The Importance of Being "Mapped" & "Assessed"
Maria Garrido asked me to help spread the word about Telecentre-Europe's Assessment Survey, so let me simply sum the 2 most important reasons why I think it is in the very interest of every European telecentre network to fill the survey:
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ContinueAdded by Lize De Clercq on November 29, 2011 at 5:00pm — 1 Comment
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Blogs - telecentre-europe
Sonatrach From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sonatrach
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Type | State-owned Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Oil & Gas |
| Founded | December 1963 |
| Headquarters | Algiers, Algeria Algeria |
| Key people | Nordine Cherouati (President and CEO) |
| Products | Oil (fuels, lubricants) Natural Gas (LNG) Petrochemicals |
| Net income | 175 billion dinars (2.4269 billion USD)(2002) |
| Employees | 120,000 |
| Subsidiaries | Naftal Numhyd ALEPCO GALSI GCB National Civil Engineering Co. ENTP National Well Engineering Company |
| Website | [1] |
Sonatrach (Société Nationale pour la Recherche, la Production, le Transport, la Transformation, et la Commercialisation des Hydrocarbures s.p.a.) is an Algerian government-owned companyformed to exploit the hydrocarbon resources of the country. Its diversified activities cover all aspects of production: exploration, extraction, transport, and refining. It has diversified intopetrochemistry and the desalination of seawater.
Contents[hide] |
[edit]Overview
Sonatrach is the largest Algerian company and the 11th largest oil consortium in the world. Its gross sales (as of 2002) was 1,530 billion Algerian dinars for a net income of 175 billion. The company, which employs approximately 120,000 workers, produces 30% of the GNP of Algeria. Annually it produces (as of 2002) 206 million tep, including 11.7 % (24 million tep) for the domestic market. Sonatrach operates the largest oil field in Algeria, Hassi Messaoud, which produced around 440,000 bbl/d (70,000 m3/d) of crude in 2006. Sonatrach also operates the Hassi R'Mel field (north of Hassi Messaoud, south of Algiers), which produces around 180,000 bbl/d (29,000 m3/d) of crude. Other major fields operated by Sonatrach include Tin Fouye Tabankort Ordo, Zarzaitine, Haoud Berkaoui/Ben Kahla, and Ait Kheir.
Sonatrach operates over 2,400 miles (3,900 km) of crude oil pipelines in the country. The most important pipelines carry crude oil from the Hassi Messaoud field to export terminals. Sonatrach also operates oil condensate and LPG pipeline networks that link Hassi R'mel and other fields to Arzew. Sonatrach is expanding the Hassi Messaoud-Azrew pipeline, the longest in the country. The project entails a second, parallel line that will more than double the capacity of the existing line.
[edit]Selected Fields
| Field | Basin | Annual Production | Reserves | Discovery | Operator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hassi Messaoud field | 440,000 bbl/d (70,000 m3/d) |  Sonatrach | |||
| Hassi R'Mel gas field | 180,000 bbl/d (29,000 m3/d) | Sonatrach | |||
| Zarzautine field | Sonatrach | ||||
| Ait Kheir | Sonatrach | ||||
| Haoud Berkaoui/Ben Kahla | Sonatrach | ||||
| Tin Fouye Tabankort Ordo | Sonatrach | ||||
Notes:
1.EIA 2007.
[edit]History
Sonatrach was founded on December 31, 1963. At the time, however, the Algerian state held only 4.5% of the exploration perimeters, whileFrench interests were as high as 67.5%.[1] After the Arab-Israeli War in June 1967, Algeria decided to nationalize the refining and distribution activities of Mobil and Esso, and Sonatrach signed an agreement with Getty Oil on October 19, 1968 receiving 51% of Getty Oil's interests. It gained control over all Algerian petrochemical resources following President Houari Boumedienne's nationalisation of all French oil and gas holdings beginning on February 24, 1971. The old concession system was replaced by a seizure of a 51% share of French petroleum companies. Only Total agreed to continue its activities; the other companies left Algeria. Beginning on December 10, 1979, a conference on the exploitation of petroleum recommended increasing participation in the research efforts by foreign companies and countries. By a decree published in theJournal Officiel on May 17, 1980, Sonatrach was divided into four enterprises. From 1986, it became possible for foreign hydrocarbon companies to do business in Algeria within a partnership with Sonatrach (this process was simplified in 1991). The Sonatrach-Gaz de France accord, signed on January 12, 1989, allowed the state to set a compromise price of about $2.30 per million BTUs. A total of 9.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas were delivered annually until 1990, and Sonatrach recovered 850 million francs in arrears, since the accord applied retroactively beginning on November 1, 1987. In March 2005, the Algerian parliament adopted the hydrocarbon reform bill, encouraging international oil company (IOC) investment in the hydrocarbon sector, which Sonatrach previously dominated. However, 2006 amendments to the hydrocarbon bill created a windfall tax on IOC profits when oil prices top $30 per barrel. This tax reached up to 50% on some contracts. In addition, the amendments gave Sonatrach rights to a 51% or higher participation option on each newly discovered project.[2]
[edit]Subsidiaries and Joint Ventures
Sonatrach owns 50% of Numhyd, a joint venture with Tunisia's ETAP, and ALEPCO, a joint venture with Libya's National Oil Corporation. In 1998, Sonatrach acquired Naftal, which is the principal company selling petroleum-based fuels for domestic consumption with about 10,000 gas stations (as of 2005.) Naftec, a subsidiary of Sonatrach, operates Algeria's four refineries, which have combined capacity of 450,000 bbl/d (72,000 m3/d). The Skikda refinery (300,000 bpd) provides the bulk of Algeria's refined products production. The 30,000 bbl/d (4,800 m3/d) Hassi Messaoud refinery supplies products to southern Algeria, while the 60,000 bbl/d (9,500 m3/d) Algiers refinery processes crude from Hassi Messaoud for consumption in the capital. Finally, the coastal 60,000 bbl/d (9,500 m3/d) Arzew refinery produces products for domestic consumption and export. In July 2006, Sonatrach and the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) brought online the small-13,000 bpd Adrar refinery, which is located near the village of Sbaa 40 km (25 mi) north of Adrar.[2]
[edit]Algerian Hydrocarbon Sector
Hydrocarbons play a crucial role in Algeria's economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues and over 95% of export earnings. The country ranks fourteenth in petroleum reserves, containing 11.8 billion barrels (1.88×109 m3) of proven oil reserves with estimates suggesting that the actual amount is even more. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that in 2005, Algeria had 160 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven natural gas reserves, the eighth largest in the world.[3] As a result, Sonatrach is very important politically. Most Energy Ministers of Algeria have come from a Sonatrach background.
[edit]Air Algérie and Sonatrach
Air Algérie and Sonatrach have a bond that unites them, which is the air company Tassili Airlines. The two companies have as a goal to modernize and expand services of Tassili Airlines. In 2006, Sonatrach gave Tassili Airlines permission to expand its domestic destinations and for the future opening of international routes.
- 51% Sonatrach.
- 49% Air Algérie.
[edit]Presidents
- List incomplete.
- Sid Ahmed Ghozali (1966–1977)
- Yousef Yousfi (1985–1988)
- Sadek Boussena (1988–1990)
- Abdelhak Bouhafs (1990–1995)
- Nazim Zouioueche (March 1995-1997)
- Abdelmadjid Attar (July 1997-1999)
- Abdelhak Bouhafs (December 1999-2001)
- Chakib Khelil (March 2001-2003)
- Mohamed Meziane (September 2003-2010)
- Nordine Cherouati (May 2010 – present)
[edit]See also
[edit]Notes
- ^ L. Blin 1990. L'Algerie, du Sahara au Sahal. Paris: L'Harmattan
- ^ a b EIA Algeria 2007
- ^ Algeria Country Analysis Brief, EIA, March 2005. Retrieved 18 Jan 2007.
[edit]References
- Energy Information Administration (2007) Algeria: Country Analysis Brief
- Sonatrach Annual Report 2003
- World Bank (2006), [ Algeria: Economic Report], Social & Economic Development Group: MENA Region
- P. Mobbs (2002) Mineral Industry of Algeria
- Thomas S. Ahlbrandt (2001) Sirte Basin Province: Sirte-Zelten Total Petroleum System U.S. Geological Survey
- Sonatrach official site (in French)
- Sonatrach: The Political Economic of an Algerian State Institution, John Entelis, 2000
- Sonatrach history
- New projects of Edison S.p.A.
- Project GALSI (in French)
- L'alliance entre Gazprom et Sonatrach trouble l'Europe, Le Figaro 7 August 2006 (in French)
- Naftal.dz
Sent via Google Maps: Mark Aldiss sent you: A Maps link
This email was sent to you by a user on Google Maps:
Panton House just been bannered! #occupy
Hi, I'd like to share a Google Maps link with you. Link: <http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?cid=18009250363077476425&q=panton+house+panton+street+london&hl=en&dtab=2&ie=UTF8&ll=51.515259,-0.143702&spn=0.000013,0.000021&t=h&z=16&vpsrc=0>
Nigerian senate passes anti-gay bill, defying British aid threat - CNN.com
Nigerian senate passes anti-gay bill, defying British aid threat
November 30, 2011 -- Updated 1341 GMT (2141 HKT)Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries, with punishments ranging from fines to years in prison.STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The bill calls for a 14-year sentence for anyone convicted of homosexuality
- Anyone who aids or "abets" same-sex unions faces 10 years in prison
- Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries based on laws introduced during the colonial era
- "Do not get tempted into that (homosexuality) madness," Zimbabwean president tells youth
(CNN) -- The Nigerian senate has passed a bill banning same-sex marriages, defying a threat from Britain to withhold aid from nations violating gay rights.
The bill by Africa's most populous nation calls for a 14-year sentence for anyone convicted of homosexuality. Anyone who aids or "abets" same-sex unions faces 10 years in prison, a provision that could target rights groups.
It goes to the nation's House of Representatives for a vote before President Goodluck Jonathan can sign it into law.
"It would place a wide range of people at risk of criminal sanctions, including human rights defenders and anyone else -- including friends, families and colleagues -- who stands up for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people in Nigeria," Amnesty International said in a statement.
The bill passed Tuesday comes nearly a month after British prime minister, David Cameron, threatened to withhold aid from nations violating gays rights, sparking outrage in Africa where leaders interpreted it as "colonial" display of power.
Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries based on remnants of sodomy laws introduced during the British colonial era and perpetuated by cultural beliefs.
Punishments across the continent range from fines to years in prison.
"This is something we raise continually and ... we're also saying that British aid should have more strings attached in terms of 'do you persecute people for their faith or their Christianity or do you persecute people for their sexuality?" Cameron said in a statement.
"We don't think that's acceptable. So look, this is an issue where we want movement, we're pushing for movement, we're prepared to put some money behind what we believe."
Soon after his remarks earlier this month, a flurry of African governments released defiant statements accusing him of undermining their sovereignty and culture.
Last week, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, known for his anti-gay rhetoric, called the prime minister "satanic" for demanding gay rights.
"Do not get tempted into that (homosexuality) madness. You are young people. If you go that direction, we will punish you severely," state media quoted him as saying. "It is condemned by nature. It is condemned by insects and that is why I have said they are worse than pigs and dogs."
Mugabe's comments were the latest in a series of strident remarks by African leaders.
Ugandan government spokesman Fred Opolot described Cameron's remarks as "patronizing, colonial rhetoric," saying the nation is busy expanding its oil sector to reduce its reliance on aid.
"We are working hard to limit our reliance on foreign governments for this reason," he said. "Statements like the one Cameron is making are false. Our cultural norms and values don't accept homosexuality, but there is no policy against gay people."
In 2009, a Ugandan lawmaker introduced a proposal calling for execution of people convicted of homosexuality. The proposal sparked an international outcry and threats from some European countries to cut aid to the nation, which relies on millions of dollars from foreign nations.
Opolot said the proposal was the opinion of a sole lawmaker and did not reflect the government view. The legislation was eventually shelved, but regularly pops up in parliament and remains a simmering issue.
Ghanaian President John Atta Mills, a major western ally, applauded the benefits of foreign aid, but said the nation will not accept money that will undermine its interest.
"I will never initiate or support any attempt to legalize homosexuality in Ghana," he told journalists this month, according to state media. "As government we will abide by the principles as contained in our Constitution, which is supreme."
Tanzanian officials decried the remarks, saying they "can lead to broken relations" between the two nations.
Cameron's statements also sparked a fiery debate among Africans on social media, where opinions were divided.
"At first, I was upset. I thought, how dare he treats us like this?' said Nigel Mugamu, 33, who lives in Harare, Zimbabwe.
"Then I thought about it," the businessman said. "The U.K. economy is struggling. They spend a lot of money on aid. Given what's happening economically. Maybe it's a nice way of saying -- we can't afford it?"
Mugamu said the threat should be an opportunity to open up a dialogue on an issue considered a taboo in African culture.
"Now is the time to talk about it ... to get our house in order. Lets use this opportunity to say, 'OK, if we didn't have aid, how would we survive?" he said. "Let's talk about gay rights issues. Let's turn this into a national -- African discussion."
Others said while denying aid would be extreme, the continent has a long way to go when it comes to human rights.
"It would be ridiculous if that mentality -- pride from leaders in both sides -- got in the way of millions benefiting from aid," said Aida Mbowa, a Stanford University doctorate student who lives in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
However, she said, the threat thrusts the issue to the forefront.
"We need minority rights in the continent. There's a part of me that knows this threat will not have much of impact. But in a way, it's an achievement, however small. Despite the differences in opinion ... it has brought the conversation out in the open."
The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya said while Cameron's remarks are a positive gesture, they risk turning homosexuals into targets. It urged the prime minister to instead consider directing some aid to community programs aimed at fostering dialogue and tolerance.
"Support national and regional human rights mechanisms to ensure the inclusiveness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues in their protective and promotional mandates," the group said.
As the prejudices rage on, gays and lesbians in the continent lead fidgety lives, including forming underground movements that change locations regularly for safety issues.
Sexual violence against lesbians has become so common in South Africa, the nation has coined a new term "corrective rape" to describe it. South Africa -- one of the more progressive nations in the continent on the issue -- was the first African country to impose a constitutional ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Cameron said he does not expect a sudden change in mindsets, and admits it will take time.
Journalist Columbus S. Mavhunga contributed to this report from Harare, Zimbabwe
via edition.cnn.com
Monday, 28 November 2011
Dialogue Cafe @ Centre for Internet and Society
Time Location Created by: For The Centre for Internet and Society More info The dialogue cafe draws upon different disciplines, histories, perspectives and intellectual legacies in order to respond to ...a seminal piece of writing that has changed, challenged and shaped the contours of interdisciplinary science and technology studies.
The dialogue cafe initiates several strands of dialogues — between critical thinkers and canonical texts, between different paradigm of knowledges that interact with digital and internet technologies, and between interlocutors located in different disciplines, to initiate critical thought/work for new and innovative research in the field of Internet and Society.
For its first brew of conversations, the Dialogue Cafe serves you...
Computation and the Humanities: Revisiting a Silent Revolution
Steve Jobs’ comments on how “technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities” made Apple hearts sing is today widely re-circulated, but not fully comprehended. We often take this to be the mark of one man’s genius, rather than the symptom of a broader interdisciplinary history. Noted Artificial Intelligence scholar Philip Agre recalls, “When I was a graduate student in artificial intelligence, the humanities were not held in high regard. They were vague and woolly, they employed impenetrable jargons, and they engaged in "meta-level bickering that never decides anything".
What happened, in the formative decades of Jobs and Agre’s generation, to bring technology and the humanities into conversation? What have the results been, other than well-designed personal computational devices, and what is the significance for us? On December 2, 2011, the Centre for Internet and Society invites you to a Dialogue Cafe, where we engage in exploring what this all means and what kinds of labour it might take to ‘marry’ these disparate ways of knowing.
As a response to Philip Agre’s seminal essay on “Critical Technology Practice”, the cafe will begin with an exposition by Kavita Philip (University of California, Irvine), opening up into a critical response spearheaded by Cherry Matthew, and leading to a larger dialogue with the audience, exploring fault lines of interdisciplinary research and challenges of integrated technology studies.
For more background on these questions, audience is encouraged (but not required) to explore the materials at Agre’s home page http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/, and STSrelated links from Wikipedia’s page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science,_technology_and_society
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owsoccupyseattle - live streaming video powered by Livestream
This channel has been created to document the movement: Occupy Seattle/Occupy Wall Street. This is your underground media source from WE THE PEOPLE for your current, accurate, & up-to-date news.
WE support this movement and will keep you conversant with the details and particulars. "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein
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Wounded protester Scott Olsen speaks | Crime Scene | an SFGate.com blog
Wounded protester Scott Olsen speaks
Scott Olsen, the 24-year-old Iraq war veteran whose skull was fractured during an Occupy Oakland protest Oct. 25, returned Sunday to Frank Ogawa Plaza outside City Hall, where he spoke on camera to Dave Morse, a reporter for Indybay.org. He seemed to be in good spirits and said he expected a “full recovery,” but wore a neck brace and admitted he was still having difficulty speaking.
Authorities are investigating what happened to Olsen, a Marine Corps veteran from Daly City who fell hard to the pavement in downtown Oakland. He was rushed to the hospital by fellow protesters as people around him clashed with officers who fired projectiles and deployed tear gas.
In his interview Sunday, Olsen said he did not know what had injured him, but said he had been “attacked” while demonstrating against the removal of Occupy Oakland’s encampment that morning.
“I had my phone out,” Olsen said. “I was texting something to a friend of mine, and the next thing I know I’m down on the ground and there are people above me trying to help me. And they ended up carrying me away.”
Olsen added, “They asked me my name several times, and I couldn’t answer them. I don’t know if I couldn’t recall the answer or I couldn’t spit it out. That’s when I knew that yeah, it was time to go and let them take care of me.”
Here’s the Indybay interview:
Scott Olsen speaks outside Oakland City Hall
Follow Demian Bulwa on Twitter at @demianbulwa.
Posted By: Demian Bulwa ( Email , Twitter , Facebook ) | Nov 28 at 2:14 pm
Listed Under: Police conduct | Permalink | Comments & Replies (33) : Post Comment
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Tram passenger who hurled racist abuse arrested | World news | The Guardian
Tram passenger who hurled racist abuse arrested
Woman's complaints about ethnic minorities living in UK filmed by fellow passenger on London tramlink route and put online
- guardian.co.uk, Monday 28 November 2011 19.32 GMT
- Article history
A screengrab showing a tram passenger making racist comments. She was later arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. Source: YouTubeA woman has been arrested for allegedly making racist comments to other passengers on a packed tram. The incident was filmed and posted online, prompting police to investigate.
The clip (which contains explicit comments some viewers may find offensive) had been viewed more than 124,000 times by Monday afternoon after being uploaded to YouTube on Sunday, and shows a woman with a child on her lap shouting abuse at passengers. The incident happened on the Croydon to Wimbledon tramlink. British Transport police said a 34-year-old woman had been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.
The video footage, which sparked a Twitter trend with the hashtag #MyTramExperience on Monday, shows a woman complaining about ethnic minorities living in Britain. She starts by saying: "What has this country come to? … with loads of black people and a load of fucking Polish. You ain't English either. None of you are fucking English. Get back to your own fucking, d'you know what?
"Sort out your own countries. Don't come and do mine. Britain is nothing now. Britain is fuck all."
One of the passengers on the tram asks her to mind her language, saying: "There are little kids on the tram." The woman points to the child on her lap and says "I've got a little kid here."
Several other passengers complain about her use of language and racist comments, but the tirade carries on for more than two minutes.
Police launched an investigation after the video was brought to their attention on YouTube and Twitter. A spokesman said: "At present it is not entirely clear which tram stops the offence took place between and when it occurred.
"As a result, we need anyone who witnessed this incident, or with any information that could assist our investigation, to contact us."
via guardian.co.uk
Toronto News: Man settles G20 lawsuit, claims police brass ordered false arrests - thestar.com
Man settles G20 lawsuit, claims police brass ordered false arrests
Jason Wall has settled a lawsuit against Toronto police for his treatment during the G20. He said he was on his way home to go to church on Sunday, June 27, when he was arrested for wearing a bandana, verbally abused and handled roughly before being released without charge the next day.
VINCE TALOTTA/TORONTO STAR
Jason Wall was walking along Yonge St. on his way to church over Toronto G20 weekend last year when officers “mobbed” and arrested him for allegedly wearing a disguise.
Not only was his arrest illegal, he says, but a report on his case shows senior police command ordered officers to make similar illegitimate arrests, stopping people for simply wearing a bandana, like him, or carrying a backpack.
“We need to hold police accountable,” the 25-year-old Toronto graphic designer said in an interview Monday.
Wall has settled a $25,000 lawsuit against Toronto police on undisclosed terms, and will hold a news conference Tuesday.
A report from the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OPIRD) concluded that he was arrested illegally on a charge of wearing a disguise with intent.
Although police claimed his lower face was partially covered by his bandana, a “disguise” on its own is not enough for a charge but requires the intent to commit an indictable offence, the report said.
Officers detaining Wall on June 27, 2010, told OPIRD investigators they were instructed to arrest people wearing bandanas, masks or gas masks concealing their identity. One officer said he was told to search anyone with a backpack, and if that person refused, he or she could be arrested for obstructing police.
Davin Charney, Wall’s lawyer, said the report shows the many unlawful arrests of that weekend were not just the result of a few bad apples or overreaction from front-line officers. “The orders must have come from the top.”
Toronto police spokesperson Mark Pugash deferred comment until after a Tuesday news conference, but said that, judging by the Wall’s news release, several of his claims were inaccurate.
via thestar.com
HarassMap
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Million, Billion, Trillion... Jim Loy copyright 1999
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Million, Billion, Trillion...
© Copyright 1999, Jim Loy
People sometimes ask me the names of the large numbers. Here is a table. The system used in the U.S. is not as logical as that used in other countries (like Great Britain, France, and Germany). In these other countries, a billion (bi meaning two) has twice as many zeros as a million, and a trillion (tri meaning three) has three times as many zeros as a million, etc. But the scientific community seems to use the American system.
Number of zeros U.S. & scientific community Other countries 3 thousand thousand 6 million million 9 billion 1000 million (1 milliard) 12 trillion billion 15 quadrillion 1000 billion 18 quintillion trillion 21 sextillion 1000 trillion 24 septillion quadrillion 27 octillion 1000 quadrillion 30 nonillion quintillion 33 decillion 1000 quintillion 36 undecillion sextillion 39 duodecillion 1000 sextillion 42 tredecillion septillion 45 quattuordecillion 1000 septillion 48 quindecillion octillion 51 sexdecillion 1000 octillion 54 septendecillion nonillion 57 octodecillion 1000 nonillion 60 novemdecillion decillion 63 vigintillion 1000 decillion 66 - 120 undecillion - vigintillion 303 centillion 600 centillion See Scientific Notation.
Addendum:
There are other big numbers with names. A zillion has come to mean an arbitrary or unknown large number. A googol is 10^100. A googolplex is 10^googol (10^10^10^2). This number is too large to write here without exponents. Skewes' number (gesundheit) is 10^10^10^34 was used as an upper bound in a mathematical proof. Recently 10^10^10^10^10^7 was used in a proof.
The googolplex has given rise to the n-plex notation: n-plex is 10^n. n-minex is 10^-n. Donald Knuth invented arrow notation, where m^n (^ is an up arrow) is the regular m^n. m^^n is m^m^m^m...^m, with n up arrows. m^^^n is m^^m^^m...^^m, with n ^^s. According to The Book of Numbers by J.H.Conway and R.K.Guy, chained arrow notation is the following enhancement: a^^^^^b is written as a>b>5, where > is a right arrow.
via jimloy.com
Occupy London Sets Out Agenda On How It Wants To Change The Economic World - Exposing The Truth
Occupy London Sets Out Agenda On How It Wants To Change The Economic World
November 28, 2011 By Leave a CommentCampaigners’ policy statement calls for an end to tax havens and tax avoidance
The Occupy London movement has agreed its first specific set of proposals about corporations, just over six weeks since it first set up camp outside St Paul’s cathedral to campaign against the perceived excesses and injustices of the global financial system.
While the protest has gathered considerable publicity and expanded to three sites – as well as St Paul’s, there are offshoot camps in Finsbury Square, further east, and inside a vacant office complex nearby owned by the Swiss bank USB – it has faced criticism about a lack of concrete demands. Agreeing these has proved a complicated process, as all decision are reached by consensus at mass meetings.
The first policy statement on corporations calls for an end to tax havens and tax avoidance, more transparency over business lobbying, and legal reforms to make individual executives more liable for the consequences of their decisions.
“Globally, corporations deprive the public purse of hundreds of billions of pounds each year, leaving insufficient funds to provide people with fair living standards. We must abolish tax havens and complex tax avoidance schemes, and ensure corporations pay tax that accurately reflects their real profits,” the statement said.
On lobbying, it calls for laws to ensure “full and public transparency of all corporate lobbying activities”. Finally, the statement argues that executives must be “personally liable for their role in the misdeeds of their corporations and duly charged for all criminal behaviour”.
Soon after the first camp was set up on the western edge of St Paul’s, after police prevented activists basing themselves near the headquarters of the London Stock Exchange, the group issued general proposals, calling the current economic system “unsustainable” and opposing public spending cuts. The only other such statement called for more transparency and democracy within the Corporation of London, the governing authority within the City district, which owns some of the land adjoining St Paul’s and which is taking legal action to evict the campers.
“From the moment the Occupy London Stock Exchange occupation started, in the full glare of the media and in the court of public opinion, we have continually been asked, ‘What do you want?’ “What are your demands?’” said Jamie Kelsey, a member of the corporations policy group.
“We are calling time on a system where corporates and their employees pursue profit at all costs. Just as corporates have played their role in the iniquities of the current system, they are also part of the solution and we invite them to join this important conversation.”
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/28/occupy-london-policy-vision-corporations
TIME Magazine -- U.S. Edition -- December 5, 2011 Vol. 178 No. 22
U.S.
Europe
Asia
South Pacific
via time.com
honesty - the best policy - still believe you are grown ups in the USA? Treated like babies in case you have to think for yourselves.... sad
Armed Forces of the World Database
By our count, the world total of active troops is 20.6 million.
via strategypage.com
Indonesia’s security reforms: Unholy muddle | The Economist
Indonesia’s security reforms
Unholy muddle
At odds over dealing with intolerance and terrorism
Nov 26th 2011 | JAKARTA | from the print edition
Basyir: nine years and falling
THE world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, Indonesia, has long had a problem in some parts of the archipelago with religious extremism, intolerance and the sort of terrorism that can flow from both. The country has had a good deal of success in combating Islamist terrorism since the bombings on the island of Bali in 2002, which killed 202 people. But continuing suicide-bomb attacks and the discovery of terrorist training-camps suggest that Indonesia remains in danger. Judging by recent events, however, the country has yet to develop a clear strategy to deal with the threat. Too often, different bits of the state give out different, even contradictory, signals. The result is a dangerous muddle.
Thus on October 12th lawmakers at last passed a new security bill, the Law on State Intelligence. This was the culmination of years of debate, in many ways a tribute to Indonesia’s vibrant new democracy. Legislators wanted to produce a bill that sharpened the effectiveness of the country’s multitude of intelligence and anti-terrorist agencies without encroaching too much on hard-won civil rights. In the end, the law redefined the roles of those agencies, strengthening their powers to intervene against “opponents” working against the “national interest”. A tough new stance from the state, it might seem. Indeed, just the sort of law that might have made it easier to gather evidence against people such as Abu Bakar Basyir, a notorious radical cleric. At the conclusion of the latest case against him in June, Mr Basyir was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a district court for inciting terrorism and funding terrorist cells.
Yet only two weeks after the new law was passed the high court in Jakarta, the capital, decided on appeal to reduce by six years the sentence handed out to Mr Basyir by the lower court, partly as “an act of humanity” for the “elderly” (73-year-old) man. This follows previous court cases in which Mr Basyir either avoided a guilty verdict altogether or had light sentences reduced. Furthermore, his lawyers will now petition the Supreme Court to strike down the remaining nine years. They must have every chance of success.
Well-meaning parliamentarians can legislate all they like, it seems, but if the courts do not mete out sufficient punishment then the state will remain ineffective. Take another case. In February three members of a peaceful Islamic movement, the Ahmadiyah, considered heretical by orthodox Muslims, were beaten and hacked to death in broad daylight by a frenzied mob in west Java. Their end was caught on film. Despite the extraordinary violence, in August the perpetrators were handed down only token prison sentences, ranging from three to five months. There was an outcry, but the sentences stood. The guilty are now all free, including one 17-year-old treated as a hero on his return home.
The government seems helpless; ministers merely talk of respecting the independence of the courts. Yet an unreformed judiciary seems to be dominated by religious conservatives, within a nominally secular state, or judges who fear Islamist radicals. The feebleness of the response to the murders of the three Ahmadis seems to have encouraged others. Since February several more vicious attacks on Ahmadi houses have taken place. Provincial governments have even passed decrees, yet to be challenged in court, banning all Ahmadiyah activities.
The teenage thuggery of the Ahmadiyah case and the relative sophistication of the terrorism that Mr Basyir is accused of orchestrating have a direct link. Once launched on his trajectory of violence, today’s thug can readily be converted into tomorrow’s terrorist. Andreas Harsono of the local office of Human Rights Watch argues that the anti-Ahmadiyah campaign is now being used for exactly this purpose, that is, to motivate and recruit young extremists. Sidney Jones of the International Crisis Group, a think-tank, says that rather than focusing on new legislation, the government needs to design a well-funded and comprehensive programme, involving better police training and community work, to prevent extremism spreading in the first place.
To complicate matters further, the government’s showpiece Law on State Intelligence will probably end up in court itself. A coalition of human-rights organisations has vowed to challenge it in the Constitutional Court. Despite its efforts to balance the demands of security against civil rights, they argue that too much power is being taken from the police and handed to military intelligence, with little judicial oversight. They also argue that the definition of national security is too broad. It could be used to target separatists with legitimate political arguments, such as in West Papuam, for instance. There, a cack-handed attempt to break up a political rally left several dead on October 19th.
Clearly, a balance needs to be struck between effective legislation, the protection of hard-won rights and action against religious extremism. Regrettably, Indonesia still seems a fair way off from striking it.
from the print edition | Asia
via economist.com
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