Nov 15, 2019

Port Elizabeth - Bridge Street Brewery, in collaboration with Something Good Roadhouse and Z-Sports, will be hosting the first ever Coast to Craft Fun Run! This 6km run will be an annual occurence, and the run will be open to everyone over the age of 12 years.

Coast to Craft willl be taking place on Saturday the 16th of November, giving the friendly people of the bay a fun, memorable event that the whole family can look forward to every year! The scenic route will take you along the beach front, the harbour, and the inner city, crossing over into the beautiful Baakens Valley via the newly built Baakens River Pedestrian Bridge.

The 6km Fun-Run will start at Something Good with a complementary coffee and end at Bridge Street Brewery with a well-deserved, complementary beer, not forgetting the Coast to Craft T-shirt that race participants will get for keeps!

All proceeds of the Run are going to Z-Sports (Non Profit Organisation), with the hope that this will be the beginning of many more events in partnership with the prominent sports brand, supporting the incredible work that they do in our community! This healthy mix of great coffee, craft beer, family fun and outdoor exercise, is set to be a winning recipe.

Bridge Street Brewery and Something Good Roadhouse have become household names are two of the most popular local spots for great entertainment and dining.

These two leading restaurants have come together with Z-Sports, which has done a phenomenal job at finding innovative ways to enrich and empower communities, with the way theyve pioneered outdoor excercise events.

They have partnered with an array of charity organisations as well as business entities operating in various sectors, to create some of the most memorable events that The Bay has seen.

When Bridge Street Brewery Brand and Technical Manager, Sean Thompson, was asked what the aim of this event is, this is what he had to say:

Craft Beer is our passion, and were closely affiliated and aligned with outdoor sports and activities, and what better way to bring the two together? Craft beer culture is a global trend and we want to make our community aware of that, as well as reinforce the importance of outdoor activities and exercise.

"This is also an opportunity to make our city and overall region aware of the fact that artisanal breweries and micro breweries have a significant contribution to the local economy and employment rate, he said.

The registration fee is R130 per person and R50 for those under the age of 18. Late registrations and race collections will take place at Something Good Roadhouse from 7:30 to 9am on Saturday morning, where each race participant will be welcomed with a perfectly brewed cup of coffee!

Image:COAST TO CRAFT CREW: (from left to right) Bridge Street Brewery Brand and Technical Manager Sean Thompson, Something Good Roadhouse General Manager Kosie de Jager and Bridge Street Brewery Service Manager Jordan Drury ready to cruise along the coast.

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Scenic Coast to Craft Run: an epic first for the Bay! - RNews

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As we edge closer to the holiday season and the spectre of Nutcracker peaks around the corner, PNB turns its focus toward the many talents of the Pacific Northwest and the results are astounding, even if a bit uneven. Overall, though Locally Sourced is a joy to behold and McCaw Hall has gone all out with three impressive dances and a pretty darned good art exhibition of some of the finest local artists in Seattle!

The nights performances begins with Eva Stones Foil, a solid, if somewhat forgettable celebration of the chandeliers of the world, no seriously, aside from somewhat safe choreography and music that at times seems at odds with the dancersthis, all-woman designed production is still extremely enjoyable. Breaking each segment into a different topic is a nice touch and having the last trio of dancers facing away from the audience, while perhaps completely off-base reminded me of the Caspar David Friedrich painting Wanderer Above the Sea Fogexcept in this case the actors are womena strong feminist statement, that brings the whole piece around and places women in the long overdo (at least in ballet) role of the heroes.

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While Foil highlights women dancersDonald Byrds investigation into the heartache and ultimate aloneness of contemporary romance, begins and ends with the biological bodies of men. Men and women, women and men and men and men. Love and Loss, Byrds sixth ballet at PNB, is the work of an artist at the absolute pinnacle of his work. While both Foil and Wash of Gray are both interesting worksthey do not exemplify their best choreographies, but rather they show artists experimenting with their mediums, trying new things, searching for the best ways to share their visionthey are, essentially, looking for their voices which is also extremely important. But there is something awe-inspiring watching the seemingling effortless power of someone like Donald Byrd as he flexes his muscles and creates moments of flawless pandemoniumthat were unmatched, at least on this stage on this night.

Love and Loss was, for this critic, as perfect a mix of narrative, choreography and music as I have ever seen on the PNB stagein fact, by the end of this danceI felt as strong a sense of transcendence as any I have felt over my years of covering the ballet. What Byrd manages here was to create a sense of the real, that is something greater than the reality before ushis pas de deux are so amazing that they transcend ballet and instead are his languagethat is what happens here, this is an artist communicating directly to us and if we do not understand it is merely because we are not paying attention. In summation, Love and Loss is nothing short of mesmerizing.

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Wash of Gray on the other hand is a series of disparate notes, that mix dancing, a muddied multimedia watercolor painting excercise, the sounds of nature and some interesting music. The piece begins with an ingratiating, pandering message to the audience, but not in the Chaucerian, Miltonian or Shakespearean sense, but rather in the please dont get to critical, because this is going to be a mushy celebration of all-things Seattle. This message write large above the dancers warns us that what we are about to witness is the Balletic equivalent of sports comedydont take it too seriously because it was meant to be taken lightly. That said, not taking it too seriously, it really felt like three different things, a dance, a mulimedia exhibition and a musical piece that never quite gell and never quite come togetherbut which might have been, at least interesting, each on their own.

All-in-all, though Locally Sourced is a mostly really good, really experimental celebration of local talent! Go give it a look see!

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Okay folks, now for something completely different, I need to take a moment to call out the folks at the Seattle Center, who for the most part run a very tight ship and honestly, it must not be easy to keep everything running smoothly and you must know that this is not something that I am not doing lightly at all. So as a bit of background information, by the time Lily and I had arrived at the Seattle Center, ready to park in one of the four handicap spaces across the street from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church on the western end of the center, it had already been a difficult week for anyone with a disability, let alone for someone who cares about someone with a disability just trying to get around the various artistic and cultural venues of the city. By the time Friday night had arrived, Lily had been ignored, laughed at, bumped into several times, disability-shamed, scowled at, mostly mistreated and made to feel as though in this age, when as a civilization, when we are actively attempting to correct past sins, that the one group that continues to be ignored most is perhaps the group with the least amount of spoons to spare to make things better in a city constantly on the move. As one person I spoke to about this saidpeople with disabilities and especially those with special needs are often less likely to go out and picket, nor do many have the extra time necessary to fight against every ill that crosses their pathand as I have come to realize, it really is pretty much a constant struggle.

Now, I am not trying to play superman nor am I trying to rescue anyonewell, no more or less so than I always do, which is probably considerable. But what we, what I have experienced over the last two years of going to events at the center is that anytime there is a major event, the very first parking spaces to go away are the disabled spaces. Folk Life for the last two years, for example has used the enire battery of disabled parking spaces along the street behind the Cornish Playhouse near Vera and below KEXP, despite being designated for exclusive 24-hour use by those with WashingtonStatedisability placards. These spaces have also been blocked during other big events by large semi-trucks during the centers big concerts they have every year.

But, last night, really had us both worried, because it showed that taking over the few free disabled spaces that the park has is something that Seattle Center plans to do more often, rather than less often. This past friday, when we arrived at the parking spaces on 2nd Ave N, all but one of them was taken by Valet Parking, I kid you notthe disabled parking spaces were being used, rather than for those with physical disabilties, were being blocked so that people could pay to find parking spaces for sports visitors to the park. This really worried me as there are already very few, free disabled parking spaces around the center as it is. If this bothers you as much as it bothers me, please take a moment to let the lovely, but misguided folks at the Center know that you would like to see them protect and preserve their disabled parking from being used for anything but parking for disabled driversby clicking on this link and scrolling to the bottom or calling them directly: http://www.seattlecenter.com/connect/contact

Do it for someone you love who is disabled.

Thank you and Happy Holiday to you and yours!

____________________________________________________________________

Excerpt from:

Locally Sourced at PNB is a Mixed Bag of Very Highs and Also Some LowsPretty Much Like Life! - seattlepi.com

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New Delhi: After delivering the big-ticket Ayodhya verdict Saturday, the Supreme Court will weigh in on another issue of faith this week whether women aged 10-50 should be allowed into the sanctum sanctorum of Keralas Sabarimala temple.

The court had last year allowed women inside the temple, triggering widespread protests in Kerala. The upcoming verdict deals with around 65 review petitions filed against the 2018 order, including by the National Ayyappa Devotees (Women) Association, the Nair Service Society, and the All Kerala Brahmins Association.

However, a lot seems to have changed in the observations of the court between 2018 and 9 November 2019, when the disputed site of Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya was set aside for a temple. Notably, the court stated last year that faith and belief could not be grounds to deprive someone of their Right to Equality. Last week, however, the court said it was beyond the ken of judicial inquiry to determine whether a belief is justified.

The question of worship also elicited a different reading from the two benches.

Given that precedent plays a big role in the Indian judicial system, the differences in observations between 2018 and 2019 may hold clues to how the Sabarimala verdict could play out this week.

The Ayodhya title suit sought to decide who among Hindus and Muslims owns the Ram Janmabhoomi.

The Sabarimala case, meanwhile, pertains to the faith of Lord Ayyappa devotees, who believe the deity was celibate and hence had to be away from women of the menstruating age group.

Ruling on the matter by a 4:1 majority, a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court allowed women of all ages inside the sanctum sanctorum. Prohibition of their entry, the majority verdict ruled, was a violation of the Right to Equality and not part of Article 25, which guarantees the Right to Practice ones religion.

Justice Indu Malhotra, the lone woman on the bench and the sole dissenter, observed that it was not for courts to interfere in matters of religion. It must be left to those practising the religion, she said.

A similar refrain animated the Ayodhya verdict delivered by another Constitution bench Saturday the bench ruled that matters of faith and belief lie in the personal realm of the believer. Whether a belief is justified lies beyond ken of judicial inquiry, it added.

That which sustains solace to the soul is inscrutable. Whether a belief is justified lies beyond the ken of judicial inquiry, it said. Once the witnesses have deposed to the basis of the belief and there is nothing to doubt its genuineness, it is not open to the court to question the basis of the belief, the court added.

Faith is a matter for the individual believer. Once the court has intrinsic material to accept that the faith or belief is genuine and not a pretence, it must defer to the belief of the worshipper.

Also read: In echo of Sabarimala dissent, SC junks plea seeking entry of Muslim women in mosques

Hindus believe the disputed site in Ayodhya is the birthplace of deity Ram. Devotees of Ayyappa believe he was celibate.

While the belief of Ayyappa devotees was dismissed as the court opened the sanctums doors to all women, that of Ram worshippers was upheld in the Ayodhya judgment.

Even though Hindus were not in exclusive possession of the inner courtyard (site where the mosque was), the court said, they continued prayers at the contested site, convinced that Ram was born there.

It was this faith that led to a judgment in favour of a temple.

The Ayodhya and Sabarimala cases both involve the consideration of the deity Ram and Ayyappa, respectively as a separate legal person. However, in the Ayodhya case, the act of worship itself was considered a legal entity.

The bench, led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi, said the Muslim side presented no evidence to prove continued worship at the mosque between its construction in 1528 and 1856-7, when the British built a brick wall around it to prevent communal tensions.

However, the Hindus, the court said, continued to pray at the area, even after the wall was built, thus proving exclusive possession.

The court noted that juristic rights are not conferred on an idol but on devotees worship to the deity concerned for a continued period of time.

In the case of Hindu idols, legal personality is not conferred on the idol simpliciter but on the underlying pious purpose of the continued worship of the deity as incarnated in the idol, it said. Where the legal personality is conferred on the purpose of a deitys continued worship, moving or destroying the idol does not affect its legal personality, the verdict added.

In the Sabarimala case, heard by a Constitution bench led by former CJI Dipak Misra, worship was not given juristic status, with the bench ruling that religious practice (worship) could not be exclusionary in nature.

Petitioners who wanted the bar on women to continue argued that the deity was a legal person and could excercise his fundamental rights, which meant his celibate character ought to be respected.

However, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud who concurred with the majority but penned a separate verdict noted that a deity can only be a juristic person for the purposes of religious law and not to claim fundamental rights allowed for persons under the Constitution.

Also read: Two readings of Ayodhya verdict: legalising Hindutva or separating site from structure

Some of the lawyers who appeared for the petitioners seeking womens entry into the Sabarimala sanctum do not see the Ayodhya verdict having a bearing on the case.

Senior lawyer Shekhar Naphade said the Ayodhya verdict was driven by evidence, not faith.

In Ayodhya, it was a title suit nothing to do with religion. Faith was not the basis but it was the evidence that was the crux of the Ayodhya verdict, the lawyer added.

Senior lawyer V. Giri said the Ayodhya case was somewhere about faith but added that the facts of both cases were completely different.

On 6 February, a five-judge Constitution Bench led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justice R.F. Nariman, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra, had reserved the verdict on the Sabarimala verdict. It is supposed to be decided this week, before Gogoi retires 17 November.

Also read: Next door to Sabarimala temple district, a menstruating goddess is worshipped

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Triumph of faith in Ayodhya verdict set to test SC in its Sabarimala review - ThePrint

The topic of my last column was Time to vote for better eBook access.

I wish I had better news to tell you about eBook publisher giant Macmillans embargo on libraries. But this nations library leaders are still working to provide you with better eBook access and it is our hope to persuade Macmillan that libraries and publishers have been and should be on the same side when it comes to access.

As you might remember, this column was based on a number of news reports including an article from the online publication Slate, Why Angry Librarians Are Going to War With Publishers Over E-Books: Inside an Appropriately Quiet Revolt in its Sept. 11 edition. (https://slate.com/business/2019/

09/e-book-library-publisher-buying-controversy-petition.html)

In the meantime, another series of news reports tell the shocking story of how a librarys routine procurement of the digital edition of the New York Times was thwarted. One such account, Dissing access to the New York Times, Citrus County commissioners embarrass Florida comes from the Tampa Bay Times (https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/2019/11/08/dissing-access-

to-the-new-york-times-citrus-county-commissioners-embarrass-florida/)

We live in very interesting times on a great number of fronts, and access to legitimate news sources is essential in our democracy with libraries at the forefront. Im fond of quoting Lady Bird Johnsons assertion that perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest.

These days more of you are likely to come in for digital materials including eBooks and news resources. When our efforts to provide you with these resources is thwarted, what does that say about our democracy?

As part of these very interesting times we approach the bearers of news differently. One persons trash is another persons treasure used to be reserved for your uncles favorite moose lamp, but these days is how most of us assess real news from fake news through different lenses.

So where do libraries stand on this divide? As close to the middle as humanly possible through a sound Collection Development policy to provide information, serve leisure needs, contribute to education, encourage the development of reading skills and habits, develop an educated workforce and society, and further democratic traditions.

This policy (https://www.gilibrary.org/home/showdocument?id14746) contains a number of criteria for collection development, the first of which are needs and interests of the librarys users and anticipated users; value of the material for information, recreation, or education; contemporary significance or permanent value; accuracy and authority. The overarching principle of our policy is embodied in what is called the Library Bill of Rights (https://www.gilibrary.org/home/showdocument?id8563), and the section most relevant to the issue in Citris County, Fla., is:

Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

How that is accomplished is a matter for every individual library to determine with the strength of its board of trustees and staff. Not every news source can be placed on library shelves. Along with The Grand Island Independent, we subscribe to the print editions of several Nebraska newspapers including the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World-Herald. Nationally, we are soon picking up the Denver Post (replacing the Kansas City Star due to publisher/vendor restrictions) and we have Barrons, New York Times, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.

To supplement these print offerings, we subscribe to an online service called Newsbank that provides access to almost 5,500 news sources. But for all sorts of publisher/vendor reasons, many authoritative sources are not available through Newsbank. So as we work out access arrangements within budget constraints, not partisan disapproval, lets continue to vote with libraries to assure access to news information.

Steve Fosselman is the director of the Grand Island Public Library. Email him at SteveF@gilibrary.org.

Read more from the original source:
Vote for access to news, information | Staff Columnists - Grand Island Independent

STONINGTON A major milestone was marked in Stonington earlier this month during a ceremonial groundbreaking.

While dozens of people looked on, Allegra Griffiths and Denise Easton co-presidents of the Stonington Free Library's board of trustees together raised a shovel to break ground for an addition to the library, the first step in making the building fully accessible and up to date in its technology.

When the addition is complete, the library on High Street will have a new ramp, new entrance, new elevator and new restrooms on both levels, all in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

There will be better access to all areas of the library, including the children's room, which is on the lower floor, said Library DirectorBelinda de Kay, as she walked through the library recently explaining the expansion plans and discussing the necessity and evolution of libraries.

Additionally, she said, thanks to a $58,805 grant from the Connecticut State Library and the Universal Service Schools and Library Program, the library will install a fiber optic connection to help expand digital services, including upgraded high-speed internet.

"It's been a slow process, but a good process," said a smiling de Kay. "It was slow but it's a process that works. It was important getting opinions. We all worked totally together. Everything we're doing came from community focus groups."

"Now, we have growing pains," she added, still smiling. "And they're wonderful growing pains."

De Kay said that the project began in earnest about four years ago and involved soliciting opinions from patrons of the library and Stonington residents and involving them in the strategic planning. The exercise, in "self-assessment and community engagement," was enlightening, de Kay said, and gave library leaders a blueprint for how to most effectively serve the people of Stonington.

More than 600 people responded to a survey and more than 100 attended six focus groups for in-depth discussions. Throughout that process, library leaders learned that the library "along with the helpful, welcoming staff, is much-loved, and essential to their quality of life."

They also learned that residents wanted and needed more from their library.

Easton said, "The community wanted more access to everything, more programs, services and hours." It turns out, she added, "we are valued now more than ever."

"We are dependent on and grateful for this community," Easton said. "I think about that every day."

De Kay said, "It's been wonderful getting to know people," and wonderful, too, learning how much the library means to people. "In a way we've become a library without walls," she said. "With our wonderful website people have 24 / 7 access, and we have a branch library at the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center and [one] at Stonington Human Services."

"It's areally nice outreach to our neighbors and a popular volunteer opportunity," de Kay said. "We alsomaintain four Little Free Libraries in and around the Borough, another collaboration with the Stonington Village Association."

Although libraries have changed enormously over the years, de Kay explained as she greeted a regular patron who was seated in a leather chair reading a newspaper in a quiet corner, some things have remained the same.

Yes, people want a place to plug in their laptops so they can sit and work in peace, she said, but there are plenty of people who come to read magazines, books and newspapers, and many more who come to check books out.

"We have a well-cultivated new book collection," de Kay said in her pleasant British accent. "And a 'Golden Oldies' section too."

"The really, really important thing about libraries," she said, "is that all people are welcome here. As long as you don't disturb others, you are welcome and you are treated with respect."

Construction of the addition, on the east side of the building, should take about six months, de Kay said, followed by the refurbishment and renovation of the interior.

G. Donovan Associates Inc., of Lebanon, Conn., is the general contractor, and the architect and interior designer is a West Hartford firm, dewright design LLC.

The interior work, Easton said, will free up an additional 525 square feet of floor space in the existing building, for a total of 1,250 square feet of new usable space. "More flexible" contemporary furniture will also be installed furniture that can be easily folded up to make space for meetings and gatherings.

"I'm very keen on the idea of the second phase and the repurposing part," said de Kay, explaining that the changes will "open it all up." After all, she added, the library is a space open to everyone, and everyone should feel at home.

Although people can become anxious about construction projects and change, de Kay said, they can rest easy about the new addition. "The architect has designed the addition so it will look as if it's always been there."

Easton concurred: "Six months from now, nobody will even notice."

Griffiths, who describes the library as "a lovely place to be involved" said she was thrilled to see tangible signs of progress.

George Sylvestre,who serves as co-chair of the building committee, along with Easton, said, "As a former trustee and past president of the board I am thrilled to see this project becoming a reality."

"It's long overdue," said Micayla Hall, the library's assistant director. "It will help open up the space we have and make us more flexible for the community. Just what a library is for."

"We're just so grateful to everyone for all the collaboration," she added.

"The work being undertaken now will insure that it will be able to welcome anyone who wishes to take advantage of its many offerings, regardless of physical limitations," added Sylvestre.

"And now, we'll have an accessible elevator and new ramp and a new elevator," saidde Kay, "all to improve access for all members of the community."

"It's amazing what you can do," she added. "When you have all sorts of wonderful people working together."

nbfusaro@thewesterlysun.com

Visit link:
Stonington Free Library expansion aims to satisfy the need for 'more' - The Westerly Sun

OpinionEver since Barack Obama mobilised his grass roots support in 2008, Facebook has been the No.1 route to get party messages across

Sunday, 17th November 2019, 11:33 am

During this General Election campaign we are able to monitor the political parties, like never before, as they target voters online with their claims, promises and downright propaganda.

The Facebook Ad Library is a genuine game changer. It sets out on a daily basis just how much each party and pressure group spends advertising on the platform and its sister site Instagram.

i's opinion newsletter: talking points from today

In the past week, the Tories were the biggest party spenders, shelling out 86,023 on 71 ads (from the Conservative Party and Boris Johnson official accounts). Labour spent 43,428 on 183 ads and the Lib Dems 42,400 on a flurry of 1,829 different messages. But the group with the deepest pockets was the anti-Brexit campaign Best for Britain, which invested 84,014.

Since 2008, when Barack Obama mobilised his grass roots support on Facebook to win his way to the White House, this platform has been the key to election victory in America and Britain. Yet parties, lobby groups and foreign actors have been allowed to work there in the shadows.

Failure of the media

Thats partly a failure of the media, which since 2010 has been transfixed by televised debates, which are easier to report on. Its also a consequence of the might of the Silicon Valley companies, which grew so quickly that they could make up their own rules.

For journalists like Joe Tidy, the new Digital Elections Reporter for BBC News, it provides a brilliant resource in monitoring party activities online. It also helps fact-checking organisations, such as the charity Full Fact.

Facebook Ad Library breaks down ad spend according to age group and gender. Tidy notes that the Brexit Party is fully-focused on men over the age of 45, while the Tories are almost ignoring Scotland.

Facebook could be more transparent, revealing data on how parties target by constituency and the personal interests of users, from trade union membership to attending yoga classes, Tidy says.But it's better than Google, where scrutiny of political ad spending requires laborious analysis of complex spreadsheets.

Google Search is another key battlefield, with parties paying to advertise against keywords. Type in Boris Brexit Deal and the top result is an ad for the Brexit Party. There is a battle of the search bar taking place, says Tidy.

We didnt have the Ad Library for the 2017 General Election but it was clear that the Labour Party generated its Corbyn surge on social media, achieving unrivalled engagement in likes and shares for its official posts. But, below the radar, the Conservatives spent bigger on targeted online ads which were largely invisible to the news media, and this helped Theresa May to enter Number Ten.

Tories ahead on all platforms

This time, Tidy says, the Tories are ahead in terms of interactions on all three platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), according to data given to him by BBC Monitoring, the broadcasters media analysis unit.

Part of this high engagement has come from the the widespread sharing of an official Tory video, 12 Questions with Boris, in which the Prime Minister is followed around by a camera as he goes to make a cup of tea. He compares his Brexit deal to a ready meal (slam it in the microwave), and reveals that he likes Marmite and that he starts his day by taking his dog to do its business.

The wonky production values and oddball answers drew sneering responses from political opponents who likened Johnson to David Brent. But the Conservatives have paid to promote the film on Facebook and it has had more than 5 million views on social media. The Tory campaign is deliberately putting out cheesy or controversial stuff, Tidy believes. Its all about noise.

In the first week of the campaign, Tidy notes, Jeremy Corbyn and Labour dominated Twitter, with 16 of the top 20 most-engaged-with tweets. But Twitter is not where voters are wooed. CEO Jack Dorsey grandly banned political ads on the forum from 22 November, but political spending overwhelmingly goes on Facebook and Google.

Enjoy the new transparency while it lasts.

One area of the Facebook empire that remains opaque to scrutiny is the messaging app WhatsApp. Following pressure from regulators earlier this year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested his company might become less open and more private, merging WhatsApp with its direct messaging services on Facebook and Instagram to create a giant encrypted network.

Ive got a hunch that this election is the most-enlightened we have ever had and it is possible the most-enlightened we will ever have, says Tidy. By the time we get to the next election a lot of these things are going to happen in private messaging.

Originally posted here:
What spending on social media ads tells us about the General Election - inews

by Pope Francis

Pope Francis Address to Participants: Promoting Digital Child Dignity From Concept to Action 2017-2019

Citing dangers to young people living in the digital world, Pope Francis on November 14, 2019, called for action to ensure their protection. He noted the painful experience of the Catholic Church in dealing with the abuse of young people. The Holy Fathers comments came in the Clementine Hall of the Vaticans Apostolic Palace, where he received participants in an international congress in the Vatican on the theme, Promoting Digital Child Dignity From Concept to Action, 2017 to 2019. The November 14-15 congress is being jointly hosted by the Vaticans Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Child Dignity Alliance and the United Arab Emirates Government.

Vatican, November 14, 2019

Your Majesty,Your Highness,Distinguished Authorities and Religious Leaders,Your Eminences, Your Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Father Federico Lombardi for their kind words of greeting and introduction to this meeting.

The issues that you will be addressing these days are of immense importance. Many of you have been dealing with these issues with determination and farsightedness for some time. When, two years ago, I received the participants in the Congress on Child Dignity in the Digital World, I urged you to join forces in order to address more effectively the protection of the dignity of children in the digital world. In effect, this complex problem calls for cooperation on the part of all: experts in science and technology, entrepreneurs and economists, legislators, politicians and security agents, educators and psychologists, and, not least, religious and moral leaders (cf. Address to the Participants in the Congress on Child Dignity in the Digital World, 6 October 2017). I am pleased to know that you have continued on this path, along with new initiatives, including particularly the interreligious conference held in Abu Dhabi a year ago, taken up by our meeting today.

In recent decades, from painful and tragic experience, the Catholic Church has become profoundly aware of the gravity and effects of the sexual abuse of minors, the suffering it causes, and the urgent need to heal wounds, combat such crimes and establish effective means of prevention. For this reason, the Church senses the duty to approach these issues with a long-term vision.

We are in fact confronting critical challenges that threaten the future of the human family due to the astonishing development of technology in the information and communications media. Doubtless, the development of new technologies in the digital world provides great opportunities for minors, for their education and for their personal growth. It allows for a wider sharing of knowledge, promotes economic development and offers new possibilities in a number of areas, including that of health care. New technologies open up new horizons, particularly for those minors living in situations of poverty and distant from the urban centers of more industrialized countries.

The challenge before us, then, is to ensure that minors have safe access to these technologies, while at the same time ensuring their healthy and serene development and protecting them from unacceptable criminal violence or grave harm to the integrity of their body and spirit.

Tragically, the use of digital technology to organize, commission and engage in child abuse at a distance, cutting across national borders, is outstripping the efforts and resources of the institutions and security agencies charged with combating such abuse; as a result, it becomes quite difficult to fight these horrific crimes effectively. The spread of images of abuse or the exploitation of minors is increasing exponentially, involving ever more serious and violent forms of abuse and ever younger children.

The dramatic growth of pornography in the digital world is, in itself, most serious, the fruit of a general loss of the sense of human dignity; frequently it is linked to human trafficking. What makes this phenomenon even more disturbing is the fact that this material is widely accessible even to minors via the internet, especially through mobile devices. The majority of scientific studies have highlighted the profound impact of pornography on the thinking and behavior of children. It will surely have lifelong effects on them, in the form of grave addiction, violent behavior and deeply troubled emotional and sexual relationships.

A greater awareness of the enormity and gravity of these phenomena is urgently required. Indeed, one feature of todays technological development is that it is always one step ahead of us, for frequently we first see its most attractive and positive aspects (which indeed are many), but only realize their negative effects once they are widespread and very hard to remedy. I would say this to you, who are scholars and researchers: you find yourselves before an essential challenge! Since these problems are vast and complex, a clear understanding of their nature and extent is needed. We cannot deceive ourselves into thinking that we can address these issues on the basis of shallow and superficial knowledge. Laying the foundations for greater protection of the dignity of minors should be one of the most noble aims of your scientific research.

The role of the communications media is no less important. There is a need to increase throughout society an awareness of the risks inherent in an unchecked development of technology. We have not yet understood and often do not want to understand the gravity of this issue in its totality and future consequences. This cannot come about without close cooperation with the media, that is, with you, communications workers, for you have the ability to influence society and public opinion.

You have rightly chosen as the theme of this meeting: From Concept to Action. Indeed, it is not enough to understand; we must act. The moral condemnation of the harm inflicted on minors through the misuse of new digital technologies needs urgently to be translated into concrete initiatives. The longer we wait, the more entrenched and insurmountable this evil becomes. This concern has been raised by those who like many of you have generously dedicated their lives to this battle in direct contact with this crime and its victims, whether as educators, law enforcement and security agents, and many others.

A crucial aspect of the problem concerns the tension which ultimately becomes a conflict between the idea of the digital world as a realm of unlimited freedom of expression and communication, and the need for responsible use of technologies and consequently a recognition of their limits.

The protection of complete freedom of expression is linked to the protection of privacy through increasingly sophisticated forms of message encryption, which would make any control extremely difficult, if not impossible. A fitting balance must be found between the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression and the interests of society, so as to ensure that digital media are not used to perpetrate criminal activities against minors. For the sake of advancing the development of the internet and its many benefits, companies that provide services have long considered themselves mere suppliers of technological platforms, neither legally nor morally responsible for the way they are used. The potential of digital technology is enormous, yet the possible negative impact of its abuse in the area of human trafficking, the planning of terrorist activities, the spread of hatred and extremism, the manipulation of information and we must emphasize in the area of child abuse, is equally significant. Public opinion and lawmakers are finally coming to realize this. How can we help them take suitable measures to prevent abuse? Allow me to emphasize two things.

First. Freedom and the protection of privacy are valuable goods that need to be balanced with the common good of society. Authorities must be able to act effectively, using appropriate legislative and executive measures that fully respect the rule of law and due process, in order to counter criminal activities that harm the life and dignity of minors.

Second. Large companies are key players in the astonishing development of the digital world; they easily cut across national borders, are at the cutting edge of technological advances, and have accumulated enormous profits. It is now clear that they cannot consider themselves completely unaccountable vis--vis the services they provide for their customers. So I make an urgent appeal to them to assume their responsibility towards minors, their integrity, and their future. It will not be possible to guarantee the safety of minors in the digital world without the full involvement of companies in this sector and without a full awareness of the moral and social repercussions of their management and functioning. Such companies are bound not only to respect the law but also to be concerned with the direction taken by the technological and social developments which they produce and promote since such developments are far ahead of the laws that would seek to regulate them.

Although these challenges are difficult to meet, there are a number of areas of action. I will limit myself to a few examples.

Initiatives such as the Safety by Design legislation sponsored by a Commission of the Australian government are valuable because they ensure that the digital industry is proactive and consistent in its approach to customer safety starting from the development of online products and services. In this way, responsibility for overall safety is explicitly acknowledged to be incumbent upon not only the consumer but also on those who manufacture, develop and supply such products and services.

In some countries too, legislators are committed to ensuring that companies providing internet navigation on mobile devices are obliged to verify the age of their customers, in order to prevent minors from accessing pornographic sites. This is to be encouraged. Indeed, minors today for the most part use cell phones and the filters used for PCs have remained ineffective. Reliable studies tell us that the average age of first access to pornography is currently eleven, and tends to keep lowering. This is in no way acceptable.

While parents are primarily responsible for raising their children, it must be acknowledged that, for all their goodwill, it is increasingly difficult for them to control their childrens use of electronic devices. Therefore, the industry must cooperate with parents in their educational responsibilities. Consequently, the identification of a users age should not be considered a violation of the right to privacy, but an essential requirement for the effective protection of minors.

The possibilities offered by technology are constantly growing. Today there is much talk about the applications of artificial intelligence. The identification and elimination of illegal and harmful images from circulation on the net by the use of increasingly refined algorithms represents a very significant area of research. Scientists and those working in the digital world should continue to promote such research, engaging in a noble competition to combat the wrongful use of newly available technology. I, therefore, appeal to computer engineers to feel personally responsible for building the future. It is their task to undertake, with our support, ethical development of algorithms, and in this way, to help create a new ethics for our time.

The development of technology and the digital world involve huge economic interests. The influence that these interests tend to have on the conduct of companies cannot be overlooked. There is a need to ensure that investors and managers remain accountable so that the good of minors and society is not sacrificed to profit. We have seen how society has grown more sensitive to the areas of environmental care and respect for the dignity of labor. A similar concern for the effective protection of minors and the fight against pornography should become increasingly felt in the finance and the economy of the digital world. The safe and sound growth of our young is a noble goal worth pursuing; it has far greater value than mere economic profit gained at the risk of harming young people.

In a world like ours, where boundaries between countries are continually blurred by the developments in digital technology, our efforts should emerge as a global movement associated with the deepest commitment of the human family and international institutions to protecting the dignity of minors and every human person. This demanding task sets before us new and challenging questions. How can we defend the dignity of persons, including minors, in this digital age, when the life and identity of an individual are inextricably linked to his or her online data, which new forms of power are constantly seeking to possess? How can we formulate shared principles and demands in the globalized digital world? These are challenging questions that call us to cooperate with all those working with patience and intelligence for this goal at the level of international relations and regulations.

Mans creativity and intelligence are astonishing, but they must be positively directed to the integral good of the person from birth and throughout life. Every educator and every parent is well aware of this and needs to be helped and supported in this task by the shared commitment born of a new alliance between all institutions and centers of education.

A contribution to this can be made not only by sound ethical reasoning but also by a religious vision and inspiration, which has universal scope because it places respect for human dignity within the framework of the grandeur and sanctity of God, the Creator, and Saviour. In this regard, I am gratified by the presence of a number of distinguished religious leaders who, in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation, have readily taken up the task of addressing these problems. I greet them with great respect and I thank them most heartily. We ought to be as one in the effort to protect minors in the digital world, now and in the future. For in this way, we bear witness to Gods love for each person, beginning with the smallest and the most vulnerable, so as to foster in everyone, in every part of the world and in every religious confession, concern, care, and awareness. We must ban from the face of the earth violence and every form of abuse against children. Let us look into their eyes: they are your sons and daughters; we must love them as Gods masterpieces and children. They have the right to a good life. We have the duty to do everything possible to ensure that right. Thank you.

Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2019

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Library : Promoting Digital Child Dignity From Concept to Action 2017-2019 - Catholic Culture

The Adriance Memorial Library in Poughkeepsie employs two technology instructors who offer free classes to the public. Patrick Oehler, Poughkeepsie Journal

Ebony Miles can be found in the computer lab at Adriance Memorial Library on most mornings.

For the past several months, she has been to the library with her daughter, now five months old, to work on her resume and apply for jobs.

The City of Poughkeepsie resident does not have a computer at home, and didnt have one at home growing up.

I just remember using the computer at school, said Miles, who has been trying to find a job in housekeeping or retail.

I cant afford (a computer) right now, she said, as she is barely making it.

At 38 years old, Miles is learning to navigate the internet, with the help of those at the Poughkeepsie library system location. She plans next to take a class on the basics of creating and editing documents, in the hopes of someday becoming a receptionist.

Betty Cooper, one of the Adriance Memorial Library's technology instructors speaks with Jocelyn Johnson -Kearney following a computer class in the library's Marcotte computer lab in the City of Poughkeepsie on October 23, 2019. (Photo: Patrick Oehler, Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal)

For many, a computer and access to the internet have become an indispensable aspect of daily life, the impact of which is often taken for granted.

And, with so much dependent upon it, not having a computer can put individuals at a disadvantage first through the lack of a critical educational resource, and then through the inability to connect to employers.

This has become known as the digital divide, and it can keep those in poverty from building for themselves a better life.

"In these times, a person is really thwartedin their path to success if they don't know how to use, or have access to, modern computer equipment," said Deborah Minnerly, atechnology instructor at Adriance Memorial Library. "One can't do much without the computer resources and skills;almost any job requires an online application even an unskilled one.Folks even need to print out their bus ticket to visit a relative."

Through computer classes and an open public computer lab,the Poughkeepsie library system is among the organizations hoping to bridge the gap. Other libraries in the area offer similar programs.

But, there are also new resources available in Dutchesscities: The Beacon and Poughkeepsie housing authorities last month gave out free tablets and offered discounted internet service to residents. The hope is that those in need of work can more easily connect to online resources that could assist them, and the younger residents of a household would have a hurdle removed from their ability to receive an equal education.

And, some school districts have instituted systems for providing at-need students with computers that can be taken home.

The number of those at-need may be more than you think. Nearly half of the households in the U.S.that earn $30,000 or less dont own a computer or have broadband services, according to a Pew Research survey conducted earlier this year. That includes those living in rural areas, such as parts of northern Dutchess, in which population is sparse and there are pockets without broadband internet.

Its unclear how many households in Dutchess are among those. However, according to a United Way study released last year using data from 2016, 9% of all households in the county were below the federal poverty line $11,800 a year for a single adult household and $24,300 for a family of four and 36% didnot earn enoughto support the basic cost of living, which the organization defined at $25,764 for a single adult or around $80,000 for a family of four.

Part of the sample budget created by the United Way in the study called the household survival budget allocated up to $75 a month for technology.

And, survival may not be a bad word to use in a conversation regarding the digital divide, experts say. Computer literacy basics ranging from knowing how to edit and email a document to juggling applications is necessary for students to reach, and thrive, in college or enter the workforce. Something as simple as having proper email etiquette when writing to a professor or potential employer may not come as naturally to someone who does not use a computer every day.

Betty Cooper, one of the Adriance Memorial Library's technology instructors speaks with Denise Austin of Amenia following a computer class in the library's Marcotte computer lab in the City of Poughkeepsie on October 23, 2019. (Photo: Patrick Oehler, Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal)

"Access (to technology) is a critical tool, said John Bradley, executive director of Vassar College's Urban Education Initiative, a 16-year-old program in which the college assists Poughkeepsie City School District students through offering access to resources and collaboration with student volunteers.

It's going to be more critical the further a student goes, if you don't have the resources that other people have," Bradley said."When you get to college, you really have to be able to write and edit online, share documentswith team members.You have to be able to researchand validate information online.This isessential to pursuingan education."

Manyof the school districts within Dutchess are working towarda 1:1 student-to-computer ratio in their high schools, and some even middle schools, byassigning laptops or tablets to studentsto take home.

Spackenkill Union Free School District is one of several districts that assigns Chromebooksto all high school students that can be taken home. The district has included the cost of the Chromebooks into their budget for the past five years, Superintendent Mark Villanti said.Rhinebeck Central School District provides loaner laptops to students under identified hardship situations, said Superintendent Joe Phelan.

However, some school districts either cannot or havent been able to initiate such a program. Those include the districts with the countys largest student populations Arlington and Wappingers and districts that do not have the resources to support it.

Poughkeepsie is hoping to bridge the technology gap by applying for Sprints 1Million Project Foundation funding. The independent charitys goal, according to its site, is to help one million high school students who do not have access to the internet at home by providing devices and high-speed access. Last year, 83% of Poughkeepsies student population was considered economically disadvantaged by the state education department.

Poughkeepsie is also among the areas Title I schools, a school that has a high concentration of low-income students and receives supplemental funding. According to a survey last year released by Common Sense, a media and education advocacy group, teachers in Title I schools say 60% of their students do not have access to computers or the internet at home.

"The district is currently seeking opportunity to bridge the technology gap and address the challenges that many urban and rural families face related to internet connectivity," said Superintendent Eric Rosser, who added that the district plans to make "significant investments" to increase the use of technology in the classroom in the future.

For those living in northern Dutchess the concern isnt only not having a computer, but the lack of broadband service to access the internet. Without the internet at home, there isnt much a student can do with a computer, Millbrook Superintendent Philip D'Angelo noted. Teachers will sometime have to make accommodations for students who cannot access the internet at home due to inconsistent or no broadband service.

Forty-two percent of Title I teachers and 31% of non-Title I teachers do not assign homework that requires digital access outside of school, according to Common Senses survey.

When a teacher assigns something, and its internet-based, they will make special accommodations, such as giving additional time, changing the requirements, so the student isnt penalized, DAngelo said.

Monica Perez uses her tablet on October 8, 2019. Perez is part of a pilot program that provides residents in low income housing with internet enabled tablets to help them bridge the technology gap. She uses the tablet to read books & magazines from the library as well as connect with family & friends. (Photo: Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal)

Dutchess One Stop, a career service site, sees a steady flow of individuals coming in to use their computers for job searches, said Kadiyah Lodge, the organization's business service manager.

"Nearly every type of job today deals with technology, from a cashier ringing up groceries to amechanic," Lodge said.Being comfortable using a computer is necessary for upward mobility, which is why the organization will sometimes refer their clients to the Poughkeepsielibrary and Dutchess Community College for basic training.

Lodge also pointed out the generational divide. Her organization is seeing more elderly individuals walk through their doors who are seeking employment. This population hasnot grown up with computers and might not be computer literate, she said.

Adriance Memorial Library opened up its computer center in 2010. It holds classes on computer basics, using technology such as iPad, Facebook and Microsoft Office. The staff is also on hand each day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to helpwith job searches, resume preparation and other needs.

Meanwhile, the Beacon and Poughkeepsie housing authorities are working to put technology into low-income households.

Noah R. Hargett, Beacon Housing Authority'sresident initiative coordinator, initiated a program thatoffers free tablets and discounted internet access to his residents, through a partnership with T-Mobile.The organizations gave out 30 tablets in the summer as part of a pilot program, and 150 tablets in October. The housing authority has another 150 on hand.

Residents are required to pay $10 per month for internet access.

The goal is that the people utilizing the tablets will gain a sense of ownership, Hargett said. He sees theT-Mobile program as a way for the seniors and families living in public housing to become more self-sufficient.

The tablets came with basic pre-loaded apps such as Google and YouTube, but the housing authority also included quick links to websites for the housing authority, Dutchess County Office of the Aging, City of Beacon and Cornell Cooperative Extension, which helps residents with nutrition and wellness.

Hargett said the housing authority is hoping to encourage residents to familiarize themselves with the technology through email communications and its own website.

"Further down the line we will encourage residents to utilize the tablet for workforce development, educational/training courses, and managing their day to day activities," Hargett said.

Monica Perez composes an email on her tablet on October 8, 2019. Perez is part of a pilot program that provides residents in low income housing with internet enabled tablets to help them bridge the technology gap. (Photo: Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal)

He hopes the program will expand throughout the mid-Hudson region and is working with Poughkeepsie on their pilot program, which was started last month.

Poughkeepsies five-month pilot program was offered free of charge, according to a notice posted inside the housing authoritys office, which noted residents would have to return the devices at the end of the program. Representatives from the Poughkeepsie office did not respond to Journal inquiries.

This is a good opportunity for those residents who have no computer or access to the internet, the notice read. It will allow residents to access programs and services, remain in contact with friends and family, and enhance their daily lives.

Monica Perez, who lives in senior housing,took part in Beacons pilot program this past summer. Even thoughshe isn't looking for a job, having the tablet improves the quality of her life and allows her to do more, such as contributing to blogs and reaching out to friends.

My mind is like a 40-year-old mind, said the 61-year-old Beacon resident said. (The tablet) keeps my mind active, keeps me from stewing in my own problems.

Saba Ali: SAli1@poughkeepsiejournal.com,845-451-4518.

Wheels to Work program opens door for success in Dutchess

Working poor: 36% of Dutchess households don't make living wage: report

From mahjong and storytimes to tax help and seed swaps, libraries offer plenty to do

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How Dutchess County is working to close the digital divide - Poughkeepsie Journal

The budget for the Universitys libraries will increase after remaining at $30 million for the past 10 years despite inflation and increasing subscription rates.

Maurie McInnis, executive vice president and provost, announced in an email last week that the University Budget Council approved a $2.7 million recurring fund to increase the librarys previously stagnant budget. The Task Force on the Future of UT Libraries, comprised of staff members, faculty and students, compiled a report on the status of the Universitys libraries and submitted it to McInnis in October.

The work of this task force reflects the need for ongoing dialogue with members of the campus community, McInnis said in the email. This infusion of new funding will help to address some of the inflationary costs and key areas of need.

Lorraine Haricombe, vice provost and director of UT libraries, said the group researched what the libraries needed and raised campus awareness about the libraries funding by holding poster campaigns and speaking with students.

What is really eye-opening is the higher level of awareness around campus now about the challenges of the library as well as the opportunities for the libraries, said Haricombe, who was co-chair of the task force. They seem to be much more energetic around what libraries can do.

The reports recommendations included adjusting the libraries budget for inflation, forming another task force to look into library material access and addressing insufficient staffing, according to the report.

Haricombe said these recommendations were necessary to preserve the libraries on campus, so they can continue to serve the University community.

The role of the libraries here is a very core role to support the Universitys mission of teaching, research and student learning, Haricombe said. It is probably the most efficient agency on campus to serve the broader community.

Classics associate professor Jennifer Ebbeler served as the chair of the collections subcommittee and said McInnis response was a good first step and demonstrated an understanding of the task forces recommendations.

One of the huge things she did was basically make a good faith gesture to the UT community, both faculty and staff and students, Ebbeler said.

Because of McInnis response, Ebbeler said the task force was successful, and it showed that the administration would work to improve University libraries.

Faculty worked on this task force with UT libraries and with the upper administration, and it was a successful collaboration, Ebbeler said.

From here, Haricombe said she hopes McInnis will consider the reports other recommendations, such as digital learning and leadership coordination, and continue to work with faculty and staff on library concerns.

I think there are probably clusters of recommendations that can move forward under one initiative, Haricombe said.

According to the report, the role of libraries in higher education is rapidly changing and the University should continue to prioritize the status of the libraries.

There are many more unknowns regarding the future state of academic libraries writ large, according to the report. This Task Force report should not be viewed as having completed this conversation, but rather as having put forward the first steps.

Continued here:
UT Libraries budget receives $2.7 million increase in recurring funds - UT The Daily Texan

Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

It was jubilation for nursery and primary school pupils in Idemili North local government area of Anambra state during the commissioning of modern equipped libraries in five schools in the area by Zaccheus Onumba Dibiaezue Memorial Libraries, a non governmental organization.

The beneficiary schools were Central Nursery and Primary School, Nkpo, Akpakogwe Nursery and Primary School, Ogidi, Nsukwu Nursery and Primary School, Abatete.

Others were Uruaneke Nursery and Primary School, Umuoji and Union Nursery and Primary School, Eziowele.

Speaking at Nkpo during the event, the Education Secretary, Lady Angela Orakwue said she had to leave her hospital bed to attend the event in view of the seriousness she attached to the gesture.

She said they had longed for a library to improve their reading culture as there was no such facility in the area.

She said: I and the pupils are overwhelmed with joy. I was even in the hospital up till this morning, but their coming made me get up from my sick bed and start coming.

We dont even have a library not to talk of standard one.Since January we heard about this, weve trained over 77 teachers per school to man the libraries for effective service.

Describing the gesture as a dream come true, Orakwue thanked the organization for its magnanimity, expressing optimism that it would further improve the reading habits of the students.

She also pledged judicious use of the materials to ensure their durability.

Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Ego Mbagwu noted that the library was aimed at promoting education which served as a store house for the impartation of knowledge.

She said, Library plays an important role in students academic achievement because it facilitates the work of teachers and ensures that students have access to other materials outside the recommended text to make them independent readers.

Part of our aim is to establish libraries in public schools to make materials available to pupils and students who cannot afford them.

So far, we have established 19 Oasis libraries serving 38 schools and 6,765 pupils in Lagos State. We extended our services to Anambra state where we set up 10 Oasis libraries, serving 16 schools and 2,040 pupils.

We have also established 4 DEAR their time libraries in Lagos State with 73 book boxes serving 1,025 pupils.

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Why I left my sick bed for library commissioning - The Nation Newspaper