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In 1994, South African photojournalist Kevin Carter won the Pulitzer prize for his disturbing photograph of a Sudanese child being stalked by a vulture (left). That same year, Kevin Carter committed suicide. Without the facts surrounding his death, this behavior may seem surprising. But Carter received heaps of criticism for his actions. While in Sudan, near the village of Ayod, Carter found a small, emaciated toddler struggling to make her way to the food station. When she stopped to rest, a vulture landed nearby with his eyes on the little girl. Carter took twenty minutes to take the photo, wanting the best shot possible, before chasing the bird away. The photo was published in The New York Times in March of 1993, and sparked a wide reaction. People wanted to know what happened the child, and if Carter had assisted her. The Times issued a statement saying that the girl was able to make it to the food station, but beyond that no one knows what happened to her. Because of this, Carter was bombarded with questions about why he did not help the girl, and only used her to take a photograph. The St. Petersburg Times in Florida said this of Carter: "The man adjusting his lens to take just the right frame of her suffering, might just as well be a predator, another vulture on the scene." Filmmaker Dan Krauss said, "In his famous picture of the vulture stalking the Sudanese girl, I began to see the embodiment of his troubled psyche. I believe Kevin did, too. In the starving child, he saw Africa's suffering; in the preying vulture, he saw his own face." Carter's daughter Megan responded to such comparisons with, "I see my dad as the suffering child. And the rest of the world is the vulture." However, Carter was working in a time when photojournalists were told not to touch famine victims for fear of spreading disease. Carter estimated that there were twenty people per hour dying at the food center. The child was not unique. Regardless, Carter often expressed regret that he had not done anything to help the girl, even though there was not much that he could have done, in all actuality. (the AWB) begs for his life shortly before being executed by a Bophuthatswana policeman after an abortive attempt to prop up the tyrannical regime of the homeland of Bophuthatswana, March, 1994. Carter is the tragic example of the toll photographing such suffering can take on a person. Along with his famous photograph, Carter has captured such things as a public necklacing execution in 1980s South Africa, along with the violence of the time, including shootouts and other executions. Carter spoke of his thoughts when he took these photographs: "I had to think visually. I am zooming in on a tight shot of the dead guy and a splash of red. Going into his khaki uniform in a pool of blood in the sand. The dead man's face is slightly gray. You are making a visual here. But inside something is screaming, 'My God.' But it is time to work. Deal with the rest later. If you can't do it, get out of the game." Carter's suicide is not a direct result of the Sudanese child, nor the accusations that he staged the scene, or criticisms that he did not assist her. Carter had spiraled into a depression, to which many things were a factor, his vocation as a photojournalist in 1980s Africa definitely a large part of it. Carter and his friends Ken Oosterbroek, Greg Marinovich, and Joao Silva longed to expose the brutality of Apartheid to the world. They captured the violence of South Africa so vividly that a Johannesburg magazine Living dubbed them "The Bang-Bang Club." The title stuck. On April 18, 1994, only 6 days after Carter won the Pulitzer, the Bang-Bang Club made their way to Tokowa to photograph an outbreak of violence there. At around noon, Carter returned to the city, and heard later on the radio that Oosterbroek had been killed in the conflict, and that Marinovich had been seriously wounded. It was obvious to his friends that Carter blamed himself for Oosterbroek's death, and he even confided in his friends that he felt as though he "should have taken the bullet." Oosterbroek's death hit Carter hard, and little things in his life began to fall apart. He was constantly haunted by the atrocities that he had witnessed through the years, and finally, on July 27, 1994, Carter backed his red Nissan truck against a blue gum tree, attached a garden hose to the exhaust pipe, and rolled up the window to his car. He turned on his walkman and rested his head against his backpack until he died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Carter has become a symbol in the arts. In music, Manic Street Preachers recorded a song about him, with his name as its title. In literature, Mark Z. Danielewski based his character Will Navidson off of Carter, and even described a photograph identical to Carter's Sudanese child in his novel. In theater, the Junction Avenue Theater Company uses the character of Saul to portray the difficulties of being a photographer in Apartheid South Africa in their play Tooth and Nail. Excerpts from Cater's suicide note read: "I'm really, really sorry. The pain of life overrides the joy to the point that joy does not exist...depressed ... without phone ... money for rent ... money for child support ... money for debts ... money! ... I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings & corpses & anger & pain ... of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners... I have gone to join Ken if I am that lucky."

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/photography/articles/2845/title/kevin-carter-

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Top 10 Strongest Land Animals This is the list to see which animals are the strongest.I've just seen a video of different animal fights and their violence is unbelievable. Animals fight for their lives and only then would you see their real power. Tigers are rarely attacked hence you rarely see them fight with all of their strength. When little animals get hurt they become two times faster and more fierce, something you can rarely see in lions and tigers also because of their courage. Same thing applies to other large animals. But, taken all into account, speed, stamina, prowess, ability in general, tiger takes the top. It beat lions almost always and lions beat crocodiles and rhinos... Other comparison is only imaginary because lions do not meet bears and so on. Nothing can really kill them well, except for humans and lions that are really hungry, hungry lions has a small chance of killing a elephant but I think humans are more of a big problem (as you know, we can send species to extinction). Lions don't mainly pray for elephants as they are big and can trample over you, to make it scarier, they are even more intelligent, just don't get fooled by the cuteness of the elephant or underestimate its power for being a herbivore, it's known to destroy cars and start a rampage killing humans in a village. These creatures are made for battle. They have a brute paw swipe. A simple tiger's paw swipe rips a person's neck off. The lion has a much more powerful swipe so it could do tons more damage. Furthermore, they always take on everything. Tigers prefer not to attack. Lions also, are smarter being more social and have much more muscle. Their mane furthermore, protects, them from any serious bites. Rather, they train to fight. Lions are also, faster and taller. They are also, about the same length as a tiger. If you see more documentaries you can see lions often kill and scare away do nile crocs in the water. Furthermore, lions kill elephants and giraffes. Male lions do 99% of the work on these lethal attacks. The lion truly is the king of the beasts. Black Rhino was very important because they show a great source of income from ecotourism. There were only 5,000 left in whole world. We need to stop the people from their greedy thoughts, that is one of the way to protect the rhino and other species that is living in the wild. Now just a minute. A rhino cannot fight of 15 lions. That's too much. Bengal tigers have taken down adult rhinos all alone. Though African rhinos may be larger, you talking about FIFTEEN lions, that's too much for a rhino. I don't consider rhinos very strong but they are I don't consider because when they and miss that will be a big mistake and a score for the attacker. Now you know! Definitely a serious contender for the #1 spot. Brilliant, strategic, and absurdly powerful animals who can win nearly any fight because they have enormous pain tolerance ceilings, which allows them to endure what most other animals cannot. Speed is their weakness though. However, their keen senses and terrifying displays of territorial dominance frighten away all who even consider approaching their territory. It's hard to bet against an animal with the ability to forge crude weapons and wield them mercilessly. While their jaw strength aren't as strong as crocodiles, it's still strong enough to break a crocodile in half (over 1800 pounds per square inch). They have tusks that are around 3 inches in length. They can also run about 20 mph and use their heavy weight (over 6000 lbs) and speed to ram into things at ridiculous force. They can't swim, but they can walk underwater at around 5 mph, which is fast for an animal that weighs more than 6000 pounds. They can open their enormous jaws wide enough for a small child to stand in. Imagine how large of a chunk a hippo can take a bite out of an animal. They're really aggressive so you can easily anger them to the point where they'll start chasing you away from them. They're also super robust (withstanding to attacks) because of their huge bodies. A crocodile's bite be strong, but there ain't no way it can cause quick fatal damage by biting on a hippo's body, especially when crocodiles can't even open their jaws that insanely wide to begin with. The animal that, ACTUALLY, kills more people than any other animal except for humans themselves are hippos (mosquitos are responsible for more deaths than a hippo, but a mosquito doesn't actually kill any one intentionally). Also, to add insults, the hippo doesn't even eat meat. Crocodiles has the most powerful bite in the animal kingdom, by exceeding over 3,500 psi. Alway's remember, don't get bitten by these things, even once, the teeth of the crocodile are designed to gripped. If you get bit'd by this, you can almost never escape, you will be drag in to the water and they will spin around in circles underwater, known as the famous dead roll, it will keep on ripping your flesh until you bleed to death. If you escaped and survive, you must be lucky. They can be big too, can grow over 22 feet and 4,400 pounds. Don't underestimate their speed for their short legs, they can actually run up to 17 kph (10.5.63 mph), as fast as a human can run. At least it was only for short burst. There are three main movements of the crocodile, the belly crawl, high walk, and gallop. They can kill a great white shark too! Don't go in the water before checking. Polar bear weights 350-700kg of pure muscles. The brown bear, which can kill siberian tiger (the largest tiger, ~300kg) with 25% chances, weights in average 390kg. The Russian records say that in a fight between a tiger and a brown bear, the bear kills tiger in 25% cases, the tiger kills bear in 50% cases (often taking the advantage of bear's hibernation, and unexpected attack), in the remaining cases both animals survive. As for the tigers and lions -- tigers ARE stronger (compare the weight!), but lions mane disallows them to reach the throat easily, and tigers are less determined, have lower durability to complete the fight. The grizzly bear is far more powerful than any other species of bear. Grizzly bears have concave faces, a distinctive hump on their shoulders, and very sharp claws that can be over 5"-6" inches long (per Animal Facts Encyclopedia). These claws are much straighter and longer than those of other bears, which is why Grizzlies can't climb trees very well, but they are much better in a fight. The "Kodiak bear" are grizzly bears that inhabits the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southwest Alaska and because of their environment, grizzly bears in the Kodiak region tend to be about 5% larger on average than other grizzlies. But grizzly bears from any part of North America can get and have gotten as large with the same access to food. The largest grizzlies have weighed up to 1500 pounds and stood 11 feet high, with skulls 2.5 feet wide. They have thick fur, including in vital areas like the neck, and an amazingly dense bone and muscular structure, and have many inches of fat which prevent most attacks from doing more than superficial damage to them. But despite their size, the distinctive humps that grizzly bears have are where the bones and muscles have adapted to make grizzlies powerful runners, capable of chasing down large, nimble prey such as caribou and moose. Grizzlies can run 30 miles per hour. The humps also give grizzly bears far more upper body strength than normal bears. The bite force of a grizzly is about 1,200psi with 2"-3" teeth, enough to "crush a bowling ball", but biting is not a grizzly's main weapon. Grizzlies are incredibly strong. They can crush or decapitate a full grown bull's or moose's skull with a single blow. They can lift up to 80% their own body weight over their head and throw it. Most predators, like lions and tigers, have a thin bone structure to maximize speed. In cage matches in the past once a lion or tiger pounced on a grizzly it wasn't able to harm the grizzly more than superficially even if... more A kodiak bear could crush a bowling ball with a bite. Decapitate a moose with swipe. It should be #1. Bears often kill tigers is Russia where the 2 coexist. Tigers only kill hibernating bears and subadults. A kodiak bear can easily kill a elephant as tigers and lions have done so. It is also, smarter than all but the elephant in this list. They have sacrificed agility for brute strength. They also, have speed though. They run as fast as any tiger or cat. They have blunt, but longer claws. Same eyesight, as cats but better smell than dogs. They are the ultimate land predator. Sorry guys. Rhinoceros beetle is stronger than what you think. Not 100, but can lift 850 times their own weight. However, dung beetle is stronger, because it can lift 1141 times its own weight. Equivalent to a 70 kg person pulling six double-decker buses full of people. If you consider the ratio of it's body weight to the amount of weight it can lift, it is by far the strongest animal in the world. Can an elephant lift 8 million pounds? Don't think so. In the bug world, this animal should be #1, but it can be crushed against a human alone. Think it through, this beetle stands no chance against the other animals on here. Black bears have all around meaning that even though their not as strong a gorilla but their a little faster and have more dexterity giving them an advantage. Also although they are not the faster than puma or lions they are a lot stronger. I've seen one in real life not threatening but I still backed away. Still totally adorable! Panda would totally crush them. Jaguars are the 3rd most strongest big cat on earth. Beleve it or not jaguars are stronger than leopards, and people just say that leopards are stronger because they are mare well known and the name. Jaguars are actually really amazing they can swim, climb and run really fast. They are cute too. Note: not as fast as a cheetah! When I saw this jaguar first I don't think so it's a dangerous animal.. Going forward am started noticing the way how its catching other animal.. Maginificant People are thinking attacking animals and not strength. Ox is hands down the strongest. Maybe not a fighter, but makes a good case for the strongest This should be AT LEAST 4 they carry a lot and are used just for lifting heavy stuff The green anaconda is one of the strongest if not the strongest animal on a Earth. I mean with just its body, it constricts things to death! Overall, Constricting snakes are the best But venom has nothing to do with the strength of the species. But I do agree on the anaconda. Snakes rule! Its venom can hurt you but it depends on the snake. Humans can develop better stamina than most land animals if not all. Our ability to sweat through our skin to remain cool is a pretty unique ability in the animal kingdom. Native American and Mexican tribes were able to chase large land mammals until the animal dropped due to exhaustion (sometimes 100+ miles). A human can consciously develop their body to become stronger, more resilient and more skilled at fighting. Pound for pound a human should be towards the top. Can't match the power of large cats, bears or anything of that nature, but could have a chance with a simple weapon. Not all humans as there is probably the greatest gap in human capabilities that we have ever seen right now but picture someone like Dwayne Johnson. The human body is also made for grappling and that skill can be greatly developed and allow a human to stand a chance against anything around its own size. They can destroy a car. If a normal ant is only so dangerous then think what a leaf cutter ant can be.One bite can last you 12 months! You are not right leopard are stronger than many animals you vote for Leopards could haul a 2000 pound bull eland that's more than a average cow maybe Now wait a minute. You can praise the Cheetah for speed, but strength? Nope. Animal experts doubt that a cheetah could even fight a wolf, while the strongest big cat, that is the tiger is too powerful even for 4 wolves. Just because you vote here doesn't mean that you fill in crap. But yes, cheetahs are super speedy. No problem in outrunning ostriches. They top at 115 kmph. Betcha your bikes don't reach that much. Fastest land mammal. They are heavier than a human and are classified as one of the smaller big cats. They are also part of the cat family so I am going to say they are extremely strong for their weight, size, speed and flexibility, as all cats are. They are very cunning and adaptive. They are also ambush predators and can learn signs from humans that particular one is dangerous. Are you kidding me? A wolf is NOT in the top ten. A fox in the top ten!? This should be number one, It runs super fast, and has a huge BFQ (Bite force quotient). Ths animal RULES. I think Wolf is a strong because they have grops and they are together and group is the power they can kill animals together.Thank you for giving me to say anything and also HUH, HUH?! Even bear cannot escape from its charging. But cheetahs and tigers can.

http://www.thetoptens.com/strongest-land-animals/

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Prof. Taiwo Obindo, President, Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), says that more than 60 million Nigerians are suffering from mental illnesses. Obindo, who is also the Chairman, Faculty of Psychiatry, West African College of Physicians, Nigeria Chapter, said this in an interview with the Newsmen on Sunday in Abuja. “Mental healthcare is in a sorry state given that we have more than 60 million Nigerians suffering from various mental illnesses and the fact that only about 10 per cent of them were able to access appropriate care. “We are left with more than 90 per cent who are unable to access care and this group is called the treatment gap for mental illnesses,’’ Obindo said. He said the gap was as a result of various factors like the knowledge gap in which people do not have appropriate information about the causes and treatment for mental illnesses. Obindo said some factors hindering the management of mental illness in Nigeria included myths and traditional beliefs; inadequate mental health facilities and number of mental health professionals. According to him, the few available mental health facilities were located in the city centres. “Knowing that 60 per cent of Nigerians live in the rural areas, they do not have access to appropriate care and have to travel long distances to access facilities,” Obindo said. He also said that the number of mental health practitioners was low as it fell below the ratio recommended by the World Health Organization. According to him, the few that were trained were often eager to leave the country. “The environment in which we practice, the security situation and the remuneration that people were given in the country tend to push them out. “And then of course, the pull factor from the developed countries where they tend to poach on the already trained medical practitioners in the country, particularly the psychiatrists,” he said. Obindo said that the cost of hiring practitioners in low medium income countries was low; so ”it was easier for developed countries to poach the already made products rather than training such professional locally.” He said there was the need for Nigeria to implement its Mental Health Policy on the practice of psychiatry. Obindo added that although the document was last reviewed in 2013, it was not being implemented. He said one major component of the policy was the integration of mental health into primary healthcare, which was yet to be achieved after nine years. ”The Mental Health Bill by the mental health stakeholders led by the Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria (APN), in conjunction with the National Assembly and the Ministry of Health was yet to be assented to by the President. ”This is the most recent effort in 30 years,” he said Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/09/60m-nigerians-suffering-from-mental-

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A Mighty Girl's top 50 books for children and teens about heroic girls and women who fought for justice during the Civil Rights Movement. From the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Greensboro sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, school integrations, the March on Washington, Freedom Summer, the Selma to Montgomery marches, we hear many stories about the pivotal events of the Civil Rights Movement, but so many are about the remarkable men in leadership positions at the time. But what of the women? What of the girls? Rosa Parks’ story is a powerful and important one, but surely hers can’t be the only story of courageous girls and women in the Civil Rights era. In this blog post, we highlight numerous books for both children and teens that tell the stories of girls and women's contributions to the monumental events of this period and to the national movement to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to all Americans. In the first section, we've featured books about real-life girls and women who fought for justice, while in the second section, we've shared fictional stories about the Civil Rights Movement for both children and teens. By sharing these stories of past champions of civil rights, we can inspire the current generation of Mighty Girls to be the champions of the future. For more books about the experience of African-American girls and women throughout history, visit our African-American History & Historical Fiction collection. Heroes of the Movement: Biographies From Ruby Bridges, a 6-year-old child who desegregated the first elementary school in the South, to Rosa Parks, whose refusal to switch seats on a bus is only one example of her devotion to civil rights causes, there are many Mighty Girls and women who contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. These books will teach children and teens about these heroes and their dedication to justice. Celebrate the courage and determination of Rosa Parks in this board book version of the New York Times bestselling biography I Am Rosa Parks! The friendly Ordinary People Change The World biography series teaches kids that everyone has the power to be a hero — they just need to figure out how to unlock it. This board book's simple rhyming text and short sidebars reminds young readers that, just like Rosa Parks, they can "Stand strong and do what's true." To kids today, the idea of a child having to be escorted to school by armed guards to protect her from an angry mob is shocking, but 6-year-old Ruby Bridges faced exactly that in 1960. After a judge ordered that Ruby should attend the previously all-White William Frantz Elementary School, parents withdrew their children and held angry protests in front of the school. This compelling depiction of the child who became a civil rights hero just by attending first grade is now available in a special anniversary edition, which includes an updates afterword about Ruby's ongoing life and legacy. Independent readers can learn more about Ruby Bridges in Ruby Bridges Goes to School for ages 5 to 8 and Through My Eyes for ages 8 to 12. Paula Young Shelton, the daughter of Civil Rights activist Andrew Young, grew up in a world where everyone she knew was dedicated to the fight for equality. Even children knew the injustice of segregation — she recalls crying loudly when owners of a restaurant refused to seat her family in "my very first protest, my own little sit-in." And as she grew, her understanding of her father's cause grew, until it became her own and she too marched from Selma to Montgomery. In this unique child's eye view of the Civil Rights struggle, Shelton balances honesty about the struggles her father and his friends faced with the sense of hope that drove them forward. When kids hear about Rosa Parks' defiant refusal to move seats, they may think that it takes special courage to take that big a step — but the reality is that ordinary people can do incredible things! This title from Brad Meltzer's Ordinary People Change The World series shows how Parks' willingness to stand up for justice began with small moments from childhood, but became a driving force in her life that made her a major figure for the Civil Rights movement. It also shows just how much resistance she had to face along the way. It's an excellent choice to introduce younger kids to this Civil Rights hero. Many people know her only as Coretta Scott King, but she holds her own place in Civil Rights history for her work both before and after her husband's death. In this poetic picture book, Ntozake Shange captures her childhood — including defining moments like walking five miles to the colored school while the White kids' bus showered her with dust — to the marches at Selma and Washington, and ends with stirring images of protesters set to lines from the gospel song "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round." This evocative book is a powerful way to introduce this key figure of history. Kids can learn more in Coretta Scott King: I Kept On Marching for ages 7 to 10. Ruby Bridges was just six years old when she walked through an angry crowd, escorted by federal marshals, to integrate an all-white school in New Orleans — by starting kindergarten. In this early reader, Bridges aptly tells her story to her young audience and accents it with historical photographs, allowing emerging readers to develop an understanding of segregation and to explore an iconic moment in the struggle for civil rights. It's an inspiring story about a courageous girl, told in her own voice! For a picture book telling of Bridges' story, check out The Story of Ruby Bridges for ages 4 to 8. When Sharon Langley was almost a year old, she got to ride a carousel — and she had no idea that ride represented a civil rights victory. In the early 1960s, most amusement parks in the South were segregated, so few African-American families had the chance to enjoy the fun. In the summer of 1963, Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Maryland desegregated, and Sharon was the first African-American child to ride — on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In this picture book retelling of the story, Langley explores how her ride represented the possibilities of the dream of equality: "Nobody first and nobody last, everyone equal, having fun together." In Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, thousands of children joined the ranks of civil rights protestors in the Children's Crusade. One fictional girl reveals how many restrictions were placed on African Americans: everything from water fountains to playgrounds were off limits. She remembers the furious white onlookers and police officers who met their protest with violence and hate. Despite it all, though, the children stood together: "Our march made the difference," she proclaims proudly. This vivid telling of an important moment in Civil Rights history reminds kids that they, too, can make a difference. Ella Baker's grandfather was a preacher who questioned his flock: "What do you hope to accomplish?" Ella Baker's mother gave her the answer that everyone should "lift as you climb": use your own success and influence to help others. As an adult, Baker joined the Civil Rights Movement, and took both her relatives' words to heart, educating her fellow African Americans about their rights. She partnered with Martin Luther King, Jr. to create the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and worked with the NAACP and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, too. In this stunning biography in verse about Baker's little-appreciated influence in the fight for equal rights, kids are invited to consider how they, too, will lift others up. When Ida B. Wells was born in 1862, she and her family were still enslaved — so she knew just how important freedom was. When she was only 16, her parents died, and she took on the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings. But she had big dreams for her future, and built a career as a journalist and newspaper owner. And she was the person who spoke up about the real motivations for lynching — even when facing threats to her own life. Told in a compelling personal voice by Wells' great-granddaughter Michelle Duster, and featuring multitextured art by Coretta Scott King Award Honoree artist Laura Freeman, this powerful profile captures Wells' determination, hope, and constant quest for justice. When the Montgomery Bus Boycotts broke out to protest segregated seating, cook Georgia Gilmore wanted to help. She knew that the boycotters would need cars and gas, and for that, they needed money — so she recruited a bunch of her fellow cooks and bakers to make food to sell. Supporting the boycott was risky, so Gilmore only took cash, and whenever someone asked where the food or money came from, the answer was always the same: "nowhere." This celebration of a little-known figure of the Civil Rights movement celebrates the power of community and how one person can fuel a movement. Kids will be shocked to learn that there was a time when it was illegal to marry someone with a different skin color. Mildred Loving and Richard Perry Loving had been in love for years, but when they moved back to their hometown after getting married, they were arrested. In this charming picture book, author Selina Alko follows the Lovings as they marry, get arrested, and then dare to challenge these unjust laws — all the way to the Supreme Court. Mixed media illustrations capture the love of this adoring couple, as well as their strength as they defied prejudice. Ella Fitzgerald had a gorgeous voice that captivated jazz audiences — and one of her fans was an actress named Marilyn Monroe, who was fighting against sexism for better roles and more voice in her career. When Marilyn got a role with lots of singing, she listened to Ella's recordings to prepare. Her success helped her negotiate better pay and more creative control, and she wanted to thank Ella in person. And when she learned that Ella got turned away from the biggest club in town because she was Black, Marilyn knew she could help Ella's voice be heard too. This powerful true story about these two close friends celebrates how far we can go when we lift one another up. Audrey was only 9 years old, but that didn't mean she didn't listen when the grown-ups talked about wiping out Birmingham's segregation laws. So when she heard them say that they were going to picket those white stores! March to protest those unfair laws! Fill the jails! — she stepped right up and said, "I'll do it!" This picture book biography of the youngest person to be arrested for a civil rights protest in Birmingham will encourage kids to think about how they can make a difference on the issues that matter to them. It wasn't just the US that wrestled with segregation and civil rights; Canada has its own civil rights heroes, among them this savvy businesswoman who found herself the center of the fight for equality when she sat down in a movie theater. When Viola Desmond bought her ticket in 1946, she was arrested after refusing to move from the main floor to the balcony. The varying perspectives in this book capture the emotional intensity of Desmond's trial, and Richard Rudnicki's illustration depict her as a confident woman who was determined not to give way. Shirley Chisholm was determined to be "unbossed and unbought": she was going to fight for change, no matter what! She became the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968, and four years later, she became the first African American woman to run for president under one of the two big political parties. She may not have won, but she knew what was most important was that everyone across the country saw her, and started to realize that what mattered most wasn't whether you were male or female, or Black or White, but whether you had the ability to be a leader. This book from the You Should Meet early reader series is perfect for newly independent readers to learn about this trailblazing politician! For a picture book about Chisholm, we recommend She Was The First! The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm for ages 5 to 9. Most people only know Coretta Scott King as the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but the truth is that she was an activist and leader in her own right — and she kept the Civil Rights Movement working even after her husband's assassination! In this chapter book inspired by the best-selling series She Persisted, award-winning author Kelly Starling Lyons tells the story of King's work as a singer, author, and activist, including how she drove the ongoing quest for equal rights and supported other important causes like women's rights and LGBTQ rights. With compelling text and black and white illustrations throughout, this is the perfect chapter book to introduce emerging readers to this bold woman! Even as a child, Ethel Payne loved hearing stories — and the best ones were the true ones. Her English teacher encouraged her writing, and her chance came when she got a job as a correspondent in Japan for a Chicago newspaper. An article she wrote about discrimination in the military made nationwide news, and soon she was breaking all kinds of gender and racial barriers for women in journalism. She wasn't afraid to ask the tough questions — even once she received a White House press pass — and it wasn't long before she was known as the "First Lady of the Black Press." This is an inspiring story of a woman who defied expectation and dedicated herself to truth and progress. When Ruby Bridges was ready to go to school, her family faced a tough choice: schools in New Orleans, Louisiana, had just been desegregated. If she went to William Frantz Elementary School, 6-year-old Ruby would be the first Black student to integrate the school... and many people didn't want her there. Every day, she had to walk past an angry mob, escorted by federal marshals, and she was alone in the classroom because every other parent had pulled their children out of school. Her quiet courage inspired people across the country, and took an important step towards full desegregation of schools. This early chapter book from the bestselling She Persisted series by award-winning author Kekla Magoon is a tribute to a girl who changed history! Growing up in Chicago in the 1940s, Diane Nash didn't know how how segregation could affect everyday life. It wasn't until she visited the Tennessee State Fair in 1959 as a university student that she saw how much of an impact it had in the South. So Diane connected with other university students — including student preacher John Lewis — and took charge of the Nashville Movement. She lead them with powerful words and nonviolent actions of protest, once leading thousands of marchers to the Nashville courthouse to convince the mayor to integrate lunch counters. She joined the Freedom Rides to integrate interstate buses. And she gained support from luminaries like Martin Luther King Jr. and President John F. Kennedy. This illuminating picture book introduces young readers to one of the strongest voices of the Civil Rights Movement in a powerful tribute to this courageous leader. By the time she was 19, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland had been arrested more than once for her work to support the Civil Rights Movement. As one of the Freedom Riders, she was jailed in the notorious Parchman Penitentiary. During the Woolworth's lunch counter sit-ins in Jackson, Mississippi, Mulholland was the first white person to join the protest. And when Martin Luther King, Jr. led the March on Washington and Selma voting rights marches, Mulholland was there too. This picture book biography sheds light on a little known leader of the Civil Rights Movement, who to this day urges people to take their place as allies for justice. This inspiring story is also available for readers ages 8 to 12 in She Stood For Freedom (Middle Grade Edition). Elizabeth Jennings lived in New York, a "free state" where slavery was outlawed — but that didn't mean she was equal. That truth became shockingly clear one day in 1854 when she was in a rush for church. She boarded a streetcar, only to be ordered off by the conductor because it was a "Whites only" car. When she refused to leave, she was thrown off the streetcar. Jennings decided to take her case to court — complete with testimony from a White witness — and won the first legal victory for equal rights on public transportation. This compelling picture book about Jennings' famous case also features back matter about how Jennings' case set a precedent for future battles, including Rosa Parks' future transit protest. Claudette Colvin was 15 when she was told to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. It was months before Rosa Parks' famous protest and the bus boycott, but Colvin knew what was right, and she refused to move. The Civil Rights Movement leaders didn't think she would make the right face for a case that could stir the nation to action, but she knew that she had taken a critical first step towards ending unjust laws. Inspired by the best-selling picture book She Persisted, this early chapter book is an empowering introduction to a young activist who persisted despite all obstacles. Throughout American history, there were bold, daring Black women who broke all expectations and boundaries to make the world a better place! In this engaging picture book, author/illustrator Vashti Harrison introduces young readers to forty trailblazing women, including abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash. This inspiring book, filled with stunning full-page illustrations of each of the featured women, reminds young readers that every great leader began as a little leader, taking their first steps towards something big. Fans of Harrison's work can check out the sequel, Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around The World, or the Leaders and Dreamers box set, which includes both books. Younger readers can also enjoy the board book Dream Big, Little One for ages 2 to 5. When Coretta Scott King was photographed in a black veil, mourning her husband Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, many people thought of her as only a wife — but she was much more than that, both to Martin and to the Civil Rights Movement. She spoke up against injustice even as a young woman, but in a movement that prioritized men's voices, she wasn't taken seriously by many. Martin told her, "Corrie, you are a brave soldier. I don't know what I would do without you." And when he died, she had the courage to step forward, holding the movement together and preserving Martin's legacy for the future. This lyrical story from the award-winning team behind Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop is a powerful introduction to this instrumental figure. It's one thing to hear the story of Ruby Bridges in the third person, but in this remarkable book, you get to imagine it through her own eyes. In simple language, Bridges recounts the experience of simultaneously knowing that she was part of a bigger era in history, yet still being a child who didn't fully understand why people were so angry at her. With additional material including photographs, sidebars about Bridges' influence in popular culture, and an update on her later life and civil rights work, this volume creates a newly complex portrait of this iconic figure and her incredible courage. The "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" gets her own entry in the popular Who Was...? biography series This accessible biography introduces the influences in Rosa Parks' life that led her to devote her life to the cause of civil rights. Useful sidebars and timelines help kids understand both Parks' work and the overarching progress of the Civil Rights movement. Engaging and accessible, it's a great way to introduce middle grade readers to this inspiring figure. For more books about Parks, visit our Rosa Parks Collection. Ten women who contributed to the fight for equal rights, from Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman during the time of slavery to Rosa Parks and Dorothy Height during the Civil Rights era, each get their own profile in this inspiring book. Andrea Davis Pinkney's text bursts with admiration for these dedicated campaigners for abolition, desegregation, and women's rights, while her use of colloquialisms and vivid description will have kids flipping the pages to find out what happens. Each profile is accented by a dramatic, stylized portrait from Alcorn. This lively book will bring history to life for young readers. When Ida B. Wells was born in 1862, slavery was still legal; she was freed by the Emancipation Proclamation of 1865. But just because slavery had ended didn't mean things were fair. The intelligent girl saw injustice all around her, and she was determined to end it. As a journalist, she drew the world's attention to the horrors of lynching and other prejudices based on race and sex. As an activist, she helped cofound the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and she marched as a suffragist, too! This exciting book from the Who Was...? biography series introduces middle grade readers to Wells' life as a civil rights activist, anti-lynching campaigner, and pioneering journalist. "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired", Hamer once famously proclaimed, and that sentiment drove her to be a champion of civil rights for over two decades. Her booming oratorical voice and her signature song "This Little Light of Mine" became a key part of the movement, including the Freedom Summer of 1964; her speech at the Democratic National Convention aired on national news despite interference from President Johnson and spurred people to action. Told in the first person, this book's lyrical text and collage illustrations depict the perseverance and courage of this heroic woman. As a child, Kathlyn J. Kirkwood was drawn to activism, particularly to the Civil Rights Movement. As a teenager, she attended protests where she, like many others, drew courage from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s example. When King was assassinated, it would have been easy to lose hope, but Kathlyn and millions of others persevered... and they were also determined that King's memory would not be forgotten. In addition to their fight for justice, they now had a new cause: ensuring that King's birthday was marked with a national holiday. This powerful memoir-in-verse is both a coming of age story and a unique look at history in the making — one which will show young readers that ordinary people working together is what really changes the world. In 1968, after two African American sanitation workers were killed by unsafe equipment, their colleagues throughout Memphis went on strike. Their two-month protest drew so much attention that Dr. Martin Luther King came to help... only to be assassinated in his hotel after giving his famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" sermon. Through the eyes of a fictional girl (inspired by a real child's experience in the strike), author Alice Faye Duncan captures a key moment in both the labor and civil rights movements. Written in emotional free verse, this picture book for older readers provides an accessible introduction to a challenging and heartbreaking moment in American history. When the Little Rock Nine defied their state's governor to integrate Central High, Elizabeth Eckford didn't get the message to meet the group — so she faced entering the school alone. A local photographer snapped an iconic photograph of a girl jeering at Elizabeth as she stoically walked through the protesting crowd, and that photograph focused the world's attention — and disapproval — on Little Rock's resistance to desegregation. Shelley Tougas' tale of determination and bravery ends with an important postscript to the story: decades later, Elizabeth and Hazel Bryan Massery, the screaming girl in the picture, met and achieved a reconciliation. Touching and heartwrenching, this book captures the power of a single person's photograph to bring change. Tweens can learn the story of Rosa Parks in her own words in this compelling autobiography! Parks' word provide a fresh take on both her famous act of defiance on a Montgomery bus and the many other contributions she made to the Civil Rights movement. In her stirring story, she tells of a childhood listening warily for members of the Ku Klux Klan in the night; time as a secretary for the NAACP; and the experience of becoming a symbol to a nation-wide movement. This book provides a more complex picture of both Parks herself and of the Civil Rights movement as a whole. Marian Anderson never intended to become a symbol of equal rights; she just knew that she had to sing. But in the 1920s and 1930s, social constraints limited the careers of Black performers. Anderson's voice, though, could not be silenced and she achieved international acclaim despite segregation in the arts. But thanks to the help of influential admirers — including Eleanor Roosevelt — her landmark concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 signaled a change for this history of art. This well-researched and expertly told book includes a bibliography, a discography, and an excellent examination of the cultural and social context of Anderson's life turned her into a civil rights icon. As a 6-year-old child, Ruby Bridges became a symbol of courage and equality when she desegregated an all-White elementary school in New Orleans, escorted past a screaming mob by federal marshals. Now, she calls the next generation of young activists to step up for what's right! In this beautiful gift book, Bridges uses her own story to show young readers how even the youngest of us can work for change. With historical photographs, jacket art using Norman Rockwell's painting The Problem We All Live With, and more, this is an empowering and powerful call to action for both children and adults. When Jo Ann Allen joined the Clinton 12 — twelve African-American students who integrated Clinton High School in Tennessee — things seemed easy at first... but as time went on, there was unrest, anger, and even violence. Clever and popular Jo Ann became the spokesperson for the group, always aware that she and her peers were fighting for a critical change to the nation's education system. In this novel in verse, she tells her story, reminding readers that court-ordered integration was a double-edged sword ("We’re in, yes./ But it’s more complicated than that") but conveys a message of hope in a future of true racial equality. Sharon Robinson's 13th birthday happened just before new Alabama governor George Wallace declared "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" on national television in 1963. But for Sharon, the privileged daughter of baseball star Jackie Robinson, she feels pulled between her parents' efforts on behalf of the Civil Rights Movement and her classmates' ignorance about the struggle. In her large house and wealthy life, she feels different from both her white and black peers — and she worries about her brother, who feels like he has to live up to his father's name. Over the course of a year, this memoir traces how Sharon finds her place and her voice as a child of Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. 1954's Brown vs. Board of Education was a critical ruling in the desegregation of US schools — but getting there was a long road. The name on the case came from the family of Linda Brown, a black third-grader refused entry to an all-white Topeka, Kansas, school, but there were many additional families involved, including children in South Carolina, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Award-winning author Susan Goldman Rubin explores the complex history behind this key court decision, as well as the modern, not fully desegregated, school system. This compelling account will open young readers' eyes to the work — and sacrifice — behind the case that's often forgotten. In every civil rights battle, children and teens took their parts too. This book collects the stories of thirty African Americans who were children or teens during the 1950s and 1960s. Each of them describes what it was like to grow up in a segregated America, how it felt to participate in protests, sit-ins, and school integrations, and the realities of the hatred, violence, and legal threats they faced as they did so. These powerful stories serve as a reminder that it took everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, to fight for the rights African-American people deserved. Nine months before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin did the same — but instead rather than receiving support, she found herself shunned by classmates and dismissed by community leaders. And yet she remained determined to effect change, and a year later, she challenged Jim Crow laws again by becoming one of the key plaintiffs in Browder vs. Gayle, a landmark court case. This National Book Award winner shines a light on an important but little-known figure from Civil Rights history. As a child, Melba Pattillo Beals saw Klansmen hang a man from the rafters during a prayer meeting; as a teen, she was almost raped when she was unknowingly taken to a KKK meeting. And throughout, she asked tough questions: why should she have to drink from a separate fountain, or live her life feeling unsafe? The adults in her life wanted her to keep quiet out of fear, but she refused: she knew there was a future where she could live free — and as one of the Little Rock Nine, she made her mark on history. This powerful memoir captures the courage and determination of Beals and the other child activists like her who pushed for change. You probably think you know Rosa Parks' story: on a day when she was tired, she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus, setting off the Montgomery bus boycott and a critical Civil Rights Movement win. But that's not the real story! Parks was a long-time activist who made a deliberate, strategic decision... and paid the price for her public defiance of Jim Crow laws. In this young readers edition of the award-winning The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, young people can learn the true story of Parks' lifelong devotion to equality — and be inspired to fight for it themselves. Lynda Lowery was the youngest marcher in the 1965 Selma protest, but her youth never protected her; she had been arrested eleven times, and sent to jail nine times, before her fifteenth birthday. This gripping memoir captures the experience of being a teenage protester in Selma, from the constant threats of violence to the inhumane "sweatbox" steel cell where she and twenty other girls were imprisoned until they all passed out. And yet, Lowery's memoir is one of home and optimism: while she doesn't shy away from the realities of what protesters faced, she highlights that she suffered these ordeals in order to change American history for the better. Melba Patillo turned sixteen in 1957, the same year that she became an unwitting warrior for desegregation. As one of the Little Rock Nine, she faced a firestorm of opposition as she entered the previously all-white Central High. In a harrowing ordeal, Melba faced everything from taunts to threats to an attack with acid that injured her eyes, but she never gave up her courage or her dignity. "Searing" is exactly the right description for this affecting story of friendship, faith, and personal commitment, and young adult readers will be shocked to learn just how hard African American teens had to fight for their right to receive an equal education. Fighting for justice: Historical Fiction In order to understand the impact the Civil Rights Movement has had on American history, kids need to learn what life was like before these hard-fought changes. These works of historical fiction depict life during segregation, as well as the fierce resistance that civil rights campaigners and groundbreakers faced every day. Belle is looking forward to an exciting summer: Grandmama Coles is touring the South with a swing jazz band, and Belle gets to come! But while the places she visits are new, some things are just the same... like the segregation Belle and Grandmama face at every stop. When Grandmama sings, though, everyone comes to listen, and Grandmama says she can see a day when people are united all the time. "That's the kind of world I want for you," she tells Belle. This book doesn't shy away from the realities of segregation, but the optimistic tone highlights the power of art to bring people together. When Connie and her mother go shopping at Woolworth's, they can have a soda as a treat — but they have to drink them standing up, since African Americans aren't allowed at the lunch counter. In fact, all over town there are signs telling Connie where she can't go. Then, one day, her father says that Dr. King is coming to town, and soon Connie gets to see her older brother and sister joining the sit-in protests, in hopes that someday, anyone can sit down where they please. Carole Weatherford perfectly captures a child's perspective, but still conveys an important message about the power of peaceful protest. In Clover’s 1950s town, a fence runs down the middle: one side is for young Clover's African American community, while the other side is where the white people live. But one day, Clover meets a little girl named Annie who lives on the other side of the fence. Cautiously, the two girls approach each other, wondering how they can play together without breaking the rules. Finally, the solution occurs to them — and they spend the day sitting on the fence together. Elegant watercolor illustrations by E.B. Lewis pair perfectly with Woodson’s thoughtful text to effectively communicate the deep truth behind Annie’s comment: “Someday somebody's going to come along and knock this old fence down.” A little girl and her sister sneak out of the house, down the street to where men and women are gathering for a protest march. In the air is the sweet smell of roses; in their minds, the sweet hope of justice and equality. Inspired by the many children who also participated in protests and marches, Johnson has written a poetic tribute to the spirit of optimism that pervaded the Civil Rights movement, perfectly accented with Velasquez' charcoal illustrations, where small pops of color illuminate key details like the ribbon on a teddy bear, the roses, and the American flag. Six year old Sarah Marie is excited to visit her grandmother, but she's never seen the segregation of the Deep South. Her family tries to protect the children from the realities of Jim Crow — her mother tells them that the seats are the back at the best, and that they aren't going to the lunch counter because they brought something delicious to eat — but Sarah Marie still realizes that something deeply unjust is going on. Young readers will empathize with Sarah Marie's confusion, and with her delight when, on a future trip, Sarah Marie discovers that the segregated spaces are gone. This gentle and powerful book introduces the history of segregation and celebrates how families like Sarah Marie's resisted with quiet dignity. Today is election day, and nothing — not even the steep hill she has to climb to get to the polling station — will keep 100-year-old Lillian from placing her ballot. As she walks, she remembers the path through history that resulting in her path to the polls: her great-grandfather, voting for the first time after the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment; her parents, trying and failing to register to vote; and her own participation, many years ago, in a protest march from Selma to Montgomery. This vivid story of one woman's determination provides an apt metaphor for the determination of those who fought for equal rights for all. Ella Mae is excited when she outgrows her hand-me-down shoes — for the first time, she'll get a new pair of her very own! But when they go to the shoe store, Ella Mae and her mother discover the shop owner only allows white people to buy. Determined to fight back, Ella Mae and her friend Charlotte create their own business, gathering used shoes and repairing and polishing them to perfection. And at their shoe sale, the African American members of their community get to "try on all the shoes they want." This story provides an introduction to the concept of segregation, but also a powerful message of optimism. In this story-within-a-story, a granddaughter listens raptly as her grandmother tells her a tale of the segregated South. As a child, she saw a water fountain labelled with a sign reading "Whites only." Innocently, she misinterpreted the sign to mean that she could only drink if she stood at the fountain in her white socks, so she kicked off her shoes... only to get pulled away by an angry white man, threatening to whip her. However, the African American adults nearby rallied to her aid, one by one kicking off their own shoes and taking their own deep drinks from the fountain. The depiction of segregation in this story is simplified to make it more accessible to young readers, but the message is clear: judging people by the color of their skin is as silly as judging them by the color of their socks. It's the 1950s, and Ruth's family is excited: they've just bought a new car and are ready to set off to visit Ruth's grandmother in Alabama! But they soon discover that Jim Crow laws make traveling difficult, since many hotels and gas stations won't serve African Americans. Then, a friendly gas station attendant introduces them to The Green Book, a guide specifically for African-American travelers that tells them where they will be welcomed. Filled with gorgeous oil wash paintings, this thoughtful story is a loving tribute to The Green Book through the eyes of a curious young girl. There's plenty of talk about the new sixth-grade teacher at Shady Creek. Mrs. Smyre is the first African American teacher in the town; it's 1969, and while black folks and white folks are cordial, having a black teacher at an all-white school is a strange new happening. For 12-year-old Sarah Beth, there are so many unanswered questions. What is all this talk about Freedom Riders and school integration? Why can't she and Ruby become best friends? And who says school isn't for anybody who wants to learn — or teach? In a world filled with uncertainty, one very special teacher shows her young students and the adults in their lives that change invites unexpected possibilities. With the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, Dawnie's world is turned upside down. Now, she has to attend a previously all-white school — alone, without her friends beside her — and face the harsh realities of angry reactions to enforced integration. Dawnie struggles to prove that she deserves the opportunity for a good education, but when her father loses his job and her brother is bullied, she questions whether it is all worth it. Fortunately, Dawnie has the determination to face these challenges head on, in hopes that others won't face them in the future. This book from the popular Dear America historical fiction series captures the reality of what many students faced every day on the journey to school integration. At the heart of battles against school segregation were children — children just like the ones in classrooms today. In this remarkable book by beloved author Toni Morrison, she uses archival photographs of the Civil Rights movement, most of them depicting the ordinary young people whose lives were so deeply affected. Alongside these images, she crafts dialogue that captures what these children, who carried so much on their shoulders, were feeling and experiencing. Morrison's vibrant fictional account of "separate but equal" schooling and the battle for integrated classrooms, published for the 50th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, is a powerful way to teach kids about this important part of American history. Glory has always looked forward to celebrating her July 4th birthday at the community pool. But in 1964, the summer she turns 12, that proves to be complicated. The town is in an uproar: Yankee "freedom people" are insisting that the pool be desegregated, and in response, the town has closed the pool "for repairs" indefinitely. As the conflict continues, and Glory comes of age, she begins to look beyond her own situation and see the closure of the pool in the context of the broader world. This memorable story captures the thoughts and feelings of a girl caught on the cusp of adulthood and facing true injustice she had never noticed before. Billie Simms may only be 13, but she is already determined to see an end to segregation in her hometown of Anniston, Alabama — even if few people agree with her. When she hears that the Freedom Riders will pass through Anniston, Billie hopes that the town will see the justice in their cause; instead, they show the depths of their racism and prejudice. With the buses about to move on, Billie has to decide what to do: stay safe at home, or join the cause she believes in so passionately. In addition to the presentation of historical events, this novel explores Billie's developing awareness of her own internalized racism, which provides an intriguing starting point for discussion about racial issues of today. It's 1958, and twelve-year-old Marlee is struggling: the Governor of Arkansas has shut all high schools to avoid the federal order to integrate schools, so her sister has been sent away so she doesn't miss a year. Always shy, Marlee responds to the chaos by retreating even more... until she meets Liz, the new girl at her middle school. Fearless and determined, Liz knows just what to say to encourage Marlee to find her voice. Then, one day, Liz is gone; rumor has it that she was actually black, and pretending to be white. Liz's friendship helps Marlee understand the damage that segregation does — and the value of fighting it. As racial tensions rise, danger looms for both the girls and their families as they stand up for integration, but their friendship helps them stand strong. Heartfelt and satisfying, this story of friendship and the fight for justice will make young readers cheer. Loretta Little is a sharecropper, picking cotton in the late 1920s; she had no idea that her niece will get to view the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement's fight for the vote. Told in three narratives — one by Loretta from 1927 to 1930, one by her brother Roly from 1942 to 1950, and one by Roly's daughter Aggie from 1962 to 1968, this novel brings the hardships facing African Americans to vivid life — poverty, racism, and violence — while also capturing the courage, dignity, and hope of each generation as they fight for a better future. With its innovative format and gorgeous spot illustrations, this is a one-of-a-kind novel that tells an important tale of U.S. history. Dani's Grandma Beans hasn't spoken to Avadelle Richardson for decades, and no one seems to know why — until Grandma Beans tells Dani to find an envelope and a key that she's hidden. Dani decides to investigate, and with the help of her friends she uncovers a whole history of their hometown in Oxford, Mississippi that they'd never heard before: segregation, violence, race riots, and a betrayal that cut Grandma Beans to the bone. For kids who usually hear a sanitized version of the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s, this book will open their eyes to the brutality of the process — and to the injustices that linger to this day. In Greenwood, Mississippi in 1964, the adults all say they're "being invaded" — by people from up north coming to help voter registrations in something called the Freedom Summer. At first, Sunny doesn't even worry about that; she's caught up in her own invasion, a new stepmother and siblings pushing their way into her life. But a moment at a public pool opens her eyes to the racism that pervades her hometown, and soon Sunny is trying to figure out how she too can fight for what's right and fair. Real source materials — including an actual KKK pamphlet from the time period — drive home the viciousness that civil rights campaigners faced during the time period. Deborah Wiles, award-winning author of Countdown, tells a riveting story of kids who, in a world where everyone is choosing sides, must figure out how to stand up for themselves and fight for what's right. 12-year-old Sylvia is an honor student who is both thrilled and scared to be selected as one of the students to integrate Central High School in 1957 Little Rock. Unlike her older brother, she doesn't want to be a hero; she just wants a chance to learn. And as the racism in Little Rock explodes — and even members of Sylvia's own community speak out against integration — Sylvia starts to wonder if she would be better off in the black-only school, focusing on getting to college instead of changing the world. In addition to its unflinching look at the realities of being the ones to desegregate a school, this book challenges young adult readers to consider how their decisions shape the future. Additional Recommended Resources - For more books about the struggle for civil rights and liberties, visit our Top Mighty Girl Books About Civil Rights History. - For more resources about some of the key figures mentioned above, visit our Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, and Coretta Scott King collections. - For books about social issues relating to prejudice, visit our selection of books about Racial / Ethnic Discrimination. - For more books for Black History Month, visit our African American History Collection.

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Depictions of insanity through history. Nebuchadnezzar turned into an animal, 1410. Modern psychiatry seems determined to rob madness of its meanings, insisting that its depredations can be reduced to biology and nothing but biology. One must doubt it. The social and cultural dimensions of mental disorders, so indispensable a part of the story of madness and civilization over the centuries, are unlikely to melt away, or to prove no more than an epiphenomenal feature of so universal a feature of human existence. Madness indeed has its meanings, elusive and evanescent as our attempts to capture them have been. Western culture throughout its long and tangled history provides us with a rich array of images, a remarkable set of windows into both popular and latterly professional beliefs about insanity. The sacred books of the Judeo-Christian tradition are shot through with stories of madness caused by possession by devils or divine displeasure. From Saul, the first king of the Israelites (made mad by Yahweh for failing to carry out to the letter the Lord’s command to slay every man, woman, and child of the Amalekite tribe, and all their animals, too), to the man in the country of the Gaderenes “with an unclean spirit” (maddened, naked, and violent, whose demons Christ casts out and causes to enter a herd of swine, who forthwith rush over a cliff into the sea to drown), here are stories recited for centuries by believers, and often transformed into pictorial form. None proved more fascinating than the story of Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty king of Babylon, the man who captured Jerusalem and destroyed its Temple, carrying the Jews off into captivity all apparently without incurring divine wrath. Swollen with pride, however, he impiously boasts of “the might of my power,” and a savage and jealous God has had enough: driven mad, he “did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagle’s feathers, and his nails like bird’s claws.” The description has proved irresistible to many an artist: above, an unknown German artist working in early fifteenth-century Regensburg provides a portrait of the changes madness wrought upon the sane. Disease was rife in the ancient, medieval, and early modern world. It was often interpreted through a religious lens, and the spread of Christian belief through pagan Europe was often facilitated by the use of miracles and wonders to demonstrate the power of the Christian God. The ability to cure sick and tortured souls was increasingly brought about by the intercession of saints and martyrs, whose relics were believed to have miraculous power to heal the sick, reanimate the halt and the lame, and restore sight to the blind. The tombs of saints like St. Margaret of Antioch and St. Dymphna of Geel, who had both been beheaded, were popular choices for those seeking relief from mental distress, as was the shrine of St. Thomas à Becket, whose murder in Canterbury Cathedral is here shown in a mid-thirteenth-century codex. The saint’s blood was thought to cure insanity, blindness, leprosy, and deafness, not to mention a host of other ailments. Naturalistic accounts of madness, those that saw its roots in the body, had an ancient lineage as well. Though many in classical Greece and Rome still embraced supernatural accounts of mental disturbance and had recourse to the temple medicine of the god Asclepius, with its purification rites, charms, and spells, others were attracted to the humoral model of disease embraced by the followers of Hippocrates and later systematized by the Graseco-Roman physician Galen—a model of illness, both mental and physical, that would survive in Europe into the nineteenth century. Hieronymus Bosch’s satirical painting of The Cure of Folly: The Extraction of the Stone of Folly, which dates from c. 1494, suggests that skepticism about medical claims remained widespread despite physicians’ best efforts. A doctor dressed in a dunce’s cap uses a scalpel to draw forth the supposed cause of madness from the scalp of a patient. Though religious interpretations of mental disturbance persisted in both polite and popular circles well into the eighteenth century (and among hoi polloi even longer than that), medical models of mental disorder gradually became the dominant and then almost the only legitimate interpretation of the sources of mental distress. The eighteenth century saw the rise in England, the first consumer society, of a private trade in lunacy. Mad-doctors, as they were then called (the double entendre would later cause specialists in the management of lunacy to search for a more respectable name), marketed their madhouses as ways to save affluent families from the travails and potential disgrace of keeping a lunatic at home, and over time began to claim the ability to cure as well as immure the insane. The technological inventiveness of the Industrial Revolution was soon extended to devices intended to shock and startle the mad back to their senses. Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin’s grandfather, suggested a swinging chair, and soon a variety of such devices were marketed, one promising that by “increasing the velocity of the swing, the motion be[ing] suddenly reversed every six or eight minutes … the consequence is, an instant discharge of the stomach, bowels, and bladder, in quick succession.” Others promoted a variety of devices designed to simulate drowning—though sometimes, unfortunately, the drowning proved all too real. And the American mad-doctor, Benjamin Rush, created a special chair, one that “binds and confines every part of the body … Its effects have been truly delightful to me. It acts as a sedative to the tongue and temper as well as to the blood vessels. I have called it a Tranquillizer.” Aristotle had seen the heart as the seat of the emotions and the intellect. By contrast, the Hippocratics saw the brain as their center. The anatomical investigations of the late seventeenth-century Oxford physician Thomas Willis (the man who coined the term neurologie) had given new impetus to the study of the role of the brain and the nervous system, and by the early nineteenth century, few medical men doubted that the etiology of insanity could be traced to disorders of the nerves and the brain. Among the most talented early nineteenth-century anatomists of these organs were the Austrian physicians Franz Gall and J.G. Spurzheim, who viewed the brain as a congeries of organs, each region corresponding to particular psychological functions. They asserted that the relative size of a particular organ was indicative of the strength of a particular mental function and that its size could be increased or decreased through mental exercise, rather as muscles can be developed or can atrophy. As the cranial bones developed, they allegedly conformed to the underlying comparative development of the brain’s different parts. Thus, a person’s mental capacities could be deduced from the confirmation of the head. Phrenological claims to provide a guide to human capacities and a somatic account of the origins of insanity soon became the butt of ridicule (as can be seen in this caricature, where Gall himself examines the head of an attractive young woman, while three gentlemen wait their turns to have their own characters read). Yet Gall’s underlying doctrine of cerebral localization enjoyed a long half life in neurology. The handful of profit-making madhouses that emerged in the eighteenth century were dwarfed by the Great Confinement of the insane that marked the nineteenth. States all across Europe and North America embraced the asylum solution, prompted in part by the assurances of the medical men who soon monopolized the running of these places that they were architectural contrivances uniquely suited to the management and cure of the mentally disturbed. It was within the walls of the asylum that alienists (as many now called themselves) developed and articulated their claims to expertise, and sought to manage the madness of those they confined. Their textbooks recorded their encounter with the insane. Early in the nineteenth century, many still had recourse to various forms of mechanical restraint, as this 1838 illustration from the French alienist J.E.D. Esquirol vividly shows. Later, many asylum doctors sought to distance themselves from such devices, proclaiming that they could manage the mad through moral suasion alone. The ancient divisions of insanity into such subtypes as mania, melancholia, and dementia were amended as alienists sought to persuade politicians and the public at large that their expertise allowed them to distinguish whole new realms of madness, each with their own characteristic features. If phrenology’s claims had been abandoned, the notion that madness might be read from the physiognomy of the face had not. Hence, the first major English-language textbook of the new asylum age, John Charles Bucknill’s and Daniel Hack Tuke’s A Manual of Psychological Medicine (1858) carried as its frontispiece an illustration of “Types of Insanity”—and, later in the century, Charles Darwin sought in the countenances of insane patients at the West Riding County Asylum in Yorkshire to uncover The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872). The asylum era had been launched amidst utopian expectations of cure. Its failure to deliver on its early promises brought about a rapid deterioration in its reputation, and increasingly, a portrait of the inmates of asylumdom as a biologically degenerate lot. Desperate to avoid the stigma of certification and confinement in what came to be seen as cemeteries for the still-breathing, nervous patients of means flocked instead to a variety of homes for the nervous, where they were treated with hydrotherapy, vegetable diets, massage, programs of rest and of exercise, and a variety of electrical treatments—stimulation from impressive machines constructed of brass and chrome to create and dispense static electrical shocks to arouse torpid nervous systems; and more targeted therapy from electrical vibrators, as shown here. Arguably, the most prominent of these places was the Battle Creek Sanitarium run by the Kellogg brothers, which entertained presidents, industrial magnates and Hollywood stars in the first decades of the twentieth century, where in addition to the delights listed above, they were treated with phototherapy, the strategic manipulation of light. Battle Creek Sanitarium. A different class of nervous patient thronged the wards of one of the great Paris hospitals for the poor. Here the self-described Napoleon of the Neuroses, Jean-Martin Charcot, had built his career by distinguishing a variety of awful neurological afflictions, from disseminated multiple sclerosis; aphasia; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (better known to most Americans as Lou Gehrig’s disease); Tourette’s syndrome, chorea; locomotor ataxia (a complication of tertiary syphilis, as would become apparent in the early twentieth century); and so on. But what later drew his attention was one of the great epidemic diseases of the age, a disorder that has now disappeared from the psychiatric lexicon: hysteria. Weekly, in an amphitheater in front of tout Paris, he hypnotized a parade of scantily clad young women, many of them repeat performers. The patients staged (and that is the appropriate word), the various stages of a hysterical fit: the seizures and the impossible bodily contortions of course, but more entertainingly still, the attitudes passionelles, the emotional gestures, cries and whispers that displayed unmistakably erotic overtones. And then they were re-hypnotized in private, so that they could hold their poses for the primitive cameras of the age, thus allowing their images to be reproduced and shown to a still larger virtual audience in the volumes of the Iconographis Photographique de la Salpêtrière. Of course, we denizens of the twenty-first century have moved beyond all this frippery and superstition. We live in an age of medical science, where even the formerly dark art of psychiatry has advanced into modernity. Just as penicillin symbolizes the age of the magic bullet in general medicine, the advent of a cure for formerly deadly bacterial infections, so too, at last, mental illness has its miracle drugs: the antipsychotics that arrived on the scene with the introduction of Thorazine in 1954, soon followed by the minor tranquillizers like Miltown and Valium, till we all entered upon the promised era when we all became “better than well” and embraced Prozac Nation. On second thoughts, perhaps not. Neither the antipsychotics nor the antidepressants, minor or major, are a psychiatric penicillin. To the contrary, they are at best a Band-Aid, a set of palliative measures that damp down the florid symptoms of psychosis (and perhaps rein in the violence that accompanies it—as in the accompanying early advertisement for the wonders of Thorazine), but often do not work as advertized, and for many bring with them a set of disabling iatrogenic (physician-caused) side effects: neurological tics and disturbances that are the often-permanent stigmatizing signs of tardive dyskinesia, emotional numbing, sexual impotence, massive weight gain, and life-threatening metabolic disorders. Courtesy Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images. A half century ago, the Rolling Stones sang a mordant song celebrating the “Mother’s Little Helper,” the little yellow pill that tranquilized bored housewives everywhere as it hurried them along to their “busy dying day.” Some younger folks might consider it a welcome solution to the problem of “what a drag it is getting old.” As my final image suggests, however, drug companies have preferred to market it as a solution to the travails of those trapped in an endless round of housework. It would appear that even in the age of the psychopharmacological revolution, we cannot escape the meanings that attach themselves like limpets to the phenomenon that is madness. Andrew Scull is the author of Madness in Civilization: A Cultural History of Insanity, from the Bible to Freud, from the Madhouse to Modern Medicine and distinguished professor of sociology and science studies at the University of California, San Diego. His books include Hysteria: The Disturbing History, Madhouse: A Tragic Tale of Megalomania and Modern Medicine, and Masters of Bedlam: The Transformation of the Mad-Doctoring Trade. He lives in La Jolla, California. Madness in Civilization: A Cultural History of Insanity, from the Bible to Freud, from the Madhouse to Modern Medicine is available now. Last / Next Article

http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/04/22/madness-and-meaning/

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Devastating loss of life and growing uncertainty have the world very much on edge, but there is a bit of good news for humanity: Benevolence is surging globally. That’s one of the key findings of the World Happiness Report, a publication of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network that draws on global survey data from people in about 150 countries. Marking its 10th anniversary, the report looks at happiness around the world — the happiest nations, those at the very bottom of the happiness scale and everything in between, plus the factors that tend to lead to greater happiness. And with two years of Covid-19 pandemic data on the books, the report has uncovered something unexpected. “The big surprise was that globally, in an uncoordinated way, there have been very large increases in all the three forms of benevolence that are asked about in the Gallup World Poll,” John Helliwell, one of the report’s three founding editors, told CNN Travel. Donating to charity, helping a stranger and volunteering are all up, “especially the help to strangers in 2021, relative to either before the pandemic or 2020, by a very large amount in all regions of the world,” said Helliwell, who is a professor emeritus at the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia. The global average of the three measures jumped by about 25% in 2021 compared with pre-pandemic levels, the report says. And benevolence is certainly top of mind as the world responds to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But before getting into how that increasingly global conflict may impact happiness, let’s look at countries where the feeling was abundant in 2021. World’s happiest nation is Nordic For the fifth year in a row, Finland is the world’s happiest country, according to World Happiness Report rankings based largely on life evaluations from the Gallup World Poll. The Nordic country and its neighbors Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland all score very well on the measures the report uses to explain its findings: healthy life expectancy, GDP per capita, social support in times of trouble, low corruption and high social trust, generosity in a community where people look after each other and freedom to make key life decisions. Denmark comes in at No. 2 in this year’s rankings, followed by Iceland at No. 3. Sweden and Norway are seventh and eighth, respectively. Switzerland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg take places 4 through 6, with Israel coming in at No. 9 and New Zealand rounding out the top 10. Canada (No. 15), the United States (No. 16) and the United Kingdom (No. 17) all made it into the top 20. Happiness in troubled times Another bright spot in this year’s report: Worry and stress dipped in the pandemic’s second year. While they were still up 4% in 2021 versus pre-pandemic, worry and stress in 2020 were up by 8%. “I think part of that is people knew a little more what they were dealing with in the second year, even if there were new surprises,” Helliwell said. Average life evaluations “have remained remarkably resilient” during the pandemic, with negative and positive influences offsetting each other, the report says. “For the young, life satisfaction has fallen, while for those over 60, it has risen — with little overall change,” according to the report. Helliwell acknowledges that there’s a sense that crises bring out either the best or the worst in societies. “But in general, people are too pessimistic about the goodwill in the societies they live in, so then when the actual disaster happens and they see other people responding positively to help others, it raises their opinion both of themselves and of their fellow citizens,” Helliwell said. “And so you find both trust in others and general life evaluations often rise in times when you think ‘these are bad times,’ but what’s happening is people are working together to deal with them.” This interplay of negative and positive very much applies to the situation in Ukraine, although how the scales will ultimately tip remains to be seen. Working together will certainly offset, to some degree, the tragedies affecting Ukrainians, Helliwell said. “Their heartland is being attacked, so they’ll be getting some coming-together effect, but of course the actual damage is terrible.” The effects the war will have on overall happiness in Russia are especially murky because government censorship distorts information that could inform life evaluations. The surveys this year’s happiness rankings were based on were conducted well before the invasion. Ukraine and Russia both fall into the bottom half of world rankings for happiness in the 2022 report, with Ukraine at No. 98 and Russia at No. 80. At No. 146, Afghanistan is at the very bottom of the rankings in the 2022 report, “a stark reminder of the material and immaterial damage that war does to its many victims,” Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, another report editor, said in a news release. The current war raging in Ukraine means happiness in other parts of the world could teeter as well. “It’s conceivable some people seeing what war can do close up on their television screens every day to the lives of people who have nothing to do with war and want nothing to do with war can make them feel lucky they’re not there or empathetic to the point of pain for the people who are there,” Helliwell said. “And they’re both real and understandable emotions, but they’re playing on opposite sides of the balance.” Hopefully, the uptick in benevolence — in all its forms – carries into 2022 and beyond. The world’s happiest countries, 2022 edition 10. New Zealand 16. United States 17. United Kingdom 18. Czechia (Czech Republic) 19. Belgium (cnn.com) Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/worlds-happiest-

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Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis, has said those who criticise his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples would come to understand it over time, except for Africans, whom he referred to as a “special case.” Reuters reports that Pope Francis, in an interview with Italian newspaper, La Stampa, yesterday, said Africans perceived homosexuality negatively from a cultural perspective. “Those who protest vehemently belong to small ideological groups. A special case is Africans: for them, homosexuality is something bad from a cultural point of view, and they don’t tolerate it. “But in general, I trust that gradually everyone will be reassured by the spirit of the ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ declaration by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: it aims to include, not divide. He invites people to welcome and then entrust people, and entrust themselves, to God.” Asked if he was concerned about a split in the church over the development, Francis replied in the negative, saying “in the church, there were small groups that manifested reflections of schismatic colour. You have to let them go and pass… and look ahead”. Speaking about his health challenges in recent years with hospitalisations, mobility issues, and cancelled trips becoming the order of his day, the 87-year-old said: “There are some aches and pains but it’s better now. I’m fine”. Last month, a Vatican document, called Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), which allowed blessings for same-sex couples, sparked widespread debate in the Catholic Church and around the world. However, the Vatican made it clear that blessings should not be included in regular church ceremonies or linked to civil unions or weddings. The Vatican emphasised that it continued to view marriage as between a man and a woman. According to Reuters, last week, Francis seemed to recognise the resistance that the document generated, particularly in Africa, where in some countries, same-sex activity can result in severe consequences, such as imprisonment or even capital punishment. He said that when the blessings were given, priests should “naturally take into account the context, the sensitivities, the places where one lives and the most appropriate ways to do it.” The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, had announced that Catholic churches within the country would not perform blessings for same-sex unions. “That would go against God’s law, the teachings of the Church, the laws of our nation, and the cultural sensibilities of our people,” the CBCN said in a statement. According to the bishops, there is a misinterpretation of Pope Francis’s decision to allow the blessing of same-sex marriage. It stated: “The Declaration reinforces the truth about God’s mercy. For one to willingly ask for a blessing demonstrates one’s trust in God and the desire to live according to God’s commandments. “Asking for God’s blessing is not dependent on how good one is. Imperfection is the reason for seeking God’s grace. ”Therefore, those in irregular unions are invited never to lose hope but rather to ask for God’s grace and mercy while remaining open to conversion.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/01/same-sex-blessings-

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By Marie-Therese Nanlong The Kingdom of Morocco like other African countries has agriculture contributing to its gross domestic product. Also, the country has over time developed healthy trade relations with countries within and outside the continent. Being the 43rd country to ratify the African Union introduced African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA in 2022, the Kingdom is exploiting the initiative to improve its economy as it also encourages women especially those in rural areas to engage in profitable farming to improve household income and ensure food security. Speaking on how the AfCFTA initiative boosts his country’s economy; the country’s nutrition index; the place of Moroccan women in ensuring food security and other issues, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Nigeria, H.E M. Moha ou Ali Tagma explained “the proactive policy of His Majesty King Mohammed VI,” has been helpful. According to him, “Morocco has always been a great agricultural country, and today, it is one of the most important exporters of food products to Europe. Agriculture represents almost 18% of the gross domestic product. The nutritional situation in Morocco has improved significantly over the last few years, in particular the important decrease in food insecurity. In 2022, Morocco ranked 47th out of 126 countries in the world hunger index. “By WHO recommendations, the Ministry of Health developed and implemented a National Nutrition Strategy (2011-2019) for the entire life cycle to contribute to the improvement of the health status of the population by acting on one of its major determinants which is nutrition. “A comprehensive and integrated National Nutrition Program, which is part of the implementation of this Strategy, and which is perfectly in line with international commitments, in particular the Declaration of the 2nd Nutrition Conference of 2014, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Decade of Action for Nutrition 2025, has been put in place with objectives for the year 2030… The implementation of this programme has also benefited from the support of several partners, including some ministerial departments, international organizations, industrialists, universities, and NGOs.” Efforts to address threats to food security The Ambassador pointed out the measures put in place to address food insecurity as he said, “Threats to food security, include the COVID-19 pandemic, the current conflict in Ukraine and climate change, economic recession, inflation, disruption of supply chains, declining water resources, rising production costs and food prices, and declining household purchasing power. “Thanks to the proactive policy of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco has been able to put in place an integrated approach, which aims to guarantee food availability by increasing market supply, including through the use of duty-free imports, to promote sustainable agricultural and rural development, to focus on the protection of natural resources and to adapt to climate change. “The Kingdom has launched, in line with the 2030 Agenda of the African Union, a new agricultural strategy, Generation Green 2020-2030, which aims, among other objectives, to increase agricultural production through the modernization of agricultural techniques and adaptation to climate change.” Using AfCFTA to boost small businesses, ensure food security AfCFTA aims to strengthen intra-Africa trade relations, ensure food security and meet the food demand of citizens. The Secretary-General of AfCFTA, H.E. Wamkele Mene at different fora stressed that the AfCFTA is not just a trade agreement but a development strategy. He projected that “When we successfully implement the agreement, we will lift about 100 million Africans out of poverty and we would boost intra-Africa Trade by $35- 40 billion annually; increase value chain development in all sectors; enhance the competitiveness of industry economies of scale; reduce the trade deficit by 50.6%; increase level of investment in various sectors, create decent jobs and improve SME development and create employment.” However, the Ambassador disclosed, “Morocco’s integration into the AfCFTA would be positive in terms of increasing Moroccan exports to Africa as well as imports from Africa. While trade liberalization under the AfCFTA could have a positive impact on Morocco, it would only directly affect the agribusiness and livestock sectors, helping to further strengthen our country’s food security – the other sector being industrial manufacturers. “The AfCFTA would benefit the actors in these sectors by contributing to a significant increase in GDP, real household income, total Moroccan exports in volume, and an increase in the remuneration of unskilled and skilled labour. Morocco has been a pioneer in highlighting the importance of greater South-South cooperation on a continental scale. “Morocco has carried out large-scale actions on the continent, both in terms of investments in key sectors of the African economy (banking, telecommunications, construction, and public works, fertilizer production, etc.) and in terms of implementing socio-economic development projects or sharing its successful experience in several structuring areas. “Morocco has also gradually consolidated its position in the continent, through the strengthening and diversification of trade and the conclusion of a multitude of cooperation agreements in various fields like education, health, training, infrastructure, agriculture, etc. “According to a study conducted by the Moroccan Department of Finance, Morocco could strengthen trade by adapting the Moroccan offer to the demand and specificities of African economies, the pursuit of more joint ventures and alliances between companies, and more efforts in developing road infrastructure between countries to facilitate intra-African trade and make it competitive, and improve the quality of distribution networks.” Benefits of AfCFTA: He further noted that the AfCFTA will integrate Africa into world trade and value production by attracting investment, as has happened in countries that have opted for trade liberalization hence, Morocco has been advocating for the effective operationalization of the AfCFTA as a crucial step towards the achievement of regional integration of the continent. His words, “For Morocco, the operationalization of the AfCFTA is a crucial step towards the achievement of regional integration of the continent, while relying on the relevant strategies and projects of the AU to accelerate this process. “The operationalization of the AfCFTA would open up a market of 1.2 billion consumers and increase intra-African trade by removing tariff and non-tariff barriers across Africa. This will help create more opportunities and jobs for African citizens, develop regional value chains, and strengthen infrastructure and the basis for intra-African trade. “The AfCFTA is an impetus for the establishment of the African domestic market towards the creation of the African Economic Community envisaged by the Abuja Treaty.” How Morocco/Africa can achieve food security goals by 2063: The Ambassador reiterated, “The key word in development is regional integration. Europe has understood this since the 1950s. Asia, North America, and South America have been engaged for a very long time in very advanced regional integration processes. This is the path that Africa must follow. The liberalization of foreign trade wherever it has been undertaken has brought prosperity and well-being to the populations.” Obstacles/solutions to food security: Amb. Tagma stated, “Climate change is by far the main obstacle to the development of agriculture and the main threat to the food security of African populations. In terms of food security strategy, agricultural and rural development, and sustainable development, Morocco undertook in December 2014, under the Marrakech Declaration on South-South Cooperation, efforts to exchange experiences, pool expertise, and transfer skills, in a logic of mutually beneficial partnership between African countries. “The Triple-A initiative ‘Adaptation of African Agriculture to climate change’ initiated by the Kingdom on the sidelines of COP22 aims to contribute to food security on the African continent through the promotion of practices aimed at better adaptation to climate change, capacity building of stakeholders and the channelling of financial flows to the benefit of hard-hit audiences. “The Triple S initiative ‘Sustainability, Stability and Security in Africa’, jointly initiated by Morocco and Senegal, aims to help thousands of villages in Africa to create green jobs and promote investment opportunities by migrants themselves; adopt drought early warning systems; strengthen land tenure; identify hotspots of land degradation, population movements, and migration; follow new pastoral routes to prevent the emergence of tensions over natural resources; and integrate natural resource management into national security strategies and migration policy.” “Morocco also contributes to guaranteeing food security in the World and particularly in Africa through the contribution of OCP, the world’s leading exporter of phosphates and fertilizers. OCP has undertaken vast investments in Nigeria and other African countries to produce fertilizers adapted to the soil of each country at affordable prices for farmers. OCP is also contributing to the modernization of agriculture in several African countries by helping them establish soil maps.” The Role of Moroccan Women in Food Security: He confirmed that Morocco encourages the contribution of women to the strengthening of food security through “the many cooperatives created and run by women,” and stated that, “Morocco currently has more than 2,300 100% women’s cooperatives (14% of all cooperatives), 33% of which are in agriculture. These cooperatives allow women to gain economic autonomy and thus become active players in economic and social life, particularly in rural areas, and to meet the needs of their families. These cooperatives have been encouraged by initiatives such as “Halieutis” in the fishing sector and the Green Morocco Plan in the agricultural sector.” This article was developed with support from the African Union through the African Union Agenda 2063 Pitch Zone Awards, a partnership with the African Women in Media. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/05/how-

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According to the US geological survey, the quake’s epicentre was in the northern province of Badakhshan, close to the Pakistani and Tajik borders. It is not clear if there were any casualties in the area itself, but at least 17 people were injured in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. Hundreds were killed by a quake in the same area on October the 26th. Residents in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, were reported to have run into the streets after feeling the impact of the quake. The region has a history of powerful earthquakes caused by the northward collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. In 2005, a magnitude 7.6 quake in Pakistan-administered Kashmir left more than 75,000 people dead. In April this year, Nepal suffered its worst earthquake on record with 9,000 people killed and about 900,000 homes damaged or destroyed.

https://www.channelstv.com/2022/https://www.channelstv.com/2022/05/09/northern-

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February 18, 2020 by The Nation 22 danger signs to watch out for when using a gas cylinder By Praise Olowe There have been many cases of gas cylinder explosions and when this happens, lives are lost and properties worth millions are destroyed. However, there are so many danger signs we need to look out for while using a Gas cylinder. Some of these factors are: - Cooking gas cylinders must not exceed five years: most people using gas cylinders hardly remember when it was bought. It is important to keep track of the days and replace them as soon as possible. - Do not buy used Gas cylinders. - Watch out for the expiry dates: The steps to check the expiry date are very simple and basic. The expiry of LPG cylinder can be found on one of the metal strips that connect the body of the cylinder to top ring (handle). It is mentioned on the inner side of the strip. The strip has any of the alphabets from A to D painted on it along with a number. Decoding the expiry date is simple. The alphabet represents the month it expires while the number indicates the year. A year is divided into four quarters : A – January to March B – April to June C – July to September D – October to December For example, your cylinder has ‘A 18 painted on the metal strip. The alphabet A represents month March and 18 indicates the year 2018. - · Use gas cylinders in a vertical position, unless specifically designed to be used otherwise - · Securely restrain cylinders to prevent them from falling over - · Always double check that the cylinder/gas is the right one for the intended use. - · Before connecting a gas cylinder to equipment or pipe-work make sure that the regulator and pipe-work are suitable for the type of gas and pressure being used. - · When required, wear suitable safety shoes and other personal protective equipment when handling gas cylinders. - · Do not use gas cylinders for any other purpose than the transport and storage of gas. - · Do not drop, roll or drag gas cylinders. - · Close the cylinder valve and replace dust caps, where provided when a gas cylinder is not in use. - · Where appropriate, fit cylinders with residual pressure valves (non-return valves) to reduce the risk of backflow of water or other materials into the cylinder during use that might corrode it (e.g. beer forced into an empty gas cylinder during cylinder change-over). - · Ensure the valve is protected by a valve cap or collar, or that the valve has been designed to withstand impact if the cylinder is dropped. - · Store gas cylinders in a dry, safe place on a flat surface in the open air. If this is not reasonably practicable, store in an adequately ventilated building or part of a building specifically reserved for this purpose. Read Also: Family of six burnt in Anambra gas explosion - · Cylinders containing flammable gas should not be stored in part of a building used for other purposes. - · Protect gas cylinders from external heat sources that may adversely affect their mechanical integrity. - · Gas cylinders should be stored away from sources of ignition and other flammable materials. - · Avoid storing gas cylinders so that they stand or lie in water. - · Ensure the valve is kept shut on empty cylinders to prevent contaminants from getting in. - · Store gas cylinders securely when they are not in use. They should be properly restrained unless designed to be free-standing. - · Gas cylinders must be clearly marked to show what they contain and the hazards associated with their contents. - · Store cylinders where they are not vulnerable to hazards caused by impact, e.g. from vehicles such as fork-lift trucks.

https://thenationonlineng.net/22-danger-signs-to-watch-out-for-when-using-a-

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The bishop, Peder Windstrup, died 336 years ago, and was taken out of his crypt at Lund Cathedral in southern Sweden in September last year. He was returned on Friday along with the remains of a human fetus discovered at his feet and given a second traditional Lutheran funeral. Windstrup's body is one of the best-preserved in Europe from the 1600s and is believed to have been mummified by the cold Nordic air rather than the embalming methods popular with Egyptians. The coffin of the bishop, who was an influentual Lutheran church leader, was initially opened 15 months ago because the cathedral planned to bury him. But archaeologists and scientists campaigned to examine the body first, arguing that their findings could play an important role in medical research. Unlike embalmed mummies which had their internal organs removed, most of Windstrup's insides remained intact and he was even given a CT scan at the city's University Hospital. "His remains constitute a unique archive of medical history on the living conditions and health of people living in the 1600s”, Per Karsten, director of the Historical Museum at Lund University, said in a press statement in July this year. The mummy went on display at Lund University's Historical Museum this week, with more than 3,500 people turning up to see him on Wednesday. The museum stayed open until 10pm to ensure as many as possible got a glimpse. "This is as close as you can get to the 1600s," Per Karsten, Lund University Historical Museum's Director, told Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan earlier this week. But he described the record turnout as "completely incomprehensible" and praised the public for queueing patiently to get in. Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected]. Please log in here to leave a comment.

http://www.thelocal.se/20151211/mummy-bishop-drives-masses-to-swedish-

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Nigeria is on the path of ensuring more access to affordable, reliable energy for its populace, as well as transitioning to the use of cleaner energy in line with the net-zero emissions global target, but an end of international funding for gas as a fossil fuel would create dire challenges for gas-producing countries especially in Africa, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. Prof. Osinbajo stated this today during the virtual roundtable meeting of the Africa Regional Heads of Government Commonwealth Roundtable, which was chaired by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. Other African leaders at the summit included the Presidents of Rwanda, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Botswana, and Gambia. The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Right Hon. Patricia Scotland, QC, was also at the meeting. The Vice President, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the roundtable, noted that Nigeria is already transitioning from petrol (Premium Motor Spirit) to natural gas, which is “accepted more or less as a transition fuel, the bridge to renewable energy.” According to the VP, Nigeria supports the goal of the Commonwealth in outlining responsible transition pathways to decarbonize and achieve net and negative zero emissions,” while emphasizing the efforts of the Buhari administration through its Economic Sustainability Plan to provide 5 million homes with cleaner energy through its solar power programme, as well as the Natural Gas Expansion Programme. He said, “we have the goal of installing solar homes systems in about 5 million homes, which means that 25 million Nigerians would have access to solar power. This is under our Economic Sustainability Plan. This is the first phase, and we think that this sort of programme will very quickly ramp up our progress towards zero emission. “We also have our Natural Gas Expansion Programme, this is where we are using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in order to replace the use of Premium Motor Spirit, Petrol, and this is going on now, we are actually trying to fit and retrofit existing petrol stations, so that the use of cleaner fossil fuels will replace it. “We hope that we will be able to achieve this objective as quickly as possible. So, we are resolutely committed to all of our national development contributions under all of our agreements, the Paris Agreement, and we will support all actions that are taken along the lines of zero emissions.” Specifically, Prof, Osinbajo called on the Commonwealth to consider ways to support African countries in achieving a just transition to net-zero emissions. The Vice President stated that “this brings me to the questions around a just transition to net-zero emissions. And a just transition in our view is one where gas, for those who are from producing countries, as a fossil fuel is still supported, especially for those of us in this part of the world that have vast deposits of the resource. Natural gas is accepted more or less as a transition fuel, the bridge to renewable energy. “Of course, natural gas is accepted as a transition fuel. But unfortunately, what we are seeing is the move towards defunding of natural gas projects by the EU, and the World Bank has also been indicating that natural gas projects would be defunded. Now, this obviously would put countries such as ours in a very dire situation and make the transition extremely difficult for us. What we are focused on trying to do is to ensure that our gas projects replace coal and fuels.” The Vice President, while urging for more support and cooperation from the Commonwealth, added that the Federal Government of Nigeria remains “resolutely committed to all of our national development contributions under all of our agreements, the Paris Agreement, and will support all actions that are taken along the lines of zero emissions.” The Prince of Wales had called for a series of roundtables to find the best way for the Commonwealth to maintain a forefront position of the global agenda on Climate Change action and post-COVID recovery plans. The meeting also discussed the economic recovery and sustainable economic transition priorities of member-states. Earlier in his speech, the Vice President restated the condolences of the government and people of Nigeria on the recent passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh noting that “he was much loved and admired here in Nigeria.” Prof. Osinbajo then prayed that his memory would be blessed always.

https://www.channelstv.com/2021/04/15/nigeria-harps-on-a-just-

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A Viral Meme on the Book of Job To be perfectly candid, I didn’t see this coming. A friend had texted me some memes, one of which pictured a bearded Job, with boils on his skin, sitting cross-legged on the ground. The simple caption read: “Satan thought he had taken everything from Job . . . but to Job, God was his everything.” Liking the message, I posted the meme on the AskDrBrown Facebook page. At present, it has reached more than 580,000 people, received 67,000 engagements, including more than 13,000 likes, and it has been shared more than 7,800 times. Why? I have spent many years studying and teaching the Book of Job, culminating in a major work in 2019: Job: The Faith to Challenge God. A New Translation and Commentary. In the early chapters of the book, the Lord Himself says of Job, “there is no man like him on earth.” Commentators have heaped similar praise on the book itself: There is no book on earth like it. As I noted in the Introduction to my commentary, Thomas Carlyle (1795-1861) exclaimed, “A Noble Book; All Men’s Book! There is nothing written, I think, in the Bible or out of it, of equal literary merit.” Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) hailed it as “the greatest poem, whether of ancient or modern literature.” A. Froude (1818-1894) placed it “far above all the poetry of the world.” And Victor Hugo (1802-1885) went as far as to say, “Tomorrow, if all literature was to be destroyed and it was left to me to retain one work only, I should save Job.” What extraordinary praise for an extraordinary book about an extraordinary man. Job Ran To God When it comes to the message of the meme, Job did not know that it was Satan who stole everything from him. He did not know that it was Satan who killed his 10 children and who stole his wealth, his reputation, and his health. In Job’s mind, this was the work of God, which led to a massive theological and emotional conflict. As a worshiper of God, he knew that the Creator could not be questioned. Everything he does is right. At the same time, Job knew that the Creator was also just and good, and since Job did not deserve such terrible treatment, being a righteous man himself, then the Creator must have acted cruelly. Job’s integrity would not allow him to blaspheme God, nor would it allow him to excuse God. What was he to do? Much of the Book of Job addresses this acute theological problem, responding to Job’s protests in the most unexpected way, followed by an even more unexpected ending. That is part of the ageless appeal of the book. As for Job himself, as other writers have observed, he ran from God to God. He appealed to the justice of God by accusing that same God of acting unjustly. This is part of the mystery and majesty of the book. And in the end, humbled by a revelation of the beauty and wisdom and power of God, Job was supernaturally restored by the Lord (but, even then, there were some surprises.) If you’ve never read the book from cover to cover, I strongly encourage you to do so. Why Did the Meme Strike a Chord? What, then, was it about the meme that struck a chord with so many people? (In the time it has taken me to write this article, the statistics quoted above are already woefully out of date.) It appears to me that, during the uncertain times in which we live, Job’s perseverance and faith remind us of what matters most. Satan (in Hebrew, the adversary) could strip Job of everything on the outside of him, including precious family members and his physical well-being. But the adversary could not touch the man himself. He could steal Job’s possessions. He could not steal his soul. He could destroy the exterior. He could not destroy the interior. He could rob Job of his beloved children. He could not rob Job of his integrity. Yet there’s more to the story, and again, I believe this is what appealed to many on my Facebook page. “My Eye Has Seen You” God Himself is our portion. God Himself is our refuge and our strength. God Himself is our hope and our future. God Himself is more than enough. No matter what trials we pass through, He is our all in all. That’s why, at the end of the book (but shortly before he was restored), Job could exclaim to the Lord, “I had heard about You by the hearing of the ear but now my eye has seen You” (Job 42:5). Encountering God was everything. Knowing Him more intimately, as opposed to getting more information, provided the answer to every question Job had. As a result of the terrible trial through which he passed, he had drawn closer to the Lord. That was his great reward. Today, during this tumultuous year, much has been taken from many of us. There have been real hardships and tragic losses. And we end the year with instability and crisis and fear. But the God of Job can be our God too, a God who can be fully trusted. A God who is more than enough. A God who is our everything. Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

https://stream.org/a-viral-meme-on-the-

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Blacks and Jews as Minority People Who Were Once Enslaved Although relations between American Blacks and Jews have been strained in recent years, during the Civil Rights era, Jewish leaders marched side by side with men like Dr. King. There was a sense of commonality, of shared heritage, of being two peoples who had been oppressed, two peoples who both knew slavery. Now, in the aftermath of the DeSean Jackson Hitler tweets, the theme of shared suffering has emerged again. Distinguishing Jews from Whites? As expressed by the outspoken sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, himself Black, “even though you might have a lighter hue, a lighter pigmentation, the Jewish community, not the white community, the Jewish community is the one that had to endure the Holocaust. We talk about 6 million Jews that were murdered by that devil, Adolf Hitler, that wasn’t white people that were murdered, those were Jewish folks.” Not White people but Jewish folks? Weren’t the Jews slaughtered in the Holocaust primarily Ashkenazi Jews, hence Caucasian? What did Smith mean? His point appeared to be that they weren’t killed because of whiteness, since the German and other killers were White as well. They were killed because they were Jews, and even here in America, they remain a minority among the larger White community. He continued, “So, from a categorical perspective, it’s two differents. It’s two different groups. When we’re talking about racial oppression, racial inequality and beyond, we’re talking about what’s happening in this nation.” Similarly, NFL player Zach Banning, who is also Black, said, “There’s a common misbelief among black and brown people, and I know this from growing up, and I’ve heard it and listened to it: that Jewish people are just like any other white race. You know, you mix them up with the rest of the majority and you don’t understand that they’re a minority as well.” So, even though the vast majority of American Jews are White, they are a minority within White America with their own unique history of suffering. How interesting to hear these comments from two Black Americans. The Black Hebrew Israelites In the early 1990s, I had a confrontation with a group of Black Hebrew Israelites in Times Square, New York. As I heard them preach through a loudspeaker, I was moved to challenge their lies and confront their hate. Then, I turned to the crowd and shouted out, “These men are deceiving you! Jesus preached a religion of love! They’re preaching a religion of hate!” After that, I said to the preachers and their bodyguards, “We are both nations of liberated slaves, and one day we’ll find ourselves at the bottom of the barrel. We will need each other!” (What I failed to calculate was that I was the only White person in the crowd, aside from my colleague, himself a Jewish believer in Jesus like me. Before I left, the small crowd started chanting, “Death to America! Death to the white man!” It appears they didn’t feel the love! For a more recent confrontation with Black Hebrew Israelites, this time in Charlotte, North Carolina, see here.) Aside from being an interesting story, though, I relate it here to emphasize the perspective of shared historic suffering, something that is often forgotten today because of American Jewish prosperity and influence. But it wasn’t always like that, even here in America. The Shared Suffering As noted in an October 2018 article in The Atlantic, “Even as Jews started to break into certain industries, such as entertainment, in the 1930s and ’40s, they confronted tight restrictions that kept them out of law firms, medical professions, universities and colleges, fraternities, hotels, country clubs, and more. One hotel boasted in an advertisement, ‘No Hebrews or tubercular guests received.’ Elite institutions of higher learning such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Princeton imposed strict quotas on how many Jews they would admit. The application for Sarah Lawrence College asked, “Has your daughter been brought up to strict Sunday observance?” Like African Americans, Jews were subject to restrictive real-estate covenants that prevented “Hebrews” from living in particular neighborhoods.” Of course, anti-Jewish discrimination in America cannot be compared to the suffering of American Blacks. But Jewish suffering worldwide through history is as awful and unrelenting as the suffering of any people group. In that regard, there can be great commonality in shared experiences. That’s why today, when a Black American is killed in cold blood and it appears the killer will get away with murder, the pain of past lynchings is immediately present. In the same way, when antisemitism rears its ugly head in America, especially in extreme, murderous forms, that bloodshed is experienced in light of the Holocaust and prior atrocities. Farrakhan and Others Stirring Up Hatred of Jews Among Blacks Ironically, divisive Black leaders like Louis Farrakhan have stirred up hatred of the Jewish people among their followers. The Nation of Islam even published a three-volume work that claims to detail the major role allegedly played by the Jews during the time of slavery. (For a demolition of these volumes with accurate scholarship, see here.) And members of the Jewish community have sometimes looked down their noses at American Blacks, as if they were somehow inferior. The animosity has gone both ways. As for the issue of “whiteness,” Fox News reports that, “The City of Seattle held a racially segregated employee training session aimed at White staffers and instructing them on “undoing your own whiteness” in order to be held accountable by people of color, according to documents obtained by a public records request.” And get this: “Those who attended the session were also shown a datasheet titled ‘Assimilation into Whiteness,’ which claimed to document how those of Arab, Jewish, Finnish, German, Italian, Armenian or Irish descent still classify as White.” So, an Arab American, who is certainly part of a small minority that has many obstacles to overcome, given the suspicion that he might be a violent Muslim, is classified as “White” – as in evil, bad, sinful White. And it is the same with Jews. They are White too, and therefore part of the problem, guilty of White Supremacy. Thankfully, neither Smith nor Banner got the memo, and their comments point the way to renewed and improved relationships between the Black and Jewish communities. We share a history as liberated slaves and oppressed minorities. We can share a future as free people working for a better world. Why not? Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

https://stream.org/blacks-and-jews-as-minority-people-who-were-

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By Sola Ogundipe AT least 1.4 billion Facebook members have been predicted to die before 2100, as a result of which dead members on the social media platform could outnumber the living members by 2070. A new analysis conducted by researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute (part of the University of Oxford, England) said the dead may outnumber the living on Facebook within 50 years – a trend that it said will have grave implications for the world’s digital heritage in the future. From their analysis, the researchers said if Facebook continues to expand at current rates, the number of deceased members could reach as high as 4.9 billion before the end of the century. With an estimated 2.32 billion monthly active users as of the fourth quarter of 2018, Facebook is currently rated the world’s largest social network. The predictions are based on data from the UN, which provide the expected number of mortalities and total populations for every country in the world distributed by age, and Facebook data scraped from the company’s Audience Insights feature. Nigeria is ranked as African’s highest internet using country, making up 27.4 percent of the continent’s total usage. According to statcounter GlobalStats, Nigeria had 79.25 percent Facebook users between March 2018 and March 2019. Statistics also predict that the number of Facebook users in Nigeria is expected to reach 30.4 million, up from 22.4 million in 2018. Lead author of the analysis, Carl Ohman, a doctoral candidate at the Oxford Internet Institute said the statistics give rise to new and difficult questions around who has the right to all this data, how should it be managed in the best interests of the families and friends of the deceased and its use by future historians to understand the past. “On a societal level, we have just begun asking these questions and we have a long way to go. The management of our digital remains will eventually affect everyone who uses social media, since all of us will one day pass away and leave our data behind. “But the totality of the deceased user profiles also amounts to something larger than the sum of its parts. It is, or will at least become, part of our global digital heritage,” Ohman stated. “Co-author of the study, David Watson, also a DPhil student at the Institute explained: “Never before in history has such a vast archive of human behaviour and culture been assembled in one place. Controlling this archive will, in a sense, be to control our history. “It is therefore important that we ensure that access to these historical data is not limited to a single for-profit firm. It is also important to make sure that future generations can use our digital heritage to understand their history.” Ohman said the analysis sets up two potential extreme scenarios, arguing that the future trend will fall somewhere in between. “The first scenario assumes that no new users join Facebook as of 2018. Under these conditions, Asia’s share of dead users increases rapidly to account for nearly 44 percent of the total by the end of the century. “Nearly half of those profiles come from India and Indonesia, which together account for just under 279 million Facebook mortalities by 2100. “The second scenario assumes that Facebook continues to grow by its current rate of 13 percent globally, every year, until each market reaches saturation.” Ohman stated that under these conditions, Africa will make up a growing share of dead users. “Nigeria, in particular, becomes a major hub in this scenario, accounting for over 6 percent of the total. By contrast, Western users will account for only a minority of users, with only the US making the top 10. “The results should be interpreted not as a prediction of the future, but as a commentary on the current development, and an opportunity to shape what future we are headed towards. “But this has no bearing on our larger point that critical discussion of online death and its macroscopic implications is urgently needed. Facebook is merely an example of what awaits any platform with similar connectivity and global reach,” Ohman explained. Watson added: “Facebook should invite historians, archivists, archaeologists and ethicists to participate in the process of curating the vast volume of accumulated data that we leave behind as we pass away. “This is not just about finding solutions that will be sustainable for the next couple of years, but possibly for many decades ahead.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/1-4b-facebook-members-predicted-to-die-

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You can’t prove truth, but using deductive and inductive reasoning, you can get close. Learn the difference between the two types of reasoning and how to use them when evaluating facts and arguments. In this article we’ll cover: Ok, let’s dig in and see what we can learn. As odd as it sounds, in science, law, and many other fields, there is no such thing as proof — there are only conclusions drawn from facts and observations. Scientists cannot prove a hypothesis, but they can collect evidence that points to its being true. Lawyers cannot prove that something happened (or didn’t), but they can provide evidence that seems irrefutable. The question of what makes something true is more relevant than ever in this era of alternative facts and fake news. This article explores truth — what it means and how we establish it. We’ll dive into inductive and deductive reasoning as well as a bit of history. “Contrariwise,” continued Tweedledee, “if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic.”— Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass The essence of reasoning is a search for truth. Yet truth isn’t always as simple as we’d like to believe it is. For as far back as we can imagine, philosophers have debated whether absolute truth exists. Although we’re still waiting for an answer, this doesn’t have to stop us from improving how we think by understanding a little more. In general, we can consider something to be true if the available evidence seems to verify it. The more evidence we have, the stronger our conclusion can be. When it comes to samples, size matters. As my friend Peter Kaufman says: What are the three largest, most relevant sample sizes for identifying universal principles? Bucket number one is inorganic systems, which are 13.7 billion years in size. It’s all the laws of math and physics, the entire physical universe. Bucket number two is organic systems, 3.5 billion years of biology on Earth. And bucket number three is human history…. In some areas, it is necessary to accept that truth is subjective. For example, ethicists accept that it is difficult to establish absolute truths concerning whether something is right or wrong, as standards change over time and vary around the world. When it comes to reasoning, a correctly phrased statement can be considered to have objective truth. Some statements have an objective truth that we cannot ascertain at present. For example, we do not have proof for the existence or non-existence of aliens, although proof does exist somewhere. Deductive and inductive reasoning are both based on evidence. Several types of evidence are used in reasoning to point to a truth: - Direct or experimental evidence — This relies on observations and experiments, which should be repeatable with consistent results. - Anecdotal or circumstantial evidence — Overreliance on anecdotal evidence can be a logical fallacy because it is based on the assumption that two coexisting factors are linked even though alternative explanations have not been explored. The main use of anecdotal evidence is for forming hypotheses which can then be tested with experimental evidence. - Argumentative evidence — We sometimes draw conclusions based on facts. However, this evidence is unreliable when the facts are not directly testing a hypothesis. For example, seeing a light in the sky and concluding that it is an alien aircraft would be argumentative evidence. - Testimonial evidence — When an individual presents an opinion, it is testimonial evidence. Once again, this is unreliable, as people may be biased and there may not be any direct evidence to support their testimony. “The weight of evidence for an extraordinary claim must be proportioned to its strangeness.”— Laplace, Théorie analytique des probabilités (1812) The fictional character Sherlock Holmes is a master of induction. He is a careful observer who processes what he sees to reach the most likely conclusion in the given set of circumstances. Although he pretends that his knowledge is of the black-or-white variety, it often isn’t. It is true induction, coming up with the strongest possible explanation for the phenomena he observes. Consider his description of how, upon first meeting Watson, he reasoned that Watson had just come from Afghanistan: “Observation with me is second nature. You appeared to be surprised when I told you, on our first meeting, that you had come from Afghanistan.” “You were told, no doubt.”“Nothing of the sort. I knew you came from Afghanistan. From long habit the train of thoughts ran so swiftly through my mind, that I arrived at the conclusion without being conscious of intermediate steps. There were such steps, however. The train of reasoning ran, ‘Here is a gentleman of a medical type, but with the air of a military man. Clearly an army doctor, then. He has just come from the tropics, for his face is dark, and that is not the natural tint of his skin, for his wrists are fair. He has undergone hardship and sickness, as his haggard face says clearly. His left arm has been injured. He holds it in a stiff and unnatural manner. Where in the tropics could an English army doctor have seen much hardship and got his arm wounded? Clearly in Afghanistan.’ The whole train of thought did not occupy a second. I then remarked that you came from Afghanistan, and you were astonished.” (From Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet) Inductive reasoning involves drawing conclusions from facts, using logic. We draw these kinds of conclusions all the time. If someone we know to have good literary taste recommends a book, we may assume that means we will enjoy the book. Induction can be strong or weak. If an inductive argument is strong, the truth of the premise would mean the conclusion is likely. If an inductive argument is weak, the logic connecting the premise and conclusion is incorrect. There are several key types of inductive reasoning: - Generalized — Draws a conclusion from a generalization. For example, “All the swans I have seen are white; therefore, all swans are probably white.” - Statistical — Draws a conclusion based on statistics. For example, “95 percent of swans are white” (an arbitrary figure, of course); “therefore, a randomly selected swan will probably be white.” - Sample — Draws a conclusion about one group based on a different, sample group. For example, “There are ten swans in this pond and all are white; therefore, the swans in my neighbor’s pond are probably also white.” - Analogous — Draws a conclusion based on shared properties of two groups. For example, “All Aylesbury ducks are white. Swans are similar to Aylesbury ducks. Therefore, all swans are probably white.” - Predictive — Draws a conclusion based on a prediction made using a past sample. For example, “I visited this pond last year and all the swans were white. Therefore, when I visit again, all the swans will probably be white.” - Causal inference — Draws a conclusion based on a causal connection. For example, “All the swans in this pond are white. I just saw a white bird in the pond. The bird was probably a swan.” The entire legal system is designed to be based on sound reasoning, which in turn must be based on evidence. Lawyers often use inductive reasoning to draw a relationship between facts for which they have evidence and a conclusion. The initial facts are often based on generalizations and statistics, with the implication that a conclusion is most likely to be true, even if that is not certain. For that reason, evidence can rarely be considered certain. For example, a fingerprint taken from a crime scene would be said to be “consistent with a suspect’s prints” rather than being an exact match. Implicit in that statement is the assertion that it is statistically unlikely that the prints are not the suspect’s. Inductive reasoning also involves Bayesian updating. A conclusion can seem to be true at one point until further evidence emerges and a hypothesis must be adjusted. Bayesian updating is a technique used to modify the probability of a hypothesis’s being true as new evidence is supplied. When inductive reasoning is used in legal situations, Bayesian thinking is used to update the likelihood of a defendant’s being guilty beyond a reasonable doubt as evidence is collected. If we imagine a simplified, hypothetical criminal case, we can picture the utility of Bayesian inference combined with inductive reasoning. Let’s say someone is murdered in a house where five other adults were present at the time. One of them is the primary suspect, and there is no evidence of anyone else entering the house. The initial probability of the prime suspect’s having committed the murder is 20 percent. Other evidence will then adjust that probability. If the four other people testify that they saw the suspect committing the murder, the suspect’s prints are on the murder weapon, and traces of the victim’s blood were found on the suspect’s clothes, jurors may consider the probability of that person’s guilt to be close enough to 100 percent to convict. Reality is more complex than this, of course. The conclusion is never certain, only highly probable. One key distinction between deductive and inductive reasoning is that the latter accepts that a conclusion is uncertain and may change in the future. A conclusion is either strong or weak, not right or wrong. We tend to use this type of reasoning in everyday life, drawing conclusions from experiences and then updating our beliefs. [quote]A conclusion is either strong or weak, not right or wrong.[/quote] Everyday inductive reasoning is not always correct, but it is often useful. For example, superstitious beliefs often originate from inductive reasoning. If an athlete performed well on a day when they wore their socks inside out, they may conclude that the inside-out socks brought them luck. If future successes happen when they again wear their socks inside out, the belief may strengthen. Should that not be the case, they may update their belief and recognize that it is incorrect. Another example (let’s set aside the question of whether turkeys can reason): A farmer feeds a turkey every day, so the turkey assumes that the farmer cares for its wellbeing. Only when Thanksgiving rolls around does that assumption prove incorrect. The issue with overusing inductive reasoning is that cognitive shortcuts and biases can warp the conclusions we draw. Our world is not always as predictable as inductive reasoning suggests, and we may selectively draw upon past experiences to confirm a belief. Someone who reasons inductively that they have bad luck may recall only unlucky experiences to support that hypothesis and ignore instances of good luck. In The 12 Secrets of Persuasive Argument, the authors write: In inductive arguments, focus on the inference. When a conclusion relies upon an inference and contains new information not found in the premises, the reasoning is inductive. For example, if premises were established that the defendant slurred his words, stumbled as he walked, and smelled of alcohol, you might reasonably infer the conclusion that the defendant was drunk. This is inductive reasoning. In an inductive argument the conclusion is, at best, probable. The conclusion is not always true when the premises are true. The probability of the conclusion depends on the strength of the inference from the premises. Thus, when dealing with inductive reasoning, pay special attention to the inductive leap or inference, by which the conclusion follows the premises. … There are several popular misconceptions about inductive and deductive reasoning. When Sherlock Holmes made his remarkable “deductions” based on observations of various facts, he was usually engaging in inductive, not deductive, reasoning. In Inductive Reasoning, Aiden Feeney and Evan Heit write: …inductive reasoning … corresponds to everyday reasoning. On a daily basis we draw inferences such as how a person will probably act, what the weather will probably be like, and how a meal will probably taste, and these are typical inductive inferences. [I]t is a multifaceted cognitive activity. It can be studied by asking young children simple questions involving cartoon pictures, or it can be studied by giving adults a variety of complex verbal arguments and asking them to make probability judgments. [I]nduction is related to, and it could be argued is central to, a number of other cognitive activities, including categorization, similarity judgment, probability judgment, and decision making. For example, much of the study of induction has been concerned with category-based induction, such as inferring that your next door neighbor sleeps on the basis that your neighbor is a human animal, even if you have never seen your neighbor sleeping. “A very great deal more truth can become known than can be proven.”— Richard Feynman Deduction begins with a broad truth (the major premise), such as the statement that all men are mortal. This is followed by the minor premise, a more specific statement, such as that Socrates is a man. A conclusion follows: Socrates is mortal. If the major premise is true and the minor premise is true the conclusion cannot be false. Deductive reasoning is black and white; a conclusion is either true or false and cannot be partly true or partly false. We decide whether a deductive statement is true by assessing the strength of the link between the premises and the conclusion. If all men are mortal and Socrates is a man, there is no way he can not be mortal, for example. There are no situations in which the premise is not true, so the conclusion is true. In science, deduction is used to reach conclusions believed to be true. A hypothesis is formed; then evidence is collected to support it. If observations support its truth, the hypothesis is confirmed. Statements are structured in the form of “if A equals B, and C is A, then C is B.” If A does not equal B, then C will not equal B. Science also involves inductive reasoning when broad conclusions are drawn from specific observations; data leads to conclusions. If the data shows a tangible pattern, it will support a hypothesis. For example, having seen ten white swans, we could use inductive reasoning to conclude that all swans are white. This hypothesis is easier to disprove than to prove, and the premises are not necessarily true, but they are true given the existing evidence and given that researchers cannot find a situation in which it is not true. By combining both types of reasoning, science moves closer to the truth. In general, the more outlandish a claim is, the stronger the evidence supporting it must be. We should be wary of deductive reasoning that appears to make sense without pointing to a truth. Someone could say “A dog has four paws. My pet has four paws. Therefore, my pet is a dog.” The conclusion sounds logical but isn’t, because the initial premise is too specific. The discussion of reasoning and what constitutes truth dates back to Plato and Aristotle. Plato (429–347 BC) believed that all things are divided into the visible and the intelligible. Intelligible things can be known through deduction (with observation being of secondary importance to reasoning) and are true knowledge. Aristotle took an inductive approach, emphasizing the need for observations to support knowledge. He believed that we can reason only from discernable phenomena. From there, we use logic to infer causes. Debate about reasoning remained much the same until the time of Isaac Newton. Newton’s innovative work was based on observations, but also on concepts that could not be explained by a physical cause (such as gravity). In his Principia, Newton outlined four rules for reasoning in the scientific method: - “We are to admit no more causes of natural things than such as are both true and sufficient to explain their appearances.” (We refer to this rule as Occam’s Razor.) - “Therefore, to the same natural effects we must, as far as possible, assign the same causes.” - “The qualities of bodies, which admit neither intensification nor remission of degrees, and which are found to belong to all bodies within the reach of our experiments, are to be esteemed the universal qualities of all bodies whatsoever.” - “In experimental philosophy, we are to look upon propositions collected by general induction from phenomena as accurately or very nearly true, notwithstanding any contrary hypotheses that may be imagined, ’till such time as other phenomena occur, by which they may either be made more accurate, or liable to exceptions.” In 1843, philosopher John Stuart Mill published A System of Logic, which further refined our understanding of reasoning. Mill believed that science should be based on a search for regularities among events. If a regularity is consistent, it can be considered a law. Mill described five methods for identifying causes by noting regularities. These methods are still used today: - Direct method of agreement — If two instances of a phenomenon have a single circumstance in common, the circumstance is the cause or effect. - Method of difference — If a phenomenon occurs in one experiment and does not occur in another, and the experiments are the same except for one factor, that is the cause, part of the cause, or the effect. - Joint method of agreement and difference — If two instances of a phenomenon have one circumstance in common, and two instances in which it does not occur have nothing in common except the absence of that circumstance, then that circumstance is the cause, part of the cause, or the effect. - Method of residue — When you subtract any part of a phenomenon known to be caused by a certain antecedent, the remaining residue of the phenomenon is the effect of the remaining antecedents. - Method of concomitant variations — If a phenomenon varies when another phenomenon varies in a particular way, the two are connected. Karl Popper was the next theorist to make a serious contribution to the study of reasoning. Popper is well known for his focus on disconfirming evidence and disproving hypotheses. Beginning with a hypothesis, we use deductive reasoning to make predictions. A hypothesis will be based on a theory — a set of independent and dependent statements. If the predictions are true, the theory is true, and vice versa. Popper’s theory of falsification (disproving something) is based on the idea that we cannot prove a hypothesis; we can only show that certain predictions are false. This process requires vigorous testing to identify any anomalies, and Popper does not accept theories that cannot be physically tested. Any phenomenon not present in tests cannot be the foundation of a theory, according to Popper. The phenomenon must also be consistent and reproducible. Popper’s theories acknowledge that theories that are accepted at one time are likely to later be disproved. Science is always changing as more hypotheses are modified or disproved and we inch closer to the truth. In How to Deliver a TED Talk, Jeremey Donovan writes: No discussion of logic is complete without a refresher course in the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning. By its strictest definition, inductive reasoning proves a general principle—your idea worth spreading—by highlighting a group of specific events, trends, or observations. In contrast, deductive reasoning builds up to a specific principle—again, your idea worth spreading—through a chain of increasingly narrow statements. Logic is an incredibly important skill, and because we use it so often in everyday life, we benefit by clarifying the methods we use to draw conclusions. Knowing what makes an argument sound is valuable for making decisions and understanding how the world works. It helps us to spot people who are deliberately misleading us through unsound arguments. Understanding reasoning is also helpful for avoiding fallacies and for negotiating.

https://fs.blog/2018/05/deductive-inductive-

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April 19, 2021 by The Nation 10 facts about Blue Java bananas By Ekaete Bassey Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world. They’re a healthy, delicious snack and easy to use in baking and cooking. Although you may only see a few types at your local store, over 1,000 kinds of bananas (Musa) exist around the globe. These include sweet and savoury varieties, many of which come in unique colours, flavors and shapes. Meanwhile, most of us are familiar with the distinctly yellow bananas aka Cavendish bananas but there are many other varieties like the blue java banana, which some of us have never seen, let alone even heard of before. Here are ten amazing facts about the blue java banana you’ve never heard of nor seen: 1. The blue java banana is also referred to Ice Cream bananas, Hawaiian bananas, Krie in Philippines, Cenizo in Central America and the West Indies or Ney Mannan and Paka or Vata in Fiji. 2. The blue java banana originated from South East Asia and spread through continents such as Northern Australia, Hawaii, Central America and Fiji. 3. The ice cream banana is the hardest of the banana plants. Its native location has allowed it the survival skills to tolerate heavy wind conditions and cooler temperatures. 4. The blue java bananas are rather chubby and can get as big as 7 inches long. 5. It is a hybrid of both the seeded wild bananas Musa balbisiana (also known simply as plantain, is a wild-type species of banana. It is one of the ancestors of modern cultivated bananas) and Musa acuminata (a species of banana native to Southern Asia, its range comprising the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia). 6. Blue java bananas are a type of banana with a taste and texture that is similar to vanilla ice cream or sweet vanilla custard. 7. While the blue java banana is edible raw when fully ripe, many countries who grow these bananas prefer them fried, baked or otherwise; similar to the way plantains are often cooked. 8. Similar to Cavendish bananas, blue java bananas possess many similar benefits. They contain a fair amount of fiber, as well as several antioxidants that help boost the immune system. They’re also rich in vitamin B6 and C, and contain plenty of potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, and protein. 9. With just 105 calories per serving, blue Java bananas are an excellent low-calorie alternative to sweet treats like ice cream and custard. 10. Even the leaves are useful. They can be used in place of aluminum foils since they can withstand polarized temperatures.

https://thenationonlineng.net/10-facts-about-blue-java-bananas/

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African disease authorities have detected a new coronavirus variant in a traveller travelling from Tanzania to Angola. The African Centres for Disease Control (CDC) said the variant had about 40 mutations. The head of the CDC, John Nkengasong, said in a news conference on Thursday that it was “certainly a variant of concern.’’ Tracking the variant may prove impossible as Tanzania reveals no data about coronavirus figures. The late president John Magufuli, who died recently resisted moves to combat the coronavirus during his time in power. With little evidence to go on, Nkengasong said that it was difficult to know whether current vaccines would help fight off the new virus mutation. “We don’t yet know if you bring it in contact with neutralising antibodies if that actually translates into activities in knocking it out,’’ he said. Along with many other countries, the continent is heading for a third wave of COVID-19, Nkengasong said. The coronavirus variant first detected in Britain and the one detected in South Africa, have both been recorded in 18 countries across the African continent, according to the CDC. Nkengasong welcomed the fact that one of the vaccine makers, Johnson & Johnson, has agreed to start producing its vaccine in South Africa. The firm had agreed to supply 220 million doses, with an option for 180 million more, the vast majority of which would be made in South Africa. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/04/new-

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On Dictionary.com’s ‘Biggest Update Ever’: Those Who Control the Language Control the Culture Speaking of Orwell’s 1984, a blogger noted that, “By controlling the language, Big Brother controls the way that the people think. With a limited vocabulary, the people are limited in how much they can think, as well as, what they think about.” That’s why we should be concerned with Dictionary.com’s “biggest update ever.” Yes, in addition to the many new words added “are the deeper revisions that document what drives us here at Dictionary.com: the ways language is constantly evolving. A great many of these entries we’ve updated address topics that touch all of us on the most personal levels: race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, health and wellness.” The revisions are intended to “help eliminate heterosexual bias in language,” and they were “informed” by the gay activist (or, gay activist driven) organizations GLAAD and the APA. No wonder LGBTQ websites like Out.com are celebrating the changes. What, then, were some of these major revisions? Goodbye “Homosexuality” — The “Clinical” Term Implies Something is Wrong First, references to the words homosexual and homosexuality were removed from references within the dictionary. Why? Dictionary.com wants “to put people, not practices, first, and ensure our definitions reflect—and respect—how people use language.” As for the “homosexual” and “homosexuality,” they “originated as clinical language, and dictionaries have historically perceived such language as scientific and unbiased. But homosexual and homosexuality are now associated with pathology, mental illness, and criminality, and so imply that being gay—a normal way of being—is sick, diseased, or wrong.” So, because there is nothing wrong with homosexual practice — thus says Dictionary.com! — and because “homosexuality” implies that something is wrong, references to the word must be removed from definitions and descriptions. Practically speaking, this means that “gayness” is now defined as “‘gay or lesbian sexual orientation or behavior’ compared to the outmoded gloss of ‘homosexuality.’” And in keeping with Dictionary.com’s new wokeness, reflected in capitalizing the B in Black when it comes to race, the website has also capitalized the P in Pride when it comes to gay pride. This entry has a twofold definition: 1) recognition of LGBTQ identity, affirmation of equal rights, and celebration of visibility, dignity, and diversity in the LGBTQ community (formerly referred to as Gay Pride); 2) events or organizations that celebrate the LGBTQ community and its members (often used attributively). Dictionary.com Offering a Specific Newsletter for “LGBTQIA Language” You can even sign up to receive “LGBTQIA Language Updates Every Week”! This way, you’ll be able to “keep up with the growing language of the LGBTQIA community, right in your inbox.” (Will we also be appraised of new letters being added to LGBTQIA?) To be sure I didn’t miss any of these exciting updates, I clicked on the link and signed up, after which I received an email allowing me to pick my preferences for future emails. These included: Word of the Day; Word Games & Quizzes; LGBTQIA Language from Dictionary.com; Synonym of the Day from Thesaurus.com; Slang Decoder; Parent Portal; Language Lovers; In Other Words from Thesaurus.com. So, the one and only lexical category that is specific to the culture is LGBTQIA Language. No updates on any other specific subject are offered. Nothing about animal or plant life. Nothing about the environment. Nothing about politics. Nothing about sports. Nothing about anything specific other than LGBTQIA Language. (The Parental Portal is designed to help parents teach vocabulary to their kids.) Talk about the hijacking of a dictionary by sexual and ideological activists. This is beyond woke. Reminiscent of Orwellian “Newspeak” In 1984, the Orwellian character named Syme was a philologist who specialized in Newspeak. According to Syme, “By 2050, earlier, probably — all real knowledge of Oldspeak will have disappeared. The whole literature of the past will have been destroyed. Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Byron — they’ll exist only in Newspeak versions, not merely changed into something different, but actually changed into something contradictory of what they used to be.” In addition, “Even the literature of the Party will change. Even the slogans will change. How could you have a slogan like ‘freedom is slavery’ when the concept of freedom has been abolished? The whole climate of thought will be different. In fact there will be no thought, as we understand it now. Orthodoxy means not thinking — not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.” Orwell wrote his classic book in 1948, meaning that he “predicted” this scenario almost 70 years ago. Today, there is an increasing attack on studying the classics, reflected in articles like Rebecca Futo Kennedy’s “We Condone It by Our Silence. Confronting Classics’ Complicity in White Supremacy.” Who needs to rewrite the classics in Newspeak when they can simply be eliminated? (For a good response, see “Are the Classics Complicit in White Supremacy?”) Books are Banned and Acceptable Language is Defined: Refuse to Be Controlled We already have had to deal with the growing practice of banning the sale of books that confront PC positions, along with banning ads for such books. (Most recently, Amazon banned sales of the well-documented, fact-filled book The Health Hazards of Homosexuality while banning ads for the important new book Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.) But that was not enough. Now, we are told how to speak and how to think. The implications of this are massive. When I type in the phrase “he who controls language” on my browser, the following sentences come up: “He who controls language controls the conversation”; “controls thought”; “controls the argument”; “controls the debate”; “controls the masses.” My advice is simple: refuse to be controlled by LGBTQ activists and their allies. Speak wisely. Speak graciously. But speak truthfully, without compromise. If you don’t do that today, then come tomorrow, you won’t be able to speak the truth at all. Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

https://stream.org/on-dictionary-coms-biggest-update-ever-those-

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By Emmanuel Elebeke The transport sector in Nigeria represents about 24% of in-scope carbon emissions every year. And 72% of these emissions come from passenger vehicles. In a groundbreaking move towards sustainable and eco-friendly transportation, Possible EVS is set to launch Nigeria’s first fleet of electric taxis. With an initial fleet of 30 units, the startup has ambitious plans to expand to over 200 electric taxis across major Nigerian cities by mid-2024, revolutionizing public transportation in the country. These electric taxis, specially designed for passenger transport, will provide last-mile solutions for both intra- and inter-city trips, offering a convenient and environmentally conscious alternative for commuters. The fleet will also introduce shared travel options, ensuring cost-effective and efficient mobility for passengers without the hassle of surge pricing. Unlike traditional combustion engine taxis, electric taxis emit zero emissions, which contributes to a cleaner and greener urban environment. The introduction of electric taxis aligns with the global shift towards sustainable mobility solutions, addressing the pressing challenges of climate change and air pollution. Possible EVS’s electric taxi fleet aims to complement existing transportation services in Nigeria, rather than compete against them. By providing a more environmentally friendly alternative, the startup aims to raise awareness about the benefits of electric vehicles and encourage the adoption of sustainable transportation practices in the country. Speaking on the novel transportation system, CEO and founder of Possible EVS,Mosope Olaosebikan, said: “As a socially responsible and forward-thinking organization, we’re thrilled to lead this transformative journey. We believe our pioneering efforts will inspire other players in the transportation industry to embrace sustainable practices and contribute to a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous Nigeria.” To support the operation of the electric taxis, Possible EVS will establish charging stations across Abuja, serving as a pilot program for future expansion. These charging stations will ensure that the electric taxis have access to reliable and convenient charging infrastructure, enabling seamless operations and reducing any concerns about range anxiety. With the introduction of Nigeria’s first electric taxi fleet, Possible EVS sets a promising example for the nation and the African continent as a whole, demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of electric mobility. As the fleet expands and more electric taxis hit the streets, Nigeria’s urban areas will witness a positive transformation in terms of reduced emissions, improved air quality, and enhanced passenger experiences. Possible EVS’s electric taxi initiative not only contributes to Nigeria’s sustainable development goals but also aligns with global efforts to combat climate change and create a more sustainable future for all. As the nation embraces electric mobility, Possible EVS leads the way in driving the transition toward a cleaner and greener transportation ecosystem. “Nigerians can look forward to a seamless and comfortable commuting experience”, said Mosope. “Our vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art features, including spacious interiors, advanced safety systems, and user-friendly technology, and our plans to install fast-charging infrastructure across key locations will ensure convenient access to charging stations and minimize any concerns about range anxiety.” Possible With its commitment to sustainability, innovative solutions, and a vision for a cleaner future, Possible EVS is poised to revolutionize public transportation and pave the way for a greener Nigeria. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/06/nigeria-set-to-debut-first-100-electric-

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November 17, 2019 by The Nation WPD: Premature babies don’t need to die Babies born too early may have more health issues than babies born on time, and may face long-term health problems that affect the brain, the lungs, hearing or vision, an experts Dr Segun Ebitanmi has said. World Prematurity Day (WPD) is marked globally on November 17 raises awareness of this serious health crisis. The theme for 2019 is: ‘Born too Soon: Providing the right care, at the right time, in the right place.’ The Chief Operating Officer, Dr Ebitanmi, during a WPD Walk and Preterm Party organised by Outreach Women and Children’s Hospital, Festac Town in Lagos, said premature birth is a very serious health problem that the government and parents need to adopt strategies that would help prevent deaths. According to him these babies don’t need to die because there are ways and techniques, tools and technologies that can be used to keep them alive. In the same vein, the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Efunbo Dosekun, urged governments to work with specialists in the private sector so that the health system could be more responsive to the needs of babies born prematurely. Efunbo added that innovations in neonatal service delivery were already being adopted in developed countries for the care of preterm babies “Science has created devices, strategies that can help these babies live and it’s high time we imbibe it; because they are born too early does not mean they should die. “We need to be able to rise to this challenge, other countries that are not so well endowed as Nigeria have been able to have better outcomes,” she said. READ ALSO: World is failing newborn babies, says UNICEF Mrs Aisha Abari, a mother whose baby was born prematurely while narrating her ordeal said it wasn’t easy for her watching her baby passed through all the pain she did but expressed joy in being able to take her baby home. According to her, she had a history of miscarriage, so abstained from sexual intercourse during pregnancy and had a cerclage – a surgical procedure to stitch the cervix to prevent miscarriage – but still had her baby at 29 weeks. “During the pregnancy, I would go to the hospital for every little pain; I was very careful and so sure nothing would go wrong but at the end of the day, it still happened,” she said. Abari, however, advised parents with premature babies to ensure they go to a good hospital with specialists and keep praying.

https://thenationonlineng.net/wp-

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