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One of the Best Experiences of my Life: Reflections on Cochabamba
Alumni Stories Voices from the Field
In many communities in Bolivia, addressing malnutrition is an important priority. While working with FSD community partner, Alerta Verde, Georgetown University’s Jesse Gibson saw this priority as an opportunity to support the community.
His goal? Find ways to prolong the life of in-season produce. The communities that Alerta Verde works with already had community gardens, and one of the organizations Alerta Verde works with produced more cherry tomatoes than they would ever use.
His solution? Solar dehydrators. According to Jesse, these dehydrators “are used to dehydrate any excess produce without lessening their nutritional value. I built two prototypes of the solar dehydrators with other people from Alerta Verde (his partner NGO), and then created a detailed manual for how to replicate the process.” In the solar dehydrators, Alerta Verde's partners can save the tomatoes for future use, reduce food waste, and allow community members to receive the nutrition from the tomatoes at any time of the year.
Interested in sustainable development since high school, Jesse is a regional and comparative studies major at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. Given his focus on poverty in Latin American and Africa, “the work that I was able to do in Cochabamba was very valuable for my major and future,” he says.
“My internship exposed me first-hand to some of the work I could potentially be exposed to, as well as a country of which I had learned a great deal in my coursework.” Jesse decided to volunteer in Cochabamba “because I have always been most interested in the Andean region of South America. I was unsure of what project I wanted to do.
Cochabamba is a beautiful city,” he tells us “with amazing food and in a great location. The city is also in a centralized location of the country, so it makes the other parts of the country very accessible.” Greeted by the opposite of culture shock, Jesse “was taken aback by how comfortable everyone was with each other, including strangers, in Cochabamba. While riding the trufis to and from work, everyone is often crammed into the car. This could be up to 15 people all in one van. It’s a cultural difference, not even a very notable one, but something that would never be found the United States, and I found that interesting.”
All work and no play? Not a chance. “The best part of my trip was our midterm retreat to Toro Toro National Park. I have always loved hiking and being outdoors, and the hikes that we got to do in Toro Toro were the best I’ve ever done in my life. The views from the mountaintops were also some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”
Conversely, the worst part “was definitely was when I fell off a cliff in Salar de Uyuni. I was physically fine aside from a couple of bruises and a scratch, but a sharp boulder tore open my shoe, so I had to spend the rest of the long weekend with only 1.5 shoes!”
Jesse tells us that “Mauricio (Ramirez Parra, FSD’s Program Director) and Alerta Verde provided me with anything I needed. The FSD experience was one of the best experiences of my life. There is no question to the value I place on it. I still think about Cochabamba every day and stay in contact with the people I met there.”
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One of the Best Experiences of my Life: Reflections on Cochabamba 10/25/2017
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Voices from the Field: A Day in the Life of an Intern 10/18/2017
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Tuesday, 31 October 2017
SDG Knowledge Hub/David Shimkus: Addressing Climate Change Means Addressing the Global Sanitation Crisis
SDG Knowledge Hub
A project by IISD
David Shimkus
Programme Director, Global Sanitation Fund, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council
31 October 2017
share this
Addressing Climate Change Means Addressing the Global Sanitation Crisis
story highlights
WHO estimates there will be a quarter million additional deaths due to climate change per year between 2030 and 2050, and many of these deaths are directly linked to preventable diseases associated with inadequate sanitation and hygiene.
Collective behaviour change approaches, such as Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS), are a cost-effective and scalable solution.
Sanitation can provide solutions to climate change mitigation.
The challenge remains for climate finance to turn National Adaptation Plans into action for the 2.3 billion people who lack access to basic sanitation facilities and services.
It is a global scandal that 2.3 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation facilities and services.1 This means, based on a back-of-the-envelope calculation, that several thousand tonnes of faeces are unsafely dumped into the environment each day – enough to fill Wembley Stadium! This is leading to enormous health burdens and economic costs disproportionately borne by the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, particularly women and girls. And now climate change threatens to make this crisis much worse.
Climate change is now widely recognized as a major global health risk multiplier. Even on the optimistic end of emissions scenarios, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a quarter million additional deaths due to climate change per year between 2030 and 2050. Many of these deaths are directly linked to preventable diseases associated with inadequate sanitation and hygiene.
For example: diarrhoeal diseases, already a leading cause of child mortality and morbidity (especially malnutrition) are the highest preventable disease burden from environmental risks. Diarrhoeal diseases are also estimated by WHO and other health research (here and here, for example) to dramatically increase in direct proportion to rising temperatures in low income countries. An upsurge of other global scourges linked to poor sanitation and hygiene, such as cholera, typhoid, and a battery of neglected tropical diseases are also expected due to climate change.
This is because a potent combination of rising temperatures, unpredictable rain patterns, flooding and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are expected to proliferate faecal-environmental-oral contamination routes. Overflowing sanitation facilities, disrupted hygiene habits, and accelerated pathogen development due to warmer temperatures will all add increasing stress on fragile health systems. Moreover, as a driver of inequality, climate change will be a growing factor that prevents increasingly vulnerable people to fulfil their human right to safe sanitation.
The growing health risks are clear. The bad news is that existing investment is not enough. According to the 2015 GLAAS Report, and a recent World Bank Study that tracks global water, sanitation and hygiene investment trends,2> current levels of financing are not sufficient to reach the Sustainable Development Goal targets and pre-empt anticipated climate change-linked health burdens.
The good news is that there is a growing recognition that public health is a bona fide climate change issue; the Ministerial Declaration on Health, Environment, and Climate Change, signed at COP 22 in Marrakesh in 2016, is another confirmation that the Paris Agreement is an international treaty for addressing the global disease burden. This offers an opportunity to recognize sanitation (and hygiene) at COP 23 and beyond as part of a broader climate adaptation package.
And there’s more good news: there are many cost-effective and scalable sanitation and hygiene interventions that directly target preventable diseases amplified by climate change. New insights, innovations and forward-thinking partnerships are continuously developing in the sector.
Sustainable behaviour change
Behaviours, habits and norms are foundations for improving sanitation and hygiene. After all, the most resilient sanitation service chains can only safeguard public health if they are actually used, and according to the most recent available figures, nearly 900 million people practice open defecation. In an era of unpredictable weather patterns, engrained and sustainable habits are an important aspect of resilience when rising numbers of floods, cyclones, and other disasters disrupt everyday sanitation and hygiene routines – just when communities are most susceptible to disease outbreaks.
Collective behaviour change approaches, such as Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS), are a cost-effective and scalable solution. By focusing on empowering communities to end open defecation on their own terms, leveraging local knowledge, technologies and investments, rather than external hardware subsidies, approaches such as CLTS have the potential for locally responsive, community-led climate adaptation. Moreover, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector has greatly refined its understanding of what works and what doesn’t, with CLTS and similar approaches applied at increasing scale with the support of governments, non-governmental organizations, and global financing mechanisms such as WSSCC’s Global Sanitation Fund.
Affordable infrastructure and services
Overflowing and damaged sanitation facilities (e.g. pit latrines) from heavy rains and flooding are a significant potential source of water contamination from faecal waste, putting entire populations at risk. As a WHO/DFID report on WASH resilience notes, household-managed sanitation technologies are the likely future of the world’s population in both rural and urban environments, and have the adaptive potential to be highly resilient to climate change – especially non water-based systems. Improving the robustness of household facilities is only part of the resilience equation. As the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance’s ‘shit flow’ diagram tool illustrates, in the absence of safe emptying, transportation, treatment and disposal/reuse of waste, the vast majority of human waste flows straight back into the environment. With the ‘circular economy’ concept gaining traction in both the WASH and environmental sectors, as articulated by organizations such as UN Environment and the Toilet Board Coalition, viewing human waste as a resource incentivizes sorely needed sector investment across the sanitation value chain.
Sanitation as climate mitigation
To this end, sanitation can provide solutions to climate change mitigation. For example, substituting nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers for organic compost from safely treated human waste would result in significant emissions reductions due to lower energy inputs. There are also exciting new initiatives to transform waste into biogas – like in Nepal – which reduce emissions from carbon fuels, prevent deforestation, and improve indoor air quality. As a nascent industry, however, catalyzing investment across the sanitation service chain will likely require strong public-sector support to correct market failures, incentivize service delivery for the poorest, ensure robust public health protections, and enforce strong regulations to protect the rights and safety of sanitation workers.
While there is a lot of room for the sector to improve how it integrates climate change risks and opportunities into programmes and policies, sanitation and hygiene are undoubtedly essential components of a comprehensive climate adaptation and mitigation package. Many potential and proven solutions are already on the table. Nearly all National Adaptation Plans published by the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change identify improving sanitation and hygiene as a priority. The challenge remains for climate finance to turn these Plans into action for the 2.3 billion people who lack access to basic sanitation facilities and services.
1Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines. World Health Organization & UNICEF, 2017. http://who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2017/launch-version-report-jmp-water-sanitation-hygiene.pdf
2 The Costs of Meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal Targets on Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. World Bank, 2016. http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/publication/the-costs-of-meeting-the-2030-sustainable-development-goal-targets-on-drinking-water-sanitation-and-hygiene
SDGs
3. Good Health & Well-being6. Clean Water & Sanitation13. Climate Action
Issues
Water & Sanitation, Health, Sanitation, Human Settlements & Population, Climate Change, Adaptation, Mitigation
Actors
UN Environment, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, Partnership, International Financial Institution, UN Programme, Agency or Fund
Actions
Meeting
Regions
Asia, Southern Asia
share this
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A project by IISD
David Shimkus
Programme Director, Global Sanitation Fund, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council
31 October 2017
share this
Addressing Climate Change Means Addressing the Global Sanitation Crisis
story highlights
WHO estimates there will be a quarter million additional deaths due to climate change per year between 2030 and 2050, and many of these deaths are directly linked to preventable diseases associated with inadequate sanitation and hygiene.
Collective behaviour change approaches, such as Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS), are a cost-effective and scalable solution.
Sanitation can provide solutions to climate change mitigation.
The challenge remains for climate finance to turn National Adaptation Plans into action for the 2.3 billion people who lack access to basic sanitation facilities and services.
It is a global scandal that 2.3 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation facilities and services.1 This means, based on a back-of-the-envelope calculation, that several thousand tonnes of faeces are unsafely dumped into the environment each day – enough to fill Wembley Stadium! This is leading to enormous health burdens and economic costs disproportionately borne by the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, particularly women and girls. And now climate change threatens to make this crisis much worse.
Climate change is now widely recognized as a major global health risk multiplier. Even on the optimistic end of emissions scenarios, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a quarter million additional deaths due to climate change per year between 2030 and 2050. Many of these deaths are directly linked to preventable diseases associated with inadequate sanitation and hygiene.
For example: diarrhoeal diseases, already a leading cause of child mortality and morbidity (especially malnutrition) are the highest preventable disease burden from environmental risks. Diarrhoeal diseases are also estimated by WHO and other health research (here and here, for example) to dramatically increase in direct proportion to rising temperatures in low income countries. An upsurge of other global scourges linked to poor sanitation and hygiene, such as cholera, typhoid, and a battery of neglected tropical diseases are also expected due to climate change.
This is because a potent combination of rising temperatures, unpredictable rain patterns, flooding and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are expected to proliferate faecal-environmental-oral contamination routes. Overflowing sanitation facilities, disrupted hygiene habits, and accelerated pathogen development due to warmer temperatures will all add increasing stress on fragile health systems. Moreover, as a driver of inequality, climate change will be a growing factor that prevents increasingly vulnerable people to fulfil their human right to safe sanitation.
The growing health risks are clear. The bad news is that existing investment is not enough. According to the 2015 GLAAS Report, and a recent World Bank Study that tracks global water, sanitation and hygiene investment trends,2> current levels of financing are not sufficient to reach the Sustainable Development Goal targets and pre-empt anticipated climate change-linked health burdens.
The good news is that there is a growing recognition that public health is a bona fide climate change issue; the Ministerial Declaration on Health, Environment, and Climate Change, signed at COP 22 in Marrakesh in 2016, is another confirmation that the Paris Agreement is an international treaty for addressing the global disease burden. This offers an opportunity to recognize sanitation (and hygiene) at COP 23 and beyond as part of a broader climate adaptation package.
And there’s more good news: there are many cost-effective and scalable sanitation and hygiene interventions that directly target preventable diseases amplified by climate change. New insights, innovations and forward-thinking partnerships are continuously developing in the sector.
Sustainable behaviour change
Behaviours, habits and norms are foundations for improving sanitation and hygiene. After all, the most resilient sanitation service chains can only safeguard public health if they are actually used, and according to the most recent available figures, nearly 900 million people practice open defecation. In an era of unpredictable weather patterns, engrained and sustainable habits are an important aspect of resilience when rising numbers of floods, cyclones, and other disasters disrupt everyday sanitation and hygiene routines – just when communities are most susceptible to disease outbreaks.
Collective behaviour change approaches, such as Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS), are a cost-effective and scalable solution. By focusing on empowering communities to end open defecation on their own terms, leveraging local knowledge, technologies and investments, rather than external hardware subsidies, approaches such as CLTS have the potential for locally responsive, community-led climate adaptation. Moreover, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector has greatly refined its understanding of what works and what doesn’t, with CLTS and similar approaches applied at increasing scale with the support of governments, non-governmental organizations, and global financing mechanisms such as WSSCC’s Global Sanitation Fund.
Affordable infrastructure and services
Overflowing and damaged sanitation facilities (e.g. pit latrines) from heavy rains and flooding are a significant potential source of water contamination from faecal waste, putting entire populations at risk. As a WHO/DFID report on WASH resilience notes, household-managed sanitation technologies are the likely future of the world’s population in both rural and urban environments, and have the adaptive potential to be highly resilient to climate change – especially non water-based systems. Improving the robustness of household facilities is only part of the resilience equation. As the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance’s ‘shit flow’ diagram tool illustrates, in the absence of safe emptying, transportation, treatment and disposal/reuse of waste, the vast majority of human waste flows straight back into the environment. With the ‘circular economy’ concept gaining traction in both the WASH and environmental sectors, as articulated by organizations such as UN Environment and the Toilet Board Coalition, viewing human waste as a resource incentivizes sorely needed sector investment across the sanitation value chain.
Sanitation as climate mitigation
To this end, sanitation can provide solutions to climate change mitigation. For example, substituting nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers for organic compost from safely treated human waste would result in significant emissions reductions due to lower energy inputs. There are also exciting new initiatives to transform waste into biogas – like in Nepal – which reduce emissions from carbon fuels, prevent deforestation, and improve indoor air quality. As a nascent industry, however, catalyzing investment across the sanitation service chain will likely require strong public-sector support to correct market failures, incentivize service delivery for the poorest, ensure robust public health protections, and enforce strong regulations to protect the rights and safety of sanitation workers.
While there is a lot of room for the sector to improve how it integrates climate change risks and opportunities into programmes and policies, sanitation and hygiene are undoubtedly essential components of a comprehensive climate adaptation and mitigation package. Many potential and proven solutions are already on the table. Nearly all National Adaptation Plans published by the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change identify improving sanitation and hygiene as a priority. The challenge remains for climate finance to turn these Plans into action for the 2.3 billion people who lack access to basic sanitation facilities and services.
1Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines. World Health Organization & UNICEF, 2017. http://who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2017/launch-version-report-jmp-water-sanitation-hygiene.pdf
2 The Costs of Meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal Targets on Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. World Bank, 2016. http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/publication/the-costs-of-meeting-the-2030-sustainable-development-goal-targets-on-drinking-water-sanitation-and-hygiene
SDGs
3. Good Health & Well-being6. Clean Water & Sanitation13. Climate Action
Issues
Water & Sanitation, Health, Sanitation, Human Settlements & Population, Climate Change, Adaptation, Mitigation
Actors
UN Environment, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, Partnership, International Financial Institution, UN Programme, Agency or Fund
Actions
Meeting
Regions
Asia, Southern Asia
share this
related posts
7 SDGs
Adaptation and Loss and Damage Update: Regions Step up DRR Efforts and Resilience to El Niño, Human Mobility, Climate Change and Development Nexus Ex...
30 June 2016 | Elena Kosolapova, Ph.D., SDG Knowledge Hub
3 SDGs
High-Level Panels Call for Mainstreaming WASH, Action on Disasters
28 September 2017 | Delia Paul, SDG Knowledge Hub
10 SDGs
Monthly Forecast: May 2017
4 May 2017 | Content Editors, SDG Knowledge Hub
9 SDGs
World Water Day Highlights Wastewater, Security and Risk
28 March 2017 | Delia Paul, SDG Knowledge Hub
4 SDGs
Adaptation and Loss and Damage Update: COP 23 Brings Small Islands’ Vulnerability into Focus, UN General Assembly Adopts DRR Indicators
9 February 2017 | Elena Kosolapova, Ph.D., SDG Knowledge Hub
5 SDGs
Adaptation, Loss and Damage Update from COP 22
15 November 2016 | Elena Kosolapova, Ph.D., SDG Knowledge Hub
Newsletter
The SDG Update compiles the news, commentary and upcoming events that are published on the SDG Knowledge Hub each day, delivering information on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to your inbox.
Sign up
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POLICY BRIEFS
SEARCH
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ABOUT
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Designed by:
Funding
provided by:
© 1990-2017, IISD. Excerpts may only be used with appropriate academic citation and a link back to the corresponding article/page used.
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Adopt-a-School Foundation addresses child safety in schools
Through their holistic programmes, a large focus is placed on the safety and social well-being of school children
BOTSHABELO, South Africa, October 31, 2017/ -- “The recent atrocities of violence and sexual abuse cases in our schools has left our nation reeling. How are we to achieve our potential as a country, when our own children face sexual violation and abuse at school – the places where they are supposed to be protected and nurtured, by the people we have entrusted with their safety,” says Steven Lebere, Executive Director of Adopt-a-School Foundation (www.AdoptASchool.org.za).
“As Adopt-a-School Foundation, we strongly believe that these cases should be expediently dealt and that the maximum sentences be imposed for these heinous crimes. The government must continue to prioritise the provision of counselling support services to all the children affected as well as their peers and families. Educators and School Management must be supported to deal with the safety risks prevalent in schools and society at large.”
“Violence is endemic in our society. Through our work in schools with our partner entities, the Foundation has observed, and responded to, the increase in cases of abuse affecting our learners. The prevalence of this crime in schools is robbing our children of their youth, and the country of its future. The violation of children’s basic right to protection from abuse is a national crisis and must be stopped,” Lebere added.
One in every five sexual abuse cases that are reported in South Africa happen in schools (1). Adopt-a-School Foundation, a partner entity of Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation (CRF) (www.CyrilRamaphosaFoundation.org) , is actively responding to these social challenges by investing and contributing towards the development of South Africa’s rural and township schools. Through their holistic programmes, a large focus is placed on the safety and social well-being of school children.
In September this year, CRF launched the Thari programme for the support of women and children. The programme is aimed at providing psychosocial support services and safe spaces at schools for vulnerable children, youths and women. The programme aims to strengthen the systems in place for screening individuals who work with these children. The programme brings together multiple stakeholders in the community, in an effort to build awareness and education around abuse, ensuring that signs of abuse and trauma can be identified and addressed.
(1) Department of Women and Children and People with Disabilities and Unicef 2013 report
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation.
For more information on Adopt-a-School Foundation: visit www.AdoptASchool.org.za or email at info@AdoptASchool.co.za or call 011 592 6560.
About Adopt-A-School Foundation
Adopt-a-School Foundation (www.AdoptASchool.org.za) is a partner entity of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation and was officially established in 2002 by a group of concerned individuals, including Cyril Ramaphosa and Dr James Motlatsi. The Foundation is registered as a Section 21 company with PBO status and has an Independent Board of Directors.
The Foundation works with a wide range of stakeholders including; District, Provincial and National Department of Basic Education, corporate donors, various service providers and best practice NGOs. The Foundation implements Whole School Development – a holistic model aimed at improving the academic, infrastructural, social and security environment in schools.
There are currently 446 schools under the Adopt-a-School Foundation’s adoption programme. The Foundation works in all nine provinces in South Africa, and in 2012 started working in Lesotho.
About Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation
Over the past 13 years Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation (www.CyrilRamaphosaFoundation.org) has had a remarkable impact on the people and communities in which it works. Through dedication, collaboration and a commitment to creating positive change, Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation continues to build on its previous achievements to create a cohesive and empowered society.
SOURCE
Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation
BOTSHABELO, South Africa, October 31, 2017/ -- “The recent atrocities of violence and sexual abuse cases in our schools has left our nation reeling. How are we to achieve our potential as a country, when our own children face sexual violation and abuse at school – the places where they are supposed to be protected and nurtured, by the people we have entrusted with their safety,” says Steven Lebere, Executive Director of Adopt-a-School Foundation (www.AdoptASchool.org.za).
“As Adopt-a-School Foundation, we strongly believe that these cases should be expediently dealt and that the maximum sentences be imposed for these heinous crimes. The government must continue to prioritise the provision of counselling support services to all the children affected as well as their peers and families. Educators and School Management must be supported to deal with the safety risks prevalent in schools and society at large.”
“Violence is endemic in our society. Through our work in schools with our partner entities, the Foundation has observed, and responded to, the increase in cases of abuse affecting our learners. The prevalence of this crime in schools is robbing our children of their youth, and the country of its future. The violation of children’s basic right to protection from abuse is a national crisis and must be stopped,” Lebere added.
One in every five sexual abuse cases that are reported in South Africa happen in schools (1). Adopt-a-School Foundation, a partner entity of Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation (CRF) (www.CyrilRamaphosaFoundation.org) , is actively responding to these social challenges by investing and contributing towards the development of South Africa’s rural and township schools. Through their holistic programmes, a large focus is placed on the safety and social well-being of school children.
In September this year, CRF launched the Thari programme for the support of women and children. The programme is aimed at providing psychosocial support services and safe spaces at schools for vulnerable children, youths and women. The programme aims to strengthen the systems in place for screening individuals who work with these children. The programme brings together multiple stakeholders in the community, in an effort to build awareness and education around abuse, ensuring that signs of abuse and trauma can be identified and addressed.
(1) Department of Women and Children and People with Disabilities and Unicef 2013 report
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation.
For more information on Adopt-a-School Foundation: visit www.AdoptASchool.org.za or email at info@AdoptASchool.co.za or call 011 592 6560.
About Adopt-A-School Foundation
Adopt-a-School Foundation (www.AdoptASchool.org.za) is a partner entity of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation and was officially established in 2002 by a group of concerned individuals, including Cyril Ramaphosa and Dr James Motlatsi. The Foundation is registered as a Section 21 company with PBO status and has an Independent Board of Directors.
The Foundation works with a wide range of stakeholders including; District, Provincial and National Department of Basic Education, corporate donors, various service providers and best practice NGOs. The Foundation implements Whole School Development – a holistic model aimed at improving the academic, infrastructural, social and security environment in schools.
There are currently 446 schools under the Adopt-a-School Foundation’s adoption programme. The Foundation works in all nine provinces in South Africa, and in 2012 started working in Lesotho.
About Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation
Over the past 13 years Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation (www.CyrilRamaphosaFoundation.org) has had a remarkable impact on the people and communities in which it works. Through dedication, collaboration and a commitment to creating positive change, Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation continues to build on its previous achievements to create a cohesive and empowered society.
SOURCE
Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation
Brett J. Fox: Why Is It So Important For You To Be Number One In A Market Segment?
Brett J. Fox
Why Is It So Important For You To Be Number One In A Market Segment?
By Brett Fox
General Electric in the 1980’s, under the leadership of Jack Welch, had a very simple goal for all of its businesses:
Become number one or number two in market share or we (General Electric) will exit the business. The theory was that you just weren’t relevant unless you got to number one or number two in market share.
But bigger is not necessarily better. It’s all about defining your niche.
Let’s use the example of mobile phone sales and Apple.
Apple, when they entered the market didn’t want to sell the most mobile phones. Instead, they created their own niche of smartphones:
Screen Shot 2017-10-27 at 11.28.50 AM
So Apple does not make the lions share of the phones, but look at Apple’s share of the profits:
Screen Shot 2017-10-27 at 11.35.16 AM
Apple made over 90% of the profits in phones in 2015 because they were number one in their niche. Samsung, the number two player in the niche, made the rest of the profits.
I’ve seen this similarly play out in the businesses I’ve been involved in. The trick was picking a niche big enough that we could make enough money, and we could become at least number two in. Good things (meaning we made a lot of money) happened when got to at least number two. But…
Being number one is beautiful thing.
When you get to the number one position, you truly are in the catbird seat. Apple’s dominance of the profits is not unique to Apple.
The number one player in a niche usually will dominate the profits because they have many advantages:
You can usually charge a premium as the dominant player, and…
You have a larger share of mind than your competitors, and…
Your will have built the trust of your customers, so…
Your new products will likely be well received, so…
You will be able to retain your market share.
But, you have to guard against complacency if you’re number one.
Everyone is gunning for you when you’re number one. Bigger and better competitors are going to keep aiming their arrows at you.
The only way to keep your stranglehold on the profits is to keep innovating to keep the natural erosion of your profitably from happening as long as possible. Eventually, all markets become more of a commodity over time.
But, for as long as you can, being number one is a beautiful and profitable thing.
For more, read: What Is The Real Truth About Creating Killer Products?
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Why Is It So Important For You To Be Number One In A Market Segment?
By Brett Fox
General Electric in the 1980’s, under the leadership of Jack Welch, had a very simple goal for all of its businesses:
Become number one or number two in market share or we (General Electric) will exit the business. The theory was that you just weren’t relevant unless you got to number one or number two in market share.
But bigger is not necessarily better. It’s all about defining your niche.
Let’s use the example of mobile phone sales and Apple.
Apple, when they entered the market didn’t want to sell the most mobile phones. Instead, they created their own niche of smartphones:
Screen Shot 2017-10-27 at 11.28.50 AM
So Apple does not make the lions share of the phones, but look at Apple’s share of the profits:
Screen Shot 2017-10-27 at 11.35.16 AM
Apple made over 90% of the profits in phones in 2015 because they were number one in their niche. Samsung, the number two player in the niche, made the rest of the profits.
I’ve seen this similarly play out in the businesses I’ve been involved in. The trick was picking a niche big enough that we could make enough money, and we could become at least number two in. Good things (meaning we made a lot of money) happened when got to at least number two. But…
Being number one is beautiful thing.
When you get to the number one position, you truly are in the catbird seat. Apple’s dominance of the profits is not unique to Apple.
The number one player in a niche usually will dominate the profits because they have many advantages:
You can usually charge a premium as the dominant player, and…
You have a larger share of mind than your competitors, and…
Your will have built the trust of your customers, so…
Your new products will likely be well received, so…
You will be able to retain your market share.
But, you have to guard against complacency if you’re number one.
Everyone is gunning for you when you’re number one. Bigger and better competitors are going to keep aiming their arrows at you.
The only way to keep your stranglehold on the profits is to keep innovating to keep the natural erosion of your profitably from happening as long as possible. Eventually, all markets become more of a commodity over time.
But, for as long as you can, being number one is a beautiful and profitable thing.
For more, read: What Is The Real Truth About Creating Killer Products?
Is Your Business Stuck? Maybe I Can Help. Click Here.
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Brett J. Fox: How Should You Manage Employees In Your Startup?
Brett J. Fox
How Should You Manage Employees In Your Startup?
By Brett Fox
There are two extremes when it comes managing people.
There’s the old-school command and control model where you don’t give your employees any flexibility. On the other side there’s the Zappos style of management (or even coaching) where you push the decision making down in the organization.
What I’ve seen work best is pushing the decision making down in your organization with coaching as the feedback loop to better decision making.
Step One: Hiring great people.
You want to become a better manager then hire great people because great people always make you a better manager:
Great people make you look good, and…
Great people need less supervision, and…
Great people bring more intellect, and…
Great people allow you to do more, and…
Great people give you more leverage.
Step Two: Don't overstep your bounds.
We all tend to over-manage, myself included, when we first start managing people. What you want to do is take a step back.
Give your people the flexibility to grow. And just as importantly…
Give your people room to make mistakes!
There’s nothing wrong with making a mistake or two as long as it’s not a “kill the company” mistake. Give your team the ability to make those mistakes, and then use their mistakes as teachable moments.
For example, we used to let our inside sales people make all the decisions around which customers we would give free demonstration boards too. These boards were quite expensive.
However the cost of giving away demonstration boards incorrectly was well worth it because the team learned and took responsibility for their actions. And you could review why they took the various actions they did.
You then can provide guidance on how to make better decisions. Over time, you end up with an empowered organization that is ready to take on more responsibility.
Step Three: Don’t let your team go too far astray.
The feedback loop between yourself and your team is the critical final piece of the puzzle. You need to check in on a regular basis, so that bad decisions are caught early.
I think you’ll find the concept of delegating decision making down in your organization along with regular checks works really well.
Is Your Business Stuck? Maybe I Can Help. Click Here.
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How Should You Manage Employees In Your Startup?
By Brett Fox
There are two extremes when it comes managing people.
There’s the old-school command and control model where you don’t give your employees any flexibility. On the other side there’s the Zappos style of management (or even coaching) where you push the decision making down in the organization.
What I’ve seen work best is pushing the decision making down in your organization with coaching as the feedback loop to better decision making.
Step One: Hiring great people.
You want to become a better manager then hire great people because great people always make you a better manager:
Great people make you look good, and…
Great people need less supervision, and…
Great people bring more intellect, and…
Great people allow you to do more, and…
Great people give you more leverage.
Step Two: Don't overstep your bounds.
We all tend to over-manage, myself included, when we first start managing people. What you want to do is take a step back.
Give your people the flexibility to grow. And just as importantly…
Give your people room to make mistakes!
There’s nothing wrong with making a mistake or two as long as it’s not a “kill the company” mistake. Give your team the ability to make those mistakes, and then use their mistakes as teachable moments.
For example, we used to let our inside sales people make all the decisions around which customers we would give free demonstration boards too. These boards were quite expensive.
However the cost of giving away demonstration boards incorrectly was well worth it because the team learned and took responsibility for their actions. And you could review why they took the various actions they did.
You then can provide guidance on how to make better decisions. Over time, you end up with an empowered organization that is ready to take on more responsibility.
Step Three: Don’t let your team go too far astray.
The feedback loop between yourself and your team is the critical final piece of the puzzle. You need to check in on a regular basis, so that bad decisions are caught early.
I think you’ll find the concept of delegating decision making down in your organization along with regular checks works really well.
Is Your Business Stuck? Maybe I Can Help. Click Here.
View original post on Quora.
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WBCSD: Rabobank and UN Environment join forces to finance sustainable agriculture with new billion-dollar facility
Home Climate Smart Agriculture News
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
Rabobank and UN Environment join forces to finance sustainable agriculture with new billion-dollar facility
Facility aims to finance sustainable land use and help achieve the Paris Climate Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals
Facility aims to provide grants, de-risking instruments and credit to clients involved in sustainable agricultural production
Mexico City, 16 October 2017: Rabobank and UN Environment announced today the creation of a new one-billion-dollar facility to finance sustainable agriculture using a combination of public and private funding. Together they also invite other interested financial institutions to sign up and work actively with global food companies to put this into practice.
The facility aims to provide grants, de-risking instruments and credit to clients involved in sustainable agricultural production, processing or the trade of soft commodities who adhere to strict provisions for forest protection, restoration and the involvement of smallholders.
Rabobank CEO Wiebe Draijer and UN UN Environment Latin America Director Leo Heileman announced the partnership at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Council Meeting on Tuesday 17 October 2017 in Mexico City. As a contribution to the partnership, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development invites other major global players in primary production, the food industry and financial institutions to work together.
The coalition kicks off in Brazil and Indonesia. In Brazil the coalition commits itself to the promotion and, where feasible, the financing of integrated crop, livestock and forestry (ICLF) farming practices on the 17 million hectares of existing arable land under the management of Brazilian farmers financed by Rabobank. This activity is part of the strategic WWF Rabobank partnership. In Indonesia the coalition aims to finance replanting schemes for smallholders in partnership with corporate clients. These include forest and biodiversity protection, restoration and certification of oil palm.
“As the leading global food and agriculture bank, Rabobank recognizes its responsibility to combine long-term stability of food production for the growing global population and the transition to sustainable land use,” said Rabobank CEO Wiebe Draijer “That’s why we kickstart this initiative with our partners, UN Environment and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. We welcome other major global players in the primary production, food industry and financial institutions to work together with us. Our aim is to substantially increase the quality of existing arable land while protecting biodiversity and reducing climate change worldwide. It is clear that a different way of agricultural practices is needed that includes incentives and provisions to protect forest ecosystems and restore degraded lands if we are to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as well as keep global temperature rises to below 2˚C as agreed in the Paris Climate Agreement.”
“Support from industry leaders like Rabobank is an extremely important first step,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. “We want the entire finance industry to change their agricultural lending, away from deforestation and towards integrated landscapes, which provide good jobs, protect biodiversity, and are good for the climate. Sustainable land use and landscape restoration is also fundamentally about sound investments and good business. We want to speed up this trend so that it becomes the 'new normal' for the finance industry.”
“We need more initiatives that go beyond just talking about the issues at hand,” said Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). “For this very reason this partnership is to be commended as it gives financing possibilities to feeding the world while using agricultural lands sustainably. This is just the beginning and we need other WBCSD members and major global players in primary production, the food industry and financial institutions to join this initiative and keep working on finding business solutions for climate smart agriculture.”
Halting climate change and an increasing agricultural footprint on the one hand, while ensuring growth in agricultural production to feed an estimated 9 billion people in 2050, are among the most defining challenges of the 21st century.
Agriculture is the second biggest driver of climate change related emissions, and represents about one quarter of total annual greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, there are more than 800 million people hungry at present and more mouths need to be fed in the future. We need to jointly stimulate existing and new best practices decreasing agriculture’s footprint and restoring quality of existing land used for agriculture and forestry. And to measure progress, generally accepted guidelines need to be established.
Stay on top of our latest news by subscribing to our Sustain newsletter
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Rabobank and UN Environment join forces to finance sustainable agriculture with new billion-dollar facility
Facility aims to finance sustainable land use and help achieve the Paris Climate Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals
Facility aims to provide grants, de-risking instruments and credit to clients involved in sustainable agricultural production
Mexico City, 16 October 2017: Rabobank and UN Environment announced today the creation of a new one-billion-dollar facility to finance sustainable agriculture using a combination of public and private funding. Together they also invite other interested financial institutions to sign up and work actively with global food companies to put this into practice.
The facility aims to provide grants, de-risking instruments and credit to clients involved in sustainable agricultural production, processing or the trade of soft commodities who adhere to strict provisions for forest protection, restoration and the involvement of smallholders.
Rabobank CEO Wiebe Draijer and UN UN Environment Latin America Director Leo Heileman announced the partnership at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Council Meeting on Tuesday 17 October 2017 in Mexico City. As a contribution to the partnership, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development invites other major global players in primary production, the food industry and financial institutions to work together.
The coalition kicks off in Brazil and Indonesia. In Brazil the coalition commits itself to the promotion and, where feasible, the financing of integrated crop, livestock and forestry (ICLF) farming practices on the 17 million hectares of existing arable land under the management of Brazilian farmers financed by Rabobank. This activity is part of the strategic WWF Rabobank partnership. In Indonesia the coalition aims to finance replanting schemes for smallholders in partnership with corporate clients. These include forest and biodiversity protection, restoration and certification of oil palm.
“As the leading global food and agriculture bank, Rabobank recognizes its responsibility to combine long-term stability of food production for the growing global population and the transition to sustainable land use,” said Rabobank CEO Wiebe Draijer “That’s why we kickstart this initiative with our partners, UN Environment and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. We welcome other major global players in the primary production, food industry and financial institutions to work together with us. Our aim is to substantially increase the quality of existing arable land while protecting biodiversity and reducing climate change worldwide. It is clear that a different way of agricultural practices is needed that includes incentives and provisions to protect forest ecosystems and restore degraded lands if we are to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as well as keep global temperature rises to below 2˚C as agreed in the Paris Climate Agreement.”
“Support from industry leaders like Rabobank is an extremely important first step,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. “We want the entire finance industry to change their agricultural lending, away from deforestation and towards integrated landscapes, which provide good jobs, protect biodiversity, and are good for the climate. Sustainable land use and landscape restoration is also fundamentally about sound investments and good business. We want to speed up this trend so that it becomes the 'new normal' for the finance industry.”
“We need more initiatives that go beyond just talking about the issues at hand,” said Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). “For this very reason this partnership is to be commended as it gives financing possibilities to feeding the world while using agricultural lands sustainably. This is just the beginning and we need other WBCSD members and major global players in primary production, the food industry and financial institutions to join this initiative and keep working on finding business solutions for climate smart agriculture.”
Halting climate change and an increasing agricultural footprint on the one hand, while ensuring growth in agricultural production to feed an estimated 9 billion people in 2050, are among the most defining challenges of the 21st century.
Agriculture is the second biggest driver of climate change related emissions, and represents about one quarter of total annual greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, there are more than 800 million people hungry at present and more mouths need to be fed in the future. We need to jointly stimulate existing and new best practices decreasing agriculture’s footprint and restoring quality of existing land used for agriculture and forestry. And to measure progress, generally accepted guidelines need to be established.
Stay on top of our latest news by subscribing to our Sustain newsletter
CONTACT
MAISON DE LA PAIX
Chemin Eugène-Rigot, 2B
Case Postale 2075
CH-1211, Geneva 1
Tel: +41 (22) 839 3100
Fax: +41 (22) 839 3131
How to find us
LINKS
Careers
Global Network
Leading Women
Old Site
India Office
North America Office
Follow us
World business council for sustainable development
Copyright © 2017
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
All rights reserved
Africa: Fly Africa – Unlocking the Potential of Africa’s Aviation Industry
Africans make up 12% of the world’s population but less than 2% of its travelers
Egalement disponible en Français
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, October 31, 2017/ -- FLY AFRICA, a book authored by Hassan El-Houry, a pioneer in the African aviation industry and Eric Kacou, an African strategist and investor, was launched yesterday on Amazon.
The book highlights how aviation could become one of Africa’s greatest strengths, underpinning its economic growth and connecting it with the rest of the world. Yet today, Africa’s aviation industry lags behind much of the world. This disparity is most evident in the fact that Africans make up 12% of the world’s population but less than 2% of its travelers. This discrepancy is not inevitable.
Aviation can provide a lifeline to revitalize national economies throughout Africa and contribute to development.
El-Houry said "We believe that the future of aviation lies in Africa. As the continent grows and economies continue to develop, we will see more and more opportunities for new business models to be born on the continent. Africa has much to learn, but it also has much to teach. With vision, cooperation, and commitment we believe Africa’s aviation potential will be fully realized."
The authors have also mapped a route to transforming the continent’s aviation industry, highlighting its existing champions and illustrating the effects aviation can have on other sectors.
The content of FLY AFRICA is based on solid research and combined with personal knowledge and experience, gathered from El-Houry’s role as Group CEO of National Aviation Services (NAS), the fastest growing aviation services provider in emerging markets.
This makes FLY AFRICA an honest picture of the aviation industry in Africa and its great potential.
Kacou said "The repercussions of a healthy aviation sector in Africa would be felt everywhere. It would mean more African tourists in Europe, more African businesspeople in the Middle East, and more African students in the United States. That in turn would portend a new relationship between Africa and the rest of the world. In this book, we aim to offer both a realistic appraisal of the current situation and an optimistic vision of what’s possible when we unleash the potential of aviation in Africa."
All in all, FLY AFRICA is a must-read for anyone who believes in aviation in Africa.
To order the book, visit www.Amazon.com.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Fly Africa.
View multimedia content
About Fly Africa:
The book, FLY AFRICA, explains how aviation can generate prosperity across the African continent. Authored by Hassan El-Houry, a pioneer in the African aviation in¬dustry, and Eric Kacou, an African strategist and investor, the book highlights how aviation could become one of Africa’s greatest strengths, underpinning its economic growth and connecting it with the rest of the world.
Media contact:
Nita Bhatkar
NBhatkar@NAScorporate.com
SOURCE
Fly Africa
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Egalement disponible en Français
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, October 31, 2017/ -- FLY AFRICA, a book authored by Hassan El-Houry, a pioneer in the African aviation industry and Eric Kacou, an African strategist and investor, was launched yesterday on Amazon.
The book highlights how aviation could become one of Africa’s greatest strengths, underpinning its economic growth and connecting it with the rest of the world. Yet today, Africa’s aviation industry lags behind much of the world. This disparity is most evident in the fact that Africans make up 12% of the world’s population but less than 2% of its travelers. This discrepancy is not inevitable.
Aviation can provide a lifeline to revitalize national economies throughout Africa and contribute to development.
El-Houry said "We believe that the future of aviation lies in Africa. As the continent grows and economies continue to develop, we will see more and more opportunities for new business models to be born on the continent. Africa has much to learn, but it also has much to teach. With vision, cooperation, and commitment we believe Africa’s aviation potential will be fully realized."
The authors have also mapped a route to transforming the continent’s aviation industry, highlighting its existing champions and illustrating the effects aviation can have on other sectors.
The content of FLY AFRICA is based on solid research and combined with personal knowledge and experience, gathered from El-Houry’s role as Group CEO of National Aviation Services (NAS), the fastest growing aviation services provider in emerging markets.
This makes FLY AFRICA an honest picture of the aviation industry in Africa and its great potential.
Kacou said "The repercussions of a healthy aviation sector in Africa would be felt everywhere. It would mean more African tourists in Europe, more African businesspeople in the Middle East, and more African students in the United States. That in turn would portend a new relationship between Africa and the rest of the world. In this book, we aim to offer both a realistic appraisal of the current situation and an optimistic vision of what’s possible when we unleash the potential of aviation in Africa."
All in all, FLY AFRICA is a must-read for anyone who believes in aviation in Africa.
To order the book, visit www.Amazon.com.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Fly Africa.
View multimedia content
About Fly Africa:
The book, FLY AFRICA, explains how aviation can generate prosperity across the African continent. Authored by Hassan El-Houry, a pioneer in the African aviation in¬dustry, and Eric Kacou, an African strategist and investor, the book highlights how aviation could become one of Africa’s greatest strengths, underpinning its economic growth and connecting it with the rest of the world.
Media contact:
Nita Bhatkar
NBhatkar@NAScorporate.com
SOURCE
Fly Africa
Multimedia content
Download logo
Image: Fly Africa – Unlocking the Potential of Africa’s Aviation Industry (1)
Image: Fly Africa – Unlocking the Potential of Africa’s Aviation Industry (2)
Link: To order the book, visit Amazon
Share
Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Google+ | Tumblr | Reddit | Pinterest | StumbleUpon
APO Group - Africa Newsroom | Safe sender instructions | Privacy Policy
Distributed by :
APO Group
2nd, 3rd and 4th floor
Voie du Chariot 3
1003 Lausanne – Switzerland
Tel : +41 22 534 96 97
E-mail: switzerland (at) APO-opa.org
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National Support Workshop for the implementation of the economic dimension of decentralization in Morocco
The purpose of the study is to develop a methodology offering the opportunity to the local governments of Morocco to have at their disposal a local economic development steering tool for the promotion of economic activities and employment
Egalement disponible en Français
RABAT, Morocco, October 31, 2017/ -- United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (www.AfriqueLocale.org/en) will organize in cooperation with the High Planning Commission (www.HCP.ma) of Morocco, on November 2, 2017 at Hotel Sofitel Rabat ‘Jardin des Roses’, a national support workshop for the implementation of the economic dimension of decentralization in Morocco.
This workshop is one of the outcomes of a methodological study initiated by the two institutions since 2010. The purpose of the study is to develop a methodology offering the opportunity to the local governments of Morocco to have at their disposal a local economic development steering tool for the promotion of economic activities and employment. The Chefchaouen Municipality served within the framework of this study, as the pilot project of which the first findings were published in 2016.
The main objective of the workshop is to succeed in launching a National Program on the Rereading of Municipal Development Plans (MDCs) and Regional Development Plans (RDPs) with a view to integrating better the economic dimension of their realization, in support to the Advanced Regionalization of Morocco. This through:
1) The review of the methodology used to obtain the results of the elaboration of the economic accounts of the City of Chefchaouen and of its province, and their scope for the local governments of Morocco;
2) The determination of what the elaboration of local economic accounts imply with regard to the collection of statistical data;
3) The development of a program of economic rereading of municipal and regional development plans based on the perspective of economic development of territories;
4) The review of the type of South South cooperation that may be developed in these areas.
The official opening of the meeting will be chaired over by Mr. Khalid SAFIR, Wali, Director General of the Dept. of Local Governments of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, in the presence of:
Mr. Ahmed Lahlimi Alami, Head of the High Planning Commission;
Mr. Mohand LAENSER, President of the Association of Regions of Morocco (ARM)
Mr. Mohamed Boudra, President of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Municipal Councils (AMPCC)
Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.
About one hundred participants representing the local governments and the main departments involved in the decentralization and economic development of Morocco, are expected at the meeting. Other participants in the meeting will include the following national and international institutions: the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Economic and Statistical Observatory of Sub-Saharan Africa (AFRISTATS), the Municipal Capital Investment Fund of Morocco (FEC) and the National Human Development Initiative (INDH-Marco).
The national press as well as the international press (based in Morocco) are invited to cover the opening ceremony of the scheduled workshop, on this Thursday, 02 November 2017 at 09H00 a.m., at Hotel Sofitel Rabat ‘Jardin des Roses (Hall So)’.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa).
View multimedia content
For further information, please contact:
Gaëlle Yomi, Tel: + 212 610 56 71 45
Email: GYomi@UCLGa.org
SOURCE
United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa)
Egalement disponible en Français
RABAT, Morocco, October 31, 2017/ -- United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (www.AfriqueLocale.org/en) will organize in cooperation with the High Planning Commission (www.HCP.ma) of Morocco, on November 2, 2017 at Hotel Sofitel Rabat ‘Jardin des Roses’, a national support workshop for the implementation of the economic dimension of decentralization in Morocco.
This workshop is one of the outcomes of a methodological study initiated by the two institutions since 2010. The purpose of the study is to develop a methodology offering the opportunity to the local governments of Morocco to have at their disposal a local economic development steering tool for the promotion of economic activities and employment. The Chefchaouen Municipality served within the framework of this study, as the pilot project of which the first findings were published in 2016.
The main objective of the workshop is to succeed in launching a National Program on the Rereading of Municipal Development Plans (MDCs) and Regional Development Plans (RDPs) with a view to integrating better the economic dimension of their realization, in support to the Advanced Regionalization of Morocco. This through:
1) The review of the methodology used to obtain the results of the elaboration of the economic accounts of the City of Chefchaouen and of its province, and their scope for the local governments of Morocco;
2) The determination of what the elaboration of local economic accounts imply with regard to the collection of statistical data;
3) The development of a program of economic rereading of municipal and regional development plans based on the perspective of economic development of territories;
4) The review of the type of South South cooperation that may be developed in these areas.
The official opening of the meeting will be chaired over by Mr. Khalid SAFIR, Wali, Director General of the Dept. of Local Governments of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, in the presence of:
Mr. Ahmed Lahlimi Alami, Head of the High Planning Commission;
Mr. Mohand LAENSER, President of the Association of Regions of Morocco (ARM)
Mr. Mohamed Boudra, President of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Municipal Councils (AMPCC)
Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.
About one hundred participants representing the local governments and the main departments involved in the decentralization and economic development of Morocco, are expected at the meeting. Other participants in the meeting will include the following national and international institutions: the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Economic and Statistical Observatory of Sub-Saharan Africa (AFRISTATS), the Municipal Capital Investment Fund of Morocco (FEC) and the National Human Development Initiative (INDH-Marco).
The national press as well as the international press (based in Morocco) are invited to cover the opening ceremony of the scheduled workshop, on this Thursday, 02 November 2017 at 09H00 a.m., at Hotel Sofitel Rabat ‘Jardin des Roses (Hall So)’.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa).
View multimedia content
For further information, please contact:
Gaëlle Yomi, Tel: + 212 610 56 71 45
Email: GYomi@UCLGa.org
SOURCE
United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa)
Hilton and Transcorp Hotels sign 20 year extension for Transcorp Hilton Abuja management
Deal sees the iconic hotel remain under the flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand
MCLEAN, United States of America, October 31, 2017/ -- Hilton (NYSE: HLT) (http://Newsroom.Hilton.com) and Transcorp Hotels Plc (https://TransCorpHotelsplc.com), a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp Plc) (www.TransCorpNigeria.com) today announced the signing of a 20-year extension to the current agreement to manage the iconic Transcorp Hilton hotel in Abuja. The agreement will see Hilton manage the property until 2037. The hotel, which is a national landmark for having hosted countless heads of state and global events like the World Economic Forum on Africa, has been operated by Hilton since its opening in 1987.
Speaking at a signing ceremony in Washington DC, Chris Nassetta, Hilton’s President and CEO, said: “We have had an incredible relationship with the Transcorp team and we are happy to announce that we will continue to grow that relationship throughout the next 20 years. With our mission to be the world’s most hospitable company, I am delighted we will be able to continue welcoming guests to this hotel until at least 2037.”
The award-winning 667-room hotel – one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa – is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation which will transform the property. The extensive refurbishment will continue the Transcorp Hotels legacy as the leading provider of hospitality in Nigeria.
Tony O. Elumelu, Chairman of Transcorp Plc, the largest listed conglomerate on the Nigerian stock exchange and owners of hospitality subsidiary Transcorp Hotels confirmed: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing owner-operator relationship with Hiton. Our investment in the renovation reflects our commitment to shaping Nigeria into a leading hospitality centre in the West Africa region and with Hilton as our operating partners, we are confident that we will continue to lead in the sector.”
Hilton and Transcorp Hotels have two additional properties in the development pipeline. Furthermore, Hilton expects to open six hotels in the next six months across Africa, and open properties in 15 countries where it currently does not operate in the next three years.
Also at the signing ceremony, Valentine Ozigbo, CEO of Transcorp Hotels who leads the management of the relationship between the owners and Hilton, commended Hilton for their clear commitment to delivering excellence and restated the owners’ commitment to continue to use technology and products to develop the hotel as a destination not just for high-end clientele, but also for those travelling to Abuja for business and leisure.
Hilton, which has more than 5,000 hotels globally, has had a continuous presence in Africa for more than 50 years, expects to more than double its current presence across the continent in the next five years.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Hilton.
View multimedia content
Media contacts:
Daniel Ford
Daniel.Ford@Hilton.com
+971 5 06524537
Alex Orakwusi
Alex.Orakwusi@TransCorpNigeria.com
+234 818 321 2325
About Hilton:
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) (www.Hilton.com) is a leading global hospitality company, with a portfolio of 14 world-class brands comprising more than 5,100 properties with nearly 838,000 rooms in 103 countries and territories. Hilton is dedicated to fulfilling its mission to be the world’s most hospitable company by delivering exceptional experiences – every hotel, every guest, every time. The company's portfolio includes Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton Honors. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose exatly how many Points to combine with money, an exclusive member discount that can’t be found anywhere else and free standard Wi-Fi.
Visit Newsroom.Hilton.com for more information and connect with Hilton on Facebook (http://APO.af/ZkBUVg), Twitter (http://APO.af/jrzz8b),
LinkedIn (http://APO.af/NP80Nx), Instagram (http://APO.af/UJf6xC) and YouTube (http://APO.af/LzywDo).
About Transcorp Hotels Plc:
Transcorp Hotels Plc (“Company") (https://TransCorpHotelsplc.com) is the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc. The Company owns and operates Transcorp Hilton Abuja, which provides luxury accommodation, world-class cuisine, conferencing and leisure facilities to business travellers and tourists from all over the world. The Company also holds 100 per cent interest in Transcorp Hotels Calabar Limited, which owns and operates the Transcorp Hotel in Calabar. For more information please visit www.TransCorpHotelsplc.com and/or www.Abuja.Hilton.com. You can also follow Transcorp Hotels on social media; Twitter: @HiltonAbuja, Instagram: @HiltonAbuja and Facebook: @TranscorpHiltonAbuja.
About Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc:
Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (“Transcorp”) (www.TransCorpNigeria.com) is a publicly quoted conglomerate with a diversified shareholder base of over 300,000 investors. The Company’s portfolio comprises strategic investments in the hospitality, agribusiness and energy sectors. Our businesses include Transcorp Hotels Plc, owner of Transcorp Hotel, Abuja, Transcorp Hotel Lagos and Transcorp Hotel Port Harcour; Transcorp Hotels Calabar; Ughelli Power Plc, owner of the 950 MW Ughelli power plant; Teragro Commodities Limited, operator of Teragro Benfruit plant – Nigeria’s first-of-its-kind juice concentrate plant; interests oil block OPL 281, in Delta State. For more information, visit transcorpnigeria.com and follow Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc on social media; Twitter: @TranscorpPLC, Instagram: @TransCorpNigeria and Facebook: @TransCorpNigeria.
SOURCE
Hilton
MCLEAN, United States of America, October 31, 2017/ -- Hilton (NYSE: HLT) (http://Newsroom.Hilton.com) and Transcorp Hotels Plc (https://TransCorpHotelsplc.com), a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp Plc) (www.TransCorpNigeria.com) today announced the signing of a 20-year extension to the current agreement to manage the iconic Transcorp Hilton hotel in Abuja. The agreement will see Hilton manage the property until 2037. The hotel, which is a national landmark for having hosted countless heads of state and global events like the World Economic Forum on Africa, has been operated by Hilton since its opening in 1987.
Speaking at a signing ceremony in Washington DC, Chris Nassetta, Hilton’s President and CEO, said: “We have had an incredible relationship with the Transcorp team and we are happy to announce that we will continue to grow that relationship throughout the next 20 years. With our mission to be the world’s most hospitable company, I am delighted we will be able to continue welcoming guests to this hotel until at least 2037.”
The award-winning 667-room hotel – one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa – is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation which will transform the property. The extensive refurbishment will continue the Transcorp Hotels legacy as the leading provider of hospitality in Nigeria.
Tony O. Elumelu, Chairman of Transcorp Plc, the largest listed conglomerate on the Nigerian stock exchange and owners of hospitality subsidiary Transcorp Hotels confirmed: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing owner-operator relationship with Hiton. Our investment in the renovation reflects our commitment to shaping Nigeria into a leading hospitality centre in the West Africa region and with Hilton as our operating partners, we are confident that we will continue to lead in the sector.”
Hilton and Transcorp Hotels have two additional properties in the development pipeline. Furthermore, Hilton expects to open six hotels in the next six months across Africa, and open properties in 15 countries where it currently does not operate in the next three years.
Also at the signing ceremony, Valentine Ozigbo, CEO of Transcorp Hotels who leads the management of the relationship between the owners and Hilton, commended Hilton for their clear commitment to delivering excellence and restated the owners’ commitment to continue to use technology and products to develop the hotel as a destination not just for high-end clientele, but also for those travelling to Abuja for business and leisure.
Hilton, which has more than 5,000 hotels globally, has had a continuous presence in Africa for more than 50 years, expects to more than double its current presence across the continent in the next five years.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Hilton.
View multimedia content
Media contacts:
Daniel Ford
Daniel.Ford@Hilton.com
+971 5 06524537
Alex Orakwusi
Alex.Orakwusi@TransCorpNigeria.com
+234 818 321 2325
About Hilton:
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) (www.Hilton.com) is a leading global hospitality company, with a portfolio of 14 world-class brands comprising more than 5,100 properties with nearly 838,000 rooms in 103 countries and territories. Hilton is dedicated to fulfilling its mission to be the world’s most hospitable company by delivering exceptional experiences – every hotel, every guest, every time. The company's portfolio includes Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton Honors. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose exatly how many Points to combine with money, an exclusive member discount that can’t be found anywhere else and free standard Wi-Fi.
Visit Newsroom.Hilton.com for more information and connect with Hilton on Facebook (http://APO.af/ZkBUVg), Twitter (http://APO.af/jrzz8b),
LinkedIn (http://APO.af/NP80Nx), Instagram (http://APO.af/UJf6xC) and YouTube (http://APO.af/LzywDo).
About Transcorp Hotels Plc:
Transcorp Hotels Plc (“Company") (https://TransCorpHotelsplc.com) is the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc. The Company owns and operates Transcorp Hilton Abuja, which provides luxury accommodation, world-class cuisine, conferencing and leisure facilities to business travellers and tourists from all over the world. The Company also holds 100 per cent interest in Transcorp Hotels Calabar Limited, which owns and operates the Transcorp Hotel in Calabar. For more information please visit www.TransCorpHotelsplc.com and/or www.Abuja.Hilton.com. You can also follow Transcorp Hotels on social media; Twitter: @HiltonAbuja, Instagram: @HiltonAbuja and Facebook: @TranscorpHiltonAbuja.
About Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc:
Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (“Transcorp”) (www.TransCorpNigeria.com) is a publicly quoted conglomerate with a diversified shareholder base of over 300,000 investors. The Company’s portfolio comprises strategic investments in the hospitality, agribusiness and energy sectors. Our businesses include Transcorp Hotels Plc, owner of Transcorp Hotel, Abuja, Transcorp Hotel Lagos and Transcorp Hotel Port Harcour; Transcorp Hotels Calabar; Ughelli Power Plc, owner of the 950 MW Ughelli power plant; Teragro Commodities Limited, operator of Teragro Benfruit plant – Nigeria’s first-of-its-kind juice concentrate plant; interests oil block OPL 281, in Delta State. For more information, visit transcorpnigeria.com and follow Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc on social media; Twitter: @TranscorpPLC, Instagram: @TransCorpNigeria and Facebook: @TransCorpNigeria.
SOURCE
Hilton
Center for International Forestry Research: Recent forest loss linked to Ebola outbreaks
Bogor (Indonesia), October 31, 2017
Scientists have identified a time lag of up to two years between forest loss and the emergence of Ebola virus disease along the limits of the West and Central African rainforest. In a new study published in the international journal Scientific Reports, led by scientists from the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the University of Malaga in Spain and other institutions provide indicators that could be useful for predicting where and when Ebola outbreaks are more likely to occur.
Tracking tree loss and forest fragmentation would allow to identify and target high-risk locations, according to this study. “The important thing in our research is that we are moving towards developing an early-warning system,” explained Professor John E. Fa, a Senior Associate at CIFOR and a Professor of Human Development and Biodiversity at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. “This research is fundamental for us being able to pinpoint the areas where Ebola outbreaks might occur in the future.”
This study independently supports recent research that indicated an association between Ebola outbreak locations and deforestation patterns. What is new is the conclusive evidence about the timing of outbreaks, within two years after forest loss.
This new research also suggests that preventing the loss of forests could reduce the likelihood of future outbreaks. “We have accumulated knowledge that removing forests causes problems not just to the functioning of the climate and ecosystems but also to humans, then we must see it as a threat to human livelihoods, health, security and everything else,” said Fa.
Methodology
Researchers investigated vegetation-cover changes near 27 populated areas where Ebola outbreaks occurred, compared to 280 areas of similar characteristics where there were no outbreaks. The research team used satellite imagery and other remote sensing techniques to analyze changes in forest density, tree height and canopy cover. Scientists applied several forest loss models, considering diverse patterns of forest fragmentation and tree loss. The study found that the loss of dense forests, principally those with more than 83% canopy cover, was an important factor in the emergence of Ebola outbreaks.
The Ebola virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and is highly contagious among humans. According to the World Health Organization, more than 11,000 people died of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone between 2014 and 2016.
RELATED RESEARCH PUBLICATION:
Olivero J et al. 2017. Recent loss of closed forests is associated with Ebola virus disease outbreaks. Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 14291. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-14727-9
Download: http://rdcu.be/xUnX (Enhanced PDF)
INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:
John Emmanuel Fa, Senior Associate at CIFOR and Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO ARRANGE INTERVIEWS, CONTACT:
Rodrigo Ordóñez, Media Outreach, CIFOR. r.ordonez@cgiar.org, +62 82124935323
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY RESEARCH (CIFOR):
CIFOR advances human well-being, equity and environmental integrity by conducting innovative research, developing partners’ capacity, and actively engaging in dialogue with all stakeholders to inform policies and practices that affect forests and people. CIFOR is a CGIAR Research Center, and leads the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA). Our headquarters are in Bogor, Indonesia, with offices in Nairobi, Kenya; Yaounde, Cameroon and Lima, Peru.
www.cifor.org
This research is part of CIFOR’s Bushmeat Research Initiative, under the framework of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA). This research is supported by CGIAR Fund Donors, UK aid from the UK government and USAID.
Scientists have identified a time lag of up to two years between forest loss and the emergence of Ebola virus disease along the limits of the West and Central African rainforest. In a new study published in the international journal Scientific Reports, led by scientists from the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the University of Malaga in Spain and other institutions provide indicators that could be useful for predicting where and when Ebola outbreaks are more likely to occur.
Tracking tree loss and forest fragmentation would allow to identify and target high-risk locations, according to this study. “The important thing in our research is that we are moving towards developing an early-warning system,” explained Professor John E. Fa, a Senior Associate at CIFOR and a Professor of Human Development and Biodiversity at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. “This research is fundamental for us being able to pinpoint the areas where Ebola outbreaks might occur in the future.”
This study independently supports recent research that indicated an association between Ebola outbreak locations and deforestation patterns. What is new is the conclusive evidence about the timing of outbreaks, within two years after forest loss.
This new research also suggests that preventing the loss of forests could reduce the likelihood of future outbreaks. “We have accumulated knowledge that removing forests causes problems not just to the functioning of the climate and ecosystems but also to humans, then we must see it as a threat to human livelihoods, health, security and everything else,” said Fa.
Methodology
Researchers investigated vegetation-cover changes near 27 populated areas where Ebola outbreaks occurred, compared to 280 areas of similar characteristics where there were no outbreaks. The research team used satellite imagery and other remote sensing techniques to analyze changes in forest density, tree height and canopy cover. Scientists applied several forest loss models, considering diverse patterns of forest fragmentation and tree loss. The study found that the loss of dense forests, principally those with more than 83% canopy cover, was an important factor in the emergence of Ebola outbreaks.
The Ebola virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and is highly contagious among humans. According to the World Health Organization, more than 11,000 people died of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone between 2014 and 2016.
RELATED RESEARCH PUBLICATION:
Olivero J et al. 2017. Recent loss of closed forests is associated with Ebola virus disease outbreaks. Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 14291. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-14727-9
Download: http://rdcu.be/xUnX (Enhanced PDF)
INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:
John Emmanuel Fa, Senior Associate at CIFOR and Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO ARRANGE INTERVIEWS, CONTACT:
Rodrigo Ordóñez, Media Outreach, CIFOR. r.ordonez@cgiar.org, +62 82124935323
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY RESEARCH (CIFOR):
CIFOR advances human well-being, equity and environmental integrity by conducting innovative research, developing partners’ capacity, and actively engaging in dialogue with all stakeholders to inform policies and practices that affect forests and people. CIFOR is a CGIAR Research Center, and leads the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA). Our headquarters are in Bogor, Indonesia, with offices in Nairobi, Kenya; Yaounde, Cameroon and Lima, Peru.
www.cifor.org
This research is part of CIFOR’s Bushmeat Research Initiative, under the framework of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA). This research is supported by CGIAR Fund Donors, UK aid from the UK government and USAID.
Former MTN Nigeria CFO joins Terragon Group’s Board of Directors
This appointment comes against the backdrop of the company’s recent transition into a data and marketing technology business, its pan-African expansion plans
LONDON, United Kingdom, October 31, 2017/ -- The Board of Directors of Terragon Group (http://TerragonGroup.com) recently announced the appointment of Andrew Bing, former Chief Financial Officer of MTN Nigeria, as an independent non-executive director (NED) at the last board meeting which was held in London.
This appointment comes against the backdrop of the company’s recent transition into a data and marketing technology business, its pan-African expansion plans as well as its need for practical and extensive experience to successfully scale across some of the largest markets on the continent.
In a statement, Elo Umeh, Managing Director, Terragon Group, said “We are honoured and humbled to have Mr. Andrew Bing accept to join our Board of Directors. We welcome his wealth of experience and look forward to his contributions which will definitely strengthen the governance and oversight functions of the Board”.
Currently an active member of the Institute of Directors IOD – UK, Bing is an independent NED on other Boards one of which is Extra Care, a company based in Northern Ireland. He is a Telecommunications professional with a well-rounded profile in financial, business development and strategic planning having worked for 19+ years within the MTN Group, 8 of those years as CFO of MTN Nigeria.
Acknowledged as an energetic, thorough and committed executive focused on delivering value in the toughest and most challenging of working environments, Bing led the expansion of MTN across several African countries. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant CA(SA), a recipient of 4 international awards for finance funding deals for MTN Nigeria and was previously a Non-Executive Director on the Board of MTN Nigeria Foundation.
Bing joins an existing board chaired by Nneka Nwobi, Head - B1 Strategic Partnership Africa, SAP and Executive Coach.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Terragon Group.
View multimedia content
Press Contact:
Chiamaka Odunze
Head, Marketing and Communications
COdunze@Terragonltd.com
About Terragon:
Terragon Group (http://TerragonGroup.com) is a data and marketing technology business that unlocks value for businesses using insight to reach mobile audiences in Africa.
At Terragon, we create and strengthen the connections that bond people to brands by delivering services and solutions to our clients borne out of our 6 core business capabilities: Digital Solutions for Business Transformation, Consumer Access, Data and Intelligence, Mobile Payments, Digital Content Management and Technology.
The group of companies is made up of two independent and complementary businesses, Terragon Digital and Twinpine.
SOURCE
Terragon Group
LONDON, United Kingdom, October 31, 2017/ -- The Board of Directors of Terragon Group (http://TerragonGroup.com) recently announced the appointment of Andrew Bing, former Chief Financial Officer of MTN Nigeria, as an independent non-executive director (NED) at the last board meeting which was held in London.
This appointment comes against the backdrop of the company’s recent transition into a data and marketing technology business, its pan-African expansion plans as well as its need for practical and extensive experience to successfully scale across some of the largest markets on the continent.
In a statement, Elo Umeh, Managing Director, Terragon Group, said “We are honoured and humbled to have Mr. Andrew Bing accept to join our Board of Directors. We welcome his wealth of experience and look forward to his contributions which will definitely strengthen the governance and oversight functions of the Board”.
Currently an active member of the Institute of Directors IOD – UK, Bing is an independent NED on other Boards one of which is Extra Care, a company based in Northern Ireland. He is a Telecommunications professional with a well-rounded profile in financial, business development and strategic planning having worked for 19+ years within the MTN Group, 8 of those years as CFO of MTN Nigeria.
Acknowledged as an energetic, thorough and committed executive focused on delivering value in the toughest and most challenging of working environments, Bing led the expansion of MTN across several African countries. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant CA(SA), a recipient of 4 international awards for finance funding deals for MTN Nigeria and was previously a Non-Executive Director on the Board of MTN Nigeria Foundation.
Bing joins an existing board chaired by Nneka Nwobi, Head - B1 Strategic Partnership Africa, SAP and Executive Coach.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Terragon Group.
View multimedia content
Press Contact:
Chiamaka Odunze
Head, Marketing and Communications
COdunze@Terragonltd.com
About Terragon:
Terragon Group (http://TerragonGroup.com) is a data and marketing technology business that unlocks value for businesses using insight to reach mobile audiences in Africa.
At Terragon, we create and strengthen the connections that bond people to brands by delivering services and solutions to our clients borne out of our 6 core business capabilities: Digital Solutions for Business Transformation, Consumer Access, Data and Intelligence, Mobile Payments, Digital Content Management and Technology.
The group of companies is made up of two independent and complementary businesses, Terragon Digital and Twinpine.
SOURCE
Terragon Group
Driving automation among small businesses can help meet Nigeria’s tax goals
The IMF has warned that Nigerian governments’ ability to effectively finance infrastructure and services is constrained by low tax collection
LAGOS, Nigeria, October 31, 2017/ -- Comments from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) (http://APO.af/e3xusi) around Nigeria’s low tax-to-GDP ratio highlight the importance of driving higher levels of payroll and accounting automation among the country’s businesses, especially small, micro and medium-sized enterprises, says Magnus Nmonwu (http://APO.af/j24b88), Regional Director for Sage West Africa.
The IMF has warned that Nigerian governments’ ability to effectively finance infrastructure and services is constrained by low tax collection. Despite recent tax reforms by the Federal Government, Nigeria needs to grow tax revenue by registering more tax payers and enhancing collections and compliance, says Nmonwu.
Initiatives such as the government’s Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) - (https://VAIDS.gov.ng/) which gives taxpayers an opportunity to voluntarily declare all previously undisclosed assets and income are steps in the right direction, he adds. Higher levels of automation and modernisation among tax authorities as well as increased use of digital filing and payment are also positive developments.
Says Nmonwu: “Another way Nigeria’s Federal and State Governments could enhance compliance is by encouraging businesses of all sizes to use technology to streamline capturing of transactions and automate payroll calculations. These solutions can help minimize the risk of non-payment of tax or incorrect remittances of taxes to the relevant government agencies.
“What’s more, the ability to generate financial statements, tax certificates, reports and electronic payslips with the click of a button is a major timesaver. An automated, cloud-based solution also means that businesses have an audit trail and reliable backups for all of their financial transactions, so that they can demonstrate their compliance with tax laws.”
Such software can help address some of the complexity Nigerian businesses face in paying tax. Nigeria aims to move from its current position of 181 out of 189 countries to top 50 on the Ease of Paying Taxes World Report (http://APO.af/xRjHCQ) which means that we will see a lot of reform of the tax system in the years to come, says Nmonwu.
“Spreadsheets and other manual methods are no longer sufficient to keep up with the growing complexity of today’s tax environment,” Nmonwu says. “As the tax authorities digitise and automate processes, they should be supporting small and medium businesses in doing the same in an effort to accelerate Nigeria’s integration with the global economy. They could, for example, run seminars or workshops together with vendors to showcase how cloud technology eases the compliance burden for small businesses.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Sage.
View multimedia content
Media contact:
Thuli Lamani
Tel: +27 (0)11 803 0030
Mobile: +27 (0)83 716 2572
ThuliL@IdeaEngineers.co.za
Del-Mari Roberts
Tel: +27 (0)11 803 0030
Mobile: +27 (0)72 5958 053
DelMari@IdeaEngineers.co.za
Idea Engineers (PR agency for Sage)
About Sage:
Sage (FTSE: SGE) (www.SAGE.com) is the global market leader for technology that helps businesses of all sizes manage everything from money to people – whether they’re a start-up, scale-up or enterprise. We do this through Sage Business Cloud - the one and only business management solution that customers will ever need, comprising Accounting, Financials, Enterprise Management, People & Payroll and Payments & Banking.
Our mission is to free business builders from the burden of admin, so they can spend more time doing what they love – and we do that every day for three million customers across 23 countries, through our 13000 colleagues and a network of accountants and partners. We are committed to doing business the right way, and giving back to our communities through Sage Foundation.
For more, visit www.SAGE.com/africa.
SOURCE
Sage
LAGOS, Nigeria, October 31, 2017/ -- Comments from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) (http://APO.af/e3xusi) around Nigeria’s low tax-to-GDP ratio highlight the importance of driving higher levels of payroll and accounting automation among the country’s businesses, especially small, micro and medium-sized enterprises, says Magnus Nmonwu (http://APO.af/j24b88), Regional Director for Sage West Africa.
The IMF has warned that Nigerian governments’ ability to effectively finance infrastructure and services is constrained by low tax collection. Despite recent tax reforms by the Federal Government, Nigeria needs to grow tax revenue by registering more tax payers and enhancing collections and compliance, says Nmonwu.
Initiatives such as the government’s Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) - (https://VAIDS.gov.ng/) which gives taxpayers an opportunity to voluntarily declare all previously undisclosed assets and income are steps in the right direction, he adds. Higher levels of automation and modernisation among tax authorities as well as increased use of digital filing and payment are also positive developments.
Says Nmonwu: “Another way Nigeria’s Federal and State Governments could enhance compliance is by encouraging businesses of all sizes to use technology to streamline capturing of transactions and automate payroll calculations. These solutions can help minimize the risk of non-payment of tax or incorrect remittances of taxes to the relevant government agencies.
“What’s more, the ability to generate financial statements, tax certificates, reports and electronic payslips with the click of a button is a major timesaver. An automated, cloud-based solution also means that businesses have an audit trail and reliable backups for all of their financial transactions, so that they can demonstrate their compliance with tax laws.”
Such software can help address some of the complexity Nigerian businesses face in paying tax. Nigeria aims to move from its current position of 181 out of 189 countries to top 50 on the Ease of Paying Taxes World Report (http://APO.af/xRjHCQ) which means that we will see a lot of reform of the tax system in the years to come, says Nmonwu.
“Spreadsheets and other manual methods are no longer sufficient to keep up with the growing complexity of today’s tax environment,” Nmonwu says. “As the tax authorities digitise and automate processes, they should be supporting small and medium businesses in doing the same in an effort to accelerate Nigeria’s integration with the global economy. They could, for example, run seminars or workshops together with vendors to showcase how cloud technology eases the compliance burden for small businesses.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Sage.
View multimedia content
Media contact:
Thuli Lamani
Tel: +27 (0)11 803 0030
Mobile: +27 (0)83 716 2572
ThuliL@IdeaEngineers.co.za
Del-Mari Roberts
Tel: +27 (0)11 803 0030
Mobile: +27 (0)72 5958 053
DelMari@IdeaEngineers.co.za
Idea Engineers (PR agency for Sage)
About Sage:
Sage (FTSE: SGE) (www.SAGE.com) is the global market leader for technology that helps businesses of all sizes manage everything from money to people – whether they’re a start-up, scale-up or enterprise. We do this through Sage Business Cloud - the one and only business management solution that customers will ever need, comprising Accounting, Financials, Enterprise Management, People & Payroll and Payments & Banking.
Our mission is to free business builders from the burden of admin, so they can spend more time doing what they love – and we do that every day for three million customers across 23 countries, through our 13000 colleagues and a network of accountants and partners. We are committed to doing business the right way, and giving back to our communities through Sage Foundation.
For more, visit www.SAGE.com/africa.
SOURCE
Sage
Medium.com/Jon Westenberg: Get Okay With Who You Are
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Jon Westenberg
Largest Medium Blogger in Australia (over 110k readers), obsessive writer…
Oct 23
Get Okay With Who You Are
My greatest enemy is my own — frequent — inability to accept myself.
That’s hard to admit, but it’s completely true.
My greatest enemy is that I spend far too much time worrying about who and what and why I am, instead of just getting okay with myself, and the life I’m living.
It comes out in jealousy, sometimes.
It comes out in an abandonment of projects and ideas that are meaningful to me. It comes out when I least expect it, and am at my least capable of dealing with it.
Realistically, it probably comes out all the time for you, too. So many of us go through life not being okay with who we are. It’s constant, and it’s a battle.
The reason we quit, isn’t always because we fail!
9 times out of 10, the reason we quit is because we can’t accept who we are and what we’re working on for what it is. We get caught up in all of the self doubt, all of the self deprecation and all of the self persecution that prevents us from accepting that the way we live and work and win is completely okay.
And I think we’re trained to do that. We’re trained our whole lives to compare where we are with where everyone else is. Classmates. Siblings. Competitors. The folks we grew up with, the folks who are starting businesses and building companies and products — almost anyone who presents a benchmark by which to evaluate ourselves.
When we fail that test, even if it’s a test that has zero bearing on the real world, it’s devestating and it sets the stage for failure on a wider scale, because in losing confidence in ourselves, we have almost made a decision to quit. Might not be today. Might not be tomorrow. But it’s coming.
Get okay with who you are, because you’re the one that matters.
You are. Your opinion of yourself is the only opinion that really matters. Because you’re always going to be your strongest, toughest, most vindictively malicious critic, and you’re always going to be the firs to criticise yourself and tear yourself down.
Getting okay with who you are is the first step to achieving anything. I’m not saying you have to accept all of your own flaws blindly and ignore the problematic aspects of your personality.
But you have to accept the good with the bad, and accept the imperfections as being a part of who you are!
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Jon Westenberg
Largest Medium Blogger in Australia (over 110k readers), obsessive writer…
Oct 23
Get Okay With Who You Are
My greatest enemy is my own — frequent — inability to accept myself.
That’s hard to admit, but it’s completely true.
My greatest enemy is that I spend far too much time worrying about who and what and why I am, instead of just getting okay with myself, and the life I’m living.
It comes out in jealousy, sometimes.
It comes out in an abandonment of projects and ideas that are meaningful to me. It comes out when I least expect it, and am at my least capable of dealing with it.
Realistically, it probably comes out all the time for you, too. So many of us go through life not being okay with who we are. It’s constant, and it’s a battle.
The reason we quit, isn’t always because we fail!
9 times out of 10, the reason we quit is because we can’t accept who we are and what we’re working on for what it is. We get caught up in all of the self doubt, all of the self deprecation and all of the self persecution that prevents us from accepting that the way we live and work and win is completely okay.
And I think we’re trained to do that. We’re trained our whole lives to compare where we are with where everyone else is. Classmates. Siblings. Competitors. The folks we grew up with, the folks who are starting businesses and building companies and products — almost anyone who presents a benchmark by which to evaluate ourselves.
When we fail that test, even if it’s a test that has zero bearing on the real world, it’s devestating and it sets the stage for failure on a wider scale, because in losing confidence in ourselves, we have almost made a decision to quit. Might not be today. Might not be tomorrow. But it’s coming.
Get okay with who you are, because you’re the one that matters.
You are. Your opinion of yourself is the only opinion that really matters. Because you’re always going to be your strongest, toughest, most vindictively malicious critic, and you’re always going to be the firs to criticise yourself and tear yourself down.
Getting okay with who you are is the first step to achieving anything. I’m not saying you have to accept all of your own flaws blindly and ignore the problematic aspects of your personality.
But you have to accept the good with the bad, and accept the imperfections as being a part of who you are!
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Responses
Jacques Vabre Regatta: Symbolic sail for sole African boat
Brazilian / Angolan crew set to compete in trans-Atlantic race
LE HAVRE, France, October 31, 2017/ -- The only African entry in the challenging Transat Jacques Vabre (www.TransatJacquesVabre.org) regatta is set for symbolic sojourn on behalf of its sponsor Angola Cables (www.AngolaCables.co.ao). As a race that connects two continents, the bi-annual competition will see Angolan Dr José Guilherme Caldas skipper Mussulo 40 – a 40-foot yacht – to Salvador, Brazil, the home town of his sailing partner Leonardo Chicourel. The two-man crew will be representing Angola Cables, a company building a ‘digital bridges’ between continents.
“While we are building connectivity across the Atlantic, our sailing team is testing the waters,” notes António Nunes, CEO of Angola Cables. “With this race, we have a symbolic connection between continents, a fitting reminder of what we do as a business. We crossed the Atlantic from Africa at beginning of the year and now we are crossing the Atlantic from Europe”.
Navigating some of the toughest seas, the two-man crew will face a demanding course that will see their skills (and bodies) tested by extremes in weather and sailing conditions as they cross the equator and the second largest ocean on Earth. They will be competing against 16 other boats in their category.
From trading coffee to data
Departing 5 November, the competitors will navigate a 4350-mile course, tracing a traditional coffee trading route between France and Brazil. “Much like the departure point Le Havre – a leading French port established to trade with America – Luanda is developing a leading telecommunications hub in Africa to ‘trade data’ between continents,” observed Nunes.
According to Skipper Caldas: “Our participation in the event will require a double shot of courage and conviction as we aim to compete with the other boats. We did well during this year’s Cape2Rio race and look forward to enjoying a similar performance in the Transat Jacques Vabre.”
Team Angola Cables: loyal supporters of sailing
Mussulo 40 is one of two yachts sponsored by Angola Cables. The company also supports the sailing schools in Luanda Sailing Club as one of its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
“Competitive sailing is all about planning, strategy and speed. Like the sailors on Mussulo 40, Angola Cables faces intense global competition and must adapt to changing conditions by moving fast and strategically. It is why we’re involved in ocean racing, as we cross the Atlantic to build the intercontinental connections and collaborations,” concludes Nunes.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Angola Cables.
View multimedia content
Media Contacts:
Andrew Fletcher Cole
Andrewc@Atmosphere.co.za
+27 (0)79 483 3208
About Angola Cables:
Angola Cables (www.AngolaCables.co.ao) is a multinational telecommunications company founded in 2009 that operates in the wholesale market, whose core business is the commercialization of capacity in international circuits of voice and data through a system of submarine cables. It is one of the largest shareholders of WACS (West Africa Cable System), providing operator-level services to operators in Angola and sub-Saharan Africa, quickly becoming one of the leading wholesale IP providers in the region.
SACS and Monet – two new projects from the company - will interconnect three continents (South America, North America and Africa) at its data center in Fortaleza, a Tier III type facility.
For more information, visit the Angola Cables website: www.AngolaCables.co.ao.
SOURCE
Angola Cables
LE HAVRE, France, October 31, 2017/ -- The only African entry in the challenging Transat Jacques Vabre (www.TransatJacquesVabre.org) regatta is set for symbolic sojourn on behalf of its sponsor Angola Cables (www.AngolaCables.co.ao). As a race that connects two continents, the bi-annual competition will see Angolan Dr José Guilherme Caldas skipper Mussulo 40 – a 40-foot yacht – to Salvador, Brazil, the home town of his sailing partner Leonardo Chicourel. The two-man crew will be representing Angola Cables, a company building a ‘digital bridges’ between continents.
“While we are building connectivity across the Atlantic, our sailing team is testing the waters,” notes António Nunes, CEO of Angola Cables. “With this race, we have a symbolic connection between continents, a fitting reminder of what we do as a business. We crossed the Atlantic from Africa at beginning of the year and now we are crossing the Atlantic from Europe”.
Navigating some of the toughest seas, the two-man crew will face a demanding course that will see their skills (and bodies) tested by extremes in weather and sailing conditions as they cross the equator and the second largest ocean on Earth. They will be competing against 16 other boats in their category.
From trading coffee to data
Departing 5 November, the competitors will navigate a 4350-mile course, tracing a traditional coffee trading route between France and Brazil. “Much like the departure point Le Havre – a leading French port established to trade with America – Luanda is developing a leading telecommunications hub in Africa to ‘trade data’ between continents,” observed Nunes.
According to Skipper Caldas: “Our participation in the event will require a double shot of courage and conviction as we aim to compete with the other boats. We did well during this year’s Cape2Rio race and look forward to enjoying a similar performance in the Transat Jacques Vabre.”
Team Angola Cables: loyal supporters of sailing
Mussulo 40 is one of two yachts sponsored by Angola Cables. The company also supports the sailing schools in Luanda Sailing Club as one of its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
“Competitive sailing is all about planning, strategy and speed. Like the sailors on Mussulo 40, Angola Cables faces intense global competition and must adapt to changing conditions by moving fast and strategically. It is why we’re involved in ocean racing, as we cross the Atlantic to build the intercontinental connections and collaborations,” concludes Nunes.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Angola Cables.
View multimedia content
Media Contacts:
Andrew Fletcher Cole
Andrewc@Atmosphere.co.za
+27 (0)79 483 3208
About Angola Cables:
Angola Cables (www.AngolaCables.co.ao) is a multinational telecommunications company founded in 2009 that operates in the wholesale market, whose core business is the commercialization of capacity in international circuits of voice and data through a system of submarine cables. It is one of the largest shareholders of WACS (West Africa Cable System), providing operator-level services to operators in Angola and sub-Saharan Africa, quickly becoming one of the leading wholesale IP providers in the region.
SACS and Monet – two new projects from the company - will interconnect three continents (South America, North America and Africa) at its data center in Fortaleza, a Tier III type facility.
For more information, visit the Angola Cables website: www.AngolaCables.co.ao.
SOURCE
Angola Cables
If Ghana Post's National Digital Addressing System Is Indeed Not Fit-For-Purpose Let Us Scrap It - And Get The World's Best: What3Words
At this stage, that the nation - at least the parts of it that like some of us are ignoramuses when it comes to all things ICT - needs to quickly establish whether or not the Ghana Post national digital addressing system is actually fit-for-purpose, is not in doubt.
Such is the strategic and long-term economic importance of such a national ICT asset that as an aspirational people we must not allow the usual suspects to turn this issue into political football.
If something has gone amis tech-wise, or procurement-wise, it behoves Vice President Mahammudu Bawunia to ensure that the nation is told about it quickly, and what needs to be done to rectify it is done as soon as practicable, with military precision.
Above all, the more responsible sections of the Ghanaian media must not allow loss of face for those responsible for any mishaps in this crucial matter to prevent the truth from being established - and swiftly too. Full stop.
Civil society groups and patriotic individuals with the requisite expertise should make sure that Ghana does indeed get value for money and a truly world-class national digital addressing system - even if it means scraping the current Ghana Post system and going outside our borders to secure one.
Only fools try to reinvent the wheel in such matters of critical national importance. As it happens, Ghanaians aren't fools - in case some of those who govern us forget.
To use an appropriate pidgin English phrase: "Occupy Ghana - Jack where are you?" We must stop clueless politicians from beating about the bush in this matter - if the truth turns out to be that Mother Ghana has been fobbed off with a digital lemon.
If need be, let us move swiftly to acquire the world's best digital addressing system, what3words, and have it done with. This is no matter to toy with. Haaba.
Such is the strategic and long-term economic importance of such a national ICT asset that as an aspirational people we must not allow the usual suspects to turn this issue into political football.
If something has gone amis tech-wise, or procurement-wise, it behoves Vice President Mahammudu Bawunia to ensure that the nation is told about it quickly, and what needs to be done to rectify it is done as soon as practicable, with military precision.
Above all, the more responsible sections of the Ghanaian media must not allow loss of face for those responsible for any mishaps in this crucial matter to prevent the truth from being established - and swiftly too. Full stop.
Civil society groups and patriotic individuals with the requisite expertise should make sure that Ghana does indeed get value for money and a truly world-class national digital addressing system - even if it means scraping the current Ghana Post system and going outside our borders to secure one.
Only fools try to reinvent the wheel in such matters of critical national importance. As it happens, Ghanaians aren't fools - in case some of those who govern us forget.
To use an appropriate pidgin English phrase: "Occupy Ghana - Jack where are you?" We must stop clueless politicians from beating about the bush in this matter - if the truth turns out to be that Mother Ghana has been fobbed off with a digital lemon.
If need be, let us move swiftly to acquire the world's best digital addressing system, what3words, and have it done with. This is no matter to toy with. Haaba.
ADWEEK/Patrick Coffee: CEO Issues Memo Promising ‘Zero Tolerance’ for Sexual Harassment
ADWEEK
Leadership & Talent
CEO Issues Memo Promising ‘Zero Tolerance’ for Sexual Harassment
Michael Roth's note ensures protection for whistleblowers
By Patrick Coffee
|
8 hours ago
Agencies and holding groups face increased pressure following accusations made against Harvey Weinstein and others.
Getty Images
IPG leadership took a step today to make its workplace safer as reports of alleged sexual misbehavior by Harvey Weinstein and other prominent personalities continue to spread beyond the media and entertainment industries.
At 9 a.m. this morning, a memo from chairman and chief executive officer Michael Roth went out to all 50,000-plus IPG employees around the world under the subject line “A Workplace Free from Harassment.”
Roth’s note outlined a “zero-tolerance policy for all types of harassment,” encouraging employees to speak with managers or use an anonymous company tip line if they have experienced or witnessed “behavior that runs counter to an inclusive, respectful workplace.” He also directly addressed fears that whistleblowers may be punished for coming forward, writing, “You can do so without fear of reprisal as we also have a zero-tolerance policy against retaliation, and will take steps to protect you.”
He did not elaborate on those steps but did announce that all U.S. staff will soon be required to complete an “online anti-harassment course.”
The note included links to both the company’s official anti-harassment policy and its code of conduct booklet. The latter describes harassment as any behavior “that has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with another’s work performance or creating an offensive, intimidating or hostile work environment.” It continues, “Although in many cases harassment is a pattern of behavior, even one word or act may constitute impermissible and/or illegal harassment.”
Roth’s memo follows widely publicized calls for greater transparency from activists led by former agency executive Cindy Gallop, who told CNBC last week that harassment is “a systemic cultural problem” for the advertising industry. He appears to be the first CEO of a major holding group to release such a statement, which follows a note he sent to all staff the day after the deadly confrontation between white nationalists and protesters in Charlottesville, Va. this August.
An IPG spokesperson declined to comment on Roth’s behalf today, noting that the memo speaks for itself.
Adweek has reprinted the full text below.
Memo from Michael Roth: A Workplace Free from Harassment
We have all been reading about the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace, including in the ad industry. It is therefore an important time to re-emphasize that one of our core values at IPG is to ensure that all employees can enjoy workplaces that are respectful and supportive. This is about more than violations of local laws—we strive to support a higher standard of inclusion.
Know that IPG has a zero-tolerance policy for all types of harassment and in fact, it’s part of our Code of Conduct and our standard policies and procedures as detailed in SP&P 400.
Sexual harassment isn’t limited to its most obvious forms—such as making inappropriate advances. It also includes any unwelcome verbal or physical behavior that creates a hostile work environment. You should not be subject to any such behavior by anyone that you come into contact with as part of your job—colleagues, managers, suppliers or clients. And the prohibitions are not limited to the office—they apply to off-site events and social gatherings—anywhere that you are with your colleagues or business partners.
To help ensure that our employees are familiar with our policies surrounding harassment, we will soon be launching a mandatory online anti-harassment course in the U.S.
If you have been the subject of sexual harassment or if you see behavior that runs counter to an inclusive, respectful workplace, report it to a member of management, human resources, or the legal department. You can do so without fear of reprisal as we also have a zero-tolerance policy against retaliation, and will take steps to protect you. You may also anonymously contact the IPG AlertLine at 1-800-828-0896 if you are located in the U.S. If you wish to make a call to the AlertLine from a location outside the U.S., visit http://inside.interpublic.com, and click on the box for the AlertLine on the homepage. We will investigate any complaint as thoroughly and confidentially as possible, and any violations of our policy will be dealt with appropriately.
Ultimately, we all perform best and serve our clients most effectively when we operate in an environment free from harassment and where behavior to the contrary will not be tolerated. We appreciate your cooperation in helping to ensure that IPG is always such a place.
Michael Roth
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, IPG
Patrick Coffee
Patrick Coffee
@PatrickCoffee
Patrick Coffee is a senior editor for Adweek.
Subscribe to Adweek Today!
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Leadership & Talent
CEO Issues Memo Promising ‘Zero Tolerance’ for Sexual Harassment
Michael Roth's note ensures protection for whistleblowers
By Patrick Coffee
|
8 hours ago
Agencies and holding groups face increased pressure following accusations made against Harvey Weinstein and others.
Getty Images
IPG leadership took a step today to make its workplace safer as reports of alleged sexual misbehavior by Harvey Weinstein and other prominent personalities continue to spread beyond the media and entertainment industries.
At 9 a.m. this morning, a memo from chairman and chief executive officer Michael Roth went out to all 50,000-plus IPG employees around the world under the subject line “A Workplace Free from Harassment.”
Roth’s note outlined a “zero-tolerance policy for all types of harassment,” encouraging employees to speak with managers or use an anonymous company tip line if they have experienced or witnessed “behavior that runs counter to an inclusive, respectful workplace.” He also directly addressed fears that whistleblowers may be punished for coming forward, writing, “You can do so without fear of reprisal as we also have a zero-tolerance policy against retaliation, and will take steps to protect you.”
He did not elaborate on those steps but did announce that all U.S. staff will soon be required to complete an “online anti-harassment course.”
The note included links to both the company’s official anti-harassment policy and its code of conduct booklet. The latter describes harassment as any behavior “that has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with another’s work performance or creating an offensive, intimidating or hostile work environment.” It continues, “Although in many cases harassment is a pattern of behavior, even one word or act may constitute impermissible and/or illegal harassment.”
Roth’s memo follows widely publicized calls for greater transparency from activists led by former agency executive Cindy Gallop, who told CNBC last week that harassment is “a systemic cultural problem” for the advertising industry. He appears to be the first CEO of a major holding group to release such a statement, which follows a note he sent to all staff the day after the deadly confrontation between white nationalists and protesters in Charlottesville, Va. this August.
An IPG spokesperson declined to comment on Roth’s behalf today, noting that the memo speaks for itself.
Adweek has reprinted the full text below.
Memo from Michael Roth: A Workplace Free from Harassment
We have all been reading about the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace, including in the ad industry. It is therefore an important time to re-emphasize that one of our core values at IPG is to ensure that all employees can enjoy workplaces that are respectful and supportive. This is about more than violations of local laws—we strive to support a higher standard of inclusion.
Know that IPG has a zero-tolerance policy for all types of harassment and in fact, it’s part of our Code of Conduct and our standard policies and procedures as detailed in SP&P 400.
Sexual harassment isn’t limited to its most obvious forms—such as making inappropriate advances. It also includes any unwelcome verbal or physical behavior that creates a hostile work environment. You should not be subject to any such behavior by anyone that you come into contact with as part of your job—colleagues, managers, suppliers or clients. And the prohibitions are not limited to the office—they apply to off-site events and social gatherings—anywhere that you are with your colleagues or business partners.
To help ensure that our employees are familiar with our policies surrounding harassment, we will soon be launching a mandatory online anti-harassment course in the U.S.
If you have been the subject of sexual harassment or if you see behavior that runs counter to an inclusive, respectful workplace, report it to a member of management, human resources, or the legal department. You can do so without fear of reprisal as we also have a zero-tolerance policy against retaliation, and will take steps to protect you. You may also anonymously contact the IPG AlertLine at 1-800-828-0896 if you are located in the U.S. If you wish to make a call to the AlertLine from a location outside the U.S., visit http://inside.interpublic.com, and click on the box for the AlertLine on the homepage. We will investigate any complaint as thoroughly and confidentially as possible, and any violations of our policy will be dealt with appropriately.
Ultimately, we all perform best and serve our clients most effectively when we operate in an environment free from harassment and where behavior to the contrary will not be tolerated. We appreciate your cooperation in helping to ensure that IPG is always such a place.
Michael Roth
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, IPG
Patrick Coffee
Patrick Coffee
@PatrickCoffee
Patrick Coffee is a senior editor for Adweek.
Subscribe to Adweek Today!
Get a full year of print and digital editions for just $149
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Dr. Mercola: Fluoride — A Little Bit at the Wrong Time Is Devastating
Fluoride — A Little Bit at the Wrong Time Is Devastating
October 31, 2017 • 579 views
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Story at-a-glance
Higher exposure to fluoride while in utero is associated with lower scores on tests of cognitive function in childhood
Women with higher levels of fluoride in their urine during pregnancy were more likely to have children with lower intelligence
Each 0.5 milligram per liter increase in pregnant women’s fluoride levels was associated with a reduction of 3.15 and 2.5 points on the children’s cognitive and intelligence test scores, respectively
By Dr. Mercola
In the U.S., two-thirds of Americans’ tap water contains fluoride, which is added under the guise of preventing cavities. Water fluoridation continues to occur in the majority of the U.S. even as research stacks up that fluoride is a neurotoxin that can harm brain function. A study of Mexican women and children is among the latest to raise concern, showing that higher exposure to fluoride while in utero is associated with lower scores on tests of cognitive function in childhood, both at the age of 4 and 6 to 12 years.1
The study involved nearly 300 pairs of women and their babies. Mexico does not fluoridate their drinking water, but the study participants were exposed to fluoride via fluoridated salt and varying levels of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water. While previous studies have used measurements of fluoride levels in drinking water to estimate a population’s exposure, the featured study used urine samples — in both the mothers and their children — to determine fluoride exposure.
The researchers then compared fluoride levels with each child’s intelligence, assessed using the General Cognitive Index (GCI) of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities at age 4 and again between the ages of 6 and 12 years using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI).2
Higher Prenatal Exposure to Fluoride Linked to Lower Intelligence
While the children’s fluoride levels at ages 4 and 6 to 12 were not associated with their intelligence, the study found that exposure that occurs prenatally was linked to lower intelligence scores. In fact, women with higher levels of fluoride in their urine during pregnancy were more likely to have children with lower intelligence.
Specifically, each 0.5 milligram per liter increase in pregnant women’s fluoride levels was associated with a reduction of 3.15 and 2.5 points on the children’s GCI and WASI scores, respectively. Lead researcher Dr. Howard Hu, of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto in Canada, said in a news release:3
“Our study shows that the growing fetal nervous system may be adversely affected by higher levels of fluoride exposure. It also suggests that the prenatal nervous system may be more sensitive to fluoride compared to that of school-aged children."
The findings are groundbreaking, as the study, which spanned 12 years and received funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), is one of the first and largest studies looking into this topic. As noted by Paul Connett, Ph.D., toxicologist, environmental chemist and former director of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) in the video commentary below (while retiring and handing over the director's position to his son Michael, Connett remains very active in the organization):
“This vindicates our work … since 1996. My major concern has been the effect of fluoride on the brain … A variety of studies … have indicated that in communities with higher levels of fluoride, children have lower IQ. It’s always been a question of whether that was exposure during pregnancy in utero or whether the exposure was in the early years of childhood. This study points to in utero exposure.
This should spell the end of fluoridation worldwide. How can you possibly continue to expose millions of pregnant women and children to a known neurotoxic substance? Now we know that there’s a relationship between how much fluoride a woman is exposed to in pregnancy and the IQ of the children that are born. This is totally unacceptable.”
Despite the damning evidence, the American Dental Association (ADA) continues to stand their ground, stating, “The ADA continues to endorse fluoridation of public water as the most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay.”4 They tried to downplay the results by saying no conclusions could be drawn about U.S. water fluoridation because it’s unknown whether the participants were exposed to fluoride via water, salt or both.
But as noted by Connett, "This makes no sense. It is irrelevant whether the Mexican women got their fluoride from fluoridated salt, fluoride in drinking water or from fluoridated dental products." The mean level of fluoride in the urine of the mothers included in the study was 0.9 mg/L. In the U.S. 75 percent of the population's drinking water is fluoridated, and according to Hu, the levels of fluoride found in Mexican mothers is unlikely to be significantly different from those found in American women.
Fluoride Previously Known to Harm Brain, Nervous System Development
More than 300 studies have shown fluoride’s toxic effects on the brain,5 including 2006 National Research Council review that suggested fluoride exposure may be associated with brain damage, endocrine system disruption and bone cancer.6 In 2012, Harvard researchers also revealed that children living in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low-fluoride areas7 and suggested high fluoride exposure may have an adverse effect on children’s neurodevelopment.
Then, in 2014, a review in Lancet Neurology classified fluoride as one of only 11 chemicals "known to cause developmental neurotoxicity in human beings,"8 alongside other known neurotoxins such as lead, methylmercury, arsenic and toluene. Among the proposed mechanisms of harm, studies have shown fluoride can:9
Interfere with basic functions of nerve cells in the brain
Reduce nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
Reduce lipid content in the brain
Damage the pineal gland through fluoride accumulation
Impair antioxidant defense systems
Damage the hippocampus
Damage purkinje cells
Increase uptake of aluminum, which has neurotoxic effects
Encourage formation of beta-amyloid plaques (the classic brain abnormality in Alzheimer's disease)
Exacerbate lesions induced by iodine deficiency
Increase manganese absorption, which has also been linked to lower IQ in children
Impair thyroid function, which can also affect brain development
Most US Kids Have Fluoride-Damaged Teeth
According to research presented at the April 2017 National Oral Health Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 57 percent of youth between the ages of 6 and 19 years have dental fluorosis, a condition in which your tooth enamel becomes progressively discolored and mottled, according to data from 2011 to 2012.10 The statistic represents an increase from 37 percent reported from 1999 to 2004. Further, the author stated, “There was a significant increase in caries experience … .”
When FAN researchers analyzed the same set of data, they found "the 2011-2012 NHANES survey found dental fluorosis in 58.3 percent of the surveyed adolescents, including an astonishing 21.2 percent with moderate fluorosis and 2 percent with severe."11 Research has found impairment in cognitive abilities among children with fluorosis (even mild fluorosis) compared to children with no fluorosis. And some studies have even found that children with higher levels of fluorosis have increased rates of cavities.12,13
In stark contrast, when fluoridation was first started in the U.S. in 1945, it was promised that only 10 percent of people would suffer from mild dental fluorosis.14 In light of the latest findings in the featured study, keep in mind that if children live in areas with high enough fluoride levels in their water to cause dental fluorosis, their mothers also were likely exposed to similar levels of fluoridated water during pregnancy, posing brain risks as well. As FAN noted:15
“The human placenta does not prevent the passage of fluoride from a pregnant mother’s bloodstream to the fetus. As a result, a fetus can be harmed by fluoride ingested pregnancy.
Based on research from China, the fetal brain is one of the organs susceptible to fluoride poisoning … three Chinese studies have investigated fluoride’s effect on the fetal brain and each has found evidence of significant neurological damage, including neuronal degeneration and reduced levels of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine.”
How Much Fluoride Is in Your Water?
The vast majority (97 percent) of Western Europe has rejected water fluoridation. In fact, most countries fluoridate neither their water nor their salt (but according to the World Health Organization, tooth decay in 12-year-olds is coming down as fast, if not faster, in nonfluoridated countries as it is in fluoridated countries16). In contrast, in the U.S. 200 million Americans live in areas where water is fluoridated.
As for how much fluoride is in your drinking water, in 2011 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to lower the recommended level of fluoride in drinking water for the first time in 50 years. Effective in 2015, the level of fluoride in drinking water was reduced to 0.7 mg/L from a previously recommended range of between 0.7 to 1.2 mg/L. If you live in the U.S. and want to know fluoride levels in your water, the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Tap Water Database can help.17
This is important for everyone, but pregnant women and households mixing formula for babies should take extra care to consume fluoride-free water. EWG notes, “Even fluoride levels of 0.7 ppm, the amount of fluoride in drinking water recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service, can result in too much fluoride for bottle-fed babies.
EWG recommends that caregivers mix baby formula with fluoride-free water. The National Toxicology Program is investigating the potential for low doses of fluoride to alter thyroid function and childhood brain development.”18
Unfortunately, fluoride is a very small molecule, making it tremendously difficult to filter out once added to your water supply. Any simple countertop carbon filter, like Brita, will not remove it. If you have a house water carbon filtration system that has a large volume of carbon, then it may reduce the fluoride as fluoride removal is in direct proportion to the amount of fluoride and the time it's in contact with the media. It's just not going to get it all. Among the more effective filtering systems for fluoride removal are:
Reverse osmosis (RO). The drawback is that it will remove many valuable minerals and trace elements as well. RO systems also need frequent cleaning to avoid bacterial growth. So, use a tankless RO system with a compressor
Water distillation which, like RO, gets everything out, including beneficial minerals. You then need to restructure the water
Bone char filters and biochar. We're currently in the process of developing a filter that combines biochar with activated charcoal
Clearly, the simplest, most effective, most cost-effective strategy is to not put fluoride in the water to begin with. To learn more about fluoride and how you can help end this harmful practice, I highly recommend getting a copy of Connett's book, "The Case Against Fluoride." You can also download my free report on water fluoridation for more information on the bad science and political agendas that got this toxic chemical in your drinking water.
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Dr. Mercola: Popular Soda Is a Toxic Deception, Do Not Be Taken In
Diet Soda Makers Sued Over Deceptive, False and Misleading Advertising
October 31, 2017 • 6,564 views Disponible en Español
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By lowering appetite suppressant chemicals and encouraging sugar cravings, artificial sweeteners raise your odds of weight gain. They also promote insulin resistance and related health problems, just like sugar
Two years ago, a consumer group asked the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration to investigate Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and other companies for false advertising
Class-action lawsuits have now been filed against Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc., charging them with false advertising for the deceptive use of the word “diet”
By using the word “diet” in their brands and advertising, a reasonable consumer would think the drinks are a diet or weight loss aid — a notion refuted by scientific evidence
Each of the three lawsuits cover a class of consumers living in New York, who between October 16, 2011, and present day purchased Coca-Cola, Pepsi or Dr Pepper brand diet beverages
By Dr. Mercola
Low- or no-calorie artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are typically used to sweeten so-called “diet” foods and beverages in lieu of calorie-rich sugar or high fructose corn syrup. The idea is that consuming fewer calories will result in weight loss. However, research has firmly refuted such claims, showing that artificial sweeteners actually produce the complete opposite effect.
By lowering appetite suppressant chemicals and encouraging sugar cravings, artificial sweeteners actually raise your odds of weight gain. Studies have also shown artificial sweeteners promote insulin resistance and related health problems just like regular sugar does, so claims that “diet” soda and snacks are a safe and healthy option for diabetics are false as well.
Use of the Word ‘Diet’ Is Deceptive, False and Misleading
False advertising is prohibited by federal law, and the term “diet” is only permitted on brands or labels when it is not false or misleading. Two years ago — in light of the overwhelming amount of research demonstrating that artificially sweeteners actually raise your risk of obesity rather than combat it — the consumer group U.S. Right to Know (USRTK) asked the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and other companies for false advertising.1,2
In its citizen petition to the FDA,3 USRTK asked the agency to issue warning letters to Coca-Cola and Pepsi for misbranding their beverages, as use of the term “diet” is false and misleading. July 1, 2015, USRTK sent another letter4 to the FDA, urging the agency to stop Coca-Cola Co. from making “illegal claims that its artificially sweetened sodas prevent, mitigate or treat obesity.”
In one instance, Coca-Cola Co. had announced5 that its No. 1 “global commitment to fighting obesity” is to “offer low- or no-calorie beverage options in every market.” If artificially sweetened beverages promote obesity rather than fight it, then Coca-Cola’s commitment is merely worsening the problem. It’s also unsupported by a large body of science.
As noted by Gary Ruskin, codirector of USRTK, at the time,6 “Coke is gulling consumers into believing that artificially sweetened soda is a treatment for obesity. Coke is wrong on the facts and the FDA should stop them if they are on the wrong side of the law.”
One of the Biggest Consumer Scams in Last 50 Years
For those of you who recall these events and wondered what ever came of it, I can now offer you an important and interesting update. October 16, three separate class-action lawsuits were filed against Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc.,7,8,9,10,11 all of whom make and sell “diet” beverages sweetened with aspartame.
As reported by CBS News,12 “The suits allege that the companies' use of the word ‘diet’ in the beverages' ‘false misleading and unlawful’ marketing could make a ‘reasonable consumer’ think the drinks are a diet aid.” According to attorney Abraham Melamed:
“What's been going on is clearly deceptive advertising. In our opinion, it's one of the biggest consumer scams in the last 50 years, and it has to stop. There's a strong sense of urgency because there are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of consumers out there that are being deceived on a daily basis."
According to the complaints, the beverage makers should be aware of the published evidence against aspartame, which proves the artificial sweetener actually worsens obesity and related health problems. With this knowledge, it stands to reason that continuing to promote no- or low-calorie beverages as “diet” products is a willfully deceptive act aimed to deceive people who want to manage their weight.
The class-action lawsuits also charge the beverage makers with violating FDA and New York state food labeling rules, both of which explicitly prohibit labeling that is “false or misleading in any particular.” As one would expect, the companies that have issued public responses to the allegations have all rejected the lawsuits as “meritless” and vow to “vigorously defend” themselves.
Named Plaintiffs Feel Duped and Misled
The named plaintiffs in each complaint — two per lawsuit — report struggling with obesity for many years and “frequently” buying diet sodas, believing this would “contribute to healthy weight management” since such beverages are calorie-free. Each of the complaints note that:
“… while touting [Diet Pepsi/Diet Coke/Diet Dr Pepper] as ‘diet,’ and containing zero calories, [Pepsi/Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper] deceptively omitted material information, namely that despite its lack of calories, the consumption of [Diet Pepsi/Diet Coke/Diet Dr Pepper] can lead to weight gain and contribute to metabolic disease, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”
According to the plaintiffs, they would not have paid the prices they did, or would not have bought the beverages at all had they known the word “diet” was being used in a deceptive way. While each complaint currently has only two plaintiffs, each of the three lawsuits cover a class of consumers living in New York, who between October 16, 2011, and present day purchased Coca-Cola, Pepsi or Dr Pepper brand diet beverages.
Cheated New Yorkers Can Join the Class Action
If you live in the state of New York, and feel one or more of these companies cheated your efforts to improve your health, consider joining the class action. The following attorneys and firms are reportedly working on the three complaints:
Derek T. Smith and Abraham Z. Melamed of Derek Smith Law Group PLLC13
Jack Fitzgerald, Trevor M. Flynn and Melanie Persinger of The Law Office of Jack Fitzgerald PC14
Andrew Sacks and John Weston of Sacks Weston Diamond LLC15
Evan Geffner and Ivan Babsin are named plaintiffs in the complaint against Coca-Cola Co.. Elizabeth Manuel and Vivien Grossman are named in the complaint against Pepsi-Cola Company, and Yasmin Excevarria and Joette Phoneix are named in the suit against Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.16
You can find copies of the three complaints on ClassAction.org.17 The plaintiffs, who are seeking a jury trial, are seeking to prevent the defendants from marketing artificially sweetened beverages as “diet,” along with unspecified restitution and damages for the class. They also seek an order “requiring the soda makers to conduct a ‘corrective advertising campaign.’”
Recent Meta-Analysis Again Confirms Artificial Sweeteners Don’t Work as Advertised
Backing up the accusations in the complaints are studies showing aspartame promotes weight gain despite its lack of calories, and that by interfering with metabolism, it also increases the risk for metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. I published these associations in my book “Sweet Deception” over 11 years ago.
One of the most recent of these studies18 — a scientific review of 37 studies that followed more than 400,000 individuals for an average of a decade — was published this past July in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. As many others before it, this review again linked use of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose to obesity, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and heart problems.
These effects were in part attributed to the sweeteners’ detrimental effects on metabolism, but also on their adverse effects on gut bacteria. According to Dr. Ryan Zarychanski, assistant professor at the University of Manitoba and one of the authors, “We found that data from clinical trials do not clearly support the intended benefits of artificial sweeteners for weight management."
Research Overwhelmingly Refutes ‘Diet’ Claims
Research over the last 30 years — including several large scale prospective cohort studies, to which you can now add the one just mentioned above — have shown that artificial sweeteners stimulate appetite, increase cravings for carbs, and produce a variety of metabolic dysfunctions that promote fat storage and weight gain. Below is a sampling of studies published through the years that contradict and refute the beverage industry’s claims that diet soda aids weight loss.
Preventive Medicine 198619 — This study examined nearly 78,700 women aged 50 to 69 for one year. Artificial sweetener usage increased with relative weight and users were significantly more likely to gain weight, compared to those who did not use artificial sweeteners, regardless of their initial weight.
According to the researchers, the results “were not explicable by differences in food consumption patterns. The data do not support the hypothesis that long-term artificial sweetener use either helps weight loss or prevents weight gain.”
Physiology and Behavior 198820 — In this study they determined that intense (no- or low-calorie) sweeteners can produce significant changes in appetite. Of the three sweeteners tested, aspartame produced the most pronounced effects.
Physiology and Behavior 199021 — Here, they found that aspartame had a time-dependent effect on appetite, “producing a transient decrease followed by a sustained increase in hunger ratings.”
Journal of the American Dietetic Association 199122 — In a study of artificial sweeteners performed on college students, there was no evidence that artificial sweetener use was associated with a decrease in their overall sugar intake.
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 200323 — This study, which looked at 3,111 children, found that diet soda was associated with higher body mass index (BMI).
International Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders 200424 — This Purdue University study found that rats fed artificially sweetened liquids ate more high-calorie food than rats fed high-caloric sweetened liquids. The researchers believe the experience of drinking artificially sweetened liquids disrupted the animals' natural ability to compensate for the calories in the food.
San Antonio Heart Study 200525 — Data gathered from the 25-year-long San Antonio Heart Study showed that drinking diet soft drinks increased the likelihood of serious weight gain — far more so than regular soda.26 On average, for each diet soft drink the participants drank per day, they were 65 percent more likely to become overweight during the next seven to eight years, and 41 percent more likely to become obese.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition 200527 — In this two-year-long study, which involved 166 school children, increased diet soda consumption was associated with higher BMI at the end of the trial.
The Journal of Pediatrics 200628 — The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study included 2,371 girls aged 9 to 19 for 10 years. Soda consumption in general, both regular and diet, was associated with increase in total daily energy intake.
Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine 201029 — This study is particularly noteworthy as it not only delves into the neurobiology of sugar cravings, it also provides a historical summary of artificial sweeteners in general, along with epidemiological and experimental evidence showing that artificial sweeteners tend to promote weight gain.
It also illustrates that as usage of artificial sweeteners has risen, so have obesity rates (graph below). More than 11,650 children aged 9 to 14 were included in this study. Each daily serving of diet beverages was associated with a BMI increase of 0.16 kg/m2.
Source: Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine June 8 2010: v83(2)
According to the authors: "[F]indings suggest that the calorie contained in natural sweeteners may trigger a response to keep the overall energy consumption constant ... Increasing evidence suggests that artificial sweeteners do not activate the food reward pathways in the same fashion as natural sweeteners … [A]rtificial sweeteners, precisely because they are sweet, encourage sugar craving and sugar dependence."
Appetite 201230 — Here, researchers showed that saccharin and aspartame both cause greater weight gain than sugar, even when the total caloric intake remains similar.
Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism 201331 — This report highlights the fact that diet soda drinkers suffer the same exact health problems as those who opt for regular soda, such as excessive weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke.32,33 The researchers speculate that frequent consumption of artificial sweeteners may induce metabolic derangements.
Nature 201434 — This study was able to clearly show causation, revealing there’s a direct cause and effect relationship between consuming artificial sweeteners and developing elevated blood sugar levels. People who consumed high amounts of artificial sweeteners were found to have higher levels of HbA1C — a long-term measure of blood sugar — compared to nonusers or occasional users of artificial sweeteners.
Seven volunteers who did not use artificial sweeteners were then recruited and asked to consume the equivalent of 10 to 12 single-dose packets of artificial sweeteners daily for one week. Four of the seven people developed “significant disturbances in their blood glucose,” according to the researchers.
Some became pre-diabetic within just a few days. The reason for this dramatic shift was traced back to alterations in gut bacteria. Some bacteria were killed off, while others started proliferating.
In recent years, we’ve learned that gut microbes play a significant role in human health. Certain gut microbes have been linked to obesity, for example, and as it turns out, artificial sweeteners disrupt your intestinal microflora,35,36,37,38 thereby raising your risk of both obesity and diabetes.
Specifically, the researchers found that artificial sweeteners alter metabolic pathways associated with metabolic disease. Decreased function was observed in pathways associated with the transport of sugar in the body, for example.
PLoS One 201439 — This rat study also found an increased risk of glucose intolerance. Animals fed aspartame ended up with raised levels of propionate — short-chain fatty acids involved in sugar production. Consumption of aspartame shifted gut microbiota to produce propionate, which generated higher blood sugar levels.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 201540 — In this study, diet soda consumption was linked to increased belly fat in Americans over the age of 65. Seniors were followed for an average of nine years, and while the study was an observational one and hence cannot prove causation, the authors note that there was a “striking dose-response relationship” between diet soda consumption and waist circumference.
People who never drank diet soda increased their waist circumference by an average of 0.8 inches during the nine-year observation period; occasional diet soda drinkers added an average of 1.83 inches to their waistline in that time period; daily diet soda drinkers gained an average of nearly 3.2 inches — quadruple that of those who abstained from diet soda altogether. What’s worse, abdominal fat gain was most pronounced in those who were overweight to begin with.
Time to End the Deception
At the peak of its popularity in 2005, 3 billion cases of diet soda were sold in one year. Diet soda has since fallen out of favor, with sales dropping by 27 percent (834 million cases) as of 2016. Still, diet soda accounts for 25 percent of the carbonated beverages sold in the U.S.41 by volume, which means many Americans are still drinking it, and chances are many of them believe they're making a healthier choice by avoiding regular soda.
Unfortunately, the evidence suggests otherwise. When you add together the various routes of harm — from confusing your body’s metabolism to altering your gut bacteria for the worse — it would appear artificial sweeteners have likely played a role in worsening the obesity and diabetes epidemics since their emergence. A significant part of their allure is the idea that they can allow you to indulge in something sweet without suffering weight gain and related repercussions.
After all, “diet” refers to something that will help you lose weight (or help you maintain a good figure), doesn’t it? The idea of guilt-free indulgence has also been part of diet soda marketing for years.
Even in cases where it’s not explicitly stated that diet soda will help you lose weight, the industry has diligently “educated” the public about the equally erroneous idea that weight loss is a matter of “energy balance,” and to lose weight, you have to cut calories and expend more calories through exercise. The energy balance myth does nothing if not support the consumption of diet beverages as a means to lose weight by cutting calories.
Reclaim Your Health by Ditching Artificially Sweetened ‘Diet’ Foods
I strongly recommend avoiding all artificial sweeteners, not just aspartame, and to read food labels to make sure you’re not inadvertently consuming them. They’re added to some 6,000 different beverages, snacks and food products, so there’s no telling where they might be hiding. For a safer sweetener options, you could use stevia or Lo Han, both of which are natural sweeteners.
Keep in mind that if you struggle with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or extra weight, then you have poor insulin sensitivity and would likely benefit from avoiding ALL sweeteners. Unfortunately, just like sugar, artificial sweeteners can cause you to become addicted to them. If you find you have trouble quitting diet soda or other artificially sweetened products, I suggest trying Turbo Tapping.
This is a version of the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) that is specifically geared toward combating sugar cravings. For instructions, please see the article, "Turbo Tapping: How to Get Rid of Your Soda Addiction." The video below with EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman also demonstrates how to use EFT to fight food cravings of all kinds. If you still have cravings after trying EFT or Turbo Tapping, you may need to make further changes to your diet. My free nutrition plan can help you do this in a step-by-step fashion.
Last but not least, if you experience side effects from aspartame or any other artificial sweetener, please report it to the FDA (if you live in the United States). It's easy to make a report — just go to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator page,42 find the phone number for your state, and make a call to report your reaction. Also, if you’re a New York resident interested in joining one of the three class-action suits, contact the law firms listed above.
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If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
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