a declaration renouncing the World, the Flesh, and the Devil."
Turas are common in Ireland, taking placed every year. In Gleanncholmcille the Turas takes place on the 9 August, and on Croagh Patrick on the last Saturday of July. People, however, can undertake them any time they wish. A Tura is a set walk, or pilgrimage, called in Irish 'an Turas', literally 'the Journey'.
The Gleann Cholm Cille Turas - Virtual Turas
http://www.voicesfromthedawn.com/?p=221
The village of Glencolmcille and the surrounding area is famous for the Turas, a pilgrimage and round of stations (places on a route used for prayer and devotion). The Turas occurs on the 9th June each year which is the feast day of St. Colmcille, and is approximately three miles long. It takes around three hours to complete the Turas. Historically the Turas was performed by barefoot pilgrims at midnight on the eve of June the 9th.
The stations consist of megalithic tombs, natural landscape features and cross pillars. You can see below some examples of what you will find as you journey.
Turas 1 is said to be where St Colmcille started the Turas or Station. The altar is west of the Church of Ireland.
At each Station and cairn pilgrims kneel and pray after performing the Station.
Turas 2 - is located approximately 100 yards west of the Churchyard.
Turas 3 - is a station marked by a cairn. Called Ait na nGlún (Place of the Knees) it is a cavity in the ground about 3 yards west of the Cairn.
Turas 4 - is located in Beefan - called Mullagh na Croise or Height of the Cross.
Turas 5 - St Colmcille's Chapel is situated here, along with 3 cross pillars standing on cairns.
Turas 6 - Colmcille's Chair. This is said to be the spot where Colmcille rested and looked down on the valley below him.
Turas 7 - Colmcille's Well is found set into a recess in the east side of a long rectangular cairn.
Turas 8 - Garrrai an Turais or the Pilgrimage Field.
Turas 9 - Cloch an Aonaigh or the Stone of the Gathering - 3/4 mile to thte south-east on the roadside is a holed cross-pillar on a cairn.
Turas 10 - By the roadside in Faugher is a cairn on which stands a weathered cross stone.
Turas 11 - nearby to the north in Drimroe is a cross pillar standing on a cairn. This is also known as Baile na mDeamhan or place of the Devils. Legend has it that the demons confronted St Colmcille here.
Turas 12 - on the opposite side of the road stands a cross pillar in a circular enclosure.
Turas 13 - Located near the Garda Station in the townland of Gannew.
Turas 14 - A slender pillar like slab orientated north east, on a rocky outcrop south of the Murlin River.
Turas 15 - the last station facing north to the Church of Irleand graveyard.
The Folk Village and Lace House have information and maps available relating to completing the Turas pilgrimage


Monte is an elegant magazine-style WordPress theme designed exclusively for fashion bloggers. The responsive layout looks beautiful on all devices and the theme features pixel-perfect design & typography. Get it today!
Monte boasts a fluid, responsive layout, so your articles will display perfectly across mobile and tablet devices. Images and galleries scale seamlessly when resizing the browser window. Every detail of your website will look perfect and professional, regardless of what resolution or screen size visitors have.
Using our free Instagram Widget, you can show off your Instagram posts in the footer of your website.
Use regular paginated navigation to show off your posts or switch to infinite scroll to automatically load new posts as you scroll down the page. You can also have more posts load on click. Show off your content!
Monte includes 3 menus: 2 in the header and another one in the footer. The top header menu uses a special effect that will slide it out of view when scrolling down and slide back in when scrolling up.
Create your own sidebar using widgets. The sliding panel is easy to use from mobile devices too, and you can create separate widgets visible only on mobile devices. Fully mobile-ready.
The front page includes a widgetized area below the main slider, where you can easily add any widgets you want, or you can add multiple widgets with your Featured Categories. Everything is included in the theme, and no plugins are needed!
Let your visitors navigate easily through your post archives by enabling the Related Posts feature from Jetpack or using the large banner from the footer that links to previous post.
Add widgets at the end of your posts, including a beautiful Subscribe to Newsletter widget. Monte is compatible with the free plugin MailPoet, allowing you to add email signup forms after posts and in your sidebars. You can also add any other widgets after your content for individual posts.
Selling through your website? Monte is fully compatible with the popular free eCommerce plugin WooCommerce. Build your own shop and start selling easily.
Want to know more or purchase?


text:
A Fase de Grupos da Liga Europa da UEFA de 2021–22 foi disputada entre 14 de setembro até 9 de dezembro de 2021. Na fase de grupos jogam 32 equipes: 26 que entram nesta fase e as seis vencedoras do play-off.

As 32 equipes foram divididas em oito grupos de quatro, com a restrição de que equipes da mesma associação não possam se enfrentar. Para o sorteio, as equipes são colocadas em quatro potes com base nas seguintes regras (introduzidos a partir da temporada 2015–16):

 O pote 1 contém os detentores dos títulos da Liga dos Campeões e da Liga Europa, e os campeões das seis principais associações com base nos coeficientes de cada país da UEFA em 2019. Se um ou ambos os detentores do título forem um dos campeões das seis principais associações, os campeões da(s) próxima(s) associação(ões) com melhor classificação também serão colocados no pote 1.
 Os potes 2, 3 e 4 contêm as equipes restantes, chaveadas com base nos coeficientes de clubes da UEFA em 2021.

Potes
O sorteio da fase de grupos foi realizado no dia 26 de agosto de 2021, em Istambul, na Turquia.

{|
|- valign="top"
|

|

|

|

Grupos
Os vencedores dos grupos avançam para as oitavas de final, os segundos classificados avançam para os play-off da fase eliminatória, o terceiro do grupo avança para a Fase preliminar da fase eliminatória da Liga Conferência Europa da UEFA de 2021–22.

Grupo A

Grupo B

Grupo C

Grupo D

Grupo E

Grupo F

Grupo G

Grupo H

Liga Europa da UEFA de 2021–22

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Puma Brings African Football to Lat Am
Puma has partnered with the largest sporting goods retailer in Latin America, Centauro, to bring licensed products from its four African football partners to the region.
Puma licensed products for the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon and Senegal football federations will now be available at Centuaro stores.
"African football is experiencing a growing profile and credibility in Latin America, a region with an expanding market and clear commercial opportunities to capitalize on the demand of consumers for licensed product," says Stefano Caroti, chief commercial officer, Puma.