#and that maria is an equal opportunity employer

[goldeneyedgirl]

Ficmas22: Day 2: Deaf Mary-Alice

Why is December always so busy and short? I feel like I haven't stopped today - The Baking Has Begun.

Today's offering is Deaf Mary-Alice. We hear so much about how perfect vampires are, and how the venom makes people perfect but I like the idea better that the venom repairs what it can, but life leaves its mark on you. It was supposed to be Alice but somehow turned into Mary-Alice; it was also supposed to be an exploration of the scars for all family members, but became kind of this romantic little piece about Jasper being reunited with his true love.

I don't have any urgent plans to finish it. I have other fics that I want done sooner. But it's a fun one to play around.

And no, this has 0 to do with STL. I hope you enjoy!

deaf mary-alice.

Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. 

It’s easy to wave away small things (the starburst of scars down Esme’s chest where her ribs tore through; a matching one on her thigh for her femur; the missing hank of hair from Rosalie’s head, leaving behind a coin-sized patch of bald flesh behind her right ear and three broken nails gnawed short and smooth) or even the larger (the scars bisect Emmett’s chest, like overripe fruit that has split wide open; the inside of the scar is the same bloodless pale colour as the rest of him, and he laughs about his ‘war wounds’) and call themselves ‘perfect’. 

Why bother mentioning that both Carlisle and Edward are at least ten pounds underweight - Edward closer to fifteen. They are rendered in porcelain, with glossy hair and pink lips; unblemished skin and symmetrical features. They belong in the pages of high-end magazines or art gallery catalogues.

//

It takes him less than a day to realise something about the gangly newborn he finds in the mud just outside of Mississippi. 

She’s five foot nothing by his guess, with the biggest red eyes and black hair that curls around her cheeks and a filthy hospital gown with the name ‘009 MARY-ALICE SMITH’ written on it in bleeding ink.

And she does not say a word to him, just beams at him and scurries after him.

She has little concept of quiet and seems to ignore everything he says to her, transfixed by wildflowers and birds, by the night sky and the grass underfoot. It’s not until she flinches back from a swooping owl that it hits him. 

She’s deaf. 

She cannot hear a word. 

//

He expects Maria to send her into battle and let her be cannon fodder because Mary-Alice is nigh on useless to them. 

Except Maria doesn’t. She studies Mary-Alice and shrugs. 

“Work out some way to communicate with her so you can train her.”

It is surprisingly intimate, cloistered in his quarters during the day, with chalk and some scraps of paper and Mary-Alice. She’s a fast learner when it comes to writing, 

Lip-reading is harder, even with her heightened senses; he enunciates his name and hers, and she presses her fingers against his throat to feel the sound in something that makes him feel warm for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. 

(He feels like a fool, using ‘Jasper’ and not ‘Major’.) 

The signs start small - yes, no, north, south, east, west, Major, Maria (he places his left hand over his heart for lack of a better way to describe Maria as their leader and overlord and queen and god). One of the others finds an old manual for Lengua de Señas Mexicana, and that helps fill in a few gaps but mostly it becomes a blueprint for their own language, cobbled together from English and Spanish and their own short form over the first year of her life. 

They are lucky she is quick on her feet, lighting-fast, and determined to please the Major. Maria is amused by her and calls her Sunshine in an almost mocking way, but allows her to stay, allows her to trot obediently after the Major in a too-long dress. Whilst the entire army are taught a set of signs to communicate with her, and Maria learns enough to converse with her, it is the Major who carries the responsibility of communicating with her, of translating everything - a habit that is ultimately so ingrained that he finds himself signing conversations Mary-Alice isn’t present for. 

//

The day the Major leaves with Peter, she knows it’s coming. She knows he will leave her behind, and she is glad to see him go. He deserves only good things and the army is eating him alive. 

But her heart is broken and her world is quiet and she is alone. 

//

It takes him a moment to realise what - who - he is seeing trotting along behind Peter and Charlotte. She’s looking around curiously, without a hint of shame - a new green world for her to investigate. She’s wearing a dirty dress with a cardigan that has too-long sleeves, her knees and feet filthy.

Just like he remembers. 

He cannot believe she’s alive. He always thought she’d be better in her home, safer in that world. That Maria would look after her and do right by her. To see her here and now, the familiar warmth of her anticipation and appreciation, is more than he can truly tolerate. 

“You brought…” he half-croaks, and the family is looking at him bewildered, and Peter grins at him, and it’s then Charlotte gets Mary-Alice’s attention with snapping fingers (he wants to tell Charlotte she hates that, prefers waving or clapping, but he doesn’t. It’s not important.)

His eyes meet hers, and there is something absolutely humbling at the sheer delight and joy that she feels when she sees him. That suddenly she’s in his arms, her arms tight around his waist, burying her face in his chest. 

He can’t hold her tight enough, not really. He tried to justify his choice to leave her, but the guilt was still so heavy upon him. There’s a new scar by her eye, and her wrist was snapped clean off at some point. She still smells the same, like the damp woods he found her in, and salt air. 

She pulls back, half bouncing in her joy of seeing him, her hands already signing. 

“Maria sent me, said I could come be with you now. You went north and I was lonely. No one spoke to me like you.” They never had a sign for ‘love’; he’d mouth the words against her skin and hope she understood it on some level. And he hates that they have an audience when she grabs his hand and presses it to her lips, her mouth making the shape of his name, and there is something exquisite and undeserved about that being her way of telling him she loved him. 

“What is she doing?”

Emmett’s voice breaks the moment, the reunion, and when he looks up, she looks towards his family too. He knows they are seeing her red eyes first, noting her silence. 

“Mary-Alice is deaf,” Peter says, grinning at Jasper in that knowing way. 

You can say you were in love with her, Major. Everyone knew it. Hell, it was obvious she felt the same way. 

“Deaf?” Carlisle is staring at her in a way that makes Mary-Alice frown and tuck herself against him. Like something to be investigated. 

“Sign-language!” Esme is happy then; most of the family speak at least a small amount of ASL, and Esme is quick to introduce herself to Mary-Alice. 

Except…

Charlotte snorts and Peter shakes his head, and Mary-Alice just looks bewildered. 

“We didn’t…” he begins, wanting to explain the hurdles of having a deaf, illiterate vampire in camp. LSM was the foundation that propped up the language she speaks, but it is purely theirs. There is no manual for decades of shorthand, for their slang and shortcuts. For words their old manual did not have, for things that humans didn’t need to translate. 

“Wasn’t any American Sign Language in Monterrey in the 1920s,” Peter says pointedly. “She learned from that old book, right?”

“We made it up,” he admits as Mary-Alice signs that he looks worried, is everything okay? “Most of it.”

“Maria said that,” Charlotte admits. “That she was the only one left that knew how to talk to her, and the new generations weren’t interested in learning. Mary-Alice deserved better.”

“How do we talk to her, then?” Emmett sounds indignant, that the greatest affront is that he cannot greet Mary-Alice properly. 

“I’m sure it will take her no time at all to learn ASL,” Carlisle saids encouragingly, and that makes him frown more. She doesn’t need to learn a damn thing, they can learn… but it’s unfair of him to stop her from talking with other people, to keep her to himself. It was cruel of him to abandon her the first time, with no one to talk to. 

“She lips reads a little,” Peter says. “Don’t you, squirt?” She flips Peter the finger.

//

They get to finish their moment later that night, in his darkened study. She climbs into his lap, perched like a queen and comfortable to boot, to finish her spiel of how much she missed him, and how pleased she was to see him in person, to see how happy and good he looked. 

His hands fall into apologies, into half-spoken excuses for not grabbing her hand. But she shakes her head and silences those words, her hands cool against his before she speaks. 

“I was safe. You were not. I missed you but I am glad you went north to heal.” It’s then she plants a kiss on him, one that is in no way tentative or subtle; answering another question. That time and distance has not eaten away at what they had, at the spark and flame of all they were to each other. Of the way she tastes and the way she feels against him, and he missed her so much. Neither of them are loud (if he tries hard enough, he can make her scream, and he loves that sound. It won’t be tonight, that is for his ears only.) He doesn’t want them to be on display, for the Cullens to make assumptions and accusations (how could he have left her behind? He asks himself that regularly, and has never found an answer beyond depression being acidic, eating away at logic and reason and priorities. But to hear the accusation from another would be too much, would condemn him irreversibly.)

She hums in joy as they lie sprawled together on the couch in his office, her eyes bright and adoring, and its times like this that he knows why she has survived, why she was tolerated by Maria and protected, instead of being cast out or killed. She’s perfect, she’s enchanting. A beguiling little creature that has somehow chosen him as hers. 

Even the idea of what she faced alone is enough to make him feel sick, to hold her tighter. 

She curls against him, and turns his head so they can speak. 

It’s okay, I’m here with you now. 

It’s going to take time to realise that this is really happening. 

//

When the wolf lunges at him, over the boundary, she screams his name. He’s heard her say it only once before, and she pronounces the ‘J’ more like a ‘Y’ but it’s enough to freeze the rest of the family, the sound of her voice. 

She’s scrambling down the banks of the river to him, crouched opposite and slightly below the wolf, and the thing is that everyone sees the tiny deaf girl in lavender activewear running to his side when she is far, far more dangerous than anything or anyone present. She can take the head off the wolf - Paul, he thinks - before anyone has negotiated anything. Especially if she is afraid and threatened. So he grabs her and pulls her closer, to hold her down, even if it looks like him comforting a scared girl. 

“Don’t move,” he signs. “They are allies, just volatile. Young.”

She frowns again, but agrees, her eyes still tracking the wolf. 

Sam emerges from the forest, human again. 

“Who is she?” he demands, unamused by the addition. 

“An old friend of Jasper’s,” Carlisle placates. “She’s young and deaf, and joined our family for sanctuary.”

He wants to laugh and correct them. I knew her for decades and loved her more than anything on this planet. She is the sunshine, and I revolve around her willingly. My mate, my other half. She came to me because I am a coward, ashamed of leaving her behind.

//

[literatureismyentirepersonality]

Literary Isolation: The Heart of Charlotte Brontë

@faintingheroine answered an ask about Nihal’s isolation in Aşk-ı Memnu and by a series of tangential jumps in my brain, it made me realise that because Charlotte Brontë discourse can often focus very much on Jane Eyre, people don’t necessarily consider just how key a theme isolation, specifically intellectual isolation is in her work, as well as the wider work of women writers of the time.

The most famous example is of course in Villette, where Lucy Snowe is ‘alone’ at the pensionnat over the holidays and becomes ill, mirroring many episodes in Charlotte Brontë’s own life. This is the novel where Charlotte explicitly set out to confront female isolation.

Yet, in this particular instance there are several things to remember, the most mind-boggling being that neither Lucy nor Charlotte were literally alone. There were servants and other lower-class individuals around her who she was unable or unwilling to befriend. The issue is one of a supposedly intellectual difference, but realistically, a class-based difference.

As a governess in English homes and as a teacher/student at the Pensionnat Heger, Charlotte identified that she was operating in a liminal class space. She was neither as lowly thought of as a servant, nor as highly thought of as her employers/students. Even when the holidays were over and she had pupils and other staff members to associate with, Charlotte created false animosities between those who she perceived as above or below her in status, i.e., convincing herself that Madame Heger hated her because she knew of Charlotte’s feelings for her husband (she likely hadn’t a clue), convincing herself that all of her employers hated her (tellingly, reasons less clear). These apparently imagined animosities served to justify the sense of class isolation Charlotte felt and the feelings of isolation, the lack of equal friendships became key elements of her drawn-from-life style.

This isolation from ‘equals’ wasn’t just something Charlotte experienced when away from home, though her sisters and brother certainly supplied the lack. When Maria Brontë, wife of Patrick Brontë was alive, they were social creatures, often visiting and receiving visits from their friends/family in the local clergy, but after Maria’s death, Patrick alienated his female friends by asking them to marry him and, having removed to Haworth not long before Maria’s death, was at a distance from his friends/her relations in the clergy who had their own busy parishes to attend to.

Distance from these friends and business in the parish meant that the young Brontës were mainly in one another’s society; within Haworth itself, the other inhabitants were of a different class and that was a barrier only Branwell was content/able to cross, and not until he was of an age to frequent the public houses. School should have been an opportunity for more socialisation, but after the disaster of Cowan Bridge (the school that inspired Lowood, as repeatedly confirmed by Patrick Brontë and Arthur Bell-Nicholls), Patrick was tentative about sending the girls to their next school, and Anne and Emily both struggled with their health while they were away from home. Charlotte, however, made a few friends, and that she recognised their value can be seen in her handling of isolation in Shirley.

Shirley presents us with a heroine who is also in a liminal class space. She does not belong to the slightly bourgeoise class of new money industrialists, nor wholly to the respectable clergy because of her mother’s past. Yet instead of presenting her with a class equal, Charlotte Brontë presents her with an intellectual equal. Shirley transgresses class to end Catherine’s isolation, but also to end her own isolation as the only woman of status in the area.

One could argue that the Brontës are a unique case, but this is simply not true. There were many isolated parishes in England and no doubt many clergy daughters who grew up without being exposed to other children, and may not have been able to afford to go to school.

Much as Charlotte Brontë likes to distance herself from Austen, the same problem occurs in Emma, when Emma is left as the only woman of her class in Highbury and therefore must either live in complete isolation or associate with those who society believes beneath her. She cannot socialise as an equal, and no doubt there were other young women in Emma’s position, isolated only by their status.

In Wuthering Heights Cathy Linton is isolated in this same way, as were Isabella and Catherine before her. I suspect this is also part of Nihal’s isolation: she is of a particular status and is therefore mostly at home and alone. Those she might associate with are not accessible to her except in public places and until Bihter connects the family with the Melih Bey set, she does not have access to these public places. Yet Cemile is right there! But Nihal is separated from her by status and by false extension, intellect.

The loneliness that these women felt must have been very real, but it’s also difficult for us as modern readers to grapple with the fact that they were very much not alone. They were surrounded by people; the only thing between them and the social pleasure they desire is class structures and false intellectual superiority.

I think my end point is that isolation was a major problem for women of the period and one that is very pressed in literature, particularly the work of Charlotte Brontë. But that problem was not a simple one, and when viewing these works through a modern lens it’s important to recognise the unspoken aspects of these issues.

[talentconnectedworldwide01]

Express Entry Draw: Latest Invitations to Apply

The Express Entry system is a key pathway for skilled immigrants to make Canada their new home. If you’re eyeing the Great White North as your next destination, understanding the latest Express Entry Draw is crucial. In this article, we’ll break down the recent Invitations to Apply (ITAs) and provide you with a user-friendly guide to enhance your comprehension.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is Canada’s immigration management system, designed to select skilled workers for permanent residence. It is a points-based system that assesses candidates based on factors like age, education, work experience, and language proficiency in English or French.

The Dance of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

The Comprehensive Ranking System is the heartbeat of Express Entry. This system awards points to candidates based on their profile information. Points are allocated for factors such as age, education, work experience, language proficiency, and more. The higher your CRS score, the better your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply.

How Does the Draw Work?

Regularly, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conduct latest Express Entry Draw to select candidates who will receive ITAs. During a draw, a specific CRS score cutoff is established. Those candidates who have CRS scores equal to or higher than the cutoff receive ITAs.

Recent Trends: A Closer Look at Express Entry Draws

The Frequency of Draws

Express Entry draws are conducted regularly, usually every two weeks. However, the frequency may vary based on the immigration needs and policies of the Canadian government.

CRS Score Cutoffs

The CRS score cutoff is like the gatekeeper determining who gets an ITA. In recent draws, the cutoff scores have fluctuated, reflecting the dynamic nature of Canada’s immigration system. It’s essential to keep an eye on these cutoffs to gauge your chances.

Breaking Down the Numbers: What Do the Scores Mean?

If you’re wondering what a CRS score of 450 or 470 means, let’s simplify it. The maximum CRS score is 1,200 points, with a base score of 600. Additional points come from factors like skills transferability, provincial nomination, or a job offer. A higher score is better, as it improves your chances of receiving an ITA.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Draws

Apart from the regular Express Entry draws, some provinces have their own draws through the Provincial Nominee Program. If you receive a provincial nomination, you get an additional 600 CRS points, significantly boosting your chances of an ITA in the next Express Entry draw.

Strategies to Improve Your CRS Score

Language Proficiency

Enhancing your language skills in English or French can significantly boost your CRS score. Consider taking language proficiency tests like IELTS or CELPIP to showcase your communication abilities.

Education Upgrades

If you have the opportunity to pursue further education, it can positively impact your CRS score. Higher levels of education often translate to more points in the Express Entry system.

Gain More Work Experience

Accumulating more work experience, especially in a high-demand occupation, can increase your CRS score. This could be a game-changer in the competitive world of Express Entry.

Provincial Nomination

Exploring provincial nomination options is a strategic move. A nomination from a Canadian province not only adds valuable points but also opens up new pathways for immigration.

Real-Life Success Stories

To inspire and guide you, let’s delve into real-life success stories of individuals who successfully navigated the latest Express Entry Draw system.

The Language Maestro

Meet Maria, a skilled professional in her mid-thirties. Realizing the importance of language proficiency, she invested time and effort into improving her English skills. This not only increased her CRS score but also made her a more attractive candidate to Canadian employers.

The Education Enthusiast

John, a recent graduate, decided to pursue a master’s degree in Canada to enhance his CRS score. The additional education points played a pivotal role in securing his ITA, proving that investing in education can be a wise decision.

The Provincial Nominee

Priya, a skilled worker, explored the Provincial Nominee Program and received a nomination from a Canadian province. This nomination added 600 points to her CRS score, skyrocketing her chances of permanent residence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often are Express Entry draws conducted?

Express Entry draws are typically conducted every two weeks, but the frequency may vary based on government policies.

What is the minimum CRS score required for an ITA?

There is no fixed minimum CRS score for an ITA. The score cutoff is determined in each draw, and candidates with scores equal to or higher than the cutoff receive ITAs.

Can I improve my CRS score after submitting my profile?

Yes, you can improve your CRS score after submitting your profile. Upgrading language skills, gaining more work experience, or obtaining a provincial nomination are some strategies to enhance your score.

Conclusion

Navigating the Express Entry system may seem complex, but with the right information and strategies, you can increase your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply. Stay informed about the latest draw trends, continuously work on improving your CRS score, and consider the various pathways, such as provincial nomination, to make your Canadian dream a reality. The latest Express Entry Draw is like a dance, and with the right moves, you might just find yourself stepping into a new life in Canada.

[dwellordream]

“Contemporary readers might find themselves almost suspicious of how little there is in Victorian lifewriting to shock or surprise; can their lives really have been this dull? Deficient in arresting details and blandly uniform, Victorian lifewriting does not foster any illusions that it accurately records the historical past. But lifewriting was not pure fiction, and its very adherence to rules and commitment to typical daily life makes it a far more valuable source than conduct literature, medical writings, or police records for understanding how conventions shaped lived behavior. Consider the example of transvestism. Cross-dressing could lead to scandal and arrests, but lifewriting attests that many youths who adopted the clothes of the other sex were treated as amusing pranksters. 

In her 1857 autobiography Elizabeth Davis recalled “enjoying” herself “extremely” when she dressed as a man to accompany a fellow housemaid to a party and noted that her employers simply “laughed” when they caught her. In the 1840s a young woman living in London wrote to a cousin in the country about putting on a play with other girls for their fathers and mothers: “I have two parts, the good Fairy and the Lord Chamberlain because he sings a song, and he wears a turban and baggy trousers and I wear a beard and moustache.” Other accounts described boys dressing as girls and sallying forth in public to the amusement of all in the know. 

Victorian lifewriting exposes other gaps between myth and reality. Conduct books confined women to the private sphere, but in fact, many informally participated in politics. Amanda Vickery has pointed out the dearth of research on women’s consumption of newspapers, an increasingly political medium after 1750; lifewriting shows that many ordinary middle-class women who complied with gender norms actively read newspapers and discussed political events with their fathers and husbands. Katharine Harris’s journal documents how a middle-class teenage girl tracked the revolutions and cholera epidemics of 1848 as carefully as she followed changes in fashion and the dramas of her social circle.

Women’s diaries and correspondence also modify our image of Victorian feminism as a powerful but marginal movement; though suffrage was a divisive issue, an otherwise silent majority supported female higher education, with many writers asserting that “women have brains, and given equal opportunities, can do as good work as men.” Mary, Lady Monkswell (1849–1930) never formally participated in politics except as the wife of a man who held several government positions, but in 1890 she recorded her pride that a woman had attained the highest score on the Cambridge Mathematical Tripos: “Every woman feels 2 inches taller for this success of Miss Fawcett.”

Female friendship emerges in Victorian lifewriting as a fundamental component of middle-class femininity and women’s life stories. Because the letters women exchanged with male suitors were often deemed too private or compromising for publication, and because wives had few occasions to write to husbands whom they lived with, letters between female friends and kin were the most common and copious source for documenting women’s lives. Anna Bower’s correspondence with three women who had been her friends since school days made up the bulk of a 1903 edition of her diaries and letters.

The Memoir of Mrs. Mary Lundie Duncan (1842) drew heavily on the communication between Mary Duncan and a lifelong friend. The many letters included in the published version of Mary Gladstone Drew’s diaries and correspondence were addressed to her cousin and friend Lavinia. The editor of Lady Louise Knightley’s journals identified the central figure of the early volumes as Louise’s cousin and “inseparable companion” Edith, with whom Louise exchanged daily letters when they were separated between 1856 and 1864 (12). The emphasis on female friendship in Victorian women’s lifewriting mirrored the ways in which didactic literature defined it as an expression of women’s essential femininity. 

In The Women of England and The Daughters of England, Sarah Ellis articulated the tenets of a domestic ideology based on strict divisions between men and women. She counseled women to accept their inferiority to men and to cultivate moral virtues such as selflessness and empathy as counterweights to the male virtues of competitiveness and self-determination. Ellis praised female friendship for several reasons. It trained women not to compete with men by requiring them not to compete with one another; it fostered feminine vulnerability by developing bonds based on a shared “capability of receiving pain”; and it reinforced married love by cultivating the sexual differences that fostered men’s desire for women (Women, 75, 224). 

In The Daughters of England, Ellis explicitly argued that friendship trained women to be good wives by teaching them particularly feminine ways of loving: “In the circle of her private friends . . . [woman] learns to comprehend the deep mystery of that electric chain of feeling which ever vibrates through the heart of woman, and which man, with all his philosophy, can never understand” (337). Ellis argued that female friendship produced marriageable women by intensifying the opposition between the sexes, but she then undid gender differences by positing similarities between friendship and marriage. The emotions fostered by friendship were also those required for marriage, leading Ellis to call marriage a species of friendship, and friendship “the basis of all true love” (Daughters, 388). 

Far from compromising friendship, family and marriage provided models for sustaining it; female friends exchanged the same tokens as spouses and emulated female elders who also prized their friendships with women. Marriage rarely ended friendships and many women organized part of their lives around their friends. Louise Creighton (1850–1936), married to an Anglican vicar and eventually the mother of six children, wrote letters to her mother in the 1870s that often mentioned extended visits from her childhood friend Bunnie and other married and unmarried female friends. 

Just before she acceded to the throne, Princess Victoria wrote of her governess Lehzen as “my ‘best and truest friend’ I have had for nearly 17 years and I trust I shall have for 30 or 40 and many more.” On the day Victoria married Albert, Lehzen gave the queen a ring, and their pledges of an enduring bond held true, with Lehzen ensconced at court long after the queen’s wedding. Like any monarch, Queen Victoria practiced a politics of display, but what she performed most vigorously was her adherence to domestic middle-class ideals.

It is therefore not surprising to find her commitment to lifelong friendship echoed in the aspirations of Annie Hill, a middle-class girl who in 1877 wrote to her friend Anna Richmond, “I do not see why we should not keep up writing to one another all our lives like Aunt Maria and her great friend have done.” The friendships that created bonds between individual women also forged a sense of connection between generations. Friendship and marriage could be overlapping and mutually reinforcing. While engaged to her husband-to-be, Mary Duncan sent him poems and the gift of a hair brooch, and at the same time wrote a poem for her best friend, whom she addressed as “loved one” and “dear one” (163, 179–80, 147). 

Just as Duncan experienced no conflict in loving her fiancé and her friend, other women expressed affection for friends by hoping they would happily marry. Writing in 1865 of the friend who came “to bless my life,” twenty-three-year-old Louisa Knightley fantasized about her eventual wedding with a sense of pleasure rather than incipient loss: “I have grown to love Edie very dearly—the Sleeping Beauty, whom life and the world are slowly awakening. May the enchanted Prince soon come and touch the chord that will rouse her from the dreams of childhood and make of her the perfect woman!” (105–6). 

….Lifewriting confirms the links conduct literature made between female friendship and conventional femininity, for only women invested in portraying themselves as atypical failed to write of their friendships. Women who succeeded in masculine arenas and advertised their exceptional achievements in published autobiographies often accentuated their distance from standard femininity by downplaying the role that female friends played in their lives. Battle painter Elizabeth Butler (1846–1933), pedagogue and professional author Elizabeth Sewell (1815–1906), and radical activist Annie Besant (1847–1933) all omitted the rhapsodic descriptions of friendship that characterized lifewriting by women eager to demonstrate how well they had fulfilled the dictates of their gender.

Outright disdain for female friendship was rare. One of the few extant examples of a woman mocking female friendship is an exception that proves the rule. A sophisticated transplant raised in Paris by parents from the Anglo-Irish gentry who returned to England in 1868, Alice Miles was eager to distinguish herself from her earnest English relatives. In a diary that remained unpublished until the late twentieth century, she wrote that women were obligated to marry for money, not love. Her contempt for British domestic sentiment led her to dismiss the earnest devotion between female friends she encountered in England as hypocrisy or stupidity. She believed instead in “the natural aversion women always seem to entertain towards each other and the still more decided preference they habitually evince towards mankind!”

 Nevertheless, Miles enjoyed forming a friendships with a young woman “perfectly acquainted” with every “naughty story . . . making the tour of London,” whom she praised as “a regular little rose bud . . . looking perfectly bewitching.” Even the cynical Miles, who believed that affection between woman was merely a “sign . . . that a man is at the bottom of the emotion,” could not resist the pleasure she took in a woman pretty and wicked enough to be a potential rival. Successful women who represented themselves as proper ladies defined their lives in terms of their friendships with women as well as their devotion to family and church.”

- Sharon Marcus, “Friendship and Play of the System.” in Between Women:  Friendship, Desire, and Marriage in Victorian England

[csrgood]

JetBlue Releases Annual Social Impact and Environmental Social Governance Reports

JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) today released its 2018-2019 Social Impact Report, as well as its abbreviated 2019 Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Report.

The annual reports outline the JetBlue For Good pillars – community, youth and education and the environment. The social impact report focuses on how and where JetBlue crewmembers volunteered for one million hours of caring and the airline’s philanthropic efforts, while the ESG report identifies key sustainability factors that affect the airline’s business and financial performance.

“The JetBlue experience keeps people and culture at the heart of everything we do,” said Icema Gibbs, director corporate social responsibility and diversity, equity & inclusion, JetBlue. “Over the past few months, we’ve realized that our mission of inspiring humanity is more essential than ever. As a values-based airline, we have a long history of using our voice to unite our crewmembers, customers and communities during difficult times. We try to make change in ways that are authentic to us. Bringing our mission of inspiring humanity to life isn’t new. These reports showcase our ongoing work to make a positive impact for the environment, in our communities and beyond.”

JetBlue For Good 2018-2019 highlights –

Youth and Education

JetBlue’s Soar with Reading program brought the magic of reading to children in areas known as book deserts in San Francisco, Oakland, and New York City. To date, JetBlue has donated $3.75 million worth of books to kids in need.

Through the 2018 and 2019 Swing For Good campaigns, JetBlue and its business partners raised much-needed funds for youth and education focused charities and distributed more than $2 million to DoSomething.org, First Book, Together We Rise, Feeding Children Everywhere and the JetBlue Foundation.

The JetBlue Foundation continued its work to add more diversity in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and aviation by supporting education programs focused on girls and women, people of color and other communities who are under-represented in these areas. The JetBlue Foundation has supported more than 90 STEM and aviation programs with $1.7 million in grants, in-kind support and mentoring.

Environment

JetBlue recently announced plans to achieve carbon neutral flying for its domestic routes later this year as a critical and measurable step toward reducing its contribution to global warming. JetBlue aims to avoid emissions through a new, fuel-efficient fleet and optimized operational efficiency and by pursuing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) where feasible. Over the past five years, JetBlue has achieved consistent reductions in Scope 1-3 emissions on an intensity basis, and improved 2.2 percent from 2018 to 2019.

For emissions that cannot be avoided, JetBlue will soon offset CO2 emissions from jet fuel for all domestic flights. Leading up to this launch, JetBlue has offset more than 2.6 billion pounds of CO2 emissions in partnership with Carbonfund.org since 2008. More details will be announced shortly.

By converting to electric ground service equipment (eGSE) at New York’s JFK Airport, JetBlue is projected to cut four million pounds of CO2 greenhouse gas emission per year, reduce ground fuel usage by approx. 200,000 gallons fuel and improve its bottom line with more than $500,000 in ground fuel savings annually.

Community

In the wake of Hurricane Maria, crewmembers rose to the occasion and provided more than 450 relief flights and $1.2 million in grants from the JetBlue Crewmember Crisis Fund to impacted crewmembers located in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

In 2019, JetBlue added a new destination to its network – Destination Good, flying 100 customer volunteers to a surprise location for four days of service on Giving Tuesday.

Looking ahead to 2020 and beyond -

Between the coronavirus pandemic and the civil outcry for racial justice and equality, 2020 has challenged JetBlue to shift gears to meet immediate needs. This included flying nearly 2,000 medical professionals to areas in need to support relief effort, transporting personal protective equipment to New York City and delivering critical supplies to health care facilities, and donating one million TrueBlue to the American Red Cross and other organizations to aid in relief work.

“Thank you to our crewmembers for their dedicated service during the pandemic getting essential personnel and travelers, for whom travel was not an option but a necessity, to their destinations safely,” said Gibbs. “Our crewmembers also sought out ways to help in their local communities, all while taking care of their own families and personal needs during this trying time.”

JetBlue is also working to ensure that Black Lives Matter and are equally valued, and eradicating racism. JetBlue has committed to fight against racial injustices and reduce bias and barriers starting with accelerating its diversity and inclusion equity action plan to better support people of color within the airline such as expediting a concerted effort for more leadership diversity.

To start, these efforts incorporate but are not limited to:

Reviewing training modules for cultural sensitivity

Identifying opportunities to reshape policies and talent processes to reduce bias and demonstrate inclusivity

Expanding opportunities for minority and women-owned business partners

Investing in students from underrepresented communities through the JetBlue Foundation to reduce the barriers to entry and create educational and employment opportunities in the aviation industry

Want to get in on the good? – If you would like to join JetBlue in doing good, loyalty members can donate points through the TrueBlue Points Donation Platform to a variety of social justice charities that are working to help eradicate racism. JetBlue is encouraging giving by donating one million points each to the New York Urban League and long-standing partner – Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) to help their work for racial equality and justice. Points go directly to the selected charity, and each may use them for travel for their organization. For more information or to donate points visit trueblue.jetblue.com/donate-points.

JetBlue’s 2018-2019 Social Impact Report can be found here and the 2019 ESG Report can be found here.

Giving back is part of JetBlue’s DNA and is core to its mission of inspiring humanity –

Centered around volunteerism and service, JetBlue For Good focuses on the areas that are most important to the airline’s customers and crewmembers - Community, Youth/Education and the Environment. JetBlue’s core programs and partnerships directly impact the areas where its customers and crewmembers live and work by enhancing education and providing access to those who are traditionally underserved. Signature programs include the award-winning Soar with Reading initiative, which has provided more than $3.75 million worth of books to kids who need them most and Blue Horizons For Autism, which helps introduce air travel in a realistic environment to families and children affected by autism. Join the #JetBlueForGood conversation on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, check for regular updates, and get involved.

About JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries customers across the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America. For more information, visit jetblue.com.

CONTACT

  JetBlue Corporate Communications

+1 (718) 709-3089

corpcomm@jetblue.com

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/45471-JetBlue-Releases-Annual-Social-Impact-and-Environmental-Social-Governance-Reports?tracking_source=rss

[nwbeerguide]

The Brewers Association announces the release of '"Small Brewery Finance: Accounting Principles and Planning for the Craft Brewer" by Maria Pearman

Boulder, Colo. • October 7, 2019 — With over 7,000 U.S. breweries in operation and nearly 2,000 more in the planning stage, Small Brewery Finance: Accounting Principles and Planning for the Craft Brewer, the newest release from Brewers Publications®, is a requisite resource for brewery owners and entrepreneurs competing in today’s market. Written by Maria Pearman, certified public accountant, Small Brewery Finance is a comprehensive, results-oriented guide to building a foundation of financial principles to help breweries start and run successful businesses.

Small Brewery Finance offers a framework for interpreting financial reports, building budgets and creating pro-forma financial statements for launching a brewery, purchasing additional equipment, or scouting a new location. Pearman simplifies the accounting processes needed at each stage of brewery development through expert tips, practical applications, templates and reference materials.

“Your brewery is more than a small business – it’s a fulfillment of your dream to share a love for quality craft beer and beverages,” said Pearman, Principal at Perkins & Co. in Portland, OR. “Small Brewery Finance helps elevate that dream by providing the necessary tools for economic success.”

Pearman will tour to promote the book and is available to speak with groups in the brewing community.

October 20, 2019: NanoCon in Vancouver, WA

December 4, 2019: Brewbound Live in Santa Monica, CA

April 19-22, 2020: Craft Brewers Conference in San Antonio, TX

Brewers Publications supports the mission of the Brewers Association by publishing books of enduring value for amateur and professional brewers, as well as titles that promote understanding and appreciation of American craft beer. With over 60 titles to choose from, it is the leading publisher of contemporary and relevant brewing literature for today’s craft brewers, homebrewers, and beer enthusiasts.

…

Small Brewery Finance: Accounting Principles and Planning for the Craft Brewer

Author: Maria Pearman, CPA ISBN: 9781938469527 EISBN: 9781938469534 Size: 8-1/4” x 10-3/4”, 216 pp Format: Paperback Cover Price: $95.00 Publication Date: Oct. 7, 2019

About the Brewers Association The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,000-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®, SAVOR™: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew Con™, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer® magazine, and Brewers Publications® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com® and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association® and the free Brew Guru® mobile app. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 11246 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor. 

###

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide http://bit.ly/2Vsj78h

[trans-advice]

Robust Package of LGBTQ Legislation Advancing in Sacramento April 3, 2019 at 9:17 am FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 3, 2019 CONTACT: Samuel Garrett-Pate, Equality California PHONE: (323) 848-9801/MOBILE: (973) 476-3770/EMAIL: sam@eqca.org SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In Equality California’s 20th anniversary year, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization has introduced its most aggressive, robust package of pro-equality legislation yet. The organization’s priorities include a number of first-in-the-nation bills and are primarily focused on supporting LGBTQ youth and families, increasing access to HIV prevention medication and protecting the civil rights of transgender and intersex Californians. Equality California is sponsoring the following 2019 bills and resolutions in the California Legislature and has experts available for comment or background briefings: Safe and Supportive Schools Act – AB 493 by Assemblymember Todd Gloria and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond AB 493 will give teachers and school staff the tools and training they need — and want — to support LGBTQ students who may be facing harassment or lack of acceptance at school, rejection at home or discrimination in the broader community. Public school teachers and staff are on the front lines of providing a safety net against the effects of discrimination and lack of acceptance for the LGBTQ community, which can result in higher dropout rates, lower economic success and a number of other disparities in health and well-being that LGBTQ people continue to face. If LGBTQ students have support in school, their likelihood of overcoming these disparities and succeeding in school and life increases significantly. Equality California is cosponsoring AB 493 with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. Status: Passed by the Assembly Education Committee 5-0. Referred to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. LGBTQ Young People Nondiscrimination – SB 145 by Senator Scott Wiener and LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey SB 145 will address the state’s discriminatory practice of treating LGBTQ young people differently than their non-LGBTQ peers when engaging in voluntary sexual activity. Currently, for example, if an 18-year-old boy has voluntary sex with his 17-year-old girlfriend, he isn’t required to register as a sex offender. But if an 18-year-old boy has voluntary sex with his 17-year-old boyfriend or an 18-year-old girl has voluntary sex with her 17-year-old girlfriend, they’re automatically required to register as sex offenders, no matter the circumstances and without any opportunity for a judge to provide discretionary relief from the requirement. SB 145 only applies when a teenager age 14 or older has consensual sex with a partner who is within 10 years of age. The bill will simply allow the older partner to request — and a judge to grant — relief from the registration requirement. Equality California is cosponsoring SB 145 along with Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey. Status: Referred to the Senate Public Safety Committee. Scheduled for hearing on Tuesday, April 9. PrEP and PEP Access Expansion – SB 159 by Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Todd Gloria SB 159 will reduce barriers to accessing HIV preventative medications. This legislation will authorize pharmacists to furnish pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to patients without a prescription. Pharmacists are already authorized to furnish birth control pills without a prescription. The legislation will also prohibit insurance companies from requiring patients to obtain prior authorization before using their insurance benefits to obtain PrEP or PEP. Equality California is cosponsoring SB 159 along with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the Los Angeles LGBT Center and California Pharmacists Association. Status: Referred to the Senate Committee on Business, Professions, and Economic Development. Intersex Autonomy – SB 201 by Senator Scott Wiener SB 201 will protect the rights of intersex Californians — “intersex” being a term used for people born with variations in their sex characteristics — by ensuring they can provide informed consent before medically unnecessary, often irreversible and potentially harmful procedures are performed on them. SB 201, at its core, is about giving people born with variations in their sex characteristics autonomy over their own bodies. The bill does not prohibit treatment or surgery when it is medically necessary; it will simply delay elective surgeries that often performed on babies in an attempt to “normalize” their bodies until they have the ability to make their own informed decision. Equality California is cosponsoring SB 201 along with interACT and the ACLU of California. Status: Testimony heard by Senate Committee on Business, Professions, and Economic Development on Monday, April 1. Scheduled for vote on Monday, April 8. Homeless Youth Grant Program – AB 307 by Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes and Senator Scott Wiener AB 307 will require the development and administration of a grant program that would, primarily, support nonprofit organizations or continuum of care administrative entities in serving youth experiencing homelessness. Funding will go toward an array of supportive services, including rental assistance, drug abuse prevention, health care and employment assistance. All programs funded under AB 307 will be required to have the cultural competence to serve youth who identify as LGBTQ. Equality California is cosponsoring AB 307 along with the California Coalition for Youth, Tipping Point Community, John Burton Advocates for Youth, Housing CA and Corporation for Supportive Housing. Status: Passed by the Assembly Human Services Committee 8-0. Referred to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Affirming Records – SB 741 by Senator Cathleen Galgiani SB 741 will update the law to allow transgender Californians to update their marriage certificates and the birth certificates of their children to accurately reflect their legal name and gender, while still protecting their privacy. Current state law allows transgender people to petition courts to change their legal name and gender to conform with their gender identity. The law then allows such a person’s old birth certificate to be sealed and a new one issued as an original to protect the person’s privacy and respect their identity. This legislation would simply align the process for updating transgender people’s marriage certificates and the birth certificates of their children with the process for updating their own birth certificate. This will help to prevent discrimination when a transgender person enrolls their child in school, applies for a loan or seeks to make medical decisions on behalf of an incapacitated spouse. Status: Referred to Senate Rules Committee. Bias-Free Child Custody Determinations – SB 495 by Senator Maria Elena Durazo SB 495 will add language to the California Family Code to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity of a parent, legal guardian or relative when granting custody of a child. While there are examples of California case law to the effect that “sexual preference” should not affect child custody determinations, this language is outdated, unclear, and has not been codified within the California Family Code. This lack of clear and comprehensive policy allows local Family Court mediators, investigators, and judges to make recommendations and rulings based on their own biases about how sexuality and gender may impact the “well-being of the child.” All parents deserve the right to be considered in matters of custody without their sexual orientation or gender identity being used against them. Equality California is cosponsoring SB 495 with the Women’s Policy Institute and the Long Beach Bar Association. Status: Passed by Senate Judiciary Committee. Updating Transgender Students’ Academic Records – AB 711 by Assemblymember David Chiu AB 711 will ensure that local educational agencies in California update the records of former students who identify as transgender, making certain that their legal name and gender are accurately reflected on critical documents like high school diplomas and school transcripts. This includes reissuing high school diplomas and high school equivalency certificates, as needed. This bill seeks to close a gap in current law to ensure that all transgender people who have attended California educational institutions have the same rights and protections. Equality California is cosponsoring AB 711 with Transgender Law Center. Status: Referred to the Assembly Committee on Education Strengthening California’s Equal Pay Act – AB 758 by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo AB 758 will strengthen California’s equal pay laws by requiring that employees of all genders are paid equitably to their counterparts for substantially similar work. This bill will also address unjustified workplace pay differentials for employees who do not conform to the gender binary. California’s Equal Pay Act prohibits employers from paying an employee less than an employee of “the opposite sex” for substantially similar work. AB 758 will update the California Equal Pay Act’s outdated binary language to align with the Gender Recognition Act of 2017 (SB 179, Atkins), which enabled Californians to obtain state issued identity documents that reflect their gender identity by creating a third, nonbinary gender marker. Status: Referred to Assembly Committee on Labor & Employment. Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act – SB 132 by Senator Scott Wiener SB 132 addresses a very real problem facing incarcerated transgender individuals, namely, transgender people being housed according to their birth-assigned gender, not their gender identity or perception of safety, resulting in significant risk of violence. Transgender women housed in male facilities face particular risk of rape and assault. SB 132 will change state law to require incarcerated transgender people in the custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation be classified and housed based on their gender identity, unless the incarcerated person’s evaluation of their own safety is that another housing placement is safest. SB 132 also requires that the preferred first name, gender pronoun and honorific of the incarcerated individual be used by facility staff in all written and verbal communications. By housing incarcerated transgender people based on their gender identity or perception of health and safety, transgender people will be housed in institutions that decrease their likelihood of experiencing targeting and violence, and they will have access to the programming and work opportunities that will best promote and support their health and safety. Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Public Safety. Scheduled for hearing on Tuesday, April 23. Honoring Bayard Rustin – ACR 27 by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo ACR 27 honors the legacy of civil rights, labor and LGBTQ leader Bayard Rustin. Born on March 17, 1912 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Rustin dedicated his entire life to advancing justice and dignity for all. He was a close advisor to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., organized the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and promoted equity through nonviolent protests. An openly gay African American, Rustin understood the intricate intersections of marginalized identities and fought tirelessly for progress and opportunity. Status: Adopted by the Legislature on March 19, 2019. ### Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org

[georgetownacsjobs]

Technology & Social Justice Fellow, at Libraries Without Borders

TECHNOLOGY & SOCIAL JUSTICE FELLOW

Position: Technology & Social Justice Fellow Employment: Full-time, 1 year term with opportunity to renew Location: Baltimore, MD and/or Washington, D.C. Start Date: As soon as possible Salary: $45,000 - $55,000 with health insurance

ABOUT LIBRARIES WITHOUT BORDERS

Libraries Without Borders (LWB) is an international nonprofit committed to expanding access to information and critical services to underserved communities around the world. By partnering with libraries, schools, small businesses, community-based organizations and civic institutions, LWB transforms laundromats, lobbies, parks, recreational centers, and other public spaces into pop-up learning centers. Through this approach, we literally meet people where they are—whether that’s a laundromat in the Bronx or a refugee camp in Jordan—to amplify the impact of our partners, expand community access to relevant and reliable resources, and equip individuals with the tools and training they need to provide relevant and reliable information to their communities, bridge the digital divide, reduce poverty, promote civic engagement and improve the quality of people’s lives.

Internationally, LWB has designed, implemented, and evaluated library programs in refugee camps, remote villages, and disaster relief contexts since 2007. Our US efforts have won numerous awards, including the Google Impact Challenge and the Library of Congress International Literacy Award. Supporters include the City of Washington DC, the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, Sony, Google Fiber, the Knight Foundation, and the Alexander Soros Foundation.

POSITION SUMMARY

LWB seeks a highly organized, strategic, detail-oriented technologist with a demonstrated commitment to racial, economic and social justice to serve as our 2020 Technology and Social Justice Fellow. The Tech Fellow will focus on developing innovative and scalable models for providing equitable access to information, technology, and digital literacy opportunities to underserved communities. This individual will provide technology support for internal staff, as well as for our programs nationwide. They will be responsible for troubleshooting issues with technology, creating/adapting communication and training materials, building effective relationships with libraries, local partners, and other major stakeholders in order to accurately assess their needs, in

addition to developing creative tools and technology that advances our collective mission. The Tech Fellow will spark innovation, expand the reach of our efforts, and maximize the impact of our programs.

The Fellow will work closely with LWB staff to incorporate a human-centered, design-based approach to develop technology and tech-based solutions for our growing portfolio of programs, with a strong focus on the Wash and Learn Initiative (WALI). As WALI expands, the Fellow will have the responsibility and autonomy to draw on the needs of libraries, community-based organizations, and residents to create and adapt accessible digital tools and trainings that are relevant to local needs and advance digital equity.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal candidate will possess a wide range of technical and design skills, as well as a passion for equity and inclusion. The candidate’s professional and academic background should demonstrate an intense curiosity in technology, and a commitment to ensuring that underserved communities have access to the information and tools needed to thrive in today’s increasingly digital world.

As a member of a small and scrappy team, the Fellow must be a dynamic, experienced, and mission-driven person who values respect, cooperation and collaboration. The Fellow must possess both technical acumen and strong people skills. They must be proactive in addressing challenges and willing to take initiative; to explore ideas, options, and scenarios that may not be readily obvious in order to identify and design constructive solutions.

Most importantly, the Fellow must believe that technology is about humans, not hardware. They must view technology in a constructive context, as a tool whose value is determined by its application for the benefit and empowerment of people—whether in their personal or professional lives.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES & TASKS

Create, update, and maintain digital tools and trainings that enable libraries and local organizations to curate educational content for select WALI sites and other informal spaces

Design and distribute communications and training materials for meaningful integration of technologies into informal learning settings

Deliver orientations and supplemental trainings for technology integrations (e.g. “How to...”)

Troubleshoot issues with technology, both hardware and software, for LWB’s in-house team and staff in the field

Coordinate logistics for project implementation, which may include completing purchase orders for tech and complementary security devices, furniture, and educational materials, among other items

Train librarians and other facilitators on how to use and troubleshoot program curation tools

Disseminate online training materials, best practices, and case studies that can be adapted by libraries and non-profit organizations around the country

Forge strong relationships with community partners, librarians, local residents, and other relevant stakeholders (e.g. foundations, government officials, civic institutions) to solicit meaningful feedback that informs the iteration and improvement of digital tools, trainings, and programs

Collaborate with monitoring and evaluation experts to inform the design of survey instruments to accurately, respectfully and responsibly collect data from program participants

Interpret findings from survey data and other project indicators, and communicate major takeaways with relevant stakeholders (i.e. generate reports, present information at quarterly check-in meetings)

Integrate data, stakeholder insights, and project learnings into the redesign of all WALI software and tools

Present global learnings, digital tools, training guides, methodologies and best practices gleaned from programs at educational and tech conferences, as well as directly to library systems, implementing partners, and foundations

Lead internal technology planning meetings and provides strategic guidance on technology solutions for the organization

Contribute to general administrative, fundraising, and communications tasks as needed

Track finances and maintain all relevant documentation pertaining to technology used for operations and programs (e.g. receipts, contracts, MOUs)

ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS

The Wash and Learn Initiative (WALI) equips laundromats with laptops, tablets, specialized software, Wi-Fi hotspots, books, and other educational resources, and then couples these tools with programming that aligns with the needs and interests of laundromat patrons. It represents a collaboration between libraries, small businesses, local nonprofits, and civic associations that brings relevant information and critical services to underserved communities through neighborhood laundromats. By training librarians and local nonprofits on best practices for facilitating fun, inclusive and educational activities at the laundromat, WALI expands and amplifies the reach of community-based organizations to new, typically underserved, audiences, those who tend to fall through the cracks of traditional outreach programs. Whether it’s English language classes, free tax preparation or digital literacy workshops, WALI meets people where they are and provides them with the tools and services they need to make the most of their limited time at the laundromat. Through this approach, the WALI has served families in Detroit, the Bronx, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Washington DC, and other cities across the United States.

The Legal Literacy Initiative re-imagines how low-income families access legal information by partnering with legal service providers and law libraries to bring resources directly into communities—from laundromats to day labor centers!

The Ideas Box Program in Puerto Rico created a pop-up library and learning center in Loiza, an underserved community that continues to struggle in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. This program strives to fill the gap left by the closure of public schools and cuts to critical services by transforming abandoned spaces in centers for education, resiliency and entrepreneurship.

LIBRARIES WITHOUT BORDERS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

TO APPLY: Interested candidates should send a resume and brief cover letter (embedded into the email) to: kat@librarieswithoutborders.us and adam@librarieswithoutborders.us

[rightsinexile]

Statelessness: Interview with Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, Member of the European Parliament

This interview was published by the European Network on Statelessness on June 27, 2018, and it addresses childhood statelessness, among other issues.

Anna Maria Corazza Bildt is a Swedish Member of the European Parliament. She is the co-chair of the EP Child Rights Intergroup and is an active advocate for the right of all children to a nationality. We spoke about her work, the role of the European Union in eradicating childhood statelessness and the challenges ahead.

You’ve been a leading children's rights champion in the European Parliament. Could you tell us about the work of the Child Rights Intergroup and why were you so keen to take up the issue of childhood statelessness as an important part of the group's agenda?  

It is unacceptable that to this day, children in Europe are born stateless. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), ratified by every EU member state, is very clear that all children have the right to a nationality. But as your supporters will know all too well, this is not the case, and thousands of children in Europe find themselves - through no fault of their own - growing up stateless and facing daily problems accessing basic services like healthcare and education. We shouldn’t forget that every child is first and foremost a child regardless of their legal status. In view of that, it is paramount that Member States take the necessary steps to ensure that every child enjoys his or her right to a nationality and the rights associated with that.

The Child Rights Intergroup which was founded in 2014 is a permanent body responsible for promoting children’s rights across all European Parliament policies and legislation. It is the first formal body in the Parliament, with a cross-party representation of committed MEPs, that mainstreams children’s rights, assesses and influences legislative and non-legislative work on children and makes sure that children’s rights are on top of the EU agenda. With that in mind the Intergroup is fully committed to pursue eradication of childhood statelessness through the joint work we do.

In 2016, 35 ENS youth ambassadors from across Europe met with you to call for action and discuss ways to end childhood statelessness and to hand over our #StatelessKids petition with over 22,000 signatories.  Were you surprised to see so many young people concerned and committed to tackling statelessness?

It was indeed a great event to welcome the young ambassadors to European Parliament and listening to them. I was astonished to hear them speak so eloquently, with a clear message, commitment and passion that change is possible. Childhood statelessness brings hardship and anguish to children and their parents alike. This was clear to everyone in the room after hearing Mazen, one of the youth ambassadors speak at the joint ENS and EP Child Rights Intergroup. Mazen, a stateless Palestinian from Syria, told of the struggles brought on by growing up without a nationality, his journey to Cyprus and how he was finally able to find a home and a sense of belonging. Like Mazen, there are many other children in Europe who face the same struggles due to a lack of nationality. It is shocking to know that over half of European countries don’t have necessary safeguards in place to protect children from statelessness. European countries have a responsibility to protect these children. This is a problem that is entirely solvable through effective safeguards - legal measures, administrative good practice and regional cooperation.

The #Statelesskids campaign is a good example of how to bring children’s rights to the attention of European leaders and create the momentum and the political will to pursue long term solutions.

You spoke very passionately at the ENS and UNHCR meeting in European Parliament last November about the urgent need to protect thousands of Roma children living in Europe without a nationality. What do you see are the opportunities ahead to push for effective reform on the issue?

Roma children are European children like everyone else. We have a responsibility to protect them without discrimination nor double standards, and Member States should find holistic solutions to address statelessness of Roma children, in particular tackling the challenges of the lack of identity documents. Roma children struggle to prove their entitlement to a nationality despite the fact that in some cases they have lived in the same place for generations. All EU Member States should put in place effective safeguards to identify stateless people to stop the legal limbo that is still affecting many Roma children across Europe in accordance with the existing International law so that they have access to health care, education and later on employment etc.

I welcome the results of the #RomaBelong research on the Western Balkans and Ukraine by ENS, European Roma Rights Centre and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion.

The EU Enlargement process is a unique opportunity for the EU Institutions to ensure that discrimination against Roma and statelessness is comprehensively addressed as a matter of priority. Candidate countries should take steps such as allowing children to acquire the nationality of the country in which they were born if they would otherwise be stateless and ensure universal birth registration to prevent statelessness.

With everything that has happened in global politics in 2017, what do you think are some of the biggest challenges ahead for those working on children's rights and what keeps you positive?

Over the last couple of years, we’ve witnessed some unprecedented changes, which require politicians to come up with more bold responses. One such area is migration. For example according to the UNHCR, in 2017 alone over 14,000 unaccompanied and separated children arrived in Greece, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria. These migrant children are especially vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation and need adequate protection. A child is first and foremost a child regardless of their migration status or that of their parents. To me, finding permanent solutions and putting in place measures to address this is a priority in my day-to-day work.

Children in the context of migration have been at the heart of the work of the Intergroup since its establishment. We tabled amendments in the debate on the Common European Asylum System to make sure migrant children are granted upon their arrival with immediate access to dignified accommodation, education and healthcare on equal footing with national children.

I am very pleased that we took the first step in the right direction with the passing of the resolution on protection of children in migration. Among other things, we called on the EU and its Member States to ensure that childhood statelessness is adequately addressed in national laws and we pointed out that childhood statelessness poses serious human rights challenges and delays the process for determining the status of children and denying them access to basic services. The call which came about as a result of good cooperation between ENS and the Child Rights Intergroup will provide a basis for our work to address childhood statelessness and now that the resolution was adopted I look forward to continue working together to follow up with concrete actions.

[evoldir]

Postdoc: PurdueU.EvolutionaryBiology

Purdue Post-doctoral Scholars in Natural Resources Purdue Universitys Department of Forestry and Natural Resources seeks candidates for 1-2 post-doctoral positions for its annual recurring competition for post-doctoral scholars. The department has a broad environmental scope with nationally ranked doctoral programs, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches across a spectrum of research areas including ecology, genetics, forest biology, forest measurement and assessment/GIS, wood products, wildlife, fisheries and aquatic sciences, and natural resources social science (http://bit.ly/2vnmKOi). Departmental faculty members actively participate in interdisciplinary initiatives including the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, Center for the Environment, Purdue Water Community, Purdue Interdisciplinary Center for Ecological Sustainability, Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Tropical Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Center for Global Soundscapes, Center for Regional Development, Purdue Climate Change Research Center, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, and the Natural Resources Development Institute. Requirements for the position(s) include a Ph.D. in natural resources or related discipline, evidence of initiative, independence, and productivity, and a commitment to conservation of natural resources. The program is open to U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. Positions will be 2-year appointments at a salary of $47,500, plus benefits and a discretionary fund of $5,000/year in addition to any research funds that are provided by mentors. Application Process: Before applying, interested individuals should contact prospective postdoctoral mentors in the department to discuss project ideas. A list of faculty mentors is available at http://bit.ly/194mGCx. Mentoring may be sought from individual faculty or by faculty teams, whichever is more appropriate to successfully conduct the proposed work. To apply to the Natural Resources Scholars program candidates must submit a) names of one or more faculty who have agreed to serve as mentors for the proposed project, b) a curriculum vitae, c) a proposal describing the work to be undertaken, d) two letters of reference, and e) a 1-page statement of support from the proposed mentor(s). Materials should be submitted as PDF files via email to mmann@purdue.edu with the subject line Application: Postdoc Scholars in Natural Resources. Letter writers should submit their recommendations directly using the email address above. The deadline for receiving completed applications is October 31, 2018. Applicants may propose projects that complement, extend, or synthesize existing efforts and interests of the faculty. The proposal should identify the issue to be addressed, summarize the current level of knowledge as it relates to the issue, describe the objective(s) of the proposed work, provide the study design and methods used to meet the objective(s), explain expected results and deliverables, and highlight their scientific and broader significance. The proposal is limited to a 300-word summary page and three (3) single-spaced pages, not including references, using one-inch margins and a minimum 11-point standard font. Applications will be judged on overall quality including prior performance, support letters, and the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of the proposal. For additional information, please contact Maria S. Seplveda, Professor and Associate Department Head of Research (mssepulv@purdue.edu). Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce. Prof. J. Andrew DeWoody Depts. of Forestry & Natural Resources and Biological Sciences Purdue University West Lafayette IN USA 765 496 6109 "DeWoody, James Andrew" via Gmail

[forensiceyes]

U.S. AI, IoT, CAV, and Privacy Legislative Update – Second Quarter 2021

Introduction

In this update, we detail the key legislative developments in the second quarter of 2021 related to artificial intelligence (“AI”), the Internet of Things (“IoT”), connected and automated vehicles (“CAVs”), and federal privacy legislation.  As we recently covered on May 12,  President Biden signed an Executive Order to strengthen the federal government’s ability to respond to and prevent cybersecurity threats, including by removing obstacles to sharing threat information between private sector entities and federal agencies and modernizing federal systems.  On the hill, lawmakers have introduced a number of proposals to regulate AI, IoT, CAVs, and privacy.

Artificial Intelligence

In Q2, members of Congress introduced a variety of legislative proposals to regulate AI—ranging from light touches to more prescriptive approaches.

A number of bills would provide funding for AI-related research and training. Most notably, the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 ( 1260), introduced by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and which passed by the Senate, would invest more than $200 billion into U.S. scientific and technological innovation over the next five years.  In particular, the bill would create the Directorate for Technology and Innovation within the National Science Foundation to research AI and machine learning, among other areas.  The Artificial Intelligence for the Military Act of 2021 (S. 1776), introduced by Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), would require the introduction of curriculum for professional military education to incorporate courses of emerging technologies, like AI.

Several bills introduced this quarter have focused on the privacy implications of AI. For instance, the Mind Your Own Business Act of 2021 ( 1444), introduced by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), would authorize the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) to create regulations requiring covered entities to, among other requirements, conduct impact assessments of “high-risk automated decision systems” (which includes certain AI tools) and “high-risk information systems” that “pose a significant risk to the privacy or security” of consumers’ personal information.  Likewise, the Algorithmic Justice and Online Platform Transparency Act of 2021 (S. 1896), introduced by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), would require online platforms to describe to users the types of algorithmic processes they employ and the information they collected; publish annual public reports detailing their content moderation practices; and maintain detailed records describing their algorithmic process for review by the FTC.

Agencies have mirrored Congressional activities, focusing on additional investments to research AI developments and rules on the use of AI.

The FTC released guidance suggesting that biased AI may violate: Section 5 of the FTC Act (“The FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive practices. That would include the sale or use of – for example – racially biased algorithms.”); the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“The FCRA comes into play in certain circumstances where an algorithm is used to deny people employment, housing, credit, insurance, or other benefits.”); and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“The ECOA makes it illegal for a company to use a biased algorithm that results in credit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or because a person receives public assistance.”).

The Office of Management and Budget submitted its request for discretionary funding—$916 million, an increase of $128 million over the 2021 enacted level, to expand scientific and technological research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) on AI and quantum information science. The discretionary request also establishes a new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships within the National Science Foundation to expedite technology development in AI and quantum information science.

Internet of Things

Federal lawmakers introduced a number of proposals focused on directing federal agencies to study technological and security challenges related to IoT, including with respect to national security, disclosures to consumers, and cybersecurity certification programs.

Several bills introduced this quarter focus on addressing national security challenges related to IoT, such as the Internet of Things Readiness Act of 2021 (R. 981), introduced by Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA-1), the Strengthening Trade, Regional Alliances, Technology, and Economic and Geopolitical Initiatives Concerning China (“STRATEGIC”) Act (S. 687), introduced by Senator James Risch (R-ID), and the Securing American Leadership in Science and Technology (“SALSTA”) Act of 2021 (H.R. 2153), introduced by Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK-3). These bills focus on developing standards for secure IoT development and create working groups focused on developing U.S. leadership in IoT development.

Other developments this quarter focused on consumer labels for IoT devices. Representative John Curtis (R-UT-3) introduced the Informing Consumers about Smart Devices Act (R. 3898), which would require the FTC to work alongside industry leaders to establish guidelines for properly disclosing the potential for their products to contain audio or visual recording capabilities that would not be clearly obvious to a reasonable person.  Notably, President Biden signed the Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, which directs NIST to create pilot programs to establish criteria for product labels to educate consumers about the cybersecurity capabilities of IoT devices and requires NIST to work with the FTC on such consumer labels.

Another proposal focuses on cybersecurity certification programs for IoT devices. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Cyber Shield Act of 2021 ( 965), which would create a voluntary cybersecurity certification program for IoT devices, including laptops, cameras, and cell phones.

Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

Federal lawmakers focused legislative proposals on the safe deployment of CAVs, including proposals focused on federal frameworks for CAVs and requirements for CAV development.

Representative Bob Latta (R-OH-5) introduced the Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research Act (“SELF DRIVE Act”) (R. 3711), which would create a federal framework to assist agencies and industries deploy CAVs around the country and establish a Highly Automated Vehicle Advisory Council within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”).

Other proposals focus on technical requirements for CAVs. The Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021 ( 2016), introduced by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), would require new automobiles to be equipped with (i) an automatic braking system that alerts the driver if the distance to a vehicle or object is closing too quickly and a collision is imminent and (ii) an automated lane departure system that warns the driver to maintain the lane of travel and course corrects in the event a driver fails to do so.

Lawmakers have also introduced grant programs this quarter to encourage the development of CAVs. The Surface Transportation Advanced through Reform, Technology, and Efficient Review (“STARTER”) Act 2.0 (R. 3341), introduced by Representative Sam Graves (R-MO-6),  would establish new competitive grant programs related to connected vehicle deployment and the safe integration of automated driving systems.

There were a number of updates related to CAV safety in the regulatory space as well:

In early June, the Department of Transportation released its Spring regulatory agenda, which emphasized creating a safe and predictable environment for CAVs by requiring rigorous testing standards for CAVs and setting up a national incident database to document crashes involving CAVs. Related to this database, NHTSA issued an order on June 29 requiring manufacturers and operators of vehicles equipped with certain automated driving features to repot certain crashes to the regulatory agency.

In response to an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) – Framework for Automated Driving System Safety, NHTSA received public comments on the key components that can meet the need for motor vehicle safety while enabling vehicle decisions for the four primary functions of automated driving systems: sensing, perception, planning, and control.

Data Privacy

Legislators introduced a number of privacy bills in Q2, including comprehensive data privacy proposals with new consent requirements and new approaches to enforcement, and other bills focused on specific topical areas related to privacy, such as the Fourth Amendment and children’s privacy.

A number of bills introduced this quarter focus on consent requirements in a comprehensive data privacy framework. One of these proposals, the Information Transparency and Personal Data Control Act (R. 1816), introduced by Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA-1), would require affirmative, express consent to sell, share, or disclose sensitive personal information, and covered entities would be required to provide consumers with the option to opt-out of the use of their non-sensitive personal information at any time.  Relatedly, Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced the Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act (S. 1494), which would require covered entities to provide consumers with a means to withdraw consent at any time.

Other federal privacy legislative proposals this quarter would give the FTC and state attorneys general authority to enforce the law, though one proposal would create a new, independent Data Protection Agency to enforce federal privacy in the U.S. The Data Protection Act of 2021 ( 2134), introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), would prohibit unfair, deceptive, or discriminatory data practices, and the agency would review the privacy implications of any merger that involves the data of at least 50,000 users.

Other data privacy legislative proposals introduced this quarter focused on specific topical areas, such as the Fourth Amendment and children’s privacy. The Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act ( 1265), introduced by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and a bipartisan group of 19-co-sponsors, would limit the federal government’s ability to purchase or obtain data, including metadata, from data brokers.  The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (S. 1628), introduced by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), would amend the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to prohibit companies from collecting information on children aged 13-15 without their consent.  The bill also would ban targeted advertising directed at children, would require the creation of an “erase button” to allow users to delete a child’s personal information, and would establish a Youth Marketing and Privacy Division at the FTC.

We will continue to update you on meaningful developments in these quarterly updates and across our blogs.

  U.S. AI, IoT, CAV, and Privacy Legislative Update – Second Quarter 2021 posted first on http://ronenkurzfeld.blogspot.com

[architectnews]

Canterbury School of Architecture presents 15 student design projects that imagine brighter futures

A community centre for the homeless that overlooks Canterbury Cathedral and a cafe designed for people with disabilities are included in Dezeen's latest school show by students at the Canterbury School of Architecture.

Also included is a "lush haven" aiming to encourage younger generations to adopt more wholesome ways of living, and a project that reimagines a derelict car park as an urban farm.

Canterbury School of Architecture

School: Canterbury School of Architecture, University for the Creative Arts Canterbury Courses: BA Interior Architecture and Design Tutors: Anna Maria Baranowska, Daniel Tollad and Kim Thome

School statement:

"The BA Interior Architecture and Design course at UCA Canterbury takes a multi-disciplinary approach to the transformation of unused and undervalued spaces and places. It encourages the students to embrace traditional means of designing whilst exploring the role of 'narrative' as a tool to unlock imagination and develop new design possibilities.

"Understanding the long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our everyday lives will take time and deep investigation to grasp. But there is a growing interest in the food that we're eating, the natural world, and the environmental crisis that hangs heavy over all of us. There's much more progress to be made, but as designers, this provides us with an opportunity to test, experiment and present new ideas that will one day make a positive impact on the world around us.

"Our graduating students have explored the future of hospitality, thinking about the tools and rituals involved with food and eating, the facilities that these requirements, and their ability to bring people together. How do we use hospitality to educate and reconnect people to their immediate environments? To rethink how and what we eat? And ultimately, bring people together again?"

Safe Neighbourhood by Adesola Omole

"My final project focuses on the homeless community of Canterbury. It addresses the rising cases of homelessness found in the city. Whilst some pre-existing organisations and facilities do excellent work to help them, the one thing that this specific community lack is a 'chill' zone – a space specifically for them.

"I wanted to remove the pressure of any preconceived social hierarchies, and I developed a community centre where they could come together, sit, eat and relax, without feeling like outcasts from the wider community."

Student: Adesola Omole Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: adesolaomole@hotmail.co.uk

Sunshine Dream by Anna Bacso

"Working with the Dreamland Heritage Trust, my project looks at the redevelopment of Dreamland's Sunshine Cafe in Margate (UK). Engaging with the trust's brief and Margate's rich culture, I propose a space that brings the community together to promote creativity, local history and tradition.

"I wanted to represent the name 'Sunshine Cafe' by using the natural sunlight and colourful acrylic walls to create a playful and bright environment. The space is multifunctional and can be used for workshops, exhibitions and film screenings. There is a cafe bar and a place where archive documents are safely stored."

Student: Anna Bacso Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: annabacso11@gmail.com

The Safety Net by Armita Vajdi

"Connecting with your personal culture can be an issue for those that are bi-cultural. Living with two cultural identities can often lead to an individual prioritising one over the other, depending on the culture that they are currently interacting with.

'The Safety Net aims to bring aspects of Persian culture to Iranians who have migrated to the UK in order to maintain the connection to their second identity. Members of The Safety Net are provided with exclusive benefits and services, such as a dining area with specialised cuisine, a library of cultural knowledge, a communal social space and a giant backgammon set."

Student: Armita Vajdi Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: armitavajdi@hotmail.com

The City Exchange by Rebecca Rumsey

"It's 2025, and the pandemic has spiralled out of control! The severe job shortages and lack of support have meant that families cannot pay their rent and their mortgages. Homelessness is now the biggest issue that we are facing as a country.

"I propose a members club for Canterbury's homeless community, in the city centre and in view of the famous Canterbury Cathedral. We will provide essential hygiene facilities, a laundrette and personal mailboxes and space for skills-based workshops from CV-writing to culinary classes, to help people reconnect to their former lives."

Student: Rebecca Rumsey Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: r.rumsey@hotmail.co.uk

Civil Agronomy Centre by Cherry Mafutala

"The year is 2030 and the continuing Covid-19 pandemic has caused extreme isolation to become the norm. To combat the negative impacts of social isolation, I am proposing a new pavilion – a new community centre that contains a cafe, marketplace, library and a therapy room to bring people together again.

"With a shared interest in farming and agriculture, there will be workshops in ecology and bee-keeping, as well as space for group therapy sessions. A circular economy to ensure that the pavilion's organic produce is used in the café, in addition to using solar energy to power the centre."

Student: Cherry Mafutala Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: cherry.mafutala@yahoo.com

The Skylight Cafe by Christiane Gerges

"The Skylight Cafe has been designed for people with disabilities such as partial or complete blindness. The intention is to provide this group of people with a modern space that is easily accessible and sensitive to their needs.

"Double-height ceilings and specific materials that play with levels of transparency are key to exploring the way that light moves through the building. For those with less sight-visibility, the texture becomes an important tool to help navigate the building to create a new spatial experience. People with disabilities deserve to have a safe but also a modern space they can find comfort in."

Student: Christiane Gerges Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: christiane-gerges@hotmail.co.uk

New Cafe by Ineui Park

"With a newly emerging virtual culture that can be interlinked within previous architectural culture, space can be designed to allow for more enthusiastic and interactive activities and occurrences.

"Beyond the conventional cafe, providing more than just refreshments to customers, the space will offer a full experience, a virtual environment physically embodied to awaken customers senses and kickstart a new trend of hospitality hotspots."

Student: Ineui Park Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: ineui.park01.gmail.com

Feast! Eat the Rich by James Porritt

"The year is 2030, and the battle against Covid-19 has been lost. Food supplies are limited, and the soil in the UK has turned sour, making it difficult to meet the demands for essential nutrition. Nearly all fresh produce is imported from neighbouring countries, which is becoming increasingly more difficult due to the incompletion of Brexit.

"Society is starting to rebuild itself. However, the class divide between those who have and those who don't is polarised. Poverty and an extreme uncertainty of when they'll next eat. A resistance group has claimed an abandoned building in the heart of Canterbury, hijacking imports to give to those in need, and this is where we resume the story."

Student: James Porritt Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: James.porritt.designs@gmail.com

Lush Haven by Julia Venpin

"The narrative occurs in 2030's Mauritius, where globalisation has led to one homogenous culture. The omnipresence of fast-food corporations offering processed foods has sucked people into the unhealthy habit of eating out.

"The goal of 'Lush Haven' is to allow younger generations to encounter a more primitive and wholesome way of living – reviving home-cooking and rediscovering one's cultural identity through a communal cooking process.

"Using locally-sourced ingredients and eco-friendly materials, the eatery encourages self-sustainability by implementing horticulture and rearing livestock, creating a circular eco-system. Greenery fills up space and grows throughout the building, nature taking over and reclaiming past farmland."

Student: Julia Venpin Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: juliaiadstudio@gmail.com

Conquest House by Rachel Carabine–Clarke

"The Conquest House Project was inspired by the impacts of lockdown and tackling issues relating to food poverty within the local area of Canterbury. I was inspired by the local architecture and history of Canterbury so chose a building deeply rooted in the city's history to host my final proposal.

"My final proposal is based around the narrative of the Conquest House Society, a place where people experiencing poverty and the aftereffects of the pandemic, for example, loneliness, could come to a safe space for support and equality without prejudice or societal status. I am a designer who is interested in narrative as well as materiality and texture."

Student: Rachel Carabine–Clarke Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: rachelcclarkedesigns@outlook.com

Vision by Radhika Chagane

"Vision is an interactive space that provides independence and a reformed reality for the blind community. The objective of this concept is to bring communities together by informing, teaching, and entertaining. It is recreating an atmosphere that reflects the old 'normal' through the play of light, smells and intricate clay textures.

"The space provides events, talks, therapy sessions, sensory activities, various forms of entertainment, and a play area for guide dogs. It also offers opportunities for employment by educating the blind community on cooking and serving. Making the spaces not just for the blind community but run by the blind community."

Student: Radhika Chagane Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: Rad_iad@hotmail.com

Network by Volen Andreev

"This project explores a future narrative of the installation of 5G towers and its controversial relation to the virus, which has triggered a fear amongst the citizens of Canterbury, Kent. In my work I depict a new establishment of safe towns where all radio wave transmission devices have been abandoned in favour of a return to analogue technology. Over time, citizens have put together an intricate and cryptic telecommunication system of towers using scavenged objects that were found in the historic streets of Canterbury."

Student: Volen Andreev Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: volen.andreev@gmail.com

Project 02049 by Xuchen Zhu

"As we move forward in time, the rise in popularity for public transportation gradually replaced the use and demand for private transportation. A side-effect of that is that now there are plenty of vacant underground parking lots, empty and unused. Simultaneously there is the development and promotion of renewable energy.

"Project02049 is made from 80 per cent reclaimed materials – cement, resin, reinforced concrete – and reengineers them into components for light industry and units for urban farming. A facility that inhabits empty parking lots to grow produce and provide sustenance for the urban population. Project02049 presents a sustainable path for future life."

Student: Xuchen Zhu Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: mikezhu2000@outlook.com

Oystcrete by Yen Ling Lee

"This project explores a future of a heavily populated world struggling to control food consumption and waste production. Small towns are forced to find methods to self-sustain and create ecosystems to manage food production and decrease waste.

"This project proposes a hub in Whitstable, Kent that uses local sources like oysters to create farming environments and converts its waste, in particular shells from the food industry, to useable construction materials."

Student: Yen Ling Lee Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: sarayen.archi@gmail.com

Courtyard Houses by Yihan Chen

"China's rural villages are emptying, with more and more people leaving every day to start afresh in the city. As a result, there are large numbers of unused houses and properties being abandoned.

"Because of Covid-19, many are becoming aware of the situation and are looking to the redevelopment of these places, working to combine nature and architecture for a sustainable lifestyle for contemporary young people.

"My project reimagines the traditional Chinese courtyard, adding natural elements and modern design styles to reimagine how the courtyard can be used, combining a youthful atmosphere with respect for the natural world."

Student: Yihan Chen Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Email: 1030885859@qq.com 

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the Canterbury School of Architecture. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Canterbury School of Architecture presents 15 student design projects that imagine brighter futures appeared first on Dezeen.

[evoldir]

Fwd: Graduate position: BiK-F_Germany.EvolutionaryGenetics

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Graduate position: BiK-F_Germany.EvolutionaryGenetics > Date: 24 December 2015 at 06:50:07 GMT > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > The Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F) has been founded > by the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, the > Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, and additional partners. It is > funded by the Federal State of Hessen through its Initiative for the > Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence (LOEWE). The mission > of the centre is to carry out internationally outstanding research on > the interactions of biodiversity and climate change at the organism > level. > > The Department of "Evolution and Climate" at Senckenberg and the > Research field 6 of the working group of Prof. Dr. Axel Janke jointly > invites applications for a > > PhD Position in Evolutionary Genetics > Ref. #6.5 > > We are looking for a dedicated PhD student with strong interest and > proven skills in evolutionary genetics to study speciation in mammals at > the genomic level. Experience in analyzing genomic data is an advantage > and good English skills are a prerequisite. The applicant should be able > to work in an international, interdisciplinary group for expanding the > work to species distribution modeling, paternal inference and/or > conservation genetics. > > Your tasks: > - Study speciation in mammals at the genomic level > - Labwork > - Produce and analyze mammalian genome data > - Population genetic analyses > - Teaching > > > Your profile: > -       Fulfill the requirements to enroll as a PhD student at Goethe >        University > -       Experience in producing and analyzing genomic data > -       Very good English skills > -       Highly motivated, able to work independently > > Salary and benefits are in accordance with a public service position in > Germany (TV-H E13, 50%). The contract shall start March 1st, 2016 and > will be initially limited until February 28th, 2019. The Senckenberg > Research Institute supports equal opportunity of men and women and > therefore strongly invites women to apply. Equally qualified handicapped > applicants will be given preference. The place of employment will be > Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The employer is the Senckenberg Gesellschaft > für Naturforschung. > > Please send your application before January 17th, 2016 preferably by > e-mail (attachment in a single pdf document), mentioning the reference > of this position (Ref. #6.5) and including a cover letter detailing your > research interests and experience, a detailed CV, and a copy of your > credentials to the address below: > > > Dr. Tobias Schneck > c/o Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung > Senckenberganlage 25 > 60325 Frankfurt am Main > recruiting@senckenberg.de > > For scientific enquiries please contact Prof. Dr. Axel Janke > axel.janke@senckenberg.de, > phone +49 (0)69/7542-1842 > > In addition, please indicate in your application how our advertisement > came to your attention. > > For further information and to answer your questions please contact me > by email. Thank your very much! > > > > > > > > Mit freundlichen Grüßen /Best Regards > > Isabell Bast > Personalsachbearbeiterin > > SENCKENBERG > Gesellschaft für Naturforschung > Zentralabteilung Verwaltung (ZAV) - Gruppe Personal & Soziales > Senckenberganlage 25 > 60325 Frankfurt/Main > > Telefon/Phone: 0049 (0)69 / 7542 - > > Leiterin Personal & Soziales > - 1458 Loke, Uta > > Stellv. Leiterin Personal & Soziales > - 1319 Elsen, Carina > > Team Personalbeschaffung (Recruiting) > - 1313 di Biase, Maria > - 1313 Bast, Isabell > - 1478 Gajcevic, Isabel > > Fax: 0049 (0)69 / 7542-1467 > Mail: recruiting@senckenberg.de > Homepage: www.senckenberg.de > > SENCKENBERG Gesellschaft für Naturforschung > (Rechtsfähiger Verein gemäß § 22 BGB) > Senckenberganlage 25 > 60325 Frankfurt am Main > Direktorium: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Volker Mosbrugger, Prof. Dr. Andreas > Mulch, Hon. Prof. Dr. h.c. (STU) Rolf Pfrengle, Prof. Dr. Katrin > Böhning-Gaese, Prof. Dr. Uwe Fritz, PD Dr. Ingrid Kröncke > Präsidentin: Dr. h. c. Beate Heraeus > Aufsichtsbehörde: Magistrat der Stadt Frankfurt am Main (Ordnungsamt) > P Before printing, think about the environment > > recruiting > via IFTTT

[khalilhumam]

What does Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) look like across Oxfam?

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/what-does-womens-economic-empowerment-wee-look-like-across-oxfam/

What does Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) look like across Oxfam?

Shafeeka is the head of the women’s group in her village. Oxfam and partner Rural Women’s Development Association have helped set the group up with greenhouses and seeds and provided training on farming techniques Credit: Kieran Doherty/Oxfam

A Global Overview of 20 WEE Programmes and Projects in over 45 countries. We take a look at some of our WEE programmes below.

Jump to thematic area examples

Inclusive Markets and Value Chains

Enterprise Development and Financial Inclusion

Influencing Stakeholders

Dignified and decent work

Inclusive Markets and Value Chains

What is it? 

Inclusive market systems approaches focus on recognizing and redressing power imbalances between men and women, and between smallholder producers and large market actors. Value chains approaches focus on how increased knowledge, climate-resilience strategies and more equitable land rights enhance women’s collective power. 

Who does it?

GRAISEA –  Focus on responsible and inclusive business, women’s economic empowerment, and climate change resilience in Cambodia, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Enhancing Livelihoods Fund (ELF): Innovative funding mechanism working with Unilever’s value chains to improve outcomes for smallholders e.g. women ylang-ylang pickers, women farmers in cocoa, gherkin and cocoa coop’s in India, Comoros, Indonesia, Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya.

Her Veggie Basket– Oxfam India, Oxfam Germany, SEWA – Bihar: Promoting organic farming methods, training and formal government recognition of women vegetable farmers collective in India

Women Ambassadors of Agriculture– KEDV Turkey: Collective leadership training for seasonal migrant agricultural workers in the hazelnut supply chain. Focus on: improving living and working conditions and negotiating power

AgriMulheras – Mozambique: Strengthen women’s access to land, technical training and markets in horticulture, in partnership with rural women’s rights organizations and civil society organizations

HAKBIIT-Timor Leste: Increase women’s access to social, political and economic spheres through a disabilities-centred, hybrid approach. Focus on savings groups, gender norms, resilient livelihoods and income generation

Building Resilient Livelihoods – Afghanistan:  Women-led almond enterprises in Nili and Shahristan managing processing, packaging and market sales through marketing, management, leadership and book-keeping upskilling

Financial Inclusion and Enterprise Development 

Theresie Nyirantozi (60 yrs) admires tailored fabric she purchased in her home in Kirehe District, Eastern Rwanda. Since joining the Tuzamurane pineapple cooperative Theresie feels proud to no longer have to ask her husband for money to buy clothes and fabric.   Credit: Aurelie Marrier d’Unienville / Oxfam

What is it?  Leadership and economic opportunities through savings groups, SMEs and incubators. Focus on: women’s control over productive assets, increased income and social capital, and business support through partnerships. 

Who does it? 

The Enterprise Development Programme (EDP):  Pioneering, business approach providing mix of loans and technical support to enterprises focused on women’s leadership and enterprise development.  e.g fruit processing in Rwanda, organic cashews in Honduras, Handicrafts in Nepal

Agriprenneurs-OPTI: Develop young women’s start-up agriculture ideas in partnership with local university incubator. Projects include: sugar substitutes; gluten-free flours; Azolla (fern) production as local animal fodder

FINLIT Programme- Vietnam: Financial literacy and upskilling in household financial management through a partnership with VBSP Bank app, connecting women to good financial practices from other women entrepreneurs

IBV- Jordan : Incentive-Based Volunteering offers refugee women unable to work outside of refugee camps the opportunity to use existing skillsets while offering them cash-for-work opportunities, training and a modest source of income

Empower Youth for Work:  Socio-economic empowerment of youth in rural, climate affected areas. Focus on: co-creating opportunities for young women’s voices in enabling, youth-led environments in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh

Savings for Change: Savings groups boosting women’s financial independence and self-confidence. Focus on: member loans, profit sharing and network building in Mali, El Salvador, Timor-Leste, Laos, Cambodia, Guatemala and Senegal

Influencing Stakeholders

Randy Duran (35 yrs) helps his wife Maria Socorro with the family laundry outside their home on Tubabao Island, Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Philippines. After Maria did an RCA (We Care Rapid Care Assessment) her and Randy started to share household chores. Credit: Aurelie Marrier d’Unienville / Oxfam

What is it? 

Influencing policy and partnering with local government, civil society organizations, international campaigns and private sector actors, to value women’s paid and unpaid work. Who does it? 

WE-CARE: Tackle women and girl’s heavy, uneven unpaid care and domestic work (UCDW)  through rapid care analyses, private sector partnerships, time- and labour-saving equipment, and influencing government to shift norms and policy on UCDW in Southern and Eastern Africa and in Asia

 Behind the Barcodes Campaign: Scores British, American, Dutch and German food retailers’ labour conditions in their supply chains. The public Supermarket Scorecard includes specific indicators on gender equality

Malawi Tea 2020 Project – Multi-stakeholder partnership of 22 organizations working to ensure living wages in Malawian tea sector, good nutrition and better leadership opportunities for women, alongside equal access to training e.g. through Farmer Field Schools and trade union

Dignified and Decent Work

What is it? Supporting rural and urban women workers – garment workers, domestic workers, home-based and gig economy workers. Focus on: re-valuing women’s work, building women’s collective power and fairer distribution of unpaid and paid care work.  Who does it?

Care for Carers Campaign- South Africa:  Partnering with the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union to ensure fair treatment, safe work conditions and reduced unpaid care work for women health care workers to enable a quality, universal healthcare system

Securing Rights Project-Bangladesh: Ensuring better work conditions for domestic workers, which includes use of digital platform with embedded two-way feedback system for domestic workers and the employers

Inclusive Economies- Mexico: Strengthen capacities of mostly rural women collectives and Indigenous groups in Puebla and Oaxaca ( e.g. coffee, cinnamon, agave, textiles, plant-based traditional products, eco-tourism)

Domestic Workers Rising Campaign – South Africa: Collective mobilization of domestic workers to influence government recognition of their precarious work.  Upskilling and bilateral learning to strengthen workers own voice in digital campaigning 

For the most up-to-date information on Oxfam’s WEE programmes, check out our related publications thread here and subscribe to the Women’s Economic Empowerment Knowledge Hub Newsletter. Note: This overview is a rolling document to represent of the diversity of Oxfam’s WEE work. It is updated quarterly to reflect project changes and is not a complete catalogue of all of Oxfam’s WEE projects.

Author

Aissa Boodhoo

Aissa is the Women’s Economic Empowerment Knowledge Hub Coordinator at Oxfam GB.