Category Archives: National Vanguard

Current research revealed that at the age of 34, the average woman should be having the time of her life. At that age, it revealed 34 as the age when women are at their happiest as they tick off some of lifes most important boxes, like settling down, establishing a career and buying a home. In case youre wondering when are the other milestones, Tanith Carey, a sociologists gives the ultimate time line of a womans life from teens to retirement:

12 The average age at which a girl becomes a woman is 12 years and seven months although the exact timing of her first period will follow that of her mother, according to scientists at the University of London. They found that genes play the dominating role in the onset of menstruation, along with physical and environmental factors.

14 Forget the terrible twos. With hormones kicking in, a girl is at her most tricky to deal with at the age of 14. Parents of teens interviewed for one study claimed that sulkiness and tantrums hit their peak at this age, due to conflicts over boys, make-up and drinking.

16 A year after her first kiss, at an average age of 15, the next important landmark for a girl will be losing her virginity. It seems that the age of consent is still relevant, because for most girls, its still 16 a year after the average age for boys.

18 Having lost her virginity two years earlier, by the age of 18 a young woman is by now sexually experienced enough to enjoy her first orgasm with a partner.

20 Even though the average girl today has been sexually active for four years by this stage, ideally she should have waited until 20 for the best chance of happy future relationships. Researchers at the University of Texas found those who waited to have their first lover were better educated, went on to have better paid jobs and enjoyed more satisfying marriages.

22 The bland foods we liked as children are no longer enough to suit a womans more adventurous palette. Taste-buds stop regenerating as quickly at this age, enabling us to find stronger flavours, more palatable.

25 Is the lowest point for a womans sexual confidence, due to worries about not having the perfect body and comparisons with how other women perform in bed.

27 Women will fall in love on average four times during a lifetime and most will settle down at the age of 27 with a third being lucky enough to stick with their first love.

28 Although many women are in long-term relationships by this age, it seems the desire to play the field is still strong. This is the point when they are most likely to cheat on their partners.

29 The best age for a woman to snap up a property with her partner. This gives her time to upgrade to a bigger home when babies come along, and also means shell be mortgage-free by 61.

30 Its not always clear which comes first these days but as well as 30 being the most common age for a woman to marry in the UK, official statistics say its now also the average age for a woman to have her first baby. Slightly different here in the country though some young women now get married late.

32 After years of chopping and changing, its at 32 that women finally achieve their perfect hairstyle.

34 This is the best possible age at which to give birth. Sociologists looking at the birth experiences of 3,000 women for the Journal of Health and Social Bahaviour found that those who delayed having a child until now had fewer complications (before the risks start to rise again with age), and were also more emotionally mature and financially secure.

35 As they juggle work and parenthood, this is the age when women feel most stressed. If a woman hasnt become a parent now after trying, its also at this age that she is most likely to start IVF, reports the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

38 After getting their feet under the desk, 38 is the prime age to take a career break or go travelling. Researchers found that by now women feel financially stable and sufficiently well-established to take a break without their career paying the price.

39 The average woman will be getting her highest salary now, but over a lifetime in work, she will earn 20 per cent less than a man in the same role, according to EU statistics.

40 Life has to begin (again) at 40 for many women because this is the average age at which she is most likely to divorce, according to the Office for National Statistics. Men will be 43 at the time of their first marital break-up.

47 Is the oldest age that most women feel comfortable in a bikini going for one-pieces on their next birthday. It is also the age when women believe their looks begin fading fast.

49 Its time to slip back into baby mode for many women at this age. This is the birthday when you are most likely to become a grandmother for the first time, report researchers at the Future Foundation. During her lifetime, the average granny will go on to have 4.07 grandchildren.

50 There are mixed blessings for women at 50. the good news is that its the average age when women become debt free, due to a combination of rising salaries and being left an inheritance. But visible signs of old age are advancing fast. While men tend to start going grey at the temples, women are also likely to be greying at their partings. A study published by the British Journal of Dermatology found that by 50, between 63 and 78 per cent had some grey hair.

51- This is the age at which most women finally stop having periods. It may not be a coincidence that this is the also the age when women believe they become invisible to men, who stop giving them appreciative smiles or open-doors for them.

52 There may be a good reason that, at this age, actress Demi Moore looks so youthful, Saga magazine found that this is the moment when women are most prepared to entertain the idea of plastic surgery, with eyelid lifts being the most common procedure, followed by face-lifts and dermabrasion.

55 At this stage in her life, a woman most feels like the filling in lifes sandwich.

A University of London study which followed the lives of more than 17,000 women born in the same week found that 55-year-old women take on the lions share of caring responsibilities for younger and older relatives. On the upside, 55 is also the average age of British millionaires, around 40 per cent of whom are women.

58 It may have been a long time coming, but it turns out that 58 is the age women feel they have finally got that elusive work-life balance under control. A study found this is when we start to take proper lunch breaks at work, cut back on overtime and also get the right amount of leisure to enjoy our lives.

60 With more time to relax and no worries about pregnancy, it seems making love continues to be a popular pastime in the later years. Thirty-seven per cent of married people over 60 make love once a week or more, and 16 per cent make love several times a week, according to research.

63 Sixty-three years and one month is the age when women finally start to take things easy and retire if they are still working, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. Men keep earning until they are 64 and seven months.

65 It seems we never lose hope in love. A study by Age UK found that almost one in ten single people over 65 are keen to embark on a new sexual relationship. If they are already in a relationship, one in eight 12 per cent said they would like to try new things in bed with their partner.

82 Average female life expectancy is now up to 82.9 years a rise of nearly 12 months compared to 2007 and nearly four years more than men.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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The age, average woman hits her sexual peak - Vanguard

Editors note: Many events have been canceled or postponed due to concern about the coronavirus.

Winter Wonderland Ferris Wheel Rides

BATESVILLE The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce will host the White River Wonderland Ferris Wheel from 4-9 p.m. today through Thursday in Riverside Park. The fee to ride the Ferris wheel is $5 for ages 2 and older. Online reservations are required by visiting https://experience-independence-merchandise.myshopify.com/collections/experiences/products/winter-wonderland-ferris-wheel-ride.

American Legion Riders Meeting

CABOT The American Legion Riders, a group for veterans who ride motorcycles, will meet at 7 p.m. at Criswell-Robinson American Legion Post 71, 114 N. First St. Because of COVID-19, health practices and guidelines will be followed. For more information, call Post 71 at (501) 203-5715.

Virtual Tree-Lighting Ceremony

BEEBE Arkansas State University-Beebe invites the community to view its Virtual Tree-Lighting Ceremony at 5 p.m. on the ASU-Beebe website, http://www.asub.edu. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event was changed to an online ceremony. The event will include holiday greetings from Jennifer Methvin, ASU-Beebe chancellor; ASUB mascot Van Vanguard; and Santa Claus. The Leyland cypress tree has an estimated height of 25 feet and is decorated with thousands of blue and white lights.

Basic Life Support CPR Class

BATESVILLE The University of Arkansas Community College of Batesville Community Education will offer a Basic Life Support CPR course from 5-9 p.m. The class fee is $49. This course meets the requirements for health care professionals. Register at uaccb.coursestorm.com or call (870) 612-2082.

Old-Fashioned Christmas

BATESVILLE Main Street Batesvilles Old-Fashioned Christmas will take place at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The event will include a winter market, live music, carolers, pop-up shops, kids activities and more. for more information, call Main Street Batesville at (844) 462-4482.

Batesville Christmas Parade

BATESVILLE The Batesville Kiwanis Christmas Parade, with the theme An Old-Fashioned Christmas, will begin at 6 p.m. on Main and College streets. Line-up will begin at 4 p.m. at the Town Plaza for all floats. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, everyone who normally walks in the parade must be either in a vehicle, be pulled by a vehicle or be in the back of a vehicle. No candy will be thrown from vehicles. Floats to be judged must be entered in the parade in advance. All entries are asked to not incorporate a Santa on any float or vehicle. To register for the parade, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfD5uq3mn4Sb4NWcFqdhZ6h6UqqF9iZscY4slK_t8tz_0bcPg/formResponse.

Cabot Public Library

CABOT The Cabot Public Library, 909 W. Main St., is now open for browsing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with a limited capacity. Library services provided from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday include curbside pickup; copies, prints and faxes; online card sign-up; e-books, e-audiobooks and e-magazines; over-the-phone book selections; renewals; a newspaper station; take-home kits; virtual programming; and computer use. For more information, call the library at (855) 572-6657.

The Living Nativity

SEARCY Searcy First Assembly of God, 101 Benton Ave., will present The Living Nativity 2020 on Friday through Dec. 6 and Dec. 11-13. Hours are 6:30-9:30 p.m. Fridays, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Saturdays and 5:30-8:30 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call Searcy First Assembly at (501) 268-3289.

White River Wonderland Light Display

BATESVILLE The White River Wonderland Light Display is open for viewing from 5 p.m. to midnight seven days a week through Jan. 3 at Riverside Park.

Poetry Out Loud Registration

The Arkansas Arts Council is accepting registrations from public, charter and private schools, as well as home-school groups, to participate in the 2021 Arkansas Poetry Out Loud competition. The registration deadline is Dec. 18.

Students compete at the school level for a chance to become the Arkansas champion. The state winner will compete for $20,000 at the national level next spring. The Arkansas Arts Council provides all materials needed, including coaches. Virtual workshops are also being planned. For more information or to register, contact Drekkia Morning, Arts in Education programs manager, at drekkia.morning@arkansas.gov.

Harding University Holiday Lighting

SEARCY Guests are invited to view the holiday light display at Harding University through New Years. The universitys physical resources department has hung lights and Christmas wreaths across campus. All Arkansans are encouraged to add the campus to their lists of light displays to visit this year. The display is also featured in the city of Searcys Holiday of Lights, a guide to seasonal events that take place all over town during December.

Arkansas Governors School Applications

Applications are being taken for the 42nd Arkansas Governors School, set for July 5-31 and hosted by Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Eligible students need to inquire about the nomination process with their school counselor. AGS serves approximately 400 selected students from around the state during the summer before their senior year in high school. Information and instructions for applying are available at http://www.atu.edu/ags, and the deadline to apply is Jan. 20. For more information, email ags@atu.edu or call (479) 968-0391.

Painting Classes

BATESVILLE Two continuing painting classes take place at Gallery 246, 246 E. Main St. A watercolor class, taught by Aline McCracken, meets from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays. The fee is $10, with all supplies provided. Acrylic: Paint With Panach, taught by Jim Tindall, meets from 10 a.m. to noon Thursdays. The fee is $45, with all supplies provided. To register, call (870) 262-8066, visit the gallery, or see its Facebook page. COVID-19 precautions are observed in the gallery.

Bald Knob VFW Free Coffee

BALD KNOB The community is invited to get a free cup of coffee from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Bald Knob Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10007, 3012 Highway Ave. The VFW recognizes the sacrifices and efforts of all veterans and understands the importance of rallying community support for them. Volunteering to serve coffee are Will Ace Marler, a Purple Heart recipient and post quartermaster; Bill Rhino Morton, a veteran service officer; and Savannah Breaux, commander of VFW Post 10007.

Searcy Chamber Virtual Awards Show

SEARCY The Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce will present its Virtual Awards Show, with the theme Christmas Vacation, airing at noon Dec. 11, along with on-location Watch Parties. The virtual event will include an overview of the years business successes and announcements of the 2020 Business Awards, including Business of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year, Emerging Business of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. A variety of sponsorships are available. For more information, call the chamber at (501) 268-2458.

Cabot Annual Christmas Parade

CABOT The Cabot Annual Christmas Parade, with the theme The Twelve Days of Christmas is set for 5 p.m. Dec. 12. Parade entries are needed from businesses and groups in five categories: school/civic, church, business, animal/equestrian and general/personal. Get entry forms, parade rules and route maps at the Veterans Park Community Center, the Cabot Chamber of Commerce Office or http://www.cabotparks.com. The entry deadline is Dec. 7. Mail forms and a $10 entry fee to Cabot Christmas Parade, P.O. Box 1101, Cabot, AR 72023. For more information, all (501) 920-2122 or email cabotbeautiful@yahoo.com.

To submit an item for the Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, Three Rivers Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR, 72203; send faxes to (501) 378-3500; or email trnews@arkansasonline.com. The deadline for calendar-item submissions is noon Tuesday.

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Calendar Events for the Three Rivers Edition Area - Arkansas Online

In line with the mandate of the 9th National Assembly calling for memorandum ahead of the review of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended), the Nigerian youth leaders under the auspices of the Nigerian Youth Coalition (NYC) has called for the adoption of the old national anthem back into the constitution.

They made this call recently, during a press conference convened by a Member Representing Lagos Central, NYC, Daniju Sultan, as they also advocated for the creation of a new national flag to signify the birth of a new Nigeria.

The group equally lauded the efforts of the 9th Assembly joint leaderships led by the Senate President, Senator Dr Ahmed Lawan alongside his Deputy and Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment, Senator Ove Omo-Agege.

This is as NYC praised the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, with his Deputy and House of Reps Committee on Constitutional amendment Hon. Ahmed Wase for their exemplary leadership.

Without further hesitation, we hereby wish to present our memorandum advocating for the inclusion of the old National Anthem in the front cover inner page of the proposed review constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria respectively.

We are raising our voices as critical stakeholders and patriotic Nigerians calling the attention of the joint leadership of the 9th National Assemblys Constitution Amendment Committees to consider the overall impact of the submitted memorandum requesting the inclusion of the old anthem and the creation of a new National Flag signalling the birth of a new Nigeria, expected to build virile consciousness of every Nigerian citizen irrespective of our differences of tribes and tongue, but in brotherhood, we stand.

The stanzas of the old national anthem resonate with the present reality as most suitable and best model panacea for our age long attritions and ethic bigotries, political instability and lack of patriotism among our political leaders.

Consider this urgent need towards rescuing the nation by mandating compulsory singing of the anthem in the media, schools, events and occasion as the case may be.

The old anthem speaks more to our values and virtues of peace, love, unity, social justice and tranquillity.

Thus I read: Nigeria we hail thee our own dear native land though tribes and tongues may differ in brotherhood we stand. Nigeria all are proud to serve our sovereign motherland.

Our flag shall be a symbol that truth and justice reign, in peace or battle, honoured and this we count as gain, To hand on to our children a banner without stain. O God of all creation, help us build a nation where no man is oppressed, and so with peace and plenty Nigeria may be blessed.

In the same vein they called for the creation of a new national flag as our current banner is with the stain of nepotism, corruption, bad governance etc. and also the inclusion of the following sections into the review proposal.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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Youths group calls for new flag, adoption of old National Anthem - Vanguard

Urges govt to open borders for regional tradeBy Nkiruka Nnorom

Group CEO, Emerging Africa Capital Group, Mrs. Tonyi Sanni, speaks on Nigerias entry into the second recession in five years and the way forward..

COVID-19 pandemic and even #EndSARS protest have been blamed for the recent recession, but beyond these two things, what other mistakes do you think led the nation into this second recession?

Although the novel virus and EndSars protest have been blamed in some quarters for Nigerias current economic situation, from an analytic point of view, our challenges began long before the #EndSars protest. Recall that Nigeria had recorded a significant decline in GDP (-6.1%) even before the protest started in October.

Africas biggest economy slid into recession due to the reduction in revenues following the crash in oil prices and other negative impacts of the virus in the country.

For example, the lockdown brought about reduced consumption and production, disruptions in supply chains as producers could not produce during the period.

Again, increased pressure on the naira due to falling reserves also affected our currency price whilst protracted border closure contributed to the rise in inflation rate and reduced purchasing power for household economies.

With complete shutdown in business activities as curtailment for the COVID-19, do you think Nigeria could have escaped this considering?

It is unrealistic to compare a fragile economy like Nigeria which had only just come out of a recession four years ago and has other structural challenges such as commodity dependence and import dependence to developed economies with more established financial systems. There are, however, steps we could have taken to ease the pressure on the populace including more impactful stimulus and palliative measures. However, we have the challenge of low fiscal headroom.

In what ways do you think the situation will affect the ordinary Nigerian and the entire nation?

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports are historical in the sense that they are recorded in the period of reference. So, it reflects the actual effect of the nations economic stance.

The actual confirmation of the recession may further affect Nigerians by triggering further withdrawal of already reduced Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPIs) into our economy and could discourage domestic investment in the short term.

Inflation is on the rise, foreign reserves are dropping and the manufacturing sector is shrinking, how can the government encourage production and exports to earn foreign exchange and boost the economy?

Government can encourage production by improving the security environment for farmers to boost the agriculture sector. Second, government can also improve access to finance for manufacturers, re-open the borders to encourage regional trade and also manage our currency transparently and realistically.

The federal government has said that Nigeria will get out of the recession in first quarter 2021, do you think we have the right monetary and fiscal policies to navigate out of this so soon?

I believe this projection is hinged significantly on expectations of the availability of Covid-19 vaccine in major economies by Q1 which is expected to trigger increased demand for oil and correspondingly the recovery of our oil revenue dependent economy.

Is government getting it right in the area of diversification?

We must not only diversify our income source beyond crude oil sales revenue to other exports of agricultural products and solid minerals, we must also drive the process of conversion of primary produce to finished products. Our policies must encourage investment in production and in job-creating ventures. Security, political stability, rule of law and a transparent judicial system and financial inclusion are equally essential to our economic recovery and growth.

What is the way forward?

Political stability, good governance, transparency and elimination of corruption, fiscal prudence and responsibility and continuous building of trust of both domestic and international investors are the way forward.

We also need the consistent implementation of balanced, even-handed, and consistent policies that create a conducive environment for investment. Property rights must be protected and so must human rights.

Vangardngr.com

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Recession ll trigger withdrawals of FDIs, FPIs Sanni - Vanguard

By Dele Sobowale

To know that which before us lies in daily life is the prime wisdom -John Milton, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 275.

Nigerians now know the truth. Nigeria is in a recession. The dreadful result was summarized for us this way in PUNCH, November 22, 2020.

The NBS, in its Gross Domestic Product report for Q3, said the GDP, the broad measure of economic prosperity, fell by 3.62 per cent in the three months till SeptemberFor the first time in more than three years, the Nigerian economy shrank in Q2 by 6.10 per cent..

The World Bank (WB) added two bits of information to make the situation more depressing. First, the bank pointed out that this is the worst recession in 36 years. Second, WB followed that up by telling us that per capita income in 2020 and 2021 could fall to 40-year low. For Nigeria, acknowledged world poverty capital, things cannot possibly be worse. It means that we will not soon relinquish the title of poverty capital; we only have our own dismal record to beat.

A RECESSION FORETOLD IN MARCH 2020

For every folly of their [rulers], Nigerians feel the lash Horace, 65-8 BC, VBQ p 61.

Grim as all these revelations might appear to Nigerians, they represent a tragedy already foretold, as usual by VANGUARD.

While the rest of Nigeria was still wondering what would be the repercussions of COVID-19 on our economy, we presciently made the forecast of a recession. Read:

COVID-19 HAS CLOBBERED BUDGET 2020 INTO A COMA

Coronavirus: FG Considers Reviewing 2020 Budget DAILY INDEPENDENT, March 5, 2020, p 1.

55 Nigerian oil cargo unsold as demand tumbles PUNCH, March 6, 2020, p 23.

Shakespeare, 1564-1616, must have had a situation like the one in which Nigeria now finds itself before pronouncing: All things do help the unhappy man to fall. President Buhari, during one of his many trips abroad, once described himself as the most unhappy leader. He has a right to claim that title. Nigeria under him became the poverty capital of the world and that is a title that will not be relinquished soon. On four indices included in the Misery Index, MI children out of school, maternal death, infant mortality and per capita income Nigeria is ranked first in all of them. Nigeria is also home to two of the worlds five worst terrorist groups: Boko Haram and herdsmen.

Although it is the poorest country among the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, and it is only the eighth largest producer, more crude oil is stolen in Nigeria than any other country. Thus, the Federal Government of a nation, which needs every dollar it can get from oil, stands and looks on while a few selfish but powerful crooks consign the rest of Nigeria to prolonged poverty and endless destitution. None of the big oil thieves has been apprehended and prosecuted. Instead of protecting our own most important source of funds, we are contented to make requests for $22 billion loan package.

These observations are meant to provide background to what will follow in this article because Nigerians need to understand the disaster that awaits us on account of COVID 19 and our near total dependence on oil. Perhaps the place to start is what was predicted last year when the 2020 Budget was presented to the National Assembly, NASS. Unfortunately for us, the demand for crude was less than expected from January 1, 2020. It remained low throughout February and, as we move into March, we discover that COVID-19 has rendered Budget 2020 totally untenable.

BUDGET

OF SELF-DELUSION

The most obstinate illusions are ultimately broken by facts Trevor Roper, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 100.

Budget of Continuity was based on a benchmark oil price of $60 per barrel, oil production of 2.3mbpdgovernment projected a deficit of N1.91tn. The revenue performance is only 58 per cent of the 2019 budgets target due to the underperformance of both oil and non-oil revenue sources. Specifically oil revenues were below target by 49 per cent as at June 2019 President Buhari, Budget 2020 presentation to the NASS, October 8, 2019.

That was the 2020 Budget summarized. Below was my own reaction to it.

STARTING ON THE WRONG FOOT; STAYING ON THE WRONG TRACK

Morning shows the day according to an old adage.

The disaster of the 2020 Budget actually had its origins in 2015. The first three appointments every modern Head of Government makes in todays global village are: the Ministers of Defense, Finance and External Affairs. Those are the people other countries appraise most critically. And the appointments are made very quickly after elections are over. Bearing in mind that a week is a long time in politics (Harold Wilson, British Prime Minister 1970s), Buhari waiting for five months to make those key appointments had already sent a signal to the global community; and not a good one. To then turn around and hand the economy to people totally unknown in global financial institutions for the five months sent another signal. Mrs. Adeosun might be a good accountant; but, she is not and cannot be an excellent Finance Minister. The results showed very quickly. A recession followed in 2016.

The rest of the analysis of the 2020 Budget went on to predict that it will never be implemented as it is. That was before COVID-19 gate-crashed into our lives and is now going to cause a lot of havoc to the budget of every country on the planet. The first signal of the problems ahead is the turmoil in global oil trade. OPEC is now in disarray. Saudi Arabia, the largest exporter, after failing to get Russia, a non-member to agree to a cut in production and supplies, had unilaterally reduced crude price and is now set to increase output. Those steps spell economic doom for countries like Nigeria which are more heavily dependent on oil. From the evidence available at the moment, the average price of crude oil on the global market is unlikely to exceed $50 per barrel for the next three months unless an emergency meeting of OPEC is held to establish a new quota and production level acceptable to all members.

Even then, any agreement by OPEC members will not be binding on non-members who now control a larger percentage of global oil output than OPEC. The cartel has lost the clout which in the past made it possible to dictate global oil prices. While there are several uncertainties, there is one certainty, which cannot be ignored. COVID-19 has devastated Nigerias 2020 budget. It was not realistic before COVID-19; it is totally in shreds now. It requires no high intelligence to realize that a budget review is urgently needed.

BUHARI APPOINTS BUDGET REVIEW ADVISERS

For once President Buhari did not waste time in approving a budget review committee of advisers. That is a step in the right direction. Other steps must necessarily follow and quickly too because time is one of the variables they must bring into consideration. In that connection the most important matters to be decided include the following:

In the second part of this series, I will elaborate on the four issues listed above. But permit me to be the bearer of bad news: ANOTHER RECESSION IS LOOMING ON THE NIGERIAN ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT.

That was published in the second week of March long before the FG started to address its mind to the possibility of a recession.

If the Federal Government had reached out for information, it would have been able to reduce the decline in GDP growth considerably. Second quarter might not have slumped to -6.10 per cent and Q3 not as bad as -3.62.

WHERE WE STAND NOW

Hell hath no limits; nor is it circumscribed in one self place, for where we are is hell Christopher Marlowe, 1564-1594, VBQ p 89.

Food insecurity and famine in 2021 now certain.

For Nigerians living today, the closest thing to hell is here. For millions of our people, especially rural subsistence farmers, hell is definitely here. Hell is here, not only because COVID-19 might trigger another lockdown, but because criminals herdsmen, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and bandits have now shut down a significant percentage of Nigerias farmlands.

Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, Sokoto and Borno states together accounted for about 30 to 35 per cent of our annual food production. Today, even two battalions of soldiers cannot guarantee the safety of farmers and their harvests in Borno State where the governor had escaped two assassination attempts. In Zamfara and Katsina states, the governors openly announce their negotiations with bandits in order for farmers to be allowed to work in peace. Invariably, the armed hoodlums break their promises and still attack farmers. Recent kidnap of senior police officers, on their way to Gusau, at the border of Katsina and Zamfara states, revealed what ordinary people suffer on those routes.

The atrocities committed daily on the Abuja-Suleija-Kaduna highway only tell some of the story of food high-jacking by bandits in Kaduna and Niger States. Going to farm in many parts of the North has become a suicide mission; none but the bravest and most desperate now attempts it anymore.

Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary to the Federal Government, former Minister of Finance, serves proxy for all farmers in the South besieged by suspected herdsmen. Herdsmen had been visiting Falaes part of the South from time immemorial without creating havoc. Change came in 2015 when suspected herdsmen openly dropped their shepherds staffs and picked up AK-47s. Falae was kidnapped and ransom was paid and nobody was apprehended for it. A few days before I started to write this special report, suspected herdsmen devastated parts of Falaes farm once again. If Falae had depended exclusively on farming for his livelihood, herdsmen would have forced him to stop farming as hundreds of thousands had done in the South.

When criminal herdsmen went on the rampage, it never occurred to the powers-that-be that widespread famine would result. Large scale famine is now a reality with which government must now deal with. It will remain with us for a while because it is easier to destroy than to build. Millions of Nigerians have been forced to leave farms they have taken years to cultivate and turn into food machines for all of us.

The devastation of farms and the impoverishment of millions of farmers have contributed in large measure to the current recession. As aggregate personal income has plummeted with the recession, demand for meat has also dropped sharply. Shortly after receiving call from the Sunday Editor to write this article, Head Butchers in seven Lagos markets were contacted to ask about demand for beef, goat and ram meats. The result was startling. On the average, there has been about 25 per cent drop in cows, goats and rams slaughtered and sold. A stop at the cattle market Kara revealed that there is a strong correlation between what the butchers reported and the reduction in cattle sold. Lagos cattle dealers are now sending back cattle. The tragedy has come full circle.

Unfortunately, reduced demand is not the only problem facing herdsmen. Some of the cattle rustlers carrying off their animals were once farmers whose farms were devastated by suspected herdsmen. Information reaching us indicates that some displaced farmers are now imposing a sort of rural jungle justice suspected herdsmen destroy farms; farmers seize their cattle in retaliation. Paradoxically, the cattle rustlers have discovered that it is more profitable to rustle cattle than to farm. Few of them will return to farming until government finds a way to restore security to rural areas.

Agriculture, which was always the first sector to lead economic recovery after a recession, might not play that role now. The sector is in bad shape. Consequently, food prices will continue to rise.

Manufacturing mauled

Consumption is the sole purpose of production.

This is an axiom in economics which pertains more to manufacturing than any other sector. Despite its importance, manufacturing will be touched only briefly in this write up. The situation here is not different from that in agriculture. Warehouses are full of finished products unsold; and selling slowly. The demand for manufactured goods naturally lags behind request for food. With many Nigerians struggling to feed; manufactured goods are not top priority now.

Hospitality and Entertainment

This sector was simply wiped out during the lockdown. Many of the investors might never recover. And just as some people were looking towards the Yuletide to, at least, re-open shop, another lockdown is threatened. Millions of Nigerians have lost their jobs from the first lockdown. Another one will dash all hopes of getting re-engaged any time soon. Ali Baba and comedians will have to wait.

Remittances reduced

Close to twelve per cent of foreign exchange coming into Nigeria is from legal and illegal remittances. The foreign exchange coming through that source has helped to moderate domestic exchange rates. Global COVID-19 and universal lockdown had dealt a mortal blow to remittances. Nigerians abroad who were just barely surviving had little left to send home. Round two of global lockdown means that Nigerian recipients of money from abroad are in for a tough time in the early months of 2021 at least.

IMMEDIATE

FUTURE IS BLEAK

There are no desperate situations; only desperate men Joseph Goebbels, 1897-1945, VBQ p 38.

Worldwide government officials are desperate as this years global recession appears likely to continue till at least the first half of next year. Aggregate demand for crude will remain low; so will the average price. Nigeria lacks any other exportable commodity which will provide the revenue we need to achieve the targets set out in the 2021 budget which is already demolished even before the year starts.

Try as the Central Bank might, it is going to be difficult to keep exchange rates from deteriorating in 2021. Galloping inflation will follow and a greater percentage of the national revenue will go into debt-servicing.

SEVEN IMPERATIVES TO GET NIGERIAS ECONOMY GROWING

Well my friend, get me out of danger. You can make your fine speech afterwards Jean De La Fontaine, 1621-1695, VBQ p 68.

As a friend of Nigeria, I feel duty bound to obey the French writer by offering some (only some) of the ideas that will help us out of crisis.

Most economic miracles in history have hinged on the countries involved selecting and removing certain obstacles to progress. Each was unique and cannot be totally duplicated elsewhere. To me, Nigeria will progress rapidly if:

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COMMON MAN: How this recession will affect you - Vanguard

I found myself mediating between two close friends not too long ago.

They were college classmates who became very successful professionals. It turned out one needed money to complete a project. He approached the other who readily obliged. As is so often between contemporaries and friends, the terms of repayment were vague. The lender believed a period of six months was mentioned.

The borrower believed it to be at the successful take-off of the project which was to be between six to twelve months. But what irked the lender more was the lifestyle of the borrower who had travelled abroad twice in premium class during this period. The lender believed his friend should be able to pay part of the money if he could afford to still travel around the world in style. At the end of the day, mediation worked, maturity worked, money was paid and friendship hopefully, was restored. Among the lessons for me is that your lifestyle austere or flamboyant remains private to you until you go borrowing. After which it could become contentious.

This is a lesson Nigerian leaders are yet to learn. When we had petro-dollars, it really didnt matter to others how we frittered them away. It didnt matter that our leaders went for medical treatments abroad, sent their children abroad for their education and bought expensive houses in choice places while critical infrastructures were neglected at home. It was our money and we could choose to be foolish with it.

But this irresponsible lifestyle would all come into contention once we approach creditors for bail-out funds. It does not help that our officials would arrive at the negotiating venue in limousines while the lending officials use public transport. It doesnt help that the hands holding the begging bowls would be ringed by expensive jewels and the wrists banded by expensive watches.

It would not escape the notice of the officials that we would have chosen the most expensive hotels in the neighbourhood to lay our heads. It doesnt embarrass us in the least that our Head of State has executive jets at his disposal while theirs doesnt. Or that their leaders have a more austere lifestyle. What we present to our creditors is our fiscal irresponsibility. It is a weakness not a strength. What we show to them are not assets. They are liabilities economic and moral liabilities.

The display of these economic and moral liabilities is not limited to our foreign creditors alone. This display is even more in your face at home. At the national level, every contractor, every pensioner, every worker who is being owed by government is a creditor. To stretch it further, every youth who is denied education, medical care and livelihood is a creditor because the State owes them these things.

They are meant to be paid on demand. The flamboyant lifestyle of these debtor leaders doesnt help. This also goes to the Governors who strut and prance around believing they own their states. You owe the States not own them. Your profligate and irresponsible lifestyle can only irk your creditors who are the common citizens in your State. You are elected to provide for them and not the other way round. And when they are tired of your antics, they will demand what they are owed. Those demands are often violent.

This in a way could be seen as what happened in the last week of October when youths looted and plundered parts of the Nation State. Those youths who have been left on the shelf, who have been denied their space under the Nigerian sun, seized the moment of a peaceful protest to make their demand. While one does not condole lawlessness in any form, we should see it as a wake-up call.

It is arguable that the ferocity of the carnage could have been reduced if they had been better educated, housed and given means of livelihood; if they had been made to have a stake in statehood. It is telling that State after State, these youths made for the warehouses where palliatives were stored theirs were probably the hands that stored them in the first place. Meanwhile, the Northern Governors Forum concluded from their short meeting after the upheaval, that the unrest and the looting were ploys to remove the sitting President.

The underlying discontent was glossed over even when the signs are all over the North. Does the Forum also see the lootings, the kidnaps and the killings in the North as attempts to topple the President? The conclusion is another proof that the Northern Governors are not ready to confront the real issues underpinning the unrests in the north and by extension, the rest of the country. They are not ready to accept that their leadership model has failed; that there is hunger in the land. Or that the safest antidote against being toppled is good governance.

It is unfortunate that many of those whose shops and commercial properties were looted and damaged had no connection with government. Some were even silent sympathisers and supporters to the #Endsars cause. The lesson is that when rain falls, it doesnt select whose head to fall on. So it behoves us all to put shelters in place. Unknown to us, our lifestyles of lavish funerals, weddings and birthdays add to the simmering social unrest.

Many of those who park us at the venues; many of those who watch the choice food and exotic drinks that go into the halls, many of those who carry our bags laden with goodies after the events do not know where their next meals would come from. Our wasteful displays only rub festering wounds.

So every youth we leave on the street unattended to and every mouth that sleeps hungry add one more firewood to a cauldron of social unrest. On the other hand, every child we take off the street; every youth we teach a skill and provide a means of livelihood to are but one more step towards a safer community. We cannot continue to sleep soundly when an increasing number of Nigerians cant get a place to lay their heads. These things are connected.

Our political leaders must realise they owe these youths. Very few of them would choose the life they have chosen if they had a choice. If you were hungry, what would you do? asks singer Isaac Hayes in his timeless piece Soulville. The wealth our politicians flaunt which is our commonwealth really in the midst of growing poverty does them no credit. It is not an asset to them. Instead, it is a liability for which posterity would judge them.

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Everything is connected - Vanguard

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 76, 575 voters will participate in the Dec. 5 by-election to fill the only vacant seat in the Kogi State House of Assembly.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. James Apam, who disclosed this on Thursday in Lokoja, said that the seat became vacant in June following the death of John Abah, member representing Ibaji Local Government Area in the assembly.

According to Apam, 96 per cent of the voters have collected their permanent voter cards, and that the election will hold in 148 polling units spread across 10 wards in the council area.

He said that 630 ad hoc staff comprising one Returning Officer, 10 collation officers, presiding officers and assistant presiding officers had been recruited and trained to handle the election.

The REC said that the election would hold from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the election day, adding that accreditation and voting would hold simultaneously.

He assured of the readiness of the commission to conduct a hitch-free election, saying that all non- sensitive materials were already on ground while sensitive materials would come in on Dec.3.

All smart card readers to be used have been reconfigured and are ready for the election , he said.

Apam said COVID-19 safety protocols would be observed during the poll, urging voters , party agents, observers and election officials to come to the polling units with their face masks.

He also said that infrared thermometers and hand sanitisers would be provided at polling booths, while voters would be made to observe physical distancing.

He said that all security agencies in the state had been contacted to provide maximum security for electoral officials, materials and voters before , during and after the election.

The commissioner appealed to candidates , parties and other stakeholders to co-operate with commission to enable it to deliver a credible and acceptable election.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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76,575 voters to participate in Kogi Assembly by-election - Vanguard

Jenny Holtermann

Jenny Holtermann is now the new executive director of the Water Association of Kern County. She was hired two months ago to fill the vacancy left when Beth Pandol retired from her post as the association's chief executive after 10 years at the helm. Holtermann is very active in other farming organizations. She is the current second vice president of the Kern County Farm Bureau and is the District 5 representative on the California Farm Bureau Federation's board of directors, representing Kern and Kings counties.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has announced she will not pursue a leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee or any other committee next year, but instead plans to focus her attention to two climate change issues that plague California: wildfires and drought.

Vanguard Direct have hired Ethan Williams as a senior sales associate located in the Bakersfield, Calif., office. Williams brings over 11 years of sales experience to the Vanguard Direct team. He previously worked for Pretty Lady Vineyards as a sales and operations manager.

Debbie Willmann has been promoted to director of sales for Index Fresh and will work to help expand the companys customer network. Willmann has been with the company for 30 years and in her new role she will supervise the sales support department and be the sales liaison between operations, logistics, procurement, and the California field team.

President-elect Joe Biden has announced his nominees for and appointees to key national security and foreign policy posts. Antony Blinken has been chosen as the next Secretary of State, Linda Thomas-Greenfield has been selected to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and former Secretary of State John Kerry has been tapped as the special presidential envoy for climate.

Biden also has announced his appointments to members of the White House Senior Staff. Reema Dodin was appointed as deputy director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Dodin currently serves as a volunteer on the Biden-Harris Transition Team, leading legislative engagement for the confirmations process. She also serves as the deputy chief of staff and floor director to the Senate Democratic WhipDick Durbin, D-Ill. Shuwanza Goff has been selected to serve as the deputy director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Goff previously served as floor director for the House of Representatives under House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., has been elected as chairman of the Western Caucus for the 117thCongress. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., has served in the chairman role for the last four years. The Western Caucus is a bipartisan coalition that advocates for rural, western, and resource-based communities.

Tennessee nativeStephen Vaden has been confirmed to be a judge of the United States Court of International Trade. Vaden has worked at USDA since 2018,most recently as general counsel.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry

NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association has added three people to the associations staff. Mano Koilpillai has been hired as the new chief financial officer, Roxanna Barboza as industry and cybersecurity policy analyst and Lauren Gaydos as public relations manager. Before joining NTCA, Koilpillai was the founder and president of Dynamic Consulting and Accounting LLC. Barboza previously worked at USDA supporting its ReConnect Loan and Grant program. Gaydos left Capitol Hill where she worked as the communications director for Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky.

Rabo AgriFinance has tapped Shawn Smeinsto lead the business. Smeins has been with the company for 27 years and has served as interim head of Rabo AgriFinance since August, following the departure of Curt Hudnutt.

Amy Byrick has joined Novozymes as the new executive vice president of strategy and business transformation. She previously worked at DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences, where she led the global food and beverage business. Before that, she was at Amcor working in various strategic and marketing management roles.

Ranking Member of the House Committee on Natural Resources Rob Bishop, R-Utah, has promoted Annick Miller to staff director for the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife. Miller replaces William Ball, who recently departed the Committee. Miller joined the committee in 2019 as professional staff on Water, Oceans and Wildlife. She previously served as senior policy adviser for several western water agencies, the National Water Resources Association, and was legislative staff for former Natural Resources Committee Chairman, Doc Hastings, R-Wash.

The World Food Prize Foundation has hired Austin Castillo-Leovan as the new program coordinator. He will assist the director of global programs and partnerships for the foundations global youth programs. Before joining the foundation, Castillo-Leovan was a program facilitator at Al Exito, where he co-facilitated a student run after-school programs for Latin/Hispanic youth.

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting has elected new officers for 2021. Gale Cunningham of WYXY Radio has succeeded Rita Frazer of RFD Radio Network as the president. Agri-Pulses Spencer Chase is the incoming president-elect and Joe Gill of KASM has been elected national vice president. DeLoss Janke of the RFD Radio Network was elected as the organization's East Region vice president and Paul Murphy-Spooner of the United Soybean Board was elected as an Allied Industry Council representative.

After 23 years working for Monsanto/Bayer, Mindy Whittle has announced she is retiring from the company, effective Dec. 4. For the last 10 years, Whittle has served as the Oilseeds Industry Affairs Lead. In her retirement, she plans on exploring the world with her husband either by bike riding or hiking.

For more news, go to http://www.Agri-Pulse.com.

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Farm Hands West: Holtermann tapped to lead the Water Association of Kern County - Agri-Pulse

The story featured prominently on page one of the newspaper: Bail increase sought for South Davis sex-assault suspect. In addition to the story, a mugshot of the suspect.

The man is accused of attempting to rape a woman on a South Davis bike path last monthan alarming crime to be sure. And there isat least on the surfacesolid evidence in the form of a fingerprint. But the Davis Enterprise is behind the times here, as most papers across the country have stopped running mugshots.

The Tampa Bay Times announced in June that they will no longer publish mugshot galleries of the recently arrested, amid concerns they disproportionately show black and brown faces. The paper said it will still publish mug shots relevant to particular stories, but not in its gallery format.

The galleries lack context and further negative stereotypes, Tampa Bay Times executive editor Mark Katches said in a statement. We think the data is an important resource that our newsroom will continue to analyze and watch carefully, but the galleries alone serve little journalistic purpose.

In July, the Sacramento Bee went further, announcing it will limit the publication of police booking photos, surveillance photos and videos of alleged crimes, and composite sketches of suspects provided by law enforcement agencies.

The paper wrote: Publishing these photographs and videos disproportionately harms people of color and those with mental illness, while also perpetuating stereotypes about who commits crime in our community.

The Bee has taken several recent steps to work against long-standing stereotypes. We have largely banned the use of the word looting a term rooted in racism and have sought to elevate the voices of emerging writers from communities we have long underserved through our Community Voices project, said Bee President and Editor Lauren Gustus. And building trust takes time. Our intention with this policy change is to take another step forward.

Most mainstream media outlets have published police booking photos, known as mugshots, for decades. The photos are generally provided by law enforcement when they arrest or charge suspects.

But, as the Bee noted, Their publication can have a permanent damaging effect on individuals and communities.

The problem of course is that these represent arrests and suspicion. The individual may be released. They may have their charges dropped. They may be acquitted. They may plead to lesser charges.

Yet the mugshot of that person in police custody remains, the Bee wrote.

This is part of a growing trend. In July as well, The San Francisco Police Department said it would no longer release mug shots because they reinforce racial biases, joining a growing movement by newspapers and broadcasters to curtail their use.

Chief William Scott announced in July that his department will no longer even release mug shots, and there was an immediate public safety reason to do so.

This policy emerges from compelling research suggesting that the widespread publication of police booking photos in the news and on social media creates an illusory correlation for viewers that fosters racial bias and vastly overstates the propensity of Black and brown men to engage in criminal behavior, Chief Scott said in a statement.

Back in February, even before the racial consciousness triggered by the death of George Floyd, the Marshall Project reported, Newsrooms Rethink a Crime Reporting Staple: The Mugshot.

The Marshall Project cited the lasting impact of putting these photos on the internet, where they live forever, (and) media outlets are increasingly doing away with the galleries of people on the worst days of their lives.

Mugshot slideshows whose primary purpose is to generate page views will no longer appear on our websites, Mark Lorando, a managing editor at the Houston Chronicle, explained in an email to the Marshall Project. Were better than that.

Thank you, @HoustonChron for doing the right thing, tweeted Jason Spencer, spokesman for the Harris County Sheriffs Office. Im hopeful that other media outlets and law enforcement agencies will follow your lead and rethink the practice of publicly shaming arrested people who havent been convicted of a crime.

The Marshall Project noted, Some news organizationsincluding The Marshall Projectavoid mugshots altogether. The New Haven Independent, a nonprofit news site in Connecticut, doesnt typically use images or even names of people whove been arrested.

Johnny Perez, a formerly incarcerated New Yorker who is currently director of U.S. prison programs for the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, told the Marshall Project, It reaffirms existing biased and creates biases where none exist. People of color are already more likely to be found guilty than their white counterparts.

It creates this situation where youre criminalizing folks before theyre convicted of any crime, he said, noting that the existence of mugshots on the internet, where theyre easily searchable, can make it hard for people to get jobs.

Thats the key herearrest doesnt equate to having committed a crime. But the photos are often up permanently and make it hard for people whether or not they have committed the crime to escape their past. They play into stereotypes. And for the most part they serve a limited purpose.

When they do serve a public safety purpose, editors and journalists can decide on a case by case basis whether to publish the photos.

In the meantime, it is time for the local paper to catch up to the times with the rest of the countryespecially in a progressive community like Davis.

David M. Greenwald reporting

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Monday Morning Thoughts: Newspapers All Over Country Have Stopped Running Mugshots, Not the Enterprise - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

By David M. Greenwald

Yolo Committee for Diverse and Inclusive Elections (YCDIE) on Saturday afternoon held a candidates forum for the City Council candidates and the Supervisor candidates for the Fourth District.

The first question went to all candidates. Later questions were asked to specific groups, with all candidates running for the same office answering the same questions.

What have you done personally or professionally to address racism or inequity in our community?

Board of Supervisor District 4 Candidates

Linda Deos said that she has been an advocate her entire personal and professional life for racial justice issues. She talked about fighting racial discrimination in employment contracts and helping people to get their jobs back.

She said, I have found what needs to happen is change from the inside. It cant be done from the outside. Its our institutions that need to have systemic change.

She mentioned that we see it here in Yolo County where we have three percent of the population African American, Black, and 25 percent of the jail population is African American/Blackthat has to change.

She also argued, We need to be looking at redefining what public safety means.

Jim Provenza mentioned his long history of working with the ACLU and marching on Farm Worker issues, even before he became an attorney.

He said, I handled some complex employment and housing discrimination cases obtaining consent decrees, meaning orders that stopped the discrimination in the future in addition to helping the individual involved.

When he was on the school board, he said, I advocated for issues of addressing the achievement gap between students, which is still an important issue at the schools. I made that my priority.

On the Board of Supervisors, he said, I sponsored several resolutions dealing with immigration issues in the separation of families. Those resolutions made it very clear that Yolo County stood in favor of immigrants.

District 2 Candidates

Will Arnold said he has been working on issues of diversity and inclusion for a long time. As an activist he said that he had run several campaigns for women and people of color, trying to make sure that everyone has representation locally.

As a member of the Davis City Council, Im incredibly proud of our record of inclusivity and police reform in terms of ensuring that all voices are heard and that we have seats at the table for folks who had previously been left on the sidelines, he said.

Dillan Horton said this has been a lifetime and long time work for him also, going back to high school. Back in high school his adviser had him serve on a committee to address disparities in education outcomes in high school between students of color and whites.

He worked in college on accessibility issues and barriers to students getting into college and being successful in college.

He said as a member of the community and Davis he worked on campaigns for people seeking to bring access to people of color, such as Dean Johansson who was running for district attorney in the last election cycle.

I have had the opportunity to be on the police accountability commission for the last two years, really working to not just drive the commission but our whole city government in examining how we can improve our systems to make sure that everyone has a degree of safety and security in the community, he said.

Colin Walsh said he lived in New York in 2001 and was there on 9/11 and explained that a circle of white men had gathered around an Egyptian-Americans desk. They were making comments like the Middle East should be turned to glass and they were using racial slurs. He spoke out and filed a complaint, he said. He believes that led to his being terminated. I would do this today because I believe you have to be an upstander, he said.

He explained that today he flies a rainbow flag on his porch because he feels like its a good example for his kids as well as the community.

My kids have a wide range of friends that view gender in a lot of different ways, and I want them all to know that my place is a safe place for them and that Im an ally for them, he added.

District 3 Candidates

Lucas Frerichs noted that this is a very expensive community to live in. One big issue for him prior to being on the council was the creation of affordable housing. He was a board member of Yolo Mutual Housing and helped lead that organization.

During that time I worked on the creation of hundreds of units of permanent affordable housing in Davis, he said.

He also mentioned working on Dean Johanssons DA race on the issue of criminal justice reform.

Some additional work weve done on the city council has been on police reform in the creation of the Police Accountability Commission, he said.

Larry Guenther said that while he was working on the Davis Downtown Plan, many of the members noted that various races were not well represented in the discussion, and so he reached out to people of color and the underrepresented to try to get their views and make sure they were included in the discussion.

He has also tried to be really involved in city issues like trying to reimagine public safety. He said he has personally tried to call out racism in the workplace and in the community.

Trying explain to people why its racist, he said. People dont really get it. He explained that people really dont understand where white privilege is coming from.

District 5 Candidates

Josh Chapman said the most important thing that he has done and will continue to do is to acknowledge his privilege as a straight white male. He said he will work hard to be the best ally that I can be.

My privilege was never more apparent to me than when I graduated college and I moved into Southeast Washington, DC, to join AmeriCorps and work in the public school system there, he said.

He explained that he had grown up in rural Maine, one of the whitest areas of the country, and ended up in a public school system that was almost completely black.

It was at that point that I realized that my experiences were not the same as their experiences were, he said. That experience led me to pursue a degree in equity and social justice.

Kelsey Fortune said the first step when talking about diversity, race and equity is to acknowledge that theres a need for initiatives, committees and education.

The next step is to educate yourself and create spaces for diverse voices, she said. Im hopeful that we can see increased diversity in our representative bodies so that we can create these types of spaces.

She said for her personally this has really come in the form of gender, not race.

I am finishing my degree in economics, probably the least diverse field that exists, she explained. Pretty much white men. So I have to speak up every single day to make sure that we are heard.

Connor Gorman explained that he has worked with a lot of different organizers in our community to promote diversity and inclusion and anti-oppressive initiatives. He worked for justice for the Picnic Day 5.

Coming out of that process he worked with a number of different organizations to bring a police accountability commission to Davis. I also helped pressure the Davis City Council when working with the indigenous community to move their banking resources away from Wells Fargo in solidarity with the opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline, he said.

In addition, Connor said that he is working with campus organizations to promote these sorts of equity issues as wellstudents and campus workers are also a part of our community.

Rochelle Swanson said that she has worked with groups that focus on treating cervical cancer for women of color throughout the world to make sure they have equal access to health care. They have focused on East Africa, Nicaragua, Cambodia and India, as well as Thailand.

Professionally, she said, she works on the digital dividethat impacts, unfortunately, disproportionately children of color, she said.

She also mentioned during her time on the council she supported the Police Accountability Commissions formation.

In part two we will have the next two questions that were addressed to portions of the panel.

David M. Greenwald reporting

Follow Yolo Committee for Diverse and Inclusive Elections (YCDIE) on Facebook to learn more about their future programs. To watch the full live forums school board and council. YCDIE has also prepared a candidate guide that can be accessed here. Finally, ycdie is appealing to the public for donations to continue their work of ensuring diverse bodies in our local leadership as well as training the next generation into those positions of leadership in the future. To donate via paypal or credit card: To donate using a check, kindly contact ycdiedavis@gmail.com.

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Council and Supervisor Candidates Take on Race and Social Justice Issues - Part One - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis