Monthly Archives: May 2021

Oxfam America, a nonprofit organization, said in a statement: We are relieved that the Biden administration has, after a long and unnecessary delay, kept its promise to raise the refugee admissions cap for this year to 62,500.

The back-and-forth about the refugee program is the latest turn in the presidents struggle to deal with the immigration system.

On his first day in office, Mr. Biden proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the nations immigration laws and issued a number of executive orders aimed at rolling back Mr. Trumps policies. But after about 100 days, immigration legislation still has not advanced in Congress. And for weeks, Mr. Biden delayed raising refugee admissions, despite a plea from his own secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken, to make good on his commitment.

The administration has also had to defend its response to a surge of migrants at the border with Mexico, even as Mr. Biden has continued to rely on a Trump-era health rule to rapidly turn away many migrants from entering the United States without providing them a chance to apply for asylum. The administration has said the rule is necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The presidents Republican critics have seized on the issue as a political weapon, accusing Mr. Biden of making poor policy choices that opened the floodgates to illegal immigration during a pandemic.

The administration, however, has made progress in safely processing migrant children and teenagers out of border detention facilities and into temporary shelters. While more than 5,000 minors were stuck in facilities run by the Border Patrol in March, on Monday, the administration recorded roughly 600 minors in such jail-like facilities.

White House officials have urged migrants not to come to the United States now, but have promised that Mr. Biden will work to increase legal opportunities to live, work and visit the United States. Eleanor Acer, the director of refugee protection at Human Rights First, said the president must continue to do that.

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In Another Reversal, Biden Raises Limit on Number of Refugees Allowed Into the U.S. - The New York Times

May 3, 2021 By Christina Santucci

A slew of elected officials were joined by thousands of supporters in downtown Flushing Sunday afternoon in a show of solidarity against hatred and bias directed at Asian Americans.

The event, called We Belong Here: Queens Rises Against Hate March, began with remarks from politicians and community leaders at Flushing Town Hall, and then attendees processed through the streets of Flushing.

Officials estimated that about 2,000 people took part in the march, which was organized by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. with special guests U.S. Rep. Grace Meng and state Attorney General Letitia James.

Today we send a strong message from the worlds borough that we will not be bystanders to hate, Richards said.

Sundays event also drew a bevy of elected officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, U.S. Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Gregory Meeks, Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul, state Sen. John Liu, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Councilmember Peter Koo and Assemblymembers Khaleel Anderson, Jessica Gonzlez-Rojas, Ed Braunstein and Nily Rozic.

We are making a very strong statement. Our statement is that we are people. You see the senseless killings. You see the violent attacks. Its almost as if we are not human, Liu said. We are not a virus. We are not coronavirus. We are people. We are humans . We are Americans. We are New Yorkers.

Other speakers included Rev. Al Sharpton; Rabbi Michael Miller from the Jewish Community Relations Council; Dr. Umar Mysorekar, president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America; and Kenrick Ross, the executive director of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance.

Five years ago when I was in Queens doing this kind of work, anti-Asian hate meant Muslims being attacked on their way to mosques, Ross said. Four years ago, it was a Muslim ban. A year ago it was the targeting of Chinatown. This year, thankfully people are paying attention to what has been happening to Asian Americans across the country.

Liu said that Asian Americans needed equal protection under the law, and praised the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, a bill introduced by Meng and Sen. Mazie Hirono which would simplify the reporting and review process for racially motivated crimes. The bill passed the Senate overwhelmingly in April, and the House of Representatives is expected to take up the bill later this month.

Whats disturbing is that there has been an increase in these hate crimes across the country, and in New York weve increased the sharpest increase in these hate crimes against Asian Americans, James said. She cited a study from the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University that found hate crimes so far this year were up 223 percent from last year.

The center recently compiled data across the country, and found that 13 hate crimes were reported in New York City in the first quarter of 2020 compared to 42 in the same period this year, NBC reported last week.

Several speakers also called for increased education about the historical contributions of the AAPI community.

Hate, bigotry and discriminationis a result of ignorance. We need to teach people about what we have done in this country, Liu said.

If you love New York City, you cant take the contributions of the Asian-American community out of it, de Blasio said. The only way we are New York City today is because of what all Asian Americans have done for us.

During the march, participants chanted Stop Asian Hate, and paused at two locations where two anti-Asian attacks took place earlier this year. One site was Bowne Playground, where a 13-year-old boy was told to go back to your country by a group of teens. There, Richards told children at the playground, You belong here.

The second stop was the intersection of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue, where a man shoved a 52-year-old woman to the ground in February.

Our hearts go out to the way too many people who have been hurt, verbally harassed or physically assaulted, or even murdered, Meng said, as the group paused at the corner. Im so thankful to everyone who came out today to say stop Asian hate, and Im thankful to all of the people who are not just bystanders but who have been upstanders.

Meng also called for solidarity with all New Yorkers against racially-motivated hatred and violence.

We as an Asian American community can not only come out when the racism is aimed at us. We have to come out when any other community is hurt, Meng told the crowd, gathered at Flushing Town Hall.

Councilmember Peter Koo, who represents Flushing, addressed rally attendees in Chinese and English.

New Yorkers come from all walks of life, from all over the world. Today we affirm the true values of our nation, as one that welcomes all colors, creeds and cultures, Koo said.

The councilmember called on fellow politicians to push for the prosecution of those who commit violent acts and to direct funding to mental health, anti-poverty and education initiatives.

I urge all of the elected officials to concentrate on the criminal justice system because talk is cheap, Koo said.

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'We Belong Here': Thousands Turn Out in Flushing to Condemn Hate-Crimes Against Asians in NYC - Astoria Post

Consultancy to Support the Development of 5 Regional Studies on the Impact

of COVID 19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa

1. Context

Established in 2003, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is a self-monitoring instrument voluntarily acceded to by African Union (AU) Member States and an autonomous entity of the AU. It serves as an African-owned and African-led platform for self-assessment, peer-learning, and experience-sharing in democracy and good governance, in full respect for democratic principles, human rights, rule of law, the acceleration of political, social and economic integration in Africa. The mandate of the APRM is to ensure that the policies and practices of Participating States are in conformity with the agreed political, economic and corporate governance values, codes and standards, and to achieve mutually agreed objectives in socioeconomic development contained in the Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance, as well as and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, among other relevant treaties, conventions and instruments adopted by Participating States whether through the African Union or through other international platforms. In the implementation of its mandate, the APRM has the primary purpose of fostering the adoption of policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable and inclusive development, as well as accelerated regional and continental economic integration, through sharing of experiences and reinforcement of successful and best practices. It also serves as an early warning tool for conflict prevention in harmony and synergy with the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA).

The AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns by Year 2020 are attributed to among others, poverty, economic hardships, violation of human rights, exclusion, inequalities, marginalization and mismanagement of Africas rich ethnic diversity, as well as relapses into the cycle of violence in some post-conflict settings. The Roadmap further asserts confidently that these challenges are surmountable if the correct remedies are identified and applied. Unfortunately, these remedies have become significantly challenging to apply with the advent of COVID-19, which has had evident impact on the drivers of conflicts in Africa. As of 5th April 2021, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported that COVID-19 in Africa had infected over 4,265,034 people of which over 4 million recovered and 113,694 lost their lives across the continent. The effects of the pandemic, globally, have been felt beyond the health sector and Africa has not been spared in all the afore-mentioned sectors. Incidentally, the pandemic and its related effects such as travel restrictions, and also greatly affected the AU planned interventions that were related to the theme of the year 2020, Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africas Development.

As such, it is within the context of the current cooperation between APRM and the GIZ implemented Programme, Strengthening Good Governance and Human Rights in Africa African Governance Architecture, that services of a Research Institution/Think Tank are sought to support the conduct of five (5) Regional Studies on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa. The Studies will bring perspectives from 5 AU regions (North, West, Central, East, South), focusing on emerging threats to peace and security within the five AU regions with a view of identifying the impact of COVID-19 on peace and security, and mapping cross cutting issues. The Studies will also assess the coping and response capacity at continental (APSA/AGA), regional Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and national (Infrastructures for Peace, where they exist), reflecting on these among other key questions:

Are there new drivers that could create conflicts in Africa other than the traditional drivers?

Are the drivers and dynamics of conflicts in the last one year amplified due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Are the eight root causes of conflicts identified in the AU Silencing the Guns Roadmaps persisting or transformed in the different regions due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

What lessons can be drawn regarding the ability of continental, regional and national mechanisms to adapt to health-related threats as some of the emerging threats to peace and security in Africa?

It is therefore within the context of the current cooperation between APRM and the GIZ implemented Programme, Strengthening Good Governance and Human Rights in Africa African Governance Architecture, that services of a Research Institution/Think Tank are sought to support the development of five (5) Regional Studies on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa. The Studies will bring perspectives from 5 AU regions (North, West, Central, East, South), focusing on emerging threats to peace and security within the five AU regions with a view of identifying the impact of COVID-19 on peace and security, and mapping cross cutting issues. The Studies will also assess the coping and response capacity at continental (APSA/AGA), regional Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and national (Infrastructures for Peace, where they exist).

The Contractor is expected to develop/design and conduct 5 Regional Studies, which will be consolidated in a comprehensive study titled: Impact of COVID-19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa: Regional Perspectives

Specifically, the Contractor will:

i. Undertake a comparative assessment of the peace and security situation, vulnerabilities and challenges prior to and during COVID 19 in the 5 regions of Africa;

ii. Undertake a detailed assessment of emerging threats to peace and security in the five regions as a consequence of the pandemic;

iii. Draw lessons on the capacity and/or adaptability of crisis management mechanisms/systems (early warning, conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding) to threats to peace and security in the five regions as a consequence of the pandemic;

iv. Make recommendations on how to strengthen the crisis management mechanisms/systems (early warning, conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding) in response to such pandemics with the potential to drive conflicts and exacerbate structural vulnerabilities in Africa; and

v. Develop and submit 5 Regional Studies consolidated in one comprehensive report for validation and presentation by the APRM to the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and other relevant pillars of APSA as well as other essential components such as Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution.

Consultancy qualification:

The bidder should be legally registered in one or more AU Member States and should provide a minimum of 5 Experts with their up to date CVs, highlighting among other things the range of tasks involved and the required qualifications. The Experts should have:

Education/training (2.1.1): All Experts should have university qualification (minimum Master Degree or equivalent) in Social Sciences/Humanities, Peace and Security Studies, Strategic Studies, International Relations, Development Studies, International Politics, International Law or other related fields;

Language (2.1.2): The Contractor should have experts with multilingual language skills with fluency in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic (AU working language is an advantage).

General professional experience (2.1.3): The Experts should have at least 10 years of demonstrable experience in undertaking research in relevant fields;

Specific professional experience (2.1.4): Demonstrable experience in the development of public policy and in particular peace and security, governance and related matters in Africa;

Regional experience (2.1.6): Work experience with the APRM, AU, UN, and/or other international organizations is desirable;

Other (2.1.8): Excellent analytical skills, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, proven report writing skills, and ability to deliver quality products on time with respect to core values of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity.

Number of work days: 60 days

Flexible Work Days (the tasks are to be completed within 3 months)

Period of assignment: From 10 June 2021 until 10 September 2021

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83380062-GIZ AU Regional Consultancy Tender on the Impact of COVID 19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa - ReliefWeb

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Text description provided by the architects. Nanjing Happy Valley Theme Park East Gate - the world's largest modified plastic 3D printing architecture has recently put into use. As in mid-November 2020, once the park officially opened its gate, and after nearly half-years operation and observation, the design eventually reflected an influential possibility of implementing robotic printing construction technology in the future of architecture.

2020 is an unusual year. Starting from late April, with rigid medical control due to the Covid-19 circumstances, the project entered the final phase of construction. The collaboration between human designers and robotics has created a new working flow and reshaped the traditional design-to-build process. Adopting robotic printing technology, the super-scaled and high-dimensioned geometry has been realized with high efficiency and accuracy. The unique customized form will not only become a symbolic representation of Nanjing Happy Valley but also function as a perfect transition for travelers as they routine through the front plaza to major spaces of the theme park.

Enjoyment in the Post-Epidemic Era.In post epidemic era, creating a joyful space would be quite significant. How to stimulate a relaxing atmosphere, while effectively organizing the spatial circulations of entrance/exit check-in and souvenir store, would be the most urgent questions waiting to be answered.

Multi-dimensional hyperbolic surface based on computational geometry is infinitely stretching out with porous penetration, internal and external folding of the three-dimensional space enhances the continuity of the space, while the extension of the curved surface helps to attenuate the boundary lines of the building. The gate adopts a comprehensive steel structure skeletonforform-finding, and a 3D modified plastic-printed construction system on a colored outer surface, excepting the flat surface of the roof that is covered with GRP panels.

East gate of Nanjing Happy Valley is the 52-meter length and 26-meter width, with a projection area of 1352 square meters and a surface unfolded area of 1950 square meters. The multi-dimensional hyperbolic geometry realizes a heterogeneous irregular overhang span up to 30m, not only challenging the design development but also encountering construction difficulty. Covering 18,300 square meters, the plaza becomes major padding and background of the gate, a transcendent and welcoming gate, providing a unique spatial experience for tourists and visitors.

Flow, Form, Field.The scope of the project includes designing the east gate, the entrance plaza, and a gateway through the underground level. At the beginning of the design process, there were many elements that needed to be integrated with the site - from the south side of the road to the two entrances of the park, from the complex building interface on the north side to the underground gateways to the escalator; all those components together, it resulted in unpredictable traveling routines of different groups of users. It also generates different dimensions and intensities of crowd flow interference. To solve the problem, the crowdismarked as a swarm of particles moving in the site, and the motion lines are simulated by a self-organizing particle swarm algorithm based on a cluster multi-agent system; then different motion lines are transformed into vector elements so that the crowd behavior in the whole square forms a complex random vector field. Besides that, there are several fields in the environment of the site, such as vector direction field, vortex field, point field, repulsive force field, and centripetal force field.

Adopting a multi-agent system, the spatial composite force field formed by the positions in the environment could be applied to simulate the complex and changing environment in reality. During the simulation process, the east and west entrances of the site and the entrance of the square are considered as the starting points of particle motion, and the composite force field model is regarded as the force field environment of the real space. Meanwhile, the influence of the composite force field on the trajectory of particle motion and the change of the spatial distribution of the particle population is obtained through computational analysis.

Eventually, with analysis of the relationship between the crowd and the site, the simulation results based on cluster intelligence and the means of pixelated interference would transform the complexity between two fields into the textured layering of the plaza pavement, and finalize the schematic spatial planning and organization of large-scale space in the surrounding area.

Geometric Topology Engaging with Textured SkinApart from the site, an architectural form needs to align with comprehensive elements. The entrance is surrounded by complex pedestrian flow and a variety of activities. How to integrate the form into the site while solving multiple circulations and creating the symbolic meaning, so that the geometry would be embodied with functional and aesthetic value is the main concept and mission throughout the design process. Since there is a large number of visitors passing through the ground level of the entrance and the inward extrusion of the building boundary on both sides, assuming the entrance is a positive space and the bottom side of the people flow and the buildings on both sides are negative spaces, the entrance will not be a regular polygon in such spatial relationship, but will become a multi-dimensional topological geometry floating in the site.

The intelligence of design-based form generation is reflected in the collaboration between architects and computers, where computational geometric topological prototypes occur from mathematical surfaces. A simplified equation as the following: a*sin(x)*sin(2*y)*sin(3*z)+b*sin(2*x)*sin(y)*sin(3*z)+c*sin(2*x)*sin(3*y)*sin(z)+d*sin(3*x)*sin(y)*sin(2*z)+e*sin(x)*sin(3*y)*sin(2*z)+g*sin(3*x)*sin(2*y)*sin(z)=0

Through the dynamic adjustment and final morphological results of input parameters a, b, c, d, e, g, the topological geometric prototype that fulfills the design requirements is obtained. The architect then iterates on the derivation and operation of the geometric prototype according to the boundary conditions, view frame scenes, and space accessibility requirements.

The formation of the base mesh will help to generate the built form. Once the general morphology is derived, the generation of a mesh, which conforms to the boundary from the geometric parameters would follow up. The generation process could be covered with steps of Boundary Input, Surface Skeletonization, Skeleton Subdivision, and Mesh. After all, the final result is a topological surface that can be applied for actual construction.

According to the gravity field effect, the preliminary form needs to be simulated for structural performance, optimize the location of support points, measure visual access and mechanical stability, and form the final multi-point support system. The point and line features in the topological mesh are often related to the structural support and force conditions, so the geometric meshing generated based on the topological mesh is consistent with the construction form and also allows the structural system to be incorporated into the parametric system of meshing together.

The partially protruding staircase leads visitors up to climb, in which they can experience the spatial diversity of the topological geometry at different heights and gather different views and scenarios. From a specific point of sight, the view can pass through the circular cutout in the geometry, reach the Ferris wheel at the end of the axis of the park, and create a geometrically unconventional framed view. Bypassing through the stairs, visitors from all directions can feel the spatial relationship beyond geometry.

Towards Mass Production Customization. Mass customization towards robotic fabrication has never been an ordinary achievement. The design team's precedent research and development for modified plastic printing initiated in 2014. It takes 6 years to shift from single material to composite modified plastic, from single component calculation to global finite element calculation, from layer printing to spatial printing, and from laboratory exploration to engineering large-scale demonstration. During this period, we were the pioneers to publish our technical approach to spatial topology printing when attending the RobArch international conference at the University of Sydney in 2016. Later in 2018, we showcased a spatial printing pavilion (Cloud Pavilion) at the Venice Architecture Biennale. In 2020, we achieved the design of East Gate for Nanjing Happy Valley. Time Not only the evolution of advanced technology has been recorded by time, but also the entire exploration process from the prototype, art exhibitions, to mass production construction in practice. Thus, this project valued important historical significance and prospective social practice.

Beyond the multi-dimensional geometry and hyper-object fabrication, the integration of R&D, design, and construction, as well as theinterventionof advanced technologies have also become the "Himalaya" that we are keen on climbing. How to translate the topological geometry based on parametric design into a practical architectural language? How can intelligent construction under human-machine collaboration ensure high efficiency, high precision, and high quality of the construction process in the long-distance working environment due to the epidemic? The multidimensional geometries generated in complex environments also demand technical breakthroughs in construction in the digital age.

The hybrid design and construction process is a paradigm innovation in contemporary architecture and construction. The design team developed a software platform named FURobot, undertaking the translation of the building language of modules. Not only the geometric planning and panel division under construction constraints are maintained, but also the capability to translate the building geometry instantaneously into the building robot processing path planning. We developed an adaptive inverse deformation algorithm for local geometric models of complex models, translating continuous surfaces with unfolded areas up to 1950 meter square into more than 4,000 curved sheets for prefabrication in the factory, and generating printing paths remotely, with one of the designer members in Malaysia during the epidemic, and the long-distance collaboration to realize the final design and robot control files. The engagement of human-robot collaboration makes it possible to fulfill the architects creativity and mass production customization in construction.

Pixelated Colors.Six shades of pink were designed for each segment by the algorithm of colored pixel collage. These colored panels as a metaphor, representing the variety of activities taking place in the Happy Valley, transforming high expectations from visitors with a welcoming gesture as a grand opening. After repeated material testing, especially a decade of anti-aging material performance experiments, the team has precisely developed an outdoor UV-resistant color-modified plastic material that can achieve 256 colors with precise parametric color printing technology.

The complexity of the geometric forms and multiple colors demand a high control of success rate and precision. Therefore, the key of this project not justaiming for the largest size, but also highlighting the team's latest progression in large-scale robotic printing technology. After modeling the units with geometric and color variability, the self-developed FURobot software is then applied to program 3D printing algorithms for each panel that can be used for machine recognition and real-time feedback. Each panel is prefabricated and printed by a robotic in the factory, and transported to the site for modular composite installation with a numberingsystem.

The construction site cooperated with the numbering system, which also applied multi-quadrant, multi-objective composite CNC installation technology to precisely position each 3D printed panel through the CNC laser positioning and scanning system; meanwhile, it helped to realize real-time monitoring remotely proceed by the colleagues from Shanghai office. The project construction level of high efficiency, high precision, and high quality was still achieved during the epidemic.

The complex environment of cross-construction work on-site results in the great difficulty of spatial coordination of multi-dimensional topological forms. Building a site for digital construction, and intelligent sensing and feedback system allows daily access to construction data, meanwhile brings assurance of dynamic prediction of installation accuracy and hybrid dimensions for intense construction periods.

The autonomous perception system of the digital site ensures the realization of complex multi-dimensional topology, the digital birth shape and construction complement each other, the entrance gate and the surrounding elements are coherent and integrated, and through the change of scale and novel materials, the visitors complete the transformation of the city to the theme park's state of mind in the gradual change of space, transforming the traditional process of purchasing and checking tickets into the prelude to start a wonderful journey, greatly enhancing the experience of the traditional ticketing process is transformed into a prelude to an amazing journey, which greatly enhances the sense of participation and joy.

Material Computing and Robotic 3D Printing.The Happy Valley Gate project, as one of the world's largest 3D printed architectural practices of modified plastics in terms of size and scale, encountering a fundamental problem in applying large scale 3D printing: the dual requirements in scale and precision are almost beyond the limits of physical characteristics of 3D printed materials. This project provides solutions to this problem from two perspectives: global optimization and cellular computation. Globally, a surface subdivision optimization algorithm derived from a 3D printing model guarantees a reliable and precise outcome of overall panel division.

The deformation prediction and anti-deformation printing technology developed for a modified plastic achieves efficient geometric calculation of material properties. Regarding cellular computation, the complex geometry and respective characteristics of each panel, aided by material finite element calculations, can only be achieved by a pathfinding tool developed by robotics reaching performance-optimized results. In this Project, the global skin printed panels achieved sub-centimeter level accuracy at an overall building scale of 52m in length.

Material is tangible, while the construction is invisible. Beyond geometry, indeed, is a renovation that challenges traditional design processes and a way of interpreting a new experience.Safety of breathingandhealthy socializing will no longer be the major focus in the post-pandemic age; instead, the evolution of advanced technology and culture will be the potential themes to explore. Under the global post-pandemic circumstances, technology evolution merging into traditions and culture might be the trigger for reactivation in a post-humanism era.

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Beyond the Geometry Plastic 3D Printed Pavilion / Archi-Union Architects + Fab-Union - ArchDaily