Cross Posting: In this week’s news

This originally appeared on my main blog at https://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2020/02/post-no-1506-in-this-weeks-news.html.

This is a new, very cut down series of posts based on some observations on matters that struck a personal note: unlike the former “Gnwmythr’s News”, it is not trying to convey key events.

My articles this week include:   “Humour, fairness, survivors of sexual assault in the workplace, and reversing excessive use of police checks”,   “Getting into management should NOT be like getting into a cult or a gang”,   “Reclaiming [magickal] power”,   “More about me” (including link to radio interview).

This week:   from the USA, the “pink fireman’s” three sisters cancer support network;   the taught, socially conditioned and violently imprinted problem of women apologising;   China’s lies and ineptness and Australian racism on a TV show;   yet another appeal for people to STOP being lazy, clueless, and irresponsible puppets by taking control of their data;   stay-at-home dads;   informal carers;   as the neoliberals demonstrate yet again their utter bloody stupidity, “Australia’s electricity market must be 100% renewables by 2035 to achieve net zero by 2050”;   a presentation on managing bushfire risk;   my home state is building an Indigenous food industry;   the 2019 Human Development Report continues to highlight the problems of inequalities;   cyber vulnerabilities of satellites;   an example of post-disaster fights with insurance companies.

In the environmental arena:   an oil exploration company does the right thing for the wrong reason in the Great Australian Bight;   my home state improves recycling;   a call for faster and stronger action against the climate crisis;   Colombian farmers are trying to co-exist with nature as they feel the climate crisis;   Queensland’s drought is stopping some traditional Indigenous activities;   “India's grandmothers harvest new social status from climate-smart farming”;   climate crisis denying dinosaurs are lying – as has the gas industry;   the growing impact of “killer heat waves”;   introduction of a marine sanctuary has backfired;   a court has declared a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport illegal because climate change commitments were not considered;   the need to keep city trees;   the climate crisis is harming coffee growers in Timor-Leste;   a call by US fossil-fuel subsidies must end;   the environmental cost of lithium batteries;   New Zealand has made the first donation to Fiji’s climate relocation fund.

On human and animal rights:   staggering revelations that “standard” pre-installed surveillance installed by a Spanish company - being investigated by Spain - in an Embassy was misused at the request of the UK Government to record privileged communication between a suspect (his treatment during the trial is so bad even the prosecution has asked for improvements) and his lawyers - and personal details of others, and even planned to steal a baby’s DNA to check for potential paternity (stronger allegations are also being made);   a social media platform has banned a channel for hate speech, another platform has banned accounts for (political) manipulation, a social media platform is being sued for not removing video of a murder, and a social media moderator is suing for PTSD in response to what he was exposed to, all as a US court says a social media platform “is not a ‘public forum’ that must guarantee users' rights to free speech”;   as one private school shows signs of learning, more misogyny from another private school’s students – including a clueless wrong denial that it affected anyone else;   the moral, spiritual, and possibly legal crimes of nondisclosure agreements and bullying people into retractions;   NSW police - who have been sexually assaulting children again -  admit giving wrong figures on drug sniffer dogs to Parliament;   as Scotland makes sanitary products free, an attempt to make provision of menstruation packs inclusive has revealed STAGGERING bigotry (including transphobia);   a multiple rapist - who apparently is not *eye roll*a serial predator - has been held to account (as has a DV murderer), but more  remains  to  be  done , including supporting victims with the long term effects (including answering questions as to why this violence is treated less seriously than other forms of violence);   the mainstreaming of far right haters / conspiracy nutjobs is a major problem (at least some in the USA have been charged);   in yet another blow to the reputation of Queensland police (who have tasered a teenager with cerebral palsy), a woman has successfully prosecuted her violently abusive ex in a case the police decided not to pursue;   the psychological trauma of the bushfires will likely lead to domestic violence;   the UN has made a 7 point call to realise human rights;   another article on burn out (the described symptoms are quite useful);   railway workers' union has stated a recent fatal train derailment could have been prevented by operating under state, rather than national, regulations;   the recapture of escaped baboons raises questions about an animal testing laboratory;   Australia’s “cashless welfare card” has now been shown to be abusive;   China’s attempts to silence an artist have failed, and they’re now trying to pressure a Chinese man who appeared on an Australian TV show by threatening his family;   an article on rainbow families;   the normality of rainbow families;   my home state will introduce a “spent  convictions” scheme;   my nation is blocking the investigation of war crimes in Palestine;   the ICC has stated that my nation’s “offshore detention regime is a ‘cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment’ and unlawful under international law” . . . but they won’t prosecute (??!!!);   a US state raises the terrorist threat level from white supremacists;   the USA’s Supreme Court says their border guards are allowed to murder other nation’s citizens;   another mass murder by guns in the USA.

Immigration and refugee matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   35 refugees have been rescued off Libya;  
trafficking/slavery/child abuse matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   Egypt,   Australia,   Guatemala,   Niger,   Mauritania;   India (a good development);   Cambodia;
LGBTIQ+ matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   Nigeria,   Croatia;   Poland,   Australia,   nine more nations are looking to ban so-called conversion “therapy”; and
other matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   South Korea (gender equality);   Australia (racism),   Cambodia (belated compensation from a bank to people forcibly dispossessed of their land),   Somalia,   Australia (disablism).

In the governance, politics, and society arena:   neo-nazis are one of Australia’s biggest security risks, according to the head of an intelligence organisation - to which our idiotic Home Affairs Minister responded by waffling on about left wing threats . . . ;   an assessment of the benefits of moving beyond GDP as the sole measure of “society’s success” (the comment by New Zealand’s prime minister[who is struggling with ethical problems of some in her government] Jacinda Ardern “that government policies should be directed towards the future wellbeing of our societies and even be influenced by values such as kindness, fairness and compassion” is INFINITELY better);   Australia’s much vaunted and one off Accord has been done as a matter of course by Germany since World War II; factual numbers and commentary on government debt, allegations of debt crisis, and the (proven to be effective) carbon price and resource rent recovery (aka “mining”) tax - and, on that, “if Australia's resources were taxed the way Norway’s are, we could secure the future of our schools”;   the problem of “optimism bias” in construction of infrastructure (I once urged for disruption costs for staging of a project to be included in preliminary planning, and was told in a horrified voice “if we did that, we’d have to build it all now” . . . and your point is? If we did, and paid for it with loans, we would probably get more effective and fairer intergenerational sharing of the financial impacts. The other MASSIVE problem this article highlights is that of deferring spending money to buy votes - at least infrastructure is now, four decades too late, focusing on the climate crisis);   Australia’s neoliberal national government, which claims to be good on economics, is buying water it has already purchased;   given the stupidity of how unemployment is measured, underemployment continues to be a real and persistent problem;   the need to adapt retirement planning for the reality that far fewer people own their own homes;   why some US voters don’t;   more conservative MPs are asking for decency in Australia’s social security system;   confirmation that the neoliberal government broke the law over an FoI request;   in the USA, a call to organise, not mobilise, and a favourable economic assessment of candidate Bernie Sanders’ economic policies;   flawed funding of education;   farmers who bought water from the neoliberal government are still waiting for it . . . after months.

Internationally:   more Palestinian-Israeli violence ends with more death (reported with the disturbing dehumanising word “neutralised”, showing a major loss of humanity on the part of those who did the killing), a “shaky” truce (and claims that footage of a front end loader clearing rocks was “sped up” doesn’t cover the entirety of what [irresponsibly] happened), a report of concerning actions in 2017, and this assessment;   Malaysia is dithering  over democracy again;   floods in the USA;   the last group of rebels in Colombia is engaging in violence as Venezuelan refugees inside the Colombian border experience crime and despair and murders of women activists increases 50%;   hundreds have been “detained” by police after massive, violent and fatal inter-religious  riots in India - which will buy $4 billion worth of weapons from the USA;   fighting continues in Syria as Turkish-backed rebels make gains against the Russian-led forces of the Assad regime, but Turkey will now allow Syrian refugees into Europe after 33 soldiers were killed by Assad’s forces;   Taiwan is showing that democracy IS consistent with Chinese culture and values;   an examination of the recent history of Afghanistan, and the determination of her peoples;   a call to give Tibet representation at COP26.

In Africa:   as Algeria - which appears to be continuing down its authoritarian path - settles on a government, concerns over election irregularities in Togo, and votes in Guinea (including its electoral register) and Guinea-Bissau;, as a murder charge raises questions over the government in Lesotho;   corruption has been in the news in Algeria, DR Congo, and Angola;   Cameroon has released its opposition leader from jail;   a call to stop the spiral of violence in Burkina Faso;   oppression in Burundi;   a suspicious death in Rwanda,   as, in a nod to normality, a bank prepares to issue a credit card, and women call for a greater role in peace negotiations, peace is in sight in Sudan’s east, although a Janjaweed thug has fled to evade justice and violence has taken some soldiers’ lives in South Darfur;   the drought is devastating Zimbabwe’s elderly more than others;   Tanzania appears to be continuing its suppression of the media - and the USA appears to be “drifting” into that area as well;   the agreement in South Sudan is being welcomed, with one of the key figures released from house arrest;   continuing hopes for peace in Libya;   the fight against locusts (which have also reached DR Congo) in Uganda continues, a challenge to Museveni’s reign over Uganda on the basis of age will be allowed to proceed;   violence around mining in Mozambique;   how Mauritania is defeating terrorism;   Togo is going solar;   social media is being used to fight far right extremists in South Africa, where several key Ministers’ phones have been hacked;   as Africa’s economic growth slows, concerns that loans from  China may cripple South America and Africa;   Mexico has returned an artefact to Nigeria, where a judge has been releasing forgotten prisoners;   Ethiopia has released political prisoners.

On COVID-19: which is still  spreading  epidemic (not yet a pandemic, although “very high” risk . . . but there are calls  to  prepare), now spreading more quickly outside mainland China, troubling suggestions the incubation period could be longer, but confirmation that transmission only occurs with symptoms, and actions are being enforced;   protection;   as a warning is made the economic effects could be as severe as the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-08, economic markets belatedly show fear and Venice’s famous carnival is cancelled;   appalling racism is eventuating - and a reminder is made that discharged patients are not a risk or threat;   a vaccine is still months away;

On personal / spiritual matters:   the need for quiet in our cities to nurture our spirit.

Reading I found interesting this week included:   “9 Steps to Develop the True Sight”,   “Our Gods Are Not Jealous Gods: The Importance of Building a Pagan Worldview”,   an ad for personalised talismans by an artists I quite like: I’ve used representations of a natal horoscope in my creations as well, and consider it a good idea,   “Most people see the benefits of empathy as akin to the evils of racism: too obvious to require justification. I think this is a mistake”,   “The Pain Of Losing The Pack” (beginning with the story of a false accusation),   some common sense comments on cultural appropriation.

More about me

I have been interviewed by the Joy  94.9 programme "Transgender Warriors": you can listen to the podcast here.

One thing I have determined is that I will write an autobiography, partly the memoir as urged, but there are broader, overlapping themes in my life as well. I've started that, but, unfortunately, finishing it may have to wait until I retire - or life eases up .  . .

I'd also like to mention:

• The book "Transgender Warriors" (Beacon press, Boston, 1997, ISBN 978-0807079416, Amazon) written by  Leslie  Feinberg; 
• The "Harmony in Diversity" episodes (Series 7, Episodes 8 and 9) I did on Paganism - here and here; 
• various posts about myself on my main blog, which can be found here and here; 
• my friend and honorary sister, Sally Goldner, AO - who also has a long-running radio programme, "Out of the Pan", on 3CR; 
• Julie Peters - who has been a truly magnificent mentor over the years: you can find more about Julie at her Transgender Warriors interview here (follow the links - it is well worth the [minor] effort); 
• the history of transgender Australians project being undertaken by Professor Noah Riseman and Geraldine Fela - see here and here for their joint, two-part interview (follow the links there for more information - and listen to the episodes) - my thanks to Julie for introducing me to Noah, who is also helping get my testamur reissued (the psychological trauma around deadnaming is delaying that, now that the institution concerned has finally relented); and, of course . . . 
• TransGender  Victoria.

Credit is also owed to my partner, and supportive family members and friends.

Diolch to you all.

Getting into management should NOT be like getting into a cult or a gang

One of the things I've long pondered about management is that there seems - perhaps more a few years ago than now - to almost be an initiation rite to get in: people are expected to "show an ability to make tough decisions (or to be tough)". Typically, this involves "tightening the belt" or "downsizing" or "sacrifice to the company's profit" rubbish.

It isn't sensible, appropriate, or beneficial to the company. Typically, such rubbish is harmful (see here - which I'm still reading) to the company, and it compounds the problem by biasing selection towards people who are emotionally inept.

Some of the people I've worked for or seen over past decades (not now, when I have the best manager I've ever had, nor about 15 years ago, when I had the second best) have been so pathetically incompetent at being human that they have struggled at simple basics like giving praise.

Some of that may have been toxic masculinity (the tough-but-silent-male or hard-with-a-hidden-heart-of-gold rubbish), but that explanation does NOT minimise, let alone justify, the active, massive harm.

Management roles are another part of a company. They have the same rights to support (including resources), training and consideration as any other role, and neither they nor any other roles deserve in any way work-life imbalance, bullying, or any other form of abuse - nor are they allowed to do any of that.

It's not like joining a cult or a gang: there are legal protections, ethical expectations / obligations, and the right to resign that is one of the important boundaries between work and slavery.

Humour, fairness, survivors of sexual assault in the workplace, and reversing excessive use of police checks

I've been a bit short of time this week, so I'm going to throw some brief thoughts together on a few topics, beginning with . . .

Humour needs to be adequately obvious

Several decades ago, I was helping with a community newsletter. The problem was, the editor didn't want to start work until after midnight - on a work night. I explained many times that this was causing problems, and eventually had to quit. At the next meeting of that organisation, a request was made for assistance, and in response a question was asked why their previous assistant (i.e., me) had left. The editor said they didn't know, so I spoke up, contradicted them and stated that it was because the work was too late at night.

Afterwards, the editor claimed that they thought I was joking.

WTF?

I - forcefully - said I hadn't been, and had given no indication I was using humour.

This lack of understanding was unforgivable, but is long past now. It does, however, illustrate a problem that some people seem to assume humour is present or obvious when it is not obvious. I have no problems with irony or satire - for example, "The Onion" satire website, but others do (notably, North Korea).

This disturbingly so with some instances of what is called black humour, but there are other instances where the only cue to something being humour is an assumption that it is resent - for example, Hermann Hesse's book "The Glass Bead Game".

This problem is a communication problem: if people do not understand that something is humorous, they won't "get" the message.

So . . . what to do?

Well, firstly, based on my experience, don't assume everyone is as cynical or pseudo-sophisticated as you. This is a particular problem with matters - such as "The Glass Bead Game". This PARTICULARLY applies to interpersonal interactions.

Secondly, and a slight expansion of the above, think carefully about your audience, and the possible ways things can be misunderstood, and then make reasonable attempts to prevent those problems. One of the things I liked about may favourite uncle when I was growing up was that he didn't push jokes too far - he made sure we knew he was joking. (Others who didn't were likely, in my opinion, sadists.)

Thirdly and finally, think about how you will respond when - not if (especially on social media) - people misunderstand something. (Objectively examining for learning and thanking them for anything would be useful.)

Fairness in the workplace

There are many issues under this topic, but the one I want to focus on is the inherent bias of workplaces stopping workers criticising the company on social media, but expecting workers to publicise and support the company.

From the point of view of Australians in Australia, that sort of behaviour may be legal, but it is an affront to decency and fairness, and therefore, some Australians would refuse to support the company, unless they can also criticise.

Furthermore, in many cases, someone supporting something without criticising could tell that person's friends that the so-called support is utterly, utterly, UTTERLY fake. Their response would be "WTF is wrong with that company?"

Survivors of sexual assault in the workplace

One of the things that was raised in the media when the US started their grope fests at airports, was the impact this would have on the survivors of sexual assault - including the survivors of child abuse.

This sexually aggressive behaviour - the impacts of which its proponents seem to wilfully blind themselves to - extends, albeit generally in less intrusive forms, to other airports.

This is a barrier to workers who are survivors of sexual assault travelling for work. When the potential for trauma is high, or the survivors are assertive enough, they will decline to travel internationally for safety reasons, as I do.

I've been looking for a book or some source which covers this, but without success yet. Why? Does no-one else have this perspective, or are workers so bullied they will allow themselves to be retraumatised?

(Incidentally, counselling someone over workplace trauma does not mean you can send them back to that trauma. The counselling is healing them, but they do NOT have a fault which means they need "fixing", the WORKPLACE has the fault which needs fixing!)

Reversing excessive use of police checks: a small, first step 

One of the major blocks to trans and gender diverse people working is the casual and often unnecessary use of police checks, which requires TGD people to deadname themselves. Now my home state has implemented the first, small retraction of that excessive practice by the correction of an appalling injustice for people seeking to access IVF by finally removing the requirement for police checks - after decades of administrative abuse.

Cross posting: In this week’s news

This originally appeared on my main blog at https://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2020/02/post-no-1502-in-this-weeks-news.html.

This is a new, very cut down series of posts based on some observations on matters that struck a personal note: unlike the former “Gnwmythr’s News”, it is not trying to convey key events.

My articles this week include: “when is a (spirit) rescue not a (spirit) rescue”.

This week: a reminder that food insecurity is more widespread than people think;   co-sleeping wins back;   a terrible, terrible mass murder raises issues around domestic  violence, police  incompetence / attitudes, and media “reporting” - even social security;   more idiots are trying to get us to give up having personal gardens and space for greater density.

In the environmental arena: as Germany continues to successfully shut down its coal industry and Australia’s 2019/20 climate bushfires are revealed to have affected 75% of the population (although some of the bush is starting to recover - and this reviews the benefits of Royal Commissions), a warning has been made that environmental laws are more fatal than the recent bushfires on Australia’s animals;   hail does far more damage than falling trees;   Australia’s opposition ALP commits to the Paris targets (again) and no new coal mines;   a way to value urban forests;   a call for a carbon price;   Singapore will phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040.

In human rights: mass graves from the civil war that ended in Burundi in 2005 are being investigated;   Singapore has (finally) taken some action against domestic violence and India’s top court rebukes that authoritarian nation’s government over sexist stereotypes (and meanwhile girls in a school are abused);   men in a sport react with hysteria to a sensible non-sexist suggestion;   sexual abuse in the workplace continues to be unmanaged;   sexism in data science is a barrier to women;   misogyny in Cambodia;   my home state has made reporting of child abuse mandatory - to the chagrin of notorious religious organisations (and a conservative media personality has put his foot in his mouth), and started an education campaign on autism;   a Thai coffee company will repay farmers;   a survivor’s appeal to use constructive language and images around slavery;   LGBT veterans are fighting for real equality and acceptance in Ukraine;   grandmothers are fighting back against Duterte encouraged murderous thugs;   my nation has idiotically given legitimacy and credibility to the genocidaires in burma;   the legacy of Australia’s slave trade (“blackbirding”) is still being felt - as is more recent hypocrisy;   a racist  terrorist attack against Muslims in Germany is not labelled as such by mainstream media, but is strongly protested by the public and other actions are contemplated, as information emerges over disturbing multi-national cooperation of white supremacists and anti-Semitism in Belgium and Iran;   appalling racist bullying of a child at school as a child sexual abuse scandal at another school continues to grow (guidance for parents here), and Australia’s army warns soldiers against racist gestures (the need to have to issue that warning is part of why I don’t want military representing, or purporting to represent, my nation) as racist degradation of education is highlighted;   a Chinese app may be targeting children;   police admit they mishandled raids on media, but still remain oblivious to the broader chilling impact on the functioning of a democratic society;   Australia’s NDIS continues to draw flak - suggestions on working through it here;   an examination of US (hypocritical) attitudes towards torture over the last four centuries;   “epistemic injustice” (a broader version of misogyny) was first identified by a woman in the late 1600s;   a call to not use facial surveillance;   one Australian state’s ex-servicepeople organisation ignores current practice elsewhere and steps firmly back into the racist mid-20^th century;   Indonesia considers torturing LGBT people;   a tech company is trying to reduce privacy protections on UK users;   Mexico takes action against femicides;   Brazil keeps trying to steal Indigenous peoples’ lands.

Trafficking/slavery/child abuse matters (good and bad) have occurred in: Ethiopia;  
LGBTIQ+ matters (good and bad) have occurred in: India and China (good news);   and
other matters (good and bad) have occurred in: California (move to reduce [rough sleepers] homelessness).

In the related human rights arena of employment: a reminder that protecting wages need more than only criminalising wage theft.

In the governance, politics, and society arena: duping people into “user pays” combined with patriarchy now means child care is more expensive than the elitist private schools of the rich;   Australia’s Centrelink agency has made yet another stuff up causing massive trauma;   banks are allowed to continue to cause human beings problems;   the stupidity and human incompetence of some economists;   as our xenophobic hate shifts from boat people to plane people, the politician who voted to allow ongoing abuse of refugees wants voters to trust her - but “understands” not trusting other politicians . . . ;   cyber incompetence and elections don’t mix;   one in eight Australians is living in poverty (way to go alleged “good” economic managers - you’re like the reckless US republicans), and the closure of a major manufacturing company has drawn criticism over past policies;   the USA’s Attorney General has so annoyed people with his questionable conduct that a thousand former US Justice Department employees called for him to resign - mind you, POTUS45 isn’t helping.

Internationally: a call has been made for a solution to tensions in the South China Sea;   COVID-19 continues to dominate (with some possible developments in treatment despite the relevant department in the WHO having major problems, and the Chinese Communist Party postponing its annual conference [couldn’t happen to a more deserving despot] as it continues cybercrime, becomes more  authoritarian and launders money [literally - but Australia is not doing enough about the illegal money practice called money laundering], but political, racist, and devastating economic impacts spread - and another nation has evidently been lying);   a major storm in the UK - and floods in the USA;   progressive trade unions could play a role in elections in Hong Kong;   US aggression has given hardliners in Iran an electoral boost;   Malaysia is seeking to resolve a fishing dispute with Viêt Nám;   in Afghanistan, the Taliban and the USA have reached an agreement on US withdrawal - now for actual peace, and I hope the misogynistic Taliban and the USA’s Groper-in-Chief have not made this too misogynistic . . . ;   thugs and gangs are threatening Venezuela;   to confirm history rhymes, Russia is trying to undermine the next US Presidential election - and I’d characterise the US Democrats that way too, at the moment;   Turkey has asked Europe for humanitarian aid in the area of Syria being cleansed by a Russian-led Assad regime assault;   flash floods in Indonesia have killed at least six people;   Thailand continues to attack democracy;   income inequality is reducing but still present in Singapore;   Australia is reviewing its “commitment” to aid in Asia-Pacific;   Israel continues to expand its occupation of Palestinian (East) Jerusalem, although tensions are easing with Gaza;   allegations that POTUS45 tried to bribe Assange on the latter’s testimony;   questions over foreign agents in my nation;   PNG takes a stand for herself.
In Africa: optimism is on the rise amongst Africa’s youth, but corruption, jobs, and climate change remain concerns;   Lesotho’s Prime Minister has left the nation - but “not” skipped the nation - and thus was not in court to face murder charges;   as budget cuts undermine attempts to address poverty, the DR Congo continues to have a massive problem with five million people displaced by war - and Cameroon also has many IDPs fleeing violence and atrocities;   the India-Pakistan conflict finds a new arena;   the Philippines has booted the US military out - which will an impact on regional stability;   South Sudan’s civil war totters towards peace - again;   Libya’s warring factions resume talks - again;   a feminist has been released from prison in Uganda after her sentence was quashed, and Uganda and Rwanda ease  towards resolving tensions, while tensions grow between Rwanda and the DRC;   Somalia moves towards elections, while Togo raises doubts about its upcoming elections;   Ghana’s President calls on the police to improve their reputation;   an assessment of the causes of conflict in Mozambique;   “revolutionary guards” (?!) are trying to stop the smuggling of flour that started the recent, successful uprising in Sudan - which has accepted the primacy of peace agreements over the transitional constitution;   Algeria’s new President is trying to prevent a repeat of last year’s successful protests;   an opinion that Nigeria needs 100,000 more soldiers to defeat violent extremists - which really depends on how properly they conduct themselves (lessons of Viêt Nám etc), and whether other problems are also addressed . . . and others want fewer small arms (which is a good idea);   Russia’s cyberwarfare (disinformation) has attacked Africa;   Morocco suppresses human rights;   the EU has (rightly) renewed the arms embargo against Zimbabwe and will more stringently enforce the arms embargo against Libya - where unexploded munitions is becoming a significant problem for civilians;   20 refugees were killed in a stampede in Niger;   Kenyan police have killed eight people in poor areas - several clearly without justification (murder?), as civilians bear the brunt of operations against violent extremists;   the effects of the locusts in Kenya - and South Sudan.

On personal / spiritual matters: an examination of the shared links between religions/spiritual paths.