Thursday, April 3, 2014

Executive Order -- Blocking Property of Certain Persons With Respect to South Sudan

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/03/executive-order-blocking-property-certain-persons-respect-south-sudan=

White House
Office of the Press Secretary

Executive Order -- Blocking Property of Certain Persons With Respect to South Sudan

EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -
BLOCKING PROPERTY OF CERTAIN PERSONS
WITH RESPECT TO SOUTH SUDAN
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, find that the situation in and in relation to South Sudan, which has been marked by activities that threaten the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan and the surrounding region, including widespread violence and atrocities, human rights abuses, recruitment and use of child soldiers, attacks on peacekeepers, and obstruction of humanitarian operations, poses an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat. I hereby order:
Section 1. (a) All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person (including any foreign branch) of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:
(i) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have engaged in, directly or indirectly, any of the following in or in relation to South Sudan:
(A) actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan;
(B) actions or policies that threaten transitional agreements or undermine democratic processes or institutions in South Sudan;
(C) actions or policies that have the purpose or effect of expanding or extending the conflict in South Sudan or obstructing reconciliation or peace talks or processes;
(D) the commission of human rights abuses against persons in South Sudan;
(E) the targeting of women, children, or any civilians through the commission of acts of violence (including killing, maiming, torture, or rape or other sexual violence), abduction, forced displacement, or attacks on schools, hospitals, religious sites, or locations where civilians are seeking refuge, or through conduct that would constitute a serious abuse or violation of human rights or a violation of international humanitarian law;
(F) the use or recruitment of children by armed groups or armed forces in the context of the conflict in South Sudan;
(G) the obstruction of the activities of international peacekeeping, diplomatic, or humanitarian missions in South Sudan, or of the delivery or distribution of, or access to, humanitarian assistance; or
(H) attacks against United Nations missions, international security presences, or other peacekeeping operations;
(ii) to be a leader of (A) an entity, including any government, rebel militia, or other group, that has, or whose members have, engaged in any of the activities described in subsection (a)(i) of this section or (B) an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order;
(iii) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of (A) any of the activities described in subsection (a)(i) of this section or (B) any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or
(iv) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.
(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided in this order and by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the date of this order.
Sec. 2. I hereby determine that the making of donations of the type of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to section 1 of this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with this national emergency, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order.
Sec. 3. The prohibitions in section 1 of this order include but are not limited to:
(a) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and
(b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
Sec. 4. I hereby find that the unrestricted immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens determined to meet one or more of the criteria in section 1(a) of this order would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and I hereby suspend entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of such persons. Such persons shall be treated as persons covered by section 1 of Proclamation 8693 of July 24, 2011 (Suspension of Entry of Aliens Subject to United Nations Security Council Travel Bans and International Emergency Economic Powers Act Sanctions).
Sec. 5. (a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
Sec. 6. For the purposes of this order:
(a) the term "person" means an individual or entity;
(b) the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; and
(c) the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.
Sec. 7. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing this national emergency, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1 of this order.
Sec. 8. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.
Sec. 9. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to submit the recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in the order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).
Sec. 10. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
BARACK OBAMA
 
 
 
Press Release    
   
 
For Immediate Release
April 3, 2014
 
 
 
Chairman Royce Applauds South Sudan Sanctions
 
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Administration’sExecutive Order, which grants the U.S. the ability to sanction individuals in South Sudan who have threatened the peace and security in South Sudan, or committed human rights abuses:
 
“Five months and counting and South Sudan is no closer to finding a way forward.
 
“I welcome these sanctions. I called for them in the hearing we held in January.  Imposing these sanctions when the fighting was at its height could have been more impactful, but it’s better late than never.
 
“We need to strongly convey to both sides – the government and the opposition – that their actions to undermine peace do have consequences. When deciding who to sanction, the Administration should consider all actors, regardless of any past relationships.”
 
Note: Earlier this year, Chairman Royce held a hearing to examine the turmoil in South Sudan.  The hearing, entitled “South Sudan’s Broken Promise?,” followed a letter sent from Chairman Royce and other Congressional leaders to the South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit to express their deep concern about the growing ethnic violence and deteriorating security situation there.  
 
###
 
 

 

Monday, March 31, 2014

Jamaica needs waste-disposal policy - ODPEM

                       
Jamaica Gleaner Company
 

Jamaica needs waste-disposal policy - ODPEM

Published: Monday | March 31, 2014
Petre Williams-Raynor, Contributing Editor THE OFFICE of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has pointed to the need for a comprehensive waste-disposal policy for the island, following the most recent fire at the problem-plagued Riverton City dump in the capital.

Acting Director General Richard Thompson said the policy would address the development of properly engineered landfills for the island's major towns as well as "recycling, garbage separation, management of the landfills and a public education campaign around waste management".

"Other aspects of waste management, including the extraction of methane that comes about from the natural breakdown of waste, especially your kitchen waste, would also be covered," he told The Gleaner.

Riverton fire

The most recent fire at Riverton has attracted the ire of environmental advocates who insist it is past time that a solution to Riverton - and Jamaica's solid waste disposal challenges generally - is found.
"The situation should not revert to business as usual once the fire is out. The three government ministries with oversight responsibility for solid waste management - health, local government and environment - must ensure that urgent steps are taken to bring the Riverton dump into compliance with our environmental laws and the recent permits issued by the National Environment and Planning Agency," the Jamaica Environment Trust said in a March 20 press release.

The most recent fire — which cost an estimated $30 million to douse — started on March 16 and affected five acres of land at the site.

It also prompted renewed concerns for the health of residents of the Kingston Metropolitan Area due to compromised air quality and Jamaica's decades-old struggle with waste management islandwide.
"In looking at the present situation [at Riverton], it is difficult to manage. You are talking about over 100 acres of land, it is unfenced so now you have a security concern and you get any and everyone coming on the disposal site," Thompson noted.

Access control

Immediate next steps, he suggested, ought to include ramping up controls at the site to ensure that only authorised individuals have access and prescribe what they have access to, even as the island moves toward the development of the policy.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Noel Arscott, for his part, said a policy without regulations would be toothless.

"The draft regulations to deal with how we deal with garbage are with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel. I don't want to enunciate a policy that cannot be implemented because of a lack of regulation to enforce it," he told The Gleaner last week.

At the same time, Arscott suggested that current priorities rest with recycling and waste to energy.
"The general direction, having consulted numerous entities, is really to utilise the recycling," he said. "As our energy bill soars as a per cent of our economy ... we are aggressively pursuing waste-to-energy initiatives that will deal with the way we deal with garbage."

"We are in serious negotiations with a number of parties to do a waste-to-energy facility, both at Riverton and Retirement," the minister added.

The expectation, he said, is that an agreement will be reached by year end.

Meanwhile, concerning Riverton and other disposal sites, Arscott said: "We have in fact now, as we speak, a amount of initiatives of garbage separation which should reduce the amount of stuff going to the disposal sites."
pwr.gleaner@gmail.com

Sunday, March 30, 2014

$128 Million. HUD Disaster Recovery Funding For Chicago Area

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2014
Quinn, Durbin, Emanuel Announce More than $128 Million in HUD Disaster Recovery Funding For Chicago Area

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD) has awarded a total of $128,300,000 in funding through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program to communities in the Chicago area for recovery efforts following severe storms and flooding that began on April 18, 2013. This funding was made available through the fiscal year 2013 Sandy Supplemental Appropriations Bill, passed by Congress last year.

“Families throughout Illinois who were inundated by last year’s record floods are still rebuilding and recovering,” said Quinn. “This critical funding will help hundreds of families throughout the Chicago area get back on their feet. I thank President Obama, Senator Durbin and all of the Illinois federal representatives who worked to line up this vital assistance to families who need it.”
“Last April’s severe storms caused some of the worst flooding that I have ever seen in the Chicago area and surrounding counties, and forced hundreds of families to leave their homes,” said Durbin. “In the year since those storms hit, communities throughout the Chicago area have worked hard to recover. This funding will help in those efforts, and is especially critical for those families that lost their homes and are working hard to rebuild their lives.”

“The significant flooding that hit our area last Spring caused extensive disruption and damage to homes and residential areas,” said Emanuel. “This much needed funding will help Chicagoans repair what has been damaged so they can rebuild and move on with their lives.”

Under this announcement, the following communities will receive funding:
  • Cook County, Illinois: $54.9 million dollars;
  • City of Chicago, Illinois: $47.7 million dollars;
  • DuPage County, Illinois: $18.9 million dollars; and
  • State of Illinois: $6.8 million dollars.
HUD's CDBG-Disaster Recovery grant program benefits communities that have experienced a natural disaster. The program is intended to address housing, business and infrastructure needs that have not been met by other forms of public and private assistance, including disaster recovery funding provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA). For more information on the program, please visit: CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Rice Award. Deadline: March 31, 2014


 

The Andrew E. Rice Award for Leadership and Innovation by a Young Professional in International Development recognizes the achievements of an exceptional young professional working in the field of international development.
 
The recipient of this award will demonstrate leadership and innovation, as well as tremendous promise for advancement in the field of international development. The selected winner will also recognize the importance of international development as a means of service to those who are most in need and will work toward sustainable, people-centered development.

The Rice Award will be presented to the awardee at the Society for International Development Washington, D.C., chapter’s annual conference on May 20, 2014, in Washington, D.C. The award consists of an inscribed plaque recognizing the awardee, a prize in the amount of $1,000, a one-year, honorary membership to SID-Washington and the opportunity to present their work at an upcoming SID-Washington event.

Application and all supporting materials must be received by Monday, March 31.


For more information on the application process, please click here.


If you have further questions, please contact Elizabeth Healy at 202-331-1317 orriceaward@sidw.org.

Situational Awareness: Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever in Guinea. March 2014




Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever in Guinea

(Situation as of 25 March 2014)
 
25 March 2014 - The Ministry of Health (MoH) of Guinea has notified WHO of a rapidly evolving outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in forested areas south eastern Guinea. The cases have been reported in Guekedou, Macenta, and Kissidougou districts. As of 25 March 2014, a total of 86 suspected cases including 60 deaths (case fatality ratio: 69.7%) had been reported. Four health care workers are among the victims. Reports of suspected cases in border areas of Liberia and Sierra Leone are being investigated.

Thirteen of the cases have tested positive for Ebola virus by PCR (six at the Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI) in Lyon, France, and seven at the Institut Pasteur Dakar, Senegal), confirming the first Ebola haemorrhagic fever outbreak in Guinea. Results from sequencing done by CIRI Lyon showed strongest homology of 98% with Zaire Ebolavirus last reported in 2009 in Kasai-Occidental Province of DR Congo. This Ebolavirus species has been associated with high mortality rates during previous outbreaks.

The MOH together with WHO and other partners are implementing measures to control the outbreak and prevent further spread. The MoH has activated the national, provincial and district emergency management committees to coordinate response. The MoH has also advised the public to take measures to avert the spread of the disease and to report any suspected cases.

Multidisciplinary teams have been deployed to the field to strengthen surveillance, sensitize and educate the public, manage case and implement appropriate infection prevention and control measures in health facilities and communities affected. The MOH and MSF have established isolation facilities in Guéckédou district, and plans are underway to establish an additional isolation ward in Macenta district.

The Emerging and Dangerous Pathogens Laboratory Network (EDPLN) is working with the Guinean VHF Laboratory in Donka, the Institut Pasteur in Lyon, the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, and the Kenema Lassa fever laboratory in Sierra Leone to make available appropriate Filovirus diagnostic capacity in Guinea and Sierra Leone. Additional laboratory capacity is being established with the deployment of mobile laboratories supported by international partners.

WHO and other partners are deploying additional experts to provide support to the Ministry. The necessary supplies and logistics required for supportive management of patients and all aspects of outbreak control are also being mobilized. The MOH is also preparing a request to the African Public Health Emergency Fund (APHEF) as well as to other potential donors to support outbreak response. APHEF supports timely deployment of rapid response teams during outbreaks and emergencies, and procurement and prepositioning of epidemic and emergency response supplies.

WHO does not recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Guinea in respect to this event.



ebola-guinea-25032014
icon Dashboard: Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever in Guinea ( Situation as of 25 March 2014) (546.67 kB)

Free...2014 NIMHD Translational Health Disparities Course. August 11-22, 2014. NIH, Bethesda, MD.

2014 NIMHD Translational Health Disparities Course

Integrating Principles of Science, Practice and Policy in Health Disparities Research

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) will again host a course on the science of health disparities this summer. The course will take place on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, from August 11, 2014 to August 22, 2014.

This two-week intensive course will provide specialized instruction on the concepts, principles, methods, and applications of health disparities science, practice, and policy. It will also integrate principles and practice of community engagement. Nationally and internationally recognized experts in health disparities science will lead individual sessions.

Cost: The course is free, but admission is competitive and daily attendance is mandatory. Participants are responsible for transportation, room and board.

How to Apply: Submit an application via the NIMHD website at www.nimhd.nih.gov from April 14, 2014 to May 22, 2014. Applications will only be accepted online.
 
All application materials, including recommendation letters, must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. EST on May 22, 2014 for consideration. 

Application Information: The following comprises the application packet:

Completed online application must include:

·        Relevant professional experience (250 word limit);
·        Educational history including honors and awards (250 word limit);
·        Essay describing interest in the course and how it will contribute to work/future career goals in the area of health disparities (350 word limit); and
·        Letter of recommendation addressing in concrete and specific terms strengths, personal qualities, and relevance of course for career trajectory (350 word limit). 

**Once the applicant submits the application, it will generate an automatic e-mail to the applicant’s reference, requesting a recommendation. An application is not complete until the reference submits the letter of recommendation.
 

Course Information

• Applicants will be notified if they have been accepted, waitlisted, or rejected by June 25, 2014.
• The course overview and syllabus will be on the NIMHD website by mid-April.

Course Contact
• For additional information, contact the course planning committee at NIMHDHealthDC@mail.nih.gov

Thursday, March 27, 2014

$10,000.00. BMe begins accepting nominations for its 2014 "BMe Leadership Awards"

Wanted:  
10 Black Men in Detroit, 10 in Baltimore and 10 in Philadelphia to Earn $10,000 Each for Doing What Good Black Men Do
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BMe COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN IN DETROIT, BALTIMORE AND PHILADELPHIA 


March, 20, 2014 

Today BMe begins accepting nominations for its 2014 "BMe Leadership Awards" which are presented to inspired black men in Philadelphia, Detroit and Baltimore who are committed to helping others and improving their community.

The BMe Leadership Award was created to recognize the many ways that black men are assets to communities. It rewards and celebrates everyday black men whose meaningful contributions are often overlooked.

In each city, 10 BMe Leadership Award earners, called 'BMe Leaders' will receive public recognition, a $10,000 grant to apply toward their community work and the opportunity to be networked with other black men like them. BMe promotes BMe Leaders as examples of inspired black men locally and nationally.

"We all personally know men like these - our fathers, co-workers, mentors and friends," says Trabian Shorters, BMe's founding CEO. "Here's a chance to honor them because their contributions are so often overlooked. Everyone nominated will have a chance to be recognized."

Nominees, as well as their nominators of any race or sex, benefit from gaining access to the BMe Community, its news, web tools and local community-building events.

Nominees must be at least 18 years old and their contributions to the community must benefit those in their respective cities of Detroit, Baltimore or Philadelphia. Since 2012, BMe has presented 70 Leadership Awards to black men who continue to make a significant and lasting impact on their neighbors and city. 

On April 7th nominees will be asked to submit a short application detailing what they would do with the $10,000 grant if selected.

Click Here to Nominate a Good Black Man in Detroit, Baltimore andPhiladelphia to Become A BMeFellow



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Washington, D.C.  20020
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Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.   Tom Peters
…….The search is on.


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