As mentioned in an earlier post the 20th November is not only Universal Children’s Day, but also the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  The Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) has produced a celebratory explanation of some of the articles of the CRC and also some important resources. INEE is an open global network of over 3,500 practitioners, students, teachers, staff from UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, donors, governments and universities who work together to ensure all persons the right to quality, relevant and safe educational opportunities.

From INEE:

Tomorrow, 20 November 2009, is the 20th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), which is a legally binding international instrument spelling out the principles that Member States of the United Nations agree to be universal – for all children, in all countries and cultures, at all times and without exception, simply through the fact of their being born into the human family. The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child.

The CRC is of particular importance to education in emergencies, because it forcefully brings together provisions relevant to emergencies and armed conflict in ways that few other international treaties do, offering added protection for the consistently most vulnerable group: the child.

The following 2 articles affirm the right of the child to education, in emergencies, as well as in times of peace and stability:

Article 28 obliges all state parties to establish educational systems and ensure equal and non-discriminatory access to them. Especially primary education must be compulsory and free to all, but also secondary, vocational and higher education must be made progressively available. Education must be provided in a way that respects the dignity of the child at all times. Lastly, Article 28 obliges States to encourage and promote international cooperation, with particular account taken of the needs of developing countries.

Article 29 defines the aims of education, chief amongst these being that education shall be directed to the development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential. This echoes the over-riding principle of the CRC, as stated in Art. 3, of the best interest of the child, requires that schools be child-friendly in the fullest sense of the term and that they be consistent in all respects with the dignity of the child. Lastly, that education must be for “the preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin”.

These 2 articles must be read together with a few other key articles in the Convention:

Article 2  on non-discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child’s or his or her parent’s or legal guardian’s race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.

Article 38 on the respect for the rules of international humanitarian law in times of conflict, ensuring the continued and specific protection of children and civilians, protecting them from taking part in hostilities and entering into armed forces.

Amnesty International

Article 6 (right to life); Article 9 (separation from parents); Article 12 (Respect for the views of the child); Article 19 (Child’s right to protection from all forms of violence); Article 22 (Refugee children); Article 39 (Rehabilitation of child victims); and the 1st Optional Protocol (On the Involvement of children in armed conflict).

Timor Leste -Ray Harris

The right to education is also articulated in many other international conventions and documents, which do not limit this right to children, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951); the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966); the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006); and the non-legally binding Dakar World Education Forum Framework for Action (2000), promoting Education for All.

More free resources

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/discussion2008.htm

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the body of independent experts responsible for reviewing progress made by States parties in implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child, devoted its 2008 Day of General Discussion (DGD) on to articles 28 and 29 of the Convention dealing with the right to education, focusing upon the education of children in emergency situations. The day was intended to provide States and other actors with more comprehensive guidance as to their obligations to promote and protect the right to education as outlined in articles 28 and 29. For more information about the DGD, please click here.

The Committee released its report, including recommendations, which you can find on the INEE website along with several other supporting documents about the day. Among the recommendations particularly relevant to INEE members, the Committee:

• calls upon States parties to honor their obligation to fully ensure the right to education for every child within their jurisdiction, without any discrimination, throughout all stages of emergency situations, including the emergency preparedness phase and the reconstruction and the post emergency phases.
• calls upon States parties, donors and relief agencies to include education as an integral component of the humanitarian relief response from the outset.
• urges all States parties, in particular those that are prone to natural disasters or in areas likely to be affected by armed conflict, to prepare a plan of action for the provision of the right to education in emergency situations.
• urges States parties to fulfill their obligation therein to ensure schools as zones of peace and places where intellectual curiosity and respect for universal human rights is fostered; and to ensure that schools are protected from military attacks or seizure by militants; or use as centres for recruitment. The Committee urges States parties to criminalize attacks on schools as war crimes in accordance with article 8(2)(b) (ix) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and to prevent and combat impunity.
• urges States parties, United Nations agencies, donors and relief agencies to ensure that INEE Minimum Standards are applied at all stages of humanitarian relief response in order to ensure the right of children to education in emergencies.
• recommends that States parties and other international partners support child participation so that children can voice their views with regard to what they learn (the content) and how they learn (rights-based and child-centered active learning) and are empowered by the relevant content of education and the active learning process.

The DGD, and these ensuing recommendations on education in emergencies, built upon the 2008 report of Vernor Muñoz, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education on the right to education in emergencies. Many INEE members contributed to the contents of this report through questionnaires developed by the Special Rapporteur and disseminated on the INEE Listserv and Website. For a summary of the report, the full text for download in Spanish and English, and highlights relating specifically to INEE and the INEE Minimum Standards please click here.

Right to Education Project
http://www.right-to-education.org
The RTE site offers information and resources for States, civil society organisations and individuals on how to interpret and claim the right to education. It is centered on the basic premise that education must be available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable to all; that education systems must be accountable, participatory, transparent and non-discriminatory; and that education rights entails both the right to, in and through education.

UNICEF Website:  20th Anniversary of the CRC
http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/whatyoucando.htm
The UNICEF site includes a Take Action center that articulates what individuals can do – visa via governments, families and communities, schools and teachers, the media, the private sector, and development and humanitarian organizations — to change the Convention from words on paper into real actions for children. It also contains a section for youth, helping them to understand the CRC, know their rights and take action: http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/433.htm

INEE Minimum Standards Toolkit Thematic Guide on Human & Children’s Rights
The INEE Minimum Standards present a global framework for coordinated action to enhance the quality of educational preparedness and response, increase access to relevant learning opportunities, and ensure humanitarian accountability in providing these services. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is one of the foundational documents for the INEE Minimum Standards. The tools and resources in this guide are a selection from the INEE Minimum Standards Toolkit that relate to the cross-cutting issue of human and children’s rights. To access the Thematic Guide, please click here. All of these resources are available online and on the INEE Minimum Standards Toolkit www.ineesite.org/toolkit.

Your Right to Education: A Handbook for Refugees and Displaced Communities
The Women’s Refugee Commission created Your Right to Education: A Handbook for Refugees and Displaced Communities to raise awareness of everyone’s right to education. The handbook uses drawings that readers at all levels can understand. It is hoped that you will share Your Right to Education with children, young people and adults in your community to help them better understand the right to education, how it fits with other human rights and the benefits that education may bring. It is also hoped that Your Right to Education will serve as a tool to discuss these issues in depth and to encourage action to expand and improve education in displaced communities. Click here to download the Handbook in English, French and Arabic.

A complimentary resource is Right to Education During Displacement. A resource for organizations working with refugees and internally displaced persons (2006, Women’s Refugee Commission), which is available here.

Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
This website and listserv offers consistently high-quality and comprehensive information on the rights of the child as defined in the CRC. It also has a selection of resources relating to education. Explore the website, and sign-up for their listserv CRINMAIL here: www.crin.org.

A Human Rights Based Approach to Education for All
(2007, UNICEF and UNESCO)
This document brings together the current thinking and practice on human rights-based approaches in the education sector. It presents key issues and challenges in rights-based approaches and provides a framework for policy and programme development from the level of the school up to the national and international levels.While the predominant focus of the document is on primary basic education and child rights within education, it is based on the EFA goals and situated within lifecycle and lifelong learning approaches. It addresses the right to education as well as rights within education, which include human rights education itself. Click here to download this resource.

Sign up for Daily email and feed at etfdesk.com

Today’s market-moving headlines, macro trade ideas and more…

• How Does the ‘09 Rally Stack Up Against ‘82 Bull Market?
• Albert Edwards On Gold Mania, And Why Gold Is Very, Very Cheap
• John Paulson Making Big New Bet on Gold
• Société Générale tells clients how to prepare for ‘global collapse’
• Shut up, Lloyd Blankfein!
• The Asia Pacific Fund October Monthly Update
• The Greater China Fund October Monthly Update
• The Taiwan Greater China Fund Announces Commencement of Semi-Annual repurchase Offer
• A yuan-sided argument
• Smarter Shoppers vs. Smarter Sellers
• Goldman Expects Labor Data to Drive Markets
• Lumber Futures Spike As Demand For Commodities Hits Fever Pitch
• VIX of the VIX
• The World’s Largest Shopping Mall
• BofA Merrill cuts ‘10 global semiconductor growth view
• Wells Fargo to Buy Back $1.3 Billion in Auction Debt
• Roach: China’s Market Will Crumble
• Warning to Closed-End Fund Director–Mr. Andrew Donohue keynote address at IDC Conference
• Senior Secured Floating Rate Bonds (SSFR): The Best Investments to Own When Interest Rates Rise
• Brazil sparks wider currency control fears

A fortnight ago, to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night (& just for fun really!), we built a big bonfire in our back garden. When I say ‘we’ I guess I mostly mean Martin as he was the one who built the fire pit in our garden earlier this summer & he was the one who gathered & prepared all the wood! I was mostly in charge of buying the marshmallows

Martin’s Dad & sister & their partners travelled up from England to join us for the weekend. With 6 people & 3 greyhounds, it was a rather crowded house, so any excuse to get outside was welcome!

It was a cracking good fire & kept us all nice & warm for hours as we huddled round it toasting marshmallows on sticks. Even the dogs were tempted off the sofas to come join us round the fire (although no marshmallows for them!).

Inspired by our bonfire (& Guy Fawkes Night in general), I curated this treasury of fiery finds on Etsy. Mmmmnn… these chocolate marshmallows look deelish!

The treasury is no longer ‘live’ (as I was somewhat behind in updating my blog!) but please do visit the shops of these talented artists, many of who are members of street teams McEtsy & Etsy For Animals.

Sign up for Daily email and feed at www.etfdesk.com

• Dave Rosenberg 11/16/2009
• The Debt Economy
• 6 REASONS RICHARD RUSSELL WANTS TO OWN GOLD
• Devon Raises the ‘Big’ Question
• SGF October Monthly Update
• MEREDITH WHITNEY IS NOW CALLING FOR A DOUBLE DIP
• The not-so-small small bank CRE problem
• China Rejects View PBOC Shifted on Yuan, Morgan Stanley Says
• Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform
• Can ETCs replicate the carry trade?
• Arbitrage-free merger arbitrage
• U.S. Wholesale Prices Show Few Inflation Pressures
• Funds eye poor performer wheat in hunt for laggards
• High-flying currency hits Eurozone companies
• Tanker Sector Should Float Your Boat

The not-so-small small bank CRE problem

Posted: 16 Nov 2009 08:42 AM PST

Moreover, unlike for residential real estate, the best assets have been securitized in CMBS, and banks tend to hold in their loan portfolio the riskiest assets.

ETFDesk users see this as a potential opportunity to: sell KBW Regional Banking ETF;

Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

China Rejects View PBOC Shifted on Yuan, Morgan Stanley Says

Posted: 16 Nov 2009 11:36 PM PST

“I consider this…effort by Chinese authorities to dismiss the renewed speculation of renminbi appreciation in the near term,” Wang Qing, chief Asia economist for Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong, wrote in a note to clients today.

ETFDesk users see this as a potential opportunity to: sell WisdomTree Dreyfus Chinese Yuan Fund;

Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform

Posted: 17 Nov 2009 12:02 AM PST

In the last year, the industry has raised the wholesale prices of brand-name prescription drugs by about 9 percent, according to industry analysts. That will add more than $10 billion to the nation’s drug bill, which is on track to exceed $300 billion this year.

ETFDesk users see this as a potential opportunity to: buy Pharmaceutical HOLDRS;

Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

Can ETCs replicate the carry trade?

Posted: 17 Nov 2009 12:08 AM PST

“The benefit of a currency ETC is that it provides exposure to local interest rates. It’s safer than putting money in a foreign bank account,” Mr Bienkowski said.

Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

Arbitrage-free merger arbitrage

Posted: 17 Nov 2009 12:21 AM PST

I think most of the IndexIQ ETFs are silly, but they nailed this one. Merger Arb ETF to hit the market, Convertible arb next?

Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

U.S. Wholesale Prices Show Few Inflation Pressures

Posted: 17 Nov 2009 12:27 AM PST

A Labor Department report on Tuesday said that higher food and energy costs contributed to a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent rise in the producer price index, which measures the cost of goods to companies. That fell short of the 0.5 percent jump forecast by economists.

ETFDesk users see this as a potential opportunity to: buy iShares Lehman TIPS Bond Fund; buy PIMCO Broad U.S. TIPS Index Fund;

Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

Funds eye poor performer wheat in hunt for laggards

Posted: 17 Nov 2009 12:56 AM PST

Prices have been weighed down by growing stocks following a record global harvest in 2008 and the second-largest harvest in history this year, but there are signs that the tide may finally be beginning to turn. RJA – 20% Wheat

ETFDesk users see this as a potential opportunity to: buy ELEMENTS – Rogers International Commodity Index Agriculture Total Return;

Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

High-flying currency hits Eurozone companies

Posted: 17 Nov 2009 12:57 AM PST

The strength of the euro is hitting the profits and sales of companies in the eurozone sharply, in spite of the emerging economic recovery in the region.

ETFDesk users see this as a potential opportunity to: sell iShares MSCI-EMU; sell iShares MSCI-EAFE;

Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

Tanker Sector Should Float Your Boat

Posted: 17 Nov 2009 01:02 AM PST

FBR Capital Markets WE ARE UPGRADING OUR tanker industry outlook to Overweight based on our expectations for marked improvement in the supply/demand balance in 2010.

ETFDesk users see this as a potential opportunity to: buy Claymore/Delta Global Shipping Index ETF;

Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

Temel yağ asitleri (EFA) ‘lar bu şekilde anılır çünkü bunlar tüm hücrelerimizin ve organlarımızın iyi sağlığı için mutlak biçimde temel oluşturur ve vücut tarafından imal edilemez, dolayısıyla bunların diyetten elde edilmesi gerekir. EFA’lar “yaşlanma hastalıklarını” örneğin kalp hastalığı ve kanser, aynı zamanda depresyon ve PMS’den egzamaya kadar diğer birçok hastalığı, giderek artan kanıtlara göre uzak tutar.

Bir tip temel yağ, omega 3 yağları, kolesterolün kandan taşınmasına yardım ederek, kan basıncını düşürerek ve kanın pıhtılaşmasını önleyerek kalp sağlığını iyileştirir. Bundan sebep size Lida kullanırken mutlaka Omega 3 yağ asitlerini içeren bir takviye kullanmanızı öneririz. Yağlı balık omega 3 yağlan açısından yüksektir ve bu da örneğin Eskimolar ve bu kitapta tartışılan halklarda kalp hastalığı oranlarının neden çok düşük olduğunu açıklayan unsurlardan biridir. EFA’ lar ayrıca tümör oluşumunu ve kanser metastasını azaltır ve hatta kanser hücrelerini de öldürebilir.

EFA’ların diğer birçok faydaları arasından hangisinden başlanacağını belirlemek zordur. EFA’lar anti imflamatu vardır ve dolayısıyla astım ve romatizmal artritin önlenmesini destekler. Bunlar hücre zarlarını esnek tutar, bu da onların toksinleri dışarı atmasını ve besin maddelerini içeri almasını sağlar ve cildinizin yumuşak ve esnekliğini korur. Bunlar beyin ve sinir sistemi işlevi için esastır ve bunların cinsel sağlığın iyileşmesinde son derece etkin olduğu ortaya konmuştur. Bunlar metabolizmayı iyileştirir ve böylece, kalori açısından nispeten yüksek olmasına rağmen Lida ile kilo vermeyi de destekleyebilir.

Yağ Oranı Düşük Diyetler
Ortalama bir Amerikalı kalorilerinin yaklaşık yüzde 33′ünü yağdan almaktadır. Düşük kalorili diyetler bu miktarı yüzde 20′ye indirmeye çalışmaktadır. Yağ oranını düşük tutan diyetlerin arkasında iki ana fikir vardır: Yağ sizi şişman yapar ve yağ kalp için kötüdür. Bu kapsamlı ifadelerin hiçbiri doğru değildir. Makul miktarda sağlıklı yağ, düşük yağlı diyetler kadar ya da daha iyi bir şekilde kilo vermeyi teşvik eder. Kalp hastalıkları cephesinde de bazı yağlar kalp için iyidir ve bunları Lida aldığımız dönemde beslenmeden çıkarmak problemlere neden olur.

Düşük yağ içerikli diyetlerin en çok tanınanlarından biri Dr. Dean Ornish’in “Daha Çok Ye, Daha Zayıf Ol” planıdır. “Daha Çok Ye” fikri yağın bir gramında 9 kalori bulunurken karbonhidratların bir gramında 4 kalori olduğu gerçeğinden kaynaklanmaktadır. Yağlı gıdalardan karbonhidrat yönünden zengin gıdalara özellikle de meyve ve sebzelere geçerek daha fazla kalori almadan tükettiğiniz yiyecekleri iki katına çıkarabilirsiniz.

Yağ oranı düşük ve Lida destekli bir diyet yapmanın kilo vermeye yardımcı olacağına şüphe yok, en azından kısa vadede. Bazıları böyle bir diyete uzun vadede bağlı kalmayı başarabilir, ancak bunun için gerçekten kararlı olmak gerekir. Neden? Düşük yağ içerikli diyetler diğer beslenme stratejilerine göre daha lezzetsizdir genelde ve gıda seçeneği konusunda da daha kısıtlayıcıdır, özellikle de dışarıda yemek yerken. Ayrıca sizin kendinizi aç hissetmenize de neden olabilir. Düşük yağlı diyetlerin, ana öğünler arasında ara öğünlere ve doygunluk hissini artıran yüksek lif oranlı yiyeceklere yer vermesinin bir nedeni budur.

Düşük yağ içerikli diyetler kalp için mükemmel diye tanıtılır. Bu ün, pek çok uzmanın tüm yağların kalp için kötü olduğunu düşündüğü bir zamandan kalmadır. Bu düşünce, doymamış yağ-ların kolesterol düzeyini düzeltebileceğine ve potansiyel olarak ölümcül kalp ritmi bozukluklarını engelleyebileceğine ilişkin bulguların ışığında sönmektedir. Ornish planı, Dr. Ornish’in kalp rahatsızlığı olan otuz beş kadın ve erkek üzerinde yaptığı küçük çaplı bir araştırmadan da destek almaktadır. Bu araştırma, çok az miktarda yağ içeren, vejetaryen, tam tahılların tüketildiği bir diyetin egzersiz, stres yönetimi ve grup desteğiyle bir arada daha az yoğun değişikliklere göre damarlardaki daralmayı daha başarılı azalttığını gösterdi. Bu yöndeki gelişme, düşük yağ içerikli beslenmeden kaynaklanmış olabilirdi. Başka değişikliklerden de kaynaklanmış olabilirdi.

Unutmayın, “Ornish diyeti yapmak” rafine tahıllardan vazgeçerek tam tahıllara yönelmek ve egzersiz yapmak anlamına geliyor. Egzersiz iyidir, Lida ile çok çok daha iyidir. Egzersiz yapmadan rafine karbonhidratlar tüketmek trigliserid düzeyini yükseltip, HDL (iyi) kolesterol seviyesini azaltabilir, her iki durum da kalp için iyi değildir.

Das Ablegen und Suchen von Dokumenten ist in den Unternehmen ein fester Bestandteil im täglichen Arbeitsprozess geworden.  Eine Optimierung dieser Tätigkeit bringt dem Unternehmen einen sofortigen Vorteil. Auch die Sicherheit der Dateien vor Datenverlust und letzter Versionsstand der Dokumente sind ein wichtiger wirtschaftlicher Faktor geworden.

Die Aussage:
Jedes Dokument oder Datei welches bei einem Mitarbeiter in dem Bereich „Eigene Dateien“ bzw. auf einen der lokalen Laufwerke gespeichert wird, bewirkt ein potentielles Risiko für das Unternehmen.
Diese Aussage sollte von jedem Unternehmen ernst genommen werden.

Was ist zu tun?

Sofort ein teures Dokumentenmanagement anschaffen?

Ja, wenn das Budget dafür da ist.

Oder unser Tip:

Im Unternehmen eine einfache zentrale Dateiablage auf einem für jeden zugänglichen Laufwerk  aufbauen.

Dokumentenablage für Kunden

Wir haben dieses Konzept für ACT! und Outlook Anwender umgesetzt und optimiert.

Der Grundgedanke:

Für jeden Kunden bzw Interessenten mit dem eine Kommunikation im Unternehmen besteht oder bestehen wird,  sollte zu dem Adressdatensatz in ACT oder Outlook eine einheitliche Dokumentenablage geben. Diese Dokumentenablage ist dann von allen Mitarbeitern nutzbar und besitzt eine einheitliche Struktur in der Form von Unterordnern. Die Suche nach dem richtigen Ablageort wird schnell und effizient erfolgen. Optional sollte das Ablegen von Dokumenten aus den Applikationen automatisch erfolgen.

Die Lösung mit ACT oder Outlook:

Die Erweiterung, „Explorer für ACT“ (EFA) oder „Explorer für Outlook“ (EFO), zeigt zu einer Adresse den Win-Explorer an. Durch eine Verknüpfung zum Datensatz kann für jede Adresse die passende Dokumentenablage angezeigt werden. Hierzu wird in einem Adressfeld ein Pfad z.B.: K:/Kunden/Meier GmbHEssen47111/ gespeichert. Optional wird dieser Pfad automatisch aus den Feldinformationen der Adresse erzeugt und eine Ablagestruktur mit weiteren vordefinierten Unterordnern angelegt.

Die weiteren Ausbaustufen*:

Unterstützung von automatischem Ablegen der Emails als Datei in der Dokumentenablage.

Worddokumente automatisch Ablegen.

PDF Dokumente automatisch Ablegen.

When you want to finance your next equipment purchase you will have options. You can choose either a lease agreement or a finance agreement.

Equipment finance Agreements have almost the same flexibility as a lease, but you retain ownership of the equipment. And that can give you peace of mind over a traditional lease.

Next time you take a look at both options.

Visit us at www.EquiLeaseOne.com or call Rob directly @ 303-521-7622.

As well as having vitamins and minerals, food is a complex mix of thousands of phytochemicals. These are the factors that we need, along with enzymes, to fully utilize the vitamins and minerals. Studies consistently show that people who have a high intake of phytochemical-rich fruit and vegetables have lower levels of disease.

Life Force International manufactures a fantastic  supplement called TRUEGREENS. TRUEGREENS is a “super botanical” that is a
phytochemical-rich powerhouse! TRUEGREENS is FULL of antioxidants. Antioxidants (in the fruits, vegetables and herbs) act as our body’s first line of defense against damage. They neutralize or scavenge (gobble up) substances called free radicals which would otherwise damage cells in our bodies, including our DNA. This, by the way, is one of the major causes of aging!
The grains and seeds in TRUEGREENS contribute trace elements, valuable amino acids and isoflavones. They are also a wonderful source of EFA’s (essential fatty acids). EFA’s are fats essential to the diet because the body can’t produce them. They are present in every healthy cell in the body and are critical for normal growth and functioning of the cells, muscles, nerves and organs. EFA’s are also used by the body to produce hormone-like substances called prostoglandins, which are the key to many of the body’s important processes.
TRUEGREENS is a WONDERFUL source of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a natural deodorant for the body. It helps detoxify the liver and bloodstream and helps eliminate body odors. It also stimulates new tissue growth and the production of red blood cells. It strengthens all the body’s cells and acts as protection against
carcinogens. The greens in TRUEGREENS are powders made from both the whole leaf (providing valuable fiber), and from juices (extracted without heat to preserve enzymes and nutrients).

TRUEGREENS provides probiotics (friendly intestinal bacteria) and FOS (a super-food for the probiotics, that helps increase beneficial bacteria in the intestines). It also contains lecithin. Lecithin is a fat emulsifier, so it supports the circulatory system and helps absorb fats. It is also a potent antioxidant.
There is SO MUCH in TRUEGREENS we could literally fill an entire book with its benefits. I know that by eating TRUEGREENS every day (and I wouldn’t be without it!) I am getting the tools my body needs to do its job of regeneration. It is also great traveling food, and has sustained a number of friends during long flights
overseas, leaving them energized and alive.

Characteristics:
A concentrated, whole food supplement with over 30 organic and natural-source ingredients and is 100% vegan
True Greens is like a “Salad Bar in a Jar!” with many high valued ingredients.

Recommended daily intake: Shake gently before use. Mix 2 rounded teaspoons in 6 ounces of any liquid. Can be sprinkled on salads or other prepared foods.

True Greens contains: Wheat Grass, Soy, Rice Bran, Amaranth, Flax Seed, Carrot, Alfalfa, Broccoli, Spinach, Kale, Tomato, Noni (Fruit), Ginger Root, Spirulina, Barley Grass, Pineapple, Blueberry, Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, Shitake Mushroom, Papaya, Bromelain, Lipase, Amylase, Grape Seed Extract, Bilberry (Fruit) Extract, and Stevia(Leaf)

Vegan Certified Super Green Food

The Dog House meets Dragon House (of Yuen)

A fortnight ago I purchased a birthday card for my Dad from Etsy shop Dragon House of Yuen. Usually I have to wait (impatiently!) for my Etsy purchases to arrive via the post, but this one arrived on my doorstep along with its creator! Meeting a fellow Etsy seller in person was a first for me, but it was so lovely to meet Annette & share a cup of tea & a chin-wag.

Annette & her lagomorphs

Annette lives in nearby Edinburgh with her fiance & 2 rescue rabbits, Arabella & Wesley. Her rabbits are the inspiration behind many of her creations, which include cards, watercolours, bags, soft sculptures & ACEOs. Everything is her own design & handmade with great love and attention to detail.

Arabella, Annette’s beautiful rescue doe – from Little Critterz Rescue Sanctuary in Perthshire, Scotland

Wesley, Annette’s very handsome rescue buck – from the Rabbit & Guinea Pig Welfare Rescue Centre in Rugby, England

An avid supporter of various charities including WSPA, the BUAV, Rabbit & Guinea Pig Welfare and the Buckeye House Rabbit Society, Annette donates a percentage of some of her sales to these charities, as well as donating some of her hand-crafted items to be raffled.

2 of Annette’s amazing handmade bags – the one on the left is modelled on Arabella & the one on the right on Wesley!

Some of Annette’s unique soft sculptures – baby hare, baby rabbit & baby feline

Annette paints beautiful watercolour pet portraits. She accepts commissions &, if your pet is a rescue animal,  will gladly donate 20% of the total cost of the painting to your animal rescue centre or charity.

A portrait Annette painted of her special rescue rabbit, Zai, who sadly is no longer with her

Annette is a fellow member of both the Etsy For Animals & McEtsy teams, which is how I came to ‘meet’ her online. Her sunny personality shines through in her active participation of these teams & she has a unique talent of pulling together the work of fellow artists to create beautiful treasuries, often with poignant messages relating to her love of nature & animals.

One of Annette’s many curations . This one’s entitled ‘Soul Shaker’ & is part of a trilogy of treasuries with fellow Etsyians Pey & Pat

So many grey hares

Like everything Annette sells, the custom birthday card I had ordered arrived beautifully packaged. Annette had also included a generous selection of samples of her other work, including a puffin image which I am particularly fond of!

The card featured decades of little grey hares, in fact one white cut-out baby hare with added fur detailing in pencil for every year of my Dad’s life (& that’s quite a lot of hares!). Annette had printed then cut-out each individual hare and adhered them onto the A6 card, which opened accordion-style.

The message, which is revealed line by line as you open the card, read:

“It’s that time again!!!

Happy Birthday

Uh – Oh!

So many

Grey Hares!!

Whew!!”

A creative & unique card, Annette can custom make this card for the ‘oldie’ (Sorry Dad!) in your life by tailoring the number of grey hares. I just love it, & so did my Dad!

Dining on kale

The kale which we sowed in our garden earlier this year – we now have a bumper crop & don’t know what to do with it all!

I sent Annette home with a bag full of kale from our garden, which she informs me is a favourite of Arabella & Wesleys’. Although Annette was very taken with both Max & Molly, we decided it was probably best if those two never got to meet her lagomorphs in person! Although, I hope that I may have the privilege of doing so some day soon…

Arabella & Wesley tuck into some kale

You can read Annette’s blog post about our meeting here.

Louise (her name has been changed to protect her identity) is a 25 year old married woman who would love to lose weight and become healthier. Louise, like many people around the globe, is considered to be morbidly obese weighing 372 lbs. She has hypoglycemia and suffers from depression and back pains. Her & her husband would love to have children one day but Louise’s menstrual cycle is irregular & she has been told by her doctor that her infertility is weight related. Louise is currently unemployed but does crafts and few other things to help supplement the household income.

A review of Louise’s nutritional questionnaires shows that hypoglycemia (as diagnosed by her doctor), thyroid and pituitary system all require attention. She is also deficient the B vitamins and iron.

I’ve also asked Louise to give me an example of what she eats on a daily basis. Breads, dairy and sweets seem to be the main components of Louise’s diet.

Recommendations:

I have provided Louise with a dietary guideline and list of foods that I would like her to follow. These foods will help to get her metabolism going again while addressing her vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The fiber content of these foods will also support her intestinal tract. Her diet will consist of lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. I have also asked that Louise cut back on red meat, wheat products, dairy products (1 glass/day instead of 6) and eliminate convenience foods and sugar.

Louise & I talked in detail about her diet and will be making the changes in her diet slowly to begin with. We will work towards getting Louise onto a digestion diet where there will be no red meat, wheat or dairy products what so ever.

SUPPLEMENTS:

B-50 complex to be taken daily
A good quality Essential Fatty Acid (Flax seed oil or Omega 3) to be taken daily
Iodine (optional, if not incorporating iodine rich food sources)
Female glandular support formula or pituitary concentrate (optional)

LIFESTYLE:

Louise has stated that she has poor muscle tone and cannot walk for more than 10 minutes before needing to rest. I’ve suggested that she begin to exercise by simply walking. If she knows she can go for 10 minutes before stopping, then I’ve asked her to go outside and walk for 5 minutes then turn around and walk back home. Do this two times a day every day.

Louise will be implementing the suggestions and recommendations I have made tomorrow. I will post her progress in my blog every Friday after her weekly check in.

If you would like a personalized nutritional recommendation, please contact me through my blog or by visiting my website listed below.

Yours in health,
 

Tammy

www.freeyourthyme.weebly.com

**Please contact me for personalized nutritional recommendations. This blog has been condensed and does not include many additional factors. This blog is not meant to be followed as a recommended diet or nutrition program for any one but “Louise”.

Jubiläumsprogramm, die OBsSiegfried Balleis und Alexander Rybakow

De facto geht heute erst das 25jährige Partnerschaftsjubiläum zu Ende, das im Oktober vergangenen Jahres in Erlangen gefeiert wurde. Denn morgen hängen die Mitglieder der Erlanger Fotoamateure (EFA) ihre Bilder wieder ab, die seit dem 2. März im Korridor des Kulturamtes in der Gebbertstraße 1, Museumswinkel, die Wände schmückten. Ein Jahr ist es nun her, daß etwa 250 Wladimirer in Erlangen zu Gast waren, Vertreter der Politik über die Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft bis zur Kultur und zum Sport, besonders aber neben den Aktiven auch eine fast hundertköpfige Bürgergruppe. Mitten darunter immer die Mitglieder der EFA, die gar nicht so amateurhaft, wie es ihr Name vermuten lassen könnte, die bunte Vielzahl der Begegnungen festgehalten haben. Mehr noch: Sie veranstalteten selbst eine Ausstellung in den Räumen der VHS unter Beteiligung ihrer Wladimirer Freunde, dem Trio Wladimir Fedin, Sergej Uchin und Wladimir Filimonow.

Wolf Peter Schnetz, Nikolaj Gorochow beim Festakt

Überhaupt die EFA! Seit 1990 besuchen deren Mitglieder um die Vorsitzende Karin Günther regelmäßig die russische Partnerstadt und prägen wesentlich deren Bild in Erlangen. Ausstsellungen über Ausstellungen waren hier schon von ihnen zu sehen, sogar in Wladimir zeigen sie regelmäßig ihre Arbeiten, und kaum eine Veranstaltung, die etwas fürs Auge bietet, bleibt von ihnen unbemerkt. Das gilt übrigens auch für die übrigen Partnerstädte und wäre eine eigene Würdigung wert, wenn man weiß, daß die EFA zu dritt den Tag der Deutschen Einheit in Probstzella begleitet haben und schon Ende des Monats auch die Eindrücke dieser Veranstaltung an der einstigen deutsch-deutschen Grenze im Foyer des Rathauses zeigen werden. Überhaupt die EFA! Nicht wegzudenken aus dem Kulturleben und den Partnerschaften Erlangens und nicht zu übersehen! Deshalb nur der Rat, sich die Bilder dieser Aussstellung im Museumswinkel anzusehen, solange sie noch hängen.

Bleiben noch die Namen der ausstellenden Photographen zu nennen: Wladimir Fedin, Karin Günther, Irmgard Meister, Eva-Maria-Nou-Janele, Robert Thamm und Barbara Warner.

Livrea commemortiva delle prime 10.000 ore volate dal 4° Stormo

Ieri, 29 settembre 2009, per festeggiare il raggiungimento delle 10.000 ore di volo effettuate dagli Eurofighter dell’Aeronautica Militare in servizio da ormai 5 anni, si è svolta la cerimonia di presentazione della prima livrea special color. Alla cerimonia hanno partecipato il Capo di SMA Gen.SA Daniele Tei, il Comandante della Squadra Aerea di Roma, Gen.SA Carmine Pollice e del Comandante delle Forze Aeree da Combattimento di Milano, il Gen.DA Roberto Corsini.
Durante la cerimonia, sia il Gen. Tei sia il Comandante del 4° Stormo, il Colonnello Achille Cazzaniga, hanno ringraziato e sottolineato l’impegno profuso da tutto il personale in servizio presso la base aerea di Grosseto, senza il quale non sarebbe stato possibile raggiungere un simile risultato.

Oltre che dal 4° Stormo di Grosseto, il servizio di decollo immediato e di intercettazione nei casi di allarme è svolto dal 36° Stormo di Gioia del Colle (Bari), pure equipaggiato con caccia Eurofighter, e dal 5° Stormo di Cervia (Ravenna) e 37° Stormo di Trapani, dotati invece dei caccia F-16. Il 4° Stormo è il Reparto dove viene effettuata la transizione dei piloti destinati alla linea Eurofighter.Il 21 Giugno 2009 lo Stormo ha ricevuto la certificazione della NATO per l’effettuazione di missioni di supporto alla pace fuori area in seno all’NRF “Nato Response Force”.

This week I have succumbed to my first cold of the season & am feeling decidedly sorry for myself. Luckily, yesterday turned out to be a local holiday so I was freed up from my dog-walking duties for the day (except for Max & Molly, of course), giving me time to recuperate a little & nurse myself back to health.

Inspired by the various mixtures of lemon, ginger, eucalyptus & honey which I was consuming / inhaling / anointing myself with in an attempt to feel better, I pulled together this lovely treasury of items I found whilst browsing on Etsy:

Turns out ‘window’ shopping is another form of therapy…!

Welcome to “Ask a Nutritionist”, my weekly blog entry where I answer your nutrition and food-related questions. This week’s topic is about allergies.

Q.  Hi, I’ve been researching allergies and have found that allergies can be prevented and possibly reversed. Is this true as I suffer from certain allergies and would love to stop taking medication for them? Thank you!

A.  Thanks for your question. Without knowing exactly what allergies you have it would be hard to determine if you can go without medication or not. In some cases you can reduce, and some times eliminate, the allergy you suffer from depending on the reason why you have the allergy to begin with.

Allergies are the body’s response to an allergen. Food allergies are an immunological response to a substance, usually a protein, in the food.

Another problem that is classified with allergies is food sensitivity or intolerance. This occurs when one eats more of a food than their immune system can process efficiently. Food intolerance may result from a genetic defect in a digestive enzyme, or from some other metabolic abnormality. The underlying problem with food sensitivities is often connected with intestinal imbalance.

These two conditions are very similar and are difficult to distinguish. True allergic symptoms are limited to the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract, and the skin. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, swelling, and tenderness of the mouth, burning and itching skin, hives and difficulty breathing.

Recommendations:

Improving your diet, keeping a food journal, going on a short fast and then reintroducing suspected foods one at a time and eliminating all foods known to cause allergic reactions or sensitivities, the most common being:

Milk & milk products
Wheat
Chocolate
Eggs
Oranges
Corn
Peanuts
Potato
Sugar
Seafood
Tomatoes
Pork
Beef

An underactive stomach, poor liver function, and an overburdened colon, may cause allergens to enter the blood stream and trigger allergic reactions.

Premature infants are most susceptible to food allergies. Breast feeding for the first 6-12 months of life reduces the incidence and severity of food allergies.

Essential fatty acids are highly recommended as a supplement, as well as vitamins A, C, and E, and selenium as they support the immune system. Stress is a major factor when it comes to allergies because it reduces how effect your immune system is.

If you would like a personalized nutritional recommendation, please contact me through my blog or by visiting my website listed below.

Yours in health,
 

Tammy

www.freeyourthyme.weebly.com

Welcome to the return of my Thursday blog where we follow along with one of my client’s weight loss journey.

Unfortunately, Leigh has decided that she’s ready to commit to her journey at this point in time so we will be moving on to our next person who is ready and has been waiting for just the right time to make her move. Guess what? Now is the time, Jennifer is stoked and ready to take charge of her life once again.

Jennifer (her name has been changed to protect her identity) is a 37 year old single mother of one. Leigh has 50lbs to lose, has high cholesterol and has been told by her doctor that her risk of heart attack is high. She eats healthy for the most part but doesn’t always have the time or energy to maintain her healthy eating habits or an exercise regime. Jennifer is currently unemployed but does volunteer work that she finds very satisfying.

A review of Leigh’s nutritional questionnaires shows that the digestive system, colon and pituitary all require attention. She is also deficient in both chromium and choline; something that can be attributed to weight gain.

I had also asked Jennifer to keep a food journal for 3 days. Her journal shows that she isn’t eating as healthy as she thought. Jennifer doesn’t eat nearly enough as she should which has more than likely contributed to her metabolism working at a slow crawl.

Recommendations:

I have provided Jennifer with a list of foods that I would like her to follow for the next 3 weeks. These foods will allow Jennifer’s digestive system to take a break and begin to heal while addressing her high cholesterol and deficiencies in chromium and choline. The fiber content of these foods will also support her intestinal tract. Her diet will consist of lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. There will be no red meat, wheat products, dairy products or convenience foods consumed for the next few weeks.

Food combining is going very important for Jennifer in order help her digestive system return to normal. To help, I’ve provided her with a food combining chart to assist her with her meal planning.

SUPPLEMENTS:

A good quality multi-vitamin to be taken daily
A digestive enzyme to support her digestive system to be taken with each meal
A good quality Essential Fatty Acid (Flax seed oil or Omega 3) to be taken daily

LIFESTYLE:

Exercise! Jennifer wants to lose weight and changes in diet alone will not do it. It is recommended that Jennifer start with 3-5 days of cardio exercise (walking, swimming, aerobics, etc) for 30-45 minutes at a time. After a few weeks, we’ll look at adding some resistance training to her exercise program and adjust her cardio.

Jennifer will be implementing the suggestions and recommendations I have made tomorrow. I will post her progress in my blog every Thursday after her weekly check in.

If you would like a personalized nutritional recommendation, please contact me through my blog or by visiting my website listed below.

Yours in health,
 

Tammy

www.freeyourthyme.weebly.com

**Please contact me for personalized nutritional recommendations. This blog has been condensed and does not include many additional factors. This blog is not meant to be followed as a recommended diet or nutrition program for any one but “Jennifer”.

Bryce Edwards continues his analysis of the 2009 election with a look at the effect of the EFA on third parties.

He concludes:

It is beyond the scope of this chapter to ascertain the EFA’s effectiveness in achieving its stated objectives, but it is worth nothing that part of the EFA’s stated purpose was to ‘ensure that the controls on the conduct of election campaigns: (i) are effective; and (ii) are clear; and (iii) can be efficiently administered, complied with, and enforced’ (EFA 2007, s 3). Yet the experience of many participants showed that these goals were not achieved. A second major stated purpose of the EFA was to encourage participation in elections, but as this paper has shown, there is evidence to suggest that the opposite occurred in terms of the participation of third parties.

It is notable that after its election loss, the Labour Party not only voted with National in Parliament to abolish the EFA, but also later made a submission to the Ministry of Justice on electoral law that advocated that third parties should be subjected to much looser regulation during elections. In an indication of how unpopular the regulation of third parties was in 2008,

He also continues his analysis of the party’s which campaigned in last year’s election with a look at New Zealand First.

• At least 1 in 7 people in the world cannot read.
• 776 million adults are illiterate.
• 75 million children are out of school.
• 30 million adults in the U.S. possess below-basic literacy skills.

Literacy is a human right, a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human development. Educational opportunities depend on literacy.

Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all, and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy. There are good reasons why literacy is at the core of Education for All (EFA).

A good quality basic education equips pupils with literacy skills for life and further learning; literate parents are more likely to send their children to school; literate people are better able to access continuing educational opportunities; and literate societies are better geared to meet pressing development .

[UNESCO site - United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization]

Dear Friends,

It’s a tough situation to be in, when you lose someone really close to your heart. I have seen some of my friends shattered by the loss of their father, mother, brother or even friends. The grief of the loss is even more difficult to handle when the loss is not a natural one, but is a result of a malicious act of some individual who deems himself to be a warrior of god.

This is a heart touching and an inspiring documentary of a foundation in rural India. Dr. Sankurathri Chandra Sekhar garu was working as a government scientist in Ottawa, Canada when he lost his wife Manjari Sankurathri and his two kids Srikiran (7 Years) and Sarada (4 Years) in a plane crash due to a terrorist attack on June 23^rd 1985. I am sure no one can even imagine what Mr. Chandra Sekhar garu might have gone through at that moment. It took him 3 years to come out of the grief only to light up the lives of many rural kids and families in India. In an interview to CBC news, Mr. Sankurathri said:

“I never seen their bodies also, so I didn’t know. I still think they’re still out there. I used to think that for many, many years. After three years, I said, what am I doing here?”

He started the Sankurathri Foundation in 1989 with the aim of providing good health and educational facilities to the impoverished rural in the outskirts of Kakinada Town in Andhra Pradesh. Sarada Vidyalayam and Srikiran Institute of Ophthalmology are the two child organizations of the Manjari Sankurathri Memorial Foundation. The volunteers of the foundation conduct regular camps in the villages nearby to identify kids who are really economically backward (when I say really I mean it, because education is not provided free of cost on caste basis to those who are well off economically but use the reservations to gain advantage). Once the kid is admitted into the school, every facility is provided free of cost to the kids (Lunch, Transport, Books, Uniform, School Bags). They also conduct medical camps regularly to check the health related issues for villagers who do not have access to a good hospital close by. Many people do not know that they are suffering from a disease called Cataract until these volunteers educate them about the disease and henceforth admit them to the hospital and conduct surgery to cure the disease.

Sarada Vidyalayam is primarily focused on providing quality education to the rural kids and building them into good human beings more than trying to compete with this highly competitive world, where teachers hardly care about what the student is as a person. Moral ethics and discipline are built into the student’s everyday routine explaining them the importance of loving others. It was successful in providing education to 1300 students till date and a truly inspiring fact of the institute is the care taken on students who move on to get higher education. The institute continuously keeps track of the students and provides them any assistance in building their career. Srikiran Institute of Ophthalmology is dedicated to help the poor with any medical attention needed to have a better vision by conducting training and educating people about the importance of quality eye care. It was successful in conducting close to 135,000 surgeries till date which is truly a generous act.

My visit to Sarada Vidyalayam and SriKiran Institute of Ophthalmology:

I consider myself very lucky to visit a legendary institute like the Sarada Vidyalayam and Srikiran Institute of Ophthalmology. The moment I entered the campus, I was overwhelmed with the positive vibrations of the place. It reminded me of the Gurukul that’s shown in any of the mythological movies. I went to the administration office to meet Mr. B. Satyanarayana Garu. He welcomed me with a pleasant smile and asked me to be seated. He started explaining me about the activities conducted at the school and also methods of teaching used at the school. Few things that he mentioned caught my attention:

1. The assignments given to the students not just help them but also help their parents. Example: The Students of class 2 or 3 have to teach their parents how to sign and get their report cards signed in a week.
2. Class 3 student wrote Ramayana in a 20 pages including all the main events.
3. High quality lunch is provided to the students.
4. Handwriting is given the utmost importance.
5. Students are taught variety of arts and crafts (Embroidery, Painting etc) nurturing the creative side of the kids.

Please find below some of the photographs of the visit. Kindly ignore the date on the pics.

Photographs Courtesy: Ms. Lakshmi who happened to visit the institute same time as I did.

Cute Girl with her art at Sarada Vidyalayam

Nurturing the creative side of the kids at Sarada Vidyalayam.

School Assembly

The school is now expanding itself to provide education to the class 10 students also and a new building is being constructed to provide excellent facilities to the students. Computer lab, physics and chemistry labs, every facility needed to get affiliation from the government of Andhra Pradesh is included in the new plan.

SriKiran Institute of Ophthalmology has all the facilities necessary for it to be considered a world class institute. Four fully equipped and air conditioned operation theatres, resting wards for the patients before and after the surgery, specialty clinics for Glaucoma, Cornea, Retina, Pediatric Ophthalmology Microbiology Laboratory etc, are some of the facilities to mention. This eye care institute is expanding its circle of influence of reaching to people in the next levels i.e. by conducting camps in villages and towns which are farther from its base.

SriKiran Institute of Ophthalmology

Overall, it has been a fantastic experience to visit this prestigious institute and learn how one person supported with few of his friends can make wonders in improving the standards of thousands of people. The happiness was so evident on every person’s face working at these institutes and they take immense pride to say that they are working here. Why not? I feel they deserve to be proud than many of us as they see a life nurturing in front of them which would have been working in a tea stall or a cycle store otherwise.

As a responsible human being I promise that I would do my best to help this institute in whatever way I can and take the word forward about it. In many discussions with my friends I have noticed that many of them want to help the needy but just don’t know the right way or the best way to do it. I hope this blog might help them get a start if they are impressed by the work done by this organization. Some of them might come up with even modern ways to make this world a better place to live in.

Note: Your donation to MSMF in Canada, Kruti-dhata Inc. (P.O.Box 58186, Houston, Tx. 77258-8186. Federal Tax ID # 20-2411347) in the U.S. Please make checks payable to Kruti Dhata (Tax exempt organization under Section 501 (C)(3) of the Internal revenue Code) and SF in India qualifies for Tax exemption.

References:

1. CBC News Article

2. MSMF Website

3. Sankurathri Foundation Website

4. News Letters of Manjari Sankurathri Foundation.

5. Special thanks to Ms. Lakshmi for sharing the photographs to put this blog together.

Please feel free to share your thought and leave comments. Thank you very much for reading the blog.

Love you all,

Krishna Chaitanya Emani

Se há coisa que me esmorece um pouco é a falta de trabalho e enquadramento crítico que a comunicação social dispensa aos dados estatísticos oficiais da propaganda governamental. Eu sei que são entregues no momento (domingo bem tarde para a edição de 2ª feira) ou então são negados ou adiada a sua entrega até ter passado o maior bruá da manobra mediática.

De qualquer modo, nota-se uma certa falta de um inside knowledge das coisas que permita desmontar em tempo útil algumas das manipulações mais evidentes.

Desde 2ª feira andei mais ocupado com os dados globais e com a tentativa de desmontagem do insucesso no Ensino Básico. Hoje vou centrar-me mais no Ensino Secundário onde se anuncia a descida para metade do insucesso desde 1996/97.

Já ontem julgo ter demonstrado que isto é falacioso, porque foi escolhido para início da série de dados um momento de alta no insucesso pois dois anos – em 1994/95 – o insucesso era quase 15 pontos mais baixos.

Mas tudo bem, vamos assumir até que se tomarmos como referência o ano de maior insucesso (2000/01), o dito cujo desceu de 40% para 18% em cerca de uma década.

Antes de mais há que desmontar este período em dois ciclos: antes deste Governo e com este Governo.

Se o fizermos constatamos o seguinte: de 200/01 a 2004/05 o insucesso baixa de 40% para 30%. De 2005/06 para 2008/09 de 31,7% para 18%. É quase uma duplicação do ritmo, com uma aceleração notória a partir de 2006/07.

Há pois que tentar compreender algo sobre esse ano-charneira de 2006/07 e depois ir em busca do que permitiu manter essa milagrosa retracção no insucesso.

Eu penso ter encontrado dois contributos indesmentíveis para o sucesso das políticas, mais do que para o das aprendizagens.

Comecemos pela estrutura do sucesso no Ensino Secundário em 2006/07:

Se repararmos com atenção, o nível de sucesso nos cursos profissionais e CEF/EFA é bem superior (10 a 20%) ao do Ensino Secundário regular ou geral. Ou seja, as vias que são frequentadas maioritariamente por alunos que têm dificuldades em acompanhar o currículo comum e que, em regra, apresentavam à entrada nestes cursos um historial de maior insucesso com várias repetências, de súbito tornam-se comparativamente melhores alunos do que os seus antigos colegas.

Podemos acreditar que é por causa da vocação para os cursos de jardinagem, restauração, informática e afins. Podemos até reconhecer – sem ironia – que o trabalho com eles é feito com outras metodologias que podem obter melhores resultados (como docente de PCA, sei que é difícil mas proveitoso trabalhar com turmas menores e com currículos adaptados), mas não nos vamos iludir: estes alunos que apresentam níveis de sucesso tão superiores aos que frequentam o currículo normal, dificilmente se terão tornado melhores alunos do que os das turmas regulares. Só que apresentam níveis de sucesso elevados decorrentes da própria forma como as escolas e os professores são obrigados a gerir a avaliação.

Acho ser desnecessário evocar casos concretos de ameaças de inspecção ou visitas de responsáveis regionais do ME quando se verificam níveis de insucesso indesejáveis em algumas destas turmas. Por vezes logo no 1º período. É a verdade, pode não ser a mais conveniente de admitir, mas sabemos que é assim.

Por isso mesmo, a anunciada enorme aposta nestes cursos tem tanto de interessada na qualificação profissional da população como na certeza que quantos mais alunos nestes cursos, mais certo é o sucesso.

Mas nem todos os alunos com problemas de aproveitamento podem, ou estão dispostos a, ser encaminhados para estes cursos, logo haveria que intervir na redução do insucesso também no Ensino Secundário normal.

E isso é feito no início do ano lectivo de 2007/08 com a criação do engenhoso regime de permeabilidade, ou de reorientação do percurso formativo dos alunos, que desde logo se percebeu ser mais um atalho para produzir sucesso.

Na prática, o que o despacho normativo 36/2007 permitiu foi que os alunos pudessem saltitar de disciplina em disciplina, tipo buffet quente e frio, à experiência, podendo desistir e trocar de disciplina quando as coisas corressem mal. Parece uma caricatura mas não é. E ao longo do ano que se seguiu foram feitas ainda quatro adaptações a este regime de permeabilidade.

Claro que nestas condições é quase impossível o sucesso não aumentar. Se os alunos passam a poder reorientar formativamente o seu percurso – leia-se, mudar de disciplinas em busca das que lhes permitem melhores resultados – só por milagre o sucesso não aumentaria de forma significativa.

Tudo bem. O ME apresentou números que parecem dramáticos de quebra do insucesso no Secundário. Houve um editorialista no JN que se interrogava sobre como isto tinha sido possível, se todos os ministros anteriores foram inábeis e incompetentes.

Não propriamente.

Tal como o editorialista em causa (e outros…) e muitos dos jornalistas que trataram este assunto não foram inábeis ou incompetentes para ir em busca de explicações, em vez de apenas ecoarem os números fornecidos.

Apenas não estão a par dos meandros e cordelinhos da produção estatística de sucesso por via legislativa.

Se articularmos a manipulação do ano de partida da série cronológica, a opção pelos cursos profissionais e CEF/EFA com as suas regras muito particulares e as consequências do regime de permeabilidade dificilmente será defensável que – no plano concreto das aprendizagens – este sucesso de 18% tenha um significado dramaticamente diverso do de 21.9% em meados dos anos 90.

Nota das 15.40 - Após a escrita apressada inicial, fiz uma primeira revisão do post, para eliminação dois dislates mais gritantes.