Kyoshero Primary school in Western Uganda

Ayoub mzee with HON david Milliband UK Foreign secretary

Prepairing to go LIVE O



FOREIGN PRESS CENTER BRIEFING WITH SECRETARY OF LABOR HILDA SOLIS AND DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL LABOR AFFAIRS SANDRA POLASKI


TOPIC: UPCOMING MEETING OF G-20 LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT MINISTERS



MODERATOR: Good morning. Welcome to the Foreign Press Center. We are very honored today to have the Secretary of Labor, Ms. Hilda Solis, with us to speak to you about the upcoming meeting of the G-20 summit labor ministers.

Thank you. Secretary Solis.

SECRETARY SOLIS: Thank you, good morning, and buenos dias. I’d like to thank all of you for joining us here today. Tomorrow, as you know, I will be hosting the first-ever historic meeting of the employment and labor ministers of the G-20. This group makes up the 20 largest economies of the world. At the G-20 summit held last September in Pittsburgh, President Barack Obama proposed to other leaders that I should host this meeting here in Washington, D.C. to ensure that employment and the challenges that the economic crisis is posing for working families is kept front and center in our mission.

The other leaders agreed and declared we cannot rest until the global economy is restored to full health and hardworking families the world over can find decent jobs. This meeting, as you know, comes at a time of tremendous challenge for workers in the G-20 countries. The prompt actions of many of our governments last year prevented a true global depression. The International Labor Organization, the ILO, estimates that 20 million jobs were saved or created by collective stimulus plans and our social safety nets in 2009 and 2010.

However, as you know, we still have high, unacceptable rates of unemployment in our own country and across the globe. And we still need to create more jobs. The G-20 leaders gave us a broad mandate. Their statement directs us to do the following: number one, assess the evolving employment situation; number two, ask the International Labor Organization and OECD to prepare an analysis of the impact of the policies already adopted; third, report on whether further job creation measures are desirable; fourth, consider improvements to social protection programs such as unemployment insurance; five, develop a strategy to maximize skill development for our workers for the changing jobs of the future, and; six, consider ways to improve the quality as well as the quantity of jobs.

At the meeting, I will take up this mandate along with the other G-20 ministers with the hope to accomplish two main goals. The first is to prepare a set of recommendations for measures that countries should consider in order to tackle the job crisis. These measures will help set the stage for a sustainable, balanced recovery that creates good jobs for all those who want to work or who are underemployed. The second goal is to develop an understanding among the ministers on the range of labor market conditions and challenges faced by the G-20 countries in order to build a foundation for future discussion and cooperation.

So we can, in fact, learn from each other’s experiences. Indeed, we have a historic opportunity to come up with a concrete set of recommendations. These recommendations and strategies will help us make greater progress on employment in each of our countries and at the global level.

As United States Secretary of Labor, I have made good jobs for everyone our overarching objective at the Department of Labor. Of course, I’m thinking about American workers as well as Labor Secretary. But I also recognize that in order to build a foundation for a sustained recovery of the global economy that we will provide the economic security we seek, we must, in fact, together work to create strong job growth to ensure that our own future prosperity as well as that of workers around the world occurs. My Under Secretary for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs Sandra Polaski, who has been organizing this event, has joined me today and can also provide you with additional details.

Before I take any questions, I do want to make a statement briefly in Spanish. (Speaking in Spanish.)

MODERATOR: Before you ask your question, would you please identify yourself and the media?

QUESTION: Andrew Beatty with the AFP.

MODERATOR: Wait for the microphone.

QUESTION: Oh, sorry, my apology. Andrew Beatty with the AFP news agency. Could you tell us a little bit about the participation in this summit? I mean, are people – are European ministers going to be able to arrive, for example?

SECRETARY SOLIS: Well, in fact, we are going to have, I think, some good representation. We do know that there are a few labor ministers that couldn’t make it, obviously, because of the volcanic eruption. But I will let Sandra Polaski give you the details as to who is coming and who isn’t.

MS. POLASKI: Yes. We will still have the meeting. We’ll have high-level representation from all of the G-20 countries. However, unfortunately, we will not be joined by the labor ministers of France, Germany, the UK, and the European Commission, because, as you can see the map in your minds, those are all Northern European capitals and those airports have been closed down for days and will apparently continue to be closed down through today. Some of them may try to come tomorrow if the airports open, at least for the final day of the meeting.

However, all of the countries that are not able to make it either had already sent senior officials who were in place – vice ministers or under secretaries who carry the relevant portfolios – and in other cases, they are sending their ambassador to the U.S. to represent the country.

QUESTION: Thank you. I am Xiong Min with 21st Century Business Herald. This is a Chinese newspaper in China. Can you be more specific about certain recommendations you’re working on over the meeting? And I notice some American scholars earlier mentioned that maybe this meeting is considering raising the international labor standard to the developing countries. Is this an issue? Can you tell us more about that?

MS. POLASKI: Well, the recommendations themselves will be worked out by the ministers over the coming two days. We will have a press conference at 3:30 on Wednesday afternoon when the recommendations have been agreed and finalized, and we will then actually present those detailed recommendations to the media. But it would be a bit premature for me to tell you what they are before the ministers have actually meet and agree on them.

I think I might have seen some of the articles that were raised in countries about whether this was a meeting to raise international labor standard. In terms of the way the question was phrased in those opinion columns, the answer is no, this is not a meeting to negotiate international labor conventions or labor standards. That is done at the International Labor Organization once a year when they meet in a conference in Geneva, and that is an ongoing process that all of the G-20 countries, by the way, normally participate in and have participated in for a very long time.

This is not a meeting to negotiate labor standards; however, it is a meeting for the ministers to discuss, among other topics, how they can be sure that the crisis does not lead to a lowering of working conditions, how the crisis does not lead to violations of labor laws, does not lead to violations of minimum wage laws, in any of our countries. So in that sense, yes, the ministers will be very concerned, because in a situation where there is a lot of unemployment, there is a natural tendency for at least some to take advantage of that --to ignore labor laws or push down labor standards. And the ministers will very much be interested not only in creating more jobs, but as Secretary Solis said, in creating more good jobs.

SECRETARY SOLIS: I would just like to add that, as kind of a pre-meeting that we have also planned is we’ll be meeting with several large business corporations that represent different segments of the global community and we have also invited various labor representatives from across the countries as well. So I’m planning on meeting with them later this afternoon to have a discussion to hear what their concerns and challenges are and then, hopefully, have a fuller opportunity to really begin the process tomorrow formally with the G-20 ministers to begin to talk about how we begin this recovery and continued monitoring of the situation across the world.

We’re all very concerned about the crisis. We continue here in the United States to see record numbers of unemployment. We know that right now is not the time to move back from what the stimulus and the recovery act have actually done. We know that other countries are in the same predicament and some are contemplating that, but this is an opportunity for us to talk about that, to share what works, what new ideas are out there, and I think we can gain from that. And I am very excited that the President has asked me to bring this forum together for the first time. It is a historic meeting.

MODERATOR: Questions?

QUESTION: Hi. Good morning. This is Lalit Jha from Press Trust of India. How has the conference been affected by the fly ash volcano eruption in Europe? Are you having all these ministers attending this conference? And secondly, India has recently announced that it will be providing a hundred days of compulsory or mandatory employment to all those unemployed persons. How – any comments from you on this?

MS. POLASKI: Well, I mentioned a moment ago that, unfortunately, four ministers from Northern European countries would not be able to join us, but they will have surrogates there. Either they will send video presentations or their ambassadors will represent them. So we continue to have participation from every one of the G-20 countries at either the most senior level or another very senior surrogate.

Were you referring to the 100 days of rural employment guarantee in India? Well, it’s interesting that you should raise that because Minister Kargai, the employment minister from India who is attending the conference, has asked to speak about that as one of the key innovations that India has made, a policy which has been challenging to implement but at the end of the day very successful, I think successful beyond the expectations of almost everyone. And India has learned and has refined the strategy, and so there is a great deal of anticipation to hear from Minister Kargai about these policies, how they have worked, and are there lessons that are transferrable to other countries at low and middle income levels.


QUESTION: I’m Brian Beary from Europolitics. I’m just wondering, if there’s at least four ministers from European countries not present, I mean, can you actually adopt these recommendations without ministerial presence?

MS. POLASKI: You’ve heard of sherpas? (Laughter.) Sherpas are the designated representatives of ministers that generally do the work in the hall outside of the meeting room or in the long night after the meeting ends, all through the night until the meeting begins, to translate into language the views of their governments and their ministries. And generally, they carry the authority of the minister to make decisions, and that is the case here. So we will both have the sherpas who are here – we will have more senior officials either from capital or from the embassy. And of course they’ll have constant telephonic contact with their capitals. We have heard from all of the delegations that they come fully empowered to negotiate. Again, 16 of the countries will be represented at ministerial level, the other four at very senior levels. And they have assured us that they will have the authority to negotiate so that the recommendations can be finalized.

QUESTION: Thank you. Heba el Koudsy, Al Masry Al Youm, an Egyptian newspaper. I have two questions. First, are you going to discuss the condition of the foreign workers in Europe or any of the G-20’s countries? And the second one is: Are you going to come up with some recommendation, and what are the tools to enforce these recommendations? Thank you.

MS. POLASKI: Yes, as part of the discussion, we are going to be focusing on social safety nets or protection systems for the most vulnerable. And in most countries, the most vulnerable groups do include many of the migrant workers. In our own country, they may include migrant workers who are documented or undocumented. And in other countries, it’s not at all uncommon for the migrant workers to be among the most vulnerable groups. We will be talking about broad policies that we can adopt across our societies but with a particular view to being sure that our social protection systems, that our unemployment systems, that our social safety nets also work for the most vulnerable populations, because there is a great concern among the ministers.

This is something that Secretary Solis has worked on and talked about, but I’ve been hearing it from all the other governments as we prepare for the meeting. There’s a great concern that as we come out of this crisis, the vulnerable groups could be left behind and we could be left with higher unemployment rates for them and perhaps even some very long, persisting unemployment. So that will very much be on the agenda.

And I’m sorry; your second question?

QUESTION: It’s about the recommendation, how to enforce this recommendation or what’s the tool to enforce –

MS. POLASKI: Secretary, would you like to --

SECRTARY SOLIS: Well, I know that we’ll be making our recommendations to the President, and all the labor ministers that are in attendance will also be doing the same thing once they return to their countries. And then at the June meeting that the G-20 will have in Toronto, Canada, June 26 and 27, our hope is that the G-20 leaders there will also again continue to focus in on the recommendations that we’re putting forward.

I’m very excited. I know that this is something that is very bold, a step that the President has made, and we are very much engaged and want to work with all our partners to see that we can share. I mean, this is an opportunity for us to address a major crisis but also share what works – better in some places than others – and, hopefully, continue to move along so that the recovery doesn’t leave any vulnerable populations up to more exposure.

And I think that this is something that all of us are very concerned about. We just met with the labor minister from Argentina, who also is very concerned and has a lot of interest in working with us to see that we don’t leave anyone behind. And it’s something very important, especially for those countries that are struggling. And we see the need to provide a good safety net for children, for women, and vulnerable populations, especially migrant workers who are working in different countries now. We know that there’s an unevenness that occurs, and we definitely want to share best practices.

QUESTION: Thank you. Shanshan Wang from China Radio International. As Secretary Solis mentioned just now, this will be the first-ever meeting of its kind. Will it develop into a regular meeting or an annual meeting, or it is just held under the difficult labor market now? Thank you.

SECRETARY SOLIS: Well, we know there’s a great deal of interest on the part of all the G-20 members. I mean, typically what had happened in the past, I think, at the G-8, we met as labor ministers there and had other opportunities. But because the crisis is so prolonged and we know it’s affecting so many countries, that I think that the President, our President, had a very good vision about raising this level of awareness. So we’re hopeful that all the labor ministers will join with us at this first event here and we’ll see where we go. But I’m inspired just by the outpouring of support, the attendance, and the people that want to make sure that they’re a part of this, because we really do have to work with our financial sector, but also what’s very important are those people, the labor force, and participation of that labor force. So I think those are very key elements and I’m looking forward to see how we can continue this effort.

MODERATOR: If there are no more questions, then we’ll conclude the meeting, Madam Secretary.

MR. FIOLLICHIO: (Inaudible) some guidance for reporters for tomorrow’s arrival.

MODERATOR: All right. Would you like to make that announcement, please?

QUESTION: There’s a question here.

MODERATOR: Okay. Yes.

QUESTION: Thank you. Xiong Min with the 21st Century Business Herald again. Just wondering, can you tell us more about the Chinese ministries’ engagement in these meetings? Or are there any specific issues that you have discussed with the Chinese?

MS. POLASKI: The Chinese Government has been fully engaged in the preparation for the meetings, and Minister Yin indeed is attending and has not been inconvenienced by the ash cover and so will be arriving, I believe, later today. But throughout the preparations, China has been a full participant.

And I think your question really just prompts me to say something that I’ve observed after many, many years of negotiating in international fora. I think that there is not only enthusiasm about holding this historic meeting, but the sense of cooperation and goodwill, the sense that we really need to make concrete achievements that can actually improve policy going forward, has been very strong in these meetings. And I can say that that characterizes all of the participants, and certainly that includes China.

MODERATOR: One --

QUESTION: Yeah. I have one final question regarding the recommendation again. Some countries in the G-20, such as Saudi Arabia, for example, have restricted labor laws. Will these recommendations have some kind of reconsidering to changing some labor laws in these countries?

MS. POLASKI: As we’ve been preparing the potential recommendations, the things that the ministers will be discussing for the next two days, indeed a number of countries – and certainly not only Saudi Arabia but many countries – have recognized that even before the crisis, a number of problems had developed in our labor markets so that we were finding that we did not see that productivity growth was necessarily translating into wage growth the way that it had in earlier periods. We saw that in many countries there was a huge increase in irregular employment – non-regular, informal – a casualization of employment, which is not desirable, which transfers risk to the households.

We saw a number of problems that had been evolving over years in our economies. And there was widespread agreement among the sherpas, who were preparing the issues for discussion by the ministers, that we really do have to go back and look at, as I said before, not only the quantity of jobs, and as Secretary Solis said, which means getting the conditions right to allow the private sector to generate jobs and making sure that the public sector is doing what it can do, but also to look at the quality of jobs. And that means looking at the laws that govern our national labor markets and seeing if those laws need to be strengthened or do they need to be enforced more ambitiously, do we need better regulations?

This is a process that Secretary Solis has led at the Department of Labor ever since she was sworn in, in February of 2009. And it turns out that it’s a preoccupation that is widely shared. And so the ministers, yes, will be talking about that and talking about what can be done going forward.

Just to your earlier question I didn’t answer, there is not an enforcement mechanism. This is really a generation of policy ideas, policy ideas generated by the experts, the labor ministers, to be given by the heads of government. The heads of government, of course, have to bring together all of their concerns about their economies, about their societies. They have to bring together their concerns about the financial market and so on. But they asked the ministers to meet, as Secretary Solis said, because they wanted to keep a very, very sharp focus on employment, because, as President Obama said, jobs are his top priority this year. And I think that’s shared by many of his fellow heads of government.

And so really the notion is to get good policy ideas shared and coordinated policy ideas in place. So it’s not really a question of enforcement; it’s a question of vision and moving forward.

MODERATOR: Okay. Is there one more? Okay.

QUESTION: Thank you. I’m Ekaterina Venkina, for the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS. I know that Russia is going to be represented and hopefully our representatives will be able to come despite the weather conditions. And I only had the question, you know, the question of migrants, and it is really one of the most essential questions for the labor market in Russia. And I just wanted to ask if you have any special particular issues that you’re going to discuss with Russian representatives.

MS. POLASKI: Yes, Russia will be represented at the very senior level and we have not heard of any problem; it’s the vice minister who is going to arrive. Russia has asked to speak about programs that it’s implementing which relocate people who have ended up in parts of the country that are economically depressed, that have been affected greatly by the changes in the Russian economy over the last 20 years, and really trying to increase the mobility of the workers in communities who are affected that way, to increase their mobility in terms of their own training and job skills, but also to do the other things that makes it possible for them to locate jobs in other regions, to actually move with their children. It’s a very interesting topic. It’s a problem that Russia has faced, perhaps more intensely even than many other countries, and we were very glad when we heard that the vice minister wanted to come and to talk about that program and that experience with us.

MODERATOR: All right. I think now we’ll get the guidance on information you can receive at the end of the conference.

MR. FIOLLICHIO: Clarisse Young in the back of the room has press kits and information about how to cover the event tomorrow. The arrival ceremony is at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue Northwest, between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. We will be making video and photographs of the arrival ceremony and the official greeting by the Secretary available on our website. We will be allowing a pool spray at the top of the meeting and then the press conference on Wednesday at 3:30 in – at the U.S. Department of Labor.

We do ask that you credential through Clarisse’s office and she can take your credentials down so we can badge you and so you have access to the building tomorrow. We also can provide help in assisting and setting up interviews with your labor minister that may be attending, and Clarisse can handle that.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR. FIOLLICHIO: The meeting itself will be closed. The sessions will be closed, but the press conference at the end will be open on Wednesday, 3:30 at the Department of Labor. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you all.

Dear Friend of OBV,
Re: 2010 General Election – ‘Black Britain Decides’
Help us make history! With an audience of 2500, and a BME media broadcast and web cast to nearly a million people, this will be perhaps the biggest political rally of the 2010 General Election. This is our collective opportunity to tell the political leaders and their parties that we care about our nation and we demand our right to make it a better place for everyone.
Operation Black Vote in partnership with church leaders, other faith leaders, business leaders, activists and the Peace Alliance will be hosting a political rally
‘Black Britain Decides’ on Wednesday 28th of April 2010, at 6.30pm. It is to be held at The Methodist Church, Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, London, SW1H 9NH.
In an anticipated closely fought election battle, the BME vote becomes crucial. We have outlined that there are at least 120 marginal seats that BME voters could significantly influence. This then is our time to demand greater social and racial justice.
The rally will be the biggest of it’s kind with all three party leaders invited along as well as other prominent speakers. Don’t miss this unique opportunity for Black Britain to play a positive and powerful role in this critical General Election campaign.
‘Black Britain Decides’ is free and places are limited so registering for it is essential. You can register on the web at: http://www.blackbri taindecides. com/
For further information please contact Jyoti Bhojani or Aisha Hassan on T: 0208 983 5474/60 E: Aisha@obv.org. uk / Jyoti@obv.org. uk

Yours Sincerely,

Simon Woolley
OBV Director

Press release
Tuesday 20 April 2010
For immediate use
Labour launches plan for growth at MINI Oxford
Gordon Brown, Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party, was joined by Peter Mandelson and Ed Miliband today to launch Labour's Plan for Growth. To read the full document, click here.The launch took place at BMW's MINI car plant in Oxford, which benefited from the Government's action during the world economic crisis. The document sets out the choice between a Labour Government that will not take risks with the recovery by making cuts this year and the Conservatives who, given the chance, would.Gordon Brown said:" Our plan for growth sets out how we can create a more prosperous Britain by:
Securing the recovery
Backing advanced manufacturing
Backing hi tech businesses
Transforming Britain’s infrastructure
Delivering a fair deal for business
"These are the building blocks of Labour’s plan for growth.
"The fragile recovery we are beginning to see would be put at risk by a Conservative government.
"They have no plan for growth. They have no view on how government working with business can support the new industries of the future.
"Instead they would cut support from the economy at the worst possible time and put growth

Dear All,UK WILPF is still holding meetings on the Voices of African Women Campaign.The next meeting is scheduled to take place this Saturday 24th April 2010 from 1-5pm.
At Tindlemanor, 52-54 Featherstone Street, London EC1Y 8RT.
Station: Old street, exit 5. Bus:205, 43, ect..

If you wish to attend, please register by replying to this e-mail in order to confirm your attendance. An agenda and Minutes of last meeting will be provided after registration.Best regards VanessaUK WILPF

The following new Congressional Research Reports (CRS) and Issue Briefs were added to the FPC's "Newest CRS Reports" page at:http://fpc.state.gov/fpc/c6694.htm:April 20, 2010
AFGHANISTAN- Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, March 25, 2010DEFENSE & NATIONAL SECURITY- Judicial Activity Concerning Enemy Combatant Detainees: Major Court Rulings, April 1, 2010- Military Personnel and Freedom of Religious Expression: Selected Legal Issues, April 8, 2010ECONOMICS, AGRICULTURE, & TRADE- The Future of U.S. Trade Policy: An Analysis of Issues and Options for the 111th Congress, March 24, 2010- The Impact of Major Legislation on Budget Deficits: 2001 to 2009, March 23, 2010- Multilateral Development Banks: Overview and Issues for Congress, April 9, 2010- Trade Agreements: Impact on the U.S. Economy, March 11, 2010- The U.S. Motor Vehicle Industry: Confronting a New Dynamic in the Global Economy, March 26, 2010EAST ASIA & PACIFIC- North Korea’s 2009 Nuclear Test: Containment, Monitoring, Implications, April 2, 2010ENVIRONMENT- Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress, March 30, 2010- Deforestation and Climate Change, March 24, 2010EUROPE- Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive, April 1, 2010- Europe’s Preferential Trade Agreements: Status, Content, and Implications, March 22, 2010IRAN- Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses, April 1, 2010TECHNOLOGY- U.S. Initiatives to Promote Global Internet Freedom: Issues, Policy, and Technology, April 5, 2010TERRORISM- Federal Efforts to Address the Threat of Bioterrorism: Selected Issues for Congress, March 18, 2010U.S. FOREIGN POLICY- Foreign Aid Reform, National Strategy, and the Quadrennial Review, April 12, 2010UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT- The Role of the Senate in Judicial Impeachment Proceedings: Procedure, Practice, and Data, April 9, 2010- Supreme Court Appointment Process: Roles of the President, Judiciary Committee, and Senate, February 19, 2010

MAHAFALI OXFORD: SHAHADA YA UZAMILI WA SHERIA ZA KIMATAIFA
Thursday, 15 April, 2010 0:48

Wednesday, April 14, 2010WHEN: 7:00 a.m.WHAT: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC); and the U.S.-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business Council breakfast honoring the Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam in an effort to enhance bilateral economic relations between Vietnam and the U.S. Speakers: U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk; Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Tan Dung; David Chavern, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at USCC; and Alexander Feldman, President of the US-ASEAN Business Council.WHERE: Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-463-5682, http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=press@uschamber.com&subject=The%20U.S.%20Chamber%20of%20Commerce%20(USCC);%20and%20the%20U.S.-Association%20of%20Southeast%20Asian%20Nations%20(ASEAN)%20Business%20Council%20-%20Event%20; web site: http://www.uschamber.com/NOTE: Credentialed media must register to 202-463-5682 or http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=press@uschamber.com&subject=The%20U.S.%20Chamber%20of%20Commerce%20(USCC);%20and%20the%20U.S.-Association%20of%20Southeast%20Asian%20Nations%20(ASEAN)%20Business%20Council%20-%20Event%20 WHEN: 9:00 a.m.WHAT: The George Washington University (GWU) Elliott School of International Affairs Discussion on "L'imagination au pouvoir: Seeing a future for biological weapon disarmament." Speakers: Jean-Pascal Zanders, Research Fellow at the European Union Institute for Security Studies; and Amy Smithson, Senior Fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.WHERE: GWU Elliott School, 1957 E Street NW, Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-994-8025; web site: http://www.gwu.edu/ NOTE: RSVP to Kirk Bansak at http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=kirk.bansak@miis.edu&subject=The%20George%20Washington%20University%20(GWU)%20Elliott%20School%20of%20International%20Affairs%20-%20Discussion%20 WHEN: 9:00 a.m.WHAT: The Hudson Institute's Center for Political-Military Analysis; and Partner for a Secure America Discussion on "Assessing the Nuclear Security Summit." Speakers: Richard Weitz, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Semmell, for Nuclear Nonproliferation; Christopher Ford, Senior Fellow and Director at the Center for Technology and Global Security at the Hudson Institute; Ken Luongo, President of the Partnership for Global Security; and Miles Pomper, Senior Research Associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.WHERE: Hudson Institute, 1015 15th Street NW, Walter and Betsy Stern Conference Center, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-223-7770; web site: http://www.hudson.org/NOTE: RSVP to Richard Weitz at http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=weitz@hudson.org&subject=The%20Hudson%20InstituteWHEN: 9:30 a.m.WHAT: Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on “U.S. policy towards the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Witnesses: Defense Under Secretary for Policy Michele Flurnoy; Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns; Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright; Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.WHERE: Room 253 Russell Senate Office Building.CONTACT: 202-224-3871; web site: http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/WHEN: 10:30 a.m.WHAT: House Armed Services Committee Hearing on “U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy and Force Structure.” Witnesses: Principal Deputy Defense Under Secretary for Policy James Miller; Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command; Energy Under Secretary for Nuclear Security Thomas D'Agostino, Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration; and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher.WHERE: Room 2118 Rayburn House Office BuildingCONTACT: 202-225-4151; web site: http://www.armedservices.house.gov/ WHEN: 12:00 p.m.WHAT: The Heritage Foundation Discussion on "Iran's Nuclear Program: What Do We Know?" Speakers: Frederick Fleitz, professional staff member of the House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee; James Phillips, Senior Research Fellow of Middle Eastern affairs at the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation; Henry Sokolski, Executive Director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center; and Helle Dale, Senior Fellow of Public Diplomacy at the Heritage Foundation.WHERE: Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Lehrman Auditorium, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-675-1752, http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lectures.seminars@heritage.org&subject=The%20Heritage%20Foundation%20-%20Discussion%20; web site: http://www.heritage.org/ NOTE: RSVP online: http://www.heritage.org/WHEN: 1:30 a.m.WHAT: House Appropriations Committee Hearing on "Security Assistance." Witnesses: Assistant Secretary of State David Johnson of the Bureau of International and Law Enforcement Affairs; Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Shapiro of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs; and Daniel Benjamin, Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the State Department.WHERE: TBACONTACT: 202-225-2771: web site: http://appropriations.house.gov/WHEN: 2:00 p.m.WHAT: House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on "Combating Anti-Semitism: Protecting Human Rights." Witnesses: Hannah Rosenthal, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at the State Department; Kenneth Jacobson, Deputy National Director of the Anti-Defamation League; Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs for the American Jewish Committee; and Elisa Massimino, President and CEO of Human Rights First.WHERE: Room 2172 Rayburn House Office BuildingCONTACT: 202-225-5021; web site: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/ WHEN: 2:00 p.m.WHAT: The Hudson Institute Discussion on "Iran and the Russian Reset," assessing "the emerging U.S.-Russia-Iran strategic recalibration." Speakers: S. Enders Wimbush, Senior Vice President of International Programs and Policy at the Hudson Institute; Ariel Cohen, Senior Research Fellow at the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at the Heritage Foundation; Svante Cornell, Research Director at the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program; David Kramer, Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund; and Richard Weitz, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute.WHERE: Hudson Institute, 1015 15th Street NW, Sixth Floor, Walter and Betsy Stern Conference Center, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-223-7770; web site: http://www.hudson.org/NOTE: RSVP to Richard Weitz at http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=weitz@hudson.org&subject=The%20Hudson%20Institute%20-%20Discussion%20
WHEN: 2:30 p.m.WHAT: Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on “Strategic Forces Programs of the National Nuclear Security Administration in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2011.” Witness: Thomas D'Agostino, Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration.WHERE: Room 222 Russell Senate Office BuildingCONTACT: 202-224-3871; web site: http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/ WHEN: 2:30 p.m.WHAT: Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on “Current Readiness of U.S. Forces.” Witnesses: Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Peter Chiarelli; Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Amos; Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert; and Vice Chief of Staff of the Navy Gen. Carrol Chandler.WHERE: Room 562 Dirksen Senate Office BuildingCONTACT: 202-224-3871; web site: http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/ WHEN: 2:30 p.m.WHAT: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on "Unfinished Business in Southeast Europe: Opportunities and Challenges in the Western Balkans." Witnesses: Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon; Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Alexander Vershbow; Kurt Volker, Senior Fellow and Managing Director of Johns Hopkins University's Center on Transatlantic Relations; Ivan Vejvoda, Executive Director of the Balkan Trust for Democracy, The German Marshall Fund of the U.S., Belgrade, Serbia.WHERE: Room 419 Dirksen Senate Office BuildingCONTACT: 202-224-4651; web site: http://foreign.senate.gov/WHEN: 6:45 p.m.WHAT: Social Action and Leadership School for Activists (SALSA) Discussion on "The Israeli Nuclear Arsenal: Implications for the Middle East and the World."WHERE: SALSA, 1112 16th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-234-9382 ext. 229NOTE: Register online: http://www.hotsalsa.org/
**************************************************Thursday, April 15, 2010WHEN: 8:00 a.m.WHAT: Energy Department; Inter-American Development Bank; Organization for American States; and Institute for the Americas Energy and Climate Ministerial of the Americas to bring energy leaders together to "advance the goals of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas":- 8:00 a.m.: Welcoming remarks by Assistant Energy Secretary David Sandalow - 8:20 a.m.: Keynote address by Energy Secretary Steven Chu - 12:15 p.m.: Remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton WHERE: Inter-American Development Bank, 1330 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-586-4940Note: The event is by invitation only. Media coverage information TBA. WHEN: 8:00 a.m.WHAT: The National Defense University Foundation Discussion on "Nukes, Missile Defense, and U.S. Security." Speaker: Principal Deputy Defense Under Secretary for Policy James MillerWHERE: The Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street SE, Washington, DC.CONTACT: Elma Rhue, 202-685-3582; web site: http://www.ndu.edu/ NOTE: RSVP required to http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rhuee@ndu.edu&subject=The%20National%20Defense%20University%20Foundation%20-%20Event%20 with the name(s) of the crew and whether you are bringing equipment such as cameras, etc. WHEN: 9:00 a.m. WHAT: The Jamestown Foundation holds a conference on "Implications for U.S. Security Interests in the Horn of Africa":- 9 a.m.: Opening address by Bruce Riedel, Senior Fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Peace at the Brookings Institution- 1 p.m.: Keynote address by Daniel Benjamin, Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the State Department- 3:30 p.m.: panel discussion on "The Future of Yemen" with Victoria Clark, author of "Yemen: Dancing on the Heads of Snakes"; Christopher Boucek, Associate at the Carnegie Middle East Program; and former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Edmund HullWHERE: The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-483-8888; web site: http://www.jamestown.org/ NOTE: Register online: http://yemenconference.eventbrite.com/
WHEN: 9:30 a.m.WHAT: Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on nominations of Navy Vice Adm. James Winnefeld Jr., to be admiral and commander of the United States Northern Command and Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command; and Army Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander to be General and Director of the National Security Agency, Chief of the Central Security Service and Commander of the United States Cyber Command. Witnesses. Nominees.WHERE: Room G-50 Dirksen Senate Office Building.CONTACT: 202-224-3871; web site: http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/ WHEN: 10:00 a.m.WHAT: House Armed Services Committee Hearing on the “Independent Panel's Assessment of the Quadrennial Defense Review.” Witnesses: Former Defense Secretary William Perry and former White House National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, co-chairman of the U.S. Institute for Peace's Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel.WHERE: Room 2118 Rayburn House Office BuildingCONTACT: 202-225-4151; web site: http://www.armedservices.house.gov/ WHEN: 10:00 a.m.WHAT: House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on "Combating Climate Change in Africa." Witnesses: Jonathan Pershing, Deputy Special Envoy in the State Department's Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change; Franklin Moore, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development's Bureau for Africa; Leon Rajaobelina, Chairman of the Board of the Madagascar Foundation for Protected Areas and Biodiversity, former Malagasy Ambassador to the United States; and Fred Boltz, Senior Vice-President for Global Strategies at Conservation International.WHERE: Room 2172 Rayburn House Office BuildingCONTACT: 202-225-5021; web site: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/
WHEN: 11:00 a.m.WHAT: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on "U.S. - Japan Relations." Witnesses: George Packard, President of the United States-Japan Foundation, New York, N.Y.; Richard Katz, Editor-in-Chief of the Oriental Economist Report, New York, N.Y.; Michael Auslin, Director of Japan studies for the American Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C.WHERE: Room 419 Dirksen Senate Office BuildingCONTACT: 202-224-4651; web site: http://foreign.senate.gov/WHEN: 12:00 p.m.WHAT: The Hudson Institute Cnference on "Venezuelistan: Iran's Latin American Ambitions." Speakers: Retired Venezuelan Air Force Brig. Gen. Boris Saavedra; Alberto Bolivar, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Center on Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security at the Foreign Policy Research Institute of Bolivar; Manochehr Dorraj, Professor of Political Science at Texas Christian University; and former Costa Rican Ambassador to the United States, Jaime Daremblum, Senior Fellow and Director of Hudson's Center for Latin American Studies.WHERE: Hudson Institute, 1015 15th Street NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-223-7770; web site: http://www.hudson.org/NOTE: RSVP to http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=isaratsis@hudson.org&subject=The%20Hudson%20Institute%20-%20Conference%20 WHEN: 12:15 p.m.WHAT: University of Maryland Center for International and Security Studies Forum Discussion on “Nuclear Policy in the Obama Administration.” Speaker: Steve Fetter, Assistant Director at Large of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President.WHERE: The University of Maryland, 1107 Van Munching Hall, College Park, Md.CONTACT: 301-405-7614; web site: http://www.umd.edu/
WHEN: 1:00 p.m.WHAT: National Press Club Newsmaker Luncheon with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano who will deliver an address on the state of the nation's and the world's aviation security system.WHERE: National Press Club, 14th and F Streets NW, Ballroom, Washington, DC.CONTACT: Melinda Cooke, 202-662-7516; web site: http://npc.press.org/
WHEN: 1:30 p.m.WHAT: House Armed Services Committee Hearing on “The Report on the Ballistic Missile Defense Review and the FY2011 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for Missile Defense Programs.” Witnesses: Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy Bradley Roberts; Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, Director of the Missile Defense Agency; and J. Michael Gilmore, Director of Operational Test and Evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.WHERE: Room HVC-201, U.S. Capitol.CONTACT: 202-225-4151 recorded schedule 202-225-2675 http://www.armedservices.house.gov/ WHEN: 6:00 p.m.WHAT: The George Washington University (GWU) Elliott School of International Affairs Middle East Policy Forum on "Law and Order Under Hamas: Construction of an Islamic Security Sector?" Speakers: Yezid Sayigh, Professor of Middle East Studies at the Department of War Studies of the School of Social Science and Public Policy at King's College, London.WHERE: GWU Elliott School, 1957 E Street NW, Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-994-8025; web site: http://www.gwu.edu/

**********************************************Friday, April 16, 2010WHEN: 8 a.m. WHAT: The National Defense University Foundation Discussion on "Nuclear Deterrence Perspectives." Speakers: Linton Brooks, former Director of the National Nuclear Security Administration.WHERE: The Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street SE, Washington, DC.CONTACT: Elma Rhue, 202-685-3582; web site: http://www.ndu.edu/ NOTE: Note: RSVP required.
WHEN: 8:30 a.m.WHAT: The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS); and the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) Conference on "International Relations of Asia 2010: Perspectives and Policy on a Changing Regional Order":- 8:30 a.m.: Welcoming remarks by Karl Jackson, Director of Asian studies and Southeast Asian studies at SAIS; and Meredith Miller, Vice President of Economic and Trade Affairs and Outreach at NBR.- 9:00 a.m.: Panel discussion on "Hard Security" with James Green of the Office of Policy Planning at the State Department; David Lampton, Director of China Studies at SAIS: Dean Cheng, Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation; and paper presenters: Sarah Yun, Emily McLeod, Jeffrey Tang, and Ben Arendt.WHERE: SAIS, Nitze Building, 1740 Massachusetts Avenue NW, AuditoriumCONTACT: Felisa Neuringer Klubes, 202-663-5626, http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=fklubes@jhu.edu; web site: http://www.jhu.edu/ WHEN: 9:00 a.m.WHAT: The Peterson Institute for International Economics (IIE); the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation; the U.S. National Center for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC); and the Australian National University conference on "Seizing the Moment: APEC 2010 and 2011." Speakers include former Vice President Walter Mondale; and IIE Director C. Fred Bergsten.WHERE: IIE, 1750 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-328-9000; web site: http://www.iie.org/ NOTE: RSVP to http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=meetings@piie.com
WHEN: 10:00 a.m.WHAT: The National Press Club Newsmaker Program news conference to detail climate geoengineering challenges and possibilities. Speakers: Christopher King, Staff Director for the Office of House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.); environmental author Jeff Goodell; former White House Council of Environmental Quality official Sam Thernstrom.WHERE: National Press Club, 14th and F Streets NW, Zenger Room, Washington, DC.CONTACT: Frank Maisano, 202-828-5864, http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=frank.maisano@bgllp.com; web site: http://npc.press.org/
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. WHAT: The Heritage Foundation Discussion on "The Dollar, The Euro, and the International Monetary Order: What is the U.S. to Do?":- 10:30 a.m.: Panel Discussion with Steve Hanke, Co-Cirector of the Institute for Applied Economics and the Study of Business Enterprise at Johns Hopkins University; Judy Shelton, member of the Board of Directors at the National Endowment for Democracy; and William Beach, Director of the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation- 12:00 p.m. Keynote address by Robert Mundell, recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1999 and professor of economics at Columbia UniversityWHERE: Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Allison AuditoriumCONTACT: 202-675-1752, http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lectures.seminars@heritage.org; web site: http://www.heritage.org/
WHEN: 12:15 p.m. WHAT: The New America Foundation (NAF) Discussion on "Thinking Through the Thinkable on a Nuclear Iran." Speakers: Thomas Schelling, Professor at the University of Maryland and winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in economics; Jeffrey Lewis, Director of the Nuclear Strategy and Nonproliferation Initiative at NAF; and Steve Clemons, Director of the American Strategy Program at NAF.WHERE: New America Foundation, 1899 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC.CONTACT: Kate Brown, 202-596-3365, http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=brown@newamerica.net; http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=communications@newamerica.net; web site: http://www.newamerica.net/ NOTE: RSVP online: http://www.newamerica.net/events/2010/tom_schelling [http://www.newamerica.net/events/2010/tom_schelling]; The webcast will be available live online: http://www.newamerica.net/events/2010/tom_schelling [http://www.newamerica.net/events/2010/tom_schelling] and http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/ [http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/
WHEN: 1:00 p.m.WHAT: Asia Society Washington Center Discussion with Commander of the U.S. Central Command Gen. David Petraeus who will deliver remarks on his perspectives on an array of issues.WHERE: Army Navy Club, 901 17th Street NW, Washington, DC.CONTACT: 202-833-2742

The director of new dela africa was priviledged to meet Igbenodion eductation center in NiGERIA when they visited lONDON

Literary icons of tomorrow revealed - Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Winners 2010
Rana Dasgupta wins Best Book for Solo
Glenda Guest wins Best First Book for Siddon Rock
Winning books take risks and break the rules, say judges
Today [12th April] in an exciting climax to the race for the international titles of Best Book and Best First Book, the winning authors of the 2010 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize were revealed:
Best Book Winner – Solo, Rana Dasgupta
The judges chose Solo for its innovation, ambition, courage and effortlessly elegant prose. A remarkable novel of two halves, this is a book that takes risks and examines the places where grim reality and fantastical daydreams merge, diverge, and feed off each other. Solo, the judges concluded, is a tour de force, breathtaking in its boldness and narrative panache.
Best First Book Winner – Siddon Rock, Glenda Guest
The judges praised Siddon Rock for its rich cast of odd characters and blending of the everyday with fantasy. Behind every door in town lurk secret desires and wild imaginings. The novel, they concluded, deftly delves into the hauntings and disjunctions of settler Australia, and in its fable-like quality captures the laconic mannerisms of the Australian outback.
Both books, the judges noted, showed how magic, fantasy and creativity can burst out in the most apparently mundane of lives and places.
Following a week of intense judging in New Delhi, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, organised by the Commonwealth Foundation and supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation, has once again propelled two rising stars into the literary spotlight. This is the first major prize the two writers have won. As highly acclaimed new international authors, Rana Dasgupta and Glenda Guest now join some of the biggest names in modern fiction in winning the Prize, including Louis de Bernieres, Vikram Seth and Andrea Levy.
Eight finalists from different regions of the Commonwealth made it to the rigorous final stage in India this week. While their books underwent the close scrutiny of the judges, the writers went head-to-head in a series of public events, readings and visits to schools, colleges and community projects.
In its 24th year, the critically acclaimed Commonwealth Writers’ Prize offers an exceptional opportunity for new writers to demonstrate their talent and for authors already on the literary scene to enhance their reputation. The Best First Book winner claims £5,000 while the writer of the Best Book wins £10,000.
“I congratulate the winners for their outstanding books and extraordinary literary talent. The two books chosen by the judges are ones that take us on unexpected journeys and challenge our conventional assumptions. The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize leads the way in spotting new literary icons and promoting literacy as a way to empower people and improve life chances. I am proud that the Commonwealth Foundation is helping to take these works to a global audience to enrich the lives of millions.”
Director of the Commonwealth Foundation and head of the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, Dr Mark Collins
“The winning books are groundbreaking in taking readers outside their usual comfort zone. Bringing new social and political realities to a wider audience, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize is truly unique in advancing cross-cultural collaboration, dialogue and understanding. It has been an honour and a delight to reward such exceptional and powerful storytelling.”
Nicholas Hasluck, Chair of the judging panel
David Clarke, Chairman of the Macquarie Group Foundation, the main sponsor of the Prize, commented:
"These compelling works by Rana Dasgupta and Glenda Guest rightly deserve to be acknowledged internationally. The Macquarie Group Foundation is delighted to support the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in recognising great literature and new literary talent; we congratulate the winners and wish all the authors who have taken part this year every success in the future."
Rana Dasgupta was born in Canterbury in the UK and now lives in New Delhi. His first book, Tokyo Cancelled, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Glenda Guest grew up in Western Australia and currently lives in Australia’s Blue Mountains. She teaches at Macquarie and Griffith Gold Coast universities.
-ends-
Notes to Editors
1. The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, established in 1987, is organised and funded by the Commonwealth Foundation with the support of the Macquarie Group Foundation. The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental body working to help civil society organisations promote democracy, development and cultural understanding in Commonwealth countries.
2. The Macquarie Group Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Macquarie Group Limited, a global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and fund management services. The Foundation is one of the leading benefactors to the community sector and in the year to 31 March 2009, together with Macquarie Group staff, it donated $A26 million to more than 900 not-for-profit organisations around the world.
3. The finalists for Best Book and Best First Book in each of the four Commonwealth Regions: Africa, Caribbean and Canada, South Asia and Europe, and South East Asia and Pacific were:
AfricaAdaobi Tricia Nwaubeni from Nigeria won Best First Book for I Do Not Come to You by Chance and Marié Heese from South Africa won Best Book for The Double Crown.
Caribbean and CanadaShandi Mitchell from Canada won Best First Book for Under This Unbroken Sky and Michael Crummey from Canada won Best Book for Galore.
South Asia and EuropeDaniyal Mueenuddin from Pakistan won Best First Book for In Other Rooms, Other Wonders and Rana Dasgupta from the UK won Best Book for Solo.
South East Asia and PacificGlenda Guest from Australia won Best First Book for Siddon Rock and Albert Wendt from Samoa won Best Book for The Adventures of Vela.
4. The 2010 pan-Commonwealth panel of judges which decided the overall winners was chaired by Hon Justice Nicholas Hasluck AM (Chair of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize), and comprises the four regional chairpersons: Elinor Sisulu (Africa); Antonia MacDonald-Smythe (Caribbean and Canada); Muneeza Shamsie (South Asia and Europe); and Anne Brewster (South East Asia and Pacific), along with the New Delhi-based local judge Makarand Paranjape, twice regional chair of the Prize.
5. The £10,000 Best Book Prize in 2009 was awarded to Australian writer Christos Tsiolkas for The Slap. The Best First Book Prize of £5,000 went to Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif for A Case of Exploding Mangoes. The prizes were announced at the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival in New Zealand. The 2008 overall winner was Lawrence Hill of Canada for The Book of Negroes.
6. For further information about the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize:http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/cwp
India:Mita KapurSIYAHITel: + 91 141 2245908E: mita.kapur@gmail.com
Laura BrodieTel:+ 91 991 086 7263E: laura.brodie@champollion.co.uk
Outside India:Marcie ShaoulCommunications ManagerCommonwealth FoundationTel: +44 (0) 20 7747 6582E: m.shaoul@commonwealth.int
General information:Fareena ChaudhryCommonwealth FoundationTel: +91 995 897 0664 E: f.chaudhry@commonwealth.int

NEWDEAL AFRICA AWARDS

Dr Alistair soyode COE BEN TV AND Chair NIDOE - Award for services to media

The British Tanzania Society Team-

The Britain Tanzania Society was founded in 1975 by Bishop Trevor Huddleston, Amon Nsekela, Roger Carter and others in the UK and Tanzania. It is a non-political, non-governmental organisation. In the UK it has formed the Tanzania Development Trust (TDT), a charity, to support local projects in Tanzania.
Aims
The Society aims to increase mutual knowledge, understanding and respect between the peoples of Britain and Tanzania through the following activities:
Providing speakers and writers and running seminars in the UK on subjects relating to Tanzania
Welcoming visitors to the host country
Offering support and friendship to students
Raising funds to finance small-scale community based projects in rural Tanzania, through our sister organisation the Tanzania Development Trust
A copy of our latest annual report is available here

The Britain Tanzania Society Newsletter for January is now available and an updated list of UK organisations working in Tanzania has also just been produced

Mr Hussein Dewji head of Middle east Cargo

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Labour Manifesto launch - Gordon Brown's speech


Gordon Brown MP, Prime Minster and Leader of the Labour Party, speech at the launch of Labour's 2010 General Election Manifesto:CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY"In 1997, New Labour asked the country for the opportunity to renew Britain - our hospitals, our schools, our towns and cities. Now, in a changed time, New Labour is once again ready and equipped to answer the call of the future. And for those who say that the promises made at election time never come to pass – I say just look around you at this building – a new acute NHS hospital that will open within weeks. A modern building that embodies the timeless ideal of compassion in action.Look at what, together, we have built – we didn’t just fix the roof – we built the entire hospital. As I have travell ed round the country, I have listened, heard and learnt from the people of Britain and have become more and not less optimistic about Britain and its potential.The forward policies we set out today are rooted in the day-to-day concerns of the British people. And today I lay before you a radical and realistic plan for Britain that starts with securing the recovery, and renews Britain as a fairer, greener, more accountable, and more prosperous country. For the road to recovery we’re travelling on is also the road to a better and fairer future for all. Leave it to our opponents to try to build the present in the image of the past – our manifesto is written not in the past tense, but in the future tense. Because even in the darkest days of the crisis we have never stopped thinking of and preparing for tomorrow. A few years ago, someone once asked where does New Labour stand – what business are we in: past or future?Our answer is as c lear as the question was then.We are in the future business.And under my leadership we always will be in the future business … building a future fair for all.And by encouraging thousands of acts of compassion and caring, our policies at their best can bring hope alive, make dreams come true, and meet the aspirations of all those who want to rise.It matters because we are in a new world now. September the 11th changed the security considerations for the world and explains our continuing and resolute commitment to Afghanistan and our armed forces. So also the financial crisis changed the economic considerations. This is the first post-crisis vote for our country, and the most important in a generation. Get the big decisions right now and make the right choices now; and we not only renew our economy but renew our politics and society too. And in building the future Labour will be restless and relentless reformers – reformers of the market, and reformers of the state.And so this post-crisis world throws up three fundamental questions which we will address today.First – how do we rebuild our economy so that Britain can be a country with high skills and modern manufacturing – where work pays, family finances are secure and government partners business to invest in Britain’s strengths?Second – even as we cut the deficit with our announced tax rises and public spending reductions – how do we protect and reform our front-line public services so that they are not take-it-or-leave-it services, but give every patient parent and citizen real choice and voice, and put you in charge of the service you receive?And third – how do we write anew the contract of trust between the public and the public servants, so that we replace a discredited and distrusted politics, with one where you the people are the boss?New Labour’s manifesto answers these questions with a pla n for national renewal. In its pages, and online, you will find a Labour programme not setting out empty slogans of change, but setting out who is best for the NHS, who is best for schools, who is best for our young people, who is best for jobs.My priority is to secure the recovery. But as that is done, we know we need to move on to a different, fairer economy with broader foundations and with responsibility from all, including at the top. As a result of the decisions taken to secure the recovery, and as long as we see this through, our plan for the future, you the British people will be better off. This is the Britain of our commitment and our vision.A Britain where an active government backs British business with the fastest high speed rail, the newest green investment bank, the widest broadband access for all and the best allowances for those businesses that wish to invest in their future. A Britain where we demand a new culture in the City – wi th standards in the boardroom and finance that look to the long term interests of British business and industry - and safeguards investors, workers and consumers too. It’s a Britain where banks serve the people and not the other way around, and banks pay their fair share to society through an international banking tax. And a pro-enterprise Britain where we invest in the high tech, digital, life science, green and creative industries where Britain leads the world. And where we will support small businesses with help for cash flow with the continuation of the time-to-pay scheme that has already helped thousands of firms, and by a one year rates holiday on business for thriving small firms. It’s a Britain not of limited room at the top, but one where all young people can go on to university, college or an apprenticeship, and where, with 1 million more skilled jobs and up to 70,000 advanced apprenticeships and new skills accounts, everyone has a chance to get on. It’s a Britain of the family, with a minimum wage rising with earnings, an end to long term unemployment, and new help for first time home buyers, and where we build on Labour’s record maternity leave and pay with a new father’s month, to help people better balance work and family life. A Britain where we have more homeowners, more apprentices, more students, more professionals, more businesses and a bigger middle class than ever before. And just as we are unafraid to reform the institutions of the market economy, so New Labour will always be the reformers of government itself. We are determined to halve the deficit – but as we do, so we will ensure that every last pound spent on public services delivers the best value for money for you and your family. I don’t believe in take it or leave it public services – I want guaranteed standards for every citizen in every public service, with robust redress if they fail and with the best taking over those that aren’t making the grade.The central insight of our reforms in this manifesto is that there should be no limit to what the best in the public sector can do – and that’s why, by 2015, there will be 1000 federated schools in total, where brilliant educational innovators will lead, not only their own schools, but raise standards in others as well, with the promise that every school child who needs it will get one-to-one tuition.And in Labour’s Britain, every hospital will become a foundation trust and those that aren’t up to the mark will get taken over by a trust that is. And I can say today that we will apply the same approach to policing, so if a police force is letting down its local community, another force can come in to protect and serve. And I believe in a Britain where we write a new chapter in the story of our nation’s most treasured institution – where Labour guarantees, in law, that every patient wil l get test results within a week if they are at risk of cancer, and every family has access to a GP that is open in the evenings and weekends. That’s what I mean by public services personal to your needs.But all this and more can only be achieved if we restore the fundamental relationship of trust between electors and elected. And so today we pledge a Britain of 21st century politics, where we empower people with voting reform, a choice on votes at 16, a democratic Lords, and the right of recall. My fundamental belief is that fairness is not just about the distribution of rewards, but the distribution of responsibilities – its fair rules applied to all. And that’s why we must build a Britain where no unemployed person can have a life time on the dole, but will have to accept work and where those who come here contribute to our country – but those who can’t or won’t don’t come, a Britain where anti-social behaviour and crime are dealt with quickly, wher e those who break the rules pay the price; and where, if you don’t get action, you can take out an injunction at the authority’s expense to secure the justice you need.And so, when anybody tells you that it doesn’t matter who wins the election; that the parties are all the same, just ask them:- Which is the party of the family, promising to protect child tax credits, the child trust fund, and sure start and to give all new dads a month with their babies and help to buy the family home?- Which is the party of making work pay, pledging a rising minimum wage, and the end of benefits-for-life?- Which is the party of the NHS, offering, in return for national insurance, legal rights on GP access, waiting times and cancer tests? - Which is the party of growth and jobs, with a programme to deliver a million more skilled jobs? - And which is the party of political reform, offering more democratic change than at any time in 100 years and more?The a nswer is New Labour – the party with the plan for the future.And I say to you today: the future will be progressive or conservative, but it will not be both. New Labour is in the fight of our lives – and it is the fight for your future. I have faith in Britain, in our people and our businesses. I am confident the future is one of a prosperity that can be both sustained and shared. I am confident in the vision we hold and the values that lead us toward it. I am confident in the team I lead and the policies we promise.At the heart of this manifesto is the great and common purpose of national renewal. If we are elected to implement it, we will equip the British people for the future. Yes, we are in the future business - for a future fair for all."