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S.A. FAST FACTS – 2019 Update
by Steuart Pennington
Every year we update S.A Fast Facts in the following categories:
Global Competitiveness
Our major source of information is the Global Competitiveness Report 2019/2020, the Economist and www.Eighty20.co.za.
In 2019 South Africa ranks as the 60th MOST COMPETITIVE out of 138 countries, an improvement of 7 places over 2018 where we were placed 67th out of 144 countries. Source: WEF Global Competitiveness Report.
NOTE: There are 235 countries globally, but only 138 have sufficient information for data to be collected and compiled.
The Global Competitiveness report compares 12 'pillars' of competitiveness using 120 measures (see Section 14)
We try an update these figures every year, fortunately the Global Competitiveness Report and the Economist Pocket World in Figures are published annually, www.Eighty20.co.za daily.
Many of our other sources are irregular, some only every five years.
We invite you our readers to contribute, either to correct the figures we have, or to add others that we don't have!
1. Political
South Africa is the 24th largest country geographically, has the 25th largest population, the 33rd largest economy by GDP, the 30th largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) and ranks 19th in terms of foreign debt (Economist Pocket World 2020 – comparing 190 countries).
Black Sash: In South Africa in 1955, a group of six women mobilised thousands in protest of human rights violations under the apartheid regime. The group became known as Black Sash, after the black sash that they wore symbolically to "mourn the death of the Constitution". In the 1990s the group helped to develop South Africa's new Constitution.
Military: Nuclear arsenals: There are 9 countries which are widely understood to have a stockpile of deployable nuclear weapons, they are: the USA, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea. The USA and Russia have comparable stockpiles, owning between them over 90% of the world's nuclear weapons.
Election Watch: The ANC has 980 000 members in good standing. These are divided into 3 800 branches (branches with 100-249 members get one delegate to the National Elective Conference) However, in each branch, for every additional 250 members another delegate may be appointed. It is estimated that there will be 4731 delegates attending the NEC. The winning candidate needs to secure 2 800 delegate votes. (Source: Sunday Times Oct 29)
Women in parliament: 42% of parliamentarians in South Africa are women. Just 6 countries in the world have a higher proportion of female parliamentarians than South Africa, with Rwanda having the highest at 64%.
According to the Open Budget Index 2019, South Africa has the most transparent budget in the world (1st) behind New Zealand and Sweden.
South Africa is the only African country that is a member of the G20.
South Africa ranks 7th overall on the 2015 Ibrahim Index which measures the quality of African governance, Mauritius 1st out of 54 countries. Somalia is 54th
The 2019 Economic Freedom of the World report ranks SA at 102nd. There are 87 "free" countries, 59 'partially free' and 49 'not free'
South Africa ranks as the 60th strongest state out of 178 countries in the Fund for Peace's Failed State Index 2012. (61st in 2011) The index measures state vulnerability based on 12 social, economic, political and military indicators.
"Personal satisfaction" with the country's democracy rose from 49% in 2008 to 60% in 2011, back to 48% in 2015 and then back to 60% in 2019, according to the continent wide Afrobarometer research group.
Affirmative legislation exists all over the world. In most countries it is designed to protect minorities from discrimination.
2. Economic
The global inflation rate is currently around 3.6%, according to the International Monetary Fund, which incidentally is exactly the same as for SA, announced recently by StatsSA
The Economist records the JSE the 19th largest Bourse globally at US$865b. NYSE # 1 at $20 679b; Japan 3rd at $5 297b; London SE 7th at $3 638b; Australia 16th at $1 236b
SA's Services Output ranks 33rd at US$215 billion; USA 1st at $14,400b; China 2nd at $6,300b; Japan 3rd at $3,400b, UK 5th at $1,860b.
SA Agricultural output ranked at 33rd at US$21 billion, China 1st at $969b; India 2nd at $414b; ; USA 3rd at $189b.
SA Gold production ranked 7th largest at 137 tonnes; China 1st at 420; Australia 2nd at 292; Russia 3rd at 270; USA 4th at 236.
SA Platinum production ranked 1st at 143 tonnes; Russia 2nd at 21; Zimbabwe 3rd at 14.Source:Economist
The Economist records Household debt as a % of net disposable income, in 2018 SA, at 72%, ranks 26th globally. Denmark 1st at 281%, Australia 4th at 216%, UK 11th at 148%, USA 18th at 108%.
In respect of largest industrial output SA ranks 36th at US$90 billion, China 1st at $4950 b, USA 2nd at $3516 b, Qatar 34th at $95 b, Singapore 42nd at $75 b.
Shopping spree: According to a Black Friday Global survey, South Africa experiences a 2,571% surge in the number of transactions on Black Friday each year when compared to a regular day. Even though the average discount across SA online stores reached 61% in 2017, the average South African bargain hunter is only willing to pay R1,654 ($126) in total for his/her Black Friday shopping cart. That is $68 more than Nigerian consumers, and $50 more than Kenyans.
Domestic inflation: In South Africa, the highest inflation rate to date was recorded in January 1986, at 20.7%. That year the average inflation rate was 18.7%. South Africa's average inflation during the global credit crunch in 2008, was 11.5%. In July 2018, the latest official monthly inflation rate was 5.1%.
On the move: According to Statistics South Africa's latest mid-year population estimates report, South Africa is estimated to receive a net immigration of 1.02 million people between 2016 and 2021. The majority of international migrants are estimated to settle in Gauteng (48%), followed by the Western Cape (12%) and Limpopo (11%), while the least will settle in the Northern Cape (1%).
Growth spurts: Harvard's Center for International Development (CID) predicts that the three fastest growing economies until 2026 will be India, Uganda, and Egypt, growing at 7.89%, 7.46%, and 6.63% respectively. In contrast, South Africa is projected to grow at 4.9% annually until 2026, despite current projections of less than 1% growth in 2018.
Daily grind: According to PAMS 2017, there are 14.5 million employed adults, with three in four working full-time and the remainder working part-time. The top occupations amongst employed men are tradesman (20%), manual worker such as brick layer or farm labourer (19%) and customer service (12%). The top occupations amongst employed women are manual worker such as brick layer or farm labourer (17%), manual worker such as domestic worker or nanny (17%) and customer service (14%).
Back to school: Dress code: A survey of three school uniform suppliers found that the cost of a generic school uniform (not school specific items) would cost between R300 and R863. For schools that require school specific items (branded items sold only at specific suppliers), a full uniform would cost approximately R1,600. If sportswear is required this will cost an additional R1,300 (excluding sports shoes)
Trade and Industry: Wine time: South Africa is the seventh largest wine producer in the world, producing 3.9% of the world's wine. In 2016, South Africa produced 898.4 million litres of wine, of which two thirds was white wine and one third was red wine.
The Economist Pocket World in Figures (2020) ranks South Africa 22nd out of 190 countries in terms of Cinema Attendance with 20.9 million 'visits' per annum. India is # 1 with 1,950 million visits per annum followed by China with 1,700 and the USA with 1,300 million visits per annum. Iceland has the most 'visits' per person @ 4.3.
Elite:The Africa Wealth Report includes data on high net worth individuals (HNWIs), defined as individuals with net assets of US$1 million or more. In 2019, South Africa was home to the most HNWIs on the continent, at an estimated 40,400 individuals. This is followed by Egypt (around 18,100 HNWIs) and Nigeria (around 12,300 HNWIs).
Givers:According to the OECD, in 2015 the US contributed more than $30 billion in foreign aid, this was followed by Germany which contributed more than $20 billion and the UK which contributed just under $20 billion. However as a percentage of gross national income (GNI), Sweden was the largest foreign aid contributor (1.4% of GNI) followed by the UAE (1.1%) and Norway (1.05%).
In the Economist BIG MACIndex of 2020, a measure of the extent to which currencies are under-valued, SA ranks 25th with a 22.5% under evaluation against the US$
Ease of doing business: SA is currently ranked 82nd out of 190 countries. SA was ranked 72 among 189 countries in the 2016 World Bank's Doing Business Report and 74 out of 190 countries in the 2017 report.
21% of employed people in South Africa are members of a trade union. For the mining and quarrying industries, the percentage is 80%, the highest of all industries.
South African Tax Revenue has increased from R100 billion in 1994 to R1,4 trillion in 2018.
South Africa is ranked 19th in respect of foreign debt at 176 US $ Billion, China 1st at !710 US$ Billion
South Africa not ranked in the top 30 countries in terms of household debt as a percentage of disposable income. Denmark 1st at 281%, Australia 4th at 216%UK 11th at 148%.(Economist 2020)
South Africa's debt to GDP ratio is 55% (USA 100%, Japan 200%, UK 90%). The World Bank recommends a ratio of 60%.
The South African stock market is ranked 3rd in terms of regulation in the 2019 Global Competitiveness Report.
SA ranks 32nd out of 165 countries in terms of the size of its US$ reserves, ahead of Australia, Sweden and Chile. The Euro Area ranks 1st, USA ranks 2nd, the UK 17th, (Economist 2020)
In a survey of 192 countries, South Africa's unemployment as a percentage of economically active population ranked 27th.
SA ranks 27th in terms of number of cars produced and 36th in terms of number of cars sold. (Economist 2020).
SA ranks 36th in terms of industrial output and 33rd in terms of services output (Economist 2020).
South Africa ranks 37th out of 192 countries in the Economist's "Biggest Exporters" Index.(2020).
South Africa ranks 60th in a comparison of tax as a % of GDP of 150 countries worldwide.
South Africa ranks in the top 20 countries for agricultural output.
The sum of investments in SA over the past 20 years has increased by an impressive 86%, but has tailed off dramatically over past three years. This figure allows for the eroding impact of inflation.
MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet raised R7 333 827.20 during July to assist schools, charities, environmental and animal organisations. Hope you have a card!
Game changers: Tax-e: According to the SA National Taxi Council, there are more than 200,000 minibus taxis in South Africa≠ generating over R90 billion each year. The taxi industry in SA has started to adopt an e-ticket fare collection system that will enable commuters to load their FairPay cards via point of sale devices and kiosks at taxi ranks. Apart from being able to process card payments, the equipment installed in taxis also contains a GPS device, and can act as a WiFi hotspot, providing commuters with internet connectivity while they travel.
Out of office: Time out: Sri Lanka is recognised as having the most public holidays of any country in the world, with 25, followed by India with 21. In comparison, South Africa has 12 public holidays, and Mexico has the least with 7.
Media consumers: In the past week, 94% of South African adults (aged 15+) watched TV, 84% listened to the radio, half accessed the internet, and one third read a newspaper.
4. Tourism
So Many Visitors: The period 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018 saw 5.3 million passenger arrivals at Cape Town International Airport. Cape Town average occupancy rates were highest over the period November to February, and peaked at around 80% in November 2017 and February 2018. (http://bit.ly/2qy1Yin)
Spring time; Flower kingdom: The Cape floristic region, one of six floral kingdoms in the world, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2004. The biodiversity hotspot has one of the highest concentrations of plant species in the world and is the only floral kingdom to be contained within a single country. It contains around 9,600 species, of which 70% do not grow anywhere else in the world.
Jetsetters: According to the Department of Home Affairs, a total of 3,309,712 travellers (arrivals, departures and transits) passed through South African ports of entry during March 2017. One quarter of the travellers (24.7%) were South African residents and three quarters (75.3%) were foreign travellers.
The ten leading overseas countries visiting South Africa are the UK, USA, Germany, the Netherlands, France, China, Italy, Australia, India and Spain. Tourists from these ten countries comprised 75,2% of all tourists from overseas countries.
South Africa is ranked among the top 3 countries in the world (countries with more than 9 million tourists) in respect of tourism growth (growing at 3 times the global average) -World Tourism Council
SA ranks 24th in terms of visitors at 16.5 million, 10.5 million of which are tourists (France 83 million, UK 29 million, Switzerland 8.5 million, India 7.6 million, Australia 8 million). (Economist 2020)
Table Mountain was inaugurated as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2012.
Cape Town International is the best airport in Africa, according to the World Airport Awards 2012. O R Tambo International was 2nd and King Shaka International came 3rd. They were ranked 26th, 28th and 30th respectively in the world (2019)
TripAdvisor has named Boulders Beach as one of its top 10 truly unique beaches in the world.
Location, location, location: Since 1930, the FIFA World Cup has been hosted in the European Zone 11 times, including the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The zone that has hosted the tournament second most often is the South American Zone, hosting the tournament 5 times. The African Zone has only hosted the tournament once, in South Africa. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is expected to be hosted in the Asian Zone which has only hosted the tournament once before, when Korea and Japan dual hosted in 2002.
Rugby: Fans: 7.7 million South African adults are interested in rugby (20% of adults). 1.4 million say they have attended a rugby game in the past 12 months, and 720,000 people participated in the sport in the past 12 months.
South Africa won the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, for the third time (tied with NZ) since the introduction of the RWC in 1987.
South Africa was the first African country to host the FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2010. It is only the second country in the world to have hosted the Cricket, Rugby Union and Soccer World Cups, after England.
South Africa is home to the world's largest individually timed cycle race (the Cape Argus Cycle Race), the world's largest open water swim (the Midmar Mile) and the world's largest ultra-marathon (the Comrades Marathon)
5 South Africans hold the world extreme swimming world record for swimming 2.5kms around Cape Horn.
Since the 1940's, South African golfers have won more golf majors than any other nation, apart from the United States.
Cricket is the third most popular sport in South Africa, with over 7 million adults expressing an interest in it. Soccer is the clear winner with 19.5 million adults (over half the population) expressing an interest in it.
Since being readmitted to international cricket in 1991, South Africa have appeared in all 7 editions of the Cricket World Cup. South Africa have reached the semi-finals of the competition on 3 of those occasions, but have never made an appearance in the finals.
6. Education
ECD Centres in SA: There are approximately 28 500 registered Early Childhood Development Centres in South Africa caring for +/- 1 900 000 children, according to figures Released Pretoria. South Africa currently has 30 000 schools of which 23 000 are primary schools and 7000 secondary schools, including 1098 registered independent or privately owned schools. These schools have over 12 million learners, and some 386 600 teachers, approx. 580 000 learners write matric, 50% of the intake in Grade 1.
Literate: The General Household Survey tests the ability to read by asking respondents to indicate whether they have any difficulty reading a newspaper, book or magazine. 1.44 million South African adults (4%) say they are unable to read and a further 490,000 (1% of adults) say they 'have a lot of difficulty'. For woman aged 60 or more, 20% say they are unable to read and a further 5% have a lot of difficulty reading
Nelson Mandela, among other things, has received honorary degrees from more than 50 international universities worldwide. He also had a nuclear particle (the 'Mandela particle'), a prehistoric woodpecker (Australopicus Nelsonmandelai) and an orchid (Paravanda Nelson Mandela) named after him.
Attendance in SA's 26 Universities is estimated at 1 million enrolled students (622 000 at 25 Universities and 400 000 at UNISA)
The Cost of Education in SA: Education inflation is higher than South Africa's Consumer Price Index (CPI) and this gap has widened from around 2% in the early 2000s to a probable 4% in 2017. This means that a parent whose child starts grade R in 2017 can expect to pay between *R1 332 112 and R3 011 415 – for public or private education respectively. This rand amount includes primary school, high school and a three year University qualification in 2032".*
The Rhodes Scholarship, established in 1902 and named after Cecil John Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award. It is widely regarded as 'the most prestigious scholarship in the world' with more than 7,000 Rhodes Scholars.
Nine of South Africa's 23 universities rank in the top 4% of the 20 000 registered universities worldwide, and 11 in the top 8%. None of our Universities rank below 10 000th (QS Survey which involves 60 000 academics and 30 000 business executives worldwide)
University 2019 QS Global Ranking
UCT 198
WITS 400
STELLIES 427
UJ 501
TUKKIES 561
RHODES 768
KZN 788
UWC 800
With the recent AACSB accreditation, the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business is now one of just 59 out of 13,670 business schools worldwide to be triple-crowned – schools that are accredited by the three largest and most influential business school accreditation associations namely AMBA (the Association of MBAs), European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
The University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) 45th and UCT 51st are ranked in the Top 80 business Schools in the world (Financial Times Executive Education rankings 2019)
Some 12 million learners receive free cooked meals as part of the National School Nutrition Programme Annual Report 2018/19.
The first MBA programme outside of the United States was started by the University of Pretoria in 1949.
Stellenbosch University was the first African university in the world to design and launch a microsatellite.
7. Environmental
Farming and land Redistribution: Textiles, poultry and sugar farming are labour intensive industries with big scope for emerging farmers. Government has released 167 000 units of land belonging to SOEs (totalling 14 100 ha) for redistribution to citizens. Thirty-year leases on 1 400 farms have also been signed with beneficiary farmers.
At the end of 2018, South Africa entered the world top 10 of countries harnessing renewable energy from the sun, with 15 solar plants contributing 503 MW to the country's grid.
In 1991, South Africa became the first country in the world to provide full protection status for the Great White shark within its jurisdictional waters. Countries including USA, Australia, Malta and Namibia followed suit later.
Cape Town has the fifth-best blue sky in the world according to the UK's National Physical Laboratory.
Johannesburg ranks 2nd among countries from Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa in dealing with urbanisation and environmental challenges, (MasterCard Insights Report)
South Africa is the only country to house an entire floral kingdom (Fynbos), one of only 6 on the planet.
The Vredefort Dome (or Vredefort crater) in the Free State, is the largest verified impact crater on Earth at between 250 and 300km in diameter and is estimated to be over 2 billion years old.
South Africa has the highest level of international certification of its tree plantations in the world. Over 80% of South African plantations are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa
All paper in South Africa is produced from plantation grown trees, recycled paper or bagasse (sugar cane fibre). Fibre is not sourced from the wood of rainforests, indigenous or boreal trees. This is a myth, often wrongfully perpetuated by e-mail footnotes. Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa
SA's renewable energy programme is the fastest growing in the world. Private sector investment in renewable energy generation will reach R193bn following the announcement of another 13 preferred bidders for wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) projects.
South African high net worth individuals are found to be the second most financially generous nation behind the United States, and fourth most generous in giving their time after Ireland, India and the USA.
320 major dams in South Africa supply 32,400,000,000 cubic litres of water per annum.
8. Social
Falsity travels like wildfire: A 2018 MIT study examined Twitter from 2006 through 2017 and found that true stories took about six times as long as false stories to reach 1 500 people. The top 1% of false stories were often shared by 1 000 to 100 000 people, while true stories were seldom shared by more than 1 000 people.
Housing: Just over 80% of South African households lived in formal dwellings in 2019, followed by 14% in informal dwellings, and 6% in traditional dwellings. The highest percentage of households that lived in informal dwellings were observed in North West (20%) and Gauteng (20%). Traditional dwellings were most common in Eastern Cape (22%) and KwaZulu-Natal (14%).
Unquenchable Thirst: According to a statistical update from the World Health Organization, pure alcohol consumption in South Africa was at 11.5 litres per capita per year in 2017. This pushes South Africa up to the third biggest drinking nation in Africa and the 19th biggest drinking nation in the world. Among the drinking population (excluding abstainers), South Africans consume in the region of 27 litres of pure alcohol per capita per year. 60% of adults don't consume alcohol.
Fast Fact: 6 Positive ways in which SA has developed over the last 15 years
Every year Stats SA releases its General Household Survey (GHS). The survey is conducted in the preceding year from January through to December.
The percentage of people with no formal schooling has dropped by 6.7 percentage points nationally between 2002 and 2017.
2) Literacy
Nationally, the literacy rates of people over the age of 20 have consistently remained over 90% between 2002 and 2017 and even increased from 91.9% in 2002 to 94.3% in 2017.
The highest literacy percentages were observed in the Western Cape (98.1%), Gauteng (97.8%) and the Free State (94.2%). The metropolitan areas of the City of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay and the City of Johannesburg all saw a literacy rate of 99%.
The overwhelming majority of South Africans reported their health as being good or better. Of those surveyed, 39.9% reported their health as being good, 21.5% reported their health as being very good and 30.9% reported their health as being excellent.
4) Electricity
The percentage of households connected to electricity mains has increased from 76.7% in 2002 to 84.4% in 2017. The Eastern Cape made the biggest jump of all provinces by increasing from only 55.3% in 2002 to 85.4% of households in 2017.
5) Sanitation
The number of households with access to improved sanitation saw a massive growth of 20.5 percentage points between 2002 and 2017. The percentage of households with no toilet also decreased from 12.6% in 2002 to 3.1% in 2017.
6). Access to food
The percentage of households who were vulnerable to hunger has decreased from 24.2% to 10.4% over the 15-year period.
Written by: Landi Groenewald Source LEAD SA.
TV is king: According to PAMS 2017, 75% of South African adults watch television every day of the week while only 8% indicated that they do not watch television at all during an average week. 54% listen to the radio every day of the week while 14% indicated that they do not listen to the radio at all during an average week.
Social Media: Covered: South Africans can now be covered against allegations of defamation or invasion of privacy while using any form of social media. The insurance, launched by SHA Specialist Underwriters is the first of its kind in South Africa. The policy costs R120 per year for R500,000 cover.
Biggest Braai: According to Guinness World Records, South Africa holds the record for the most people cooking simultaneously (multiple venues). The record was achieved on Heritage Day in 2013, with 2,353 individuals braaiing at registered venues across the country. The previous record was set by Japan in 2011, with 2,311 participants.
9 million South Africans live with disabilities, yet only one percent have jobs (Source StatsSA)
#MandelaDay: In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared 18 July 'Nelson Mandela International Day' in recognition of the former South African President's contribution to the culture of peace and freedom. Mandela Day has become an international campaign, now observed in 149 countries, which urges everyone, everywhere to take concrete steps towards improving life for others.
Population Growth: If a population is to remain stable 2.2 births are required per fertile woman. Niger has the highest fertility rate in the world at 7.6 births per woman which is more than three times greater than South Africa's fertility rate of 2.3 and more than six times greater than Hong Kong's fertility rate of 1.2. Europe averages 1.6. Just under 2 million women in South Africa have a child under the age of two. More than two thirds (68%) of them are single (never married and not living together).
South Africa ranks top 10 globally in number of registered NGO's, with over 100,000 and over 220 000 NPO's. The corporate sector donates R9 billion to CSI initiatives and ordinary citizens R15 billion.
According to the 2011 Census, 79.2% of the population of SA were defined (or defined themselves) as Black, 8.9% Coloured, 2.5% Asian and 8.9% White, with 0.5% other.
The current police to population ratio is approximately 1:308. This ranks South Africa as the 9th best globally
In 2018, 17 million South Africans benefited from access to social grants, 12 million of which were children, 3.5 million pensioners and 1.5 million with disabilities at a cost of R140 billion. In 1994, only 2.5 million people had access to social grants, the majority of which were pensioners.
Since 1994, 435 houses have been built each day for the poor.
South Africa is ranked number 21 in terms of language diversity out of 224 countries. Papua New Guinea is ranked as the most linguistically diverse country and the Vatican the least. (Greenbergs diversity Index. com)
SA ranks 36th in terms of "lowest divorce rate" per 100,000 of population. (Economist 2020).
South Africa is ranked 26th in the world for gross indoor exhibition space at 180,000 square meters, which is approx 25% of all exhibition space available in Africa, according to the 2011 World Map of Exhibition Venues published by the UFI.
The Global Peace Index (GPI) uses qualitative and quantitative metrics to measure the safety of 163 countries, as well as assess the economic value of peace. According to the GPI, Iceland is the most peaceful country on Earth. South Africa places 127th, USA 128th, Russia 154th, Afghanistan 163rd
South African media ranks 31st out of 180 countries in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index, up 6 places from last year. Norway 1st, UK 33rd, USA 48th North Korea 180th.
SA has the 19th largest prisoner to population ratio (USA is number 1).
9. Infrastructure
Three South African cities were voted amongst the world's top 100 Most Liveable Cities in the 2019 study conducted by Mercer Human Resource Consulting. In Africa, Port Louis (83) was the city with the best quality of living and also its safest (59). It was closely followed for overall quality of living by the South African cities of Durban (88), Cape Town (95) and Johannesburg (96).
Johannesburg is ranked as the 34th largest city in the world with a population of 9.4 million. Tokyo is the largest with a population of 38 million (Economist 2018).
Out of 100 countries surveyed by World Data SA has the 58th highest cost of living; Switzerland # 1, India # 100
South Africa is the 20th largest producer of energy (Economist 2020)
SA's has the 9th longest road network in the world but is not ranked in the top 50 most crowded networks. (Economist 2020).
SA's has the 11th longest rail network in the world and 29th in terms of rail freight tons per annum. (Economist 2020)
10. Health
A wors by any other name:The label 'boerewors' can only be used on sausages that contain 90% meat (beef, pork or goat are allowed) of which no more than 30% may be fat. It should not contain any offal or mechanically removed meat. (Google 'mechanically removed meat' at your own peril).
Viral Infection: Dengue is ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the most important and fastest growing mosquito-borne viral disease in the world today, causing nearly 500 million infections every year. In the last five decades, dengue has spread from being present in a handful of countries to being endemic in 128 countries, where about 4 billion people live.
Life expectancy: In South Africa, the average life expectancy for women is highest in the Western Cape at 72 and lowest in the Free State at 62. Similarly, for men, it is also at its highest at 66 in the Western Cape and at its lowest in the Free State at 55. The life expectancy is calculated with the absence of HIV/Aids-related deaths.
According to researchers from Imperial College in London, South Africa has the 76th shortest average height for women in the world at 158 cm, while South African men are ranked 47th overall for the average height of 167 cm. Dutch men and Latvian women are now the tallest people in the world at 183 cm and 170 cm
Disease: Health burden: According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014, compared to 108 million in 1980. The global prevalence of diabetes among adults aged 18 and above was 8.5% in 2014, compared to 4.7% in 1980. In 2015, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes. WHO projects that diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death in 2030
BMI: According to an analysis of Body Mass Index for people aged 15 and older, more than two-thirds (68%) of women in South Africa are overweight or obese, 3% are thin, and 30% are in the normal range. In contrast, just under one third of men (31%) are overweight or obese, 10% are thin, and the majority of men (59%) have a BMI in the normal range.
South Africa has 1 doctor per 1000 population and 3 beds per 1000 population (Spain 3 doctors per 1000 population and 3.4 beds, UK 2 doctors per 1000 population and 4 beds, South Korea 1.4 doctors per 1000 population and 7.1 beds, USA 2.7 doctors per 1000 population and 3 beds). (Economist)
South Africa ranked 4th in terms of HIV/Aids prevalence amongst population behind Swaziland, Botswana and Lesotho. (Economist 2016)
SA ranks 16th in terms of death per 1000 of population (15) alongside Russia, Ukraine at # 1 (17), UK ranks 58th (10).
One in five South African adults attend a gym/health club or participate in other exercise (not at a gym/health club), at least monthly.
Oxford Dictionary additions – South African words "Kiff" added To the Oxford dictionary plus 23 other South African words
Mother Tongues: With 11 official languages, South Africa ranks second in the world of countries with the most official languages. While India has 16 official languages, in contrast, Mexico and the Unites States have no official languages.
Billions: A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its press releases.
A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
E. A billion Rand is spent in only 27 hours and 12 minutes, at the rate the SA government is spending it.
The only street in the world to house 2 Nobel Peace Prize winners is in Soweto. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both have houses in Vilakazi Street, Orlando West. SA ranks 7th in terms of number of Nobel Peace prizes. (Economist 2020).
Two of the world's most profoundly compassionate philosophies originated in South Africa – Ubuntu (the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity) and Gandhi's notion of "Passive resistance" (Satyagraha), which he developed while living in South Africa.
The Western Deep Level mines are the world's deepest mines at approaching 4km.
South Africa houses one of the three largest telescopes in the world at Sutherland in the Karoo.
South Africa is the first, and to date the only, country to build nuclear weapons and then voluntarily dismantle its entire nuclear weapons programme.
South Africa ranks 15th in terms of Arms exporters (Economist 2020)
Africa ranks 26 in terms of satellites in space (Economist 2020)
South Africa ranks 19th in terms of emitters of carbon dioxide and per person is 30th (Economist 2020)
Pretoria is ranked the 25th most polluted city (Economist 2020)
SA ranks outside the top 22 countries in terms of beer consumption (Czech 1; Germany 2; Austria 3; Estonia 4).(Economist 2020)
SA has 56 million active cell phones (population 55 million) – ranking in the top 15 globally in terms of cell phone coverage (Economist 2020)
SA has 82 colour TV's per 100 households, 9 telephone lines per 100 population and 90 mobile telephone subscribers per 100 population. (Economist 23020).
SA ranks 28th in terms of cinema visits per 1000 population. (Economist 2020).
South Africa is ranked 94th out 178 countries in respect of "brain drain". Somalia 1st, Sweden 178th
12. Tax
South Africa is ranked 19 out of 189 economies in the 2018 Paying Taxes study conducted by the World Bank and PwC in terms of how easy it is for a medium-sized case study company to pay its taxes.
According to the study, the total tax rate globally is almost 41%. It takes the average medium-sized company 264 hours to comply with its taxes compared to 200 hours it takes a similar company in SA.
The study showed that a South African company only has seven tax payments, compared to the average of almost 26 payments.
SA has the 40th-lowest total tax rate out of the 189 economies included in the study. (Business Day 2018)
13. Corruption
SA ranks 77 out of 183 countries in the Global Corruption Perception Index 2019 (Where 1 is least corrupt and 180 most corrupt). In 2008 SA ranked 50/168. In 2013 SA ranked 72/168. In 2019 China 90, Brazil 110, Russia 146, Zimbabwe 163, USA 25, UK 15.
In the sub-Saharan Africa region, the index ranks South Africa at position four.
Botswana 35/168 remains the top scorer in Africa at 60/100
14. Global Competitiveness
Brand South Africa Research – Internal Analysis
South Africa's Performance in the 2019 WEF Global Competitiveness Index
Competitiveness has a direct impact on the reputation of countries for a variety of reasons. It particularly plays a role in framing an understanding of the broader enabling environment(s) that impact on societal productivity, efficiency.
Competitiveness is a major factor that impacts on FDI decisions.
In the 2019 edition of the WEF Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) South Africa shows strong improvements, being:
In terms of over-all ranking South Africa improves with seven positions from 67/140 in 2018, to 60/141 nations in 2019;
The Institutions pillar improves from 69/140 to 55/141 – this is important due to reputation damage in the area of governance in recent years;
Health, also historically a weaker area of SA's performance, improves from 125 to 118 in 2019;
Product Market improves from 74 to 69 in 2019
It is positive for South Africa to improve in its over-all competitiveness profile, and ranking. However, while there are notable improvements in the 2019 GCI, it is also important to note that there are several indicators which show negative movement.
The most salient improvements and declines are explored in the section below. A few high-level achievements to note:
According to GCI data South Africa now ranks as number one (1/141) nation for budget transparency. This is a major ranking which clearly illustrates the robustly transparent political governance system of the country, anchored in the constitution of the Republic.
This data is also supported by the Open Budget Index wherein South Africa ranks 2/103 nations – clearly underlining the fact that South Africa has extremely high levels of transparency in its political governance system.
South Africa's ranking on judicial independence also improves markedly with fifteen positions on 2018 – currently at 33/141 nations.
Interestingly enough, following on 2018, a year wherein local and global media carried extensive (and mostly negative) commentary on South Africa's proposed Land Expropriation without Compensation policy, South Africa's rankings in the following areas improved, being: Property rights, as well as Quality of Land Administration!
South Africa's performance per pillar
The WEF GCI is composed of twelve pillars, each covering a unique area of performance that ultimately influences the over-all competitiveness profile of the market. WEF Global Competitiveness Index
2018 Rank (/140)
2019 (/141)
Over-all rank
ICT Adoption
Macro-economic stability
Finance system
Business dynamism
Innovation capability
SA is the 29th biggest economy globally (PPP), and roughly the same population-wise and geographically. Our rankings should match this. Since 2002 our global political rankings have yo-yo'd considerably. Good to see a significant improvement 2019/2020.
SA is the 29th biggest economy globally (PPP), and roughly the same population-wise and geographically. Our rankings should match this. Since 2002 our global political rankings have deteriorated across the board.
Although we are still considered a premier league country, with overall rankings in the top 60 countries (there are 235 countries in the world, only 80 with populations in excess of 10 million people) the above rankings:
some good
some average
some bad
Sum up the challenges we have as a country.


Then square in the left eye with another right lead.
He shut his left eye and looked at me with the other.
At the age of four, he lost his left eye.
The woman is looking out through my left eye now.
He lost his left eye two days later in a battle.
I'm happy to say her left eye is still clear.
He lost his left eye as a child of about six.
It was not so bad if he closed his left eye.
He seemed to be looking at Will with his left eye- can't do it.
Now, he made the effort to look at me with his left eye.


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Investment Process - Articles & White Papers
White papers on the investment process - the policies and principles, frameworks and structures upon which successful fund management is built. Our "investment process" section includes articles, reports and surveys which cover the various components of the investment process, particularly asset allocation, manager selection, stock selection, fixed income investment management...
, currency management, trade execution, investment compliance and back office processes. We list research covering each of these processes in detail. Amongst our most downloaded documents are papers on the hallmarks of successful active equity managers, processes for momentum and trend-following in asset allocation, a quantitative approach to TAA, factor-based investing, long-term investing, and a framework for assessing factors and implementing smart beta strategies. Surveys on responsible investing have also proved very popular. For more specific content listings - for example covering the stock selection process, the asset allocation process, or fixed income fund management - please click the appropriate section in the topic menu at the top of this page.
Company: Wellington Management
Wellington Management's 2021 Investment Outlook Hub, updated to now include all 6 of their 2021 Outlook papers collated into one place.
Papers feature a wide range of asset classes including both mainstream (Economic, Fixed Interest and Equities) and those more specialist areas of investing, including ESG and…
Company: PineBridge Investments
The pandemic's arc and its impact on political and policy developments are resetting expectations and will continue to define the investment landscape. The interplay of these three critical fronts – the pandemic, politics, and policy – will have implications for portfolio allocations extending far beyond the coming year,…
Climate Change: The Next Most Pressing Threat (Special Report, 2020)
Company: Savvy Investor
The current COVID-19 pandemic has shown that society is able to put measures in place to adapt and overcome threats that are detrimental to all of our lives. With this in mind, investors should now be turning their attention to a threat that could dwarf the impact that COVID-19 has had - Climate Change.
Climate Change Analysis in the Investment Process (CFA Institute, 2020)
Climate change will be one of the most economically impactful occurrence in human history. But currently, our profession is in many cases behind the curve in analyzing the impacts of climate change. This report from CFA Institute includes case studies and survey data to help educate our community and investors about what…
Big Cycles Over the Last 500 Years (Ray Dalio, May 2020)
In this chapter, Ray Dallio reviews the rises and declines of the Dutch, British, and American empires and their reserve currencies and will touch on the rise of the Chinese empire.
Investing in Asia: A tipping point (Special Report, 2020)
The recovery from COVID-19 in Asia is a story of two tales. Most Northern Asian markets have now recouped initial losses incurred in early 2020, while less-developed Asian countries continue to suffer as they struggle to contain the virus. But although it's hard to escape headlines and concerns about the longer-term impact…
The Big Book of Trends and Thematic Investing (Robeco, 2020)
Company: Robeco
Trends and thematic investment strategies have enjoyed quite some popularity over the past few years. This can largely be explained by their attractive narrative and – in some cases – good short-term investment results. Yet, not all trends and thematic strategies are born equal. Some offerings are clearly better than others…
Capital Market Assumptions — Five Year Outlook 2021 Edition (Northern Trust AM)
Company: Northern Trust Asset Management
In recent years, global equities had slightly outpaced market forecasts for lower equity returns. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit the global economy, putting an end to the 10- year bull market. Equity markets have now started to recover, but the pandemic introduced and exacerbated challenges that we expect to subdue financial…
Megatrends 2020 and Beyond (EY)
Company: EY
The world changed in March 2020. Almost overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic strained health care systems to the breaking point, put much of the global economy on an indefinite hiatus and radically reshaped societal norms and interactions. For businesses everywhere, these events are undermining established assumptions while…
Building a Better Portfolio: Balancing performance and liquidity (PGIM Institutional Advisory & Solutions, Apr 2020)
Company: PGIM
PGIM's IAS team has joined with GIC EIS to integrate liquidity measurement and cash flow management into a multi-asset, multi-period portfolio construction process. In today's climate, investors are increasingly faced with the difficult choice between potentially higher returns and greater liquidity. Given market uncertainty…
Becoming Climate Aware (UBS AM, 2020)
Company: UBS Asset Management
UBS AM's contribution to the WEF 2020 Davos Meeting focuses on ways in which investors can align their investments towards a climate smart future.
Growth opportunities are plentiful in emerging markets thanks to strong secular tailwinds — but they are company-specific. Identifying strong growers within a changing opportunity set is key to unlocking the potential of this asset class, suggests Jennison Associates.
*Some or all of the companies mentioned…
2020 was the year of the pandemic, instant recession, and US election drama, while UBS AM think 2021 is poised to be the year of vaccines and a more durable, comprehensive economic reopening. Dive inside their Panorama report to see what their attention is focused on for 2021.
Building Resilient Portfolios for Uncertain Times (WisdomTree Investments, Nov 2020)
Balancing protection and upside potential is a difficult exercise, but WisdomTree hope investors will find some ideas and some inspiration on how to tackle it in this paper, whether it is through a dynamic asset allocation that rebalances between cyclical and defensive assets or through the selection of asymmetric defensive…
Solving the ESG Data Challenge (FactSet, 2020)
Company: FactSet
LEARN HOW ASSET OWNERS AND INVESTMENT MANAGERS CAN EFFECTIVELY INCORPORATE ESG DATA INTO THEIR STRATEGY
Over the past 10 years, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing has moved from a fringe concept into a mainstream activity.
Despite the ongoing rise in ESG investments and attention given to…
Time For a New Playbook on Inflation and Active Management? (Wellington Management, Oct 2020)
Adam Berger, CFA, Wellington's Multi-Asset Strategist, updates his thinking on the COVID pandemic, inflation prospects, and provides a road map for portfolio responses.
Deep Decarbonization (BNP Paribas AM, 2020)
Given the economic shock to the EU-ETS from COVID, the price of EU carbon allowances (EUAs) has held up remarkably well in recent months. From a low of €14.3/t in the early stages of the lockdowns across the EU the benchmark Dec-20 contract recovered to a near-record all-time high of €30.8/t in June, and has held at pre-…
Pension Plan Optimization Using Public and Private Real Assets (Nuveen, 2020)
Company: Nuveen
In a world of low return expectations and even lower interest rates, pension plans are re-evaluating their portfolios, looking for alternative ways to achieve return targets and improve funded status. Diversifying portfolios with real assets helps address these challenges. Real assets may reduce portfolio volatility, enhance…
Inverting Factor Strategies: No more 'monkey business' (FTSE Russell, 2020)
Factor investing is a simple concept. Put simply, factor exposures drive the performance of diversified portfolios. With a construction technique that furnishes the ability to achieve precise and controlled factor exposures, it is possible to readily construct factor strategies — and their opposites — in a transparent manner…
The Unique Climate Change Risks Facing Insurers (Robeco, 2020)
Climate change has become undeniable, and no industry has greater exposure to its risks than the insurance sector. It poses a unique threat to both sides of their balance sheets – to insurers' assets as well as their liabilities.
In this document Robeco:
– explains the recent approach of governmental…
Invesco US
PGIM

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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OtakuAThon, Round 2 Wrap-Up
This really cute Sailor Moon background was purchased from BeatPaperDesigns, who has a lovely Etsy shop!
It's been six months since the second round of OtakuAThon happened in early June, but I still wanted to finally share a wrap-up of all the things I read. I was sick and quarantined during this particular round, which meant that while I did end up devouring a lot of manga, I wasn't as active online. But I'm still so honored that so many people joined Kristin & myself in indulging in a weekend spent watching anime or reading manga! Without further ado, here are all the things I ended up consuming during the last round.
The Water Dragon's Bride, Vol. 1 by Rei Toma | This centers around Asahi, who finds herself in another world where she befriends a little boy and is taken back to his village… only to be sacrificed to the water dragon that the village reveres. The illustration style is adorable, and Asahi does make for a strong (if occasionally frustrating) lead. However, while the trope of a girl being sacrificed to the gods is familiar to me as a consumer, but it didn't have the same effect on me as some of my other favorite stories that bear it because Asahi is just young enough to make me feel uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough to hook me, and I will not be continuing the series.
Komomo Confiserie, Vol. 1 by Maki Minami | This is about a rich girl named Komomo who was friends with Natsu, the son of the chef who worked for her family and the only one who could bake things that would stop her crying, until he and his father leave the employment of Komomo's family. Years pass before the two find their paths crossing again, as Natsu ends up owning his own cafe and Komomo winds up being his employee. It's an outlandish premise, and both Natsu and Komomo behave terribly towards one another many a time. But you just know that there is more to come with this delicious antagonistic-but-not-really dynamic they share, and that, my friends, is what reeled me in. It's also got a cute art style, and plenty of mentions of delicious food for those of us who like those things. I liked this one a lot and will continue this series!
Happy Marriage?!?, Vol. 2 by Maki Enjoji | This picks right up after the events of the first volume, after Chiwa and Hokuto have gotten married and are navigating the new status of their relationship. This second volume is pretty much the kind of soap opera romance drama you'd expect, since as a reader, you are thoroughly aware of the mixed signals and the miscommunication that is going on between these two (and, in my case, would just like it to stop). Even though it frustrated me to no end and made me want to give both these characters a good ol' shakedown, I still flew through this manga and found myself completely entertained (no matter how over-the-top this situation continues to get). I'll definitely continue this series as well!
Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 2 by Kiiro Yumi | This focuses on Iku training with her new team, as well as uncovering a conspiracy within the Library Forces. It's so delightful to see Iku finding her footing and dynamic with each of her new teammates, as well as her coming to terms even more clearly with what it means to be a part of this group in real life. I really think the storytelling and character development in this second installment is done well, and I was really engaged from start to finish. Plus, you know I'm a sucker for a good ship in my manga (canon or not, though canon is preferable), so there's also the delightful hints of one in this volume. Once again, I was swept up into this manga and I will definitely continue the series!
Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 1 by Aya Shouoto | This chronicles the story of Anise, who was given a rose choker for protection by her father and told never to take it off and what happens when she loses the choker in question. She ends up summoning four Rose Knights, all of whom she knows (or knows of) from real life. Even though this is obviously an outlandish premise, I still really enjoyed the idea of it. Who wouldn't want to imagine having four knights at your beck and call? (I know I would!) But honestly, the reason I didn't love this first volume as other series starters I've read is because I felt like there were holes in the lore. I didn't get a strong understanding as to why Anise was given the ability to summon these knights, or why it was even necessary, and that definitely made it seem like a superfluous addition to the story. I'm still mildly curious, but unsure if I'll keep reading the series.
Dreamin' Sun, Vol. 1-2 by Ichigo Takano | This series reminds me a little bit of Fruits Basket (which you'll like understand in a second). Shimana feels displaced in her own home after the death of her mother, remarriage of her father and the birth of her stepbrother and decides that she's going to run away. She ends up having a random encounter with a drunk guy in the park, who offers her the chance to live in the house he shares with others if she completes a task for him… and she does. The house situation is what reminds me of Fruits Basket, mostly, as the rest of this story is solely contemporary. Shimana is encouraged to face the things she's running from, even as she continues developing deeper ties to the people she now lives with – and this makes for a great read. The secondary characters are also excellently done, the art style is adorable and I'm really looking forward to continuing the series.
Fruits Basket: Another, Vol. 1 by Natsuki Takaya | This is a delightful addition to the Fruits Basket universe that takes place years after the first series and features an entirely new set of characters. Readers will recognize the hallmarks of the original series, particularly since the story mirrors the plot down to a tee – but the main character Sawa is as different from Tohru as night is from day. Her personality is a lot more withdrawn due to a lot of rejection, and unlike the natural charm you immediately sense from Tohru, it takes a while to warm up to Sawa. But things change for her when she encounters the two Sohmas at her school, and it's a delightful beginning to what is sure to be a charming addition to this world. And, plus, if you squint, you'll see references that point towards familiar characters and those brought me so much joy! I really liked this one, and I can definitely see myself loving the rest of the series too.
Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Vol. 1-8 by Rin Mikimoto | This series has a premise right out of a fan fic that teen Alexa would have written as it basically is all about Hinana, model student who is a secret romantic dying to experience on true love, and how her life changes when a movie is shot at her school and she crosses paths with celebrity Kaede Ayase and they end up developing a romantic relationship. The series follows the ups and downs of their rromance, and how their real life commitments and other relationships in their lives affect it, and it is delightful and also dramatic, as any celebrity-centric story generally winds up being. Kristin recommended this series to me, and I'm glad she pushed it so hard because I just love it so much. Not only does it bring me back to the good ol' days of when I wrote stories with similar tropes, but it also just entertains me so dang much. I really love this series, and I cannot wait to read the last two volumes before the year ends!
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 2-3 by Fujita | These volumes continue the story of four friends Narumi, Hirotaka, Hanako and Taro, who act like typical office coworkers but are secretly hiding the fact that they are all otaku. It chronicles their relationships and their lives, as affected by their otaku obsessions, and it's honestly the most fun and most relatable manga series I've read in ages. I enjoy the shenanigans that ensue, the references to popular otaku culture thrown in (and detailed by the mangaka at the end of the volume), and the illustration style. It basically is a story about awkward couch potatoes loving their fandoms so hard and learning to navigate life and relationships, and I am totally here for all of it. I can't wait for the next volume to be released and you can bet I will be picking it up as soon as it does!
I also binge watched more episodes of Snow White with the Red Hair during this round. I finished the first season and about half of the second season and loved it! The only reason I haven't completed the second season is because the characters I love are in a very good place and I don't want anything terrible to happen...
Those are all my thoughts on the the things I consumed during the second round of OtakuAThon. Once again, I had a great time (even though I was sick), and I love that so many of you still joined us! Don't worry - we're definitely planning to host more rounds in 2020, so we hope you'll consider joining us again.
in By Alexa Dreamin' Sun Fruits Basket: Another Fujita Ichigo Takano Kiiro Yumi Kiss Me At the Stroke of Midnight Library Wars Maki Enjoji manga review Natsuki Takaya OtakuAThon Rin Mikimoto Wotakoi 0 comments


As far as learning a language is concerned, I believe we cannot put enough emphasis on the importance of practicing what you learn on a daily basis. Throughout the past few weeks we have discussed various ways in which to learn English outside the classroom. I think that while learning from a qualified teacher is extremely important, learning how to have fun and socialise in the language you are attempting to master is invaluable.
English language schools across the world have realised the importance of having a social programme in place. It serves not only to keep the students entertained but also as a powerful tool for students to integrate themselves into a social environment, where they have little choice but to muster up the courage to speak English to each other.
A social outing will encourage students to relax and gain confidence at the same time while attempting new phrases. Laughter is universal and creating an atmosphere where a person feels comfortable enough to occasionally laugh at themselves is part of growing and learning. At Oxford English Academy in Cape Town we have had incredible responses from students after simple activities such as cycling along the promenade in Sea Point . Our Culture Party always proves to be an immense success when students get to tell us all about their home country. Often it is when a learner is not even aware of the fact that they are learning and practising that they accomplish the most.
Not only does a social outing provide students with the opportunity to do something 'touristy', it also enriches their experience and perception of their time spent in a foreign country. I can most definitely recall how much quicker I learnt a few Greek phrases when I was desperately lost in Athens after a very social dinner! I can honestly say that through laughter, fun and social contact with people from all over the world you are bound to grow your English knowledge as well as your social confidence.


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Projection de Retour à Reims (Fragments) : Il y a comme un air de classisme dans le milieu anarchiste il y a 1 heure par Paris Luttes
(Palestine) 20 janvier 18h30 heure de Paris : Webinaire "Don't Buy into Occupation - Un appel des syndicats européens" il y a 1 heure par Union Syndicale Solidaires
Soudan : les comités de résistance, une révolution par la base il y a 9 heures par Contretemps
Fin de partie ou pandémie éternelle : pour que se réactive durablement la haine du travail et du capitalisme il y a 9 heures par Paris Luttes
Limoges (Haute-Vienne) : les cogestionnaires de la pandémie sous le feu il y a 9 heures par Sans Nom
Crise du post-modernisme : démissions à l'UCL il y a 23 heures par Autre Futur
Los Angeles (États-Unis) : à l'assaut des diligences ferroviaires il y a 23 heures par Sans Nom
Montpellier : une maman sans recours après des attouchements sur son fils il y a 23 heures par Le Poing
Apérotiba - Soirée de présentation du collectif il y a 23 heures par CRIC Grenoble
Grenoble la verte européenne : CAPITALE du GREENWASHING INSTITUTIONNEL Hier par CRIC Grenoble
Appel à une campagne d'actions décentralisées contre Bayer-Monsanto Hier par Expansive
L'Actu des Oublié.e.s, saison 2 épisode 8 : Kazakhstan et censure numérique il y a 2 jours par Marseille Infos Autonomes
Home DOWNLOADS > Anarcho-Punk music albums downloads >
Discharge - Ignorance Ep - 1985 (UK)
Discussion in 'Anarcho-Punk music albums downloads' started by punkmar77, Aug 15, 2009.
punkmar77Experienced Member Uploader Experienced member
http://dc385.4shared.com/download/DV-MnKnc/DISCHARGE_-_IGNORANCE__1985_EP.rar?tsid=20120624-004559-4390aabc
External download. Please report any broken link by posting a reply to this thread.
01. Ignorance
02. No Compromise
03. Ignorance (Extended Version)
punkmar77, Aug 15, 2009
Discharge Biography
Punk and D-Beat band formed in 1979. The band is characterized by a minimalistic approach of music and lyrics. Heavy, distorted, and grinding guitar-driven sound and raw, shouted vocals similar to a political speech, with lyrics on anarchist and pacifist themes, over intense drone-like rhythms. AllMusic calls the band's sound a "high-speed noise overload" characterized by "ferocious noise blasts" . The band's 1982 debut album, HEAR NOTHING SEE NOTHING SAY NOTHING, went to number two on the UK Indie Charts and number 40 in the UK Album Chart. In the early 1980s, numerous singles and EPs placed in the top 10 of the UK Indie Charts, including the 1981 EP WHY? (#1) and the 1982 single State Violence State Control.
HEAR NOTHING SEE NOTHING SAY NOTHING influenced many thrash metal, black metal, crust, grindcore and various extreme metal subgenres. Discharge's influence on heavy metal and punk rock is incalculable and metal superstars such as METALLICA, ANTHRAX, MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY and SEPULTURA have covered Discharge's songs in tribute. The musical genre of D-BEAT is named after Discharge and their distinctive drumbeat.
Atkinson left later that year, followed by Bamford, and the band recruited their roadie Kelvin "Cal" Morris as vocalist, moving Terry Roberts to drums and Wainwright to bass. With Morris's addition, the group abandoned their previous Sex Pistols-influenced material and developed a new set of songs with a retooled sound. Anthony Roberts played guitar with a heavy, distorted, and grinding style and Morris shouted or screamed vocals without melody. The tempo of the band's songs also steadily increased over the next year or so. The stylistic transition made by the band was part of a broader trend in the early 1980s in the UK, which is known as "UK82" or Second Generation UK Hardcore. Discharge and bands such as CHAOS UK, AMEBIX, and G.B.H. took the existing 1977-era punk sound and melded it with the incessant, heavy drumbeats and "wall of sound" distortion guitar pioneered in the OVERKILL album by MOTORHEAD
The new, harder-edged style also tended to use much darker, more nihilistic and violent lyrics, focusing on anarchist and pacifist themes while emphasizing the grisly effects of nuclear warfare and the social ills caused by capitalism. The band also expressed its political and social themes in its albums' artwork, which depicted the horrors of war using an iconic black-and-white photography style. One of the notable images is the "Impaled Dove" artwork from a World War 2 anti-war poster by John Heartfield which depicts a dove impaled on a bayonet. The first gig with this new line-up and new sound was at Northwood Parish Hall. Tanya Rich brought this gig to the attention of Mike Stone, a local record shop owner, who ran the CLAY RECORDS punk record label. Tanya would go on to forge a deal between Discharge & Clay Records. The band showed their gratitude by dedicating the "REALITIES OF WAR" EP to Tanya on the inside groove of the vinyl.
Early EPs & Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing (1980–1982)
In 1980, Discharge signed with Clay Records, and recorded their first single Realities of War in February 1980, which made the UK Indie Chart when it was released in April, after being played on John Peel's show, peaking at number 5 and spending 44 weeks in the chart. The band also performed their first shows outside of Stoke-on-Trent in 1980, playing in Leicester, Preston and Glasgow. After two further EP releases in that same year, founding member Terry Roberts departed, later joining the UK Subs, to be replaced initially by Keith Haynes of Picture Frame Seduction and soon thereafter by Dave "Bambi" Ellesmere (formerly of The Insane) before the WHY? EP was recorded. Ellesmere did not stay long, and the band replaced him with Garry Maloney of THE VARUKERS on drums. WHY? gave the band their first UK indie number one.
Discharge "...developed a brutal, extremist approach to punk that would give rise to Thrash." A reviewer from Punknews.org calls the music from this period "ugly and jagged without the artistic convolution of their no-wave contemporaries overseas", composed of "catchy, repetitive, stomping chords,...drumming that seems to emphasize creating a hellacious racket rather than keep a steady beat" and "very serious and socially conscious" song lyrics. The reviewer notes that "instead of creating a melody, vocalist Cal's grunting shout...blends in with the rhythm", in effect becoming "a fourth [rhythm] instrument". Cal's lyrics and singing were "...short bursts of brutal sloganeering that made no concessions to melody or meter." Cal's deep "growl" anticipated...[the] vocals that death metal and grindcore later" used.
The Punknews.org reviewer argues that the early 1981 EP Why? "...revolutionized everything...paving the way for the atonal shredding of hardcore punk, thrash, death metal, and grind, but also the dead-serious political ideals and brutal backing of crust hardcore". Ian Glasper described the EP as "one of the most potent anti-war records ever made". Tom G. Warrior of Celtic Frost credited Discharge as "a revolution, much like Venom", saying, "When I heard the first two Discharge records, I was blown away. I was just starting to play an instrument and I had no idea you could go so far. And to me, they were unlike other punk bands--they sounded more like metal."
Discharge recorded their first album, 1982's HEAR NOTHING SEE NOTHING SAY NOTHING, which was the number one punk album of all time in a poll by TERRORIZER Magazine. The album reached number two on the indie album chart and number 40 in the UK Album Chart. The group played regularly throughout the UK, often appearing with bands such as GBH and THE EXPLOITED, and the success of the debut album also saw them touring Canada, the United States, Italy, Yugoslavia, Holland, Finland, and Sweden. The lyrics on the album tended to be short political statements that were repeated. The album's title track, for example, consists of only three lines:"Lied to, threatened, cheated and deceived/ Hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing/ Led up garden paths and into blind alleys." The song "Free Speech for the Dumb" is even more lyrically stripped down; it consists solely of the words from the title repeated emphatically.
1982's "State Violence State Control"/"Dooms'day" single garnered further critical praise, described in the fanzine Love and Molotov Cocktails as "...just about the most perfect realisation of a combination of the musical power of MOTORHEAD and the lyrical mastery of DEAD KENNEDYS at their best. Discharge are out there on their own, at the top of their game and it's hard to see how they can improve on this."
HEAVY METAL PERIOD & FIRST BREAK UP (1985–1986)
In 1984, Anthony Roberts left the group, later to form BROKEN BONES with his brother Tezz joining him. He was replaced by Peter "Pooch" Purtill who brought significant heavy metal influences. The Warning... EP shows drastic stylistic differences, with Morris changing his angry shouts to a mix of regular singing and football chants. As well, the band used significantly slower tempos and their D-beat punk style was replaced with metal-oriented beats.
With the release of Ignorance, Purtill and Maloney left the band to form the punk/metal crossover band HELLESBELLS, to be replaced by guitarists Les "The Mole" Hunt and drummer Michael "Micky" Gibson. Following the later addition of second guitarist Stephen "Fish" Brooks, they released 1986's GRAVE NEW WORLD, a mainstream metal album with a glam sound from Morris's high-pitched singing style. The album reached the indie top 10 but did not go down well with the die hard punk following the band has and the USA tour for the album was disasterous. The band struggled with personnel problems as Morris departed and was briefly replaced by ex WRATHCHILD frontman Rob "Rocky Shades" Berkeley the following year. The group disbanded shortly thereafter.
REFORMATION WITH NEW LINE UP (1990–1993)
Morris formed a new version of the band in 1990 with Andrew "Andy" Green on guitar, Anthony Morgan on bass, and Mika Karppinen initially playing drums, only to be replaced by the returning Maloney. The Live At The City Garden, New Jersey album on Clay Records followed. In 1991 they released Massacre Divine, which retained the metal sound, though with a noticeably harder edge than on Grave New World. Morris again changed his vocal style, this time to rougher growling, similar to Brian Johnson of AC/DC. They toured widely in support of the record, including their only visit to Japan, but the tour was negatively received.
REUNION OF CLASSIC LINE UP (2001–
In 2001, the classic line-up of Cal, Bones, Rainy, and Tezz reunited after meeting at a party held by original bassist Bamford, and in 2002 they released their self-titled album "DISCHARGE", a return to their early 1980s style featuring political commentary and aggressive playing. As well, they brought back their intense D-beat drumming style, although combined with the remaining metal influence, it gave the album a speed metal influence with its thrashy riffs. Morris would not commit to touring to promote the album and left the band, to be replaced by Anthony "Rat" Martin of THE VARUKERS.
The single "The Beginning of the End" was released in 2006, than Dave "Proper" Caution replaced Tezz on drums after his second departure this same year, and the group released the Disensitise album in 2008. In 2011 the band released an EP titled "PROPAGANDA FEEDS". In 2012 they released a split single with American band OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, released on DRUNKEN SAILOR RECORDS. In 2014 Rat was fired and played his last gig with Discharge in Dublin, Ireland.
Rat was replaced by Jeff "JJ" Janiak on vocals (previously of BROKEN BONES), while Tezz Roberts returned to the band, except this time on rhythm guitar rather than drums, making Discharge a five-piece. On June 3, 2015, the group premiered a new song called "New World Order" which left fans stunned at the sound of the new line up and the return of the classic Discharge sound. An EP containing the song and a live recording of "Ain't No Feeble Bastard" was released on January 16, 2016, entitled New World Order. On February 10, 2016, the band announced their 7th studio album, entitled End of Days, was to be released sometime in April. It will be Discharge's first album with singer JJ and the first album as a five-piece band. On March 3, 2016, the Nuclear Blast Youtube channel uploaded a new song ,and later on through streaming services, entitled "Hatebomb." The same day, they released the track listing for End Of Days.
Discharge's seventh studio album, End of Days, was released on April 29 through NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS and was a return to their classic sound much to the fans approval. END OF DAYS entered the Official UK Rock Charts at #10 and #23 on the UK Indie Charts. The new album was very well recieved and the success of the album saw the band touring Europe and the USA along with EYEHATEGOD and TOXIC HOLOCAUST playing to sold out crowds.
Disclaimer: this biography was gathered automatically through an external music database and could be inaccurate. We don't control the information found here.
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Teaching Is an Adventure
Tim Stephenson August 16, 2022 Blog, Reflect Better, Teach Happier
TL;DR:
It's a new school year!
Even though your curriculum may be the same, the students will be new.
Look forward to all of the new relationships and experiences you will be encountering.
It happened again! I just completed another epic kayaking adventure through Desolation Sound in the Pacific Northwest. This is a body of water that Captain George Vancouver declared to offer nothing of any value with no redeeming qualities. Mind you, he arrived in November of 1792, a time notorious for rain and fog. He should have arrived in August like I did!
The trip was filled with time for reflection, rejuvenation, and rest (despite the 85 kilometers or about 53 miles of paddling). Glorious sunshine, blue water, and mountain views were shared with good friends and my wife, Sheryl. It was just what every teacher needs before heading back to school in the fall.
This was my third time exploring these waters so it's reasonable to suggest that there was nothing new to see. However, it dawned on me that although I was in the same place geographically, there was much that was different. The conditions were different, as wind and waves are always morphing. The sounds of nighttime were different as the animals migrate and the tides ebbed and flowed. Even the people I was with were different, so new conversations and emotions were shared, unlike any of my previous trips.
A New School Year
This made me think of the new school year. For me, it will be my 30th year as a teacher, so it would make sense to ask me how it has stayed fresh after so many years. My recent kayak trip supplied me with the answer. You see, although I've been a teacher for 30 years, the upcoming year will be my first with this group of students. I may have taught chemistry many times before, but I have never taught it to these people so everything about it will be new!
Teaching is about the relationships and the stories of our lives that enrich, enlighten, and envelop a classroom. It will always stay new and exciting if we put the people first. Click To Tweet
This is how I have always approached a new school year. I've always felt that it's not the curriculum that I teach, but the people. I may have "paddled these waters" before, but never have I done so in the year 2022. Nor have I done so with the human beings I get to meet in a few weeks.
Here's a point of view that I would like to share. Look upon teaching as an interaction with people and situations. It's not about the coursework. Nor is it about photocopying. Teaching is about the relationships and the stories of our lives that enrich, enlighten, and envelop a classroom. It will always stay new and exciting if we put the people first and the "job" second.
[scroll down to keep reading]
If I go back to Desolation Sound for a fourth time, there will be some familiar sights and sounds. But it will be filled with a whole new set of circumstances that will lead to new stories that for now remain unknown. Teaching is like one of these adventures. And for me, I look forward with great anticipation to the unknown experiences yet to be seen. I hope for you that your approach to the school year will lead you further from the daily routines and closer to the stories waiting to be told.
About Tim Stephenson
Tim has been teaching in Langley, British Columbia for over 25 years. He's a science teacher, particularly astronomy, which is a course he has developed into a full-credit senior science course. In his school, he is known as AstroStephenson. Way back at the beginning of his teaching career, he wrote a book, really to himself, that contained his teaching philosophy. It was a project that would define his career. He is a possibility thinker, a dreamer and a doer, an innovator.
From the very beginning, he knew that he wanted to teach by putting students and relationships ahead of content, and putting experiences and emotions ahead of curriculum. The result has been a long career of rich and rewarding experiences for both himself and his students, the pinnacle being in 2018 when he was the recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence.
Now Tim would like to share with you his thoughts and experiences on teaching with the hope that by reflecting better, you will feel empowered to try new things, teach in new ways and see the possibilities that are there for all of us in the teaching profession.
Tags:change your perspective, fresh start, guest blog, guest blogger, guest post, new perspective, new school year, perspective, relationships


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Ukraine War:UK imposes fresh round of sanctions on Russian officials
2023: Some elements in Aso Rock don't want Tinubu to win – El-Rufai
The UK has announced a fresh round of sanctions against 22 Russians, including those the Foreign Office says were involved in enlisting criminals to fight in Ukraine.
James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, said on Wednesday his department would target a new set of officials, including Denis Manturov, the deputy prime minister, who is responsible for troop equipment supplies.
The Russian officials join more than 1,000 others, including 120 the UK has sanctioned since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, among them Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian prime minister, and Roman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea FC.
Cleverly said: "The Russian regime's decision to partially mobilise Russian citizens was a desperate attempt to overwhelm the valiant Ukrainians defending their territory. It has failed.
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"Today we have sanctioned individuals who have enforced this conscription, sending thousands of Russian citizens to fight in Putin's illegal and abhorrent war. The UK will continue to use both sanctions and military aid to support Ukraine in the defence of their independence."
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, announced the partial mobilisation of Russian citizens to fight the war in Ukraine in September, as Russian troops struggled to hold on to territory captured in the early stages of the war. The Kremlin set a goal of mobilising 300,000 troops, but the programme was beset by difficulties as young men fled Russia and protests erupted in several regions.
Earlier this month, Putin signed a law allowing for the conscription of people convicted of serious crimes, including murder, robbery and drug trafficking.
READ ALSO: Constitution Review Will Not Solve Nigeria's Problem -Afenifere
Among those targeted by UK sanctions are Arkady Gostev, the head of the Russian prison system, who was specifically singled out for supporting the conscription of criminals to the notorious Wagner Group of mercenaries.
Dmitry Bezrukikh, the head of the prison service in the Rostov region, was also named. The Wagner Group has reportedly recruited heavily from Rostov, which the Foreign Office called the group's "recruitment hub".
Other Rostov officials were also listed, including Andrey Burov, the head of the region's election commission.
The announcement comes a day after Olena Zelenska, Ukraine's first lady, addressed MPs in Westminster, urging them to continue supporting the country's war effort. She compared Ukraine's experience over the past year to what Britain went through during the blitz, saying: "Ukrainians are going through a terror that will resonate with you. We hear air raid sirens every day, which are identical to those of past British generations."
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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov wrote: "We don't have intention to comment on that. Just imagine if we comment on every single sanction introduced against us!"
Politics58 mins ago


It feels as though you can reach out and touch Skyline Drive from this magnificent 5+ acre lot with an upgraded 2, 200+ finished square foot four bedroom home. It boasts over 1, 000sf that could be finished in the walk-out lower level (w/rough in for a full bathroom and a window for a future bedroom). The owners have invested more than $25k in upgrades since they built their showplace that is move-in ready (including $9, 000 in paving for driveway). Gaze at the mountains from the 18x12 screened in porch or the 12x8 covered front porch (complete with porch swing). There are 360 degrees of mountain viewing pleasure in this ideally located homestead just 5 scenic miles from town. In the winter, trees offer excellent privacy, and in the spring, Red Bud trees and flowers flourish!Features IncludeHardwood floors, ceramic tile, granite counters, 9 foot+ ceilings, walk-in closets, tray ceilings, vaulted bathroom, maple cabinetry (even in the bathrooms, with roll outs and built in trash area in kitchen), under cabinet lighting, breakfast bar (with 5-6 people seating), stone backsplash, convection oven, crown molding, two story foyer, lovely level rear yard, stone gas fireplace, screened porch, whirlpool tub, tiled shower, furnace humidifier, excess parking, alarm system (currently not active), energy star windows, fireplace fan, high speed internet (Centurylink), custom front walkway, more!This bright, like-new property has hard-to-find features like a charming reclaimed wood shed (17x17 ), a deep well with a bonus back up holding tank (sellers were moving from the city and didn~t want to ever worry about water issues to they proactively built a holding tank and just recently replaced the pump in tank and well), and an overall spacious feel from the oversized front porch to the bonus area adjacent to the 2 car garage. Act quickly, this home is sure to fly off the market!


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Socially inept Miranda always gets into awkward situations; working in her joke shop with best friend Stevie, being hounded by her pushy mother, and especially when she's around her crush Gary.
8 wins & 18 nominations.
To tell you the truth, there are not many female comedians that can make me laugh. This is not a sexist opinion, it is just not my type of humor. But I can gladly make an exception for this Miranda Hart-show. Okay, sometimes it is a bit over the top, on a few occasions it is slightly tedious and worn out, but in general this is a very funny and intelligently written situation comedy. I love it when Miranda talks or gestures to the audience, I love the absurd thoughts that go through her head and I love all the characters that surround her, especially Patricia Hodge as Miranda's mother. Of course Hart is a brilliant actress (see also: Not going out) and her self-mockery leaves me in stitches. Although I must confess that I do not look out for a second series, except when there would be an acceptable twist in the concept. There's always the danger that it's going to be dragged out and that we will have seen it all before. But this first series still stands after a second view and it should definitely be in my DVD-collection. Miranda rules!
Miranda Hart (Miranda), Patricia Hodge (Penny) and Tom Ellis (Gary) are the only actors to appear in all 20 episodes of the series. Sarah Hadland (Stevie) did film scenes in all episodes, however her appearence in series 2 episode "Just Act Normal" was cut from broadcast.


Last week we had take-out or microwaveable food for dinner every single night (please make me feel better and tell me that I am not the only person who has done this). I felt gross and borderline neglectful of my husband.
In an effort to ensure that this doesn't happen again any time soon, I've been working on adding easy dishes that both of us enjoy to my meal time repertoire.
This dish takes about 20 minutes to make - oh yeah, and it's healthy and flavorful - triple whammy!
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Generously season salmon with salt and pepper, add a dash of cumin and half of the lime zest. Arrange salmon in a shallow baking pan. Roast until salmon is flaky, about 10 to 13 minutes. Use a flat spatula to remove fillets.
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, and sugar; fold in cilantro and lime zest. Spoon sauce over fish.
I served mine with a roasted sesame asparagus - I'll share that recipe here soon.
Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, it's a new staple in our house!
This looks great! We're always talking about how we to get more fish in our diet. - I've got this one pinned now, so hopefully I remember to try it soon!
This recipe is happening in the Otto/Patriquin household ASAP. Dave is a salmon ADDICT!
Lol your not the only one!!! That recipe looks awesome!! I'm going to have to try!! Always looking for tasty healthy meals! Thanks for sharing!
You're not the only one - we're having pizza tonight!
That sounds delish! I'll definitely be making that for myself. No one else here eats fish. Party poopers!
This looks good! We finished off leftovers tonight, I've been cooking everyday for the past week!


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Volcon Runt kids' electric moto lets you geo-fence junior's ride
By Loz Blain
The Runt is capable of 35 mph and offers 60 Nm of accessible torque
Angus MacKenzie Photography
The Volcon Grunt, left, with the Runt, right
Volcon
A faithful miniaturization of the Volcon Grunt electric ag-bike
The Runt will ship with some interesting app-based tech
The Runt share its big brother's chunky demeanor
Last year, we got our first look at the Volcon Grunt, a chunky, fat-wheeled electric dirtbike built for a mix of farming and fun. Now, it's got a baby brother built for kids. A little smaller, a little slower and with neat geofencing capability, the Volcon Runt (hee!) follows the odd, curvy lines of the original in the name of silent family mud-flinging.
It's not one for real littlies – the seat height is still 27 inches (69 cm) and the bike weighs a reasonably hefty 180 pounds (82 kg), so they'll want to be well past the Baby Shark stage to throw a leg over this.
In performance terms, the Runt is capable of 35 mph (56 km/h) and offers 60 Nm (44 lb-ft) of accessible torque; enough to get a giggle out of any kid that's never tasted the glory of PeeWee, anyway (if that sentence makes no sense to you, please don't call the police.) Range maxes out around 35 miles per charge, but the batteries can be swapped if you really need to keep 'em out of the house.
More interesting is some of the app-based tech the Runt will ship with. Remote monitoring, performance limiters and tip-over notifications give parents some peace of mind when junior hits the back paddock chasing bunnies, but there's also the ability to geo-fence the bike so it only works within certain boundaries. A neat way to keep the tough trails, public roads, or the tempting moguls of a freshly plowed field off limits.
The price starts at US$2,995, and reservations are available now for a refundable US$100 deposit with deliveries due to start this summer.
Source: Volcon
MotorcyclesElectric MotorcyclesNew Atlas Audio
Loz Blain
Loz has been one of our most versatile contributors since 2007, and has since proven himself as a photographer, videographer, presenter, producer and podcast engineer, as well as a senior features writer. Joining the team as a motorcycle specialist, he's covered just about everything for New Atlas, concentrating lately on eVTOLs, hydrogen, energy, aviation, audiovisual, weird stuff and things that go fast.
paul314 February 8, 2021 06:40 AM
Does the geofencing also make bike theft a less attractive proposition? (I'd expect that a determined thief could defeat it, but a joyrider might not be able to.)


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business card (v-card)
Studies at the University of Bielefeld and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Doctorate in trademark and title protection law 2006, at the Free University of Berlin, Prof. Dr. iur. Dr. rer. Pol. Dres. h.c. Säcker. Several years as a research assistant at the chair of Prof. Säcker with a focus on copyright law. From 2006 to 2010, Senior Associate at Raue LLP. Specialist in employment law since 2010. Highly recommended in the JUVE Handbook 2009/2010 and 2010/2011.
Publications, including title protection according to §§ 5 para. 3, 15 German Trademark Act in the Munich Lawyers' Handbook on Media Law (ed. Raue/Hegemann), 2nd edition, Beck-Verlag Munich 2017; Trademark and title protection against domain names, together with Dr. Robert Heine, UWG and trademark law in cases (ed. Säcker/Wolf), Verlag Vahlen, Munich 2009; The title as a trademark? The Relationship between Title and Trademark Protection, Dissertation, UFITA Schriftenreihe (ed. Rehbinder), Nomos Verlag Baden-Baden 2008; The Exhaustion of Intellectual Property Rights in a European and International Context, Master of Law Thesis, Trinity College Dublin 2000. Various presentations and experts seminars.


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2015 Outstanding Program Awards
Home / 2015 Outstanding Program Awards
2015 Outstanding Program Award Winners
365 Days of Excellence, Cheyenne Educational Foundation
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Cheyenne Educational Foundation launched the 365 Days of Excellence project to share positive news and trivia about Cheyenne's students, alumni, school district and community. Starting Jan. 1, 2015, the foundation began posting positive news items each day on the foundation's Facebook page. Each week's posts are also published in the local weekly newspaper, the Cheyenne Star, leveraging the impact of the project.
While the population of Cheyenne is only 800, each post reaches between 300 and 1,200 people, according to Facebook tracking statistics, and is circulated to nearly 2,100 readers through the local newspaper. Chad Smith, chairman of the Cheyenne Board of Education, said the board believes the project has improved the visibility of the foundation in the community and among alumni living elsewhere.
"It is prompting a lot of positive talk in town," he said. "The more involved the school and community are in a positive way, the more support the school receives from the community. The positive talk should also help make the foundation's 20/20 fundraising campaign planned for later in the year a great success."
A foundation board member is responsible for writing the daily posts, but receives suggestions from the entire board. Many posts are written in advance using Facebook's scheduling feature. The foundation board is considering compiling the posts in book form to use for a fundraiser in 2017 when the community hosts the Cheyenne-Arapaho Old Settlers Reunion, a weeklong celebration.
"365 Days of Excellence," a social media campaign administered by the Cheyenne Educational Foundation to promote excellence in local schools and the community, has been selected for an Outstanding Program Award for Local Education Foundations, presented by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
Fort Gibson High School robotics students participate in a robotics tournament, one of the many career-focused activities made possible through the Fort Gibson Public Schools Education Foundation as part of its Career Pathway Program. The program has been selected for an Outstanding Program Award for Local Education Foundations, presented by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. The K-12 Career Pathways Program helps students make connections between curriculum and careers.
Career Pathway Program, Fort Gibson Public Schools Education Foundation
The second Outstanding Program Award recipient is the Fort Gibson Career Pathway Program, which was spawned by student interest in having a greater connection between curriculum and career opportunities. The Fort Gibson Public Schools Education Foundation, in collaboration with the Board of Education and district and community leaders, convened in 2006 to lay the groundwork for the Career Pathway Program.
The program spans from elementary through high school, beginning with the introduction of basic business concepts in "Our Town." Facilitated by local business leaders, the program introduces children to business roles and experiences common in the local community. In fifth grade, students travel to Tulsa to experience Biz Town, a program sponsored by Junior Achievement to introduce students to financial literacy and basic business skills. In elementary and middle school, students participate in career interest surveying through the Oklahoma Career Inventory Systems and begin to build a career portfolio.
In the middle school phase of the program, students meet with school counselors and begin selecting a career pathway. The program takes full shape in high school as students prepare Career Graduation Portfolios, which include such elements as a resume, interview training, record of community services and a transcript. In addition, students are encouraged to include copies of their "best work," especially work that is career-related. With the help of the Fort Gibson Public Schools Education Foundation, curriculum enhancements, such as a high school robotics program and an elementary-level "Making and Tinkering Labs," have been added.
"The Career Pathway Program has met all our expectations and even more," said district superintendent Derald Glover, noting increases in ACT scores and scholarship commitments. "The 2014 graduating senior class was the first class to meet every single program requirement. Most importantly, graduating seniors recognized the connection between the classroom and their promising futures."
Tech 2 Teach, Stillwater Public Education Foundation
The third Outstanding Program Award winner is the Tech 2 Teach Program sponsored by the Stillwater Public Education Foundation. After discussing the district's greatest needs with school administrators, foundation board members learned that the district needed to increase technology available to both students and teachers.
"Continually shrinking budgets cause school districts to sometimes treat technology as an extra rather than a necessity," said Jenifer Bartley, foundation executive director. "However, we know how important it is to expose students to technology and how much more effectively teachers can instruct when technology is available to use."
The Stillwater foundation launched the Tech 2 Teach fundraising campaign to respond. In 2013 and 2014, the foundation allocated $25,000 from its budget and raised an additional $25,000 to provide $50,000 each year for technology needs. The foundation worked with the district's information technology director, assistant superintendent and curriculum technology support specialists to plan and distribute technology throughout the district.
In the first year the initiative provided 121 document cameras and 12 projectors to all school sites, allowing each teacher to build on a common technology platform. Last year, the campaign provided 157 Chromebooks and charge carts to be divided among the district's 10 school sites. "Thousands of students will have the opportunity to collaborate on research, projects and develop an electronic classroom on the Chromebooks, which encourage academic excellence," Bartley said. The foundation plans to collaborate with district administrators each year to choose a different technology project to benefit from Tech 2 Teach.
Fourth-graders at Sangre Ridge Elementary School in Stillwater do classroom research using new Chromebooks that were made possible through the Tech 2 Teach initiative sponsored by the Stillwater Public Education Foundation. The districtwide technology initiative has been selected for an Outstanding Program Award for Local Education Foundations, presented by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
A golfer putts a lighted ball during the Glow Golf Fall Event, a community fundraiser sponsored by the Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation. The creative fundraising event has been selected for an Outstanding Program Award for Local Education Foundations, presented by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
Glow Golf, Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation
The fourth award winner is the Glow Golf Fall Event sponsored by the Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation. The event is a twist on the traditional golf tournament fundraiser, as teams play nine holes of golf in the dark with the assistance of lighted golf balls, flash lights, black lights and neon lighted flags. The goal of the event is to raise money for teacher grants and to promote the foundation to the community in hopes of recruiting new board members. In 2014, the foundation raised $15,800 from the event, which helped fund more than one-third of its teacher grants.
The foundation invites businesses and individuals to sponsor the Glow Golf event, with five levels of sponsorship ranging from $200 to $2,500. Depending upon the donation level, sponsors will receive recognition on promotional materials, various levels of team registration and dinner, T-shirts and glow golf materials. In 2014, a 48-inch television was donated and awarded via a drawing for individual attendees.
"Through the Glow Golf Fall Event over the past four years, the Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation has been able to fund more than 656 grants totaling well over $100,000, all of which is to support our students' education," said Tahlequah Public Schools Superintendent Lisa Presley, who nominated the program. Among projects funded through the teacher grants have been iPads, a digital tablet, robotics materials and choir robes, she said.
"Through events like their Glow Golf Fall Event, the foundation helps the community have a direct influence on the quality of education our students receive by helping teachers realize their dreams," Presley added.
For more information, please contact Katy Leffel at kleffel@ofe.org or 405-236-0006, Ext. 18 (office) 405-922-5420 (mobile)