Daily Archives: August 25, 2022

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Editors note: This article first appeared in City Journal.

Radical gender theory has made sudden inroads in Americas schools. Many parents have watched in confusion as their children repeat the movements slogans and adopt synthetic sexual identities such as non-binary, pansexual, and genderqueer. The next question for many families is: Where does this surge in left-wing sexual ideology come from? One answer: from a network of professional activists, who have smuggled university-style gender theory into more than 4,000 schools under the cover of gender and sexuality clubs, or GSAs.

The main national organization behind this campaign, the GSA Network, is a professionally staffed nonprofit with a multimillion-dollar annual budget. GSA Network serves as an umbrella organization for more than 4,000 gender and sexuality alliances across 40 states. Once called the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, the group rebranded in 2016, reflecting a new focus on the limits of a binary gender system. The individual chapters, which operate in elementary, middle, and high schools, often use the language of LGBTQ inclusion and anti-bullying in their public relations, but behind the scenes, the central organization is driven by pure left-wing radicalism that extends far beyond sexuality.

According to the organizations publicly accessible materials and administrative documents, the GSA Networks ideology follows the basic framework of radical gender theory: white European men created an oppressive system based on capitalism, white supremacy, and heteronormativitythat is, the promotion of heterosexuality, the male-female binary, and bourgeois family norms. In order to fight back, racial and sexual minorities must unite under the banner of intersectionality and dismantle the interlocking systems of oppression.

The GSA Network isnt subtle about its political objectives. In a manifesto, the organization endorses calls for the abolition of the police, the abolition of borders and ICE, the payment of reparations to minorities, the decolonization of native lands, the end of global white supremacy, and the overthrow of the cisgender heterosexual patriarchy. The organization is also explicitly anti-capitalist: its literature is littered with references to anti-capitalism and, during one board meeting, its leaders fantasized about what life would be like after capitalism falls.

SAN DIEGO SCHOOLS WANT TO DITCH GENDER BINARY THEY CLAIM DOMINATES RACIAL, SEXUAL MINORITIES

The specific practices of the GSA Network and its affiliates rely on cult-like programming techniques. A toolkit instructs children recruited into the clubs to do the self work of analyzing how [their] actions, lack of actions or privileges contribute to the ongoing marginalization of the oppressed.

After establishing a baseline of identity-based guilt, the children identify their position on the intersectional hierarchy and categorize themselves as part of groups w/ systemic power (privilege) or groups w/ less or no systemic power (oppressed) along the axes of race, sex, gender, and national origin. Straight, white, cisgender male citizens are deemed the ultimate oppressor; gay, black, trans women immigrants are the ultimate oppressed.

Next, children are encouraged to atone for their privileges and perform acts of penance. Doing the self and collective work to analyze how we contribute to the oppression of Trans, Queer, Non-binary / Gender Non-Conforming, Black, Indigenous, youth of color is tough, but we must commit to dismantling these systems for collective liberation, the organization says. Specifically, the adults leading the clubs are instructed to tell the privileged children that they must implement the use of pronouns, offer a land acknowledgment, listen to the Trans community, center conversations around Black liberation, and use your privilege (and your physical and monetary resources) to support Trans, Queer, Non-binary / Gender Non-Conforming, Black, Indigenous people of color, issues, businesses, and projects.

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All this activity, the group believes, is best kept secret from parents. The GSA Network tells the adult club advisors that they should keep a childs involvement in the club confidential. Know the laws in your state around students privacy rights and what you do and dont have to tell parents/ guardians/families, the organization says in its official handbook. When calling youth, it may not be safe to mention GSA club or another trans or queer reference.

Alternatively, club leaders can say they are from a student leadership program. In many school districts, teachers not only can encourage a childs participation in a gender and sexuality club without notifying parents but can also facilitate a childs gender or sexual transition, including the adoption of a new name and set of pronouns, with the default policy requiring teachers to keep it a secret from that childs family.

This strategy of the gender and sexuality clubs is deeply cynical. As independent journalists Colin Wright and Christina Buttons have documented, many teachers who serve as adult advisors to these clubs are intentionally concealing the sexual and political nature of their activities from parents, deliberately misleading families with vague language about acceptance, tolerance, diversity, and identity.

This might work in the short term, but in the long term, they are playing with fire. School districts that allow adult employees to discuss sexuality with children secretly are creating a dangerous system that could easily be exploited by child predators. Clinical psychologists are already raising the alarm, warning that some of these practices resemble the tactics of such predators.

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One solution for this problem is total transparency and the restoration of parental authority. Schools should adopt policies that parents must be notified about their childrens participation in curricular and extracurricular activities involving sex, gender, and sexuality, with the default being that parents are required to opt in explicitly to any such programs. Furthermore, as Governor Ron DeSantis has done in Florida, state legislatures should ban all instruction on sex, gender, and sexuality in at least kindergarten through third grade. Beyond that, schools should be required to post all training and teaching materials on their websites so that parents can easily review all curriculum and documentation associated with gender and sexuality programs.

Parents should not be fooled: this isnt about tolerance and inclusion. Its about adult activists using the goodwill surrounding gay and lesbian social movements as cover for advancing extreme left-wing ideologies and turning children into shock troops for their gender revolution. Its manipulative, its abusive, and it must be stopped.

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Radical gender theory has now made its way into more than 4,000 US schools - Home - WSFX

It was a cheerful moment at Vine Heritage Home (VHH) in Kuje community, Abuja when 5-years-old, Kingsley Kabenda who was rescued and fostered by the home due to cultural beliefs (infanticide) reunited with his family.

Kingsley was termed as an evil child in his community following the death of his mother during child bearing in 2018.

The reunion was witnessed by ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) and other partners.

Kingsleys father, Mr Irimiya Sunday Kabenda who couldnt hold his excitement said he came to pick his child from the home because he wants to give him the fatherly care that he needed.

Mr Irimiya explained Kingsleys mother died while giving birth him and he was brought to the home.

He lauded VHH, ActionAid Nigeria and others who took care of his child assuring that he will ensure that Kingsley will be well taken care of .

The Project Coordinator, Mobilizing Actions Towards the Abolition of Infanticide (MATAI) and Programme Advisor, ActionAid Nigeria, Ubong Tommy explained that the objectives of the project is to ensure the implementation and monitoring of existing legal and policy frameworks addresses infanticide practices in the FCT.

He said others are to raise awareness in the FCT on infanticide practices, especially among practising

communities and to establish mechanisms to safeguard unborn babies and infants who are vulnerable.

Through the initiatives, he said AAN co-funded the project with the European Union (EU) with funds from MATAI reached out to community leaders, birth attendants, caregivers, media organisations, as well as various government establishments such as the National Assembly, FCT Social Development Secretariat, Child Rights Implementation Committees, and National Population Commission.

ActionAid Nigeria through the MATAI project has since 2019 been working with five area councils (Abaji, AMAC, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali) to mobilize individuals, communities and stakeholders to abolish the practice of infanticide in communities of the FCT.

The MATAI intervention has led to change in communities which used to reject their twins and other multiple birthed children. Many of these previously ostracized children have begun to be reunited with their families and communities.

On monitoring of children who have been reunited with their families, Tommy said they carry out regular monitoring of children by taking certain vital data and use it to regularly monitor the welfare of the children.

He also said they do follow ups and ensure the welfare of the children who have returned back to their communities adding that they created linkages between various communities and the area councils.

We are also part of those linkages to ensure that we receive feedback as we can on the welfare of the children, he said.

Also, the Head of Operation, VHH, Pastor Stephen Olusola explained that they started their missionary work in the late 90s and discovered that there are group of people in the FCT, which are the Bassa-Komo tribe, where the lives of children are still in danger due to cultural beliefs.

He further explained that five cultural practices were discovered as missionaries among the people, which include multiple births not acceptable, children who lost their mothers during birth are believed to be witches and wizards, children born with albinism are not allowed to live, children who grew the upper teeth first are meant to be evil, children who are born with deformities are also believed to have demonic manipulation on them and so they dont allow them to live adding that the practices cover five Area Councils of FCT out of six.

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Infanticide: Excitement as 5-year-old reunites with family in FCT - Blueprint Newspapers Limited

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By MATT HONEYCOMBE-FOSTER

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Which think tanks are winning big as Team Truss marches on?

Meaty comms gig going at the CBI as a top spinner moves on.

European consultancy Rud Pedersen has big things planned for London.

IN THE TANK FOR TRUSS: Look, were not saying politicians arent incredible policy brains, but we have a sneaking suspicion they dont come up with all these killer ideas themselves.

And so: With a bit of help from agency Public Firsts handy Tory campaign policy tracker, we decided to treat ourselves to a proper look at the major Truss policies to see which think tanks are making a splash as she eyes No. 10.

What jumps out: It feels like a very good campaign if youre working at the Institute of Economic Affairs, the Centre for Policy Studies, or the Adam Smith Institute. A free-market fellow traveler, Truss has long had ties to the IEA in particular, and is a parliamentary member of its Free Market Forum. But there are a fair few ideas shamelessly ripped o sorry, gently inspired by, a wider crop of think tanks too.

Its the economy stupid: First up, Truss headline economic promises are very much in line with tax-cutting calls from the IEA, CPS and ASI. Each has pushed for the Sunak-era rise in national insurance to be reversed, as well as for the planned hike in corporation tax to be junked.

Bank of England mandate: With inflation soaring, Truss grabbed attention with her call to a review the mandate agreed between the government and the Bank of England something pitched by Policy Exchanges Gerard Lyons and the IEAs Andrew Lilico.

Death and taxes: Trusss vow to review inheritance tax whatever that actually means will be music to the ears of the IEA, which has branded the death levy nonsensical and called for its abolition. The ASIs not exactly a big IHT fan either, while center-right Bright Blue just wrapped up a massive piece of work on tax reform which hit out at the current design of IHT.

Wait, theres even more hot tax action: A fair few think tanks can also lay claim to Truss big vow to review the way families are taxed. In case you missed it, shes floated the idea of helping stay-at-home parents and carers by allowing them to transfer their entire tax-free allowance to a partner.

Onward and upwards: Onward, the centre-right policy shop run by former Theresa May adviser Will Tanner, did some serious thinking late last year on exactly this, arguing it would reduce cost of living pressures on families, broaden the base of beneficiaries and further strengthen the institution of the family. Fellow centre-right think tank Bright Blue has called for that transferable tax allowance to be open to all couples with young children, not just those who are married something Truss is on board with. And Policy Exchange made its own big push for a family taxation shake-up earlier this year.

The kids are alright: As well as being the ultimate act of revenge upon Nick Clegg, Trusss promise to relax staff-to-kid ratios in childcare is also an idea strongly championed by the ASI in a report that now looks very much like a mini-Truss manifesto. The CPS has made a similar plea, warning that current ratios are responsible for driving up staffing costs for nurseries, and so piling the pain on parents.

My ports are freer than yours: Truss and rival Rishi Sunak had a bit of a bust-up over who loves freeports the low-tax, regulation-reducing port zones meant to spur growth the most. Truss is going all in on full-fat investment zones, which sound remarkably like the CPS 2019 Opportunity Zones, meant to target neglected parts of the U.K. with simplified or reduced taxes.

Frack to the future: Trusss pledge to allow fracking where local communities support it has a very big caveat attached, but its as pro-fracking as someone No. 10-adjacent has sounded in quite some time. The ASIs been among those calling for an end to the moratorium on the controversial fossil fuel extraction method, while the IEAs gone a bit late-era Rishi, declaring that the the moral and economic choice is to frack amid the current energy crisis.

When the levies break: Moving green levies off energy bills and into general taxes in a bid to provide some relief from the soaring cost of, er, everything is another Truss crowd-pleaser. The CPS called for exactly that back in May.

Solvency abuse: Now were getting to the real party chat. Trusss promise to reform Solvency II banking rules inherited from the EU may sound obscure, but its a big deal in the City and a long-standing gripe of the IEA, which reckons the rules distort the insurance market and deter useful investment. The CPS, meanwhile, pressed for Solvency II reform earlier this year in a report pitched at making the U.K. a more attractive investment prospect and Policy Exchanges Lyons has also been banging the drum for change.

IEA hearts Stalinism: Its not all a love-in between Truss and Tufton Street, though. The Conservative contender made waves with a promise to ditch Whitehall-inspired Stalinist housing targets. But the IEAs Kristian Niemietz, not exactly known for his love of Uncle Joe, reckons government targets are actually a lesser evil in the face of the NIMBYism that has a stronghold on new supply. The IEA also had a right old pop at Truss for promising to outlaw cat-calling.

Gone but not forgotten: What about that brief Truss brainwave to introduce regional pay boards in the civil service? Its actually an idea thats been doing the rounds in think tank land for a while, with Alison Wolf arguing way back in 2010 for Centre Forum that Englands use of highly centralised pay-setting policies for most of its public services has major and negative consequences. Then-Policy Exchange wonks Ed Holmes and Matthew Oakley also warned in 2012 that national pay bargaining damages local growth and makes it harder for the public sector to recruit staff. The idea cropped up yet again in recent research by the TaxPayers Alliance, before being unceremoniously dumped by the Truss campaign barely 24 hours after being unveiled.

Look how shes grown: Truss was once a wonk herself, of course, serving as the deputy director of think tank Reform by her early thirties before getting into parliament and pretty swiftly storming into a ministerial post. Influences achievements by our mid-30s include eating a sandwich and buying, but then losing, several pens.

MISTRY JETS OFF: Senior move afoot at CBI towers the business groups head of news Mark Mistry is off to join spending watchdog the National Audit Office after an eight-year spinning stint, opening up a big gig in lobbying comms.

Its been eventful: Working at the CBI during four PMs, five chancellors, countless meaningful votes post EU referendum, a global pandemic, war in Ukraine and now the resulting economic crisis has been truly fascinating, and a genuine privilege, he tells Influence. I am still astounded by the sheer resilience of businesses the vast majority really are a force for good.

Best of times? Mistry picks working with the Treasury comms team to promote the COVID-19 furlough scheme, a joint effort between the CBI, government and the Trades Union Congress, as a CBI high.

Worst of times? Stepping in as security during the 2015 CBI annual conference, he says. Still, he outlasted that Cameron bloke in the end Mistry will be leaving the CBI in October.

All of which means: Theres now a sizeable job going at the CBI. Might any soon-to-be-unemployed SpAds fancy a punt?

CALLING ALL DORKS: Stack Data Strategy home to Red Wall inventor and graphs fan James Kanagasooriam is teaming up with Women in Political Data for an event next week aimed, according to organiser Jade Azim, at the dorky women in your life. Its the latest bid by Azim, a former Labour aide now at Purpose Union, to help women build their political data, polling and research skills and so level the playing field. You can sign up here.

SUGARMAN GETS SPICY: Apart from that thoroughly reassuring Liz Truss suggestion that government ethics advisers arent really necessary, there has been surprisingly little chat in this leadership contest about cleaning up politics. Max Sugarman, Chair of the CIPRs Public Affairs Group, reckons thats a mistake and hes got five ideas for change, including our old pal more lobbying transparency.

TIKTOKS COMMONS HIRING SPREE: Controversial social media giant TikTok has been tapping up plenty of ex-parliamentary staffers as it builds its U.K. team, the sharp-eyed Beijing to Britain newsletter clocked.

CONTRACTS WATCH: Departments have already spent more than 85 million lawyering up for the COVID-19 inquiry, my top colleague Emilio Casalicchio spotted And Whitehall coughed up 3.25 billion on consultancy fees in the past five years alone, according to Lib Dem number-crunchers (no, thankfully not the bar chart ones.)

WHAT FOI WAS MADE FOR: Hey, heres that FOI-derived lo-fi hip hop edit of every Scottish rail announcement you ordered.

MEET RUD PEDERSEN: European public affairs giant Rud Pedersen is betting big on London, and hoping to bridge some of the cross-Channel gaps it believes its nationally-focused rivals cant. Influence grabbed some time with its top brass.

Potted history: RP, named after its founder and CEO Morten Rud Pedersen, started life in Sweden in 2002. Its spent the past two decades spreading out across the continent, expanding into Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki, Brussels, Tallinn, Berlin and Vilnius among others.

The London look: Its been up and running in London since March, steadily stacking up hires (and on the hunt for a fair few more). Among those on board, Rud Pedersen tapped up Jon Aarons, former CIPR president and an FTI Consulting veteran, as group director and managing partner in the U.K., with Finsbury stalwart Hugo Fitzgerald coming in from Hawthorn Advisers to head up public affairs. It poached comms whizz Katie Frank of the Northern Research Group of Tory MPs as associate director earlier this year.

So why now? Pedersen tells Influence the London expansion has been on the cards for a while, as part of a 2023 Plan to definitively bust out of Scandinavia and establish a footprint in all the important capitals in Europe (Madrid and Rome are the next big targets). London is, of course, a pretty crowded field for consultancies, but the founder is confident in what Rud Pedersen can offer, saying its now been tested in 12 other European countries. He stresses its cross-Channel perspective as a key selling point. If you want to connect with issues or campaigns which will take you outside of the U.K. then we are one of only players who can do that, he says. Hes vowing to grow as fast as we can in London, with some of the 500 clients it has on the books in Europe already tapping up the team over here for British political insight.

Plenty to get stuck into: Not least of all the B word. Pedersen says that while Brexit is now a political fact, its not always easy for businesses to work with, and he likens RPs role to that of a firefighter patrolling and running after Brexit and trying to fix things. He adds: There is enormous work to be done in making business work in Europe both British business in mainland Europe and European business in Britain. Keeping track of diverging regulation is, as many public affairs agencies are finding, pretty good for business.

Normal one: RP hasnt exactly picked a quiet time to expand into London, of course, and the tumultuous past few months have given the team plenty to be getting on with. Fitzgerald says theres a huge amount of interest in whats happening in the U.K. at the moment from global clients, who are keen to know what all the Conservative drama means for the countrys policy direction and investment climate. There are culture shocks, too. We had one or two international clients who just couldnt understand the furor around the parties earlier in the year, Fitzgerald says, of the scandal that helped bring down Boris Johnson. Part of the London teams role is to explain to them and educate them about the U.K. system, he says, including the big role gossip and intrigue plays in Westminster life.

Aint no party like a cross-party party: With the polls suggesting a rough time for the Tories ahead, Fitzgerald says clients are also keen to know what Labour and the Lib Dems are offering, and tells us hes trying to build a shop with a balance of people from different parties, as well as a good mix of skills. Pedersen says hes long been guided by the principle that, when it comes to political affiliation, RP is not a red consultancy with one blue elephant, or a blue consultancy with a red elephant, but instead a mix of people who can bounce ideas off each other and run a fantastic machine.

Fighting talk: Asked straight-up whether there are any agencies in London keeping him up at night, Pedersen says no without missing a beat. He wants to take on the big players here in small bites, but is clearly thinking big. The plan for the rest of Europe, in the countries where we are established, was to be among the five biggest, he says. I understand that is quite a big ambition to have in London, at least in the short term, so I would say that the most important [thing] for the moment is to grow, to do good work for our clients and to keep our culture intact internally. And then well be very aggressive.

Go on, convince us its not true.

Former Conservative special adviser and ex-party comms director Amy Fisher is joining WA Communications as a director. Fisher served as a SpAd in the Northern Ireland Office, Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Defra and shes also a former director of comms at Policy Exchange.

George Robinson is the new head of government affairs at mobile provider Three, joining from Trainline.

Katy Reade has been promoted to policy and advocacy manager at charity Hospice UK.

Philip Baker is joining the Energy Networks Association as media relations manager.

David Ahluwalia is leaving the Nursing and Midwifery Council to join the Care Quality Commission as parliamentary and stakeholder engagement manager.

Tom Riley joined Pagefield as a senior consultant after a spell at Teneo.

Alex Rowlands is joining political monitoring firm PoliMonitor in the newly-created position of head of growth. Hes previously worked for Vuelio and Hindsight.

Callum Delhoy is joining the Charterted Institute of Insurers as public policy advisor after a spell in the public affairs campaigns team at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

Mike Morgan-Giles ex-head of comms at the Education and Training Foundation is the first CEO of the Cannabis Industry Council.

ICYMI: Westminster Public affairs agencies Atticus Communications and Atlas Partners are teaming up to become: Atticus Partners. The combined client list includes Facebook parent company Meta, MoneySuperMarket and WWF. Snazzy new website here. Atticus just appointed Patrick Adams formerly of Sovereign Strategy and PLMR as a consultant, alongside Alex Tiley, ex-of the YMCA, the Scouts and Dods.

Jobs, jobs, jobs: Inflect Partners are searching for a communications account manager Oxfam are after a U.K. government relations adviser Beefy policy gig going at the International Meat Trade Association Eating disorder charity Beat is searching for a policy and public affairs officer Things will only get better if you become Tony Blairs net-zero policy lead.

Events horizon: Top brains at the Resolution Foundation size up the income squeeze to come in an event taking place next Thursday at 9:30 a.m. before Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi lays out his list of economic wishes for the PM at Policy Exchange the following day at 2 p.m. RUSI then digs into the security implications of net-zero, Thursday, 8th September at 3 p.m. and NextGen Public Affairs try to brace you for conference season, Friday, September 9th at 12 p.m.

Thanks: Imagine this newsletter but even longer and much worse. Thats the harsh reality confronting my editor Jack Blanchard every single week.

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London Influence: In the tank for Liz Man of Mistry Meet Rud Pedersen - POLITICO Europe

Date: 25.08.2022

NatRoad will today tell a ministerial meeting how best to fix the driver shortage present in the industry

NatRoad says it is focusing on driver retention at this ministerial meeting

The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) says it will tell a ministerial industry roundtable in Sydney today that the driver shortage needs to be tackled on a number of fronts.

Federal Transport Minister Catherine King is leading the roundtable to discuss road transport views on skills shortages, regulatory roadblocks and what needs to occur to assist the move to net zero.

It is a forerunner to the Jobs Summit being convened by the Prime Minister on September 1 and 2.

"Well tell the meeting that the current shortage of qualified drivers is one of the road transport industrys most pressing problems not only in terms of quantity but also in quality," says NatRoad CEO Warren Clark.

"Its most acute in regional areas, is intensifying and isnt limited to drivers, with diesel mechanics in even shorter supply."

Clark says NatRoad supports the use of skilled migration to tackle shortages in the labour market in the short term, but accompanied by testing of those skills in Australian conditions prior to licensing.

"Its been a goal for us for truck licensing not only to be harmonised across all states and territories but better aligned with the training system," Clark says.

NatRoad says it supports fast-tracking an apprenticeship for heavy vehicle drivers.

"Requiring more competence at the initial stages of recruitment will add value rather than act as a barrier to more young people joining the industry," Clark says.

"The Commonwealth has put an apprenticeship on the table; we need a commitment by the states and territories to a competency-based licence system that is integrated with the training system."

RELATED ARTICLE: NatRoad annual survey unveils number one issue

NatRoad says the Heavy Vehicle National Law reform process needs to be re-started in earnest, with removal of disincentives to drivers entering or remaining in the industry made a priority.

"NatRoad has called loudly for the abolition of petty offences that are perceived to be revenue raising or of nuisance value but unrelated to controlling the risk of fatigue," Clark says.

"The current rules mean you can be fatigued and still be compliant, but if you breach a petty rule you get a fine."

Clark says NatRoad supports the concept of an industry campaign to enhance perceptions of our industry and attract more women, who currently number 3-4 per cent of drivers.

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NatRoad to work with ministers on driver shortage - Australasian Transport News

In the whirl of digital slavery

WE are experiencing the greatest technological revolution in the history of mankind. This revolution is four times greater in terms of impact than the industrial revolution.

Furthermore, it has only just begun. Slavery is a potent and touchy term recounting repugnant violation of fundamental human rights and should not be functioned carelessly.

Self-ownership in a legal sense and escalating trafficking of personal data to supply algorithm-based analytics and AI is enabling a new form of digital enslavement that has the budding to cut back liberty and perturbing risk of collective and individual autonomy.

Slaves offer free labour for their owners; in return of food, clothing and shelter. The digital slaves also offer free access to their data in return of some services.

Traditional slaves had to pay to get freedom from their ruthless masters. The digital slaves also pay for their shift from one platform or app to another in the form of data.

Both the traditional or digital slaves own nothing. The digital slaves are to some extent more pathetic than traditional salves.

The traditional slaves were under compulsion to work as slaves but the digital slaves are willing slaves.

They are happily and willingly ready to leave their friends and acquaintances, their reputation and all other external aspects of their digital identity.

Users have no assurance that the value of the free data they provide bears any relation to the value of the free services they receive.

We generate data around the clock from awakening to sleep even during our sleep too. Where we are, how we pay our bills, how many there are of us at home, what videos we watch, what websites we visit, what we buy, where we go, who our friends and family are, where we work, what teams we support etc.

With every passing day we generate an ever-increasing volume of data. According to a study published in 2018 by the Harvard Business Review, the value of the data generated by a household of four people is about $20,000 annually.

Data that is valuable not only from the advertising point of view, but also insofar as it is a vital component for Artificial Intelligence.

In the digital world we are all slaves to Tech-giants namely the Big Five. We provide dates free of cost.

This free labor enables digital Big Five (Apple, Facebook/Meta, Amazon, Google and Microsoft) to hoard vast fortunes.

In return, we receive free apps and other internet services. We have no property rights on the data.

This relationship between the digital networks and their users is digital slavery. There is, of course, no assurance that, for every individual, the marginal value of the free internet services is equal to the marginal value of the users information.

Much like the marginal value of slave labour far surpassed the marginal value of the food, clothing and shelter that the slaves received.

Hal Varian, the chief economist at Google, squabbles that presently data is abundant and thus almost valueless, whereas the designers of the networks are scarce and thus generate most of the value of the digital network services.

This self-serving argument is analogous to arguing that slave labour, in the heydays of slavery, was plentiful and that most of the value was generated by the designers of the slave plantations.

The system is also unjust, since the owners of the digital networks exert irresistible authority.

They possess the entre to the digital data on which their users rely, much as old-style slave-owners owned the access to their slaves basic provisions.

The slave-owners were in a position to abuse their market control to their own material gain, much like the digital networks nowadays are doing.

As a result more than 40 million people around the world are enslaved today. Chancellor Merkel suggested that digital data should be priced and users must be able to sell their data contrary to that we are digital slaves and our digital identity is fully controlled and used by organization.

The notion of self-sovereign identity of digital users is at risk. Most of the users are entirely unaware of the digital system.

They consider Privacy in their own hands while it is the other way round. Privacy means that only authorized recipients can entre your digital identity; trustworthiness means that the information enclosed in your digital identity is correct.

The Cambridge Analytical scandal and other misdeeds suggest serious problems concerning privacy.

We are living in the digital regime under powerful digital monopolies, linked to the rise of inequalities in major market economies, large-scale exploitation of digital users for political purposes, and the prevalent incapability of digital users to clutch the business purposes that their data serves intimidation to dent market economies and democratic processes.

It is so easy to be taken in by the positive spin surrounding ICT. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights must include digital slavery in its declaration.

The digital world is shaping and reshaping our beliefs, dictating how and what we consume and enforcing the rules.

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is observed annually on 23 August.

This day raises awareness about the gruesome nature of the slave trade and reminds people about the transatlantic slave trade and its implications.

Transatlantic slave trade affected over 15 million people, including children, for more than 400 years.

This day is observed in memory of all victims of the slave trade and also aspires to promote critical examinations of such behaviours that could lead to modern forms of exploitation and slavery.

The writer is an educationist, based in Lahore.

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In the whirl of digital slavery | By Prof Abdul Shakoor Shah - Pakistan Observer

There is a policy that would, at little or no cost to the Exchequer, increase the sum of human happiness in the nation because it would have made this week, and those that follow, so much less anxiety-laden for thousands of students and their parents. In the wake of exam-result Thursday, we now ought to abolish the GCSE. The UK is in a small minority among developed nations in having public examinations at 16. Few nations divide their student populations as we do at that age. Its time we stopped. And that should be just the start of what we do with education.

The original School Certificate, which is the distant ancestor of the GCSE, catered for a world in which most pupils left full-time education by the age of 16. Since its abolition in 1951, British education has veered between separating students and binding them together. The O-level, which replaced the School Certificate, was split in two in 1965 when Harold Wilsons government introduced the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) for the less academically able portion of the cohort. In 1986 Margaret Thatchers government put the pieces back together again with the creation of the combined General Certificate of Secondary Education, with pupils sitting the first GCSE exams nationwide in 1988. But its never really worked for everyone.

The GCSE is fine, though unnecessary, as a signalling device to separate those who are going on to do academic A-levels from those who are not. But every year something in the order of 100,000 pupils do not get five good GCSEs defined as grade 5 or above, and considered to be the basic necessary standard or the equivalent technical qualifications. Most of them will be from working-class backgrounds. They will have gone through their education and effectively been marked as a failure at the end of it. Before students can embark on a path to which they are suited, we force them to fail.

[See also: Tony Blair is right: more people should go on to higher education]

This is part of the reasoning that informs some radical suggestions for reform published on 23 August by the Tony Blair Institute (TBI). Education, argued the TBI report, is staying fixed while the world of work is changing rapidly. The school curriculum, it goes on to say, is not organised to foster the critical and persuasive skills that students now need as they emerge from education into work. Time was when the school gates closed behind a young man (as it usually was then) and the factory gates opened to let him in. Today, we are failing too many students with an education that doesnt match the times. So, abolish the out-of-date GCSE and replace it with continuous but internal assessment.

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In a thoughtful piece for the Institute for Government, Sam Freedman, a former education adviser to Michael Gove (and an NS contributor), makes the valid point that upheaval has costs as well as benefits, and that the GCSE does a good job in concentrating students minds on valuable information. Radicals should always halt and take the conservative objection seriously but surely in the UK we can, as other nations do, provide a valuable education without the need for a public examination at 16. The pertinent question might be this: if we did not have the GCSE, would we invent it? It is hard to imagine what problem it would be designed to solve.

What it does achieve is to split the pupil population along academic lines. On 18 August, an older cohort of nervous students received their A-level results. The TBI wants to be shot of the A-level too, on the same grounds: that it looks backwards to a world before artificial intelligence and automation. The more potent critique of the A-level is that not enough people do it. Six out of seven of British 18-year-olds were not worried about their A-levels on results day, because they didnt take them. This points to the greatest deficiency of all in the UK education system, which the annual obsession with GCSE and A-level results barely begins to touch. As a country we provide a world-class education for the highest-achieving students, but nothing of a comparable standard for their able but less academic peers.

[See also: You dont win over young people by blocking their access to education]

The reason for this is written deep into the history of British education. Rab Butlers 1971 memoir The Art of the Possible is one of the best reflections on being a senior politician in the genre, but that didnt stop his later biographer Anthony Howard giving the book a stinking review for being blind to the failure of the 1944 Education Act that Butler introduced. The Butler Act established three tiers of institution grammar schools, technical schools and secondary moderns.

With the benefit of hindsight we can see that there were two fatal errors in Butlers system. The split between grammars and secondary moderns condemned a generation of school children to an education that was widely seen as second class.

Butlers second mistake was even greater. The technical schools failed to materialise. While grammar schools and comprehensive education dominated the debate thereafter, the technical institutions were quietly forgotten. There have been endless half-hearted attempts to boost vocational educations over the years, but it is hard to think of a minister who ever took that job especially seriously. It is still early days for the new post-16 T-level, which began in 2020. Students take a two-year course with both theoretical and practical aspects, and a work placement in subjects such as design, surveying and planning.

T-levels need to be given a chance to bed in. They have been devised with the full collaboration of employers, so it is not foolish to wish they succeed. Lets hope they do, because radical reform, as Sam Freedman reminds us, is politically hard. Indeed, nobody knows this better than Tony Blair himself. In 2004, a former chief inspector of schools, Mike Tomlinson, conducted a major review of the curriculum, which recommended a four-part diploma for 14- to 19-year-olds, to replace the existing system. It was an attempt to include everyone in a single structure while permitting the specialisation necessary to respond to the variety of talents. When this idea reached the prime minister he instantly responded that abolishing A-levels just before a general election was poor politics.

Any serious change will have to await the new government. The Tory leadership contest continues to throw off policies on which no thought has been expended. Both candidates blithely endorsed grammar schools the indestructible cockroach of Tory prejudices. Liz Truss then went a stage further with an odd proposal that Oxford and Cambridge should be forced to interview all candidates with three A* grades at A-level, which would require the ancient universities to conduct about 13,000 interviews per annum.

It used to be the case that Conservative politicians created a reputation in the Department for Education. Butler, of course, created the 1944 act during the wartime coalition. As education secretary, Margaret Thatcher closed more grammar schools than any Labour counterpart. Keith Joseph picked up a policy left by Shirley Williams and created the GCSE. Kenneth Baker established the national curriculum. Michael Gove greatly expanded the academy schools programme.

But since Gove was forced out of the job by Lynton Crosby in 2014, there have been a further seven secretaries of state for education. Trying to name them all is a parlour game of ineffable dullness. The turnover shows the lack of seriousness with which the government has lately treated the brief. From 1986, when Kenneth Baker began his tenure, to the end of Gillian Shephards in 1997 there were just five ministers. In 13 years of Labour government there were six. The Tories have got through eight in 12 years and one of them, Michelle Donelan, only lasted for 36 hours. At that rate, a week really is a long time in politics. We have, in fact, been waiting three quarters of a century for an education system that matches the times.

[See also: Keir Starmers energy strategy hints at Wilson-like cunning]

Link:

Why we need to scrap GCSEs - The New Statesman

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of todays noon briefing by Stphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Noon Briefing Guest

Our guest will be Yasmine Sherif, the Director of Education Cannot Wait, the UNs global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises.

Yasmine will be here to speak to you about the launch of their new Annual Report, which highlights results achieved for crisis-affected girls and boys.

**Security Council

I do want to flag that at 3 p.m. this afternoon in the Security Council, Rosemary DiCarlo, the head of the political affairs department, will brief on situation in Ukraine around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. We will try to get you those remarks ahead of time.

**South Sudan

Turning to South Sudan, the UN Mission in the country today said it is concerned about the safety and security of thousands of civilians who are caught up in recent clashes between rival armed groups in Upper Nile State.

The UN Mission noted that fighting in and around Tonga town that began on 14August has displaced over 15,000 people, while flooding is hindering their access to humanitarian aid and safer areas. So far, more than 200 of the displaced persons have sought refuge at the UN Protection of Civilians site in Malakal, which is the capital of Upper Nile State. Many children are reported to be missing or separated from their families.

To help address the situation, the UN Peacekeeping Mission is engaging with the impacted communities, and also with the Government and local authorities, to quell tensions and support efforts towards a peaceful solution.

Furthermore, the Mission is supporting the movement of humanitarian organizations and deploying additional peacekeepers to the UN protection site to increase security and mitigate the risk of spillover fighting.

The UN Mission calls on all parties to respect international law and safeguard freedom of movement for humanitarian organizations in Upper Nile area.

**Horn of Africa Children

Staying in the Horn of Africa, the UN Childrens Fund today said that children in the Horn of Africa and in the Sahel could die in devastating numbers unless urgent support is provided, as severe malnutrition and the risk of water-borne disease collide. Catherine Russell, the head of UNICEF, warns that across the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, millions of children are just one disease away from catastrophe.

The Agency says that the number of drought-hit people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia without reliable access to safe water rose from 9.5million in February of this year to 16.2million in July, putting children and their families in increased danger of contracting illnesses like cholera and diarrhoea. According to the WHOs latest data, already, more children die as a result of unsafe water and sanitation in the Sahel than in any other part of the world.

**North-East Nigeria

In north-east Nigeria, our humanitarian colleagues are telling us that the number of severe acute malnutrition cases being admitted to treatment facilities has risen by over 30percent compared to the same period January to July last year. With the lean season under way, up to 4.1million people are projected to face acute food shortages in the north-east and the malnutrition situation is quickly deteriorating.

Our colleagues say that some 8.4million people in the north-eastern states will need humanitarian aid in 2022. In the first quarter of 2022 we, along with our partners, have reached 1.8million people with assistance in the north-east. 1.3million people received water, sanitation and hygiene assistance and nearly 50,000 benefited from services to address gender-based violence.

Our humanitarian colleagues in the field warn that without immediate funding, the situation could deteriorate sharply over the coming weeks marking the peak of the lean season. The 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), requiring $1.1billion, is currently only 37percent funded.

**Eswatini

And staying in Africa but moving south, in Eswatini, the UN team there, led by Resident Coordinator George Wachira, continues to strengthen Eswatinis responses to the impacts of multiple crises, including COVID-19, as well as Cyclone Eloise, civil unrest in June [2021], and most recently, the war in Ukraine.

With the support of UNICEF and the WHO, the Ministry of Health has vaccinated 33percent of the population for COVID-19. UNICEF and UNESCO have contributed over $7million towards making teaching and learning accessible to all children, including through diversified remote and web-based learning platforms.

A cash-for-work initiative by the World Food Programme, through the Ministry of Public Works, is creating [labour-based] employment in communities to alleviate poverty and food security among 340,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance. The FAOs and WFPs Home Grown School Feeding initiative is enhancing efficiency and access to nutritious and safe food for school meals produced by local smallholder farmers in Eswatini.

**Rohingya Refugees

And today, the UN refugee agency noted that this week marks five years since more than 700,000 Rohingya women, men and children fled Myanmar for Bangladesh, joining hundreds of thousands of other Rohingya who had sought and found refuge in the country in previous years. UNHCR said that the latest exodus from Myanmar is now officially defined as being a protracted situation.

**International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition

And today is the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition. Audrey Azoulay, the head of UNESCO, stressed that it is time to abolish human exploitation once and for all, and to recognize the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual. Today, she said, let us remember the victims and freedom fighters of the past so that they may inspire future generations to build just societies.

**Financial Contribution

I will end with a little quiz for you.

Today, this Member State paid its dues in full. It is the country that is home to the oldest clock in Central America and the second-oldest clock in the world. The clock, which was constructed around 1100 AD by the Moors, hung in the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, and is now situated in the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in this country.

Correspondent: [inaudible]

Spokesman: Nope.

Correspondent: [inaudible]

Spokesman: Nope. Thats not even Central America.

[laughter]

Oh, my God. This is so, so you know what? You get no questions for a week. No, its in Honduras, and we thank our friends in Honduras for paying their membership dues in full.

**Questions and Answers

Betul.

Question: Thank you, Steph. Ill start with Ukraine. Yesterday, you said that you needed assurances for the safety of UN personnel to go and conduct the investigation. Since both parties, Ukraine and Russia, agreed to the establishment of the Fact-Finding Mission, why cant you get the assurances? Is it the Ukrainians? Is it the Russians? What makes it hard for

Spokesman: I mean, once

Question:you?

Spokesman: the discussions are ongoing. Once we feel that we have the level of safety for the staff for both parties to go in, we will make that announcement.

Question: And has any of the parties said that were giving you assurances?

Spokesman: Once we have assurances from both parties and we feel it is safe enough, they will go.

Question: And can I also follow up on the Horn of Africa? You said that children may die in devastating numbers unless urgent support is provided. What are these urgent needs? Is the money for the World Food Programme to get all these

Spokesman: It is

Question: monies?

Spokesman: It is cash and funding to address the what we call kind of a multidimensional crisis, because its not just food; its access to safe drinking water and public health, as well.

Question: And how much are you asking for?

Spokesman: Ill check with UNICEF. Yep.

Edie.

Question: Thank you, Steph. As you know, tomorrow is the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and I know the Secretary-General not sorry. Six-month anniversary.

Spokesman: Six months.

Question: Pardon me. Im moving too fast.

I know the Secretary-General is going to be at the Security Council. Is there any chance that he can stop and talk to us at all? And is he going to be issuing any kind of a statement?

Spokesman: Well, I mean, I think the statement he will deliver tomorrow will be the statement on the six-month mark of this phase of the war. And I think he will mark the tragedy, the tragedy of civilians in Ukraine, the death, the displacement, the destruction that they have suffered for the last six months. And I will ask him to stop and just say a few words.

Edward.

Question: Hi, Steph. I have several questions. First, on the tragedy of Daria Dugina, yesterday, you said there needs to be an investigation, and then the Russian investigators already said have already said they identified the suspect as a Ukrainian woman. Does the UN accept this investigation?

Spokesman: Its not for us to accept or reject. I mean, this I really have nothing more to say than what I said yesterday.

Question: Okay. So, more questions on Korean Peninsula because starting yesterday

Spokesman: Korean or

Question: Korea, Korean Peninsula.

Spokesman: Yep.

Question: So, yesterday, the US and South Korea started what they called the biggest military practice in years, and some people just fear it would accelerate the tension in the peninsula. Whats the UNs response?

Spokesman: Well, I mean, we would hope that it does not aggravate tensions on the peninsula.

Question: And also, we know that, in the past few months, the DPRK accused South Korea they said, after the investigation, they found the COVID-19 pandemic inside DPRK is originated from the balloon that flew from South Korea. Any comments on that?

Spokesman: I have absolutely no way of commenting on that.

Correspondent: Okay.

Spokesman: MissSaloomey.

Question: I believe Russia asked the Secretary-General to brief today in the meeting on Zaporizhzhia. Why did he why is he not

Spokesman: Rosemary DiCarlo will be briefing representing the Secretariat, which the Russian Federation is fully aware of. There was a scheduling issue. He will be there he will be briefing tomorrow on basically reporting back on his trip, and then Rosemary DiCarlo will also brief on the broader situation in Ukraine.

Question: I have a question, not on Central America but North America. The Mexican President said yesterday that they were going to file a complaint against the UN on the failure by COVAX to deliver vaccines that had been promised. Today he said that, after he spoke, COVAX reached out to them, and they are offering some a number of doses. Have you been in touch with Mexico on this? And are you aware of similar problems in other countries with the amount of

Spokesman: No, I mean, the from the Secretary-Generals Office, no. Ive no doubt that the Mexican authorities have been in touch directly with our colleagues who manage the COVAX facility. I mean, I think the COVAX facility has done a tremendous job globally with extremely limited resources. We have talked about the underfunding of it for quite some time, but we very much hope that whatever issues there may have been have been or will be resolved quickly.

Question: And a question on a different issue, if I may. Theres local media reports about a diplomat accredited to the UN that was arrested over the weekend after being accused of rape, and he was released after claiming his diplomatic immunity. Has the UN been contacted by anyone? And are you taking any measures on this?

Spokesman: No, were aware of this. Weve seen the press reports. I think this is an issue having to do, as you said, not with a I think there had been some early misreporting on it not with a anyone who is working for the United Nations but a member of the diplomatic corps.

I think any alleged rape or sexual assault needs to be fully investigated. This is a particular issue between the Member State and the US Government, but well keep an eye on it.

Oh, okay. Thank you. Okay.

All right. If there are no more questions oh, Iftikhar, sorry. You have a question.

Correspondent: I have one

Question: Thank you, Steph. The United Nations had joined efforts by Pakistan to counter the floods, but now that more rains are threatening, does the United do you have an update on that?

Spokesman: I do not have an update, but we can ask our country team, but I know the UN team in Pakistan is always ready and willing and able to support the authorities in Pakistan, if requested, to deal with any natural disaster.

Okay. I will go get Yasmine.

Excerpt from:

Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General | UN Press - United Nations

Ten of the 14 fraternities in the University of Southern Californias Interfraternity Council cut ties with the institution this month, protesting stringent restrictions the university imposed in response to allegations of sexual violence at fraternity houses. The new rules, CBS Los Angeles reported, would include increasing security at fraternity parties, deferring rush to the spring semester, and receiving sexual-violence-prevention education through university workshops.

USC slammed the fraternities actions in a statement: This decision seems to be driven by the desire to eliminate university oversight of their operations. The members are chafing at procedures and protocols designed to prevent sexual assault and drug abuse and deal with issues of mental health and underage drinking. The university urged students not to join these fraternities or attend their events, which wont be subject to the scrutiny university-affiliated groups receive.

The disaffiliated fraternities will no longer be able to use USCs name or logo. Theyve created their own group: the University Park Interfraternity Council.

The situation at USC follows disaffiliations at the University of Colorado at Boulder, West Virginia University, and Duke University.

So-called underground fraternities raise a number of concerns for colleges. Being free from the rules that apply to other groups may facilitate dangerous alcohol and drug use, hazing, and sexual assault problems that already abound in many fraternities. The risk of dangerous activity in underground fraternities also complicates calls for Greek-life abolition, because of the concern that dissolved groups would simply repopulate without their institution keeping watch.

The Chronicle asked Gentry McCreary, a consultant who works with fraternities and sororities on risk management and a former director of Greek affairs at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, what else colleges should know about this phenomenon.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What are some reasons a fraternity might disaffiliate?

There are a couple. One has to do with sweeping, system-wide action. If there are one or two fraternities that have misbehaved or been in trouble for things, but were going to punish everyone, were going to do a system-wide shutdown. Those who are following the rules and behaving are being suspended along with everyone else. That certainly, depending on the nature of those shutdowns, can drive some people toward that decision.

Why are we seeing this now? What is motivating this phenomenon?

In the last five years, I think youre seeing a lot more of it, and I think a lot of it has to do with the lack of trust between undergraduates, alumni, and the host institutions. Theres a lack of relationships there. Students and alumni dont feel like they are getting the same level of support from their host institutions, and so its an easier decision for them to make. Just the basic logic, With all the strings that are attached to the university recognition, what are we getting in terms of a return? I think a lot of groups have done the math and realize that in certain circumstances, walking is not that big of a deal.

A place like USC is a perfect example. Dukes another example. These are private institutions. These are institutions where the housing is near but not on campus. Whereas at a place like Alabama, that couldnt happen because all of those houses are on university property. So a fraternity thats in a house thats on campus cant say, Were going to be independent, but then youre going to move out of your house, right? Thats a totally different conversation. So there are certainly campuses where the lay of the land in terms of housing public versus private make it easier for groups to make that decision.

What risks does disaffiliation pose for Greek-letter organizations?

There are some concerns around health and safety. If a group walks away from university recognition, theyre no longer availing themselves of training opportunities around risk management, health, and safety the university might provide.

And then a lack of environmental control. When the university gets out of that business, when theyre no longer involved in controlling or managing or even influencing the environment in which students are engaging in some of these problematic behaviors, I cant imagine a scenario in which that would make things more safe.

How should colleges deal with this phenomenon?

Partnership. Groups dont want to walk away from university recognition, and they do it really as a last resort. At the end of the day, it really just comes down to relationships and goodwill. And thats what we saw at USC, is that those relationships and goodwill deteriorated over a period of several months.

What recourse do colleges have when a fraternity disaffiliates?

They can make life hard on that group. They can say, for example, to parents at orientation, Hey, these eight groups are not recognized by the university. We think they are more dangerous. We advise that you not allow your children to join these disaffiliated organizations. So you generally see some sort of PR effort aimed at educating prospective students and parents about the presence of any underground or unrecognized groups.

And then, obviously, those groups lose the ability to do certain things on campus. They cant reserve space on campus. They dont get to participate in the formal recruitment process that is hosted by the institution that the other groups are participating in.

Some have said that if colleges abolish Greek-letter organizations, theyll just crop up underground. What does this mean for the Abolish Greek Life movement?

Ive always felt like the Abolish Greek Life movement was pretty Pollyannaish. The whole idea is that universities should not recognize these groups. Students can still choose whether or not to associate with Greek-letter organizations. If, at the end of the day, all thats occurring is that universities are withdrawing their recognition, then ultimately theyre choosing not to engage in and invest in student wellness, safety, et cetera. The idea that we can just ignore something and it will go away as a strategy for risk management seems to me to be a pretty poor strategy. Its the head-in-the-sand approach. Embracing reform is a much more useful position in terms of actually making the experience better and making it safer.

Should we expect to see more of this? What should higher education take away from this?

I do see in my work at the national level a handful of national fraternities that are more and more willing to take this step, that just dont see the value in university partnership and are more willing to go it alone without the universitys support. But I do think there are forces at play at the national level that are trying to get the word out there to campuses: Here are the things that we need in terms of partnership. Heres what we need in terms of due process when it comes to misconduct. These are the red lines that really cant be crossed. And I do think people are paying attention to that because I think most campuses dont want this problem. They dont want independent IFCs. They dont want to have an entire segment of the Greek community operating in the shadows.

The rest is here:

What to Know About Fraternities Cutting Ties With Their Colleges - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Emily Maitliss explosive claim that the BBC was infiltrated by an active agent of the Conservative party who is shaping the broadcasters news output shows why she was right to quit the corporation, insiders have said.

The former Newsnight host singled out the role of Sir Robbie Gibb, the former No 10 communications director appointed to the BBC Board by Boris Johnsons government, in her first public speech since leaving the broadcaster.

Maitliss claim that Sir Robbie, who once led BBCs Westminster coverage and was involved in founding the right-wing GB News channel, is now the arbiter of BBC impartiality, exposed divisions within the corporation over the direction of its news coverage.

Director-General Tim Davie has made impartiality the defining issue of his tenure, cracking down on staff using social media to air personal views.

He has acknowledged that the BBCs Brexit reporting failed to identify the strength of pro-Leave feeling in red wall towns.

Gibb was accused of seeking to block the appointment of Jess Brammar, a former HuffPost UK editor, to a senior BBC News executive role, because of her previous political views (the appointment ultimately went ahead).

Sir Robbie, who has influenced a series of ongoing BBC reviews into impartiality, believes the BBCs credibility depends on challenging assumptions that its news values are driven by a Remain-backing metropolitan elite.

Maitlis, who left the BBC for commercial rival Global, after a series of rebukes for impartiality breaches, most notably her Newsnight Dominic Cummings monologue, demonstrated in her Edinburgh TV Festival speech why she had to go, sources said.

Emily has nailed her political colours to the mast now, an insider said. She was chafing against the impartiality guidelines during the end of her time at Newsnight. Tim is relaxed that she has gone. It looks the best decision for everyone.

Maitliss suggestion that political pressure has forced the broadcaster to censor itself when reporting the cost of living crisis and the Brexit fallout found sympathy among BBC News staff, facing cuts due to the planned merger of the BBCs news channels into a single service.

There was anger within the BBC newsroom that the broadcasters online report on the speech initially omitted to mention the Gibb claim.

A section naming Gibb was later added in to the story. BBC sources said it was not unusal to update stories.

Bosses insist the BBCs reporting and the grilling of ministers on Today and other outlets is as rigorous as it has ever been.

Rob Burley, former head of the BBCs political programmes who now oversees Andrew Marrs LBC show, said Maitlis was right to warn of the dangers of self-censorship.

The biggest influence government have over BBC is the threat of further cuts to or abolition of the licence fee.

I generally kept my distance from Downing Street but for me thats where youll find the most worrying aspect: No 10. Comms too able to influence BBC Millbank (Westminster) bosses, Burley said.

Strong BBC reporters and editors counter-balance this threat but bosses are now weaker, Burley tweeted. In recent years Millbank has become renowned for story squashing.

Former Labour Cabinet Minister James Purnell was made the head of BBC Radio and Education output without creating many ripples, Burley noted, asking if a political background should exclude individuals from any senior BBC role.

BBC Chairman Richard Sharp, who donated 400,000 to the Tory party before being appointed by Downing Street, has found himself defending the corporation against ministerial attempts to undermine the licence fee.

The BBCs position on impartiality was further muddied by a Twitter spat between a News executive and Gary Lineker.

Neil Henderson, a home and foreign news editor, said he would be sacked if he expressed the same critical views on government policy, as the Match of the Day presenter. Lineker has been told he has more leeway since he doesnt work in news and current affairs.

Delivering the BBCs official response, chief content officer Charlotte Moore insisted that in no way was there any influence from the Government or the board on the BBC over its decision to rebuke Maitlis over her Newsnight monologue.

Maitlis claimed the BBC had sought to pacify No 10 by issuing a swift apology following her 2020 segment about Dominic Cummings lockdown trip to Durham.

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Moore said impartiality is particularly important for the BBC, adding she feels viewers expect that from the broadcaster, especially when it comes to holding politicians to account.

The Guido Fawkes website questioned whether Maitlis was simply seeking to make a splash to promote the new daily podcast she is presenting with Jon Sopel, which launches next week.

Some believe Maitlis has been inspired by the example of James OBrien, who quit presenting Newsnight so he could criticise Brexit in passionate terms on his LBC phone-in show, which has 1.4 million listeners. Maitlis and OBrien are now Global colleagues.

Her departure from the BBC appears to have produced a satisfactory solution for both sides.

Originally posted here:

Emily Maitlis 'showed why she had to go', BBC insiders say as impartiality row escalates - iNews