Daily Archives: November 21, 2019

The September media headlines were not kind to Pittsburgh. Prompted by a new report on racial and gender disparities in the city, articles such as Pittsburgh: A Most Livable City, but Not for Black Women began to surface, highlighting a troublesome contradiction.1 By numerous measures, the Steel City is on the rise. But much of its growth and prosperity are concentrating downtown and in a handful of adjacent neighborhoods, while other neighborhoodshome primarily to people of color and high-poverty householdshave yet to feel the lift.2

This story is hardly unique to Pittsburgh. After decades of sprawl and suburban dominance, many U.S. cities are experiencing rebounding populations, growing employment, and new public and private sector investments in both people and places. Yet many communities are being left out of the revival.3 Throughout the country, the challenges wrought by our widening geographic inequitiescharacterized by stark income, wealth, and race-based disparities across neighborhoods, cities, and regionsare becoming even more apparent, thrusting place to the forefront of many economic policy conversations.4

One year ago this month, Brookings Metro dove into this fray with the establishment of the Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking. The impetus stemmed from the recognition that market disruptions, coupled with changing demographic and household structures, are sharpening the nations long-standing spatial dividesand that new sets of place-led policies and practices are essential to bridging them.

The patterns of concentration, dispersion, and racial and economic segregation that characterize the American landscape are not new, nor are they static. Across the country, research by our Brookings colleague Mark Muro and others has shown that large, coastal metro areas such as Seattle, San Francisco, and New York City are capturing a disproportionate share of todays digital-economy growth, while small and midsized cities and rural areas fall behind.5 Within metro areas, poverty and racial isolation remain persistent in historically distressed and disinvested urban neighborhoods, even as many downtowns, waterfronts, and innovation districts are undergoing significant revitalization and reinvestment.6 Meanwhile, many suburban communities are grappling with aging infrastructure and rising numbers of poor residents, amid auto-centric designs that lack the walkability and connectivity demanded by the businesses needed to serve them.7

Residents and workers in these areas understand that in todays economy, opportunity is increasingly dictated by geographyand theyre putting pressure on federal, state, and local leaders to take action.8 Yet lingering tensions remain, rooted in deep-seated fears about neighborhood change and the lack of community voice in the process.9People want to see their communities improve, but those who have long been excluded from growth and investment are rightfully wary about who decides the meaning of improvement, and who will reap the gains. In short, how can residents trust that the benefits of investment will finally reach them?10

We launched the Bass Center a year ago with the aim of inspiring public, private, and civic leaders to respond to this questionthat is, to work deeply with communities to make the kinds of investments in place that will generate widespread social and economic benefits. Twelve months and a lot of listening later, weve developed an outcome-oriented framework that definestransformative placemakingas a new form of integrated practice for getting there. The frameworkmeant to be adapted and refined to reflect community priorities and realitiesis designed to provide stakeholders in urban, suburban, and rural areas with a holistic template for creating connected, vibrant, and inclusive communities.

Over the past several decades, planners, community development groups, and other place-focused organizations have elevatedthe importance of place and placemaking in fostering more inclusive development. However, for all their successes, those efforts are constrained by dated structures that fail to keep pace with the changing needs of businesses, institutions, residents, and workers in regards to placeand are thus unable to substantively turn the tide on the nations unequal growth patterns. For example, for all of the evidence showing the benefits of proximity and density, many of our policies and investments still largely support decentralized developmentand the auto-dependency, environmental degradation, and fiscal waste that come with it. Further, when public and private sector leadersdo prioritize place-based investments, they often focus on either mitigating the symptoms of entrenched poverty or catering to the perceived demands of well-off workers and residents. In neither case is more equitable and inclusive economic growth the main objective.

So, what makes transformative placemaking different? And what distinguishes it from creative placemaking, tactical placemaking, and other efforts with a seemingly similar ambition? The answer can be boiled down to three distinct qualities that set transformative placemaking apart: its scope, scale, and level of integration.

When Brookings Metro established the Bass Center last year, we put forth a case for why the Center was neededthat is, the major challenges it would address and the gaps in knowledge and practice that it would work with the broader field to fill. But we needed more time to define what success might look like on the groundin other words, what locally deployed transformative placemaking should aspire to achieve. To this end, and with significant input from several other individuals and organizations, the Bass Center has developed a four-part, holistic framework that defines the practice and lays out a broad set of outcomes against which local efforts might be gauged.11 (Download the transformative placemaking framework.)

Transformative placemaking aims to:

For example, in Wytheville, Va.a small, rural community facing industry decline and a diminishing populationpublic and private sector leaders are coming together to support local entrepreneurship by providing small downtown businesses with access to capital, free business classes, and mentorship and networking opportunities. Combined with investments in street improvements and new amenities, the town is taking an integrated approach rooted in its homegrown assets to catalyze revitalization.

For example, as part of its larger riverfront revitalization strategy, the Memphis River Parks Partnership is increasing connectivity between disadvantaged neighborhoods to the north, south, and east of downtown by defining pedestrian and cycling corridors between the riverfront and surrounding neighborhoods and using a long-overlooked park as an anchor for new neighborhood investment. Combined with efforts to nurture long-term skill development, support women- and minority-owned businesses, and promote unity among diverse neighbors, they are using the riverfront to bring social and economic gains to all Memphians.

For example, in Philadelphias University City District, a local partnership of anchor institutions, small businesses, and residents are coming together to not only fund quality public spaces and programming, but to ensure they are deeply inclusive. Through the Just Spaces Initiative, UCD stakeholders are using a web-based tool to track who utilizes the public space they manage, offering more diverse and culturally relevant programs and events, and implementing historic signage programs to highlight the role of notable women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community.

For example, in Washington, D.C., Building Bridges Across the River is encouraging locally managed civic infrastructure by finding creative ways to engage community members, municipal leaders, and nonprofits throughout every step of their effort to develop the citys first elevated public park. It offers Community Leadership Empowerment Workshops to teach residents how to effectively organize and lead meaningful change, provides resources for residents and others to create inclusive, community-driven plans of their own, and is continually adapting its Equitable Development Plan to meet residents changing needs.

This framework is designed to be relevant to any community aspiring to pursue large-scale development or redevelopment that promotes widespread economic and social benefits. It is neither prescriptive nor static, recognizing that the specific strategies to achieve transformative placemakings objectivesin whole or in partmust be tailored to the distinct needs of places and populations, and constantly evolve in response to new market forces, trends, and opportunities.

In practice, this framework can serve as a template for public, private, and civic sector leaders to guide program development, policy reform, and resource allocation decisions, to set impact goals and metrics for assessing them, and to measure progress over time. It encourages them to establish a more holistic vision for what a place can become, and to understand the role that intersecting transformative placemaking effortslocally designed and advancedcan play in achieving that vision.

At the end of the day, this framework is about creating livable places for everyone, not just those at the top of the ladder. It encourages places like Pittsburgh, and other cities and towns facing place-based inequities, to take a hard look at who has benefited from investment in the past, who is benefiting now, and how leaders can partner with communities to ensure that more people benefit in the future.

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Transformative placemaking: A framework to create connected, vibrant, and inclusive communities - Brookings Institution

TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2019 /CNW/ -

Today marks the official launch of the new Institute for Sustainable Finance. Building on its mandate to align mainstream financial markets with Canada's transition to a prosperous sustainable economy, the Institute unveiled today the establishment of the Canadian Sustainable Finance Network (CSFN), an independent and diverse alliance of academics, researchers and educators who will address the most pressing questions of this field, and our time.

"The Institute for Sustainable Finance aims to create the most credible and robust body of sustainable finance knowledge in the country. Establishing the CSFN as a critical resource for Canadian leaders is one way we can help guide the massive transition to a sustainable economy," says Institute executive director, Sean Cleary, BMO Professor of Finance and Founding Director of the Master of Finance program at the Smith School of Business at Queen's University.

The 44 members from 16 universities of the CSFN, which include Queen's University, the University of Calgary, Dalhousie University, Concordia University, the University of Victoria, and the University of Manitoba, will serve as an engine and collaboration platform for academia, industry and government to move sustainable finance forward in Canada. Its initiatives include expanding research partnerships and joint funding opportunities, creating a repository of education resources and growing program offerings, and collaborating with like-minded organizations such as the Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investments (GRASFI).

"Climate change is becoming a mainstream policy issue, and increasingly understood to have potentially serious financial consequences as well as being the source of significant opportunity. As a result, it is becoming an increasing focus for the global financial system, given the multi-faceted role finance plays in allocating capital and managing risk within key sectors of the economy," says Andy Chisholm,a member of the Institute's advisory board and a member of the Canadian Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance.

"Canada needs to keep up, and where appropriate, take a leadership role if we are to stay globally competitive.The longer we delay, the more risk we take on and the more opportunity we forego or cede to others in a low-carbon transition.Universities have an important role to play and will bemost effective in this space if they are encouraged to build off of and leverage each other's strengths and advances. That is why this collaborative cross-country network is critical," adds Andy Chisholm.

In addition to launching the CSFN, the Institute has undertaken education initiatives to foster a deeper base of knowledge and expertise in Canada. In addition to the development of traditional academic courses, the Institute and Queen's Executive Education are launching programs for business professionals. The first on Sustainable Investing will run April 15-17, 2020 in Toronto with more to follow. These efforts align with the Institute's overall goal to significantly boost Canada's capacityin both the long and the short-termto implement sustainable finance approaches that will enable the country to thrive through a low-carbon transition.

"Working collaboratively on sustainable finance solutions, our world-class Canadian talent will help shape the financial system Canada's future needs," says Professor Cleary.

The Institute for Sustainable Finance is based at Smith School of Business, Queen's University and is supported by the Ivey Foundation, the McConnell Foundation, and the McCall MacBain Foundation.

Quotes from Canadian Sustainable Finance Network members:

"The Network will accelerate sustainable finance in two key ways. First, it will unify the voice of Canadian researchers across the country on this important topic. Second, it will ensure Canadians are at the forefront of sustainable finance research, allowing us to determine the agenda rather than waiting for others to set the questions to be answered." -Ryan Riordan, Associate Professor & Distinguished Professor of Finance, Smith School of Business, Queen's University; Director of Research at the Institute for Sustainable Finance

"The Network will bring together people with similar interests who have different backgrounds and experiences to spark new ideas and opportunities to accelerate research and learning. For example, the idea of socially responsible investing is growing and becoming more important to Canadians in general, and thus to investors. We don't know yet how much it will cost or benefit investors. Clearing up this unknown will greatly benefit investors." - Greg Hebb, Professor of Finance at Dalhousie University's Rowe School of Business

"Canada's economy is resource-based and our risk exposure to sustainability issues such as pipelines, lumber and water is very high. The financial sector can realign its structures to ensure capital flows toward solutions that will protect Canada's economy and prosperity as well as protect portfolio values for Canadians. By joining the network, we aim to further promote and contribute to sustainable finance initiatives through cross-institution collaborations and knowledge sharing." - Gady Jacoby, Dean of the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba

"Sustainable finance is very multidimensional. It encompasses every aspect of finance from asset pricing to corporate financing, from risk management to portfolio management, so every model or concept in finance can involve elements of sustainability. We need researchers with different skills and different knowledge and experiences. A network like this one will facilitate collaboration and resource sharing." - Claudia Champagne, Vice Dean for Research at the University of Sherbrooke

"The Network is an excellent initiative that will provide Canadian scholars with a concrete and powerful platform to engage in new collaborations, both in research and education. It will accelerate meaningful and impactful research at the cross-section of sustainability and finance that will help tackle complex issues faced by businesses, investors and other financial sector participants. The timing is very critical given the nature of the Canadian economy and the climate emergency requiring a massive transition to a low carbon economy." - Basma Majerbi, Associate Professor of Finance at Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria

"We have to figure out how we attract capital to this country and environmental and social governance (ESG) performance is becoming increasingly important for access to financing particularly for those in the energy sector. The Network is going to bring together resources around ESG, helping companies and investors to be well informed in this new landscape." - Yrjo Koskinen, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Finance at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary

"Everybody's very enthused about the Canadian Sustainable Finance Network being developed. We will all be able participate, exchange and collaborate in an ecosystem to continue to develop our environment and social governance (ESG) and sustainability education not only for academics and students, but also for professionals." -Stephen Kibsey, Adjunct Professor, Concordia University

VIDEO LINK: Keynote and industry remarks from the Institute for Sustainable Finance launch event will be broadcast live starting at 6:30pm EST and can be viewed here. Questions by media representatives viewing the video can be submitted by email to amilner@argylepr.com.

For a full list of Canadian Sustainable Finance Network members and to learn more about the Institute for Sustainable Finance, please visit: isfcanada.org

SOURCE Queen's University

For further information: and to schedule interviews with Institute for Sustainable Finance spokespeople, please contact: Anna Milner, P: 647-391-9067, Email: amilner@argylepr.com

http://www.queensu.ca/

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New Institute for Sustainable Finance Will Harness Canada's "Best and Brightest" to Advance a Prosperous Transition to a Sustainable Economy...

If you read the headlines on any given day, it seems like the United States is headed for a fall, as rivals China and Russia push their weight around.

But Michael Beckley, an associate professor of political science at Tufts, doesnt buy that. To him, this is the era of the U.S. as sole superpower, and the countrys domination of the global order should continue for decades, at least.

In his recent book Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the Worlds Sole Superpower, Beckley documents the multitude of U.S. strengths and its rivals many weaknesses. Thats not to say America couldnt decline, due to domestic political divisions and corruption, and lose its sole superpower status. But overall, he says, its more likely to thrive.

Institutionally, the United States is a mess, but Chinas system is worse, he said. The United States is a flawed democracy, but China is an oligarchy ruled by a dictator for life.

Tufts Now recently spoke with Beckley about his efforts to rebalance the view of the U.S. and its global rivals.

Tufts Now: You detail many reasons why the U.S. is the worlds preeminent powerwhat are, say, the top two reasons?

Michael Beckley: First, the United States has a huge lead by the most important measures of national power. China is the only country that comes close, and America still has three times Chinas wealth and five times its military capabilities. That gap would take decades to close even if things go badly for the United States.

Second, things probably wont go badly for the United States, at least relatively speaking, because it has the best long-term economic growth prospects among the major powers. Economists have shown that long-run growth depends on a countrys geography, demography, and political institutions. The United States has an edge in all three categories.

Geographically, the United States is a natural economic hub and military fortress. Its packed with resources and has more economic arteries like navigable waterways and ports than the rest of the world combined. Its only neighbors are Canada and Mexico. China, by contrast, has burned through its resources and is surrounded by nineteen countries, many of which are hostile or unstable, and ten of which still claim parts of Chinas territory as their own.

Demographically, America is the only nation that is simultaneously big, young, and highly educated. The U.S. workforce is the third largest, second youngest, most educated in years of schooling, and most productive among the major powersand it is the only major workforce that will grow throughout this century.

China, by contrast, will lose 200 million workers over the next thirty years and add 300 million senior citizens. Chinese workers produce six times less wealth per hour than American workers on average. More than two-thirds of Chinas workers lack a high school education; and one-third of Chinese young people entering the workforce have an IQ below 90, largely a result of malnutrition, poor care, and pollution.

Institutionally, the United States is a mess, but Chinas system is worse. The United States is a flawed democracy, but China is an oligarchy ruled by a dictator for life. Special interests drag down U.S. growth and fuel corruption and inequality, but the Chinese Communist Party systematically sacrifices economic efficiency and promotes corruption and inequality to maintain political control.

What about Russia? It has a huge nuclear arsenal, bullies its neighbors and asserts its power farther abroad in conflicts like that in Syria. Should we be more concerned?

Russia threatens many U.S. interestsit menaces U.S. allies, props up U.S. adversaries such as Iran and Syria, murders pro-democracy advocates, meddles in elections, and has recently seized foreign territory near its bordersbut Russia is not poised to become a rival superpower like the Soviet Union was.

Russias military budget is ten times smaller than Americas. Its economy is smaller than that of Texas and its population will shrink 30 percent over the next thirty years. Russia has no meaningful allies, and it faces NATO, the most powerful alliance in history, on its borders. The United States needs to worry about Russias nefarious activitiesespecially its election meddling and paramilitary encroachments in the Balticsbut it can do so without gearing up for another Cold War.

China and Russia seem to have become united in their opposition to the U.S. Will that create a new power balance?

Russia and China will never form a genuine alliance. They share a 2,600-mile border, compete for influence across Eurasia, and sell arms to each others adversaries. But Russia and China still harm U.S. interests by acting in concert on a limited set of issues.

For example, both countries have spent billions of dollars on media outlets, NGOs, and hackers aimed at reversing the spread of democracy and subverting U.S. political institutions. The two countries also have sanctioned U.S. allies and colluded in the United Nations to block or water down U.S. sanctions on North Korea and Iran. Most worrisome, China and Russia could simultaneously start wars with U.S. alliessuch as a Chinese war with Taiwan and a Russian war in the Balticswhich would severely overstretch U.S. forces.

Whats the value of being the worlds sole superpower?

One benefit is security. As the only country that can carry out a major war abroad, the United States has the luxury of dealing with foreign threats over there, far from its homeland, and keeping death and destruction at arms length. It is impossible to overstate how lucky Americans are that none of the major battles in any of the wars of the past 150 years were fought in their cities and towns.

Another benefit is a large margin of error. With a secure homeland and a peerless economy, the United States can do stupid things over and over again without suffering severe punishment. Only the United States could engage in a war as dubious as that in Iraq or trigger the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression, and remain the richest and most influential country on the planet and retain the support of more than sixty allies, including most of the major powers.

A related benefit is freedom of action. The United States can decisively involve itself in any region of the worldor not. Most countries have foreign policy priorities thrust upon them. They are too weak to settle issues in their own neighborhoods and have to spend most of their time doing damage control around their borders. Russia, for example, cant ignore NATO or EU expansion in eastern Europe.

Similarly, China cant ignore unrest in Hong Kong, separatism in Taiwan, North Koreas nuclear weapons, or any of the ten countries that currently claim Chinese territory. As a superpower, the United States has much more leeway to choose where, how, and on what issues it wants to involve itself.

Freedom of action also applies to U.S. citizens. Americans often take for granted that they can travel and do business in many parts of the world using English and dollars and that many international trade and investment rulesand parts of the legal systems of some countriesare based on, if not directly copied from, U.S. law. The U.S. government has many strings it can pull to protect U.S. citizens and their property abroad, too. These privileges all stem from the fact that the United States shapes international customs and institutions.

Finally, the United States gets economic kickbacks from being a superpower. Other countries help finance its debtbecause the dollar is the worlds reserve currency and the United States is an especially secure and profitable place to investand they are often eager to sign favorable trade and investment deals with it to gain access to the U.S. market and technology or to garner U.S. diplomatic backing or military protection. Perhaps most important, the dominant position the United States holds in the world economy attracts young smart people from all over the world, and the resulting influx of immigrants continually rejuvenates the U.S. workforce.

Why do you think there is a perception that the U.S. is weakseemingly unable to exert influence in international affairs, from North Korea to Crimea to Venezuela?

One reason is that people wrongly assume that a superpower will always get its way, so when the United States fails, its front-page news. Second, because the United States is so powerful, it often tries to do ridiculously difficult thingsdemocratizing the Middle East, winning a war on drugs, convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear weaponsand thus fails more often and more spectacularly than do weaker countries with more modest aims.

Some parts of your book remind me of a stock analysts report on a company thats long been at the top of its game, saying theres little to stop it from dominating its sector for years, and worthy of an investment. Yet, companies that once seemed invincibleGeneral Electric, for examplecan sometimes sink because of incompetent management, increased competition, and changing circumstances. You mention in the book some scenarios that could lead the U.S. to lose power rather than maintain itcan you talk about some of those and what you see as their likelihood?

The most likely scenario would be internal decay. Some great powers have been brought down but by domestic political divisions and corruption rather than the rise of a rival power. Its not hard to imagine the United States heading down this path. Partisan divisions have surged to levels not seen since the Civil War, gridlock has become the political norm, and special interests increasingly infect U.S. institutions.

As a result, serious domestic problems are getting worse. Inequality and ethnic and cultural tensions are rising. Upward mobility, entrepreneurship, and life expectancy are declining. The U.S. debt is massive. Infrastructure is generally mediocre. Without functioning political institutions, these problems could spiral out of control.

Your view that the U.S. will maintain its status as the worlds sole superpower is not in the mainstream. Why do you think that is?

One reason is that threat-exaggeration sells. The image of an emerging Chinese superpower helps the Pentagon justify a larger budget, the media sell copy, authors sell books, investment banks sell emerging-market funds, CEOs get the government to pay for job training programs they otherwise would have to pay for themselvesI could go on.

Another reason may be psychological. The grass tends to look greener on the other side. Americans are generally more aware of their own countrys problems than they are of Chinas.

Finally, the indicators we typically use to measure powerGDP, military spending, trade volumessystematically exaggerate the power of countries with big populations, like China and India, because they count the benefits of having a big populationa large workforce and armybut not the costs. China may have the worlds biggest economy and military force, but it also leads the world in debt, resource consumption, pollution, useless infrastructure and wasted industrial capacity, scientific fraud, internal security spending, border disputes, and populations of sick and elderly. These kinds of liabilities arent counted in the big headline indicators.

Are there any historical parallels for this unipolar era? Is this era the Pax Americana?

This era is unique. The United States is much more powerful than past lead states. With 5 percent of the worlds population, the United States accounts for 25 percent of global wealth, 35 percent of world innovation, and 40 percent of global military spending. It is home to nearly 600 of the worlds 2,000 most profitable companies and fifty of the top 100 universities.

It has sixty-eight formal allies, and it is the only country that can fight major wars beyond its home region, with 587 bases scattered across forty-two countries. Yale historian Paul Kennedy conducted a famous study comparing great powers over the past five hundred years and concluded: Nothing has ever existed like this disparity of power; nothing. The United States is, quite simply, the greatest superpower ever.

Taylor McNeil can be reached at taylor.mcneil@tufts.edu.

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Why the United States Is the Only Superpower - Tufts Now

For decades, British Columbia(B.C.) has prospered from a high demand for lumber. The province is home to an expansive temperate rainforest, the logging and harvesting of which enables the forestry industry to employ thousands of people with, until recently, a high degree of job security. However, the amount of merchantable logs in the province is declining due to a slew of natural disasters, and trade disputes with the United States over tariffs on softwood lumber have increased the cost of exporting lumber. These factors have resulted in a steady decline of the forestry industry that began in the late 1990s, but has experienced particularly sharp downturns in 2005 and 2018, affecting the livelihoods of thousands of British Columbians. The forestry industry also plays a significant role in the preservation of B.C.s forests, and its decline therefore poses a severe risk not only for the provinces economy, but its environmental sustainability as well.

Approximately 32,000 jobs have been lost in the provinces lumber sector between 2003 and 2016. In recent years, B.C. has been the site of multiple record-breaking wildfire seasons and beetle infestations, reducing the number of trees that can be logged. This has left companies scrambling to devise alternative solutions so as to continue making a profit. However, these solutions constituted the termination of employment for thousands of people, primarily in areas where forestry is the main source of household income. While companies have been able to keep their profit margins viable, it is at the cost of almost a thousand jobs per year. These job cuts endanger not only livelihoods but forests as well, the latter of which is currently managed by a strict regulatory regime that enforces sustainable practices and corporate responsibility. B.C.s licensing regime mandates that forestry companies, and by extension their employees, are responsible for maintaining the health of harvested areas. For example, loggersoften the personnel closest to initial wildfire sitesare legally required to abate potential fire hazards so as to quickly address fires before they spread.

As more surveyors and loggers become unemployed, many wildfires are left to spread across larger areas, creating a much greater problem that requires more time and resources to address. This was the case in 2018, when the province saw over 1,000,000 hectares of land burned during a severe fire season, a 93% increase from two years prior and an 80% increase from the decades average. With increasing unemployment in the forestry industry, the next fire season could be even worse than in 2018 when the province declared a state of emergency. During this season, thousands were forced to flee their homes and logging was virtually impossible, effectively stalling the industry in the province for the duration of the summer.

Additionally, the industry is still feeling the effects of a major mountain pine beetle infestation in the late 1990s that killed approximately 50% of all pine trees in British Columbia. While the invasion peaked in 2004, the end of the salvaging period has severely crippled lumber mills in the Interior. For the past two decades, foresters have been able to salvage healthy pine and clear out dead trees to make room for replanting, noted Jonathan Armstrong, the General Manager of Timberlands Planning at Western Forest Products, a major lumber company in B.C. But now, the salvaging period is ending, and the mills dont have anymore wood to process.

While the pine beetle primarily affected forests in the Interior, mills on the coast are also facing external problems: since 1982, Canada and the United States have disputed trade agreements relating to the export of softwood lumber from British Columbia. Currently, the tariffs to export softwood lumber into the U.S. from Canada are 20%, making the cost of exporting the lumber more than its actual value. So, while coastal mills rely on the sale of softwood, it is no longer profitable to produce, thus resulting in the closures of dozens of mills.

These closures undoubtedly have a major impact on B.C.s economy.Approximately 150,000 people are employed in forestry and lumber in the province with most working in small businesses with less than 20 employees. Forestry also directly supports B.C.s transportation industry, as approximately 14 million metric tonnes of forestry cargo pass through B.C. ports each year. For many towns, primarily those in rural areas or on Vancouver Island, mill closures can be devastating. These towns are largely dependent on the forestry industry, with most of their residents employed at one of the mills. With its closure, residents are often unable to sell their houses and are forced to leave their communities en masse to find employment elsewhere.

Evidently, the lumber industry has substantial influence in British Columbia, and as a result, forestry-based environmentalism does as well. While climbing temperatures have inspired the rise of a global environmentalist movement calling for more sustainable practices, environmentalism in B.C. has been prevalent since the early 1900s, when loggers advocated for increased regulation of logging operations. In 1993, B.C. became the site of the infamous War in the Woods, where 11 000 people protested the logging of old-growth forests in the Clayoquot Sound. The demonstrations arose after local First Nations and environmentalist organizations concerns about the scale of logging operations were largely ignored by forestry company Macmillan-Bloedel. It remains the largest incident of civil disobedience in Canadian history and continues to serve as inspiration for British Columbian environmentalists.

In 2016, environmentalists forged an agreement between forestry companies, the provincial government, and First Nation communities to introduce the Great Bear Rainforest Land Use Order and the Great Bear Rainforest Management Act to enact efforts aimed at conserving 85% of the Great Bear Rainforest and bar its old-growth trees from future harvesting. Furthermore, the most recent provincial election in 2017 resulted in a coalition between the New Democratic Party and the Green Party, giving an unprecedented amount of influence to environmental interest groups. It is easy to understand why environmentalism is such a prominent force in B.C.: much of the esteem of the province comes from its natural beauty, particularly from its unique temperate rainforest, and the residents of B.C have shown they will take action against foresters to protect it.

However, environmental interests and practices employed by forestry companies are not always in conflict. As 95% of B.C.s forests are publicly owned, the provincial and federal governments are able to enforce the use of sustainable practices so that logging companies ensure continued prosperity in harvested areas. These laws, specifically the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), obligate any license-carrying forestry company to fulfill certain sustainability requirements. For example, licensees must replant trees in the same area as those they harvested, and are then liable for the health of the new trees until they reach maturity. While these regulations assure that foresters are legally responsible for reforestation in B.C., forestry companies have been employing sustainable harvesting practices since before the creation of FRPA in 2002. These efforts are not entirely driven by environmental concerns, but rather economic ones: forestry relies on trees being a renewable resource, and sustainable harvesting methods allow the industryto continue producing lumber in previously harvested areas.

Since the 1930s, approximately 7.5 billion seedlings have been planted by forestry companies in areas affected by logging, wildfire, or insect infestations. While many environmental campaigns encourage individuals to plant a few dozen trees, foresters plant hundreds of thousands each year, so that about 80% of all harvested trees are replanted. Furthermore, forestry companies were largely responsible for cleaning up the damage left by the mountain pine beetle infestation. The salvaging of the healthy trees and the removal of dead ones not only reduced the chances of a wildfire breaking out, but also removed many barriers for wildlife and enabled the growth of new forests: The salvaging operations [conducted by forestry companies] definitely did benefit the environment. Where you would have seen dead trees, there are now healthy, growing forests, said Armstrong.

The B.C. forestry industry was once proof that natural resource-based industries can turn a profit and serve to protect the environment, as long as they adhere to sustainable practices. However, decreasing demand for lumber and increasing costs to produce it may serve to invalidate the benefits of sustainability-driven forestry practices in the modern era. Fortunately, there are potential solutions: if the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute is resolved, forestry companies will be able to re-employ thousands of people who lost their jobs due to the need to cut costs.

Furthermore, the provincial government is in a crucial position to not only revitalize the forestry industry, but encourage innovation: [To address the decline,] the government can create an environment where businesses are able to innovate and develop new, better forest management practices, said Armstrong. While this freedom would need to be balanced with existing regulations, Armstrong believes that offering companies the opportunity to approach environmental objectives their own way will result in job creation and better sustainability practices, giving the industry more flexibility as the industry adapts to environmental changes in B.C., such as potential wildfires or insect infestations. However, formulating these practices is impossible without collaboration between forestry companies and environmentalists.

While the existing regime did succeed in enforcing environmental standards, much to the delight of B.C. environmentalists, it was primarily through oversight and detailed practice-based regulations. According to Armstrong, if regulations are rewritten to be more result-oriented instead, this would inspire foresters to collaborate with advocacy groups to innovate practices that are both sustainable and efficient. In B.C., it appears that the best way to simultaneously address a falling industry and major environmental issues is by fostering cooperation between two influential sectors in order to create practices that satisfy and benefit both groups.

You cant ignore these problems, said Armstrong. But, at the end of the day, when [environmentalists and foresters] get together, talk about these things, and work things out, thats how we help these situations.

Featured image created by Charlotte Reed .

Edited by Chanel MacDiarmid.

The rest is here:

British Columbia's Declining Forestry Industry is Bad News for the Environment - The McGill International Review

Civil Affairs Leads Integration to Generate Effects-Based Activities in the Operational Environment

Francisco M. Hernandez and Brodie T. Babb

Introduction

The role of Civil Affairs (CA) is to understand, engage, and influence unified action partners (UAP), indigenous populations and institutions (IPI), enable civil-military operations (CMO) and provide civil considerations expertise through the planning and execution of civil affairs operations (CAO).[i] DOD Directive 5100.01 and 2000.13 and Title 10, US Code, direct the employment of CA forces to support U.S. national security objectives around the globe.[ii] To ensure that CA forces are capable of generating strategic, operational and tactical effects, and are force-multiplying across the range of military operations (ROMO) and in multi-domain operations (MDO), current employment methods of appropriately integrated CA forces should be studied to capture, share and refine best practices.

Additionally, senior leaders have stated that Information Warfare is the biggest emerging threat to the United States.[iii] As an information related capability (IRC), CA forces are perfectly positioned in the information and civil environments to integrate other IRCs and help commanders and supported leaders achieve objectives in an increasingly complex and evolving global environment.[iv] The recently released white paper, Civil Affairs Operations: 2025 and Beyond makes a case that CAO is conducted not only to develop civil networks and society, but also to identify threats to civil security that require military solutions.[v] To achieve this, a complete and thorough understanding of the environments in which CA operates must occur and should facilitate the integration of CA forces with other IRCs, SOF partners, and unified action partners (UAP).

Position

The analysis of CAO by trained CA forces drive multiple processes, including operations and targeting processes, and enabling supported commanders and decision makers to apply resources and make decisions. CA drives the operations and targeting processes by executing its core competencies alongside indigenous partners to increase the understanding of networks within the operational environment (OE), particularly those within the civil component.[vi][vii] The incorporation and integration of additional IRCs helps enhance, measure and evaluate the effectiveness of operations, actions and activities within the OE.

Targeting is the process of selecting and prioritizing targets and matching the appropriate response to them considering operational requirements and capabilities.[viii] The use of a targeting methodology is critical as CA forces are asked to achieve operational and strategic effects through deliberate tactical actions designed to build partner capacities or capabilities to counter-illicit threats impacting civil society. Integration into this process begins by understanding and integrating guidance and intent from higher leaders including U.S. Ambassadors and County Teams, Theatre Special Operations Commanders, and Partner Nation entities to align interests and develop a shared plan of action of target audiences and targets. A demonstration of this understanding builds buy-in and widens access to the critical resources required to reach an end state with the desired effects achieved.

A targeting methodology and process is a critical component to an integrated approach to understand, act, and affect key variables within an environment in support of a military end state. Because of the dynamic, complex nature of the environment described in this paper, and many of the environments in which CA forces are employed, CA elements may find greater successes utilizing the Find, Fix, Finish, Exploit, Analyze, Disseminate (F3EAD) targeting process. This process differs from other targeting methodologies and allows for additional entities outside the Department of Defense, like Department of State, host nation government and military and non-governmental organizations to participate, providing more opportunities for integration, analysis, and action. This critical distinction highlights how CA, through an indigenous approach and with unified action partners, builds relevant networks and teams capable of driving activities and the Commander's decision-making process in more dynamic, fluid and complex settings.

Execution of CA core competencies is what enables the detailed network analysis of relevant friendly, enemy and neutral networks and actors within an area of interest in the OE. The analysis is of a networks objectives, critical factors, capabilities and vulnerabilities that ultimately supports locating the center of gravity, and identify its strengths, capabilities, and what is required for each network to achieve its purpose. To put it another way, network analysis is what enables CAs ability to identify the relevant target audience and targets within a given OE.

Once the network's center of gravity has been identified, CA integrates and utilizes the targeting process taxonomy to refine how and where the network is engaged. This ensures that the appropriate resource is applied correctly and will be capable of generating tangible, measurable and desired results. These results must be observable and quantifiable. In an integrated approach, CA forces employ various tools and resources, often from other IRCs, to evaluate and measure activity to gauge effects. Examples include surveys, such as popular sentiment towards key variables in the OE, market indices to gauge economic factors, and overt messaging through social media platforms to message successes.

Integration in Practice

Context

Integration occurs by demonstrating 1) understanding and creating shared value, 2) enhancing and furthering operational reach, 3) maximizing effects and the measurement of those effects, and 4) by enhancing all the above through sharable and releasable systems. The operational effects and highlights to be discussed and presented as an example of integration in practice, were generated by appropriately employed CA elements working with indigenous partners in Northwest Colombia to counter the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), activities' that threatened civil society in mid-to-late 2018. The FARC's activities not only impacted the local populace, but also undermined legitimate rule of law, governance and security, preventing host-nation military commanders from achieving objectives and consolidating gains exactly what CA is designed to counter. The effects generated in mid-to-late 2018 were the result of synchronized and coordinated efforts between regional and national U.S. and Colombian Civil Affairs elements integrated with adjacent SOF and Interagency partners within specific areas of concern.

Colombia, the strategic anchor point for South America and the U.S.'s strongest regional ally, has arguably been in Phase 3 with multiple insurgent groups for more than 50 years. The region is plagued by numerous drug trafficking organizations, trans-national criminal organizations, and declared terrorist groups that continue to exploit and profit on the lucrative drug trade, illegal mining, and movement of illegal goods, namely human trafficking and smuggling that can include Special Interest Aliens (SIA).[ix] Colombias border areas generate a wide variety of security challenges due to their vastness and porous networks of unofficial international crossing points, minimal security force presence, and/or governmental indifference. While these insurgent groups historically compete for control of key terrain and population centers in order to maintain and gain market share of illicit activities, these networks are beginning to collaborate in response to increased pressure being applied by Colombian security forces at the direction of President Ivan Duque. This enhanced cooperation amongst traditionally rival threat groups further exacerbates an already complex threat environment.

Demonstrating Understanding to Increase Integration

The ability to integrate, and later generate effects, is enabled by a thorough and complete understanding of the supported commander's intent and the ability to nest that intent to support the U.S. Country Teams objectives. This creates maximum buy-in from stakeholders. This paper maintains that CA must first develop a shared value proposition, that incorporates this understanding to help bring value to joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational (JIIM) networks of trust that are able to act on this information. At echelon, the ability of the CA to demonstrate an understanding of their environment is what enables them to integrate and build a unity of effort between multiple unified action partners and identify shared goals. This results in a cohesive network capable of rapid response and resource allocation that can outpace threat network capabilities and reach target audiences.

As an example from the 2018 Colombia mission noted above, CA Company-level leadership provided and demonstrated an understanding of the current OE, target audiences and threat networks impacting civil society to the adjacent SOF headquarters and members of U.S. Country Team. This created and provided opportunities for CA to integrate into numerous interagency working groups, targeting and operations processes. This integration provided the foundation for the support and reach-back capabilities that tactical-level CA teams would leverage in their respective areas of operation where they also demonstrated and refined their understanding of the OE to host nation and U.S. partners. This example highlights the requirement to correctly emplace CA HQ and Team leadership at the appropriate echelon, in this case national and regional levels respectively. This extends operational touchpoints and effectiveness to maximize mass and economy of force. In addition, credible and timely reach-back support demonstrated value and built networks of trust capable and willing to act against shared threats.

Enhanced Targeting and Operations through CA Integration

The intelligence-operations fusion and integration of CAs analysis and understanding of the OE will only enhance and drive both U.S. and partner nation targeting cycles and operations processes. Using the Colombia example again, in mid-2018, integrated CA forces continued to build, refine and share a more detailed understanding of threat networks impacting the civil component of the OE in Antioquia, Colombia and those preventing good governance and security from reaching the desired target audiences through its network analysis. CA integration into partner nation security forces (PNSF) targeting cycles provided opportunities to share information with other JIIM partners and to support PNSF efforts to disrupt, degrade, and defeat shared threats. CA integration also provided U.S. and PNSF with the necessary reach-back to capture and react to the real-time changes in the complex and dynamic OE.

By the fall of 2018, focused Civil Affairs activities (CAA) and network analysis in Northwest Colombia directly contributed to interagency partners nomination and inclusion of a PNSF target to the national level top 10 threat list. The continued collaboration between CA, adjacent SOF elements and interagency partners further developed the target and its supporting network, while providing additional resources to partner nation planners to facilitate their efforts against the threat. The collaboration resulted in an early October Colombian Special Forces-led operation that resulted in five enemy combatants from the FARC insurgent group being killed in action. (https://listindiario.com/las-mundiales/2018/10/05/536118/abaten-a-5-de-las-farc). Over the subsequent five days, the Colombian military conducted two additional operations, further dismantling this threat network and extending the legitimacy and reach of Partner Nation Security Forces.

These actions and their results clearly demonstrated Civil Affairs' ability to integrate into a complex process, drive targeting, resources and decision-making in support of U.S. and partner nation military objectives.

Integrating IRCs to Assess and Enhance Effects

As a result of their demonstrated operational successes against the threat and threat network, Colombian military and government partners were able to capitalize on new opportunities to message and influence vulnerable populations and target audiences. Leveraging U.S. and Colombian IRCs, Colombian officials released a statement on October 7, 2018 regarding their successful operation against the threat network stating, "The Seventh Division of the National Army, rejects and condemns this kind of terrorist attacks, violating Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, against the civilian population and companies that seek to bring progress and economic stability to the region in favor of development of the communities. (https://www.colombia.com/actualidad/nacionales/capturan-a-alias-garbanzo-presunto-responsable-del-crimen-de-los-tres-geologos-207567)).

As Colombian security forces' applied mounting pressure against threat networks in the Antioquia Department, CA supported Colombian military efforts to (re)connect to vulnerable/impacted communities in the region that were negatively influenced by this threat group. This included communities such as Altavista, an impoverished and marginalized rural community near the metro-hub of Medellin. This area had been providing the threat group with opportunities to capitalize on the disenfranchised populace to further their illicit activities. Operational successes furthered CA integration with partner nation elements and demonstrated CAs ability to drive resources and decisions, building Colombian military and government officials capabilities to conduct civic action projects to support to messaging and to demonstrate a commitment to at-risk communities. To further enhance the effects of successful operations and activities and win local populace support, CA integrated and was supported by U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section to maximize messaging opportunities and exposure. (https://twitter.com/USEmbassyBogota/status/1050159221159940097). Often times, and in many environments, CA forces find themselves in the planning processes for civic action programs and related activities. With that, CA should always incorporate a public affairs capability or another IRC that will expand operational effects and reach for such activities.

In November 2018 and following the successful operations of the previous month, CA further enhanced the employment of information operations with the addition of aligned Psychological Operations (PSYOP) units to keep pressure on the FARC threat network. PSYOP elements developed and disseminated a product campaign through Colombian mediums and within the threat networks area of influence that drove ongoing U.S. and PNSF targeting efforts in the region. (https://canal1.com.co/noticias/nacional/aumenta-la-recompensa-alias-cabuyo/). Products consisted of DoD Rewards Program payouts for information related to threat network degradation, leaflet dissemination reducing threat network anonymity, and survey programs to illuminate vulnerable population sentiments related to threat network activity and legitimate government perceptions. There efforts demonstrate continued refinement and application of all available information-related capabilities to consolidate gains and maximize unity of efforts against shared threat streams.

Integrating Digital Systems to Increase Shared Understanding

The areas of operations in which CA forces operate are changing dramatically and becoming increasingly more complex. This complexity demands systems and processes that reduce assumptions and widen understanding. While previous efforts have been made to enhance partner connectivity with the introduction of shared digital platforms, Special Operations must identify a platform of choice that carries longevity, extends access, builds shared awareness, and reduces response time between U.S. SOF and Partner Nation units of action. In order to remain competitive and relevant, CA must adapt, innovate, and demonstrate value while also working to expand authorities and roles in support of targeting efforts. Critical to successful integration is the ability to closely collaborate with the appropriate Partner Nation units of action, quickly leverage interagency resources and access adjacent SOF unit support. A digital platform, sharable and releasable to partner nation, JIIM and UAP elements, is key to decision making and acting upon relevant information within the OE. Many of the operations and the effects generated in Antioquia shared throughout this paper were made possible by creating a shared digital network that demonstrated CAs understanding of the OE. This demonstrated understanding created trust, buy-in, and recommendations from CA forces that then drove targeting and operations processes.

Recommendations

Going forward, Civil Affairs will continue to integrate and work with and through our partners while leveraging JIIM resources to strengthen population support, build networks of influence and trust, and counter-threats in the regions we support. To do this, CA leaders need to continue to look at new and emerging doctrine and guiding documents and have conversations about the future of the CA force; including how we will integrate and fight against multi-domain and hybrid threats arrayed against the civil component of the OE. CA is a relevant and capable force multiplier perfectly arrayed to increase understanding in both the information and civil environments. No longer can CA elements imply a misunderstanding in its role in shaping the OE and developing solutions to complex problem-sets due to the young age of the CA branch.[x]

CA forces must continue to integrate the analysis of its operations, actions and activities with intelligence professionals and decision makers to ensure injection into the targeting process. This integration ensures outputs to increase understanding, drive operations, and properly allocate resources. If CA forces are not integrating or being integrated, it is on CA leadership to demonstrate their understanding and create shared value and necessary stakeholder buy-in. Additionally, CA should continue to integrate IRCs to better measure, enhance and demonstrate effects of activities conducted in the information and operational environments. With that, CA forces will continue to be a benefactor of layered (and nested) IRC activities to maximize effects in support of shared goals and objectives, better equipped to counter future enemies and adversaries information warfare campaigns through the range of military operations.

End Notes

[i] FM 3-57, Civil Affairs Operations, April 2019, pg. 1-2.

[iii] ASD Owen West, ASD SO/LIC, April 5, 2019 Yale Jackson SOF Conference.

[iv] FM 3-13, Information Operations, November 2016, pg. 1-3.

[v] Civil Affairs Operations 2025 and Beyond White paper. Department of the Army. U.S. Special Operations Center of Excellence. Civil Affairs Proponent, Fort Bragg, NC 28310.

[vi] CA Core Competencies: Civil Affairs Activities; Military Government Operations; Civil Affairs Supported Activities. FM 3-37.

[vii] ATP 5-0.6, Network Engagement, June 2017.

[viii] JP 3-0, Joint Operations, January 2017

[ix] Special Interest Alien (SIA) is a non-U.S. person who, based on an analysis of travel patterns, potentially poses a national security risk to the United States or its interests. Often such individuals or groups are employing travel patterns known or evaluated to possibly have a nexus to terrorism. This does not mean that all SIAs are terrorists, but rather that the travel and behavior of such individuals indicates a possible nexus to nefarious activity (including terrorism) and, at a minimum, provides indicators that necessitate heightened screening and further investigation. The term SIA does not indicate any specific derogatory information about the individual.

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2019/01/07/mythfact-known-and-suspected-terroristsspecial-interest-aliens

[x] FM 3-57, Appendix A, History of U.S. Army Civil Affairs.

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Civil Affairs Leads Integration to Generate Effects-Based Activities in the Operational Environment - smallwarsjournal

Camden Town Brewery and London-based charity TRAID (Textile Recycling and International Development) have teamed up to tackle clothes waste and its impact on the environment by offering customers an easy way to donate old clothing and textiles.

The 12-Pack Give Back initiative sees Camden Town Brewery transforming its Camden Hells Lager 12-packs into reusable handy freepost donation parcels so customers can donate unwanted clothing to TRAID free of charge.

The empty 12-packs can be filled with unworn and unwanted garments and taken to the post office where the pre-paid packages will go straight to TRAID, which sustainably re-uses the donations, by either re-selling the reusable items in one of its 11 London charity shops, sending them to international textile companies or recycling them as fabric for industrial cloth or car seat filling.

Jasper Cuppaidge, Founder of Camden Town Brewery, commented: Were so impressed and inspired by the work that TRAID do to reduce clothes waste in the UK, encouraging us all to become more sustainable and conscious about the way we shop. Were really excited to collaborate on this project, promoting great beer and good will, for a great cause.

The growth of fast fashion cheap, mass-produced clothing lines with quick, seasonal turnarounds has created a significant environmental problem, with unwanted clothes more often than not ending up in landfill or incineration. Last year, the UK discarded 300,000 tonnes of clothes the equivalent weight of 2,500 blue whales or 600,000 grand pianos.

Though the government is working on introducing new policies to develop a circular economy in many sectors, fashion and textiles continue to be a problem area. In June 2018, Parliaments Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) carried out a report into the sustainability of the fashion industry and proposed the introduction of a one pence tax on clothing to fund the collection, recycling and reuse of textiles. The government, however, rejected the proposal, expressing a preference for voluntary rather than legislative measures.

As part of the EACs inquiry, a select committee hearing held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in November 2018 called for improved repair and reuse provisions and more consumer information on the environmental impacts of their fashion choices.

This September, TRAID revealed that nearly a quarter of Londoners admit to throwing clothes in the bin rather than passing them on. However, since the launch of the charitys 23 per cent campaign (named as such after the revelation that 23 per cent of Londoners clothes are unworn) one year before, TRAID was also able to report that the citys residents had donated one million garments, showing the potential impact such initiatives can have when consumers are adequately informed and the option to donate is made accessible.

Commenting on the latest drive, Maria Chenoweth, CEO at TRAID, said: Were delighted that Camden Town Brewery are encouraging their customers to pass unworn clothes on to TRAID for someone else to use. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world and responsible for around 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon emissions every year, which is more than international flights and maritime shipping combined.

In this era of climate emergency, giving longer life to our clothes is a practical effective way to reduce the amount we consume and produce, to protect our planet and its citizens.

To celebrate the new partnership, Camden Town Brewery bar is hosting the Camden x TRAID Pop-up Shop on Saturday 7 December and will feature the Camden Capsule Collection curated by TV presenter Laura Jackson.

The special edition Camden Hells Lager 12-packs are being stocked in participating Sainsburys, Tesco, Morrisons, Ocado and Waitrose stores nationwide and will be available until March 2020.

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Camden Town Brewery and TRAID collaborate to fight fashion waste - Resource Magazine

By Christopher Okidi

In Africa, we have chosen to turn ploughshares into swords for tired old men we elevate as kings like Don Henley said in his 1989 song, The End of the Innocence. This is contrary to the Bible in Isaiah 2:3-4 and plethora of other scriptures. Ronald Reagan speaking at the 42nd UN General Assembly emphasised that we should turn our swords into ploughshares because of our shared humanity. However, it seems as Africans, we are not listening. Mary Miche in The Vine and Fig Tree and Michael Jackson in Heal the World reminded us in song too. In Africas youngest nation South Sudan, two politicians - Salva Kiir and Dr Riek Machar - who control the means of violence hold its future. Last week, the duo who lead the warring factions of SPLM and SPLMA-IO respectively, met President Museveni in Entebbe. The purpose of the meeting was to avert a relapse to violence because of the failure to meet the November 12 deadline for the formation of a Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity. Since 2013, the political dispute between the two has overshadowed any other conflict in the region and crippled the countrys economy. Focus on militia groups that spring up almost on a daily basis in the country like the White Army and the issues in the broader Sudan in the Nuba Mountains region of South Kordofan and Blue Nile State conflicts referred to as Sudans third civil war, Abyei which equally claimed colossal sums of lives have been put off from international attention.Away from South Sudan, the whole of Africa is a hot-bed of conflicts. From teargas canisters on the streets of Kampala to quell demonstrations, to resource-based warlordism in Africas sick man, the DR Congo, Somalia, religious-based conflict between Muslims and Christians in Central African Republic that has limited government presence to the capital Bangui, the collapse of a once robust economy in Libya, insurgency in the northern Muslim-majority Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique, which has claimed more than 300,000 lives, and to the Gulf of Guinea where Boko Haram seeks to create a caliphate in north eastern Nigeria, point to a fact that Africa is at war with itself and spending heavily in munitions than investing on the quality of life of her citizens.Adam Smith wrote many years ago that war is the work of men who understand nothing about the laws of political economy. Studies on the economic impact of wars in sub-Saharan Africa have revealed low GDP per capita income in countries experiencing war as opposed to countries with relative peace as well as destruction of physical and human capital. Africa accounts for two thirds of global conflict-related deaths.Other costs include reduced revenue, investment, trade and productivity, increase of public debt to finance the war, the emergence of grand scale corruption by those who seek to profiteer from the continents war economy, pressure on public finance and shift of focus from capital to military spending. The wars also have spillover effects to host countries of refugees in terms of social, economic strains.Thus the continent has been chronically at war to her own detriment and to the benefit of a few international corporations that control global military industry. If Agenda 2063 is to be realised, AU has to find a robust regional security strategy that offers durable solution to her conflicts. It is sad that some conflicts happen in Africa with AU being a bystander. Today, other regional blocs like EAC, still lag behind Ecowas in having a standby force. This process should be reinforced by fast tracking African human rights courts envisaged in the Malabo Protocol. This may be that magic bullet to address conflict profiteering and reports like the AU High Level Panel by Thabo Mbeki so the same may not gather dust any more.

Mr Okidi is a lawyer and researcher focusing on conflict, security and development Nexus. chrisokidi1986@gmail.com

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Conflicts point to a fact that Africa is at war with itself - Daily Monitor

PCS The Moving Game illustrates complexities of the process Credit: Navy infographic

For years, Ive privately advocated for the US Army to create some British-style regiments to provide greater personal stability for officers and enlisted, increase unit identification and morale, and build units that include organic capabilities so they can go to war without drawing on lots of specialized support units. One aspect of the regimental system is that troops dont rotate to a new post every 18 months to two years, as do many US military personnel. This op-ed by a Foreign Area Officer (FAO) my favorite breed of Army officer currently a military fellow at CSIS, addresses the issue of stability in a clear and compelling fashion. Read on! The Editor.

For decades, the U.S. Army has insisted that most of its soldiers move every few years. That should stop.

Given the changing demographics of the force, contemporary societal pressures, and practical resource constraints, it is prudent to re-examine thisindustrial-age process of building generalists. It comes at a cost to the Army not only by forcing soldiers to cyclically shed specialization but also in the instability and uncertainty borne by the soldier.

Moving soldiers every two to three years come at a high cost.Moving causes enormous strain on the family unit.In todays increasingly polarized U.S. culture, it is important to reconsider ways the Army can encourage more physical community-building at its bases. While more study is required to assess the overall impact of a PCS (Permanent Change of Station), it is hard to argue that it helps stability.

Col. Jason Gresh

Moving every few years is especially tough on children, who often attend several schools in the span of a few years.Stabilization would also reduce the inevitable hassle of temporary housing concerns.Undoubtedly, a move can be positive: It gives the soldier a chance to redefine himself, start fresh, and learn a new skill in a new environment.But it also involves making new friends and integrating into a new community. Given todays renewed focus on mental health issues, it seems reasonable to provide more stability for soldiers and their families.

With the recent focus on the Army Talent Management Task Force, the Army has a great opportunity to offer more stabilization a move that aligns well with the focus on talent. Now is the perfect time to reassess the need for the PCS.

Yes, the PCS is often seen as a rite of passage in the Army and other services; many Army families boast of the number of places theyve been assigned to. But a lifetime of multiple station changes may not be attractive to the new post-industrial workforce the Army is now trying to recruit and retain. Numerous studies have pointed to what millennials and Gen-Z desire in a career and the prospect of moving every two to three years certainly is not one of them.New recruits value purpose and belonging, the chance to build expertise, as well as some choice about their career paths.Offering the choice to remain in one place for longer periods may be attractive.

If the Army is serious about harnessing skills in the knowledge-based economy, this same workforce is more likely to have spouses who are also seeking a professional career and work prospects.Regardless of a soldiers skill set, traditional notions of the Army spouse staying at home, taking care of the kids, and managing the household are rarer in todays knowledge-based economy.Frequent moves strain the spouses ability to improve their professional credentials, should they choose to do so.

The Army could enact some changes now.Certain high-density skills and grades can advance in certain geographic locales without the price of multiple PCS moves. Assignment policies at Army Human Resources Command do not necessarily look for advancement or broadening opportunities in the locale where that soldier is stationed.

To be fair, the Army has a few initiatives, including measures to stabilize the family when the soldier is deployed, or for school-age stabilization. But these are exceptions to the rule. Stabilization should be offered as a choice.Especially in high-density operational and combat support communities, these opportunities exist now.Certainly, stabilization chances decrease as the type of specialization increases, but it would be wise for the Army to offer stability to the soldier when considering her for a new job. Challenges remain; the Army would have to reconcile stabilization with career timelines that include continuing education, not to mention senior leader preferences.

Finally, theres the financial argument. Decreasing the number of PCS moves could save money and ease the logistical burden required to move and support our soldiers, while eliminating the all-too familiar moving headaches for soldiers. The Army is projected to spend approximately $1.7B in fiscal 2020 alone on PCS related travel expenses.Over the last five years, PCS travel costs for the Army have hovered around $1.75B per year.

Soldier moves are so frequent that DoDs database management systems have trouble handling the workload.DoDs moving database crashed for several days in fiscal 2019, creating long delays for the approximately 80,000 moves that it had to process that summer.Leadership has taken notice.Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville has already cited the need to improve the quality of PCS moves by holding moving contractors more accountable.

Reduce the number of moves so a soldier stays in one place for four to five years.Offering stabilization as a choice will help, not disrupt, the formation of the post-industrial force. Creating an attractive environment for recruiting will also help the Army realize its increasingly difficult goal of retaining talentwhile imparting stability to the Armys workforce.

Col. Jason Gresh is a military fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Gresh has been serving for the last 12 years as a Foreign Area Officer. He specializes in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The views expressed above are Greshs alone and do not reflect the views of the US government.

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Reassess The PCS: Stop Moving Soldiers Every 2 Years - Breaking Defense

Business News of Wednesday, 20 November 2019

Source: Graphic.com.gh

The think tank made the assertion based on analysis of the 2020 budget

The economy will continue to grow, especially in the long term, due to the sustainable and inclusive policy stances of the government, an analysis of the 2020 Budget by the Danquah Institute (DI) has indicated.

The think tank based its assertion on the assumption that the government will maintain its current fiscal responsibility posture and intensify its policy initiatives to drive production.

A statement signed and issued by the Executive Director of the DI, Mr. Richard Ahiagbah, gave the antecedents of the budget, saying the year 2015 witnessed a textbook collapse of the Ghanaian economy when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) assumed a supervisory role under former President John Mahama.

He said the institute came to the conclusion after a review of the 2020 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government presented to Parliament last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, two other think tanks prefer a more ambitious outlook for the budget that will be stronger on revenue mobilization.

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has described the 2020 Budget as cautious and not sufficiently ambitious.

Policy impulse

Addressing the press in Accra on Tuesday after its analysis of the budget, the Director of Research at the IEA, Dr John Kwakye, said after three years of virtual fiscal consolidation, a strong policy impulse was needed to stimulate growth, while addressing social challenges such as unemployment, hardships and poverty

This required an ambitious revenue mobilization effort to support higher capital and social spending, he said.

The Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, presented the 2020 Budget to Parliament last Wednesday. Since then, many think tanks, accounting, and advisory firms, civil society groups and individuals have analyzed the economic policy document and shared the results with their stakeholders, such as we have on pages 24 & 25 of this paper.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), for its part, said the governments revenue mobilization strategies, which included digitization to improve taxpayer identification, as well as revenue administration reforms to enhance efficiency, seem inadequate to achieve a significant increase in domestic revenues in both the short and the medium term.

It proposed a number of revenue mobilization actions, including the passage of the Tax Exemptions Bill to address the excesses of the countrys over-generous exemptions regime.

The IFS also called for a review of Ghanas natural resources fiscal regime to broaden the revenue base.

This call supports the stance of the IEA for the government to go after more resources locally to expand its expenditure in order to reduce its deficit.

In doing that, you will achieve your stability goal and your growth goal, the IEA said.

The government should look towards the natural resources sector, including gold, oil, manganese, bauxite, gas and iron ore, where Dr Kwakye said the IEA had assembled credible evidence that Ghana has resource reserves that are worth over $12 trillion.

When we go in to exploit part of these resources, we sign colonial type of concession contracts that cede mining rights to companies and then we take just a small portion for ourselves, when we could have gone in for product sharing contracts, he stated.

If we were to exploit our vast natural resources well under contracts that provide us with maximum benefit, we would not need the foreign borrowing that we often resort to and Ghana Beyond Aid would become a true reality, he added.

The 2020 budget and medium-term policy are cautious and guarded, as the minister endeavours to walk a tight rope between stabilisation and growth. The revenue, capital expenditure and growth targets are not sufficiently ambitious, he said.

Revenue Dr Kwakye indicated that the revenue effort of the government was rather tepid, adding that domestic revenue as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 16.5 per cent in 2020 and averaged 15.9 per cent for 2021-2023.

On the other hand, the IEA Director of Research said, the tax component to GDP was 12.4 per cent in 2020 and averaged 12.9 per cent for 2021-2023.

The comparable figures for middle-income countries are about 30 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively. The minister (Mr Ofori-Atta) stated support for Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) reforms, largely targeted at tax administration. However, the reforms do not reflect in significantly better revenue outcomes, he said, adding that the minister could have taken bolder steps to mobilise revenue, including the reduction of the spate of exemptions.

Danquah Institute According to Mr Ahiagbah, in spite of the presence of the IMF in 2016, the NDC administration left a weak and troubled economy.

The March 2017 Budget of President Akufo-Addos government took disciplined measures to commit to fiscal responsibility, and as a result, it reversed a troubled economy to growth and reclaimed Ghanas policy-making control by exiting the IMF programme, he added.

In the 2020 Budget, Mr Ofori-Atta stated distinctly that the government intends to be fiscally responsible after the IMF. This means that, barring eventualities, Ghanas economy will typically continue to grow, he said.

Fiscal responsibility According to the DI, fiscal responsibility was a critical enabler of economic growth and cited a recent IMF report that used The Philippines as a case study to underscore the growth-inducing potential of fiscal responsibility, particularly when the rule-based regime is adopted.

Ghana has adopted a five per cent deficit rule with the passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Given the governments stated commitment to adhere to the law, it is reasonable to expect that the economy will benefit exponentially.

The DI said the economy President Akufo-Addo inherited required an urgent stimulus to induce economic activities and it achieved that by removing more than 10 nuisance taxes and implemented the free senior high school (FSHS) policy.

By eliminating the nuisance taxes and implementing the FSHS policy, both industry and citizens retained money in their pockets, cash they would have spent to meet tax obligations and school fees, it argued.

The government reversed a $1.8-billion trade deficit in 2016 to a trade surplus of $2.6 billion in 2019. This is a firm indication that the governments policies are working and will yield growth in the future, it added.

To the DI, there was every expectation that domestic production and jobs would increase, especially considering the forward impact of some agricultural initiatives such as Planting for Food and Jobs, Rearing for Food and Jobs and Planting for Export and Rural Development.

The code to unlocking the growth potential of these and other initiatives is citizen participation and implementation efficiency by government officials, the institute said.

IFS

On other recommendations, the IFS wanted the governments revenue mobilization strategies to undertake a comprehensive review of the tax system to identify the strong and weak segments of the system, in terms of the design, bases, rates, revenue potential relative to actual receipts and pursue corrective measures to strengthen tax mobilization.

It reminded the government that since 2020 was an election year, the issue of fiscal discipline cannot be overemphasized. Election year fiscal overruns have become a characteristic feature of Ghanas public financial management culture and it will be a feather in the cap of the government if it avoids a fiscal overrun in 2020.

The IFS also wanted the government to cut back on consumption-based expenditures, saying: This should include minimizing the size and avoiding the introduction of new initiatives while directing the savings into additional public investment and a reduction in borrowing.

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Economy will grow beyond 2020 Danquah Institute projects - GhanaWeb

Fifteen years ago a national survey named Tommy Douglas, the father of universal, single-payer healthcare in Canada, the greatest Canadian of all time. Today, we Canadians continue to hold up our high-quality, publicly funded healthcare system as a point of national pride.

Among other ethical priorities, our system values the principle of non-maleficence, or avoiding needless harm. Physicians order tests even when the chances are slim that they might diagnose a dangerous disease, because one missed cancer in one hundred is too many. Prescription medications are similarly vetted. Researched extensively in laboratory and animal models, they must pass three phases of human trials before going to market. 9.3 per cent of prescription medications are subsequently withdrawn during a minimum two-year surveillance period, when dangerous side effects become evident during wider population use. In fact, after $2.1 billion of sales, the diabetes medication troglitazone was pulled from the market in 2000 when it was linked to 63 liver-failure deaths.

In other words, our healthcare system is designed to be rigorous and evidence-based. When it becomes apparent that a drug or intervention may be harmful, we have historically prioritized human health over billions of dollars of profits for corporations.

Its time Canadians cared for our climate the same way we care for our health.

Prior to and during the recent election, the Government of Canada repeatedly emphasized that climate change is a serious public health issue. Thousands of hospital visits and deaths each year are linked to climate-change-driven phenomena like air pollution and heat waves. Scientists estimate that over half of global temperature rise can be attributed to fossil-fuel use. Indeed, if oil were a prescription drug it would be taken off the market immediately. And yet, our Prime Minister recently said, No country would find 173 billion barrels of oil in the ground and leave them there. Now we may be more dependent on fossil fuels than we were on troglitazone, but this does not justify our lackluster response to the climate emergency.

So why has it been so challenging for us to take decisive action on climate change to date?

For one, the human mind is ill-equipped to think ahead to future environmental challenges. In January 2018, mudflows in Southern California triggered by erosion from wildfire-induced deforestation killed 23 people. Though Santa Barbara County was aware of the risk, since these events occur only every few decades little had been done to prevent them. Similarly, over 100,000 people were displaced during the 2013 southern Alberta floods, which overwhelmed the province due to inadequate preparation for extreme weather conditions.

Second, human nature can make us poor stewards. This tendency is famously depicted by the economic theory the Tragedy of the Commons, which notes that humans, when given unrestricted access to a shared resource, will overexploit it out of self-interest. This was exemplified by the real-life collapse of the Canadian Newfoundland cod fishery in 1992, or the ongoing deforestation of the Amazon rainforest for cattle farming.

Third, human impacts on the environment can be complex and unpredictable. For example, when the Cane Toad was introduced to Australia in 1935 to control sugar-cane beetles, a massive, unexpected decline in biodiversity followed. And you dont need to be a Cane Toad specialist to understand that the environment can be similarly unpredictablehail on a summer day in the Canadian Plains when the weather forecast is for sunshine provides ample evidence.

Anthropogenic climate change finds all three of these factors at play. Global warming, a disaster occurring in slow motion, is occurring on a timescale that confounds our ability to perceive and prepare for it. Our atmosphere is a shared resource that we are polluting out of individual and corporate self-interest. Unpredictable environmental effects, like the increased frequency of powerful hurricanes, record-breaking wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, as well as downstream effects of increased carbon emissions like ocean acidification, are devastating terrestrial and marine life. Climate change is already resulting in environmental challenges that our current system of slow change is not equipped to handle.

Meanwhile, much of the population is numbed by doubt. In the 1950s, tobacco companies did a valiant job of protecting their profits by casting doubt on the science behind the health risks of smoking. Smoking has since been deemed the number-one preventable cause of death in America, responsible for approximately 500,000 deaths per year in the US. Fossil-fuel companies have cast similar doubt around the science of climate change to promote inaction. During the election period, the leader of the Peoples Party of Canada declared that while the climate may be changing, this is not primarily due to human activity. Only 35 per cent of Conservative voters believe that climate change exists, and is caused by emissions from vehicles and industry. Will we continue to take only incremental steps and doubt science until climate change becomes the number-one preventable cause of death in Canada?

Healthcare and climate change were consistently noted as top priorities for all political parties in Canada during the election. Yet human-made climate change, a habit-formed drug, is already causing more deaths than we would accept in our regulated healthcare system. Even if at current emissions trajectories climate disaster were ten times less likely to occur than experts project, this would still translate to an unacceptable level of risk. Treating the climate like our health thus means taking every step possible towards a carbon-neutral economy, even if fossil-fuel industry profits suffer.

Public health policy has long shown that one of the most cost-effective paths to better health starts with preventative measures at home. If we want to minimize societal harm, it is imperative that all parties in our new minority government work together to maintain the health of our planet, our collective home. Its time that we recognize climate change as the greatest threat to human health of the twenty-first century and prioritize it accordinglybecause our health, and our very survival, depend on it.

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IN OUR OPINION: It's time we treat the climate like our health - National Observer