NAN Presents First Nations-Specific Emergency Management Concept to Ontario Premier July 28, 2021

If needed we shall provide our full support for the success of the First Nations EM.

 

We would be honored of a full C5&P (Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and  Partnering)  with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

CDS.  BEMA International

 

https://www.nan.ca/news/nan-presents-first-nations-specific-emergency-management-concept-to-ontario-premier/?fbclid=IwAR3GQD6jwZm1XLGfCAWx9UGLlqoKT3AYX09plCJ-xWj2B3vK78leClHdH7Q     NAN Presents First Nations-Specific Emergency Management Concept to Ontario Premier July 28, 2021   THUNDER BAY, ON: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler has presented a report outlining a First Nation-specific emergency management concept to Ontario Premier Doug Ford during his visit to Thunder Bay today.   “The issues around emergency management are becoming more critical for First Nations communities. Ontario’s approach is failing, and our communities must have the capacity to manage on their own and be empowered to look after their members. The emergency management concept we have presented outlines this and is the direction the province should be heading in,” said NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler. “This is the foundation for action towards a holistic and successful approach to emergency management. As we advance this work, it is vital that our federal and provincial Treaty partners acknowledge the identified issues and gaps and accept the recommendations to develop a successful and culturally appropriate service delivery model that supports and empowers First Nations communities.”   Deficiencies and gaps in emergency management for First Nation communities is a significant concern, especially during this forest fire season. The lack of a tripartite agreement has led to ineffective implementation of Canada’s ‘All-Hazards Approach’ and stymied meaningful partnerships between First Nations and the federal and provincial governments.   The report, Emergency Management for First Nations in Ontario, provides 20 recommendations including: Establish clear roles for the federal and provincial governments, and First Nations through tripartite agreements. Maintain the distinction between an “emergency” and “disaster”, where an “emergency” focuses on institutional response, and a “disaster” focuses on the degree of harm. Scale the definition of “disaster” to each individual First Nation, focusing on each First Nation’s ability to cope as a benchmark. Eliminate the distinction between social emergencies and other types of emergency hazards or provide dedicated funding for social emergencies. Create a mechanism to empower emergency declarations by First Nations. Ensure that all pillars of emergency management are conceptualized as a “disaster cycle” with all pillars given equal consideration, and contribute resources to pre-disaster pillars. Develop remoteness indices/indicators specific to emergency management and apply the remoteness indices/indicators to First Nations in Ontario.   View the report here:

Black Emergency Managers Association International Washington, D.C.  20020   bEMA International Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and  Partnering (C5&P)   A 501 (c) 3 organization
Community\Civil Society Imperative.  The impacts of climate change are increasing the frequency and intensity of disasters. Individuals, families, and communities must take a proactive approach and behaviors to save lives, their  communities, their culture and heritage.

 

CNN: Goldman Sachs draws a line in the sand on employee vaccination July 2021

 https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/29/business/goldman-sachs-vaccine-building/index.html

Goldman Sachs draws a line in the sand on employee vaccination By Alexis Benveniste, CNN Business Updated 8:39 PM ET, Thu July 29, 2021 New York (CNN)All eyes are on Wall Street as the Covid-19 Delta variant continues to spread and Corporate America starts rolling out vaccination policies. And although there's talk of banks requiring employees to show proof of vaccination,  Goldman Sachs has drawn its line in the sand. The investment bank is barring employees from using their ID cards to enter the office building if they haven't submitted proof of their vaccination status, a spokesperson for the company told CNN Business. Goldman's plan Goldman Sachs employees are currently required to report their vaccine status to the company, a policy that was instituted on June 10. Failure to do so comes with specific consequences. "If you do not report your vaccine status to Goldman, your ID card will not work to enter the building," a spokesperson for the company told CNN Business. "The entrance of the building is contingent on you reporting your vaccine status," the spokesperson added. Unvaccinated employees are required to get a rapid Covid-19 test on site at the Goldman Sachs office and will be tested regularly, the spokesperson said. Employees who test positive will immediately be asked to leave the building. How other banks are handling the return to work Morgan Stanley (MS)'s New York office is banning all unvaccinated staff and clients from entering its headquarters. All employees who work in buildings with a "large employee presence" were required to confirm their vaccination status by July 1, according to a memo to employees. At Deutsche Bank (DB), there are no restrictions on employees who are vaccinated and have shared their vaccine status with the company, a spokesperson for the bank told CNN Business. Unvaccinated employees and employees who don't share their vaccination status, however, are required to answer a set of questions about any symptoms and travel, and must wear masks and get tested several times per week at the office. Citibank employees who are vaccinated can submit their vaccine cards, and employees who are not vaccinated are required to test three times per week with an at-home rapid test. After taking the test, the employees upload their results to the test's app for their employer to see. Bank of America (BAC) was more vague when asked for specifics on how their vaccine policy will be implemented. "We are pulling folks back who have shared their vaccination status," a spokesperson for the company told CNN Business. "We are prioritizing the vaccinated coming back," the spokesperson added. Wells Fargo (CBEAX) is "collecting vaccination status from our employees to better enable our focus on health and safety in the workplace," a spokesperson for the company told CNN Business. Jefferies (JEF) is only allowing vaccinated employees into the office according to a memo that the company's CEO and president sent to employees, and only after they're past the appropriate waiting period for full vaccine efficacy. "We require that, after Labor Day, anyone who is not fully vaccinated should continue to work from home," the memo said. Barclays declined to comment on its vaccine policy. JP Morgan Chase, UBS, HSBC did not respond to CNN's request for comment. Wall Street's push for the office For months, Wall Street has pushed for employees to come back to the office as more Americans get vaccinated against Covid-19. Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman and Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, for example, both made it clear that they're expecting their employees to return by Labor Day — a date that is quickly approaching yet might become a moving target as the Delta variant continues to spread. Gorman previously warned that he'll be "very disappointed" if workers aren't back by Labor Day. And for those who are not, "we'll have a different kind of conversation," he said. As for Moynihan, he recently said, "Our view is all the vaccinated teammates will be back" after Labor Day. The rush to get back to the office is due, in part, to work cultural concerns, as Zoom calls and Slack messages are no substitute for in-person meetings and training. Others worries center on cybersecurity and risk management vulnerabilities inherent in businesses that conduct billions of dollars of transactions every day. At its core, banking is a highly interactive business — and no one on hyper-competitive Wall Street wants to lose a deal because of a slow WiFi connection. -- CNN's Matt Egan contributed to this report

College Degree, Affordable and Accessible/ 10,000 free online college courses and credit-bearing exams to prospective students July 2021

 

Morgan State Joins the Fast Start Program That Could Offer Significant Savings to Students Modern States, a philanthropy dedicated to making a college degree more affordable and accessible, will provide at least 10,000 free online college courses and credit-bearing exams to prospective students. This will save over $10 million in tuition and expenses for HBCU students.

Novartis Teams Up With HBCUs to Combat Systemic Racial Disparities in Healthcare July 2021

 

Novartis Teams Up With HBCUs to Combat Systemic Racial Disparities in Healthcare As an initial step, the Novartis US Foundation plans to invest $20 million in scholarships, mentorships, and research grants over the next 10 years to help create equitable access to high-quality education and professional development for HBCU students in health-related fields. This will include three-year scholarships of $10,000 a year for up to 360 students at select HBCUs.

Black Access to Healthcare Lags in States That Show a High Level of Structural Racism July 2021

 

Study Finds Black Access to Healthcare Lags in States That Show a High Level of Structural Racism The results showed that the higher the level of racism in a given state, the less access Black people in that state had to health care. The higher the level of racism in a given state, the more access White people had to health care. In addition, the worse the state’s racism score, the higher the quality of care White people reported receiving.

Humanitarian Leadership Academy. Strategic Thinking Course. KAYA July 2021

Strategic Thinking   Learn how to turn a plan into action, identify critical success factors, as well as how to measure the plan’s ongoing success!   Access the course

2021 Southeast Private-Public Partners Summit, August 3 – 5, 2021 “Ten Years of Small Steps and Giant Leaps”

Please join us for the fifth annual Southeast Private-Public Partners Summit, August 3rd – 5th. This year’s event will be hosted via Zoom by FEMA Region 4 and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. This year marks the tenth anniversary of FEMA’s first-ever Private Sector mission, following the 2011 tornado super outbreak that swept across the Southeast. Each day will include sessions addressing issues important to our private-public partnerships, such as how to prepare for and respond to short-notice disasters, supply chain challenges, cyber security, and building resilient communities. For agenda and to register, click here. 

DHS OIG Report: FY 2018 Audit of Science and Technology Bankcard Program Indicates Risks July 2021

 

News from the Department of Homeland Security OIG Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.   The Latest DHS OIG report is available on our website.   Office of Public Affairs E: dhs-oig.officepublicaffairs@oig.dhs.gov                         OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL l DHS WWW.OIG.DHS.GOV  l TWITTER: @DHSOIG                 FY 2018 Audit of Science and Technology Bankcard Program Indicates Risks Although the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) had internal controls in place to ensure it managed and maintained its Bankcard Program as required, S&T did not always adhere to Department of Homeland Security and internal purchase card policies and procedures. Of 421 purchase card transactions selected for review, we identified 394 transactions that did not have required supporting documentation, separation of key transaction duties, approvals and other required signatures, or did not comply with other risk-based procedures. According to S&T officials, these issues occurred due to shortfalls in program oversight and training, as well as outdated policy. As a result, we identified $63,213 in questionable costs associated with purchase card transactions for which S&T personnel could not provide supporting documentation. Without S&T adherence to established policies and procedures, there is an increased risk of loss and vulnerability to fraud. In addition, S&T has less assurance its internal controls are effective in mitigating the risk of fraud and inappropriate charge card practices. Read Report No. OIG-21-51

OIG Report: nadequate FEMA Oversight Delayed Completion and Closeout of Louisiana's Public Assistance Projects. July 2021

 

The Latest DHS OIG report is available on our website.   Office of Public Affairs E: dhs-oig.officepublicaffairs@oig.dhs.gov                         OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL l DHS WWW.OIG.DHS.GOV  l TWITTER: @DHSOIG                   Inadequate FEMA Oversight Delayed Completion and Closeout of Louisiana's Public Assistance Projects FEMA did not ensure Louisiana adequately managed and provided oversight of PA grants to make certain the State complied with Federal regulations. Specifically, Louisiana had a backlog of 600 incomplete projects beyond their approved completion dates. We attribute this to the State not conducting regular site visits to assess subrecipients’ ongoing projects and identify and resolve issues as they arose that would have helped ensure prompt project completion. In addition, FEMA had a backlog of 2,150 completed grant projects it had not closed out due to inadequate oversight of its Region 6 staff to ensure they promptly carried out this responsibility. As of the fourth quarter of 2018, the combined backlog of 2,750 grant projects represented nearly $6.6 billion in obligated funds. By May 2020, FEMA had reduced the backlog, but the significant number of remaining projects potentially could lead to delays in reimbursing applicants, as well as deobligating funds that could be put to better use. Multiple hurricanes in 2020, along with the pandemic, make it especially critical for FEMA to reduce the backlog, thereby ensuring timely assistance to disaster survivors and prudent use of taxpayer dollars. Read Report No. OIG-21-50

2022-2023 FELLOWSHIPS AT THE WOODROW WILSON CENTER Deadline: October 1, 2021

 

2022-2023 FELLOWSHIPS AT THE WOODROW WILSON CENTER  The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is announcing the opening of its 2022-2023 Fellowship competition. The Center awards approximately 15-20 academic year residential fellowships to academics, journalists, former public officials, and independent experts from any country with outstanding project proposals on global issues. The Center welcomes policy-relevant proposals which complement the Center’s programming priorities. Within this framework, the Wilson Center supports projects that intersect with contemporary policy issues and provide the historical and/or cultural context for some of today’s significant public policy debates. Applicants must hold a doctorate or have equivalent professional experience. Fellows are provided stipends of $10,000 per month, private windowed offices, Library of Congress access, and part-time research assistants. The Center encourages applicants to apply online. Additional information and the application are available at www.wilsoncenter.org/fellowships. Please visit www.wilsoncenter.org/wcprograms for more information on the Center’s programs. You may also contact the Scholars and Academic Relations Office at fellowships@wilsoncenter.org or call (202) 691-4170 for more information. Application deadline: October 1, 2021

Food Insecurity. Building Effective Food Systems for Cities. July 2021

Cities on the Frontline: Building Effective Food Systems for Cities According to a 2019 Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll, over half of the world’s population, 60% worldwide, say they are worried about the food they eat. During our most recent Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series event Dr. Gayatri Acharya, World Bank and Dr. Steven Jaffee, University of Maryland, outlined from their new book, "Rich Food, Smart City” that urban food system performance matters - and what is more, there is a business case for action. Cities must do more to address food systems in order to fully realize related city aspirations, as well as because the performance of urban food systems is often tied to the delivery of food on a national scale. However, food is often a missing ingredient in the many dialogues on sustainable or smart cities – we must work to better address this shortcoming. Watch the full session here.