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An HVAC solution was the headliner for an event on Feb. 19 at a 121-year-old building in the nation’s capital named after one of America’s greatest composer-musicians. The event at Duke Ellington School of the Arts demonstrated how stepping beyond traditional non-inverter HVAC systems can preserve a building’s historical architecture, enhance energy efficiencies, minimize noise, and earn design-award accolades.

The 30-day ANSI public review period closes May 14.  

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Fourth Grade Community Project: Going to the Museum
Encourage your students to research and visit a museum in your community with these activities.

Washington, D.C. -- Anna Chauvet has joined the National Association of Broadcasters as vice president of Public Policy, effective today. Chauvet will report to Shawn Donilon, executive vice president of Government Relations.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) announced the recipients of the 2022 Celebration of Service to America Awards at a gala held tonight at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. The awards were announced live and presented to recipients in eight categories recognizing local broadcasters’ outstanding service to their communities.

WASHINGTON, DC -- The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) honored the recipients of the 2023 Celebration of Service to America Awards tonight during a gala held at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. The awards, presented by Bonneville International and Hearst Television, honor the impact and excellence in community service and philanthropy by local radio and television stations.

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) today released a report detailing the public safety importance of AM radio, which serves as the backbone of the Emergency Alert System. NAB is releasing the report as momentum grows in Congress for legislation to ensure AM radio is accessible to the public in all vehicles.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced today that Kirsten Donaldson has joined NAB as vice president of public policy. Donaldson will report to Shawn Donilon, executive vice president of Government Relations.

Room 29, Parliament Buildings

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BISHKEK, 30 July 2016 – To mark today’s World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek supported a public awareness-raising campaign and held a public discussion with academic representatives in Bishkek and Osh.

On 29 July, in co-operation with the State Service on Migration, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and local partners, the OSCE Centre raised public awareness about the risks of human trafficking in Bishkek and Osh.

Information material such as pocket calendars with the hotline number and contact information of the Kyrgyz Embassies in the five top migrant destination countries were distributed among the public. Illustrated silhouettes of people, symbolizing victims of trafficking, were displayed on posters in public places with stories in the Russian and Kyrgyz languages narrating their experience of human trafficking.

“Public awareness campaigns play an important role in the prevention of trafficking in human beings,” said William Leaf, OSCE Senior Field Representative in Osh. “The OSCE works to assist the government in improving its education and outreach efforts at the local and central levels in line with its commitments to prevent and combat all forms of human trafficking.”

In addition to the awareness-rising campaign, today the representatives of five local universities in Osh participated in a roundtable discussion organized by the OSCE Centre in co-operation with the Centre for Support of International Protection. The discussion focused on the ways of promoting inter-disciplinary research efforts among students and professors on the scope, tendencies and root causes of human trafficking in southern Kyrgyzstan.  

“As trafficking in human beings is a complex phenomenon, it requires a multi-disciplinary approach, covering, among others, socio-economic, legal, migration, human rights, gender and law enforcement aspects,” said Akylbek Tashbulatov, Director of the Centre for the Support of International Protection. “The academic community have the necessary research potential and tools to positively contribute to the development of such an assessment.”

The events were organized as part of the OSCE Centre’s project on addressing human trafficking in Kyrgyzstan through grassroots initiatives and multi-agency cooperation.

 

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Workshop

Mon, 2016-08-08 (All day) - Wed, 2016-08-10 (All day)

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

OSCE Center in Bishkek, General Staff of the Kyrgyz Republic,

OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz General Staff, Kyrgyz Border Service, Kyrgyz National Guard and State Committee for Defence,

OSCE Centre in Bishkek

OSCE Centre in Bishkek

Central Asia

Media freedom and development

Politico-military dimension

Vasilina Brazhko

OSCE supports workshop on communications and information cooperation for the press officers of the armed forces of the Kyrgyz Republic. The workshop will be conducted by an international media trainer and attended by 15 press officers of the General Staff, Border Service, National Guard and State Committee for Defence. It is expected that within the framework of the workshop, participants will practice skills of effective communications with the media and practice a mechanism of information coordination during emergencies.

The workshop is the last part of a professional development programme developed and conducted for 45 commanders of the General Staff. The first two trainings were delivered in Bishkek in Osh in June and July 2016. During the workshops, the commanders improved their skills of communication with mass media and practiced public speaking skills, such as interview skills and participation in talk show. The commanders also participated in a discussion led by an international trainer on the importance of maintaining unified information policy and cooperation with the press service.

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BELGRADE, 22 May 2016 – The European Union Delegation to Serbia and The OSCE Mission to Serbia have taken note of the wide-ranging personnel changes at Radio Television Vojvodina (RTV) undertaken by the newly appointed managing board.

We should like to take this opportunity to recall the weighty responsibility of RTV as a public broadcaster to ensure that it meets the highest standards in safeguarding the public interest, guaranteeing the quality and diversity of its programme content and ensuring the impartiality of its editorial policy, following the principle of independence enshrined in the 2014 Law on the Public Media Services.

RTV has an additional, important responsibility to discharge in meeting the legitimate expectations of national minorities with regard to access to broadcasting in minority languages.

Moreover, we recall the importance of creating an enabling environment in Serbia in which freedom of expression can be exercised without hindrance, strengthening the independence of the Regulatory Body for the Electronic Media in order better to support editorial independence, and ensuring adequate funding to public broadcasting as well as its editorial independence.

For more information & media inquiries please contact:

Aleksandar Djordjević , EU Delegation to Serbia, Media and Information Officer,

e-mail: aleksandar.djordjevic@eeas.europa.eu, Phone: +381 11 30 83 200.

Ivana Milatović, OSCE National Political and Press Affairs Officer,

e-mail: ppiu-serbia@osce.org, Phone +381 11 3606 151

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Ivana Milatovic, OSCE Mission to Serbia

The final public consultations on the content of the new National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of the UN SCR 1325 – Women, Peace and Security (2016-2020) was held on 10 June 2016 in Belgrade at the premises of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

The OSCE Mission to Serbia, jointly with the Serbian Government's Office for Co-operation with Civil Society, and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, supported the Working Group in the drafting process of the NAP by organizing public consultations across Serbia.

The consultations were held in the towns of Nis, Vranje, Novi Pazar, Krusevac, Novi Sad and Belgrade. During the meetings, participants welcomed that the new NAP raises the profile of local activities and that it places an emphasis on improved co-ordinated action, both at the local and national levels.

The main objective of the new NAP is to improve the safety and security of women through the implementation of UN SCR 1325 in the areas of prevention, participation, relief and recovery, and to increase involvement of women at the local level.

Participants included some 250 high-ranking officials of the Serbian Government and representatives of civil society organizations, and the media.

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Colin McCullough, OSCE Programme Office in Astana

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana supported a national public hearing on combatting torture in the penal system, organized by the Public Council under the Interior Ministry in Astana, Kazakhstan on 15 July 2016.

Some 70 officials including the Deputy Interior Minister, officers from Correctional System Departments in the regions, the Chairperson of the National Bar Association, representatives of the National Centre for Human Rights, the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture, the NGO Coalition against Torture and international organizations as well as international experts and journalists examined the current status of detention facilities managed by the Criminal Executive Committee of the Interior Ministry. Particular attention was paid to the provision of medical services and their standards. Some reported cases of torture and inhumane treatment at those premises were also reviewed and discussed. Some 150 officials from around the country participated via conference call.

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana has actively contributed to the preparation of the Law on Public Councils and on Access to Information through the support of numerous expert and public discussions as well as working groups. The Office also facilitated the legal analysis of bills in various stages of development.

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ASTANA, 21 July 2016 – Some 25 Supreme and Regional Court judges, lawyers, journalists, media experts as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps and civil society today in Astana participated in OSCE-supported public hearings on the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan’s Decree on the “Application of legislation on protecting the honour, dignity and business reputation in judicial practice”.

Participants reviewed current legal precedents on defamation-related cases, discussed national legislation and its compliance with international standards as well as recommendations to the Supreme Court’s draft decree.    

 “The OSCE advocates for the full decriminalization of defamation and the fair consideration of such cases in dispute-resolution bodies or civil courts,” said Colin McCullough, Political Officer at the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “This is crucial to promoting freedom of the media, to effectively expose and fight corruption, and to eliminate the excessive protection of senior officials from legitimate public criticism.”

Bolat Kalyanbekov, Head of the Information Support Division of the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan, said: "Today's public hearings create a precedent for additional expert understanding of regulatory decrees. This is a relatively new format for meetings and it allows us all to hear expert opinions and conclusions on the issue, as well as to receive comprehensive recommendations on it.”

The event was supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in co-operation with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the US Agency for International Development, the Eurasia Foundation for Central Asia and the International Fund for the Protection of the Freedom of Speech Adil Soz. It is part of the Office’s activities aimed at promoting media freedom and freedom of expression in line with OSCE principles and commitments.

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PAVLODAR, Kazakhstan, 12 July 2016 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on public participation mechanisms in environmental decision-making took place today in Pavlodar for some 25 representatives of the national and local government offices, the private sector, civil society and academia.

The event concludes the project on the environmental decision-making process and raising awareness of the Aarhus Convention’s provisions supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and implemented in partnership with the Pavlodar Aarhus Centre.

The participants discussed challenges in accessing environmental information and finding ways to promote more effective implementation of the Aarhus Convention. They also reviewed project results and research findings and developed follow-up recommendations to be considered by the relevant authorities.

“Considering the importance of the role of state agencies in the development of public participation in decision-making and seeking to improve this process, I consider the work of the roundtable discussion to be highly important,” stated Aigerim Kabyltayeva, Deputy Head of the Division on Subsoil Use Management, Environment and Water Resources of the Pavlodar region.

Colin McCullough, Political Officer of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, noted that public participation contributes to a transparent and open process and improves the quality of decisions. “We hope that today's event will strengthen co-operation between all parties in addressing environmental issues in the region and will help to better understand the need to develop joint approaches to solve them,” he said.

The event is part of the OSCE Programme Office’s efforts at promoting good governance and environmental protection. It complements the host government’s plans to improve compliance with the provisions of the Aarhus Convention and to implement the related Maastricht Recommendations on Public Participation in Decision-making in Environmental Matters.

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BISHKEK, 22 July 2016 – Three public discussions on the regulatory legal acts regarding the use of natural resources and environmental protection are being organized from 19 July to 27 July 2016 by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the local Aarhus Centre in the districts of Toktogul, Aksy and Kadamjay in southern Kyrgyzstan.

The discussions are gathering representatives of environmental services, the local authorities, village- and district-level state administrations, local council deputies and public organizations, to exchange ideas on environmental problems and discuss how to address them through active public scrutiny.

“Local stakeholders should be aware of the environmental legislation upfront. This will help them to prevent conflict arising from the use of natural resources,” said Dmitry Prudtskikh, Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre. “I am glad to see that the Aarhus Centre in Osh has established a platform for communication between governmental, public and private structures, with the support of the OSCE.”

Kanybek Isabaev, Director of the Aarhus Centre in Osh, said: “For several years, we have been disseminating information to the public and our partners on the legislation regarding environmental protection, the rational use of natural resources, and subsoil and environmental safety in our country. It is very significant that citizens can participate in decision-making in the area of ecology, a sphere that is becoming increasingly important in Kyrgyzstan.”

During the discussions, participants will gain knowledge on issues of environmental protection, public access to environmental information, the normative legal acts of the Kyrgyz Republic on ecology and the basic principles of the Aarhus Convention.

The event was organized as part of the OSCE Centre's project on promoting environmental security through dialogue and enhanced disaster risk reduction.

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PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 14 March 2016 - The OSCE Mission in Kosovo held today the first of a series of four roundtables to be held this month on the ways to secure financing for the public service broadcaster, Radio Television Kosovo (RTK).

Through these roundtables, the Mission will consult a wide range of experts - journalists, Members of Parliament, academia, representatives of NGOs and media institutions - on the impact of the lack of financing on the public service broadcaster and its editorial policy, as well as on its further development.

The RTK has been without sustainable financing since 2009 when a court suspended the funding of RTK  through household electricity bills, citing human rights and discrimination concerns.

“We are in 2016 and alternative and viable funding options for the financing of RTK are still being considered, pending a final decision. On-going issues pertaining to the financing mechanisms and to the Law on RTK have to urgently be solved,” said Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.

“Without sustainable financing, the public broadcaster cannot develop into a full-fledged service provider for its audience. In addition, the already-existing delays with the digitalization process are exacerbated by this lack of funding,” he added.  

The roundtables will be followed-up with a regional conference in April, with experts from the Western Balkans and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), to come up with recommendations, for relevant institutions to consider while amending and implementing the Law on RTK.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with the protection and promotion of human rights, democratization, and public safety sector development. It helps safeguard freedom of the media and freedom of expression and supports media development.

 

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ASTANA, 21 July 2016 – Some 25 Supreme and Regional Court judges, lawyers, journalists, media experts as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps and civil society today in Astana participated in OSCE-supported public hearings on the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan’s Decree on the “Application of legislation on protecting the honour, dignity and business reputation in judicial practice”.

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 “The OSCE advocates for the full decriminalization of defamation and the fair consideration of such cases in dispute-resolution bodies or civil courts,” said Colin McCullough, Political Officer at the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “This is crucial to promoting freedom of the media, to effectively expose and fight corruption, and to eliminate the excessive protection of senior officials from legitimate public criticism.”

Bolat Kalyanbekov, Head of the Information Support Division of the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan, said: "Today's public hearings create a precedent for additional expert understanding of regulatory decrees. This is a relatively new format for meetings and it allows us all to hear expert opinions and conclusions on the issue, as well as to receive comprehensive recommendations on it.”

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This week MGM has ramped up the campaign for Daniel Craig's long awaited and highly anticipated fifth James Bond movie, No Time To Die. And as fans are painfully aware, this is actually the film's second campaign. No Time To Die had a whole advertising campaign back at the beginning of this year leading up to a hoped for April release, including many posters and even the much publicized, chart-topping release of the movie's excellent theme song by Billie Eilish. But, as we all know, the global pandemic came along and the April release was scrapped. Since then the film has been set for a November release, though even that has been uncertain given the unpredictable nature of the novel coronavirus. Now it certainly looks like EON, MGM, and distributors United Artists and Universal are doubling down on that November release! The date is proudly proclaimed across this brand new poster (frankly a little uninspired compared to the less typical previous campaign's 1-sheet) and in the brand new second trailer. And it's quite a trailer! As far as I can recall, this marks the first time a Craig Bond movie has had this kind of text tagline: The mission that changes everything begins! 

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AARP has tapped Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan as its new CEO while promising a “new chapter” of advocating for Americans who are 50 and older and their families, the group said on Tuesday. The organization, which claims nearly 38 million members, touted Minter-Jordan’s career as a physician and public health advocate, and as a business leader who has worked to improve the health and wellness of individuals and communities.

While AARP repeatedly touts its nonpartisan status—it neither supports nor opposes candidates for offices—it devoted a rather significant portion of its announcement to highlighting the voting trends of older Americans. Since last week’s election, AARP has been dissecting how voters ages 50-plus cast their ballots.

In a statement, Minter-Jordan pointed to the association’s legacy over the past 65-plus years of helping to improve the lives of older Americans, age on their terms, and live their lives to the fullest, while teasing some changes in its future. 

“This is a pivotal moment for AARP and the nation,” she said. “As AARP looks ahead, we have exciting opportunities to empower, uplift, and make a positive impact on the health, wealth, and wellness of the more than 110 million Americans ages 50 and older and the entire country.”

Working to protect Social Security and Medicare

AARP long ago distanced itself from a direct connection with retirees—in 1999, it officially rebranded as AARP in lieu of the American Association of Retired Persons—and has since opened up membership to adults 18 and older. But the core of its advocacy still focuses on older Americans, including to protect Social Security and Medicare, support family caregiving, lower the costs of prescription drugs, and shift public narratives on aging.

Minter-Jordan joins Washington-based AARP after serving in previous executive leadership roles at three Boston-based healthcare organizations. Most recently, she launched the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health in 2021 and served as president and CEO until July, according to her LinkedIn profile.

In September, a Boston Globe columnist included Minter-Jordan among an “alarming pattern” of at least 10 Black CEOs who had recently left prominent leadership posts in the past year. 

Minter-Jordan attended Brown University for her undergraduate studies and medical degree and completed an MBA at Johns Hopkins University. She succeeds Jo Ann Jenkins, who announced in March that she would be stepping down when her contract is up at the end of the year, after a decade leading AARP.

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