A roundtable discussion on the implementation of the Aarhus Convention in Kazakhstan took place in Astana on 15 July 2016.

Some 60 representatives of the Aarhus Centres, regional and central government entities, environmental non-governmental organizations and private sector discussed the ways to improve Kazakhstan’s compliance with its obligations under the Aarhus Convention.

They reviewed the ongoing activities in promoting its principles in the regions as well as new amendments to the national environmental legislation. They also examined the draft Aarhus Convention implementation report for 2014-2016 and exchanged opinions on its further enhancement.

The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in partnership with the Energy Ministry’s Information and Analytical Centre of Environment Protection.

The 1998 Aarhus Convention consists of three pillars: access to information, public participation in environmental decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. Aarhus Centres provide platforms to engage citizens, governments and the private sector in a dialogue on environmental challenges.

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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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BISHKEK, 28 June 2016 – The OSCE’s role and activities in Security Sector Governance and Reform in Central Asia, and the challenges and opportunities in the field, are the focus of a three-day regional seminar hosted by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, which began today in the Kyrgyz capital.

Taking part are some 50 representatives of OSCE field operations in Central Asia and regional partners, government officials from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as well as civil society and academia. As well as providing a platform for regional networking among national and international partners, the discussion will explore challenges within police reform, border management and security, counter-terrorism, anti-corruption, justice sector reform among others.

“By reviewing the government’s budget and reports on its execution, adopting laws, establishing a working group to monitor enforcement of the laws and parliamentary decisions, we can make the reforms possible,” said Ainuru Altybaeva,  Kyrgyz member of parliament and member of the parliamentary Committee for International Relations, Defence and Security.

Security Sector Governance and Reform is increasingly recognized by OSCE participating States as an essential element in conflict prevention, early warning, crisis management and peace-building.

Daniele Rumolo, Acting Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: “Effective security sector reform processes have to be carried out in full consultation with all affected sides, including civil society and independent experts, as well as with the support of international organizations. The new OSCE guidelines on Security Sector Governance and Reform are designed to lead us and all other stakeholders and partners, in upholding these principles.”

Professor Erica Marat of the National Defense University in Washington D.C. said that while there are challenges for reform processes in the region, there are also tremendous opportunities which can be supported by a well-educated population, empowered women, ethnic and religious diversity, and a vibrant civil society.

The regional seminar is part of an extra-budgetary project that aims to support, build capacity and raise awareness on Security Sector Governance and Reform within the OSCE. The project is supported by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship, as well as Switzerland, Slovakia, Serbia and Austria. A similar regional event is planned for later this year in South-East Europe. 

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The OSCE Office in Yerevan, in close co-operation with the Armenian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MLSA), organized a roundtable discussion on the economic integration of migrants in Armenia on 3 June 2016.

The event brought together around thirty representatives from state institutions, including the MLSA, State Migration Service of Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Diaspora, the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Culture, as well as international organizations and civil society dealing with migration issues.

The increased number of migrants entering Armenia both to seek asylum and to find employment heightens the importance of sound migrant integration policies and legislation. Armenia is among the countries in Europe with the highest per capita ratio of refugees/asylum seekers from Syria, according to government figures. Identifying ways to meet the integration needs of migrants while giving value to their contribution can represent an opportunity to strengthen the existing economic integration mechanisms for the benefit of the entire Armenian economy and society.

“The discussion has provided national agencies with the opportunity to raise their issues of concern regarding the economic integration of migrants, outline their priorities and activities and explore areas of possible co-operation. The results of this event will also contribute to the revision of the policy concept for immigrant integration prepared by the state migration service, which has been submitted to other state bodies for consideration,” said David Gullette, the Democratization Programme Officer at the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

In addition to presenting their activities and discussing ways to improve their co-ordination, the participants underlined the importance of learning from more experienced countries. One of the key recommendations of the roundtable discussion was to approach the international community for support to organize a regional event for exchanging views on best practices in the area of the economic integration of migrants.

The discussion was organized upon the request of the State Employment Service of the Armenian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. 

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Listen to the experts at Autodesk discuss 3D printing, the direction they are heading and the unusual play in the market!

A great way for 3D Printing companies to gain markets is to build a network. Listen to Kari Gillenwater, of Gillenwater Consulting Group talk about why she thinks marketing networks are important.

Liten to Ann Diddlebock speak on teams that work. Get her perspective as a CFO and enjoy! We borrow this podcast from our friend at International Toolkit

In this episode of Market Chat!, we heard from 3 senior procurement officials from the Department of Homeland Security. 

The post Episode 16: Government and industry communication and collaboration – a discussion with Department of Homeland Security procurement first appeared on Federal News Network.

Location: Electronic Resource- 

The B1 Empowerment Weekend on September 20-21, 2024, will feature ‘B1: The Movie’ screenings and discussions with filmmaker Dr. Ric Mathis. A spokesperson said, “On Friday and Saturday, September 20th and 21st, 2024, an empowering weekend has been planned for community engagement featuring a screening of the powerful film, B1:The Movie, and discussions with Atlanta […]

[Updating] The by-election for Constituency 36 Sandys North is being held today [Oct 4], and we are thrilled to have some of the island’s brilliant young minds from Bermuda Youth Connect hosting a live discussion in advance of the results, and we will also be streaming the announcement live from the polling station. There are […]

I thought I'd just start a new topic since they changed from Oculus to Meta nearly two years ago.

At any rate, meta was kind enough to give us a few weekly deals.

William Dudley, senior advisor, Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies, Princeton University; and former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York In conversation with Markus Brunnermeier, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Economics, and Director of the Bendheim Center for Finance, Princeton University Wednesday, November 20, 2024, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Julis Romo Rabinowitz Building, Room 399 Co-sponsored by The Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies (GCEPS) and Bendheim Center for Finance (BCF) Open to the Princeton University Community Group of 30 Report Publication, G30 Working Group on the 2023 Banking Crisis, chaired by William Dudley

An outlet for Cartoon Brew readers to share what you're feeling and how you're doing today.

Innovation Center, William Penn High School. – On Tuesday, Lt. Governor Hall-Long joined Patrick and Amy Kennedy and leaders in behavioral health from around Delaware for a round table discussion aimed at improving student mental health. Patrick Kennedy is one of the world’s leading voices on mental health and addiction. He is best known as the lead sponsor of the Mental Health Parity […]

Governor Carney and Council members will hold meeting to discuss state service delivery in Wilmington WILMINGTON, Del. – At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 13, Governor Carney will host a public discussion on Wilmington with the Family Services Cabinet Council. Governor Carney signed Executive Order #5 in February, re-establishing the Family Services Cabinet Council to […]

WILMINGTON, Del. — On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in honor of the 70th anniversary of the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, the State of Delaware’s Department of Human Resources, Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in collaboration with the Governor’s Office, hosted a panel discussion featuring descendants of the Delaware cases that […]

Title: Twitter Broadening Discussions About Death, Grief: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/20/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/22/2016 12:00:00 AM

BackgroundThere has been significant investment in pharmacists working in UK general practice to improve the effective and safe use of medicines. However, evidence of how to optimise collaboration between GPs and pharmacists in the context of polypharmacy (multiple medication) is lacking.AimTo explore GP and pharmacist views and experiences of in-person, interprofessional collaborative discussions (IPCDs) as part of a complex intervention to optimise medication use for patients with polypharmacy in general practice.Design and settingA mixed-method process evaluation embedded within the Improving Medicines use in People with Polypharmacy in Primary Care (IMPPP) trial conducted in Bristol and the West Midlands, between February 2021 and September 2023.MethodAudio-recordings of IPCDs between GPs and pharmacists, along with individual semi-structured interviews to explore their reflections on these discussions, were used. All recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.ResultsA total of 14 practices took part in the process evaluation from February 2022 to September 2023; 17 IPCD meetings were audio-recorded, discussing 30 patients (range 1–6 patients per meeting). In all, six GPs and 13 pharmacists were interviewed. The IPCD was highly valued by GPs and pharmacists who described benefits, including: strengthening their working relationship; gaining in confidence to manage more complex patients; and learning from each other. It was often challenging, however, to find time for the IPCDs.ConclusionThe model of IPCD used in this study provided protected time for GPs and pharmacists to work together to deliver whole-patient care, with both professions finding this beneficial. Protected time for interprofessional liaison and collaboration, and structured interventions may facilitate improved patient care.

The vast majority of older adults want to age at home. To support that goal, doctors should encourage them to consider their care options — long before they need assistance.

The post Through Early Discussions About Elder Care, Doctors Can Empower Seniors to Age in Place appeared first on MedCity News.

Even with support from the government, serious threats against Bhutto will persist.

Aug 8, 2023

Energy economist Karen Palmer, renowned for her research on the nation’s electric power sector, shared her insights on electricity regulation and deregulation, carbon pricing, and climate change policy in the latest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.”

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Hear a patient�s perspective on acromegaly and learn more about recent clinical data on investigational octreotide capsules.

Prologue       Chapter 1      Chapter 2      Chapter 3       Chapter 4 Chapter 5       Chapter 6      Chapter 7      Chapter 8       Chapter 9 Chapter 10    Chapter 11     Chapter 12     Chapter 13    Chapter 14 Chapter 15     Chapter 16     Chapter 17     … Continue reading Lyorn Discussion–Major Spoilers

Enhanced data sharing across sectors and countries is vital if we want to achieve food, water and energy security in Southern Africa

The post Data, dialogues and discussion key to food, water and energy security in Southern Africa first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

WIRED features editor Sandra Upson hosts a panel with Isha Datar, executive director of New Harvest; Magi Richani, founder and CEO of Nobell Foods; and Beth Zotter, CEO of Umaro Foods, on the potential for new food sources to work their way into existing channels—sources like protein-rich seaweed, which can be easily farmed and turned into a number of products for hungry communities without a significant climate impact. The conversation also explores innovative foods, from lab-grown meat to plant-based “dairy” products, that we’ll see on store shelves in the next few years.

WIRED’s global editorial director Gideon Lichfield leads a panel discussion with Sylvia Earle, president and chair of Mission Blue, an organization fighting to protect marine ecosystems, and Sophia Kianni, founder of the Climate Cardinals and US representative to the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, on what a new generation of climate activists can learn from their forebears who have been on the front lines for years.

It is a familiar situation: a compelling discussion develops on Tw­­itter, Facebook or Instagram - it could be about any topic - but instead of working constructively towards a common solution, the tone becomes increasingly aggressive. The rift between the differing opinions grows ever larger. Often, intercultural differences and lack of understanding are the root causes of the conflict. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen now wants to develop a "moderator" using artificial intelligence (AI) that can recognise hate messages in social media and intervene to de-escalate the situation. The Volkswagen Foundation will fund the project for four years from April 2021 with a total of around 1.5 million euros.

There has been a growing change in the style of communication in social media in recent years. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to questions of cultural identity. There is increasing conflict: users become emotional and attack each other; always anxious to emphasise what divides rather than what they have in common. A constructive exchange of information, facts and arguments takes place to a very limited extent. This leads to the well-known phenomena of filter bubbles and echo chambers in social media.

Chetan Bhattacharji, who is at Baku for the first week of negotiations and The Hindu’s Jacob Koshy, will guide us through high-stakes conversations at COP29 at 5 p.m. on November 12

Meanwhile, it was not a surprise that ICC has also put on hold the prestigious ODI tournament's launch event, which was scheduled to be held in Lahore on November 11.

Emacs "predates Linux, and was once far more popular," writes LWN.net, while adding that the text editor "has fallen into relative obscurity over the years." Then it reports on a "mega-thread" on the emacs-devel mailing list about how to make Emacs more appealing and attractive to users: The discussion started with a post from "ndame" asking why Emacs is "so square"; the appearance of things like buttons could be improved with rounded corners, they said. Richard Stallman, one of the original authors of Emacs, seemed somewhat dismissive in his reply: "Perhaps we should implement a mode that puts cosmetics on Emacs so it will appeal to those who judge by the surface of things." But Stefan Kangas thought there was more to it than that: I think it's unfortunate if we assume that this is all bells and whistles. Graphical design elements can also improve usability. I also don't know that it's helpful to assume that the rest of the world will take the enlightened stance.... He wondered if there was "any reason not to improve the default look". Stallman said that there are some technical barriers in finding someone interested in and capable of doing the work needed, but there is an overarching problem that needs to be addressed first: The code to interface Emacs to X-based GUIs needs rewriting by an expert, and has needed it for decades. Until it gets that rewrite, changes in it are likely to break something. Stallman did agree that the graphical design could improve usability, "but I have a feeling that the changes that would help are deeper issues than the shape of corners". It was a long and interesting discussion, touching on the popularity of both Vim and Visual Studio Code, while another post questioned whether Emacs should even be prioritizing its menu bar and tool bar. One post suggested "starter kits" to make the text editor more friendly to newcomers, another suggested making Cntrl-C cut-and-paste the default key binding, and one asked whether it was Emacs' terminology and keyboard shortcuts that might be confusing to users coming from Microsoft Word. "You are basically making a commitment to being or becoming a power user..." argued another post. "If you just want to do 'casual' text editing emacs is a very weird choice in 2020."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The official also said as the social distancing norms will remain in effect in near future, it has to start conducting its discussions and other work online.

More than 100 world leaders converged upon New York City today to discuss international efforts to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. The list of speakers at the UN Climate Summit included U.S. President Barack Obama, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, French President François Hollande, and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.

While the number of migrants in Finland remains small, the relatively short history of migration in Finland has led to a number of integration challenges.