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Clay Crosse had some hard hitting things to say about sexual integrity and why guys need accountability. We met with him in Nashville to shoot this video.
Watch the video on YouTube.
The Inspection Panel is completing 25 years in its role, as an accountability mechanism of the World Bank. As you are aware, the Bank’s failure to comply with its operating policies was seen by the entire world in the Bank’s financing with the Sardar Sarovar Dam project on River Narmada. The tenacity of massive grass-roots uprisings from our communities in the 80’s and the sustained hard work of our social movements along with our resoluteness to link it with international coalitions to question the hegemony of the Bank, subsequently led the Bank, for the first time, to commission an independent review of its project. The Independent Review Committee (Morse Committee) constituted by the Bank in 1991 to review the social and environmental costs and benefits of the dam, after years of consistent struggle by Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement) and its allies led to a demand from the civil society around the globe for the creation of a grievance redressal system for project-affected communities, which ultimately pressurized the Bank to constitute the Inspection Panel in 1993. We expected this might be a crucial backstop and an opportunity for us to raise our issues of livelihoods, economic loss, displacement from our lands, alienation from natural resources, destruction of environment and threat to our biodiversity and cultural hotspots, where Bank invested in large, supposedly ‘development’ projects like mega dams, energy and other infrastructure projects. Yet, the outcome we expected rarely delivered sufficient remedy for the harm and losses people have experienced over the years.
A number of accountability mechanisms over the next couple of decades in several development finance institutions were formed following the model of World Bank, commonly known as ‘Independent Accountability Mechanisms’[IAMs]. Each year the number of complaints rise which is an indication of the increasing number of grievous projects happening around the world. While IAMs of most MDBs are advertised to provide strong and just processes, many of our experiences imply that the banks are accommodating practices which suit their own needs and their clients, which are borrowing countries and agencies, and not the people for whom the IAMs were built to serve.
Many a time, we have been disappointed by these mechanisms, since these are designed by the banks who are lending for disastrous projects in our lands. And as a result, the already existing narrow mandate of IAMs is further restricted.
In our efforts to hold the lending bank accountable, the communities are always presented with the arduous process of learning the complex formalities and detailed procedures to initially approach the IAMs and get our grievances registered. Our many years’ time and energy then is channelised into seeing through the various cycles of these complaint handling mechanisms, that our entire efforts go into this process, and often our complaint gets dropped off in midst of the procedural rules of the IAMs. People are made to wait many months to clear procedural levels and our cases with the IAMs get highly unpredictable. Further, we face intimidation and reprisals from the state and project agencies for having contacted the IAMs who themselves do not possess any authority to address the violations hurled out to us when we seek dignity, fair treatment and justice from them. There are many of us who feel a loss of morale after long years of struggling with lenders when we fail to see concrete benefits or changes in our circumstances, by which time considerable irreplaceable harm is already done to our lives, environment and livelihoods.
In this manner, our immediate and larger goal of holding banks for their failure to consult with and obtain consent from communities before devising action plans for our lands, water and forests is deflected in the pretext of problem-solving and grievance hearing offered to us in the name of IAMs.
With over 50 registered complaints sent to different IAMS from India in the past 25 years, many more left unregistered due to technical reasons and only a few got investigated, assessed and monitored at different levels, we have a baggage of mixed experiences with the IAMs. A few of the prominent cases from India apart from Narmada project are Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project [WB’s IP], Tata Mega Ultra-01/Mundra and Anjar [IFC’s CAO & ADB’s CRP], India Infrastructure Fund-01/Dhenkanal District [IFC’s CAO], Allain Duhangan Hydro Power Limited-01/Himachal Pradesh [IFC’s CAO] and Mumbai Urban Transport Project (2009) [WB’s IP].
As we now know, what is being witnessed recently is an influx of approved and proposed investments majorly in energy, transport, steel, roads, urban projects, bullet trains, industrial zones/corridors, smart cities, water privatization and other mega projects in India. This has been financed from different multilateral and bilateral sources, foreign corporations, private banks as well as Export-Import Banks (ExIm Banks). It has become a brutal challenge for communities, social movements and CSOs, with lenders and governments constantly shutting their eyes and ears to us who demand accountability for their actions. A compelling and timely need has arisen among diverse groups amongst us to gather together and critically analyze the various trajectories of our engagements with accountability mechanisms of MDBs in order to bring together past 25 years’ learning, insights and reflections of various actors of this accountability process. This urging demand is also an attempt to define the collective experiences in India among our social movements, projected-affected communities and CSOs with IAMs and lending banks, especially appropriating the global political opportunity of Inspection Panel celebrating its 25 years this year.
Speakers:
Thomas Franco, Former General Secretary, AlI India Bank Officers’ Confederation
Arun Kumar, Eminent scholar, Former Professor Jawaharlal Nehru University
C.P. Chandrashekar, Economist, Professor Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Sucheta Dalal, Managing Editor, Moneylife
Soumya Dutta, National Convener, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha
Dunu Roy, Hazards Center, New Delhi
Medha Patkar, Senior Activist, Narmada Bachao Andolan
Tani Alex, Centre for Financial Accountability
M J Vijayan, Activist and Political commentator
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Anirudha Nagar, Accountability Counsel
Madhuresh Kumar, National Alliance of People’s Movements
A J Vijayan, Chairperson, Western Ghats and Coastal area Protection Forum
Meera Sanghamitra, National Aliance of People’s Movements
Vimal bhai, Matu Jan Sangathan, Uttarakhand
Daniel Adler, Senior Specialist, Compliance Advisor Ombudsman
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Birgit Kuba, Operations Officer, Inspection Panel
Anuradha Munshi, Centre for Financial Accountability
Bharat Patel, General Secretary, Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan,Gujarat
Awadhesh Kumar, Srijan Lokhit Samiti
Amulya Kumar Nayak, Odisha Chas Parivesh Surekhsa Parishad, Odisha
Dr. Usha Ramanathan, Legal Scholar
Manshi Asher, Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective, Himachal Pradesh
The Future Generation Bill and The Sustainabe Development Bill - Wales.
Long term Perspective Needed
The World Futures Council has been working to promote and develop these structures at all levels of governance over the past 3 years. The function can be interpreted in different ways but essentially has the mandate to:
• Balance short term interests of political institutions with long term interests of society
• Take responsibility for making sure sustainability policies work in synergy and are effective in practice
• Bring authority to agreed sustainable development goals - holding governments and the private sector to account
• Provide space to share and inform others of analytical evidence and research
• Facilitate coherence between separate pillars of Government
• Connect citizens and civil society with the core of policymaking
There were six criteria defined as being essential in achieving a successful impact – being independent, proficient (in respect of capacity of multidisciplinary staff), transparent, legitimate (in terms of establishment within the democratic system), having full access to all relevant information, and being widely accessible to citizen concerns. www.cynnalcymru.com/blog/long-term-perspective-needed
World Future Council
Twitter: @Good_Policies
The World Future Council (WFC) consists of 50 respected personalities from all five continents. They represent governments, parliaments, the arts, civil society, academia and the business world. Together they form a voice for the rights of future generations. The World Future Council is a charitable foundation reliant on donations. www.worldfuturecouncil.org/about_us.html
World Futures Council - Twitter: @FutureJustice0
Decisions taken by politicians today will have a major influence on the world of tomorrow. www.futurejustice.org/about-us/
' Holding governments and the private sector to account '
Future Generations Bill: Better Choices for a Better Future
wales.gov.uk/topics/sustainabledevelopment/sdbill/?lang=en
Welsh sustainability law to be introduced in 2014 www.resource.uk.com/article/Waste_Law/Welsh_sustainabilit...
Twitter @nspugh twitter.com/nspugh
Better accountability, transparency and more detailed targets for climate action will be mandated under a new Climate Change Accountability Act.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/20903
JUBA, 31 MAY 2023: The Human Rights Division of the UN Peacekeeping mission, UNMISS, hosted a consultation on promoting accountability and identifying key challenges within the justice system in Central Equatoria state. The forum brought together representatives from the local government, human rights institutions, civil society organizations, and justice actors. The objective is creating a space to enhance common.
understanding on the importance of human rights for all.
Photos by Isaac Billy/UNMISS
Upon founding the Light Foundation, Matt dreamed about starting a camp where young men could learn lifelong skills that would help them be R.E.A.L (Responsible, Ethical, Accountable, Leaders). For its 10th consecutive year, the Light Foundation’s premier program, Camp Vohokase has done just that.
Each year, Matt chooses four incoming high school freshmen from an at-risk community and asks them to commit the next four years to our leadership program, which includes 10 days at Chenoweth Trails each summer. There are always 18 boys in camp, four from each grade level, with each group coming from a different part of the country. Those locations, all with a connect to the Light Foundation, include Greenville, Ohio, where Matt grew up; Woonsocket, Rhode Island, close to where Matt holds his signature fundraising event; New Orleans, Louisiana, where a like-minded charity had asked for help; West Lafayette, Indiana, where Matt attended Purdue; Gloucester, Worcester and New Bedford, Massachusetts, all close to where Matt played during his NFL years; Hammond, Indiana, where Matt’s wife Susie grew up and identified a need for support; and new this year, Washington D.C, where the treasurer of the board resides.
The young men are required to keep good academic standing, complete a yearly community service project back home, and check in with our head counselors on a frequent basis. Program Director Edgar Flores tracks the kids’ progress year-round. He also does quarterly visits in order to foster the ongoing relationship between the campers, their class, and the foundation. By interacting with them in their own space, we can learn more about their behaviors and how those connect with their personal situations. By entering their homes, we often have the chance to stand as a united front with their parents or guardians in ensuring they’re doing exactly what they need to do to succeed. These visits are critical in reassuring to the young men that we are committed to them and serve as a true support system and not just a summer camp counselor. Not to mention, we have a lot of fun! They bond over some good grub and connect about what’s going on in their lives at that moment. Past day trips during a visit have included: Dave & Buster’s, paint balling, laser tag, amusement parks, farms, and bowling. We do try and balance the fun with more educational opportunities like volunteer community service projects, visiting local museums, or making a college visit for some of our juniors and seniors.
In return of having a good academic standing, the campers spend ten days among nature enjoying all that our beautiful facility has to offer whether it be skeet shooting, woodworking, canoeing, archery, fishing, dirt biking, etc. Despite all the fun we have here, the young men are responsible for daily chores, site visits to area businesses, and the completion of a service project around Darke County. Each night of the stay is reserved for fireside chats. These chats are structured to help create a dialogue about the very real and difficult issues these young boys face back home.
For a lot of these kids, all they need is an opportunity. We use the outdoors as a real teaching tool and a way to get kids to open up. And with us, these kids aren’t given anything. We make them work for everything they achieve. But through that they understand and value hard work, they learn work ethic, and they become proud of what they do, and want to share their accomplishments. Our hope is that after four years, each young man graduates from the program ready to become leaders in their own communities, equipped with the necessary tools and a heart for service.
In the past 11 years, 30 at-risk young men have graduated from Vohokase Cultural Leadership Camp with the tools to tap into their greatest potential as people and community leaders.
Upon founding the Light Foundation, Matt dreamed about starting a camp where young men could learn lifelong skills that would help them be R.E.A.L (Responsible, Ethical, Accountable, Leaders). For its 10th consecutive year, the Light Foundation’s premier program, Camp Vohokase has done just that.
Each year, Matt chooses four incoming high school freshmen from an at-risk community and asks them to commit the next four years to our leadership program, which includes 10 days at Chenoweth Trails each summer. There are always 18 boys in camp, four from each grade level, with each group coming from a different part of the country. Those locations, all with a connect to the Light Foundation, include Greenville, Ohio, where Matt grew up; Woonsocket, Rhode Island, close to where Matt holds his signature fundraising event; New Orleans, Louisiana, where a like-minded charity had asked for help; West Lafayette, Indiana, where Matt attended Purdue; Gloucester, Worcester and New Bedford, Massachusetts, all close to where Matt played during his NFL years; Hammond, Indiana, where Matt’s wife Susie grew up and identified a need for support; and new this year, Washington D.C, where the treasurer of the board resides.
The young men are required to keep good academic standing, complete a yearly community service project back home, and check in with our head counselors on a frequent basis. Program Director Edgar Flores tracks the kids’ progress year-round. He also does quarterly visits in order to foster the ongoing relationship between the campers, their class, and the foundation. By interacting with them in their own space, we can learn more about their behaviors and how those connect with their personal situations. By entering their homes, we often have the chance to stand as a united front with their parents or guardians in ensuring they’re doing exactly what they need to do to succeed. These visits are critical in reassuring to the young men that we are committed to them and serve as a true support system and not just a summer camp counselor. Not to mention, we have a lot of fun! They bond over some good grub and connect about what’s going on in their lives at that moment. Past day trips during a visit have included: Dave & Buster’s, paint balling, laser tag, amusement parks, farms, and bowling. We do try and balance the fun with more educational opportunities like volunteer community service projects, visiting local museums, or making a college visit for some of our juniors and seniors.
In return of having a good academic standing, the campers spend ten days among nature enjoying all that our beautiful facility has to offer whether it be skeet shooting, woodworking, canoeing, archery, fishing, dirt biking, etc. Despite all the fun we have here, the young men are responsible for daily chores, site visits to area businesses, and the completion of a service project around Darke County. Each night of the stay is reserved for fireside chats. These chats are structured to help create a dialogue about the very real and difficult issues these young boys face back home.
For a lot of these kids, all they need is an opportunity. We use the outdoors as a real teaching tool and a way to get kids to open up. And with us, these kids aren’t given anything. We make them work for everything they achieve. But through that they understand and value hard work, they learn work ethic, and they become proud of what they do, and want to share their accomplishments. Our hope is that after four years, each young man graduates from the program ready to become leaders in their own communities, equipped with the necessary tools and a heart for service.
In the past 11 years, 30 at-risk young men have graduated from Vohokase Cultural Leadership Camp with the tools to tap into their greatest potential as people and community leaders.
Better accountability, transparency and more detailed targets for climate action will be mandated under a new Climate Change Accountability Act.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/20903
Op 9 juni 2017 vond in de Tweede Kamer in Den Haag de tweede editie van Accountability Hack plaats, een hackathon waar met open data de prestaties van de overheid in kaart worden gebracht. Accountability Hack is een initiatief van de Algemene Rekenkamer en de Tweede Kamer samen met het CBS en de ministeries van Binnenlandse Zaken, Buitenlandse Zaken, Financiën en Infrastructuur en Milieu. De hackathon werd georganiseerd in samenwerking met Open State Foundation. Kijk voor meer informatie op accountabilityhack.nl/
The Center For Total Health, Washington DC
May 24, 2017
The Council of Accountable Physician Practices (CAPP) and the American Cancer Society join forces to showcase how coverage and accountable healthcare systems can improve survival and reduce morbidity for people living with complex conditions like cancer. Better Together Health 2017 featured stories of medical excellence and patient-centered care delivered by CAPP’s organized systems and medical groups, plus an exciting policy keynote and panel discussion featuring national physician leaders, policymakers and patient voices.
Prince George's County People's Coalition for Police Accountability arriving at the National Action Network JUSTICE FOR TRAYVON MARTIN 100 CITY VIGIL Rally in front of US District Court / E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse at 333 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington DC on Saturday afternoon, 20 July 2013 by Elvert Barnes PROTEST PHOTOGRAPHY
Follow PG County ENOUGH IS ENOUGH / TRAYVON MARTIN MARCHERS from WMATA Addison Road Station on facebook at www.facebook.com/events/380212962101079/
Elvert Barnes PROTEST PHOTOGRAPHY at elvertbarnes.com/protestphotography
Get your free sticker here - getinvolved.pogo.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sticker then send us your picture!
The Center For Total Health, Washington DC
May 24, 2017
The Council of Accountable Physician Practices (CAPP) and the American Cancer Society join forces to showcase how coverage and accountable healthcare systems can improve survival and reduce morbidity for people living with complex conditions like cancer. Better Together Health 2017 featured stories of medical excellence and patient-centered care delivered by CAPP’s organized systems and medical groups, plus an exciting policy keynote and panel discussion featuring national physician leaders, policymakers and patient voices.
From left to right: Adam Skaggs, Sanford Lewis, Bruce Freed, Jennifer Taub, Daniel Ortiz, Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, Dale Ho, Monica Youn, Elizabeth Kennedy, Wendy Weiser, and Mark Ladov.
The Brennan Center for Justice held a day-long symposium on Accountability After Citizens United at the Greene Space at WNYC in New York City.
Current weight: 148
I started going to the gym this past weekend. I've done water aerobics, started working with a trainer, and have tried to eat better.
I hope that I'm able to get results.
I don't have time to put together a storyboard for this one, but i do have a plan.
DONE---Pants: 4/08 #2 pink interlock (chez ami)
DONE---Pants: 6/08 #2 pink dotty interlock (joanns)
DONE---Pants: 1/07 #14 purple baby cord (no frills)
DONE---Pants: 6/08 #2 chocolate cotton/Lycra
DONE---Pants: 1/07 #14 floral baby cord (no frills)
DONE---Pants: 6/08 #2 pink w/orange spots
---Pants: 6/08 #2 black interlock (to match a shirt from Grandma)
---Skirt: 5/06 #3 shirt with built in leggings (haven't decided the fabric yet) MAYBE
DONE---Skirt: 4/09 #6 brown floral interlock and pink/white check (modified)
DONE---Top: 4/07 #13 (t pot tunic) bird print
DONE---Top: 4/07 #13 (t pot tunic) purple ooga booga with ooga stripe
DONE---Top: 4/07 #13 (t pot tunic) Teal interlock with embroidery
DONE---Top: New conceptions Baby Essentials in chickadee fabric (is this cheating??)
DONE---Shirt: 6/08 #1 Ooga and pink dotty
DONE---Shirt: 6/08 #1 brown and pink floral pink/orange dots (joann/fabric fairy)
DONE---Shirt: 5/06 #1 pink cotton lycra with chocolate binding (chez ami)
DONE---Shirt: 5/06 #1 chocolate cotton lycra with pink binding (chez ami) (cut)
---Jacket: 4/08 #7 pink interlock (chez ami)(cut)
DONE---Dress: 1/09 #8 printed cord (joanns) (needs buttons)
---Dress:1/08 #8 (maybe!)
---Coat: 6/08 #7 (fleece with hood no collar)
---Snowsuit:6/07 #10 (wide wale cord and flannel lining)
need to buy : pink tights
Also:
DONE---2 pairs NCBE/otto combo jammies
DONE---jammies 4/08 #8 (ooga and matching stripe)
DONE---Swimsuit (jalie)
7 May 2013 – At an event marking World Press Freedom Day, held in the Afghan capital of Kabul, participants from the Government, the United Nations and civil society underlined how despite significant achievements made over the past decade, Afghanistan still has a long way to go in ensuring freedom of the press and the safety of journalists as they carry out their work.
“It cannot be stressed enough how a vibrant media, with vigorous debate and balanced coverage, can help ensure the transparency and accountability necessary for true democratic participation,” the Director of Communications for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Massoumeh Torfeh, told the gathering in a message delivered on behalf of UNAMA’s head, Ján Kubiš.
“Despite the notable achievements made in the field of media, Afghan journalists are still facing daily threats, intimidation and arrests that undermine their ability to operate professionally; this is not acceptable and is to the detriment of the country,” she added.
According to a media rights watchdog, ‘NAI – Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan,’ there have been 40 cases of documented violence against journalists between January and April this year, a 100 per cent increase compared to last year’s 20 cases for the same time period.
Jointly organized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) and the Afghanistan Journalists Federation (AJF), the event, held under the theme of ‘Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in All Media,’ spotlighted the issues of the safety of journalists, combating impunity for crimes against freedom of expression, and securing a free and open Internet platform for the media.
Those attending included national and international journalists, as well as representatives of organizations working to support journalists and freedom of the press in Afghanistan.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, with the aim of providing an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and, pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
In addition to hearing from a range of speakers, the event included panel discussions on the following topics: ensuring the safety of journalists and media workers, combating impunity of crimes against press freedom, and media regulation.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Minister for Information and Culture, Din Mohammad Mobariz Rashidi, noted that the media is an engine for change in Afghan society, aiding it on its path towards democratization, progress and prosperity.
He stressed the need for debate to bring about a change in society, and emphasized that there was no reason to fear those who present new ideas related to that change.
“We have to know the modern Afghanistan,” Mr. Rashidi said. “We have to understand the needs of Afghanistan… to ensure a better life for the Afghan people and to strengthen democracy.”
In his comments, UNESCO’s representative in Afghanistan, Paolo Fontani, highlighted the UN agency’s contributions in support of the freedom of media and journalists in the wake of the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. “It is a job we will continue doing,” he added.
He also read out the joint message of UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, issued for the Day.
“Over the past decade, more than 600 journalists have been killed – at least 120 in the past year alone. Hundreds more have been detained. The dangers are not only physical: from cyber-attacks to bullying, the powerful are deploying numerous tools to try to stop the media from shedding light on misrule and misdeeds,” Mr. Ban and Ms. Bokova said in the message.
“These are individual tragedies; collectively, they are an assault on the right of all people to the truth… As we mark World Press Freedom Day, let us pledge to do our utmost to enable all journalists in all media to do their jobs,” the continued. “When it is safe to speak, the whole world benefits.”
The Chairperson of Parliamentary Commission on Cultural, Religious, Education and Higher Education, Heli Irshad, told those in the audience that no law related to the media would be approved in the Afghan Parliament without first consulting representatives of journalists and media associations.
UNAMA’s Ms. Torfeh also took part in a panel discussion on media regulation, during which she noted the important role which the Afghan media has to play in relation to the presidential election slated to take place in April 2014, as well as Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation process, and the so-called Transformation Decade, which begins in 2015.
“Media is key to transparency, accountability, rule of law, and the number one tool for fighting corruption and establishing good governance,” Ms. Torfeh said.
In addition to noting UNAMA’s assistance in the formation of the AJF and the preparation of code of ethics for journalists, the UN official also called upon the MoIC to take the necessary steps to establish a Media Complaints and Offences Commission.
Photo: Fardin Waezi / UNAMA
Mayor Bill de Blasio signs an NYPD accountability package, a comprehensive set of reforms including Intros 487-A, 536-B, 721-B, 760-B, 1309-B, 1962-A, after helping paint the new Black Lives Matter mural in the Bronx. Morris Avenue between 161st and 162nd Street, Bronx. Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
This photograph is provided by the New York City Mayoral Photography Office (MPO) for the benefit of the general public and for dissemination by members of the media. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial materials, advertisements, emails, products or promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the City of New York, the Mayoral administration, or the de Blasio family without prior consent from the MPO (PhotoOffice@cityhall.nyc.gov). Any use or reprinting of official MPO photographs must use the following credit language and style: “Photographer/Mayoral Photography Office”, as listed at the end of each caption.
Better accountability, transparency and more detailed targets for climate action will be mandated under a new Climate Change Accountability Act.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/20903
Mayor Bill de Blasio signs an NYPD accountability package, a comprehensive set of reforms including Intros 487-A, 536-B, 721-B, 760-B, 1309-B, 1962-A, after helping paint the new Black Lives Matter mural in the Bronx on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
The Inspection Panel is completing 25 years in its role, as an accountability mechanism of the World Bank. As you are aware, the Bank’s failure to comply with its operating policies was seen by the entire world in the Bank’s financing with the Sardar Sarovar Dam project on River Narmada. The tenacity of massive grass-roots uprisings from our communities in the 80’s and the sustained hard work of our social movements along with our resoluteness to link it with international coalitions to question the hegemony of the Bank, subsequently led the Bank, for the first time, to commission an independent review of its project. The Independent Review Committee (Morse Committee) constituted by the Bank in 1991 to review the social and environmental costs and benefits of the dam, after years of consistent struggle by Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement) and its allies led to a demand from the civil society around the globe for the creation of a grievance redressal system for project-affected communities, which ultimately pressurized the Bank to constitute the Inspection Panel in 1993. We expected this might be a crucial backstop and an opportunity for us to raise our issues of livelihoods, economic loss, displacement from our lands, alienation from natural resources, destruction of environment and threat to our biodiversity and cultural hotspots, where Bank invested in large, supposedly ‘development’ projects like mega dams, energy and other infrastructure projects. Yet, the outcome we expected rarely delivered sufficient remedy for the harm and losses people have experienced over the years.
A number of accountability mechanisms over the next couple of decades in several development finance institutions were formed following the model of World Bank, commonly known as ‘Independent Accountability Mechanisms’[IAMs]. Each year the number of complaints rise which is an indication of the increasing number of grievous projects happening around the world. While IAMs of most MDBs are advertised to provide strong and just processes, many of our experiences imply that the banks are accommodating practices which suit their own needs and their clients, which are borrowing countries and agencies, and not the people for whom the IAMs were built to serve.
Many a time, we have been disappointed by these mechanisms, since these are designed by the banks who are lending for disastrous projects in our lands. And as a result, the already existing narrow mandate of IAMs is further restricted.
In our efforts to hold the lending bank accountable, the communities are always presented with the arduous process of learning the complex formalities and detailed procedures to initially approach the IAMs and get our grievances registered. Our many years’ time and energy then is channelised into seeing through the various cycles of these complaint handling mechanisms, that our entire efforts go into this process, and often our complaint gets dropped off in midst of the procedural rules of the IAMs. People are made to wait many months to clear procedural levels and our cases with the IAMs get highly unpredictable. Further, we face intimidation and reprisals from the state and project agencies for having contacted the IAMs who themselves do not possess any authority to address the violations hurled out to us when we seek dignity, fair treatment and justice from them. There are many of us who feel a loss of morale after long years of struggling with lenders when we fail to see concrete benefits or changes in our circumstances, by which time considerable irreplaceable harm is already done to our lives, environment and livelihoods.
In this manner, our immediate and larger goal of holding banks for their failure to consult with and obtain consent from communities before devising action plans for our lands, water and forests is deflected in the pretext of problem-solving and grievance hearing offered to us in the name of IAMs.
With over 50 registered complaints sent to different IAMS from India in the past 25 years, many more left unregistered due to technical reasons and only a few got investigated, assessed and monitored at different levels, we have a baggage of mixed experiences with the IAMs. A few of the prominent cases from India apart from Narmada project are Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project [WB’s IP], Tata Mega Ultra-01/Mundra and Anjar [IFC’s CAO & ADB’s CRP], India Infrastructure Fund-01/Dhenkanal District [IFC’s CAO], Allain Duhangan Hydro Power Limited-01/Himachal Pradesh [IFC’s CAO] and Mumbai Urban Transport Project (2009) [WB’s IP].
As we now know, what is being witnessed recently is an influx of approved and proposed investments majorly in energy, transport, steel, roads, urban projects, bullet trains, industrial zones/corridors, smart cities, water privatization and other mega projects in India. This has been financed from different multilateral and bilateral sources, foreign corporations, private banks as well as Export-Import Banks (ExIm Banks). It has become a brutal challenge for communities, social movements and CSOs, with lenders and governments constantly shutting their eyes and ears to us who demand accountability for their actions. A compelling and timely need has arisen among diverse groups amongst us to gather together and critically analyze the various trajectories of our engagements with accountability mechanisms of MDBs in order to bring together past 25 years’ learning, insights and reflections of various actors of this accountability process. This urging demand is also an attempt to define the collective experiences in India among our social movements, projected-affected communities and CSOs with IAMs and lending banks, especially appropriating the global political opportunity of Inspection Panel celebrating its 25 years this year.
Speakers:
Thomas Franco, Former General Secretary, AlI India Bank Officers’ Confederation
Arun Kumar, Eminent scholar, Former Professor Jawaharlal Nehru University
C.P. Chandrashekar, Economist, Professor Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Sucheta Dalal, Managing Editor, Moneylife
Soumya Dutta, National Convener, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha
Dunu Roy, Hazards Center, New Delhi
Medha Patkar, Senior Activist, Narmada Bachao Andolan
Tani Alex, Centre for Financial Accountability
M J Vijayan, Activist and Political commentator
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Anirudha Nagar, Accountability Counsel
Madhuresh Kumar, National Alliance of People’s Movements
A J Vijayan, Chairperson, Western Ghats and Coastal area Protection Forum
Meera Sanghamitra, National Aliance of People’s Movements
Vimal bhai, Matu Jan Sangathan, Uttarakhand
Daniel Adler, Senior Specialist, Compliance Advisor Ombudsman
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Birgit Kuba, Operations Officer, Inspection Panel
Anuradha Munshi, Centre for Financial Accountability
Bharat Patel, General Secretary, Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan,Gujarat
Awadhesh Kumar, Srijan Lokhit Samiti
Amulya Kumar Nayak, Odisha Chas Parivesh Surekhsa Parishad, Odisha
Dr. Usha Ramanathan, Legal Scholar
Manshi Asher, Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective, Himachal Pradesh
The envisaged EU banking supervision rules must be of good quality and provide for accountability. However the member states' current preferences for establishing them risk sending the wrong message, as well as perpetuating inefficiencies, warned the Parliament in a resolution approved on Thursday.
The resolution comes a day after the Commission tabled two proposals to reinforce banking supervision. It sets out some of the key concerns that MEPs want to see addressed in decisions shaping the system.
The resolution also highlights certain points of substance which should be considered in the debate on how to enact banking supervision. An important one concerns bank recapitalisations, which, the resolution suggests, could be carried out by the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). A second is the need to devise a system which will be able to address any spillover effects on non-Eurozone members stemming from the creation of a Eurozone banking union.
www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&re...
This photo is copyright free, but must be credited: "© European Union 2012 - European Parliament". (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons license). For HR files please contact: webcom-flickr(AT)europarl.europa.eu
That which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves.
The Center For Total Health, Washington DC
May 24, 2017
The Council of Accountable Physician Practices (CAPP) and the American Cancer Society join forces to showcase how coverage and accountable healthcare systems can improve survival and reduce morbidity for people living with complex conditions like cancer. Better Together Health 2017 featured stories of medical excellence and patient-centered care delivered by CAPP’s organized systems and medical groups, plus an exciting policy keynote and panel discussion featuring national physician leaders, policymakers and patient voices.
2020-12-15: Carina Sugden, Chief Governance Officer, African Development Bank Group; Maisie Nkau, CEO, Supreme Audit Institution, SA; Barbara Rwodzi, CEO, House of BarRue Knitwear; Adriano Nuvunga, Director Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Rabah Arezki, Chief Economist for Middle East and North Africa Region (MNA), World Bank during Promoting Accountability and Transparency during COVID-19, 2020.
So I am just putting this here because I obviously need to put on my big girl panties and be accountable for actions, or maybe more accurately my inactions?
I have several projects that I have started and not finished, and they really need to be finished. I hate craft guilt.
So I am laying all out here for every one to read maybe it will give me a boot in the ass and get me working on things that I have been outting off.
* #1 on my list: I REALLY really need to finish up the blocks for my very patient bee block partners. I am disgustingly over do especially considering that my month was the 1st month and they all got theirs to me in a timely fashion.
*Harry Potter Swap that I am doing with one of my best buddies Jeni! (this is pretty lax though)
*Finish up this ukulele bag. Just need to attach the back and bind the edges.
*Get this queen size quilt quilted and bound for my awesome friend Carrie.
*finish up this nightmare Galaga quilt for my husband that has been sitting in the naughty pile for over a year now.
So there you have it. Not a very big list but they are pretty big projects, I think.
Time to buckle down and get it done, Amanda!! ok done now. :)
Mayor Bill de Blasio signs an NYPD accountability package, a comprehensive set of reforms including Intros 487-A, 536-B, 721-B, 760-B, 1309-B, 1962-A, after helping paint the new Black Lives Matter mural in the Bronx. Morris Avenue between 161st and 162nd Street, Bronx. Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
This photograph is provided by the New York City Mayoral Photography Office (MPO) for the benefit of the general public and for dissemination by members of the media. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial materials, advertisements, emails, products or promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the City of New York, the Mayoral administration, or the de Blasio family without prior consent from the MPO (PhotoOffice@cityhall.nyc.gov). Any use or reprinting of official MPO photographs must use the following credit language and style: “Photographer/Mayoral Photography Office”, as listed at the end of each caption.
Better accountability, transparency and more detailed targets for climate action will be mandated under a new Climate Change Accountability Act.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/20903
Kiribati: Access and mobility for people with disabilities is already challenging in the Pacific, but it's even harder during disasters and the chaotic aftermath. UNFPA has been able to contribute to the disater plans for countries like Kiribati by preparing kits that are adapted to the needs of people with disabilities.
@UNFPA/Carly Learson
Better accountability, transparency and more detailed targets for climate action will be mandated under a new Climate Change Accountability Act.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/20903
* What Would Accountability Wednesday Do?
Accountability Wednesday doesn't care that my thighs are sore because that means I am out of shape.
Accountability Wednesday doesn't care that I ran yesterday, because if I'm going out of town this weekend, I have to go the gym today.
Accountability Wednesday doesn't care that I have Pilates class tomorrow, because tomorrow is not today.
Accountability Wednesday is a bitch, but she has my best interests at heart.
The Center For Total Health, Washington DC
May 24, 2017
The Council of Accountable Physician Practices (CAPP) and the American Cancer Society join forces to showcase how coverage and accountable healthcare systems can improve survival and reduce morbidity for people living with complex conditions like cancer. Better Together Health 2017 featured stories of medical excellence and patient-centered care delivered by CAPP’s organized systems and medical groups, plus an exciting policy keynote and panel discussion featuring national physician leaders, policymakers and patient voices.
The Center For Total Health, Washington DC
May 24, 2017
The Council of Accountable Physician Practices (CAPP) and the American Cancer Society join forces to showcase how coverage and accountable healthcare systems can improve survival and reduce morbidity for people living with complex conditions like cancer. Better Together Health 2017 featured stories of medical excellence and patient-centered care delivered by CAPP’s organized systems and medical groups, plus an exciting policy keynote and panel discussion featuring national physician leaders, policymakers and patient voices.
Better accountability, transparency and more detailed targets for climate action will be mandated under a new Climate Change Accountability Act.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/20903
Do you ever wonder why nearly all disposable and reusable water bottles are round? I’ve always disliked that since they’re big and bulky and take up so a lot area in my bag. As people are moving away from the disposable, single use bottles, reusable ones are popping up more and far more and abs...
www.housedecorating-ideas.com/a-slim-environmentally-acco...
A wide view of the Security Council meeting on strengthening accountability and justice for serious violations of international law, under maintenance of international peace and security.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
2 June 2022
New York, United States of America
Photo # UN7938140
The Inspection Panel is completing 25 years in its role, as an accountability mechanism of the World Bank. As you are aware, the Bank’s failure to comply with its operating policies was seen by the entire world in the Bank’s financing with the Sardar Sarovar Dam project on River Narmada. The tenacity of massive grass-roots uprisings from our communities in the 80’s and the sustained hard work of our social movements along with our resoluteness to link it with international coalitions to question the hegemony of the Bank, subsequently led the Bank, for the first time, to commission an independent review of its project. The Independent Review Committee (Morse Committee) constituted by the Bank in 1991 to review the social and environmental costs and benefits of the dam, after years of consistent struggle by Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement) and its allies led to a demand from the civil society around the globe for the creation of a grievance redressal system for project-affected communities, which ultimately pressurized the Bank to constitute the Inspection Panel in 1993. We expected this might be a crucial backstop and an opportunity for us to raise our issues of livelihoods, economic loss, displacement from our lands, alienation from natural resources, destruction of environment and threat to our biodiversity and cultural hotspots, where Bank invested in large, supposedly ‘development’ projects like mega dams, energy and other infrastructure projects. Yet, the outcome we expected rarely delivered sufficient remedy for the harm and losses people have experienced over the years.
A number of accountability mechanisms over the next couple of decades in several development finance institutions were formed following the model of World Bank, commonly known as ‘Independent Accountability Mechanisms’[IAMs]. Each year the number of complaints rise which is an indication of the increasing number of grievous projects happening around the world. While IAMs of most MDBs are advertised to provide strong and just processes, many of our experiences imply that the banks are accommodating practices which suit their own needs and their clients, which are borrowing countries and agencies, and not the people for whom the IAMs were built to serve.
Many a time, we have been disappointed by these mechanisms, since these are designed by the banks who are lending for disastrous projects in our lands. And as a result, the already existing narrow mandate of IAMs is further restricted.
In our efforts to hold the lending bank accountable, the communities are always presented with the arduous process of learning the complex formalities and detailed procedures to initially approach the IAMs and get our grievances registered. Our many years’ time and energy then is channelised into seeing through the various cycles of these complaint handling mechanisms, that our entire efforts go into this process, and often our complaint gets dropped off in midst of the procedural rules of the IAMs. People are made to wait many months to clear procedural levels and our cases with the IAMs get highly unpredictable. Further, we face intimidation and reprisals from the state and project agencies for having contacted the IAMs who themselves do not possess any authority to address the violations hurled out to us when we seek dignity, fair treatment and justice from them. There are many of us who feel a loss of morale after long years of struggling with lenders when we fail to see concrete benefits or changes in our circumstances, by which time considerable irreplaceable harm is already done to our lives, environment and livelihoods.
In this manner, our immediate and larger goal of holding banks for their failure to consult with and obtain consent from communities before devising action plans for our lands, water and forests is deflected in the pretext of problem-solving and grievance hearing offered to us in the name of IAMs.
With over 50 registered complaints sent to different IAMS from India in the past 25 years, many more left unregistered due to technical reasons and only a few got investigated, assessed and monitored at different levels, we have a baggage of mixed experiences with the IAMs. A few of the prominent cases from India apart from Narmada project are Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project [WB’s IP], Tata Mega Ultra-01/Mundra and Anjar [IFC’s CAO & ADB’s CRP], India Infrastructure Fund-01/Dhenkanal District [IFC’s CAO], Allain Duhangan Hydro Power Limited-01/Himachal Pradesh [IFC’s CAO] and Mumbai Urban Transport Project (2009) [WB’s IP].
As we now know, what is being witnessed recently is an influx of approved and proposed investments majorly in energy, transport, steel, roads, urban projects, bullet trains, industrial zones/corridors, smart cities, water privatization and other mega projects in India. This has been financed from different multilateral and bilateral sources, foreign corporations, private banks as well as Export-Import Banks (ExIm Banks). It has become a brutal challenge for communities, social movements and CSOs, with lenders and governments constantly shutting their eyes and ears to us who demand accountability for their actions. A compelling and timely need has arisen among diverse groups amongst us to gather together and critically analyze the various trajectories of our engagements with accountability mechanisms of MDBs in order to bring together past 25 years’ learning, insights and reflections of various actors of this accountability process. This urging demand is also an attempt to define the collective experiences in India among our social movements, projected-affected communities and CSOs with IAMs and lending banks, especially appropriating the global political opportunity of Inspection Panel celebrating its 25 years this year.
Speakers:
Thomas Franco, Former General Secretary, AlI India Bank Officers’ Confederation
Arun Kumar, Eminent scholar, Former Professor Jawaharlal Nehru University
C.P. Chandrashekar, Economist, Professor Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Sucheta Dalal, Managing Editor, Moneylife
Soumya Dutta, National Convener, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha
Dunu Roy, Hazards Center, New Delhi
Medha Patkar, Senior Activist, Narmada Bachao Andolan
Tani Alex, Centre for Financial Accountability
M J Vijayan, Activist and Political commentator
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Anirudha Nagar, Accountability Counsel
Madhuresh Kumar, National Alliance of People’s Movements
A J Vijayan, Chairperson, Western Ghats and Coastal area Protection Forum
Meera Sanghamitra, National Aliance of People’s Movements
Vimal bhai, Matu Jan Sangathan, Uttarakhand
Daniel Adler, Senior Specialist, Compliance Advisor Ombudsman
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Birgit Kuba, Operations Officer, Inspection Panel
Anuradha Munshi, Centre for Financial Accountability
Bharat Patel, General Secretary, Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan,Gujarat
Awadhesh Kumar, Srijan Lokhit Samiti
Amulya Kumar Nayak, Odisha Chas Parivesh Surekhsa Parishad, Odisha
Dr. Usha Ramanathan, Legal Scholar
Manshi Asher, Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective, Himachal Pradesh