#impact united we stand 2019

[coochiequeens]

Ladies please reblog to spread the word about these ladies and their fight to protect their homes from the destruction of the Oil industry

BY NEMONTE NENQUIMO AND NONHLE MBUTHUMA

DECEMBER 15, 2022 7:00 AM EST

Nenquimo, co-founder of Amazon Frontlines and the Ceibo Alliance, is a Waorani leader who has won the Goldman Environmental Prize. Mbuthuma is a leader of the amaMpondo people in South Africa and spokesperson of the Amadiba Crisis Committee, a collective that defends her community’s rights to steward their ancestral land.

We are two Indigenous women leaders writing from the frontlines of the battle to save our oceans, our forests, and our planet’s climate. We have good news to share: We know how to beat Big Oil.

From the Amazon rainforest to the shores of the Indian Ocean in South Africa, we have led our communities to mighty victories against oil companies who hoped to profit off our territories. In September 2022, we succeeded in getting a court to revoke a permit that would have allowed Shell to despoil Indigenous farming communities and fishing grounds along the pristine Wild Coast of South Africa. Just a few years earlier in April 2019, we organized Indigenous communities deep in the Ecuadorian rainforests to resist the government’s plans to drill in pristine rainforests and were victorious, protecting half a million acres of forests and setting a legal precedent to protect millions more.

Both were David vs. Goliath victories—and both were opportunities for us to learn where to point that fabled slingshot.

Big Oil has the deepest of pockets and a horrific track record when it comes to corruption, scandal, and environmental crimes. Across the world, Indigenous and local communities know that once the industry gets a foothold in our lands, it leaves ruin in its wake. For instance, the A’i Cofán people of Ecuador’s northern Amazon have borne the brunt of decades of oil industry contamination, deforestation, and health impacts. And the Ogoni people of the Niger Delta have lost their fishing and farming lands to polluting oil operations, and have seen their leaders threatened and murdered when they dared to speak out.

As frontline communities, we must work together to stop Big Oil before they enter our lands. But this, in itself, is no easy task. The industry offers alluring promises of “progress” and “development.” And they have people—in government, the military, police forces, shadowy paramilitary groups, and sometimes in our own communities—who are willing to intimidate, harass, and even kill leaders like us who have the courage to stand up to them. They also have billions of dollars riding on getting permits to suck the oil out of the ground and sea.

So, how did we stop them?

First, we kept our communities together. We fought against the industry’s “divide and conquer” tactics by grounding our battle in our own sacred connection to our lands. Our ancestors and elders understood, as we do today, that Mother Earth is sacred and worth fighting for. We are connected to her through our breath, our stories, our dreams, and our prayers. She gives us everything: water, food, medicine, shelter, meaning. And in return, we protect her.

We also helped our people cut through the false promises and threats by exposing Big Oil’s lies and abuse around the world. That is, we made sure our villagers could learn from the A’i Cofán people of Ecuador, the Ogoni of the Niger delta, and the countless other frontline communities that have suffered at the hands of Big Oil.

As Indigenous women leaders, we know that if we can keep our sacred connection to the land and keep our people united, then we have a fighting chance against any oil company in the world.

We also have the law on our side, which makes Big Oil really vulnerable. In 2007, the U.N. General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which recognized our right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for any activity that affects our ancestral lands. Our shorthand is “Nothing About Us Without Us.” We, Indigenous peoples, the ancestral owners of some of the most biodiverse, carbon-rich places on the planet (the places that the oil industry wants to get their hands on more than anything), have the internationally recognized legal right to decide what happens on our land.

In South Africa, we were able to protect 6,000 square miles of pristine marine ecosystems off the Wild Coast, saving dolphins and whales from deafening seismic blasts on the ocean floor while also protecting local communities and our planet’s climate from the threat of ramped-up offshore drilling. And on the other side of the world, in Ecuador, we leveraged our internationally recognized rights to protect some of the biodiverse rainforest in the Amazon, jamming the Ecuadorian Government’s plans to drill across millions of acres of Indigenous territories.

But the law alone isn’t enough. To move courts and politicians—and to create legal exposure and reputational risk to companies—we need global community support to keep going.

That means getting financial resources to the frontlines, so that we can protect our leaders, organize our communities, and secure our rights. Only a fraction of 1% of all climate funding currently makes it to Indigenous communities on the frontlines of the climate battle. We need to change that.

It also means sharing our stories and shining a spotlight on our struggles, so that local courts and politicians know that the world is watching. Public solidarity not only prevents corruption and back-room deals, but it also energizes our grassroots campaigns.

We need to continue to pressure governments around the world to finally adopt our internationally recognized right to decide what happens in our lands in their national laws and constitutions. Our peoples have been putting our bodies on the line in the battle to protect Mother Earth for centuries. It’s not only a moral imperative that global governments finally recognize and respect our right to self-determination, but it is also one of the most urgent and effective climate strategies—it’s no coincidence that we are the guardians of over 80% of our planet’s biodiversity. In the Amazon rainforest, half of the remaining standing forest is in our territories. Without us and without our territories, there is no climate solution.

To have a fighting chance of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, we can’t afford to be opening up new oil fields in the lungs of the earth. We need to keep our forests standing. We need to transition to renewable energy.

We are writing this because we see that world leaders, businesses, and NGOs are only making slow, incremental progress on climate despite the urgent existential threat we face. Instead of getting frustrated, we’re doubling down on sharing our formula with other Indigenous guardians on the ground.

We know that time is not on our side—but our spirituality and our rights are. So here’s one idea from two Indigenous women leaders that beat the oil industry, and protected our oceans and our forests: Listen to us for a change.

[news4dzhozhar]

Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism

(RNS) — The Muslim and Jewish communities in the West have a decades long history of standing together in solidarity against Islamophobia and antisemitism and supporting one another in times of pain. We have faced a similar bigotry and an uptick of hate-fueled attacks on our communities in recent years. We have been familiar faces to one another at the endless press conferences in the aftermath of so many of those incidents.

But these relationships cannot be confined to empathy at home. When that same hatred is overseas, it has to be just as near to our hearts. And at a time in which Palestinian civilians — two-thirds of whom are women and children — are being killed at a rate of 280 per day, we must affirm that anti-Palestinian racism and bigotry are also extensions of Islamophobia. We must also be crystal clear as to what anti-Zionism is and is not. 

Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism.

It is a travesty that we are forced to state and defend what should be an undeniable fact. It is a strategic conflation made by the Zionist lobby, engineered to suppress a shift in narrative and public opinion that increasingly humanizes Palestinians and rejects the Israeli occupation. Over the past two months, Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment and ground invasion has resulted in more than 16,000 Palestinians killed and at least 40,000 more injured. And with that, a global audience otherwise ignorant of the Palestinian catastrophe has been granted firsthand access to the crimes of the Israeli occupation.

House Resolution 894, a resolution that strongly condemns and denounces the “drastic rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world,” also states “that anti-Zionism is antisemitism.” This is an ignorant at best — malicious at worst — attempt to amalgamate two disparate concepts. Antisemitism is a discriminatory and bigoted view of the Jewish people, a people with a millennialong history, while anti-Zionism opposes a political ideology introduced in the late 19th century that sought the establishment of an ethnostate on Palestinian territory. 

On December 5, the resolution passed despite last-ditch efforts by three Jewish Democrats, who urged their colleagues to avoid what they termed an “attempt by Republicans to weaponize Jewish pain.” They described the resolution as “just the latest unserious attempt by Republicans to weaponize Jewish pain and the serious problem of antisemitism to score cheap political points.” While 92 Democrats voted merely “present,” a majority voted in favor, marking a dramatic disconnect between Democrats in Congress and their constituents — at a time when Gallup data shows “Democrats’ sympathies in the Middle East now lie more with the Palestinians than the Israelis.”

And the impact of AIPAC lobbying cannot be overstated. As M.J. Rosenberg wrote for the Huffington Post in 2017, “(Democrats) are in the grip of a foreign policy lobby as powerful as the NRA, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.” Rosenberg alluded to Democrats’ decadeslong frustration with the National Rifle Association’s lobbying efforts against gun control measures. “Sorry, Democrats: your NRA is spelled AIPAC,” he titled the piece. 

House Republicans, and the GOP at large, began this deliberate mischaracterization of anti-Zionism years ago. In his remarks at the 2019 AIPAC Policy Conference, then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo catered to the crowd. “Let me go on the record,” he said. “Anti-Zionism is antisemitism.” He defined anti-Zionism as denying “the very legitimacy of the Israeli state and of the Jewish people.”

And that is exactly the conflation AIPAC hopes to embed and establish in the public discourse, the idea that the Israeli occupation and the Jewish people are inseparable. But as Dave Zirin of The Nation puts it, this is the greatest disservice to the Jewish people. “Anyone who attempts to fasten a 5,000-year-old religion to a 150-year-old colonial project is guilty of antisemitism. They are pushing the idea that my family, merely because of our religion, supports war crimes abroad and the crackdown on critics at home.” It also assumes American Jews are a homogenous group; a Pew Research Center survey found that most American Jewish adults take the position that God “did not literally give” the land of Israel to the Jewish people. 

Anti-Zionists, including thousands of Jews across the globe, reject the notion of an ethno-state that expels the existing Palestinian population. Anti-Zionists oppose the Israeli occupation on the basis of the myriad human rights abuses that Israel has carried out since its founding. These include the displacement and ethnic cleansing of millions of Palestinians, the establishment of an apartheid system that systematically disenfranchises Palestinians, a sustained illegal occupation, the murder of tens of thousands of Palestinians over the past seven decades and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. 

Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. It would be absurd to be forced to make the same clarifications regarding other distinctly independent concepts, and it is an indictment of the uninformed level of discourse Congress has succumbed to. Equating anti-Zionism and antisemitism is a strategic and calculated measure designed to stifle criticism of the Israeli occupation and instill fear in those who speak out, Jews and non-Jews alike. 

After the resolution’s passage, I wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that, “according to the House of Representatives, the Muslim community that has stood in solidarity in front of synagogues and Jewish community centers against hate for years — yet also opposes Zionism — is to be considered antisemitic. And all of the brave members of the Jewish community standing in solidarity against occupation are also apparently antisemites. Make it make sense.”

Unfortunately, it will never make sense. To equate anti-Zionism and antisemitism is to conflate being Jewish with being Zionist, and, as Dave Zirin posited, “this is rank antisemitism: the assumption that to be Jewish is to support Israel’s crimes.” Ironically, despite the resolution’s stated attempts to condemn antisemitism, it — in fact — fans the flames of bigotry. This resolution seeks to weaponize Jewish pain by criminalizing criticism of the occupation, apartheid and systemic racism, all of which are part and parcel of the current Israeli fabric.

[gtenvs3000w24]

06: History in nature interpretation.

“There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. …. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it.” -(Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation)

Hi everyone! For this week I’ll be talking about this quite, and how it relates to history in nature interpretation. As someone who loves learning about both history and nature, I think this quote sheds light on the interconnectedness between the past, present, and future in natural ecosystems! Nature interpretation involves figuring out the intricate narratives that lie within landscapes, ecosystems, and species, and it often draws parallels between ecological dynamics and human history. 

In nature interpretation, we often look at ecosystems as interconnected wholes, just like how the quote talks about integrity. Each part of an ecosystem contributes to the overall balance and resilience of the system (Beck et al., 2019). Just as the quote suggests that ancient things hold value beyond their age, in nature, we also see how old-growth forests, ancient rock formations, or even long-standing wetlands aren't just relics of the past, but also living records of ecological processes and adaptation throughout history. 

The analogy of the railway station can be really interesting when we think about nature. It's like saying that if we only focus on the present moment, we're missing out on the bigger story. Ecosystems have a history, shaped by years of evolution and natural processes. Ignoring this history limits our understanding of their true significance and potential for interpretation and conservation. 

When we interpret nature, understanding its historical context also enriches our appreciation for nature (Hooykaas, 2024). I know I personally feel a lot more connected to a certain area when I know the history behind it. This knowledge can encourage people to recognize their role in the broader narrative of the landscape, creating a sense of connection and stewardship towards its preservation and sustainable enjoyment (Hooykaas, 2024).

By recognizing how past human interactions have influenced landscapes and species, we also gain insights into the challenges they face today (Beck et al., 2019). For example, studying historical land-use practices helps us understand the impacts of deforestation or habitat destruction on biodiversity. Learning from past conservation initiatives allows us to refine our strategies for sustainable stewardship. By looking at what worked and what didn't in the past, we can develop more effective approaches to protect and restore ecosystems.

Overall, this quote reminds us that nature interpretation isn't just about the present moment; it's about appreciating the historical context that shapes ecosystems. By embracing this perspective, we as interpreters can create a deeper connection to nature in people, and inspire actions that ensure its preservation for years to come.

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. Sagamore Publishing.

Hooykaas, A. (2024) Unit 6: Nature Interpretation Through History. ENVS*3000. University of Guelph.

[ridenwithbiden]

#NewMoon HELL YES. IT'S ABOUT TIME. THANK YOU #JohnKerry

"ENDINGS AND NEW BEGINNINGS"

UN Climate Change News, 13 December 2023 – The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) closed today with an agreement that signals the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era by laying the ground for a swift, just and equitable transition, underpinned by deep emissions cuts and scaled-up finance.

In a demonstration of global solidarity, negotiators from nearly 200 Parties came together in Dubai with a decision on the world’s first ‘global stocktake’ to ratchet up climate action before the end of the decade – with the overarching aim to keep the global temperature limit of 1.5°C within reach.

“Whilst we didn’t turn the page on the fossil fuel era in Dubai, this outcome is the beginning of the end,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell in his closing speech. “Now all governments and businesses need to turn these pledges into real-economy outcomes, without delay.”

The global stocktake is considered the central outcome of COP28 – as it contains every element that was under negotiation and can now be used by countries to develop stronger climate action plans due by 2025.

The stocktake recognizes the science that indicates global greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut 43% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, to limit global warming to 1.5°C. But it notes Parties are off track when it comes to meeting their Paris Agreement goals.

The stocktake calls on Parties to take actions towards achieving, at a global scale, a tripling of renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The list also includes accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power, phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, and other measures that drive the transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, with developed countries continuing to take the lead.

In the short-term, Parties are encouraged to come forward with ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories and aligned with the 1.5°C limit in their next round of climate action plans (known as nationally determined contributions) by 2025.

Helping countries strengthen resilience to the effects of climate change

The two-week-long conference got underway with the World Climate Action Summit, which brought together 154 Heads of States and Government. Parties reached a historic agreement on the operationalization of the loss and damage fund and funding arrangements – the first time a substantive decision was adopted on the first day of the conference. Commitments to the fund started coming in moments after the decision was gaveled, totaling more than USD 700 million to date.

There was more progress on the loss and damage agenda with an agreement also reached that the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the UN Office for Project Services will host the secretariat of the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage. This platform will catalyze technical assistance to developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

Parties agreed on targets for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and its framework, which identify where the world needs to get to in order to be resilient to the impacts of a changing climate and to assess countries’ efforts. The GGA framework reflects a global consensus on adaptation targets and the need for finance, technology and capacity-building support to achieve them.

Increasing climate finance

Climate finance took center stage at the conference, with Stiell repeatedly calling it the “great enabler of climate action.”

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) received a boost to its second replenishment with six countries pledging new funding at COP28 with total pledges now standing at a record USD 12.8 billion from 31 countries, with further contributions expected.

Eight donor governments announced new commitments to the Least Developed Countries Fund and Special Climate Change Fund totaling more than USD 174 million to date, while new pledges, totaling nearly USD 188 million so far, were made to the Adaptation Fund at COP28.

However as highlighted in the global stocktake, these financial pledges are far short of the trillions eventually needed to support developing countries with clean energy transitions, implementing their national climate plans and adaptation efforts.

In order to deliver such funding, the global stocktake underscores the importance of reforming the multilateral financial architecture, and accelerating the ongoing establishment of new and innovative sources of finance.

At COP28, discussions continued on setting a ‘new collective quantified goal on climate finance’ in 2024, taking into account the needs and priorities of developing countries. The new goal, which will start from a baseline of USD 100 billion per year, will be a building block for the design and subsequent implementation of national climate plans that need to be delivered by 2025.

Looking ahead to the transitions to decarbonized economies and societies that lie ahead, there was agreement that the mitigation work programme, which was launched at COP27 last year, will continue until 2030, with at least two global dialogues held each year.

Event participation and inclusivity

World leaders at COP28 were joined by civil society, business, Indigenous Peoples, youth, philanthropy, and international organizations in a spirit of shared determination to close the gaps to 2030. Some 85,000 participants attended COP28 to share ideas, solutions, and build partnerships and coalitions.

The decisions taken here today also reemphasize the critical importance of empowering all stakeholders to engage in climate action; in particular through the action plan on Action for Climate Empowerment and the Gender Action Plan.

Strengthening collaboration between governments and key stakeholders

In parallel with the formal negotiations, the Global Climate Action space at COP28 provided a platform for governments, businesses and civil society to collaborate and showcase their real-world climate solutions.

The High-Level Champions, under the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, launched their implementation roadmap of 2030 Climate Solutions. These are a set of solutions, with insights from a wide range of non-Party stakeholders on effective measures that need to be scaled up and replicated to halve global emissions, address adaptation gaps and increase resilience by 2030.

The conference also saw several announcements to boost the resilience of food and public health systems, and to reduce emissions related to agriculture and methane.

Looking ahead

The negotiations on the ‘enhanced transparency framework’ at COP28 laid the ground for a new era of implementing the Paris Agreement. UN Climate Change is developing the transparency reporting and review tools for use by Parties, which were showcased and tested at COP28. The final versions of the reporting tools should be made available to Parties by June 2024.

COP28 also saw Parties agree to Azerbaijan as host of COP29 from 11-22 November 2024, and Brazil as COP30 host from 10-21 November 2025.

The next two years will be critical. At COP29, governments must establish a new climate finance goal, reflecting the scale and urgency of the climate challenge. And at COP30, they must come prepared with new nationally determined contributions that are economy-wide, cover all greenhouse gases and are fully aligned with the 1.5°C temperature limit.

“We must get on with the job of putting the Paris Agreement fully to work,” said Stiell. “In early 2025, countries must deliver new nationally determined contributions. Every single commitment – on finance, adaptation, and mitigation – must bring us in line with a 1.5-degree world.”

“My final message is to ordinary people everywhere raising their voices for change,” Stiell added. “Every one of you is making a real difference. In the crucial coming years your voices and determination will be more important than ever. I urge you never to relent. We are still in this race. We will be with you every single step of the way.”

“The world needed to find a new way. By following our North Star, we have found that path,” said COP28 President, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber during his closing speech. “We have worked very hard to secure a better future for our people and our planet. We should be proud of our historic achievement.”

[scintillaineverything]

The honorable former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir, First, congratulations on the publication of your new book Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues for A New Malaysia. The name of the book offers one hope again. This reminds me of the excitement when you led Pakatan Harapan to topple Barisan Nasional in the 14th General Elections where people were looking forward to a better nation. At that moment, all believed that a new Malaysia was finally born. The Barisan Nasional, described by you as a regime tainted with corruption and power abuse, was finally defeated. Due to the excitement shared by the nation, many were unable to sleep that night. The Chinese was even more passionate and emotional, thinking that a new Malaysia had taken shape. The Chinese extended you and the Pakatan Harapan strong support hoping that the country would be better under your helm the second time. Generally, the Chinese felt that you would make use of the second chance to rectify the errors in the 22 years when you first became the Prime Minister. However, the Pakatan Harapan collapsed in less than 22 months. You passed the blame to others again, not thinking that you should shoulder some of the responsibilities. With your silent approval, the Malay Dignity Congress was held in 2019, hitting out at the Chinese education that caused the Chinese, who had voted for you, think that you burned the bridge after crossing it. You also said the Pakatan Harapan election manifesto was not a bible. Hence, the abolition of toll charges, recognition of the United Examination Certificate (UEC), the different stand on Lynas before and after the election have disappointed many Pakatan Harapan supporters. At the launch of your new book, you shared some of your views. More than 90% of the Chinese voters who had voted for the Pakatan Harapan in the 14th General Elections were upset by your views. First, you said a single stream in education would be the best education system for Malaysia. The existence of multiple streams hampered national unity and the shaping of a true identity. You said this: “In Malaysia, we have 26 to 30% of Chinese and 10% of Indians where they maintain their culture and customs such as the Chinese eat with chopsticks while we use hands. “Malaysians are very accommodating people. Because of this, assimilation is difficult for the Chinese. Instead, when the Arabs and Indians came to Malaysia, they were assimilated as Malays where they spoke Malays and behaved like the Malays. Hence, for the Chinese to be accepted by all, they should learn from the Indians and Arabs to assimilate and live like the bumiputras. “ In fact, I wish to inform you that a single language is not the only tool to unite the people. Otherwise, the Malay society would not be divided now. Furthermore, not 100% of Malays send their children to national school. Many Malays send their children to private schools, Chinese primary schools and Islamic schools to study. Some financially capable ones send their children to France, United Kingdom, Australia and other western countries for primary schools. Hence, your allegation against Chinese education is full of bias. Parents generally place emphasis on their children’s education and hope to achieve some form of security for their children’s future through education. Chinese is the same. Hence, if the government does a good job in national education, Chinese will send their children to national primary schools without coercion, just like how many parents sent their children to English medium schools back then. In addition, I would like to say the fact that the Chinese eat with chopsticks and study in Chinese primary school do not cast negative impact on the love and loyalty to the country. Born and raised here, Malaysian Chinese are well versed in Malay Language. We recognize that Malaysia is our country and not China. Strictly speaking, there are fewer local Chinese who can’t speak Malay nowadays. Do not continue to have such stereotype on the people in your country.” Those described by you who refused to integrate and only have China in their hearts are not the majority. They are unable to represent the majority of the Chinese. Just like those extreme right wings who continue to highlight Malays first, they do not represent the majority moderate Malays. So, Tun Dr Mahathir, you are wrong. Secondly, during movement control order, people of all races live in hardship. The politicians, who should be looking after the welfare of people, are trapped in power struggle, regardless of the well-being of the people. At this juncture, we see many capable Malaysians from different education background extend a helping hand to many regardless of their ethnic groups. In order words, people of different ethnic groups live in harmony and care for each other. There is no issue on racial unity nor language barrier. The unity issue that you mentioned earlier is a fake issue. In fact, politicians like you are the main culprit, not the type of schools. In reality, there are many people who actually work on fostering national integration. Instead, politicians are the ones who continue to divide the people with half-truth racist remarks. Please do not have the narrow thinking of treating Chinese education as a grain of sand in your eye. Instead, multiple streams in education should be seen as the advantage of the nation. For many years, multiple streams in education had groomed many talents, including the Malays. These talents are shining at international arena and are proud Malaysians. So, Tun Dr Mahathir, you are wrong. You also said that in order to progress, we should learn to accept a single identity, not Malays, Chinese or Indians but Malaysians. We totally agree with you on this. You cited United States as an example. You said: Look at US, who are Americans? They speak American English, embrace American culture, love US and even see their country of origin as an enemy. They go to battle field when necessary, regardless of their names. Your name could have reflected Dutch, German or Kenya descent but all these are not important because you are an American. Can we have the similar approach to be Malaysians? “ However, I feel that you have too many biased views and misunderstanding about the local Chinese. Since independence until today, the racial harmony that we enjoy is shaped naturally through mutual understanding, mutual respect and tolerance through interactions in daily lives but not assimilation. The diversity, inclusion and tolerance that we enjoy have been the scenic landscape of Malaysia. I wish to say that the younger generation of Chinese may keep their culture and mother tongue but they regard themselves as Malaysians. Instead, politicians are the ones who repeatedly shout about national integration but continue to tarnish the fundamentals of unity with their actions. For instance, the sudden announcement of converting national language to Malay language to highlight Malays first. Some of the Malay politicians continue to stress Malays come first and not Malaysian first. Then you take US as an example to say that despite having a black president, please take a look at the blacks who speak fluent American English in US. How is their fate? Tun Dr Mahathir, you are wrong again. At last, you drag Sin Chew Daily into the muddle by saying that Sin Chew Daily continues to attack DAP which leads to Pakatan Harapan losing support from the Chinese community. You cited this as one of the factors. On this, I feel that you have overstated. Maybe there are someone continue to demonize Sin Chew Daily before you that lead you to have such perception. Based on the state poll results in Malacca, the Chinese are still supporting DAP. As a privately-owned newspaper, Sin Chew Daily has been playing the role as the fourth power in the past, at present and in the future. We support and agree with good policies while we, without fear, criticize policies which harm the fundamentals of the state including the rights of the Chinese community. The story of a demonized Sin Chew Daily may include the allegation of frequently sensationalizing racial issues. To prevent you from being misled further, I would take this opportunity to share the editorial policy of Sin Chew Daily with you that apart from being transparent in handling news to offer a balanced and fair coverage, we insist on running the newspaper in a proper manner, upholding journalistic standard, values and ethics. We do not sell newspapers by sensationalizing news nor infringing privacy of others. At the same time, our editorial policy also covers giving emphasis to national integration, creating a society with positive energy through media influence. Sin Chew Daily is a responsible local newspaper. Hence, Tun Dr Mahathir, as a smart person, how do you end up being fooled by those with an evil heart? It is getting late at night after penning my thoughts. I hope that when I wake up tomorrow, Malaysia will be a better place because this is my country and where my home is. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Sin Chew Daily editor-in-chief KUIK CHENG KANG

*_Tun Dr Mahathir, you are wrong_* – An open letter to former PM by Kuik Cheng Kang, sinchew.com.my

[mariacallous]

The recent security agreements between Papua New Guinea and the United States are a good deal for the planet—but a tough pill for Beijing to swallow, and one that might come with potential blowback.

The new agreements accelerate coastal security strategies that also help with climate change adaptation by protecting vulnerable fisheries. These new moves point toward greater opportunities for further climate mitigation and resilience, using existing climate programs in Papua New Guinea and international climate financing. Papuan Prime Minister James Marape has often spoken of his enthusiasm for climate financing, which is also a high priority for the whole of the Blue Pacific Continent 2050 strategy that was endorsed and launched last July 2022 by a coalition of island nations. With the Biden administration set to host a major U.S.-Pacific island summit this fall, American interest in Pacific climate adaptation is growing.

But one aspect of these programs that American officials discuss only behind closed doors is their role in countering Chinese influence in the Pacific. Some of the programs are aimed at curbing environmental damage committed largely by Chinese companies through questionable fishing practices and widespread logging and mining. Pushing Chinese firms with dubious environmental practices out of Papua New Guinea and elsewhere also helps reduce the role of Chinese money, and influence, in Pacific politics—a double win for the United States.

Marape has said Papua New Guinea holds 13 percent of the world’s rainforest, laying out greater goals in the Green Climate Fund roadmap. While a total logging ban still seems a long way away, especially in the absence of more climate financing, the recent deals set the course for greater climate solutions in partnership with the United States and others.

Canberra is also negotiating a security deal with Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby has delayed signing it for more “domestic processes,” but the two have had a binding climate action plan in place since 2018. Australia enacted specific logging guidelines for forestry in Papua New Guinea in 2012 and updated its fishing protection cooperation agreement in 2021.

As the largest importer of both legal and illegal timber, China revised its Forest Law in 2019 to ban the “purchase, process or transport” of illegal logs. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly stated that it opposes illegal fishing, logging, and mining—but there’s little sign of any willingness to restrain Chinese firms operating overseas.

Marape has certainly courted Chinese funders, but American diplomats have felt encouraged by comments such as the following: “The USA remains the leader of the free world. For those of us who believe in democracy, for those of us who believe in a Christian worldview, we share many commonalities with the United States of America.” That comment came even after U.S. President Joe Biden canceled a visit to Papua New Guinea at the last minute, thanks to the debt ceiling crisis.

Amid a raft of agreements, two that stand out are the Defense Cooperation Agreement and the Agreement Concerning Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity Operations. According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, these “will boost cooperation between Papua New Guinea Defense Forces and the U.S. Coast Guard to help build up the Defense Forces’ capacity, and help combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.” The second agreement, in particular, will have a major impact on the islands’ threatened fisheries, particularly their tuna stocks.

According to the U.S. State Department, this deal “will enable PNG to participate in the U.S. Coast Guard’s Shiprider program, enhancing PNG’s organic enforcement capabilities, improving overall maritime domain awareness, and helping PNG protect its sovereignty.”

This means the two coast guards can work together to board ships suspected of illegal activities—including potentially directly engaging with China’s aggressive fishing militia that threatens to deplete fishing stocks globally.

These moves are likely to prove popular. Papua New Guinea’s citizens are furious about losing money from illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing (IUU) and want greater security solutions. IUU is also becoming a key climate crisis issue, as it imperils food security at a time when warming waters are killing reefs. Clashes between fishing fleets and locals also make maritime crimes more likely. Chinese firms do little research on or engagement with locals, often prompting an angry response. Marape has already had to step into the uproar over a planned China-backed commercial fishery in the Torres Strait.

Since taking office in 2019, Marape has sought to balance business needs and environmental protection—a difficult feat given the mix of the pandemic and the mutual desire of Beijing, Washington, and Canberra to sway the strategically critical country.

At a press conference after the signing, Marape stressed his desire to avoid picking a side, saying, “What we’ve signed does not encroach—or affect, rather—Papua New Guinea’s own relationships we have with other nations we trade with, or we have relationships with, be it military or government-to-government relations. Period.”

At a time of growing U.S.-China tensions, however, staying out of the conflict is becoming increasingly hard for Pacific nations. In response to the signing, China’s Foreign Ministry played it cool in its messaging, saying, “China is not opposed to countries’ efforts to grow ties with Papua New Guinea and other Pacific island countries,” but the state-affiliated Global Times took a sharp swipe at the United States and the Biden administration.

Regional tensions were stoked in 2017 when then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement, angering Pacific Islanders facing the brunt of rising seas and increased super cyclones. This set a course for Beijing to undermine Pacific nations’ previous recognition of Taipei, as happened in both the Solomon Islands and Kiribati in 2019.

In the Solomon Islands, tensions stirred over Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and payments made to his administration from Beijing from many island residents, with protests bubbling over into several days of anti-government violence in the capital city of Honiara in November 2021.

Many Chinese-owned businesses were torched, and Beijing ultimately drafted a secret security agreement with Honiara that was leaked in the Solomons in April 2022, alarming many Pacific countries. A month later, China sought a regional security pact with Pacific nations that failed to materialize. This has galvanized many Western governments to increase outreach and aid—particularly climate change financing and security deals—to Pacific island nations.

As these deals deepen, Beijing’s response is likely to mix promises with threats, as happened this year with then-Micronesian President David Panuelo. Small countries may not want to pick a team—but both Beijing and Washington are increasingly unwilling to let them stay on the sidelines.

[jineticsdesign]

K-Pop Invasion: A Beginner's Guide to the K-Pop Universe in 2023

In the expansive cosmos of music, a vibrant and energetic galaxy known as K-Pop has been gaining momentum at an astonishing pace, captivating hearts, minds, and earbuds across the Western Hemisphere. This meteoric rise of K-Pop—short for Korean Pop—has become a cultural phenomenon, its irresistible pull transcending borders, languages, and genres. Disclaimer: It's a brief overview / Quick catch-up.

I. Tracing the K-Pop Comet

K-Pop's journey began in South Korea, but its trajectory has swiftly moved across the globe, leaving a radiant trail that's hard to ignore. Powered by infectious melodies, impeccably synchronized choreographies, and high-energy performances, K-Pop is more than music—it's a dynamic, immersive experience.

A. The Statistics Speak Volumes

The K-Pop industry is booming, backed by impressive numbers that reflect its far-reaching impact. According to Statista, in 2023, the industry is valued at an impressive $5.3 billion, marking an exponential growth from its $4.7 billion value in 2019. More telling, the K-Pop audience in the U.S. surged by 58% from 2018 to 2022.

B. Expert Opinions on the K-Pop Phenomenon

Musicologists and sociologists alike are fascinated by the rapid ascension of K-Pop. As Dr. Suk-Young Kim, Professor of Critical Studies at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television, eloquently stated, "K-Pop isn't a genre; it's a complete package of audio-visual elements that provide a sensory feast to its audience."


II. Rocketing into the K-Pop Universe: A Beginner's Guide

Entering the K-Pop universe can seem intimidating, but the journey is worthwhile. This guide provides a quick introduction to this mesmerizing world.

A. Key Artists to Know

BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan): This internationally acclaimed seven-member boy band has achieved numerous milestones, including being the first K-Pop group to top the Billboard 200, leaving a lasting impact on the global music scene.

BLACKPINK: This quartet of fierce females, known for their powerful performances, captivating charisma, and genre-blending tunes, has attracted a massive international following.

NCT (Neo Culture Technology): With an innovative concept and various sub-units, NCT offers versatility and an array of unique sounds, capturing fans' hearts across the globe.

PSY: Famous for the global hit 'Gangnam Style,' PSY opened doors for K-Pop in the Western Hemisphere. His electrifying performances continue to entertain millions.

JYP (Park Jin Young): Not just an influential artist, but also the founder of JYP Entertainment, one of the biggest entertainment companies in South Korea. He has played a significant role in shaping K-Pop as we know it today.

MAMAMOO: Renowned for their powerful vocals and unparalleled stage presence, MAMAMOO stands out as a group that delivers both quality music and empowering messages.

EXO: This group has made significant strides in the K-Pop industry with their captivating concept of being from an extraterrestrial origin and their extraordinary vocals and performances.

TWICE: Known for their infectious tunes and adorable charm, TWICE has taken the world by storm, setting numerous records in the process.

BIGBANG: Often hailed as the 'Kings of K-Pop,' BIGBANG has been instrumental in shaping the modern K-Pop sound with their innovative music and edgy style.

Red Velvet: This group has made a name for itself with its unique 'red' and 'velvet' concepts, which denote their upbeat pop tracks and smooth R&B ballads, respectively.

B. Dive Into the Lingo

Every universe has its own language, and K-Pop is no exception. Here are some key terms:

Hallyu: The Korean wave of pop culture.

Fandom: Each K-Pop group has its own dedicated fanbase.

Maknae: The youngest member of a K-Pop group.

C. Understanding the K-Pop Culture

K-Pop extends beyond music into fashion, dance, and fan interactions, creating a unique culture that enriches the K-Pop experience. It's not just about the music; it's about belonging to a global community.

III. The Power of K-Pop: The Future Soundtrack of Our Lives

The phenomenal surge of K-Pop in the Western Hemisphere is not an accident. It's a testament to the power of music to bridge cultural divides and unify people under a shared love for rhythm, artistry, and entertainment. As you venture into the dazzling universe of K-Pop, remember, it's an exploration of not just music, but also a rich, vibrant culture that has captivated millions.

Whether you're a seasoned K-Pop fan or a curious newcomer, there's always a new constellation to discover in this ever-evolving universe. And who knows? You might find yourself drawn into its irresistible orbit, becoming a part of the radiant galaxy of K-Pop fandom.

[0613magazine]

201112 WSJ Magazine

Why BTS Runs the World

The South Korean pop group has reached the top of the U.S. charts, united millions of fans around the world into a self-styled ARMY, shattered online viewing records and been part of a major IPO. Now BTS is preparing to release a new album.

It’s been a really long time since we had a face-to-face interview like this.” Rapper j-hope, 26, a member of the South Korean group BTS, jumps into conversation while waiting for his bandmates to settle in. The coronavirus pandemic put a hard stop to the group’s world tour, which would have taken them across 17 cities on three continents this year. But it hasn’t made them any less busy as they look ahead to the release of a new album.

In early September, all seven members of BTS—short for their Korean name Bangtan Sonyeondan, which they alter in English to “Beyond the Scene”—were camped out in Seoul’s artsy Yeonnam neighborhood, just weeks after their latest catchy hit, “Dynamite,” topped global charts and became the most downloaded song of 2020 in the United States. Decked in monochrome outfits, rappers RM, SUGA and j-hope and vocalists Jung Kook, Jin, V and Jimin—as they are known by their stage names—shuttled between interviews and the WSJ. photoshoot inside a house-turned–chic cafe. Clearing security to meet them involved surprisingly little hassle: a name check, temperature screening and Covid-19 health form followed by a short walk to the entrance where security personnel quickly glanced at name tags.

In July, BTS broke the Guinness World Record for staging the biggest virtually attended livestream music performance, which attracted fans from over 100 countries. They miss the real thing, though. “That feeling [of being onstage] is really the best thrill I probably get in life. Even if I leave one day, I think I’ll be back for this,” says Jin, 27, of being onstage in front of BTS’s devoted fans, officially dubbed ARMY. The name stands for “Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth,” though the demographics of the band’s fan base now extend well beyond that age group.

In part thanks to the ardor of the ARMY—which one count estimates as high as 48 million, based on online commentary by unique authors—the band is often called “the Beatles of the 21st century.” The group has exploded the familiar boy band recipe, taking the concept of fandom into new territory and developing the South Korean genre known as K-pop into a global force. A voluntary census conducted by fans between July and September gathered over 400,000 responses from surveys translated into 46 languages, according to University of Nevada, Las Vegas, graduate student Nicole Santero, who led the effort with two others under the Twitter handle @ResearchBTS. The data, which is still being analyzed, is pointing toward the demographic and geographic diversity of BTS fans.

BTS has topped Billboard’s song chart, released one of America’s bestselling albums of 2020 and performed at the Grammys with Lil Nas X. They sold out London’s Wembley Stadium in 2019, won four MTV Video Music Awards this year and smashed the record for the most views on YouTube in a 24-hour period (over 100 million)—all while singing almost entirely in Korean. They have also collaborated with musical stars such as Ed Sheeran, Sia, Nicki Minaj, Halsey, Charli XCX and Charlie Puth.

Their impact has extended beyond music. In June, the band donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter, a sum that was matched by fans across the world in just over a day. The group also used its clout to launch Connect, BTS, a public art project showcasing works this spring by the likes of Antony Gormley and Tomás Saraceno in New York, Berlin, London, Buenos Aires and Seoul. In October, the band’s management company, Big Hit Entertainment Co. , went public on the South Korean stock exchange. The company raised about $840 million through its initial public offering with a valuation of about $4 billion, which leapt to $7.6 billion by the end of trading on the first day, October 15, before sliding over the next few days to $5.9 billion. (By way of comparison, in early June, Warner Music’s IPO resulted in a $15 billion valuation, which has since dropped slightly to a $14.36 billion market cap.) Big Hit’s stock debut put the equity holdings of Bang Si-hyuk—the 48-year-old founder and co-CEO of Big Hit and the mastermind behind BTS who owns nearly 35 percent of the business—at a value of around $2.8 billion. BTS is Big Hit’s largest asset, and Bang has given each band member 68,385 of his personal shares, worth over $15 million to each on the day of the IPO. BTS’s global success has powered Big Hit, which is only 15 years old, to revenues high enough to bump one of South Korea’s traditionally entrenched “Big Three” entertainment companies from the top rankings.

“These guys have achieved gradual growth by putting their voices into music,” Bang said by email. “BTS’s music that sings of the emotions and experiences of youth first resonated among their peers. Then it resonated among the contemporary global citizens. And that sentiment transcended borders and reached to the peripheries of the world. That’s how the group got to receive so much love and support. This enables BTS to be connected to their fans wherever they are, and is what makes the seven boys special.”

The latest single, “Dynamite,” is their first group song recorded entirely in English, and their first track to truly break on American Top 40 radio. The track is their first song to get to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was quickly followed by their second U.S. chart-topper, a remix of Jason Derulo and Jawsh 685’s TikTok hit “Savage Love (Laxed—Siren Beat).” Their fifth album, BE (Deluxe Edition), is out this month, and the members of BTS say they’re trying to keep their focus on their music. “We’re preparing our next album now, [and I] think it’d be great if all our songs make it into Billboard’s Hot 100,” says Jimin, 25. “Another performance at the Grammys would be great.” A few seats away, Suga, 27, teases, “Just say you’d like to receive the award.”

Who are BTS? And how did they get so famous? The questions have persisted even as the world has become mesmerized by BTS’s irresistible hooks, Technicolor production and high-flying choreography.

Boy bands have long been one of pop music’s most consistent and reliable constructs. Though we now look back at the Beatles fully aware of their world-changing musical and cultural innovations, when they appeared in the early ’60s, more attention was paid to their haircuts than to their songwriting. The Fab Four also established the blueprint of distilling members to one characteristic—The Quiet One or The Cute One—and having fans identify with a favorite.

These patterns reappeared a few years later with a couple of family groups with ear-candy hooks and elaborate dance moves: the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds. The structure became formalized in the ’80s—enhanced with a sprinkling of light hip-hop—with New Edition (a teen spin on R&B groups with multiple vocalists like the Temptations) and New Kids on the Block, who sold more than 70 million albums worldwide. Puerto Rico–based band Menudo reinforced the genre’s formulaic reputation by replacing members when they reached the age of 16.

Meanwhile, pop music in South Korea was also establishing a lane for groups of singing and dancing teenagers. As far back as 1962, a single released by a Korean girl group called the Kim Sisters even cracked the Top 10 of the U.S. Billboard charts. But contemporary K-pop is generally seen as starting with the ’90s trio Seo Taiji and Boys, who synthesized Korean music and style with gleaming highlights taken from Western pop and were propelled to stardom on a TV talent show. One of the Seo Taiji and Boys members, Yang Hyun-suk, then founded YG Entertainment in 1996; it is now one of Korea’s “Big Three” entertainment companies, and has spawned its own bands, including girl group Blackpink.

In the U.S., boy bands went nuclear at the turn of the century with the notorious manager Lou Pearlman’s Florida pop factory, which assembled both the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, and dominated the charts for years. Pearlman tried to repeat history with O-Town and LFO, while other groups like 98 Degrees followed a similar model. At the same time, in the Asian music industry, groups such as the Taiwanese band F4 and the Japanese group Arashi were logging huge hits, with g.o.d. setting the pace in South Korea.

Inevitably, there was a backlash, and then inevitably—because there’s always a new generation of teenagers coming of age—about a decade later, the pendulum swung back. One Direction, constructed by British music producer Simon Cowell in 2010, mixed in some rock and EDM elements to the usual pop confection and became the biggest U.K. phenomenon since the Beatles. (Atypically, they spun off successful solo careers for all five members after the group began its extended hiatus in 2016.)

In South Korea, though, K-pop continued to become more popular and more formalized, as it became part of an international phenomenon called Hallyu, or “the Korean Wave.” BoA and Wonder Girls were among the acts who attempted to crack the Western market but stalled, while Psy’s 2012 hit “Gangnam Style” was the first YouTube video to reach a billion views. But it still came as a surprise to many when seven Korean guys married the simmering global appeal of K-pop and the resilience of the boy band—amplified by social media—and started storming the charts.

BTS debuted on June 13, 2013, but their first release, “No More Dream’’ (a rap-heavy song that begins with “Hey, what’s your dream?”), hardly made a dent in the K-pop scene, which was dominated by established acts and rising groups such as EXO and Apink at the time. From the start, Big Hit’s Bang was looking to create a hip-hop group that could produce their own songs with messages that would resonate with their audience. In a 2011 lecture at his alma mater, Seoul National University, Bang predicted the coming of “wholesome idols” who could “sing and dance, act for sure and even play instruments and compose.” By then, he was well underway crafting K-pop’s next-generation of superstars.

His first pick was RM (given name Kim Nam-jun, now 26), in 2010. At the time, RM was performing in South Korea’s underground hip-hop scene under the stage name Runch Randa. The next to join, that same year, was Suga (Min Yun-ki), who was performing and producing under the name Gloss, after he placed second in a rap audition organized by Big Hit. J-Hope (Jeong Ho-seok) was part of a dance crew called Neuron before signing on as a Big Hit trainee, as performers in an apprenticeship period with Korean entertainment companies are often called.

Jung Kook (Jeon Jeong-guk), now 23, joined as a trainee after participating in a local televised singing audition program. He received offers from multiple agencies but chose Big Hit after seeing RM. Jin (Kim Seok-jin) was a college student on his way to school when an official at Big Hit approached him to audition. V (Kim Tae-hyung), 24, was discovered at a closed-door audition held at a dance academy. Jimin (Park Ji-min) was the last to join. He was a dance student at the Busan High School of Arts when he auditioned for Big Hit at the suggestion of his teacher. The members have each carved out strong identities for themselves within the group—j-hope is considered the star dancer; RM is seen as the main spokesperson, especially in the U.S., as he speaks English; Jung Kook is the “golden maknae” (meaning the youngest in Korean)—but they have all contributed their songwriting and composing skills to hits such as “Boy With Luv,” “On,” “DNA,” “Run” and “Idol.” j-hope describes his approach as research-heavy. “I first study the topic and think about what story I need to tell and what kind of content it should encompass,” he says. “Sometimes the type of stories I’m dealing with are light, but sometimes they aren’t, so it’s important that I’m knowledgeable about what I’m working on.”

SUGA says he comes across ideas for his songs from the books he reads. “I tend to think a lot about the meaning behind words,” he says. “We deal a lot with emotions so I spend a lot of time thinking about how words can be construed differently.”

RM, who has credits on many of BTS’s biggest songs, will dwell on a line from a movie or a passing scene, sometimes for years, before starting to work it into his lyrics. “[Writing songs] takes a long time for me,” says RM. “So it hurts, body and soul, when I have to throw one away.”

In recent years, pop music—generally associated with bubblegum, upbeat dance songs—has been getting more serious and introspective. From the Weeknd to Selena Gomez, teen idols have increasingly been writing and singing about mental and emotional health, anxiety and loss. (A 2018 study at the University of California Irvine examined hundreds of thousands of English-language pop songs and confirmed that sadness was on the rise.) Though a casual glance at their intricate choreography may not make it obvious, BTS is celebrated by their fans for touching on psychological and social issues in their songs.

“I don’t like talking about my dark side,” says Jin. “I’m in the camp that believes idols should always show their bright and positive side.” Still, a conversation with Bang inspired Jin’s 2018 solo ballad “Epiphany,” which focuses on self-acceptance. V, who contributed to the neo-soul “Stigma”—which includes lines like “The pain is never soothed”—recently received a phone call from producer Bang on a song he was writing. “Could you tone down this a little?” Bang asked.

“How come he never says things like that to me?” SUGA jumps in.

RM responds. “Because that’s (your) personality.”

j-hope chimes in, laughing, “I’m a bit envious of [SUGA’s] expressions.”

“I’m the type that speaks out first, and then thinks about it,” SUGA explains.

Pdogg, Big Hit’s chief producer, who has provided musical direction for BTS’s albums from the start, says it’s the band members who decide on the message (like their album title Love Yourself) they want to send through their music. “The most important thing for BTS as a team is the message that members want to convey,” he says. Musically, the band’s initial heavy lean into hip-hop has become fused with genres like Brit rock, EDM and future house over the years.

The music “still has a footing in hip-hop sound, but when it comes to genre, we’re in the process of expanding the parameters to create a hybrid sound,” said Pdogg in late September, a few days after he had completed production for BTS’s upcoming album. “We’re in the process of perfecting BTS’s unique hue.”

For their new album, BTS members had made separate bids to feature melodies they had written as the album’s lead song. Jimin describes that process as “painstaking and tearful.” Jung Kook points out that the members weren’t just competing against each other, but against other composers who also submitted attempts to Bang. Jin alone sent him three different melodies. SUGA made it to the finals. RM, though, chose to sit this one out. “The competition was too fierce,” he says.

The seven members of BTS spent their childhoods in different parts of South Korea. Jung Kook and Jimin were born in Busan, a southern port city. Jung Kook grew up in a creative household, with an older brother who’s a talented illustrator and parents who like to sing. As a child, Jimin learned kendo (a Japanese martial art using bamboo swords) and thought of becoming a policeman but changed his mind after starting to dance in middle school. His father used to say he should become a prosecutor.

V wanted to be a singer since his childhood, possibly influenced by his father, who had dreamed of becoming a star himself. (“Tae-hyung’s father is super-talented,” Jin says, referring to V by his real name.) Jin grew up in an entrepreneurial household. “My family is all in business, so they’re all good speakers,” he says, and V jumps in to note, “You’ve got your mom’s way with words.”

j-hope was born in Gwangju and raised by his father, a literature teacher, and a “strong-willed” mother who once ran an internet cafe. “I used to wonder how I could dance,” he says, referring to how no one in his family danced or sang. (“His dad’s quite strict,” Jin adds.) SUGA was born in Daegu to a family that he describes as “far from having anything to do with the arts and entertainment,” though his mother picked up drawing in her 60s. As a kid, he thought of becoming a fireman, and at one point his father tried to persuade him to study journalism. He composed his first song when he was 13. He’s since lost the recording but says, “I remember it—I’ll use it one day.”

RM, who once considered studying journalism in college, wrote his first song in 2007. He describes it as a disaster but he held onto it anyway. “I can’t even tell if the lyrics are Korean,” he says.

Social media has overturned the rules of the music industry and elevated the power of the fan, with BTS’s ARMY leading the way. For years, the group has had the most social engagement of any act in the world. Many avid fans take it as their personal responsibility to stream new BTS songs and videos through as many devices as possible as many times as possible, helping to juice the band’s chart positions. The sense of intimacy provided by constant social media contact also leads to an intensity and identification with the BTS members that simply wouldn’t have been imaginable for previous bands. (ARMY is a tightly knit collective. Many fans declare “I’m ARMY,” or “I’m an ARMY,” when describing their devotion to the band.)

“BTS knows how to engage fans between their big video drops with a steady stream of content,” said Lyor Cohen, global head of YouTube Music, by email. When the band released their single “Dynamite” in September, they had also uploaded over a dozen additional clips related to the song, Cohen says, including individual videos of each member singing the song, a reaction video, footage from their choreography rehearsals and a “B-side” clip of their music video showing the band from different camera angles.

The efforts pay off. When “Dynamite” premiered on YouTube, it instantly drew three million viewers, according to Cohen. (At press time in early October, it had nearly 500 million views.) “They are truly a global act with a legion of loyal fans from around the world.” Over 90 percent of BTS clip views this year have come from outside South Korea, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Japan and India.

The group has several ongoing video series on YouTube, including Bangtan Bomb (short behind-the-scenes clips), with over 600 episodes and counting, and Episode (longer videos of BTS at photo or music-video shoots). There’s also Run BTS!, a near-weekly entertainment program showing the seven stars involved in games or other activities, which is released on South Korean livestreaming service V Live and on Weverse, Big Hit’s own online platform, which offers exclusive content as well as premium paid memberships. This is in addition to the usual music videos, vlogs, interview clips and reality TV shows in which the band appears.

Randy Suh, a K-pop critic in Canada, says BTS’s success has highlighted the importance and strength of new media in the music industry. From their early days, BTS used to put out three or four clips on YouTube every week and release mixtapes on blogs, she says. “That gave them an approachable image as singers, and it came at a time when people started preferring [social media] influencers who felt closer than some pop singer far away.”

The content empire that BTS produces is so vast that even fans can’t keep up. When “Dynamite” launched, Michelle Tack, 47, a cosmetics stores manager from Chicopee, Massachusetts, requested a day off work to stream the music video on YouTube. “I streamed all day,” Tack says. She made sure to watch other clips on the platform in between her streaming so that her views would count toward the grand total of views. (YouTube says it has systems in place to eliminate videos viewed by computer programs, which can skew the measure of a video’s overall popularity.)

“It feels like I’m part of this family that wants BTS to succeed, and we want to do everything we can do to help them,” says Tack. She says BTS has made her life “more fulfilled” and brought her closer to her two daughters, 12 and 14. The younger one introduced her to the band two years ago.

If feels like I’m part of this family that wants BTS to succeed, and we want to do everything we can do to help them.— Michelle Tack, BTS fan

Fifteen-year-old Abbey Hammond, who lives in Falmouth, Massachusetts, recalls her reaction when she first watched a BTS video in seventh grade. “Their vocals were amazing; they were rapping, dancing, plus they do a lot of acting in the videos—I just thought they were all-around talented, and then looking at the lyrics, they were really meaningful,” says Hammond. The language barrier was never an obstacle. “I don’t think you have to understand what they’re saying to understand what emotions they’re putting out there,” she says. “A lot of it comes from their performance. Words aren’t the only thing you need in order to get them.”

“The best K-pop utilizes storytelling in really innovative ways,” says Colette Balmain, 58, a senior lecturer in film and media and communications at London’s Kingston University, who organized a BTS academic conference in January 2020, at which 200 papers were submitted. She also examines “Bangtan Universe,” an ever-evolving narrative around BTS that is told through multiple mediums, including music videos, online blog posts and social media postings where Big Hit discloses clues or story pieces. The storyline of Bangtan Universe, in which the seven members adopt fictional personas, isn’t revealed in chronological order. Some avid fans take part by writing and changing the stories based on different clues dropped by Big Hit.

“We had albums that have themes in the West, but a story across albums is unusual,” says Balmain. “What Big Hit is doing with BTS is innovating not just the Korean entertainment business, but also the U.S. entertainment business.”

Lee Ji-young, a philosophy professor at Sejong University in Seoul, a self-proclaimed ARMY and author of BTS, Art Revolution, says BTS’s success in the American music industry holds historical significance. “This shouldn’t be seen as just a victory for South Korean singers, but a paradigm shift in America’s racial and linguistic hegemony.”

Lee says BTS’s innovations are also reflected in how ARMY is redefining pop group fan bases. “This is an extremely active community,” she says, pointing to a Twitter account operated by BTS fans to organize charity fundraising projects (@oneinanarmy), free tutoring services within the ARMY community and an academic journal, The Rhizomatic Revolution Review, for which she is an advisory board member. It publishes peer-reviewed papers on “the art, fandom, economic effects and sociocultural forces generated by BTS and ARMY.”

The band, which signed a new seven-year contract with Big Hit in 2018, has other hoops to jump through looking ahead, including starting mandatory military duties for roughly two years by age 28. That means enlisting next year for Jin, 27, the band’s eldest member. Calls for exempting the members from service (a legal option for high-performing athletes and award-winning classical musicians) have been on the rise, though no precedent exists for K-pop stars. So far Big Hit has been silent on the issue.

The stars of BTS say there are still more things yet to achieve. “In the past, we had clear goals and a thirst. We had to do well—we were desperate,” says Jung Kook. “I still have a similar mindset. It’s the achievements we’ve made every step of the way that are prompting me to want to challenge myself more.”

“Before, we were all just fixated on looking for the camera when the red light came on,” says Jimin. “Now we feel more relaxed.”

Source: WSJ

[90363462]

Kendrick Lamar’s New Song ‘The Heart Part 5’ Is a Heart Wrenching Tribute to the Power of Forgiveness

Daniel BridgestoneMay 10, 2022

Kendrick Lamar is back with new single “The Heart Part 5”, the newest installation in his recurring The Heart series. The release marks the announcement of his forthcoming album ‘Mr Morale & The Big Steppers’ and his return to music since the critically acclaimed DAMN! was released in 2018. The anticipation has been high and the 34 year old Los Angeles based artist gifted his fans a 5:32 record accompanied with a powerful video. 

With production duo Beach Noise providing instrumentation, Kendrick raps over a chopped sample of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You,” a song originally released in 1976 that served as a romantic tribute to Janis Hunter, Gaye’s wife. The video, both starring and directed by Lamar with longtime collaborator Dave Free, is minimal and performance based. Lamar stands afront a red screen, wearing a white shirt and blue bandana around his neck, passionately rapping along with the record. 

The twist is, as the lyrics progress, Lamar, using deep fake special effects, morphs into a cast of black male cultural figures such as OJ Simpson, Kanye West, Jussie Smollett, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, and Nipsey Hussle. Lamar, known for lyrical depth and symbolism, matches the lyrics with the history of each respective celebrity that appears on screen, making a larger statement about the current climate of North American culture. With this in mind, one could assume that the intention for the record came hand in hand with the visual concept.

Kendrick Lamar’s Perspective

Lamar begins with the statement, “as I get a little older, I realize life is perspective and my perspective may differ from yours.” In The Heart Part 5, this perspective extends beyond himself and onto the men who appear via deep fake, all of whom have made a cultural impact in recent history. Lamar both pays homage to leaders, such as Nipsey Hussle, and questions the integrity of egoists, such as Will Smith, all while empathizing with the pressures of celebrity. 

There is much to unpack in Lamar’s new record, a social commentary that could be analyzed from a variety of different angles. This article will focus specifically on verse three, when Lamar and the late Nipsey Hussle exchange moments; riffing on fate, community, forgiveness, and hope. 

Nipsey Hussle, a famous hip-hop artist and community activist was fatally shot in front of his own store in South Central Los Angeles in 2019. Lamar reflects on finding out Nipsey had passed, “I’m in Argentina wiping my tears, full of confusion, water in between us another peer has been executed” he pauses and further professes, “but that’s the culture, hard to deal with the pain when you’re sober, by tomorrow we forget the remains and start over.” 

This is an extremely vulnerable moment as Kendrick brings forth the idea of a cultural cycle within his own community, one that is desensitized to gun violence, turning to drugs to mourn loss. 

Nipsey Hussle: The Immortal Empath

Similar to Lamar, Hussle grew up in South Central, and like Lamar, is known for fighting injustice and addressing socio economic issues within his music. Both artists were community leaders in their respective Los Angeles neighborhoods, donating money back to the streets they grew up on, providing young men with opportunities to break out of a poverty cycle that has negatively impacted people of color in the United States. Later In the video, after reflecting on his passing, Kendrick deep fakes as Hussle; speaking from his perspective;  “To my brother, to my kids, I’m in Heaven, to my mother, to my sis, I’m in Heaven, to my father, to my wife, I am serious, this is Heaven.” 

Kendrick, as Hussle, is speaking directly to his family and letting them know that, not only is he in heaven, in fact, heaven does exist, professing that beyond death, there is peace. Kendrick has chosen to paint the picture of a utopian afterlife, one that juxtaposes the violence of South Central Los Angeles. Kendrick views Hussle as a man of empathy and righteousness, one that, even in his own death, would forgive his murderer, “and to the killer that sped up my demise, I forgive you, just know your soul’s In question, I seen the pain In your pupil, when that trigger had squeezed, and though you did me gruesome, I was surely relieved.” 

Kendrick recognizes that the senseless violence, which has taken so many people he’s known, as well as Hussle, is rooted in anger, connecting to a larger issue of institutionalized racism in America, a systemic pattern that has made it difficult for people of color to afford higher education, access healthcare and seek job opportunities. Hussle forgives his killer, seeing the pain in his eyes, attempting to understand the struggle he’s gone through, blaming a system instead of an individual. Hussle’s murderer was in the same gang as him, Rollin’ 90s, and was also a rapper, although his music never caught on in the same way Hussle’s did. 

Some speculate that the reasoning for the killing was out of jealousy for Hussle’s success. This brings us back to the sample featured on the record, Marvin Gaye, who, similarly, faced his demise at age forty-four, when his own father shot him in 1984, echoing the situation that Hussle faced, as Gaye’s father was fueled with jealousy and resentment. 

Hussle goes on to say, “I completed my mission, wasn’t ready to leave, but fulfilled my days, my creator was pleased,” expressing that he lived a good life, one where his “mission” was giving back to the community he grew up in, positioning his priorities as giving back to his family and community. 

Last Thoughts

Kendrick as Hussle, ends the track with this powerful sentiment, “and to my neighborhood, let the good prevail, make sure them babies and them lead us outta jail, look for salvation when troubles get real, ’cause you can’t help the world until you help yourself,” explaining that change must come from within and begin locally. 

Show love to your community and to your family first, work on yourself, and the rest of the world will follow. Kendrick paints an incredible picture of Hussle, one of forgiveness and empathy, one that individuals should follow as a model for themselves. 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/uAPUkgeiFVY?feature=oembed

[airellesinhaze]

2

Exhibition dates: 26th June – 27th October 2019 Visited September 2019 posted September 2020

Curators: Matthieu Rivallin and Pia Viewing

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Nageur sous l’eau, Esztergom Underwater swimmer, Esztergom 1918 Contact original

“”… especially haptic qualities are demanded of the deconstructionist performer, spectator, and reader; not to follow optically the ‘line of ideas’ in the text or in a picture and see only the representation proper, the surface, but to probe with the eyes the pictorial texture and even to enter the texture.”69 Such “touching” with the eye did not lead to a secure tactile experience of being firmly planted on the ground, for all grounds, all foundations, were suspect, however construed. We are, as Nietzsche knew, swimming in an endless sea, rather than standing on dry land. To “touch” a trace, groping blindly in the dark, is no more the guarantee of certainty than to see its residues.” Gandelman, Claude. ‘Reading Pictures, Viewing Texts’. Bloomington, Indiana, 1991, p. 140 quoted in Martin Jay. ‘Downcast Eyes: The Denigration of Vision in Twentieth-Century French Thought’. Berkley: University of California Press, 1993, p. 512.

Touching with the eye

Part 2 of a large posting on the exhibition L’equilibriste, André Kertész at Jeu de Paume, Château de Tours, which I saw in Tours in September 2019.

This posting contains photographs from his famous series “Distortions” (fascinating to see the original plates for the book of the same name, complete with cropping marks and red lead pencil annotations); American works from 1936 onwards, when Kertész moved to the United States to avoid the persecution of the Jews and the threat of World War II; and the late work colour Polaroids.

I admit that Kertész is not my favourite photographer. While I admire some of his photographs, I feel emotionally distant from most of them. Edward Clay observes in the quotation below that Kertész was “one of the most lyrical and formally inventive photographers of the twentieth-century… [His photographs] often convey a quiet mood of melancholy … He remains revered for his clarity of style and ability to blend simplicity with emotion, prizing impact over technical precision, seeking metaphors and geometry in everyday objects and scenarios, to turn the mundane into the surreal.”

Personally, I don’t find his photographs emotional nor lyrical, only a few poetic. Not melancholic, but geometric. In later works, he simplifies, simplifies, simplifies much like his friend Mondrian did. For me, the balance between sacred / geometry, the sacred geometry of the mystery of things, is often unbalanced in these images (particularly relevant, given the title of this exhibition). Is it enough just to turn the mundane into the surreal? Where does that lead the viewer? Is it enough to just observe, represent, without digging deeper.

At his best, in images such as Underwater swimmer, Esztergom (1918, above), Arm and Fan, New York (1937, below) and Washington Square, New York (1954, below) there is a structured, avant-garde mystery about the reality of the world, as re/presented through the object of the photograph, it’s physical presence. In Underwater swimmer, the body is stretched and distorted by an element, water, not a man-made mirror. His photographs from Hungary, Italy and early Paris possess a sensitivity of spirit that seems to have been excised from his life, the older he got. Far too often in later images, there is a “brittleness” to his photography, in which the object of reflection sits at the surface of the image, all sparkling in unflinching light. The single cloud oh so lonely in the sterile city; the man looking at the broken bench; the “buy, buy, buy” of consumer culture. You consumer Kertész’s later images, you do not reflect on them.

Dr Marcus Bunyan

All iPhone installation photographs © Marcus Bunyan. Please click on the photographs for a larger version of the image. View Part 1 of the posting.

“André Kertész, one of the most lyrical and formally inventive photographers of the twentieth-century, whose work advocated for spontaneity over technical precision, has left a distinctive legacy of poetic images which form a bridge between the avant-garde and geometrical precision. A roamer for much of his life, his feelings of rootlessness manifest in his work and often convey a quiet mood of melancholy. … Claiming “I am an amateur and I intend to stay that way for the rest of my life”, Kertesz was a great source of inspiration to photographic legends such as Cartier-Bresson. He remains revered for his clarity of style and ability to blend simplicity with emotion, prizing impact over technical precision, seeking metaphors and geometry in everyday objects and scenarios, to turn the mundane into the surreal. Nothing was too plain or ordinary for his eye, since he had a special ability to breathe life into even the most ‘unremarkable’ subjects.” Edward Clay. “André Kertész: between poetry and geometry,” on ‘The Independent Photographer’ website, May 19th 2020 [Online] Cited 26/08/2020

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Distortion #34  1933 Gelatin silver print

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Distortion #40 1933 Gelatin silver print

Installation views of the exhibition L’equilibriste, André Kertész at Jeu de Paume, Château de Tours showing photographs from the series Distortions, the bottom image showing at left, the photograph Underwater swimmer, Esztergom 1918 Photos: Marcus Bunyan

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Planches originales de la maquette du livre ‘Distortions’ (installation view) Original plates of the model of the book ‘Distortions’  1975-1976 Collection Médiathèque de l’architecture et du patrimoine Photos: Marcus Bunyan

Installation view of the exhibition L’equilibriste, André Kertész at Jeu de Paume, Château de Tours showing photographs from the series Distortions Photo: Marcus Bunyan

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Distortion #60 (installation view) 1933 Contact original Photo: Marcus Bunyan

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Distortion #86 (installation view) 1933 Contact original Photo: Marcus Bunyan

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Distortion #86 (installation view) 1933 Contact original Photo: Marcus Bunyan

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Distortion #109 (installation view) 1933 Contact original Photo: Marcus Bunyan

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Distortion #6 (installation view) 1933 Contact original Photo: Marcus Bunyan

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Distortion #159 (installation view) 1933 Contact original Photo: Marcus Bunyan

André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894-1985) Distortion #128 (installation view) 1933 Contact original Photo: Marcus Bunyan

[gqresearch24]

Boeing Presents Safety Plan To FAA Amid Production Challenges

(Source – eTurboNews)

Boeing’s outgoing CEO, Dave Calhoun, along with other top leaders, met with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday to present a comprehensive safety and quality improvement plan. This meeting follows a near-catastrophic incident involving a door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January, which prompted the FAA to give Boeing 90 days to devise a plan addressing these critical issues.

In February, the FAA mandated Boeing to develop a quality improvement plan after a door plug on a new 737 Max 9 aircraft blew out midair shortly after takeoff. Federal safety investigators revealed that the bolts securing the panel were not installed before the plane’s delivery to Alaska Airlines, underscoring significant lapses in Boeing’s production process. Consequently, the FAA barred Boeing from increasing production of the 737 Max until these issues were resolved.

Boeing’s submitted plan outlines significant enhancements in employee training, better platforms for workers to raise concerns, and a reduction in out-of-sequence work. These measures are designed to bolster production quality and ensure such incidents do not recur. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker emphasized that the agency would not approve any production increases until they are fully satisfied with Boeing’s progress. He also highlighted that despite Boeing’s detailed plan, substantial work remains, and stringent oversight will continue.

Long Road to Recovery for Boeing

The impact of Boeing’s production issues extends beyond safety concerns. The company has faced significant financial and reputational setbacks, especially in the wake of two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, which claimed 346 lives. These tragedies have led to intensified scrutiny and regulatory oversight, challenging Boeing’s efforts to restore trust and stability.

Financially, Boeing is under pressure, with production delays affecting airline customers such as United and Southwest Airlines, forcing them to revise their growth plans. Boeing has reduced its output of the 737 Max to address production flaws, enhance manufacturing processes, and meet increased FAA oversight. Currently, the company produces an average of 21 Max planes per month, significantly below the target rate of around 38 per month.

Boeing’s Chief Financial Officer, Brian West, indicated that the company anticipates burning cash this year rather than generating it, forecasting a $4 billion cash outflow for the current quarter alone. This financial strain underscores the urgency for Boeing to rectify its production issues and regain operational efficiency.

Despite the challenges, Boeing is committed to improving its safety culture and eliminating defects. The company has invested in its workforce, adding 300 hours of training material and introducing workplace coaches to support new employees. Boeing has also implemented “stand-downs” in its factories, pausing work to discuss potential production line improvements with staff. These efforts aim to cultivate a more vigilant and safety-conscious work environment.

FAA’s Safety Mandate and Boeing’s Response

Stephanie Pope, Boeing’s newly appointed Chief Executive of the commercial airplane unit, expressed confidence in the company’s improvement plan, stating, “We are committed to continuously improving and working under the FAA’s oversight to deliver safe, high-quality airplanes.”

As Boeing navigates these turbulent times, the company has also encouraged a culture of transparency and feedback. CEO Calhoun reported receiving over 30,000 improvement suggestions from employees and a 500% increase in “speak up” submissions, reflecting a growing willingness among staff to voice concerns and contribute to the company’s recovery. In conclusion, Boeing’s meeting with the FAA marks a critical step in addressing the manufacturing flaws that have plagued the 737 Max program. While the road ahead is challenging, Boeing’s commitment to safety, quality improvements, and transparent communication with regulators and employees will be crucial in restoring its standing in the aviation industry.

Read More: Airbus Secures Major Jet Orders from Asian Airlines, Rivaling Boeing Amid Quality Woes

[hammadchauhdary]

What to Expect from Quantum Computing in the Next Decade

Quantum computing is poised to revolutionize numerous fields, from cryptography to drug discovery, and even climate modeling. As we stand on the brink of a quantum revolution, it's essential to understand what advancements and impacts we can expect in the next decade. Here’s a detailed look into the future of quantum computing and its potential to transform various industries.

Quantum Computing: A Brief Overview

Quantum computing leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to process information in fundamentally different ways than classical computers. While classical computers use bits as the smallest unit of data, quantum computers use quantum bits or qubits. These qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneously, thanks to a phenomenon known as superposition. Additionally, qubits can be entangled, allowing them to be interconnected in ways that classical bits cannot.

Key Advancements Expected

Increased Qubit Stability and Error Correction

One of the major challenges in quantum computing today is qubit stability and error rates. Over the next decade, significant advancements are expected in quantum error correction techniques and qubit coherence times. These improvements will make quantum computers more reliable and capable of handling complex computations over longer periods.

Quantum Supremacy and Beyond

In 2019, Google claimed to have achieved quantum supremacy, where a quantum computer performed a task that would be practically impossible for a classical computer. In the coming years, we can expect more demonstrations of quantum supremacy, with quantum computers tackling increasingly complex problems that were previously unsolvable.

Scalability

Developing scalable quantum systems is crucial for their practical application. Companies like IBM, Intel, and Rigetti are working on creating quantum processors with thousands of qubits. By the end of the decade, we might see quantum computers with millions of qubits, enabling them to perform highly intricate computations.

Industries Poised for Transformation

Cryptography

Quantum computing poses a significant threat to current cryptographic techniques, such as RSA and ECC, which rely on the difficulty of factoring large numbers or solving discrete logarithms. Quantum computers could crack these codes efficiently, necessitating the development of quantum-resistant cryptography. Organizations are already working on post-quantum cryptographic algorithms to secure data against future quantum attacks.

Drug Discovery and Material Science

Quantum computers have the potential to simulate molecular and chemical reactions at an unprecedented scale, dramatically accelerating drug discovery and the development of new materials. This could lead to breakthroughs in treatments for diseases, new materials with novel properties, and more efficient industrial processes.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Quantum computing could vastly improve machine learning algorithms by providing exponential speedups in data processing and optimization tasks. This could enhance everything from natural language processing to complex decision-making systems, making AI more powerful and efficient.

Financial Services

Quantum computing can revolutionize financial modeling, risk analysis, and portfolio optimization by processing vast amounts of data faster and more accurately than classical computers. This can lead to better investment strategies and more robust financial systems.

The Road Ahead

While the promise of quantum computing is immense, there are significant hurdles to overcome. Building practical and scalable quantum computers requires substantial advancements in hardware, software, and error correction. Moreover, developing a skilled workforce to drive these advancements is crucial.

Conclusion

The next decade will likely see quantum computing transition from a theoretical research field to a practical technology with wide-ranging applications. As we prepare for this quantum leap, staying informed about the latest developments and understanding their potential impact will be vital for businesses, governments, and individuals alike.

To delve deeper into the future of quantum computing, check out the full article here.

[fanelesibongeneneot3]

From Vision to Action: Our Journey Towards a Sustainable Future at Mariannridge  

Communities around the world face numerous challenges, including lack of education, poverty, health issues, inequality, and many more. The United Nations developed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address these issues and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030 (Trends, 2017). All these years I’ve been thinking that the Government is working hard to achieve these goals, and it's clear that our communities still face significant challenges. People are voting for sustainable lives, yet progress seems slow. As Nelson Mandela once said, "It always seems impossible until it's done. “In this blog, I will focus on five SDGs that we are committed to implementing at Mariannridge community: good health, no poverty, quality education, partnerships for the goals, and gender equality.

Goal 1: aims to end poverty by addressing its multidimensional impact globally, beyond just income deprivation. The goal focuses on ensuring everyone has enough food. This involves creating jobs, ensuring everyone has equal access to resources and services, and building resilience to environmental and social disasters Lawlor et al. (2019). Despite some progress, many people around the world still live in poverty. According to Statistics South Africa  (2024), the official unemployment rate stands at 32.9 %, an increase of 0.8 of a percentage point in the first quarter of 2024. Meaning there is a high rate of unemployment leading to high levels of poverty. At Mariannridge Community where I am doing my community block government is distributing seeds to community members for gardening, ensuring food security. We also visited the Thornwood community; in this community, they are high level of poverty and we decided to do a gardening project at Delani Primary School to provide food for disadvantaged children. Poverty remains a significant challenge at Thornwood, but NGOs provide essential aftercare services, offering food and protection to disadvantaged children. 

The image shows people in South Africa living in poverty; those who are not working in South Africa receive a R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which may not be sufficient, according to Lebakeng (2022). As a community occupational therapist student, I think instead of just giving money, a better approach is to teach community members practical skills. These skills can include writing CVs, which can help them get jobs and earn their own income.

Goal 3: Good health aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. This includes reducing the number of people who get sick or die from diseases, improving maternal and child health, and making vaccines and medicines available to everyone. Bartniczak et al. (2024). The South African government has implemented various strategies to ensure good health. These include strengthening the health system by upgrading public health facilities and creating new healthcare. The government is working towards implementing the National Health Insurance (NHI) system to provide universal healthcare access, regardless of socio-economic status. Mpanza & O’Keeffe (2024).

In the Mariannridge community, our role includes attending the clinic every Monday to conduct health promotion sessions. During these sessions, we teach about various diagnoses, how to manage them, the importance of maintaining a healthy diet, and the significance of medication adherence, particularly for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, as many in the community are affected by this condition. Additionally, we run a RED FLAG project aimed at educating caregivers and teachers about the early signs of developmental delays in children, empowering them to recognize when a child may need medical attention. We prioritize keeping children healthy from an early age, conducting screenings at the clinic to monitor their milestones. Home visits are also conducted, providing interventions in people's homes and advocating for necessities such as wheelchairs and disability grants when needed, while also making referrals to hospitals for further assistance. In the Thornwood community, we engage in similar activities, including home visits, clinic health promotions, and visits to other communities such as Zwelibomvu and KwaNdengezi, to assess needs and implement interventions aimed at promoting health and enhancing quality of life for community members.

The picture above shows how one keep themselves healthy all the time.

Goal 4: Quality education which focuses on quality education, emphasizes the importance of ensuring that everyone has access to a good education because it benefits both individuals and society as a whole, (Bhatnagar & Singh,2024). The goal aims to make sure that quality education is available to all, regardless of their financial situation. It also highlights the importance of equipping young people with the skills they need to find good jobs or start their own businesses. Occupational therapists may not have the same role as teachers in schools, we play a crucial role in assessing students' needs and providing interventions to support their learning. We also assist with referrals to special schools for students who require specialized support, such as a case we encountered in Thornwood where a child with a speech problem is unable to attend a regular school. In such cases, we advocate for inclusive education by facilitating referrals to special schools. Additionally, we support grade 12 students with university applications and offer career expos for grade 9 students to help them explore future career paths. These efforts align with Goal 4's vision of ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to learn and succeed.

The picture above shows the importance of education; it is a light and a key to success.

Goal 17, Partnership for Goals, shows that working together is really important. This goal is about finding better ways to collaborate and making sure everyone has what they need to make things better for the future. As occupational therapists’ students, in our community block, we have an important role in promoting Goal 17 by encouraging teamwork in our communities. We can work with different groups, like the government, non-profit organizations, and other teams with different skills. In Mariannridge, for example, we team up with teachers, community caretakers, NGOs, and counselors to make sure everyone in the community is living well for a long time. It's about coming together and making a positive difference for everyone.

The picture above shows the importance of working together.

Goal 10 focuses on reducing inequalities within and among countries. The goal is to ensure that no one is left behind, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized populations. As occupational therapists, we play a crucial role in advancing this goal by advocating for accessible and inclusive services, particularly for marginalized populations. This involves ensuring that individuals with disabilities have equal opportunities to access essential services and participate fully in their communities. We provide interventions, as mentioned above, aimed at promoting independence and enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities, empowering them to lead fulfilling lives despite potential challenges. Additionally, we advocate for inclusive education by supporting the placement of individuals with disabilities in special schools, recognizing that everyone deserves equal access to education and opportunities for growth. By addressing inequalities and promoting social inclusion, occupational therapists contribute to creating a more equitable society where all individuals can thrive and contribute to sustainable development.

Reaching the Sustainable Development Goals might seem hard, but it's really important that we keep trying to make things better in our communities. Even though there are lots of problems, like not enough education, poverty, health issues, and unfairness, we have to stay focused on the plan for a better future set by the United Nations. As we try to put the SDGs into action in Mariannridge, we are focusing on good health, poverty, good education, and reducing inequality. Together with the community, we can make it happen, because working together makes things possible.

REFERENCES

Bartniczak, B., Płachciak, A., Raszkowski, A., & Lewis, G. J. (2024). Good Health and Well-Being: An Assessment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 3 in the Sahel Countries. Sustainability, 16(5), 2109.

Bhatnagar, A., & Singh, T. (2024). Quality Education: Foundation for 16 SDGs. In Sustainability: Science, Policy, and Practice in India: Challenges and Opportunities (pp. 53-62). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Development Goals. United Nations Development Programme& United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. https://sdgs.un.org/

Lawlor, K., Sills, E., Atmadja, S., Lin, L., & Songwathana, K. (2019). SDG 1: No poverty–impacts of social protection, tenure security and building resilience on forests. Sustainable development goals: their impacts on forests and people, 17-47.

Mpanza, N., & O’Keeffe, P. (2024). Young people’s participation in the National Health Insurance Policy in South Africa. In Research Handbook on the Sociology of Youth (pp. 367-381). Edward Elgar Publishing.

State 2024 https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/sa-unemployment-rate-increases#:~:text=The%20Quarterly%20Labour%20Force%20Survey,the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024.

Trends, G. (2017). Challenges and opportunities in the implementation of the Sustainable

The pictures:

[dankusner]

Roles of LGBTQ members stand at heart of United Methodist Church conflict, vote

RELIGION

Spiritual split decision

Jane Graner first felt a call to ministry as a senior in high school in 1979.

As a lesbian in the United Methodist Church, she thought the denomination would allow openly gay pastors by the time she finished seminary.

Instead, she waited 40 years for her ordination in 2019, and she believes it only happened then because she was single.

“Being open about being gay as I was going through the ordination process and as a pastor was part of what I felt like was my calling,” said Graner, now 62 and senior pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Duncanville.

Graner’s experiences are at the heart of a rift over the role of LGBTQ people in the United Methodist Church, the country’s second-largest Protestant denomination.

The denomination has spent decades disagreeing on human sexuality, and, in the past few years, thousands of congregations have voted to split off.

Many have joined the Global Methodist Church, a new and more conservative denomination, while others have stayed independent.

The recent conflict is largely over the United Methodist Church’s bans on same-sex marriage and clergy members in gay relationships.

The prohibitions were strengthened in a plan passed by a slim majority of church delegates from around the world in 2019, though enforcement has varied in the U.S.; in North Texas, some unmarried gay clergy have been ordained.

The denomination is set to vote again on the bans at a meeting Tuesday-May 3 in Charlotte, N.C.

“We have been fighting about LGBTQ issues since at least 1972,” said Graner, referring to when the church adopted a doctrine of social principles that said homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.

“This has been a continuing issue in our church, and it’s just been coming to a head for a long, long time,” Graner said. “Now we’re finally going to be, hopefully, dealing with it in a decisive way.”

In 2019, the United Methodist Church began allowing congregations to leave and keep their properties if they cited “reasons of conscience” regarding human sexuality before the end of 2023.

About a quarter of the nation’s approximately 30,000 United Methodist congregations left over those four years, including 53 congregations in the North Texas Conference, according to a recent report by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

The research center is part of a United Methodist seminary in Washington, D.C.

“It [hasn’t] been since 1908 that we’ve had a very significant rift in the church like this,” said Ted Campbell, a professor of church history at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology.

He was referring to a previous split that resulted in the creation of the Church of the Nazarene.

Campbell said the overt reason for why congregations have left is the dispute over whether the church should ordain clergy in same-sex relationships and allow ministers to perform gay marriages.

Disagreements about the scope of the Bible’s authority and the degree of autonomy given to churches have also contributed, he said, along with increased political polarization throughout the U.S.

“It’s personal, it hurts,” Campbell said of the divide. “Dear friends of mine have decided to go the other way, and some of us still don’t quite know how to talk to each other.”

At the time of its departure in July 2023, White’s Chapel in Southlake was the second-largest United Methodist congregation in the country, with 17,000 members.

In explaining why his church left, co-pastor Todd Renner said the United Methodist Church had grown more liberal in the U.S. and was no longer a “good fit.”

Vote on plan

John McKellar, the church’s other co-pastor, said the more liberal trajectory would have a greater impact on White’s Chapel if a “regionalization” plan is passed at the denomination’s upcoming meeting, which he believes is likely to happen.

“The shape of what the United Methodist Church will be once regionalization passes was going to put our church in an awkward, uncomfortable place,” McKellar said. “We just were trying to read the tea leaves and get ahead of that.”

Regionalization would allow the regions of the United Methodist Church to set their policies on issues including gay marriage.

Current proposals would establish eight regional conferences, combining all five U.S. jurisdictions into one conference and including seven conferences outside the country.

If the U.S. voted alone, many believe it would grant LGBTQ rights.

In 2022, all five U.S. jurisdictions passed resolutions calling for the church to affirm and protect LGBTQ people.

Third option

After leaving the United Methodist Church, White’s Chapel helped start a new denomination last year called the Methodist Collegiate Church, which Renner described as a more ideologically central option than those of the United Methodist Church and the Global Methodist Church.

The Global Methodist Church was formed in 2022 by theologically conservative Methodists and said it had 4,336 member churches as of January 2024.

“As the [United Methodist Church] and the [Global Methodist Church] moved into their particular corners, there’s less and less room for people that are, in any way, in the center,” Renner said.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to imagine something new.”

The Methodist Collegiate Church has attracted more than 60 congregations from the U.S. and Africa.

Member churches can leave at any time and are not required to pay percentages of their budgets to the denomination, as congregations do in the United Methodist and Global Methodist churches.

Reasons to leave

Ken Nelson, 72, has attended White’s Chapel for about 25 years, and he and his wife, Sharon, help lead the church’s international mission trips.

“Disaffiliation would have allowed us to have more dollars that go to those mission efforts that Sharon and I have a passion for,” Nelson said. He supported his church’s decision to disaffiliate.

“When you look at the headlines, people talk about the disaffiliation being based on LG et cetera [LGBTQ] — that was not something I focused a lot on, nor did, I think, a number of other folks that I spent time talking to,” Nelson said.

St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano, formerly the second-largest United Methodist church in the North Texas Conference, announced its departure from the denomination in October 2022 in a since-deleted statement on its website that did not include any reference to LGBTQ clergy or same-sex marriage.

“The fact is, we can protect our finances, our property and our pastors by going in a new direction,” the statement read.

A representative for St. Andrew declined a recent request for comment on why the church left.

“To fulfill our desire to love all churches — those that are part of the UMC and those that are leaving for other paths — we cannot comment any further on that disaffiliation process or the UMC,” the representative told The Dallas Morning News .

The North Texas Conference lost 19% of its churches, fewer than any other conference in the state, according to the Lewis Center report.

By contrast, the Northwest Texas Conference lost 162, or 81%, of its churches, and the Central Texas Conference, which includes Arlington and Fort Worth, lost 122, or 44%.

“North Texas came out of this far better than most,” said Lovett Weems, lead author of the report and the Lewis Center’s senior consultant. “My sense is that disaffiliation never really caught on the way it did in some other Southern conferences, including some other Texas conferences.”

The Central Texas Conference lost its bishop, Mike Lowry, and churches including White’s Chapel.

Of its more than three dozen United Methodist congregations, Dallas lost only one.

Most of the departures in the North Texas Conference were from places outside the Dallas area.

Graner said the conference’s comparatively low rate of departure reflects Dallas’ relationship with LGBTQ people.

“Dallas has a long history of being more successful addressing LGBTQ issues than you would expect of any other city in the South,” she said.

She credited that success in part to LGBTQ advocacy groups and organizations, including the Black Tie Dinner, which has raised over $30 million since its start in 1982. “I think our early leaders were very realistic about how things work in the South and set up organizations that were highly effective,” Graner said.

‘Open’ to all

Janis Elliott, 69, was raised United Methodist and has attended Graner’s church for about 10 years. “I think now we’re ready to have the church represent who we are,” she said of the split. “For the longest time, our slogan has been, ‘Open hearts, open minds, open doors.’ Which means we include everybody.”

Now that many churches that identify as nonaffirming have left the denomination, Elliott hopes the church will vote to embrace LGBTQ people at its upcoming meeting.

“We have a daughter that came out to us quite a few years ago, and she has not felt comfortable in the church and [with] some of the policies,” Elliott said. “So this is personal to me.”

The Eighth Episcopal District is comprised of over 200 churches within the state of Texas and Jamaica.

The Eighth Episcopal District consist of five geographical Regions: East Texas Region, Central Texas Region, DFW/NW Texas Region, Southeast Texas Region, and Jamaica Region.

UNITED METHODISTS

Top-level conference is first since breakup over LGBTQ inclusion

Delegates may finally seek to lift bans on same-sex weddings, gay clergy

Thousands of United Methodists are gathering in Charlotte, N.C., for their big denominational meeting, known as General Conference.

It’s a much-anticipated gathering.

Typically it is held every four years, but church leaders delayed the 2020 gathering until now due to the pandemic.

This year, the 11-day gathering runs from April 23- May 3.

Among those assembling are hundreds of voting delegates — United Methodists from across the globe who were elected to represent their regional church body — though as many as one-quarter of international delegates are not confirmed as able to attend.

The delegates, half clergy and half lay Methodists, are the decision makers at General Conference.

What happens at General Conference?

General Conference — the only entity that can speak for the whole denomination — is a meeting where delegates set policy, pass budgets and address other matters.

It’s the only body that can amend the United Methodist Book of Discipline, which includes church law. It also includes Social Principles, which are non-binding declarations on social and ethical issues.

There’s worship and fellowship, too.

Is there something unique about this year’s meeting?

Yes.

This will be the first General Conference since more than 7,600 mostly conservative congregations left the United Methodist Church between 2019 and 2023 because the denomination essentially stopped enforcing its bans on same-sex marriage and having “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” serving as clergy and bishops.

Will the General Conference lift those LGBTQ-related bans this year?

It’s possible.

The delegates in Charlotte are expected to vote on whether to eliminate them.

Similar efforts have failed in years past, but with the election of more progressive delegates and the departure of many conservatives, supporters of removing the bans are optimistic.

What other key issues are up for consideration?

Disaffiliations:

The rules that allowed U.S. congregations to leave between 2019 and 2023.

It allowed them to leave with their properties, held in trust for the denomination, under friendlier-than-normal legal terms.

Some want similar conditions for international churches and for U.S. churches that missed the 2023 deadline.

Regionalization:

A proposal to restructure the denomination into regional conferences around the world, rather than having distinct names for U.S. and other jurisdictions.

It would define the role of regions more precisely and put American congregations into their own regional body.

Under this proposal, all regions would be able to adapt church policies to their local contexts, including those on marriage and ordination.

Budgets:

Because of all the disaffiliations, the conference will vote on a much-reduced budget proposal for the coming years.

Where are the delegates coming from?

Though thousands of Methodists with be attending the conference, there are only 862 official voting delegates, from the following regions of the church: 55.9% from the U.S. 32% from Africa 6% from the Philippines 4.6% from Europe 1.5% from concordant (affiliated) churches

Will they all be there?

No.

As of last week, only about three-quarters of international delegates were confirmed as able to attend, the Commission on the General Conference reported Thursday.

The other quarter includes 27 delegates unable to get visas or passports, others who couldn’t attend for various reasons, and 62 still unconfirmed.

African groups have strongly criticized denominational officials, faulting them for delays in providing necessary paperwork and information and raising questions about whether African conferences will accept voting results from the conference.

How are congregations preparing?

That varies widely, but those long active in the movement to repeal LGBTQ bans are focused strongly on the conference.

First United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, for example, held a commissioning service on April 14 for three members attending the conference in varying capacities.

“It will be deeply meaningful for me personally to vote for those changes,” said church member Tracy Merrick, who will be a delegate.

What are United Methodists, anyway?

They’re part of a larger worldwide family of Methodists and other groups in the tradition of 18th-century British Protestant revivalist John Wesley, who emphasized evangelism, holy living and social service.

They hold many beliefs in common with other Christians, with some distinct doctrines.

United Methodists traditionally ranged from liberal to conservative.

How many United Methodists are there?

5.4 million in the United States as of 2022, but that will decline significantly due to 2023 disaffiliations.

4.6 million in Africa, Asia and Europe. That’s lower than earlier estimates but reflects more recent denominational reports.

United Methodists prepare for votes on lifting LGBTQ bans

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — United Methodist delegates are heading into the homestretch of their first legislative gathering in five years — one that appears on track to make historic changes in lifting their church’s longstanding bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy.

After a day off on Sunday, delegates to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church resumed their work Monday and will be meeting all this week before wrapping up their 11-day session on Friday

They’ve already begun making historic changes:

On Thursday, delegates overwhelmingly endorsed a policy shift that would restructure the worldwide denomination into regional conferences and give the U.S. region, for the first time, the same right as international bodies to modify church rules to fit local situations.

That measure — subject to local ratification votes — is seen as a way the U.S. churches could have LGBTQ ordination and same-sex marriage while the more conservative overseas areas, particularly the large and fast-growing churches of Africa, could maintain those bans.

But whether that measure maintains church unity remains to be seen.

The General Conference comes as the American portion of the United Methodist Church, long the nation’s third-largest denomination, has shrunk considerably.

One-quarter of its U.S. churches left between 2019 and 2023 amid conservative dismay over the church’s failure to enforce its LGBTQ bans amid widespread defiance.

A proposal to overturn those bans is headed to the delegates this week, and progressives are optimistic that they have the votes to realize their long-held dream.

“It will say to the world about us that we really stand behind our statement that we are a church of open hearts, open minds, and open doors,” said Tracy Merrick, a delegate and member of First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh, which has committed to ministry with LGBTQ people.

The denomination has debated homosexuality for more than half a century.

Its Book of Discipline bans “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from the clergy and forbids clergy from presiding at same-sex marriages. It also forbids church funding of any advocacy for the “acceptance of homosexuality.”

The delegates will also vote on a new set of Social Principles — a wholesale revision of an existing set of non-binding statements — which received a committee approval last week.

The new version omits the previous version’s declaration that homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.”

And it defines marriage as a sacred covenant between “two people of faith,” without specifying gender.

Such changes could portend a further fragmentation of the international church.

Delegates last week approved the departure of a small but notable part of the body — about 30 churches in Russia and other former Soviet countries, where conservative views on LGBTQ issues are strong.

Some are proposing that African and other churches be given the same chance that U.S. churches recently had to disaffiliate under favorable terms.

Opponents say they already have mechanisms to depart, as some have recently done, but proponents say existing rules are burdensome.

Jerry Kulah of the advocacy group Africa Initiative said that while it will be up to individual conferences in Africa to decide whether to stay or leave the denomination, he believes it’s time to leave.

“We cannot remain in this marriage,” he said. “We can’t be one church preaching different gospels.”

A large majority of African bishops, while affirming their opposition to LGBTQ ordination or marriage, have said in a joint statement they are committed to remaining in the United Methodist Church.

The denomination had until recently been the third largest in the United States, present in almost every county.

But its 5.4 million U.S. membership in 2022 is expected to drop once the 2023 departures are factored in.

The denomination also counts 4.6 million members in other countries, mainly in Africa, though earlier estimates have been higher.

Conservative advocacy groups say U.S. churches that didn’t meet the 2023 deadline should have the option of disaffiliating, too — along with the more than 7,000 that have already done so.

The denomination also will be debating policy stances regarding fossil fuels and other issues as well as voting on major budget cuts to denominational programs, reflective of losing thousands of congregations.

The Rev. Tracy Cox, lead pastor of First United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, said she’s cautiously hopeful for changes to the rules on ordination and marriage.

The congregation, which has long been LGBTQ-affirming, held a commissioning service on April 14 for those attending the General Conference.

“If you are called by God to be an ordained elder or deacon, no church, no institution should step in that way,” Cox said. “And as far as marriage goes, when somebody falls in love with someone, we need to be able to help them to raise a family or to be a family in the community where they’re going to serve.”

United Methodists begin to reverse longstanding anti-LGBTQ policies

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — United Methodist delegates began making historic changes in their policies on sexuality on Tuesday — voting without debate to reverse a series of anti-LGBTQ policies.

The delegates voted to delete mandatory penalties for conducting same-sex marriages and to remove their denomination’s bans on considering LGBTQ candidates for ministry and on funding for gay-friendly ministries.

The 667-54 vote, coming during their legislative General Conference, removes some of the scaffolding around the United Methodist Church’s longstanding bans on LGBTQ-affirming policies regarding ordination, marriage and funding.

Still to come later this week are votes on the core of the bans on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage in church law and policy, which may draw more debate.

However, the large majority achieved by Tuesday’s votes indicate the tenor of the General Conference.

The consensus was so overwhelming that these items were rolled into the legislative “consent calendar,” normally reserved for non-controversial measures.

The actions follow a historic schism in what was long the third-largest denomination in the United States.

About one-quarter of U.S. congregations left between 2019 and 2023, mostly conservative churches dismayed that the denomination wasn’t enforcing its longstanding LGBTQ bans.

With the absence of many conservative delegates, who had been in the solid majority in previous general conferences and had steadily reinforced such bans over the decades, progressive delegates are moving quickly to reverse such policies.

Such actions could also prompt departures of some international churches, particularly in Africa, where more conservative sexual values prevail and where same-sex activity is criminalized in some countries.

United Methodist Church law still bans the ordination of “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” into ministry — a decades-old rule that will come up for a vote later this week.

However, on Tuesday, the General Conference voted to remove a related ban — on church officials considering someone for ordination who fits that category.

It removed bans on bishops ordaining LGBTQ people as clergy or consecrating them as bishops.

It also removed mandatory penalties — imposed by a 2019 General Conference — on clergy who conduct ceremonies celebrating same-sex weddings or unions.

And it imposed a moratorium on any church judicial processes seeking to discipline any clergy for violating LGBTQ-related rules.

In addition, the General Conference took actions toward being openly LGBTQ-affirming.

It repealed a longstanding ban on any United Methodist entity using funds “to promote the acceptance of homosexuality.”

That previous ban also forbade the funding of any effort to “reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends” and expressly supported the funding of responses to the anti-HIV epidemic.

However, the mixed wording of the old rule has been replaced with a ban on funding any effort to “reject any LGBTQIA+ person or openly discriminate against LGBTQIA+ people.”

“It’s a very liberating day for United Methodists who are actively involved with LGBTQ people,” said the Rev. David Meredith, board chair for the Reconciling Ministries Network, a group that has long advocated for LGBTQ inclusion in the church.

Compared with past, contentious general conferences, this one is “much more upbeat,” added Jan Lawrence, executive director of the network. “Yes, we’re going to have things we disagree on. But the vitriol that we saw in 2019, that is not evident at all.”

Other rule changes called for considering of LGBTQ people along with other demographic categories for appointments in an effort to have diversity on various church boards and entities.

The General Conference is the UMC’s first legislative gathering since 2019, one that features its most progressive slate of delegates in recent memory following the departure of more than 7,600 mostly conservative congregations in the United States because it essentially stopped enforcing its bans on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ ordination.

Those departures came during a window between 2019 and 2023 allowing U.S. congregations to leave with their properties, held in trust for the denomination, under friendlier than normal terms. Conservatives are advocating that such terms be extended for international and U.S. churches that don’t agree with the General Conference’s actions.

“We get it, the United Methodist Church wants to be done with disaffiliation,” said the Rev. Rob Renfroe, president of the conservative advocacy group Good News. “They want to step into this new day. We do not want to keep them from that. But how can disaffiliation be over when it never began for the majority of United Methodists?”

Still to come this week are final votes on whether to remove the bans on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage, and whether to whether to replace a longstanding document that had called the “practice of homosexuality … incompatible with Christian teaching.”

All of those proposals had overwhelming support in committee votes last week.

The changes would be historic in a denomination that has debated LGBTQ issues for more than half a century at its General Conferences, which typically meet every four years.

Last week, the conference endorsed a regionalization plan that essentially would allow the churches of the United States the same autonomy as other regions of the global church.

That change – which still requires local ratification — could create a scenario where LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage are allowed in the United States but not in other regions.

Delegates on Tuesday approved a related measure related to regionalization.

The conference last week also approved the departure of a small group of conservative churches in the former Soviet Union.

The denomination had until recently been the third largest in the United States, present in almost every county. But its 5.4 million U.S. membership in 2022 is expected to drop once the 2023 departures are factored in.

The denomination also counts 4.6 million members in other countries, mainly in Africa, though earlier estimates have been higher.

North Texans share hugs, tears as ban overturned

North Texas United Methodists reacted with joy, tears and enthusiasm after the denomination overturned its ban on LGBTQ pastors in a vote on Wednesday morning.

Delegates voted 692-51 at their General Conference — the first such legislative gathering in five years.

“We passed it by an overwhelming majority,” said Jessica Vittorio, a lay delegate representing the North Texas Conference. “In the moment the vote was taken, it seemed anticlimactic.”

Shortly after the vote, she said, people were crying, hugging one another and singing the hymn “Draw the Circle Wide.”

Jane Graner, an out gay woman and senior pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Duncanville, was also at the vote.

“Several of the queer clergy were sitting together, and when we saw the [vote] got passed, most of us just burst out crying,” she said. “We’ve been waiting our entire careers for this to happen.”

The change doesn’t mandate or explicitly affirm LGBTQ clergy, but it means the church no longer forbids them.

It’s possible the change will mainly apply to U.S. churches, since United Methodist bodies in other countries have the right to impose rules for their own regions.

The measure takes effect upon the conclusion of General Conference, scheduled for Friday.

Church delegates are also expected to vote Thursday on replacing its Social Principles with a new document that no longer calls the “practice of homosexuality … incompatible with Christian teaching” and that defines marriage as between “two people of faith” rather than between a man and a woman.

United Methodists have spent decades disagreeing on human sexuality.

In 2019, the denomination began allowing churches to leave and keep their properties if they cited “reasons of conscience” regarding human sexuality before the end of 2023.

More than 7,600 churches nationwide left the church, including 53 in the North Texas Conference.

About half of the departing churches joined the Global Methodist Church, a new and more conservative denomination.

The denomination has said it intends to enforce rules forbidding same-sex marriage rites and openly gay pastors.

In a news release Wednesday, the Global Methodist Church said it “is aware of recent decisions made by the General Conference of The United Methodist Church with respect to its definition of marriage and its ordination standards. The Global Methodist Church operates independently from The United Methodist Church and therefore, we do not have any affiliation with their decisions, nor do we wish to comment or provide commentary on the actions of other religious organizations.”

From the founding of Methodism by John Wesley in the 18th century, at the heart of the movement “was this idea that God’s grace is available to all people,” said Clayton Oliphint, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Richardson and the lead clergy delegate for the North Texas Conference.

The vote, he said, “puts us back on a track to say we really mean that.”

Mike House, an associate pastor at Northaven United Methodist Church in Dallas, struggled to describe his response to the vote. “I am elated, I’m overjoyed, I’m a little stunned,” he said.

House was ordained in the United Methodist Church in the 1980s and has served as a pastor in the North Texas Conference for decades. For much of that time, he kept secret his identity as a gay man.

In 2017, House married his husband, Cody McMahan, at Northaven United Methodist Church. McMahan died in 2023.

“Seeing a church that’s always been known for grace and social justice really coming forward to express that for LGBTQ folk like me — it’s healing,” House said.

“I wish my husband could have seen it happen.”

United Methodist Church adapts as Paul taught

Decision on same-sex marriage, LGBTQ clergy celebrates global unity and lets congregations reflect local diversity

With 11 million members in 60 countries representing our unity and diversity, the mission of the United Methodist Church transcends borders, resonates across cultures, promotes unity and addresses global concerns.

At the same time, our local mission nurtures the spiritual life of congregations by addressing social, economic and cultural realities of our unique communities.

This is what makes our church vibrant and inclusive.

After more than 50 years of intense and prayerful debate, the General Conference delegates decided to remove language in the Book of Discipline that prohibited same-gender marriage and ordination of partnered LGBTQ+ individuals.

This change now allows clergy to perform, or refrain from performing, a same-sex marriage without penalty, while not requiring that all local churches hold same-sex weddings.

Each church — traditional, centrist and progressive — can adapt to its unique local mission field context, ensuring its message and ministry align with the spiritual and temporal needs of the people it serves.

These recent decisions empower our local churches in North Texas, the United States and around the world to exercise their freedom and responsibility in shaping their ministry.

We trust in the wisdom and discernment of our local churches to carry out their mission in a way that best serves their communities.

The recent actions regarding regionalization mark a significant shift away from the U.S.-centric focus of our denomination.

This move establishes regional conferences that grant equal responsibilities and powers to churches across the United States, Africa, Europe, the Philippines and around the world.

The proposed constitutional change, approved by the General Conference, will now undergo ratification by our annual conferences within the next 12 to 18 months.

In our increasingly interconnected worldwide community, it is imperative that we preserve the ability to make local and contextual ministry decisions.

Contextual ministry dates back to the early church and continues to guide us today.

In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul exemplifies adaptiveness by becoming all things to all people, that he might, by all means, save some.

Just as Paul engaged in ways that resonated with diverse people groups, the church today must also adapt its message to connect with diverse people groups within the Dallas-Fort Worth area and in communities across the world. Over the past two weeks, the teachings, policies and structures of the United Methodist Church have changed to reinforce God’s overarching message of love, acceptance and equality. They also affirm the inherent dignity of the LGBTQ+ community and express support for them, their families and their friends.

Our mission remains steadfast: “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

Our focus can now be directed toward our shared worldwide and local mission. We

invite you not just to join us, but to be inspired and motivated by the vision of a loving, just and free world that God imagines for all people.

Together, we can make this vision a reality.

UNITED METHODISTS

‘There’s almost a sense of floating’

End of ban on gay pastors gives Dallas man shot at his dream

On a spring night in 2017, Aaron Reindel sought comfort at a statue of Jesus washing the feet of his disciple Peter.

Reindel was studying at Dallas Theological Seminary to become a pastor and had visited the weathered bronze-cast figures on the school’s front lawn hundreds of times.

That night, sitting in his usual spot on a bench next to the statue, Reindel wrote a prayer in the notes app of his iPhone.

“I know you’ve made me clean by your blood,” he wrote. “As I travel, I pick up dust and sweat and blood, and I need you to wash my feet.”

Reindel talked to God about a lot of things that semester.

One of them was that he was gay.

Wrestling with how to reconcile his faith and sexuality, he often felt broken, not good enough to be useful to God.

He kept coming back to that statue — despite unfinished homework and skeptical looks from late-night campus police — to remind himself he wasn’t alone.

Now 31, Reindel has a husband who supports his dream of becoming a pastor in the United Methodist Church, a denomination that had, until recently, not allowed pastors in same-sex relationships.

That long-standing ban was overwhelmingly removed in a vote May 1 by delegates at the church’s General Conference in Charlotte, N.C.

The vote came after a recent split in the church that resulted in the departure of about a quarter of the country’s 30,000 United Methodist congregations.

“There was a real weight that was relieved,” Reindel said after the vote. “There’s almost a sense of floating.”

‘Surrender’

Being gay wasn’t something people talked about in Newton, the small town in southeast Texas where Reindel lived as a teen in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

He knew of only one out gay person there. Reindel talked about his sexuality with God and Googled whether homosexuality was a sin, coming to believe it was.

He first felt a call to ministry at age 14.

He remembers thinking it strange because he wasn’t sure what he believed about the Bible and didn’t see being a gay pastor as an option.

But he knew God would work things out.

Two years later, still wrestling with his faith and sexuality, Reindel went to a Baptist youth retreat.

After a speaker shared his conversion experience, he invited the kids in the audience to come up to the stage and give their lives to Jesus.

Reindel stayed in his seat, but suddenly started to cry.

The word “surrender” kept looping through his head, and he wrote it down on a piece of scrap paper.

Life as a Christian wasn’t going to be easy, he thought.

But if he could surrender to God, it would be all right.

He then committed to a life of celibacy, a life as a single gay Christian.

He would try to live under that commitment for as long as he could.

In college, his singleness was held up as an example for other gay Christians.

Several closeted people came out to him, desperate for someone to listen to and guide them.

Behind the scenes, Reindel was depressed and burned out. “I saw myself as washed up, like I was broken, and there wasn’t going to be any fixing me,” he says.

After his junior year in 2014, he took a year off school to try and put himself back together.

During that time, his mom died of a drug overdose after struggling for years with addiction.

“It kind of felt like I got kicked while I was down,” he says.

The rest of his time in college was “a dense fog of really, really complicated grief.”

Flogging Molly

In 2018, during his junior year at Dallas Theological Seminary, God’s prompting led Reindel to a concert that would change his life.

Reindel was offered free concert tickets two days in a row — first to Bon Iver (which he turned down so he wouldn’t have to “recover emotionally”) and then to Celtic punk band Flogging Molly.

He took the second set of tickets, feeling like God was trying to tell him something.

On the dance floor at South Side Ballroom, Reindel caught Fern Sosa looking at him.

They soon lost each other in the crowd, but both felt an instant attraction.

They ran into each other later that night in line to order drinks.

Before long, they were kissing.

Reindel started to feel other people watching them.

He’d never kissed anyone in public before, and he knew he was breaking his school’s rules.

Panicked, he ducked under a nearby railing and ran away.

Sosa tracked Reindel down later that night in the venue.

Reindel gave him his number, and they started texting the next day. Soon, they were dating.

“I was experiencing joy again for the first time in a very long time,” Reindel says.

Not long after meeting Sosa, Reindel decided to leave Dallas Theological Seminary.

“The most important thing in my life that was happening to me was a sin to them,” he says.

When asked for comment on the school’s policies on LGBTQ students, a representative for Dallas Theological Seminary referred to its marriage and human sexuality policy, which calls for students to “resist the temptations of same-sex sexual attractions and refrain from any and all same-sex sexual acts or conduct.”

Looking for a church home

At a post-Easter brunch Reindel and Sosa host in their apartment building every year, a few dozen guests are gathered in a lounge where deviled eggs and chocolates are laid out across a table.

Reindel takes a break from introducing guests and topping off mimosas and joins a conversation about faith and queerness.

One of his friends brings up a command in the Old Testament not to eat shellfish and asks Reindel about his approach to the Bible.

Reindel then mentions a part of Old Testament law in the Bible where God commands the Israelites to keep parapets, or protective railings, on their roofs.

Back then, people would often sleep on their roofs on hot nights and could fall off while asleep.

We don’t need parapets today, Reindel says.

Instead of taking the passage literally, he encourages his friends to consider its intent.

God wants us to take care of ourselves and our loved ones — whether that’s through a rooftop railing in biblical times or a tire check on a parent’s minivan nowadays.

We can learn a lot from the Bible, he says, without taking all of it literally.

Reindel’s views on the Bible have sometimes made it hard for him to find a church home.

After he left seminary in 2018, he and Sosa church-hopped for a few years, struggling to find what they called a “unicorn church”: a place that believes in the Bible’s authority, but also affirms LGBTQ people.

In early 2021, they went for the first time to Uptown Church, a new United Methodist congregation that met in the House of Blues.

“We just felt it, before the music started, before we sat down,” Reindel said. “It just was this feeling of home.”

Uptown’s ministers encouraged Reindel to go back to seminary, telling him there was a place for him in the United Methodist Church, even if people in same-sex relationships weren’t allowed to be ordained.

In 2022, Reindel enrolled at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology and began interning at Uptown.

There, he and Sosa led a small group of couples.

One member of that group was Eddie Hahn, a gay man and son of a non-denominational pastor.

After going through conversion therapy when he was younger, he says, he began using drugs and went through a period where he was unhoused.

Like Reindel, he long believed he was broken.

Seeing Reindel — a gay man assured of his calling to ministry — helped Hahn heal a part of himself he didn’t know needed to be healed.

“It changed everything for me,” says Hahn, now 46.

He still keeps a copy of God and the Gay Christian , a book Reindel recommended to him, on his nightstand.

Sosa, 31, is proud of his husband’s ministry and his knowledge of the Bible.

He jokingly calls Reindel his “full-time pastor,” his go-to person for questions about God.

“He’s very good at finding that one part or several parts of Scripture that are able to thoroughly answer your question,” Sosa says. “I think he’ll be able to be a good example to those who feel like they don’t belong.”

The Rev. Elizabeth Moseley, one of the United Methodist ministers who encouraged Reindel to go back to seminary, said she was overjoyed to see her denomination remove its ban on LGBTQ pastors.

“I’m very overwhelmed with gratitude when I think about the fact that now Aaron and people like him have just as much of a chance to live out their call into ministry within the United Methodist Church as anyone else.”

As part of his training, Reindel is working as a ministry associate at First United Methodist Church in downtown Dallas.

He’s also set to receive his master’s in divinity this month from SMU.

He and Sosa married in a small chapel in Edgewood, an hour outside Dallas, in 2022.

Reindel considers himself lucky to be part of what he calls a historic moment in the United Methodist Church.

“Not everyone who has felt called and who has been a queer person who wants to go into ministry has had the opportunity or has been able to do it with the full backing and love and support of their denomination,” he says. “To see it happening now, when I was anticipating it happening a year or several years into the future … just felt really special.”

Good enough

On a cold, sunny morning in April, a month before the historic church vote, Reindel squirmed in a plastic seat on a manicured lawn at First United Methodist Church.

As kids laughed and bickered at recess next door, Reindel fidgeted with his hands and bounced a leg up and down.

He didn’t get much sleep the night before, staying up till 2 a.m. to prepare for a roughly 15-minute sermon he would give that morning.

He would be addressing clergy and staff members at First United, including his bosses and mentors.

This would be his first time preaching since he became affirming of his queer identity.

“I’m overwhelmed. To say I would feel intimidated is incredibly understated,” he started his sermon. His hands were shaking and he moved them in and out of his pockets. “For many years of my life, I wondered if I could ever be standing up here preaching at all.”

Reindel preached from John 13:1-17, which tells the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.

He shared what he learned from years of praying next to that statue that depicts the story.

People who serve in ministry shouldn’t help others in an attempt to prove their worth to God, he said.

The image of Jesus washing the feet of his disciple Peter is a reminder that God loves us in our grime and our mess — and we are good enough.

Reindel finished his sermon with a self-assured smile.

The audience applauded, and he headed straight for Sosa, putting his arm around him without a word.

The crowd began a hymn together, and Reindel’s hands slowly stopped shaking.

[ffsteel]

Steel Industry Contribution to Pakistan’s GDP

Steel stands out as one of the most essential materials across various sectors of the economy, including construction, transportation, manufacturing, and energy. Its pivotal role in the economic development of Pakistan cannot be overstated. The steel industry significantly contributes to the country's GDP and exerts a profound impact on diverse sectors. Over the past five years, this sector has demonstrated remarkable growth, with statistics underscoring its positive influence on the national exchequer. It also serves as a significant source of employment, income, and tax revenues. In this blog post, we will delve into how the steel industry in Pakistan is bolstering the nation's GDP and enriching the national exchequer.

According to the Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA), the steel industry holds a share of approximately 5.4% in the large-scale manufacturing (LSM) sector, which itself contributes around 9.5% to the GDP. With more than 100,000 workers employed across over 400 industrial units nationwide, the steel industry plays a crucial role in job creation. In 2019, the industry boasted a production capacity of 3.3 million tons, representing 0.18 percent of global production. Key players in the organized sector include FF Steel, Amreli, Agha, Mughal, Naveena, and Ittefaq Steels.

Moreover, the steel industry serves as a significant revenue source for the national exchequer through various taxes, royalties, and duties. PACRA reports that the steel sector contributes approximately 9.1% to the GDP, with an estimated year-on-year growth of 10.5% in FY22. Around 30% of the corporate tax is paid by the steel sector, collected from 30 public listed companies directly or indirectly associated with the industry. Additionally, the sector actively supported COVID-19 relief efforts, awareness campaigns, and vaccination drives in Pakistan, allocating roughly Rs 22,000 crore to corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects in FY 2021.

Expectations for the steel industry's continued growth remain high, driven by increasing demand for steel products both domestically and internationally. The government has also implemented several initiatives to bolster the sector, including corporate tax rate reductions, incentives for domestic production, and the introduction of the Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH) Bill aimed at revamping existing Special Economic Zones.

In conclusion, as sturdy as the steel it produces, Pakistan's steel industry stands tall as a cornerstone of economic prosperity. With its foundations deeply rooted in construction, transportation, manufacturing, and energy, this industry forges a path of growth, bolstering the nation's GDP and enriching the national exchequer. From towering skyscrapers to robust infrastructure, steel shapes the landscape of progress. As we look ahead, the future gleams bright with promise, as the steel industry continues to forge ahead, driving innovation, prosperity, and a stronger, more resilient Pakistan.

(1) STEEL SECTOR - PACRA. https://www.pacra.com/sector_research/Steel%20Sector%20Post%20Review%20Update_1601130113.pdf.

(2) LSM - Pakistan Steel Industry Outlook - PIDE - Pakistan's premier .... https://pide.org.pk/research/lsm-pakistan-steel-industry-outlook/.

(3) undefined. https://www.pacra.com/sector_research/PACRA%20Research%20-%20Steel%20-%20Sep.

(4) Pakistan - GDP distribution across economic sectors 2022 - Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/383256/pakistan-gdp-distribution-across-economic-sectors/.

(5) mwpbnp.pk. https://bing.com/search?q=Pakistan+steel+industry+GDP+contribution.

(6) mwpbnp.pk. https://mwpbnp.pk/blog6.html.

(7) Sector Study - PACRA. https://www.pacra.com/sector_research/PACRA%20Research%20-%20Steel%20-%20Sep'21_1630576235.pdf.

(8) Sector Study - PACRA. https://www.pacra.com/sector_research/PACRA%20Research%20-%20Steel%20-%20Sep'22_1662124643.pdf.

[marketresearch99]

Securing Success: How Adhesives & Sealants Enhance Performance Across Industries in GCC in 2024

In the diverse landscape of construction, manufacturing, and automotive industries, adhesives and sealants play an indispensable role in bonding materials, enhancing durability, and ensuring product integrity. Across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, comprising countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait, the demand for adhesives and sealants continues to grow steadily. As we enter 2024, the GCC Adhesives & Sealants Market is poised for significant expansion, driven by factors such as infrastructure projects, industrial growth, and technological advancements. This article delves into the key trends, market dynamics, and factors shaping the GCC Adhesives & Sealants Market in the coming years.

Market Overview:

The GCC Adhesives & Sealants Market is experiencing robust growth, with a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) exceeding 5% from 2022 to 2024. This growth is fueled by factors such as the region's expanding construction and manufacturing sectors, infrastructure development projects, and the increasing adoption of advanced bonding solutions in various applications.

Key Factors Driving Growth:

Infrastructure Development: The GCC countries are investing heavily in infrastructure projects, including transportation, energy, and construction of smart cities. Adhesives and sealants are essential components in infrastructure development, used in applications such as road construction, building insulation, and waterproofing.

Industrial Growth: The industrial sector in the GCC region is witnessing significant expansion, driven by investments in petrochemicals, manufacturing, and automotive industries. Adhesives and sealants play a vital role in assembly, fabrication, and maintenance processes, contributing to the growth of the industrial adhesives market.

Technological Advancements: Technological advancements in adhesive formulations, curing technologies, and application methods are driving improvements in product performance, durability, and efficiency. Innovations such as low-VOC (volatile organic compound) formulations, UV-curable adhesives, and hybrid sealants are gaining traction in the GCC market.

Shift towards Sustainable Solutions: There is a growing emphasis on sustainability and environmental stewardship in the GCC region, leading to the adoption of eco-friendly adhesives and sealants with reduced environmental impact. Bio-based adhesives, recycled content sealants, and solvent-free formulations are becoming increasingly popular among manufacturers and end-users.

Challenges and Opportunities:

While the GCC Adhesives & Sealants Market presents significant growth opportunities, challenges such as fluctuating raw material prices, regulatory constraints, and competition from imported products remain. However, these challenges also create opportunities for industry players to innovate, invest in research and development, and collaborate on sustainable solutions to address market demands.

For More Info@ https://www.gmiresearch.com/report/gcc-adhesives-sealants-market-2019-2026/

Conclusion:

In 2024, the GCC Adhesives & Sealants Market stands as a cornerstone of industrial progress and infrastructure development in the region. As the GCC countries continue their journey towards economic diversification and sustainable growth, the market's expansion is not just about bonding materials; it is about bonding communities, industries, and aspirations for a brighter future. The GCC Adhesives & Sealants Market is not merely a segment of the chemical industry; it is a catalyst for innovation, efficiency, and progress in the Gulf Cooperation Council. In embracing infrastructure projects, industrial growth, and sustainability initiatives, the GCC Adhesives & Sealants Market is not just bonding materials; it is bonding the future of the GCC region.