Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

This month marks the 10-year anniversary of Tinder; a decade filled with swiping right, curating the perfect bio, and posing proudly with dead fish. It is pretty remarkable that, in such a considerably short period of time, online dating apps have completely revolutionised the world of romance.

According to data from Statista, 3.2 million Australians were using dating apps in 2021 such as Tinder, Grindr, Bumble and Hinge, making it the most common way to find a partner. Over a quarter of these daters stated they were using these platforms to find a long-term partner, with the largest demographic aged between 25 to 34.

Last year 3.2 million Australians were using dating apps such as Tinder, Grindr, Bumble and Hinge.Credit:iStock

Long gone are the days of casually meeting in a pub and feeling a spark across the room dating is now a matter of carefully selected profile pictures and setting your preferred radius to locate the love of your life.

We have a tendency to mourn the ye ol days of rom-com style romance, regarding dating apps as a colder method to find love and romance. Swiping through profiles and forming judgments within a couple of seconds can, understandably, feel a little extreme.

However, this perception disregards some of the important advantages that have been gained with the advent of these apps, namely in terms of the control and new sense of empowerment.

Romance is no longer left to the hands of fate and convenience. It does not depend upon meeting your soulmate in secondary school, or bumping into them at the bookstore. Dating apps have opened up worlds of romantic possibilities outside our personal bubbles.

Dating apps have opened up worlds of romantic possibilities outside our personal bubbles.Credit:Shutterstock

I met my partner online at the start of 2020, only weeks before the world as we knew it turned topsy-turvy. If it wasnt for dating apps, we wouldnt have met. Its as simple as that. We had no mutual friends, worked in entirely dissimilar careers, and he would much rather be kicking a soccer ball around while I would be at the theatre. There is no way our two circles would have ever collided.

Two and a half years after swiping onto his profile, we are in the process of unpacking the boxes of our first house together.

Continued here:

After 10 years of swiping right, what have we gained from Tinder? - Sydney Morning Herald

Stephen Shames had just turned 20 when he visited the headquarters of the Black Panther party in Oakland, California, and showed some of his recent photographs to Bobby Seale, co-founder and main spokesman for the organisation. Though Shames was still finding his way as a photographer, Seale liked what he saw and decided to use some of the pictures in the Black Panther newspaper. So it was that a young white guy from Cambridge, Massachusetts became the official chronicler of the Black Panthers from 1967 to 1973, documenting their community programmes, protests, rallies, arrests and funerals at close hand.

The Panthers were never a black nationalist organisation, says Shames, now 74. They formed alliances with many black writers and activists and their whole legal team was white. They were not out to get white people, as the American government insisted. They were a revolutionary organisation who worked with anybody they felt was sincerely trying to change the system to benefit poor people and create a more just society.

Since that time, Shames has published two photobooks about that struggle The Black Panthers (2006) and Power to the People: the World of the Black Panthers (2016) as well as several other titles that attest to a life of activism and deep engagement with his subjects. Next month, he will complete his trilogy on that era with a book that, as he puts it, is long overdue. Co-authored with former Black Panther Ericka Huggins, who is now a writer and educator, Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party is a dynamic visual and oral testament to the crucial role played by women in a revolutionary group whose figureheads, with a few exceptions, were men.

In her foreword to the book, the activist and author Angela Davis points out that 66% of the membership of the Black Panthers was female. She writes: Because the media tended to focus on what could be easily sensationalised There has been a tendency to forget that the organising work that truly made the Black Panther Party relevant to a new era of struggle for liberation was largely carried out by women.

At the black Free Huey rally in Provo Park in Oakland, later re-named Martin Luther King, Jr Civic Center Park, 1971.

The book is a powerful record of an intense period of grassroots activism and political engagement, a counter-narrative to the one propagated by J Edgar Hoover, the head of the FBI, who called the Panthers the greatest threat to the internal security of the country. Like the Black Panther men, the women members tended to look both stylish and dramatic, often sporting afros and at times wearing the black leather jackets and berets that were the Panther uniform. Most young people are photogenic, says Shames, but the Panthers were charismatic. It was something to do with the pride they instilled in their people. Rather than treating them as a problem, as the government did, they gave them a sense of faith and pride and I really think that shines through in the photographs.

Shamess extraordinary access allowed him to capture fly-on-the-wall shots of young women at protest rallies, but also carrying out on-the-ground organising of various Black Panther community initiatives, including the Free Breakfast for Children Program, the Peoples Free Ambulance Service and the Peoples Free Medical Clinics, which offered medical care, including sickle-cell anaemia testing. Though the series is punctuated by images of well-known female members Kathleen Cleaver (law professor and former communications secretary for the party), Elaine Brown (prison activist, writer and former chair of the party), and the late Afeni Shakur (political activist and mother of rapper Tupac Shakur) most of the testimonies come from ordinary black women whose youthful engagement with the Black Panthers remains the most empowering moment of their lives.

Carol Henry, who joined the Oakland chapter of the Panthers, recalls: I joined the BPP when I was 20 years old. I lived in a part of town where the Free Breakfast for School Children Program ran. We got up at 3am; it was a real mission, but it was beautiful. We gave those children a full breakfast every day. Cooking that breakfast was the most memorable part, because everybody got up so early and everybody worked together. Another woman, Barbara Easley-Cox, who was in the Philadelphia chapter, remembers: Love is what tied me to the party; it exemplified how I understood love. And that is: you have to love people, to serve them. I was so loved. So blessed on this earth because of my sisters, all of us, who came into the party. Its lacking today, when I look out on this landscape in America.

As co-author, Ericka Huggins wrote the introductory essay and tracked down, as she puts it, the women who were there and whose individual testimonies we could use to evoke how extraordinary that time was for many of us. Hugginss own moment of political awakening was seismic. Aged 18, and a student at Lincoln University in Philadelphia, she picked up a copy of the radical leftist magazine Ramparts and saw a photograph of a young black man strapped to a hospital gurney with a bullet wound in his stomach. Next to him, a policeman stood grinning at the camera. On reading the accompanying report, she found out that the young man was Huey P Newton, a co-founder of the party, who had authored the partys 10-point manifesto with Seale in 1966. I studied the picture for some time, she recalled years later, I didnt have tears for it, I was so appalled.

The following day, she left a note for her friend and fellow student John Huggins that read: I am going to California if I have to walk. I am going to find Huey Newton and work in his defence. Are you coming?

The pair subsequently drove across the country to Los Angeles, where they joined the local Black Panther chapter, which then comprised around 20 members. They were married soon afterwards and initially worked at whatever task was necessary: answering phones, selling newspapers, writing letters to politicians and talking to potential financial donors. Not long after their arrival in California, they attended the funeral of 17-year-old Bobby Hutton, who had been killed in disputed circumstances during a shoot-out between the Panthers and the Oakland police. The person waiting in line next to me to pay his respects was Marlon Brando, says Huggins. He looked as heartbroken as I felt.

Gloria Abernethy sells the Black Panther newspaper while Tamara Lacey holds a sickle-cell anaemia poster at the Mayfair supermarket boycott in Oakland, California, 1971.

The killing was an augury. In January 1969, her husband, who had become a leader of the Los Angeles Black Panthers, was assassinated on the campus of UCLA by alleged members of a black nationalist group, the US Organization. The killing was thought by many in the black community to be linked to the Cointelpro programme that was being conducted clandestinely and illegally by the FBI against the Black Panthers. In December that year, Black Panthers Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were killed in an FBI-orchestrated raid on Hamptons apartment.

Widowed with a three-week old daughter, Huggins moved to her husbands home town of New Haven, Connecticut and, alongside Kathleen Cleaver and Elaine Brown, organised a branch of the Black Panther party there. In 1969, she was arrested alongside Bobby Seale, and charged with murder, kidnapping and conspiracy but, after a lengthy trial, the charges were dismissed in May 1971.

Panthers sons and daughters march in front of the Black Panther office on Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, 1971.

The word conspiracy was used a lot at the time, she says now, calmly. We spent time in jail for a murder we did not commit or have anything to do with. The system, then as now, was punitive. We were punished before we even entered the courtroom and their aim was to keep us in prison for ever

Did her time in prison dent the sense of optimism and empowerment she had experienced when she joined the Black Panthers? My optimism was dented by my husband being killed, she replies, and by not being able to see my daughter except for a single hour every Saturday. But I chose not to let it break my spirit. When I was in solitary and grieving, I taught myself to meditate in a way that brought me into a deeper focus, so that when I went to court I could be really present. Its a practice I have kept to this day.

Glen Wheeler and Claudia Grayson at George Jacksons funeral in Oakland, California, 28 August 1971.

Huggins insists that her experience was not exceptional and that it helped me help the women I contacted to tell their stories, because its hard sometimes to go back. Alongside Shamess powerful images of a moment of black activism that echoes through the decades to this day, those stories evoke a time in which young black women experiencedlifechanging personal empowerment and collective possibility.

These are not war stories, says Huggins, who spent 14 years as a Black Panther, making her the longest serving woman in their history. They are stories of service to humanity. The reason they are so striking, touching and inspiring is because you can sense how beautiful and alive the women were in that moment. Every function of the government that could do harm to us did so, but we kept stepping out and stepping up, because we were giving our communities what had never been given. I think all the women in the book realise that, because they can remember how great they felt back then, what they learned, and what was indelibly imprinted on their minds and in their hearts. The book is our legacy.

Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party by Stephen Shames and Ericka Huggins will be published by ACC Art Books on 9 October. There will also be a book signing and talk on 9 October at Marcus Books in Oakland with the co-authors and special guest Angela Davis, 2-4pm

Link:

Sisters of the revolution: the women of the Black Panther party - The Guardian

Corruption involving PPE was uncovered soon after Covid hit South African shores.

Black economic empowerment policy was corrupted by officials appointed by the ANC and has been used to perpetrate economic crimes, arguesCasper Lotter.

More than two decades ago the South African government put in place a policy designed to redress racial imbalances in the countrys economy. But, as I suggest in a recent paper, the policy known as broad-based black economic empowerment) has been hijacked and repurposed by individuals and factions within the ruling African National Congress (ANC) for the purpose of corruption and self-enrichment.

This was particularly noticeable during the Covid pandemic. The governments Special Investigating Unit found that corruption or fraud accounted for 66% of all national funding set aside for the procurement of personal protective equipment.

I argue that the empowerment policy has been corrupted by officials appointed by the ANC and has been used to perpetrate economic crimes. I contend that the policy, as an ideological vehicle, was repurposed for self-enrichment.

I argue that the repurposed policy benefits only a tiny group, amid widespread unemployment, economic stagnation and poverty.

The original intention of the black economic empowerment policy to transform the South African economy by enhancing the participation of black people. The aim was to erase systemic racist inequities that had built up over centuries.

Before 1994, economic opportunities were denied African people. The policy set out to redress this historical imbalance in all spheres of the economy and society.

The initiative was wide-ranging. It included employment equity, skills development and preferential procurement. Another aspect was enterprise development, in terms of ownership and management representation.

In this way, the policy was meant to address issues that affected most black people unemployment, economic stagnation and poverty not just the elites.

But its repurposing has benefited a small elite, who have, with few exceptions, escaped accountability. Predictably, very few people have been charged with Covid tender corruption. And those exposing corrupt practices open themselves up to severe danger. A shocking example was the assassination of Babita Deokaran. She was a provincial health department whistle blower for the Special Investigating Unit, which had been looking into a multi-million rand scandal over the supply of personal protective equipment.

This lack of accountability is described by Jeffrey Reiman, an American conflict criminologist, in what he describes as Pyrrhic defeat theory. He contends that the criminal justice system in capitalist states demonises the poor to deflect the crimes of the rich.

In South Africa, the justice system is much more focused on crimes generally committed by poor people than on the crimes largely committed by the affluent and the politically connected.

Stanley Cohen, a world expert on crimes committed by the state, suggests that crimes committed by the rich and powerful are rarely prosecuted.

In my paper I show how vested interests in the South African government used the Covid-19 pandemic as a form of disaster capitalism. This is a term coined by the Canadian social and political activist Naomi Klein. By latching onto natural disasters, such as Covid-19, rich industrialists remake the scene, resulting in great profits for themselves. Klein explains:

(once a crisis) has struck it was crucial to act swiftly, to impose rapid and irreversible change before the crisis-racked society slipped back into the tyranny of the status quo.

In the case of Covid-19 in South Africa, the authoritarian measures used in the hard lockdown provided the conditions under which people could more easily divert contracts to patronage networks.

An added factor that has enabled the repurposing of the black economic empowerment policy has been the ANCs cadre-based deployment policy. This involves the government appointing members of the governing party to government positions irrespective of their competence. This has led to the creation of vast patronage networks within the ANC.

As South African political analyst Ralph Mathekga suggests in his well-informed book The ANCs Last Decade (2021),

decisions (were) made to serve the patronage networks flowing through the ANC to benefit the interests of an elite group of party officials and businessmen.

The crux of my argument is that black economic empowerment has become a disguise which has been repeatedly used to hoodwink the public. It is being used to enrich a few people while masquerading as a vehicle for mass empowerment.

This same criminal modus operandi was essentially employed during the Covid pandemic. In particular, the supply and distribution of the vaccine and personal protective equipment were enacted within the framework of the policy. Contracts were awarded solely on the criterion of being aligned to the ANC. Merit or even qualified merit didnt matter.

Economic redress is clearly justified in view of South Africas failed project of economic redistribution one of the ANCs election promises in 1994. But the vast majority of South Africans of all races are excluded from the benefits as corruption has taken hold.

The confluence of state capture (a process whereby state resources and institutions were appropriated on a gigantic scale to benefit a tiny minority of tenderpreneurs and politically connected people), as well as patronage networks within the ANC, created a perfect storm. It culminated in the governments opportunistic response to the pandemic, even if one concedes that a mere faction within the ruling party drove the initiative in favour of self-enrichment.

Casper Lotter, Research fellow, North-West University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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ANALYSIS | Only SAs elite benefits from black economic empowerment and Covid-19 proved it - News24

As student nurses some of the main buzz words we hear during our first year, centred around effectively communicating with patients, are empathy and compassion, phatic communication, active listening, humanised care, empowerment, respect and trust.

All important and powerful nouns, which send us out into placement with the determination to interact with patients in a meaningful way.

In practice, I have also learnt that human touch can often communicate a thousand words without the need for a single utterance.

"During a first-year placement in endoscopy, I experienced an inspiring example of the power of touch"

Touch is the first sense to develop in infants the importance of skin to skin contact as soon as the baby leaves the womb is widely recognised and it therefore stands to reason that it would continue to remain central to our needs as adults. Research even attributes touch to enhanced sleep regulation, increased immunity to fight infections, improved heart rate and blood pressure, and better mental health outcomes.

During a first-year placement in endoscopy, I experienced an inspiring example of the power of touch when I accompanied a patient into the procedure room for a gastroscopy he was self-assured, talkative and did not appear nervous. I monitored him throughout, and verbally reassured him while taking regular observations.

At the point the scope moved around the first bend of the large colon and the patient experienced increased pain and discomfort, I sensed him staring into my eyes as a non-verbal indication of rising panic and vulnerability. I immediately took his hand and held on tightly for the remainder of the procedure.

Afterwards in recovery he told me he would never forget the significant difference it made to him when I held his hand the simplicity of touch belying the importance of the comfort it gave.

Research into the impact of Covid-19 on patients' physical and mental wellbeing is ongoing, yet it is already acknowledged that the requirement to maintain distance has had a profound effect on the incorporation of touch in nursing, leading perhaps to a more task-orientated approach to provide physical comfort over and above emotional comfort.

This is also known as instrumental touch: the necessary touch required to carry out procedures or direct care, such as personal hygiene and toileting, changing dressings or taking observations, and can be directly contrasted with expressive touch the touch which conveys support and compassion, and which is central to developing a therapeutic relationship with the patient.

As we move forward from the pandemic, and as the next generation of nurses, we need to be even more aware of the powerful tool touch provides in patient communication and person-centred care. We need to become increasingly versed in the impact of touch on both the conscious and the unconscious: evidence indicates that touch has the potential to stimulate a response from unconscious patients when other methods of interaction have failed.

Of course, touch is not always appropriate or welcomed by the patient and preferences must be taken into account.

As student nurses we are learning to evaluate physical and psychological care, and adapting to patients responses to touch forms an important part of this ongoing learning curve.

Georgia Fox is a registered nurse degree apprentice at Bournemouth University

Read the original here:

'We need to be aware of the power of touch' - Nursing Times

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. With the start of the semester, Penn State is reminding students of the resources available to support their mental health.

Natalie Hernandez DePalma, senior director of Penn State Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and Brett Scofield, CAPS associate director, both note that the number of college students seeking counseling services has increased nationally over the past decade. Additionally, the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt nationwide, with students reporting an impact from COVID on their well-being and mental health.

What the data shows us is that some particular areas of distress have increased, such as anxiety, DePalma said. But the increase in distress is not necessarily the only reason why demand is rising. Rather, mental health awareness has become a bigger part of the cultural conversation.

Scofield, who also is executive director of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, noted that more students are feeling comfortable asking for help, and a growing amount of faculty and staff are successfully identifying students with mental health concerns and referring them for services, which is a positive trend. Initiatives like the Red Folder, which has been well-received and integrated into training and orientation for new and current staff, help those that interact with students learn how to Recognize, Respond and Refer students for support.

The original Red Folder initiative was made possible by a substantial CAPS funding increase from President Eric Barron in 2017 and major support from the 2020 and 2016 senior class gifts. The University Park Undergraduate Association also has helped to create and lead the initiative, which aims to educate faculty and staff members at all campuses on how to identify signs a student might be struggling with their mental health or wellness, as well as resources available to benefit them. A recent Red Folder expansion has offered additional guidance and resources for low and moderate distress in addition to high distress options, and new print folders will be distributed at University Park and the Commonwealth Campuses this semester.

An important component of the Red Folder and creating a community of care is the concept of no wrong door practiced across Penn State, said De Palma and Scofield. This allows students to obtain information, support and direction from whomever they may approach. While each office cant fulfill all needs staff expect and appreciate the opportunity to help a student find the next step and resource in their journey as a student.

The important thing to know is that Penn State cares, we are here for you, and we are equipped to support and empower you. Seeking help demonstrates strength and is a sign of self-compassion and care, said Scofield.

Helping to care and look out for other Penn Staters, including friends, colleagues and peers, is also an important element of what it means to be part of the Penn State community.

If you sense something amiss, say something, DePalma said. If you think someone is struggling, check-in with them, ask how they are, or reach out to a trusted source, like CAPS or the Penn State Crisis Line, for guidance.

This health and wellness webpage, maintained by Penn State Student Affairs, details the many wellness and mental health resources available to support and empower Penn State students, including:

Counseling and mental health services available through CAPS, which can be reached at 814-863-0395 for University Park students, or at each Commonwealth Campus location.

WellTrack, a free app that offers interactive tools for building resilience and managing stress, depression and anxiety with self-help videos; and guidance in determining next steps.

Life Hacks, step-by-step wellness kits designed to help you navigate and demystify some of the more perplexing parts of being human. Instructors can utilize these as pre-packaged extra-credit options for their students.

Drop-in groups focus on peer support and discussion. Stop by at your convenience during the group time. These are not therapy groups and no appointment is required. Topics cover Wellness, Sexual and Gender Diversity, Women of Color Empowerment, Black and Latino Male Empowerment, Interfaith Dialogues, and addiction recovery.

Health Promotion and Wellness at University Park offers wellness and stress management programing.

Free wellness sessions on topics including stress, sleep, nutrition, physical activities, and healthy relationships and sexual health.

Campus Recreation programming, including personal and group fitness classes, outdoor recreation, intramural sports and other offerings.

A full range of medical services, physical therapy, preventive care and immunization services available through University Health Services.

The Collegiate Recovery Community supports students in recovery from alcohol and other substance use disorders.

Support for students experiencing food and housing insecurity or struggling with other essential needs, including assistance with groceries and meals, toiletries and household items, housing, rent and utilities, medical bills and health insurance, textbooks, child care and financial emergencies.

The Red Folder Initiative offers guidance to faculty and staff members on how to identify students who may struggling with their mental health and resources that are available to support them.

The Penn State Crisis Line (877-229-6400) and the Crisis Text Line (text LIONS to 741741), which are open 24/7 to Penn Staters dealing with both crisis and non-crisis situations including faculty, staff and students at all campuses who have a question about someone else. The licensed professionals with the Penn State Crisis Line can help evaluate each individual situation, offer guidance and help connect callers with further resources if appropriate.

Penn State University Libraries has a library guide available on Personal Health and Mental Wellness that includes a variety of wellness-related resources.

For those in immediate crisis, services through CAPS are available without a wait. DePalma and Scofield said a crisis can include thoughts of harming oneself or others, loss of housing, a recent death in the family, or any other traumatic event that profoundly and negatively impacts ones day-to-day life and ability to function.

If you want to connect with a mental health professional in the event of a crisis:

For immediate or life-threatening emergencies, call 911.

Call CAPS at 814-863-0395 during regular business hours, or connect with the counseling offices available at each of Penn States Commonwealth Campuses.

Call the Penn State Crisis Line a 24/7 toll-free service staffed by licensed professionals available to all Penn State students, and those concerned about a student, at University Park and Commonwealth Campuses at 877-229-6400.

Text the 24/7 Crisis Text Line, another 24/7 resource available to all community members, by texting LIONS to 741741.

Students facing unforeseen challenges also may connect with the Office of Student Care and Advocacy, which works with students struggling with everything from medical emergencies and hospitalization to food or housing insecurity. Student Care and Advocacy works with partners across the University to empower students impacted by medical issues, mental health crises, food and housing insecurity and more. Students at Commonwealth Campuses may also benefit from services offered by the Student Affairs office at their individual campus.

DePalma and Scofield acknowledged that college can be a uniquely stressful time for many students, and that the events of the preceding years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to impact students in different ways. But an important thing to understand is that feeling stress in stressful times, or anxious during uncertain times, is a normal and healthy human response to life, especially life transitions.

Anxiety is your bodys way of communicating that something is wrong that it wants you to pay attention to, Scofield said. In new life circumstances, some anxiety is normal, even healthy. Be patient with yourself as you adjust. Its when that anxiety exceeds normal levels if youre feeling nervous and upset on a regular basis, or if anxiety is interfering with your ability to effectively lead your life that you should reach out for help.

James Dillard, distinguished professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State who researches how people experience and manage fear of infectious diseases, said that while feeling unsure or even fearful in uncertain times is normal, there are also strategies you can use to help manage your emotions.

Dillard said that taking breaks from the news and social media can help manage stress and boost an individuals well-being. He said individuals should gauge the impact the news related to the pandemic has on them while being mindful of their mental and emotional state, and adjust their media intake and interpersonal communication on that basis.

Dillard, DePalma and Scofield also shared that taking proper care of your body and overall wellness can help contribute to positive mental health. They advise students to continue to move their bodies regularly, get plenty of sleep, eat well-balanced and healthy meals at regular intervals, and avoid consumption of alcohol and drugs.

Whatever you may be going through or feeling, let yourself feel it and practice compassionate acceptance of yourself, DePalma said. Rather than trying to shut negative feelings down, its important to be honest with yourself and the people in your life, especially if you need support. And its equally important, for everyone, to keep connected to your important people, to the hobbies and passions that are important to you, and to your own sense of your bigger purpose in the world.

The rest is here:

Students reminded of University resources to support mental health and wellness - Pennsylvania State University

Amanda Robb has transferred her skills from a 27-year career in counselling to being behind the camera for boudoir photography sessions, which she calls self-empowerment body love shoots. Business is booming. Robb, 50, lives in her home in South Brighton, Christchurch, which also doubles as her studio.

AMANDA ROBB:

I picked up a camera because I like to record the beauty around me.

People started offering me money for family photos, landscapes. I just laughed, and said, Are you crazy?

But I did some courses, just having fun; local photographers day courses, and some national five-day landscape courses, online courses on how to use settings.

I realised I was making as much money from part-time photography, mainly weddings, as from my work.

I quit my counselling job and three days later Covid happened, and every wedding was gone.

I had a portfolio for family photography, but I didnt get any bites for that. I posted a model call for normal women who wanted to try modelling in lingerie, and there was a demand for boudoir photography.

It took off like crazy. Its been a full-time roller-coaster since then.

You can figure out which job is more fun. Theyre both great, but I was probably a little burnt-out from being a counsellor for such a long time. And its nice to be self-employed. I can have my own schedule, work what hours I want to work, take breaks when I need them, no commute or office politics.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff

The lamp is from Art by Lydia. Lydia Hawkins is a friend of Robbs who does pop art and upholstery.

I dont do that many shoots a week: They're time-consuming. Although I do sometimes travel around the country doing boudoir marathons where we shoot 10 women a weekend.

The whole house is a studio. I shoot out of my bedroom. I feel like Im camping here and the whole house is a photography backdrop.

I had a break-up in January, and I moved out of our home in Belfast. I lived in a campervan for a while. I was homeless for a little while, and then I moved in here.

I bought the house a couple of years ago, knowing if I ever needed to, Id love to live here because of the views. Im looking at it right now, across where the Avon River goes into the estuary. There's a dead end road, a bank, the water with swans.

Its such a beautiful setting, good for a photographer because its always changing: The sun rises and sets, the lights always different, and the birdlife too. And its peaceful.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff

Robb says her Canon R5 camera is her baby.

Its three bedrooms but its quite small, 90m. My two children left in the last eight months: My daughter, 21, is flatting in Tauranga, and my son, 19, has joined the army.

I guess like any woman at my age and in my position, its a transition. Ive gone from a large house with six people to living alone. Im lucky I have the business to keep me busy, and lots of friends, but its a transition.

I dont meditate every day, but I sit outside and watch the sunset, have a cup of tea. Or I have friends over, a bottle of wine and watch the sunset. Thats mindfulness.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff

The view of the estuary directly outside Robbs South Brighton home faces west, making it perfect for viewing sunsets. .

I used to teach mindfulness in my counselling. You get into something so deeply you see the beauty in it and thats why I wanted to start taking photos.

My clients are just normal women of all ages and sizes, all on a journey to love themselves. They come in really nervous, some are purely terrified of being in lingerie and of being in front of a camera.

First they go and get their makeup and hair done with my business partner, Melodie McColl, in Addington. And then they come here. We go through what theyve brought to wear, and look in my client wardrobe, which is full of lingerie, gowns, wings and stilettos.

She gets changed into the first outfit and then we start.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff

The neon sign hangs in the third bedroom where the boudoir shoots usually begin on the chaise longue.

My counselling training probably helps a little. I completely guide them. I control the session hair, lighting, pose, facial expression because they wouldnt. Most hate cameras, and they call themselves not-photogenic.

I call the sessions self-empowerment body love shoots. Weve had women recently whove lost 40kg or 60kg, or theyve just separated from a partner and want a confidence boost. Or just turned 40 or 50 or 60. For all of those reasons people have a shoot. Its often very personal.

More here:

Boudoir photographer Amanda Robb helps 'terrified' women love their bodies - Stuff

Some of the biggest stars in womens surfing including soul surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton will be showing off their skills at a surf contest and music festival event in Oceanside on the weekend of Sept. 16.

The annual Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro World Surf League (WSL) Contest and festival event series will return to the Oceanside Pier for its 16th year, with appearances by Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore, Olympic surfer Caroline Marks and other professionals from around the world. The event, which is free and open to the public, will also be comprised of a concert series with artists such as The Offspring, Smash Mouth and more.

The Super Girl Pro competition created and run by ASA Entertainment is the worlds largest female surf competition, according to the WSL, with 140 competitors featuring over 90 top pro surfers. ASA Entertainment started Super Girl Pro as part of an effort to improve opportunities for women in action sports like surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding.

We saw a huge disparity in the opportunities that were being afforded to women in the action sports space, as opposed to what the men were receiving, CEO of ASA Entertainment and founder of Super Girl Pro Rick Bratman said. So, as one of the leaders in that industry, we thought it was really important that someone put a stake in the ground and create a series of events that was going to show the world how badass these women are, not just on a surfboard or snowboard, but also off the mountain and out of the water.

More than a celebration of surfing, Super Girl Pro hosts a series of other events and activities aiming to empower women across many fields. This year, it will add a female comedy showcase, beach soccer competition and elite-level longboarding competition incorporated because of the sports significance to the Oceanside community to its roster for the first time. In order to empower young women through surfing, Moore will be hosting a mentorship event at the festival for young surfers in collaboration with her Moore Aloha Foundation.

If youre a young woman, we want you to believe that nothing is impossible, Bratman said. And if you put your mind to it, your dreams can become reality. So many of the people that are competing or performing or creating have been able to achieve their dreams, and that aspirational element is what we really strive for.

The event series will also include 15 live concerts by artists The Offspring, Smash Mouth, Hoobastank, The Expendables, Kira Kosarin, and more. Female creators will also be spotlighted in the Super Girl DJ competition and female art exhibition. Fitness and wellness classes, from Zumba to yoga to dance, featured speakers and panel discussions highlighting sustainability and female leadership are among the activities offered to attendees for free.

At the center of the competition and event series affectionately nicknamed the smile factory by Bratman is Super Girls mission: to embolden female empowerment, inclusion and equality.

On a more personal level, my daughter was struggling with a number of opportunities that she was trying to work her way into, Bratman said. So this became a really personal quest for me to create a world in which my daughter wouldnt have to struggle to get the same opportunities that men would.

What began 16 years ago as a humble event with less than 300 attendees is now a cultural landmark for the Oceanside community, with an anticipated crowd of 75,000 attendees this year, according to Bratman.

"[The event] is a part of the fabric of the city. When Im there and Im wearing Super Girl shirt, Ill get hit up nonstop just walking on the streets by people telling me its their favorite event, Bratman said. I think people are really, really proud of it they love the message that it sends. That its an empowerment-oriented festival bringing together so many different industries with successful, powerful women.

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Super Girl Surf Pro returning to Oceanside with global surf stars like Bethany Hamilton and a music festival - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Running your own business forces you to focus on many different areas. However, trying to do everything on your own can make things harder than they need to be. Thats why business experts exist and you should consider working with one if you need the support.

Collaborating with business experts who have a lot more experience, knowledge, and expertise will only lead to better results and a more successful business. They will help you become more efficient, provide insight, create stability, grow a strong network, attract top talent, and so much more.

The tricky part is finding the right fit! To help with that, heres a selection of some of the best and brightest business experts to learn from in 2022.

CEO and Co-Founder of Liinchpin, Keely White, is a highly experienced business expert who specialises in advising CEOs, General Managers and Founders to systemise and scale their businesses while creating high-performing, harmonious teams. Before starting this current company, Keely was the Executive Director of Training and Development for Australias most successful entrepreneurial education company and wrote curriculum across various pillars of business excellence.

She also helped grow REA Groups flagship company, realestate.com.au, throughout Queensland, and she was the host speaker of the Entrepreneurs Unconvention, which was voted in the top 3 best events for business owners worldwide by Entrepreneur.com. Keely is a successful entrepreneur who has sold two of her own 7-figure businesses and she has received multiple business awards in sales and leadership.

Keely has had an incredibly impressive and diverse career and has gathered a wealth of valuable knowledge and experience. She leverages this to advise high-profile founders and professionals using The Liinchpin System, a 6-step framework that can be easily integrated into any business so clients can work on their business rather than in it.

Keely has also recently founded The Collective Campus, a resort-style homestead that facilitates business and personal empowerment retreats year-round to help leaders and teams thrive. She is a master at solving challenges and clearing roadblocks to help people reach ambitious career and life goals.

Founder of Aligned Tribe Pty Ltd, Amy Smith is an incredible Business and LinkedIn strategist, coach, and speaker. She is passionate about guiding service-based business owners, coaches, and consultants in the process of launching and growing their online businesses. She leverages years worth of experience and knowledge to provide clients with the support they need to make their business work in the digital space.

Throughout her career, Amy has worked across Canada, the UK, and Australia in the fields of Human Resources, Business Development, and Coaching. She has worked with brands such as The CEO Institute, YMCA NSW, General Assembly, Open Colleges, The Executive Connection, and The Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership (IECL), to name a few.

Amy has supported large company CEOs behind the scenes and trained over 1,500 professionals on career, business, and LinkedIn strategies. She practices what she preaches, which is how she grew her LinkedIn profile to over 27,300+ 1st degree connections. She has been featured in the CEO Global Magazine, 6PR Newstalk, Nine Radio, Directors Institute publications, and The Future of Work Summit.

One of Amys biggest passions is to teach the strategies she has battle-tested on her own businesses to help clients flourish and leverage LinkedIn to access untapped opportunities. This is what her In Demand Coach program is all about and it is the secret to stop hustling as most others do! She provides practical, actionable steps for long-lasting results with none of the fluff.

Business Influencer and Owner of Success and Broker Ruan Burger landed in Australia from the UK in 2005 to forge a career as a mortgage broker. He rose to Australias Top 100 Brokers List and he made a name for himself in the industry by establishing his position as an expert with his adaptable and visionary thinking.

During his mortgage broking career, he built two successful businesses that attracted many important awards and accolades. It gave him a platform to practice what he preachesclients always come first. Ruan eventually started focusing on becoming a business influencer; today, he works with industry bodies, mortgage brokers, loan writers, and mortgage broking businesses.

Through Success and Broker, he leads clients through the next stages of growth and success so they can achieve their goals. He offers a variety of valuable services, including The Broker Journal, an online broker coaching program thats truly game-changing; strategy-led State of Play sessions, and the Proventus Program, a group coaching program that offers outstanding tools.

Ruan coaches and influences mortgage broking businesses and brokers across the country. Success and Broker provides valuable programs that simplify the complex ins and outs of the industry and make them compelling so clients can take full advantage. Ruan doesnt only provide guidance, he also leverages years of experience in the field to arm clients with powerful strategies and tailored solutions so they can enjoy the best outcomes.

Expert business consultant Jem Graham leverages 13 years of experience in business management and consulting to help clients transform their businesses, and achieve their most ambitious goals.

Jems clients have been situated in varying industries and sectors including construction, manufacturing, logistics, medical and health services, IT, telecommunications, accounting, joinery and trades with turnovers starting at $1m all the way up to $140m.

Jems approach to business consulting is based on transferring her practical knowledge to clients and helping them increase useful skills and systems. This way, they can learn to stand on their own two feet to achieve long-lasting, sustainable success.

Jem says, I work with businesses to ensure they are solvent and scalable. Most business owners know their product or service inside out but not always their businesss finances. Through simple education and practical application together we gain clarity and certainty on your businesss future.

Jem implements a 4 point business management system that leads to viability, solvency, and a collaborative, focused team that works seamlessly with management to achieve business goals.

Additionally, she developed a 2-day Financial Power Workshop where business owners can learn the points of view, frameworks, and tools they need to take full control of their finances and achieve the stability and power they seek.

Led by Digital Strategist Mareike Niedermeier, Sales Savvy Online was founded in 2019 to offer business owners the expertise they need to take control of their revenue growth. This team of business experts, digital marketers, and sales consultants serve over 50 clients in 4 different countries from their headquarters in Barangaroo, Sydney.

Sales Savvy Online takes business growth seriously and they are entirely dedicated to it. This is not the typical marketing agency because staff members have the necessary business acumen to help clients create strategies and execute them to perfection.

Essentially, Sales Savvy Online becomes the partner clients need to achieve carefully set goals. Clients are not locked in by long-term contracts because the team is confident they will deliver what they promise. If they dont clients can always opt-out.

One of the many things that Sales Savvy Online does differently is that they dont see sales and marketing as intuitive art. They believe that sales and marketing can be planned and executed to achieve desired outcomes. Thats exactly what they accomplish with their proven SME Marketing & Sales Processes and Frameworks.

They leverage digital solutions and a wealth of sales expertise to put businesses in control of their revenue growth so they can sell beyond word of mouth or network referrals. The Sales Savvy Online approach is different because they first determine the outcomes clients want and then they apply their effective approach to achieve them. Theres no room for loose ends!

Make sure to go and follow all these amazing business experts to continue to watch as they make their mark on the world.

Go here to read the rest:

5 Business Experts to Learn from in 2022 - The Australian Business Journal

To have once been a criminal is no disgrace. To remain a criminal is the disgrace.

BBBEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment) was designed by the South African government to redress racial imbalances in the economy. But the policy has been hijacked and repurposed by individuals and factions within the ruling party for the purpose of corruption and self-enrichment, notably during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The governments cadre-based BBBEE narrative has been roped in to restructure the economy amid the Covid-pandemic, so as to perpetuate an economic crime by the state. This phenomenon is well explained by the Canadian social and political activist Naomi Kleins notion of disaster capitalism, read alongside Reimans pyrrhic defeat theory, which I probe in the context of a criminological perspective.

Jeffrey Reiman, a conflict criminologist based in the US, contends that the criminal justice system in capitalist states, such as South Africa, demonises the poor as criminogenic in order to deflect the crimes of the rich, thereby legitimising the unjust and unequal distribution of income and wealth that underpins that social order.

BBBEE was repurposed as an ideological vehicle to fulfil an unstated nefarious purpose, namely self-enrichment, under the banner of so-called black economic empowerment. Said in another way, the narrative to which I refer is built around the fictitious idea of black economic empowerment but increasingly serves as a vehicle for fraudulent personal enrichment by politicians and well-connected tenderpreneurs.

Repurposed BBBEE is fictitious, because it only benefits a tiny group at the top, amid widespread unemployment, economic stagnation and poverty.

Stanley Cohen, a world expert on crimes committed by the state, suggests that crimes typically committed by the rich and powerful are not only rarely prosecuted but are not even classified as crimes.

Green criminology, a branch of critical criminology, highlights the governments complicity in environmental crimes, especially its patchy record on global warming.

Consider how easily and surreptitiously the government can repurpose its response to a pandemic disaster for personal gain.

In a recently published paper, I argue that the South African governments BBBEE agenda has, in most cases, been hijacked by at least a faction within the ruling party as a pretext for the large-scale looting of the public purse.

I demonstrate how vested interests in the government used the Covid19 pandemic as a form of disaster capitalism (a term coined by Klein) to divert the lions share of funding for crucial PPE (personal protective equipment) procurement, for personal gain.

Klein explains the idea of disaster capitalism in the following riveting terms: Once a crisis has struck it was crucial to act swiftly, to impose rapid and irreversible change before the crisis-racked society slipped back into the tyranny of the status quo.

The bottom line is that while Friedmans economic model is capable of being partially imposed under democracy, authoritarian conditions are required for the implementation of its true vision.

Kleins highlighting of authoritarianism might be the missing link between the South African governments hard lockdown and the looting of the public purse with such impunity.

One example of this is the tendency of governments around the world to turn the fight against crime into an exercise for authoritarian control over society, as the well-known Norwegian criminologist Nils Christie warned in his book Crime Control as Industry: Towards Gulags Western Style (2017).

By analogy, I suggest that disasters such as Covid-19 have provided a similar opportunity for government, certainly in South Africa, to perpetuate self-enrichment schemes under the guise of a false-flag operation such as BBBEE.

Despite President Cyril Rama-phosas influential anti-corruption election ticket, there is no guarantee that he would survive politically, considerably compounded by the robbery at his Phala Phala game farm.

In the perceptive words of Ralph Mathekgas The ANCs Last Decade (2021): This picture [the prospects of Ramaphosas presidency] becomes complex in the sense that the more Ramaphosa achieves what he promised in government for example, fighting against corruption the more tensions emerge within the ANC, making it difficult for him to win a second term in the party. That Ramaphosas anti-corruption drive in the government is creating enemies for him in the party is an open secret.

With the ANCS cadre-based deployment policy, combined with BBBEE, the ruling party is discriminating against all those communities (both white and non-white) not aligned with ANC thinking. The rationale for this design is, of course, to feed the vast patronage network within the ANC.

Decisions [were] made to serve the patronage networks flowing through the ANC, observes Mathekga in his book, which benefits the interests of an elite group of party officials and business [people]. It also points to the danger of surreptitious state crimes during times of disaster.

The crux of my argument is that BBBEE is a false-flag operation which has been repeatedly used to hoodwink the public by operating as a Ponzi scheme of sorts for personal enrichment while masquerading as a vehicle for black economic empowerment. In the case of the governments proposed economic restructuring during Covid-19, the same criminal modus operandi was essentially employed.

In particular, the roll-out of both the supply and distribution of the vaccine and PPE were enacted within the framework of BBBEE, namely not on merit or even qualified merit but, supposedly, solely on the criterion of being a cadre.

The Special Investigating Unit found tender corruption accounted for as much as 66% of all national funding set aside for the procurement of PPE. The cost of the vaccine roll-out in South Africa was inflated by as much as 400% of procurement prices. BBBEE is clearly a race-based ideology which has led, and is leading, to significant social discohesion in the ranks of those left behind.

Even though one must admit that economic redress is certainly justified in view of South Africas failed project of economic redistribution (one of the ANCs election promises in 1994), the point remains that the vast majority of South Africans of all races are excluded from the fruits of this looting.

The confluence of state capture, as well as BBBEE and patronage networks within the ANC, created a perfect storm which culminated in the governments opportunistic response to Covid-19 in March 2020, even if one concedes that a mere faction within the ruling party drove the initiative in favour of self-enrichment.

Understanding the allure of the state in fusing its agenda with that of Big Business is the central focus of green criminology, noted above.

My research has highlighted the seminal import of free speech and critical thinking, so often absent from mainstream, empirically based criminology, in seeing the forest for the trees.

In fact, had free speech been a fundamental right adhered to throughout the world, we might not even have had to contend with a Covid pandemic.

Dr Casper Ltter is a conflictcriminologist affiliated withNorth-West Universitys School of Philosophy (Potchefstroom) as a research fellow.

Read more from the original source:

Stealthy state crimes during times of disaster - Mail and Guardian

As a young girl residing in the Melkheda village of Madhya Pradesh, Neha Mujawdiya raised many questions. She not only wondered why she had to struggle for quality education but how girls in her village only stayed at home and never stepped out to learn, work and earn. Her questions led to self-discovery, some uncomfortable answers, and the most empowering solutions she could find she did everything she could to study and became the first girl from her village to graduate with a degree.

Neha Mujawdiya is now the founder and CEO of Indore-based TutorCabin, an ed-tech startup that she started in 2018. From providing door-to-door tuitions to becoming a digital entrepreneur today, Mujawdiya believes she is and will always be a teacher, and teaching kids, especially those who are being deprived of quality education, is what defines her innate purpose.

In an interview with SheThePeople, Neha Mujawdiya talks about her journey, how teaching drove her to start TutorCabin, how teachers have the power to change generations, why we need to respect them more and why entrepreneurship matters if we want to open more horizons for women.

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Mujawdiya faced several challenges in her journey to gain an education. She had to walk several kilometres to reach her school in her village, wanted to study math but couldnt because there were no proper classes for mathematics, and eventually started facing criticism because she raised questions about why no girls were studying further around her.

Apart from me, my parents had to face a lot of criticism because they let me study. I came out of that place, but I often thought about those kids who dont get quality education either due to lack of facilities, lack of quality schools or due to their gender. It made me want to make education accessible to children across the country, for those residing in rural areas, especially girls from my own village, she recalls.

She slowly started working towards becoming financially independent and aimed to further her career by starting something of her own that aligned with her purpose of educating kids.

Neha moved to Indore in 2009, and after struggling with admissions because of the ineligibility of her previous degree, she enrolled herself for an ACA course at a private institution after clearing the exam. She soon cracked her MBA entrance as well and finished her degree.

I havent forgotten where I come from, and while I am proud of my roots I also believe its not always a good idea to follow cultures and traditions blindly because youre stuck to a certain idea of who you should be, especially as a woman. I wanted to break the cycle.

However, it all boiled down to finances. She took up as many classes as possible and saved a decent amount to cover her expenses and save. She would leave the house early in the morning, attend MBA classes, and take home-to-home tuition. Despite running operations and managing the business herself, Mujawdiya does not let the teacher in her get lost in between business. She tries her best effort to offer personal attention to each student, especially the ones who hail from remote areas. Coming from a small village, I understand the struggles. Education is the most powerful catalyst that can help break cycles of poverty as well, reflects Mujawdiya.

Mujawdiya set up an office for TutorCabin at a co-working space in 2018. She first built a simple website and started the hiring and training process for tutors. What started with ten tutors in 2018 is now a platform featuring over two thousand tutors.

The platform offers personalised and group classes for students of all ages. The courses cover all classes starting from primary, secondary and college levels and also expand to competitive and entrance exams preparation for students. The 15-person startup made Rs 50 lakh in revenue in FY20-21 and hopes to enrol 2,50,000 students by the end of the year, with ambitions to expand its teaching base to 5,000. She is in talks with several investors for further funding.

Her startup is also in talks with local governments to venture into a space where they can educate children studying in those schools who hold great potential but get held back owing to a lack of resources or opportunities.

Teachers have the power to bring a positive shift in the world.

Mujawdiya started teaching temporarily to cover her finances, but it wasnt long before she realised her love for the profession. She believes teachers have the power to drive narratives across the world and empower generations like no other. You know if a child finds that one teacher who, despite all odds, brings a positive change in the childs life, thats all it takes to further empowerment. I appreciate and salute all those teachers who work all their lives towards the betterment of their students not just because its their professional ability but also because they dedicate themselves to the cause of education. We need to respect such teachers more, and give them their due, she said.

The ed-tech founder also offers free English classes to children in remote places who seek to learn the language but struggle with it. Growing up in a tiny village town, she finished her school through a Hindi medium and considering English is a global language, she realised it was important for her to learn and adapt to it to further her career. She says, Hindi is our mother tongue and I am so proud of it. Having said that, learning a global language for children is important in this day and age, I want as many children to have as many opportunities I didnt have, and I try and do that through my teaching ability at the startup.

The founder also touches upon the chronic problem of society looking down upon Hindi-medium and Hindi-speaking students. We need to break off the linguistic barrier and focus on quality education. Our priorities are so blurred and its important to realise potential is what matters at the end of the day, she suggests.

Neha Mujawdiya, Founder of TutorCabin

Education alongside Entrepreneurship is the way forward if we need to empower women at the grassroots level.

Stressing on the idea of entrepreneurship for women, Mujawdiya discusses that if we need to empower more women, especially in areas where women are deprived of basic opportunities, empowering them through entrepreneurship and self-dependency is the right way forward. Her contribution, she adds, will be to forever encourage girls to break free from societal cycles and have access to the freedom of choice that comes with education to pursue their respective choices in life.

Its your life and if you see that you have a better solution to some existing problem which you wish to implement and work on, then never stop yourself from doing so no matter what. Bank on your inner instincts, creativity and power, and educate yourself every step of the way. Big things will happen if we focus and appreciate the small opportunities, and we need to trust this more, advises Mujawdiya.

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Neha Mujawdiyas Personal Journey In Accessing Basic Education Inspired Her Startup - SheThePeople