The U.S. Department of Justice has sided with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s July 19 “tentative decision” to withdraw approval of the joint venture and antitrust immunity between Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico, according to an Aug. 8 government filing.
DOT by statute must allow DOJ to weigh in on any change to or cancellation of airline antitrust immunity, though authority to remove immunity remains with DOT. DOJ in the filing said DOT “conducted an analytically rigorous evaluation of the competitive effects of the Joint Venture consistent with its statutory authority and its public interest mandate to consider competitive market forces and the impact of actual and potential competition” in its tentative decision to withdraw immunity.
In response, Delta and Aeromexico on Aug. 12 jointly filed an objection to DOT’s decision, outlining benefits of the joint venture to travelers and the economy. In it, the carriers also requested that should the partnership be dissolved, that “in light of the progress the U.S. Government has been making in its recent trade negotiations with the [government of Mexico], … at a minimum, the Department extend the proposed termination date” from Oct. 25, 2025, to March 28, 2026, which is the end of the 2025 International Air Transport Association winter season.
“This additional time would allow the trade negotiations to potentially resolve the Open Skies issues and/or facilitate a more orderly transition for the JCA Partners,” according to the filing.
DOT has argued that Mexico has “significantly altered the playing field for airlines in ways that reduce competition and allow predominant competitors to gain an unfair advantage in the U.S.-Mexico market,” according to its July 19 filing, citing Mexico’s decision in 2022 to seize slots from carriers at Benito Juarez International Airport to allow for construction and alleviate congestion, but that has yet to materialize three years later. Mexico also required cargo operations move out of that airport to another facility outside of Mexico City.
Turkish Airlines has added New Distribution Capability-native distribution platform AirBooking as a partner to its TKConnect distribution channel, AirBooking announced.
As a partner, AirBooking is able to display Turkish Airlines’ NDC content alongside global distribution system content, and users can manage bookings and ancillaries on a single platform while avoiding Turkish Airline’s $24 surcharge on EDIFACT bookings. That surcharge began last October, when Turkish Airlines launched the TKConnect platform.
AirRetailer Travel Technology launched the AirBooking platform, which serves travel management companies, corporate booking tools and corporate clients, earlier this year. Besides Turkish Airlines, listed airline partners include British Airways, American Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and United Airlines, along with Sabre and Amadeus as GDS partners.
Delta Air Lines has added international remote baggage screenings to select flights arriving in Atlanta from London Heathrow and Seoul Incheon airports, the carrier announced Wednesday.
Delta and Korean Air customers flying from Seoul Incheon to Atlanta and Delta customers flying from London Heathrow to Atlanta and onward to connecting Delta flights no longer need to collect and recheck their bags at U.S. customs due to a new program and collaboration between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the South Korean and U.K. governments. The benefit also applies to passengers flying from South Korea who start their travel in other cities and connect via Seoul Incheon, according to Korean Air.
Delta estimates the new process could save customers up to 25 minutes.
In addition, Delta customers connecting in Atlanta from London Heathrow on select flights will be able to bypass additional Transportation Security Administration screenings and proceed to their connecting gate, saving what the carrier said was up to 45 minutes. This offering will roll out to all flights from Heathrow to Atlanta flights in the coming weeks, according to Delta. This benefit has been available since February for customers traveling from Atlanta and connecting in Heathrow.
To qualify for the bypassed screening, Delta customers must be enrolled in Global Entry or use the Mobile Passport Control app.
Germany-based car rental company Sixt reported record second-quarter revenue of nearly €1.1 billion, up 7.4 percent year over year, and credited “significant growth in the core business of short-term rentals.”
The company also cited in a Wednesday earnings report “a market environment that remains politically challenging and highly volatile in macroeconomic terms, especially in the U.S.A.”
North American second-quarter revenue was €334.6 million, an increase of 4.8 percent year over year. The Germany segment revenue increased 1.2 percent to €289.2 million. Revenue for the Europe segment excluding Germany increased the most during the second quarter to €456 million from €400.9 million a year prior.
The company’s consolidated profit for the quarter was more than €78.4 million, compared with nearly €48.3 million reported in Q2 2024.
Average fleet size for the second quarter was 197,800 vehicles, up 5.7 percent year over year, with “a high premium share of 54 percent,” Sixt CFO Franz Weinberger said in a statement.
No official confirmation has come that GGPoker may soon move to an invitation-only model for its high-stakes games involving blinds of $25/$50, but there is some evidence to suggest that the change may already be afoot.
If true, the move is interesting, as it suggests that GGPoker does not want to open its games to a wider audience, focusing on what could be an exclusive selection of high-stakes players who are keen to spend more, given the chance to compete against their ilk.
High Stakes Players Are Equal, But Some Are More Equal
The move could also be occasioned by tightening the higher tiers of the platform where GGPoker wants to make sure there are no bots. Both explanations are equally plausible, although not very likely to be what motivates the company right now.
The change, which was first shared by Russian community members who received emails notifying them of the update, is due to take place on November 8, but there have been no official press statements by the company just yet.
Yet, the rumors have created a vortex of online reactions, and the response has not been flattering. Libertainian-minded poker rank-and-files have criticized the platform for abusing the trust that they have placed in the GGPoker brand.
By shutting the free entrance to high-stakes games, one of the biggest dreams of the poker community could be killed, precisely having the chance to start from small games, learn the ropes, master the game, and then enter the high-stakes games.
The invite-only format would severely limit this free migration throughout skill levels, restricting certain players possibly indefinitely, the community fears.
This accusation comes on top of other criticism sustained by the platform, specifically about its decision to “gamify” poker, or in other words make it more appealing to more people by way of simplifying the formats and essentially relying on randomness for winning.
High-stakes players have also said that they would not have the opportunity to maintain the same level of income. But is it all that bad?
Should “The Fish” Fear of the Move or Embrace It?
Overwhelmingly critical of the move, the community has not elected many defenders of the changes. YouTuber Joe Ingram suggested that GGPoker’s rumored decision may not be all for the wrong purposes.
Rather, GGPoker could be trying to screen and filter players who may be suspected of cheating, but this is a tenuous argument to uphold and is reminiscent of the way sports betting platforms tend to ostracize “sharp” bettors.
However, Ingram has a point to insist that there have been numerous tools used in high-stakes games to give players a statistical edge. Nevertheless, the aftertaste of this rumored change is bitter. What, ask players rightly, if the people who decide who gets to play in the high-stakes games collude?
In a game where skill should be the only deciding factor, this bizarre new form of gatekeeping rankles
Delta Air Lines beginning Dec. 2 will launch nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Lagos, Nigeria, the carrier announced Thursday. The service will run through March 28, 2025, with daily flights until Feb. 28, then three times weekly through March, according to Delta.
After Air Canada’s corporate segment gained during the second quarter, momentum slowed during the third, EVP of revenue and network planning Mark Galardo said during a Friday earnings call.
Corporate demand “was improving,” Galardo said, without providing any data. “Unfortunately, we ran into a bit of a situation about some labor uncertainty that kind of slowed us down in the fall, but it’s definitely encouraging signals going forward. In particular, [there is] more strength on the U.S. network than on Canada.”
Galardo was referring to the negotiation period with the carrier’s pilots leading up to and into September. The carrier and the pilots union reached a last-minute deal, which prevented a strike, but prior to that, Air Canada had announced contingency plans to begin shutting down in the event of a strike.
“The proactive goodwill policies we put in place to mitigate our customers’ travel disruptions during the pilot contract negotiations was the right thing to do,” Galardo said. “During that time, we saw multiple weeks of softer booking volumes as some customers postponed or canceled their itineraries while others chose to fly with other carriers. This had an impact in Q3, particularly in September and continued to a lesser extent in the first half of October.”
Air Canada Q3 Metrics
Air Canada reported third-quarter revenue of C$6.1 billion (US$4.5 billion), a 3.8 percent year-over-year decrease. Passenger revenue was C$5.6 billion, down about C$260 million. Net income was C$2 billion, up from C$1.25 billion a year prior.
Capacity increased 3 percent year over year for the quarter, and the average fuel cost was C$0.982 per liter, according to Air Canada. The carrier projects a full-year 2024 capacity increase of 5 percent year over year.
The carrier this week also announced on Jan. 15, 2025, it would resume Vancouver-Beijing daily service, and on Dec. 7, 2024, would increase its Vancouver-Shanghai service to daily, up from four times weekly.
The global workforce is transforming, propelled by the dawn of the Fifth Industrial Revolution–commonly referred to as Industry 5.0. Unlike previous revolutions that focused solely on technological advancement, Industry 5.0 strongly emphasizes collaboration between humans and machines. While AI, robotics, and drones continue to push boundaries, this era also recognizes the importance of human creativity and problem-solving in conjunction with these tools.
As we prepare the workforce of the future, it becomes clear that we must rethink our approach to STEM education. It’s no longer enough to teach technical skills in isolation. Instead, we must create learning environments that foster creativity and adaptability–key traits that will help students thrive in an increasingly complex and tech-driven world.
The imperative for Industry 5.0 readiness
The rise of AI and automation is reshaping industries, creating an urgent need for students to develop technical competencies and think innovatively about how these technologies can be applied. The future workforce must be able to work alongside machines in ways we can’t even fully anticipate yet. Anticipating this demands an education system that evolves to meet future challenges–not just by focusing on coding or data analysis but by cultivating skills that will prove invaluable in navigating new, unforeseen challenges.
Hands-on STEM learning is key to this evolution. Rather than confining students to theoretical exercises, integrating real-world technologies like drones into the classroom can provide students with the physical experiences they need to better understand the evolving job market. As these young minds engage with advanced tools, they gain the technical know-how and develop the mindset required to succeed in Industry 5.0.
Why drones? Connecting STEM to real-world applications
Drones are among the most impactful ways to bring STEM education to life. Unlike traditional teaching methods, drones allow students to interface directly with technology, transforming their learning experiences from passive to active. In classrooms incorporating drones, students can experience real-world problem-solving scenarios that transcend textbook learning.
For example, drones are already playing a crucial role in industries such as agriculture, logistics, and environmental monitoring. By bringing these applications into the classroom, students are provided the opportunity to understand these technologies and explore their potential in solving pressing challenges across industries. Students can learn about everything from engineering and physics to coding and data analysis, all while working on projects with tangible, real-world implications.
Take, for instance, schools that leverage partnerships with drone providers to deploy curricula that include practical lesson plans, like surveying local farmland and analyzing soil conditions to help improve crop yields. These projects go beyond theoretical knowledge, teaching students to apply data analytics in meaningful ways. In another example, high school students can design drones to support healthcare initiatives, like delivering medical supplies to remote areas–projects that mirror innovations currently being explored in healthcare logistics. These experiences prepare students for real-world careers and illuminate career pathways that may not have otherwise been obvious or desirable options.
Bridging the skills gap with experiential learning
Verticalized skills gaps have become a significant barrier to innovation and economic growth, as many students are graduating without the technical and critical thinking abilities demanded by today’s employers. The gap is particularly evident in data analysis, programming, advanced manufacturing, and cybersecurity–fields that are essential for navigating the complexities of the modern digital economy.
This gap continues to widen as technological advancements outpace traditional education methods. In a world increasingly driven by data, students need to learn how to collect, analyze, and interpret information to make informed decisions. Introducing project-based learning centered around data analysis–such as interpreting data sets from environmental studies or designing experiments that involve data collection–gives students hands-on experience in this critical skill area.
As work becomes increasingly global and cross-functional, students must develop the ability to communicate effectively in diverse teams. Experiential learning projects, such as team-based STEM competitions or group technology builds, teach students the importance of working together toward shared goals while honing their communication skills, mirroring the collaborative environments they will encounter in the workforce.
Incorporating creativity and human ingenuity in Industry 5.0
Technical skills are essential, but the distinguishing factor of Industry 5.0 is the synergy between human ingenuity and machine precision. Our ability to innovate and collaborate with machines to solve complex problems will mark this era. Schools should focus on fostering creativity alongside technical training, as the future workforce will be called upon to design new solutions, lead teams, and tackle challenges that have yet to emerge.
Schools can consider integrating design thinking into their curriculum, where students engage in iterative processes to ideate, prototype, and test solutions to complex problems. In a classroom setting, students could use design thinking to create smart home devices that integrate human comfort with AI precision, focusing on user-centric solutions.
Entrepreneurship courses in schools will empower students to develop tech startups where they identify a societal problem, design a technological solution, and pitch their idea to judges, peers, and even potential investors. This encourages both creativity in coming up with new ideas and collaboration with technology to make ideas a reality.
The classroom as a catalyst for the future workforce
As we move deeper into Industry 5.0, the demand for a workforce that can blend technical skills with innovative problem-solving increases. Integrating hands-on technology like drones into educational environments offers a dynamic way to address this need. It allows students to connect with STEM fields practically and inspiringly. Educators have the crucial responsibility to provide students with the necessary tools and perspectives. By incorporating creative, physical, and project-based lessons into the curriculum, we foster the innovation, adaptability, and collaboration essential for the future workforce.
Rob Harvey, FTW Robotics
Rob Harvey is a brand builder with more than 20 years of experience elevating unique voices and guiding industry leaders to new technologies. His ability to identify gaps in the market led him to pivot to education, where he recognized a need for better STEM and computer science-based education technology. As executive chairman and cofounder of For The Win Robotics, he pioneered the Build | Fly | Code program and released a first-of-its-kind curriculum to schools across the United States.
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Indigenous women in Cali hold a protest commodificationof their traditional natural products. Majority of the indigenous organizations participants in the COP have been vocal about their opposition to biodiversitycredits, which they think is a false solution to halt biodiversity loss. Credit:Stella Paul/IPS COP16 Logo, installed at the conference venue atCali, Colombia. Credit: Stella Paul/IPS
by Stella Paul (cali, columbia)
Inter Press Service
CALI, Columbia, Oct 26 (IPS) – At the end of the first week at the 16th Conference of Parties on Biodiversity (COP16), finance emerges as the biggest issue but also shrouded in controversies.
On Saturday, as the COP moved closer to its most crucial phase of negotiations, resource mobilization—listed under Target 19 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF)—took centerstage, with most parties demanding faster action, greater transparency and the adoption of true solutions to halt biodiversity loss.
Biodiversity finance: Expectation vs Reality
On Thursday, October 24, the government of China formally announced that the Kunming Biodiversity Fund—first announced by Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2021—was now fully in operation. The fund promises to contribute USD 220 million over the next 10 years, which would be spent especially to help developing countries in implementation of the KMGBF and achieve its targets, said Huang Runqiu, Minister of Environment and Ecology, China, at a press conference. It wasn’t clear, however, how much of the promised amount had been deposited.
This has been the only news of resource mobilization for global biodiversity conservation received at COP16, as no other donors came forth with any further announcements of new financial pledges or contributions to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), which was expected to receive USD 400 billion in contribution by now but has only received a paltry USD 250 million. In addition, there were no announcements of the countries reducing their current spending on harmful subsidies that amount to USD 500 billion and cause biodiversity degradation and biodiversity loss.
In absence of new contributions and lack of any concrete progress on reduction of harmful subsidies, the new mechanisms like biodiversity credits to mobilize resources for implementation of the Global Biodiversity Fund is fast gaining traction.
From October 21–24, the COP16 witnessed a flurry of activities centered primarily around biodiversity credits and the building of new pathways to mobilize finance through this means. Experts from both the UN and the private sector were heard at various forums discussing the needs of developing tools and methodologies that would help mobilize new finance through biodiversity credits while also ensuring transparency.
COP16 logo, installed at the conference venue in Cali, Colombia. Credit: Stella Paul/IPS
Inclusiveness and the Questions
According to a 2023 report by the World Economic Forum, the demand for biodiversity credits could rise to USD 180 billion annually by 2050. The report said that if major companies stepped into the market, the annual demand for biodiversity credits could go to as high as USD 7 billion per year by 2030.
Experts from the UN and a variety of technical people with various backgrounds said that since biodiversity credits are still in their infancy, there will undoubtedly be a lot of scrutiny and criticism. The Biodiversity Credit Alliance is a group that provides guidance for the establishment of a biodiversity credit market. The urgent need, they said, was to develop infrastructure and policies that would help answer those questions and tackle the scrutiny. The first and foremost of them was to help build digital tools and infrastructure that could be used to share and store biodiversity data in a credible and transparent manner.
Nathalie Whitaker, co-founder of Toha Network in New Zealand, a group of nature-based business investors, said that her organization is building digital tools, especially for helping local communities to participate in biodiversity credit programs and access the benefits.
“Once the communities have these tools, they can instantly see what data is being used to pay for the biodiversity credits or even decide the value of the natural sources in their territory. So, they can see what resources are being discussed, what is being valued, how it’s being done and how the whole discussion is moving forward,” Whitaker said.
Fabian Shimdt-Pramov, another speaker at the event, said that the quality of the tools would decide the course and results of a biodiversity credits project.
Shimdt-Pramov, chief business development officer at Biometric Earth, a German company that uses artificial intelligence to build biodiversity analytics tools from different sources such as remote sensing, wildlife cameras, acoustic monitoring, etc.
“If methodology is not correct, if the data is not correct, the system doesn’t work,” he said, emphasizing on the requirement of high-level technological expertise that is needed to get a biodiversity credit project off the ground.
However, when questioned on the cost of buying such high-end technologies and tools, especially by Indigenous communities living in remote areas without any internet connectivity, both speakers appeared to be at a loss for words.
“I have seen in the Amazon a community selling five mahogany trees on the internet, so I am guessing it’s not a big challenge,” Shmidt-Pramov said in a dismissive voice. Whitaker acknowledged that lack of access to digital technology in Indigenous Peoples communities was an issue but had no solutions to propose.
Terence Hay-Edie of Nature ID, UNDP, however, stressed the need to empower the communities with the knowledge and skills that would help them access the tools and be part of a biodiversity credit.
As an example, he cites restoration of river-based biodiversity as a biodiversity credit project where a river is considered to have the same rights as a human being. According to him, if values of credits are counted and traded for restoration of biodiversity around a river, it will require recognition of all these rights that a river has, which is only possible when the community living along the river has full knowledge of what is at stake, what is restored, what value of the restored biodiversity is to be determined and how the pricing of that value will be decided.
“A river can be a legal entity and have a legal ID. Now, can we build some tools and put them in the hands of the community that is doing the restoration to know the details of it? That’s what we are looking at,” Hay-Edie said.
A False Solution?
However, Indigenous peoples organizations at the COP16 were overwhelmingly opposing biodiversity credits, which they called “commodifying nature.”
What are biodiversity credits? It’s basically regenerating biodiversity where it is destroyed and earning money from that. But it doesn’t work that way, according to Souparna Lahiri, senior climate change campaigner at Global Forest Coalition.
“If we talk of a forest, the ecosystem is not just about trees but about every life that thrives in and around it—the rivers, the animals, plants, bees, insects, flowers and all the organisms. Once destroyed, it’s lost forever. And when you regenerate it elsewhere, you can never guarantee that it will be an exact replica of what has been lost. This is why the very concept of biodiversity credit is a destructive idea,” says Lahiri.
Valentina Figuera, also of the Global Forest Coalition, said that while trading carbon credits could work as a tool in carbon change mitigation, it would not be the same in biodiversity.
“In climate change, you can measure the total carbon generated by a forest, for example. But in biodiversity, how do you measure it? What is the mechanism? How do you even value life that thrives there? So, this concept is a straight import from climate change and forcefully imposed in biodiversity, which is nothing but a false solution, so that businesses that cause biodiversity loss can conduct their business as usual.
The Dilemma of Participation
COP16, dubbed the “People’s Cop” by Colombia, the host country, has drawn several hundred representatives of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC), especially from across Latin America, including Colombia, Brazil, Panama, Venezuela and Peru. While the Latin American IPLC organizations appeared united in their opposition to biodiversity credits, African organizations seemed to be willing to consider it.
Mmboneni Esther Mathobo of the South African NGO International Institute of Environment said that her organization was in support of biodiversity credits, which could, she said, not only help the community earn money but also motivate them further to preserve biodiversity.
“We are influencing and making sure that our rights are safeguarded and protected in this newly emerging market of bringing biodiversity credits,” said Mathobo.
Currently, Namibia is implementing its first biodiversity carbon credits project in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Known as the Wildlife Credits Scheme, the project is known as a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) that rewards communities for protecting wildlife and biodiversity. Mathobo said that the project in Namibia made her realize that there was a great opportunity for local communities to conserve and restore biodiversity and earn from it.
“We faced many challenges to earn carbon credits because that system was established and created behind our heads. And now we wake up, but we find ourselves sitting with a lot of problems in that market where our communities are not even benefiting. But we believe that with the engagement of the biodiversity alliance, UNDP, we are going to be the ones making sure that whatever happens in the biodiversity credit market, it benefits all our regions and all our communities, as well as safeguarding and protecting our rights,” she said.
“To each their own, if Latin American indigenous communities feel they don’t want to trade natural resources, that’s their right. But in Africa, we have the potential to earn biodiversity credits and we need the money, so we are supporting it,” Mahobo commented when reminded of the opposition of Latin American countries to biodiversity credits.
Chicago — Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles Unified) has chosen ClassVR from Avantis Education, a global leader in educational virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technology, to introduce groundbreaking immersive learning experiences to students. With more than 16,000 ClassVR headsets deployed, this collaboration supports Los Angeles Unified’s Instructional Technology Initiative and is designed to provide the district’s students with access to cutting-edge VR and AR tools to enhance student engagement and enrich academic instruction.
ClassVR, designed exclusively for K-12 classrooms, provides an all-in-one immersive learning solution which includes all the hardware, software, training and support required to successfully deploy VR/AR. Through the collaboration, Los Angeles Unified educators can access ClassVR’s vast Eduverse library — housing hundreds of thousands of virtual reality and augmented reality resources — allowing teachers to create captivating, interactive lessons that engage students on a deeper level.
Empowering Schools with Immersive Technology
Avantis Education has been a trusted partner of Los Angeles Unified for two years, providing virtual reality experiences that spark curiosity and inspire learning across the district. Initially adopted by a few schools, ClassVR’s success has led to its rapid expansion. Many Los Angeles Unified schools now utilize their own ClassVR headsets for both in-class instruction and extracurricular enrichment programs, fostering a dynamic learning environment where students can explore everything from history and science to career and technical education, all through the immersive lens of virtual reality.
This latest collaboration will focus on enrichment programs before and after school, with significant potential for broader applications across a wide array of academic disciplines. The collaboration positions Los Angeles Unified as a leader in using immersive learning technologies to offer students, impactful educational experiences that enhance academic outcomes.
“Los Angeles Unified has demonstrated its commitment to being a pioneer in educational technology by placing students at the forefront of innovative learning tools,” said Huw Williams, CEO of Avantis Education. “Through our collaboration, we’re proud to help the district expand its use of VR technology in a thoughtful, strategic way, supporting the district’s vision of making learning more engaging and future-focused.”
About Avantis Education
Avantis Education, the creators of ClassVR, provides simple classroom technology used by more than 2 million students in 200,000 classrooms in over 90 countries.
The world’s first virtual reality technology designed just for education provides everything a school needs to seamlessly implement VR technology in any classroom, all at an affordable price. To learn more visit http://www.avantiseducation.com/ and www.classvr.com.
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
Esports programs are continuing to grow in popularity, as evidenced by the widespread adoption by schools across the country. In fact, the global esports market is projected to grow to $4.8 billion by 2030. While esports programs are more commonly found on college and university campuses, high schools and even middle schools have started launching programs.
Participating in esports can help students develop teamwork and leadership skills, and may even lead to scholarship opportunities at certain colleges and universities, according to Scholarships.com. Technology serves as the underlying foundation for any scholastic esports program; however, organizers don’t need to have robust internal IT teams–the expertise of a technology partner can help get students into the esports arena.
Bringing an esports program to life
A modern digital infrastructure is the critical foundation for a successful esports program. In the world of online gaming, a few milliseconds can make the difference between a win or loss–with school pride, prizes, and potentially scholarships on the line. Latency or lag time in a school’s internet connection can significantly impact the outcome of a competition. Using a dedicated wired connection can provide optimal reliability and minimize latency. It is also helpful to consider service-level agreements (SLAs) from providers that not only guarantee reliability, but also include strong metrics for performance indicators such as latency. As the esports program grows, the digital infrastructure should be able to easily scale. The increased bandwidth required by adding more players and playing increasingly high-resolution games shouldn’t risk affecting other school operations on the network.
The Cannon School, a K-12 school in Concord, North Carolina, has created a successful esports program that serves both as a recreational league and a competitive varsity sport. The school opted for a co-managed system where its service partner installed fiber connectivity and manages the security of the network–unified threat management that includes a firewall, advanced malware protection, and intrusion prevention–while Cannon School’s internal IT team manages the content filtering to ensure that students are accessing only age-appropriate websites.
Approximately 60 students joined Cannon School’s esports program in its first two years of operating and about half compete on the varsity team. Tram Tran, the school’s Manager of Information Technology, credits its popularity to the simple fact that young people love computer gaming. Tran expects the school’s esports program to see a surge in participants over the next several years, and the implemented IT solution can easily scale to address the greater number of users on the system, as well as the ever-increasing data-intensive video games.
“With our esports program, we are building this pathway from high school to college and then from college to the pros,” Tran said.
Securing technology as the foundation for esports
Understanding and implementing the technology foundation necessary may be daunting for schools with limited internal IT resources, but working with an experienced technology partner can help. Technology partners not only offer the expertise and guidance needed for implementing an esports program, but also can provide ongoing support–through managed network services–to ensure that network operations are continually monitored and that competitions have the bandwidth needed to run smoothly.
According to the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) on the 2023 State of EdTech Leadership, nearly half of respondents (45 percent) felt inadequately staffed to plan and implement new technology. Managed network services can offer schools peace of mind by monitoring for network performance and cybersecurity issues 24/7, freeing IT staff from day-to-day troubleshooting. Beyond supplementing staffing resources, managed services also offer the benefit of no upfront hardware ownership costs, and the fixed, regular expense offers predictability for schools’ budgets.
Next steps
For schools thinking about launching an esports program, a conversation with a potential technology solutions partner is a good place to start. An experienced partner can evaluate a school’s current IT network services, help identify what is required, and determine a realistic plan and timeline to establish a program. Schools equipped with a robust digital infrastructure can offer students unique opportunities to compete, collaborate, and thrive in the realm of esports, and leveraging managed network services for help with the technology performance can make things easier for the employees who are focused on the program’s execution and success.
Mark Kornegay, Spectrum Enterprise
Mark Kornegay is Group Vice President, Vertical Markets, for Spectrum Enterprise. A part of Charter Communications, Inc., Spectrum Enterprise is a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving many of America’s largest businesses and communications service providers.
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Opinion by Jomo Kwame Sundaram (kuala lumpur, malaysia)
Inter Press Service
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct 22 (IPS) – New institutional economics (NIE) has received another so-called Nobel prize, ostensibly for again claiming that good institutions and democratic governance ensure growth, development, equity and democracy.
Jomo Kwame Sundaram
Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson (AJR) are well known for their influential cliometric work. AJR have elaborated earlier laureate Douglass North‘s claim that property rights have been crucial to growth and development.
But the trio ignore North’s more nuanced later arguments. For AJR, ‘good institutions’ were transplanted by Anglophone European (‘Anglo’) settler colonialism. While perhaps methodologically novel, their approach to economic history is reductionist, skewed and misleading.
NIE caricatures
AJR fetishises property rights as crucial for economic inclusion, growth and democracy. They ignore and even negate the very different economic analyses of John Stuart Mill, Dadabhai Naoroji, John Hobson and John Maynard Keynes, among other liberals.
Historians and anthropologists are very aware of various claims and rights to economic assets, such as cultivable land, e.g., usufruct. Even property rights are far more varied and complex.
The legal creation of ‘intellectual property rights’ confers monopoly rights by denying other claims. However, NIE’s Anglo-American notion of property rights ignores the history of ideas, sociology of knowledge, and economic history.
More subtle understandings of property, imperialism and globalisation in history are conflated. AJR barely differentiates among various types of capital accumulation via trade, credit, resource extraction and various modes of production, including slavery, serfdom, peonage, indenture and wage labour.
John Locke, Wikipedia’s ‘father of liberalism‘, also drafted the constitutions of the two Carolinas, both American slave states. AJR’s treatment of culture, creed and ethnicity is reminiscent of Samuel Huntington’s contrived clashing civilisations. Most sociologists and anthropologists would cringe.
Colonial and postcolonial subjects remain passive, incapable of making their own histories. Postcolonial states are treated similarly and regarded as incapable of successfully deploying investment, technology, industrial and developmental policies.
Thorstein Veblen and Karl Polanyi, among others, have long debated institutions in political economy. But instead of advancing institutional economics, NIE’s methodological opportunism and simplifications set it back.
Another NIE Nobel
For AJR, property rights generated and distributed wealth in Anglo-settler colonies, including the US and Britain’s dominions. Their advantage was allegedly due to ‘inclusive’ economic and political institutions due to Anglo property rights.
Variations in economic performance are attributed to successful transplantation and settler political domination of colonies. More land was available in the thinly populated temperate zone, especially after indigenous populations shrank due to genocide, ethnic cleansing and displacement.
These were far less densely populated for millennia due to poorer ‘carrying capacity’. Land abundance enabled widespread ownership, deemed necessary for economic and political inclusion. Thus, Anglo-settler colonies ‘succeeded’ in instituting such property rights in land-abundant temperate environments.
Such colonial settlement was far less feasible in the tropics, which had long supported much denser indigenous populations. Tropical disease also deterred new settlers from temperate areas. Thus, settler life expectancy became both cause and effect of institutional transplantation.
The difference between the ‘good institutions‘ of the ‘West’ – including Anglo-settler colonies – and the ‘bad institutions’ of the ‘Rest’ is central to AJR’s analysis. White settlers’ lower life expectancy and higher morbidity in the tropics are then blamed on the inability to establish good institutions.
Anglo-settler privilege
However, correct interpretation of statistical findings is crucial. Sanjay Reddy offers a very different understanding of AJR’s econometric analysis.
The greater success of Anglo settlers could also be due to colonial ethnic bias in their favour rather than better institutions. Unsurprisingly, imperial racist Winston Churchill’s History of the English-Speaking Peoplescelebrates such Anglophone Europeans.
AJR’s evidence, criticised as misleading on other counts, does not necessarily support the idea that institutional quality (equated with property rights enforcement) really matters for growth, development and equality.
Reddy notes that international economic circumstances favouring Anglos have shaped growth and development. British Imperial Preference favoured such settlers over tropical colonies subjected to extractivist exploitation. Settler colonies also received most British investments abroad.
For Reddy, enforcing Anglo-American private property rights has been neither necessary nor sufficient to sustain economic growth. For instance, East Asian economies have pragmatically used alternative institutional arrangements to incentivise catching up.
He notes that “the authors’ inverted approach to concepts” has confused “the property rights-entrenching economies that they favor as ‘inclusive’, by way of contrast to resource-centered ‘extractive’ economies.”
Property vs popular rights
AJR’s claim that property rights ensure an ‘inclusive’ economy is also far from self-evident. Reddy notes that a Rawlsian property-owning democracy with widespread ownership contrasts sharply with a plutocratic oligarchy.
Nor does AJR persuasively explain how property rights ensured political inclusion. Protected by the law, colonial settlers often violently defended their acquired land against ‘hostile’ indigenes, denying indigenous land rights and claiming their property.
‘Inclusive’ political concessions in the British Empire were mainly limited to the settler-colonial dominions. In other colonies, self-governance and popular franchises were only grudgingly conceded under pressure.
Prior exclusion of indigenous rights and claims enabled such inclusion, especially when surviving ‘natives’ were no longer deemed threatening. Traditional autochthonous rights were circumscribed, if not eliminated, by settler colonists.
Entrenching property rights has also consolidated injustice and inefficiency. Many such rights proponents oppose democracy and other inclusive and participatory political institutions that have often helped mitigate conflicts.
The Nobel committee is supporting NIE’s legitimisation of property/wealth inequality and unequal development. Rewarding AJR also seeks to re-legitimise the neoliberal project at a time when it is being rejected more widely than ever before.
ST. PAUL, Minn. & CHARLOTTE, N.C. – 3M (@3M) and Discovery Education (@DiscoveryEd) named Sirish Subash, a 9th grader at Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology in Snellville, Georgia, the winner of the 2024 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the nation’s premier middle school science competition. Sirish set himself apart with an AI handheld pesticide detector. As the grand prize winner, he received a $25,000 cash prize and the prestigious title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.”
Sirish spent the last four months competing against nine other finalists and secured his win during final Challenge events at 3M global headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Oct. 14 and 15. Finalists navigated a series of interactive challenges and were evaluated on their ingenuity and innovative thinking, application of STEM principles, demonstration of passion and research, presentation skills, and ability to inspire others.
“This year’s Young Scientist Challenge finalists have demonstrated an incredible ability to develop creative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Torie Clarke, EVP & chief public affairs officer at 3M. “I am beyond impressed and inspired by their intelligence and their scientific minds. Congratulations to this year’s Top Young Scientist, Sirish Subash, and all the finalists for their phenomenal work.”
Sirish Subash’s project, Pestiscand, is a handheld device designed to detect pesticide residues on produce using a non-destructive method. It employs spectrophotometry, which involves measuring how light of various wavelengths is reflected off the surface of fruits and vegetables. A machine learning model then analyzes this data to determine the presence of pesticides. Pestiscand consists of a sensor, a power supply, a display screen, and a processor. During testing, the device achieved an accuracy rate of identifying pesticide residues on spinach and tomatoes of greater than 85%, meeting the project’s objectives for effectiveness and speed.
3M Young Scientist Challenge finalists are paired with a 3M scientist who mentors and works with them one-on-one over the summer to transform their idea from concept to prototype. This year’s winner was paired with Aditya Banerji, Senior Research Engineer of 3M’s Corporate Research Process Laboratory.
The second and third place winners from the Young Scientist Challenge each receive a $2,000 prize. These exceptional students are:
In second place, Minula Weerasekera from Beaverton, Oregon, a 9thgrader at Mountainside High School. Minula developed a solution for storing energy for longer through organic compounds and a sulfur-based terhiophene.
In third place, William Tan from Scarsdale, New York, an 8th grader at Scarsdale Middle School. William developed an AI Smart Artificial Reef that encourages coral, seashells, kelp and other marine life to grow in a safe and controlled environment.
The fourth through tenth place winners each receive a $1,000 prize and a $500 gift card. These finalists, in alphabetical order by last name, are:
Ankan Das from Sanford, Florida, a 9th grader at Oviedo High School in the Seminole County School District
Steven Goodman from Lake Mary, Florida, an 8th grader at Milwee Middle School in the Seminole County School District
Aakash Manaswi from Orlando, Florida, a 9th grader at Lake Highland Preparatory School
Prince Nallamothula from Frisco, Texas, a 9th grader at Centennial High School in the Frisco Independent School District
Ronita Shukla from Acton, Massachusetts, an 8th grader at RJ Grey Junior High School in the Acton Boxborough Regional School District
Rithvik Suren from Ellington, Connecticut, a 9th grader at Academy of Aerospace & Engineering in the CREC School District
Hanna Suzuki from Bedford, Massachusetts, a 9th grader at Bedford High School in the Bedford School District
“Discovery Education is incredibly proud to support student innovation over the past 17 years through the 3M Young Scientist Challenge,” said Amy Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at Discovery Education. “It is more important than ever that future generations are given the tools needed to tackle real-world problems. Each remarkable participant has embodied the curiosity that will fuel these discoveries, and we congratulate them all.”
In its 17th year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge continues to inspire and challenge middle school students to think creatively and apply the power of STEM to discover real-world solutions. America’s Top Young Scientists have gone on to give TED Talks, file patents, found nonprofits, make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and exhibit at the White House Science Fair. These young innovators have also been named TIME Magazine’s Kid of the Year, featured in The New York Times Magazine, Forbes, and Business Insider, and have appeared on national television programs such as Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and more. In addition, a 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Network was formed in fall 2022 and welcomed more than 100 former challenge finalists and winners for networking opportunities.
The award-winning competition supplements the 3M and Discovery Education program Young Scientist Lab, which provides free dynamic digital resources for students, teachers, and families to explore, transform, and innovate the world around them. All its resources are also available on Discovery Education Experience, the company’s award-winning K-12 learning platform.
To download images from the 2024 science competition, click here. To learn more about the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and meet this year’s winners and finalists, visit youngscientistlab.com.
About 3M 3M (NYSE: MMM) believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas and science to reimagine what’s possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities, and planet. Learn how we’re working to improve lives and make what’s next at 3M.com/news.
About Discovery Education Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
ATG Travel Worldwide has named Patsy Khoo as sales and business management director for the Asia-Pacific region, the travel management company announced.
Khoo, who has worked in TMCs for 30 years including serving as a general manager at Rosenbluth International, will be working with ATG’s clients in the region to help them build and manage their global business plans. She reports to ATG founder and CEO Tammy Krings.
Over the past five years, ATG’s client base in the Asia-Pacific region has doubled, according to Krings, and Khoo “brings to ATG a wealth of marketing knowledge specific to the APAC reason.”
Deodat Maharaj, Managing Director of the United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries
Opinion by Deodat Maharaj (united nations)
Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 18 (IPS) – Last month, world leaders gathered at the time of the UN General Assembly in New York and agreed on a pioneering Pact for the Future. This global accord has implications across a broad range of issues that affect every country. It offers much hope for the poorest and most vulnerable countries on the planet, known as Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
The world’s 45 LDCs are home to a billion people who face systemic underdevelopment marked by poverty, inadequate health systems, poor infrastructure and limited access to education and technology.
While some progress has been made during the last decade, less than a fifth of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on track to be met. For example, only around 60% of children in least developed countries complete primary school despite improving literacy rates across the globe. Healthcare disparities are also stark, with maternal mortality rates averaging 430 deaths per 100,000 live births in low-income countries compared to 13 per 100,000 in wealthier nations.
The Pact for the Future, along with its two annexes, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, offers an inclusive roadmap aimed at accelerating progress towards the SDGs. By also leveraging advancements in science, technology and innovation, the framework seeks to dislodge decades of stagnation and inequality.
The Pact for the Future outlines several key commitments: On digital cooperation, the Global Digital Compact presents targeted actions for a safer, more inclusive, more equitable digital world by closing the digital divide and expanding inclusion in the digital economy.
On sustainable development and financing for development, the Pact reaffirms the 2030 Agenda and places the eradication of poverty at the centre of efforts to achieve it. Amongst the proposed actions, it pledges to close the SDG financing gap and strengthen efforts to address climate change, which is disproportionately impacting LDCs.
On financial reform, the Pact seeks an overhaul of global financial systems, including by granting developing countries a greater voice in decision-making. It seeks to mobilize additional financing for the SDGs and generally making finance more readily available. The Pact also addresses the unsustainable debt burdens of many LDCs.
This novel Pact for the Future has the potential to give a push to the development agenda across the developing world, but especially so in LDCs. However, for success, there are some prerequisites. Firstly, there is the matter of financing. It is good to see the welcome emphasis on boosting financing for developing countries and making it more accessible. With finance, the possibilities are unlimited. Without finance, progress will once more be stymied. Therefore, the international community must match words with action.
Secondly, the role of business as an essential partner is key. A government-centric approach on its own cannot and will not work. More specifically, there must be attention to the micro, small and medium-scale enterprises sector, which accounts for the majority of businesses and generates the bulk of employment in most developing countries. Systematic support for digitalisation, innovation and the application of technology to this sector will create jobs and opportunities whilst boosting inclusive growth.
Thirdly, multilateralism is vital. The Pact for the Future has enormous potential, with the power to materially shift the dial for least-developed countries. However, it will require international cooperation, sustained political will and strong accountability mechanisms. If realised, this bold initiative could become the catalyst for new technological investments that can help shape an equally bold future for the world’s poorest.
At its core, the UN’s Pact for the Future is a blueprint for renewed cooperation in a fragmented world and offers much hope. There may not be another such opportunity. Let us seize the moment.
Note: Deodat Maharaj is the Managing Director of the United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries and can be contacted at: [email protected]
Evoke plc, the global gambling company formerly known as 888 Holdings, continues downsizing its US operations to focus on European markets. The group recently shuttered its SI Sportsbook business in Colorado, a deal regarded as the latest step in its strategic retreat from North America. Recent financial results indicate that this decision might have merit, as the company returned to profitability.
Slim Profit Margins in the US Make Operations Unsustainable
The financial implications of this exit are significant. Evoke agreed to pay Authentic Brands an initial $25 million termination fee, with another $25 million by 2029 as part of the shutdown deal. SI Sportsbook had market access in several key US states, including Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia. However, the high cost of operations and slim profit margins made continued investment unsustainable.
Despite this shutdown of US sportsbook operations, Evoke should still benefit from selling some of its US B2C assets to Hard Rock Digital. While specific details about the assets involved and the terms of the transaction remain undisclosed, the sale should close by the first quarter of 2025. These developments are part of Evoke’s decision to withdraw from the US market and focus more closely on securing its European position.
European Operations Recorded Double-Digit Growth
Evoke’s third-quarter financial results reflect this ongoing paradigm shift. The company’s financials showcased a 3% increase in group revenue, primarily driven by market share gains in its core European markets. The company is well on track with its turnaround strategy, especially in countries like Italy, Denmark, Spain, and Romania, where revenues rose 26% year-on-year.
Evoke’s online business recorded an 8% increase in sales for the three months ending 30 September, marking its first quarter of growth since early 2022. CEO Per Widerström emphasized the company’s confidence in its revamped business model and was optimistic regarding Evoke’s continued momentum for the remainder of 2024 and beyond.
Our online business is a clear growth engine for the group. Double-digit online revenue growth (was) underpinned by our focused market strategy and clearer customer value proposition and segmentation.
Per Widerström, Evoke CEO
The recent financial results mark a positive shift for Evoke, which implemented a turnaround plan in August following a profit warning. Evoke’s rebranding earlier this year was critical to its broader strategy aimed at core markets, streamlining operations, and integrating new technologies into its business model, including automation and artificial intelligence.
We are achieving our plans to improve trading in the short-term while simultaneously radically transforming the group’s capabilities for the long-term.
Per Widerström, Evoke CEO
EVOKE currently operates in 10 European countries and has licenses in six US states. However, with its gradual exit from the US market, the company has signaled that its future growth will mainly happen in Europe, where regulatory environments and market dynamics are more suitable for long-term growth.
Simon Westbury, the chief executive officer of Sport Generate and chief business officer of Digitain announced his departure from the businesses. While he has fond memories of serving the two companies, the man now plans to “catch up on sleep.”
Westbury Remembers His Time at Digitain and Sport Generate Fondly
Westbury joined the industry-leading iGaming software provider Digitain as head of its International Development Department in 2019. Since then, he has been working hard to further elevate the company and was eventually named as the firm’s chief business officer.
In the meantime, Westbury has also been serving best-of-breed iGaming products provider Sport Generate as its CEO since 2023. Overall, he served Digitain and Sport Generate for 5 and a half years. During this time, his “Le Motif” had always been driving momentum and instilling belief in his colleagues.
The departing executive said that the last half of a decade had been “more than a job to him.” He described his time at Digitain and Sport Generate as an “all-consuming passion.” While there were definitely some bad memories, Westbury noted that the good ones definitely outweighed them.
Westbury Continues to Hold His Head High
Westbury, who is also a former administration manager of Sheffield United Football Club, reminisced about a time he spoke with a Premier League manager.
A premier league football manager said to me once, “Simon I walked in the building with my head held high and I will walk out the building with my head held high.” Integrity is very important to me and I believe I can say I can hold my head high.
Simon Westbury
Westbury thanked Vardges Vardanyan, Digitain and Sport Generate’s founder, for always believing in him and giving him an opportunity to shine.
In the meantime, Sport Generate thanked Westbury for his incredible contributions.
His [Westbury’s] visionary leadership and strategic insights have been pivotal in driving our growth, innovation, and success. Simon’s dedication and commitment have set a high standard, and we are immensely grateful for everything he has achieved.
Sport Generate
The Gaming Boardroom, an exclusive community for iGaming executives, also commented on the matter, expressing excitement about Westbury’s upcoming endeavors.
Way to go, Simon Westbury! You’ve set the bar high. We can’t wait to see what great things you’ll do next!
Opinion by Danielle Nierenberg (baltimore, maryland usa)
Inter Press Service
BALTIMORE, Maryland USA, Oct 14 (IPS) – World Food Day 2024
World Food Day seems like it should be a time to celebrate. A day to eat delicious meals and enjoy the rich traditions and cultures of food around the globe.
But it’s difficult to celebrate when conflict, the climate crisis, and our biodiversity loss crisis leave at least 733 million people hungry around the world. Dr. Evan Fraser from the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph calls these cascading crises. And the results are dire.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in 2023, one in 11 people worldwide faced hunger last year. And one in five people in Africa experience hunger.
If current trends continue, more than 582 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030, with half of these folks living on the continent of Africa, according to FAO and four additional United Agencies. That’s less than 6 years away, which means we have a lot of work to do.
Fortunately, we already know what works. The theme of this year’s World Food Day is Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future. Everyone deserves healthy, nutrient rich, safe, and delicious food.
And the United Nations says, “A greater diversity of nutritious foods should be available in our fields, in our markets, and on our tables, for the benefit of all.” I would add that we also need a diversity of people, practices and thought to help feed the world.
This year the prestigious World Food Prize will be awarded to the Special Envoy for Food Security, Dr. Cary Fowler, and agricultural scientist Dr. Geoffrey Hawtin. These two individuals, according to the World Food Prize Foundation, are being awarded for “their extraordinary leadership in preserving and protecting the world’s heritage of crop biodiversity and mobilizing this critical resource to defend against threats to global food security.”
And Dr. Fowler is working to encourage farmers and governments to grow “opportunity crops” like cowpea, millet, sorghum, and other ancient and resilient foods. These crops have often been overlooked in favor of maize, rice, and other so-called staples, but they have, again, the opportunity to solve a multitude of problems. They build soil health and if storage and processing can improve in places like sub-Saharan Africa, they can be profitable.
Another solution—and it should be obvious—is empowering women and girls. We are systematically underutilizing at least 50 percent of the world’s population. Equal rights for women are not only an ethical and moral imperative, but can help solve the hunger crisis.
According to FAO, if women had the same access to resources as men—education, access to credit and financial services, extension, and respect—they could lift as many as 100 million people out of hunger. And equal rights are good for the economy. And according to Betty Chinyamunyamu of the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi, “gender integration makes good business sense.”
In addition, women are often growing the foods that are actually nutritious—including those opportunity crops, but also fruits and vegetables that contribute to agrobiodiversity. “Women’s empowerment has a positive impact on agricultural production, food security, diets and child nutrition,” states FAO’s Status of Women in Agrifood Systems. Making sure that women are empowered in all aspects of their lives just makes common sense.
Moreover, farmers—small, medium, and large—literally need a seat at the table, from in person input at international dialogues like COP29, the U.N. Climate Change Conference, to co-creating technologies with scientists and entrepreneurs that will actually solve the problems that farmers are experiencing in fields and ranches.
Good Nature Agro in Zambia, for example, is developing with farmers ways to prevent post-harvest losses and more sustainably manage their farmland. And the organization Global Alliance of Latinos in Agriculture aims to create a world where farmers and ranchers thrive globally—and they plan to bring hundreds of producers to COP30 in Belem, Brazil next year.
This World Food Day (October 16), the Arrell Food Institute is bringing together agri-food leaders and experts dive into solutions like diversity, empowering women, and putting farmers in the drivers’ seat to create a more safe and sustainable global food system. A food system that works for everyone.
Hopefully, in the not-so-distant future, World Food Day will actually be a day to celebrate.
Danielle Nierenberg is President and Founder, Food Tank, which describes itself as a global community that inspires, motivates, and activates positive transformation in how we produce and consume food.
Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo waws today awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Credit: Niklas Elmehed/Nobel Prize
by IPS Correspondent (united nations)
Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 11 (IPS) – The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres congratulated grassroots Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo on being awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.
“The atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as the hibakusha, are selfless, soul-bearing witnesses of the horrific human cost of nuclear weapons,” he said in a statement.
“While their numbers grow smaller each year, the relentless work and resilience of the hibakusha are the backbone of the global nuclear disarmament movement.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2024 Peace Prize for “its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.”
The committee said the global movement arose in response to the atom bomb attacks of August 1945.
“The testimony of the Hibakusha—the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—is unique in this larger context. These historical witnesses have helped to generate and consolidate widespread opposition to nuclear weapons around the world by drawing on personal stories, creating educational campaigns based on their own experience, and issuing urgent warnings against the spread and use of nuclear weapons. The Hibakusha help us to describe the indescribable, to think the unthinkable, and to somehow grasp the incomprehensible pain and suffering caused by nuclear weapons.”
It singled out Nihon Hidankyo, who reportedly cried following the announcement and other representatives of the Hibakusha to have contributed greatly to the establishment of the “nuclear taboo.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee acknowledged one encouraging fact: “No nuclear weapon has been used in war in nearly 80 years.”
The award comes as the world prepares to mark 80 years since two American atomic bombs killed an estimated 120 000 inhabitants of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A comparable number died of burn and radiation injuries in the months and years that followed.
“Today’s nuclear weapons have far greater destructive power. They can kill millions and would impact the climate catastrophically. A nuclear war could destroy our civilization,” the committee said.
“The fates of those who survived the infernos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were long concealed and neglected. In 1956, local Hibakusha associations along with victims of nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific formed the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations. This name was shortened in Japanese to Nihon Hidankyo. It would become the largest and most influential Hibakusha organisation in Japan.”
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 fulfills Alfred Nobel’s desire to recognize efforts of the greatest benefit to humankind.
Guterres said he would “never forget my many meetings with them over the years. Their haunting living testimony reminds the world that the nuclear threat is not confined to history books. Nuclear weapons remain a clear and present danger to humanity, once again appearing in the daily rhetoric of international relations.”
He said the only way to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons is to eliminate them altogether.
