voice

EXHIBIT: Voices for the Environment: A Century of Bay Area Activism, Nov. 14

Curated by the Oral History Center, Voices for the Environment: A Century of Bay Area Activism charts the evolution of environmental movements in the region through the recorded voices of the activists who shaped them. From tensions over preservation after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to demands to address the disproportionate burdens of pollution and illness that some communities faced, environmentalism has long been part of the fabric of the Bay Area. Smartphones and headphones are suggested. The Bancroft Library Gallery




voice

EXHIBIT: Voices for the Environment: A Century of Bay Area Activism, Nov. 14

Curated by the Oral History Center, Voices for the Environment: A Century of Bay Area Activism charts the evolution of environmental movements in the region through the recorded voices of the activists who shaped them. From tensions over preservation after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to demands to address the disproportionate burdens of pollution and illness that some communities faced, environmentalism has long been part of the fabric of the Bay Area. Smartphones and headphones are suggested. The Bancroft Library Gallery




voice

Provision of mobile voice and data services to the OSCE centre in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

OSCE Centre in Bishkek
RFP/KYR/04/2016
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Fri, 2016-07-01 (All day)
22 August 2016

mobile voice and data services to the OSCE centre in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

 

 

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  • OSCE Centre in Bishkek
  • Request for Proposal (RFP)
  • 3 years

voice

Giving women a voice in peace-building

Article
Fri, 2016-07-29 15:17
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
Eastern Europe
Conflict prevention and resolution
Gender equality

Enhancing the participation of women in conflict resolution and peace-building efforts is important to achieving security and stability in Ukraine.

Nataliya Mariychuk, a mother of three children aged three to eighteen is nostalgic for the life she had some 1,300 kilometres away in her native city of Alchevsk, in Luhansk region but now she has adjusted to her new life.

At the other end of Ukraine, in the village of Vorotsiv in Lviv region.

Nataliya is one of more than a million women displaced by the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The significant number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the challenges involved in integrating them into their new environments prompted her to co-found the Civic Movement of Donbas IDPs.

[node id="253816" preset="medium" align="left" description="Nataliya Mariychuk (c), Co-Founder of the Civic Movement of Donbas IDPs, helps individuals displaced by the conflict in eastern Ukraine integrate into their local community."]

The association works with local administrative authorities in Vorotsiv to address socio-economic problems including lack of housing and recreational facilities for children. They also work to build bridges between IDPs and their host communities in western Ukraine, where tensions have risen following the influx of people from the east.

“We offered the local authorities our volunteer support with initiatives such as cleaning up the local river, enhancing the road system and purchasing sports equipment for youngsters”, says Nataliya. “These efforts helped IDPs to better integrate into the local community and helped host communities see us as partners and not rivals”.

Women IDPs in Ukraine

  • The number of IDPs in Ukraine is 1.8 million, according to Ukraine’s Ministry for Social Policy as of July 2016;
  • Of this figure, 1.1 million are women (61 per cent);
  • Women make up 73 per cent of IDPs residing in collective centres, according to Global Shelter Cluster figures as of May 2016. Collective centres are pre-existing buildings and structures intended for the long-term stay of IDPs. They include dormitories and sanatoriums, modular-type centres and rented houses.

Nadiya Kuramshina is another woman pushing the boundaries with her work.

The mother of a soldier in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the founder of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Unity of Mothers “Zakhyst” (Defence), Kuramshina works to establish contacts between women whose sons serve in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the mothers whose son  have become armed members of “Donetsk People’s Republic”.

[node id="253821" preset="medium" align="left" description="Nadiya Kuramshina, founder of the Unity of Mothers “Zakhyst” (Defence) NGO, stands with other women whose sons serve in Armed Forces and formations."]

“For many of us, it is important to learn the views of the other side first-hand and to talk about the things that we have in common”, says Nadiya. “With very little outside help, we are working on delivering legal and social support to soldiers who have returned from the army and face difficulties in adjusting to civilian life.”

Women, Peace and Security

According to journalist Tamara Zlobina, despite these accomplishments women’s achievements in Ukraine continue to be seen through a patriarchal prism emphasizing the traditional role of women as caregivers instead of focusing on their contributions to peace-building efforts. “There are strong stereotypes about the role of women in society which significantly prevents them from realizing their full potential”, she says.

There are strong stereotypes about the role of women in society, which significantly prevents them from realizing their full potential.

Tamara Zlobina Journalist

Awareness of this fact has led international organizations such as the OSCE, through its Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), to seek structures and foundations upon which to build and strengthen opportunities for women.

This work is based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security (UNSCR 1325/2000) which recognized that men and women are affected by conflicts in different ways and that peace-building efforts must see the full involvement of both women and men.

The Mission also incorporates gender perspectives into facilitating dialogue, monitoring and reporting along the lines of its mandate.

Laura Jaffrey, an SMM monitoring officer and gender focal point based in Lviv says that one approach to gender mainstreaming in the SMM’s work is to collect sex-disaggregated data. “In practical terms it involves talking with people of both sexes, of different ages and from different social spheres in order to reveal the realities faced by both women and men of different ages and backgrounds”, says Laura.

[node id=253911 type="panel" preset="medium"]

In practical terms, it implies talking with people of both sexes, of different ages and from different social spheres in order to reveal the realities faced by both women and men of different ages and backgrounds.

Laura Jaffrey SMM Monitoring Officer

Within its mandate the SMM monitors the changes in gender dynamics regarding and including the challenges faced by IDPs. Monitoring through the gender lens can shed light on specific issues encountered by women, men, boys and girls and reveal a more accurate picture of the situation on the ground, according to Laura.

Breadwinners and politicians

The conflict is transforming the role of women. “Due to the compulsory mobilization of men into the army, women are left to supporting the families financially”, says Tamara.

Olena Cherenkova, an IDP from Luhansk, fled to Lutsk in Volyn region, with her 80-year-old mother and her teenage daughter. As her family’s sole breadwinner, Olena has gained a sense of confidence and independence which sees her challenging the traditional stereotypes of women in her work as the head of the local association of IDPs from Crimea and Donbas.

[node id="253801" preset="medium" align="left" description="Olena Cherenkova (c), head of the local association of internally displaced persons from Crimea and Donbas."]

On the other hand, Vira Pidhrushna saw her opportunity in politics and less than a year ago became the deputy head of the Brody village council in Lviv region. Focusing on the needs of families, her work has resulted in providing assistance to people returning to the area from combat duty in the east.

“I am very proud of my party for trusting me to lead the party list in the local elections”, says Vira, acknowledging that only five of the 34 deputies in the district council are women.

[node id=253811 type="panel" preset="medium"]

Women will not be able to make much progress in achieving gender equality if they do it on their own, it has to be a joint effort by women and men.

Nataliya Mariychuk Co-Founder of the Civic Movement of Donbas IDPs

Yet both she and Nataliya from Vorotsiv village emphasize that women and men should not be competitors in their professional endeavours.

“Women will not be able to make much progress in achieving gender equality if they do it on their own”, says Nataliya. “It has to be a joint effort by both women and men”.

Giving women a real say in peace-building would certainly contribute to enhancing gender equality in a post-conflict society.

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voice

OSCE Project Co-ordinator calls for joint efforts in supporting voices of moderation, promoting dialogue and restoring trust

“Inter-cultural dialogue should not only lead to a deeper understanding of the other, but also include conflict prevention and de-escalation, combating prejudices and stereotypes in the public and political discourse,” Ambassador Alexis Chahtahtinsky, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku, said in his remarks at the Third World Forum on Intercultural Dialogues that took place in Baku on 18-19 May 2015.

Ambassador Chahtahtinsky spoke at the plenary session titled Sharing Culture for Sharing Security which was devoted to the responsibility of international institutions and governments in building trust and understanding between cultures and civilizations and shaping common global agenda.

The rise of anti-Semitism, Christianophobia, often associated with violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism, as well as the rise of xenophobia, islamophobia and of the far right have a destructive potential for many societies in the OSCE area, Ambassador Chahtahtinsky said.

The Project Co-ordinator believes that international organizations need to join efforts in supporting voices of moderation, promoting dialogue and restoring trust. “One of the ways of doing is through participation in fora like this one, and I want to commend the Government of Azerbaijan for taking this initiative,” he said.

In conclusion, Ambassador Chahtahtinsky stated that the OSCE, with its comprehensive approach to security and co-operation, is uniquely equipped to address these challenges, and can provide a platform for participating states to learn from each other’s experience.

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voice

More Muslim voices in Europe condemning anti-Semitism needed, says Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism

Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism, Andrew Baker, stressed importance of different communities to join forces to tackle anti-semitism.

“We have witnessed important and moving symbolic actions such as the encircling of the synagogues in Oslo and Copenhagen by Muslims who want to show their solidarity with their fellow Jewish citizens. We must build on this,” said Baker speaking at the Third World Forum on Intercultural Dialogues that took place in Baku on 18-19 May 2015.

He noted that today many European Jews question their future in Europe. “An EU survey of Jews by the Agency for Fundamental Rights found that nearly 30 percent were considering emigration, while in some countries, notably Hungary, France and Belgium, this number was well over 40 percent,” Baker said.

Recalling the dangers the Jewish communities faced earlier this year as victims of terror attacks in Paris and Copenhagen, Baker applauded the French government for calling on the military to ensure that all Jewish schools and synagogues in France are protected. “But we know this is only a short-term solution and cannot be sustained indefinitely,” he said.

Underlining the important role that Muslim communities could play in this field, Baker called for more Muslim voices in Europe that will speak out and condemn anti-Semitism.

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voice

OSCE Representative condemns incidents directed at journalists and independent voices in Bosnia and Herzegovina

VIENNA, 29 July 2016 – Continuing intimidation and violence against journalists and independent voices is unacceptable and could further weaken media freedom and freedom of expression in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, said today.

“I am following with great concern the extremely worrying situation in the country which could lead to self-censorship,” Mijatović said. “People engaged in investigative reporting and expressing different opinions, even provocative ones, should play a legitimate part in a healthy debate and their voices should not be restricted.”

Mijatović noted that the latest events open a very worrying chapter on the safety of journalists.

They include:

• Verbal attacks on writer and journalist Nenad Veličković;

• Verbal attacks on Borka Rudić, General Secretary of the Association of BiH Journalists; • Verbal threats on journalist Mirjana Radanović;

• Threats and insults against journalists of FTV Mreža magazine;

• Threats against Dragiša Sikimić, editor-in-chief and the owner of the web portal MojaHercegovina.info;

• Verbal and physical assaults on BN TV, ATV and HIT TV crews;

• A physical attack on a BN TV camera operator; • An assault on Nermin Bisa, editor-in-chief of 24sata.info;

• Verbal threats against freelance journalist Vuk Bačanović; and

• Offensive and discriminatory verbal attacks on Selma Učanbarlić, a journalist from the Centre for Investigative Reporting.

“This trend needs to be immediately reversed. Public condemnation at the highest level is needed in order to send a clear message that such threats, including hate speech, against journalists, academics and writers are not tolerated in a democratic society,” Mijatović said. “Investigations into these incidents, which include death threats transmitted by social media, need to be commenced immediately.”

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom. For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit http: www.osce.org/fom/257086

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  • Representative on Freedom of the Media
  • Media freedom and development
  • South-Eastern Europe
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Press release

voice

Trump Confirms He Will Nominate Marco Rubio as His Secretary of State: 'A Very Powerful Voice for Freedom'

President-elect Donald Trump formally announced Wednesday that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is his pick for secretary of state. Trump issued a press release confirming numerous media reports that indicated Rubio would be chosen for the critical role. “Marco is a

The post Trump Confirms He Will Nominate Marco Rubio as His Secretary of State: ‘A Very Powerful Voice for Freedom’ appeared first on Breitbart.




voice

DeepL запустила DeepL Voice — новую технологию для мгновенных переводов речи и видео

Компания DeepL, известная своими точными текстовыми переводами, представила новый продукт — DeepL Voice. Эта технология позволяет переводить речь и видео в реальном времени, предоставляя текстовые переводы.




voice

Great Valley hosts art exhibit celebrating women's voices and experiences

Penn State Great Valley is hosting a special exhibit through Jan. 6 in collaboration with the Regional Center for Women in the Arts, featuring a vibrant collection of works by visionary artists dedicated to celebrating women's voices and experiences.




voice

Hrithik Roshan lends voice to ‘Karan Arjun’ trailer ahead of re-release

The trailer will be shown in theaters starting November 14, attached to upcoming releases such as ‘Kanguva’ and ‘The Sabarmati Report’, giving audiences a preview ahead of the re-release.






voice

Rahul Gandhi urges Wayanad to choose Priyanka as their new voice in Lok Sabha

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, voiced his strong support for his sister Priyanka Gandhi





voice

The Voice US contestant shares cryptic response after suddenly quitting show

Singer was one of the early favourites to win the talent show




voice

The Sack of Rome 410 A.D. - "My voice sticks in my throat; and, as I dictate, sobs choke my utterance. The City which had taken the whole world was itself taken." Jerome, (412 A.D.) Letter CXXVII to Principia -- Emperor Theodosius I had decreed

Alaric [the older son] died that same year 410 A.D. Two years later, his kinsman Athaulf led the Visigoths into southwestern Gaul, where, in AD 418, Honorius was obliged to recognize their kingdom at Toulouse. The Vandals and other Germanic tribes who had crossed over the frozen Rhine on the last day of AD 406 now were in Spain under their leader, Genseric. Honorius permitted them to stay, as well, although there was little he could have done otherwise. In AD 423 Honorius died and eventually was succeeded by Valentinian III, who was still a child at the time. The Vandals crossed into North Africa, defeated the Romans there, and, in AD 439, conquered Carthage, which Genseric made his capital. In AD 451, Attila and the Huns, who already had become so powerful that they were paid an annual tribute by Rome, invaded Gaul, in alliance with the Vandals. They were defeated at the Battle of Châlons by the Visigoths under the command of Flavius Aetius, magister militum of the west. In AD 455, the death of Valentinian III served as a pretext for the Vandals to enter an undefended Rome, which they plundered for two weeks, carrying away the treasures of the Temple of Peace and the gilded bronze tiles from the Temple of Jupiter. Temple of Vespasian.



  • Christian Church History Study
  • 2. 313 A.D. to 1521 A.D. - Revised Rome and the Holy Roman Empire

voice

The Assyrian Spotlight: A Misstep That Amplified Voices

Donald Trump's mispronunciation of 'Assyrians' at a rally inadvertently spotlighted the Assyrian community in America. Despite their small numbers, Assyrians are influential in swing states like Michigan and Arizona.




voice

Assyrian Archbishop Voices Hope for Peace Under Trump

Trump Iraq Syria Genocide Relief Act President Donald J. Trump is joined by legislators and Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil-Kurdistan, Iraq, left, as he signs H.




voice

Celebrating Bob Dylan's 80th birthday, Harvey Kubernik's multi-voice interview archives will appear in "Music Connection" magazine on Friday, the 21st!

Bob Dylan's 80th birthday is next Monday. On Friday, "Music Connection" magazine will feature Harvey Kubernik's interviews with musicians, producers, filmmakers, photographers and fans.




voice

How to Optimize Your Small Business Website For Voice Search

If you want to ensure new customers are able to find your business, then you need to know how to optimize your business for voice search, which is becoming one of the most popular ways of searching.

Voice search is not quite taking over the search world yet—but it is getting closer. Last year, more than half (58%) of consumers used voice search to find local business information, according to BrightLocal’s Voice Search for Local Business Study 2018. Almost half (46%) of voice search users searched for a local business daily; 28% used voice search to search for a local business about once a week.

complete article




voice

Collecting on Your Invoices Does Not Need to Be a Nightmare: 3 Tips for Getting Paid

Eleni Gianopulos spent more than 15 years selling her handmade sugar cookies to a famous gourmet grocery chain. Then Dean & DeLuca stopped paying its bills. By January 2018, Gianopulos, founder and owner of New York City-based bakery Elenis Cookies, realized that she might never be paid for $86,000 worth of 2017 custom holiday orders.

complete article




voice

An Entrepreneurs Quick Guide to Invoice Financing for Small Businesses

Invoice financing is a type of business funding wherein the business sells its outstanding invoices or account receivables (A/R) to financing companies to get an immediate cash flow boost. The financing company takes over the invoices, and sometimes be in charge of collecting customer payments (as in invoice factoring).

Invoice financing is a popular financing option for businesses that have to wait 30,60, or 90 days to get their clients payments.




voice

Elijah And The Voice Of God

Elijah, the greatest of prophets, came to a personal and spiritual crisis. It may be that though he was hearing the voice of God for the nation, he hadn't been hearing it for himself. God had to take him on a journey of rehabilitation, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, before he could even receive God's voice. Here is a practical message from 1 Kings 19:1-18 relevant to those experiencing burnout or a wilderness in their Christian life and service. God often has to condition us to eliminate distractions and blocks to clearly hear His still, small voice. This message is available at https://www.preachtheword.com now in MP3 audio format...



  • Religion & Spirituality

voice

God's Voice And Spiritual Warfare

Hearing the voice of God is vital for success in spiritual warfare. It is essential to learn to use the sword of the Spirit, the rhema of God, to overcome the temptations and attacks of the devil. This message from Ephesians 6:17 will teach you the importance of using the sword of the Spirit and some practical pointers on receiving words from God to take into the battle against the enemy. This message is available at https://www.preachtheword.com now in MP3 audio format...



  • Religion & Spirituality

voice

May 19 2009 Radio Station History Australia - 2BH Broken Hill - "The Voice of the Western Darling"

2BH, "The Barrier Miner" Broadcasting Service is the only station giving coverage to Broken Hill and West Darling districts under all transmitting conditions. Associated with 2BH is the Smilers' Club with close to 3,000 members...




voice

May 19 2009 Radio Station History Australia - 2MG Mudgee - "The Voice of the Tablelands"

Station 2MG, Mudgee, "The Voice of the Tablelands," owned and operated by the Mudgee Broadcasting Company Pty. Limited, is situated a mile from the chief commercial town of a very rich inner-western district of New South Wales...




voice

June 9 2009 Radio Station History Australia: 2PK "The Voice of the Golden West"

Parkes Broadcasting Co. Pty. Ltd. is the licensee of 2PK, which came on the air on October 5th 1937...




voice

June 22 2009 Radio Station History Australia: 4VL - Charleville "The Voice of the Far West"

Station 4VL is owned and controlled by the Charleville Broadcasting Co., Ltd., Alfred Street, Charleville. Studios and transmitter are situated at that address...




voice

July 10 2009 Radio Station History Australia: 4AY "The Voice of the North"

Image of Edward Dahl added. He was secretary and general manager of 4AY Ayr in the late 1930's.




voice

September 7 2009 Radio Station History Australia: 2LF - YOUNG 'The Voice of the South West'

Ideally situated in the heart of one of the Commonwealth's wealthiest districts, Station 2LF, from Young, dominates an area of over 11,000,000 acres containing a population of nearly 106,000...




voice

September 19 2009 Radio Station History Australia: 2AD Armidale - The Voice of New England

A decade has passed since Station 2AD took the air to serve the New England Tableland...




voice

My Deer Friend Nokotan Voice Actor Interview

Madcap school comedy anime My Deer Friend Nokotan hits streaming services today. It's already caused a stir on social media with many fans h...




voice

Honeywell and Curtiss-Wright Develop Cockpit Voice Recorders to Help Boeing, Airbus Meet New 25-Hour Safety Mandate

PRZOOM - Newswire (press release) - Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500, Phoenix AZ United States - Collaboratively developed Honeywell Connected Recorder-25 now available to meet 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act mandating longer recording capability [NASDAQ: HON] - Honeywell.com / CurtissWrightDS.com



  • Electronics / Instrumentation / RFID

voice

Publishers Finally Find Their Voice in Podcasting

Given the IAB and PwC’s projection that ad revenue in podcasting will at last pass $1 billion in 2021 (up from $479 million in 2018), one would think this mediums decade-long slow (really slow) march towards some sort of critical mass has finally hit its stride. Let the gold rush begin, no?

complete article




voice

How the Podcast Industry Found a Voice During the COVID-19 Pandemic

When the pandemic hit us, nobody anticipated the extent to which it would alter our lives. Just over a year ago, the coronavirus was spreading only in the unfamiliar region of China’s Hubei province. Today, every major country is reeling under its effects, with people trying to balance work, home and social wellbeing. While our routines remained restricted due to imposed limitations on movement, it has provided us additional time to spend at home.

Moreover, the work-from-home phenomenon has given employees the flexibility to accommodate the various facets of everyday life. People now have a myriad of options to pick and keep them entertained and connected to the world. Over the months since the initial lockdowns, there is a significant buzz, with reports suggesting a spike in mobile phone usage, online shopping, OTT video content and podcasting.




voice

Local musicians find their podcasting voices

As the COVID-19 pandemic complicates that exchange, several artists have found another way to connect. Launching podcasts that sweep the corners of their musical experience, they sound out their voices in fulfilling fashion.

Robin Anderson and Audra Sergel launched their Musicians Dish podcast in September. The show represents both a natural expression of their friendship and an extension of their concerns as freelance artists.

Whether recording on their own or collaborating, Anderson and Sergel nimbly blend elements of pop, jazz and musical theater. Each songwriter's work unites bold humor and deep sentiment — as does their podcast, which is irreverent and informed.




voice

Africa: A City Safe for Women Is Safe for All - Women's Voices Lead At World Urban Forum in Cairo

[UN News] One of the main messages conveyed by women leaders, activists, young people and others gathered for a discussion on Wednesday in Cairo at the World Urban Forum was that: "a city safe for women is a city safe for all."




voice

Lego Horizon Adventures Sylens voice actor revealed following Lance Reddick’s passing - Video Games Chronicle

  1. Lego Horizon Adventures Sylens voice actor revealed following Lance Reddick’s passing  Video Games Chronicle
  2. Lego Horizon Adventures Review  IGN
  3. Lego Horizon Adventures: How Long to Beat (& Chapter List)  GameRant
  4. Lego Horizon Adventures is a delightful, kid-friendly twist on Horizon Zero Dawn  Polygon
  5. How LEGO Horizon Adventures was built with real LEGO bricks, out Nov 14  PlayStation





voice

Create Voice-enabled RSS News Feeds

With the proliferation of RSS feeds in state and local governments, a unique opportunity is developing to expand the delivery of the critical information contained in these feeds by leveraging the most ubiquitous personal communications device in the world -– the telephone. Governments that use RSS to deliver information to citizens using RSS feeds can also leverage VoiceXML, an open standard for developing telephony applications, to expose RSS content via cellular and traditional telephones.

VoiceXML is a web technology that can turn any telephone, even a rotary phone, into an Internet device. VoiceXML is a non-proprietary, web-based markup language for creating vocal dialogues between humans and computers. VoiceXML is similar to another common markup language -- HTML, the basic language of visual web pages. Just as a web browser renders HTML documents visually, a VoiceXML interpreter renders VoiceXML documents audibly. In this respect, one can think of the VoiceXML interpreter as a telephone-based, voice browser. As with HTML documents, VoiceXML documents have web URIs and can be located on any web server. However, instead of pointing a client-side web browser at a specific URI, citizens can access a VoiceXML application by calling a toll free telephone number from any ordinary telephone - cellular or traditional, touch-tone or rotary.

It’s not hard to think of a scenario where a local government or a university could publish an RSS feed with topical news, and have a phone number for students or citizens to call for more information. Depending on how the VoiceXML is structured, the caller could have the option of being transferred directly to the number associated with the information.

The trick would be, in my opinion, finding the right place within the RSS feed to put the phone number (if the publisher wanted to provide the option of an automatic transfer). Ideally, the phone number would be contained within its own RSS element. Glancing quickly at the RSS 2.0 spec, this could be something like the guid element. So, if a publisher was using a software package to author and publish RSS feeds, they would probably need to do a little experimenting to find the right place to place the phone number.

Because RSS and VoiceXML are both XML vocabularies, there are a number of standards-based methods for converting RSS to VoiceXML and using RSS feeds from within VoiceXML applications. The first method involves the use of eXstensible Style Sheet Language Transformations (XSLT). I have created a tutorial covering this technique and some of the issues relating to it. This technique is generally agnostic to the underlying technology used; XSLT transformations are supported in technologies like JSP, PHP, Perl, .NET and others.

To see it in action there is a demo application available at (800) 289-5570. Enter the following PIN when prompted: 9991422919. This example uses the latest headlines news feed from CNET News.com (news.com.com) and the XSLT file covered in my tutorial. This is only running on a demo platform, so I can’t guarantee anything on performance. Still, it gives you a sense of how an RSS feed sounds. This technology could allow travelers only equipped with cell phones to get the latest NOAA RSS weather reports, lobbyists to dial-in for legislative floor calendars, and rescue teams to phone for the latest operational instructions.

The other method for using RSS from within VoiceXML applications is to leverage the new data tag, an addition to the VoiceXML specification that is part of the developing VoiceXML 2.1 standard. Some excellent examples of this technique can be found on the VoiceXML Forum website at http://www.voicexmlreview.org/apr2004/columns/apr2004_speak_listen.html.

VoiceXML also allows for the playback of recorded audio. If one had an audio file that they want to include in a feed, a VoiceXML application could actually invoke the audio file and play it to the caller. There is a VoiceXML service at (800) 555-TELL that plays audio files. Give it a call and try listening to the “News Center” option.

One caveat -- most VoiceXML platforms only support certain audio formats, but the more common ones (WAV, MP3) are usually supported. VoiceXML also supports recording the audio of a call, so if one wanted to let callers post comments the application could record their audio and save it for later playback. There is actually a project called “Phone Blogger” that takes this approach (see www.wombatnation.com/phoneblogger).

By using these techniques, governments that make information available to citizens through RSS feeds can dramatically expand the accessibility of these feeds by making them available to anyone with a telephone.



Mark J. Headd
Voice Technologies for Government
www.voiceingov.org
mheadd@voiceingov.org





[Editor's note: Commenting is turned off because of spamming. Mark is interested in hearing from readers who are interested in how that can use VoiceXML to augment what they are doing with RSS. Please email the author with your comments and we'll invite him to write a follow-up here at RSS in Government addressing your ideas and suggestions.]




voice

The Voice of Creation

Fr. Stephen looks at creation and its "voice" as described in Old and New Testament and sees what it means for our realtionship with the world around us.




voice

A Voice in the Public Square

Frederica returns to the Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Mt. Pleasant South Carolina to talk with the pastor, Fr. John Parker. Fr. John has demonstrated that you can effectively engage your local community on matters of faith.




voice

Real Choices, Real Voices

Frederica speaks on the abortion issue at the Festival of Orthodox Christianity, hosted by North Texas Orthodox Missions in Dallas/Fort Worth.




voice

A Voice that is Calling You: Fr. George Calciu

This past May 6-7, Frederica spoke to a group of Romanian Orthodox Christians in Brussels about Fr. George Calciu.




voice

Today If You Will Hear His Voice

Fr. John Whiteford calls us to a lifestyle of thanksgiving to God. (Psalm 94)




voice

When God speaks to you: How to hear God's Voice and receive His guidance

It is easy to ask for God's Word, but it is difficult to listen and accept His answer. That is because His answer reveals His Divine will and once we know that, we need to silence our own will and follow Him.




voice

The Voices You Listen to Shape Your Life

The Voices You Listen to Shape Your Life (w/ Fr. Seraphim Aldea)




voice

Voice From Antioch:  Martyrdom - Part 1a

In a new series beginning today, Fr. Andrew presents a study of major themes of the Orthodox Christian faith as found in the letters of the 2nd century martyr and third bishop of Antioch, Ignatius the God-bearer.




voice

Voice From Antioch:  Martyrdom - Part 1b

In the second half of part one, Fr. Andrew talks more extensively about martyrdom and the statement by St. Ignatius: "I am God's wheat and shall be ground by the teeth of wild animals."