Category Archives: Progress

Food equity, employee housing, quality local schools, on-the-job training for local youth, volunteer opportunities for community members and living wage jobs for over 400 employees.

What do these have to do with being a state-of-the-art full-service health care campus like Riverwood Healthcare Center? They have everything to do with it, according to Riverwood CEO Todd Sandberg.

Sandberg and the Riverwood senior leadership team met in February to talk about the organization and what has changed over time, what kinds of things are part of their vision for the future and how Riverwood plans to become integrated into and responsive to the life of the community it serves: Aitkin County and the Garrison/Lake Mille Lacs area of Minnesota.

Sandberg acknowledged the importance of Riverwoods very dedicated 11-member volunteer board of directors. Board members who each represent various areas of expertise and life experiences assist in making important decisions about the future of health care in the region. The board of directors is very engaged in participating in a variety of educational opportunities to continue to learn about the challenges facing rural hospitals. Many have attended trustee boot camp and many board members have achieved a special trustee certification through the Minnesota Hospital Association.

In April there will be an annual retreat for the board of directors to refresh the existing strategic plan and vision for the health care center.

The pace of change in the health care industry requires the board to continually be thinking of how Riverwood needs to pivot to meet the needs of the individuals we serve, Sandberg explained. One outcome from the retreat is providing the senior leadership with strategic priorities and expectations to focus on in the coming months. Our board members help set the tone for the hospital and they are advocates for the needs of the community.

Riverwood has 330 full-time equivalents on staff. Some are part time, so there are actually 425 unique individuals employed there. A challenge in finding and keeping employees is local housing. The lack of daycare providers is also a limiting factor for new employees.

Sandberg and his team have a vision of becoming more collaborative with other parts of the communities they servethe school boards, schools, other businesses and service organizations. Together they will be able to build relationships and create a compelling story of community collaboration and cohesion.

Building a future workforce is high on the list of priorities for Riverwood. Physician recruiter Tanya Pietz encourages students at local high schools to consider careers in the medical field early. There are many ways that interested students can do internships or other in-service activities to get a feel for whether a career in a medical or supporting field like hospital administration or finance would work for them as a career. There are also clinical rotations available in almost every department in the hospital. For physicians who complete their training in urban hospitals, Riverwood participates in a Rural Physician Associate Program to help them experience working in a rural environment.

Developing and fostering these kinds of relationships is one way of keeping talent in the community, rather than having young people leave Aitkin County to work elsewhere when they leave high school.

We are currently experiencing a shortage in several areas and it is anticipated the gap will continue to grow over the next 10 years, said Sandberg. We know recruitment will be an issue for us in the future, especially in some hard-to-fill positions.

COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS

In 2019 a community health needs assessment conducted for Riverwood gathered input from many different community stakeholders within its service area. Two issues rose to the top as being the highest priorities for the current period: Behavioral health and substance abuse.

Riverwood Healthcare Center uses that information to inform and adjust its path forward, focusing efforts around and funding on these two top-tier issues, in addition to myriad others that keep the center on a path to continuous improvement. Riverwood leadership has also identified food equity as a key issue to address in the community.

Behavioral health will continue to be a high priority for Riverwood going forward. The hospitals behavioral health unit, led by Janet Larson, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, has moved to a nearby services building on Bunker Hill Drive this spring. Two new professionals have been added to that unit. They are Liz Thompson, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and Kirstiane Bilyeu, a licensed clinical social worker.

Bringing key stakeholders into developing a process to address the continuing opioid crisis is a part of the vision for addressing the substance abuse priority that was identified in the community health assessment. Riverwood hosts an Aitkin County Opioid Task Force that engages key community stakeholders to reduce opioid abuse through care coordination and increasing access to treatment for people experiencing opioid use disorder.

Patients might see us here at Riverwood two or three times a year, Sandberg said. The rest of the time they are at large in the community living life. If we want to be effective, we need to engage the whole community in this effort to address ongoing challenges facing our residents.

Riverwood plans a food drive during Food Share Month in March. The campaign has a goal of collecting 2,020 lbs. of non-perishable food for donation to local food shelves, along with raising awareness. Food equity and social isolation have been identified as serious concerns, especially among lower income and older residents of Riverwoods service area. Often, individuals need to decide whether to buy medications or groceries. Inadequate nutrition or not taking needed medication can both lead to an emergency room visit or hospital admission. The goal of population health initiatives like addressing food disparities is to prevent health emergencies.

Purposefully building a collaborative, positive, friendly culture at Riverwood is a result of involving employees and leadership in planning, prioritizing and decision making. Creating a family friendly environment for patients, visitors and employees is a high priority. While Riverwood enjoys patient and employee satisfaction that are ranked very high in surveys, the organizations leadership strives to continually improve.

Riverwood CFO Casey Johnson observed that, Compared to other organizations where I have worked, Riverwood has an incredible sense of ownership among employees. They feel that their opinions and concerns matter.

Transparency in decision making is a key way of empowering employees to become engaged. Riverwoods values are shared by employees because they help identify them and are involved in upholding them daily.

Riverwoods leadership team is proud of the movement the healthcare center has made toward developing specialty clinic services and programs. This is in part a response to the needs of patients. Increased efficiency, simplicity and effectiveness are attributes patients desire when they seek a place to get treatment or have surgery.

The da Vinci robotic surgery system, minimally invasive surgeries, joint replacements with rapid recovery, a hand and wrist specialist, and innovative treatment for reflux and heartburn are some of the features that draw patients from outside the local service area. Today individuals are consumers of health care; they know what they want, and they are willing to shop around to get what they expect.

People these days expect to be able to perform well into their later years, and Riverwood can play a major role in making it possible for them to keep moving, working, and living life. We have a team committed to making these expectations a possibility, said Sandberg.

See the rest here:

Riverwood vision - Progress 2020 | Health - Aitkin Independent Age

Women For Progresss Feed The Frontline fed Montclair Volunteer Ambulance Unit food from Montclairs Falafel Hut.

MONTCLAIR, NJ A group of women have found a way to thank and feed healthcare workers and first responders as well as support local food businesses impacted by COVID-19. Close to $13,000 in donations have streamed in for Feed the Frontline, an initiative organized by Women for Progress.

The Feed the Frontline program was launched to provide funds to local Bergen County and Essex County restaurants that will be preparing meals for our first responders, hospital staff and other tireless workers who are putting themselves on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis. The program has sent meals to Clara Maass Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center as well as to first responders, including the Montclair Volunteer Ambulance Unit.

Women for Progress is a network of women whose mission is to raise awareness, educate and connect individuals to activism on a wide range of progressive issues including womens health, gun violence prevention, environmental protection, human rights and equality for all.

Click to donate to the Women For Progress Feed The Frontline.

Read more:

Women For Progress' Feed The Frontline Raises Close to $13,000 To Feed Healthcare Workers, First Responders - Baristanet

Does the huge surge in US unemployment claims announced on Thursday mean that we are doomed to endure the 30% unemployment of which the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis has warned?

The answer is no. How high unemployment rises will depend on how quickly we ramp up testing and the provision of protective equipment, enabling us to determine when and where it is safe to return to work.

But early evidence on the ability of countries like the US and UK to roll out tests and protective gear is not heartening. Its not too early, therefore, to start worrying about how sky-high unemployment will affect our economies and societies.

In one scenario, the crisis will foster support for strong leaders who can issue strict directives and enforce them by any means necessary. We have seen how China, under President Xi Jinping, was able to lock down Wuhan, limit mobility and contain the coronavirus (for now). We have also seen how the crisis encourages identity politics how President Trump uses it to justify his xenophobic tendencies. We have seen how the crisis breeds nationalism, as countries close their borders and prohibit exports of medical equipment, and as international groupings like the G20 blow hot air.

These same reactive instincts were evident in the 1930s, the last time unemployment approached 30%. The role of unemployment in the rise of authoritarian figures like Hitler is disputed, but the most recent research suggests a link. There was economic nationalism, in the form of trade wars, and the political nationalism of the American aviator and aspiring presidential candidate Charles Lindbergh, now conveniently visible on the small screen. There was Oswald Mosleys antisemitism. There was the harassment and deportation of Mexican Americans, including even hospital patients, by the Los Angeles welfare department and US Department of Labor.

If ever there was a circumstance suited to rehabilitate experts and encourage respect for politicians who defer to them, this is it

But there is also a more hopeful scenario. Authoritarian leaders dont like bad news, which they tend to suppress, sometimes at cost to themselves. One hears about rumblings of a backlash against Xi and his minions for having clamped down on news of the virus, thereby putting China at risk. Trump may similarly end up paying a price for having suppressed warnings from his own Department of Health and Human Services. If ever there was a circumstance suited to rehabilitate experts and encourage respect for politicians who defer to them, this is it.

In the extreme, one can imagine the crisis pounding the last nails into the coffin of the Thatcher-Reagan revolution. The idea that government should divest itself of its equity stake in essential infrastructure has already been abandoned, in Britain in the case of the railways and in the US, prospectively, the airlines. Old shibboleths about the need for budget balance and austerity have gone by the board. We are experiencing the most vivid possible reminder that the private sector, charitable bodies and local government alone cant be relied on for essential services. They cant even be relied on for an adequate supply of testing swabs, the Trump White House, no less, having organized a military airlift of these last week.

These are the same realizations, it can be argued, that gave rise to the New Deal in the 1930s and the Beveridge Report in 1942, which created a very different social, economic and political order than existed before.

The transformation may not be as dramatic this time. Even if unemployment rises to Depression levels, it can come back down quickly with medical mitigation and support from fiscal and monetary policies. The latter have been primed much more rapidly than in the 1930s. Measures to prevent bankruptcies and bank failures are being rolled out faster. Basic support for households is being provided through direct payments to taxpayers, expanded unemployment benefits, and grants to employers who avoid layoffs. All this might be thought to diminish the likelihood of a radical social and political realignment.

Ultimately, it was national security that begat social security

But it was not just high unemployment that led to the welfare state, the mixed economy and more expansive government. In addition, it was the second world war and the realization that national security, even national survival, required shared sacrifice, and that public support for those who sacrificed was a necessary and appropriate quid pro quo. The Beveridge Report that created the British welfare state was a product of not just the 1930s but also of the second world war. The GI bill that expanded opportunities for education and homeownership for Americans was similarly a legacy of the war. Ultimately, it was national security that begat social security.

Boris Johnson has vowed that we must act like a wartime government. Donald Trump insists that he is a wartime president. If fighting the virus is indeed a battle tantamount to war, then the legacies of these politicians and the attitudes and values of their successors may turn out rather differently than they currently expect.

Read the rest here:

Will sky-high unemployment lead to authoritarianism or progress? - The Guardian

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz issued a joint statement Sunday announcing they made meaningful progress toward a unity government.

Haaretz Weekly Ep. 71: A tale of two crises: Coronavirus vs. Constitution

The two leaders met in the Prime Minister's Residence on Saturday night and are expected to meet again on Sunday.

Gantz blindsided many of his voters and parliamentary allies last week when he nominated himself and was elected for the role of Knesset speaker. The maneuver, supported by Netanyahu's right-wing bloc, caused the splitting of Gantz's Kahol Lavan party, with its Yesh Atid component vowing to remain in the opposition.

Avigdor Lieberman expressed surprise at the news that Gantz would be joining Netanyahu, believing the move was "wrong and even ludicrous." The Yisrael Beiteinu chairman, considered until now to be the election kingmaker, said it was obvious "Netanyahu would pull [Gantz] in." Nevertheless, he did not rule out the possibility of joining their government.

On Saturday, it was reported that Gantz and Netanyahu would advance legislation to allow Netanyahu to serve in government despite his indictment in three corruption cases, even after he relinquishes the post of prime minister in 18 months.

The move is at the center of coalition negotiations for a rotating unity government in which Netanyahu will first serve as premier and will then become deputy.

The new legislation modifies the position of deputy prime minister to be similar in authority to a minister without portfolio, but also possess veto power on key appointments and the ability to serve despite criminal charges.

We've got more newsletters we think you'll find interesting.

Please try again later.

The email address you have provided is already registered.

Netanyahus trial, so long as it remains an orderly process, is not expected to end within the next year and a half. The only way Netanyahu can serve as a minister while indicted is by changing the Basic Law on the Knesset in order to explicitly nullify the so-called Dery-Pinhasi policy, which is based on two High Court rulings barring indicted ministers from serving.

Visit link:

Netanyahu, Gantz say progress made in unity talks, aim to agree on terms Sunday - Haaretz

The day of the week is Thursday," she said, before quickly correcting herself: "I mean its Friday. Oh my God!

This was what first grade looked like on March 27, 2020, in this case at Naticks Bennett-Hemenway Elementary School. The picture varied by classroom, by age group, by school, and by community, as educators across Massachusetts tried to resume teaching, or at least restore connections with their students, whose routines have been upended by coronavirus-related school closures.

Even before Governor Charlie Baker ordered a three-week closure of schools statewide beginning March 17, some schools began improvising, reaching out to students online and scheduling class meetings or office hours. Full districts like Natick sprang into action, launching remote learning by Wednesday of Week Two.

Others, like Lexington, treated the initial shutdown like an extended snow day, holding off on assigning homework and asking parents to be patient while they developed longer-term plans in anticipation of a lengthy closure. Baker subsequently extended the shutdown to seven weeks.

The delay in instruction frustrated some high-achieving parents who expected more organized structure for their children at home and a bigger bang for their tax buck, noted Lexington Superintendent Julie Hackett.

A few days felt like months, years even, to people, Hackett told the Globe, pointing to the scoldings she was getting on social media and reiterating her response. Oh my gosh, today is Day 3. Can we all please breathe?

Its nobodys fault, Hackett added. People are just really reeling from a time when everything is unknown and theres so much pressure. My heart really goes out to families trying to figure it all out.

From the get-go, the state advised administrators that they could not operate virtual schools while their buildings were closed largely because federal law requires a free and appropriate public education be provided to all students with special needs, and that couldnt be done equitably from home. State officials also acknowledged that many students didnt have ready access to technology at home to be able to access course work, classes, or tests. As a result, teachers were told to give students enhancement opportunities and review, but not to assign new material or issue grades.

Right now, the directive is: no new content, said Edward Barry, who teaches biology and chemistry at Lexington High School and who has relished the collaboration among teachers brainstorming by video conference. Do a deeper dive into things youve already covered, approach things from a different angle. Doing lab work is difficult. Not everyone has flour in the kitchen to do kitchen chemistry."

Inequities are everywhere, educators are rediscovering. Even in relatively wealthy suburban school districts, many families dont have laptops or reliable home Internet connections.

In Natick, a Metro West town of 5,800 students, at least 40 students lacked Internet access at home. School officials distributed Internet hot spots to their families, and also started giving out 400 laptops, said Superintendent Anna Nolin. Still, that wont be enough.

Were a very digitally forward system and we just dont have a device for every child, she said.

Even in homes with technology, a student often has to compete for computer time with a parent who is working remotely or siblings who also have school work or meetings. Some teachers dont even have Internet access at home, Nolin said.

That was an eye-opener for me, she said. They cant afford to have it in their homes. When youre right out of school with a lot of college debt and trying to meet rent, thats real."

Meanwhile, at a time of uncertainty amid a pandemic, educators dont want children to feel pressured by academics. Students should explore learning for about half the length of the usual school day, Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley recommended.

Added Hackett: We dont want students at the computer in the morning until the evening doing nothing but technology at a time when they really need to take good care of their health and social and emotional needs.

As the school year drags on, though, some districts may press to teach new material, Riley acknowledged last week. Its unclear how they will provide support to all students, and whether their legal obligations to do so will be waived. Students with special education needs often make up about 15 percent of a student body; their issues range from slight learning or reading problems to severe autism or physical differences that cant readily be accommodated online.

For instance, I cant tell you we are serving our mute, autistic, or blind students right now through this process, Nolin said.

She was disheartened by the advice from US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who suggested schools could easily swap to remote learning. Well, thats great, Nolin said, but you tell me how I provide physical therapy to a student this way.

Hackett, of Lexington, noted that some of her towns students with severe disabilities attend programs outside the district that have now closed their doors. Weve been trying to even think about ways to advocate for respite for families who need it, she said. Its a major challenge.

So, too, was ramping up remote learning for thousands of students in individual homes. The day before the launch was so hectic in Natick that Nolin could compare it to only one prior school day: 9/11.

This was a second to that," said Nolin. "Families, kids, everybody was freaking out about what it means to do online interaction with each other.

She cited concerns not only about the logistics of using technology, but about privacy and etiquette, as parents, teachers, and students entered one anothers homes virtually.

Theres so many pieces to it. Youre chatting in to peoples homes. Youre watching teachers do their work," she said.

On her video chat with 20 first-graders, Lyons got a surprising amount accomplished. The students shared a song and traded examples of kind things they had done for others. (One girl said shed helped a sister with slippery hands open the bathroom door. Another helped her younger brother get more Goldfish crackers for breakfast.) At Lyonss prompting, they described the homework they had been doing. One girl displayed the math problems shed done at her fathers direction, then did a little victory dance. A boy described a review hed written of a movie.

They discussed the elements of fairy tales, which they were encouraged to write this week. They live happily ever after, one girl offered.

Then Lyons read her class a Peter H. Reynolds picture book called Ish, which conveyed a particularly poignant lesson for the moment: Work doesnt have to be perfect for you to be proud. Lyons called it pretty fitting because were in a classroom-ish. Were together-ish, right? But were making it work.

But as she read, Lyons spilled coffee near her computer. Friends, Im going to pause for a second, she said, telling the children to take their microphones off mute and talk among themselves while she got a towel.

In her absence, chaos reigned. Silly faces were made. A teddy bear was forced to dance. Someone growled.

She returned, called for muting, and silence was restored for the ending and the lesson: Whatever home learning they tried this weekend, they should share it, even if its not perfect, she said, because I bet theres a lot of great work in it.

Stephanie Ebbert can be reached at Stephanie.Ebbert@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieEbbert

See the article here:

For online teachers (and students), school is a work in progress - The Boston Globe

30/03/2020 - Industry professionals can access six work-in-progress titles currently in post-production and taken from the event that was originally scheduled to unfold within Toulouses Cinelatino Festival

Memory House by Joo Paulo Miranda Maria

The 37th Cinma en Construction session - which was supposed to unspool on 26 and 27 March as part of the Cinelatino Festival 32nd Toulouse Meetings but which was cancelled as a result of the current health crisis - is now taking place this week in digital form, with its three accompanying prizes set to be handed out on 3 April latest following the usual jury deliberations. This digital platform can be accessed, first and foremost, by partners and professionals already registered for the event, facilitating their discovery of the six selected work-in-progress titles, currently in post-production (and in search of additional finance, not to mention partners who can ensure their circulation and audience access).

For the record, Cinma en Construction is jointly organised by the San Sebastian Film Festival and Toulouses Film Meetings, with a view to lending support to Latin American films in the process of finalisation by way of two separate sessions (focusing on six films in Toulouse in March and on six films in San Sebastian in September). Its an initiative whose list of previously selected films dates back to 2002 and includes the likes of Tony Manero by Pablo Larran, Gloria[+see also: trailerfilmprofile] by Sebastin Lelio, Sangre[+see also: trailerfilmprofile] by Amat Escalante, La sombra del caminante by Ciro Guerra, Mariana[+see also: filmreviewtrailerfilmprofile] by Marcela Said, Ixcanul[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Jayro Bustamantefilmprofile] by Jayro Bustamante, La familia[+see also: filmreviewtrailerfilmprofile] by Gustavo Rondn Crdova and The Sharks[+see also: filmreviewtrailerfilmprofile] by Luca Garibaldi, not to mention Los silencios[+see also: filmreviewtrailerfilmprofile] by Beatriz Seigner.

Shining bright among the six candidates selected for this Toulouse-based session of the Cinma en Construction event are two films co-produced by Europe: Memory Houseby Joo Paulo Miranda Maria (read our article produced by Parisian group Maneki Films and Brazilian outfit Bossa Nova Filmes) and Karnawal by Juan Pablo Felix, produced by Argentine firm Bikini Films and co-produced by Norways Norsk Filmproduksjon, Frances Melocoton Films, Brazils 3 Moinhos, Bolivias Londra Films, Chiles Picardia Films and Mexicos Phototaxia Pictures.

Also featuring in the showcase are El otro Tomby Mexican director Rodrigo Pl (the 2007 winner of Venices Best First Film award for La zona, proprit prive, where he was also selected in 2015s Orizzonti section for Un monstre mille ttes, and who likewise unveiled The Delay[+see also: trailerfilmprofile] in the Berlinale Forum 2012), Desasosiego by Paz Fbrega (Costa Rica/Mexico), who won a Tiger in Rotterdam 2010 for Agua fria, La chica nueva by Micaela Gonzalo (Argentina) and 50 o dos ballenas se encuentran en la playa by Jorge Cuch (Mexico).

(Translated from French)

Read the original here:

Films in Progress takes an online form - Cineuropa

The North Carolina General Assembly isnt scheduled to go back to work until late April. Many legislators want to start up sooner than that, but there are logistical challenges. (Port City Daily photo/Courtesy NCGA)

RALEIGH The North Carolina General Assembly has a lot of work to do, including dispersing and supplementing the federal aid package and addressing the states limited unemployment benefits. There are two problems though the assembly isnt due to convene for another month and legislators still arent sure how to convene with tight restrictions on public gatherings in place.

With the passage of over $2 trillion in recovery and stimulus funding at the federal level, state representatives will need to map out how to disperse that money; in some cases, that will also involve matching state-level money with federal funds.

Theres also the issue of North Carolina unemployment system which, in short, is designed as a stopgap between jobs, not a support system for hundreds of thousands of workers who lost their jobs as a direct result of Governor Roy Coopers executive orders aimed at halting the spread of Covid-19. While Cooper included measures to relax some of the restrictions on the system, the Governors office cant increase the weekly maximums or the length of time over which benefits are paid.

State legislators can do that but they arent set to return to the General Assemblys short session until late April, a month after Cooper put the entire state on lockdown and a month and a half after his orders shuttered many restaurants and bars.

According to State Senator Harper Peterson and Representative Deb Butler, the assembly will need to meet sooner than that but so far, its not clear when. Or how.

Theres a lot of priorities for front-line healthcare workers we need testing, thats crucial, and we need equipment, PPEs and other resources. We also need small business relief. And of course we have to tackle enhancements for unemployment. In terms of the [federal] relief package, we need to get that money into local hands. Its all important, nobody gets put in the back seat but we cant wait, I cant imagine we wait until the end of April, Peterson said.

Butler also noted the importance of addressing the states disgraceful benefits level, among the lowest in the nation. Still, Butler noted its going to be some time yet before the General Assembly gets to work on the problem.

The main issue: by law, legislators are required to vote in person. Does this present a Catch-22, where legislators would need to vote to change the laws on how the vote, but would be unable to do so because they cant currently convene a sufficient number of representatives to vote on anything?

Peterson said he wasnt sure, but that its a daily conversation. He noted that on Wednesday, the House held its first-ever online committee meeting.

According to Business Insiders Colin Campbell, the Houses coronavirus committee meeting began with the squelch of microphone feedback and was occasionally interrupted by bad connections the run-of-the-mill issues that almost everyone shifting to a remote-working routine is dealing with right now.

While getting the hang of online committee work is a good start, theres still the issue of voting. House Speaker Tim Moore suggested earlier this week that votes could be held open for a longer period of time; Butler also said that votes taken in a staggered fashion was a good possibility.

Send comments and tips to Benjamin Schachtman at ben@localvoicemedia.com, @pcdben on Twitter, and (910) 538-2001

View original post here:

Legislating in the age of Covid-19: Progress, slowly, in Raleigh [Free read] - Port City Daily

The social and developmental changes that have occurred over the past 70 years are nothing less than remarkable. Almost every metric of human development from the percentage of people living in abject poverty and life expectancy, to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and infant mortality rates has seen a significant improvement during this period even as the global population surged. A major factor in realising these developmental gains should undeniably be attributed to international development cooperation, ranging from scientific exchange to creating better conditions for foreign investment.

Bearing in mind the complex politics surrounding development, the power and wealth differential that often exists between providers (donors) and partners (recipients), and the various interests behind development cooperation, the fact that governments, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), private donors, and development agencies can come together to enact meaningful change should rightly be considered a feat of human ingenuity and collaboration. Added to this is the fact that international development is such a relatively new endeavour. While the act of helping the poor is hardly a modern concept, doing so in such a systematic way civilly (if not contentiously) while involving so many actors and impacting so many peoples across the globe stands as a testament to the power and vibrancy of international development cooperation.

Upon a closer, more critical inspection of how international development cooperation has changed over time, it is necessary to separate the overall gains and achievements such cooperation has produced from how it manifests within development agencies and among delegates in conference rooms. Conducting an independent examination of process (i.e., international development cooperation) and outcomes (e.g., poverty alleviation, disease control, etc.) yields conflicting results, even as international development cooperation has arguably advanced significantly since its inception in the late 1940s and 1950s. The very paradigm(s) behind international development cooperation have also been refined in the ensuing decades, often in a way that is more equitable and inclusive towards partner countries. International development cooperation no longer adheres to the simplistic divides of North-South cooperation, especially when considering the growth of South-South cooperation partnerships, triangular cooperation schemes, and public-private partnerships that leverage globalised economic frameworks and internationally respected norms, rules, laws, and regulations.

As the 2002 Monterrey Consensus and the Four High Level Forums on Aid Effectiveness demonstrate, it is clear that partner countries are increasingly taking a more proactive and self-empowered approach to how they engage in international development cooperation. Furthermore, the 2015 Paris Climate Accords as well as the formulation and adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the subsequent Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underscore just how much international development cooperation has advanced, particularly by becoming more multi-stakeholder as well as juggling myriad interests and ultimately creating a framework that almost every institution is willing to support either in practice or lip service.

Without such advancement, landmark achievements such as but certainly not limited to banning fluorocarbons to protect the ozone layer, halting acid rain, eradicating smallpox, drastically reducing violent interstate conflict, protecting the Arctic and Antarctic, enacting controls on nuclear weapons testing and proliferation, and developing rules and norms that govern cross-border and international activities ranging from air travel to the use of space would simply not have been possible. In this sense, it seems evident that international development cooperation as a process is advancing in a gradual but constructive and inclusive way.

What I am not convinced of, however, is the sustainability and holistic nature the efforts and outcomes of international development cooperation produce in the long-term. For a key example, look no further than the insidious spectre of climate change. The 2015 Paris Agreement was a landmark outcome for international development cooperation, one that elevated climate change back to the top of the global political agenda. Yet, when examining the outcomes, the Paris Agreement is nowhere near as effective as it needs to be, and current climate pledges will not be enough to stop severe warming particularly when most governments refuse to meaningfully curb fossil fuel production.

Even though reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century is technically possible and some countries are meeting their targets, the world as a whole is not on track to meet the goals set out as emissions continue to rise. Moreover, extreme weather patterns, which climate change is intensifying, are raising the risk of a global food crisis where multiple breadbaskets could fail at the same time. Added to this is the likelihood that climate change will drive one of the largest refugee crisis in history a phenomenon whose effects are already being felt across communities in Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and South Asia, which will, according to Brookings, test the limits of national and global governance as well as international cooperation.

Thus, while it is encouraging to see that global development mechanisms and processes seem to be evolving to meet ever growing needs and competing interests, the outcomes produced and the pace of change are simply not enough. Climate change, as a global and interconnected existential risk, is one of the most daunting challenges in particular, one that developed economies (mainly in the Global North) have and continue to exacerbate more than developing ones particularly in places with the highest development levels and per-capita income, such as Scandinavia.

Not only has the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, warned that climate change threatens the future of human rights, and risks undoing the last 50 years of progress in development, global health, and poverty reduction, but it is entirely possible that the gains we have made as a species no doubt due to international development cooperation may only be relevant and beneficial to one, two, or potentially three generations. This goes well beyond hypothetical forecasting; the efforts to alleviate global poverty provide a case study in why the lack of sustainable outcomes is so problematic for international development cooperation and the very notion of positive social progress itself.

Ending poverty around the world underpinned the genesis of international development cooperation in the post-World War II era. Today, many of the major international development aid agencies such as the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) uphold the endeavour to eradicate poverty as a central pillar of their respective missions. Poverty is a relative term that manifests differently from country-to-country and from context-to-context, such as between urban and rural areas or between genders. What is also apparent is that even after more than 70 years of international development cooperation, and billions spent on eradicating poverty, major inequalities persist or continue to worsen especially as it relates to hunger, one of the most poignant indicators of poverty. For example, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), More than 820 million people did not have enough to eat in 2018. Almost all those hungry people live in developing regions. Hunger has [also] been increasing in many countries, in particular in middle-income countries, where economic growth is lagging. For decades, the number of hungry people was in decline, but this is no longer the case.

The rest is here:

'The Experiment of Development': the source of our progress has become the source of our downfall - Open Democracy

R&D revenue came in at nearly $1.7 million, a 29% increase year-over-year from $1.3 million in 2018

()reported its 2019 full-year results after the bell Monday, revealing that the company saw a jump in research and development revenue and doubled its cash on hand.

R&D revenue came in at nearly $1.7 million, a 29% increase year-over-year from $1.3 million in 2018. Cash on hand, meanwhile, doubled to $4.8 million from $2.4 million, and the carrying value of itsinvestment-grade securities, including interest, dipped to $31.2 million from $39.1 million.

The company's net loss incresased 45% to $8.3 million, $0.31 per share, from $5.7 million, $0.21 per share, a year earlier. The dip was due in large partto increases in its general and administrative expenses by $1 million and R&D expenses by$600,000, in addition to an income tax benefit of $1 million last year.

"I am pleased to report that 2019 was another successful year for Dyadic as we achieved several important scientific and business milestones and expanded our global presence, CEO Mark Emalfarb said in a statement. While still early in 2020, we are seeing continued momentum.

On the scientific front, Dyadic entered into six new proof of concept research collaborations in 2019, utilizing its proprietary C1 gene expression platform to express different types of biologic vaccines and drugs for human and animal health, the company said, in addition to two new research licenses.

The companys collaborators include the Serum Institute of India, two leading animal health companies, and three top tier human health companies, as well as an expanded collaboration with the Eu-sponsored initiative, ZAPI.

In addition, the company extended its research and development contract through June 2022 with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. The data gathered through this collaboration exceeded initial expectations and produced record levels of productivity for several different types of proteins, the company said.

"Supporting our growth strategy is our robust scientific data, solid financial position with approximately $36 million in cash and investment-grade securities and ongoing R&D collaborations funded by our partners, Emalfarb said. Our visibility in the investment community has significantly increased as well. In 2019, our shares were up-listed to the Nasdaq, and we joined the Russell Microcap Index further reinforcing the continued growth of our company.

That growth has continued in 2020, Emalfarb said.

Dyadic's pipeline of opportunities is getting larger and more diverse, Emalfarb said. Last week, we entered into a nonexclusive research license with WuXi Biologics, a leading global Contract Development Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and another fully funded feasibility study with a leading animal health company. We are now working with three of the top four animal health companies."

Now, the company has turned its C1 platform toward the coronavirus.

"To assist in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working with the Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ufovax, a spin-off vaccine company of Scripps Research, as well as a group of coronavirus experts from Erasmus Medical Center, Utrecht University, and the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, along with a clinical contract research organization, CR20, Emalfarb said.We expect to use C1 to express a growing number of potential coronavirus vaccine and antibody candidates for a number of different parties.

"Our involvement in these COVID-19 initiatives further highlights the broad application potential of our C1 technology by helping to immediately address the coronavirus outbreak, be better prepared for future infectious diseases, pandemic and epidemic outbreaks, and advance biopharmaceutical manufacturing to help speed up development, lower the cost and improve the performance of biologic vaccines and drugs to make healthcare more accessible and affordable to patients globally."

Contact Andrew Kessel at [emailprotected]

Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel

Read more here:

Dyadic shows off R&D revenue growth, scientific progress in 2019 full-year results - Proactive Investors USA & Canada

The Social Butterfly is not sheepish about feeding little lambs from Dinwiddie County during their stay at Maymont

NOTE: All of The Progress-Indexs coverage of coronavirus is being provided for free to our readers. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to The Progress-Index at progress-index.com/subscribe now.

Amidst all this crazy, earth-shattering uncertainty, we must continue to discover special silver linings of life.

When all hell breaks loose, each of us handles it differently. Some rise to the occasion and become leaders while others wither, worry and wonder as to how the story will end.

Then, you have those in the middle. Yes, Id say...I fall somewhere in the middle.

I always say, "You want me on your Survivor team." Common sense is necessary to excel, but one must be a chameleon to weather challenges as they present themselves.

An obstacle I am faced with is...the Social Butterfly must be anti-social to an extent. I as well as the nation need to proceed with extreme caution to help slow down the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 virus, if there is any hope to return to normalcy.

At the time Im writing this, at least in Virginia, the public has been encouraged to enjoy a walk, bike ride, or take part in some other activity where one can safely maintain a 6-foot splash zone.

Lucky for me, I discovered an event which allowed me to get some much-needed exercise, take in Gods beautiful spring artwork, cuddle a lamb for the first time, and meet Matthew McConaughey.

On Sunday, March 15, I had an experience I just know "ewe" will love! I visited Maymont Farm where I bottle-fed a baby Gulf Coast sheep a critically endangered breed developed in the Southeastern United States.

I had a delightful encounter with four-week-old twin lambkins that were born in Dinwiddie County.

"Were excited that people from our community are going to be able to visit Maymont and enjoy animals from our county," stated Mardelian Farm owner Cindy Hall. "Their mom who resides at Pamplin Historical Park was not able to nurse them due to her advanced age. Im happy to report she has improved and is doing well.

"Weve switched off chickens in the past, but this is the first animal loan with Maymont. And, we hope to do more with them in the future," added Hall. "I didnt even know they were still open with all this going on."

According to Hall, the lambs should return to their farm in July or so and will be joining their herd of sheep or will be adopted out to another farm; Hall sells skincare products made using sheep, cow and goat milk.

While interviewing senior manager of zoology Joseph "Joe" Neel of Chesterfield County, the adorable twins continuously bleated.

"Im responsible for all living things except for plants and humans," Neel stated. "The Gulf Coast sheep population is not stable, yet, however, farmers located in the Southeastern United States continue efforts to maintain the breed.

"Its an amazing breed, and we appreciate the Hall family sharing them with us," shared Neel. "Our goal and function here is to bring people and animals together because were right smack dab in a very urban setting."

Neel explained to me that farmers really want animals that will produce what it is theyre selling, and Gulf Coast sheep are the least productive out of the breed which lends partly as to why they are endangered now.

"The story of these guys is, their mom is 11 years old which is kind of up there in age for sheep," Neel stated. "She was really struggling nursing both of them, and thats why we need to bottle-feed them.

"Its a rare opportunity that we are able to bring lamb encounters to Maymont Farm," added Neel. "Typically, if we were to bring in babies, they would come in with their moms."

"Being from the South, we thought wed give them southern boy names." lead animal keeper Lauren Revercomb of Richmond commented. "We went with Jasper and Bo since theyll be southern gentlemen in Dinwiddie County."

How do they distinguish between Bo and Jasper?

According to Revercomb, Bo has a black nose and white lips and is usually the more shy and snugglier one of the two, and Jasper has a white nose and black lips as well as a black spot on his abdomen.

"Out of the siblings, Jasper is more outgoing, bold, and usually tries to eat first," stated Revercomb.

"I know whoever tries to get on my lap when I go in there...its Jasper," shared Neel with a smile.

This is one interview I will not soon forget!

The Maymont Farm team was busily returning animals to the barn while I interviewed Neel.

A variety of animals passed by us continuously; some stopped by to say hello to their buddy Joe. It was quite delightful and funtastic!

I noticed a goat wearing attire.

"Stellas getting up there in age," explained Neel. "Just like us, when we get older, we have joints that just cant handle the cold as well, so when we noticed Stella shivering, we put a jacket on her.

"We go above and beyond for our animals," boasted Neel. "The stalls are equipped with fans for hot days and heaters for cold.

"We have farm animals...yes," explained Neel. "While they are farm animals, we are not a farm; so we have different standards that we abide by for animal husbandry.

"Non-hobby farms grow their animals to a certain age, and if its for meat or milk, theyre not overly concerned about taking care of them for the rest of their lives," added Neel. "Here...were not a farm, were a family. And, basically we go by USDA standards and as a zoological facility, we follow industry standards set by the AZA [Association of Zoos & Aquariums]."

The big moment arrived!

"We started off feeding Bo and Jasper four bottles a day, but right now because of their age, theyve been cut down to three a day," explained Neel. "When they start taking on hay a little more, were going to take it down to two feedings per day."

I was offered to feed both of them at once or just one; I opted for the latter since it was my first time.

Simple rules were provided: do not let the legs hang down and hold the bottle up.

"A natural position for these guys would be looking up at their mom," explained Neel. "They position themselves almost entirely upside down...so we want their heads up looking at the bottle."

Neel invited me to take a seat on the bale of hay. Then, he carefully placed Bo on my lap. It was beyond e-x-c-i-t-i-n-g!

If you dont have access to watch the video of me bottle feeding Bo, the following is my giddy reaction laced with giggles from beginning to end.

"Aw...so sweet...aw," I said while the lamb rambunctiously drank his meal. "Hes getting very excited!

Bo continued to gulp down his meal like it was his last!

"Aw...this is fun," exclaimed my inner child. "Aw...this is sweet...I feel like kissing it!"

Bo felt like the super-soft, cozy fleece blankets you open at Christmas time.

At first, I thought feeding one was probably the best idea since it was my first time, but once I realized how fun and simple it was... I thought...why not...I could double the thrill. So, I offered to double up. However, Jasper was going at it very strongly while Joe was feeding him so he opted not to interrupt his rigorous excitement.

Before my lamb encounters of the first kind, I strolled through the park interviewing peeps along the way at a six-foot distance.

My first stop was to the farm where I met animal keeper Amanda Bristow of Henrico. She informed me that they named their hens and ducks after Downton Abbey characters.

Augustus "Gus" the KuneKune pig was quite dashing, and according to Revercomb, he loves belly rubs.

In Maymont Parks Japanese Garden, I met Monica Weeks and her daughter Megan.

"Upon the college administrations recommendation, I opted to return home and take online classes for the next three weeks," stated University of Mary Washington student Megan. "Its going pretty well.

"I think it was the right thing to do," said Megan. "It will be a tough transition conducting classes online when youre used to meeting in class."

"From a parents perspective, its a necessary thing to do for all," stated Monica. "But, were paying for an apartment and food which is not happening.

"Its also disappointing because the college experience is different from what one would expect," added Monica. "Its changing during this unfortunate time."

In the Japanese Garden, I overheard a little boy exclaim pescado while standing on a footbridge overlooking the pond.

I introduced myself to the Heflin family who were also actively seeking out koi.

"If Im at home, I dont get paid," stated Anthony Burns Elementary School substitute teacher Kat Heflin of Stafford County. "I think it will be kind of difficult for some families, and it will be kind of hard for some kids to do their work at home."

"Our oldest Kendal has assigned homework," shared Kats husband Jay. "And, elementary school students will be reading books."

While in the cool, shaded and intimate Japanese Garden, I met Matthew McConaughey! He was handsome, muscular, outgoing, extremely friendly and furry!

"He needed a proper name since he has such a great personality," stated Kambria Lannetti who introduced me to her Olde English Bulldogge.

I mentioned to Lannetti that Ive read over the years that McConaughey doesnt wear deodorant.

"Well, he doesnt either," Lannetti wittingly stated.

As I was leaving the garden, I met VCU students senior Tara Spitzer and junior Catherine Frost who were making the best of their unexpected extended spring break due to COVID-19.

"Im so sad about it," shared Spitzer. "We dont get to go back to our classes, teachers, and friends.

"Having an extra long break is fine, if you have something to do," added Spitzer. "I was planning on going to the Smithsonian, but its closed."

"Im not looking forward to taking courses online," stated Frost. "Its very isolated.

Frost explained how students who are graduating are disappointed the ceremony has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The hill leading up to the Dooley Mansion was a doozy, and goose poo landmines were everywhere!

While recovering from the climb and short of breath, I met the Nagle family.

"Im happy to spend time with my children," stated Dinwiddie Elementary School teacher Maria Nagle. "But, Im concerned about my students and whether they have what they need for two weeks."

In Maymonts Italian Garden, I met the Sims family who were hiking with walking sticks.

How did the siblings mom Laine Sims of Richmond feel about schools being cancelled due to COVID-19?

"It sounds like the wise thing to do," stated Sims.

"Were having virtual school using Zoom and Google Classroom," shared Ellie [13]. "We were sent home with assignments."

"Its cool we get to stay home with our family," shared Mary [10]. "But, the sad part is Ill miss my friends, and I wish it wasnt because of COVID-19."

With a positive attitude, Ellie stated, "I will get a lot of time to work on my art projects."

During the unprecedented virus crisis, Asher Thorton and Mac Ward played frisbee.

"Im student teaching at the Title 1 school Miles Jones Elementary," stated Thorton who is a VCU graduate student in the Master of Teaching program, "They cancelled schools due to the virus.

"We sent home homework packets," added Thorton. "And, students are still being fed through food programs."

"Its scary," stated mural artist Ward who graduated from VCU. "Were not going to be bar-hopping...thats for sure!"

While waiting for my lamb encounter, I chatted with Maria Winkler who is a Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant in the Biology Department. Winkler understood classes being cancelled, but expressed concern that the university remained open.

"This is a problem because many of the hourly workers dont get sick leave," explained Winkler. "Some employees take the bus to work which is a huge contamination risk.

"The number of confirmed cases has more than quadrupled since Wednesday," added Winkler. "Its a safety risk, and I dont think its worth it to wait until theres a case in Richmond."

If youre feeling cooped up and need to stretch your legs, Maymont Park located at 1000 Westover Road in Richmond is a beautiful destination to do so.

Maymonts 100 acres of parkland are open as an oasis for relaxation, fresh air, open spaces and natural beauty. However, the Maymont Mansion is not open to the public at this time.

There is plenty of room to find a peaceful spot for solitude and reflection, but please check their website at maymont.org regularly for the most current information.

According to Neel, lambs are always hungry, so grab a bottle and help support Maymont Farm by feeding Bo and Jasper.

Lamb Encounters are first-come, first-served and are offered daily from 11-11:30 a.m. and Monday-Friday from 3:30-4 p.m. through April 30.

Kristi K. Higgins, aka The Social Butterfly, can be reached at khiggins@progress-index.com or @KristiHigginsPI.

Four-week-old Gulf Coast sheep Jasper being bottle-fed by senior manager of zoology Joseph "Joe" Neel at Maymont Farm in Richmond on March 15. [Contributed Photo]

Read the original here:

At the baa-baa shop - Progress Index