Monthly Archives: January 2022

Visualized: The Circular Economy 101

The principles of a circular economy trace back as far as 3,000 years.

Archeological evidence shows that Romans recycled trash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Roughly 200 years later, people recycled glass during the Byzantine Empire. Fast-forward to today and circular economy strategies are projected to generate trillions in economic output by 2030.

But how does the circular economy work? This infographic from MSCI provides a guide to circular economiesfrom circular business models to circular technologies.

First, lets start at the root of the problem, our current consumption trends:

To change consumption patterns and reduce waste, consumer behaviors, business models, and policies will need to change. But the big question is how?

To answer this problem, the concept of a circular economy is gaining traction.

A circular economy is centered on the idea of resources being kept as long as possible within the economic system, where materials that have undergone an entire lifecycle, from production to end stage, are returned to the economic system as an input.

Above all else, a circular economy is based on sustainable life cycles.

In 2019, BlackRock launched an inaugural Circular Economy fund. Since then, it has attracted $2.1 billion in investment. A number of the worlds largest asset managers have followed suit.

Policy-driven agendas are also focused on the circular economy shift:

Given the steep cost of linear economic models, governments are beginning to pay attention to the merits of a circular economy.

Circular economy principles aligned with sustainability offer the following advantages:

Importantly, circular strategies, technologies, and transition companies are looking beyond traditional economic models.

From alternative energy to bio-based and recyclable materials, the most effective circular business models are ones that create obvious value.

Lets consider five circular economy business models and where they can be applied in the supply chain. Additionally, some of the models can be adapted to any part of the supply chain.

Procurement/raw materials acquisition

Material & product manufacturing

Sales & marketing

Product use

Material & product manufacturing

Product design/R&D

Today, circular models present opportunities in fashion, food systems, mining and metals, among others.

A circular economy theme is built on two key dimensions:

1. Smarter technologies: Providing circular technologies

2. Resource efficient processes: Maximizing materials and minimizing impacts (e.g. emissions)

Then, MSCI identifies areas of innovation that support a circular model. Consider the following circular technologies, which are produced by companies that contribute to a circular economy theme end-state through their products and services.

It also looks at circular transitions, which are companies that enable the shift to a circular economy through their management of related issues.

As a result MSCI has created a range of Circular Economy related indexes:

Its worth noting that what is measurable today will likely only expand, considering the evolving regulatory frameworks and thinking around a circular economy,

Through looking at circular economy innovation, we yield three important insights:

For a growing number of investors, companies, and researchers, a circular economy provides a wide scope of opportunities ranging from single-use plastics alternatives to water sustainability.

See the rest here:

Plant-based Alternatives: 5 Ways They Benefit the Planet - Visual Capitalist

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has said that Nigerias macroeconomy and manufacturing operating environment were buttressed by the marginal recovery of some key manufacturing indicators allowed a gradual improvement in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021.

In its Manufacturers CEOs Confidence Index (MCCI) Q4 report, the President of the association, Mr. Mansur Ahmed clarified that although changes in almost all manufacturing indicators as measured in the report are still not as desired, the fourth quarter performance is better than what was obtained in the 2021 Q3.

The MCCI is an index set up by MAN to measure changes in the quarterly pulsation of manufacturing activities in relation to movement in the macroeconomy and government policies. The Index is considered as MANs barometer used to aggregate the views of CEOs of manufacturing companies on changes in the economy.

In the report, Ahmed stated that manufacturers resilience, seasonal transactions, and passive policy support sustained manufacturing in the quarter despite the prevalence of familiar and emerging excessive tax-related challenges faced by manufacturers.

The manufacturing sector in Q4 of the year under review, overall recorded a mixed grilled performance occasioned by meagre improvement in the operating environment indices and macroeconomic ambiance evidenced by the high points. This he said, cumulatively triggered the increase in the aggregate MCCI score for the quarter to 55.4 points from 54.0 points recording the preceding quarter.

Manufacturing performance is still below the mark, Ahmed explained, saying, notwithstanding the marginal improvement in the operating environment during the quarter under review, as the sector is still plagued by numerous familiar constraints. Some of these challenges enumerated by manufacturers are clearly presented in this report.

The president further advised the government to implement mechanisms such as providing incentives to encourage investments in raw materials, pharmaceutical and petrochemical materials, iron and steel, etc. He also beckoned on the government to specifically provide security to lives and investments in industrial areas.

In order to improve the performance of the sector, the government needs to intentionally put in place a mechanism that will address these challenges permanently by considering and implementing the following recommendation:

Further incentivize investment in the development of raw materials locally through the Backward Integration and Resource-based industrialization initiates. Government should call for more investors to key into these initiatives with appropriate and definite incentives.

For instance, there is need for urgent investment and production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) in the country; investment and production of machines; iron and steel; petrochemical materials, etc to support manufacturing activities.

Give specific attention to the security of life and investment in industrial areas; properly delineate and upscale security infrastructure in the various industrial areas in the country, particularly in the northern part of the country for priority attention. Government should also quickly invest in modern security such as drones, cameras, etc. for robust monitoring of the areas, Ahmed stated.

The MAN president in the MCCI report stressed the need to ensure effective allocation of available foreign exchange to productive sectors, especially to the manufacturing sector for the importation of raw materials and vital machines and equipment that are not available locally.

He also buttressed the need for the government to expressly direct the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to consult with the Ministries of Industry Trade & Investment and effectively engage MAN on measures to improve forex supply to manufacturing concerns.

He said that the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation should be directed to inaugurate the Secretariat that will implement the strategies for the Executive Order and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON). The Secretariat will designate local manufacturers of LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Gas Cylinders as priority provider of the 10 million Cooking Gas Cylinders to be procured by the government for 12 States in the federation.

Ahmed added, Return milk and other dairy products to the National list in the fiscal policy guidelines to maintain consistency with the Backward Integration Programme, which has spurred heavy investments in the dairy production.

Unify academic curriculum with industrial skill needs and requirements to guarantee the sustainable development of skilled manpower for the industries. Government should as a matter of urgency synchronize the curricular of tertiary institutions, particularly the Polytechnics with the skills requirements of industries. The various government vocational and training centers should also be re-engineered to offer those skills that are needed by the industries.

Revisit the resuscitation of the existing national refineries to produce fuels locally, embark on the rehabilitation of major highway corridors, improve trade facilitation infrastructure and deepen the ongoing development of rails system to change the narrative on the operating environment from being a high cost to low production cost environment.

On electricity, Ahmed said there is a need to sustain the eligible customer initiative to ensure that more power is supplied to the manufacturing sector.

The Manufacturing Association of Nigeria in its Index Report, further adviced the government to, Strengthen the Bank of Industry (BOI) and Bank of Agriculture (BOA) to adequately provide liberal finance for the manufacturing sector;

Monitor the implementation of Executive Order 003 to ensure compliance by MDAs so as to boost activities in the manufacturing sector, Publish the list of approved harmonized taxes and levies for the manufacturing sector by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) to address the issues of multiples taxes and levies.

Rationalize Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies, parastatal and Commissions to resolve the issues of over-regulation and duplication; Improve the time taken to clear machines and raw-materials at the national ports while making the link road accessible.

Read more:

Manufacturing Activities, Macroeconomy Witness Gradual Growth in Q4 2021: MAN - Investors King Ltd

Based in Amsterdam, with hubs in So Paulo, Mexico City, Delhi, Nairobi and Tokyo, WDCD was founded by creatives who want to make a practical difference, using the power of design. And they've just launched a new book, Never Waste A Good Crisis, which shines a spotlight on 31 creative optimists working to reinvent our relationship with waste.

It highlights some exciting initiatives and experiments that bring us closer to a circular future, helping accelerate the transition to a sustainable, fair and just society. This beautifully produced book is essential reading for every creative and offers a great way of sparking new ideas and fresh thinking in your own work.

Totomoxtle 2 by Fernando Laposse

Featured creatives include Mexico's Fernando Laposse, whose project Totomoxtle brings together agricultural waste and indigenous crafts; Pakistan's Yasmeen Lari, who builds with mud and lime to create shelters that are zero-carbon and zero-waste. And Italy's Studio Formafantasma, whose artwork Ore Streams explores the pitfalls and politics of electronics recycling.

We spoke to WDCD's online communication manager and the book's editor Natasha Berting to learn more about what designers are doing to help save the planet and how we can all get involved.

WDCD was initiated by a group of creatives in Amsterdam in 2011, with graphic designers Richard van der Laken and Pepijn Zurburg at the helm. The idea was to organise an event where people could come together, not only to discuss beautiful chairs or logos but to show that design can be a game-changer for society.

Ore Streams by Forma Fantasma

Since then, WDCD has grown to encompass many different activities, from conferences to books and challenges. But the core mission stays the same: to empower the creative community to make a valuable contribution to solving the major problems of our time.

Design influences our lives in so many ways, from the clothes we wear to the buildings we live in and the millions of products and services in between. This brings with it a lot of responsibility. It also makes it one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal when it comes to tackling systemic issues like climate change or waste.

Pimp My Carroa by Thiago Mundano

Besides being natural problem-solvers, creatives are also brilliant storytellers. And in a time where it feels like we have so much stacked against us, we shouldn't underestimate the value of imagination. If we can help more people to see that a sustainable future is not only possible but also desirable, we have a much better chance of making it happen.

Never Waste a Good Crisis is the fifth publication in our yellow book series, which typically features 31 trailblazing projects around a specific theme. This past year at WDCD, we've been diving deep into the relationship between design, waste and the circular economy, and that's what this book is all about.

Inside, you'll find the work of 31 creative optimists, all of whom are bringing us closer to a circular future in a different way. Of course, the list is by no means exhaustive. It's a snapshot of an industry in motion, a mere glimpse into the many initiatives that are changing the conversation about waste around the world.

The selection process itself took many weeks. We worked with a team of creatives who are embedded in the world of innovation and climate action, moving from a long list to a shorter list in a series of meetings. Waste is a complex and multifaceted issue, so we felt it was important to show a diversity of solutions and perspectives.

This is why we included ideas from both established and emerging designers from more than 20 different countries. The book also reflects a wide range of disciplines and strategies, from exciting new materials and technologies to critical explorations of concepts like ownership, convenience or novelty.

Seaweed Cycle is an ongoing experiment led by Dutch designers Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros. They've spent much of the last decade pushing the boundaries of 3D printing, exploring how it can be used to support local economies while extending the value of biomaterials like algae.

Klarenbeek and Dros believe that this renewable resource could eventually replace all petroleum-based plastics. To demonstrate the concept, the pair have developed a unique and fully biodegradable material called 'weed-ware'. It can be used to 3D print just about anything, from shampoo bottles to tableware and furniture. But what makes their approach special is the way it fits into a bigger picture.

Currently, they are working with local seaweed farmers and seaside communities to build an ecosystem around bio-based materials and products. They also plan to establish a network of 3D printing hubs in the area, with the goal of bringing about a new era of making.

If we want to reduce waste and its devastating impact on climate change, we'll need to see a radical change in almost every sector. It's a huge and daunting task, but there are signs that the transformation is already underway.

Founded by artist Sel Kofiga, The Slum Studio is a Ghanaian collective that breathes new life into old clothes and textiles collected from some of the world's largest second-hand markets. What makes their work unique is their vibrant and multidisciplinary approach. Through storytelling, performance and photography, the studio works to unveil the power structures implicated in the fashion industry.

I see artistic initiatives like these as vital because they invite us to examine the political and social dimensions of waste in the places where its impact is most visible. As Kofiga says: "If you have the power to buy, you have the power to question the players involved."

Seaweed Cycle by Studio Klarenbeek.

We published a small print run of the book with the help of Zwaan Lenoir, a local printer in the Netherlands. Fedrigoni supplied the paper, which is made partly of recycled and FSC certified fibres. To help minimise our impact, all excess paper that was created during the production process is being made into notebooks and reused in other projects.

If we want to reduce waste and its devastating impact on climate change, we'll need to see a radical change in almost every sector. It's a huge and daunting task, but there are signs that the transformation is already underway.

The Slum Studio by Sel Kofiga. Photo by Fibi Afloe

Makli Cultural Centre by Yasmeen Lari & Heritage Foundation Pakistan

With this book, we wanted to celebrate the groundswell of creatives who are already taking an active role in the transition to a more circular future. I hope that seeing these tangible examples will inspire and energise other makers to engage with the issue.

One tip we've learned from the creatives in our community is to ask as many questions as you can as early as possible in the design process. Whether you're an architect or a copywriter, you could start every project by thinking about its lifecycle, material requirements, and value in the wider system.

Ask: What happens to your design at the end of its use period? Can it have many or different use periods? Is it easy to repair or designed for disassembly? Who will be impacted the most by your design? Can you find ways to make it both human-centred and earth-centred?

The Circular Garden by CRA Associati. Photo by Marco Beck Peccoz

Applying principles like these from the get-go will help you avoid playing catch-up further downstream. It also helps you to remember the true goal of any circular system: which is not just to handle waste more responsibly but use fewer resources and to make fewer products in the first place.

See the original post:

What designers are doing to help save the planet, and how to help - Creative Boom

Visualized: The Circular Economy 101

The principles of a circular economy trace back as far as 3,000 years.

Archeological evidence shows that Romans recycled trash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Roughly 200 years later, people recycled glass during the Byzantine Empire. Fast-forward to today and circular economy strategies are projected to generate trillions in economic output by 2030.

But how does the circular economy work? This infographic from MSCI provides a guide to circular economiesfrom circular business models to circular technologies.

First, lets start at the root of the problem, our current consumption trends:

To change consumption patterns and reduce waste, consumer behaviors, business models, and policies will need to change. But the big question is how?

To answer this problem, the concept of a circular economy is gaining traction.

A circular economy is centered on the idea of resources being kept as long as possible within the economic system, where materials that have undergone an entire lifecycle, from production to end stage, are returned to the economic system as an input.

Above all else, a circular economy is based on sustainable life cycles.

In 2019, BlackRock launched an inaugural Circular Economy fund. Since then, it has attracted $2.1 billion in investment. A number of the worlds largest asset managers have followed suit.

Policy-driven agendas are also focused on the circular economy shift:

Given the steep cost of linear economic models, governments are beginning to pay attention to the merits of a circular economy.

Circular economy principles aligned with sustainability offer the following advantages:

Importantly, circular strategies, technologies, and transition companies are looking beyond traditional economic models.

From alternative energy to bio-based and recyclable materials, the most effective circular business models are ones that create obvious value.

Lets consider five circular economy business models and where they can be applied in the supply chain. Additionally, some of the models can be adapted to any part of the supply chain.

Procurement/raw materials acquisition

Material & product manufacturing

Sales & marketing

Product use

Material & product manufacturing

Product design/R&D

Today, circular models present opportunities in fashion, food systems, mining and metals, among others.

A circular economy theme is built on two key dimensions:

1. Smarter technologies: Providing circular technologies

2. Resource efficient processes: Maximizing materials and minimizing impacts (e.g. emissions)

Then, MSCI identifies areas of innovation that support a circular model. Consider the following circular technologies, which are produced by companies that contribute to a circular economy theme end-state through their products and services.

It also looks at circular transitions, which are companies that enable the shift to a circular economy through their management of related issues.

As a result MSCI has created a range of Circular Economy related indexes:

Its worth noting that what is measurable today will likely only expand, considering the evolving regulatory frameworks and thinking around a circular economy,

Through looking at circular economy innovation, we yield three important insights:

For a growing number of investors, companies, and researchers, a circular economy provides a wide scope of opportunities ranging from single-use plastics alternatives to water sustainability.

Link:

Industry 4.0: What Manufacturing Looks Like in the Digital Era - Visual Capitalist

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pastor Corey Brooks wanted to share some of his thoughts with his readers. Today marks the 58th day of his 100-day rooftop vigil to reduce violence by building a transformative community center that will increase the equality of opportunity for those that live on the South Side of Chicago.

What follows has been lightly edited. We strongly encourage you to watch the accompanying video so you may hear the pastor in his own words.

CHICAGO Today, I want to share with you something that has been a hot topic around the country. I want to talk about critical race theory.

I believe that critical race theory hurts Black America. Critical race theory is a cancer in our society. It is a race-obsessed worldview. Over the past several years, this dangerous far-left ideology has managed to creep into our schools. Critical race theory says that America is an inexplicably racist nation. All of our institutions are based on oppression of racial minorities.

In my work as a pastor on the South Side of Chicago, I have seen critical race theory in various forms taught in our local school and have witnessed firsthand how this ideology hurts the Black community.

Critical race theory is based on many lies, but I want to focus on three of those lies that are especially damaging in the Black community.

ROOFTOP REVELATIONS: AFTER THE KILLING OF HER HUSBAND, SHE RAISED FIVE GIRLS AND ACHIEVED HER DREAM

The first lie is an integral part of the ideology. This lie says that an individual's race is his or her defining trait nothing is more important than one's race. Race determines our position in life, our ability to achieve and how others will treat us. This lie distorts not only an individual's identity, but also his or her entire ability to be relational.

Christianity teaches that our most important relationship is the one we have with Christ, and that relationship comes with the proper understanding of who we are: children of God.

Critical race theory only understands relationships as defined by race, which makes an identity such as "fellow Americans" an impossibility.

The second lie is that there is an enduring power struggle because most people are racist to their core. Building a community on the South Side of Chicago requires setting aside our own biases and assumptions about other people. Black Americans are absolutely, I believe, hurt by an ideology that tells them their White neighbors are racist oppressors, forcing them to think of themselves outside of the community and to distrust their fellow citizens.

The third big lie is that capitalism is a form of White supremacy. According to critical race theory, capitalism excludes Blacks. Not surprisingly, this lie does nothing to encourage Black youth to apply themselves or to participate in the economy.

The objective here is to clearly to stir up Marxist grievances. Karl Marx used class struggles to spark enthusiasm for his call for world communism. Well, critical race theorists use race in place of class, aiming to instill that same hatred for free-market capitalism.

One of our most successful projects has been Project H.O.O.D. (Helping Others Obtain Destiny), a community-based resource center that provides job training programs, entrepreneurship, internships, mentorships, counseling and homework help for students, among other services. Critical race theory teaches that capitalism holds Black people down, but the exact opposite has been our experiences.

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One of our job programs is a construction course. Participants include former gang members and individuals who recently were released from prison. They receive everything they need to get started, even the work boots to wear for their own physical training projects. At the end, many of those who complete the program go on to have successful careers in the construction field.

I've seen firsthand how rejecting the lies of critical race theory is the beginning of doing the transformative work in individuals' lives. We see daily the power of transformed lives through our jobs program, through the promise that comes from participating in honest work in our capitalist system.

On the south side of Chicago, we are empowering and overcoming racial divisions, teaching people to love their neighbors, regardless of race, and equipping individuals to escape poverty and crime through jobs programs and other programs that are needed. Critical race theory cannot accomplish any of these things, and I believe it only undermines our work. That's the reason why, at Project H.O.O.D., we don't go by critical race theory. We believe in the systems of America and that they will work if you work them.

Follow along as Fox News checks in Pastor Corey Brooks each day with a new Rooftop Revelation.

For more information, please visitProject H.O.O.D.

Eli Steele is a documentary filmmaker and writer. His latest film is"What Killed Michael Brown?" Twitter:@Hebro_Steele.

Camera by Terrell Allen.

See original here:

Rooftop Revelations: On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pastor Brooks rejects three critical race theory lies - Fox News

For Pakistan to emerge from the quagmire of poverty, ignorance and deprivation, there is one and only one way forward: to divert its resources to education, science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The authorities should declare a national education emergency, which will involve several steps to change the strategic directions of Pakistan from the present low value-added economy to a strong knowledge-based economy. The key to progress now lies in the ability of nations to manufacture and export high-value high-tech goods. To do that, we must focus on strengthening the entire pyramidal structure of our education system by moving away from rote learning and encouraging problem-solving skills as well as innovation and entrepreneurship so that our students transition from being job seekers to becoming job givers.

A national education emergency will focus not only on promotion of equitable high-quality education but also on industrial research and development through university-industry linkages and on new start-ups through innovation and entrepreneurship. A serious hurdle in imparting quality education is the quality of our faculty members in schools, colleges and universities. The advent of massive open online courses has partly addressed this issue. Almost 20 years ago when I was the federal minister for science and technology, I realised the significance of these courses, and we then established a mirror website of MIT open courses in Pakistan. As a result, the country took a significant leap forward at that time by downloading all the relevant courses and making them available to colleges and universities. For instance, the computer science courses of MIT were downloaded, copied on 10,000 CDs and distributed to faculty members and students of all computer science departments in universities of Pakistan.

The Latif Ebrahim Jamal National Science Information Centre located in the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) at the University of Karachi has played a key role in this important initiative by launching The Higher Education Network (THEN) that has two major components. One component involves enrolling eminent faculty members from the US, the UK, Germany, Japan and other advanced countries to deliver complete courses and lectures to undergraduate and postgraduate students across Pakistan. These interactive courses allow Pakistani students to ask questions from foreign faculty members in real time and benefit from their wisdom.

A second component comprises an integrated version of massive open online courses (MOOCs). These tens of thousands of recorded lectures from MIT, Stanford, Yale, the University of California, and Khan Academy are available from the school to university levels for free. They have been integrated and rearranged and comes with a built-in meta search engine to allow keyword searches.

There are many lessons that our policymakers can learn from Chinas strategy for socio-economic development. Today, the Asian giant spends more than any other country on industrial research and development. Its growth in the field of high-tech manufactured goods hinges on the production and export of automobiles, industrial machinery, engineering goods, electronics, biopharmaceuticals, alloys, nanomaterials, defence products, automobiles and advanced transportation items such as bullet trains.

To provide high-quality education to over 160 million eligible population is a gigantic task. This huge challenge can best be addressed by using technology to leap frog. To reach out to the remote areas of Pakistan with high-quality distance education programmes, we need to empower our young people so that they can have access to excellent educational materials via the internet. In this connection, there are four key challenges to be addressed. First, we need to improve connectivity so that fibre cables can be laid across the country and bandwidth can be made available at affordable rates.

Read more from Dr Atta-ur-Rehman

Second, high-quality content needs to be made available for free. In this connection, the Knowledge Economy Task Force has already initiated a number of projects through Virtual University, Lahore, and some 3,000 Khan Academy courses are being translated from English to Urdu to boost school-level education. Universities in Pakistan will soon be permitted to start distance learning programmes, subject to meeting the certain minimum Quality Assurance yardstick. Third, there would be a need for proper mentoring and assessment to ensure that students are benefitting properly from the course materials provided to them and are developing the required problem-solving skills.

Fourth, students must develop the entrepreneurial skills needed to establish their own businesses; an ecosystem also needs to be developed to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. This will require the establishment of technology parks integrated within universities, liberal access to venture capital funds, tax holidays for industrial investments in technology ventures and appropriate protective laws to protect intellectual capital. It will also require the government to change its policies and outsource all its needs to locally manufactured goods and software.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has created many exciting opportunities, particularly in the new and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology, regenerative medicine, new materials, nanotechnology, energy storage systems and others. It is predicted that AI is likely to have an impact of about $16 trillion by 2025, according to a McKinsey Global report. If we could capture just one percent of this market, it would amount to about $160 billion of revenue annually. An excellent project in this field prepared by the Knowledge Economy Task Force, with the help of the worlds top experts, and submitted to the Ministry of Planning some three years ago still awaits approval. Programmes such as this one can transform the landscape of Pakistan. Our dynamic planning minister Asad Umar needs to focus on such projects for rapid socio-economic development.

With over 60 percent of our population below the age of 30, we are fortunate to have this huge demographic advantage over countries such as Japan, Korea, and Western European nations. However, to benefit from this advantageous position, we need to invest in this valuable human resource and transition to a technology-driven knowledge-based economy.

In my capacity as the chairperson of the PM Task Force on Science and Technology, I have made several presentations to the prime minister regarding the urgent need to declare a national education emergency. This would require significant additional investments in primary, secondary, technical and higher education.

My proposals are being given serious consideration by the present government, and a detailed proposal is under development involving our Task Force members and Ministry of Education experts. After decades of wasted time and resources, there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel.

The writer is chairman PM National Task Force on Science and Technology, former minister, and former founding chairman of the HEC.

Email: ibne_sina@hotmail.com

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Education emergency - The News International

MIDDLETOWN This week, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Middlesex County and throughout our great country.

MLK Day is a special day, one that celebrates not only his birthday, but the huge impact that the civil rights leader had on the United States of America.

There are many celebrations around Middlesex County this week that will honor Dr. Kings life and legacy. I am proud that chamber Workforce Development Director Lorenzo Marshall will represent our organization at the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Committee of Greater Middletown event Monday, which will be virtual this year.

The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce also has a longtime and enduring partnership with the Middlesex County Chapter of the NAACP, which is led by President Faith Jackson.

I would like to take a moment to recognize all of those who volunteer their time in the service of others. We are all in this together, and it is in that spirit that we honor Dr. Kings legacy, not just on Monday, but every day of the year.

This week is another busy one for the chamber team as it features a number of important meetings and community events. On Wednesday afternoon, the chambers Affordable Housing Committee, led by Chairman Bob Fusari, will host a special presentation which will focus on the affordable housing landscape in Connecticut as we enter 2022.

Presenters include state Department of Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno, Dawn Parker, director of UniteCT; Greg Ugalde, who formerly served as chairman of the National Association of Home Builders; and RiverCOG Executive Director Sam Gold.

We look forward to this important discussion, which will include everything from available incentives and tax credits from the state level, landlord and tenant relations, national issues impacting Connecticut, such as supply chain and labor issues, and an update on the regional plan of conservation and development.

On the chamber meeting front, this week will feature virtual meetings of our Human Resource Council Steering Committee, Killingworth Division, Recovery Employment Program Steering Committee, Board of Directors, Legislative Committee, and Cruise Night on Main Committee.

Our Board of Directors meeting, scheduled for Thursday at 11:30 a.m., will feature reports from chamber committee chairs and key staff on the many important ways in which we work to support the business community in Middlesex County.

In addition to these important updates, the meeting will feature remarks from Patrick Flaherty, director of research and information for the Connecticut Department of Labors Office of Research. We look forward to hearing from Patrick on the current health of the states economy as we embark on what we hope is a full year of positive economic news.

Finally, in addition to these meetings that are specific to our chamber, I also look forward to attending a virtual meeting of the Workforce Alliance Racial Equity & Accountability Initiative on Friday.

As you can see, the chamber continues to be on the move.

On the business development front, I look forward to joining Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim and other local dignitaries for the grand opening and ribbon-cutting celebration in honor of Fresh Greens & Proteins on Main Street.

Fresh Greens and Proteins mission is to create healthy options so you can eat better, which allows you to feel better, so you can live better.

I would like to wish AJ Cooney, Mack Cianciolo, Zakary Cianciolo and the entire team great success on Main Street, and we look forward to supporting their business moving forward.

Before closing, I would like to thank the chambers Executive Committee, which formally adopted our 2022 public policy agenda at its meeting Jan. 3. This year, the chamber is once again urging the General Assembly to focus its efforts on providing meaningful support to the businesses in the state, and helping them as they work to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic.

The chambers 2022 legislative event series kicks off Feb. 4, when we welcome Speaker of the House Matt Ritter to a special meeting at the Inn at Middletown, and continues Feb. 25 with our annual legislative breakfast at the Courtyard by Marriott in Cromwell.

I will have much more to share on these important events as we approach the legislative session, which begins Feb. 9.

I am afraid I must close this weeks column on a sad note after the recent passing of Carolyn Adams, a well-known and well-respected local businesswoman, and friend to many in the Middlesex County community. Carolyn opened the Lighting Barn of Durham, which later became Carolyn Adams Country Barn, in the mid 1970s.

She operated this local staple for over 40 years until her retirement in 2017. Carolyn Adams Country Barn offered couches, chairs, tables, home decor items, seasonal decorations and much more. She served her customers with a personal touch that made a lasting impression, and the business was a key part of Main Street in Durham for decades.

Carolyn was kind, generous and loyal, and is someone who will be missed dearly by all who knew her. I am grateful for her many years of chamber membership and her support of many community-based causes. Our thoughts and prayers are with her entire family who adored her, and for good reason.

Carolyn Adams made quite an impact, and she will certainly be missed.

Larry McHugh is president of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce in Middletown.

More here:

Chamber On the Move: Grand opening this week for Middletown eatery - Middletown Press

There are masquerades in every culture and the life of every individual. The masquerades wear masks for different reasons from prevarication, illusion, fantasy, fright, horror to protection. No matter the reason, masquerades thrive by covering who they are and taking up a persona unique to the image they want to portray. This image becomes the identity of the masquerade. And the persona behind the masquerade dies for the masquerades persona to live. In most cultures, it is taboo to unmask the masquerade. Even at the threat of losing life, a masquerade will fight to hide the identity of the person behind the mask.

In the past, masquerades were a rarity and often appeared on special occasions and festivities. Nowadays, both literally and metaphorically, we are all masquerades. We wear masks these days as a necessity. Facial masks existed before COVID-19, but Covid, at best, only heightened its usage. Masks during this pandemic era have become a symbol of self-preservation against a deadly viral infection. Aside from literal masks, we wear symbolic masks to protect ourselves from emotional and psychological elements that we confront daily financial secrets, relationship secrets, and privacy of life and family.

As the drumbeat of the 2023 election dance started, we have seen big political masquerades coming out to declare their interest in the struggle for power and relevance. Across party lines, powerful politicians likened to big masquerades and their cohorts are showcasing introductory and essential aspects of their election dance; using both old and novel gimmicks to make known their interest in the presidency of Nigeria. Some have visited the incumbent president to tell him of their ambition; some are still consulting with stakeholders; some are waiting for the call of God and their people to declare their intention publicly, while others have gone ahead to make public their presidential ambition via the mass media.

So far, there are no surprises yet. Those who have declared or those rumoured to be on the verge of announcing their intentions to rule Nigeria are the same old political warhorses and, to a great extent, are known by Nigerians. We expect more to declare in the coming days and weeks. This is part of the political process, and any Nigerian is free to aspire to become the president and compete for the post through any political platform of his choice. In Nigeria, at least for now, only masquerades wearing the masks of APC or PDP are considered to have realistic chances of winning the presidential elections. But these are early days, and a third force political platform may challenge this status quo.

It is about 12 months to the general election for Nigerians to choose the leader of the most populous black nation on earth at a time of significant political, social, and economic turbulence. Nigeria faces, on all sides, existential threats that will require a highly-skilled, competent, and charismatic leader to galvanise all the human and natural resources at our disposal to tackle the vast socio-economic challenges confronting us. Among these masquerades declaring their interest, one will emerge as the leader. This underscores the importance of galvanising Nigerians with outstanding leadership and empathic qualities to step up to the arena and be counted. One must be in the race to win.

Nigerians often complain about the same old leaders taking political offices and doing nothing innovative to develop the country but forget that it all starts with the calibre and quality of politicians coming out for the presidency. It is from that group that the president will emerge. Therefore, I implore all Nigerians to use this opportunity to encourage proven leaders with the proper knowledge and skills to come on board to compete for the presidency. Nigeria now more than ever before needs quality leadership at the highest level.

It is a positive for democracy that so many citizens are stepping forward to lead the nation, indicating increasing political participation. However, nothing yet distinguishes one aspirant from another in terms of either ideology or public policy leaning. For now, we are stuck at the level of personality cults, geopolitical interests, and ethnic entitlement syndrome. Even where aspirants are from different party platforms, their utterances do not yet reflect the broad agenda of those parties. More disturbingly, there is nothing that indicates depth on specific national issues from any aspirant.

So far, not less than six political masquerades have declared their interest from the two main political parties APC (Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, David Umahi, and Orji Uzor Kalu) and PDP (Abubarkar Bukola Saraki, Anyim Pius Anyim, and Dele Momodu). There are other candidates with nearly unassailable profiles in the fringe parties. It is time Nigerians started examining all of them from the prism of our complexities. Let us look at the stuff they are made of, those who gave them the masquerade and are in their company. We want to know what they are offering and what vision they are selling to Nigerians? How will they solve the multiplicity of Nigerian problems? We should not focus on inanities like what their religion is. What geopolitical zone they represent and what financial muscle they have.

Let the presidential masquerades come forth and canvas ideas and proffer solutions. Twelve months is enough time to know which of these political masquerades we want to take seriously or ignore. For the political masquerades that have declared their intention, let us now hear their ideas. However, I acknowledge by trend analysis, that it is not the candidate with the most brilliant takes on issues that will win. As the factors that determines who wins elections in Nigeria do not have much to do with sound policy ideas.

Unlike the previous election period, Nigeria is in a precarious situation; inexperience, vacuity, incompetence, lack of proven service record, absence of ideas to drive positive change among candidates will not be overlooked nor tolerated by Nigerians. Between June and August this year, the parties will present masquerades dressed in party attire. Our options will be limited to the masquerades presented to the electorate by the parties. To a certain degree, the party will shield the person behind the masquerade from Nigerians. We may be denied the opportunity of knowing what the one behind the masquerade said as distinct from what the masquerade said.

The party-political machinery takes over immediately after primaries, and all forms of spin doctors and election pundits are engaged to convince the electorate of the rightfulness of the candidates. This powerful party campaign machinery will set out to use unfounded marketing tools, lies, half-truths, innuendoes, and propaganda to convince or confuse the electorate to vote for its candidate even though he/she may have apparent shortcomings that make him unfit for the presidency. That is why when a president is elected, there are lots of things the electorate assumes he said or stood for or championed that turns out completely different from what the president does. Maybe it is still too early in the day, but I strongly feel that now is the time to engage with the masquerades and try to figure out the man behind the mask.

Our current crisis correlates with the electoral decisions and leadership choices we have collectively made in the past. All elections have serious consequences. This underscores the importance of careful consideration of the masquerades to eliminate the wrong candidates from the presidential race and have people with clarity of vision, proven leadership skills and a good knowledge of the Nigerian context vis a vis the complexity of our religious, social, and ethnic makeup.

The only actual path forward is using the 2023 election to usher in good leadership with demonstrable capacity to implement a pan- Nigeria agenda. Nigeria is in dire need of positive change. But who will drive this change? More of the same masquerades Nigerias political elite. Unpleasant and scary as todays Nigeria has become, our present reality should force us to question our prior assumptions about leadership selection. We should not allow primordial sentiments to becloud our judgement in seeking out and choosing a competent and visionary leader as president.

We have a choice now facing all Nigerians: we can make use of the next 12 months to put our acts together and engage in positive politicking to seek out good leaders for the 2023 general elections, or we can decide to play politics as usual without seriously considering post-election governance. Elections are a means to an end and not an end in themselves. If we do not elect good leaders, we will bear the brunt of the consequences debilitating poverty, insecurity, unemployment, and constant internal crisis and call for secession.We are at the beginning of electing the president of Nigeria. We must get it right at this stage to have a realistic chance of electing a president that will make a difference. There is no doubt that the flawed election process in Nigeria is probably the cause of failed governance and leadership in Nigeria. I argue that we must reassess that process and start on time to get it right if we must make meaningful progress in getting the right president.

The president derives his power from the people who vote for him and elect him to lead them in a democracy. So, the president rises and falls with the people. A government by the people, as represented by a voted president, contextually assumes responsibility for the success or failure of the people. Democracy affords the people an opportunity to hold the president accountable through periodic elections. 2023 is another opportunity for the people to get it right.

Nigerians must carefully choose a leader with incredible qualities to take Nigeria to a new frontier. What are these qualities we require of the next president? The aspirant must have a clear vision of where he wants to take Nigeria to in terms of development and how he will achieve that given our current resource realities. The aspirant must have proven skills and competencies in management and leadership. He must have empathy for the plights of many Nigerians and must have a burning desire to work to ameliorate the sufferings. Based on association or ideology, the aspirant must be above board not an ethnic or religious chauvinist, supporter of secession activities, or terrorism.

Furthermore, the aspirant must love Nigeria and have a proven record of having links across the country. He must understand the economy especially productivity. He must have the strength, ability, knowledge, and intellectual capacity to carry the burden of Nigeria, manage our diversity and deliver dividends of good governance to all Nigeria, not just a section of Nigeria or the elites. Ultimately, the aspirant must demonstrate a clear understanding of how to tackle insecurity, poverty, unemployment, and a shambolic education system.

After all is said, 2022 offers all Nigerians the opportunity to chose the kind of country we want by the quality of the president we vote for in the 2023 general elections. As political masquerades have started declaring their intentions to contest for the presidency of Nigeria, now is the time to engage them to find out the person behind the masquerade.

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2023: Where are the masquerades? - TheCable