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CBD News: I am pleased to welcome you all to the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Pro




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CBD News: I am honoured to have this opportunity to address you on the occasion of the visit of His Excellency Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico at this United Nations Biodiversity Conference, in Cancun, Mexico, 2016.




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CBD News: It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this first Clearing-House Mechanism Award Ceremony.




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CBD News: I would like to thank Ms. Naoko Ishii for inviting me to brief the Council on the recent developments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. As you may be aware, I started my tenure as the Executive Secretary of the Convention just two mo




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CBD News: On behalf of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Dr. Cristiana Pa?ca Palmer, I would like to welcome you to the "Capacity building workshop for Caribbean Small Island Developing States towards achieving Aichi




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CBD News: I want to welcome you to the Subregional Workshop for Arabic Speaking Countries on the Clearing-House Mechanism.




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CBD News: Young people from around the world are encouraged to submit videos for the 2019 Global Youth Video Competition showcasing positive solutions on three themes: Nature-based Solutions for Food and Human Health; Cities and Local Action to Combat Cli




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CBD Notification SCBD/IMS/JMF/JBF/NP/CR/WS/IH/88601 (2020-006): Call for Applications: 2020 Global Youth Biodiversity Summit in Miyazaki




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CBD Notification SCBD/OES/DAIN/FD/88686 (2020-022): Engaging in Earth Hour 2020: Raise your Voice for Nature




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CBD Notification SCBD/IMS/JMF/JBF/NP/CR/WS/IH/88601 (2020-023): Postponement of the 2020 Global Youth Biodiversity Summit in Miyazaki




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CBD News: Joining the global celebration of the United Nations World Wildlife Day, representatives of UN Member States, UN System organizations, international and non-governmental organizations, rural communities and youth gathered at the UN Headquarters




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How to scale up your startup workforce without killing its culture

Startups moving to the scale-up phase will naturally experience growing pains, here's how to manage your team through that period with as little disruption as possible




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Reasons why you should work for a startup




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Best free software downloads for your laptop




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You're in for a shock




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Reply to Introduce Yourself / Say Hello! here!

petrapetruta posted a reply:

jacquesjacobs:


Hello there and welcome!We hope to see some catchy contribution from you too! :-)




you

Reply to Introduce Yourself / Say Hello! here!

Rémi de Valenciennes posted a reply:

Hello,
I'm Rémi from Lille (North of France). I think we need color nowadays !




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Reply to Introduce Yourself / Say Hello! here!

petrapetruta posted a reply:

Rémi de Valenciennes:


I absolutely agree with you!
And welcome! :-)




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Reply to Introduce Yourself / Say Hello! here!

Cigaleto posted a reply:

Hello, je suis Agnès de France. J habite en Provence, le pays des cigales et de la lavande. Un région pleine de couleurs.




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Reply to Introduce Yourself / Say Hello! here!

Alex Borbely posted a reply:

Alex Borbely from the north shore of Lake Ontario, Canada! I have been doing mostly nature photography for just over a decade. Self taught and focus mainly on freezing movement! Be well and safe!
Alex




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Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat

Joseph B. Nelson
Aug 1, 2017; 30:171-174
From Research to Practice




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KRACK Wi-Fi flaw: What you should know

Several fundamental weaknesses have been exposed in the most common Wi-Fi security protocols.




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SJ offers advice to youngsters

There have been arrests, prosecutions and convictions of youngsters and students resulting from the social unrest since June last year. Recently, explosives and chemicals were found by Police. It would be catastrophic if they were used for unscrupulous purposes. Some of the youngsters might have been mistakenly led to believe that use of violence should be considered as a means to achieve their aspirations. However, I hope that they appreciate that law-breaking behaviour would always have legal consequences.

 

It is very troubling to see from the media reports that underage children or students are taking part in unlawful activities and even getting involved in violence. In so doing, they would not only put their own and others' safety at risk, but could also be arrested and prosecuted resulting in criminal records upon convictions. Their future in education and employment would inevitably be affected.

 

There are misleading suggestions that all young offenders would only be cautioned under the Police Superintendent's Discretion Scheme without criminal records. One must understand that Police, in deliberating whether to administer a caution, have to take into account a number of factors, such as whether the juvenile offender was under the age of 18 at the time of committing the offence; the seriousness and nature of the offence; whether the offender voluntarily and unequivocally admits the offence; whether the offender is remorseful and so on. Therefore, the scheme does not apply to all young offenders indiscriminately.

 

Similarly, bind over orders are only appropriate for first-time offenders involving minor offences and they have to be agreed by the courts. Under the bind over arrangement, offenders are required to admit the wrongdoings and are admonished in an open court. They also need to give an undertaking to the court to be of good behaviour. Imprisonment might be imposed for breaching the undertaking. Before agreeing to such a procedure on specified conditions, the prosecution has to give considerations to various factors including the age of the offender, criminal record, and attitude of the offender such as remorsefulness and so on.

 

There are also comments that prosecutions against young offenders should be withdrawn on the basis of public interest. I have to stress again that the Department of Justice (DoJ) must strictly make our prosecutorial decisions in accordance with admissible evidence, applicable laws and the Prosecution Code. The non-exhaustive list of considerations to be addressed when making assessment in considering public interest, including those applicable to juvenile offenders, were set out in 5.9 and 15.4 of the Prosecution Code, which include the nature of the offence, the seriousness of the offence, the criminal history of the suspect, remorsefulness of the suspect and the sentencing options available to the court and so on. Prosecutors should follow the above principles in making their decisions and must not withdraw charges unjustifiably under the pretext of public interest.

 

In considering the above arrangements, the DoJ has to carefully examine the circumstances of each case in an objective manner and strictly in accordance with the established principles. A decision cannot be made solely based on the age of the offenders. Their legal representatives are not only duty bound to inform them of their rights but also have an obligation to remind them of the legal consequences and the availability and considerations in relation to the above arrangements.

 

As observed by Lord Diplock, "[t]he acceptance of the rule of law as a constitutional principle requires that a citizen, before committing himself to any course of action, should be able to know in advance what are the legal consequences that will flow from it". Every member of the public must be aware that one has to bear the legal responsibility resulting from law-breaking behaviour. I sincerely hope that every one, in particular the youngsters, should exercise their independent thinking and judgement, and, more importantly, stay away from violence and not commit mistakes that might ruin their lives in the future.

 

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on May 9.




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Young Scientist prize for Lancaster physicist

(Lancaster University) Lancaster University's Dr Samuli Autti has been awarded a Young Scientist Prize 2020 by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. The prestigious prize, awarded only once every three years, was made by the Low Temperature Commission of the IUPAP.




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Wish you were here: Meetings, no meetings, meeting reports [Editorial]

We've all been saying it: These are unprecedented times. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are incredibly wide-ranging and affect all facets of life. One that is hitting the scientific community very hard is the cancellation of meetings, large and small. While we are well-versed in connecting with colleagues and collaborators across a variety of online platforms, these do not replace the immensely gratifying aspects of attending meetings in person: the pleasure of catching up with old friends and making new ones, the insights gained from having real-time conversations with others working on the same topic but with different expertise and perspectives, and the stimulating new scientific ideas we carry home. We have all been feeling the disappointment as we learn that one meeting after another is forced to cancel, from the vibrant ASBMB annual meeting to summer conferences of all types.Another loss from the appropriate but painful decision to cancel the ASBMB annual meeting was the chance to hear from our Herbert Tabor Early Career Investigator Awardees, who represent the best science published in JBC in the preceding year. This year, the competition was particularly fierce. We hope and anticipate that we will be able to hear from the winners at next year's ASBMB annual meeting. But in the meantime, we want to raise a toast to Wenchao Zhao, Yue Yang, Manisha Dagar, Febin Varghese, and Ayumi Nagashima-Kasahara as our 2020 winners. We've captured their award-winning 2019 papers (1–5) on the JBC website (6), and extended profiles of the...




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Print your own laboratory-grade microscope for US$18

(University of Bath) For the first time, labs around the world can 3D print their own precision microscopes, thanks to an open-source design created at Bath.




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Study shows need for new focus in anti-vaping efforts for older teens and young adults

(Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan) They know it's addictive. They know it's linked to dangerous lung diseases. And they know it delivers more nicotine than the cigarettes it's supposed to replace. But the social aspects of vaping drives young people to use Juul and other e-cigarettes, according to nearly two-thirds of teens and young adults in a new study. Less than 5% say the availability of fruity flavors drives use of e-cigarettes by members of their generation, and only 10% say addiction does.




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H2OPE Centre hydrates young minds

Children gain a valuable insight into Hong Kong’s waterworks by directing the flow of water at an attraction designed to emulate the water cycle at the Water Supplies Department’s brand new H2OPE Centre.

 

They learn how rain passes through catchwaters in mountains and is filtered and distributed to people’s homes at the attraction, one of the 54 games or displays at the water education centre.

 

Kids can also try their hand at a fishing simulator to learn about tips and advice on fishing in reservoirs and discover ways to recycle and save water at other exhibits of the 720-sq m centre, which opened in December.

 

“It is extremely fun. We do not have this at school. I know how to save water now,” student Kim Lam said.

 

“Usually, we sit in a classroom and answer questions. But now we can learn about water in Hong Kong by playing games. It is excellent,” fellow student Alan Zeng added.

 

Children can also watch immersive videos at the centre’s 3D dome theatre.

 

Deeper understanding

The department hopes the centre will raise public awareness about water conservation.

 

“Its exhibits, live demonstrations and interactive games help visitors gain more insight into Hong Kong’s water resources,” Water Supplies Department Senior Engineer Irene Tong explained.

 

People can also visit the city’s important waterworks facilities such as the Waterworks Heritage Trails and the High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung, by joining the department’s Excursion with Water Save Dave. 

 

Water Save Dave is the department’s mascot to help promote a water conservation culture in the community.

 

Water Supplies Department Engineer Fion Chan said: “Water Save Dave is blue and shaped like a water drop to encourage us to cherish every single drop of water.

 

“We hope that guided tours of waterworks facilities will raise the public’s awareness about water resources and conservation.”




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SAS Notes for SAS®9 - 40995: The SAS Universal Viewer converts null values into zeros when you save an XPT file as an XML or CSV file

The SAS Universal Viewer displays null values appropriately as blanks for XPT files. However, when you select Table ? Save As and save an XPT file as either an XML or CSV file, the SAS Universal Viewer con




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New Research Shows Macroeconomic Conditions During Youth Shape Work Preferences for Life

Tuesday, April 28, 2020 - 12:00

The first-of-its-kind study from Columbia Business School finds that growing up in a recession vs an economic boom leads to differences in work priorities. As world economies grapple with COVID-19 impacts, research provides valuable insight for employers and labor markets




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Germline genomic profiles of children, young adults with solid tumors to inform managementand treatment

(Cleveland Clinic) A new Cleveland Clinic study demonstrates the importance of genetics evaluation and genetic testing for children, adolescents and young adults with solid tumor cancers. The study was published today in Nature Communications.





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Is planet Earth young or old?

(World Scientific) New book explores human's endeavours to measure the age of the Earth -- the biblical story, geology's response, Darwin's contribution, Kelvin's cooling Earth model, and modern science.




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Can you reuse a disposable mask? Yes, if you follow these steps

Disposable masks can be used more than once, but it's important to make sure the mask isn't carrying coronavirus.





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The Maestro Project: A Patient Navigator for the Transition of Care for Youth With Type 1 Diabetes

Norma Van Walleghem
Feb 1, 2011; 24:9-13
From Research to Practice/Transitions in Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes




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Family Conflict and Diabetes Management in Youth: Clinical Lessons From Child Development and Diabetes Research

Barbara J. Anderson
Jan 1, 2004; 17:
Articles




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How to Keep Up Your Job Search During the Pandemic

Your job search doesn't have to stop during the COVID-19 crisis.





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What You See Is Not What You Get - On the Accuracy of Voxel-Based Dosimetry in Molecular Radiotherapy

Due to improvements in quantitative SPECT/CT, voxel-based dosimetry for radionuclide therapies has aroused growing interest as it promises the visualization of absorbed doses at a voxel level. In this work, SPECT/CT-based voxel-based dosimetry of a 3D printed 2-compartment kidney phantom was performed, and the resulting absorbed dose distributions were examined. Additionally, the potential of the PETPVC partial-volume correction tool was investigated. Methods: Both kidney compartments (70% cortex, 30% medulla) were filled with different activity concentrations and SPECT/CT imaging was performed. The images were reconstructed using varying reconstruction settings (iterations, subsets, and post-filtering). Based on these activity concentration maps, absorbed dose distributions were calculated with pre-calculated 177Lu voxel S values and an empirical kidney half-life. An additional set of absorbed doses was calculated after applying PETPVC for partial-volume correction of the SPECT reconstructions. Results: SPECT/CT imaging blurs the two discrete sub-organ absorbed dose values into a continuous distribution. While this effect is slightly improved by applying more iterations, it is enhanced by additional post-filtering. By applying PETPVC, the absorbed dose values are separated into 2 peaks. Although this leads to a better agreement between SPECT/CT-based and nominal values, considerable discrepancies remain. In contrast to the calculated nominal absorbed doses of 7.8/1.6 Gy (cortex/medulla), SPECT/CT-based voxel-level dosimetry resulted in mean absorbed doses ranging from 3.0-6.6 Gy (cortex) and 2.7-5.1 Gy (medulla). PETPVC led to improved ranges of 6.1-8.9 Gy (cortex) and 2.1-5.4 Gy (medulla). Conclusion: Our study shows that 177Lu quantitative SPECT/CT imaging leads to voxel-based dose distributions largely differing from the real organ distribution. SPECT/CT imaging and reconstruction deficiencies might directly translate into unrealistic absorbed dose distributions, thus questioning the reliability of SPECT-based voxel-level dosimetry. Therefore, SPECT/CT reconstructions should be adapted to ensure an accurate quantification of the underlying activity and, therefore, absorbed dose in a volume-of-interest of the expected object size (e.g. organs, organ sub-structures, lesions or voxels). As an example, PETPVC largely improves the match between SPECT/CT-based and nominal dose distributions. In conclusion, the concept of voxel-based dosimetry should be treated with caution. Specifically, it should be kept in mind that the absorbed dose distribution is mainly a convolved version of the underlying SPECT reconstruction.




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Peptidomic Analysis of Urine from Youths with Early Type 1 Diabetes Reveals Novel Bioactivity of Uromodulin Peptides In Vitro [Research]

Chronic hyperglycemia is known to disrupt the proteolytic milieu, initiating compensatory and maladaptive pathways in the diabetic kidney. Such changes in intrarenal proteolysis are captured by the urinary peptidome. To elucidate the early kidney response to chronic hyperglycemia, we conducted a peptidomic investigation into urines from otherwise healthy youths with type 1 diabetes and their non-diabetic peers using unbiased and targeted mass spectrometry-based techniques. This cross-sectional study included two separate cohorts for the discovery (n = 30) and internal validation (n = 30) of differential peptide excretion. Peptide bioactivity was predicted using PeptideRanker and subsequently verified in vitro. Proteasix and the Nephroseq database were used to identify putative proteases responsible for peptide generation and examine their expression in diabetic nephropathy. A total of 6550 urinary peptides were identified in the discovery analysis. We further examined the subset of 162 peptides, which were quantified across all thirty samples. Of the 15 differentially excreted peptides (p < 0.05), seven derived from a C-terminal region (589SGSVIDQSRVLNLGPITRK607) of uromodulin, a kidney-specific protein. Increased excretion of five uromodulin peptides was replicated in the validation cohort using parallel reaction monitoring (p < 0.05). One of the validated peptides (SGSVIDQSRVLNLGPI) activated NFB and AP-1 signaling, stimulated cytokine release, and enhanced neutrophil migration in vitro. In silico analyses highlighted several potential proteases such as hepsin, meprin A, and cathepsin B to be responsible for generating these peptides. In summary, we identified a urinary signature of uromodulin peptides associated with early type 1 diabetes before clinical manifestations of kidney disease and discovered novel bioactivity of uromodulin peptides in vitro. Our present findings lay the groundwork for future studies to validate peptide excretion in larger and broader populations, to investigate the role of bioactive uromodulin peptides in high glucose conditions, and to examine proteases that cleave uromodulin.




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New website allows youth to report cyber bullying at ACT libraries

A new pilot website will also make it easier for material to be taken off the internet.




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Apple v FBI: what the fight is about and why you should care

Apple is in the middle of a legal fight with the FBI over creating a 'back door' to unlock a terrorist's iPhone.




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Can the government really protect your privacy when it 'de-identifies' public data?

We don't really know to how to use big data and protect personal information at the same time.




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Episode 59 - The Internet of What They Know About You (IoWTKAY)

In this week's missive from Planet Pod, Dominic Preston, Tamlin Magee and Thomas Macaulay join host Henry Burrell to discuss such lightweight, frothy tech issues as data privacy, Project Scorpio, and cyber warfare. Sleep well, and don't have nightmares.  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




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Coronavirus Vaccine: Available For All, or When it's Your Turn?

4 May 2020

Professor David Salisbury CB

Associate Fellow, Global Health Programme
Despite high-level commitments and pledges to cooperate to ensure equitable global access to a coronavirus vaccine, prospects for fair distribution are uncertain.

2020-05-04-Vaccine-COVID-Brazil

Researcher in Brazil working on virus replication in order to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus. Photo by DOUGLAS MAGNO/AFP via Getty Images.

When the H1N1 influenza pandemic struck in 2009, some industrialized countries were well prepared. Many countries’ preparedness plans had focused on preparing for an influenza pandemic and based on earlier alerts over the H5N1 ‘bird flu’ virus, countries had made advanced purchase or ‘sleeping’ contracts for vaccine supplies that could be activated as soon as a pandemic was declared. Countries without contracts scrambled to get supplies after those that already had contracts received their vaccine.

Following the 2009 pandemic, the European Union (EU) developed plans for joint-purchase vaccine contracts that any member state could join, guaranteeing the same price per dose for everyone. In 2009, low-income countries were unable to get the vaccine until manufacturers agreed to let 10 per cent of their production go to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The situation for COVID-19 could be even worse. No country had a sleeping contract in place for a COVID-19 vaccine since nobody had anticipated that the next pandemic would be a coronavirus, not an influenza virus. With around 80 candidate vaccines reported to be in development, choosing the right one will be like playing roulette.

These candidates will be whittled down as some will fail at an early stage of development and others will not get to scale-up for manufacturing. All of the world’s major vaccine pharmaceutical companies have said that they will divert resources to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines and, as long as they choose the right candidate for production, they have the expertise and the capacity to produce in huge quantities.

From roulette to a horse race

Our game now changes from roulette to a horse race, as the probability of winning is a matter of odds not a random chance. Countries are now able to try to make contracts alone or in purchasing consortia with other states, and with one of the major companies or with multiple companies. This would be like betting on one of the favourites.

For example, it has been reported that Oxford University has made an agreement with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, with a possibility of 100 million doses being available by the end of 2020. If the vaccine works and those doses materialize, and are all available for the UK, then the UK population requirements will be met in full, and the challenge becomes vaccinating everyone as quickly as possible.

Even if half of the doses were reserved for the UK, all those in high-risk or occupational groups could be vaccinated rapidly. However, as each major manufacturer accepts more contracts, the quantity that each country will get diminishes and the time to vaccinate the at-risk population gets longer.

At this point, it is not known how manufacturers will respond to requests for vaccine and how they will apportion supplies between different markets. You could bet on an outsider. You study the field and select a biotech that has potential with a good production development programme and a tie-in with a smaller-scale production facility.

If other countries do not try to get contracts, you will get your vaccine as fast as manufacturing can be scaled up; but because it is a small manufacturer, your supplies may take a long time. And outsiders do not often win races. You can of course, depending on your resources, cover several runners and try to make multiple contracts. However, you take on the risk that some will fail, and you may have compromised your eventual supply.

On April 24, the WHO co-hosted a meeting with the president of France, the president of the European Commission and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It brought together heads of state and industry leaders who committed to ‘work towards equitable global access based on an unprecedented level of partnership’. They agreed ‘to create a strong unified voice, to build on past experience and to be accountable to the world, to communities and to one another’ for vaccines, testing materials and treatments.

They did not, however, say how this will be achieved and the absence of the United States was notable. The EU and its partners are hosting an international pledging conference on May 4 that aims to raise €7.5 billion in initial funding to kick-start global cooperation on vaccines. Co-hosts will be France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Norway and Saudi Arabia and the priorities will be ‘Test, Treat and Prevent’, with the latter dedicated to vaccines.

Despite these expressions of altruism, every government will face the tension between wanting to protect their own populations as quickly as possible and knowing that this will disadvantage poorer countries, where health services are even less able to cope. It will not be a vote winner to offer a share in available vaccine to less-privileged countries.

The factories for the biggest vaccine manufacturers are in Europe, the US and India. Will European manufacturers be obliged by the EU to restrict sales first to European countries? Will the US invoke its Defense Production Act and block vaccine exports until there are stocks enough for every American? And will vaccine only be available in India for those who can afford it?

The lessons on vaccine availability from the 2009 influenza pandemic are clear: vaccine was not shared on anything like an equitable basis. It remains to be seen if we will do any better in 2020.




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United States Presidency and Europe: Over to You, Europe

1 November 2008 , Number 1

The race is on to ensure that relations between the United States and its European allies are set on the right track from the outset of Barack Obama’s presidency. Although they may not like it, the main responsibility for ensuring that the transatlantic relationship does not stumble into a series of disappointed expectations in its first critical year lies more in European capitals than in Washington.

Robin Niblett

Director and Chief Executive, Chatham House




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Human Rights: Right for You, Right for Us?

1 October 2007 , Number 5

Internationally, Britain has traded for decades on its human rights laurels. Its key role in building the successful European human rights system has long been celebrated, and human rights promotion remains a cornerstone of foreign and development policy. Domestically, the contrast could not be stronger. Newspapers are actively campaigning to ‘axe’ the Human Rights Act, and mainstream political leaders are joining in, hoping for electoral gains. Does this mean the British people have turned their backs on human rights?

Sonya Sceats

Associate Fellow, International Law Programme

GettyImages-71296579.jpg

The leader of Britain's Conservative Party, David Cameron




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Rethinking youth bulge theory in policy and scholarship: incorporating critical gender analysis

7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3

Lesley Pruitt

For decades ‘youth bulge’ theory has dominated understandings of youth in mainstream International Relations. Youth bulge theory has also become part of some public media analyses, mainstream political rhetoric, and even officially enshrined in the foreign policy of some states. Through the ‘youth bulge’ lens, youth—especially males—have been presented as current or future perpetrators of violence. However, this article argues that the youth bulge thesis postulated in mainstream IR is based on flawed theoretical assumptions. In particular, supporters of youth bulge theory fail to engage with existing research by feminist IR scholars and thus take on a biological essentialist approach. This has led to theoretical and practical misunderstandings of the roles youth play in relation to conflict, peace and security. These partial and biased understandings have also resulted in less effective policy-making. In critically reflecting on the ‘youth bulge’ thesis, this article argues that applying gender analysis is crucial to understanding the involvement of young people in general—and young men in particular—in conflict. Doing so will contribute to advancing more accurate analysis in scholarship and policy-making.




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How Putin Tries to Depoliticize Russia’s Youth

7 January 2020

Professor Nikolai Petrov

Senior Research Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House

Ekaterina Aleynikova

Independent Analyst
Vladimir Putin’s condescending remarks on Greta Thunberg’s activism say more about the Kremlin’s attitude towards Russian youth than climate change.

2020-01-07-Putin.jpg

Vladimir Putin meets with representatives of the Russian Student Brigades in the Kremlin. Photo: Getty Images.

Climate change debates have not taken root in Russia. Yet, while speaking at an energy forum in Moscow, Vladimir Putin chose to comment on Greta Thunberg, the prominent 16-year-old Swedish eco-activist. Adopting his usual sarcastically condescending persona, Putin expressed regret that the ‘kind’ and ‘very sincere’ girl was being used by adults for their own political interests in such a ‘cruel, emotional way’.

These remarks may appear to have been intended to dismiss Thunberg’s environmental concerns. However, among the Russian public, concern about climate change is not widespread.

Fridays for Future, the movement started by Thunberg, received little uptake in Russia, inspiring less than 100 people to take to the streets in September. This does not compare to the 50,000 or more people who came out to protest unfair elections and police brutality in Moscow in August. Indeed, Thunberg herself is largely perceived negatively among the Russian public.

Thus, there was no need for Putin to warn his domestic audience about Thunberg’s ‘mistaken’ cause. In fact, Putin’s key message was not to aimed at the young activist or even the climate change debate. Although presented as spontaneous, his words revealed a carefully-constructed narrative. It was expressed in general terms.

‘Adults must do everything not to bring teenagers and children into extreme situations,’ Putin urged, ‘when somebody uses children and teenagers in their own interests, it only deserves to be condemned.’ In fact, these statements were targeted at delegitimizing any sort of political engagement from young people.

Those familiar with Kremlin propaganda would have recognized this narrative from the statements that have been made about Alexey Navalny’s supporters over the recent years, who have been portrayed as ‘naïve’ and ‘manipulated’. According to the state, young people should be apolitical, and hence any involvement they have in politics must come as a result of manipulation by ‘ill-intended’ adults.

The same attitude is exploited to impose restrictions on individual freedoms, as is the case with the infamous gay propaganda law, which disguises discrimination in the language of protecting children. Portraying the youth as innately dependent legitimizes paternalistic interventions from the state, defining the norms of conduct.

This narrative is part of a wider strategy employed by the Russian government to promote political apathy among the country’s youth. There have been efforts to discourage young people from participating in political protests, such as warnings of expulsion at schools and universities and threats of fines and prosecution against parents whose children attend demonstrations.

A vivid illustration of these efforts is the recent conviction of Yegor Zhukov, a 21-year-old student from Moscow’s Higher School of Economics who discussed regime change on his blog. Instead of the four years in prison for extremism that the prosecutor asked for, he was sentenced to three years of probation, with a prohibition against him posting online as a condition. His sentencing sends a message, to Zhukov and to all young people interested in politics – he is free to go perhaps, but not free to speak out.

It is not all ‘stick’ in the government’s approach to young people. There is also some ‘carrot’. The Kremlin has been paying close attention to the youth ever since the protests of 2011–12, which demonstrated conclusively that growing up under Putin has not prevented young people from imagining alternatives to his regime. Since then, Putin has made a habit of regular meetings with young people, and a number of initiatives have been rolled out to select and reward ‘top performers’.

Through presidential grants, such as the Sirius educational programme in Sochi, the government selects and trains high-achieving students in STEM subjects. This is done under the umbrella of promoting technological innovation.

Thus, there exist clear boundaries over where creative thinking is allowed: it is encouraged in technical sciences, but not in social sciences or humanities. To the ‘right’ type of talented children participating in government programmes, the ‘wrong’ image of Zhukov stands as a stark contrast.

For the majority of young people, Russia’s education system does not support the development of independent, critical thinking. In 2016, Putin personally endorsed an initiative to create a single official history textbook that excludes ‘internal contradictions and double interpretations’. This demonstrates the desire of the regime to promote convergent thinking among the wider population.

This strategy towards Russia’s youth reflects the fears of Putin’s regime, which sees young people as having disruptive potential. There have been false dawns for Russia’s liberal opposition before (most recently in 2012) and, while the summer’s protests were significant, it remains unclear whether the new generation really are more progressive than those who went before.

Nevertheless, dissatisfaction with the status quo is apparent among Russia’s youth. They do not see Russia offering them good opportunities. Over 50% of those aged 18–24 reported that they want to emigrate, in a recent survey by Levada Center. Whether this discontent provides the impetus for political change in Russia may depend on the success of the Kremlin’s efforts to depoliticize Russia’s youth.




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Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 65940: You might receive "ERROR: PI Point not found" when you query a PI tag name that contains a special character such as an ampersand (&)

When you query a PI tag name or element that contains a special character, such as an ampersand (&), you might receive the following error: