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International Roma Day 2017Friday, April 07, 2017
International Roma Day is observed annually on April 8, commemorating the anniversary of the1971 London meeting of Romani activists from across Europe. The 1971 London meeting, convened as the "World Romani Congress," was one of the first transnational gatherings of Roma. Since 1990, International Roma Day has been an opportunity to celebrate Romani culture and counter anti-Roma prejudice that fosters political and economic marginalization. Roma—Europe's Largest Ethnic Minority Roma live throughout all European countries as well as the Americas and Australasia. In Europe, the Roma population is very conservatively estimated at 15 million, with large concentrations in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. Roma have migrated to the United States since the colonial period. There are an estimated one million Americans with some Romani roots (recent or distant Romani ancestry). Roma live throughout the United States, with larger communities in New York City, Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles. They are sometimes the victims of racial profiling by law enforcement. The last explicitly anti-Roma law in the United States was repealed in New Jersey in 1998. Romani Americans have served as public members on the U.S. delegation to several OSCE human dimension meetings. In 2016, the President appointed Dr. Ethel Brooks to serve on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, bringing a Romani voice to that body. Helsinki Commission Advocacy on Romani Human Rights The Commission has long record of addressing human rights issues relating to Roma. As early as 1990, a Helsinki Commission delegation in Bucharest raised alarm orchestrated attacks on Roma conducted as part of a larger crackdown on dissent. Helsinki Commissioners have continued to engage regarding the situation of Roma through hearings, briefings, and congressional meetings with Roma in Europe and the United States. In recent years, the Commission has supported Romani inclusion in annual initiatives for political leaders such as the Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership Conference (TMPLC) and Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN). On March 27-28, the Commission worked in cooperation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to hold a workshop during "Roma Week" at the European Parliament in Brussels titled, "Strengthening diverse leadership, participation and representation of Roma, including women and youth, in public and political life." Roma Day Events in the United States Harvard will host its fifth Annual Roma conference on April 10, where Helsinki Commission staff will participate. Scholars of Romani culture and Roma who work as academics, activists, and performers will convene a conference at New York University April 28-29. Later in the spring, on May 6, the 20th Annual Herdeljezi Music Festival will be held in the San Francisco area at the Croatian American Cultural Center. In the Washington area, the Embassy of the Czech Republic supported a March 30 screening of the documentary about the prejudice faced by the FC Roma football club. On May 17, the Czech Embassy will support a concert at the national Gallery of Art by Romani-Czech pianist Tomas Kaco. Learn More International Roma Day: Statement by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Celebrating International Roma Day: Statement by USOSCE Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Michele Siders International Roma Day: Statement by OSCE/ODIHR Director Michael Link
Romani Political Participation Key to ChangeFriday, April 07, 2017
On March 27 and 28, 2017, thirty-five Romani elected officials and civil society representatives participated in a two-day event held by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in cooperation with the U.S. Helsinki Commission, as part of the European Union's "Roma Week." The event focused on opportunities to enhance Romani political participation as a means of strengthening the long-term strength and stability of the OSCE region. As citizens of many OSCE participating States, Roma have long contributed to the prosperity of their countries in numerous ways, ranging from serving in the military to educating the next generation. However, Roma are often described and perceived in negative terms, leading political leaders and others, to consider Roma a problem rather than a solution. Referring to the political rhetoric that instigated the tragic murders of Roma in 2008 and 2009, Romani-Hungarian researcher and Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network alumni Roland Ferkovics stressed, "Political narratives should not only motivate and influence people but should also unite…Political leaders must take Roma as equal partner(s) using narratives [that] focus on similarities instead of differences." Diverse speakers from across the OSCE region also shared experiences and practices that have been successful in inspiring democratic change. "Standing for elected office and using one's right to vote is a powerful tool for Roma communities in Europe to counter anti-Roma rhetoric, hate crimes and racism," said Mee Moua, former President of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), who also served as a Minnesota State Senator in the United States. Noting the importance of united communities, Killion Munyama, a member of the Polish Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, noted the importance of Roma having a seat at the decision-making table: "Societies benefit from broad and diverse participation representing the voices of all communities in the public and political spheres." Participants also stressed the urgency in ensuring the success of current Romani legislative initiatives and the importance of ensuring that legislative initiatives aimed at Roma, such as the EU Framework Strategy for Integration, are designed and implemented with the participation of Roma at all levels of government. Other speakers at the event included MEP Terry Reintke, former MEP Livia Jaroka, and Jamen Gabriela Hrabanova of the European Roma Grassroots Organizations Network. Dr. Mischa Thompson of the Helsinki Commission participated as a facilitator.
press release
Chairman Wicker Welcomes Accession of Montenegro to NATOThursday, March 30, 2017
WASHINGTON–Following U.S. Senate approval of the accession of Montenegro to the NATO Alliance, Senator Roger Wicker (MS), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, issued the following statement: "I am pleased by the Senate's decision to welcome Montenegro into NATO. At a time of unease in Europe, this small nation and its people are making important contributions to security and stability. By joining the Alliance, Montenegro also confirms the continued validity of the Helsinki Final Act, which affirms the right of countries to determine their own security arrangements and alliances. Allowing outside actors to call this principle into question would have severely undercut European security." Last week, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that it is "absolutely critical" that Montenegro be brought into NATO. Chairman Wicker serves as a senior member of the committee and took part in the hearing. The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, has supported human rights and democratic development in Montenegro since observing the first multi-party elections in the country in 1990. Further, the Commission has been deeply involved in policy debates over NATO, including conducting hearings on previous additions to the alliance.
press release
Helsinki Commission Chairman Wicker Comments on Poisoning of Pro-Democracy Russian Activist, Fighting in UkraineWednesday, February 08, 2017
WASHINGTON–Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) today issued the following statement regarding the recent acts of aggression perpetrated by the Russian government: "In today's Russia, there is a disturbing trend of violence that targets members of the political opposition. I am particularly concerned about Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is fighting for his life in a Moscow hospital after being poisoned. Mr. Kara-Murza has appeared at multiple Helsinki Commission events and is a tireless advocate for restoring democratic freedoms to the Russian people. The United States should have no illusions about the nature of the Russian regime. "Meanwhile, fighting in eastern Ukraine continues to spread. Last week, the OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine reported the heaviest fighting since combined Russian-separatist forces captured Debaltseve in January 2015. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has repeatedly condemned Russia's 'clear, gross, and uncorrected' violations of OSCE principles with respect to Ukraine. "I stand with UN Ambassador Nikki Haley in condemning the escalation of violence. Russia should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine." Vladimir Kara-Murza has a longstanding relationship with the Helsinki Commission. He first appeared at a Helsinki Commission briefing in 2011. He testified at a Helsinki Commission hearing on Russia in 2015 and briefed Commission staff before the 2016 Russian parliamentary elections.
The Helsinki Process: A Four Decade OverviewWednesday, February 01, 2017
In August 1975, the heads of state or government of 35 countries – the Soviet Union and all of Europe except Albania, plus the United States and Canada – held a historic summit in Helsinki, Finland, where they signed the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. This document is known as the Helsinki Final Act or the Helsinki Accords. The Conference, known as the CSCE, continued with follow-up meetings and is today institutionalized as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, based in Vienna, Austria. Learn more about the signature of the Helsinki Final Act; the role that the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe played during the Cold War; how the Helsinki Process successfully adapted to the post-Cold War environment of the 1990s; and how today's OSCE can and does contribute to regional security, now and in the future.
press release
Helsinki Commission Leaders Mark International Human Rights DayFriday, December 09, 2016
WASHINGTON—To mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), Co-Chairman of the Commission, issued the following statements: "2016 has been a challenging year for the OSCE region – some governments have backslid on human rights, and humanitarian crises on the OSCE's periphery in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere have driven waves of refugees into the OSCE region," Chairman Smith said. "And despite our best efforts, child sex tourism is soaring while protection lags. We each have an essential role to play in fighting for the human rights of those who are persecuted, whether they are political prisoners in Azerbaijan, refugees fleeing genocide in Syria, journalists in Turkey, or victims of human trafficking in our own country. We must all become human rights defenders." "We live in a world with significant security challenges, from cyber threats to terrorism to acts of aggression by one of our own OSCE participating States," said Co-Chairman Wicker. "However, as we work to maintain regional stability, we remember that security cannot exist independently from securing fundamental human rights. Today, we recommit ourselves to democracy, the rule of the law, and the rights of all people to determine their future free from tyranny and oppression." "The Helsinki Final Act is clear: human rights issues in one OSCE country are of direct and legitimate concern to all participating States," Chairman Smith concluded. "I call on the 57 nations of the OSCE to defend the rights and dignity of the most vulnerable, and to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of genocide and war in the Middle East."
Turkey: Human Rights in RetreatFriday, December 09, 2016
Five months after the failed coup attempt of July 15th, 2016, serious questions have emerged with regard to the future of democracy and the rule of law in Turkey. The Turkish government maintains sweeping state of emergency decrees, which have shuttered educational institutions, civic associations, and media organizations. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested, suspended, or fired for colluding with coup plotters, a determination often made with little to no credible documentation. In the wake of this ongoing crackdown, the Helsinki Commission convened a briefing to examine Turkey's deteriorating human rights conditions and the future of U.S.-Turkey relations. Helsinki Commission staff member Everett Price opened the briefing by recalling the Commission's original mandate, its fundamental mission to shed light on human rights violations, and the importance of candor in fostering friendly international relations. Dr. Y. Alp Aslandogan, Executive Director of the Alliance for Shared Values, provided a detailed description of the government's post-coup persecution of the Hizmet movement, minority groups such as the Kurds and Alevis, journalists, and teachers. Dr. Karin Karlekar, Director of the Free Expression Advocacy Team at PEN America, shed light on the Turkish government's intensified suppression of press freedom and free expression in the wake of the failed coup attempt. Finally, Dr. Nicholas Danforth, Senior Policy Analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center, assessed the risks posed by the Turkish government's disregard for the rule of law and their potential implications for U.S.-Turkey relations. In the subsequent exchange of views moderated by Everett Price, the panelists reflected on the international community's role in promoting human rights, threats to academic freedom, and the potential for a renewed democratic trajectory in Turkey.
press release
Helsinki Commission to Probe Crisis of Human Rights in TurkeyMonday, December 05, 2016
WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following briefing: "TURKEY: HUMAN RIGHTS IN RETREAT" Friday, December 9, 2016 2:00 PM Rayburn House Office Building Room 2255 Respect for human rights in Turkey has declined dramatically since the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Though the international community agrees that the Turkish government has the right to pursue justice against those who sought to overthrow it, Ankara's reaction to the coup attempt has swept aside international human rights standards. Five months after the coup attempt, the Turkish government maintains sweeping state of emergency decrees, shuttering educational institutions, civic associations, and media organizations and arresting, suspending, or firing tens of thousands of people alleged to have conspired with the coup plotters, oftentimes with little to no credible documentation. These measures, along with dramatic changes to the country's judicial system and further changes planned to the country's constitution, are transforming Turkish society and raising serious questions about the future of Turkish democracy. Panelists will review the ongoing crackdown in Turkey; discuss the broad authority the government enjoys under the state of emergency; raise areas of concern regarding human rights and rule of law; and evaluate the implications of these developments for Turkish institutions and society. The discussion will also focus on policy options for the incoming U.S. Administration and U.S. Congress to consider when shaping relations with Turkey in coming years. The following experts are scheduled to participate: Dr. Y. Alp Aslandogan, Executive Director, Alliance for Shared Values Dr. Nicholas Danforth, Senior Policy Analyst, Bipartisan Policy Center Dr. Karin Karlekar, Director, Free Expression at Risk Program, PEN America Additional panelists may be added.
press release
Bipartisan Legislation to Bring Back Convicted Criminals Abroad Passes SubcommitteeThursday, September 22, 2016
WASHINGTON—A bill that strengthens the ability of the United States to secure extradition of wanted fugitives and bring them home to face justice, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Global Human Rights and International Organizations, today cleared a first and important hurdle and was adopted by the Subcommittee. The bill has 20 bipartisan co-sponsors—10 Republicans and 10 Democrats—and has now been referred to the full Committee for consideration. The Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster Justice and Extradition Act (H.R. 2189) is named after the innocent victims of two of the most infamous criminals in modern U.S. history—both of whom live openly abroad. It requires the President to provide Congress with an annual study on important aspects of U.S. extradition policy, assisting Congress as it takes action to address outstanding issues in the extradition system. Currently the President's management of the extradition system is largely opaque to congressional oversight and hence resistant to reform—H.R. 2189 takes a big step toward changing that. "In many cases around the world, efforts to extradite convicted criminals have simply stalled, leaving surviving families without closure and our efforts to seek justice in limbo," said Smith. "Instead of continuing to allow violent criminals to live openly abroad—apparently outside of our government's reach—we must strengthen the Executive Branch's ability to take action to successfully resolve extradition cases. That the murderers of Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster live openly abroad is an ongoing offense against the surviving family members of the men they murdered." Walter Patterson was brutally killed in the course of a robbery by George Wright, who was convicted of murder, escaped prison, allegedly hijacked a commercial jetliner, and disappeared, only to be found living openly in Portugal, which has denied extradition. Werner Foerster was a New Jersey state trooper shot during a routine traffic stop by terrorist Joanne Chesimard, who was convicted of murder, escaped prison, and made her way to Cuba, where she lives as a guest of the Cuban government—along with other fugitives the Cuban government refuses to return to the U.S. Smith is one of the foremost voices in the fight to return escaped fugitives to face U.S. justice. Since the discovery of George Wright in Portugal in 2012, he has held several meetings with and written to Portuguese government officials and corresponded with the Department of Justice on their efforts to secure the return of fugitives. In 2012, he chaired a hearing entitled "Justice in the International Extradition System: The Case of George Wright and Beyond." H.R. 2189 enjoys the support of a diverse coalition of advocacy organizations, including Concerns of Police Survivors, the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Organization for Victim Assistance, the National Sheriffs' Association, and the American Bail Coalition.
Moldova at a CrossroadsThursday, September 22, 2016
Twenty-five years after its independence, Moldova is at a crossroads as it prepares for presidential elections scheduled for October 30. While it seeks to overcome significant internal challenges, the country is also squarely in the crosshairs of Russian destabilization efforts intended to maintain Moscow's influence and strike at the foundation of Moldovan democracy. The experts at this briefing offered valuable insight on the significant internal and external challenges Moldova faces as it approaches presidential elections in October 2016. The speakers addressed continued threats to Moldovan territorial integrity and sovereignty; hostile Russian actions including disinformation campaigns, an economic blockade, and threatening rhetoric; and the roles of the Moldovan government and external actors, including the OSCE, in addressing Moldovan vulnerabilities. Commissioner Rep. Joe Pitts (PA-16) opened the briefing with a statement on Moldova and the Transnistrian conflict, as he has been deeply interested and engaged in Moldova throughout his career. Witnesses Ambassador William Hill and Matthew Rojansky then discussed Moldova's internal and external challenges in greater depth. As a veteran diplomat in Moldova and the region, Ambassador William Hill assigned an absence of rule of law as Moldova's central challenge. Mr. Rojansky, a renowned scholar on this subject, offered historical perspective on Russia's objectives in maintaining instability in neighboring countries like Moldova. Before beginning audience Q&A, the event also welcomed comments from Tatiana Solomon, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the Moldovan Embassy, who thanked the witnesses and the Helsinki Commission for engagement on the issues discussed. All participants encouraged U.S. support for Moldova and the region as it works towards a stable, democratic, and prosperous future.
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It's Time for the United States to Act on AzerbaijanThursday, September 08, 2016
David J. Kramer is senior director for human rights and democracy at the McCain Institute for International Leadership and a former assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor. Richard Kauzlarich is an adjunct professor at George Mason University and former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan and to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Earlier this year, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan looked like he was softening his authoritarian grip on his country. In March, he released 14 political prisoners ahead of his visit to Washington for President Obama's Nuclear Security Summit. Even the harsh anti-American rhetoric from Azerbaijani officials and regime media seemed to subside. While in Washington, Aliyev had sit-downs with Vice President Biden and Secretary of State John F. Kerry. But since the April summit, Aliyev's regime has intensified its crackdowns on freedoms. Azerbaijan's rapid, dangerous deterioration demands more decisive action from the United States, yet the Obama administration has remained largely silent. The government in Baku has increased its arrests and detentions of another dozen opposition figures, peaceful religious believers and civil society activists. Nearly 100 political prisoners are languishing in the country's jails. Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli was detained at the national airport and prevented from leaving the country. Faig Amirli, financial director of Azadliq newspaper and assistant to the chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, was arrested last month. Other opposition politicians arrested in August include Natiq Jafarli, executive secretary of the REAL movement, and NIDA civic movement activist Elgiz Qahraman. The situation on the ground may get even worse. On Sept. 26, Aliyev's regime plans to force a referendum which aims to enhance his powers. The result of the referendum is already known; we can be sure that the government will ensure its approval. That means that Aliyev can extend his term from five to seven years, create new positions of vice president (to which he might name a member of his family) and lower the age for members of parliament — opening the door for his son Heydar to be elected. It would not be a surprise if elections were called early under the new constitution to ratify these authoritarian steps. Quiet diplomacy, we are told, is the only way to protect American interests in Azerbaijan. Along with its strategic location on the Caspian Sea between Russia and Iran, the country of 8 million is rich in oil and gas resources, and plays a role as a national security ally to the United States. No American interests are served if Azerbaijan's increasing authoritarianism explodes into a political and social crisis. Moreover, Azerbaijan is following in the footsteps of Vladimir Putin's media tactics in Russia by increasingly painting the United States as the enemy. An editorial in the state-approved media outlet, Haqqin, accused the United States of "losing" Azerbaijan, "driving it into a corner" and "neglecting a valuable partnership" with Baku. The editorial warned that Azerbaijan will be left with no option but to establish closer relations with its immediate neighbors, Iran and Russia. Aliyev's supporters have pointed to the failed Turkey coup and have accused the United States of supporting opposition forces not only to spoil the upcoming referendum — but to plot a coup in Azerbaijan. Aside from legislation introduced by Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.) last December and the cries of activists and human rights groups, Azerbaijan has received a free pass from the Obama administration. Rarely do either the U.S. Embassy in Baku or the State Department in Washington speak out against human rights abuses. Even the 2014 raid on U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and the arrest of one of its journalists, Khadija Ismayilova, triggered a mild response from Washington. Ismayilova was released from prison earlier this year but has been refused permission to travel outside the country. RFE/RL is still barred from operating in Azerbaijan, as are most American nongovernmental organizations. In the past, we have called for sanctions — asset freezes and visa bans — against Azerbaijani officials involved in and responsible for gross human rights abuses, similar to the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law and Accountability Act for Russia. President Obama doesn't need new legislation to take such measures; he can do so under existing presidential authorities. Beyond that, we should withhold U.S. support for International Monetary Fund and World Bank assistance should Azerbaijan request it amid its deteriorating economic situation and end Overseas Private Investment Corporation and Export-Import Bank lending to Azerbaijan. The United States should consider recalling our ambassador for extended consultations over human rights concerns as well as the rising anti-American rhetoric of Azerbaijan officials and government-sanctioned media. We also need to get the Europeans on board with similar measures. These steps should be taken unless and until all the political prisoners are released and the referendum enhancing Aliyev's powers is voided. Letting Azerbaijan follow through on its threat to form closer ties with Moscow and Tehran without balance from the United States may be a necessary, albeit unpleasant, learning experience for the regime in Baku. The problem in Azerbaijan is not that Aliyev has too little power; it is that he exercises the power he has in the wrong ways against innocent people. America's silence as the situation on the ground worsens risks making us accomplices to a looming human rights disaster in Azerbaijan.
Five Years of the Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders NetworkThursday, August 25, 2016
2016 marks the fifth anniversary of the Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN), an innovative project of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, in cooperation with the U.S. State Department, German Marshall Fund, and other stakeholders that prepares diverse, young leaders with a global outlook. TILN bridges the transatlantic divide between the U.S. and Europe by annually bringing together driven individuals from a range of political backgrounds for a week-long workshop focused on inclusive leadership. Workshops take place in European cities ranging from Copenhagen to Brussels to Turin – allowing participants to immerse themselves in international policy-making at national and regional levels. Participants engage with public and private sector figures while shaping their personal missions and strengthening leadership skills to support careers in public service and transformative initiatives that will promote more equitable societies. The TILN project already boasts an impressive list of alumni, including U.S. Congressman Ruben Gallego, Swedish Parliamentarian Said Abdu, UN Expert on Minority Issues Rita Iszak, and other Parliamentarians, Ministers, Mayors, City Councilpersons, regional and local leaders. During its five-year history, TILN annual workshops have highlighted issues of special interest to the US Helsinki Commission from the ongoing struggle to realize Roma and migrant rights to racism, anti-Semitism, and religious discrimination. Additionally, many TILN alumni support innovative initiatives that promote equality and inclusion in their home countries through alumni Action Grants that allow former participants to maintain their connections, further the work of multinational inclusion, and maximize the impact of collective action. For example, former German and Dutch participants have launched national inclusive leadership programs inspired by TILN. The German "Network Inclusive Leaders" program (NILE), created by Gabriele Gün Tank and Daniel Gyamerah of the TILN class of 2013, is a week-long seminar that provides 20 diverse young adults with an opportunity to engage with German political leaders, academics, artists, and others on anti-racism and anti-discrimination efforts. Following the 2016 TILN event, Dutch alumni Mpanzu Bamenga and Kamran Ullah – along with GMF's Marshall Memorial Fellows Ahmed Larouz and Mei Ling Liem – launched the "Inclusion Leaders Network" in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The event successfully brought together more than 40 community and political leaders from different parties and sectors to discuss tools and strategies to increase inclusion in political, economic, and education sectors. Both the NILE and the Inclusive Leadership Network have enjoyed the support of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, State Department, GMF, and other stakeholders. Hosted by Helsinki Commissioner Representative Alcee L. Hastings, TILN experts and alumni Simon Woolley, Assita Kanko, Gabriele Gün Tank, and David Mark also attended the 2014 three-day Quad Caucus meeting of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL), the National Asian Pacific Caucus of State Legislators (NAPACSL), the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (NCNASAL), and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) in the United States. In his opening remarks to the Quad Caucus, Commissioner Hastings highlighted the importance of inclusive and representative governance in all countries. The TILN delegation followed with a panel discussion on the similarity between the U.S. and Europe on experiences of Roma, Muslim, Afro-descent, and other diverse communities, leading to support for joint U.S.-Europe partnerships and initiatives from members of the Quad Caucus. As a result of these meetings, the TILN alumni network was able to organize a speaking tour in Germany for Ajenai Clemmons of NBCSL – a 2015 TILN participant – to share the U.S. minority caucus model in Germany. The momentum of the Quad Caucus also advanced development of anti-discrimination legislation authored by TILN alumni Mpanzu Bamenga in the Netherlands, which was later adopted by Eindhoven City Council. The U.S. Helsinki Commission congratulates TILN on five successful years, and looks forward to witnessing further fruits of the Network as alumni continue to advance inclusive policymaking, thought, and leadership in our societies.
President Erdogan's Assault on the Human Rights of the Turkish PeopleWednesday, July 13, 2016
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remind our government that the human rights abuses committed by Turkish President Erdogan are grave and ongoing, and to distinguish between the Turkish president and the Turkish people--and to stand with the people. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has in recent years been aggressively violating the human rights of Turkish citizens and undermining the rule of law, in order to root out dissent and consolidate his personal power. The freedom of the press and the rights of common citizens to run schools, businesses, and volunteer associations have come under direct threat. Since assuming the presidency two years ago, President Erdogan has undermined the independence of the judiciary, jeopardizing access to a fair trial and undercutting government accountability. In 2014, he worked to stack the country's High Council of Judges and Prosecutors with party loyalists, enabling his government to ease arrest procedures and curtail opportunities for appeal. This facilitated the detention of thousands of activists, journalists, and businessmen under the country's overbroad terrorism statute. The President has exploited his growing leverage over the courts: his government's reshuffling last month of 3,700 judges and prosecutors rewarded pliant members of the judiciary while punishing others who ruled against the government or heard cases involving official corruption. A law passed earlier this month dismissed most of the judges on Turkey's highest courts, leaving it up to the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors to reappoint them or pick their successors. Mr. Speaker, in addition to undermining government institutions, President Erdogan's tightening grip on Turkey is also weakening the vitality of Turkish society. Under President Erdogan's direction, state authorities are undertaking a campaign of retribution against Erdogan's critics. Since Erdogan assumed the presidency in 2014, the government has opened nearly 2,000 cases against people suspected of "insulting the president" – a crime in Turkey. Professional journalists and major news outlets in particular have incurred the wrath of the President. For reporting that is unflattering to Erdogan, whether on national security issues, the conflict with the Kurds, or official corruption, press outlets have been charged with "supporting terrorism" or have had their entire operations taken over by government-appointed trustees. In one of the most egregious examples, Turkish authorities in March raided the offices of the nation's highest-circulation newspaper, Zaman, and overnight placed it under hand-picked, pro-government management. Mr. Speaker, President Erdogan has taken to politicizing the charge of "supporting terrorism"--undermining the serious business of fighting terrorism, one of the gravest threats faced by the Turkish people. One persistent critic of Erdogan's centralization agenda and authoritarian tendencies is Fethullah Gulen, the founder of Hizmet, a moderate, Islamic civic movement dedicated to promoting education, popular piety, and civic engagement. Because of this criticism, Hizmet and its followers have suffered wave after wave of unfounded terrorism charges and forcible government seizures of businesses, universities, and schools. In May, the Turkish Cabinet approved a decision to designate Hizmet a "terrorist organization," guaranteeing that this campaign of political retribution will continue. Gulen's followers have been placed in the crosshairs of the very arbitrary policies they criticize. Yet neither our State Department, nor the European Union, nor any other respected body outside Turkey, has ever characterized Hizmet as a terrorist group or anything like it--the Cabinet's designation is absurd. Mr. Speaker, in recent months, the Turkish people have been struck by a wave of violent attacks perpetrated by Islamist and Kurdish terrorists--most recently, a triple-suicide attack at Istanbul's international airport by Islamist extremists killed 44 innocent civilians. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those maimed in these attacks, to all those who lost beloved family and friends. I am confident that the Turkish people--for centuries renowned for their bravery--will never be cowed by terrorists, and that they will equally resist President Erdogan's attempt to undermine their rights, laws, and freedoms. Our government should stand with the Turkish people on both fronts.
press release
U.S. Delegation to OSCE PA Drives International Action against Human Trafficking, Discrimination, and Anti-SemitismFriday, July 08, 2016
WASHINGTON—Seven members of Congress traveled to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Annual Session in Tbilisi, Georgia last week to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, including respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. At the Annual Session, which brought together nearly 300 parliamentarians from 54 of the 57 OSCE participating States, the U.S. lawmakers introduced several successful resolutions and amendments targeting current challenges facing the OSCE region, ranging from human trafficking to discrimination and anti-Semitism to the abuse of Interpol mechanisms to target political opponents and activists. The delegation included Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), Commissioner Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Commissioner Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14), Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08), and Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-06). Rep. Aderholt currently serves as a vice-president of the OSCE PA, while Sen. Wicker was re-elected to a third term as chair of the OSCE PA Committee on Political Affairs and Security, also known as the First Committee, during the annual meeting. Chairman Smith led international lawmakers in battling international human trafficking and child sex tourism through a successful resolution calling on all OSCE participating States to raise awareness of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT), especially by convicted pedophiles, business travelers, and tourists. Chairman Smith, who serves as the OSCE PA Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues, also hosted a July 3 briefing on U.S. efforts to prevent SECTT through a new international reciprocal notification system – known as International Megan's Law – that facilitates timely communications among law enforcement agencies. A second U.S. resolution, authored by OSCE PA Special Representative for Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance and Helsinki Commission Ranking Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), called for action against the anti-Semitic and racist violence sweeping across North America and Europe. The resolution, which passed overwhelmingly, urged members of the OSCE to develop a plan of action to implement its long-standing body of tolerance and non-discrimination agreements, called for international efforts to address racial profiling, and offered support for increased efforts by political leaders to stem the tide of hate across the region. The resolution was fielded by Commissioner Hultgren. Chairman Smith also called on participating States to more effectively prevent and combat violence against European Jewish communities through the introduction of two amendments to the resolution of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions (also known as the Third Committee). His first amendment called for the explicit recognition of the increase in anti-Semitic attacks in the region, while the second encouraged participating States to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups. Responding the abuse of Interpol systems for politically motivated harassment by Russia and other members of the OSCE, Co-Chairman Wicker authored a successful amendment to the First Committee resolution, which called on participating States to stop the inappropriate placement of Red Notices and encouraged Interpol to implement mechanisms preventing politically motivated abuse of its legitimate services. The amendment was fielded by Rep. Hudson. During the Annual Session, members of the delegation also offered strong support for important resolutions fielded by other countries, including one by Ukraine on human rights in illegally occupied Crimea and another on the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. They voted for a highly relevant resolution on combating corruption fielded by Sweden, and helped to defeat a Russian resolution attacking the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine in the context of combating neo-Nazism. U.S. delegates indicated their support for the work of attending Azerbaijani human rights activists, and met with attending members of the Israeli Knesset. While in Tbilisi, the group also met with several high-ranking Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili; Tedo Japaridze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Parliament of Georgia; Mikheil Janelidze, Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs; and David Bakradze, Georgian Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
press release
Chairman Smith Leads International Legislators against Human Trafficking, Child Sex TourismMonday, July 04, 2016
WASHINGTON—The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution authored by Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) against international human trafficking and child sex tourism. The resolution was passed at the 2016 annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), and has an agenda-setting effect for the 57-member intergovernmental organization. Smith, who leads the U.S. Delegation to this year's OSCE PA Annual Session, introduced a resolution calling on all OSCE participating States to work with the private sector and civil society to raise awareness of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT), especially by convicted pedophiles, business travelers, and tourists. The resolution also urges all OSCE participating States to enact laws allowing them to prosecute their citizens and legal permanent residents for child sexual exploitation committed abroad, and to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation to ensure that nations know about travel by convicted pedophiles prior to their arrival. "More children than ever before are being exploited – child sex tourism is soaring while protection lags," said Chairman Smith. "We must work together to protect children from convicted pedophiles and opportunistic predators who exploit local children with impunity during their travels abroad. Prevention and prosecution should go hand in hand." In addition to introducing the SECTT resolution, Chairman Smith hosted a July 3 briefing on U.S. efforts to prevent SECTT through a new international reciprocal notification system – known as International Megan's Law – that facilitates timely communications among law enforcement agencies. "Child predators thrive on secrecy – a secrecy that allows them to commit heinous crimes against the weakest and most vulnerable," said Chairman Smith. "Recent changes in the laws of the United States and partner countries are putting child predators on the radar when they travel internationally, but much remains to be done." Chairman Smith has served as OSCE PA Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues since 2004. His efforts to raise the profile of the human trafficking problem in the OSCE region are reflected in the 2013 Addendum to the OSCE Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, and have prompted other parliamentarians to take the lead in addressing human trafficking in their respective capitals. Chairman Smith first raised the issue of human trafficking at the 1999 St. Petersburg Annual Session, the first time it appeared on the OSCE agenda. Since then, he has introduced or cosponsored a supplementary item and/or amendments on trafficking at each annual session of the OSCE PA, including on issues such as sex tourism prevention, training of the transportation sector in victim identification and reporting, corporate responsibility for trafficking in supply chains, and special protections for vulnerable populations. In addition to authoring the 2016 International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders, he authored the landmark U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and its 2003 and 2005 reauthorizations. Chairman Smith co-chairs the United States Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus.
press release
Chairman Smith Champions Improved Security for European Jewish Communities at Annual Meeting of OSCE ParliamentariansSunday, July 03, 2016
WASHINGTON—At the 2016 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Annual Session, meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia this week, Helsinki Commission Chair Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today called on participating States to more effectively prevent and combat violence against European Jewish communities in the face of increasing anti-Semitic violence in the region. "Violent anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise in several European countries – and there is a lot more we can do to stop it," said Chairman Smith, who led the U.S. delegation to the event. "European police and security forces should be partnering with Jewish community security groups, and the United States government should be working with the European governments to encourage this. The terrorist threat to European Jewish communities is more deadly than ever. We must act to prevent a repeat of the horrific massacres of Paris and Copenhagen." Chairman Smith offered two amendments to the draft resolution of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions (also known as the Third Committee). His first amendment called for the explicit recognition of the increase in frequency, scope, and severity of anti-Semitic attacks in the OSCE region, while the second called on participating States to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups to strengthen crisis prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and responses related to anti-Semitic attacks. Both amendments reflect consultations with and requests from European Jewish communities. Chairman Smith has a long record as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism. He co-chairs the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism in the U.S. House of Representatives and authored the provisions of the U.S. Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 that created the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism within the U.S. State Department. In 2015, he authored House Resolution 354, a blueprint for strengthening the safety and security of European Jewish communities. Following his landmark 2002 hearing on combating the escalation of anti-Semitic violence in Europe, "Escalating Anti-Semitic Violence in Europe," he led a congressional drive to place the issue of combating anti-Semitism at the top of the OSCE agenda. As part of this effort he authored supplemental resolutions on combating anti-Semitism, which were adopted at the 2002, 2003, and 2004 Annual Sessions of the OSCE PA. In 2004 the OSCE adopted new norms for its participating States on fighting anti-Semitism. Chairman Smith is a founding member of the the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism (ICCA), where he also serves on the steering committee. In the 1990s, he chaired Congress's first hearings on anti-Semitism and in the early 1980s, his first trips abroad as a member of Congress were to the former Soviet Union, where he fought for the release of Jewish "refuseniks."
Witness Profile: Dr. Valery PerryThursday, June 30, 2016
Dr. Valery Perry was one of four expert witnesses at the Helsinki Commission's May 25, 2016 hearing, "Combatting Corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina." Dr. Perry's interest in Bosnia began in 1997, when she helped supervise the country's first municipal elections. Seeing it as a "fascinating example of a peace process," she completed her Ph.D. research in Bosnia while simultaneously working for several organizations on aspects of peace implementation, democratization, and good governance. During the early post-war years, Perry believes that many Bosnians felt that the situation in the country was improving. However, today there seems to be a sense that the country's development has not only stagnated, but may even be regressing. During the negotiations of the Dayton Accords, Bosnian citizens were not consulted about the ramifications of the agreement or the new constitution, Perry notes, although they have had to live with the consequences. "It's troubling for me to think that the United States and some of its allies put in place a peace agreement and a framework constitution that may have served its purpose at one point, but is now actually limiting the ability for citizens to create the vision that they want and to hold their leaders accountable," she says. "One thing you hear all the time when you talk to people who are from Sarajevo is that the city was very different before the war," Perry continues. "There are so many people in Bosnia who just want the same things anyone anywhere wants – a decent job, good education for their children, safe streets…. and yet they are so poorly served by this post-war system." As a result, she observes, the lack of social trust in Bosnia is pervasive. "There's almost a built-in, learned helplessness, especially among young people who have grown up in a fairly dysfunctional system…assuming that if they don't join a political party they'll never get a job, and if they're not prepared to either use connections or possibly even pay a bribe they won't pass their exams at the university." "It became very clear to me that corruption is at the heart of what happens when you don't have good governance, when you don't have an accountable electoral system, when you don't have independent media, and when you don't have a functioning judiciary," she says. For example, in Bosnia it is rare to hear of corruption cases that are investigated, prosecuted, and have successfully progressed through the entire appeals process. "The judicial system is really not independent," she says. "We see a lot of cases where someone is found guilty of corruption or abuse of office, but then there are simply repeated appeals until they get the judge and the decision that they want…everything is politicized and divided according to ethnic and national affiliation rather than merit and civic responsibility." As a first step to addressing the systematic corruption, Perry recommends strengthening laws on conflict of interest, political party financing and state enterprise regulation and transparency. "It would be useful to look at a number of pieces of legislation that are either weak or have recently been weakened, and try to strengthen those…any reforms that lead to legislation need to be accompanied by very clear articulation of which agencies are competent and responsible for seeing them through," she suggests. "There [also] needs to be vigorous oversight by investigative journalists and civil society actors and others to move forward." According to Perry, the United States and the international community can support anti-corruption efforts, but the challenge is complicated. "These issues should become a part of election campaigns and debates," she says. "I think that this is where the US and other international actors involved in Bosnia can get involved as well: by supporting activists and citizens who are in the public debate and together asking, why any officials or candidates would be against more transparency in terms of appointment to the enterprises, or support opaque financing from the public purse?" In addition to her anti-corruption work, Dr. Perry is also working on a documentary film – "Looking for Dayton" – which follows the experience of three men who fought in Sarajevo during the siege and who visit the US and Dayton Ohio 20 years after the end of the war to find out more about the place that shaped the peace and the Dayton Agreement. She says, "We have a lot of work to do but we're hoping to use the medium of film to tell a story that is interesting in terms of broader issues related to war and its aftermath and its effect on regular people."
NATO's Warsaw Summit and the Future of European SecurityThursday, June 23, 2016
This briefing, conducted two weeks prior to the NATO summit in Warsaw, discussed the prospects and challenges expected to factor into the negotiations. Key among these were Russian aggression and NATO enlargement, cybersecurity, and instability along NATO's southern border. Mr. Pisarski's testimony focused mainly on the challenge posed by Russian aggression and the role played by NATO's partners in maintaining stability in Eastern Europe. Dr. Binnendijk commented on seven areas he argued the Alliance should make progress on at the Warsaw summit, centering mainly around unity, deterrent capability, and the Alliance's southern strategy. Rear Admiral Gumataotao provided a unique insight into NATO Allied Command Transformation's core tasks and their expectations for Warsaw. The question and answer period featured a comment from Georgian Ambassador Gegeshidze, who spoke about his country's stake in the Summit's conclusions in the context of the ongoing Russian occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Witness Profile: Ambassador Jonathan MooreMonday, June 20, 2016
Ambassador Jonathan Moore is the OSCE's ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has spent most of his career working on the Balkans. He testified at the Helsinki Commission's May 25, 2016 hearing, "Combatting Corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina." Corruption is one of the biggest problems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ambassador Moore is particularly concerned about its dire effects on young people. "It's an obstacle that drives young people out of the country and it keeps investors away," he says. "Corruption needs to be combatted on all levels and I am very glad this hearing talked about it." He identifies part of the problem as lack of privatization, and notes that political patronage plays a significant role in public enterprises like schools and universities. "There hasn't been much privatization in Bosnia and Herzegovina," he says. "Imagine you are a 14-year-old and you're very smart and have great grades. You want to go to a certain kind of public high school—a gymnasium. Well, you might not get admitted unless you have the right kind of political connections. As a 14-year-old, you are not selected because you don't have the right connections, or you're not bribing the right people." The cycle continues at the stage of university applications; graduates seeking jobs in public enterprises continue to face the same challenge. "Again, political patronage and political control," he explains. "If you don't fulfill the right criteria politically—it's not about how smart you are—you don't get the job you want. So it's easier to say, 'Enough,' and leave. The bottom line is that politics is everything in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that's why I started and ended [my testimony] by saying all politics is local." Ambassador Moore argues very strongly for action at the local level, especially in the 143 municipalities around the country, each with its own mayor. "In many of these cases, these mayors are very innovative and very perceptive," he notes. "They've worked across religious and ethnic lines with their constituents, their fellow neighbors. Mayors don't hide themselves off in offices in some capital city. They live there, they see these people every day who ask, 'Why is the school falling apart?' and say, 'Fix the sidewalk,' or 'The sewer is backed up into my apartment building.'" Ambassador Moore thinks it is important to shine a light on those local officials who have desegregated the schools and are speaking up for different ethnic communities. "We have examples from the flood of 2014, where we saw [a mayor] who made sure that the resources went to all the victims and not just to his friends. Giving credit where credit is due to the positive examples, rather than just saying, 'It's a huge problem and nothing can be done,' is of great merit." Ambassador Moore believes that it is important to understand the importance of investing in the security and stability of the international realm. Countries without conflict, including Bosnia, are safer, better trading partners, and are more conducive to developing the innovative skills of the young generation. "When you have a country in this cycle of conflict, nobody has the time, resources, energy, or money to put ideas on the table in a positive way," he says.
press release
Helsinki Commission Leaders Mourn Passing of Former Senator and Commissioner George VoinovichTuesday, June 14, 2016
WASHINGTON—Following the death of former U.S. Senator and Helsinki Commissioner George Voinovich on Sunday, Helsinki Commission Chairman [[{"fid":"3378","view_mode":"full","attributes":{"alt":"Former Senator and Helsinki Commissioner George Voinovich","title":"Former Senator and Helsinki Commissioner George Voinovich","height":"1024","width":"682","style":"margin: 10px 25px; width: 250px; height: 375px; float: right;","class":"media-element file-full"},"type":"media"}]]Representative Chris Smith (NJ-04) and Co-Chairman Senator Roger Wicker (MS) issued the following statements: "During his time in the Senate, Senator George Voinovich was a staunch supporter of the Helsinki Commission and its human rights mandate," said Chairman Smith. "His dedication to the Helsinki principles of respect for the sovereignty of countries and for the human rights of people was an inspiration to his colleagues. At meetings of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly as well as Commission hearings and events in Washington, the Senator particularly focused his work on promoting peace and stability in the Balkans, and tirelessly supported efforts to combat anti-Semitism." "We continue to pursue Senator Voinovich's vision for a Europe that is free and peaceful," said Co-Chairman Wicker. "Just last month, the Commission held a hearing on the Balkans that sought to build a better, more prosperous future for the region. In the Senate, Senator Voinovich personally spearheaded the expansion of NATO to members of the Transatlantic Alliance who would otherwise have fallen prey to Russia. He understood that as times change, one thing does not: America can still make a difference. Senator Voinovich's legacy is a reminder of this fundamental truth and an inspiration to all of us."
Developments in the Western Balkans and Policy Responses
This hearing on the Western Balkans examined the progress being made towards democratization. Commissioners Benjamin L. Cardin and Christopher H. Smith presided over the hearing, which included testimonies from: Hoyt Yee, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs for the U.S. Department of State; Tanja Fajon, Member for the European Parliament from Slovenia; and Kurt Volker, Executive Director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership.
This hearing held great significance, not only for the members of the Commission, but the wider foreign policy community, as whilst the Western Balkans is no longer the setting for violent conflict that it was two decades ago, the United States has had to devote considerable resources—financial, diplomatic and military —to restore peace and to encourage the democratic and other reforms necessary to sustain it. However, that job is not yet done—the need to see the task of a stable, democratic and fully integrated Western Balkans is yet to be completed.


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The Sacred Heart University Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Relations are committed to continuing the Pioneer spirit, by helping you maintain your relationship with your alma mater.
After spending "the best years of your life" here at SHU, we want you to know that our doors are still open- whether it be in Fairfield, Griswold, Stamford, Dingle or Luxembourg.
With over 35,000 alumni in all 50 states and in approximately 50 countries, SHU's presence continues to grow. We hope that within this site you'll find a wealth of knowledge to assist you in sharing personal news, finding other alumni, and in learning what events and activities are going on- within Fairfield and beyond.
You can also access a breadth of benefits and resources available to you as a Sacred Heart University alumnus including career assistance, insurance discounts and much more!
If you can't find what you're looking for and/or have comments, questions, and/or ideas, contact a member of the Alumni Staff, the Alumni Association, or e-mail us at any time!
We would love to see you back on campus soon- Go Pioneers!
"In my high school yearbook, I wrote that I wanted to become a teacher and travel to Europe. It is amazing that Sacred Heart made both of those dreams happen. Sacred Heart opened so many doors for me and made it all possible."
Dr. Lynn Gorsuch '68, a member of Sacred Heart University's second graduating class, is thankful for SHU and proud of her accomplishments. As the first woman in her family to go to college, Lynn was, and still is, a true Pioneer.
Read Lynn's story
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text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - TEFL/TESOL in Thailand Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in TEFL/TESOL in Thailand Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Thailand View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message NipponPokeJoined: 17 Jul 2003Posts: 20 Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2004 9:09 am Post subject: TEFL/TESOL in Thailand Apologies if this is a boring topic but I have a question concerning qualification for work in Thailand. I've been teaching in Japan now for seven years and have been throwing around the idea for a while now about moving to Thailand. In terms of credentials, I have a BA and the experience. I've been thinking recently about taking the TEFL course here in Tokyo. Would this course be a waste of time in terms of getting a better job? I'd like to take the course anyway to improve in certain areas of my teaching. But is there a better course for Thailand and Vietnam? Looks to me like I could get a job pretty easily with what I already have but could it make a difference? Thanks.... Back to top jo3box3rJoined: 02 Apr 2004Posts: 23Location: Canada/ Thailand Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2004 10:40 pm Post subject: if you have the money and time take the course. - wont hurt you, only better you. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Thailand All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group Teaching Jobs in China


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UPPER DARBY, Pa. - January 10, 2013 --Police say a Philadelphia-area mother faces charges after leaving her 6-year-old daughter home alone while she went to New York City.
Upper Darby police Superintendent Michael Chitwood says 35-year-old Shawn Kersey faces child endangerment charges after her arrest last week. He says police responded to the home and found the girl crying.
Police say they located Kersey, who allegedly said she left the girl home while she took a bus to New York. Police say the child told them her mother has left her home alone four times and told her to hide in the closet if someone knocks on the door.
The Delaware County Daily Times reports Kersey has been arraigned on a felony charge of endangering the welfare of children. A telephone listing for her could not be located.
Information from: Delaware County Daily Times, http://www.delcotimes.com


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Campagnolo Apex ???
The Kinesis Gran Fondo Sc is part of the eight frame Racelight road range which has something for the racer, distance rider, sportive rider, TT'er, commuter and tourer – pretty much every type of road cyclist then. The Gran Fondo is designed to ride like a race bike but with the geometry tweaked a bit to give a slightly more forgiving ride. I tested it alongside the new Gran Fondo Ti and it was interesting to compare the Easton alloy tubing with the renowned comfort of a titanium frame.
By adding scandium to their high strength aluminium alloy Easton increases its weldability allowing it to be used for bike manufacture rather than using the lower yield strength 6000 and 700 series. This in turn allows smaller diameter tubes to be created which removes the harsh ride often associated with oversized aluminium frames.
The 1420g frame feels lighter than the figures would have you believe and the solid build should assure longevity (interestingly it is also lighter than its titanium stablemate by about 60g… or 2oz in old money). Tapered tubing puts the strength where it is needed and allows some movement where it isn't for a bit of compliance, ideal when riding on a typical British road surface. The scandium alloy tubing takes a lot of the road buzz out due to the smaller diameter of the tubes and helped out at the rear by the addition of carbon seatstays.
The almost 'steel feel' of the ride, with a kind of absorbent yet stiff quality keeps you feeling fresher over long distance events and fits with the manufacturer's intention of designing a fast but comfortable frame for audax and sportive type rides. With slightly longer chainstays and headtube than their race machines Kinesis have managed to create a very balanced bike, something that's mirrored on the GF_Ti which has matching geometry. The downtube and toptube are flared at the headtube end allowing for a large weld area to keep things tight and it certainly works out on the road with no sloppiness from the front end under hard efforts or braking. Descending is a dream thanks to both the aforementioned headtube and geometry allowing changes of direction and speed without fear of upsetting the weight balance.
While sold as a frameset comprising frame, carbon forks, carbon seatpost, headset and seat clamp both the titanium and our version of the Gran Fondo came built up with virtually the same finishing kit creating pretty top end builds. Obviously the components have a large impact on how a bike rides but the similarity in finishing kit between the two should help us highlight any quirks with the framesets that might be attributable to the difference in frame material.Like the GF_Ti the frame is designed to take short drop brakes so that you can fit higher end more race oriented brakes that does make for issues if you're fitting guards though, but more on that later.
The Reynolds Attack clinchers are a 32mm deep mid -section race wheelset. With a weight of 1405g acceleration is rapid and the low revolving weight makes a welcome benefit when climbing. Radial DT Aerolite spokes 20 front / 24 rear (2x & radial) connect the full carbon rim to the hubs. Reynolds supply their own brake blocks with their carbon rims to work alongside the coating they apply to the braking surface. Paired with the TRP dual pivot calipers braking is superb with excellent modulation as the heat gets into the rim, twisty descents see you creating gaps between you and following riders due to how late you can brake and scrub off speed without fear of locking up. Braking in the wet is pretty horrendous though with the pads grabbing the rims sharply once the water has been cleared from the braking surface. Continental GP4000 tyres have a high level of grip wet and dry, wear rates are pretty high as well but thats the trade off for soft rubber. Puncture protection was good though with no signs of cuts or flats after a mix of wet and dry back lanes through hedge cutting season plus the usual potholed A roads.
Campagnolo's Athena 11spd levers plus front and rear mech mated to an FSA SLK Light chainset completes the drivetrain. Shifting was solid and consistent, although not quite as refined as the Chorus on the GF Ti. To be fair it was probably only noticeable when I was riding them side by side one bike and then the other as the differences are surprisingly minimal.
FSA supply the SLK UD carbon / Kevlar handlebars paired with a matching aluminium stem on our build. This setup has been on quite a few top end test bikes we've had pass through and it never fails to impress. The bar is stiff but the carbon lay up allows enough flex to stop the road vibration from irritating your ulnar nerve and the shallow drop works well with the higher front end.
As a complete build our test model was set up ideally for fast sportive riding with the lightweight carbon kit and wheels. The Selcof carbon seatpost working alongside the frame comfort means you really can spend long hours on board without the road vibrations fatiguing your contact points. The GF Sc is also adaptable, replace the carbon rims with more user friendly wheels with an aluminium braking surface and fit full mudguards and you have a winter training / audax bike. Rack mounts alongside the mudguard eyes can also be utilised for commuting or light touring. As mentioned above the balanced weight and ever so slightly relaxed geometry creates a very stable yet engaging ride. Stamp on the pedals in anger though and it will still fly, straight line speed when needed is much the same as any race bike. While not quite as comfortable as the GF Ti at just over half the price (£750) it's pretty much as close as you are going to get from an aluminium frame.
While nearly every box has been ticked so far an issue with toe overlap is a bit of a pain in traffic or making tight turns. This happens even without mudguards so fitting them only makes it worse. Like the GF_Ti without mudguards you can run tyres up to 28mm but fitting full guards brings this down to 23mm so even in the winter only race tyres are going to be possible.
Overall the Gran Fondo Scandium is well designed and built. The scandium alloy tubes provide comfort while also building into a stiff frame so that none of your power is wasted. Its ride quality and overall balanced feedback is where it plays it ace, benefitting the rider as time in the saddle increases. With mudguard and rack fitment providing huge versatility it literally can be a one bike does all, 365 days a year. It looks good too, (which we all know is important), in either the black or white colour option with a thick unblemished paintjob. It's getting on for half the price of it's titanium stablemate but it is certainly much more than half as good. If i had the money I'd go for the GF_Ti but if I didn't have that sort of cash I wouldn't be too upset at settling for the Gran Fondo SC instead. Other than the toe overlap issue, taking price, ride, finish and build quality into account there ain't much not to like.
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Kinesis Gran Fondo frameset
Size tested: 55
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Kinesis' words - "The GranFondo has plenty of 'race bike feel', it's no slack angled tourer, but the geometry is designed to be forgiving over the distance, with longer headtubes and chainstays, it's a versatile frameset too, with mudguard eyelets on frame and fork + rack mounts." As you can see from the review above they've created pretty much what they intended.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
The scandium alloy frame material is what sets this frame apart from most other aluminum bikes. The addition of scandium increases the weldability of higher yield strength alloys. Thus in turn allowing for smaller diameter tubing - less material = less weight. For the full low down take a look here http://www.eastoncycling.com/bike/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/RD-03-Scand...)
The stiffness aids accelaration and once up to speed it'll stay there all day.
Good solid welds look to be perfect for long term durability
Sensible weight to provide a fun ride without reliability trade offs
High comfort levels for an alloy frame
You're certainly getting what you're paying for
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well, as an all round long distance ride with performance to match. High levels of comfort, versatility and refinement
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Looks, balanced handling and comfort
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Toe overlap
Did you enjoy using the product? yes
Would you consider buying the product? yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? yes
Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?
As an upgrade to an existing frame or a dream bike build the Gran Fondo Scandium provides a great base.
About the tester
Age: 32 Height: 180cm Weight: 78kg
I usually ride: Genesis Flyer My best bike is: Ribble Gran Fondo
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,
Stu knocked out his first road.cc review back in 2009 and since then he's chucked the best part of seventy test bikes around the West Country, a couple of them quite literally! With three alloy and two steel bikes in his fleet he's definitely a metal man (that'll be the engineering background) but is slowly warming to that modern carbon fibre stuff along with fat tyres & disc brakes.
It's not all nostalgia though, after spending the last few years in product design Stu keeps banging on about how 3D printing is going to be the next big thing and he's a sucker for a beautiful paint job too.
4 comments
Got to ask, what is the jersey and arm warmers in the title pictures?
Yours for £59.99 if you buy the jersey/arm warmers bundle, that's what
Our very own road.cc kit and you can buy it here: http://road.cc/shop


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Jul 9, 2013
Anyone who has ever owned a Nintendo DS may well have come across Scribblenauts. Essentially it's a puzzle game set in a 2D platformer style world where the player has to solve various objectives- be it getting past a locked gate or chopping down a tree- to receive a star and advance to the next level.
What makes it unique is that it's possible to create just about any object to complete the goals. Simply tap the keyboard icon and type out a word and it will appear on the screen ready to use- just as long as it's a noun and isn't anything objectionable or trademarked. Even better it's possible to add adjectives, so rather than merely creating a giraffe it's possible to conjure up a 'tiny, angry giraffe'.
Scribblenauts Remix plays in exactly the same manner as the original DS games and in fact having played the original games I'd seen much of what Scribblenauts Remix has to offer already, as it consists of 40 old levels and just 10 new ones.
Re-used content aside it's a sublime experience. Being able to create almost anything is hugely liberating and fun, while having a touchscreen keyboard actually makes it a lot quicker to type things out than in the DS versions. The other controls are slick and more or less perfect as well. Press against the right edge of the screen to move right and the left edge to move left. Maxwell (the player character) will automatically climb up ledges and swim across water so things are kept simple. Once an object or creature has been created simply tapping and dragging it is all that's necessary to use it or equip it.
It all works brilliantly well and it looks great too. The levels are also surprisingly varied, with goals such as causing the extinction of the dinosaurs without resorting to weapons or meteors. The flip side is that as it's possible to create just about anything it's also very easy. Occasionally it's necessary to think outside the box but normally almost any level can be completed with ease- and often in dozens of different ways.
Thankfully the real fun doesn't come from the challenge; it comes from experimenting and messing around. It's basically like having a bottomless toy box. For example I found myself wondering who would win in a fight between a fire breathing lion and a mutated T-Rex, so I created them and found out (it was the T-Rex). It's a cliché but the only real limit to the fun was my imagination- and I suppose the small scale of the levels. The re-used levels are a shame but for anyone who has never played Scribblenauts this is pretty much essential- particularly at the low price of just $0.99.


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Truman Capote's Score
In Cold Blood
Poor dead Bonnie Clutter appeared to a friend in a dream. "To be murdered," she wept. "No. No. There's nothing worse. Nothing worse than that. Nothing." In Cold Blood is strewn with snatches of pregnant speech, with glimpses of things that grow and grow in the eye of memory. None of these particulars surpasses the grimly clinching effect of Mrs. Clutter's dream speech.
For the still living Mrs. Clutter, moreover, the horror of being murdered herself had been triply compounded. Roped to her bed, her lips sealed with adhesive tape, she was the last of four members of her family to be despatched by two youthful intruders, entire strangers to the family, in the Clutters' roomy farmhouse on the plains of western Kansas one moonlit night in November of 1959. At intervals she heard the gunshots—in a single instance possibly the gaspings of a slit throat as well—that announced the deaths, one by one, of her husband, her fifteen-year-old son, Kenyon, and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Nancy. For some reason Nancy Clutter's lips had been left untaped. Her head turned to the wall and away from the flashlight beamed on it, the shotgun levelled at it, she was able to plead briefly with her killers, again possibly within hearing of her mother across the hall: "Oh, no! Oh please. No! No! No! No! Don't! Oh, please don't! Please!" Mrs. Clutter's turn to be flashlighted and blasted at close range came next. Was her death a deliverance that she welcomed? Among her pitying, grieving, haunted friends in the small town of Holcomb, some hoped that it was. A dim comfort glimmered in the thought.
No other comfort was at first to be found in any aspect of the seemingly inexplicable massacre of this respected, in part beloved, family. Even those natives of the place who resorted to fanciful theorizing and secret finger pointing seem to have done so out of pure fear—a fear too burdensome to find support in religious patience or rational wait-and-see. Here and there, speculation survived the very capture and conviction of the criminals. It was suggested that still darker forces and larger figures hovered in the infinitely contorted and receding backgrounds of an occurrence so monstrous itself, so unprecedented in local history, as the Clutter murder was. Up to then, Holcomb and its environs had made up a somewhat "backward" community. A degree of frontier austerity, religious and moral, persisted in those hinterland fastnesses despite all the well-filled grain elevators, the ranch-type houses, the television sets, the outdoor movies, the teen-age dating. Overnight, as it were, Holcomb had joined the mid-twentieth century. The ages, alike of faith and of rational doubt, had been quickly passed. Our time of suspicion, this sinister synthesis of faith and doubt, of fierce conviction and mad ratiocination, had been reached.
Thus is Holcomb's brutal coming of age pictured in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.…
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Fono News
The Senate rejected in second reading last week a House bill that would increase the marriage age of a female after the Senate committee heard testimony from a church minister who told senators that the current law is sufficient because it would require a parent or guardian's consent for a young girl wanting to marry.
Current statute states that the male shall be at least 18 years of age and the female at least 14 years of age to enter into a valid marriage contract. If the female is less than 18 years of age, she must have the consent of one of her parents or her guardian.
The initial amendment proposed by the House bill was to have the female age hiked to 17 but Department of Youth and Women's Affairs director Leiataua Leuga Turner urged the House members to increase the age further — up to either 18 or 19 — which was supported by officials with the Department of Health.
The House agreed and hiked the female's age to 18, while a provision of the law requiring consent was then deleted, with the bill sent to the Senate for review and approval.
When the bill was presented last Wednesday in the Senate for vote, Sen. Lualemaga Faoa, chair of the Senate Judicial Committee, said the proposed change to the age was not good, adding that the current law is sufficient as is and recommended the bill to be rejected. It was rejected during the vote.
Prior to the Senate vote, Lualemaga's committee held a hearing where a church minister testified.
The Senate last week rejected a House bill that would subject the sponsors of foreigners who are present in the territory beyond their permitted time, to a fine.
According to the measure, the fine for individual sponsors is $10 per day while corporation or business sponsors are fined $100 per day. Revenues collected under this proposal would be placed in a separate account to be appropriated for capital improvement projects or for the government's required matching portion of such funds.
When the bill was presented to the Senate floor last Wednesday for second reading, Sen. Alo. Dr. Paul Stevenson, who chaired a Senate committee hearing on the proposal, told his colleagues that the goal of this proposal is very good.
He also said that the Attorney General Fepuleai A. Ripley had testified during a committee hearing two weeks ago about the need for funding to maintain and upgrade the Immigration computer system and the AG was suppose to provide for the committee recommendations and proposed amendments, including the appropriate account/name for the fees to be deposited in.
However, Alo said he has yet to receive any information from Fepuleai, adding that the committee suggested that the measure be presented to the membership for a final decision. The final vote had the bill rejected when it didn't get a majority vote for approval — with seven supporting the measure, and nine against it.
Chief Immigration Officer Ufuti Fa'afetai Ieremia had told the Senate committee two weeks ago that there are about 800 to 1,000 overstayers in the territory and the immigration computer systems needs about $250,000 annually for maintenance and upgrades.


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Canadian University, Publisher Promise To Fix Problems With Art History Book That Has No Photos
from the a-bit-late,-but... dept
OCAD got in touch to let us know that they've now put out a statement on the situation (pdf) in which they admit that the situation was far from ideal, and they're taking steps to deal with it. The dean claims to have met with the publisher, Pearson, who "was highly responsive." That's not too surprising, given just how much attention that original story got. They must have sensed that being on the wrong side of this one would not end well. The plan now:
- Guaranteed end-of-term buy-back of the custom text (dollar amount to be announced next week); they want to take it out of circulation.
- Provision (free) of print copies of the Stokstad text (which contains the vast majority of missing images) to all students who have purchased the reader, to use as a print-based cross-reference; these would be the relevant volumes of the portable version of Stokstad (much easier to carry) – details on how this will roll out next week.