In 1953, a split took place in the Trotskyist movement between the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) and a faction led by Michel Pablo and Ernest Mandel. The Pabloites rejected the independent political role of the working class and asserted that the Stalinist bureaucracy would be compelled to lead revolutionary struggles. Seventy years later, as an objectively revolutionary confrontation emerges between the French working class and President Emmanuel Macron, the implications of this split are emerging very clearly.

Amid the largest strikes in France since the May 1968 general strike, the Parti de lgalit socialiste (PES), the ICFIs French section, insists that since Macron is trying to rule against the people, he must be brought down by a general strike. As the union bureaucracies carry out mediation with Macron to prop up his government, the PES insists that the preparation of a general strike cannot be left in their hands. The rank and file must mobilize independently to prepare a general strike, on a socialist and revolutionary perspective.

The New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA), the French Pabloite party, is diametrically opposed to this perspective. Its lead article, titled Pensions: a week of chaos, to go towards victory? and written by Antoine Larrache, denounces opposition to the union bureaucracy as sectarian and criticized leftist and revolutionary slogans against Macron.

About the NPAs proposals for action, Larrache writes, There is no simple solution. One thing is certain, incantations of a general strike to denounce the union leadership are not enough. To fight for the general strike, yes, that shows a right perspective,but to do it in a sectarian way plays a negative role, as it denies the difficulties of the movement and creates ruptures within it.

The rupture in the movement is not due to left-wing criticism of the union bureaucracy, but to the union bureaucracys treachery against the rank and file.

According to polls that are worriedly reported by the bourgeois press, 80 percent of the French population are opposed to Macrons pension cuts, while two-thirds of the respondents support a general strike to block the economy and stop its implementation. Another poll indicated that 62 percent of the French people wanted the protest movement to take harder measures against the Macron government.

Rejecting the overwhelming popular demand for mass action, the leadership of Frances CFDT and CGT unions, on the other hand, announced last week that they would enter mediation discussions with Macron behind closed doors.

The NPA is emerging as a determined defender of reactionary forces in the union apparatus. They oppose sectarian criticisms of the bureaucracies, as such criticism plays a negative role in the latters efforts to strangle the movement against Macron.

Calls for a general strike, the NPA claims, are nothing but quasi-religious incantations completely unrelated to political reality. This is what the NPA implies in another passage, which reads: The battle for the general strike is a struggle in which we must propose what advances the movement as it is, taking into account class consciousness as it is, not as it is dreamed of.

Such an approach istaken at face valuecompletely anti-Marxist. Marxists seek to raise the existing consciousness of the workers and not to adapt to it. But what the NPA adapts to is not the consciousness of the working class, which overwhelmingly wants a general strike, but to the trade union bureaucracy, which does not.

Insofar as the statement implies that the level of class consciousness as it is does not allow at present to fight for a general strike to bring down Macron, this is nothing but a self-serving lie refuted by the polls: In another Ifop survey published by Le Journal du Dimanche, 76 percent of respondents indicated that the pension reform events had left them with a bad opinion of Macron.

The perspective of the PES to stop the pension cuts and bring down Macron in a general strike is not one thatin the words of the NPAcan only be dreamed of, but one supported by a majority of the French people. Macron has fully demonstrated his hostility towards the masses and his contempt for democratic rights, even ramming through his hated reforms without a vote in the National Assembly. The fight against Macron, the capitalist state machine and the dictatorship of the banks is the decisive issue of the current situation.

But for the NPA, this class confrontation stands in the background. The movement, the article argues, should be mainly characterized by sectoral claims, regarding women, wages, public services, unemployment insurance, the Darmanin law, the ecological transition, the private irrigation reservoirs. And, in the background, a fight against the power of Macron, his police, the bosses.

The role of political activists, Larrache and the NPA insist, must be to make the link between all the events to accelerate maturation and awareness. Without leftism, without shouting we are determined and revolutionary at every street corner, but with the aim of involving the masses in political action.

In other words, the NPAs ostensible preoccupation with preventing a rupture within the movement in practice comes down to an attempt to suppress leftism and revolutionaries and thus prevent the workers from breaking free of the diktat of the bureaucracies.

Ultimately, the NPA demands that after weeks of determined strugglein which workers received no strike pay and were brutally attacked by riot policenothing should be done to prevent Berger, Martinez and Co. from selling out the struggle. Any attempt to free the movement from the bureaucrats class-collaborationist perspective, for the NPA, is inadmissible. Its pompous phrases about promoting maturation and awareness and involving masses in political action simply preach submission to pro-Macron bureaucrats.

Donate to the WSWS 25 Year Fund

Watch David Norths remarks commemorating 25 years of the World Socialist Web Site and donate today.

The NPAs call to oppose leftism in the mass movement marks another milestone in the right-wing evolution of this pseudo-left, pro-imperialist party of the petty bourgeoisie. In 2009, it was founded by Pabloite cadres of the Ligue communiste rvolutionnaire (LCR) based on an explicit repudiation of any historical link to Trotskyism. Its founding program asserted that it was impossible to build a revolutionary party, and that they would therefore build a broad alliance of forces that reject socialist revolution:

The NPA does not claim a specific relation to Trotskyism, but continuity with those who, over the last two centuries, have confronted the system all the way. The NPA is a pluralistic and democratic party. [There has been] participation of comrades from various components of the social movement, of the anti-globalization left, of political ecology, of comrades from the PS and the PCF, from the anarchist movement, from the revolutionary left. Without becoming bland, the NPA has everything to win by opening itself even further.

Having rejected the perspective of building a revolutionary Trotskyist party in the working class, they proceeded to build a counterrevolutionary party. Their calls for alliance with the Parti socialiste (PS), a longstanding party of capitalist government for whom Macron served as economy minister before becoming president, underscored their organic ties to imperialism.

Indeed, in the years that followed, the NPA endorsed NATO wars against Libya and Syria, which cost hundreds of thousands of lives. After applauding the right-wing Maidan coup in Ukraine, which in 2014 toppled the elected president and brought far-right parties to power, the NPA demanded further military interventions against Russia. Since the Russian militarys reactionary invasion of Ukraine, the NPA has doubled down on its support for the reactionary Ukrainian military, demanding that NATO arm Ukraine.

The implications of the NPAs anti-Trotskyist perspective are now emerging ever more evidently in the class struggle inside France itself. Having rejected the struggle to build a revolutionary Trotskyist party, it is now openly hostile to leftist criticism of the union bureaucracies and their corrupt maneuvers to smother the struggle against Macron.

The PES is advancing a perspective to bring down Macron via a general strike, linking this demand to a struggle against imperialist war and for socialism. It advocates building independent, rank-and-file committees in every school and workplace to link up the struggle against Macron with the struggles of workers around the world and help them break free of the diktat of the bureaucracies in their countries. Already, mass strikes are developing in Germany, Britain, Portugal, Belgium, Israel and across the world.

Together with their class brothers and sisters internationally, workers in France can bring down Macron and the capitalist oligarchy he represents. But this requires a conscious struggle against the union bureaucracy and its pseudo-left defenders, like the NPA. The PES will do everything in its power to assist workers in this political struggle and calls on workers and youth who agree with this perspective to contact it today.

WSWS Review

What is the pseudo-left?

This review examines the response of pseudo-left political tendencies internationally to the major world political events of the past decade.

View original post here:
NPA attacks leftist opposition to French union bureaucracy's talks ... - WSWS

Consumer sentiment, and with it buying behaviour, is changing fast enough to make your head spin. Most recently, the pandemic triggered a surge in commercial activity online, followed quickly by worldwide supply chain issues. The resulting rising costs of goods, petrol, and property has seen inflation skyrocketing in Australia to a 21-year high, while the rapid expansion and evolution of digital technology continues unabated. Tristan Sternson explores customer loyalty.

In a crowded global marketplace, brands are competing harder than ever before for loyalty from a customer base that has an infinite array of choices at its fingertips. Todays customers are more knowledgeable, more diverse, and more empowered. Theyre also more demanding, totally willing (and able) to switch brand allegiances overnight.

So, what does it all mean for brands? In short, the future of customer loyalty and user experience (UX) in a complex digital world is a new and exciting one and ultimately, one brands need to embrace in order to get and stay ahead of the competitors. Leveraging technology is how brands are going to get there.

The customer journey is no longer linear with a clear centre of gravity; it is fragmented and spans web, mobile, social media, smart devices, wearables, the metaverse, and of course, the physical world. As it now intersects through multiple platforms, designers and marketers need to consider how to create a cohesive, experience-led approach around the customer.

The customer is king. Ring a bell? Digital and tech innovation means that brands are now operating in a multi-polar, experiential world that revolves more than ever around the customers needs and wants.

As much as the breadth and pace of tech innovation can feel daunting for business owners, it shouldnt be. Challenging, yes, but really, change should be regarded as an opportunity to consolidate and enhance your customers journey and magnify their loyalty to your brand.

The sneaker industry is a great example. Customising is immensely popular with consumers, and its big business. Most of the big brands offer it in some form, from simple monogramming to full colour and style customisation. These are digital options that enhance customer experience, which in turn helps to build loyalty, both online and in-store/in real life.

Why settle for off-the-shelf Nikes when you can assume some control and add your magic touch in the process? Its something my kids do, and it keeps them wanting to go back for more.

Theres a huge amount of opportunity in this space for brands. Imagine walking into a Nike store with your phone, customising your own sneaker online, and a short time later the shoe being brought up for you. Thanks to technology, its possible.

The radical success of limited editions and midnight sneaker drops doesnt happen overnight, though; its brand loyalty in motion. But what happens when loyalty is challenged by a new wave of super-savvy, price-conscious consumers?

Data from Emarsys 2022 Customer Loyalty Index found 65 percent of Australians say inflation and the rising cost-of-living has made them abandon brands they were previously loyal to in order to save money.

Nowadays, customers are doing a lot more comparison online because theyre more price-conscious. And, also, because they can. So for brands, spending budget on online marketing as a bare minimum, even for bricks-and-mortar businesses, is essential. In-store, time is money. If youre waiting in a large retail outlet for someone to come and help you, that 1-2 minutes while youre waiting might turn into Do I really need this? I can save the money/get it cheaper online.

Either way, as a business, you want to catch customers and make it a positive experience in that moment to hang onto your share of the wallet.

If youre wondering What next?, my word for you is Acceptance. Ours is now a multi-polar digital world that needs to be embraced for you to not just survive, but to thrive.

Examine closely what you can do to drive a better customer experience. Years ago we developed business intelligence, gathering data on our customers, yet some brands still utilise that intelligence really poorly.

We need to get better at using what weve got, then start using the newer tools technology like in-store mobile apps to make it easier for brands to recognise and reward their loyal consumers, and for customers to get what they need, quickly and easily. Endless aisles, for example, allow customers in-store to virtually browse or order products that are out of stock or not sold in-store, then have them shipped to their home.

Loyalty is now driven by the complete, omnichannel experience of your brand. With expanding global connectivity, price sensitivity, and increasing technical innovation, brand advantages are shrinking. Make sure youre investing in UX and digital innovation to provide customers an attractive and unforgettable experience.

Tristan Sternsonis the CEO ofARQ Groupandglobalco-lead ofNCS NEXT.

Visit link:
The future of customer loyalty and UX in a complex digital world - Marketing magazine Australia

Entrepreneurship and product innovation are the true drivers of change within the vision of a more sustainable future. Theres always room for more people to work on solutions, small and large, that can change our way of life for the better. Combined efforts toward change within industries and individuals will pave the way to a brighter future for people and the planet.

At Brightly, we love to showcase new products, ideas, and entrepreneurs that make it easier for individuals to live more eco-conscious lives. In this weeks episode of Good Together, Julia Collins, founder of Planet FWD and Moonshot, shares insight into and excitement around innovation within the sustainability sectorall born of a longtime love of food.

When building her first company, Zume Pizza, Collins turned her focus toward the production process and its environmental impact. Crucial to all of her companies is a start-to-finish attention to detail. Collins notes that considering ways to shorten the supply chain, as well as employing automation to make work safer and more sustainable for those preparing the food, are the sorts of innovation that create sustainable outcomes in every area of the food production industry.

Collins approach to leadership and entrepreneurship may appear a bit different from a typical CEOs style, but thats part of what makes her work so successful. Using internal rather than external metrics to gauge success and focusing on sustainability before expedited business growth are two ways that, in Collins opinion, businesses can remain truly sustainable and regenerative. As a first-time founder I just felt no allegiance to the status quo, she says. Rather, Collins opted to turn her focus toward the impact of processes without worrying too much about statistical success, the better to balance her companys evolution.

From bags, sacks, and wraps, to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles or jars, to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers, plastic is undeniably prevalent in the kitchen. In 2018, 14.5 million tons of this kitchen plastic ended up in U.S. landfills.

For Collins, there have been moments when the sheer quantity of plastic products felt overwhelming and insurmountableand from that distress came the dream of a climate-friendly offering. Its not enough to have a product, you really need to have a brand, says Collins. And that brand needs to work hard to ask the right questions: What produce can we use that supports regenerative agriculture?; Which ingredients have the least significant environmental impact?; What can make the production process safer and more reliable?

Farmers have so much power and so much wisdom, Collins shared. What we try to do at Moonshot is to approach all of this with a bit of humility. Through this approach andgenuine curiosity, Collins has been able to find ingredients and systems that work with the environments needs while developing an intimate understanding of the agriculture system that delivers productslike Moonshots delicious crackersinto our pantries.

Collins has some key takeaways and developments that any company can apply to their work:

There are exciting steps being taken in every portion of the food industry, from older generations teaching children to reuse household products, to up-and-coming food brands that are operating through a climate-conscious lens.

It takes a village to make a sustainable future, and fortunately leaders like Collins and eco-minded consumers (like you!) are working to make our shared dreams a delicious reality.

Hey there! Want to help us change the world every day through easy, achievable, eco-friendly tips and tricks? Sign up for the Brightly Spot and join our movement of over a million changemakers.

Go here to see the original:
The Ins and Outs of Building a Climate-Friendly Business from Scratch - Brightly

Theres a lot of different labels we can attempt to stamp on Figgy Baby, an emerging rap artist based in Los Angeles. We can call them Mexican American, mixed-race, gender-bending, queer, non-binary, rap star, music maker any of them would technically apply.

However, as youll soon learn, Figgy cares infinitely more about what they bring to the table than how they are labeled.

My message matters more to me what Im wearing or my style; thats all superficial anyway, they begin. Take the earrings off, take the chain off, take the nail polish and the skirts off, and my practice is still my practice. I dont want to complicate it too much for my audience.

In fact, although they do use they/them pronouns, even those are fluid, and the reason behind that choice is nuanced and transcends gender.

Figgy, who grew up in what they call a mixed-Mexican household with a Mexican father and an English mother, shares that non-binary is also the way in which they view the world.

Thats how I engage to think about knowledge, information, truth, relationships there isnt right and wrong or black and white. Instead, we exist in this infinite purple, they shared.

mit chatted with Figgy about all the things that matter to them, and to us, bridging the gap between understanding and acceptance and identity and expression, all while making the commitment to sit in shameless joy.

My parents met in Mexico City, where my dad is from. My mom is actually from England. So, I grew up in Orange County in a mixed-Mexican household. My mom grew up in Long Beach, moved to Mexico City, lived there for 15 years, met my father, had my brother and then the same year they moved back to the states, I was born.

Luckily, I grew up with both parents speaking Spanish fluently. I feel like the dominant culture in the household was definitely Mexican, and for all four of us, there was no doubt that we were Mexican. I grew up watching my parents dance cumbia, them teaching me to dance, movement was always present. We were very proud, and that pride was instilled in us at an early age. We were privileged enough to go to Mexico once a year pretty much my entire childhood.

Unfortunately, the majority of my family lived in Mexico, and I had a really deep connection with them. My identity growing up was ambiguous, and I think that was one of my biggest insecurities but now its one of my greatest superpowers.

The first thing that comes to mind is a tapping into ancestral knowledge. I am a big believer that its in my DNA, in my genes, running through my blood, in my skin, in my language and my family and its not just science, but its also spirit and culture and learning. I was featured in a BBC article, which was about not being able to speak Spanish as confidently as Id like to, and that is a commitment to the culture, me being vulnerable about that.

This interview right now, our connection, tapping in, wanting to build, this is our commitment to our culture. Again, we want to tap back into the actions: how am I practicing my human and who am I practicing it with? It just goes back to commitment. I can learn Spanish, anyone can learn Spanish, but its about the why Im learning because I want to communicate with my family because I love them. Also, our history is colonization and understanding how this world has been built and broken a thousand times over informs me about our entire human experience. And I want it to inform my work, and not just for Latinos but for humans, and our progression and our evolution to really to tap into empathy and knowledge and indigenous practices and not being a taker but being a leaver which is a quote from Ishmael.

I see the shamelessness in so much of our community and how theyre continuing to evolve and break down things even in their own household, even in one generation, the revolution and evolution thats happening in a singular lifetime, and seeing that in the context of being Latinx is empowering.

Bottom line, they support me. At this point, they want me to shine and thrive pretty unquestionably. I dont think my parents, especially my father, always get me, but I dont really care about that, because they love me and we sit in joy presently together. When I came out to my father, we were sitting outside of a coffee shop and I just started ranting about my philosophies and being non-binary and fluidity and my own eternal evolution and all that, and I finally took a breath, and asked, Well, what do you think? And he said, I dont understand a lot of what youre saying but I believe that you believe it.

And Ive told that story to people, and theyve been like, Well, thats kind of a crappy response. But its not. These are things that Im just learning about now that my fathers generation had no access to, really. So, Im like, Yeah, of course you dont get a lot of this, but I think theres so much value in him just affirming that, Thats your truth, and Im not going to take that away from you.

At the end of the day, my parents like me they enjoy my humor, my charm, they like that Im so invested in my culture, my dance, the way I engage with my family in Mexico, my volunteerism, the work I do with youth, and they see the value in my human practice and so I feel like thats more important than necessarily understanding me.

I dont think my parents, especially my father, always get me, but I dont really care about that, because they love me and we sit in joy presently together.

Mr. Baron, Spice Boi, Tongue Troubles, Seams and Watermelon Earrings.

I actually have a story about Watermelon Earrings. Someone sent me a message from Copenhagen, and they were like, I found you on TikTok and I just want to tell you about something that happened to me. I was wearing a dress for the first time and I was riding my bike over to my friends across town, and then halfway, I got really hot and I wanted to take off my jacket, but I got really nervous and self-conscious, and then I put my earphones in and I played Watermelon Earrings and it gave me strength and it made me feel brave and I got back on my bike and kept going. I couldnt believe that it was so crazy. It ruined me.

Figgy Baby just released Spice Boi, an EP of summer bops, and will be touring the Detroit and Chicago area this coming August.You can find them anywhere @figgybaby.

Notice any corrections needed? Please email us at corrections@wearemitu.com

View original post here:
Figgy Baby Is the Non-Binary, Mixed Mexican Artist Breaking Every Mold: 'My Message Matters More to Me Than What I'm Wearing' - mit

So, Jordan Peeles Nope has confused the hell out of a lot of people, for understandable reasons. Few filmmakers would inspire an angry, frustrated tweetstorm from Logan Paul, wondering what the hell is going on in this movie. However, his confusion shouldnt be read as a stand-in for what the average moviegoers after all, how many of us have taken shots in the face from Floyd Mayweather? But its not the kind of film that makes things dramatically clear, though Id argue its still plenty entertaining even without delving down into the subtext. Its a movie that spends much of its time relying on subtle suggestions for the audience to piece together its grander meanings. It continues the descent into subtext that Peele began in Us, which now feels like a conscious reaction to how well put-together Get Out was. In the week or so since I saw the film, Ive been having fun conversations with friends (online and otherwise, you know who you are, and thank you for talking with me about this), and honing a working theory of what exactly Nope is all about, at least in my own view. Yes, I know some of you are saying, this is every movie ever and you are a critic and this is your job, and youre right. This silly prologue is a roundabout way to suggest that those who havent gone to check it out yet might want to double back and read my original review and, more forthrightly, say that there will be spoilers in this article.

**

The most obvious reading of Nope is that its about mans tenuous relationship to non-human intelligences and, fitting well into the tradition of the giant-monster movie, what one does when the assumption that man is master of his domain is challenged by either his hubris (witting or unwitting) or by the limits of his physiology. In contrast to some takes Ive seen online about how Peele, in essence, demands the natural world bend to his dominance (which are genuinely brain-breaking in their inability to parse subtext), its key to remember that his leads arent poachers or big game hunters or slaughterhouse barons: they are horse trainers, stressing through action a humble attitude towards the animals they care for. Theyre cognizant that an animal can kill you quick, wittingly or unwittingly, and as such, they maintain careful respect along with their curiosity, even when it comes to Jean Jacket. Its when their advice is ignored (as the cast and crew do on the set of the movie Kaluuya is providing horses for at the start) or the animal nature of the creature is totally obscured by a false sense of security thats aided by fictions (the Gordy debacle, though one could apply that to the film set as well horses are cute, right?) that the worst strikes: The horse nearly punts an actress through the uprights, and the cast of a popular sitcom is maimed and mauled by both a chimp and SNL writers. Its also important to remember that their aim isnt to kill the creature, a la Jaws, but rather to capture it on film, to prove the impossible. Though its masked with a veneer of finance getting this money will save the ranch its also about proving to themselves and the world that they arent crazy and engaging in minor experiments and other acts of discovery to work out a thesis, a curiosity-centric impulse from a similar wellspring as Muybridges when he did those experiments. Jean Jackets accidental death is a fun play on the ending of Jaws, with the shot that ignites the gaseous insides of the creatures maw coming from the souvenir camera inside the well, but the meaning would be the same even if it didnt die.

Its not the same as someone off camera plugging poor Gordy after his rampage, putting a creature out of its misery as a way of reasserting mans control of its environment (ensuring safety, above all else). Still, theyre united in their effects on Jupe. Yuens storyline is one of the most outright bizarre to some folks, given that it only suggests the comparisons between the two rather than dragging them out. For all of his perceived personal failings, Jupe is a tragic figure: A product of Hollywood scraping at relevance and nostalgia after the Gordy incident upended his career. His office is both figuratively (in the case of the ever-present memorabilia of the other show he was in as a child being littered around his office) and literally (the Gordy room) a museum, and the only suggestions of him having any real success after his youth is a poster for a reality show about the Western-themed park hes running with his family. His survival was pure luck, but I dont think it gave him a main character complex any more than being a child actor would have. I see the pivotal fist bump as a genuinely sad reminder of Gordys essential natures: Terrified animal and emotional primate all at once. Simply because one took over at a moment doesnt mean the other stopped existing. The experience of that day, of course, had psychological effects on him. Still, hes not wholly defined by trauma, as one might be: he was famous, wishes to be famous again, and when he encounters Jean Jacket after it stole one of OJs horses, he figured hed become famous once again Oprah famous. But, as Peele would probably point out, the Gordy incident has been well-scarred over and replaced by a spectacle: A representation of reality through media that has superseded the actuality of the days events in Jupes mind. This is why he focuses so heavily on the minutiae of the SNL sketch in telling the Heywoods about it what might have been a coping mechanism brought on by both the shock of that level of public exposure (and cruelty) and the emotional wounds of the experience.*

So, when he attempts to create an outdoor show at his tourist trap, its a reflection of how far hes come from that terrible time on set, under the bloodstained table: Hes attempting to master the uncertain, to create an emotional experience for his audience that will wow and move them, while hoping that they manage to stop by the gift shops on their way out (his truly fucked-up choice is to involve his kids in the promotion of said event, by making them dress up as chimp-like aliens). This is foolhardy but understandable: Hes attempting to reclaim his place in the universe and impress folks once again, having lost the things that made him marketable when he was successful. His Achilles heel is his lack of experience with animal life and the fact that he doesnt know that Jean Jacket isnt a ship full of wandering E.T.s that he might be able to shake hands with and feed Reeses Pieces to or that the circumstances of the phenomenon mean that putting on a show in which everyone has their eyes trained on it as it descends from the sky is like putting an audience of Beggin Strips in a little Lego coliseum for your beagle. Beyond all of that, though, Jupe is a manifestation of Peeles nightmares, and not just in the now-viral tweet where he mentioned he once dreamed of a baby chimp attacking folks the nightmares he has about being an artist in general. Jupe is an actor past his prime and has moved on to being a showman, a creator of spectacles, and his failures ultimately kill him (and his audiences) because of his ignorance and lack of experience. When clothed in that context, the films resolution becomes even funnier: An effigy of Jupe (so as to not distract from the horror of his death) meets Jean Jacket, and explodes inside of him: a metaphorical fist-bump that annihilates both.

So if Jupe represents Peeles greatest nightmare as an artist going from failed TV actor to desperate and involuntarily dangerous showman the story of the Heywoods operates, in a way, as a hopeful counterpart. The Heywoods practically have cinema in their DNA, with their great-great-grandfather being the subject of Muybridges experiments: in essence, the first screen actor, up there with the workers leaving the factory in the Lumiere Brothers first works in the medium. Their transition to behind-the-scenes work is a less-perfect comparison to Peeles autobiography, but I tend to see it, as well as the allusions to films like Buck and the Preacher and other Black westerns, as representing the lineage of Hollywood, Black and otherwise, and OJs nervousness at filling his fathers shoes mirroring an artists own self-conscious doubt that theyll be able to continue making meaningful contributions to an art form that they love. When Jean Jacket reveals itself, the quest to capture it on camera becomes a mirror of the filmmaking process and the various technological methods in which they try to reflect forms of electronic distraction: Handy tools, obviously, but ones that are easy and obscure the truth of the process. Digital cameras dont work (either by electronic failure or by ill-timed praying mantis), modern film cameras are ultimately too fragile, hand-cranked inventions, like the one that Holst develops, are also limited by their weaknesses, and it takes Emerald, in Hail Mary stroke of genius, and the well-bound camera to finally achieve the impossible and capture the spectacle on film. She, in essence, has become Muybridge, with the sequential stills slowly documenting Jean Jackets moves towards the balloon: back to basics in the most fundamental way, a step forward in both human knowledge of the cosmos done in the most elemental way.

When OJ, presumed dead, reappears at the end of the film, triumphant, on horseback, the shot works on three levels. First, it reveals immediate narrative relief thank God hes OK! and provides the natural resolution to the story. Second, it fulfills his arc: Hes framed in a way mirroring how we are introduced to Otis Senior at the beginning of the film, and his evolution into the kind of man his father was is confirmed for us through this suggestion. But on a broader thematic level, he represents Peeles transformation into the man behind the camera: a black filmmaker replacing Muybridge, filming a black man on a horse, but questions about the horses movement do not define the image: It is squarely focused on OJ as subject, with his personhood as the emotional locus. This is when Nope becomes transcendental and becomes Peeles most interesting film, as well as his most, though obscured through fiction, autobiographical, and Id also wager his most outright meaningful.

* This, of course, might explain the moment involving the suspended sneaker, which feels like a combo of high strangeness and the flashbulb-like nature of memory during traumatic events: Jupe sees the shoe and focuses on it, with its inherent impossibility adding an ephemeral terror to a violent moment. And the very fact that its a detail that only he would know, and take care to recreate in his showroom, reflects that it remains a fact that he cant quite codify through fact or language, being a reminder of the event as it was.

Continue reading here:
So, what the hell is 'Nope' all about anyway? - Vanyaland

Food Tanks Summer 2022 Reading List is here! You will find topics ranging from sustainability and agroecology to food history and social justice. These 20 books about food highlight the perspectives of award-winning chefs, acclaimed authors, and food fanatics alike as they educate their audiences on the ever-evolving food system.

Here are 20 books that offer insight into foods captivating past, complex present, and promising future.

1. An Inconvenient Apocalypse: Environmental Collapse, Climate Crisis, and the Fate of Humanity by Wes Jackson and Robert Jensen (Forthcoming, September 2022)

According to Wes Jackson, co-founder of the Land Institute, and Professor Robert Jensen, the root of our ecological turmoil lies in consumption patterns. In this analysis, they trace todays systemic shortcomings back to their origins. In understanding our past, Jackson and Jensen believe humanity can follow a more practical path to the future.

2. Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture: Sustainable Solutions for Hunger, Poverty, and Climate Change by Vandana Shiva

With a foreword by World Food Prize and Right Livelihood Award laureate Dr. Hans Herren, Dr. Vandana Shiva provides a detailed account of pragmatic and proven methods of building a more sustainable food system. Drawing from decades worth of research and practice, Dr. Shiva endorses practical solutions to our growing ecological, health, and agricultural crises. Among these solutions are regenerative farming, water conservation, climate change resilience, and increasing food security.

3.Brewing Sustainability in the Coffee and Tea Industries by Alissa Bilfield

Alissa Bilfield provides an optimistic outlook on sustainable coffee and tea production in Brewing Sustainability. In her new book, author Alissa Bilfield explores coffee and tea farmers promoting environmentally friendly practices and what it takes to democratize value chains. Case studies from fair trade cooperatives reveal the mechanics of a more socially conscious and environmentally sustainable brewing future.

4.Chop Suey, USA: The Story of Chinese Food in America byYong Chen

In Chop Suey, Professor Yong Chen, Ph.D., chronicles the rise of Chinese food in America during the 20th century. Chop Suey considers racist immigration policies, the importance of home delivery, and the economic opportunities provided by the restaurant industry. Through his analysis, Chen shows how, over time, disenfranchised immigrants transformed their dishes into the popular cuisine it is today.

5. Cook, Taste, and Learn: How the Evolution of Science Transformed the Art of Cooking by Guy Crosby

Science and technology have elevated food from a mere matter of survival to a work of art. From the birth of agriculture to modern technology, author and food scientist Guy Crosby surveys the history of cooking. Cook, Taste, and Learn emphasizes cooking in a way that promotes health and includes recipes that speak to this mission.

6.Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America by Psyche A. Williams-Forson

Psyche A. Williams-Forson explores the relationship between food, culture, and race in the U.S. in her latest book, Eating While Black. The discourse analyzes how mass media, policy, nutrition, and economics converge to create false narratives of eating habits among Black Americans. Williams-Forson shows how culture including food is central to the fight for Black peoples to obtain access and equity.

7.Food Security: From Excess to Enough by Ralph C. Martin

Agriculture professor and sustainable food advocate Ralph C. Martin illuminates the toll modern industrial agriculture takes on our health and our environment. Some of the most pressing problems include soil depletion, diet-related chronic illness, and food waste. In order to build a more food conscious culture, Martin prescribes a shift in mentality from that of excess to that of enough.

8.Frontline Farmers: How the National Farmers Union Resists Agribusiness and Creates Our New Food Future edited by Annette Aurlie Desmarais

The National Farmers Union represents the voices of farmers, fishers, and ranchers across the United States. Frontline Farmers focuses the spotlight on Canadas National Farmers Union (NFU) and their movement. The book gives NFU members a platform to share their decades-long fight for a more progressive and sustainable farming system.

9.Gastronativism: Food, Identity, Politics by Fabio Parasecoli

In his forthcoming book, Professor of Food Studies Fabio Parasecoli unpacks foods place in identity and political ideology. Parasecolis career, which has taken him around the world, informs his concept of gastronativism: how food is wielded as a political tool to ostracize people and their cuisine when it threatens native identity. He also identifies ways that people can use their pride in culinary traditions to uplift their communities.

10.Growing Gardens, Building Power: Food Justice and Urban Agriculture in Brooklyn by Justin Sean Myers

In Growing Gardens, Building Power, Professor Justin Sean Myers delves into the origins of food inequity and the politics of food justice. To do so, he follows East New York Farms! (ENYF!) as they fight to deliver food justice to marginalized communities in Brooklyn, New York. Myers touches on the inequalities residents face, the potential of community gardens, and the challenges ENYF! has overcome.

11.How the Other Half Eats: The Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America by Priya Fielding-Singh, PhD

Following the lives of four families from different demographics, Priya Fielding-Singh, PhD, depicts how dietary choices and their ensuing health effects vary vastly across racial and socioeconomic strata. Coupling these intimate accounts with insightful research, How the Other Half Eats renders a compelling portrait of how inequality manifests in food.

12.How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT by Elena Conis

As the first modern synthetic insecticide, DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) was notorious for its effects on human and environmental health. Historian Elena Conis follows this controversial chemical compounds history from corporate interests and disinformation campaigns to the environmental movement that led to this toxic substances ban in 1972.

13.Koshersoul by Michael Twitty

Historian, chef, and award-winning author Michael Twitty examines the culinary crossroads of African American and Jewish traditions. Using his experience converting to Judaism and his familys legacy of enslavement, Twitty navigates his own sense of belonging through the food that feeds both his body and soul. The book also includes around 50 recipes that celebrate his cultural diversity.

14.Slaves for Peanuts: A Story of Conquest, Liberation, and a Crop that Changed History by Jori Lewis

In her debut book, award-winning journalist Jori Lewis unearths the peanuts unsavory history. Drawing from scrupulous research of West African and European archives, Lewis demonstrates how peanut cultivation and the demand for peanut oil perpetuated forced labor in Africa into the 20th century. Readers will meet missionaries, peanut growers, slave traders, and other characters who played an integral role in shaping the history of the peanut crop.

15.Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics by Marion Nestle (Forthcoming, October 2022)

Food politics champion and public health advocate Marion Nestle, Ph.D., recounts her careers trajectory in her forthcoming memoir, Slow Cooked. Reflecting on her journey from lab technician to stay-at-home mom to award winning academic, Nestle opens up about how she overcame obstacles to become one of the leading voices in food politics.

16.Sustainable Food Production: An Earth Institute Sustainability Primer by Shahid Naeem, Suzanne Lipton, and Tiff van Huysen

Sustainable Food Production introduces readers to the central issues created by industrial agriculture. The authors approach is guided by principles of environmental sustainability and social justice. This book lays an accessible foundation for those who wish to learn more about farming and food systems.

17.The Cookbook in Support of the United Nations compiled under the direction of Earlene Cruz

The Cookbook in Support of the United Nations enlists a variety of voices to bring international, planet-friendly meals to anyones table. The book features 75 accessible recipes from chefs, farmers, and activists, and more. Each recipe also includes details about the dishs nutrition profile and carbon footprint, helping consumers cook and eat with human and planetary health in mind.

18.The Restaurant: a 2,000 Year History of Dining Out by William Sitwell

Food critic and writer William Sitwell follows the evolution of restaurant dining in this entertaining book. From Ancient Roman inns to Medieval taverns to modern day innovations, this survey provides readers with a new perspective on the history of the restaurant and dining industry. Sitwell also digs into the trends and dining establishments that have shaped eaters relationship with food and society at large.

19.The Terroir of Whiskey: A Distillers Journey Into the Flavor of Place by Rob Arnold

While terroir is a concept more familiar to the wine world, master distiller Rob Arnold argues that terroir can be found in whiskey. In visiting innovative distilleries in the U.S. and abroad, Arnold demonstrates how microclimate, soil, and topography can indeed influence the taste of whiskey.

20.Translating Food Sovereignty: Cultivating Justice in an Age of Transnational Governance by Matthew C. Canfield

Cultural anthropologist Matthew C. Canfield explores the world of food sovereignty as claimed by transnational activists in his new ethnography. Translating Food Sovereignty tells the nuanced story of how social movements are using networked forms of governance to expand their agenda.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

See the original post:
20 Books About Food to Carry You Through Summer 2022 Food Tank - Food Tank

Introduction

Demand in telecommunication services is growing both in terms of network capacity and higher speed networks. This growing demand is being addressed not only through additional fibre and wireless deployments but also by satellite internet providers. Satellite internet is provided through communication satellites. While traditionally it had been reserved to geostationary satellites, recently, companies such as Starlink and OneWeb have started launching new satellite internet constellations in the low-Earth orbit that enable low-latency internet from space. With this development anticipated to expand, the satellite industry can be expected to become an increasingly important player in the global telecommunications industry.

Broadly, artificial satellites are objects launched into space to orbit the Earth in order to collect information or enable communications. According to the 2021 State of the Satellite Industry Report published by the Satellite Industry Association, the satellite industry produced global revenues of US$271 billion in 2020 (amounting to 74 per cent of the global revenues of the entire space economy). Of these revenues, 50 per cent were produced in the ground equipment sector, 44 per cent by satellite services, 5 per cent came from satellite manufacturing and 2 per cent from the launch industry. Within the satellite services, the most important use of satellites still corresponded to television, followed by radio, broadband, fixed and mobile communications, and finally remote sensing (used for agriculture, change detection, disaster mitigation, meteorology, Earth science, space science, and national security). In other terms, 84 per cent of satellites launched in 2020 were destined for commercial communications, 11 per cent for remote sensing missions, and the remaining 5 per cent for military surveillance, civil or military communications, scientific purposes, navigation and satellite servicing. The ground equipment in turn comprised consumer equipment (satellite TV dishes, etc.), GNSS equipment and network equipment.

The satellite industry is growing at a very fast pace, driven mainly by a recent reduction in launch prices accompanied by increased launch activity and thus more launch choices for satellite operators. Another growth factor of the satellite industry is the improvement of satellites in the geostationary orbits and the increasing use of smaller satellites (smallsats). Finally, the expansion of satellite services can also be explained by the increase in telecommunication capacity, an increase in the resolution of commercially available imagery and the development of new satellite applications. As a result of these factors, according to the 2021 State of the Satellite Industry Report published by the Satellite Industry Association, the number of operational satellites in space has grown by 252 per cent from 958 in 2010 to 3,371 in 2020. This number is likely to further increase in the coming years with the launches of thousands of new satellites by companies such as Starlink, OneWeb and Kuiper, which plan to provide satellite internet through large satellite constellations in LEO (the lower Earth orbits).

Until recently, the space industry had been characterised by the presence of only a few large market participants that were conscious of their interdependence and corresponding need to collaborate. This is why the space industry has traditionally preferred mechanisms such as cross-waivers of liability and insurance over formal dispute resolution mechanisms. However, the recent multiplication of activities and the entry of a large number of new actors into the satellite market is likely to change this dynamic, and brings about the risk of an increasing number of disputes. Those disputes will mainly arise out of the contractual relationships between the different public and private actors of the satellite industry. However, disputes are also likely to arise out of the growing congestion of the lower Earth orbits. Indeed, the launch of thousands of new satellites in a short amount of time is likely to significantly increase both the risk of physical collisions between operational satellites (or with entire or parts of defunct satellites called space debris). Additionally, the increase in active satellites is causing a growing risk of harmful frequency interference between them. Finally, even in the absence of actual collisions, the costly avoidance measures and manoeuvres that the increasing space congestion will require, are likely to also result in disputes between satellite operators.

Satellite activities, like all space activities, are governed mainly by four international space treaties developed in the context of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space: the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (the Outer Space Treaty), the 1968 Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space (the Rescue Agreement), the 1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects (the Liability Convention), and the 1976 Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space (the Registration Convention). A fifth treaty, the 1979 Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (the Moon Agreement), has failed to gain sufficient support and can be safely ignored for the purposes of this chapter.

The Outer Space Treaty, sometimes referred to as the Magna Carta of international space law, is the most comprehensive of the five treaties and sets out the main principles governing activities in Outer Space. According to Article I of the Outer Space Treaty, the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interest of all countries . . . and shall be the province of all mankind. Article II of the Outer Space Treaty clarifies that outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use of occupation, or by any other means. Article III further states that the exploration of outer space shall be carried out in accordance with international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, in the interest of maintaining international peace and security and promoting international cooperation and understanding. In turn, Article IV bans the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies, and Article XI promotes international cooperation in space exploration.

Articles V to VII of the Outer Space Treaty contain principles that were further developed in the subsequent agreements mentioned above. Thus, Article V sets out the principle of providing assistance to any astronaut in need, a principle further expanded on in the Rescue Agreement. Similarly, as the basis for the Registration Convention, Article VI provides that State Parties to the Outer Space Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space . . . whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities, for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions [of the Outer Space Treaty], and that the activities of non-governmental entities in outer space shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty. To ensure compliance with this obligation of supervision, the Registration Convention provides for the registration of space objects. Finally, Article VII states that [e]ach State Party to the Treaty that launches or procures the launching of an object into outer space . . . and each State Party from whose territory or facility an object is launched, is internationally liable for damage to another State Party to the Treaty or to its natural or juridical persons by such object or its component parts on the Earth [or in space], a principle further developed in the Liability Convention.

In addition to these treaties, several Resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, although in theory non-binding, have widely been followed and as such are said to amount to customary international law with regard to international space activities. Notably, a 1961 Resolution recommends that States register their space objects with the United Nations as part of an international registry. Other Resolutions are the 1986 UN Resolution on Principles Relating to Remote Sensing of the Earth from Outer Space, which constitutes the main legal document applicable to Earth observation activities; the 1982 Principles Governing the Use by States of Artificial Earth Satellites for International Direct Television Broadcasting; the 1992 Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space; and the 1996 Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for the Benefit and in the Interest of All States, Taking into Particular Account the Needs of Developing Countries.

International space law dates back to the Cold War era in which the exploration of outer space was very costly and limited to a few state actors. It therefore fails to specifically address several recent issues such as the accumulation of both active satellites and space debris in the lower Earth orbits that is already presenting serious risks, and will only continue to grow with the current multiplication of space activities and the planned large satellite constellations to be launched in the coming years.

In view of the political impossibility to agree on a new binding treaty able to address this new issue, in 2002, the Inter-Agency Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), comprising the major national space agencies, published the IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines that served as a baseline for the 2007 United Nations Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines. While these instruments remain non-binding, they serve as an indication of best practices for satellite operators conscious of mitigating their creation of additional space debris.

The existing practice of private space actors reflects the acceptance of recommendations to limit the generation of space debris and minimise the negative impact on current and future space missions. Manufacturers try to reduce debris from launch vehicles and launched spacecraft by carefully designing them to prevent malfunctions and explosions and by ensuring that a reserved amount of fuel is available when a spacecrafts mission is over to enter or move them to disposal orbits.

In addition, there are currently efforts being undertaken to agree on rules of space traffic management to decrease the risk of physical collisions in outer space.

Not only is the risk of physical collisions between active satellites or satellites and space debris becoming a growing issue, but the increase of active satellites in space is also presenting a challenge for frequency allocation and coordination.

It is the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialised agency of the United Nations headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, that offers the main international legal framework for addressing the technical and operational aspects of satellite communications. The ITU is managing all radio frequencies and also the use of the Earths geostationary orbit. It ensures that the available radio frequency spectrum and associated satellite orbits are used equitably, efficiently, and economically, and is tasked with preventing frequency interference between satellites. The applicable sources of law are the ITU Constitution and Convention, and the ITU Radio Regulations, all three inter-government treaties and binding as international law.

In practice, before a new satellite or system can be launched and used, it must be coordinated with neighbouring satellite networks. The result of this coordination process is set out in coordination agreements. Compliance with these coordination agreements is crucial as harmful interference can prevent satellites from operating normally and thus cause significant financial damages to its operators.

Under Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty, states are internationally responsible for any private activities in outer space that qualify as their national activities, and obliged to authorise and continuously supervise such activities. As a consequence, states have a strong incentive to regulate their domestic space activities in order to ensure compliance with international space law, while at the same time offering private parties incentives and the legal security they need to pursue space activities.

National space laws address issues such as approval processes for space launches, insurance requirements, liability limitations, space debris mitigation, national security requirements and environmental protection but the different domestic approaches can vary significantly from one state to another. In 2012, in order to increase harmonisation and reduce the fragmentation of domestic space law, the International Law Association proposed the Sofia Guidelines for a Model Law on National Space Legislation. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs keeps an online database of states with national space legislation.

Finally, it should be mentioned that, as space technology and hardware are considered dual-use technology (meaning that even commercial satellites can, for example, be used for military purposes if necessary), states want to protect their technological advances. As a consequence, satellite technology and hardware is often subject to export controls that need to be considered in any transaction regarding satellites.

As discussed above, the satellite industry comprises very different aspects, ranging from upstream activities, such as the manufacturing and launch of satellites, to midstream activities, such as the production, sale and distribution of satellite data, and downstream activities in the form of satellite applications for use on Earth or satellite broadcasting. Many of these activities involve contracts between various actors often based in different jurisdictions. The subject matter of these contracts is often highly technical and any satellite agreement can be subject to specific insurance requirements, heightened confidentiality and often export controls as a result of the dual-use nature of satellite technology. All of these aspects can and are likely to result in a growing number of contractual commercial disputes to the extent that the satellite industry is expanding in both scope and complexity.

As Professor Karl-Heinz Boeckstiegel said in 1993:

In the past, several of these contractual space disputes have been resolved through international commercial arbitration and it is likely that this trend will continue, as, for example, the European Space Agency provides for arbitration in Clause 35(2) of its General Clauses and Conditions for ESA Contracts and arbitration clauses also seem to be routinely included into commercial space contracts by SpaceX, Avanti, Boeing, Airbus and Arianespace. In fact, a study undertaken by Vivasat Dadwal and Madeleine Mcdonald confirmed that international arbitration is used by both state and non-state actors in the resolution of publicly-known space-related disputes, especially in the satellite industry.

In the past, satellite disputes that gave rise to international arbitrations have for example arisen out of the late delivery of satellites, the insertion of a satellite into a wrong orbit, defective satellites already in orbit, the lease of satellite capacity, the right to orbital positions and frequency bands, export control and the cancellation of space contracts.

While international arbitration in general is well suited to adapt to the specific needs of the satellite industry, in 2011, the Permanent Court of Arbitration published its specifically-tailored Optional Rules for Arbitration of Disputes Relating to Outer Space Activities (the PCA Outer Space Rules). These Rules are based on the well-known UNCITRAL Rules but contain various adaptations to better suit the requirements of the space industry. For example, under Articles 10(4) and 29(7), the Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration maintains a list respectively of arbitrators and experts with specialised knowledge of the subject matter at issue. Article 17(6) allows the parties to a dispute to apply to have certain information classified as confidential and Article 17(8) provides for the possibility of appointing a confidentiality adviser to report to the tribunal on specific issues without disclosing the confidential information on which his or her report is based. Finally, according to Article 27(4), the tribunal may request the parties to provide a non-technical document summarising and explaining the background to any scientific, technical or other specialised information that the arbitral tribunal considers to be necessary. At the time of writing, the PCA Outer Space Rules have not yet been used in practice. However, [a]s the size and sophistication of the market develops, it seems likely that users will gravitate toward the [PCA Outer Space Rules], which were prepared with their specific needs in mind.

As mentioned above, disputes in the satellite industry are likely to arise not only out of contracts but might also result from space collisions or costly collision avoidance manoeuvres. A first example of such a scenario was the 2009 collision between the active commercial satellite Iridium 33 and the defunct military satellite Kosmos 2251. While no formal dispute resolution proceedings are known to have taken place following this particular collision, an increase of collisions can be expected to lead satellite operators to explore available forums to recover the damages they are likely to suffer.

The Liability Convention, the treaty setting out the rules of liability for damage caused by space objects, contains a dispute settlement mechanism that can be qualified as quasi-arbitration: the Claims Commission. While indeed similar to arbitration, the Claims Commission presents two main drawbacks: its decisions are only recommendatory unless all parties to a dispute agree to render them binding, and equally importantly for private satellite operators, the Liability Convention, being an international treaty, only applies to states, and is therefore not available to them other than through diplomatic protection.

It follows that in the absence of a contractual link between the parties involved in a collision and the corresponding lack of prior consent to arbitration unless they can agree to refer their dispute to arbitration once it has arisen the parties then have to turn to domestic courts. However, in domestic court litigation, satellite operators are likely to face well-known obstacles such as language-barriers, bias, sovereign immunity and, in addition, uncertainty over the competent court and the applicable law, and a lack of expert knowledge of the satellite industry among domestic judges.

To address this lack of efficient dispute resolution provisions available to private space actors, in 1998, the International Law Association published its Final Draft of the Revised Convention on the Settlement of Disputes related to Space Activities, establishing arbitration as the default dispute resolution mechanism. This proposal failed, however, to gain sufficient political support and has never entered into force. More recently and to circumvent the necessity of agreeing on a new international treaty, it has been suggested that states amend their domestic laws to condition launching licences for space objects on the mandatory consent to arbitration for any dispute involving the object in question.

Until such efforts progress further, it is unlikely that there will be many international arbitration cases over satellite collision cases. Litigation over these issues should, however, be expected.

Satellites are expensive assets and the manufacturing, launching and operating of a satellite require significant economic resources. As a consequence, companies involved in the satellite industry have a strong incentive to make sure their satellites benefit from international investment protection.

Because of the high financial costs related to the launch of a satellite, the corresponding risk, and the arguable economic and reputational contribution to the host state of the satellite, satellite launches are likely to comply with the required characteristics for an investment under both the majority of bilateral investment treaties and Article 25 of the Convention of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). It follows that, as long as they are accepted to be investments made in the territory of the host State as routinely required under bilateral investment treaties, satellite-related investments could be protected by international investment protection treaties.

Interestingly, in past investorstate proceedings involving satellites, no jurisdictional objections over the territorial requirement seem to have been raised, as the link between the host state and the investment had been clearly established through the rights of the respective host states over the frequency spectrum and orbital positions at issue. On the merits, past investment treaty cases have dealt with alleged conventional treaty breaches of expropriation and the violation of the fair and equitable treatment standard.

In practice, the cases Devas v. India and Deutsche Telekom v. India arose out of Indias revocation of leased S-band frequency spectrum, and Eutelsat v. Mexico related to a provision contained in the concession contracts for the use of Mexican geostationary orbital positions allowing for the free reservation of satellite capacity for the Mexican government.

As mentioned above, any newly launched satellites need to be coordinated with neighbouring satellites a process the results of which are set out in coordination agreements. It has also been mentioned above that the violation of a coordination agreement can cause harmful interference resulting in significant financial damage to satellite operators.

When a case of harmful interference occurs, the parties can bring it to the attention of the ITU, and following an investigation, the ITU Radio Regulations Board can formulate recommendations. Its powers are limited, however, by its inability to review the confidential provisions of the coordination agreement at issue, its inability to award damages and, among other drawbacks such as the length and the public nature of its proceedings, the non-binding nature of its decisions. As a consequence, to recover damages caused by the breach of a coordination agreement, parties need to resort to alternative dispute settlement mechanisms.

As with collision cases, recourse to domestic courts is likely to face obstacles such as language barriers, bias, arguments over the competent court and the applicable law, and the absence of industry knowledge of the decision-makers. Unlike in the case of a physical collision between satellites, the parties to a dispute arising out of the violation of a coordination agreement are, however, connected exactly through this agreement. Unfortunately, coordination agreements are commonly drafted by technical experts and therefore rarely contain arbitration clauses. This can, however, change in the future and, like with collision cases, in the meantime, the parties have the possibility to refer a dispute to arbitration once it has already arisen.

The dispute that arose in 2012 between Eutelsat S.A. and SES S.A. related to the non-compliance with a coordination agreement, and was resolved through international arbitration administered by the Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce. It is not public whether the coordination agreement contained an arbitration clause or whether the parties agreed to refer their dispute to arbitration after the event. Either way, this arbitration serves as an example that future disputes arising out of coordination agreements are likely to end up before arbitral tribunals.

In conclusion, the satellite industry is growing quickly, and with this growth comes an increasing risk of satellite disputes ranging from commercial contractual disputes to investment disputes, and disputes over satellite collisions or harmful frequency interference. The resolution of these disputes will benefit both from decision-makers and counsel who are familiar not only with the commercial and technical characteristics of the satellite industry but who are also well acquainted with international and domestic space law and the specific legal rules applicable to satellite activities. It is international arbitration that can best guarantee access to both while being able to cater to the international and confidential nature of the satellite industry. It is therefore unsurprising that many satellite disputes both contractual and investment disputes have already been resolved through arbitration. We should expect the number of satellite arbitrations to grow in the years to come.

Read more:
The Guide to Telecoms Arbitrations - GAR

As the new smart home standard Matter gets closer to launch, connected devices built on Thread a technology thats integral to Matter are starting to roll out. In the last year, Eve, Nanoleaf, Schlage, and Wemo have released smart home gadgets such as motion sensors, light bulbs, door locks, smart plugs, and motorized blinds that run on Thread. But just what is Thread, and why does it matter to Matter?

I sat down with three Thread Group board members to find out how this new protocol (its actually been around since 2015) promises to fix many of the smart homes biggest issues: reliability, speed, connectivity, and scale. I spoke with Vividh Siddha, president of the Thread Group and director of software engineering at Apple, Jonathan Hui, vice president of technology for Thread and principal software engineer at Google, and Sujata Neidig, vice president of marketing for Thread and director of marketing at NXP.

As you may have spotted in those bios, Thread like Matter is being developed by a consortium of competing companies in the smart home industry. Only Thread started much earlier than Matter. In 2015, several companies got together and identified a problem in the industry and that we can work together to bring a solution to the market, says Neidig.

That problem was how to securely and simply connect all the various devices in the consumer smart home. The solution they came up with was Thread, an IPv6-based wireless protocol that could create a secure, robust, reliable, and simple-to-use network. Today, Thread is run by a board of directors that includes representatives from Google, Apple, Amazon, Samsung SmartThings, Qualcomm, NXP, Assa Abloy (owners of Yale and August), Lutron, and more.

What is Thread, and why is it important to Matter and the smart home?

Thread is a wireless protocol specifically built for IoT devices. Its designed to make them work faster, have fewer points of failure, use less power, and communicate with each other more seamlessly.

A low-power, low-bandwidth mesh networking protocol that uses the 802.15.4 radio technology, Thread is similar to existing smart home protocols Zigbee and Z-Wave. But unlike them, it doesnt need a central hub or bridge. Instead, Thread devices can talk directly to each other. By cutting out the middle man, Thread can be faster, especially over large networks.

Also, unlike the other low-powered smart home protocols, Thread is internet protocol (IP)-based, meaning it can directly connect to any other IP-based device, such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and Wi-Fi routers. What makes it unique is that it was built on IP, says Neidig. We are bringing the same protocol that the internet runs on to run on small devices.

Matter is an application layer that runs on Thread. Matter supports both Wi-Fi and Thread for connecting devices, and Thread provides that reliable mesh capability so there is no single point of failure, explains Neidig.

When Matter arrives later this year, Thread will be the protocol it uses for low-bandwidth devices, such as door locks and motion sensors, and Wi-Fi and Ethernet will be used for high-bandwidth needs, such as streaming video from a security camera. Finally, Bluetooth LE will be used for onboarding devices to a Matter network.

Why is Thread a better smart home protocol than those we already have?

Thread was designed from the ground up to be an IoT low-power protocol that supports low latency. Thats its purpose, says Hui. A lot of the other technologies [used in the smart home] were designed to optimize other applications. For example, Bluetooth was originally designed as a wire replacement. Thread was designed for devices that just want to sleep for a long time, wake up, send a single packet, and then go back to sleep and preserve battery for as long as possible.

Threads direct communication capability, combined with its ability to handle scale (over 250 devices), means lower latency. Benchmarking tests run by Silicon Labs show Thread thrashing Zigbee and Bluetooth in latency tests, especially in large networks with many devices.

Also, a Thread mesh [can work] as a routed mesh, which means the devices are proactively looking for the best route to every other device in the network, says Hui. This efficiency translates directly into reduced power consumption as well as reduced latency. As a mesh network, Thread is self-healing; if a router (see sidebar) drops offline, another one can pick up the slack so your network doesnt go down.

Does Thread really replace the need for any kind of hub or bridge?

Yes, although it does require a border router to bridge the Thread network to the internet. But it avoids you having a different bridge for [multiple] devices, says Siddha. Instead, any Thread device can connect to any Thread border router regardless of manufacturer. Additionally, unlike a bridge or hub, a Thread border router cant see the traffic it routes, as all communications in a Thread network are encrypted.

A Thread border router is not a dedicated device like a bridge or a hub. A border router is a feature that can be integrated into any device thats powered all the time, like Nanoleaf light panels, the Apple TV, or [a] HomePod Mini, says Neidig.

Do you have to have a border router to use a Thread device?

No, you dont need a border router for Thread devices to talk to each other. But you need a border router if you want them to talk to other networks in the home or the internet, says Hui.

Will Thread work when the internet is down?

Yes, Thread devices will. A Thread network will not go down if the internet goes down because its not doing anything in the cloud, says Hui. The network is self-configuring, self-healing, self-managing even. And its all done locally.

Which specific products benefit from Thread? Its not designed for every product in the smart home, is it?

No, its not. And looking at the current [smart home] use cases, the biggest elephant in the room in terms of bandwidth are cameras, says Siddha. Thread can be used for all sensors but not for high bandwidth use cases like cameras. Cameras are among the few IoT devices that require high bandwidth. Every other use case for a sensor or IoT accessory can be satisfied by Thread.

Thread is specifically designed for small, low-powered devices leak detectors, CO detectors, and motion sensors. These may be left untouched and unused for months or more but need to reliably spring into action when required and crucially need to not have run out of battery. In addition to sensors, its designed for actuators as well things like door locks, window shades, light bulbs, wall plugs, water valves, thermostats, thermostatic radiator valves, alarm sirens, etc., says Siddha.

Why are there so many versions of Thread? Theres Matter over Thread, HomeKit over Thread, Google / Weave over Thread, Open Thread, and so on.

Those are all the same Thread; theyre just different application layers running over Thread, says Hui. Thats actually one of the key highlights of the importance of IP [in Thread]. Its the same network technology; it can support multiple different application layers simultaneously. Matter over Thread is just another example of an application layer over Thread.

The latest release of Thread 1.3.0 addresses a significant problem around these different versions, allowing them to interact with each other. Previously, different ecosystems didnt have a good way for sharing this Thread network credentials with each other, says Hui. Thats changing.

Combined with APIs announced by Apple and Google for sharing Thread credentials between different mobile apps, the latest release of Thread Thread 1.3.0 will allow users to have one unified Thread network in their homes.

With 1.3.0, if a home network has an Apple HomePod Mini, a Google Nest Hub, and an Eero Wi-Fi router, they can all act as border routers in a single Thread network. Thats not how it is today, and likely, we wont see all devices update to Thread 1.3.0 until closer to when Matter arrives this fall, says Hui.

The origins of Thread go back to 2011 and the first Nest Thermostat. Why has it taken so long for it to be adopted in the smart home? And why are there so few Thread products available?

Thread had an inflection point probably two or three years ago when both Google and Apple came up with border routers, says Siddha. Then we were able to finally see Thread devices in action. Turning on a [smart] light switch was literally as good as turning on a physical light switch. That was not the experience people had before.

With border routers beginning to enter the wild, companies like Eve and Wemo, who had previously used Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, started to look at shifting. They saw the issues with [the other protocols] and now, seeing the maturity of Thread, are adopting Thread into their products and making a conscious switch from a different technology to Thread, for the benefits of the reliable, secure, instant control experiences, says Neidig.

However, there are still very few Thread devices available (see sidebar), and some that are such as the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 bulbs wont be compatible with Matter when the standard arrives. Similarly, a number of Google products with Thread such as the Nest x Yale door lock are based on earlier implementations of Thread and dont support the features required for Matter.

Amazon has announced its Echo smart speaker (fourth gen) will be updated to become a Thread border router.

What about backward compatibility? If Thread was built on Zigbee, cant all Zigbee devices be upgraded to Thread?

Technically, Zigbee runs on 802.15.4 radio just like Thread. So, current Zigbee products could be upgradeable to Thread, says Neidig. But because its IP-based, Thread has different resource requirements like memory. If a product isnt built with the right resource structure, it wont be upgradeable.

Can products that use hubs or bridges today, such as Philips Hue light bulbs, be upgraded to Thread through the hub or bridge? Or would you have to upgrade the individual bulbs?

One constraint is: do the accessories not the hub have sufficient memory to support Matter over Thread, says Siddha. If the accessories dont, then the product cant be upgraded to Thread via the hub (but it could work with Matter over Wi-Fi). Those are considerations that product manufacturers will have to make, he says. As a general principle, if something is not broken, people dont want to fix it.

Philips Hue already works with almost every ecosystem, and the company has said it will support Matter through its existing bridge but that it doesnt plan to replace its existing Zigbee-powered bulbs with Thread bulbs.

In the longer term, I think products will undergo a natural evolution to [Thread], says Siddha. But he hopes every company will look at bringing Thread into their existing devices, Because it just gets us to this IP backbone [for the smart home] quicker.

How will Thread and Matter work with Apple HomeKit?

HomeKit will be this application that works on the Apple ecosystem. But uses Matter underneath, says Siddha. So, you will have HomeKit on our products, supporting Matter and Thread accessories. Then we have our own kind of user experience for HomeKit, just as Google will have their own. We expect the innovation to happen at that higher layer.

How will Matter and Thread ultimately benefit the smart home?

For years, companies in the consumer smart home were trying to differentiate based on the connectivity they have [which platforms the device worked with], says Hui. Thats not what consumers care about. They care about the cool, fun features. Standardizing all these connectivity technologies gets the hard stuff around reliability and power out of the way. It lets the product companies focus on the new and exciting features consumers really care about.

The smart home today is like the early days of the internet, says Siddha. There are legacy technologies that werent coming together to make everything just work. Instead, there are all these multiple bridges and other devices you need. Thread, with its all IP-backbone, allows seamless access to the home network, essentially making home automation complete.

Ultimately, Thread and Matter are a reset for the smart home. They are an attempt to rebuild a broken system and make it capable of fulfilling its initial promise; the intelligent technological evolution of our homes. Now they just have to actually arrive.

See the rest here:
What is Thread and how will it help your smart home? - The Verge

It's hard to be human these days, and people are increasingly looking for respite and answers everywhere, including in the cosmos.

Wellness is no longer just about being physically fit; the majority of the more than 16,000 Americans surveyed for the 2022 MindBody Wellness Index said they are seeking mental and spiritual wellness, too.

It makes sense. Weve been enduring a global pandemic (among other traumas, tragedies, and natural disasters), while science has continued to forge on. Thats some fertile ground for soul searching. It turns out wellness + vacation might just be for all of us. Read on to hear why this trend might be your cup of herbal tea after all, tips for a first-time trip, and recommended places around the world to tap into yourself, whether thats Bali, the Caribbean, or a Four Seasons in New York City.

So why are more people turning to woo-woo?

Advancements in science have proven how interconnected everything is, which edges us more toward self-reflection and insight, Dana Childs, an intuitive and energy healer, says. She notes how things like quantum physics, entanglement theory, and even the discovery that trees communicate with each other address the power of belief, the mind, and consciousness. Childs says this awareness of our interconnectedness combined with modern communication and global travel leads us to consider how we are connectingto ourselves, others, the environment, and our own true essence or higher self.

Couple that with the COVID pandemic and isolation, trauma, and hardship, and its a recipe for spiritual seeking, she says. Theres a global awakening that there must be something more beyond our everyday existence and there is. Were waking up and asking the question, How can I be and feel better?

Woo-woo or alternative healing was actually helping them with things like overwhelming stress, anxiety, and fear.

And the travel industry is responding, expanding wellness offerings to include things like astrological readings and intuitive healings that were not all that long ago aimed only at a fringe market. In Hawaii, at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, Childs leads a Transformational Wellness Retreat in partnership with Native Hawaiian healer Pi`iali`i Lawson.

Lawson says the pandemic lockdown pushed people to explore a broader range of healing options. What was seen [previously] as perhaps woo-woo or alternativehealing through nature, meditation, crystals, or energy, for examplewas actually helping them with things like overwhelming stress, anxiety, and fear. These alternatives were providing tools, higher levels of consciousness, and awareness to navigate and heal.

Thrillist TV

The History of the McRib

Remember, the worst possible thing that can happen is you have a few days of vacation in a dynamite setting with beautiful souls.

The trend is not limited to tropical locales like Thailand and Hawaii, which naturally attract travelers seeking an escape. Nicole Hernandez, founder of The Traveling Hypnotist and resident healer at Four Seasons New York Downtown, says shes seen a noticeable uptick in bookings since January 2021. In the past, spiritual and alternative healers werent as popular among professionals. However, many of my clients today come from the finance, tech, sales, and marketing industries. She attributes this largely to the shift in priorities that has come from living through the pandemic.

We began to ask ourselves, What matters? Buying designer clothing, having the nicest car or home, or a glamorous job didn't matter. Instead, we realized health, safety, and community were of the utmost importance for survival, Hernandez says. Going back to work and the old way of life was a relief for some. But for others, she says, they couldn't bear going back to a lifestyle that didn't feel purposeful or authentic. When you've spent your life following the rules and living by the unspoken social norms and expectations, you don't know what an authentic and purposeful life looks like for you. This is where spiritual and alternative healers can help.

Alternative healing isn't magic.

Booking a psychic sesh or joining a transformational retreat can be intimidating for first-timers. It can seem like retreat regulars have their own lingo and uniform. But you dont have to speak spiritual or pack a suitcase full of flowy linens and yoga leggings to participate in a transformational retreat. Be yourself and allow things to unfold as theyre meant to. Before you dive in, here are a few additional words of advice from the experts.

Tips for a first-timer

Consult your doctor. It's essential to first consult a doctor about any health issues, before seeking out spiritual and alternative healing, Hernandez says. Then use alternative healing to complement your treatment.

Research your options. Determine if the person is relatable, wise, and professional, Hernandez says. Read their blogs and testimonials and watch their videos. Ensure that the healer has worked with clients who have overcome similar problems. Schedule a phone or video consultation if possible, so that you can discuss your issue and understand [the practitioners] process.

Expect the unexpected. And the uncomfortable. Be open-minded and curious. A sincere desire for change and growth is a bonus. Throw caution to the wind and take advantage of all the offerings, Childs says. Trust that the goal of a healing retreat is to stimulate your mind and encourage you to examine beliefs, thoughts, and events that may be holding you back. Be open for healing and for the occasional discomfort that may happen on your way to a healed mindset. And remember, the worst possible thing that can happen is you have a few days of vacation in a dynamite setting with beautiful souls.

Participate. Alternative healing isn't magic, Hernandez says. You must fully collaborate with your practitioner to make the most out of your session. Some clients have significant breakthroughs after one session, and others require multiple sessions and ongoing work.

Dont compare your journey with others. Trust your intuition or your inner knowing and let that be your guide, Lawson says. Healing is a lifelong journey and everyone's journey is unique to them. All will occur in divine timing when we are ready.

Here are a few of the many places around the world where you can hit reset with astrological readings, energy cleansing, intuitive healing, and more.

Where to have a wellness vacation around the world

Learn from an indigenous healer in South Australia

For the true beginner wondering how to dip a toe into transformational retreats without diving into the deep end, the Australia Coastal Safaris Health & Wellness Weekender in South Australia is the answer. As Sarah Hayes, an ecologist, yoga instructor, and Wellness Weekender facilitator says, Its accessible for the everyday adventurer looking for a wellness experience without all of the fluff.

The two-day itinerary provides a holistic retreat that invites participants to better understand interconnectedness through the activitieswithout the lingo-learning curve.

Skipping the deeper academic discussions doesnt mean skimping on transformational possibilities and opportunities to immerse in Indigenous knowledge. Deeper spiritual and energy explorations weave their way in when we spend time with a Nangkari (a First Nations healer), Hayes explains. A Nangkari is someone who cares for peoples' physical and emotional healthkind of like a doctor/psychologist. They are often called medicine women or medicine men. The Nangkari that we work with speaks on her experiences and work with the spiritual and energetic realms, but keeps it simple enough to understand.

The Australia Coastal Safaris Health & Wellness Weekender costs AUD $760 per person and includes all activities listed on the itinerary as well as daily lunches and selected beverages (accommodations are the responsibility of the participant). With its pristine natural landscapes, an abundance of endemic wildlife, fresh seafood and local produce, and rich culture, the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia is an ideal setting for this first-timer-friendly experience.

Soak in the moonlight in the Dominican Republic

If you have some flexibility with your travel dates, let la luna lead you to Amanera in the Dominican Republic. There youll find a Healing Through Lunar Rituals experience and learn more about how the moon can impactand empowerphysical and emotional healing.

During the multi-day stay (three- and five-day retreats are available), local wellness therapists and Tano guides impart their moon wisdom. The guides harness the power of the moon through outdoor mind-body activities and hands-on experiences. Participants can embark on medicinal walks by daylearning ancient knowledge from a Tano healer and harvesting ingredients for their health and wellness needsthen bathe in the light and transformative energy of the big glowing rock during moonlight yoga sessions.

As this experience is based on lunar cycles and the benefits available during the various phases, travelers should consider their personal goals and then pair those with the appropriate moon phase. For example, those seeking growth and creativity will want to attend during a waxing moon, while those looking to release emotional blockages should book dates that fall during a waning moon. Amanera can help travelers choose the best timing and customize their experience.

Talk to a soul whisperer in Maui

Grand Waileas UnWind the Soul Experience with Juliet Doty offers an island escape with a side of psychic guidance. This experience is for the seeker who prefers to skip the full-on retreat schedule and dive straight into a one-on-one with a psychic in between a morning swim and an afternoon surf sesh.

Sit down with resident astrologist and soul whisperer Juliet Doty for a 90-minute UnWind the Soul Healing. Doty uses her psychic abilities to identify and help clear emotional, mental, and energetic blockages. She also offers natal chart readings (on-site and virtually). And if you dont know what that means, dont worry; Ive received one and still cant fully explain it. No fault of Dotys; its definitely a lot of information for an amateur to absorb. The image of the natal chart alonewhere all the planets were positioned at the exact moment you were bornis incomprehensible to the untrained eye. Thankfully, Doty takes the time to walk you through the various symbols on the chart and elaborates on what was happening when you were born, how it is impacting you now, and what you can do to adjust or surrender.

Through these two offerings (alone or combined), Doty helps participants better understand their souls pathwhere theyve been and what theyre here to learn in this lifetime. This can help people whove been feeling stuck, discouraged, and uncertain find clarity, harmony, and purpose. Psychic sessions at Grand Wailea start at $275 (which does not include any other services, accommodations, or meals). Contact Grand Wailea for a tailor-made itinerary and hotel package pricing.

Trance-form in New York City

If you need a change, like, RIGHT NOW and cant fathom going at a caterpillar-to-butterfly pace, a Trance-formation Healing might be a better fit for you.

Nicole Hernandez, founder of The Traveling Hypnotist and resident healer at Four Seasons New York Downtown, uses hypnotism and the True Trance-formation Healing (TTH) Method to help her clients make breakthroughs in their careers and relationships. Options include one-on-one sessions, starting at $285 for a 60-minute session or the 120-minute TTH Breakthrough experience at Four Season New York Downtown is $550 (the experience includes access to the spa facilities, but accommodations and meals are not included). Trance-formational experiences are customizable depending on client goals and can be combined with other spa and hotel offerings.

Go far out to immerse your mind in the Maldives

For those that need to get far, far, farrrrr away from it all for a reset, JOALI BEING provides a secluded sanctuary on the island of Bodufushi in Raa Atoll, Maldives. The well-being retreat was designed in harmony with the natural environment to create a sense of weightlessness, dissolving the boundaries between you and your surroundings to facilitate a feeling of interconnectedness. So, as the name says, just BEING on the island may be enough to kickstart your transformation.

Immersion retreats can be customized from five days to three weeks with experiences tailored to your needs. The Mind Immersion Programme aims to increase mindfulness and productivity while decreasing stress through a combination of sound therapy, mindful movement, and energy balancing treatments. Optional add-ons include water therapy and conscious cooking.

The five-day Immersion Programme starts at $1,665 per person (including full-board meals). Accommodations are not included in this price, but if you travel all this way, youll likely want to linger a little longer.

Choose your own wellness adventure in Arizona

If you prefer to DIY your retreat from an ala carte menu of on-site wellness and energy healing activities, consider a rest and reset for your body and soul at Castle Hot Springs.

Arizona is known for its vortices, and the healing energy is palpable in this region of the Sonoran Desert, with its storied saguaro cacti and mineral-rich hot springs. Set out on a meditative morning hike in the canyon, get a chakra tune-up, take an inner journey through sound healing, and experience your interconnectedness with an after-hours hot springs soak, embraced by a blanket of stars above and the therapeutic waters below. Resident wellness guide Colleen Inman can help craft an itinerary suited to your personal goals. You determine the pace, open your heart and mind, and let the desert work its magic.

Castle Hot Springs also hosts other unique healing and health-focused group retreats, such as a Sleep Retreat with sleep expert Dr. Rebecca Robbins. Inquire directly with the resort for upcoming retreat offerings.

Unblock your chakras in Bali

Bali has no shortage of wellness retreats, and you dont need your third eye to see why: the tropical setting, friendly people, and deep-rooted culture rich with spiritual and wellness practices make it an obvious destination for personal transformation. (But where the wellness travelers go, unfortunately, con artists posing as spiritual gurus often follow. So be very discerning when booking a wellness retreat in Bali.)

Visitors take a lot from time spent in Bali: inspiration, spiritual learnings, personal growth, and, inevitably, the islands limited resources. This is why its important to find a retreat like Global Family Travels Seven Chakras Regenerative Wellness Retreat, where you can give back to this sacred place that provides so much.

The 11-day experience works with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, an experienced yogi and healer who works with people from all backgrounds and abilities, and a team of local Balinese healers, non-profits, and practitioners. Guided by their learn, serve, immerse approach, Global Family Travels helps participants understand and unblock the seven chakras (energy wheels or energy centers in the body) through immersive experiences. For example, a day spent exploring the heart chakra includes mindfulness exercises in the morning, a visit to two nonprofits that focus on womens health and empowerment, and a dinner at the Womens Center.

Through engaging with and understanding local people, culture, and the natural environment, the goal is that participants will better understand themselves. The longer length of this retreat allows for a more gradual evolution and time for group discussions, private journaling, and reflection. The Seven Chakras Regenerative Wellness Retreat costs $3,250 for a shared double room or $4,150 for a single room and includes all activities, transfers, and meals listed on the itinerary.

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat!

Visit link:
Use Crystals and Astrological Readings on These Dreamy Wellness Vacations - Thrillist

Decentralized, independentand anonymous user-owned identities will be a part of the Web3 stack, but only if we stay conscious of the pitfalls.

Despite a few hopeful signs for those looking for spring, crypto winter remains. Pundits and analysts addressing the market woes often point out the hopeful upsides. These hard times will likely shake out bad projects and leave a more robust ecosystem. Like most parts of evolution, it's an elegant system to contemplate but not always pretty to watch.

It's an excellent time to return to the fundamentals projects that deliver real utility and address human needs with actual use cases. One of the fundamental parts of any Web3 ecosystem is identity,and it's a big deal to people.

A recent survey of 8,000 respondents byOpinioniumshowed that 80% of consumers prefer online brands with strong digital identity verification. Web3 promises a new host of expanded services, some transactional, so there is good reason for the Web3 community to focus on the promise of a blockchain-protected, decentralized identity (DID).

Ontology NetworkONG/USD has been working on this issue since before its network launch in 2018, as part of its stated mission of "bringing trust, privacy, and security to Web3 through decentralized identity and data solutions."

We spoke with Humpty Calderon, head of community at Ontology, to learn more about the state and future of a truly decentralized, user-controlled, independentand anonymous identity system for Web3.

BZ: Why is self-sovereign identity an important feature for Web3 development?

Calderon:"With Web2 identities, like Facebook identity or Google identity, you create identities, and they are user services, but those identities are not yours. They are owned by those organizations. Data that you produce using those products is aggregated, mined, and monetized by these companies. You have neither a say in how your data is used nor a share of that revenue.

In Web3, we see an opportunity for individuals to own their identity to create richer user experiences in this ecosystem, but also for them to own the data on the backend. So currently, member identity is centered in, for all intents and purposes, your Web3 wallet, your MetaMask, is your Web3 identity. You sign in with them, and you do transactions. All the data that's on the back end is accessible via the private key via your wallet.

Decentralized identity takes it a step further. So DID is not a new concept. It was developed by the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for quite some time. It allows you to take the identity that is currently siloed within one blockchain and take it across multiple blockchains. So my identity, and more importantly, the reputation that I build using this identity on blockchain, is portable and interoperable."

Is the idea of controlling your identity tied to monetization? And doesn't that suggest our identities are just a commodity to sell?

"I would argue that it isn't about the financialization of your data. It's about control and setting permissions to dictate how that data gets used. So it is up to you how that data is used, whether you choose to financialized that or not. The idea is for users to fully own and consent to how their data is used."

How many users are using Ontology's decentralized identities?

"In the area of decentralized identity, Ontology is one of the more mature projects. We have been building this since before they launched their blockchain;they were a member of the Decentralized Identity Foundation. There are more than 1.6 million on OntIDs that have been distributed. And so what that means is that Ontology has provided this self-sovereign identity for 1.6 million identities.

Keep in mind that in Web3 identities work a little differently than your email, where you may have different identities for different use cases, you may have an identity for DeFi, you may have an identity for interacting with DAOs and governance and so on. Because you want to be able to segment those areas of your Web3 activity. That's good PSYOPS. At least you want to be able to protect your identity, and you don't want to connect those identities for all sorts of use."

The term psyops (psychological operations) has a gray history at best, what makes it a relevant term for Web3?

"I'm not the first to use it. It means you want to create systems that allow you to have a segmented identity, and segmented use of your data, in the Web3 ecosystem. So you protect yourself if anybody wishes to identify you in the real world."

Doesn't the idea of truly decentralized and anonymous identity open up more possibilities for bad actors that want to use crypto for illegal activity?

"The same could be said about cash, right? Cash is probably one of the more anonymous ways to perform a transaction. I think we need to be reflective about the development that we do. And we need to be thoughtful and inclusive of different people and to be able to understand the future that we're building and so that it's not dystopian."

What about in cases where true anonymity can be used to plan or fund terrorism?

"There's going to be some malicious actors and people that are going to use the technology. This technology isn't exclusive to blockchain. The other thing I wanted to talk about is using your decentralized identity to build your reputation.

One of the other projects that Ontology is incubating is called Orange Protocol. And Orange Protocol is not the only one working on how we can build reputation, so it's usable within the blockchain space, still respecting people's privacy and their self-sovereign identity, but in a way that we can unlock access to the good actors, and segment communities based on interests. We can develop a system using DID-verifiable credentials, VCs, which provide some reputation proof for these individuals. And that could be positive and negative.

One school of thought says we should not be making negative attestations, and we should be making positive attestations. But negative attestations are valuable, especially in the social space. We want to make sure that the people we're interacting with are good actors. In fact, if you read theDecentralized Society paperthat was written by Puja Ohlhaver, E. Glen Weyland Vitalik Buterin in May, that's exactly the argument they're making."

How does Ontology fit into the Web3 ecosystem? What essential piece does it provide for developers?

"Ontology has experience and proficiency in the space of decentralized identity, reputation, and data. They've been working on DID since before they launched their network. So this is something that they truly believe in. So what that means, especially with the launch of EVM integration, is that any project that seeks to develop a protocol, a community that wants to build on top of this very rich and robust identity stack can build on Ontology."

What should we be looking forward to from Ontology in 2022?

"This year was formative for many of us to understand the space of Web3 is changing. There is this new and novel way of engaging and building with communities through DAOs. While often not decentralized or autonomous, the mission, purposeand impact of these DAOs are continuing to grow. Ontology is tooling for these DAO communities to be able to build with identity and reputation mechanisms. Orange Protocol is building a reputation-proof system that's backed by Web3 data and on-chain and off-chain data to be able to provision reputation models on the other end. That can unlock better onboarding mechanisms to create better incentive alignment with contributors and more robust governance systems that get away from plutocratic voting systems."Takeaways

It's easy to see the value in a decentralized identity that gives users more control over their personal data, which has been famously abused, productizedand resold clandestinely by big tech companies.

Ontology offers the prospect of increased identity independence for the user,allowing users to control how their information is used and making it possible to access multiple chains and apps with a single DID wallet sign-in.

I still have reservations about how a system of truly anonymous decentralization will keep bad actors from gaming the system to cover their activities. If there is a loophole, people hiding their actions will use it. It isn't a matter of "if" it is a statistical certainty as the technology grows.

I also worry that the idea of ranking users decentralized identities by positive and negative behavior. I think the system is well-intended but does not screen out criminal behavior, and has a creepy Orwellian overtone, much like the social ranking system in China.

So, the reality of workable DID may be within our grasp,but we still have to work out some of the "how," which means revisiting some of the "why." In such a young space as Web3, we may be seeing another case where the technology is ready, but the philosophy behind it just isn't as stable.

Still, Ontology is an impressive Layer 1 project that adds real value to projects, so it will be interesting to see where they take it.

Cover image sourceMohamed Hassanfrom Pixabay.

Read more:
Interview: Ontology And The Web3 Potential (And PsyOps) Of Decentralized Identity - Benzinga