Brazil to 'Write Off' $900M in African Debt

http://www.theroot.com/buzz/brazil-write-900m-african-debt?wpisrc=root_more_news

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• By: Hillary Crosley | Posted: May 26, 2013 at 11:55 AM

 

Brazilian President Rousseff at the 50th anniversary of the African Union in Ethiopia (Simon Maina/AFP/Getty)

At the recent African Union summit in Ethiopia, Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff announced that she would write off or restructure $900 million in African debt to her country. BBC News reports that Rousseff hopes this move will further open business deals between Brazil and the resource-rich continent.

Congo-Brazzaville owes the most to Brazil - $352m - followed by Tanzania ($237m) and Zambia ($113.4m).

Some Brazilian companies have already negotiated deals in Africa, but not without controversy. 

Last month, hundreds of protesters in Mozambique blocked the entrance to a Brazilian coal mine in a row over a compensation deal agreed after they were displaced.

Human Rights Watch, a rights group, said farming communities had been resettled on arid lands and had suffered food shortages.

The Brazilian giant Vale, which owns the mine, and the government of Mozambique said improvements were being made.

United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR): Geneva, 22 May 2013. Support to disaster-proof schools and hospitals at Global Platform

Government ministers call for support to disaster-proof schools and hospitals at Global Platform

GENEVA, 22 May 2013 - Representatives from 35 governments who met with business executives and senior experts at the 4th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, have issued a call "to develop nationally agreed standards for hazard risk assessments especially of critical infrastructure (including schools, health centers, electricity and water supply systems, nodal ITC centres, road and transport systems) by 2015."

The call comes in a communique made public today by the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, following a High-Level Meeting which took place yesterday in the wake of revelations from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction that economic losses from disasters are in the range of

$2.5 trillion so far this century. The High-Level Dialogue was moderated by Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, said: "Who can forget the shocking fact that 97% of the schools in Port-au-Prince collapsed in the

2010 earthquake? It is of huge concern that the lives and education of millions of children living in seismic zones and flood plains around the world are at risk. Over the last ten years, earthquakes and tsunamis have killed almost 700,000 people, the majority of them children. Economic losses are also a deep concern.

"We have agreed today to support a global safe schools and safe health structures campaign in disaster-prone areas with voluntary funding and commitments to be announced at the World Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction in 2015. From national level data collected from governments by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction we know that thousands of schools and health centres are damaged or destroyed in disasters each year. Hazard risk assessments are essential before investing in critical infrastructure which can lead to loss of lives if not disaster-proof."

Martin Dahinden, Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and Chair of the Global Platform, said: "We believe that disaster risk reduction is essential to global efforts at poverty reduction and to achieve sustainable development. We have agreed to advocate for disaster risk reduction and the building of resilience to be a central part of the post-2015 development agenda together with mitigation and adaptation to climate change. All of which will be supported by a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction when the current Hyogo Framework for Action comes to a conclusion."

In addition to a campaign to start a global safe schools and safe health structures campaign in disaster-prone areas, the High-Level communiqué called on the private sector to integrate disaster risk in its risk management practices and for collaboration between the public and private sectors at local and national levels in risk management.

The following 35 countries were represented at the High-Level Dialogue:

Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, China, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Gabon, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Maldives, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.

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Download the High Level Communique here:

http://www.preventionweb.net/globalplatform/2013/news/view/33281

Read online: http://goo.gl/a1siF

November 1, 2007,” Pipeline Accident Report NTSB/PAR-09/01, October 14, 2009.

http://community.fema.gov/connect.ti/readynpm/view?objectid=84747

NEW EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT LESSON LEARNED: MISSISSIPPI PIPELINE RUPTURE

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Terry Hardy 2 days ago   Reply

On November 1, 2007, a 12-inch-diameter liquid propane pipeline segment operated by Dixie Pipeline Company ruptured near Carmichael, Mississippi. It is estimated that about 430,000 gallons of propane was released. The resulting gas cloud drifted over a nearby residential area and ignited. Two people were killed, seven were injured, and four houses were destroyed in the explosion. The property damage exceeded $3.3 million. The NTSB found in its investigation that the rupture was caused by a failure in a weld that caused the pipe to fracture along the longitudinal seam weld, a portion of the upstream girth weld, and portions of the adjacent pipe joints. The NTSB also stated in its investigation that Dixie Pipeline Company’s oversight and evaluation of the effectiveness of its public education programs were inadequate. Dixie Pipeline Company distributed safety literature to stakeholders as part of its public awareness program. However, the company found after the accident that 10 addresses in this rural area were missing from the list used to distribute the safety data. This safety data described the pipeline hazards and what residents should do in case of an emergency. These ten addresses included the houses of two residents who were killed and other houses that were destroyed. In addition, the NTSB stated that Dixie relied on a contractor to perform the mailings, and did not assess the effectiveness of its awareness program. Dixie did not conduct surveys to find out if the customers received the mailings or whether they understood the guidance. The NTSB also stated that 911 operators were not invited to be part of the company’s outreach program for emergency responders. As a result, these 911 operators may not have had the proper training to recognize the hazards associated with a large release of propane, and therefore they were unaware of the actions to take in an emergency of this magnitude. Although it did not affect this emergency, the NTSB also noted that a radio signal repeater for the fire department, the primary radio system for the county dispatch, was not working. Communications cables of the radio signal repeater had been inadvertently disconnected during routine housekeeping. Following the accident the county implemented regular tests of the communications equipment.

Lessons Learned: Training is certainly much easier to conduct if it is limited to the personnel in one organization. However, real emergencies often involve personnel from multiple organizations including fire departments, police departments, emergency dispatch units, and so on. A failure to include these personnel in training could result in an ineffective and inappropriate response to a disaster.

U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, “Rupture of Hazardous Liquid Pipeline With Release and Ignition of Propane, Carmichael, Mississippi, November 1, 2007,” Pipeline Accident Report NTSB/PAR-09/01, October 14, 2009.

Posse Foundation Scholarship

Hello juniors,
If you are interested in attending one of the following schools next year, please take a look at the guidelines for the Posse Foundation Scholarship.

• Bucknell University
• Grinnell University
• Lafayette College
• Sewanee: The University of the South
• University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Posse Foundation Scholarship is a full tuition scholarship to one of the above schools. The following are the criteria:

1. Be high school seniors in the fall of 2013

2. Demonstrate extraordinary leadership within their high school, community, or family.

3. Excel academically and have strong GPAs. Although there is no minimum requirement, only nominees who have consistently progressed toward academic excellence will be given the opportunity to be a Posse Scholar. While the ACT or SAT are not a focus of Posse’s evaluation, students should take them. The Posse Program is open to students of all backgrounds.


More information on the program can be found on: http://www.possefoundation.org/.

Thank you,
Ms. Burke

Attachments:
PosseNominationForm.pdf

K-12 Level STEM2 Education: Male African American Students and others Worldwide

NASA-Science Technology Engineering Math and Medicine (STEM2) for Male African American Students and others Worldwide

by Andrew Williams Jr (Notes) on Friday, May 17, 2013 at 5:29pm

Dr. Joe W. Conner, JWC/DS, and Mr. George Sun, United Lenton, Inc., are announcing plans to establish ten (10) Ocean and GIS/GPS Consortia in Southern California and beyond.

JWC/DS has received a preliminary agreement with a school district which is the first institution to share our desire for improving science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEM2) training - with a strong GIS/GPS component. The district is also the first systemwilling to take advantage of our ability to develop a strong financial base from individual households (i.e. $12.5+ million operational fund per hub). 

Collaborators with diverse service and skills sets have agreed to assist our district client as needed. A sample of our collaborators is attached. Resumes and documents detailing collaborations are available upon request.

PROJECT STRUCTURE -The project will focus on two broad themes:

1. We will use NASA Enterprises to spinoff ways to launch the spirit of discovery in K-12 young scholars, siblings and parents;
2. We will use GIS/GPS and related technologies to reveal how STEM2 professionals collect, analyze, and manage data.  The introduced technologies are used by ESRI and National Instruments.

                Each broad hub can bring additional domestic and international opportunities to the schools and homes of each K-12 student. The consultative efforts will locate willing prospective donors who embrace the goals established by the district. Our financial goal is to raise $10+ million for each themed hub that will allow the districtflexible options for projects and the starting of an endowment(s).

Contact

Dr. Joe W. Conner

JWC Development Systems

P.O. BOX 1515, Costa Mesa, CA 92628

Tel: 626.664.2958   Fax: 714.540.5875

E-Mail: jwconner@jwcds.com 

Created: 4-26-13 jwc

Revised: 5-6-13 db

Revised: 5-11-13 jwc

SERVICE COLLABORATIONS

Service: Workshop(s) for African-American fifth grade males

These interactive and multimedia workshows how much fun young men can have with a Ph.D.in STEM2 (science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine) fields of study. Dr. Joe will show actual marine biology and outreach field trip video and slides from California to across USA and West Africa. Students will show how they, their family members and teachers can start fun activities that match science standards, develop community resource contacts locally and beyond.The workshops can be held from one to three days with follow-up activities to establish human and financial resources.                

Fee Schedule: Available Upon Request

Service Region: State, National, International. Please specify: National and International

Contact: Joe W. Conner, Ph.D.                         Title: Senior Manager/Founder

Phone: 626.664.2958                                         Email: jwconner@jwcds.com

Fax: 714.540.5875                                             Skype: joe.conner27

Address: P.O.BOX 1515                                     City: Costa Mesa                                State: CA              Zip: 92628

Additional Comments:  Workshops are inclusive and can be tailored to meet any STEM2 organizational objects and/or target groups.

Service: RETINA (Robotics Exploration Technologies in Astrobiology)

The RETINA Program blends formal classroom instructional activities with hands-on skill development in a team-based setting conducted by the teacher and guided by national science standards. Activities are chosen carefully with the intention of integrating technology under the umbrella of a scientific process and are designed to provide consistency and a continuum of difficulty among the grades. Given the breadth of potential science and engineering topics that excite children, the RETINA Program focuses on interactive participation in the design and development of simple robotic and sensor systems, providing a range of challenges to engage all students through project-based learning (PBL). Modules are framed in science and follow accepted engineering practices. Grade-specific scientific umbrellas were chosen based on national science standards and ongoing cutting-edge research and/or technology.  Modules progress from simple activities such as making an object neutrally buoyant to writing computer code to maneuver rovers. These modules expose students to the broad range of engineering fields and the engineering processes through problem solving, creativity, and collaboration, using science as the “customer”.                               

Fee Schedule: Available Upon Request

Service Region: State, National, International. Please specify:California and National

Contact:  Dr. Geoff Wheat                                                Title: Professor

Phone: 831.633.7033                                         Email: wheat@mbari.org

Fax: N/A                                                               Skype: N/A

Address: P.O. Box 475                                       City: Moss Landing            State: CA              Zip: 95039

Additional Comments: One of the creators of C-DEBI (Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations) a NSF funded deep ocean research consortium administrated by the University of Southern California.

SERVICE COLLABORATIONS

Service: International EducationCollaboration Works

Definition: International EducationCollaboration Works to build bridges or use structures designed and built by others to facilitate exchanges.

Increasing Important Educational Innovations: The rapid emergence of new and respected higher education institutions in countries like: China, Taiwan, Korea, etc. could well lead to more choices among domestic and foreign students to study locally or in other countries.

The Information and Communications Technology: GIS/GPS and Cloud Computing technology will be the backbone of higher education or youth succeed better if they start learning the benefits of spirited collaboration in terms of developing leading-edge infrastructures.

Services: (Sample)

(1) “Become A Sister's Schools”: Under the International  Education Collaboration Plans,  Including Cultural Exchanges, Youth Ambassador Programs, Home Stay Exchange Programs.

(2) For Both Youth and Adult Students: Includes information and communication technology, musical performances, art exhibits, international cultural festivals, media, film festivals, and teacher exchanges.

(3) The Summer Programs (Summer Camps): Run summer camps for teens, older Kids, siblings and parents.

Fee Schedule:  Available Upon Request

Service Region: State, National, International. Please Specify: State, National,  and International.

Contact:  George Sun                                         Title:  President

Phone: (626)447-5119                                       Email: gsun1888@yahoo.com

Fax:  (626)447-6307                                          Skype: N/A

Address:  5917 Oak Ave.  Suite 250              City:  Temple City    State: Ca.      Zip:  91780

Additional Comments: Senior Asian Liaison for JWC/DS.

Service: STEM2 Saturday Academy Program

The Metropolitan Saturday Academy Science and Technology Programs (MSA) is a scientific and educational enrichment organization designed to create student interest in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEM2) at the elementary and middle school levels.  Since 1997, MSA has provided creative learning experiences in nontraditional formats, inspired by “NASA Underground Railroad: Connections to Freedom and Science”.  In MSA students use “hands on” activities developed by experts in STEM2fields. Students go on field trips to NASA Centers and universities across America. Our educational enrichment activities meet national education standards.  Students develop and present science projects under the guidance and direction of science and math teachers.  Research opportunities are offered to expand students’ understanding of scientific and mathematical concepts.  The program is conducted on Saturdays from December to June or during and/or after school. The major goal is to develop a cadre of multicultural youth in STEM2 fields. We strengthen each student’s educational skills, improve his/her academic achievement, provide a school-to-career focus, introduce and/or increase exposure to colleges and universities, and enhance problem-solving, critical thinking, skills in analytic, communication, presentation, leadership and interpersonal talents.

Fee Schedule:  Available Upon Request

Service Region: State, National International.  Please specify:  National and International

Contact:  Lynda Sampson                               Title:  President and CEO

Phone:  301.642.5566                                      Email:  saturdayacademy1997@yahoo.com

Fax:  301.574.0175                                          Skype: N/A

Address:  1455 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 300      City:  Washington      State:  DC       Zip:  20004

Additional Comments:  The STEM2 Saturday Academy Program is inclusive.MSA’s techniques and programs are transferable. 

Revised: 5-11-13 jwc