freedom of the press

 a  view on freedom of the press

Press freedom: safety of journalists and impunity

The articles in this book, several by journalists with personal experience of harassment or violence, explore the problem from many angles. Although all agree that violence against journalists for doing their job is morally and legally unacceptable under any circumstances, there are differing points of view about whether journalists should be afforded extra legal protection under international humanitarian law.

The annual conferences that UNESCO organizes on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day bring together experts to discuss a variety of issues concerning a free press. As a consequence, a considerable political momentum has built up, and a large body of knowledge has been acquired, reflecting an awareness that press freedom is a critical part of the human rights-based approach to development as elaborated in the UN Millennium Development Goals. In other words, without a guarantee of the right to freedom of expression and information, it is unlikely that a country will have a good record on human rights or decent defences against corruption. It is also unlikely to be economically successful.

“Press freedom, safety of journalists and impunity” was the topic of UNESCO World Press Freedom Day 2007. The decision to select this theme is very appropriate considering that violence against media professionals is severely on the rise and constitutes one of the greatest threats to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The failure to prevent the killing of journalists and attacks on the media means that governments and authorities around the world are depriving us of a fundamental right guaranteed to us by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – that of freely receiving and imparting information and ideas.

Every journalist killed or neutralized by terror is an observer less of the human condition. Every attack distorts reality by creating a climate of fear and self-censorship. The appeal has to be made to governments and public authorities because the killers who carry out the murders, the thugs responsible for the attacks and the dark forces behind the violence are probably impervious to reason and beyond any appeal to conscience.

They survive and flourish because they know that there is very little likelihood of their being caught. Statistics compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists indicate that full justice was achieved in only 6.7 percent of the cases in which newsmen and women were killed in the course of their duties between January 1, 1992 and June 18, 2007.

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 POPULAR SCIENCE UPDATE 

https://www.popsci.com/story/health/covid-in-graphs-october-2020/

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 the universal declaration of humans rights 

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23954&LangID=E

 

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 SIMULTANEOUS 

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THE VIRUS MAY BE MUTATING  BUT THAT MAY NOT BE A PROBLEM FOR HUMANS 

 https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/25/820998549/the-coronavirus-is-mutating-but-that-may-not-be-a-problem-for-humans

 Living in times of uncertainty 

Living in times of uncertainty has posed a challenge to humans ever since the world came into being 

Here s a lesson that the plant world has to teach us . 

WHAT KELP HAS TO TEACH US TO THRIVE IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY 

FLEXIBILITY 

CLAIRE FACKLER/NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

Strength in flexibility.

• 

By Katherine Ellen Foley

Health and science reporter

November 4, 2020

On days when it feels that the uncertainty is too much to bear, we’d be wise to take notes from a humble, giant algae: kelp.

We land-dwellers rarely think about kelp, but we’ve got quite a lot in common with this ocean friend. For one thing, neither of us are plants; kelp is actually a type of algae called a heterokont. Our lives also share similar beginnings and ends: We both create offspring via sexual reproduction, and eventually, our cells age and die.

These similarities should inspire us to know that we, too, can be like kelp in perhaps its most remarkable feat: It stays firmly rooted amid tumultuous forces beyond its control, and in doing so, inadvertently creates a nurturing environment for others.

Kelp is somewhat constrained in where it can live; because it is algae, it must stick to shallow salt water where it can absorb the suns’ rays. Unfortunately, though, these shallows experience incredibly turbulent waters—too rough for most organisms to handle. These forces would rip humans apart, says Sean Grace, a marine ecologist at Southern Connecticut State University.

Although kelp might be happier in a calmer environment, it continues to thrive. It does so by being both steadfast and flexible. At the bottom of kelp stocks are appendages called holdfasts, which live up to their names, Grace says. Holdfasts fuse themselves to rocks, and become unflappably grounded.

US NATIONAL PARK CENTER

Reaching upward.

Holdfasts allow the parts of kelp that stretch up to the sky, called stripes and blades, to bend to the water’s will. This flexibility is what allows them to survive, instead of getting whisked away and torn to shreds. Even while it accommodates unforeseen pushes and pulls, kelp never stops reaching for the suns’ rays.

But here’s more: As kelp sustains itself by absorbing sunlight, water, and literal tons of carbon dioxide (cleaning up much of our dirty work, I might add), its stability creates a habitat for all kinds of marine life. It does so physically, by providing a reliable hideout for fish, crustaceans, and mammals; and biologically, by providing these creatures with the nutrition they need to thrive.

“If you look all around the world to wherever there are kelp forests, you find higher biodiversity, which is a signal of health,” Grace says. The more kelp, the more other kinds of life thrive.

We didn’t ask to live through the pushes and pulls of 2020, nor did kelp ask to live through the ebbs and flows of the tides. Yet kelp survives, and help others thrive, as should we. Although we don’t have holdfasts, we do have family and loved ones to keep us grounded. We have foundational values that allow us to keep sight of our goals, even while being pulled in undesirable directions. And we can make room for others along the way, too.

Perhaps when Confucius referenced the strength of the humble green reed compared to the stiff oak, he really meant to say “kelp.”

📬

I VOTED

 

Absentee Ballot vs. Mail-In Ballot: Is There A Difference?

As if the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t already challenging enough, the US will be holding a general election in the midst of it. Many people are rightfully concerned that traditional, in-person voting could spread COVID-19, and so some states are changing (or considering changing) their voting rules to make it easier for eligible people to vote by mail.

Voting by mail can be done by what’s called an absentee ballot or mail-in ballot. But there is a lot of confusion—and misinformation—around these methods, which vary widely state by state. What’s more, some people use these terms interchangeably, others mean different things by them, and yet others employ different words altogether.

Yes, it’s complicated. But we’ve got a primer for you on absentee ballots vs. mail-in ballots. And please note: use the information in this article for your general information, but consult your local election officials for when and how you may vote. To get started, visit usa.gov and vote.gov.

What is an absentee ballot?

Let’s start with some election basics. Normally, most US voters cast their ballots in person in a polling booth at a polling place/station based on where they are registered to vote. A ballot is the physical form (or electronic voting machine equivalent) that a voter fills out; it lists the candidates, issues, and so on that a person votes on.

An absentee ballot is a ballot used to cast an absentee vote, which is submitted, usually by mail, by an absentee. Absentee, here, refers to a person who can’t physically be present at a voting center on Election Day. Absentee voting in America goes back to the Civil War era, and every state allows this kind of voting in some form—and federal law, in fact, requires ballots be sent to military and overseas voters for federal elections.

To get an absentee ballot, a registered voter must request one through their state government, which accepts or rejects the application. When someone is approved to vote absentee, election officials mail the voter an absentee ballot, which they complete and sign, and return by mail or, under certain circumstances, fax. Officials can reject absentee ballots if they are improperly filled out, and voters face steep penalties if they falsify any information.

All states, again, send absentee ballots to military and overseas voters who request them. In 16 states*, an absentee ballot is the only form of voting through the mail that is allowed by law, and the voter is required to give a reason why they can’t go to a voting location on Election Day. Exact rules vary, but qualifying reasons may include the following:

• Being out of the county where they are registered to vote
• Being a student living outside of the county
• Having an illness or disability
• Working or being on jury duty during voting hours
• Serving as an election worker or poll watcher
• Having religious beliefs or practices that prevent them from going to a voting center
• Being in prison but still able to vote

*Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia

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What is a no-excuse absentee ballot?

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia** use what’s sometimes called a no-excuse absentee ballot. This is similar to the strict absentee ballot previously noted in the 16 states above, but a registered voter doesn’t have to give a reason (excuse) why they can’t be at their polling location on Election Day. However, the states themselves may simply call this ballot an absentee ballot.

The lexical wrinkles don’t stop there! Some of these states (e.g., Pennsylvania) may refer to the no-excuse absentee ballot as a mail-in ballot.

**Alaska, Arizona, California, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

So, what is a mail-in ballot?

Five states—Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Hawaii—already conduct their elections through a mail-in process that’s often referred to as all-mail voting. Registered voters in these states automatically receive a mail ballot, which is sent to their address before Election Day and mailed back by the voter or deposited at a voting location or secure dropbox by a certain time on Election Day.

In these states, the term absentee ballot can specifically refer to