Corruption a national shame: Lord Swraj Paul
Corruption a national shame: Lord Swraj Paul
PTI NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul (file photo). PHOTO PTI Lord Swraj Paul, the Britain-based NRI business magnate, said scams that have recently come to light “do not make any Indian proud” and called corruption a “national shame“.
Read more on The Hindu
”Corruption weds inflation” in Indore
Indore, May 30 (PTI) In a novel dig at the Congress-led central government, state BJP”s ”Utsav Prakoshth” (festivities cell) today staged a wedding of ”corruption” and ”inflation”.The “baratis” were gifted with replicas of movable and immovable property documents, fix deposits receipts from ”Swiss bank”, and bags of ”black money”.Some hundred ”guests” were dressed up to look like …
Read more on PTI via Yahoo! India News
PLO brands corruption a national disaster
www.ntv.co.ke The Director of the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba now wants government to declare corruption a national disaster. Lumumba says ploughing more resources into the anti-graft campaigns was the only way to ensure its success and as Pamela Asigi reports, the anti graft scissor may just be facing up to the enormity of the task bestowed upon him.
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MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE “SANCTUARY”: POISON CANDY?
MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE “SANCTUARY”: POISON CANDY?
(PRWEB) September 22, 2003
by Joanne Nathan
Freedom 21 Santa Cruz
http://www.freedom21santacruz.net
Santa Cruz, CA (PRWEB) September 18 2003–The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) met in Santa Cruz this August to outline expanding regulatory goals, redefine boundaries, and identify staffing and budget needs for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). Priorities were also explored for research, education, monitoring, enforcement, and resource protection programs.
At first glance, all of this might seem reasonable. Not many of us are in favor of dirty water, spoiled air and sick fish. It would be safe to assume that virtually everyone would like to be good stewards of their property and the ecology, and that most of us want clean water, clear air, and healthy wildlife. This might be a reason why we tend to be strong supporters of programs promoted to protect our environment. But what might a closer look reveal? What’s hidden in the details? In addition, will Sanctuary officials actually succeed in improving the ecology of the Bay?
WHAT IS A SACTUARY?
New Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language (Copyright 1975):
“Sanctuary, sangk’chu.er.e, n. pl., A sacred or holy place, as a church, a temple, or a sacred grove; an esp. holy place in a temple or a church; an asylum; immunity from arrest afforded by refuge in such a place; a refuge for wildlife.”
MONTEREY BAY SANCTUARY IS HUGE
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary extends seaward about 25 miles and stretches along the California coastline for 276 miles, from above San Francisco on the northern end to Cambria at the southern end. Not only does it include Monterey Bay, but also San Simeon Bay, Half Moon Bay and portions of San Francisco Bay. The entire 5,300 square miles of ocean and coastline is about the same size area as the state of Connecticut.
An MBNMS brochure, titled “The Sanctuary and Its Eleven Major Watersheds”, explains how safeguarding the Sanctuary “goes beyond protecting the resources within its boundaries.” Eleven major watersheds, from seashore to mountain summit, encompass a 7,000 square mile landmass that is bigger than the Sanctuary itself. [see enlarged map] . In fact, during the designation of the Sanctuary in 1992, eight key water quality agencies within the Sanctuary region entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to provide an ecosystem-based water quality management process. Today the Sanctuary’s Water Quality Protection Program (WQPP) is a partnership of 25 federal, state, and local organizations including the Monterey, San Mateo and Santa Cruz County Planning Departments.
A CLOSER LOOK
Close to shore the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has observed that the “primary source of violations to the Sanctuary occur within 10 miles of shore due to the large concentration of human activities near the coastline… Disturbance of marine mammals and seabirds is the most common reported violation”
According to the “Monterey Bay Begins on Your Street” brochure funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the primary culprit responsible for environmental threats to the sanctuary is “YOU!”. The taxpayer funded brochure asserts that “The leading cause of oil spills in the ocean is NOT from tanker accidents, it’s from citizens’ urban runoff”.
It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to determine what this means for those who live in Monterey Bay watershed (another area 1.5 times larger than Connecticut). Imagination isn’t necessary when you look at the consequences already laid out by NOAA, the federal agency that administers the sanctuary.
DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
To enforce the regulations and control those who live in it, NOAA has integrated the resources of federal, state, and local government and non-government agencies to form an all-encompassing armed police force to monitor and control the human threats to the Sanctuary:
U.S. Coast Guard,
National Marine Fisheries Service,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
U.S. Customs Service,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI),
California Department of Fish and Game,
California Department of Parks and Recreation,
California Highway Patrol
Local harbormasters
Local police
“State Parks Rangers conduct beach patrols and the California Department of Fish and Game conduct regular patrols within the Sanctuary from the land, sea, and air. The Sanctuary conducts sea and air surveillance patrols to monitor permitted activities and to investigate incidents within the Sanctuary…”
WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY “INCIDENTS”?
The following is an example of the range of punishment for crimes against the sanctuary:
“Violation of sanctuary regulations is punishable by civil penalties of up to $ 119,000 per day of violation. In addition to fines, violators may also be required to pay for emergency response, environmental damage, and remediation costs. Any property involved in a violation (e.g. boats, equipment, tools) may be seized and held by enforcement officials, pending legal action …Interference with a Sanctuary enforcement investigation or officer is a criminal offense.” (http://bonita.mbnms.nos.noaa.gov/Resourcepro/enforce.html)
MORE REGULATIONS ON THE WAY
Approximately 300 people attended the public hearing portion of the meeting conducted in Santa Cruz on July 30. A disproportionately large contingent of taxpayer funded government and non-government agency representatives were there. Also present were Monterey Bay area residents concerned about the placement of a State Park Visitor Center and the rest of the people in attendance appeared to be comprised of recreationalists, boaters, fishermen, and others who share a genuine respect and appreciation for the beauty and bounty of the Bay.
Fishing oversight in the Monterey Bay is currently administered by the California Department of Fish and Game, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Pacific Management Fishery Council . The original 1992 MBNMS Designation Document promised that fishing would not be additionally regulated through Sanctuary rules. Perhaps Sanctuary Officials are hoping the fishermen will forget that promise because now there is a proposed ban on krill fishing and the establishment of Marine Protected Areas that outlaw access to boaters, fishermen, and the public.
Lisa Rudnick, an abundance ecologist, property rights advocate and a founding member of Freedom 21 Santa Cruz was able to attend a portion of the MBNMS meeting on the evening of July 30th. “It is mainly the principle of it all that drives me,” says Rudnick. “I will not stand by silently as many responsible fishermen now join the ranks of the loggers, ranchers, miners, farmers and many other productive citizens who have been suffocated by onerous regulations based on politicized science with questionable credibility.”
Many small, independent fishermen working on our federal seas have been regulated out of their livelihoods to the point of ruin. So why is it that some of the BIG fish like those associated with Tyson Foods seem to thrive? Is this the new definition of “Sustainable Fishing”? Government/private partnerships on the high seas?
WILL IT SUCCEED?
Perhaps we should take a closer look at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary program that’s being heavily promoted as the latest effort to “save our environment” (from ourselves). Are the Sanctuary Officials qualified to opine on the condition of and solutions for the Bay? Most are experts on neither oceans nor on fish. They were appointed, not elected, and they work for Bill Douros, Superintendent of the Sanctuary under NOAA and the Federal Department of Commerce. Some on the SAC have a background of participation in the formative stages of the Local Santa Cruz UN Agenda 21 Campaign. Agenda 21 is the blueprint for Sustainable Development that puts nature above man and all private property and natural resources under the power of the state.[See UN Agenda 21 Chapter 17 for UN oceans agenda].
And when has “the State” ever in the history of the world been a “good steward” of the earth?
The Sanctuary program seems to be simply a massive land grab that puts the control of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness for you and your posterity under the control of a cabal of government and non-government bureaucrats.
Let’s contemplate what we’re doing here before the Bay becomes a sanctuary for the elite and the land becomes a controlled penitentiary for us, the common fleet.
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Support the residents of the Central Coast and Freedom 21 Santa Cruz by attending Sanctuary meetings, getting informed and sharing what you learn with others. A bibliography and copies of the Sanctuary brochures depicted in this article are available by contacting Freedom 21 Santa Cruz at 831-684-2232. (Special thanks to all who provided information for this article).
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(C) 2003 Freedom 21 Santa Cruz http://www.freedom21santacruz.net/
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Writer Jason T. Berggren Questions White House’s Decision Not to Hold a Public Ceremony for National Day of Prayer
Atlanta, GA (Vocus) May 7, 2009
Is an interfaith public ceremony celebrating the National Day of Prayer a violation of the separation of church and state? Jason T. Berggren devotes an entire chapter of his book, “10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Faith,” to the subject of prayer. It is also the latest topic of his site www.morethingsihate.com. Berggren describes the site as the on-going version of his book. It is where he discuses the difficulty of integrating faith in the day-to-day, such as politics and current events.
When examining President Obama’s decision not to commemorate the National Day of Prayer with a public ceremony, Berggren comes to his own conclusion. He assumes, “the pivotal sentiment being that having a public ceremony is somehow an endorsement of a specific religion.”
While Berggren understands the importance of the principle of the separation of church and state, he feels this is not necessarily an appropriate application of it. Berggren is quick to emphatically deny any personal desire to see a theocratic form of government established. His contention is with what he sees as a subtle trend to create a society of free people who are not free to be religious in the public square in any form or fashion. Furthermore, it is often not acceptable to acknowledge the historical importance religious diversity has played in the foundation of this country.
Berggren names the Declaration of Independence and its reference to a Creator as the basis of his argument. It is for this reason he does not believe an interfaith ceremony based on the idea of prayer undermines the principle of separation of church and state in any way. Berggren boldly cautions citizens against a subtle drift toward religious bigotry. He states, “This is a step toward devolution and tyranny, not enlightenment.”
While Berggren tackles serious subjects on his site, he often brings a measure of levity to each situation. He concludes his discourse on the National Day of Prayer with this:
“What’s next? No Christmas at the White House since it’s about Jesus? I don’t think Malia and Sasha will be too happy about that.”
To learn more about Jason T. Berggren and his innovative new book, watch his latest interview with ABC News, or read his latest topic of discussion visit www.morethingsihate.com.
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Insurance Corruption Announces a Voluntary, Profitable National Healthcare Plan
(PRWEB) January 14, 2010
The Insurance Corruption National Healthcare Plan was produced in response to public objection to the government’s various complicated and extremely expensive plans. It’s designed to be voluntary, make a profit, and yet be a low-cost plan which would give immediate benefits. It’s offered as a compromise between what Democrats and Republicans want by Insurance Corruption, an independent group.
Instead of increasing the national deficit, the voluntary Insurance Corruption Plan would produce a profit from several sources:
Premiums and services would be very affordable, on a sliding scale. Healthcare would not be free, to avoid abuse of benefits. No insurance companies would be involved in the Insurance Corruption Plan.
The Plan would be contracted out, instead of becoming another massive and incompetent government bureaucracy, which would eliminate huge bonuses for executives, and taxpayers would not be supporting insurance company abuse, greed, excess, crime, and high-priced lawyers.
The plan includes veterans, which would create enormous savings by eliminating the VA medical program. No money would be spent on advertising.
It’s simplified and would save taxpayers millions to implement and operate. It’s streamlined, as opposed to the government’s numerous and complicated plans, and is designed to be completely separate from all other government programs. It’s designed to help the struggling middle class, although it would be available to everyone.
Details of the Insurance Corruption Plan are on the website, http://insurancecorruption.com.
There have been ongoing complaints that legislators are not listening to public complaints about the numerous plans the government has proposed. For example, there has been a great deal of public anger over forced payments to insurance companies.
The Insurance Corruption website offers powerful and effective ways to remind legislators that they work for the American people and not insurance companies. The Plan would also cut the financial ties between legislators and insurance company executives and refers to www.legalparasites.com.
There is no time limit for implementing the Insurance Corruption Plan, since any decision made by Congress can always be changed. However, the sooner a final decision is made by the American people, the less it will cost taxpayers to implement the healthcare plan. The Insurance Corruption Plan offers to give Republicans reassurance that this would not be more government welfare, and Democrats the freedom from insurance company corruption. The reality is that there will be a healthcare plan, and this could be the best compromise which all Americans would benefit from.
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Related Corruption Press Releases
Florida Author, Linnea Sinclair, Wins National Book Award
Naples, Florida (PRWEB) August 7, 2006
With bookshelves full of top-notch vampire and werewolf romance stories, who would have thought a starship-based intergalactic romantic thriller would take the coveted RITA (c) award for Best Paranormal Romance of 2006? Certainly not Bantam Spectra author and Naples, Florida resident, Linnea Sinclair, who never prepared an acceptance speech, even though she was a finalist.
“I was thrilled just to have my name up there with the likes of best selling authors Catherine Asaro, Teresa Medeiros, and Heather Graham,” Sinclair said, admitting she fought the urge to genuflect when those authors’ photos came on the ballroom’s screens in the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on July 29. “I honestly don’t know how the judges could decide a winner.”
The RITA(c), according to RWA public relations manager, Nicole Kennedy, is the most sought-after award in romance publishing today. Over 1,000 entries were narrowed down to 94 finalists in 13 categories. Sinclair’s Gabriel’s Ghost was one of the lucky 13 winners. Her Finders Keepers,
also a romance-based science fiction novel, was a RITA finalist in the Best First Book category.
Sinclair’s winning novel about a disgraced fleet captain and her mysterious rescuer has garnered many five-star reviews but is not, despite its title, a ghost story. “Captain Chasidah ‘Chaz’ Bergren finds herself fighting for her life on a desolate prison planet when her former, now supposedly dead, nemesis comes to rescue her,” Sinclair explained. “But mercenary Gabriel ‘Sully’ Sullivan isn’t quite what he seems, nor is he honest about his reasons for wanting Chaz by his side. It’s an intense, very fast-paced story which literally wrote itself in thirty-four days a few years ago. The original idea for the story blossomed during an adult creative writing class I took at a local high school here in Naples.”
Sinclair said after the awards ceremony, that had over 2,000 attendees, one of the judges told her it was the engaging personality of her hero, Sully, that cinched her winning vote. “He was that way when I was writing him, too!” Sinclair admitted. “He wouldn’t let me sleep and kept waking me up at 5 a.m., pushing me to ‘go write! go write!.’”
Sully will get another chance to prod her in Chasida’s Choice, the sequel to Gabriel’s Ghost, due out from Bantam Spectra in late 2007 or early 2008.
Find excerpts from Sinclair’s books, and more, at her website: www.linneasinclair.com
300 dpi images of book covers and author photos are available upon request.
Linnea Sinclair http://www.linneasinclair.com
linnea@linneasinclair.com
RITA(c) Award Winning Science Fiction Romance
Bantam-Spectra 2005: Finders Keepers, Gabriel’s Ghost, An Accidental Goddess
Coming 2007: Games of Command (February), Chasidah’s Choice, The Down Home Zombie Blues
Publicist, Carla S. Arpin
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Resist the National ID – The biometric prison planet
There is a biometric control grid being slotted into place around us. The national id is the closing of the bars of the prison planet. Don’t let them do it. Arm yourself with knowledge. norealid.com www.no2id.net www.spychips.com www.wethepeoplewillnotbechipped.com www.corbettreport.com
Song: Escape From the Prison Planet Artist: Clutch Album: Clutch[1995] Lyrics: Then Against My Better Judgment I Went Walking Out That Door. I Smiled At One Person Then I Nodded To Three More. One Man Asked Me For A Dollar, I Asked Him, “What’s It For?” He Said, “I Have Seen Them.” I Said, “OK, It’s Yours.” And As Featured On The MTV, The Local High School Lets Out, And The Town Becomes Anarchy. Parties Are Crashed, Skid Marks Are Measured. The Story’s In The Paper, You May Read It At Your Leisure. Get Out. Eject. Escape From The Prison Planet. Get Out. Eject. Escape From The Prison Planet. And To The Tune Of A Billion Dollars, I Supplied To The DOE Some Tasty Little Nuggets Of Alien Technology. And As One Might Expect, I’ve Been Harassed For Years. The Men In Black Have Been Bending My Ear. As A Matter Of Fact, They Were Just Here Today, But I Escaped Them Through A Secret Passageway. Once I Lived There For One Thousand Days. Get Out. Eject. Escape From The Prison Planet. Get Out. Eject. Escape From The Prison Planet. I Have Plans For The Future, Guess They’re Futuristic Plans. Move Out West And Buy Some Desert Lands. Maybe Up North, Just Past Alaska. You Know Nothing Of This If They Ask You. Red Rover, Red Rover, Bob Lazar’s Coming Over. So Honey Clear The Airstrip And Light Up That Stove. By Jove, I Think It’s Started. Oh Yeah, Escape From The Prison Planet. Billion People Harvest On Mars. Rebuild The Remnants Of The Obelisk, One Mile From The Pyramid. Escape From The …
portland group burns ’9/11 commission report’ at anniversary gathering
On the 9th anniversary of 9/11, local activists from Portland, Oregon gathered together to burn copies of the ’9/11 Commission Report’. James Evan Pilato of MediaMonarchy.com & Clyde Lewis of GroundZeroMedia.org would like to thank everyone that came out to support this event. We would also like to thank KOIN News for covering this story. This also shows that press releases can get results! Remember: “Don’t hate the media, become the media.” http://ur1.ca/1ljtj
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Voices Can Change the World
Voice talent Dave Christi runs an organization comprising of professional voice talent working towards bringing awareness and an end to one of the worlds most evil atrocities, genocide, particularly, the genocide in the Darfur region of western Sudan.
A genocide literally means that an entire group of people, or, in many cases, the majority of a population, is annihilated without just cause. The motives behind these genocides often revolve around religion, politics and ethnicity with hate as the catalyst.
Genocide is defined as: The deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group
You may recall the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. At the time, Canadian Lieutenant-General Romeo Dallaire was in the then war-torn Rwanda with a UN peacekeeping mission. While he was there, he heard that there was going to be a genocide. In this country, there are two distinct groups of people, the Hutu people and the Tutsi people, the latter being the minority and also considered the aristocracy.
To give you an extremely brief summary of what happened, the Tutsi people suffered a genocide at the hands of the Hutu while the world turned a blind eye. Between April 6th and July 16th 1994, over 800,000 Tutsi men, women, and children along with moderate Hutus were slaughtered over a period of 100 days – a massacre which has been likened to a modern Reign of Terror.
I happened to have the opportunity to attend a moving presentation a couple of years ago that screened a documentary about the Rwandan genocide in London. Major Brent Beardsley, who served as the personal staff officer to LGen Romeo Dallaire in Rwanda, was there to share what he saw of the massacre first hand and how if the UN had only continued to provide support to their peacekeepers, the genocide may have been stopped.
Several survivors from the genocide were there and spoke that evening, many of whom were the only living members of their family, letting us as Canadians know how much it meant to them that Romeo Dallaire and his troops did not pull out or abandon them when the United Nations and the rest of the world did.
Romeo Dallaire and his troops defied the UN in order to defend the people of Rwanda, and the battle they fought has made the term genocide very real.
The question Romeo Dallaire asks is “Are all humans human? Or… are some humans more human than others?”
What is going on in Darfur is eerily familiar… it is a genocide.
In our human history, we have seen genocides before Darfur and Rwanda, although, sometimes they are known by other names. Remember what happened to the Jewish people during World War II? The Holocaust, as termed by the British government, is a genocide. Millions of Jewish people were brutally murdered by the Nazi regime.
History repeats itself, but as we also know of history, we can learn from it to change the world. While it is true that not everyone can be at ground zero, there are things that you can still do from home.
When I heard about what Dave Christi had started, my heart broke for the people of Darfur and I wanted to see his purpose and the mission of his colleagues uplifted and shared with you.
I was fortunate to have an interview with Dave earlier this week.
Stephanie: What inspired you to start this project?
Dave Christi: A while ago, I happened upon an article online about a recent trip that a celebrity had taken to Darfur. Then another person on another trip. Then another and another. I wondered, “What’s going on in Darfur?” I always knew that there were problems in Africa, but I never knew to what extent. A quick Internet search later, I found more information.
I was horrified. Not just by the atrocities happening there, but by my own ignorance of the gravity of the situation. I couldn’t figure out why I hadn’t heard more about this on mainstream national news outlets.
I petitioned my congressman and signed the petition to the president and so on, but I didn’t feel like I was doing enough. I don’t have sacks of cash lying around, so I decided to donate my talents as a voiceover artist and copywriter. Then, I figured there may be one or two other voiceover talents that would like to contribute in the same way.
Stephanie: Do you offer services to charitable organizations directly, or do they need to find you first and ask?
Dave: The website and concept are both still in their infancy. My vision is to offer voiceover services to non-profits that may need a PSA read, or a presentation narrated.
Also, since I am a writer, I am putting together a series of PSAs for radio. As far as I can tell, there is a serious LACK of media coverage of this genocide. I’ll be contacting human rights organizations to ask them what we can do to help.
Stephanie: How many people are involved with the project?
Dave: This is the truly amazing part. I made this project public when I had the first PSA script written. That was on Monday, December 11. Just a few days later and I have over 20 voiceover talents who have helped on the PSA and many more that have expressed an interest in donating their voices for future projects.
I am now looking for others that can help with administration.
Stephanie: Do you have a mission statement?
Dave: Not an official statement, but the mission is 3-fold:
1. Donating voiceover work to non-profits who raise money/awareness for the crisis in Darfur.
2. Drive website traffic through our website to sites that accept donations.
3. Creating effective PSA’s to distribute to radio stations to help raise public awareness of the crisis in Darfur.
Stephanie: Do you have a blog to promote your project?
Dave: The entire website is setup on blogging software. I found this the easiest way to organize the fluid content of the site. So, yes, a blog is in place.
Stephanie: What is the demand for a service like yours?
Dave: I feel the demand could be quite great. Like any “for-profit” business, charities need to market themselves. This means they need voice work. UNLIKE a “for-profit” business, charities don’t have large marketing budgets. Every penny they have to spend is one less penny that goes toward their cause. If an organization like ours can lower their bottom line just a bit, I feel like we’ve been successful.
Stephanie: What does a typical client of your service look like?
Dave: Right now there is just one focus. Darfur. I am running the organization as a one man show right now. If I’m successful with charities that help Darfur, then I’d like to expand to domestic children’s charities.
Stephanie: Do you have a case study on hand that people could relate to?
Dave: The only case study I have right now is my own. The abuse of human rights in Darfur as been going on since 2003. Why was I unaware until the end of 2006? Why is it that my local and national media saw fit to educate me on every tedious detail of TomKat’s relationship, yet the stories of the suffering of the Darfuri people go unaired and unpublished?
Stephanie: How would someone go about getting a talent to record their message? Can clients pick their preferred voice from your base of volunteer talent or do talent view opportunities and respond if interested?
Dave: Right now I am collecting names of those interested in donating and I’m still researching charities that would need work done. Come to think of it, Voices.com has a lot of experience in getting voices and people who need voices together.
Stephanie: What qualifies to be recorded for free through your service? Are there any restrictions?
Dave: I want to ensure that the charities that use Voices for a Change are legitimate. In the US, that would simply mean faxing a copy of their 501(c)(3) to us before they would be given access to our services. The other requirement is that their charitable efforts go toward delivering relief to, raising public awareness for, and encouraging media and government response for the genocide in Darfur.
Stephanie: How can people get involved?
Dave: Even those who do not wish to donate their voices may still help the people of Darfur. Talk to your congressman. Talk to your local media. Talk to your friends. Be A Witness said it very well; “You can’t stop a genocide if you don’t know about it.”
Stephanie: Thank you Dave for your time and for sharing this mission with us at Voices.
Dave: Thank you for the opportunity.
Stephanie Ciccarelli
http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/voices-can-change-the-world-97280.html
Philippines Outsourcing Forecast in 2008
A LOT happened in 2007, it is mixed with good and bad scenario. Investment continues to be a big wave in spite of the political bickering which cannot be set aside. Despite the odds in the Philippine business arena, the country continues to spread its wing and gain reputation from the potential foreign investors. The Philippine government hurdle the trials in surviving from the economic dilemma last year, but ready to face the New Year.
In line with this, one of the most talked about forecast in the Philippine economy is about outsourcing industry. The question is, if what would the forecast in this industry be in the current year and beyond. Contact centers contributed millions of pesos as per recorded by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and other concerned government agencies. Graduates easily landed on a job because of the opportunity it offers to the Filipino people. It is exceptional knowledge that English proficiency and outstanding customer service skills are among of the few reasons why Filipinos are known to this.
Based on the 10-point agenda highlighted by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and to quote: "The creation of six million jobs in six years via more opportunities given to entrepreneurs, tripling of the amount of loans for lending to small and medium enterprises and the development of one to two million hectares of land for agricultural business."
It means to say that the Philippine Government wanted to fill-in jobless Filipinos because of the outsourcing jobs. A call center in the Philippines is noted to be the answer in the crisis which is the major concerns of all government agencies from the local and the national scene. Mrs. Arroyo vowed to strengthen the operations of world class call center companies in the country.
However, if the government is serious about its plan then eliminating, or intensifying drive against graft and corruption should be done accordingly. If the country intensified its campaign against this war, it will ensure to protect the benefits of the booming economy because of the operations of largest call center companies in the country.
The Cabinet vowed today to wage an intensified campaign against graft and corruption to ensure that the benefits of the growing economy would trickle down to the people, especially the poor, unmarred by corrupt practices. To prove this campaign, the Cabinet members led by Her Excellency proposed the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) to crack down on grafters, including the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.
The President signed RA 9485 last June 2. RA 9485 states that heads of government offices are accountable to the public in rendering fast, efficient, convenient and reliable services. It also requires agencies concerned to act on pending papers within five working days involving simple transactions, and a minimum of 10 days for complex cases.
Another notable action done by the government was the call for the immediate passage of the Right to Information Act, Whistleblowers Act and House Bill 3003. The HB 3003 seeks to compel the government to publish the income tax returns of all government officials, whether they are elected or appointed, in a move to lessen if not eradicate corruption.
This is a good development because it shows that the national government is concerned about the protection of the investor no matter what happened. If the country is an investor-friendly then giving the opportunity to bind the relationship in terms of customer service business will be a great one.
Meanwhile, it is attractive also to call center investors if there will be enough allocated budget in the year 2008. In addition, the President appealed to the Congress for the passage of proposed PhP1.227-trillion national budget for 2008 the soonest possible time.
The immediate passage will not hamper the delay in the implementation of the government’s priority projects and programs.
However, news reports revealed that the Congress did not approve the proposed PhP1.227-trillion 2008 budget before it went on its Christmas recess last December as the Senate questioned the amount of P13.5-billion supposedly inserted by the House of Representatives.
Breakdown of the proposed 2008 national allocation is P91 billion higher than the 2007 general appropriations of P1.126 trillion. Of the P1.227 trillion allocations, P11.5 billion will fund infrastructure projects mentioned by the President in her State-of-the-Nation Address.
It was tackled that the national budget will focus on priority sectors like infrastructure facilities, education, health, science and technology, including housing and salary adjustments for the state workers.
With the presentation tackled above, it only means that outsourcing industry will remain as one of the top revenue contributors in the country. If the national leaders will stick on their promises, no doubt that in the shortest time allotted, the country will gather the fruits of its labor. And also, the country will continue to boost its honor as one of the top leaders in the outsourcing business.*
Roberto L. Bacasong
http://www.articlesbase.com/outsourcing-articles/philippines-outsourcing-forecast-in-2008-363707.html