text:
2.1 Methodology of the Study
2.2 Baseline Survey
2.3 Classification of Farmers
2.4 Group Formation
2.5 Group Structure
2.6 Level of Organization - Rules and Structure
2.7 Participation
2.8 Participatory Monitoring and On-Going Evaluation
2.9 Linkages
2.10 The Role of Women
2.11 Savings Groups
2.12 Credit
The following section will explain the methodology used for this study, the nature of SFDP groups in Thailand, and factors influencing their success or failure.
Information was collected at meetings which took place in the SFDP villages. Data collected at these meetings included: group activities, group structure and organization, election of leaders, credit/savings, monitoring and evaluation, the role of women, and future group plans.7 The number of participants in these meetings averaged 10-11 making for a total of 314 villagers interviewed in 30 villages. Translations from Thai to English were done by Mr. Dirok, a project coordinator for the Small Farmer Participatory Program, a successor to the SFDP. Mr. Dirok has a Masters Degree in plant biology and is himself the son of small farmers. Additional information was collected from project files kept at the FAO's headquarters in Rome, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAPA) in Bangkok, and the DOAE officials at the provincial, district, and sub-district levels.
7 Group Discussion Points are listed in Appendix I.Several difficulties were encountered while collecting information for this study. Due to the traditional Thai respect for authority, emphasis on harmony, and suspicions about outsiders, it was very difficult to elicit responses about problems and disagreements within SFDP groups. For example, most SFDP groups that made loans reported that they never had any trouble getting members to repay loans. Similarly, some groups reported that members never disagreed about the rules or goals of the group. It seems highly unlikely that SFDP groups did not encounter problems of this sort. Thus, the mostly likely explanation is that group members were reluctant to discuss these issues with outsiders to the village. Since this information could not be collected directly, it had to be collected indirectly by interviewing individuals separately. In addition, farmers were asked about the issues discussed at group meetings. Such questions often led to information about farmers' different points of view.
Altogether, this researcher visited and collected information on 30 SFDP groups in 31 villages. Forty nine officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension who participated in the SFDP were interviewed for this study: 5 at the national level, 8 at the provincial level, 10 at the district level, and 26 at the sub-district level. In addition, 8 individuals were interviewed who did not take part in the SFDP but who now are involved in the successor programs - the Small Farmer Participation Program (SFPP) and the Planning and Farmer Participation Development Program (PFPDP).
The baseline survey was carried out by sub-district officers of the DOAE who acted as Group Organizers for the Small Farmer Development Project. The purpose of the baseline survey was to collect data used to 1) identify small farmers, 2) identify suitable group activities, and 3) help group organizers understand the circumstances in which the small farmer lives. The baseline survey was designed with the help consultants from Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, and Songkla Universities. The length of time to complete the survey varied from village to village but averaged three to six months.
The survey was divided into four sections covering: 1) the agricultural and economic conditions of each family, 2) the social organization in the village, 3) the basic economic infrastructure of each village, and 4) the problems faced by farmers. Many sub-district extension workers who were required to carry out the baseline survey complained that it was too detailed or unreliable. Those who felt the survey was too detailed thought that the sub-district extension workers did not need to collect so much information on each household and stated that they did not use most of the information collected from the survey. Those who felt the survey was unreliable mentioned the absence of information about social conditions and the reluctance of farmers to give information that would make them appear poor. Mr. Charoen, a sub-district extension worker in Songkla province, noted that it is often difficult to obtain accurate information from the villagers. The baseline survey was not really useful since the village is in a national forest. The villagers are reluctant to tell the truth. Thus, Mr. Charoen believes the incomes for the small farmers are incorrect. Several of the sub-district extension workers stated that from their own observations they could see that much of the information from the surveys was inaccurate. As a result, these agricultural extension workers did not use these surveys when implementing the SFDP.
On the other hand, many extension workers found the baseline survey to be very useful. The baseline survey focused their attention on issues that they had never considered before. The baseline survey also gave them a much better idea of the income levels and social status of individuals in the villages. As a result, they found it much easier to identify economic and social problems that occurred during the implementation of the Small Farmer Development Program. On balance, the baseline survey was very useful although its design may have led to some inaccuracies. A successor program, the Small Farmer Participation Program has adjusted the baseline survey along the lines of Rapid Rural Appraisal. Using this method, agricultural extension workers collect a smaller amount of data more applicable to SFPP implementation. Agricultural extension workers rely less on interviews with small farmers and more on their own observations. As a result, survey results are more applicable to small farmer group formation and survey time is reduced.
The sub-district extension workers (Kaset Tambons) used the results of the baseline survey to divide farmers into the categories of small farmer, medium farmer, and big farmer according to income. All farmers below the average income of a village are considered small farmers. Using this method of classification and given the distribution of wealth in most villages, more than 50% of the households in any given village were classified as small farmers. Thus, the designation small farmer masks some large differences in individual skill and income levels within a given village. In addition, because the level of income varied from village to village and region to region, the level of income associated with the designation small farmer varied considerably from village to village. For example, the cut off line for a small farmer in the northeast village of Jote was an income of Baht 2,800 whereas the cut off line for a small farmer in the southern village of Lankwai was Baht 20,000.
Many extension workers expressed dissatisfaction with using income as a method of determining who in a village is a small farmer. In village society many factors aside from income can be important. For example, Mr. Luasin, a district officer in Songkla province, noted that some farmers have many relatives in the village who help them. In addition, the farmer many own certain physical assets that do not show up on calculations of income. Similarly, some villages have better infrastructure and access to markets increasing the welfare of households in the village. In short, a farmer's incomes may not reflect the farmer's actual welfare.
The semi-annual statistical reports give information about group formation that occurred during the Small Farmer Development Program. These are summarized below.
Table 1
Group Formation
February 1986 |
Activities |
No. Groups |
Male |
Female |
Total |
Crop |
49 |
- |
- |
640 |
Livestock |
41 |
- |
- |
580 |
Other activities |
50 |
- |
- |
50 |
Total |
140 |
- |
- |
1720 |
February 1987 |
Activities |
No. Groups |
Male |
Female |
Total |
Crop |
50 |
735 |
138 |
873 |
Livestock |
38 |
590 |
64 |
654 |
Other activities |
24 |
420 |
177 |
597 |
Total |
112 |
1745 |
379 |
2124 |
February 1988 |
Activities |
No. Groups |
Male |
Female |
Total |
Crop |
35 |
603 |
47 |
650 |
Livestock |
49 |
836 |
75 |
911 |
Other activities |
21 |
435 |
91 |
526 |
Total |
105 |
1874 |
213 |
2087 |
February 1989 |
Activities |
No. Groups |
Male |
Female |
Total |
Crop |
35 |
603 |
50 |
653 |
Livestock |
49 |
840 |
75 |
915 |
Other activities |
21 |
440 |
110 |
550 |
Total |
105 |
1883 |
235 |
2118 |
8 FAO. People's Participation in Rural Development through Promotion of Self-Help Organizations in Thailand: Project Findings and Recommendations. 1990, p. 7.Examining the data given in the semi-annual statistical reports one can see that group formation occurred rapidly in the first year (January, 1985 - February, 1986). Thereafter, group formation became stagnant and the number of SFDP groups declined from 140 groups in 1986 to 105 groups in 1988 and 1989. The figures showing the total number of SFDP participants tell a similar story, although numbers increased in the second as well as the first year of project implementation. Thus, overall participation increased from 1,720 individuals in 1986 to 2,124 individuals in 1987, declining thereafter. The longer period of increase in number of farmers participating can be attributed to the expansion of existing SFDP groups throughout 1985 and 1986. Women composed approximately 18 percent of total SFDP membership in February 1987. This figure dropped to approximately 10 percent of total membership by February 1988.
Two additional points should be made about figures from the semi-annual statistical reports. First, these numbers mask a fairly dynamic situation. During the entire period from the beginning of 1985 to the end of 1987, new SFDP groups were being formed at the same time as other SFDP groups failed. Indeed, in 1987 the SFDP was expanded from the original 30 villages to another group of approximately 30 villages as the result of the decision to continue the Small Farmer Development Program beyond the initial two year period. Second, figures from the semi-annual reports may not accurately reflect the number of self-sustaining small farmer groups. As discussed below, some of the SFDP groups were groups in name only and did not have regular meetings or work together on common problems.
This researcher visited 30 villages in Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Sawan, and Songkla Provinces which participated in the Small Farmer Development Program. In addition, one village and a training session for the bilateral Thai-Dutch SFPP were visited. Of the 30 villages visited, 15 still had successful SFDP groups engaged in savings or income generating activities. The criteria for a successful small farmer group include:
1) the group was established with the help of the sub-district officer under auspices of the Small Farmer Development Program.Group Activities2) the members of the group work together through group activities to solve common problems.
3) the group holds regular meetings and is self-sustaining (although perhaps not involved in their original activity).
4) the group creates, implements, and enforces its own rules and chooses group members for leadership positions.
The 15 active SFDP groups participated in various activities. These activities are illustrated in the table below.
Table 2
Group Activities
Activity of Group |
Number of Groups |
Percentage |
group savings |
6 |
40% |
rice bank |
3 |
20 |
village shop |
2 |
13 |
pig raising fund |
1 |
7 |
sericulture |
1 |
7 |
chicken raising |
1 |
7 |
joint irrigation |
1 |
7 |
Total |
15 |
100 |
Failed Groups
Activities of failed groups and reasons given for failure are as follows:
Table 3
Activities of Failed Groups
Activity of Group |
Number of Groups |
Percentage |
Savings group |
4 |
27% |
Chicken raising |
3 |
20 |
Vegetable growing |
3 |
20 |
Loan group |
2 |
13 |
Sheep & rabbit raising |
1 |
7 |
Fish raising |
1 |
7 |
Rubber |
1 |
7 |
Total |
15 |
100 |
Second, some of the activities chosen as group activities were not conducive to group formation and showed a high degree of failure. For example, livestock raising itself does not foster group interaction. Each household raises its own animals and provides the animals with food and care. In groups that successfully raised livestock, group members did not cooperate to raise animals but to mobilize funds for agricultural or livestock production. For example, chicken raising proved to be particularly unsuitable as a group activity. First, group members normally confined cooperation to vaccination of animals. Such vaccination prevents diseases from spreading from one household to the next. As each household raised its own chickens, groups did not require formal structures and groups did not meet regularly. Second, despite vaccination, chickens still tended to catch diseases and die. A similar situation occurred in the village raising rabbits and sheep. Thus, chicken raising and other livestock production was not a suitable activity for small farmers' groups.
A related factor in small farmer group failure was environmental problems. For example, several group activities in Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, and Nakhon Sawan provinces fell apart after droughts. Similarly, in the southern province of Songkla, groups had to abandon group aquacultural activities after salt water from the sea leached into their fresh water ponds and killed the fish. Arguably, environmental problems should not destroy a well organized small farmer group if the group has strong cohesiveness. However, as some of these environmental problems occurred in the first two to three years of the Small Farmer Development Program, they came at a crucial stage in group formation and thus caused some groups to collapse.
Third, lack of adequate record keeping skills and literacy caused problems in several of the poorest groups. The hill tribe village of Janu in Chiang Mai Province and the Thai village of Kudtuaman in Nakhon Sawan Province both reported that the group treasurer absconded with group funds causing the collapse of those groups. In Janu village, the group's treasurer was the only person in the village literate enough to keep the group's records. In Kudtuaman village also, lack of literacy prevented group members from periodically examining the group's records.
Fourth, members who needed to work as wage laborers encountered particular difficulties participating in group activities. In Wang Saithong village of Nakhon Sawan province, five of fifteen small farmers worked together to raise chickens. The other ten small farmers could not participate because they were engaged in wage labor and had no extra free time. After two years, the group collapsed for two reasons: first, a storm destroyed their chicken pen and second, two of the participating small farmers had to migrate in search of work. At the time this researcher visited Wang Saithong, only three small farmers were available for interviews. The rest had gone to Bangkok in search of work. The three small farmers that were available had just returned to harvest their crop and were planning to return to Bangkok to work after the harvesting was completed. Of the 15 SFDP groups still operating, eight or 53 percent stated that they wanted to involve wage laborers in their group activities but could not because the wage laborers needed to work.
Wage laborers encountered two major difficulties participating in SFDP groups. First, in order to participate in group activities such as borrowing funds to plant crops, wage laborers must stop day labor to plant crops, and tend to them during the growing season. During this time, these individuals have no income since they have stopped working in the labor market. Since these individuals are usually the poorest members of the community and need daily wages to survive from day-to-day, participating in group activities is very difficult. Second, wage laborers normally have to migrate in search of work. As a result, they are not present in the village to take part in community or SFDP group activities.
Finally, conflicts within SFDP groups contributed to the failure of SFDP groups. However, given the reluctance of Thai's to admit intra-group conflict to village outsiders, social tensions are probably under reported. In only one village (Klongnong in Songkla province) was intra-group conflict given as the cause of group failure. In this case, villagers organized a savings group and a village shop. However, some group members refused to abide by the rules governing the return of loans from the savings group. Disputes over interest due on overdue loans caused this group to collapse. Similarly, the SFDP shop competed with a private village shop owned by a relative of an SFDP member. This member began to complain of inaccurate accounting when the SFDP shop began to undercut the prices of the private shop. As a consequence the SFDP group running the village shop also collapsed.
The structure of SFDP groups is similar to the structure of other traditional Thai community groups. Typically, members of a small farmers group select five to seven members to serve as a governing committee. Committees usually have a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, treasurer, and one or two community relations officers. Community relations officers carry information between the members of the committee and the members of the group. In the case of loans, community relations officers make certain that members use loans for the intended purpose. Small farmer groups often select women as community relations officers because they believe women are better at communicating between members of the group.
Selection of Leaders
Typically, small farmer groups choose leaders by consensus or by vote of the members at group meetings. Small farmer groups hold such elections once each year. It is not unusual for committee members to hold the same position for several years. Most leaders complain that serving on the committee is burdensome but agree to continue to carry out their committee functions out of obligation to the group. Small farmer groups choose leaders on the basis of past leadership, by virtue of hard work on a project, or because of special skills such as being able to communicate with members well or being able to keep accurate records.
Degree of organization varied greatly from group to group. As noted above, some groups were not actually self-organized or self-sustaining. Thus, some farmers who claimed to be members of a group merely bought or sold products together to get a better price for their goods. Other groups had a highly developed organization that evolved over several years. In general, level of organization was quite high. The committees of SFDP groups usually organized the group's activities, formulated a set of rules to govern relations among members, and kept group records. In some cases, a group created very formal rules that were posted in public areas or at group meetings. In other cases, a group created informal rules. The complexity of rules tended to vary with the type of group activity. Thus, those groups which engaged in savings groups or village shops created very formal rules and maintained careful records. Those groups engaged in sericulture, livestock raising, or joint irrigation created relatively informal rules.
The FAO Peoples Participation Program aims to improve the welfare of small farmers by encouraging them to participate in their own development. In this way small farmers gain confidence, take a more active role in development, and feel that development projects really answer their needs. In many ways the SFDP achieved these results. Thus, after taking part in the SFDP, several farmers stated that the SFDP made them feel that they were important and that the government cared about them. Implicit in the PPP approach is the idea that farmers' economic and social progress depends upon their attitudes towards development and that participation in development fosters the attitudes and self-confidence that allow individuals to help themselves.
Participation in SFDP groups occurs at two levels, formal and informal. At the formal level, individuals participate through attendance at group meetings, service as committee members, and work with other members on group activities. The degree of formal participation varies greatly from person to person. Some members, generally those on the decision-making committee, demonstrate a high degree of participation. Other members, particularly the poorest, demonstrate a limited degree of participation. They only attend group meetings (held several times a year) and engage in group activities. Thus, formal participation in group decisions can be quite limited for some members of SFDP groups.
At the informal level, however, participation appears to be quite high. Members of SFDP groups participated in group decision making by talking with other members and group leaders informally. The importance of informal participation should not be underestimated. Most Thai farmers live in small communities where people know each other and individuals can easily talk to their neighbors about issues of common concern. In addition, the importance of informal participation can be seen in the weight attached to the role of community relations officers. All successful SFDP groups have at least one and often several community relations officers. These individuals not only relay information from committees to members but also communicate members views back to the committees. Taken as a whole, the degree of informal participation for all SFDP members is quite high.
It is also important to note the influence of social norms on participation in SFDP groups. First, SFDP groups do not operate differently from other groups in Thai society. Thai farmers adopt conventional Thai organizational structures when forming SFDP groups. This means that group members understand their roles at the beginning of an SFDP project. In addition, conventional Thai groups can be fairly responsive to group participation in decision making thus making success more likely. This may not occur in other countries. Indeed, even in southern Thailand group participation is more problematic due to larger income disparities between group members and religious divisions between Buddhists and Muslims. As a result, SFDP groups have been less successful in southern Thailand.
To summarize:
· formal participation in SFDP groups varies from individual to individual. Other than engaging in group activities, poor farmers often do not show a great deal of formal participation.· almost all members of SFDP groups show a high degree of informal participation by speaking with other group members.
· community relations officers play a key role in communicating information within SFDP groups and fostering individual participation.
· SFDP groups are organized along the lines of conventional Thai groups. As a result, SFDP success in encouraging participation may not be readily transferable to other countries where social norms are not as conducive to participation by small farmers.
Participatory Monitoring and On-going Evaluation (PMOE) provides a way for participants to become involved in their own development. As explained by Alexandra Stephens, FAO Home Economics and Program Officer, Participatory monitoring and evaluation serves a dual purpose. It is a management tool which enables people to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. It is also an educational process in which participants increase awareness and understanding of the various factors which affect them, thereby increasing their control over the development process. It is a process within a system which allows the beneficiaries to continuously share in assessing their own progress, and periodically evaluate themselves to learn from past mistakes.9 Thus, PMOE should encourage bottom-up participation and not just serve as a way for government officials to monitor group activities.
9 Alexandra Stephens. Participatory Monitoring and On-going Evaluation: Handbook for Training field Workers. Craftsman Press: 1990. p. 10.Unfortunately, this study found little formal monitoring or evaluation going on at the village level. In his backstopping mission in 1987, consultant Gerrit Huizer reported:
Participatory monitoring and on-going evaluation (PMOE) has until now not come fully off the ground. Monitoring is still mainly viewed as a management tool to control the work of the field staff, rather than a help to this field staff to assess jointly with beneficiaries their own accomplishments. A few experiments with 'Participatory and on-going evaluation in rural development' specially designed by Ms. A. Stephens for SFDP use have been tried out in a number of villages. To this useful system, could be added the making of 1 or 2 case-histories (1 page) of the formation of a specific group - success and/or failure - per GO. Altogether this would supply insight into how groups are actually developing, something that has been missing until now.10Despite this warning, the lack of participatory monitoring and on-going evaluation continued throughout the rest of the project period. In most active groups, the group treasurer maintained financial records. Of the 15 successful small farmer groups, 87 percent reported members examining the accounts during or after meetings. Only 47 percent of successful groups reported members examining accounts between meetings. In only two villages (13%) did groups post information on a group's material or financial progress. In addition, sub-district DOAE officers were not familiar with the concept of PMOE and so they did not encourage the use of PMOE at the village level. Instead, sub-district officers collected information for their own use or for the use of the Department of Agricultural Extension.10 Gerrit Huizer. Report on Backstopping Mission. 1987. p. 10.
At the national level, staff of the DOAE were trained several times in the techniques of PMOE. The DOAE arranged for Ms. Stephens to carry out a training session for DOAE staff in January of 1988. However, DOAE officials at the sub-district level found themselves so busy trying to Organize SFDP groups and implementing other agricultural programs that PMOE never really got off the ground. As with the credit aspect of the SFDP, PMOE seemed to suffer from lack of an individual to push for greater implementation of PMOE.
Although the Terminal Report of SFDP in Thailand (1990) reported 52 inter-group associations, the SFDP groups interviewed for this study reported few linkages with other groups. During interviews, groups were asked if they had contact with small farmer groups in other villages, Thai or foreign NGOs, government development projects, or the government run agricultural cooperatives. Most groups reported few outside linkages with any of these institutions. On the other hand, almost all villages reported some contact with the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives or government run Agricultural Cooperatives which supply credit. However, many of the small farmers in SFDP groups reported that their members were ineligible for BAAC loans due to lack of suitable collateral. In addition, small farmers often viewed BAAC application procedures as too troublesome and therefore not worth the effort involved.
Table 4
Percentage of SFDP Groups Interviewed that Reported
Contact with Other Organizations
Type of Organization |
percentage of groups |
26%11 |
Foreign NGOs |
17 |
Thai NGOs |
7 |
Universities |
7 |
Thai Government Projects |
3 |
Groups in Other Villages |
3 |
Agricultural Cooperatives |
0 |
11 76% of the 30 SFDP villages visited reported households taking BAAC loans. 17% of villages reported households taking loans from government run agricultural cooperatives. The number of group members taking loans was lower.Forty three percent of SFDP groups reported no links with any outside organization and no SFDP groups believed outside linkages were essential to continuation of group activities. Thus, outside linkages were relatively insignificant.
In addition, groups were asked how often they had contact with government officials. Government departments that work at the sub-district (Tambon) level include the Department of the Interior, Department of Education, Department of Health, and Department of Agricultural Extension. Results indicate relatively infrequent contact with local government officials although farmers have much more contact with the Department of Agricultural Extension than with any other government agency. (In fact, this is one reason why the Thai government chose the DOAE to implement the SFDP). This data can be summarized as follows:
Table 5
Frequency of SFDP Group Contact with Government
Type of Official |
Ave. Contacts/Year |
Department of Agricultural Extension - Ministry of Agriculture
and Cooperatives |
20 |
Community Development - Interior Ministry |
6 |
Health Worker - Ministry of Health |
6 |
Non-formal Education - Ministry of Education |
2 |
The Small Farmer Development Program did not explicitly address the problems of women and they are not mentioned in the objectives of the project. As a result, agricultural extension workers made no effort to treat the problems of women separately from the problems of small farmers generally. One can make several observations, however. First, most small farmers groups contain both men and women. For example, of the 15 active SFDP groups at the time of this study, 70% had both male and female members, 23% were composed of only men while 7% were composed of only women. Second, Thais view certain activities as women's activities and women ran groups formed around these activities. Third, small farmer groups often elect women to leadership positions. Most active SFDP groups have at least one woman on the committee that oversees group activities. Women often serve as group relations officers who communicate group committee decisions to group members. Finally, most of the sub-district agricultural extension workers in Thailand are men. According to an official in the Department of Agricultural Extension, women make up only 13 percent of all sub-district agricultural extension workers.
The situation of women in relation to the Small Farmer Development Program can be further elucidated by considering certain aspects of Thailand's history and culture. A consultant for the SFPP, Patchanee Natpracha notes, women have traditionally been seen in Thai society as home makers, taking care of children, men and the elderly and also of the family purse. Men have been seen as the 'providers', the head of the family, and the protectors of the nation.... [Thus] at the village level, only 0.4 percent of elected village heads are women, while at the national level women have never exceeded 3.5 percent of the members of the House of Representatives.12
12 Patchanee Natpracha. A Case Study on the Effectiveness of Women Extension Workers for Farm Women. FAO, 1989.Yet despite these figures, Thai women have always shown a high degree of participation in agricultural production and in the labor force. Women's participation rates in agriculture for 1987 are given below.
Table 6
Women's Participation in Agriculture, derived from a
report of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperatives, 1987
Activity |
Percent of work Done by Women |
Rice Cultivation |
65% |
Field Crop Cultivation |
50 |
Horticulture |
50 |
Vegetables and Home Gardening |
100 |
Sericulture |
100 |
Soil Improvement |
80 |
Plant Protection |
50 |
Farm Management |
70 |
Harvesting |
50 |
Food Preservation and Processing |
100 |
Animal Raising |
50 |
Inland Fisheries |
90 |
Source: (Dulyapach, 1985)Similarly, Ms. Patchanee reports that:
Average monthly wages both in the farm and non-farm sectors are lower for women. In the private sector, women's average wage is about two-thirds that of men, while in Government, with equal pay policies, women are concentrated in the lower echelons where average salaries are less. Unemployment rates are higher for females in the current labor force in both rural and urban areas. Education is seen as the major determinant of modern sector employment in Thailand, and women's comparative lack of education is a contributing factor to their low wages, poor opportunities for advancement, and lack of skills and knowledge.13Given these conditions, it would be appropriate for the FAO to focus more strongly on the problems of women in future PPP projects.13 Patchanee Natpracha. A Case Study on the Effectiveness of Women Extension Workers for Farm Women. FAO, 1989.
Small Farmers complained that obtaining official loans through the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) was difficult. Branches of the BAAC were hard to reach and small farmers felt that the application procedure was too difficult. Also, before 1988 the BAAC did not approve loans without physical collateral. Since many small farmers do not own land, they found it impossible to borrow money from the bank. Thus, many small farmers found it easier to obtain loans from the local money lender rather than from the BAAC even though the money lender's interest rates were higher.
Due to the difficulty qualifying for commercial loans, a popular activity of SFDP groups was the formation of savings groups for the purpose of accumulating and securing better access to capital. Of the 15 active SFDP groups 6 (40%) engaged in savings activities. These savings groups loaned accumulated funds to group members for various productive activities. Most savings groups required their members to deposit 10-30 Baht per month on a specified day each month. Savings could then be lent out to members of the group for productive activities. Borrowers needed to obtain the signatures of one or two guarantors who would pay back the loan if the borrower defaulted. Normally borrowers signed a contract with the savings group which clarified the terms of the loan. Savings groups usually lent their funds at rates of between two and four percent per month for a period of 3-6 months. Loans were used for inputs (fertilizer and seed) for agricultural production (rice, mushrooms) or for livestock production (chickens, pigs, and cattle). Many savings groups wanted to raise enough capital for a community project (such as a meeting hall) or to increase the scale of production (for example, many farmers raising pigs wanted to raise cattle which are easier to feed and command higher prices).
However, savings groups were not the only method used to mobilize savings. Small farmers created rice banks, livestock funds, and village shops to raise funds and put members savings to work. In the process even greater sums of money could be raised for loans or increased productive activities. For example, small farmer groups usually used the income from village shops to purchase a wider range of goods or otherwise improve the shop. In this way, village shops provided a new method to increase group savings and mobilize capital for productive activities. If rice banks, livestock funds, and village shops are considered forms of saving then approximately 87 percent of successful SFDP groups engaged in some form of savings activity.
The initial SFDP proposal included a plan for a guarantee-cum-risk fund of US$ 40,000 for income generating activities. Due to difficulties finding a Thai financial institution willing to participate in the guarantee-cum-risk fund, this amount was later reduced to US$ 12,000. However, during the course of the SFDP, the credit component of the project was never implemented. Instead, the funds set aside for this purpose were used for additional training of DOAE staff and to cover overexpenditures exceeding the amounts given in the allotment allocation.
Initial attempts to establish credit facilities were unsuccessful. There appear to be several reasons for this failure. First, the FAO was unable to obtain an acceptable letter of agreement from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives. On February 10, 1986 FAO headquarters in Rome reported that the draft letter of agreement dated December 1985 was not acceptable. The problems included a letter of agreement that was a) tripartite instead of bilateral, b) not explicit regarding the operation of the fund or group liability mechanisms, c) did not link credit with savings, and d) contained unclear language subject to misinterpretation.
Second, the BAAC proved reluctant to provide a guarantee-cum-risk fund. In April 1986 a senior DOAE official reported to FAO headquarters, We would like to inform you of an agreement with the bank on guarantee-cum-risk fund that the bank is seemingly unwilling to work on this matter. It prefers granting credit to farmers individually but not in kind of group and favors revolving fund rather than guarantee cum risk fund. If possible we would like to request for extension and modification of guarantee cum risk fund to be applied as revolving fund with another bank from now on. More details are to be specified as soon as we receive official rejection from the bank.14 At this point, the credit aspect of the SFDP took a back seat as DOAE and FAO officials concentrated on the major task of implementing the SFDP at the village level.
14 Note from Dr. Pote to Dr. Reynolds, April 1986.In August 1988, in an effort to get the credit component of the SFDP off the ground, a local Thai consultant, Dr. Makha Khittasangka, was hired. Dr. Makha was contracted 1) to organize meetings between the DOAE and the BAAC and 2) to draft an acceptable letter of agreement for the establishment of a Revolving Loan Fund for joint FAO, DOAE, and BAAC signature. Dr. Makha completed this task in December of 1988. During the negotiations, the BAAC's main concern was that sub-district officers of the DOAE would be needed to monitor the loans since the BAAC maintained only limited staffing at the district level. To get the loan fund running, Dr. Makha recommended that US$ 25,000 be set aside for initial capitalization of the Revolving Loan Fund.
However, the Revolving Loan Fund was never set up. This occurred for two reasons. First, the SFDP was due to terminate in December 1988. There was no point in setting up a revolving loan fund for a project that was about to terminate. Second, the funds set aside in the original Plan of Action had already been used for training purposes. In addition, given the fact that December 1988 expenditures exceeded the budget, not enough SFDP project funds remained for a US$ 25,000 capitalization.
Thus, there are several explanations for why the credit aspect of the SFDP was not implemented. First, the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives was reluctant to participate in the original guarantee-cum-risk fund. The bank complained of large overhead costs for individual loans at the sub-district level. In addition, the BAAC was reluctant to loan money to farmers without physical collateral. Since many SFDP groups were composed of small farmers with little or no land, the BAAC was wary of lending to them. This situation only changed in 1988. With the end of the prototype SFDP project, the National Economic and Social Planning Board (NESPB) approved nation-wide replication of the People's Participation approach. At this point in time the BAAC changed its policies and began to lend to groups on the basis of group liability. Thus, while the SFDP did not contain a Revolving Loan Fund based on group liability, after 1988 the BAAC began to loan to non-SFDP farmer groups on the basis of group liability. In this way, many small farmers were able to gain access to credit even though the SFDP did not formally integrate such credit in its Plan of Action.
Second, it appears that the credit component of the SFDP was overlooked by both the DOAE and RAPA staff while they concentrated their efforts on creating small farmer groups at the sub-district level. The presence of a designated individual in the FAO RAPA office to take responsibility for the credit component of the Small Farmer Development Program might have helped to prevent the credit fund from being overlooked.
In conclusion, the FAO should push harder for credit schemes to accompany the PPP projects. Small Farmers clearly need credit as a supplement to income generating activities. In addition, both the small farmer groups and DOAE officers complained that the DOAE did not give them enough monetary support. Thus, small farmers did not have the capital to initiate and sustain many income generating activities.
Finally, the following points should be made regarding provision of credit for small farmer projects:
1) Rates of return to agricultural activities are high. Small farmer groups who mobilized savings and loaned money to members charged interest rates of 24 to 48 percent per year. That farmers are willing to borrow funds at these rates shows the high rates of return from agricultural activities.2) Small farmers often use savings funds in emergencies to help the poorest or most affected members of the village community. Thus, loans offer some protection to the members of the community who need it most.
3) Small farmers have difficulty gaining access to banks. Many small farmers commented on the troublesome process of obtaining bank loans. Farmers indicated they would rather do with out loans or borrow money from village money lenders despite the high rates of interest rather than borrow from the bank. Many small farmers think it is too difficult to gain access to the BAAC.
4) Some SFDP groups collapsed due to lack of financial support. Small farmers, sub-district officers, RAPA staff, and SFPP consultants all indicated that some groups failed due to lack of promised credit. In these cases small farmers needed the loans to get a project off the ground. Failing to receive promised loans, they quickly became disheartened. Thus, lack of access to credit caused these groups to fail.


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Does the Ace Attorney franchise have the chops to take on the investigations and crime scenes?
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What is "law," and what is "justice?" This English-subtitled trailer jacks your dome with these answers and other knowledge.
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The crime has been committed, now it's up to an Ace Attorney to get to the bottom of it.
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The search for evidence amongst the crime scene begins in Ace Attorney Investigations.
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The investigation is brought to the close in the Nintendo DS Ace Attorney title.
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Franziska? I thought you were still in Germany...
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I guess I gotta arrest you then, pal!
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Converse with all sources and suspects to solve the crime.
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The opening cinematic for the Japanese version.
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Investigate this gameplay for great justice.
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Week of
May. 03
Week of
May. 10
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May. 17
Release Date: 05/05/2015
Release Date: 05/07/2015
An action-packed shooter from London-based developer Roll7.
Xbox One, PS4, PC
Release Date: 05/19/2015
The Witcher series has expanded into open-world monster hunting territory with its latest iteration. Expect plenty...

subset: commoncrawl


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THE ONLINE VERSION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES FEATURES SEVERAL USEFUL TOOLS THAT STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT. TODAY'S PAPER ONLINE They can read the exact contents of that day's print version of the newspaper using the website. It also allows them to access the previous week's newspapers
VOCABULARY Every word of every online article can be looked up using the dictionary feature.
EMAIL NEWSLETTERS Various personalized newsletters and news alerts can be sent to subscribers' email addresses. Possibilities include everything from Travel features to Politics. There is also a daily edition.
THE NEW YORK TIMES ON FACEBOOK Students can set up theri Facebook pages to include New York Times articles in their News Feed.
"TIMES TOPICS": a credible alternative to Wikipedia"Times Topics" is a compilation of material from The New York Times. This neatly arranged archival information is invaluable for research. It can be an excellent alternative to Wikipedia in terms of a starting place. A description from the website: "Each topic page collects all the news, reference and archival information, photos, graphics, audio and video files published on topics ranging from Madonna to Myanmar. This treasure trove is available without charge on articles going back to 1981." TO ACCESS IT:
ROOM FOR DEBATE BLOG: credible experts debate current topicsThe "Room for Debate" blog offers lively, informed discussions amongst leading experts on current topics. AFTER DEADLINE BLOG The New York Times takes an opportunity to critique its own grammar and style. |


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Home > Topics > Marine Fisheries Topics > Shellfish Tagging Program | ||
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New commercial shellfish tagging and handling requirements were adopted in June 2011 for Narragansett Bay, Winnipaug Pond, Quonochontaug Pond, Ninigret Pond, Point Judith Pond, and Great Salt Pond. The following "RI Shellfish Harvest Area Tagging Maps" reflect the new zones that must be identified on the tags. Text detailing these requirements can be found on page 22, Part 4.31 - Tagging of Shellfish of the RI Marine Regulations |


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Speed Commerce, Inc. (the "Company" or "Speed Commerce") is a leading provider of flexible end-to-end E-commerce services to retailers and manufacturers. We provide web platform development and hosting, order management, fulfillment, logistics and contact center services which provide clients with easy-to-implement, cost-effective, transaction-based services and information management tools. We manage over 1.3 million square feet of fulfillment center from our facilities in Columbus, Ohio and Dallas, Texas, utilizing advanced automation technology such as high-efficiency unit sortation, pick-to-pack conveyors and radio frequency ("RF") scanning. We also operate three customer contact centers to enhance our clients' brand experience. Our corporate headquarters and web development and technology operations are based in Dallas, Texas. ... More ...
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Join GayCities, the fun way to discover the world
See where your friends and people like you are going and what they say about places and events worldwide.INSIDE SEATTLE
Gay Seattle: When the sun shines
Seattle has long been ridiculed for its dreary weather, but when the sun comes out, this city shines. The surroundings are spectacularly beautiful, with Elliott Bay and Lake Washington on either end of the city with a view of Mount Rainier in the distance. The city has come alive in recent years aided primarily by... More
THE Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic comes to Seattle!
Sunday May 17, 2015 - 4:00pm
Cocktails-Community-Key West! www.gaycities.com/cocktailclassic RSVP at www.gaycities.com/cocktailclassic/cities/seattle North America's only annual inter...
courtesy of Cuff Complex
The Cuff Complex
More muscleMasculine men hang out in this complex for a variety of fun events, dancing and strong pours. Earlier in the evening the crowd is a bit older and tougher; it gets younger and... More
Hochi01Jump to: Gay Bars - Restaurants - Gay Friendly Hotels - Shops & Boutiques - Gyms & Spas - See all »
Seattle Erotic Art Festival
Join us for three days of celebration of the world's finest eroti...
Thursday Apr 23, 2015 , 1 person are in
Queer Geek! Board Game Meetup - April (Fourth Sunday)
Just a chance to meet up for some LGBTQ-flavored gaming and socia...
Sunday Apr 26, 2015 - 1:00pm, 1 person are in
Collide-O-Scope: Waiting for God, Oh! April 27th
Behold people of Seattle, for unto you in the heavenly halls of R...
Monday Apr 27, 2015 - 6:45pm-10:30pm, 1 person are in
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1. Vivace Espresso Bar (6 fans)
A beautiful cup of coffee
2. Julia's on Broadway (6 fans)
Light fare and cocktails in this Broadway-themed spot
3. Charlie's On Broadway (2 fans)
Seattle classic
4. Stellar Pizza (5 fans)
Old-school pizzeria where everything is made to order
5. Lola (4 fans)
Modern Mediterranean with North African riffs


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CRASH into Spring!
Brooklyn Industries celebrated their Spring 2012 Collection launch during New York's Fashion Week with a cocktail party and fashion presentation at their Union Square location and Industry was there to get the first look at the collection. A labor of love by the design team, their Spring Collection, inspired by J.G. Ballard's 1973 novel Crash was stylistically interpreted to include a message that centers around humanity and technology, injected with elements of eroticism and modernity. Despite dealing with such a heavy muse, Brooklyn Industries designers made sure to fuse a light-hearted playful approach into the collection while gracing the surface of the novels rich themes.
Photographs by Mike Leto
Be Scene


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WACO, Texas-(GCU Media Relations) For the second consecutive year, Grand Canyon University senior first baseman Michael Pomeroy has been tabbed as the best defensive first baseman in the country after garnering national NCAA Division I ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award honors, as announced by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) today.
He picked up the same award last season at first base, as he also won the honor when the Antelopes were members of the Pacific West Conference and NCAA Division II.
Additionally, he was yesterday named to the West Region Gold Glove Team.
"This is exciting for Michael and for our program," said head coach Andy Stankiewicz. "He worked so hard on his defense. It has always been a high priority to him and we have been fortunate to have him. Michael saved us so many times because of his ability at first base."
"To win the Gold Glove in back-to-back years and at two different levels in the NCAA, that is a credit to him for how hard he worked," added Stankiewicz. "That is something that no one can take away from him."
During his senior campaign, Pomeroy collected 510 putouts and 54 assists in 564 total chances without an error for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. He started each of GCU's 53 games at first base this past season.
Along with his outstanding numbers defensively, Pomeroy hit .309 (67-for-217) with 21 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple, home run, and 31 RBI during the 2014 season. He strung together a 13-game hit streak from April 18-May 11, during which time he hit .417 (25-for-60). Pomeroy collected his 200th career hit in the eighth inning on May 5 at Washington.
Pomeroy last committed an error on April 26, 2012, ending his career with 110 consecutive errorless games.
"I'm glad that all of my hardwork has paid off and that I was able to finish my career at the top of my position," said Pomeroy. "I am also excited to bring this award to GCU for the second year in a row."
2014 Rawlings/ABCA NCAA Division I Gold Glove Team
Name | Position | Year | School |
Michael Pomeroy | 1B | Sr. | Grand Canyon |
Brooks Marlow | 2B | Jr. | Texas |
Matt Chapman | 3B | Jr. | Cal State Fullerton |
Vince Conde | SS | So. | Vanderbilt |
Logan Brown | OF | Jr. | Baylor |
Austin Cousino | OF | Jr. | Kentucky |
Pete Leonello | OF | Sr. | Long Island |
Chris Hoo | C | Sr. | Cal Poly |
Luke Weaver | P | Jr. | Florida State |


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Ghost Towns
During the gold rush in the 1890's a number of towns were established in the Goldfields. These towns boomed with gold miners. Many towns had at least 5 hotels, a number of pubs, and shops.
Coolgardie is a famed gold-mining town of yesteryear, located in the heart of Australia's Golden Outback. This destination is rich in history and arguable on of the most significant destinations in Western Australia. Coolgardie is one of the most famed ghost towns in Australia, and in the world. The discovery of gold in 1982 transformed Coolgardie into a bustling Mecca of hope and prosperity. However, in 1985 the gold rush ended abruptly, as did Coolgardie's population boom; reverting Coolgardie to a ghost town once more. Today, whilst visitors stand in the towns narrow streets they can often feel the eerie presence of history and catch a glimpse of life so many years ago.
Kalgoorlie is one of the few towns that survived when the gold miners left and is a great place to start off from to explore the ghost towns.
Ghost towns like Ora Banda, Broad Arrow and Kookynie are literally skeletons of their former glory days. Explore the remains of empty buildings and the few that still operate businesses.
Best Western Hospitality Inn Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie has a rich history steeped in the romance, hard times and booming success of the gold mining industry. Located on historical Hannan Street, the Best Western Hospitality Inn Kalgoorlie offers quality, affordable accommodation and a host of on-site facilities, complemented by warm and friendly country hospitality provided by experienced management and staff. more
Comfort Inn Midas Motel
"Experience the Midas Touch" Comfort Inn Midas is the closest Motel to the CBD of Kalgoorlie offering warm friendly home away from home style accommodation ranging from 3.5 to 4 star rating. more
Quest Yelverton Kalgoorlie
Offering the finest accommodation in the Western Australian Goldfields region, Quest Yelverton Kalgoorlie is located conveniently within walking distance to Kalgoorlie's restaurants, entertainment and business district. more
Ghost Towns
During the gold rush in the 1890's a number of towns were established in the Goldfields. These towns boomed with gold miners. Many towns had at least 5 hotels, a number of pubs, and shops. more
Kalgoorlie Arboretum
Come and enjoy the peaceful surrounds of the Kalgoorlie Arboretum, with walking trails and grassy areas for picnics. more
Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail
Follow the C.Y. O'Connor pipeline as it pumps water from Mundaring Weir to Kalgoorlie. more
Kalgoorlie-Boulder are historic adjoining towns with its architecture and wide street reflecting the gold rush era but it still offers modern facilities to visitors and residents. Located 596km east of Perth, this gold mining capital has a population of 30,000. more
Hannans North Tourist Mine
Hannans North Tourist Mine (formerly known as the Mining Hall of Fame) provides self-guided tours of historical and contemporary mining exhibits. more


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Govt withdraws language clause in Class IV jobs
No animal sacrifice in public view: HC
Report bares Char Dham ills
80 participate in drive against domestic violence
Anushuya Mata Ashram most sought-after by childless couples
Champawat residents seek more water schemes
NSUI begins drive against fake colleges
Haridwar shelterless step up stir
Initiative to make health care toxic free launched
Armed Forces Flag Day celebrated
Ex-servicemen thank CM
Policies to provide relief to disaster-hit sought
Human Rights helpline launched
Jagatram Joshi to be SP (City)
Lok Awaas Yatra begins
Homage paid to AIDS victims
Brij Bhushans death mourned
Govt withdraws language clause in Class IV jobs
Nainital, December 8 Incidentally, the local media which remains divided on parochial lines, had decided to underplay the issue. It is learnt that the matter was raised vociferously by Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik, who comes from Haridwar, at a Cabinet meeting held in the state capital yesterday after which it was decided to withdraw the clause that had made knowledge of Kumaoni, Garhwali and Jaunsari essential for those seeking employment in the Class IV category of jobs in various departments. The timely decision is being seen a fire-fighting exercise to douse the flames of discontent against Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank-led BJP government in the state. Yesterday also various parts of the Terai saw a series of protests on the issue. The protests were fuelled by the parties like the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) who have a considerable voter base in the plain regions of the state and all their elected representatives have been from this region. The main Opposition party, the Congress, had also been holding protests across the region over the past few days. In Rudrapur, workers of the SP had gone ahead with burning the copies of the controversial order blaming the government for trying to divide the people of the state on the lines of hill areas and plains. Activists of the Congress on the other hand burnt effigies of the state government for issuing such an order, accusing the government of destroying the social fabric while impinging upon the basic rights of the people living in the plain areas. Congress leader Premlata Singh in a media briefing accused the Nishank government of dividing people. She said the popularity graph of the government was at an all-time low with controversies like the Citurgia Bio-chemical land use case and that related to the power projects exposing the misdeeds of the government. |
No animal sacrifice in public view: HC
Dehradun, December 8 A bench, comprising Chief Justice Barin Ghosh and Justice VK Bisht, granted this interim relief to state representative and member secretary of People for Animals, Uttarakhand Chapter, and petitioner Gauri Maulekhi, who in her PIL had sought a ban on organising slaughter fiesta on December 11 at the Bhookhal Kalinka temple. The bench also ordered Maulekhi, who herself argued the case, to give out a public notice in daily newspapers inviting any person or peoples representative to support or object to her plea. The court further issued notices to the state of Uttarakhand, Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Home), Secretary (Animal Husbandry) and the Member Secretary, the Environment Pollution Control Board, asking them to submit their respective counter affidavits within three weeks. Hindu Shakti Sena hails HC decision
The Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Shakti Sena has welcomed Nainital High Courts decision to check public sacrifice of animals at the Bhookhal fair in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. Welcoming the decision, Swami Virendra Giri, national Vice-President of the Shakti Sena, also called for a blanket ban on religious sacrifices taking place at temples across hills in Uttarakhand. There are a total of 250 temples where such sacrifices take place. Such rituals in the name of religion must be discontinued at all costs, Giri pointed out. Giri has also submitted a memorandum to Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva seeking her intervention for checking animal sacrifice at Bhookhal. He said several of organisations linked to Uttarakhandis residing in other parts of the country had come forward to oppose this heinous practice. The sena has also asked the Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Speaker, Opposition leader and Director-General of Police to take a pro-active role in checking animal sacrifice in Pauri Garhwals Bhookal fair. |
Report bares Char Dham ills
Dehradun, December 8 As per the report, there is no awakening regarding the potential future of eco-tourism among government heads and key operators. The government agencies have also been pulled up for a lack of coordination among them on this issue. The various important wings of government, which are working for the tourism sector, such as the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, Forest Department and the International Food and Agricultural Development Organisation (both promoting eco-tourism) and the Ministry of Culture and private sector, in terms of collaboration in marketing efforts have not been collaborating well with one another. There is a low environment awareness among overall population, domestic tourists, resort owners and developers. Strict conservation laws are restricting the eco-tourism and other related developmental activities, including the efforts to protect environment. A lack of conservation management in places like Gangotri is equally glaring. The government houses are suffering from poor design quality and tourism facilities. Poor quality accommodation run by public sector has been leaving poor taste with tourists. Lacking rail services coupled with slack administrative set up and poor electric supply are further let-downs. |
80 participate in drive against domestic violence
Dehradun, December 8 A large number of non-government organisations (NGOs) such as Mahila Kalyan Samiti, Jandesh, Mount Valley, Disha and many others were present at the convention. The drive against domestic violence has already commenced from November 25 and will continue till December 10 comprising village-level meetings, padyatras, street plays, rallies, distribution of posters, pamphlets and literature among masses. The meeting was followed by a workshop, which was chaired by Sushila Baluni, president of State Women Commission. The participants in the workshop were informed about womens rights and guidelines mentioned in the Women Protection Act, 2005. While addressing the convention, Sushila said, Women affected by domestic violence must always protest against the act and come up in public instead of keeping mum. In fact, if anybody comes across such an incident occurring in their neighbourhood, he should take up a stand and interrupt then and there or report it in police. Our mission is to make people aware about women rights and encourage people to discontinue domestic violence at state level first and then all over India, said Sushila. |
Anushuya Mata Ashram most sought-after
Dehradun, December 8 Ten kilometres from Chamoli district headquarters Gopeshwar, the Anushuya Mata Ashram is the most sought-after destination for childless couples, particularly those aspiring for a son. It is a strong belief among villagers that paying obeisance to Goddess Anushuya blesses them with a son. The fair that takes place during Chaturdashi Poornima in December attracts visitors from Uttarakhand and other states of the country. President, Shri Anushuya Trust Samiti, Kunwar Singh Negi said not only local villagers, but Uttarakhandis residing across the country also do not give a miss to this fair. The wish for a son brings people to this fair and certainly their wishes do not go unfulfilled, he pointed out. The mela this year took place during December 1 and 2. The shobhya yatra followed by the performance of worship and mahabhog took place at the Anushuya temple. The fair also had participation of school-going children, who gave a cultural presentation. Vijaya Rawat, president, Mela Samiti, coordinated the proceedings under the supervision of Chandra Singh Imlilal, Sub-Division Magistrate, Chamoli, and the Mela office. |
Champawat residents seek more water schemes
Pitthoragarh, December 8 The residents of Lohaghat put before the Commissioner a memorandum demanding immediate construction of the proposed artificial lake near Kolidhek village and grant money to install sever lines in the town. We have demanded to develop infrastructure to attract tourist in Lohaghat town which had been a tourist spot during the British era, said Meenu. During his visit to Champawat and Lohaghat towns as well as four blocks, the Commissioner found that the fire-fighting equipment had not been installed in the Champawat Collectorate and other offices of the district and ordered for the installation of the same immediately. The natural calamity affected villages should be given priority in protecting themselves during this winter and should be provided ration and essential clothing, said Kunal Sharma. According to the people of Champawat this is the second visit of a Commissioner to the area after the district was created 12 years ago. Owing to this administrative negligence, the basic infrastructure of Champawat district has not been developed even after 12 years of creation of the district which is keeping the district in category of backward ones in the state, said JS Dhek, senior advocate and President of the District Bar Association, Champawat. |
NSUI begins drive against fake colleges
Dehradun, December 8 Addressing the media, Sandeep said the party would first file an RTI for seeking fee structure and other remuneration earned throughout an academic year. We will then ask the administration to reduce fee hikes in schools and colleges of Dehradun and close down fake educational institutions that can ruin the career of many. NSUI workers are also contemplating to demand from the state government that it enforces a strict law against fraudulent academic institutions in Uttarakhand for the welfare of students, added Kumar. Also present on the occasion were Shivesh Bahuguna, state vice-president, Vijay Raturi and others. |
Haridwar shelterless step up stir
Haridwar, December 8 Taking the cause of providing homeless people with homes, the Hind Rashtriya Awami Hukook Party steeped up its campaign to get shelter for the deprived. The party activists, along with the homeless, are carrying out various programmes and agitation to draw the attention of the government and people to this issue. Murslein Qureshi of the Hukook Party, while addressing a rally here today said poor peoples main problem was food and shelter, but the government had failed to provide even shelter to them, let alone food security. Thousands live in cold, hot and rainy seasons without a rooftop or are forced to live in temporary shelters which is a blow to the Indian democracy and exposes the frailties that have crept into the various schemes run by the Central and state governments, said Anissa Bano, a woman activist from Jwalapur. Crores of rupees are allocated under the Rashtriya Awas Yojna for providing shelter to the needy but it seems the schemes are confined to the paper work only. |
Initiative to make health care toxic free launched
Dehradun, December 8 The initiative is based on last years regional workshop on making health care toxic free that stressed on the importance of a policy initiative in BMW management in the state. A series of activities have been planned to orient resources towards this objective. They also intend to prepare a status report on the BMW management and capacity building of the health-care facilities to address the identified gaps in the state. It is also planned to develop two health-care facilities as model institutions, which can be replicated in other facilities. In this regard, training on BMW management and mercury elimination in four health-care facilities in Dehradun and in Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal are being held. The first such training will be held at Shri Mahant Indresh Hospital, Patel Nagar, Dehradun, on December 7 and 8 this year. |
Armed Forces Flag Day celebrated
Dehradun, December 8 On the occasion, the Governor extended greetings to serving soldiers, ex-soldiers, their dependents and family members of martyr soldiers, and said every Indian must be proud of the countrys brave soldiers who were ready to sacrifice their lives in the service of the motherland. On August 28, 1949, the Union Defence Ministry took a decision to celebrate December 7 every year as Commemoration Day to remember the sacrifices of the nation's brave soldiers. This was started in the form of donning stamp-size flags on one's person and vehicles and making cash contribution to the Flag Day Fund for the welfare of soldiers and their families. Those who were present on the occasion included Secretary to the Governor Ashok Pai, Director, Soldiers Welfare, Brig AN Bahuguna, Deputy Director, Soldiers Welfare, Col AS Chauhan, ADC to the Governor Krishna Kumar VK, PS to the Governor Rajendra Chauhan and Chief Security Officer Jagdish Arya. DM presented
Meanwhile, the day was observed all over the city here on Tuesday. To mark the occasion, District Sainik Welfare and Rehabilitation Officer Lt Col Anil Wadhwa presented a replica of the flag to Dehradun District Magistrate (DM) Sachin Kurve. After paying tributes, the DM said everyone should remember the sacrifices made by the martyrs as it was due to them that the country was safe on today. Plea to make donation
NAINITAL: The Armed Forces Flag Day was observed across the region today. In Nainital a flag was pinned on District Magistrate Shailesh Baguli by Col DS Nyal. Bagauli said the day was observed every year to make people aware of the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces. In Rudrapur, District Servicemen Welfare and Rehabilitation Officer Major BS Rautela pinned a flag on District Magistrate BVRC Purshottam, who made a donation to the Soldiers Welfare Fund. Purshottam appealed to people to make generous contribution for the welfare of the dependents of soldiers who had made the supreme sacrifice, disabled soldiers and their dependents. |
Ex-servicemen thank CM
Dehradun, December 8 He thanked the CM for allowing them this facility. He requested him to remove the constraint over prevention of sell off of new vehicles for 10 years.
Policies to provide relief to disaster-hit sought
Dehradun, December 8 Sushila Baluni, president of the State Women Commission, chaired the convention while Ritupriya, Professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, was the chief guest on the occasion. Addressing the meeting, Geeta Gairola, Director, Mahila Samakhya, asserted that climatic catastrophe had hit most of Uttarakhand this year resulting in affecting a large number of people, specially children and women. We urge the state government to formulate schemes and policies to provide rehabilitation and relief to the affected. The state government should now work on disaster management beforehand so as to prevent further repercussions, said Gairola. The administration should try to strengthen institutes working for disaster management,
she added. |
Human Rights helpline launched
Haridwar, December 8 A meeting was held at the district office situated near the Chandracharya Chowk in which all executive working members were appointed and given respective working charges by state president Nitina Chaudhari. Urging all newly inducted members, state vice-president Shreya Kumar Sharma said working for safeguarding human rights of the suppressed was the aim of the organisation in which every member had to play a vital role. Gobind Aggarwal was elected president of the district unit, Thakur general secretary, Sachin Aggarwal vice-president and Uday Ram Semwal district organisation secretary, while other executive members appointed were Seema, Pragati, Tarif Malik and Sapna. Informing about the working plan of the association, Uday Ram Semwal informed that the foremost working was to induct as many members in the association, particularly in rural areas so that rights of people were protected if the administration failed to address their woes. |
Jagatram Joshi to be SP (City)
Dehradun,December 8 He has won the case in the Supreme Court against his transfer. He was transferred to the PAC, Rudarpur, after an alleged beating incident of a BJP MLA a few months ago. The upright officer had filed a petition against his transfer in the High Court and the court had asked the government to restore his posting. However, the government had filed an application against the order in the Superme Court which has given its decision in the favour of Joshi. He is likely to join the new job in a day or two. |
Dehradun, December 8 The Matu Jansaghathan that has been strongly opposing power projects in the state hills has expressed apprehension over the feasibility of the proposed Devsari in the Deval region of the Pindar Valley. The organisation has written to the GSI regarding the Pinder Valley in Chamoli district. The villages around the Pinder river have been the site of many landslides this year. It is of the utmost urgency that this area be surveyed, said founder president of the organisation Vimal Bhai.
Lok Awaas Yatra begins
Dehradun, December 8 In the keynote address, chief guest Sundarlal Bahuguna said the houses should be climate controlled and the raw material usage should be according to the climate of that region. Minimum usage of land while building the houses is the only solution to solve the habitat problem of the over-growing population, said
Bahuguna. |
Homage paid to AIDS victims
Dehradun, December 8 Organisation founder Hemant Kumar Sethi
said a positive attitude in life was important to fight AIDS. Members Sanjay Rana, Sayyad Iketedar Ali,
Subhash Chand, Samridhi Kotnala, Dharmver and Disha Sharma organised these tribute meetings. |
Brij Bhushans death mourned
Dehradun, December 8 The others present at the session included Brijesh Narayan, Darminder Kumar, Deepak
Goyal, Arti Varma, Richa, Ayushi Pant and Piyush
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Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Bengals are a professional football team that plays in the National Football League (NFL). They have represented the American Football Conference (AFC) in two Super Bowls (1982, 1989).
The Bengals joined the American Football League (AFL) as an expansion team in 1968. Paul Brown, who had become one of the most respected coaches in the game at the helm of the Cleveland


text: ECE Projektmanagement, the European market leader for shopping centers, is developing a first-class shopping center in Varna. With its more than 54,000 sq. m of leasable area, more than 220 high-quality shops, and approx. 2,300 parking lots, the Cherno More Park will create an attractive shopping location in the strongly growing town at the Black Sea coast. The total investment volume of Cherno More Park is 150 mln EUR. The completion is planned for 2010. Cherno More Park will be located on Vladislav Varnencik Boulevard, one of the most important transport axes of Varna. Several bus lines stop in front of the center. In view of its good connection to the area's traffic network, Cherno More Park will become the top shopping destination for Varna, the largest port city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest town of the country. The main focus of the shopping mall will be on international fashion. Textile department stores, a market for consumer electronics, a hypermarket and a sports store will act as anchor tenants. Several international retail companies have already committed themselves to the project. Commonly referred to as the marine capital of Bulgaria, Varna is a major tourist destination. Tourism is of foremost importance with the beachfront resorts of Golden Sands, Holiday Club Riviera and others, attracting millions of visitors each year.


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Michael Rand started RandBall with hopes that he could convince the world to love jumpsuits as much as he does. So far, he's only succeeded in using the word "redacted" a lot. He welcomes suggestions, news tips, links of pure genius, and pictures of pets in Halloween costumes here, though he already knows he will regret that last part.
Follow Randball on Twitter
We have no idea what the odds are, but they are certainly better than the odds of winning a billion dollars by picking all the NCAA tournament winners.
A math class we took about 25 years ago tells us that we *think* the chances of at least lining up all 16 games properly would be one in 16! (Sorry, that's not 16 exclamation point. That's 16 factorial. Which means 16*15*14*13 and so on. So that's like 1 in 20 trillion). But the Rams play three teams twice, so that's probably not right. Also, it's quite possible we have forgotten something about the maths in all those years.
But then you also have to guess what day the game is on, whether it is home or away, plus the bye week.
In any event, it's probably a lot harder than it sounds. But if you want to try, here is the link! The Rams are happy for your patronage!


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SLUG:sm-bluecrabs26 DATE:April 23, 2009 CREDIT: Mark Gail/TW
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{{ link.name }}Nyckelord
April 23, 2009 CREDIT: Mark Gail/TWP Waldorf, Md. ASSIGNMENT#:207419... NyhetsfotoFinansväsen,Horisontell,Konstkultur och underhållning,Maryland,Människor,Mänskligt intresse,USAPhotographer The Washington PostCollection: The Washington Post SLUG:sm-bluecrabs26 DATE:April 23, 2009 CREDIT: Mark Gail/TWP Waldorf, Md. ASSIGNMENT#:207419 EDITED BY: mg Former Baltimore Orioles Manager Earl Weaver looked at a jersey give to him by Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Manager Butch Hobson during the team's opening day ceremony at Regency Furniture Stadium Thursday. Weaver was the honorary manager for the game against the Long Island Ducks, which the Blue Crabs lost 7-4 to kick-off the four game series including the a game Sunday @ 2:05at the stadium. (Photo by Mark Gail/The Washington Post/Getty Images)


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Crime victims face mixed bag of rulings on inadequate security.
Corey Gordon, a Minneapolis attorney who represents crime victims, compares recent case law on inadequate security to the carnival game "whack-a-mole," in which mechanical rodents pop out of holes and back in again while a player tries to strike them with a padded club. Only players with quick reflexes can keep up.Several recent court rulings support his unlikely metaphor. "You get these ugly little cases, and you whack one down in one jurisdiction and it pops up in another," Gordon said. "It's an area that's in constant flux."
Gordon, who co-chairs ATLA's Inadequate Security Litigation Group, said the trend in case law favors victims who are harmed as a result of poor security at stores, hotels, and other businesses. Courts in about half the states have eased burdens on plaintiffs who try to show that landowners should be held liable for crime-related injuries when they fail to safeguard their premises.
But courts are still unpredictable. "Conservative jurisdictions have been moving to liberal decisions, and liberal jurisdictions have been retreating," Gordon said. He cited recent cases in California, Minnesota, and Nevada as evidence that attorneys representing crime victims in premises liability cases face a "patchwork quilt" of case law in which virtually no issue is settled.
In the California case, the state supreme court backpedaled from an earlier decision that had been seen as a victory for crime victims. The court ruled in December that a landowner cannot be held liable to a victim for failing to provide security guards unless the landowner knew that similar crimes had occurred on the premises in the past. (Ann M. v. Pacific Plaza Shopping Center, 25 Cal. Rptr. 2d 137 (Cal. 1993).)
In 1985, the court had held that prior similar incidents were not a prerequisite for proving that a crime was foreseeable--the element necessary to hold a landowner liable for crime-related injuries. "[F]oreseeability is determined in light of all the circumstances and not by a rigid application of a mechanical prior similars' rule," the court held in Isaacs v. Huntington Memorial Hospital. (211 Cal. Rptr. 356, 362 (1985).)
But Justice Edward Panelli, writing for the majority in Ann M., said that the widespread increase in violent crime made "refinement" of Isaacs necessary. "Unfortunately, random, violent crime is endemic in today's society," he wrote. "It is difficult, if not impossible, to envision any locale open to the public where the occurrence of violent crime seems improbable."
The case involved an employee of a photo-processing store in a San Diego shopping center who was raped shortly after opening the store one morning in 1985. She sued the owners of the shopping center, alleging that they had ignored calls by tenants for security guards. She said the guards were necessary because robberies and purse snatchings had occurred and that "transients" loitering in the common areas posed a threat to the safety of employees and customers.
But Panelli said there was no evidence that the owners knew of prior crimes at the shopping center. Because hiring security guards is costly, the court said, a landowner cannot be required to do so without a "high degree" of foreseeability.
The court held that this could "rarely, if ever" be proven without prior incidents of crime.
"To hold otherwise would be to impose an unfair burden upon landowners and, in effect, would force landowners to become the insurers of public safety, contrary to well-established policy in this state," Panelli wrote.
Justice Stanley Mosk, the lone dissenter, said the decision "resurrects an improper test discarded by this court eight years ago." He said that juries, not judges, should determine whether landowners are liable for failing to provide security guards and whether the cost of providing guards is overly burdensome.
The decision "reinstates the first-free-assault rule," said Carl Lewis, a La Jolla, California, attorney who represented the woman. "It's clearly a pro-business decision and tends to abridge individual rights that had been established in the state."
But Gordon said the decision is not the catastrophe for crime victims that some observers believe it is.
"This is only a security-guards case," he said. The Isaacs totality-of-the-circumstances rule will still apply when victims seek less costly security measures, such as better lighting or locks, he added. Under the court's decision, less foreseeability would be necessary to require landowners to provide these protections than to hire security guards.
He also cited a footnote in which the justices left open the possibility that some types of commercial property, like parking garages and 24-hour convenience stores, may be "so inherently dangerous that, even in the absense of prior similar incidents, providing security guards will fall within the scope of a landowner's duty of care."
The court turned aside a recent plea by a California appeals court to overturn Isaacs outright. In another case arising out of a rape, the lower court said a plaintiff must prove that the crime would not have occurred if the landowner had implemented security measures. (Nola M. v. University of Southern California, 20 Cal. Rptr. 2d 97 (Ct. App. 1993).)
"The supreme court could have adopted the same reasoning" in the case of Ann M., Gordon said. "It didn't do that. What it did was carve out a very narrow and limited exception to the general rule of applying a duty of reasonable care to a landowner."
No Duty
The same week Ann M. was decided in California, the Minnesota Court of Appeals took a much more restrictive view. Holding that there is no special relationship between a business and its customers, the court said a convenience store chain had no duty to protect a customer who was being assaulted in the store's parking lot--in full view of employees. (Errico v. Southland Corp., No. C3-93-980, 1993 WL 513601 (Minn. Ct. App. Dec. 14, 199 3).)
The plaintiff, Juanita Errico, had presented evidence that convenience stores are dangerous by nature and that the store where she was assaulted had a history of criminal activity. But the court said the crime's foreseeability was irrelevant because without a special relationship the store had no duty to protect Errico.
Judge Jack Davies dissented, saying the store owed Errico "some minimal duty" because she was a customer who had been invited onto the premises. At a minimum," Davies said, "store employees, having discovered unlawful and dangerous activity in the store parking area, should call the police, rather than merely pulling up scats for a ringside view."
The Minnesota Supreme Court refused to review the decision. Although other cases in the state have held that certain premises owners do have a duty of care, Errico leaves inadequate security litigation involving commercial establishments "essentially dead" in Minnesota, Gordon said.
On the other hand, crime victims claimed victory last November in Nevada, the most recent state to adopt the more lenient totality-of-the-circumstances test of foreseeability. The plaintiff, Darwin Doud, had been shot in his motor home parked in a Las Vegas casino's parking lot. The Nevada Supreme Court reversed summary judgment for the casino and held that a jury could decide that inadequate security in the parking lot was at least partly responsible for the victim's injuries. Gordon submitted an amicus brief for ATLA on Doud's behalf. (Doud v. Las Vegas Hilton Corp., 864 P.2d 796 (Nev. 1993).)
"The vast majority of case law is very plaintiff-oriented," Gordon said, pointing out that the prior-similar-incidents requirement has been dropped in 25 states, the District of Columbia, and four federal circuits.
Nevertheless, inconsistent decisions in the other half of the states--and in some states, like Maine, the lack of any case law at all--have prompted lawyers to look for help sorting through the confusion. The Inadequate Security Litigation Group has grown substantially in the two years since it was founded, Gordon said, and he expects it to remain busy. "Practitioners are frustrated because it's not a settled area," he said.
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Author: | Shoop, Julie Gannon |
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Date: | Apr 1, 1994 |
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Chasm: A Weekend : a NovelIn the stark beauty of the desert, a mansion built by a madman rears its impudent architecture like an insult. The estate is called Windcote, "its very name a masquerade," and its master, the odious Raoul Meridian, has invited a group of guests to spend a weekend, during the course of which they will find themselves driven by obsessions and confusions unlike any they've experienced before. Among them is Albert, a disowned scion searching for an identity, and his too-beautiful companion Nadine, who is irresistibly drawn to the desert and the inscrutable vortex of Windcote. Living deep within this world of fevers and failures is the indomitable child Destina, who will lead them into the heart of a mysterious canyon, where desire and cruelty forge an implacable truth. Dorothea Tanning, whose surrealist vision has been acclaimed worldwide as one of our era's most bold and acute, brings her formidable imagination and exquisite prose style to bear on a novel of incantatory power. As perceptively inventive as Jeanette Winterson's Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and as disquieting as Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, Chasm is a novel that will linger in the memories of readers long after they turn its last page. |
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Review: Chasm
User Review - Rebecca Jaroszewski - GoodreadsIt was one of the first surrealist novels I had read. I can understand why Max Ernst married this woman. Read full review
Review: Chasm
User Review - GoodreadsIt was one of the first surrealist novels I had read. I can understand why Max Ernst married this woman. Read full review
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afternoon Albert Exodus answer anyway asked aviary baroness beauty began binoculars birds blackmail breath brought burlap called canyon Carmela chair Chichi child cliffs closed credenza dark daugh desert Dessie Destina dinner door dream dunes ears eyes face father felt floor frowned gaze Gila monster glass governess granny hair hand head horses hour knew Land Rover laughed leaned ledge light lion listened little girl looked Manzanita Maya memory box Meridian mind moon mountain lion moved murmured Nadine Nadine's Nelly Nelly's never night orgasm pale papa present pulled questions quiet Ralph Vine ranch Ritter rock sand secret seemed silent smiled someone sound stairs stared stone stood suddenly talk tamarisk tell things thought told Tonight turned voice waited walked wall watched whispered wind Windcote window woman wonder words


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Pea Ridge National Military Park
Pea Ridge National Military Park was created in 1956 and preserves the history of the pivotal 1862 battle. The park covers 4,300 acres of land and covers the…Learn More
Read This PostPea Ridge National Military Park was created in 1956 and preserves the history of the pivotal 1862 battle. The park covers 4,300 acres of land and covers the…Learn More
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Read This PostTraveling in Eureka Springs is easy! Park you car and leaving the driving to others, just the way we like it when we travel. Low stress!! In Eureka…Learn More
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Read This PostTrip Advisor rates Arsenic & Old Lace of Eureka Springs and we are happy with the results! Out of 80 local bed and breakfasts, we are happy to…Learn More
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Match % Unknown Join to find out!Woodworking -- when I find the time for it. Procrastination -- Why Do Today What You Can Put Off Until Tomorrow? I used to be a really good golfer and computer programmer but decided they were just obsessions and that I never would achieve the perfection I was looking for.
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Is the magnetic field purely a mathematical abstraction or is there actually something there? In other words, if a proton floating in deep space, is there actually something that shoots out in all directions from the proton that will interact with another charge particle?
That is a question of philosophy. You can measure the magnetic field, so I would say it is there. The proton does not "shoot" with anything, it just has a magnetic field around it, which is as real as the proton itself.
If two protons are floating in space, they'll feel an electrical field between each other and repel, but if you see them zip by you in space at relativistic speeds, they'll behave differently from your point of view by repelling slower than they should, and you'll see a new force. But it doesn't matter -- the math was invented to describe the behavior, so ultimately it's all mathematical abstraction and you use whatever level of complexity is necessary to solve your problem.
I look at it this way. If the EM field isn't real, then how can an EM wave exist? It may not be physical like a baseball, but I'd say it's as real as anything else. From wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_(physics)
If you consider the relativistic effect of the motion of electrons at snail's pace, in a wire, the resulting forces of attraction and repulsion can be calculated accurately by just looking at the resulting electric forces between two wires. Or you can work it out differently (using the Lorenz - magnetic - force idea). You can call it magnetism or not, as you please.