text:
Vol. XVIII, No. 1, Fall 2001
Striking a New Deal on Climate Change
By Richard E. Benedick
The Bonn accord has given the United States the leverage to rewrite its short-term obligations and to lead the way to a long-term energy revolution.
Eight months after the international community's startling failure in The Hague to agree on how to implement the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate change, some 180 national delegations, along with thousands of nongovernmental (NGO) and media representatives, somewhat gloomily reassembled in Bonn in the summer of 2001. Their goal was to revive the nearly defunct draft treaty–with the United States demurring but not interfering. The embattled protocol, with its politically skewed emissions targets (too strong for many industrialized economies in the short term, yet meaningless for mitigating climate change in the long run) was still relevant mainly because, in the words of conference president Jan Pronk of the Netherlands, "it's the only game in town."
To the surprise of most observers, the tedium of procedural maneuvers and bickering over voluminous papers yielded to high drama. Marathon negotiations at the ministerial level, led by Pronk, saw massive concessions by the European Union (EU) to Russia, Japan, Canada, and Australia, whose participation was now, without the involvement of the United States, essential. After two all-night sessions midway through the conference and a final "all or nothing" ultimatum by Pronk, all governments except the onlooking United States reached an unexpected "political agreement." This concise but comprehensive 14-page document, cutting through hundreds of pages of still-disputed text, was intended to provide authoritative political guidance to working-level diplomats, who could now focus in the final four days of the conference on refining technical points. The delegates made further progress, but differences emerged on several key issues and time ran out.
Although the Financial working group reached agreement, the three other groups–Mechanisms, Compliance, and Land Use-Land Use Change and Forestry–could not complete their work. The maddening complexity of the treaty's "flexible mechanisms" is reflected in nearly 50 tightly drafted pages of detailed rules and procedures on how to mitigate the costs of complying with unrealistic targets through emissions trading and offshore projects. Even more ominous were fundamental objections to the proposed compliance regime raised by Japan and others. Governments will strive to resolve these matters when they reconvene in Marrakech on October 29.
The Bonn agreement is a tribute to the commitment and tenacity of literally hundreds of officials and NGO representatives who have worked tirelessly since 1995 to design a protocol that could prevent or diminish long-term climate change. Unfortunately, despite all their dedication, the deliberations were colored from the start by the short-term political and economic expediencies of nearly all of the negotiating parties. Like the original Kyoto Protocol, the Bonn meeting produced more of a political drama than a carefully deliberated strategy to address the manifold risks of climate change.
The unsung hero of this drama was indisputably, if inadvertently, President George W. Bush. His proclamations earlier in 2001 that the Kyoto Protocol was "fatally flawed" and that the United States would not ratify it breathed new life into the moribund negotiation process. Nonratification by the United States would seriously threaten the protocol's legal status, because its entry into force requires ratification by nations that accounted for at least 55 percent of total industrialized country emissions in 1990. The U.S. share was more than 36 percent. If Russia alone (17.4 percent) or Japan (8.5 percent) plus one or two smaller countries also hesitated, the Kyoto Protocol could not become international law.
The unexpected unilateral manifesto from Washington electrified foreign ministries and heads of state, not to mention the international media. In a single stroke, the United States managed to focus the entire planet on a hitherto obscure and convoluted piece of diplomatic literature. Before the U.S. declaration, even many of the protocol's original supporters were, privately or publicly, expressing doubts about whether it was workable. By last winter, the unity of the 15- nation EU, the treaty's foremost proponent, was beginning to unravel.
All of this changed in March. European governments closed ranks and, along with Green politicians and environmental groups around the world, interpreted the stark U.S. position as a mortal challenge and an irresponsible repudiation of the seriousness of climate change. Accumulated resentments about other U.S. actions, from bioengineered soybeans to missile defense, also played a role. The temptation to defy the United States by reaching a compromise in Bonn–any kind of compromise–proved unexpectedly irresistible. The Iranian ambassador, speaking for the Group of 77 and China, aptly labelled the Bonn agreement as "a triumph of multilateralism over unilateralism."
Diplomatic prizes
The award for diplomatic agility at Bonn unquestionably goes to Japan, Australia, and Canada, which managed to lull the Bush administration into believing that they would not ratify Kyoto without the United States. They then proceeded to extract major concessions from the Europeans as the price for their ratification, while also enhancing their environmental credentials.
Cashing in on their new indispensability, these nations succeeded where the United States previously had failed and substantially diluted the Kyoto emissions-reduction targets. They also reversed the previously adamant EU insistence on a high percentage standard for domestic emissions reductions versus offshore compliance through the flexible mechanisms. They prevailed in greatly increasing the extent to which carbon absorption by land and forest sinks could offset their targets, both through their own domestic land and through forest management and forestry projects in developing countries. Thanks to this adroit diplomacy, preliminary estimates indicate that Japan's presumptive 6 percent emissions reduction can now shrink to an effective 1 percent, and the Canadians will be able to transform their original 6 percent reduction target into a 5 percent increase.
Conversely, the 15 EU members share a special award for flexibility, in recognition of their magnanimous expansion of horizons for the protocol's flexible mechanisms and sinks. European governments hailed the success of their "rescue effort," and even the normally rowdy European environmental groups maintained a discreet silence in the face of the previously unthinkable concessions that had to be made. Said one NGO observer: "Better to have a weak agreement than no agreement at all."
In reality, the Europeans were forced to come to grips with the unrealistic targets that they and the NGOs had demanded for others during the final hours of the Kyoto Protocol negotiations in 1997. Under the EU's ingenious joint fulfillment clause, their common 8 percent reduction target was only possible because 1990 was selected as the base year. This was an optimal year for the EU, because Germany's emissions were bloated from reunification with the wasteful East, which would soon collapse, and the United Kingdom was starting to switch to natural gas as a means of breaking the political power of the coal miners' unions. Indeed, thanks to the weight of Germany and the United Kingdom, 7 of the 15 EU members (including France and Sweden) can, within the EU "bubble," maintain or even increase their emissions.
The award for suspense goes to the Russians for their heart-stopping attempt to reopen the Bonn agreement after the ministers had departed, thus delaying its adoption for nearly two days. Russia eventually joined the consensus but made it clear that it deserves an even bigger allowance for its forest management, thus adding to the "hot air" that it could eventually sell under the emissions trading system. To entice Russia, the EU hinted that some of its members might be in the market for emissions credits. But with the absence of the United States, which would have been the biggest market for emissions credits, and with Japan's problems now largely solved by generous new sink allowances, the financial incentive for early ratification by Russia may prove less than overwhelming. In any event, the Russian grumbling left the impression that they could not yet be taken for granted, thus casting an additional shadow over Marrakech.
What is needed now is a strategic vision that aims at nothing less than a technology revolution in energy production and consumption.
The developing countries earned an award for outstanding consistency, having achieved their longstanding, overriding objective of avoiding any meaningful commitments at all, even though their emissions will surpass those of the industrialized world in a few years. Although they were not able to secure mandatory quotas for new and additional aid from the North, they obtained pledges from the EU, Canada, and others of $410 million annually in new climate-related assistance by 2005. A major and dubious concession to the South was an agreement to grant developing nations, who have no commitments, a decisive role in the protocol's compliance system, assessing and enforcing the commitments of industrialized countries.
The developing nations also succeeded in formalizing three new funds and several new aid channels through the Global Environment Facility and other sources. Scattered throughout the draft financial decisions for Marrakech are long lists of desirable aid activities. Indeed, the general atmosphere in Bonn was strongly aid-oriented. EU spokespeople appealed for "equity and solidarity with developing countries," and aid ministries were heavily represented on European delegations. Conference president Pronk was for many years the Netherlands aid minister and remains a prominent proponent of financial transfers to the South.
Finally, the politeness award goes to the U.S. delegation, which scrupulously abstained from obstructive tactics that could have thwarted the Bonn result. Although Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky reaffirmed that the United States would not ratify the Kyoto Protocol because it is "not sound policy" and "not workable for the United States," she nevertheless praised the work of the Bonn negotiators and said that the United States would not try to stop other nations from moving forward. Pronk cut short heckling of the statement and graciously thanked the United States for its "constructive role."
The Marrakech bazaar
At the Marrakech Conference of Parties, delegations will attempt to resolve numerous remaining nontrivial differences. They will then move to adopt decisions that would establish specific rules for implementing the protocol. It is hoped that this will clear the path for relatively rapid ratification by enough industrialized nations to enable the treaty to become law in 2002, the 10th anniversary of the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit and of the signing of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Further delay could undermine the political will in many countries to take the tough domestic measures necessary to realize the Kyoto targets looming in the 2008-2012 period. Notwithstanding the good intentions of their diplomats, however, the probability of early ratification by Russia, Japan, Australia, and Canada is likely to be tested in the coming months by domestic politics.
Based on informal conversations in Bonn with well-placed officials, I believe it is possible for the United States to negotiate for itself more equitable terms than in the original, hastily conceived 1997 protocol. Because of lingering concerns over ratification by Russia and Japan, the United States has formidable negotiating leverage at this point, a fact that has not escaped the attention of Congress. On August 1, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 19 to 0 to urge President Bush to return to the bargaining table with specific proposals for internationally binding commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
U.S. diplomacy could now build on concessions already secured by Japan et al. Everything can be considered open for revision: base year, timetable, targets, and sinks. One can conceive of a new, tailor-made protocol article applying to the "special circumstances" of the United States. In actuality, the arbitrary numerical targets negotiated in Kyoto bore no relation to either scientific or economic realities. Why, for example, was Russia allocated 100 percent of its 1990 emissions, when its emissions had already fallen to 70 percent of that level and no one believed they would rise back by 2008-2012? (Answer: in order to artificially create emissions credits that Russia could sell to other industrialized countries that had difficulty meeting their own arbitrary targets.)
For example, what is so sacred about 1990 as the base year against which to measure U.S. emissions reductions, except for the fact that it conferred a huge bonanza on the EU and the collapsed former Communist states? When the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997, most of the latter countries were already far below their 1990 emissions, whereas the United States, with its buoyant economy and growing population, was much higher. The successful 1987 Montreal Protocol on protecting the ozone layer selected the immediately preceding year as a reference point, which might suggest 1996 as an appropriate base for Kyoto. The year 2000, which was the target year for the Framework Convention, is an equally plausible starting point. With some dashing diplomacy, some earnest pre-Marrakech consultations with allies, and some creative language crafting, the United States could rejoin the Kyoto process on new conditions that would ensure no unmanageable burdens for the U.S. economy.
It would be desirable for the United States to abandon its unaccustomed outsider role, if for no other reason than to improve its position for constructively influencing future climate negotiations. But merely playing the Kyoto game will not be sufficient. It is possible, even likely, that the Kyoto Protocol, with its dozens of interlinked commitments and clauses and its pages of complicated and often ambiguous regulations and definitions, will turn out to be unworkable. Although Kyoto was intended as the first step in a global process, it remains essentially a short-term perspective on a century-scale problem. If the world's political leaders are serious about confronting climate change, they should stop trying to earn green laurels by posturing over 5 or 8 percent short-term targets and cast their gaze further into the future.
Stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases at nonthreatening levels–the ultimate objective of the Framework Convention already ratified by the United States and virtually every other nation–will require steep reductions in carbon dioxide emissions later in this century that are far greater than the aspirations of Kyoto. Because of the substantial fixed costs and long lifetimes of investments in the power, transport, and industrial sectors, such reductions will not come easily. They cannot be achieved by greater use of existing nonfossil alternatives (although this is important in the near term) or by innovation as usual. Better light bulbs simply won't do the trick.
Serious global climate change can be averted only if, first, we develop a new generation of cost-effective technologies that dramatically reduce dependence on fossil fuels and/or that capture and sequester carbon; and second, key developing nations curtail their rapidly rising emissions. Fortunately, the two conditions are interrelated: As the first is attained, the second will follow. The Montreal Protocol demonstrated that technology provides an irresistible incentive for developing countries to accept commitments. What is needed now is a farsighted strategic vision that explicitly addresses issues of technology research, development, and diffusion, aimed at nothing less than a technological revolution in energy production and consumption.
A technology strategy is credible only if it does not become an invitation to delay. Four elements are needed for an effective post-Kyoto U.S. plan of action.
Start reducing emissions. Regardless of whether the Kyoto Protocol enters into force or the United States ratifies it, the United States should start down its own path of reducing emissions. Indeed, Senators Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) recently introduced bipartisan legislation that would require President Bush to set interim reduction targets and would authorize major new funding for relevant energy research and development. A modest initial domestic cap-and-trade system, similar to the programs that successfully reduced sulfur dioxide and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) emissions, would send a message to industry and to other nations that the United States takes the problem seriously.
The industrialized countries should become serious about expeditiously transferring new energy-related technologies to the developing world.
Other policies and measures to stimulate emissions reductions could be coordinated with differing constellations of like-minded nations (depending on the measure) and not necessarily enshrined in a global treaty. It should be possible to break out of the megaconference mold and open parallel negotiations; one need not negotiate on all subjects with all countries. It is worth noting that only 21 nations (11 industrialized, 10 developing) account for 80 percent of global emissions. Recall also that the first international action on the ozone front was not a reduction target or formal treaty, but rather a loosely coordinated agreement in the late 1970s that involved just a few countries, including the United States. The banning of CFCs in aerosol spray cans by these governments resulted in a 30 percent drop in CFC consumption globally and paved the way for the targets of the Montreal Protocol a decade later. The ozone experience taught us that policy measures can lead the way by stimulating technology and that targets are effective only when they are challenging to industry but not unrealistic.
Until now, the half-hearted performance of most governments with respect to energy policy measures has not matched their political rhetoric about the urgency of the climate problem. Here is a big opportunity for U.S. leadership, if the political will can be mustered. One example is higher vehicle fuel-efficiency standards, which are certainly feasible, although automakers generally oppose them because of competitive worries. But these concerns could be overcome if the small number of auto-producing nations were convened to negotiate meaningful standards that would apply to most or all. As with the chemical industry in the Montreal Protocol, collaborative research by the auto producers could be encouraged to reach the common goals.
Invest in a technological revolution. The heart of a long-term strategy is to ensure that sufficient and stable funding is made available to achieve the technological revolution. Reaching a critical mass of R&D is basic to fostering technological breakthroughs. Governments cannot stand back and expect that the private sector, with its relatively short time horizon, will make all the required long-term investments. Although credible targets and policy measures can help to stimulate industry's creativity, the scale of the climate/energy challenge requires that the public sector take the lead role.
Given the stakes, energy research arguably merits a degree of public-sector commitment comparable to that devoted not long ago to aerospace and telecommunications. A small carbon tax could raise substantial revenues for funding new technology research. For example, a tax of $2 per ton of carbon in the United States, representing one-half cent per gallon of gasoline, could generate approximately $3 billion annually and enable public-sector energy R&D spending to more than double.
Current worldwide investments in energy R&D are clearly inadequate. It is ironic that major industrialized countries blithely signed on to Kyoto targets in 1997 while significantly reducing their investments in energy research and technology during the previous decade. The United States could lead industrialized countries to commit themselves to raising their grossly inadequate level of research by a significant and annually rising percentage of civilian research programs. And they could collaborate in R&D, especially with developing nations and the private sector.
Promoting technology should not be politically difficult because it creates economic growth and job opportunities. The leverage from such research in reducing the costs of addressing climate change makes it an eminently sound investment. Integrated assessment models developed by researchers at Battelle's new Joint Global Change Research Institute suggest that diversified technologies can make a difference of trillions of dollars in the global costs of any given greenhouse gas concentration goal.
Adopt technology-based objectives. Because virtually all carbon in modern energy economies flows through power generation and fuel refining and processing, technology targets could be quite specific in focus. For example, new power plants and refineries built after a certain date could be required either to use renewable energy or to capture and dispose of carbon byproducts. Because these measures would apply to sizable facilities, they are conducive to transparency and monitoring for compliance. An alternative might be to link the requirement for carbon-neutral new facilities with the coming to market of the enabling technologies. This would provide a strong profit incentive for the potential developer of such technologies.
Accelerate technology transfer and joint implementation. Technology development and diffusion around the world were prime factors in the success of the Montreal Protocol, enabling most major countries, both industrialized and developing, to achieve their targets sooner than expected. Governments and industry in the industrialized countries should become serious, as they were in the ozone treaty, about expeditiously transferring new energy-related technologies to the developing world. They should vigorously support indigenous capacity to develop local energy solutions. To provide developing nations with some security, their obligations could be made dependent on the effective transfer of new technologies and the financing of incremental costs, as was done under the Montreal Protocol.
North-South and West-East joint implementation investments make sense from the standpoint of economic efficiency and technology transfer. The Clean Development Mechanism (perhaps the most promising element of the Kyoto Protocol) should be activated to promote greater energy efficiency and expansion of renewable energy in developing nations, rather than providing convenient tree-growing farms to offset business as usual in the North. Industrialized countries could provide climate-relevant assistance as a cost-effective form of foreign aid rather than primarily to earn emissions-offset credits. All of this would probably be far less costly and more productive in the long run than large undirected wealth transfers to buy emissions rights under a trading system.
Although these ideas present undoubted challenges for political will and for diplomacy, I seriously question whether the current course, which has meandered for years, has a better chance of success. Can the United States seize this opportunity to take a leadership role in the post-Kyoto world?
In light of the tragic events of September 11, it may not be realistic to expect that the U.S. government will be able to formulate a comprehensive negotiating strategy, including accompanying consultations with key countries, in time for the Marrakech meeting. This might not be all bad, because a need to focus on new U.S. positions in Marrakech could distract other nations from resolving remaining important problem areas in the Bonn accord. The amazing complexity of the treaty will preoccupy governments for some time, so proposed new conditions for the United States to join the Kyoto Protocol will probably be gratefully considered by the other parties even in the future. Far more important is that the United States embark on the strategy suggested above, particularly the emissions reductions, in order to establish its credibility as a serious negotiating partner.
Richard E. Benedick ([email protected]) is senior advisor at the Joint Global Change Research Institute of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Maryland, visiting fellow at the Social Science Research Center in Berlin, and president of the National Council for Science and the Environment. He was formerly deputy assistant secretary of state and the chief U.S. negotiator of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Protect the Ozone Layer.
Benedick, Richard E. "Striking a New Deal on Climate Change." Issues in Science and Technology 18, no. 1 (Fall 2001).


I loooove finding good beauty retailers on the web; here's one for your consideration: **Bombshell Bargains**. The prices are fab, and if you're in the US, keep in mind that they're quoted in Canadian dollars, so you're getting an even better deal.
The site also markets a few of its own goodies, and I got my paws on a bottle of the **Bombshell hand & body lotion** in Calendar Girl. Good grief, this is thick for a pump lotion - which is most certainly a good thing. Don't you hate it when you pump out lotion and find that it's thin and drippy? Bombshell feels thick and creamy, almost the consistency of stiff frosting. And you know what's coming next - this one's for all you "foody" bath & body lovers - it smells like frosting too. Good, homemade buttercream, not Betty-Crocker-in-a-can-AKA-flavored-Crisco. Excellent.
Even though "icing" scented body lotions aren't really my thing, I've become slightly addicted to this one since it joined my collection. So when you're checking out the Bargains over at Bombshell, do pick up a bottle of their signature lotion as well.


text:
Q: Extract valid numbers from character vector in R Suppose I have the below character vector
c("hi", "4", "-21", "6.5", "7. 5", "-2.2", "4h")
Now I want to extract only valid numbers which are in the above vector:
c("4", "-21", "6.5", "-2.2")
note: one space in between . and 5 in 7. 5 so not a valid number.
I was trying with regex /^-?(0|[1-9]\\d*)(\\.\\d+)?$/ which is given here but no luck.
So what would be the regex to extract valid numbers from a character vector?

A: as.numeric already does a great job of this. Anything that's a valid number can be successfully coerced to numeric, everything else is NA.
x = c("hi", "4", "-21", "6.5", "7. 5", "-2.2", "4h")
y = as.numeric(x)
y = y[!is.na(y)]
y
# [1]   4.0 -21.0   6.5  -2.2

A: We can use grep that matches digits with . from the start (^) till the end ($) of the string
grep("^-?[0-9.]+$", v1, value = TRUE)
[1] "4"    "-21"  "6.5"  "-2.2"

Or for fringe cases
grep("^[ -]?[0-9]+(\\.\\d+)?$", c(v1, "4.1.1"), value = TRUE)
[1] "4"    "-21"  "6.5"  "-2.2"

grep("^[ -]?[0-9]+(\\.\\d+)?$", c(v1, "4.1.1", " 2.9"), value = TRUE)
[1] "4"    "-21"  "6.5"  "-2.2" " 2.9"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


We've gotten another CRM software publisher perspective on Customer Experience—and in particular how the publisher's customers are approaching them with increased questions, requests and objectives around CX. In this case the CRM software maker is Pegasystems (Pega) and over conversations with Steve Kraus, Senior Director of CRM Product Marketing, and Brian Callahan, Director of Communications, I was given another outlook on how some of the largest enterprise companies are linking their CRM software with new found CX objectives.
Pega shares that Customer Experience objectives are an increasing trend from its customer base—as Pega customers want to know how to get the most value from their customers. But as noted in prior discussions with Oracle and SAP, many times these buyers are the CMO, customer service head or head of sales. These positions are certainly influential in achieving CX objectives, however, as CX is not a departmental strategy, challenges are certain to impede progress if the initiative isn't driven at an enterprise level by the CEO or President, or maybe the COO or CCO, as alignment among priorities, processes and systems is a critical success factor to orchestrate customer processes across departments or business units.
The company also notes a subtle but profound change in terminology. Suggesting some lessons learned from the past, customers are often using the phrases "customer relationship management" (CRM) and "managing relationships with customers" as two distinctly different things; with the former CRM phrase being largely technology-oriented versus the second phrase being more relationship/process oriented and being followed with a discussion of CX and customer-centric strategy.
While working with customers, Pega executives find that an evolving definition of CX is similarly changing the objectives. While commonly touted disruptive technologies such as social, mobile, geo/location and others remain relevant, customers are increasingly recognizing these are tools or means to the end, not the end goal itself. According to Pega, customers are increasingly adopting new end goals which are far more customer centric—such as customer satisfaction, NPS (Net Promoter Score) or CLV (Customer Lifetime Value).
As CX objectives get more tactical they also begin to vary more by vertical market. For example, retail banks that seek increased customer or wallet share know that higher levels of service during the first 90-120 days will result in new clients extending their relationships. Their efforts to promote strong onboarding practices and deliver a seamless and differentiated customer experience during the honeymoon period will grow customer share. Similarly, insurance and healthcare providers know to focus on claims efficiency and making a complex or document intensive process simple and seamless in order to retain more customers. Telcos know to focus on fast problem resolution to keep customers and meet customer retention goals. They also know they can leverage customer analytics to suggest when a customer shows potential or is likely to defect – and can use that knowledge to intervene with a reward or promotion.
Working backwards from customer centric goals also demands a change in performance metrics. Business performance must include metrics which customers' deem important. This isn't to say that traditional CRM and customer management metrics which cater to business efficiency and cost controls are eradicated, but at best they must be balanced with measures customers value if the company expects to yield longer term relationships and benefits from those customers. And be clear, customers don't care about contact center AHC (average handling time) or their CLV, they care about getting their issues resolved fully, accurately and timely, and being treated as the company's best customer.
The process becomes even more complex when recognizing that the evolution from company-oriented, inside-out metrics to customer-oriented, outside-in measures also mandates changes to company culture, departmental priorities, compensation and incentive systems, and internal systems. In fact from the CRM systems perspective, most organizations will find that they implemented systems for departmental objectives; not enterprise-wide or customer-centric process objectives, and therefore may require a step back before simply tweaking existing systems. Nobody ever said creating a customer-centric business was easy; but that's also why it delivers such a compelling competitive advantage for those businesses that get it right.
Pega's customer market represents a unique slice of the broader CRM market. Pega's target market consists of the Fortune 500, and in large part the larger half of that segment. The bulk of the company's customers are B2C and Pega seeks out complex enterprises where it can apply its signature strengths of Business Process Management (BPM) and analytics. As with most CRM providers delivering large scale CRM systems to global companies, Pega customers are largely using on-premise CRM software, but that balance is steadily changing toward hybrid and pure cloud deployments.
Customer experience business strategies are nascent and there are few best practices or out-of-the box software capabilities available. To aid customers in their pursuit of CX objectives, the company generally works with its clients to identify and prioritize the most significant opportunities or challenges and then crafts software automation methods to solve specific customer problems. More often than not, the application of CRM software to enable CX strategies involves much more than just tuning traditional customer processes, and in fact involves redesigning application workflow around cross-departmental customer processes.
Pega echoes what consultants have long preached, which is for most organizations, as much as 80 percent of business processes are similar across companies and easily accommodated. However, it's that last 20 percent that benefits from custom business process alignment, gives customers what they're looking for and gives companies their competitive advantage.
For Pega, the software process may begin with business intelligence, and leveraging the analytics to discover what customers actually do or where gaps exist. From this data driven vantage point, the company can then implement business process management automation for case management, multi-channel management or whatever process is deemed necessary.
From a software technology perspective, Pega uses what it calls a "situational layer cake" framework, which is essentially an agile approach to define customer standards at a global level, and then solve specific problems by applying incremental components or solutions. This permits customers to begin with smaller scope projects, show early success and build momentum along the way.
Pega notes that CX may be a heightened interest and business objective in part due to the rise of social media and extremely vocal social customers. Today's social networks and social channels can broadcast poor customer service scenarios like no method prior, thereby increasing the risk of delivering a bad customer experience by orders of magnitude. While most customers are normally quite reasonable and will tolerate occasional human mistakes, they are not so forgiving for process-oriented mistakes which replicate poor customer service or frustrate customers with scale. As social media continues its meteoric rise, both the risks and rewards of delivering a consistent and differentiated customer service will accelerate and deliver business impact to the delight or the detriment of the businesses providing those services.
For most organizations, as much as 80% of business processes are similar across companies and easily accommodated. However, it's that last 20% that benefits from custom business process alignment, gives customers what they're looking for and gives companies their competitive advantage.


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Adobe Acrobat (1994) 21 Publishing Windows Unix MacOS
Adobe Acrobat is a desktop publishing tool that excels at creating highly accurate printed documents. Its free companion product, Acrobat Reader, lets users easily distribute Acrobat (PDF) files electronically.
Adobe Illustrator (1988) 30 Graphics Unix MacOS
Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor developed and marketed by Adobe Systems. It was often sold as a companion product to the bit-map/photo editor Adobe Photoshop. Illustrator was originally released in 1987 for the Apple Macintosh. Early versions were ported to NexT, Silicon Graphics, and Sun Solaris.
AppSoft Image (1992) 0 Graphics Unix
AppSoft Image is a bit-mapped photograph editing program written specifically for NeXT computers.
Autodesk AutoCAD (1984) 15 Graphics Engineering Unix
r10 (Unix)
ColorWorks (1996) 2 Graphics OS2
ColorWorks is a powerful, full-featured, photo editing program designed exclusively for OS/2. It is a native 32-bit OS/2 application and makes use of OS/2 multitasking, multithreading, and SMP capabilities. It has many features and tools that make it comparable to most other image editors.
CorelDraw! (1989) 29 Graphics Publishing OS2 Unix
3.5 (Unix)
DeScribe (1991) 0 Word Processor Windows OS2
DeScribe is a word processor with some advanced features primarily for OS/2. Later, it was made available for Windows 3.1, 95, and NT.
DisplayWrite (1984) 4 Word Processor DOS OS2
DisplayWrite is a word processor that is based on the IBM Displaywriter dedicated word processing system. It directly competed with software ports of dedicated word processors such as the Wang Word Processing System (or its clone MultiMate ), Lanier Word Processing Software, Xerox, DEC, or similar.
FontWorks (1986) 0 Utility Publishing Other
FontWorks is a utility that prints documents using high quality fonts on a dot-matrix printer. It was commonly sold as a companion product to AppleWorks on the Apple II. It can print sideways, it includes a number of high quality fonts, and includes a font editor.
Footprint Works (1993) 0 Word Processor Spreadsheet Database OS2
Footprint Works is an office suite for OS/2 that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, and database. Later versions were known as IBM Works and were bundled with OS/2 Bonus Packs.
FrameMaker (1990) 0 Publishing Unix MacOS Other Windows
FrameMaker, originally from Frame Technology Corporation and later Adobe, is a professional document system for creating large, complex documents with highly structured layout. It was often accompanied by FrameReader.
Freelance Graphics (1985) 11 Presentations Graphics OS2
GCI/Lotus/IBM Freelance Graphics is a vector based presentation and graphing package developed for DOS, OS/2, and Windows. It was intended for use alongside Lotus 1-2-3. Later versions were part of SmartSuite. Before it was acquired by Lotus it was known Freelance, from Graphic Communications.
1.0 (OS/2)
2.x (Win)
IBM CAD/3X (1993) 0 Graphics OS2
IBM CAD/3X is an entry level, easy to use, 2D cad program with versions for both DOS and OS/2 1.30.
IBM VisualAge for Java (1997) 0 OS2
VisualAge for Java is an enterprise Java application development environment for teams of Java developers. It was available for Windows and OS/2
Lotus 1-2-3 (1983) 35 Spreadsheet OS2
Lotus 1-2-3 was an early spreadsheet application available for MS-DOS. It became extremely popular in the late 1980s, displacing the former leader VisiCalc. Lotus had difficulties adapting 1-2-3 to the Windows environment, and was overtaken by Microsoft Excel. Spreadsheet functionality was also included in Lotus Symphony. Later versions were included in Lotus SmartSuite.
1.x (OS/2)
Lotus Domino (1993) 0 Communications PIM Server OS2
Lotus Domino, originally called Lotus Notes Server, is the sever software used for Lotus Notes clients. Notes is a powerful e-mail and collaboration tool. It was heavily used by large corporations. Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino competed against Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange.
Lotus Improv (1991) 7 Spreadsheet Other
Improv is a spreadsheet program that attempted to re-imagine how one would create and interact with spreadsheets. It was first released in 1991 for NeXT computers, and for a time became one of the NeXT's "Killer Apps". In 1993 Lotus released Improv 2.0 for Microsoft Windows. It was not marketed as a direct replacement to Lotus 1-2-3, and 1-2-3 remained dominant until both were overtaken by Microsoft Excel.
Lotus SmartSuite (1993) 42 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations PIM Database OS2
IBM/Lotus SmartSuite is an office suite from Lotus software for Windows and OS/2. SmartSuite includes SmartCenter, 1-2-3, Word Pro, Freelance Graphics, Approach, Organizer, and ScreenCam.
For OS/2
For OS2 Warp 4
Micrografx Designer (1988) 5 Graphics Publishing Windows OS2
Micrografx Designer, originally released as IN-A-VISON for Windows 1.x, is a vector based drawing and design program. It features ease of use, multiple layers, and dimensioning. Micrografx also sold large libraries of clip art. It competed against Corel Draw.
Microsoft Excel (1985) 60 Spreadsheet OS2 MacOS Windows

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In order for our bodies to work, there are a range of different biological molecules that interact with each other to provide structure and function. Pathology can involve issues with one or more of these molecule types which can greatly change our normal function. Additionally, various drugs and conditions can alter these molecules, thus changing how they function. This section explores different biomolecules in our bodies, along with their synthesis, breakdown, and functions.
The contents within this section closely follow the AAMC section: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section: Content Category 5D.


(Paris) – Imperfection as starting and as a arrive. Iris Van Herpen continues its journey in the forms: it subverts the geometries, distorts the perspective, manipulates reality through a layering and unusual combinations and creates a collection of dresses sculpture of imperfect beauty. Materials are PVC, tulle, stones, leather, silk, wool.


Since its debut at CES, ASUS' Eee Pad Slider has been a hotly anticipated device, blurring the line between tablets, netbooks, and webtops. After months of waiting, it seems the Slider is almost upon us - Engadget reported today that based on the information received at an event in New York, ASUS' latest entry into the tablet market will be available by the end of this month.
Engadget goes on to break down their hands-on experience, explaining that the Slider looks quite elegant in person, and while the keyboard's sliding mechanism eats up a fair amount of space, it's still a relatively comfortable typing experience when processing words in "short bursts." This is aided however by the seemingly strong build quality.
Head over to Engadget for the original story.


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Thursday, March 7th 2019
Mother: "The household in the garden house at Cossipore was quite expensive. Three separate menus were prepared; one for the Master, one for Naren and the others, and one for the rest of the household. They used to raise subscriptions; that was why one person went away."
Udbodhan (Prayer Room), 14th April, 1911:
I went upstairs with flowers which arrived daily for the pujA. As it was getting late Mother had said, "Bring them up as soon as they come." She used to get the things ready and perform the pujA herself.
She beckoned to me to go near. She was seated on a cot and inquired after a certain disciple. She asked, "Is he downstairs?"
"Yes," I said.
"What does he do? Reading?"
"Yes, sometimes, perhaps."
"Isn't he going to the Belur Math, then?"
"No, he has no desire to go."
"You must persuade him."
"I have done so many times. You speak to him, Mother, so that he may at least go and spend a few days there."
"I too have spoken to him many times, my son," Mother said, "but even then he pays no heed."


kechara's profile - Anime Market: Buy and Sell Manga, Anime and More!
Communication was excellent and would be happy to sell to her again. Smooth transaction.
Prompt payment and good communication. I would sell to her again.


The Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce was losing revenue.
Their billing system just wasn't cutting it. Signing up a new member was a seven-step process and tracking member payments was cumbersome. But most alarming, tracking member non-payments wasn't even an option with their old system. Their old system was letting members slide by without renewing or paying.
With their previous credit card processing vendor, they couldn't seem to get answers. Credit cards would get denied with no explanation. According to Administrative Assistant Jennifer Eubanks, the staff would leave a message for the processing vendor and never get a call back. Essentially, "we were paying for something we couldn't use," she said. Understandably, they were looking for improved payment processing and reporting.
and learn how to work smarter.
The Chamber began the process of researching Member Management Software. They looked at a number of providers, but most didn't have comparable features to ChamberMaster and they generated concerns about customer service. Jennifer narrowed it down to ChamberMaster because of a strong reputation, the promise of good customer service, and a reasonable price.
"ChamberMaster explained everything. No matter how many questions I had, they answered them and didn't make me feel dumb for asking. They even gave me tips to help get information to our board. I didn't get that from a lot of other companies," Jennifer shared.


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San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
Sign DORA
Read the declaration
You've signed DORA, now what?
Individuals and organizations sign DORA not just to indicate their support for its principles, but to implement real improvements in their policy and practice for research assessment
For the past five years, the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) has been a beacon illuminating the problems due to the excessive attention paid to journal metrics and pointing the way to improvements that can be made by all stakeholders involved in evaluating academic research and scholarship. It has attracted no fewer than 13,000 individual and 880 organizational signatories and growing. Researchers, funders, universities and research institutes, publishers and metrics providers have all committed – at a minimum – not to "use journal-based metrics, such as Journal Impact Factors, as a surrogate measure of the quality of individual research articles, to assess an individual scientist's contributions, or in hiring, promotion, or funding decisions."
However, signing the declaration is just the first step toward changing practice in research assessment, especially considering how deeply rooted journal metrics have become, and DORA is here to help the community move forward. We realize this can be a tricky process to negotiate, especially for organizational signatories. The roadmap we published earlier this year emphasizes that after signing:
The next and more challenging steps require changes in academic culture and behaviour to ensure that hiring, promotion, and funding decisions focus on the qualities of research that are most desirable – insight, impact, reliability and reusability – rather than on questionable proxies.
The particular next steps that are needed will vary by geography, discipline and the nature of your organization. Initial guidance on these for different actors is provided in the more specific recommendations of the Declaration:
– Funding agencies and institutions: For the purposes of research assessment, consider the value and impact of all research outputs (including datasets and software) in addition to research publications, and consider a broad range of impact measures including qualitative indicators of research impact, such as influence on policy and practice. (DORA Recommendations nos. 3 and 5)
Another valuable step is transparency, so that academics know how they will be evaluated, and so that committees understand how they are expected to conduct evaluations. It is important to explore new approaches to assessment, and with greater transparency around the effectiveness of these approaches, improvements will spread more rapidly. Finally, consider the composition of the committees that perform evaluations and whether a more diverse team (for example by including researchers who are earlier in their careers) would assist in achieving fairer outcomes.
– Publishers: Greatly reduce emphasis on the journal impact factor as a promotional tool, ideally by ceasing to promote the impact factor or by presenting the metric in the context of a variety of journal-based metrics (e.g. 5-year impact factor, EigenFactor, SCImago, review and publication times) that provide a richer view of journal performance. (DORA Recommendations no. 6)
Further actions could include adoption of CRediT – the Contributor Role Taxonomy – to more clearly identify and recognize the work of each author, the use of ORCID IDs, and support for the Initiative for Open Citations I40C.
– Metrics providers: Be open and transparent by providing data and methods used to calculate all metrics (DORA Recommendation no. 11)
– Researchers: Challenge research assessment practices that rely inappropriately on Journal Impact Factors and promote and teach best practice that focuses on the value and influence of specific research outputs (DORA Recommendation no. 18)
Be a leader – talk to your colleagues and advocate for change. Highlight the breadth of your own contributions, on your lab pages, or via resources like ORCID, in applications for jobs and funding. As an author, reviewer, or editor, do not support journals that use JIFs as a marketing tool or any request to consider journal metrics in decisions on manuscripts.
As the above examples show, there is no one-size-fits all solution. In reforming research evaluation different organizations may be seeking not just to break away from over-reliance on crude metrics, but also to achieve other goals; for example, to reduce bias in hiring or promotion processes, or to provide increased incentives for collaborative work or the embrace of open science practices. But you do not have to start from scratch. On our website, you can explore examples of good practice that we have collected, primarily – but not exclusively – from our signatories. This is a good starting point when thinking about how best to direct your efforts to change research assessment practices at your organization (see box for example).
We will continue to add to this resource and encourage signatories not just to publish what they have done to change their policies and practices in line with the principles of DORA on their own websites, but to share that with us. This is an excellent way for signatories to showcase their changing approach to research assessment not only to inform and empower staff within their organization, but also to inspire other institutions across the scholarly community.
Ultimately, given the international nature of research and scholarship, effective culture change will only take root if reform of evaluation methods occurs on a global scale. To advance this effort still further we are also keen to hear about case studies and examples of good practice from beyond the DORA community. Real change matters to us much more than adding to the tally of signatories.
Example of good practice—the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, for example, made sweeping changes to their hiring procedure when the chair, Dr. Sandra Schmid, decided to stop hiring by committee and instead opted to include the entire faculty in the process. Any faculty member is able to select applicants for a first-round Skype interview based on their research contribution summary in the cover letter. In deciding the short-list of individuals who should be asked to interview on campus, each person has a designated faculty member advocating for them to promote balanced discussions.
We know that establishing a globally supportive environment for effective reform of research evaluation will take time. But we are encouraged by the renewed impetus for change that we have seen recently from learned societies, from funders, from universities and from publishers. Our hope is that DORA's signatories will take a leading role in these endeavors, setting high standards, and working collaboratively to improve research evaluation. Ultimately, we believe these efforts will pay significant dividends for researchers and for research.
To tell us about how research assessment is changing at your institution, and how colleagues are being encouraged to reduce their reliance on Journal Impact Factors, please contact us. We are particularly interested to hear how institutions have worked through the practical details of implementing process and cultural changes.
DORA news and announcements
#sfDORA community interview: research assessment & publishing in Latin America
2018 in review—the top 10 advances in research assessment
Unless otherwise indicated, this content is available under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective organizations and may not be reused or reproduced without permission.


Just a few weeks after their Whole Foods acquisition, Amazon has roared back into the news cycle with the announcement of a planned, second headquarter office. Here in Chicago, it's a big topic among friends and co-workers.
Amazon accompanied the announcement with an official, 8-page RFP. In short, to be eligible, cities must have a metropolitan area with at least one million residents, strong schools, diversity, and a business-friendly environment. But most importantly, the winning city will receive $5BN in investment, and the potential for 50 thousand high-salary Amazon jobs.Their RFP projects these new job positions to have an average salary in excess of $100 thousand per year.
Once again, Amazon is creating new Catch 22 situations. As I mentioned previously, Amazon seems to always create big opportunities while simultaneously shutting the doors on others. The most lucid example of the Amazon Catch 22 goes back to their original model, where they eradicated brick and mortar book stores, but simultaneously created a market for anyone to become an author and make money online.
In our latest situation, city leaders are climbing over one another to see what kind of tax breaks, deals, and sweeteners they can offer. There's been a ton of chatter about this here in Chicago, the biggest city in a state with more than $250 BN in pension debt.
The question is — what kind of tax breaks can Chicago offer? It's a city screaming for money with major debt problems and broke schools. The idea of offering major tax breaks to a big corporation seems incongruent with the financial health of the city.
As is usually the case in Chicago, it seems that most of the value Amazon could create would go to the upper-class, when tax dollars are really needed to support civic programs, schools, and mom and pop stores.
In spite of an income disparity that seems to be worsening locally, it's hard not to also understand the argument that Amazon and their hyper growth would be a long-term boom to any city's economy. Between 2010 and 2016, Amazon grew from 33,000 employees to 300,000. With no signs of slowing down, Amazon H2Q is likely to explode with workers as well.
Once again, we need to evaluate the Amazon trade off. They can bring jobs, money, and innovation, but it may come at the cost of certain retailers and individuals. The question is who? I'm sure most grocery stores didn't see the Whole Foods deal coming. It's hard to escape the constant cognitive dissonance with Amazon.
My last Amazon-related post is available here.


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home > worldwide public holidays > news and updates > botswana > this page
Botswana Bank Holidays October 23-24-25
Source: Botswana Press Agency (Gaborone)
The Central Bank of Botswana has announced that October 23-24-25 would be one-off bank holidays on account of the upcoming presidential and legislative elections of Botswana, and in line with the similar declaration of public holidays in Botswana by the government last month.
Today's announcement of bank holidays on October 23-24-25 on account of the upcoming presidential and legislative elections of Botswana, follows last month's (2019-09-13), announcement by the Government of Botswana, in a tweet, declaring Wednesday to Friday, October 23-25, 2019, as non-working public holidays in Botswana, on account of the upcoming presidential and legislative elections of Botswana ("President Dr. Mokgweetsi says October 23rd, 24th and 25th will be declared paid public holidays"), in line with past announcements of public holidays in Botswana, also on the occasion of past elections, such as in 2014, when the Government of Botswana published the Statutory Instrument No. 117 and 118 of 2014 in the Government Gazette of October 13, 2014, thus making the previously announced Friday, October 24, 2014, one-off non-working public holiday in Botswana, official (2014-10-16 and 2014-08-07).
Five years before, the declaration of a one-off non-working public holiday in Botswana, on account of the Friday, October 16, 2009, elections, led to a lot of debate before it was declared a one-off public holiday (2007-07-20, 2008-08-22, 2008-11-27, 2009-01-26, and 2009-03-14).
Below are links to the news stories referred to in the above "Botswana Bank Holidays October 23-24-25" news story, as well as links to subsequents news stories which refer to the present news story.
Botswana public holidays news and updates
Botswana public holidays for 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
2019-09-13: Botswana October 23-24-25 Public Holidays Gazetted
2014-10-16: Botswana October 24 Public Holiday Gazetted
2014-08-07: Botswana Public Holiday October 24
2009-03-14: Botswana Election Day Public Holiday Update 3
2008-11-27: Botswana Election Day Public Holiday Update
2008-08-22: Botswana Moving Towards Election Day Public Holiday
2007-07-20: Botswana's BPP Calls For A Public Holiday On Next Election


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2.29 Heart of Africa Mission
The previous three segments, 2.26-2.28, summarize the year-long harangue Hayes directed toward Studd and Buxton while at the missionary station 3 km from Niangara. The next few segments concern the diary entries for the same period focusing on Hayes observations of this part of Africa and its inhabitants. The work he undertook to build a mission site and his interactions with the African residents, especially when Studd and Buxton are away, reveal by example, perhaps more clearly than any other portion of his diary, how Hayes believed missionary work, and colonization in general, ought to have been done.
February 21, 1914 – December 24, 1914
Georg August Schweinfurth
Immediately on arrival at Niangara, March 1, 1914, Hayes records the local African political situation. The Welle River separates two antagonistic tribes: "the Azandes to the north, with the Mangettus south of the river." He writes that the Mangbettu, "comprise several smaller tribes who were conquered and unified by a great chief named Munza some 70 or 80 years ago." The German biologist Georg August Schweinfurth traveled through this region bringing the River Uele (Welle) to European attention in 1870; Hayes says that Munza was still living at the time and hosted Schweinfurth for "a considerable time." Schweinfurth wrote about cannibalism among the tribes he encountered – and Hayes confirms the practice: "They eat men still if they can get away with it, but the various European powers frown on this unnatural feasting, though they wink at anything else.
Head binding from Christ in Congo Forests
By now the appearance of the natives cannot be shocking to Hayes, nevertheless he records what he sees: "Most of the people are cicatrized and tattooed. Woman have holes cut in their ears one may easily slip his thumb through. Many of the people have elongated skulls, this caused by binding the heads of young babies until the skull is as long as the rest of the child. We see them constantly, the child apparently in a comatose state, yet able to nurse."
Though the Niangara station sat on the south side of the Welle River in Mangbettu territory, Hayes and his two British overseers preferred to hire Azande workers as laborers about the station, "for Mangbettus feel it a disgrace to work." Nevertheless, Hayes compliments the Mangbettus as "the most ingenious of all Africans I have thus far seen." On showing a Mangbettu crafter a chair for ten minutes "he will turn it about, fold and unfold it, observing it in every way. He needs no further instruction, for he can remember every detail. In a week he will return and sell you an even better imitation than the original…." Hayes notes the Mangbettus well-built houses, murals, weavings, deck chairs, ornate stools, and "marvelous, if crude musical instruments … on which they play real music." Disclosing much about his own definition of "work," Hayes writes, "Yet these same men scorn work…." Hence the missionaries bring Azandes to the south side of the river abrading the territorial prerogative of the Mangbettu.
Mangbetu Harp circa 1910 from The Beedle Museum
Hayes writes that in Schweinfurth's day, Arab slave traders arrived at Munza's kingdom traveling in the dry season by way of Bahr El Ghazal to stay through the rainy months gathering slaves and ivory – a coveted assignment because Munza bestowed "wives in abundance" on the traders since "Munza wanted the half caste Arabs in his tribe." This gives Hayes an opportunity to record the beauty of the Mangbettu women. "One can easily understand why the Arab slavers wished to remain behind in the Mangbettu country. These girls often have the figures like that of Venus De Milo… Their garb is the merest suggestion of a covering for their loins. They build great basket-like headgear atop their already elongated skulls to make their heads appear higher, and the effect of the flattened skull is rather pleasing." As Hayes learns the language, the women ask "why be lonely" and "their menfolk urge me to accept one or more temporary wives." Of course, Hayes politely declines.
Mangbettu coiffure circa 1930
Hayes gives no description of the Azande women, commenting instead on the jealousy of the men. All is fine should a chief bestow one or even several temporary wives on a European. But among the Azande, "there must be no fornication, especially adultery. Such offenses are severely punished by relatives of the woman." The reader can infer from Hayes' observations that the temptations were stronger than the deterrent: "It is an every-day sight to see some Azande with ears clipped close to his head, nose cut off or even fingers and thumbs lopped for playing fast and loose with some man's wife or daughter." He makes no comment about what might happen to a European transgressor.
By the end of May, despite the torrential rains every afternoon that swell the Welle to 200 meters width, Hayes has built several outhouses for fowls and cows, planted 1100 bananas and plantains, 1000 pineapples, and more than 200 fruit trees: mangoes, avocado pears, limes lemons, oranges, and custard apples. "One can accomplish so much in a short time in a land like this, where all produce grows an inch, or two inches overnight."
From the mission station three kilometers outside the town, every Saturday Hayes hears the women loudly "chaffing one another with their bargaining" as thousands gather at the Niangara market. "I delight to attend this fair, and now, understanding the Bangala tongue well (three months after his arrival) can give backchat to the shriveled, but laughing old mammies who conduct the sales. How they delight to bargain!"
If not for his companions at the mission, all would be well. "The estate is in splendid shape…. Belgians visiting us are loud in vocalizing their admiration for it in so short a time, and if I can keep it like this I will have accomplished something anyway in Africa."
Admiration for African crafting and their exotic customs that he pronounces beautiful, pride of accomplishment, a burgeoning garden – all this leaks around the diary's nearly continuous disparagement of Studd, Buxton, and the Belgians who administer this region. How nice to imagine Hayes laughing with an old Mangbettu woman in a prosperous marketplace trying to get an extra couple eggs for his one franc instead of quarreling with a missionary.
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2.25. Heart of Africa Mission
This map is taken from Love at First Tooth: Family and Missionary Politics in East Africa and Congo 1913-1934 by Robin Johnson, dedicated to Elizabeth Ann Thompson Flinn who joined the heart of Africa Mission in 1915. Niangara appears near the top of the map just south of the Sudan border.
February 21, 1914 – April 5, 1914
Personnel at Heart of Africa Mission Niangara, Congo as given in an appendix to Norman Grubb's Christ in Congo Forests (1945)
Mr C T Studd 1913-31
Mr A B Buxton 1913-27 Mr H Perkins 1914-15
Miss Irene Flangham 1914-31 (Mrs Davies)
Miss L Chapman 1914-28 (Mrs Buck)
Mr S J Richardson 1914-20
Mrs S J Richardson 1914-20
Mr A J Bowers 1914-14
Mr E W Coles 1914-18
First impressions are so important.
Twenty-two year old Alfred Buxton had interrupted his medical studies to join C. T. Studd in foundingThe Heart of Africa Mission in 1913. On meeting him, Hayes wrote: "Buxton is a tall, callow youth, apparently out of place in the bush. It is easy to see he knows his position of family and breeding is superior to most folks, and this will not sit well with me." (Buxton married Studd's daughter Edith in 1917, but broke with his father-in-law in the 1920's to pursue his own missionary work in Ethiopia and Somalia.)
C. T. Studd Africa 1910
Fifty-four year old C. T. Studd had renounced his family fortune and his place as foremost cricketeer in England to pursue missionary work for fifteen years in China, beginning at age twenty-five, then six years in India and finally, against doctors advice, in the Congo basin. On meeting him, Hayes wrote: "Studd, so called pioneer and founder of this mission is decidedly a self-centered man. He is about five feet eight inches in height, of sallow complexion and has a thin beard and the dreamy eyes of a fanatic. One could easily imagine them as the eyes of an opium eater." (Studd, a regular user of morphine in his last years, continued his zealous missionary work until his death at 70 at Ibambi, Congo. The Heart of Africa Mission Studd founded persists under the name Worldwide Evangelization for Christ (WEC).)
Buxton and Studd together receive this summary: "Both [Studd] and Buxton are aware of a special dispensation from the Almighty to evangelize the world, beginning with the Dark Continent, and do not propose to let anything stand in their way doing it." On his second day at the "splendid" location for the Heart of Africa Mission, Hayes overheard Buxton asking Studd "whether I (Hayes) should not be relegated to a table by myself." Three white men alone in the jungle working out seating arrangements according to London class lines – Hayes doesn't say what they decided, but the conversation alone told him where he had arrived.
Nevertheless, three days later Hayes wrote, "What's the use grouching? Do the best you can boy." In London he made a two-year unpaid commitment to the mission and says that upon arrival he threw every pound he had into the community chest as a gesture of good will. Now he sets about building tables and chairs from slabs rejected from a Belgian sawing operation nearby and organizing his half-dozen Azande workmen to clearing the brush readying the ground for planting. By now Hayes is competent to direct the workers in the Bangala language. "Buxton criticizes all I do with all the wisdom gained in 22 years of pink tea fights, under the supervision of nurses and governesses and at school. The practical experience I have learned in a life time about the world means nothing."
On March 8, Hayes wrote: "Studd has been disciplining me this week. To do this he put me on two meals a day, one at seven in the morning, the other eight at night, me working at hard labor in between." From eating bananas "or anything I could get to satisfy my hunger," and sleeping on a camp bed with "six inches of water under it," lumbago sets in. Hayes is sure he could cure himself using his own head but "Studd seemingly considers me a human guinea pig to experiment on."
A week later, endeavoring to throw off the pain of lumbago, Hayes hiked to a nearby Mangbettu village to visit Bukinda, a small chief contracted by Studd to build a new house for the mission. "I photographed Bukinda sitting in the midst of fourteen of his wives. His village is scrupulously neat and clean. the houses are decorated with designs of red, white and black … these colors stand up well, and are arranged in every sort of design, with some sort of attempt to paint men and animals, especially leopards and horses, as murals on the outer walls." (I know of none of Hayes' photographs surviving.)
With Hayes not traveling, his diary becomes a little disjointed. A paragraph or two on European explorers to the region: Benjamin Gosling, who traveled with Boyd Alexander, lies buried at Niangara, Schweinfurth, a Russo-German explorer came through in 1870. – Then a bit about the history of African rulers: Munza, who was "a sort of Napoleon in his way, for he gathered all the small tribes into his empire and made them Mangbettus," was also a notorious cannibal. – Comparisons between the local tribes with whom he lives: The Mangbettus are ingenious crafters who make fine chairs, houses, and musical instruments; contrasted with the Azandes who "are willing to work at anything to advance themselves." Hayes will hire only Azandes "much to the dislike of the Mangbettus who own this side of the river." – But entries always returns to carping about Studd and Buxton: Studd paid Bukinda 150 francs, about $30, for 75 men working six weeks to build his house. Studd got a fine house; Hayes got the fallout from the unpaid workmen: "Every one of them reproaches me, for I supervised the work."
By the middle of April Hayes writes "I am considering leaving this place when the next dry season comes. No one could make it in the rains." As the roster above indicates, Hayes lasted at The Heart of Africa well into 1915 but not without considerable conflict with, "These two men [who] spend most of their time writing to London telling of their exploits, misrepresenting the country and in every way publicizing themselves to gain further fame."
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Above: File image of Hans Redeker, Strategist at Morgan Stanley. Image (C) Pound Sterling Live, Bloomberg.
Pound Sterling is seen consolidating against the Euro and U.S. Dollar ahead of the weekend, while the strong rally seen over recent weeks might have paused this week, we are told by one prominent City analyst the outlook remains constructive and the UK currency should be seen as a 'buy on dips' prospect.
The call by Hans Redeker, foreign exchange strategist with Morgan Stanley in London, comes despite Brexit politics entering a final 'end game' state.
"The Brexit process will continue as PM May goes back to the EU to seek concessions over the Irish backstop. Uncertainty will remain in GBP markets for the next two weeks as this process is played out," says Redeker in a note to clients.
This week has seen UK Prime Minister secure the backing of parliament to return to Brussels to request the reopening of the Brexit deal to seek changes to the Irish border backstop, a requisite if her party and DUP partners are to unite behind the deal and secure its ratification. The reaction by European leaders to the prospect of further negotiations has been cool, with heads of state and the heads of European institutions saying the Irish backstop will remain a feature of any deal that is ultimately ratified.
However, the door to May is open and we stand by our long-term view that the European Union will ultimately offer a codicil - a legal guarantee attached to the agreement - that might go some way in helping the Prime Minister. "Now, the markets will watch for any signs from EU country leaders that they could provide the UK with concessions," says Redeker.
May is to return to the UK parliament on February 13 and put down another amendable motion, and in a repeat of what we saw on Tuesday, January 29 we would expect parliamentarians to once again bring a number of motions in an attempt to steer the direction of travel. Therefore, parliament could yet secure the power to delay Brexit.
The increased uncertainty has lead some market commentators to turn more cautious on Sterling; yesterday we heard Oliver Harvey at Deutsche Bank say he is exiting a short EUR/GBP trade on the view Sterling's recent run of good fortunes might be ending.
However, Morgan Stanley see any weakness in the Pound as being an opportunity to buy on the view that a solution to the ongoing Brexit impasse is possible.
"As with any negotiation, it is hard for either side to back down until they need to. As of yesterday, markets had already placed a low probability on a no-deal Brexit so the ability for GBP to rally purely on that is limited," says Redeker, yet, "the probability of a no-deal Brexit remains small."
Looking at the Pound-Dollar exchange rate, Redeker notes the exchange rate has remained within an upward sloping channel since the start of the year, suggesting to him strong support around 1.30.
"Any retracement back to 1.2850/1.2900 are buying opportunities," says Redeker.
The Euro-Pound exchange rate has bounced from the bottom end of the range, suggesting the exchange rate should be sold around 0.8800/0.8850.
This equates to Pound-Euro exchange rate levels of 1.1364/1.13.
"We see a limited retracement as market positioning is around neutral so not as prone to large swings on headlines," says Redeker.
Furthermore, Morgan Stanley view UK assets including equities and the Pound as being cheap at current valuations.
"Return on assets proxied by equity dividend yield and nominal bond yield suggesting GBPUSD should be trading closer to 1.45. This is also evidenced in the limited fall in GBP on the back of the votes overnight, suggesting pullbacks in GBP offer buying opportunities," says Redeker.
While Morgan Stanley advocate buying the Pound on dips, the binary 'deal' or 'no deal' approach to the currency's outlook have other strategists advocating clients sell the currency.
Andreas Steno Larsen with Nordea Markets - the Scandinavian lender and investment bank - says 'no deal' risks are "too complacently priced by markets and the GBP may suffer consequently over the coming weeks".
Larsen sees little exit from the current Brexit impasse as the EU is not willing to renegotiate, "while May still don't know what to ask for".
As is the case in negotiations, it is in the negotiator's best interest to keep intentions secret until both sides are at the negotiating table, we therefore don't share this assessment and would expect the UK to have specific requests.
UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told BBC radio on Thursday the government will take a few days to formulate proposals to put to the European Union in an attempt to resolve the issue of the Irish backstop.
"We will put those proposals together. It is going to take a few days to do that," says Hunt. "I happen to believe there is potential along all the different routes that have been discussed. But we need to put those together, make sure they meet the concerns the EU has expressed and then I think, we will have a proper discussion".
Regardless, Nordea assess the UK to be closer to a "managed 'no deal' exit", adding, "Theresa May will travel to Brussel to ask for a unicorn and will return empty-handed."
Larsen says he finds it hard to justify the current Brexit optimism and would put a larger subjective probability on the 'no deal' risk than markets do.
"Therefore, we suggest being long EUR/GBP accordingly, targeting levels of at least 0.8950," says Larsen.
A EUR/GBP target at 0.8950 equates with a Pound-Euro exchange rate target at 1.1173.
The UK will send three senior politicians to negotiate with Brussels on the issue of the Irish backstop.
That three politicians have been selected suggest negotiations won't be headed by a civil servant; previously civil servant Ollie Robbins lead the technical negotiations, taking direction from the Prime Minister.
According to a report in the Times, David Lidington, the prime minister's de facto deputy, and a former Europe minister "who is widely respected in Brussels" is expected to lead the talks. He will be supported by Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, and Geoffrey Cox, the attorney-general.
Ollie Robbins, May's chief Europe adviser who led the detailed negotiations on the withdrawal agreement, would have a less prominent role.
This shake up will likely please Brexiteers who have been highly critical of Robbins and argue a more robust political figure should be representing the UK's position at the negotiating table.
In other reports, May will meet the group of lawmakers behind an alternative Brexit proposal later on Thursday, her spokesman said.
May will be meeting with MPs behind the so-called 'Malthouse Compromise' plan. The plan, named after Kit Malthouse, appeals to 'Brexiteers' through a promise to ditch the unpopular Irish border policy in favour of an alternative.
It meanwhile appeals to 'Remainers' by pledging safeguards against the risk of disruption if no exit deal can be agreed with Brussels.
In return, Britain wants to extend current trading terms beyond the end of the 'implementation' period - utilising a clause in international trade law - if a permanent trade arrangement has not been agreed by then. May's rejected divorce deal envisages a transition, or implementation, period till the end of 2020 during which trade would continue on current terms.


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