NATO update

 

29 September 2023 Update

Secretary General in Kyiv: Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Kyiv on 28 September 2023, underscoring NATO’s powerful support for Ukraine in talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his government. Calling Kyiv “a city with a special place in the hearts of the free world,” Mr Stoltenberg paid tribute to President Zelenskyy’s leadership and the heroism of the Ukrainian armed forces, welcoming that Ukraine is “gradually gaining ground” in its hard-fought counteroffensive. READ MORE

EUFIC:Evaluate your food waste practices!

 

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

eufic.org   It's International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste! Did you know that one-third of all the food produced for humans to eat is lost or wasted, and much of this waste occurs at home? Changing how we shop, cook, store, consume and plan our meals is essential to prevent the waste of food, money and resources. This year, our mission is to raise awareness around this crucial issue and offer tailored guidance to individuals, empowering them to make impactful changes. By addressing the problem of food waste in Europe and globally, we aim to enable citizens to play their part effectively, ensuring a sustainable future for our planet and its resources.

Assess your food waste practices with our quiz and get personalised tips to cut food waste EUFIC's new food waste quiz is designed to help you evaluate your food waste practices and identify effective strategies tailored to your lifestyle that can minimise food waste. After taking this quiz, you will be equipped with practical, personalised tips, enabling you to contribute to a more sustainable diet, save on expenses, and reduce your chances of food poisoning.  Take our quiz! Food waste: the problem in numbers 1/3 of all food  (1.3 billion tonnes per year) produced in the world for human consumption is lost or wasted 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed if food loss and waste were a country, it would be the 3rd biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions 88 million tonnes of food are discarded every year in the EU an average EU citizen wastes around 173 kg of food annually vegetables and cereals are the most wasted food groups (~50% of the global food wastage)

Copyright © 2023, All rights reserved. Co-funded by the European Union (under grant agreement No 101124527). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the agency can be held responsible for them. EUFIC Rue Belliard 2A/3rd Brussels 1040 Belgium

 

NSF encourages proposals for centers at minority-serving institutions for research advancing emerging technologies A new dear colleague letter from the U.S. National Science Foundation encourages submission of new Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST Center) proposals focusing on social, behavioral and economic sciences research. The CREST program supports the creation of research centers that will lead to strong societal impacts. Projects supported under the CREST program are 5-year research awards that increase research capacity and infrastructure at minority-serving institutions (MSIs). The new dear colleague letter calls for CREST Center proposals that address the social, political, cultural or cognitive dimensions of the theme advancing emerging technologies. Examples of research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Large Language Models (LLM) Machine Learning Smart and Connected Devices Virtual and Augmented Reality Cybersecurity Assistive and Adaptive Technology   Read the Dear Colleague Letter

NSF invests $35M in future manufacturing NSF awards for research and education will catalyze new manufacturing capabilities that do not exist today. Manufacturing is a linchpin of the U.S. economy, bolstering national security, economic growth, and American employment. Through the Future Manufacturing program, the U.S. National Science Foundation makes targeted investments in the future of manufacturing research and helps grow the manufacturing workforce.  The 21 NSF Future Manufacturing awards for 2023 invest over $35 million across 40 institutions in 25 states. This is the fourth year of NSF investment in the program, totaling more than $137 million. Read the announcement

In case you missed it NSF and partners invest $45 million in the future of semiconductors The U.S. National Science Foundation announced 24 research and education projects with a total investment of $45.6 million — including funding from the "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022" — to enable rapid progress in new semiconductor technologies and manufacturing as well as workforce development. The projects are supported by the NSF Future of Semiconductors (FuSe) program through a public-private partnership spanning NSF and four companies: Ericsson, IBM, Intel and Samsung. Read the announcement

IMF Weekend Read

 

Dear MARIA, In today's edition, we highlight: Growth and the green transition How to stave off a debt crisis Egypt’s Rania Al-Mashat on climate finance Harvard’s Eliana La Ferrara on social norms and development Women’s economic empowerment

DEVELOPING ECONOMIES Reform Can Aid Growth And Green Transition Credit: Real Moment/Adobe Stock New approaches to governance, regulation and trade can spur growth at a time when many developing economies are grappling with high inflation, rising debt and balance of payments pressures, IMF economists write in a blog. In economies with significant structural impediments, these so-called “first-generation reforms” can boost output by up to 4 percent in two years and up to 8 percent in four years, according to a new staff paper. Historical examples, such as Georgia’s regulation streamlining and fiscal reform in 2005 and Senegal’s improvements to governance, business regulation and external integration in 2014-18, demonstrate the growth returns from such reforms, the authors say. “By frontloading these gains, well-designed reform packages could help overcome resistance to major changes and garner public support, including for the green transition.”

OBAMA's update

 

Updates from the Foundation About Our Programs The Center Discover Donate

Hi there,  Two years ago, after years of hard work, dedication, and endless support from our Chicago neighbors, we broke ground on the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.   The remarkable progress we’ve made since then is a testament to the incredible collaboration between some outstanding contractors and one of the most diverse workforces that we’ve ever seen on a project like this in Chicago.  To us, the Obama Presidential Center will be more than just a museum or an account of President and Mrs. Obama’s time in the White House. It will be a living hub for citizenship with the ultimate goal of engaging and empowering leaders for generations to come.  Beyond learning a thing or two about the presidency and how the government works, visitors will have the opportunity to dream up how they can be agents for the change they want to see in their own communities.

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

The Spanish Presidency stimulates debate on the future of EU Cohesion Policy 29/09/2023 | Article The Spanish Presidency stimulates debate on the future of EU Cohesion Policy EU cohesion ministers have reflected on the challenges facing this policy, derived from the new geopolitical, social and economic reality in which the Union finds itself, during the second day of the informal ministerial meeting on General Affairs held in Murcia. 28/09/2023 | Article Informal General Affairs ministerial meeting discusses the implications of a possible EU enlargement The European Union´s foreign affairs ministers held an informal ministerial meeting in Murcia to discuss the implications of a possible enlargement of the EU and progress towards Open Strategic Autonomy.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ,update

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2023
                                                                       

EEOC SUES MCDONALD’S FRANCHISE FOR
SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Federal Agency Charges Young Worker Was Harassed and Forced to Quit

 ST. LOUIS – A McDonald’s restaurant in Checotah, Oklahoma, operated by franchisee Arch Fellow North LLC, violated federal law when a manager sexually harassed a 17 year-old worker, and she was forced to resign, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

          According to the suit, an adult male supervisor sexually harassed a teen girl who worked under his supervision in or around November 2021. After subjecting the teenager to sexual comments and innuendo for about a month, the male supervisor grabbed her by the waist in a dark, isolated storage shed and said he could rape her. When Arch Fellow North LLC learned about the incident and other sexual harassing conduct by the supervisor, it failed to take prompt or effective remedial action to protect the girl and other workers. Instead, the company allowed the supervisor to continue supervising the victim and other teenage girls. As a result, the teenage worker had no choice but to resign and was constructively discharged.

Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau..

 

Statement by the Prime Minister on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30, 2023
Ottawa, Ontario

If you need someone to talk to, The Hope for Wellness Help Line offers support to all Indigenous Peoples. Counsellors are available by phone or online chat. This service is available in English and French, and, upon request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca. The National Residential School Crisis Line also offers emotional support and crisis referral services for residential school Survivors and their families. Call the toll-free Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:

“Today, as we mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, we confront the lasting impacts of the residential school system for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in Canada. We come together to remember the children who were stolen from their communities, and those whose lives were stolen from them at these so-called schools. We honour the Survivors, many of whom suffered physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. We listen to their truths, and we reiterate our commitment to building a better future for Indigenous Peoples and for everyone in Canada.

“Between 1867 and 1998, over 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were taken from their families and communities and forced to attend residential schools, where they were banned from speaking their languages and practising their cultures and traditions. As communities continue searching for the children who never came home, the Government of Canada will be there every step of the way to provide them with the resources they need to fully uncover the truth of what happened at residential schools, honour the children who did not return, and support communities as they continue on their healing journeys.