DNREC Honors Young Environmentalists, Volunteer of the Year, Youth Fishing Winner at Delaware State Fair

Governor John Carney (right) and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin congratulate DNREC’s High School Young Environmentalist of the Year, Julia Rial of Sussex Academy /DNREC photo

At the Delaware State Fair in Harrington yesterday evening, Governor John Carney and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin honored three dedicated Delaware students as DNREC’s Young Environmentalists of the Year for their work to protect, restore or enhance our state’s natural resources, along with a DNREC Volunteer of the Year and this year’s winner of the annual Youth Fishing Tournament.

“Every Delawarean, no matter their age, can have an impact in protecting and conserving our natural resources, while also raising awareness for environmental stewardship. At ages 9, 11 and 18, these three young people have taken a stand as environmental advocates who are already making a difference today for a better tomorrow,” said Secretary Garvin of the 2021 class of Young Environmentalists. “Today, we also recognize a volunteer who has had a long-term impact on DNREC’s Emergency Response mission, and a young angler who caught the biggest fish in this year’s Youth Fishing Tournament, a conservation-minded event to introduce children to the joy of catching – and releasing – a fish.”

Young Environmentalist of the Year Awards:

• Elementary School: Rowan Smith, age 9, of Dover, independently formed a plant club in her third grade class at Banneker Elementary and uses her recess time to lead nature walks and plant investigations, sharing plant facts she has learned from avidly reading and researching Delaware plants.

• Middle School: Maggie Wieber, age 11, is very active as a third-year member in Kent County’s Peach Blossom 4-H Club, taking on projects involving wildlife, woodworking and community service. Upon learning of a need for bat boxes at Killens Pond and Trap Pond state parks, Maggie researched plans, solicited funds from the Delaware 4-H Foundation to buy materials, developed kits with pre-cut parts and enlisted eight fellow 4-H members to construct 10 boxes, which were donated to the two parks to provide nesting areas for these important insect-eaters.

• High School: Julia Rial, age 18, of Lewes, has planned beach cleanups in Sussex County, organized tree plantings and made videos at James Farm in Ocean View and founded the Delaware Youth Chapter of Extinction Rebellion with her friend Jade Carter to work in her community on environmental issues and sustainability. In February, for the Shepard’s Office in Georgetown, an organization that helps homeless and needy people, Julia and Jade gathered a dozen volunteers and organized a “sustainable free market” that collected five truckloads of usable goods, keeping the items out of landfills; the event also included hot lunches for 100 needy people donated by local businesses.

Now in its 28th year, DNREC’s Young Environmentalist of the Year Awards program recognizes Delaware students whose actions have helped protect, restore or enhance our natural resources by initiating an innovative project, practicing environmental stewardship, increasing public awareness or demonstrating environmental ethics. For more information, visit dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/young-environmentalists.

DNREC Volunteer of the Year Award:

New Castle County resident Richard Morris received DNREC’s Volunteer of the Year Award. As a volunteer firefighter with the Belvedere Fire Company, which partners with the DNREC Emergency Response team, for more than 15 years and 2,250 hours Morris has served as the primary keeper and driver of DNREC’s Hazmat 30, a bright red 60-foot, 60,000-pound emergency vehicle nicknamed “The Beast.” In 2019 alone, Morris drove the Beast to more than 50 hazardous incident calls.

“Not only does he get the Beast safely to the location, Richard is an active participant upon arrival, directing operations until DNREC staff arrives, including deploying oil dry containment booms, setting up recovery systems and operating the Beast’s Safety Vac System,” said DNREC Emergency Response Chief Jamie Bethard. “He also has the biggest heart, and without his tireless dedication and commitment, pollution incidents in New Castle County would last significantly longer and be more costly to remediate.”

2021 Youth Fishing Tournament Winner:

Kane Messina, age 9, of Millsboro, received this year’s top trophy for catching a 21-inch bass in the 35th annual Youth Fishing Tournament held June 5. Established by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife and sponsored by the Delaware Natural Resources Police, the tournament introduces youth to the sport of fishing and teaches the catch-and-release approach to conservation.

About DNREC The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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Stakeholders seek more women inclusion in book ecosystem at BAN/NIBF conference

By OBINNA EZUGWU

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s book industry on Thursday, at the 20th edition of the Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF) conference, extolled the strategic role of women in Nigeria’s book industry, noting that the involvement of women in the book ecosystem remained critical to the quest for promoting and improving book culture in the country and beyond.

The Conference which held at the Harbour Point Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme: “Awakening the Giant in Women for the Growth of the Book Ecosystem,” offered an opportunity for stakeholders in the book business to appraise the role of women in promoting reading culture in Nigeria and Africa in general.

In his opening address, President of Booksellers Association of Nigeria (BAN) and Managing Director of CSS Bookshop Ltd, Mr. Dare Oluwatuyi, emphasised the need for opening up the playing field for more women participation in the book industry, as according to him, “The participation of women in the book sector is very strategic.”

Mr. Oluwatuyi said women play important role in nation building, noting that having more women on board, would vastly improve reading culture, given their roles in the homes and the society.

In her own remarks, chairman of the occasion and CEO of Sterling Books Nigeria Limited, Hon. Mrs. Folashade Shinkaiye, regretted that there are too few women in the book sector, despite the strategic role of women in education.

Mrs. Shinkaike said that there are much more men than women in the book industry, and called for conscious efforts to be made towards bringing more women into the sector.

She advocated for 40 percent affirmative action, noting that such is needed to accommodate more women, but emphasised that such should be streamlined and not done at the expense of merit.

According to her, there should be a sort of apprentice system where young women are groomed and subsequently empowered to set up their own book businesses.

She also called on the government to pay more attention to the book industry, noting that, “Government should encourage the industry by providing finance by way of low interest loans.”

She argued that the book sector is a whole industry of its own and should be recognized as such, with players in the industry availed of Bank of Industry’s low interest facilities.

Mrs. Shinkaike asked that government recognize book business as social service, with policies channelled towards encouraging the sector, such allocation of forex to booksellers and other players in the industry.

She regretted that piracy has continued to constitute a huge challenges to the sector, and called on relevant authorities to double effort towards checkmating the menace, while commending the effort of the Nigerian Copyright Commission in this regard.

She said there are vast opportunities in the book trade, which will continue to grow as population and literacy rate continue to grow, and as financial institutions come into the sector. She also called on booksellers to take advantage of the opportunities the internet has provided, to grow their businesses.

Also speaking, Executive Director of Laterna Ventures, Pastor Oluyinka Morgan, said there was need to revive the book culture in the country, while calling on parents and other stakeholders to make conscious efforts to encourage children to read books.

She pointed out that that women have been critical stakeholders in the book sector, with several women authors in the country, including Funke Felix-Adejumo, Ibukun Awosika, among others, playing key roles in the promotion of books.

Mrs. Morgan, one of the discussants, emphasised that readers are leaders, noting that knowledge are acquired through reading. She emphasised that the women who who have attained success in their respective careers, did not do so by accident, but through persistent knowledge acquisition by reading.

According to her, “It’s experiences and knowledge garnered through reading that people share at workshops, conferences,” among other events.

In her own remarks, Mrs. Edith Okaisabor, CEO, Chapter Books Ltd., who said she has been in the book business for nearly two decades, advised women in the book business to strive to carve out niches for themselves, and to be problem solvers.

According to her, women in the book sector should always endeavour to be themselves, and be their own booksellers, as that way they can make a difference in the industry.

She emphasised the need for improvement in reading culture in Nigeria, noting that the women can drive the push by playing more active roles in the book sector.

Similarly, Mrs. Edith Obieke, CEO, High Flyers Educational Services Ltd, said it’s important to involve women at the grassroots to help revive reading culture in the country, emphasising that when “you educate a woman you educate a nation.”

She encouraged players in the book industry to work with governments at the local levels to set up libraries, as well as make books available to primary schools and displaced persons camps

“We should get into our communities, work with local governments to provide books to the less privileged kids in local schools and IDP camps,” she appealed.

Directory Presentation

The conference was followed by the presentation of the Nigerian Booksellers Directory, 2021, compiled by BAN president, Dare Oluwatuyi and publisher, Richard Mammah.

Mr. Oluwatuyi, in his opening remarks during the presentation, noted that the publication of the directory, was informed by the need to know those involved in book selling in Nigeria.

“When we assumed the leadership of the Booksellers in Nigeria two years ago, a challenge that we faced was to not only how to go out there to know more and more of our members and bring them into the fold, but to also begin to place our finger on what the statistics were concerning the overall size and worth of the composite bookselling complex in Nigeria,” he said.

Oluwatuyi described the Directory as “an important piece of documentation. Given its potential for aggregation, it stood out as one way of beginning to address these issues. And so for us therefore, it soon became one of the first things to do.

“And I am glad that we have it to present to you today.”

He particularly paid tribute to Mr. Gbadega Adedapo, the immediate past President of the Nigerian Publishers Association, MD/CEO of Rasmed Publishers Limited and current Chairman of the Nigerian Book Fair Trust Council, whom he said, “so graciously undertaking to sponsor the printing of the Directory being presented today.

“Equally noteworthy is the immense support from Mr. Adegbola Adesina, Deputy Managing Director. CSS Bookshops Limited. He has indeed been a most diligent “burden bearer.’”

He explained that the e-edition of the Directory was presented a few months back, “but as we know with data gathering in our environment, it is not over until all is done. Between then and now, we have received more valuable information that has presently been incorporated into the current text being presented to you today. And this is in addition to our expressed commitment to continue to annually update the e-version of this publication so as to continue to reflect changes, developments and further information within its span.”

Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Lanre Damion Adesuyi, CEO of Havilah Group, in his address, said the 2021 Directory stands out out as a very significant improvement over all previous publications.

“This quality of detailed publication though long overdue, has come at the most auspicious time in the history of the book trade in Nigeria, being an invaluable resource publication to give booksellers a strategic sense of belonging because of their roles in the book value chain,” he said.

“Although this is not an occasion to trace the history of bookselling in Nigeria, it is apt to state that the success of actors in this segment of the book chain is anchored on the tenacity of Booksellers who against all odds remain dogged to keep the book alive and meet the yearnings of the reading public for knowledge, which is crucial for national development. Obviously, without the booksellers littered in the nooks and crannies of our vast country, it would have been somehow impossible to get the books.”

Also speaking, Mr. John Asein, Director General of Nigeria Copyright Commission, while commending BAN and Mr. Oluwatuyi for a job well-done, noted that booksellers needed to do more.

He called on BAN to register with the NIPC and develop an action plan to use the directory to make life unbearable for pirates in the country.

The book reviewer, Dr. Olayinka Oyegbile, journalism, media and culture studies expert, in his review, noted that the Directory answers the question as to where to go and buy books to avoid pirates.

He said the compilers did a commendable job, given the paucity of data in the country. According to him, “BAN has done a great service to the book industry. The directory has given information on booksellers and Nigerians now know where to and buy non pirated books.

“The directory should be made available to all educational institutions and libraries, because it has information.

He praised the Directory for being well-written, noting that he could not find any grammatical or typographical error in it, but noted, however, that it’s not comprehensive enough and can be improved upon.

The Directory was presented by Mr. Lukman Dauda, CEO of Evans Brothers Ltd, who noted that booksellers are now confronted with a number of challenges, on of which is the fact that many publishers now sell directly to schools.

He called on publishers to end the practice and return to the original of pattern of reaching end users through booksellers, even as it called for collaboration among booksellers to tackle the practice.

Dauda equally called on booksellers to do more to encourage publishers by always remitting funds to them as at when due.

AGM/ Business Meeting

The last item on the day’s agenda, was annual general meeting and business meeting of the organisation.

In his presentation, Mr. Henry Ituama, BAN general secretary, said upon election in 2019, the exco set out to rebuild BAN towards regaining its past vibrancy, which according to him, made booksellers worthy partners in efficient book publishing and distribution in Nigeria.

He said, with the little funds raised after BAN election in 2019, the association embarked on membership drive with the president’s visits to Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Abuja and Kano, to build cordial relationship with sister stakeholders like NPA, CIPPON, NLA, ANA, NCC and so on.

The exco members were returned unopposed, following a motion for their continuation moved by Mr. Dayo Alabi, and seconded by Mrs. Ronke Orimalade.

Magic Valley Region rainbow trout stocking schedule for August 2021

British Judge To Rule In October On Libel Case Over ‘Putin’s People’ Book

… Belton and the publishers of her book Putin’s People: … reporting and interviews. The book, published in April 2020, … book, Pyotr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, settled with HarperCollins after the publisher … on statements in the book which suggested the two …

Supporting churches and community on HIV and AIDS, Kenyan works with Bible

Esther Linda Kwamboka works with the Bible when she counsels sex workers and long-distance truck drivers, and those with HIV and AIDS.

She also offers support to those of different faiths.

Kwamboka was introduced to World Council of Churches-Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy in 2009 when she was sponsored to attend a Contextual Bible Study workshop in Accra, Ghana.

She openly lives with HIV, a widow and a mother of 2 children.

Kwamboka graduated with a theology degree from St. Paul’s University near Nairobi, Kenya in October 2013.

“Since then, I have been involved in projects touching on different issues affecting the communities I serve,” she says.

“These include HIV and AIDS literacy programs, community capacity building, counselling support, women empowerment programs, referrals, education and medication support.”

They have spanned over the Nairobi, Kajiado and Homabay Counties.

CLEAR GOALS AFTER GRADUATION

When Kwamboka graduated, she had a clear roadmap of her goals and the work she sought. These included community capacity building, counselling support, referrals, educational and medical support, networking, and collaboration.

She spearheaded a draft plan to mitigate HIV and AIDS in Machakos County through the Anglican Church of Kenya local diocese for capacity building.

“Our target groups were mainly sex workers along the Nairobi Machakos Highway, long-distance truck drivers, vulnerable women and youth,” Kwamboka explained.

The goal was to educate them and take precautions, voluntary testing and referrals to the nearest health facilities to seek treatment.

She offered psycho-social support to community members and prevented their distress and suffering from developing into something more severe.

COUNSELLING THE HIV POSITIVE

It involved counselling people to cope better and become reconciled to everyday life, especially those who had just learned of an HIV positive status. She encouraged them to engage in income-generating activities.

For the members of the community who required more psycho-social support, for example, she showed people such as orphaned and vulnerable children where to find scholarships.

“In mid-2017, I stayed in the house of one of the women elders in the Holy Spirit Church in Homabay County, organizing a community mini-workshop,” said Kwamboka.

“We did a contextual Bible study with them,” she said, elaborating on the importance of such reading. “It can also capture sexual education.”

OPEN FOR MEN, WOMEN, AND YOUTH

Women, men, and youths all attended the workshop.

“It was one of the best moments in my life. At the time, I met other church leaders receptive to the idea of having a contextual Bible study. I promised to go back and hopefully train other community leaders by God’s grace,” said Kwamboka.

However, her chosen path was disrupted for a time. At the end of 2014 when she had health complications that carried on through most of 2015, and she spent spells in hospital.

In addition, an absence of logistical support, education materials and other necessities posed challenges in achieving her goals.

Between 2018 to 2019, Kwamboka spearheaded the formation of a syllabus at the Africa Mission Training Institute (AMTI).

“At AMTI, I have had the privilege of introducing contextual bible studies. We had planned a three-day workshop in Kilifi county in collaboration with the Methodist Church at the beginning of 2020. But COVID came,” rued Kwamboka.

“I found it easier to work with small churches than the mainstream ones, mainly because they didn’t require a lot of protocol to get my message across.”

Kwamboka sees a need for more collaboration among different faith groups and citing high teenage pregnancies she says that sex education is needed that also brings to light the peril of gender-based-violence.

“Stigma and discrimination amongst those living with HIV is an issue that still needs to be addressed at all levels,” she notes.

(Video) Iran: Khuzestan Water Shortage Protests Continually Expand Geographic Reach and Messaging

(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Protests in Tehran Pars, Karaj (Gohardasht), Isfahan (Baharestan), Kermanshah, and Eyvan. Protesters chant: “Death to Khamenei, Death to the dictators, No to Gaza, No to Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran”.

(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): Kermanshah – 2nd day of protest against water shortages in Dareh Deraz – July 27, 2021.

(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Kordkuy – The rebellious youth block the road to protest the power outages – July 26, 2021.

(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): Karaj (Gohardasht) – Protesters chant, “Death to the dictator, Death to Khamenei” – July 26, 2021.

(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Isfahan – Gathering in protest to the power outages – July 26, 2021.

(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): People of Tehran stage protest, chant, “Death to the dictator,” and “Khamenei, shame on you, leave our nation alone”.

(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): On the ninth night of the uprising, defiant youths in Susangerd and Ahvaz resist repressive forces.

(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Tabriz- Large demonstration against the regime’s suppression and in solidarity with Khuzestan’s uprising – July 24, 2021

Participants in the past two weeks’ protests have decried this involvement with the familiar slogan, “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon; I give my life only for Iran.”

PARIS, FRANCE, July 29, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — As summer temperatures soared in the Iranian province of Khuzestan, water shortages became a pronounced crisis, sparking mass protests in a number of cities and towns including Ahvaz, Khorramshahr, Hamidiyeh, and Mahshahr. The first such demonstrations were recorded on July 15, and these helped to establish the messaging that would define the protests for two weeks and counting.Many participants in the first night’s protests chanted, “We will not accept humiliation.” Over time, that slogan has been adapted to reflect the government’s violent response, so that many current participants are chanting, “Iranians die, but we will not accept humiliation.” The first known fatality from the unrest took place on the second day, July 16, and the victim was identified as 26-year-old Mostafa Na’imawi.

Since then, at least eleven other protesters have been killed, apparently all of them in shooting incidents carried out by State Security Forces or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Basij civilian militia has also been dispatched to help crackdown on unrest, in keeping with the multi-pronged approach that the regime typically takes toward the repression of dissent. Within the first twelve days of protests, the IRGC personally arrested at least one hundred individuals, and regular law enforcement may have swept up thousands during that same time, including known and suspected activists as well as direct participants in the unrest.

All of these arrests and killings, however, seem to have had the opposite of the intended effect, driving more Iranians into the streets to explicitly demonstrate solidarity with the residents of Khuzestan instead of driving those residents back into their homes. The solidarity demonstrations were encouraged from the second day of the protests onward, by statements from the National Council of Resistance of Iran and its President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi.

The first such statement called upon “all youths” to rush to the aid of activists in Khuzestan, “especially those wounded.” This appeal to youth seemingly reflects the preexisting demographics of the protest movement, as young and often highly-educated Iranians press not just for a redress of grievances but also for a wholesale change of government in the wake of the regime’s massive contributions to crises including but not limited to the Khuzestan water shortage.

The youthful demographics of the protest movement are also reflected in early reports of casualties from the regime’s crackdown. On Sunday, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), released the names of twelve known victims of that crackdown, along with their places of residence and the locations of their deaths. Of the seven whose ages were known, all were under the age of 30 and two were only 17 years old.

One of those teenage victims, Hadi Bahmani, was given a funeral on Friday, three days after his death, and supporters used the occasion to stage another demonstration with a greater focus on the regime’s political violence and general disregard for the welfare of the Iranian people, rather than the water shortages themselves. Both categories of the demonstration have seen their slogans transition from addressing specific issues to calling for the ouster of the regime that is responsible for them.

Among some of the latest protests within Khuzestan, protesters were heard to highlight the province’s vast oil and gas resources and to ask what has happened to them and the wealth generated from them. In call-and-response chants, some protesters posed this question only to answer that the resources in question had been squandered in the regime’s terrorist activities in the region and in Gaza and Lebanon. This sentiment has proven commonplace among Iranian activists in recent years, as economic conditions have worsened for the vast majority of the population even as costly Iranian involvement in regional conflicts has expanded.

Participants in the past two weeks’ protests have decried this involvement with the familiar slogan, “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon; I give my life only for Iran.” This has been a common feature of protests spanning the past several years, including nationwide uprisings in January 2018 and November 2019. Both uprisings gave an outlet to explicit calls for regime change, which have also been repeated in the context of the Khuzestan water shortages.

The surrounding solidarity demonstrations have notably included outright declarations like, “We do not want the regime.” Meanwhile, the movement’s revolutionary prospects have grown in the form of strategic organization, with participants on Sunday burning tires and erecting barricades in order to block transit routes used by regime authorities in at least 12 different cities.

Since July 15 and the calls to action by the NCRI, related demonstrations have been recorded in Tabriz, Saqqez, Zanjan, Mahashahr, Lorestan, Bushehr, and Isfahan, in spite of the fact that internet outages are making it difficult both to report such demonstrations and to coordinate them. Nonetheless, that coordination has become a noticeable feature of some of the latest calls to action inside Iran, as evidenced by the repetition of slogans like, “From Karaj to Khuzestan, let us all unite,” and “Do not be afraid; we are all together.”

Just days before the outbreak of the water-shortage protests, the NCRI held the Free Iran World Summit, featuring multiple speeches from Mrs. Rajavi and dozens of political supporters from the United States, the European Union, and elsewhere. In one of her speeches, Mrs. Rajavi predicted that the “new era” following the August 5 inauguration of Ebrahim Raisi would be defined by a historic uptick in the conflict between the Iranian regime and civil society. The protests in and around Khuzestan are arguably a preview of this phenomenon and an expression of the people’s expectation that Raisi will not meaningfully address water shortages or other well-recognized crises.

Raisi was a major participant in the 1988 massacre that killed over 30,000 political prisoners, most of them members of the People’s Mojahedin, MEK. In 2019, several months after being appointed judiciary chief, he oversaw the crackdown on the nationwide uprising in November of that year, which killed approximately 1,500 people in a matter of days. In recognition of this legacy, the vast majority of Iran’s eligible voters boycotted Raisi’s effectively uncontested election and arguably signaled their intention to resist his rule for as long as it lasts.

This sentiment was also repeated against the backdrop of the water-shortage protests. On Monday, young activists in the city of Karaj declared that “unless we obtain our rights, these protests will continue every night.” In the same demonstration, State Security Forces attempted to carry out an arrest but were repelled by massive crowds. Meanwhile, the implications of such clashes were expressed in multiple protest regions, with participants boasting that “neither guns nor tanks” will prevent the Iranian people from continuing to protest for their rights and perhaps ultimately for a wholesale change of government.

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Iran: protesters in Karaj join demonstrations in Khuzestan, 12-day protests demand regime change

Yemen: New World Bank funds offer lifeline to most vulnerable

Maryland Record Set with 301-Pound Swordfish off Ocean City Coast

July 29, 2021

Annapolis Resident and Team Mount 8-Hour Fight to Land Record Fish

Peter Schultz, second from left, and his team stand with the new state record swordfish. Photo courtesy Big Fish Classic, used with permission.

An Anne Arundel County angler is now the first officially recognized state record holder for swordfish, which he caught in a tournament July 23 at Ocean City.

Annapolis resident Peter Schultz, 36, is the first record holder for the Atlantic division – Swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Schultz caught the 301-pound swordfish while participating in the Big Fish Classic Tournament, landing the record-breaking catch roughly 50 miles offshore at Washington Canyon.

Using a dead eel on a circle hook; 50-foot reel with 65-pound braid line; and a 25-foot, 150-pound leader, Schultz and his team reeled in the fish following an epic, eight-hour effort.

Schultz describes the swordfish as a “fish of a lifetime” and credits his team for the record catch.

“We put so much effort into this,” Schultz said “Everyone had a crucial role.” 

The swordfish weight was officially certified by Dave Hedges of M.R. Ducks – Talbot Street Pier. A Maryland Department of Natural Resources biologist confirmed the catch. 

The department maintains state records for sport fish in four divisions – Atlantic, Chesapeake, Nontidal, and Invasive – and awards plaques to anglers who achieve record catches. Fish caught from privately-owned, fee-fishing waters are ineligible for consideration.

Anglers who think they have a potential record catch should download and fill out the state record application and call 443-569-1381 or 410-260-8325. The department recommends the fish be immersed in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be checked, confirmed, and certified.

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“It is appearing before our eyes”: Emerging DRC temple inspires growing numbers to action | BWNS

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic Of The Congo — Just months after the completion of the foundations of the Bahá’í House of Worship in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), striking structural elements that make up the lower portion of the central edifice are coming into view.

The rapid progress being made on the construction of the temple has gone hand in hand with greater action aimed at the material and spiritual progress of society.

“The House of Worship is appearing before our very eyes” says Lavoisier Mutombo Tshiongo, the secretary of the country’s Bahá’í National Spiritual Assembly.

He continues: “At the same time, we are seeing an intensification of action inspired by what the temple represents. Everything is increasing, from devotional gatherings, educational efforts, and other initiatives taken by families and youth, such as cleaning rivers and water sources, to formal activities in the areas of food security and agriculture, education, health and empowerment of women.”

Mr. Tshiongo attributes the increasing pace of activity to a growing appreciation of the relationship between worship of God and service to humanity that is being cultivated through conversations about the national House of Worship, which is situated on the outskirts of Kinshasa.

Anis, a youth from the Bahá’í community of Lubumbashi, reflects on the relationship between service and worship, stating: “When people visit the House of Worship to pray, even though it is still under construction, they leave having become more clear about the actions they wish to take, because immersing yourself in prayer and meditation creates a sense of spirituality. In those moments, we see what is important in life—to become a source of social good and be of help to our fellow citizens.”

The effects of the emerging House of Worship have been felt not only by area residents who have been able to visit the site, but also by people much further away.

Mr. Tshiongo explains that the National Spiritual Assembly has been stimulating many discussions about the House of Worship—referred to in the Bahá’í writings as a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, meaning “Dawning-place of the Praise of God”—through a series of gatherings across the DRC, conducted in compliance with government safety measures.

Speaking at a recent gathering in Baraka, South Kivu, Chief M’muwa Lwe’ya Aolōélwa II described how Bahá’í temples call to mind memories of the lubunga—a space dedicated to prayer and discussion on community matters among village elders.

“The lubunga, which has nearly disappeared from modern life, provides space for village elders to pray to God and ask for guidance as they assist with community matters. Today, we are learning about the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár—a center where all men, women, and children can gather as one and connect with their Creator.”

Progress on the construction work is featured in the gallery of images below.

Since the temple’s foundations were completed in February, workers have been raising the concrete structural elements that make up the lower portion of the edifice and will support the steel superstructure of the dome and surrounding canopies.

The upper gallery level has been built, supported by nine struts that will also serve as staircases. The dome will be anchored at nine points around the gallery.

The struts will direct the weight of the dome outward into the foundations, leaving the entire lower floor of the temple free of support columns.

Two ring beams have been built, one above the gallery and the other above the temple’s outer wall. At the center of this image is a space in the outer wall that will be one of the nine doorways into the temple.

Last week, the innermost of the two ring beams was completed. At 8 meters above the ground, the concrete portion of the structure has now reached its full height. More than 90 percent of the concrete for the edifice has been poured, opening the way for the steel superstructure to be erected.

Work on the grounds and auxiliary structures around the temple continues. Here, gardeners plant a lawn near the rising temple.

The walls and roof of the future visitors’ center have been completed.

In-person gatherings held according to safety measures required by the government. Area residents have been visiting the site and engaging in conversations about the House of Worship and the relationship between worship of God and service to humanity.

In-person gatherings held according to safety measures required by the government. Residents of Kinshasa have been volunteering on the temple site, assisting with many aspects of the project.

In-person gatherings held according to safety measures required by the government. Gatherings across the DRC have been stimulating many discussions about the House of Worship, which stands at the heart of the community, is open to all peoples, and is a place where prayer and contemplation inspire service to society.

Guatemala: Bishops decry dismissal of anti-graft prosecutor – Vatican News

By Vatican News staff writer

The Bishops of Guatemala have aired their disapproval over the recent removal of internationally known graft prosecutor, Juan Francisco Sandoval, from his position as the head of Guatemala’s Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI).

In their 5–point statement issued on Sunday, the bishops who decried Sandoval’s firing as “illegal and arbitrary” said that the public outcry that it generated, shows that it is a “setback in the efficient fight against corruption and impunity” that have done so much damage to the integral development of the country.

Sandoval’s firing

Guatemala’s attorney general, Maria Porras, removed Sandoval from his post on Friday, prompting public outcry and criticism that the move was a setback to the rule of law.

The Special Prosecutor’s unit, FECI, led by Sandoval, was originally created to tackle investigations spearheaded by the United Nations-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) which was removed from the country in 2019. The agency had been hit with legal challenges seeking to declare it unconstitutional.

Porras defended Sandoval’s firing, accusing him of frequent abuses and undermining her work, though she did not provide further details.

Following the decision, hundreds of Guatemalans gathered outside the presidential palace on Saturday protesting the ouster of the anti-graft fighter.

Sandoval, known for his work in investigating and litigating cases against former officials, presidents and business leaders in Guatemala, reportedly fled the country to the Salvadoran borders on Saturday morning, hours after being sacked.

The importance of a functional justice system

In the statement signed by CEG President, Archbishop Gonzalo de villa y Vasquez, SJ, the bishops note that “prompt and impartial justice, and the investigation of crime are guarantors of freedom and democracy”. More so, “only if the law is respected and obeyed with a moral sense, can it be interpreted and applied in the service of the common good.”

In this regard, they stress that “nothing is more dangerous for the institutionalism of the country than to have mafias entrenched in the organs of the state” because those who rejoice at Sandoval’s dismissal only “feel safe and comfortable when the regime of impunity is consolidated.”

The bishops go on to point out that though it is common knowledge that the process of the administration of justice in Guatemala has serious flaws, the Public Prosecutor’s Office – the State body in charge of investigation and prosecution of crimes committed – has, in recent years, “been able to investigate acts that previously enjoyed total impunity, generating hope among citizens and relieving the victims.” And in these investigations, the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI) played a fundamental role.

“Irreparable damage”

Further supporting their opinion that the abrupt dismissal of prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval has done “irreparable damage to the country,” the CEG expressed concern that important cases he was handling would be slowed down and the Office of the Public Prosecutor would suffer an increased loss of credibility.

On top of that, they feared that “citizen indignation will grow, social protests and the level of conflict will increase, and the already deficient management of the pandemic and the tortuous process of vaccinations will be further complicated.”

Appeal to authorities

Concluding their statement, the Bishops launched an appeal to authorities and all those who work in the justice institutions of the country, to continue to be committed to the pursuit of justice and to peacebuilding as a greater good. They also urged them to be courageous in recognizing their mistakes and to not lose “the horizon of the common good as the ultimate expression of the purpose of the State of Guatemala.”

Food systems transformation a ‘silver lining’ in COVID crisis: UN deputy chief

(Video) Reports of Fatalities in Iran’s Latest Protests Lead to New Calls for International Pressure

(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): With that in mind, the PMOI’s parent coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, issued a statement on Sunday which called attention to the early reports of fatal shooting incidents and urged the United Nations Secretary-General.

(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): The international community should realize this fact and put more pressure on the regime that its Supreme leader, President, head of Judiciary, and speakers of the Parliament are henchmen of the 1988 massacre.

(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): People of Tehran stage protest, chant, “Death to the dictator,” and “Khamenei, shame on you, leave our nation alone”.

(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): Protests erupted in Tehran, days after protests in Khuzestan. People in Tehran chanted slogans against the regime officials and condemned the regime’s warmongering policies. They were heard chanting “neither Gaza nor Lebanon”.

(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): The angry youth and people of Tehran were demonstrated in Jomhouri Avenue and other parts of central Tehran.

(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): The crowd also chanted “Tanks, guns (are not going to save your regime), the mullahs must go”.

(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), hailed the rebellious youth in Tehran.

(NCRI) and (PMOI / MEK Iran): the people Tabriz took to the streets, chanting slogans against the clerical regime’s oppression and expressing solidarity with the Khuzestan uprising.

That sentiment has been affirmed by the Iranian Resistance leader Maryam Rajavi in a number of statements since protests began on July 15.

PARIS, FRANCE, July 28, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — In the nearly two weeks since protests broke out over water shortages in the Iranian province of Khuzestan, there have been reports of military convoys approaching areas of unrest, as well as authorities opening fire on crowds of protesters using live ammunition. Those reports have emerged only gradually on account of far-reaching and long-lasting internet blackouts designed to limit the spread of information about government crackdowns and about the protests themselves.The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) has reported that at least a dozen individuals were killed in those crackdowns. Reports from the leading pro-democracy opposition group suggest that the number will climb as soon as more information is assessed, but twelve is the number of victims who have already been identified by name. Those victims include two individuals who were only 17 years old and at least five who were under the age of 30.

These fatalities seem to be contributing to the ongoing growth and expansion of the unrest. On Friday, the funeral for one of the regime’s 17-year-old victims, Hadi Bahmani, reportedly became a staging ground for new anti-government demonstrations. Elsewhere, protests emerged with the specific intention of showing solidarity with those demonstrations that had already been attacked, as well as those individuals who were killed in those attacks.

In the cities of Zanjan and Bojnurd, to name just two, protesters have been heard to call direct attention to the killings with their slogans, chanting, for instance, “Iranians die, but we will not accept humiliation.” Such statements seemingly affirm the intention of many activists and protest organizers to remain active in the streets regardless of the regime’s efforts at violent repression.

That sentiment has been affirmed by the Iranian Resistance leader Maryam Rajavi in a number of statements since protests began on July 15. On Monday, she tweeted, “Hail to the defiant youths in Tehran” and credited them with sounding the “death knell” of the theocratic regime through their defiant activism. “The young protesters in Tehran display the Iranian people’s firm resolve to establish democracy and national sovereignty,” she added.

This resolve has arguably found its most significant outlets in recent years, as Iran has been rocked by a series of uprisings and related protest movements, many of them expressing a direct challenge to the theocratic system and an appeal for regime change leading to a democratic alternative.

The first nationwide uprising began in the final days of 2017 and continued through much of the following month, during which time Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei begrudgingly admitted that the scale of the unrest was guaranteed by months of planning from the MEK. That scale was then exceeded by a similar uprising in November 2019, which prompted some of the worst repression in decades by Iranian authorities.

More than 1,500 people were killed within days of the latter uprising breaking out, and more than 12,000 people were arrested soon thereafter. Many of these were subjected to torture for months on end, yet while that torture was still ongoing, demonstrations broke out once again across at least a dozen Iranian provinces in January 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic ultimately helped to forestall the resurgence of nationwide protests afterward, but numerous Iranian officials have continued to issue warnings about MEK influence and popular unrest ever since. The recent and ongoing protests in Khuzestan and surrounding regions are the latest reminder of how well-founded those concerns are. And for critics of the Iranian regime, they are also a reminder of how desperate that regime is to restore order and limit the proliferation of organized efforts to establish a new system of government.

With that in mind, the PMOI’s parent coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, issued a statement on Sunday which called attention to the early reports of fatal shooting incidents and urged “the United Nations Secretary-General, the UN Security Council, the European Union, and its member states to condemn these crimes against humanity” and to take steps that may lead to prosecution or similar accountability for leaders of the Islamic Republic who have contributed to similar crimes throughout the regime’s history.

Of course, the NCRI did not wait for the latest outbreak of unrest to issue this appeal. A number of Iranian activists and their Western political advocates delivered speeches during the recent, three-day Free Iran World Summit and called attention to Tehran’s shameless embrace of its worst human rights abuses. Many of those speeches pointed to the August 5 inauguration date for Iran’s President-select Ebrahim Raisi as a potential deadline for Western measures to demand accountability.

Raisi was ostensibly elected on June 18, but the vast majority of eligible voters sat out the election in protest. His campaign had been shadowed by protests which decried him as the “henchman of 1988,” in reference to his role as one of the leading figures on the Tehran “death commission” that oversaw the massacre of 30,000 Iranian political prisoners in the summer of that year.

Raisi’s appointment to the presidency came about two years after the regime’s supreme leader made him the head of the national Judiciary and about a year and a half after he oversaw key aspects of the bloody crackdown on the November 2019 uprising. It is generally understood that his long history of human rights abuses was a prime qualifier for his presidential bid, which remained more or less uncontested after Khamenei indicated that Raisi was his personal choice to take over for the outgoing President Hassan Rouhani.

Since being confirmed as president-elect, Raisi has been replaced in the Judiciary by Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, another figure with an established record of human rights abuses and someone who has already shown himself to be keen on mass arrests and aggressive prosecution in the midst of the current protest movement.

That movement first emerged on or about July 15 as Khuzestan was suffering from drought, made worse by government-linked damming projects, which accelerated the drying of vital waterways and reduced the availability of water for both agriculture and consumer use. It is estimated that over a quarter of Iran’s population of 83 million is already affected by similar shortages and that the number could easily grow if the issue remains unresolved in the wake of the protests.

Persons familiar with the Iranian regime tend to agree that it is far more likely that Raisi will attempt to address the situation by stepping up the current repression rather than by examining the issue and proposing solutions that counteract the ill-effects of damming projects that were implemented under the leadership of figures who had much more experience in governmental and infrastructural affairs than he has.

As the people of Iran have emphasized in their slogans, the main problem in Iran is the regime itself, and the only solution for Iran’s problems is the regime change by the people of Iran and their just resistance. The international community should realize this fact and put more pressure on the regime that its Supreme leader, President, head of Judiciary, and speakers of the Parliament are henchmen of the 1988 massacre.

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NCRI
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Protests in Khuzestan province enjoy support from other provinces in Iran

UN Refugee Convention protecting the rights of refugees for 70 years – Vatican News

By Giancarlo La Vella & Linda Bordoni

Thursday, 28 July 2021, marks the 70th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention. The anniversary falls at a time in which there are 26.4 million refugees in the world – the highest ever seen; 48 million internally displaced people and 4.1 million asylum seekers.

The Convention, that has remained largely unchanged, aside from an additional Protocol of 1967, has had broad political support since it was drafted and adopted in the wake of World War II.

Pope Francis

The protection of the lives and dignity of migrants and refugees is one of the hallmarks of Pope Francis’ pontificate who has repeatedly called on all men and women of goodwill to open their arms and their hearts to their brothers and sisters fleeing poverty and war. He has also appealed to leaders and legislators “and the entire international community (…) to confront the reality of those who have been displaced by force, with effective projects and new approaches in order to protect their dignity, to improve the quality of their lives and to face the challenges that are emerging from modern forms of persecution, oppression and slavery.”

Chiara Cardoletti is the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the Holy See, Italy and San Marino. Speaking to Vatican Radio, she explained that the Convention, “one of the most ratified legal instruments on earth,” set the foundations for legislation that guarantees solidarity and protection for refugees, but it also provides opportunities to find new solutions in a changing world scenario.

“The 1951 Convention is a fundamental instrument to protect refugees,” Chiara Cardoletti explained, noting that “It was drafted after WWII with an objective: not so much to provide a definition of who is a refugee but rather to provide clarity as to the treatment refugees would be receiving in the various European countries where they were located at the time.”

A vision of the present open to the future

Those who drafted the document, she said, aimed not only to provide a vision of the past, “of what had happened during the War,” but also to make sure its framework was such that it would remain a credible and authoritative legal instrument for the future.

“We are looking at a document that is not exclusively focused on the State as an actor of persecution, but also on the possibility – as we are seeing right now – of others being actors of persecution,” she said.

Clearly, Cardoletti continued, the world has evolved and both refugees and governments are faced with very different contexts; “contexts that are no longer entrenched in the realities of the Second World War or of the Cold War afterwards,” but in the current reality in which conflicts and more complex for a variety of reasons, and “where defining who is a refugee is obviously a whole lot more complex.”

But she underscored the fact that the 1951 Convention, one of the world’s most ratified legal instruments, must be read reflectively and always bearing in mind the best protection that can be given to refugees.

The face of a changing world

Noting that today there exists a wide variety of practices pertaining to the protection of refugees, Cardoletti said, “For example, we know that 90% of refugees currently live in developing countries, very close to where they have fled. So today, the real challenge is not so much deciding who is a refugee, but rather who is going to be responsible for their treatment and their protection.”

Even in this respect, she said, the 1951 Convention set the foundation of international solidarity and international cooperation as the basis of this instrument, and “therefore the importance of ensuring that States take this responsibility seriously, and provide protection to refugees.”

New laws and legislation currently regulate migration issues in Europe and across the world, for example, the recent Global Compact on Refugees that Cardoletti said “aims precisely to provide support to all those countries who have opened their borders and their arms to refugees.”

This is fundamental, she concluded, to try and make sure they continue doing so while further sharing responsibility in other countries in the industrialized world “so they can continue what they have been doing and maintain the tradition of hospitality and generosity towards refugees.”    

CEC Theological Reflections: Seeking, sharing, and serving the risen Lord

As part of CEC’s Theological Reflections series “Communion in crisis: The Church during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr Katherine Shirk Lucas from the Catholic University of Paris, reflects on seeking, sharing, and serving the risen Lord, and the Church as communion during the Covid-19 pandemic”.

The Church: Towards a Common Vision expresses how far Christian communities have come in their shared understanding of the Church. In its 2019 official response, the Catholic Church recognises a “deep convergence” on the understanding of the Church as communion whose source is the life of the Triune God. “Communion … is both the gift by which the Church lives and, at the same time, the gift God calls the Church to offer to a wounded and divided humanity in hope of reconciliation and healing” reads in the document The Church: Towards a Common Vision. Communion is manifested in three interrelated ways: unity in faith, in worship and the sacramental life, and in service. The Covid-19 crisis has challenged the Church to cultivate and share communion despite the deprivation of congregations gathering in sanctuaries for worship and the hardships of vulnerability, suffering, loss, and mourning. How has the Catholic Church contributed to this fundamental Christian mission?

Encountering the risen Christ in times of sacramental abstinence

Catholic communities have developed digital worship in diverse and creative ways. Building on the established practice of broadcasting major papal liturgies, Pope Francis has made extensive use of digital media to express solidarity with the hurting world, such as his Urbi et Orbi prayer and blessing on 27 March, 2020, and the Way of the Cross on 10 April, 2020. These innovations highlight the global reach of Catholicism and invite renewed ecumenical reflection on Petrine ministry as a service of love and unity in the spirit of the encyclical Ut unum sint (95).

From the perspective of Catholic sacramental theology, digital technology cannot yet support the fullness of sacramental life, and eucharistic consecration is not currently considered possible across distances. In some dioceses, sacramental discernment has centered on spiritual connection through Mass and the divine office offered in different digital forms. Some diocesan bishops have suggested the faithful pray St. Alphonsus Ligouri’s “Act of Spiritual Communion” to express their desire to be united with Christ in love while unable to consume the eucharistic elements. This eighteenth-century prayer emphasises personal intimacy with Christ rather than ecclesial communion and witness to Christ’s love.  

Theological assessment of these pastoral choices has focused on whether they represent reception of Vatican II reforms. Do decision-making procedures heed calls for synodality and take the voices of the faithful, especially those of women, the majority of Catholic lay ministers, into account? Does digital mediation ensure the fully conscious and active participation required by the very nature of the liturgy? Do livestream Masses in the absence of an assembly draw excessive attention to the male priest as the primary public figure of the Catholic Church? Has ordained ministry been overly shaped by concern for ritual action? Does emphasis on individual spiritual communion encourage the ecclesial fulfillment of the eucharist through diaconal service and charity?  Do the time and resources spent on worship balance with our investment in attending to our neighbours, in being a Church of the poor, for the poor?

The lockdown experience has also raised awareness of Christian communities who have been gathering online for many years and of the faithful who have been excluded from parish life by attitudinal and architectural barriers. These realities require further theological reflection and pastoral commitment.  How do online practices enhance our comprehension of the abiding presence of the Incarnate Word, who promises, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20)? How may we more fully apprehend and appreciate the differently embodied quality of online worship and its contribution to creating communion? How may Catholic parishes be more inclusive of people of all abilities?

Common faith in the Trinity as a basis for solidarity, service and hope for the world

Pursuing its reaffirmation of the Lund Principle (1952), the Catholic Church has sought to “walk, pray and work together” with other churches during the pandemic. The World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue call upon the followers of Jesus Christ to “love and serve our neighbours” in their joint text “Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity.” The foundation of this invitation is communion in faith in the Triune God. Our belief in Jesus’s transformative solidarity with those who suffer and our hope in the resurrection provides assurance that death will not have the final word and opens up a new way of being.

Spiritual ecumenism has been another means of sharing and serving hope in Christ through communion in praise. The initiatives of virtual ecumenical choirs such as “La Bénédiction France” are an example of kerygmatic grassroots ecumenism that has broadened commitment to Christian unity. The livestream prayer of the Taizé community has been a unique opportunity to develop and share its charism for unity more widely. For the first time, the World Council of Churches organized an online global ecumenical prayer to conclude the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and affirm our common vocation to pray for our human family. As the Church journeys on through the pandemic, may the Spirit continue to help us and intercede for us in our weakness (Romans 8:26).

Suggestions for further reading:

Learn more about CEC Theological Reflections series, read contributions

For more information contact CEC Executive Secretary Katerina Pekridou

Learn more about CEC’s work on Ecclesiology and Mission

China: New co-adjutor bishop consecrated for Pingliang – Vatican News

By Vatican News

A new bishop – the fifth since the signing of the Provisional Accord between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China on the nomination of bishops – was consecrated on Wednesday, 28 July, in China. Antonio Li Hui received episcopal consecration as the new co-adjutor bishop of Pingliang in the province of Gansu.

As reported on the site of the Catholic Church in China, the ordination ceremony was presided over by Bishop Giuseppe Ma Yinglin of Kunming, in the province of Yunnan.

The new bishop was born in 1972 in Mei County, in the province of Shaanxi, and entered into the diocesan seminary of Pinliang in 1990. He graduated from the National Seminary of the Catholic Church in China, and was ordained a priest in 1996.

According to Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Pope Francis made the nomination on 11 January 2021.

Supporting the implementation of COVID-19 contact tracing in Ukraine

To help implement a contact tracing programme for COVID-19 in Ukraine, WHO has been providing support, equipment and staff training to the state-run Chernivtsi Oblast Center for Disease Control and Prevention (OCDC) of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and Odessa OCDC, in a pilot project that could soon be rolled out to other areas of the country.

The WHO Country Office in Ukraine, in the scope of  the European Union DG NEAR project, provided funding for 2 computers and 90 mobile phones for Chernivtsi OCDC and 2 computers and 65 mobile phones for Odessa OCDC, which are set up with Go.data software developed by the WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) – an app now used in over 35 countries for managing epidemiological data and facilitating faster and more accurate outbreak investigations during public health emergencies.

Training was also provided to 99 employees of Chernivtsi OCDC and 102 employees of Odessa OCDC in the basics of contact tracing, use of the Go.Data app, and ways to collect and analyse data.

Nataliia Bugaienko, an epidemiologist at the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, commented on the role that contact tracing has as part of the COVID-19 response. “Contact tracing is an important and leading strategy for interrupting the chains of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, reducing the incidence and mortality associated with COVID-19, together with testing, self-isolation and caring for COVID-19 patients. Using Go.Data software for the purpose of contact tracing significantly helps the work of contact tracing teams and enables them to analyse and visualise the data easily.”

The results of the pilot will be reviewed jointly by the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health for Ukraine and WHO to decide on how to best scale up this approach in other regions of Ukraine, ensure a high level of epidemiological surveillance and case investigation, improve rapid responses to COVID-19, and ultimately to interrupt community transmission of the virus in the country.

Schultz claims book fair prize