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Mentoring media managers in South Sudan: starting conversations, finding solutions
By: Ron Waksman
Six days is just long enough to absorb the initial shock of arriving in Africa, an experience that is an all-out assault on all of your senses. My 22-hour journey ended when my Ethiopian Airlines Q400 bounced hard then settled on a crumbling runway that would likely be closed to air traffic anywhere else in the world. I stepped off the Bombardier-made plane that delivered me from Addis Ababa and inhaled a breath of 41 degree Celsius air. Exhausted and completely out of my element, I did what most of the passengers on my flight did, blindly follow other people who seemed to know their way across the chaotic ramp.
Jets at Juba Airport (Ron Waksman/JHR)
In Juba, the planes are parked like they used to be parked on game nights in the lot across from Maple Leaf Gardens, no one leaves until the guy blocking you decides to leave. I confess to being an aviation geek. If they made an air freshener or a cologne that smelled like jet fuel I'd buy it. Which is why I almost got whiplash on my way to the terminal after I spotted a dozen or so incredible Soviet-era heavy-lift cargo aircraft that I've only ever seen in pictures on the internet. They only fly in Africa where the climate helps preserve them and emissions standards are well, shall we say, more relaxed.
I was warned weeks before I left that people in South Sudan don't like having their picture taken. That apparently goes double for soldiers and security officials. As I stared at these cold war era relics, I reflexively raised my camera and pointed it in the direction of the nearest Ilyushin-76. All I could think about was showing the pictures to my eldest son who is in training to become a commercial pilot.
Six days is one of JHR's shorter 'missions' to Africa, but after clicking the shutter just a couple of times I came this close to becoming the first JHR trainer to arrive and be deported in under four minutes. A 7-foot tall security officer came up behind me and yanked me backward by the camera strap so hard I almost fell to the ground. In broken English, with angrily contorted facial expressions and a death grip on my camera strap he fully intended to take my camera away. The journalist in me took over as I regained my footing and got into a tug of war with the security giant as he barked demands to know who gave me permission to take pictures. I muttered something about being an aviation enthusiast just trying to take pictures of rare Russian aircraft. For some reason that was lost on him.
Just then, the jet lag, oppressive heat and adrenaline released control of my senses long enough for me to have an 'aha' moment. It occurred to me that not every one of these vintage Russian cargo jets was toting powdered milk and flour, some of them, without registrations, were likely hauling weapons. In South Sudan everyone has access to an AK-47, including traffic cops.
Lucky for me, a U.N. peacekeeper from Uganda came to my rescue. The Ugandans are responsible for perimeter security at the airport. The soldier defused the situation by telling the South Sudanese security officer that I would happily erase all the images I shot, so there was no need to take the camera away. At least I think that's what he said, because just then the security officer released his grip on the camera strap. DSLR cameras have electronic menus you call up on the LED screen in back of the camera. I brought up the menu for erasing images and showed the security officer that I had put the cursor right over the 'erase all images' function. Funny thing about DSLR cameras, it's not enough to move the cursor, you also have to press enter. Thankfully, I was able to capture at least a couple of the rare Soviet aircraft to show to my son when I got home.
After I got past security on the ramp, my next stop was the Ebola testing table where I waited for 15 minutes to fill out a declaration that I didn't come into contact with Ebola on my way from Toronto. It's a funny thing, if you wait in the blazing hot sun for 15-20 minutes just about everyone will register a fever when they stick a thermometer in your ear.
I was met at the airport by Grant McDonald, the JHR rep on the ground in Juba. Grant is the right guy for the job. Cool as a cucumber and connected to everyone, he greeted me and arranged for a driver to meet us outside the terminal. I was so relieved that my bags actually made it from Toronto through Addis Ababa and to Juba that I didn't mind the 30 minute wait for the driver. Grant understood what arriving in Juba must feel like to a white middle-aged guy from suburban Toronto. He put me at ease right away handing me a local cell phone so I could call home and let my family know that I hadn't been eaten by a hyena. For many people, going to see The Lion King is the extent of their African experience. I was no different.
Everyone in Juba knows and respects Grant, from the Canadian ambassador to the local stringers and NGO representatives. Grant organized the two-day JHR event and I believe almost everyone showed up as a result of the great work he's been doing there. I couldn't have asked for a better host, organizer and fixer. He even arranged for some sightseeing, with very little photography, and made sure I brought home some real African souvenirs. BTW, you can transport tribal spears in your checked baggage.
Challenging roads in Juba, South Sudan. (Robin Pierro/JHR)
South Sudan – the world's newest country – lags far behind most of Africa in economic development, human rights, the establishment of legitimate government institutions, a transparent judiciary and the emergence of a free press. Infrastructure is almost non-existent. The roads were among the most challenging dirt tracks I had ever seen. Very few are paved and the ones that are have to be evacuated when the President drives by. Most roads in Juba are just reddish brown dust with embedded rocks, boulders or potholes holes that require drivers to move over to the other side of the street to get by or drive carefully over the obstacles. Vehicle suspensions need to be replaced often.
There is no power grid, you either have a diesel generator or you have no power. There are periods when the generators are shut down, like over the lunch hour. There is no system of delivering drinking water to the citizens. That's why one of the first things you notice when you move around Juba, the capital city, is that the country is literally knee deep in light blue plastic water bottles. This is by no means an exaggeration, they are everywhere. Think of Tim Horton's cups and other fast food litter multiplied a thousand times. Bottled water is the only water people have to drink unless they collect rainwater in rooftop tanks.
Diesel exhaust hangs heavy in the air, a situation exacerbated by the generators, large trucks and thousands of three seat mini-bikes that weave and dodge their way through traffic. On my final morning in Juba I was visiting a radio station for a couple of hours, when my driver didn't show up to take me back to Logali House where I was staying. I was so afraid of missing my flight that I suspended all good sense and accepted a ride on one of these crazy motor bikes driven by a complete stranger. It was 5 minutes of sheer terror and easily one of the dumbest things I have ever done.
There is something in South Sudan that makes all the other conditions I've described tolerable, and that is the warmth and optimism of the South Sudanese people.
Ron Waksman at the Juba Telegraph. (Grant McDonald/JHR)
In South Sudan everyone shakes hands, a common and polite greeting everywhere in the world. But you notice almost immediately that handshakes in Juba linger just a couple of seconds longer than the North American or European comfort zones allow. In South Sudan, a handshake is not just a formality when people greet each other for the first time. Even people who know each other shake hands warmly when they meet again. The handshake is always accompanied by a welcoming smile and eye contact that engages you. After a couple of days in Juba, I also started to linger when I shook hands. People are genuinely interested in who you are and where you come from.
My JHR mission was different in a number of ways. Instead of the great work JHR staff do in training local journalists to do their jobs more effectively through various techniques and strategies, I was in South Sudan to work specifically with more senior media managers including publishers and managing editors. This was the first time senior media managers were assembled by JHR for this kind of training. Based on the discussions and ideas that came out of the two-day sessions, I hope JHR will continue along this path if for no other reason than to get all these senior people into one room on a regular basis to discuss solutions to common issues.
There are a multitude of seminars and training programs offered by media agencies from around the world in South Sudan. My focus on day-one was to reinforce important journalistic principles that are absolutely necessary for the development of democratic institutions and good governance. We spent some time discussing who in society journalists are supposed to represent. The concept of reporting news in the 'public interest' has not really taken hold yet in a country where most citizens don't give much thought to a free press that is supposed to represent their views and hold those in power accountable. There is even a segment of society in South Sudan that takes the government's position that any criticism at all of ministers and officials is tantamount to treason and not in the interest of peace. It's almost as if the media exists to defend public interest, without the public really being aware of it.
Ron Waksman teaching the media managers seminar in Juba. (Grant McDonald/JHR)
I'm very fond of saying that a journalistic principle is not really a principle unless it's tested every so often. As a basis for discussion, I provided all the media managers with copies of the Global News Journalistic Principles and Practices. I wanted to be very careful about coming across as the 'Great White Hunter', there to teach 'primitive' South Sudanese journalists about how we do things in Canada.
I learned that while western nations occasionally invoke journalistic standards to address ethical problems, my South Sudanese colleagues live these challenges daily. For them, journalistic independence isn't an intellectual exercise, it means successfully making it through another broadcast day or publishing another edition of the paper. Instead of lecturing, I felt it was my place to moderate a discussion whereby all the media managers felt assured they were in a safe place where they could honestly express their feelings and frustrations.
Those frustrations had to do with the dedication and commitment of their own journalists, suppression by the government and the sometimes overbearing ideologies of the aid agencies and NGOs that fund them. For much of the discussion the group talked to each other, sharing their experiences and offering solutions. Sometimes there just weren't any solutions to be had and members of the group just appreciated the opportunity to vent. In listening to their back and forth discussions, it became apparent that for the most part each media outlet was fighting the same battles on their own. The discussion turned to the need for a 'college' of journalists that would represent the media industry as whole on common issues. This college would govern journalists in South Sudan by requiring educational/training standards to become a journalist, bestowing official press credentials and serve as a dispute resolution body to handle complaints from the public and government officials. An umbrella organization could also offer 'safety in numbers' so that individual media organizations would feel empowered and supported when the government threatened them with reprisals.
Media Managers Seminar, Juba. (Ron Waksman/JHR)
This college of journalists could also be helpful in setting out a new strategy to shift the funding model from individual journalism projects to the overall sustainability of the media industry in South Sudan. In two days of seminars we also looked at whether current media models that operate in South Sudan are sustainable over the long term. One of my observations early on was that the dozens of individual media projects underway in South Sudan may be hurting the industry there as a whole by fragmenting available funding. There are, in my opinion, too many individual journalism projects operating in South Sudan funded by the good intentions of aid and non-governmental organizations. There are too many newspapers, radio stations and TV stations operating in South Sudan as individual journalism projects. These outlets have little autonomy, unable to determine how funding dollars are spent, especially when the money originates with ideologically-driven aid agencies and NGOs. These ideals, and in some cases political agendas, do not necessarily support the goal of overall media sustainability for the future.
One of the important issues I addressed with media managers was whether they would like to have a greater say in determining where and how to invest funding dollars in their own organizations to build them as sustainable businesses. The obvious question was what happens when funding dollars for individual projects run out? Difficult decisions will have to be made in South Sudan about which projects and media outlets have a reasonable chance at succeeding as stand-alone businesses if and when funding dries up, which it inevitably does. That's why more self-determination in where to invest available funding is so important. It was clear early on that advertising is not likely to be a sustainable model for media in South Sudan. The primary advertiser currently is the government, not commercial businesses. In a country where the government has shut down radio stations for even mild criticism, giving the same officials more economic leverage creates a clear conflict.
South Sudanese medi managers with Ron Waksman (center) after the training workshop. (Grant McDonald/JHR)
One of the strategies we discussed was a 'media tax' that would be levied on any and all communications companies licensed to operate in South Sudan. This would include wireless operators, who could also be required to provide push notification and text messaging services as another channel for reaching the audience with news and information. The 'media tax' remains an unlikely scenario because there is little motivation for the government to levy such a tax to assist media organizations critical of government services and ministers, more reason to reassess whether the funding given to individual media projects would be better spent on improving the overall sustainability of the media industry.
I thought that one of the most interesting ideas to come from our discussions was the importance of media training, not just for journalists but for government officials.
Ron Waksman and Nick Coghlan, Canadian Ambassador to South Sudan, in Juba. (Grant McDonald/JHR)
In South Sudan, Ministers often contradict each other and even the president because there is no consistent messaging. This creates confusion among the population as to who is in charge and leads to policy decisions that create chaos. Government officials would benefit from media training that would teach them why it's in their best interest to speak with the media instead of avoiding them entirely or retaliating when they are criticized.
If the government had a more sophisticated communications apparatus the flow of information to the public would vastly improve and create more engagement in the political and democratic process. JHR could play a very useful role in educating and training the government on proper communications practice.
Thanks JHR for a life-changing experience. It was an honour and a privilege to work with Grant and the rest of the journalists and managers who attended our seminars.
Ron Waksman is the Director, Online News & Current Affairs, Editorial Standards & Practices at Global News. He travelled to JHR's program in South Sudan as part of a partnership between JHR and Global News, with support from Shaw Media.
JHR's program in South Sudan is generously supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund.
This entry was posted in Blog, Field Notes, South Sudan, Trainer, Uncategorized and tagged Africa, development, education, Grant McDonald, human rights, international development, jhr, journalism, Journalists for Human Rights, Juba, media, south sudan on April 24, 2015 by admin.
Mountaintops, Tukuls and Training in Torit
By: Grant McDonald
During a recent discussion with a colleague of mine in South Sudan we talked of the beauty of a mountain and the desire of certain individuals to summit such peaks. Those who choose to seek the top are often asked why. What is the purpose? What difference does it make? My colleague had heard one response which encapsulates the reason of the climber perfectly, "because it's there."
Tukuls and Mountains on the way to Torit, Eastern Equatoria.
When history decides to judge our generation – which it will – do we want to be remembered as the generation which saw mountains but chose valleys? Will we be the ones who saw problems and did nothing? Or will we be a people who fundamentally and categorically reject the myth of our generations' apathy?
There are both physical and metaphorical mountains to be conquered all across South Sudan. Along the road toward Torit, which is a four hour drive south east of the capital city of Juba, I found myself staring up towards the wonderful mountaintops which govern the sky in Eastern Equatoria; the latest area of South Sudan which Journalists for Human Rights conducted media training.
Appropriate location for JHR training in Torit.
There is not a subtle change when leaving the city, it's drastic. Apartment complexes and compounds are replaced by Tukuls, shade umbrellas replaced by mango trees and pollution replaced by fresh air.
What also becomes apparent is the isolation, not between individuals, but between communities. It was in this moment that I once again realized the importance of regional media training. The physical location of these communities also strengthened my belief that media is a common thread bringing communities together. Allowing those living in often forgotten corners of the world to know what is happening in and around their own country. Coupled with a country-wide literacy rate of approximately 20 per cent, there are entire areas heavily reliant on information coming from their battery-powered radios.
In other words, the silent faces of a society searching for answers need the media as a liaison between them and those making decisions which impact their lives.
Sprinkled throughout South Sudan, in each community and region however, I am amazed by the talented journalists I come across. Torit is no exception.
One of my favourite aspects of the media training JHR offers has nothing to do with our structural approach or our unique style of training. It is in fact the conversations with and between participants.
Leading an open discussion on the divide and mistrust between government and media.
The discussions not only focus on journalism, but of the issues within their country. Their hopes, their dreams for a better future. The workshops often serve as an area for open discussion, not just between journalists', but also members of civil society and government.
In Torit, we had representatives from all media houses in the area, along with civil society groups such as the Union of Journalists and two government representatives in attendance for the workshop. This is not a rarity for JHR. Part of our intention through these workshops is to bring together different areas of society so each can better understand what the other does. It is (in some cases) a first conversation and discussion that journalists may have with government employees outside of story coverage.
The workshops can begin with a certain level of suspicion due to mistrust on all sides. However, as the conversation moves along, so too does the willingness to participate.
One area which we heavily discussed in Torit surrounded the very serious problem of censorship and self-censorship which consistently happens within South Sudanese media, especially when the coverage is about the conflict between government forces and opposition forces.
A more informal discussion on media freedom.
The local journalism community has been told in more ways than one that allowing any interviews or perspectives of opposition leaders to be heard on their airwaves or seen in their pages, will lead to consequences, such as a full shutdown. An action that runs contrary to objective and balanced journalism.
How does one fight back against this? One of the first steps is a conversation. Although the workshops offer information regarding writing structure, story pitching and human rights, they also offer a very important platform for this discussion. I'm proud of that.
Each of us should be proud of the work we are doing, especially if you believe it is making a positive impact. If not, find something that does and together, we can be judged by history as the generation that did something different.
Even if we feel our first step towards change is a small one, or lacking in immediate impact. No one ever climbed a mountain without taking that first, seemingly small and insignificant step.
This entry was posted in Blog, Field Notes, South Sudan, Trainer and tagged Africa, human rights, journalism, Journalists for Human Rights, media, south sudan on April 7, 2015 by Grant Mcdonald.
Yei, South Sudan: Our journey along the Dusty Road
A small village along the road to Yei
As we passed small villages seemingly frozen in time, the vehicle weaves from one side of the road to the other in an attempt to find the "smoothest" path forward. I couldn't help allowing my mind to wander to the land of metaphors (one of my favourite places). We can all relate to this within our own lives, we all understand that the road ahead is quite bumpy, it's difficult to see what's coming and we fully realize we will eventually need to refuel, but we all hold onto hope that we will find a way to continue moving forward, navigating new territory in search of our goals.
Repairing some "loose parts".
I was quickly brought back to reality as the Land Cruiser hit what can only be described as a crater in the road leading to some uneasy sounds coming from under the vehicle. Pulling over to assess the damage we found a few "loose parts." Nothing a wrench couldn't handle in the interim, until we found a roadside garage to offer a more permanent fix. (We would later fall victim to the road once again on the drive home with a flat tire).
My goal, in the literal sense was getting to Yei (pronounced yay!) to hold Journalists for Human Rights' first workshop outside of the capital city of Juba, South Sudan. We had hit the road much later than we had planned and now the driver (great guy) was trying to make up lost time.
Yei is located approximately 160 kilometres southwest of Juba. In terms of distance, it doesn't sound too far if you're thinking in terms of highway driving at 120km/h. This is different. The drive took us about six hours, six hours of dust, heat and did I mention bumps?
Even with the windows up, dust still finds its way into the vehicle, your eyes, your lungs, I suppose it's all consuming. We had the windows down, as one does when AC is not available. Mix that with sweat (it's about 40°C here) and by the time we arrived to our lodging area in Yei, a good shower was in order!
Workshop Begins
The next morning, the first journalist arrives around 8:45 a.m. followed soon after by others from various media houses in the area and some civil society groups. The room is soon full of life, 26 participants, some chatting amongst themselves while others flip through the provided handouts on Human Rights reporting.
Discussing elements within a Rights-Based story.
Over the next couple days, I will have the privilege of sharing new ideas with this group of young, hopeful journalists who are fighting a battle I can't even pretend to fully understand. A fight to ensure freedom of speech, a fight against injustice and a fight to ensure those without a voice can find one through the media.
We speak of balanced reporting, their ideas of needed elements within a story and mitigating risk. The Union of Journalists, one of JHR partners on the ground in South Sudan deliver a guest lecture on the importance of unity. As the workshop comes to a close, a moment of silence is held for our fallen colleagues. Five journalists had been gunned down in a vicious ambush earlier that week in Western Bahr al Ghazal state, a stern reminder of the risk journalists take here.
I use the word "humbled" too often when describing the feeling which permeates my being after most encounters with my journalism colleagues here in South Sudan. This time was different, I was hit with anger, frustration and a feeling of helplessness as the moment of silence ended. Until one journalist spoke, "We will carry on their work, for a better South Sudan."
Moment of silence for the five journalists killed in Western Bahr al Ghazal state.
I realized, each of these journalists were on their own individual journey, weaving along a bumpy road, full of craters and obstacles. They are strong, stronger than me, as they unite in a singular voice against human rights violations. Their forward gaze remains unbroken, refusing to settle for the status quo as they push toward their future goals at the end of their own dusty road.
This entry was posted in Blog, Field Notes, South Sudan, Trainer and tagged Africa, human rights, jhr, Journalists for Human Rights, rights media, south sudan on February 6, 2015 by Grant Mcdonald.
When randomness approaches, just say yes
By: Grant McDonald from Juba, South Sudan
Regret is a word I rarely use, I rarely use it, because I am lucky. From a young age I have been shown that new challenges offer new experiences. Deciding to move to South Sudan last year was one of those moments. A moment in which I had to decide if I would leap at the opportunity, thrust into the unknown, or to simply say no and more than likely regret that decision. I rejected the latter and have not looked back.
The work with Journalists for Human Rights is making a difference here, I know this to be true because I've seen it. I've seen it in the young Journalist Parach Mach who chose to fight for his contentious story on child prostitution to be published. I've seen it in the work ethic of JHR local trainer Onen Walter Solomon and I've seen it in each journalist I have had the pleasure of working with as I am humbled by the raw determination in their eyes.
The entrance to room HS16, which has seen better days.
Within my current work, randomness finds its way to seep through. To say I was "approached" would be the wrong term, I was rather "informed" last year that I was the newest professor at The University of Juba and I would be teaching a fifth year course in the Mass Communications program.
For some context, JHR is in partnership with the university with a goal of creating and implementing a Human Rights Journalism course.
I had the choice to explain that teaching a course in "International Communications" was not really what I was here to do, or, simply accept the beautiful randomness of life and take it as my next challenge. I chose the latter.
The students are inspiring. They are determined and constantly seeking out new information. They participate in a way that shows the knowledge being passed on is worthwhile to them. Today, I finished marking their first assignment: writing a press release. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with the ability in each student.
This was my first day at the university. I have a class of six students who are always seeking new knowledge.
Looking back on my decision, a variety of excuses masquerading as reasons came to mind as to why I couldn't do this. I was busy, I wasn't supposed to be doing this kind of work with the university and lastly, questioning how effective it would be for the students and the overall program.
I suppose however, I needed to take the advice I often offer to others which is to never underestimate the power of your own example. For the students, I believe it is beneficial. For myself, I already feel as though I have gained wisdom from this opportunity, an opportunity I would have regretted letting pass.
So if you are reading this and considering doing something outside of your comfort zone, or debating whether or not it's worth the risk. Choose adventure, say yes. The worst outcome is failure, which is a spectacular character builder.
I fail more than I succeed, yet I rarely use the word regret.
This entry was posted in South Sudan and tagged Africa, human rights, jhr, Journalists for Human Rights, Juba, south sudan, University on January 24, 2015 by Grant Mcdonald.
A Snapshot of JHR Media Training in South Sudan
My alarm clock goes into panic mode most mornings, reminding me that the work Journalists for Human Rights has set out to accomplish in South Sudan awaits.
Let me be clear off the top, there are constant challenges here; logistically speaking, the roads in Juba (the Capital of South Sudan) can triple the time of a commute with the massive divots forcing vehicles to a snail's pace. There remains a different understanding of punctuality as well, meaning being four hours late to a meeting is nothing to get worked up over. Those challenges however, are nothing more than inconveniences. The true issues here are much deeper, including the very serious undertone of concern regarding what is safe for a journalist to publish.
Grant McDonald hosts JHR workshop in Juba, South Sudan.
I have spoken with several editors who say they have been told by national security matter-of-factly not to publish the next day's paper because an article they were planning to release was too controversial. A station called Bakita in the capital had its doors closed and editor arrested after being accused of being anti-government for using the word "rebel" on air. It can be overwhelming to step back from my day to day schedule and look at the big picture.
There are moments of weakness where I feel like screaming into a pillow or ordering a stiff drink before the sun hits an acceptable point in the sky. But immediately following those moments I am hit with a humbling understanding that my challenges, pale in comparison faced each day by courageous journalists here fighting for something larger than themselves.
This is what pushes me to greet the screaming alarm clock with determination, because as I contemplate what the day — in which I'm not holding a workshop — will hold, I know those same brave journalists are waiting for me to meet with them one on one and discuss the stories they have been chasing, shaping and hoping to publish.
I meet with Mary George, a talented journalist reporting for South Sudan Radio, who is working on a sensitive piece which will (once published) force open discussion between cultural beliefs and scientific understanding when it comes to expectant mothers. Mary has just returned from speaking with village chiefs and elders and is hoping for guidance on who to speak with next.
Her idea came from the broader issue of South Sudan's troubling Maternal Mortality rate, the highest per capita in the world. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reports there are 2,054 deaths per 100,000 live births – meaning 1 in 7 women will die during their lifetime due to pregnancy related issues.
Mary wanted to focus on a cultural belief which involved restricting the diet of pregnant women out of fear certain foods could curse the child and family. Mary wants to know if there are health risks involved in this practice which may run in direct contrast to Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which guarantees everyone's right to adequate health – especially for mothers and children; although not legally binding, it's a starting point.
Kaunda David interview a representative from UNAID.
Kaunda David is a very enthusiastic young man – who I found out, has no formal journalism training. This is not a rarity and can be a dangerous reality. Without the knowledge of creating an objective, fully sourced and well compiled news story, journalists are putting themselves in potential danger of becoming targets.
Kaunda is hoping to cover a story on HIV/AIDS rates in South Sudan. That is a very broad topic and we sit to whittle it down into something tangible. We start with a statistical analysis and find an area known as Western Equatoria holds a rate of infection double that of the rest of the country. Why is that? What is being done to assist those in the area? Do those suffering from the virus still hold equal rights?
I have met with Kaundra several times over the past week to go over the structure of his story, the angle and questions he needs to ask. Today however, he is sitting down with a representative from UNAIDS in South Sudan to get a better understanding of the challenges being faced and how it's being handled.
The feeling that the work is making a difference is often strong, but fleeting. While I see positive movement in some journalists, their reality is often thrust in my face the moment I start to forget the media climate here.
An email from Parach Mach pops up in my inbox. Parach is a young photojournalist working for a local newspaper and he has completed a piece – one he had pitched in one of JHR's workshops — regarding child prostitution and its relation to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan. I write back asking for the publication date and receive a revealing and disappointing response:
"I cannot assure you when exactly because the newspaper I work for do not publish thing[s] that expose bad side of the society."
Editor works to piece together a story at Citizen Television (CTV).
This is a challenge which continues to persist; self-censorship. Parach's article is sound, well-balanced and bursting with hard facts. I wrote back immediately suggesting we meet with his editor and discuss the importance of the article and how his balanced approach will help ensure the paper cannot be accused of being one-sided.
The evolution of media freedom does not happen overnight, it is a slow-moving, sometimes painful transition. This notion is something I'm forced to constantly remember.
The hope of this nation and its push for freedom of expression rests heavily on the shoulders of young journalists like Parach, those who refuse to settle for the status quo and demand accountability.
This is why I am here, this is why the horrid sound of my alarm clock in the morning is a greeting I am privileged to have. I am privileged because I will one day be able to look back with the understanding that I bore witness to something magnificent and inspiring: media freedom and freedom of expression in a new nation being pushed forward by a group of journalists who refused to stay silent.
This entry was posted in Blog, Field Notes, Trainer, Uncategorized and tagged Africa, human rights, jhr, Journalists for Human Rights, south sudan on December 1, 2014 by Grant Mcdonald.
From refugee camp to radio studio: Onen Walter's path to human rights media
Onen Walter was not interested in journalism when he was younger. Living in a refugee camp for a decade can make it difficult to plan for the future – let alone a successful one.
Onen Walter and Grant Macdonald, JHR's team in South Sudan.
Onen was born in 1980 in Pajok, a community in the east corner of South Sudan near the border of Uganda. When he was just three-years-old, the country spiraled into a brutal civil war with the Sudanese government fighting the Sudan People's Liberation Army, and Onen's happy life changed forever.
As the fighting spread across the country, Onen and his family left their town to find safety. Sometimes they crossed the border to Uganda – four days walk from their home. Life was difficult and dangerous.
Onen had learned to be very independent, but when he was fourteen had to grow up even faster. Trapped in a rebel stronghold and unable to escape, Onen was separated from his family. Isolated and alone, he had to fend for himself as he tried to find his younger brother. After two years on his own, doing his best to avoid the fighting, Onen found safety at a refugee camp in Uganda. To his great joy, he found his younger brother living safely in the camp. The small family was reunited.
Over the next ten years, Onen did whatever kind of work he could to survive, "life wasn't easy," he explained. Many days he would spend hours making charcoal and selling it to support himself and his brother.
In 2005, after more than twenty years of fighting, a peace deal was signed in Sudan. In 2011, South Sudan became an independent country. The next year, Onen returned home, determined to make a new life in his country.
Onen Walter prepares for a JHR training workshop.
Onen's first goal was to get educated. He joined the Free International University of Moldova in 2008, majoring in Ecological Studies. But his studies were cut short when the State Government expelled the university from the country.
Angry at the closure, and with no answers from the government, Onen, and some of his friends decided they needed to do something about it – to become a voice for the voiceless.
Onen's first introduction to journalism was a course at the Multi-Media Training Center in South Sudan's captial city Juba. He learned the basics of radio production from veteran journalists at Juba Radio and he was a natural. Onen had found his calling.
After his training, Onen started working at South Sudan Radio as an Announcer. He also reported for South Sudan TV. Four years later, Onen became Acting News Editor for 88.4 City FM and eventually became an International Correspondent with Radio France International (RFI) in South Sudan. Onen considers his move to journalism "a blessing."
Onen is now 34 years-old and a seasoned journalism professional. He is the newest member of JHR's team and he is using his expertise give back to the media community by to training his South Sudanese journalism colleagues in strong human rights reporting. Onen's work represents the beginning of the larger ripple effect of JHR training. His training today will reverberate throughout his country for years to come in the form of strong, balanced journalism and upholding human rights.
This entry was posted in South Sudan and tagged Africa, human rights, journalism, media, south sudan on November 28, 2014 by admin.
North-South Inequality Drives Migration to Slums
Regional Origins of Old Fadama Residents
My cab ride to Ghana's biggest slum cost me an extra Cedi. "I don't normally go that route, those people cause lots of problems," my taxi driver told me. Once called "Soddom and Gomorrah", the community of Old Fadama is situated on the banks of the Korle Lagoon in Accra, and is home to at least 79,000 people. Despite substantial efforts by local community organizations and NGOs, as well as increasing recognition of residents in the community as legitimate stakeholders in the city's planning, negative perceptions about the community of Old Fadama persist.
In 2011, jhr partnered with the African University College of Communications (AUCC) to produce "Faces of Old Fadama", a magazine that highlighted the plethora of human rights violations faced by the Old Fadama community. In addition to dangerously poor health, safety and sanitation conditions, as well as a lack of education services for children and youth, residents live under the constant threat of eviction as the local metropolitan authority considers Old Fadama an illegal settlement.
As we wander among the mix of one and two story wooden and cinderblock structures, Ahlassan Baba Fuseini from the Ghana Federation of Urban Poor tells me about the history of the community. With his neatly pressed dress shirt and polished dress shoes, he is a far cry from the stereotypical image of someone who has spent the last 16 years living in a slum.
"I came to this place after I finished my education to look for a job," Fuseini tells me.
Settlement of the present-day community of Old Fadama was led by migrants fleeing from tribal conflicts in Ghana's northern regions in the 1980s. In 2009, Old Fadama residents worked with People's Dialogue on Human Settlements and Slum Dwellers International to conduct a community-led census to gather hard numbers to use as a negotiation tool with the local authorities. Their census found that a majority of the community's residents continue to come from Ghana's northern region, but like Fuseini, contemporary migrants are driven southwards by a lack of economic opportunity rather than tribal conflict.
"There are no jobs, no factories in the north," my host tells me.
Poverty rates in Ghana's rural areas are up to four times higher, in particular in the north where the decline of poverty rates experienced by the rest of the country has stagnated. Low rates of economic growth are at least partially due to the north's dry climate. While the south enjoys two growing seasons, providing the opportunity for a more stable income throughout the year, the northern plains are drought prone and only experience one growing season.
"The people have maybe 4 or 5 months of work, then nothing," says Fuseini.
Without a thriving economy, the people of the rural north flock to the city in hopes of finding more stable work. The right to work is guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
George Osei-Bimpeh, Director of Programs and Advocacy for Ghana's Social Enterprise Development (SEND) Foundation, says that the development gap between Ghana's north and south is long entrenched.
"[Regional inequality] reaches back to colonial times when the north acted as a source of cheap labour for the cash-crop southern regions," he says.
Nonetheless, the Government of Ghana is trying to bridge the development gap between Ghana's north and south. In 2008, the then-NPP government established a $25 million GHC Northern Development Fund (NDF) that aimed to alleviate poverty in Ghana's three northern regions. The NDF project was rebranded as the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) under the NDC government that came into power in 2008. Under the new name, the authority broadened their scope to include all Savanah ecoregions within Ghana where economic conditions are meager. The broader scope of the project means areas like the Volta region, another major source of immigration to Old Fadama, are also included in SADAs objectives.
SEND Ghana has been heavily involved in the policy and planning of the SADA program, training locals to act as government watchdogs. "Our ability to stop [migration from the north] or stem it will be to what extent are we going to provide alternative livelihoods to those people, especially those who are not making up their mind to come," says Osei-Bimpeh.
SEND Ghana is now moving out of monitoring the planning stages of SADA to monitoring the implementation of its projects on the ground. George cautions that results take time. "We should be realistic, SADA is not going to solve the problems of the north in a year. So, we are going to have people coming from the north all the time," he says. "This problem was not created in a day. It is easier to create a problem then to clean up a mess."
Back in Old Fadama, my host tells me that since their enumeration project in 2009 the community's population has swelled well above 80,000 residents, and continues to grow everyday. "If you come at 3 am or 4 am, you can see them still arriving every morning."
This entry was posted in Educational Internships, Ghana, IYIP Educational Officer, Uncategorized and tagged Africa, Ghana, north, regional inequality, south on February 12, 2012 by Ryan Vandecasteyen.


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Hair Follicle
(… FAH-lih-kul)
A shaft or opening on the surface of the skin through which hair grows.
The removal of a donor's bone marrow prior to bone marrow transplant.
HDAC inhibitor
(...in-HIH-bih-ter)
A substance that causes a chemical change that stops tumor cells from dividing. HDAC inhibitors are being studied in the treatment of cancer. Also called histone deacetylase inhibitor.
(... KAN-ser)
Cancer that arises in the head or neck region (in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, throat, or larynx [voice box]).
(helth HIH-stuh-ree)
A record of information about a person's health. A personal health history may include information about allergies, illnesses, surgeries, immunizations, and results of physical exams and tests. It may also include information about medicines taken and health habits, such as diet and exercise. A family health history includes health information about a person's close family members (parents, grandparents, children, brothers, and sisters). This includes their current and past illnesses. A family health history may show a pattern of certain diseases in a family. Also called medical history.
(HELTH-kayr proh-VY-der)
A licensed person or organization that provides healthcare services.
Healthcare proxy
(HELTH-kayr PRAK-see)
A type of advance directive that gives a person (such as a relative, lawyer, or friend) the authority to make healthcare decisions for another person. It becomes active when that person loses the ability to make decisions for himself or herself. Also called HCP.
A heart attack happens when the flow of oxygen-rich blood in one or more of the coronary arteries, which supply the heart muscle, suddenly becomes blocked, and a section of heart muscle can't get enough oxygen. The blockage is usually caused when a plaque ruptures. If blood flow isn't restored quickly, either by a medicine that dissolves the blockage or a catheter placed within the artery that physically opens the blockage, the section of heart muscle begins to die.
(hee-MA-toh-krit)
The percentage of red blood cells.
HEE-muh-TAH-loh-jist
A doctor who specializes in diseases of the blood and blood-forming tissues.
A medical science that deals with the blood and blood-forming organs.
The branch of medical science that treats disorders of the blood, blood forming tissues and tumor cells.
(HEE-muh-TOH-muh)
A collection of blood outside a blood vessel caused by a leak or an injury; a bruise.
(HEE-muh-TOOR-ee-uh)
Blood in the urine; urine may be pink, red, or brown (coke colored).
HEE-moh-GLOH-bin
The substance in red cells which carries oxygen.
(HEH-muh-rij)
A general term for loss of blood brought about by injury to the blood vessels or by a deficiency of certain necessary blood elements such as platelets.
Hemorrhagic cystitis
(HEH-muh-RA-jik sis-TY-tis)
Painful, frequent bloody urination.
(HEH-muh-ROYDS)
An enlarged or swollen blood vessel, usually located near the anus or the rectum.
(HEH-puh-rin)
A substance that slows the formation of blood clots. Heparin is made by the liver, lungs, and other tissues in the body and can also made in the laboratory. Heparin may be injected into muscle or blood to prevent or break up blood clots. It is a type of anticoagulant.
(HEH-puh-TY-tis)
Disease of the liver causing inflammation. Symptoms include an enlarged liver, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dark urine.
(HEH-puh-TY-tis ...)
A virus that causes hepatitis (inflammation of the liver). It is carried and passed to others through the blood and other body fluids. Different ways the virus is spread include sharing needles with an infected person and being stuck accidentally by a needle contaminated with the virus. Infants born to infected mothers may also become infected with the virus. Although many patients who are infected with hepatitis B virus may not have symptoms, long-term infection may lead to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer. Also called HBV.
HEH-puh-toh-bla-STOH-muh
A type of liver tumor that occurs in infants and children.
A type of adenocarcinoma and the most common type of liver tumor.
(ER-bul SUH-pleh-ment)
A product made from a plant that is thought to be useful in treating disease or staying healthy. Herbal supplements are taken by mouth.
Passed down from one generation to the next within a family.
HICKMAN® catheter
See BROVIAC® catheter.
(hy blud PREH-sher)
A blood pressure of 140/90 or higher. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. It can harm the arteries and cause an increase in the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and blindness. Also called hypertension.
High-dose chemotherapy
(hy-dose kee-moh-THAYR-uh-pee)
An intensive drug treatment to kill cancer cells, but that also destroys the bone marrow and can cause other severe side effects. High-dose chemotherapy is usually followed by bone marrow or stem cell transplantation to rebuild the bone marrow.
High-dose radiation
(hy-dose RAY-dee-AY-shun)
An amount of radiation that is greater than that given in typical radiation therapy. High-dose radiation is precisely directed at the tumor to avoid damaging healthy tissue, and may kill more cancer cells in fewer treatments. Also called HDR.
High-grade
(hy grayd)
A term used to describe cells and tissue that look abnormal under a microscope. High-grade cancer cells tend to grow and spread more quickly than low-grade cancer cells. Cancer grade may be used to help plan treatment and determine prognosis. High-grade cancers usually have a worse prognosis than low-grade cancers and may need treatment right away or treatment that is more aggressive (intensive).
High-risk cancer
(hy-risk KAN-ser)
Cancer that is likely to recur (come back), or spread.
(his-TAH-loh-jee)
The study of tissues and cells under a microscope.
The cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Also called human immunodeficiency virus.
(hyvz)
Itching welts caused by an allergic reaction.
HOJ-kin lim-FOH-muh
A cancer of the immune system that is marked by the presence of a type of cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell. The two major types of Hodgkin lymphoma are classical Hodgkin lymphoma and nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma. Symptoms include the painless enlargement of lymph nodes, spleen, or other immune tissue. Other symptoms include fever, weight loss, fatigue, or night sweats. Also called Hodgkin disease.
HOR-mone
One of many substances made by glands in the body. Hormones circulate in the bloodstream and control the actions of certain cells or organs. Some hormones can also be made in the laboratory.
Hormone-refractory
(HOR-mone-reh-FRAK-tor-ee)
In medicine, describes a disease or condition that does not respond to treatment with hormones. Also called hormone-resistant.
(HOR-mone reh-PLAYS-ment THAYR-uh-pee)
Treatment with hormones to replace natural hormones when the body does not make enough. For example, hormone replacement therapy may be given when the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone or when the pituitary gland does not make enough growth hormone. Or, it may be given to women after menopause to replace the hormones estrogen and progesterone that are no longer made by the body. Also called HRT.
Hormone responsive
(HOR-mone reh-SPONT-siv)
In oncology, describes cancer that responds to hormone treatment.
(HOR-mone THAYR-uh-pee)
Treatment that adds, blocks, or removes hormones. For certain conditions (such as diabetes or menopause), hormones are given to adjust low hormone levels. To slow or stop the growth of certain cancers (such as prostate and breast cancer), synthetic hormones or other drugs may be given to block the body's natural hormones. Sometimes surgery is needed to remove the gland that makes a certain hormone. Also called endocrine therapy, hormonal therapy, and hormone treatment.
Horner syndrome
(...SIN-drome)
A condition in which one side of the face is flushed, does not produce sweat, and has a constricted pupil and drooping eyelid. It can be caused by an injury to, or paralysis of, nerves in the neck, or by a tumor.
HOS-pis
A special kind of care for people in the final phase of illness, their families and caregivers.
Host cell
(... sel)
A cell that is infected by a virus or another type of microorganism.
Human leukocyte antigens
HYOO-mun LOO-koh-site AN-tih-jen
Antigens that appear on white blood cells as well as cells of almost all other tissues. By typing for HL-A antigens, donors and recipients of white blood cells, platelets, and organs can be "matched" insuring good performance and survival of transfused and transplanted cells.
(hy-DRAY-shun)
Defines your condition with regard to body water; may be dehydrated, well hydrated, or excessively hydrated (edematous).
HY-droh-SEH-fuh-lus
The abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain.
(HY-droh-KOR-tih-sone)
A drug used to relieve the symptoms of certain hormone shortages and to suppress an immune response.
Prefix meaning ""more than"" normal.
(HY-per-ak-TIH-vih-tee)
A higher than normal level of activity. Hyperactivity can be used to describe the increased action of a body function, such as hormone production, or behavior. A person who is hyperactive may seem to be always moving or fidgeting, impulsive, unable to concentrate, and talking too much.
Hyperalimentation
(HY-per-A-lih-men-TAY-shun)
Being fed intravenously, supplying all the essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins, when you are unable to eat on your own.
Hypercellular
More than the normal number of cells.
(HY-per-gly-SEE-mee-uh)
Elevated blood sugar.
HY-per-PAYR-uh-THY-roy-dih-zum
A condition in which the parathyroid gland (one of four pea-sized organs found on the thyroid) makes too much parathyroid hormone. This causes a loss of calcium from the bones and an increased level of calcium in the blood. Symptoms include bone pain and kidney problems.
(HY-per-SEN-sih-tih-vih-tee)
An exaggerated response by the immune system to a drug or other substance.
(HY-per-TEN-shun)
(hip-NOH-sis)
A trance-like state in which a person becomes more aware and focused on particular thoughts, feelings, images, sensations, or behaviors. While under hypnosis, a person may feel calm, relaxed, and more open to suggestion. Hypnosis is usually done with the help of a specially trained therapist. It may be used to help relieve stress, anxiety, and pain, and to help a person quit smoking or lose weight. Hypnosis is a type of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
Prefix meaning ""too little."".
Too little calcium in the blood.
Hypocellular
Less than the normal number of cells.
Hypofractionated radiation therapy
(HY-poh-FRAK-shuh-NAY-ted RAY-dee-AY-shun THAYR-uh-pee)
Radiation treatment in which the total dose of radiation is divided into large doses and treatments are given once a day or less often. Hypofractionated radiation therapy is given over a shorter period of time (fewer days or weeks) than standard radiation therapy.
(HY-poh-gly-SEE-mee-uh)
Low blood sugar.
(Hypocalemia)
Too little potassium in the blood.
(HY-poh-TEN-shun)
Low blood pressure.
HY-poh-THA-luh-mus
The area of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When citrus fruits are juiced, oil is pressed out of the rind. This oil contains a chemical called limonene. It is estimated that the citrus fruits processing industry generates 50,000 to 75,000 tons of limonene each year. German researchers have found that the limonene can be used as a feedstock for biotechnological processes to produce perillic acid. Perillic acid is a limonene metabolite which is largely used in the 'natural' cosmetics industry as a preservative due to its anti-microbial features, even at low concentrations.
Limonene is easily accessible and cheap. The product derived from the bioconversion of limonene, perillic acid, can be sold at 300-600€ per kilo depending on its purity. Perillic acid has the potential to replace fossil-based preservatives in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations, and it can also provide solutions for paint and coatings as well as the aromatics industry. Using limonene as a raw material for industrial biotechnology processes thus provides both economic and environmental benefits.


Musselburgh ASC benefits from a structured training program, used to get the very best from swimmers as they progress through the club. Swimmers are split into squads: Entry, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Senior Gold. This squad structure helps coaches to implement the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, the principles of which are strongly endorsed by British Swimming. The LTAD model will be used to optimize coaching and to provide the best training environment for the development of individual swimmers.
This squad aims to introduce swimmers to club level swimming, to progress and build on skills and techniques developed in 'learn to swim' lessons, across all 4 strokes. In addition, this level will also aim to be enjoyable and fun with a large emphasis on building generic movement skills across a range of swimming aspects. Swimmers will also try competitive swimming for the first time.
The main goal for swimmers in this squad will be to develop stroke technique and to achieve criteria for progression into a new squad.
This squad aims to further improve technique across all 4 strokes and skills developed in Entry Squad. Furthermore, it aims for swimmers to get more experience in the competitive side of swimming. A closer focus on race skills will also be looked at and developed in this squad. Swimmers will be encouraged to compete, but training and technique development is the focus. Participants will also start to develop a greater understanding of lane discipline and how to train in a structured environment.
The main goals for swimmers in this squad will be further development of stroke technique and improvement of race skills (turns, dives, finishes) to progress into the Silver Squad.
This squad aims to continue to develop technique and skills across all 4 strokes developed in Bronze Squad. It will also begin to introduce the physical and physiological development associated with swimming (e.g. aerobic endurance, core strength). Therefore, swimmers in this squad need to be able to cope with an increased training load as well an increase in volume whilst maintaining a high skill level.
Swimmers in this squad will aim to develop their endurance base whilst maintaining the proper technique and skills already developed in earlier squads. The focus will still be training and technical development, but swimmers will also compete regularly.
These squads aim to refine good technique and skills across all 4 strokes. It will continue the physical development associated with swimming (e.g. aerobic endurance, core strength) and the training program will be more physically challenging to build the swimmers engine ready for progression on to further stages of the LTAD pathway.
Training goals will be set for swimmers. The focus will still be training and technical development rather than competition, but swimmers will compete regularly. Swimmers in these squads will be looking to continue and build on the work completed in Silver Squad with an aim of preparing to progress to TrainingToCompete.


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Posted 27 May, 2021
Cast Announced For RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 6
Edited by B&T Magazine
Stan, the home of RuPaul in Australia, today announced that RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 6 will premiere 25 June, the same day as the US.
The brand new season will launch with the first two episodes back to back, with a new episode then dropping weekly.
The fierce and fabulous queens returning to the runway have also been announced. The 13 contestants (the most ever) for Season 6 of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars will be:
A'Keria C. Davenport (Season 11) — Tied for third on Season 11 and quickly became an instant meme for a three second clip of her saying "Where is the body?"
Eureka! (Season 9 and 10) — After having to exit Season 9 early due to an injury, she tied for second on Season 10. She also appeared opposite Drag Race icons Bob the Drag Queen and Shangela in the reality series We're Here.
Ginger Minj (Season 7, All Stars Two) — Tied for second on Season 7 and then came in eighth on Season 2 of All Stars. The comedy queen also appeared on RuPaul's series AJ and the Queen, voiced one of the characters on the animated series Super Drag, and costarred in comedy feature Dumplin'.
Jan (Season 12) — Came in eighth on Season 12. The musical theatre fan also competed on The Voice and America's Got Talent, and her death stare after losing the musical challenge on Drag Race became an instant meme. Her girl group partner Rosé made it to the finale of Season 13 of Drag Race.
Jiggly Caliente (Season Four)— Came in eighth place in Season 4 and she's also appeared on Broad City and in a recurring role on Pose. She came out as a trans woman in 2016.
Kylie Sonique Love (Season Two). Came in ninth on Season 2 and also appeared on 2018 special RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular. She's the first Drag Race contestant to come out as a trans woman during the show.
Pandora Boxx (Season Two, All Stars One)— Came in fifth on Season 2 where she won Miss Congeniality and slayed with her impersonation of Carol Channing on the first-ever Snatch Game. She also came in last on Season 1 of All Stars, eliminated because her partner for the season, Mimi Imfurst, lost the lip sync.
Ra'Jah O'Hara (Season 11) — Came in ninth on Season 11 of Drag Race, and mostly made her mark by stirring up drama with other contestants. According to the series she is "back with a new attitude."
Scarlet Envy (Season 11) — Came in tenth on Season 11 of Drag Race after starting as an early favourite, but ultimately struggled due to her lack of rhythm in any challenge requiring dancing and choreography.
Serena ChaCha (Season Five) — Although she only lasted for two episodes on Season 5, Serena made her mark in Drag Race herstory as the centre of an epic episode of the aftershow Untucked, inspiring the iconic gif of Detox screaming "I've had it! Officially!"
Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Season 11) — Tied for third on Season 11 of Drag Race, with an irrepressible personality that dominated the season — and divided fans.
Trinity K. Bonet (Season Six) — Came in seventh on Season 6 of Drag Race. She memorably caused RuPaul to tear up when she triumphed in the stand-up comedy challenge.
Yara Sofia (Season Three, All Stars One) — Came in fourth and also won Miss Congeniality. On Season 1 of All Stars, she was paired with fellow Puerto Rican queen Alexis Mateo (who appeared on Season 5 of All Stars), and they came in fourth.
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars is available only on Stan, with episodes weekly. All previous seasons of the RuPaul's Drag Race franchise are available to stream now on Stan.


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11 Best AI Chatbot Platforms & Builders 2022
sep 15, 2022 | NLP Algorithms
No-Code Chatbot Development: All You Need to Know
Do you want a free Live Chat software?
Best Chatbot Software in 2022 (According To Customer Reviews)
Google Dialogflow Framework
What is Chatbot Software?
You can even add private notes to each element to explain how or why you made certain design choices. Once you've connected Chatfuel to your Facebook account and linked it to your desired Page, all that's left is creating automated responses to common keywords from your users. Seattle Ballooning provides hot air balloon rides in Seattle Washington. We have to concede- their website chatbot example is as interesting as their work.
Why People Are Reluctant About Chatbots and What You Can Do About It – CMSWire
Why People Are Reluctant About Chatbots and What You Can Do About It.
Posted: Mon, 19 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
While setting up chat flows it is easy to miss an entire conversation. A unified chat inbox allows you to manage all of your inbound and outbound messaging conversations in a single place. The visual drag & drop interface allows users to connect messages and actions with each other.
It supports seamless integration with other existing Microsoft services. Although the pricing also takes the size of a company's specific use case, the pricing of the framework is not tied to the number of messages. The Dialogue Management unit decides the next cause of action based on the series of previous messages with the user. The process of data preparation using the framework is complicated.
A platform built for line-of-business employees, with no coding skills required to create and run a fully functional chatbot.
The easy integrations hosted between Aivo and third-party platforms such as Zendesk, Salesforce, Zapier, and Live promise a seamless experience.
Vergic delivers an easy to integrate customer engagement platform.
Tell us a piece of clothing, and we'll build an outfit around it for you.
They make it easy to build, launch and maintain a virtual agent. Solvvy also provides great ROI with low maintenance costs, no engineers required, and learns and improves on its own over time from interactions with your customers. Solvvy provides omnichannel self-service to their customers and provides immediate resolutions of customer issues. For support teams in the ecommerce, SaaS, financial services, and health industries, Solvvy is an AI chatbot that's worth your consideration. ProProfs offers live chat solutions with the option to add a chatbot to any plan for an additional $499 per year. Built for your omnichannel CRM, Ultimate.ai deploys in-platform, ensuring a unified experience for your customers.
Chatbots developed by this platform can be integrated easily with apps such as Whatsapp, WordPress, Squarespace, Facebook, etc. The Enterprise package offers the user various features to choose then the best chatbots 2021 pricing is calculated based on the chosen features. This package is designed and developed for use by large organizations. Rasa is used to develop industrial-grade contextual assistants and chatbots.
Are you talking to a chatbot? Would you like to? – University of Florida
Are you talking to a chatbot? Would you like to?.
Posted: Thu, 23 Dec 2021 08:00:00 GMT [source]
In fact, 43 percent of consumers expect 24/7 customer service, according to an e-commerce study. And as customers' expectations continue to rise, this figure is only expected to increase. From apps that turned into chatbots, to chatbots that turned into apps. "Luka" was originally built as a restaurant recommendation chatbot. The founder, Eugenia's idea was that you could ask culinary questions and get answers. Youper is a great example of a beautifully designed AI chatbot that can help with mindfulness and meditation.
It is easy to use and integrate with your eCommerce platform, email marketing, and help desk software. It allows you to communicate your clients by using web and mobile friendly chatbot, Facebook Messenger chatbot, and more. The live chat design is completely customizable, so you can match your website's colors and branding.
Companies like L'Oréal use it to reduce the workload of their HR department. The initial screening helps to filter out the most promising candidates. They can later be reached by HR professionals to finalize the recruitment process. Mya does 75% of the job and can process huge volumes of data.
Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are one of the advanced chatbots in the industry that replicate human conversation and enhance the customer experience. Tidio Chat is a platform that offers a better way to connect with your client. This program helps you to reply to your potential customer quickly and effortlessly. You can use it to seamlessly connect with third-party apps like WordPress, Wix, MailChimp, Google Analytics, and more. Sequel's Natural Language Processing technology makes it one of the best chatbots to engage users in a conversational manner.
The most powerful AI chatbots have the most sophisticated artificial intelligence software built. Here's an example of what a powerful AI chatbot might look like if you could see it. Kommunicate is a human+bot hybrid platform for real-time, proactive, and personalized support for growing businesses. The way customer conversations and support are happening is broken, redundant, and time and cost-inefficient. The framework is mostly used by governments, insurance companies, and companies that offer financial services. This is because the framework offers on-site chatbots that improve security unlike when using cloud-based chatbots.
What To Look for in a Chatbot
Proprofs prioritizes ease of use over advanced functionality so while it's easy to build chatbots with no-code, more advanced features and sophisticated workflows may be out of reach. An AI chatbot is a first-response tool that best chatbots 2021 greets, engages, and serves customers in a friendly and familiar way. This technology can provide customized, immediate responses and help center article suggestions and collect customer information with in-chat forms.
Their ability to do that, though, depends on whether you've given them enough information to work with. The top chatbots include features that make them accessible to all users — automatic language translation, for example. Enterprise-level companies with tech-savvy customers around the world might be most interested in a chatbot's omnichannel messaging capabilities. Online banking and investment companies would probably put privacy and data security at the top of their "must-have" features. Freshchat is great for streamlining your support but it's not full-blown customer service software.
It supports various platforms and deployment to them is through a one-click process. Wit.ai features include a well-designed developer user interface and a dialog flow tree that is easy to edit visually. The framework also offers Software Development Kits for more than 14 platforms. Is an AI-enabled chatbot that allows site visitors to dive into their needs and interests by typing straight into chat. Real-time personalization, without which the buying experience feels impersonal and robotic. Keep in mind, though, that a rule-based chatbot is limited to its pre-determined rules.
Expansion and transfer of vocabulary—algorithms can capture and refine vocabulary, including synonyms to improve interpretations.
Claudia Bot Builder is an extension library for Claudia.js that helps you create bots for Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Skype, Slack slash commands, Twilio, Kik and GroupMe.
The bot holds strong integrations with Microsoft APIs including Bing search, Text Analytics API and Cognitive Services.
You can include an "Add to cart" button to the pop-up for increased sales.
The Grid is Meya's backend where you can code conversational workflows in a variety of languages.
WhatsApp chatbot template to help you get more leads for your Real Estate/Realtor Agency. Dialogflow is a versatile software that, as you may have noticed, supports a large number of channels. Although it takes a bit longer to grasp, its UI is powerful, and almost all of the work can be done without coding. However, composing an AI conversation does require a bit more practice. There are a lot of chatbot solutions out there, so the trick is to find the right fit which will help boost your business operations.
Vergic delivers an easy to integrate customer engagement platform. It allows organizations and brands to engage with customers through AI/BOT supported Voice, Collaboration tools, and messaging. HubSpot chatbot builder helps you to support customer, book meetings, and scale your conversion. It has 200+ integrations which you can customize according to your company need. Survey Sparrow is a chatbot tool that allows you to copy-paste the auto-generated embed code. It is a fully automated system that helps you to simulates real-life-like conversations through applications or websites.
Consumers already engage with many of them on a daily basis and, in fact, this is great news for businesses because complaints are resolved 90% faster with a chatbot. The best AI chatbots rely on Machine Learning to understand the behavior of the individual user and better answer her enquiry. Once you're clear about the type of technology you'd like to implement on your website, your next step would be to choose one that works best in that particular field.


It seems like a blink of an eye and it's time to hunt for food at Bazaar Ramadan pulak. Mamarazzi asked if I wanna follow. I told her no coz I wanna play with Jie Jie Lin.
Anyway, they went to the Bazaar Ramadan Shahbandar again. Bought the Ikan Bakar again.
This round they found the Nasi Minyak John. Fuiyo...long queue.
While queueing up, Mamarazzi spotted this Rojak Ayam. Thinking of buying but did not as there would be too much food on the table.
As they were leaving, Mamarazi spotted Warong Katana also have a stall at the Bazaar.
Fuiyoh! Their prepacked rice looks so yummy! A Packet of white rice with one fried egg and Fried Squid cost just RM4!!!. That is pretty cheap in Mamarazzi eyes as the portion of "Sotong" was quite big.
Mamarazzi was drooling at the "sotong" but too bad, she had already "tapau-ed" Nasi Minyak John.
As Mamarazzi was drooling at the fried sotong, Papa asked them if they would sell just the Fried Sotong without Rice.
The man said yes, but will be according to weight.
Yummm....Sotong goreng. Was a bit soggy when arrived at Ah Mah's house due to put into plastic bag while it was still hot but still taste quite good to Mamarazzi.
Beef to go with the Basi Minyak and again it's too much oil but the redeeming quality is that the beef was tender.
Nasi Minyak. Unfortunately, this round the rice was a tad soggy for Mamarazzi's taste. Previously bought from this stall the rice was okay. Guess, the chef "opps" on this day.
But don't care la. Have to eat fast fast coz Papa said wanna bring me outside the house to see the KABOOM .
However, by the time I finished eating Papa had turned into a Phyton and asked Mamarazzi to bring me outside to watch instead.
Where? where? where is the KABOOM?
KABOOM!!! Alamak....Mamarazzi's hand was too slow....did not managed to catch the fireworks. Only caught the leftover "kentut".
Well, if you really wanna see the beautiful firework, here is a video that Mamarazzi managed to capture using her "lauyar" phone two years ago.
The KABOOM is to signal it's time for prayer and time to"berbuka Puasa"(where the muslim can start to eat after fasting whole day during the Ramadan month).
There are KABOOM sound during dawn too. Three times. To signify time to start fasting. But Mamarazzi is not sure whether there are fireworks or not as it's too early to go out of the house and see.
That goreng sotong is definitely scrumptious. I would love it.
The Ramadhan food is making me fatter now. All the gorengs and bakars plus kuehs are so tempting la. I can understand why you bought so many things.
I didn't know KABOOM to watch! Next time ask me to go too.... kaboom!
I had never seen the Nasi Minyak before! Maybe I saw other colours. Must it be reddish like that?
My Letchumi told me she can treat ADD/ADHD kids as she was trained on this issue before. When I meet you at the BOOM BOOM night at KLCC, you and her boleh cakap & bincang lo.
Small Kucing...I think to see 'papa turn into phyton' is much more interesting than watching the kaboom?!...on the other hand, I like your posted photos best...you're so expressive in your ways and so CUTE!
Hi SK, wow! Love the dishes! I sure will love trying out the various dishes. Love sotong sambal too.
And rgt 4? Thats our Cdn $1.25 cents. Holy Smoke!
Very interesting, the Kaboom!!! Everything looks soooo good - next time you wanna go back KT, let me know...I wanna follow. Don;t think I want the pink rice though...no, thank you.
hahahaha, dinner from the pasar ramadhan again?? i guess there must be too many things to try there huh??
yalor, the rice so nicely packed.. somemore all neatly arranged there, look at the colors, they are really attractive..
i think food in pasar ramadhan are generally not expensive at all, i heard it's a month of giving so they don't really want to be calculative..
wah, so nice lah, got fireworks one!! this is surely not something common in KL hor??
The fried sotong really looks yummy. The Ramadhan bazaar near my house has less than 10 stalls...mmm come to think of it it's not a bazaar lah...haha.
Oh, got kaboom there...I didn't know the meaning behind it.
Always enjoy walking with Mamarazzi to see the good food. We like seeing your grow, young man. Thank you for teaching us about the kaboom!
Papa and mamarazzi sure know how to find the best food in Pasar Ramadhan!
Sometimes I'm very teruk one, go to pasar ramadhan, look around and return empty handed.
Why? Because there's so much to get and I can't eat all, thus come out blur blur, undecided.
KABOOM is the firecracker to indicate sahur and iftar? Normally we'll hear siren only, right?
The gendang I hear a lot, when in kampung..
I lupa about the "kaboom" thing.
Oo really ah? do they have fireworks too?
The nasi minyak so PINK!
Here the nasi minyak is pink, Lina.
Must cook nasi minyak soon. And beef curry, Terengganu style. Cannot tahan.
sotong also need to weight?
what is the rojak ayam?
I love any kind of Malay food but the bazaar is out because I cannot tahan the crowded and difficult to find parking situation.
I love how those baazar prepare the nasi ayam! make it so tempting eh!
In my place only siren, no fireworks or kaboom. It must be amazing to get to see fireworks everynight. I love fried sotong too...Miss them.


RIN-NE Manga Volume 27 features story and art by Rumiko Takahashi.
The elite Shinigami School is holding its traditional haunted house. There's only one rule for going through the eerie attraction: never look back. But Rinne likes to do things his own way. Will Rinne and friends discover the terrible consequence of breaking the haunted house's rule?


text:
A heavy police presence in Marysville on Monday, January 23, 2023. Paul Rodgers file
Update: Kimberley RCMP say suspect in custody, lockdown lifted
Jan. 23, 2023 10:28 a.m.
At 1:35 p.m. Kimberley RCMP announced the situation had been resolved and a suspect was in custody. The lockdown has been lifted.
At 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, Kimberley RCMP posted to social media asking the public to avoid the area of 307th St. between 308th Ave. and 309th Ave. and the surrounding area, due to an "unfolding event."
Bulletin reporter Paul Rodgers is on the scene, and although police have provided no information, he says there is a drone in the air, a helicopter has flown over and there are several heavily armed law enforcement officers in the area.
Fatal hazing lawsuit at U.S. university ends with nearly $3M settlement
Smaller cities can benefit from immigration uptick and pandemic shift: Research


text:
Faith /
Atheists Take Aim at 'Keep Christ in Christmas' Banner With a Holiday Message of Their Own
"It's a group endorsing religion over a public right of way."
Image course: Freedom From Religion Foundation
A "Keep Christ in Christmas" sign in a New Jersey borough has sparked a two-year fight over church-state separatism -- one that has led the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a secular activist group, to post a holiday response on a nearby billboard.
The alternative sign, which was posted on Dec. 12 and reads, "Keep Saturn in Saturnalia," is clearly meant to poke fun at the Christ-centered sentiment advocated in the Knights of Columbus sign that hangs in Pitman, N.J.
Saturnalia may be unfamiliar to some, but it was an ancient festival celebrated in Rome in honor of the god Saturnus -- a holiday that essentially is no longer observed. This festival, which was celebrated on Dec. 17, is credited with having an influence on modern-day Christmas festivities.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has debated with the borough in the past and claimed that the locality has "shown favoritism to Christianity while censoring nonbelievers."
Now, the group is joining in with its own brand of holiday cheer.
As TheBlaze reported back in 2011, there's a complex history surrounding the debate between the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Knights of Columbus.
"FFRF and its local members were stonewalled in December 2012 by borough officials who denied FFRF a permit to display 'Keep Saturn in Saturnalia' even though the Knights of Columbus banner was allowed," read a press release announcing the new billboard. "The banner's traditional spot is downtown above Broadway Avenue, where it's strung by firefighters."
The debate touched off in 2011 when "unnamed residents" contacted the Freedom From Religion Foundation and complained that the "Keep Christ in Christmas" banner violates the constitution.
The group asked the town to remove the sign in 2011, with Andrew Seidel, an attorney with the atheist organization, claiming that the banner should not hang over the town's Main Street.
"It's a group endorsing religion over a public right of way," he said at the time.
The town's mayor, Michael Batten, though, didn't agree.
"I think it's a sad state of affairs that our country, we kowtow to the minority and not the majority of people who like that sort of thing to stay," Batten said, claiming that the sign is affixed to private property and merely hangs in the public square.
The Knights of Columbus have reportedly hung their banner for nearly 50 years and they continue to.
Follow TheBlaze Faith on Facebook and Twitter for faith and religion news and updates throughout the day.
Featured image via Freedom From Religion Foundation
Other Must-Read Stories:
Embattled Former Megapastor Commits Suicide
Donald Trump Blasts Obama for Failing to Secure Christian Pastor's Freedom in Iran: 'We Are a Laughingstock Throughout the World'
Is Disney Really Diminishing Jesus' Importance in Its Annual Christmas Show?
Famed Christian Pastor Embroiled in Controversy Amid Charges of Plagiarism
Air Force Base Removes Nativity Display After Group Claims It's a 'Direct Violation of the U.S. Constitution'


This copy shows the entry on 21-Apr-2019 at 19:12:43.
Pair of cottages C17. Timber-frame, plastered, on brick base. Steep gable- ended pantile roof. Two storeys. First floor one window on right, ground floor two windows, all three are old three-light casements with leaded panes. Two single blank doors. Central brick chimney stack.


text:
By: Project Appleseed
One way to start improving your school's parent-school partnerships is by assessing present practices. The following questions can help you evaluate how well your school is reaching out to parents.
Which partnership practices are currently working well at each grade level?
Which partnership practices should be improved or added in each grade?
How do you want your school's family involvement practices to look three years from now?
Which present practices should change and which should continue?
Which families are you reaching and which are hard to reach?
What can be better done to communicate with the latter?
What costs are associated with the improvements you want?
How will you evaluate the results of your efforts?
What opportunities will you arrange for teachers, parents, and students to share information on successful practices in order to strengthen their own efforts?
Goal: Recruit and organize parent help and support.
Sample Best Practices:
Distribute Project Appleseed's learning compact known as the Parental Involvement Pledge to recruit and organize parent volunteers.
Distribute Project Appleseed's Parental Involvement Report Card. The Report Card is intended to help parents evaluate their contributions to their child's success at school.
Use the Parental Involvement Pledge/Volunteer Information Survey to identify all available talents, times, and locations of volunteers.
School and classroom volunteer program to help teachers and administrators students and other parents. Parent room or center for volunteer work, meetings, resources for families.
Class parent, telephone tree, or other structures to provide all families with needed information.
Parent patrols or other activities to aid safety and operation of school programs.
Findings from the U.S. Department of Education's Prospects Study (1993) reveal that students in schools with pledges or learning compacts in place perform better than children in similar schools without them because of greater reinforcement of learning at home. Furthermore, effects of the pledge on student learning were stronger than effects from other forms of school-home interactions.
Use the Parental Involvement Pledge to recruit volunteers widely so that all families know that their time and talents are welcome.
Make flexible schedules for volunteers, assemblies, and events to enable parents who to participate.
Organize volunteer work, provide training, match time and talent with school, teacher, and student needs, and recognize efforts so that participants are productive.
Skill in communicating with adults.
Increased learning of skills that receive tutoring or targeted attention from volunteers.
Awareness of many skills, talents, occupations, and contributions of parents and other volunteers.
Understanding teacher's job; increased comfort in school interactions and carryover of school activities at home.
Self-confidence in ability to work in school and with children, or take steps for own education or work.
All-family awareness that families are welcomed and valued at school.
Gains in specific skills of volunteer work.
Readiness to involve families in new ways, including those who do not volunteer at school.
Awareness of parent talents and interest in school and children.
Greater individual attention to students, with help from volunteers.
Goal: Help all families establish home environments to support children as students.
Sample Best Practices
School provides suggestions for home conditions that support learning at each grade level.
School provides workshops, videotapes, and/or computerized phone messages on parenting and child-rearing at each grade level.
Parent education and other courses or training for parents (e.g., GED, college credit; family literacy).
Family support programs to assist families with health nutrition, and other services.
Home visits at transition points to preschool, elementary, middle and high school; and neighborhood meetings to help families understand schools and to help schools understand families.
Provide information to all families who want it or who need it, not just to the few who can attend workshops or meetings at the school building.
Enable families to share information about culture, background, children's talents and needs with schools.
Assure that all information for and from families is clear, usable, and linked to children's success in school.
Awareness of family supervision; respect for parents
Positive personal qualities, habits, beliefs, values, taught by family.
Balance in time on chores, other activities, and homework.
Awareness of importance of school.
Understanding and confidence about parenting, child and adolescent development, and changes in home conditions for learning as children proceed through school.
Awareness of own and others' challenges in parenting.
Feeling of support from school and other parents.
Understanding families' backgrounds, cultures, concerns, goals, needs, and views of their children.
Respect for families' strengths and efforts.
Understanding of student diversity.
Awareness of own skills to share information on child development.
Goal: Design more effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications with all families each year about school programs and their children's progress.
Conferences with every parent at least once a year, with follow-ups as needed.
Language translators assist families as needed.
Weekly or monthly folders of student work are sent home and reviewed, parental comments returned to teacher.
Parent and student pick-up of report card, with conferences on improving grades.
Regular schedule of useful notices, memos, phone calls, newsletters, and other communications.
Clear information on choosing schools, or courses, programs, and activities within schools.
Clear information on all school policies, programs reforms, and transitions.
Review the readability, clarity, form, and frequency of all memos, notices, and other print and non-print communications.
Consider parents who do not speak English well, do not read well, or need large type.
Review the quality of major communications such as the schedule, content, and structure of conferences; newsletters; report cards and others.
Establish clear two-way channels for communications from home to school and school to home.
Awareness of own progress, and actions needed to maintain or improve grades.
Understanding of school expectations and procedures for behavior attendance and other policies.
Informed decisions about courses and programs.
Awareness of own role in partnerships, serving as courier and communicator.
Understanding school programs and policies.
Monitoring and awareness of child's progress.
Conduct of responsive activities to address student's problems as needed.
Interactions with teachers and ease of communications with school and teachers.
Increased diversity and use of communications with families, and awareness of own ability to communicate clearly.
Appreciation and use of parent network for communications.
Increased ability in two-way communications for family views of children's programs and progress.
Goal: Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curricular-related activities, decisions, and planning.
Information for families on skills required for students in all subjects at each grade.
Information on homework policies and how to monitor, and discuss schoolwork at home.
Information on how to assist students to improve skills on various class and school assignments.
Regular schedule of homework that requires students to discuss and interact with families on what they are learning in class (e.g., TIPS).
Calendars with activities for parents and students at home.
Family math, science, and reading, activities at school.
Goal setting for students with families each year, and for future plans for college or work.
Design and organize a regular schedule of interactive homework (e.g., weekly or bimonthly) that gives students responsibility for discussing important things they are learning, and helps families stay aware of the content of their children's class work.
Coordinate family linked homework activities, if students have several teachers.
Involve families with their children in all important curricular related decisions.
Gain skills, abilities, and test scores linked to homework and class work.
Homework completion.
Positive attitudes toward schoolwork.
View of parent as more similar to teacher, and home more similar to school.
Self concept of ability as learner.
Awareness of own role in sharing schoolwork at home, and of links of learning to real life situations.
Know how to support, encourage, and help student at home each year.
Discussions of school, class work, and homework.
Understanding of instructional program each year, and what child is learning in each subject.
Appreciation of teaching skills.
Awareness of child as learner.
Better design of homework assignments.
Respect of family time.
Recognition of equal helpfulness of single parent, working mom, and less formally educated families to motivate and reinforce student learning.
Satisfaction with family involvement and support.
Prepare your child for school and lifelong success
Learning styles and study needs are personal and different for each individual child. Take note of your child's study preferences: where they prefer to work, acceptable noise levels, break times, and lighting. It is important to encourage consistancy with the developed preferences, so talk with your child's teacher about how you can both support and encourage your child's achievement.
Goal: Include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives.
Active PTA/PTO or other parent organizations, school advisory councils, or committees (e.g., curriculum, safety, personnel, and other committees) for parent leadership and participation.
Independent advocacy groups to lobby and work for school reform and improvements.
District level councils and committees for family and community involvement.
Information on school or local elections for school representatives.
Networks to link all families with parent representatives.
Include parent leaders from all of racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and other groups in the school.
Offering training to enable leaders to serve as representatives of other parents, with input from and return of information to all parents.
Include students (along with parents) in decision making groups.
Awareness of representation of parents in school decisions.
Understanding that students' rights are protected.
Specific benefits linked to policies enacted by parent organizations and experienced by students.
Input into policies that affect child's education.
Feeling of ownership of school.
All-family awareness of parents' voices in school decisions.
Shared experiences and connections with other families.
Awareness of school, district, and state policies.
Awareness of parent perspectives in policy development and decisions.
View of equal status of family representatives on committees and in leadership roles.
Goal: Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development.
Information for students and families on community health, cultural, recreational, social support, and other programs or services.
Information on community activities that link to learning skills and talents, including summer programs for students.
Planned service integration of school in partnership with businesses, civic, counseling, cultural, health, recreation, and other agencies and organizations.
Service to the community by students, families, and schools (e.g., recycling, art, music, drama, and other activities for seniors or others, etc.) Alumni to link to school programs for students.
Solve turf problems of responsibilities, funds, staff, and locations for collaborative activities.
Inform families of community programs for students, such as mentoring, tutoring, business partnerships, and other programs.
Assure equity of opportunities for students and families to participate in community programs or to obtain services.
Match community contributions with school goals; integrate child and family services with education.
Increased skills and talents through enriched curricular and curricular experiences.
Awareness of careers, and options for future education and work.
Pride in community, and in own service to the community.
Specific benefits linked to programs, services, resources, and opportunities that connect students with the community.
Knowledge and use of local resources by family and child to increase skills and talents, or obtain needed services.
Family pride in and contributions to community.
Interactions with other families in community activities.
Awareness of school's role in the community, and community support and contributions to the school.
Awareness of community resources to enrich curriculum and instruction.
Openness to and skill in using mentors, business partners, community volunteers, and others to assist students and teaching practice.
Knowledgeable, helpful referrals of children and families to needed services.
Pride and participation in community.
This article is provided courtesy of Project Appleseed, an award-winning source for parental involvement in public schools. Project Appleseed was one of the first nonprofits in America to utilize the Internet to build social capital and engage parent leaders and educators to participate in the improvement of our public schools.
Project Appleseed (2008)
Posted by:	Sam | December 23, 2009 03:07 PM
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