Black Panther vs 1915’s Birth of a Nation

Marvel's Black Panther and Our Beautiful Black Future Happy Tuesday, CHN friends! Did you see Black Panther?!?! We did!  What a movie! Black Panther has the potential to be as consequential a film as 1915’s Birth of a Nation. Just as that film wrote the cinematic narrative for the relentless portrayal of Black people as sub-human, Black Panther has opened the door to a new narrative that portrays Black people as fully human beings. With a cast of extraordinarily beautiful Black women and men from across the African Diaspora delivering magnificent performances, and a script that is thought-provoking, funny, and inspiring, with many lines that really hit the spot for us as Black people, Black Panther is a fantastic movie. Can we just take a moment to appreciate all these beautiful Black actors. I am blinded by the beauty, where are my SHADES?!?!" Black Panther has set the stage for a new era in film history--one in which Black people might routinely create movies that show Black life and culture in all its richness and complexity. For that, the film’s producers, writers, director, and actors deserve the deepest thanks of all Black people. In the words of Marcus Garvey: In one fell swoop, Black Panther gives us a glimpse of both that history and that future. It invites us to think about the possibilities of creating a Wakanda-like existence for ourselves and our children. The movie creates a beautiful world for Black people to inhabit—a world that helps us imagine what our lives as Africans could have been had it not been for the great European disruption of nearly 600 years ago. Black Panther makes us long for that world and may, in so doing, encourage us to do the long-overdue work necessary to empower us to create that world.   Garvey said that in order to create the beautiful future that is our destiny, we must “emancipate ourselves from mental slavery.” We must free ourselves from the poisonous lie that Whiteness is superior to Blackness. The urgent question implicit in Black Panther is this: Why is it that the fictional world of Wakanda stands alone as a symbol of Black preeminence, and why is it that in this real world that we live in today, there is no Black country like Wakanda? This is no accident. For nearly 600 years, we Black people have been living our lives according to a narrative written for us by Europeans to serve their economic interests. In their narrative, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, everything Black is “ugly and evil,” and everything White is “pure, high and clean.” This narrative is grounded in the lies of White superiority and Black inferiority and was created to justify the enslavement of African people and the economic exploitation of Africa, the richest continent on the face of the earth. The European narrative created a hierarchy of humanity with White people at the top and Black people at the bottom and sometimes even outside of the circle of humanity. These lies convinced the world that nothing good comes out of Africa and that Black people are not as beautiful, intelligent, lovable, capable, worthy or valuable as White people. These lies objectified, commodified, and dehumanized people of African ancestry. As a result, for almost a millennium, all over the world, the advantages conferred by “Whiteness” and the disadvantages imposed by “Blackness” have been multiplying. This is why, all around the world, Black communities are under-developed and Black lives do not matter as much as White lives. Once we see how this narrative, grounded in lies, has been shaping our lives, we can begin the intentional and systematic work of rejecting it, in favor a narrative that we write for ourselves—a narrative grounded in the truth of our dignity and humanity as people of African ancestry. Racism against Black people stands on a foundation built by the lies of White superiority and Black inferiority. The characters in Black Panther evince no sense of being inferior to anyone. That is a big part of what makes it such a beautiful movie. It is also what could make it a great impetus for what the global Black community needs most right now: a movement for emotional emancipation, a movement to free all people of African ancestry from the lies –once and for all.  Join Community Healing Network in creating a Wakanda-like world in which Black people are free not only in body, but also in mind and spirit-- a world in which Black people everywhere have moved beyond surviving to flourishing. Let us know what you think! Tune in every tuesday for Let’s Talk Tuesdays.   -Enola G. Aird, Founder and President Connect with us Check us out at Communityhealingnet.org

Exemption from State Taxes. Veterans. State of Maryland Bill 312, House Bill 362 Feb 21, 2018

Fellow Veteran, 

Would you like to have 100% of your uniformed service retirement income exempt from Maryland state income tax? If you answered YES, we need your help!

Please attend the legislative hearings for Maryland Senate Bill 312 and House Bill 362 in Annapolis next week, on Wednesday, February 21^st, beginning at 1:00 PM. The legislation, submitted by Governor Hogan, exempts $15,000 in 2018, 75% in 2019, and 100% in 2020.

We need for you to either testify or to help us make a show of force in the hearing room.� I am coordinating with Secretary of Veterans Affairs George Owings. �Our panel(s) and crowd will travel from one hearing room to the other with him.� It worked well last year to tell a coordinated story, so please let me know the gist of your testimony; it will enable me to create the most effective panel(s) possible.

We will have a conference call on Monday, February 19^th, at 7:00 PM to provide details about what to expect on Wednesday. The detail information will also be sent by email to those who have asked for it. Please send me an email prior to 5:30 PM on Monday, February 19^th, to receive the conference call dial-in information.

OTHER THINGS TO DO:

1. Forward this message to every retiree (and every soon to be retiree) you know who is a Maryland resident.

2. Forward this message to the president of any veteran or military-related organizations that you belong to and ask them to help us get people out for the Feb 21st hearings.

3. Wear a hat or other clothing item denoting your military affiliation when attending the hearings.� Please do not wear your uniform.

4. Organize car pools, van pools, or charter buses to come to Annapolis for the hearings.� Free limited parking is available at the USNA; it is just a short walk from the Academy to the State House and Senate buildings. http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/govbldg.html

5. Contact your State Senators and members of the House of Delegates to support HB 362 and SB 312.

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmmain.aspx?pid=legisrpage

Regards,

Annie S. Brock

Legislative Liaison

FEBRUARY 14, 2018 U.S. Energy Department forming cyber protection unit for power grids

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-energy-cyber/u-s-energy-department-forming-cyber-protection-unit-for-power-grids-idUSKCN1FY29C?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social

CYBER RISK

FEBRUARY 14, 2018 / 10:22 AM / 6 DAYS AGO

U.S. Energy Department forming cyber protection unit for power grids

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said on Wednesday it is establishing an office to protect the nation’s power grid and other infrastructure against cyber attacks and natural disasters.

President Donald Trump’s budget proposal unveiled this week included $96 million in funding for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry said the DOE “plays a vital role in protecting our nation’s energy infrastructure from cyber threats, physical attack and natural disaster, and as secretary, I have no higher priority.”

Last July, the DOE helped U.S. firms defend against a hacking campaign that targeted power companies including at least one nuclear plant. The agency said that the attacks did not have an impact on electricity generation or the grid, and that any impact appeared to be limited to administrative and business networks.

The previous month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had issued an alert to industrial companies, warning that for months hackers had targeted nuclear reactors and other power industry infrastructure, using tainted emails to harvest credentials and gain access to networks.

In some cases hackers succeeded in compromising the networks of their targets, but the report did not identify specific victims.

Nuclear power experts, such as Dave Lochbaum at the Union of Concerned Scientists nonprofit group, have said reactors have a certain amount of immunity from cyber attacks because their operation systems are separate from digital business networks. But over time it would not be impossible for hackers to potentially do harm, he said.

Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Event: Feb 23, 2018. Black History Month. African American Leaders in the White House: Education, Business and Policy.

Register Now to Join us in Celebrating 2018 Black History Month

Minority Business Development Agency sent this bulletin at 02/16/2018 10:01 AM EST

Register at:  www.mbda.gov/blackhistorymonth

Nature Heals Itself. Dominica, An Island Reborn.

What is a disaster, an emergency, a crisis?

Questions that we as emergency and crisis managers must face daily, especially when asked by our future leaders, our children.  I believe in keeping it as simple as possible, or 'KISS' (keep it simple, stupid) for the average layperson.  Nothing fancy, nothing unique.

A disaster, emergency, or crisis is any event that affects or is caused by humans.

Dominica will recover from the 2017 Hurricanes.  Nature shall heal itself, humans must rebuild better shelters or homes to weather the next storm for highest hurricane category level to survive. 

Please review the short video narritve 'Dominica - An Island Reborn' at the Caribbean Today websites:  http://today.caricom.org/   

Charles D. Sharp
CEO
BEMA International

PAID Internship Opportunities (5). D.C. HSEMA. Deadline: April 29, 2018

APPLY.  DO IT!  Advise a relative or friend to ‘Just Do It’!

For other cities check for intern positions in emergency management, and resiliency offices. 

You just may make that change needed.

Charles D. Sharp.  CEO BEMA International

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

HOMELAND SECURITY & EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

The District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) manages and coordinates the District’s unified prevention, protection, response, mitigation, and recovery efforts for all disasters, whether natural or man-made, that occur in the City. The HSEMA is an industry leader having developed a flagship District Preparedness System (DPS) which serves a model across the nation. The DPS is the cornerstone of the District’s preparedness activities designed to achieve our shared goal: the safety and resilience of our City. As an intern you will have the opportunity to support the DPS by developing products and working within a dynamic environment during real world incidents and planned events.

HSEMA is looking for highly-skilled and motivated undergraduate and graduate students that are interested in the homeland security and emergency management field to learn how to apply homeland security and emergency management practices to protect life, property, and the environment. In particular, HSEMA is looking for students interested in or majoring in the following fields:

·        Emergency Management/Homeland Security

·        Applied Mathematics

·        Applied Statistics

·        Governmental Affairs

·        Information Technology/Computer Science

·        Business/Public Administration/Policy

·        Public Communication/Relations

·        Urban Planning

·        Adult Education/ Curriculum Development/ Instructional Design

1.     Information Technology Bureau

Paid Internship Opportunity – Information Technology Bureau Duration of Internship: May 21, 2018- August 10, 2018 Compensation: Stipend Position With: Information Technology (IT) Bureau Description of Opportunity The Information Technology (IT) Bureau is the technology support service of HSEMA. The agency uses a variety of technologies including computer systems, radio and telecommunications, closed circuit television, other audiovisual systems, and mobile command vehicles. Successful candidates will be part of an experienced team of IT Professionals and will provide assistance in various functions of the IT department working with the lead IT specialist on ad-hoc research requests, troubleshooting, asset management and mapping within the agency. Qualifications A) Demonstrated interest in emergency management and homeland security issues B) Excellent organizational skills C) Demonstrated problem-solving skills D) Must be a highly motivated self-starter E) Command of Microsoft Office Suite

2.    Mission Support Division

Paid Internship Opportunity – Mission Support Division Duration of Internship: May 21, 2018- August 10, 2018 Compensation: Stipend Position With: Mission Support Division Description of Opportunity A. Assist with the development of HSEMA’s Finance and Human Resources Bureaus Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) B. Assist with the development of Finance and Administrative training curriculum and materials C. Assist with audits as needed Qualifications A. Demonstrated interest in budget, finance and/or human resources within the public sector B. Excellent written and oral communication skills C. Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

3.    Operations Division

Paid Internship Opportunity – Operations Division Duration of Internship: May 21, 2018- August 10, 2018 Compensation: Stipend Position With: Operations Division Description of Opportunity The Operations Division maintains situational awareness, coordinates emergency response by providing logistical and resource support, disseminates emergency notifications to internal response agencies and the pubic and participates in field operations to coordinate incident response, mitigation, and recovery support for District and Federal agencies during special events. Manages the citywide Joint All-Hazards Operation Center (JAHOC). Successful candidates will be asked to complete a series of tasks over the course of their internship as defined by the Chief of Operations. Emergency Management related training will be provided as well as guidance and mentorship opportunities.” Qualifications A. Demonstrated interest in emergency management B. Strong written and oral communications skills C. Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

4.    Policy and Legislative Affairs Bureau

Paid Internship Opportunity – Policy and Legislative Affairs Bureau Duration of Internship: May 21, 2018 – August 10, 2018 Compensation: Stipend Position With: Policy and Legislative Affairs Bureau Description of Opportunity The Policy and Legislative Affairs Bureau develops agency policies and procedures, provides administrative support to the Homeland Security Commission, and provides legislative guidance and expertise. Successful candidates will research laws and policies and assist with drafting policies for internal agency purposes. Additional tasks as assigned may include assisting the Bureau with research on emergency preparedness best practices, upcoming legislative issues, and other duties as required. Qualifications A. Those with prior policy writing experience are preferred; an interest in policy writing is required B. Excellent written and oral communications skills required (must be able to speak to communicate specific, sometimes complex ideas to both supervisors and District constituents) C. Close attention to detail D. Interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with a team E. Ability to take excellent meeting notes and strong editing and proofreading skills F. Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint G. Demonstrated interest in emergency management and homeland security issues is preferred but not required

5.    Preparedness Division

Paid Internship Opportunity – Preparedness Division Duration of Internship: May 21, 2018- August 10, 2018 Compensation: Stipend Position: Internship with the Preparedness Division (PD) Description of Opportunity: The Preparedness Division facilitates a systematic process that promotes a “whole-community’’ approach to all-hazards preparedness planning in the District. This primarily involves instituting and maintaining standardized systems that support the actions required to develop strategic, operational, and tactical plans that address all-hazard within the prevention/ protection, response, recovery, and mitigation mission areas. Successful candidates will be part of an experienced team of homeland security and emergency management professionals who are committed to promoting resiliency in government agencies, our communities, and critical infrastructure. As part of their assigned tasks, selected interns will conduct research; collect, collate, edit, audit, and analyze data; conduct queries and generate reports; develop, review, socialize, and evaluate plans, initiatives, and the program; and perform general administrative tasks. Interns will have the opportunity to deploy to the City’s Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) during incidents, planned events, and exercises to support operations. Interns will also be required to complete a suite of industry related courses delivered by HSEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and regional partners. Qualifications A. Demonstrated interest in emergency management and homeland security issues or related field B. Excellent written and oral communications skills required C. Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint D. Demonstrated proficiency in research, analysis, and creative thinking

FOR ALL

 *Interns may be asked to work outside of normal business hours including weekends and holidays

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume, one (1) writing sample (max. eight (8) pages) and one(1) letter of recommendation to hsema.internship@dc.gov indicating the particular Internship Opportunity being applied for in the email subject line by Sunday April 29,2018

NOTE: Applicants must be US citizens and are subject to a background check

Water Security. Water Recycling

Water Recycling and Reuse: The Environmental Benefits

What Is Water Recycling?

Recycle: verb

1.   a. To recover useful materials from garbage or waste
b. To extract and reuse.

While recycling is a term generally applied to aluminum cans, glass bottles, and newspapers, water can be recycled as well. Water recycling is reusing treated wastewater for beneficial purposes such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, industrial processes, toilet flushing, and replenishing a ground water basin (referred to as ground water recharge). Water recycling offers resource and financial savings. Wastewater treatment can be tailored to meet the water quality requirements of a planned reuse. Recycled water for landscape irrigation requires less treatment than recycled water for drinking water. No documented cases of human health problems due to contact with recycled water that has been treated to standards, criteria, and regulations have been reported.

Water is sometimes recycled and reused onsite. For example, when an industrial facility recycles water used for cooling processes. A common type of recycled water is water that has been reclaimed from municipal wastewater, or sewage. The term water recycling is generally used synonymously with water reclamation and water reuse.

Another type of recycled water is "gray water".Gray water, or gray water, is reusable wastewater from residential, commercial and industrial bathroom sinks, bath tub shower drains, and clothes washing equipment drains.  Gray water is reused onsite, typically for landscape irrigation.  Use of non toxic and low-sodium (no added sodium or substances that are naturally high in sodium) soap and personal care products is required to protect vegetation when reusing gray water for irrigation. National Science Foundation (NSF) International has established a wastewater treatment task group on onsite residential and commercial gray water treatment systems. They have developed a draft new standard – NSF 350 – Onsite Residential and Commercial Reuse Treatment Systems.  This standard encompasses residential wastewater treatment systems (similar to the scope of VSF/ANSI Standards 40 and 245) along with systems that treat only the gray water portion. For more information visit the NSF website .  EPA and CDC brought together agency and academic experts to explore the science available for addressing high-priority regional needs in the areas of: 

·        Gray water exposure risk to humans and ecosystems;

·        risk management options for gray water;

·        water scarcity,

·        and trends in water use. 

.....more.    

Read more at: https://www3.epa.gov/region9/water/recycling/

Download PDF version: Water Recycling and Reuse: The Environmental Benefits (PDF) (11 pp, 3.1MB, About PDF) 

            

“Pro Poor Governance” February 11, 2018. Morris Koffa. African Environmental Watch

“Pro Poor Governance” Should Align with Pro Environmental and Disaster Management/Mitigation Initiatives

“Pro-poor governance,” as asserted by H.E. President George Weah, could better be described as a buzz phrase that brings much excitement not only to the marginalized population and communities in Liberia, but it also certainly does provide hope for many in the environmental and disaster management advocacy communities. It further demonstrates a major paradigm shift of what has been a national neglect of critical social issues by past administrations. Such a national neglect has affected vast segments of Liberians whose livelihoods have been impacted for decades. Poor environmental and unmitigated disaster conditions are recipes for poor health and deter potential self-driven human growth. 

Accordingly, this paper addresses two critical issues: the environment and disaster management because they are inextricably linked to social issues in the country. Poor environmental conditions can lead to hazardous problems, which can lead to disaster. Disastrous events, too, can lead to poor environmental conditions. 

There have been environmental and disaster management advocacy groups in Liberia lamenting the continued peril of the human environment and disaster unmitigated communities whose residents are being impacted, but receiving very little attention from the national government. With this buzz phrase, “pro-poor governance,” it is worth repeating that the critical issues of the environment, weak disaster management protocols, and the susceptible living conditions of the ordinary people still remain major threats, and cannot be ignored. They must form an integral part of programs of human development that drive positive social change for residents to realize their full potential. There is no way to get around it.

Those critical issues must be part of the formation and implementation of any development programs for numerous communities and the nation.

Poor environmental conditions and eventful disaster onslaughts, such as floods and other hazardous conditions, have denied most residents the needed opportunities to thrive and excel; hence, they cannot adequately contribute to the much-needed national economic growth and social integration. “Pro-poor governance” comes with commitment and honest responsibility driven by passion and solidarity for the disadvantaged population of Liberia. It means ensuring an enabling environment for opportunities, and should not be just another empty phrase as has been the case for previous political leaders. 

A clean human environment produces healthy human capital, enhances social integrity, and builds, as well as, sustains stronger economic growth and political stability. In the absence of such critical social balance to the human environment and disaster management, the long term consequences rest on government’s shoulders in handling the associated costs, which outweigh the cost of being proactive.

The current state of Liberia’s environment and disaster management initiatives are of grave concern by any measure. It has been trivialized for the most part in previous political administrations of Liberia. While it is true that all parts of Liberia have some environmental problems that warrant every attention,

Monrovia, particularly, and its immediate environs are infested with pronounced health-threatening environmental challenges, covering piles of garbage, corrosive metals, oil/chemical spills, erosion and other pollutants and debris. These hazards threaten the quality of waterways and air quality from industrial contaminants The rampant use of generators both in industries and domestic vicinities as source of the energy are just few examples. The burning of tires and other filths are often seen around Monrovia. All of these have direct impact on the human respiratory system, not to mention the soil from which foods are grown. 

An eco-balanced environment produces healthy, productive and a sustainable human resource capacity that is so germane to economic development and growth. No nation succeeds in its development goals, and the ability of sustaining those goals without the aforementioned eco-balanced initiatives. Neglecting or doing very little invites potential danger for the communities/country since the growth and sustenance of a country’s economy depends on the potency of its human capital. 

The same goes for disaster management, which is an emerging threat that could impact “Pro poor governance.” Disaster management has not been given much attention.

Of particular concern is the ongoing unmitigated flooding in most impoverished communities due to many factors such as clogged drainage systems partly from garbage and other debris that are illegally dumped, lack of proper zonal ordinances and the lack of an effective building permitting system. No doubt, climate change has also had its impact because it has invariably altered and increased rain frequency and intensity in Liberia. Yet, national government has the responsibility to respond, working with other stakeholders and the international community.

For the past 15 years, floods have occurred in many communities particularly in Monrovia and its surroundings with major flooding and destructions in poor communities causing displacement and loss of property to families and businesses. During floods, major businesses, such as the Freeport of Liberia, which is the economic artery of Liberia, is interrupted, causing the government of Liberia to lose many thousands, if not millions, of dollars; so are many other businesses that pay taxes to the national treasury. In the absence of innovation, community capacity building, and the lack of functional institutions to deal with such crises, the danger is imminent and could undermine the successful implementation “Pro poor governance” initiatives. 

In order for a “pro poor governance” policy to materialize and become sustainable, the national government should not forget to include in its programs the capacitating of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA-L), which has been struggling due to the lack of enough budgetary allotment and the emergence of other bureaucratic neglects. The EPA-L needs to benefit from a number of policy initiatives—

    (a) increasing its budget from under $900k to about $4.5 million dollars annually; 

    (b) strengthening its human capital with trained personnel;

    (c) providing community-driven educational awareness; 

    (d) establishing effective garbage collection practices; 

    (e ) collecting metals of all sorts in and around the country, especially in Monrovia
           and its environs; 

    (f) building an engineering functional landfill; 

    (g) allowing EPA-L to sit at every concession and any environment-related agreements to
           identify and ensure all environmental compliance protocols; 

    (h) allowing EPA-L to enforce all environmental laws and ordinances with no external
           interferences;    

     (i) reviewing and strengthening current environmental laws;

     (j) instituting an environmental court or its equivalent for public redress; and
     (k) researching  environment-related challenges, using effective laboratory testing labs.

Public policies are quite often driven by public opinions. In the case of the environment and disaster management, awareness campaigns can profoundly reach wider audiences if they are championed by political leaders and social activists. 

Against this background, it is recommended that H.E President George Weah along with the head of EPA-L use the appropriate public platforms to stress the importance of the environment to the country and declare a date in every month for an environmental cleanup campaign for the entire country and not just in Monrovia as being carried out by the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC). If the EPA-L is given the leverage to fully operate as an autonomous agency free of all external and internal interferences, it could support its operational budget and still be able to contribute to government coffers. 

On the disaster management front, similar capacity building is required. Since the creation of the Nation Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) in 2015/2016, it has remained virtually dormant due to the lack of budgetary allotment. The NDMA needs to be functional to fully address the challenges on hand, such as profiling or identifying potential hotspots, providing robust educational awareness that is community-driven. This would include prevention and preparedness, and response to and recovery from disasters. A community emergency response team (CERT) concept could be organized since communities are the first line of defense when disaster strikes. 

The indisputable fact is that national government cannot neglect salient social responsibilities in a country where unemployment stands at at least 85%. When people are unemployed, they have no insurance, but when they become ill, they visit government-sponsored hospitals, increasing service costs. “Pro poor governance” should provide the enabling environment and opportunities for residents to be healthy and able to help themselves as well as help the nation produce ample goods and services.

About the author: Morris T. Koffa, Sr., is an Environmental Engineer by profession with over 20 years of experience in the private and governmental sectors in Washington DC., USA. 

Mr. Koffa is also a doctoral candidate in Public Policy Administration (PPA) with concentration in Disaster and Emergency Management. 

He can be contacted at 240-417-2545, and by email: koffamkoffa@aol.com.