Philip Pacheco/AFP via Getty Images Carroll Fife, director of the Oakland chapter of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and a representative of Moms 4 Housing, in front of a homeless encampment in Oakland, California, January 28, 2020

In late February, before the Covid-19 lockdown confined me to the phone, I traveled to northern California to report on a growing movement against corporate housing speculation. The resulting story, Moms 4 Housing: Redefining the Right to a Home in Oakland, published by the Daily on March 9, was about a collective of African-American mothers who had occupied, and were then dramatically evicted from, a vacant house in the west of the city. Though the mothers later negotiated to buy the property with the help of a community land trust, their larger campaignfor the human right to housinghas only become more urgent with the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the time of publication, I was waiting on responses to several public information requestsfiled with the office of Libby Schaaf, the mayor of Oakland; the Oakland Police Department; and the office of Gregory Ahern, the sheriff of Alameda County, who oversaw the eviction. Neither Mayor Schaafs office, care of Rose Rubel, an analyst in the city administrators office, nor the Oakland Police Department, care of Alisha Banda, a police records supervisor, have responded to my requests. But on April 9, I received a batch of one hundred and seven emails, in PDF form, from Cynthia Wilson, a technician in the Sheriffs Office.

My primary goal in contacting Alameda County was to learn more about the eviction, which took place on the morning of January 14. As I recount in the original story:

[The mothers] found the street overrunnot only by a throng of supporters, thanks to a text-message blast, but also by a ballistic vehicle and sheriffs vans from Alameda County. A dozen men were dressed infatigues and helmetsandwielded machine guns. Under orders from Sheriff Gregory Ahern and Commander Shawn Sexton, they used a battering ram to knock down the front door of the housewhich the moms say was unlocked but the Sheriffs Office says was fortified. Everyone inside wasarrested

Alameda County declined to pursue criminal charges against the moms and their allies, but the Sheriffs Office has refused to apologize for its show of force. Sergeant Ray Kelly, the agencys public information officer, told me that the Sheriffs Office has no regrets and that the AR15s and ballistic vehicle were commensurate to the threat posed by anarchist and criminal elements among the moms allies, based on social media and tips from an informant. [Carroll] Fife believes that the Sheriffs Office was targeting Fred Hampton Jr., a Chicago-based activist who had flown in to offer support. Hamptons father, a prominent Black Panther, was murdered by the FBI in 1969.

I also wanted to understand the relationship between the Sheriffs Office and Wedgewood LLC, which owned the house the mothers had occupied. A lingering question was why Wedgewood had believed it to be within its rights to discard the mothers belongings after the eviction. Again, as I wrote in March:

The next day, the mothers returned to the house to gather their furniture and other belongings, as Wedgewood had promised they couldthough Wedgewood disputes this. Cross told me that they arrived to find everything thrown onto the street, in a broken, muddy pile.

The emails provided by Alameda County, while incomplete, help answer three crucial questions:

Did the Sheriffs Office try to persuade the mothers to leave the occupied house before the eviction?

Sheriffs Office personnel have repeatedly stated that they tried to prevent a confrontational eviction by offering to help the mothers, only to be rebuffed. Just hours after the eviction, Sheriff Ahern himself wrote in emails to concerned citizens:

We have offered assistance and services, but they were declined. We must follow the order of the court.

We made offers to the group through their attorneys to assist with various programs. Our offers and suggestions were refused. They told us They want the fight,

The mothers and their representativesattorney Leah Simon-Weisberg and Carroll Fife, director of the Oakland chapter of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowermenttold me that they never heard from anyone at the Sheriffs Office.

This contradiction may be explained by an email sent by Kelly on January 10. He emailed Ahern and five others:

I spoke with the moms group attorney, Francisco Gutierrez, and he was very amicable. He wants nothing more than to resolve this issue without a confrontation. I asked him if his clients would sit down with us and come up with a solution that was in their best interest. We also offered resources and access to assistance. He went to the moms [sic] group and they told him there will be no negotiating and they are not leaving. They were very adamant! The attorney was very complimentary of Sgt. Kong and the civil unit and understood our position.

Francisco Gutierrez is an attorney for Wedgewood LLC, not the mothers. It thus appears that Kelly was brokering a negotiation with only one party. When I recently asked Kelly whether he had ever communicated with a lawyer for the mothers, he said yesthat he had spoken with a man. The mothers have had only one attorney: Simon-Weisberg, a woman.

Why did the Sheriffs Office stage such a dramatic eviction?

On December 6 and 9, in response to a reporters query about the timing of the eviction, Kelly said in an email:

We are not looking for a confrontation or to escalate community tension.

I think these folks are looking for a showdown with law enforcement. Thats not going to happen.

This was reiterated a month laterjust three days before the evictionby his colleague, Sergeant Kenrick Kong, in an email to Emma Ishii, a staff member of a county supervisor:

As always it is the intention of the Sheriffs Office Civil Section to enforce Orders from the Court in as peaceful of a manner as possible. We are going to treat the enforcement of this order like any other order.

Yet it seems that, by mid-December, the Sheriffs Office was preparing for a clash. On December 16, after observing a court hearing on the mothers eviction, Lieutenant Patrick Jones wrote to Sexton and another colleague:

Moms for Housing came to Room 104 today. They filed six Claims of Right to Possession [RTP] for the Magnolia property. They had a crowd of 60 to 70 supporters with them. Once they exited the Civil Section Lobby, they announced the RTPs had been filed and we accepted them, causing their group of supporters to begin yelling and screaming. They then began to yell and chant, The people united will never be divided. I exited the Civil employee door, walked to the hallway next to the Courthouse Food Vendor, activated my BWC [body-worn camera] and I announced that yelling and screaming in a courthouse is unacceptable. There was a black male adult who immediately engaged me asking why I was being aggressive. I told him that yelling, screaming and chanting within the courthouse is unacceptable behavior. A white female, who appeared as though she might be their legal counsel, advised they were all leaving peacefully.

The Sheriffs Office deployed more than forty personnel and a BearCat armored vehicle to carry out the eviction on January 14, according to Kelly. A few hours after the eviction, Captain James McGrail emailed forty-five colleagues to provide instructions on how to file overtime hours and what to do if you rode home in the BearCat. He congratulated them for being superstars and attached two notes of praise from local citizens.

When I asked Kelly about these emails, he told me that its common for law enforcement to identify people by their gender and race, even outside of investigations, and that race had nothing to do with the nature of the eviction, adding that there were more whites than African-Americans among the mothers supporters. He said that the BearCat and other equipment were necessary because of aggressive conduct observed inside and outside of the occupied housewhich the mothers and their attorney deny.

Kelly told me that the Sheriffs Office spent more than $40,000 on personnel costs alone to carry out the eviction, all at taxpayer expense. In emails he sent to reporters between January 14 and 16, however, he stated that the cost was over $10k and would be billed to Wedgewood LLC. The company was never charged for any law enforcement expenses.

Why did Wedgewood LLC dispose of the mothers belongings the morning after the eviction?

Sam Singer, the spokesman for Wedgewood, told me in March that the company only ever agreed to put the mothers belongings on the sidewalk in front of the house. According to the mothers and Oakland City CouncilmemberNikki Bas, however, Wedgewood had promised to provide access to the house the morning after the eviction.

It appears that the Sheriffs Office told a Wedgewood attorney that the company was obliged to return the mothers belongings. On January 10, Captain Melanie Ditzenberger wrote to five of her colleagues and Scott Dickey, an attorney for Alameda County:

I received a call from Anthony Pacheco, the attorney who represents Wedgewood. I have spoken to him before, and he is very appreciative of our efforts He asked about the womens property, I told him that once the property was turned back over to Catamount [a Wedgewood subsidiary], they should secure the womens personal property for the amount of time required by law; and if assistance was needed; to work with OPD [Oakland Police Department].

She reiterated this in another email less than an hour later, to a different group of employees at the Sheriffs Office:

[Pacheco] was also concerned about the womens personal property and getting it out of the home. I said that once the Civil Unit affected [sic] the eviction; and returned the property to Catamount, it is their responsibility to secure the womens personal property for the amount of time required by law; and if they needed assistance removing it; to work with OPD.

When I asked Singer about these emails and what Wedgewood understood its obligations to be, he said, I never heard of this conversation.

Taken as a whole, the emails released by Alameda County reveal an agency struggling to coordinate a response to mass protestin the context of an otherwise ordinary eviction. And while the Sheriffs Office continued to exchange information with Wedgewood LLC and its attorneys, it did not communicate directly with Moms 4 Housing. Representatives of Moms 4 Housing told me that the mothers have had no contact with either the Sheriffs Office or Oakland police in recent weeks, but are currently making visits to homeless residents, in violation of the Bay Areas shelter-in-place order. As Carroll Fife explained, We cant shelter in place and say that we care about the community when theyre out living in the streets.

Read more from the original source:
Moms 4 Housing: A Dramatic Eviction Revisited - The New York Review of Books

Significant national media attention has focused in the last week on a slew of right-wing protests, in states like Ohio, Idaho, and Michigan (among others), demanding that the country reopen in the midst of the worst pandemic in modern history. But we should understand what forces are driving these protests, and how they differ radically from demonstrations organized by individuals on the front-lines of the Covid-19 crisis who are engaged in their own progressive rebellion against corporate power and neoliberal politics.

To be clear, these recent right-wing demonstrations are largely a reiteration of old populist campaigns in support of limited government rhetoric and free market politics. They provide cover for reactionary efforts to enhance corporate power and profits via massive business bailouts during times of crisis, coupled with opposition to policies with the potential to benefit the many. The emerging right-wing protest narrative is a repetition of protest narratives about citizen empowerment that draw momentum from the saturation coverage that was afforded to the Tea Party movement and the Trump rebellion.

First things first. The economic and health-related protests that have occurred across the country are motivated by very real concerns for the lives of those on the frontlines of this crisis. The worker walkouts at Instacart, Amazon, and Whole Foods are driven by two primary concerns: a lack of sanitation and safety in workplaces amidst facilities with Covid-19 outbreaks, and the lack of adequate compensation (hazard pay) for working-class and working poor Americans who are risking their lives to provide vital goods and services to the public.

The protests and demonstrations that health care workers have engaged in across the country are motivated by a lack of access to adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical professionals, who are the worst exposed in fighting the Covid-19 outbreak, and who have received little to no support from the Trump administration in terms of providing for potentially life-saving medical equipment.

Those engaged in rent strike activism throughout the country are demanding political action and rent moratoriums out of a direct concern with being evicted, through no fault of their own, in a time of rapidly rising unemployment, and when millions of Americans worry about not being able to pay for basic necessities such as food and shelter. All of the above motivations are substantively different from what were seeing in protests demanding to reopen states and end stay-at-home orders.

News outlets like the New York Times are repeating clichs about how right-wing shutdown protests are another manifestation of working-class resentment against the system. For example, the paper speculated on April 17 about Trumps efforts to foment dissent among Republicans in states with shutdown orders: openly supporting those who challenge the stay-at-home orders could help the president re-energize the coalition of conservative Republicans and working-class populists who agree with the anti-government sentiment that helped power Mr. Trumps election victory in 2016. This narrative persists, despite a comprehensive review of the research on Trumpism demonstrating that his working-class base was never financially insecure, and is not motivated by concerns with poverty and economic vulnerabilities.

The Guardian and Associated Press have now published detailed profiles on the political actors involved in these protests. These news outfits have spotlighted three types of groups at the forefront of the campaign to reopen American states: 1. Astroturf national pro-business groups, including Freedom Works and Americans for Prosperity; 2. Radical quasi-fascist and white nationalist groups, including the Proud Boys and militia activists; and 3. Conservative-Republican citizens groups that are primarily concerned with enhancing corporate power and promoting small government principles, rather than with helping those suffering most from Covid-19. I provide a detailed investigation of the groups below.

Astroturf National Groups

Faux citizens groups have been active for decades hoping to build support for a pro-business political agenda. For example, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and Freedom Works both played instrumental roles in the Tea Party rebellion of the late 2000s and early 2010s. But as Ive documented at length, the Tea Party was an anemic movement. There was little evidence of active mobilization across the nation in local chapters, even at the height of the movement in 2010. Rather, pro-business groups like AFP and Freedom Works, operating under the billionaire Koch activist umbrella, were the primary face of a movement with goals of promoting free market politics and corporate power, and limiting potential government efforts to combat poverty and inequality.

Now these groups are leading the reopen America movement. AFPs motivations are clearly profit-related, as the group explicitly draws on concerns with lost economic activity, which are its primary motivation for trying to end state stay-at-home orders. As AFP argued in a recent press release: rather than blanket shutdowns, the government should allow businesses to continue to adapt and innovate to produce the goods and services Americans need, while continuing to do everything they can to protect the public health. Notice that concerns with public health were cited as secondary to profit interests, in AFPs own words.

As another Koch-network plutocratic business group, Freedom Works has adopted a similar approach. Its website laments state shutdown orders, which it argues contradict longstanding conservative principles of profit-making and limited government. Freedom of assembly, they argue, has been under attack due to the shelter-in-place orders. Weve essentially seen civil and economic liberties suspended in response to Covid-19. As Freedom Works argues: States must begin to reopen their economies and this disregard for civil liberties must end. One thing past crises have taught us is that when government whether its federal or state exerts new powers, its very difficult to wrestle them away. Its a question that comes up after every crisis, but some have wondered what America will look like after Covid-19.

That these groups have become some of the most visible political actors in the reopen America movement speaks poorly of these protests as a representation of citizen-based grassroots empowerment. AFP and Freedom Works have one primary goal: creating a suitable political environment thats conducive to private investment, profits, and unrestricted corporate power. By their own admission, they are not seeking to represent the interests of Americans including health care workers and low-paid service workers who are being hardest hit by the Covid-19 crisis.

Reactionary State Citizens Groups

Operating as an appendage to the larger plutocratic movement to reopen state economies are highly visible right-wing citizens groups. These groups are comprised of residents of the individual states affected by the stay-at-home orders. But their fringe views about reopening the economy, which are not shared by the vast majority of Americans (Republican or Democratic), are being strongly amplified by the heavy news coverage devoted to these protests. And these groups are primarily speaking on behalf of wealthy business interests, not the public, considering that the Covid-19 crisis will intensify if states reopen with a business-as-usual approach.

Among the groups most active in the push to reopen states, as the Guardian and AP report, are the Idaho Freedom Foundation, the Michigan Freedom Fund, and the Michigan Conservative Coalition, among others. These groups, like AFP and Freedom Works, value economic profits, growth, and a free market personal freedom agenda over concerns with public health and safety. In its press release against Idahos initial three-week stay-at-home order, Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) lambasted the shutdown as imposing counterproductive government burdens that hurt individual rights and hamper economic growth. Residents of Idaho were being forced to surrender their freedom for the notion of security. Among the main points of protest against the shutdown, IFF includes that it was too sudden, too vague, too sweeping, that it overrides local control, and that it offers no exit strategy. Notice that concerns with the public health, with the dangers faced by health care workers, and with the rising desperation of poorer Americans who have been worst hit by Covid-19, are nowhere to be seen in this list of grievances. Rather, IFFs interests lie elsewhere, as seen in this declaration of principles, which is attached to its protest letter about Idahos Covid-19 shutdown: free market principles work and have served our state and country well. We maintain that our God-given rights, protected under the state and U.S. Constitutions, matter especially during a crisis.

The politics of other business-front citizens groups match those of IFF. The Michigan Freedom Fund (MFF) announces as part of its mission statement that it fights to champion conservative policies on behalf of Michigan taxpayers. We are committed to the principles of limited government, transparency in government, and the freedoms found in the Constitution. As related to Covid-19, the group has served as a sounding board for reactionary activists who were involved in the spearheading of the recent protests in Michigan, labeled Operation Gridlock, against Governor Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order. In a new interview posted on MFFs website, Operation Gridlock organizer and Michigan Conservative Coalition Chairwoman Meshawn Maddock explained the motivations behind her protest effort, which sought to spotlight Michigans managed economic disaster. The word managed is revealing, not only because it conspiratorially implies that the state governor is actively working toward destroying the states economy, but also because it runs contrary to widespread recognition among economic experts that, without stay-at-home orders that are needed to get the Covid-19 crisis under control, a return to normal economic activities is effectively impossible.

As a self-described small business owner, Maddock is motivated by concerns with the costs that the Michigan shut-down has imposed on economic activities, and the alleged threat it poses to personal freedoms the freedom to move around freely, for example, rather than the freedom not to contract or infect others with Covid-19. She attacks Governor Whitmer for putting a boot on the head of Michigan residents and for engaging in tyranny by restrict[ing] the movement of healthy people in the state. And her attacks on Whitmers shut down order are clearly not informed by any careful reading of the guidelines being issued by medical experts and the CDC. This much is apparent from her attack against medical professionals tracking the rapid spread of the virus, and her statement that it is not worth shutting down our economy based on a line graph. Rather than public health, Maddock is primarily concerned with the effect of the shutdown on business, as reflected in her warning that businesses right now are being bankrupted by bureaucrats here in Michigan.

As an outgrowth of Maddocks agenda, the Michigan Conservative Coalition (MCC) also operates as a pro-business group that opposes the state shutdown. MCC declares in its mission statement support for the principles that our Founding Fathers had laid out in the Constitution, and for shaping policy by helping to elect more conservatives to local elected positions and to the Michigan legislature, while openly allying with groups like Michigan Trump Republicans, who bill themselves as Trump loving Americans who are sick and tired of the political establishment and the political machine that is solely focused on tearing down our President and his agenda. MCCs own advertisement for Operation Gridlock targets Governor Whitmer for driving the state out of business, while spotlighting concerns with economic health, as related to local businesses which are going broke due to the shutdown. Governor Whitmer, MCC announces, is practicing tyranny via her radical and progressive agenda against the people (Covid-19 mitigation efforts are now apparently a radical-progressive agenda), and in blatant violation of state residents constitutional rights. Notice, again, that the primary concerns MCC lists emphasize business profiteering and highly abstract concerns with personal freedoms, based in right-wing principles of limited government.

White Nationalists and Militia Groups

A final front in the reopen America movement includes reactionary fringe groups committed to a variety of causes that are widely shunned by the vast majority of Americans. In Michigan, these include the Michigan Proud Boys and the Michigan Liberty Militia. There is little evidence that right-wing extremist groups are driven by concerns with economic insecurity. As Ive shown in previous research that draws on national polling data, self-described supporters of the alt-right white nationalist cause are not more likely to be economically insecure in their backgrounds, so income insecurity is not driving their political agenda. Rather, I show that these individuals are piped into radical right-wing media echo chambers, which appear to be the primary force that is fueling and reinforcing their extremism.

There is little reason most Americans should take the quasi-fascistic agendas of these fringe groups seriously, particularly in a time of public health crisis. As reports of the Proud Boys have documented, the group is an openly white nationalist/white supremacist force, notorious for its Islamophobic, racist, and misogynistic rhetoric. The group reinforced its fascist politics in Michigan, as news reporting documented their role in ambulance-blocking and shutting down other traffic in the states capitol of Lansing in protest of the states shutdown order. Similarly, the Michigan Liberty Militia is also an extremist group that, according to its own Facebook page, is primarily committed to protecting the unimpeded American right to assault weapons, amidst other positions including the promotion of xenophobia and racism, and support for violent rebellion and vigilante actions against government.

The rapidly rising salience of right-wing protests fits an established pattern that has played out repeatedly over the last decade in the U.S. news media: radically exaggerate the significance of the protests of a very small number of people, who reflect extremist and pro-business opinions that are rejected by most Americans, but who claim to speak in the name of the people. This narrative has been quite harmful to American political discourse, because it obscures the role that pro-business faux citizens groups have played in creating the false impression of a mass uprising against the status quo. The overlap of these right-wing protests with the Covid-19 economic crisis means that many journalists are likely to embrace the lazy argument that economic insecurity fosters right-wing political values. But as the review above suggests, the groups that are leading this small protest movement are not organizing in the name of the vulnerable, poor, or disadvantaged. Theyre mobilizing in favor of elitist principles of profit-making and corporate power, while embracing extremely general philosophical rhetoric about the need for small government and liberty. They do not represent the interests of the large majority of Americans, who embrace state-wide shutdowns to curtail the spread of Covid-19, and who are calling for massive federal intervention to provide financial assistance to Americans due to the Covid-19 crisis. Recognition of the fringe nature of these protests is vital moving forward, as we hear a constant drumbeat from the reactionary right about how Americans want free market and limited government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Coronavirus and Rightwing Rebellion: Retreading a Tired Narrative - CounterPunch

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., April 22, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --Thelma L. Williams "Abercrumbia" is a minister, teacher, prayer warrior, and Bible study teacher, who is retired after serving twenty-four years in the US Air Force, the Air Force Reserves, and the Air National Guard. She has published her latest book "Entering into His Oneness": a deeply personal memoir of her spiritual journey toward a closer relationship with God.

Thelma L. Williams wrote the book, "Entering into His Oneness" one day after experiencing a closet conversation with the Holy Spirit. She cried out her soul unto the Lord and asked Him this question, "Lord, how can I know you in the power of your resurrection according to Philippians 3:10?" She had felt years of suffering from the enemy's strongholds, and now after total deliverance, she writes this book, "Entering into His Oneness" to share with her readers how she overcame later obstacles in life.

Thelma believes in unity and sound doctrine. It is what she wants her readers to experience from her book. She says it is like having manna from heaven, and the people who eat (read) will sustain nourishment from His Word, so they can be purposeful as God is edified. She is purposefully equipped with the necessary power, gifts, and calling for a victorious life. Thelma has encouraged many by sharing her testimony. She now wants to share with everyone who will read her book that they, too, can enter into His Oneness and become one with God and obtain His wealth, strength and empowerment, but more importantly, they can discover God's wonderful and perfect plan for their life in this present season. It is incredible and exciting, and it will transform one's life.

Thelma writes, "You, too, may know God in this extraordinary power. You can truly understand how God causes us to forget those things that are behind and move toward His glorious Oneness and pass it on to others. God's blessings are constantly flowing for all who are under His covenant and His Oneness. May all be blessed who read this book and enter into His Oneness." Published by Page Publishing, Thelma L. Williams "Abercrumbia"'s thought-provoking book is an invaluable resource for spiritual contemplation. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase"Entering into His Oneness" at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors' books, including distribution in the world's largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Page's accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.

SOURCE Page Publishing

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Author Thelma L. Williams's new book "Entering into His Oneness" is a devotional text exploring the role of faith in her life and her...

Princess Hend Faisal Al Qassemi ---Hend as she reminds an interviewer (Hind) means India--- has certainly got India on her toes with a series of tweets that has had powerful businessmen in the UAE scrambling to delete hateful tweets, even as she reminds us of Gandhi, and the power of love. She has got the twitter industry that dominates social media in this part of the world on attention, with the normally aggressive trolls holding theirbreath.

For Qassemi, from the UAE royal stock, is one of the several members of the Arab elite and intellectuals who have taken to Twitter to remind India of her democratic credentials, and warn those indulging in hate speech and threats against the Indian Muslims. But this is not the only reason for the pause, as Qassemi herself is a well known figure in international circles, a recognised name in the fashion industry with her House of Hend, a big name in the magazine world as the editor of Velvet, a Royal herself who was married into royalty until she separated with quiet dignity, an author with short stories in the Black Box of Arabia in her kitty.

Wearing a hijab she is a champion of womens empowerment, bold in her speech, and firm in her views. Her interviews in the past reveal her passion for equality, but not in the strict feminist kind wherein she sees a balanced role for both men and women. She quotes Margaret Thatcher to say that if you want to solve a problem give it for discussion to the men, and for action to the women. She rules the fashion industry without giving up the hijab, but the covers of Velvet do not compromise with the elements that make it a recognised magazine in the exclusive and top end of haute couture.

And yet she does not appear to be a woman of contradiction, secure in herself as her rise in the industry, and her endless interests and passions show. She comes from a family where her mother--Royalty of course---went on to become the principal of a school and her father a medical doctor, moved to establish a chain of hospitals. So as she has told interviewers in the past, she comes from a working family, where her parents were co-dependent on each other, and worked together to create an environment where the girl felt empowered and not discriminated. Interestingly, she got her business flair from her grandmother who was widowed at 19 years with two daughters, started a business and taught herself over the years. Qassemi recalls somewhere that she remembers hearing her grandmother pronouncing words and teaching herself at the age of 50 years, a no mean feat that.

She is bright and fashionable, high end of course but with a passion that is visible on her social media pages and her interviews and speeches across the world. A proud Emirati, she harps on love and peace and humanity even as she rubs shoulders naturally with the top end of nations across the world. She professes a love for India, and as she says in one of her more recent tweets she cannot keep away from Bollywood and cheese naan. In school she had friends from India as well as across the globe, has visited the country, seems to have an insight into its working and yet is not hesitant to say that hate speech will not be tolerated or accepted. That her views have backing from the top is clear from the quiet acceptance of her views within the UAE, and that as other intellectuals joining her in the campaign have pointed out the staggering numbers of Indians working in the Gulf itself should be a reminder of possible consequences. At the same time she takes care to point out in a tweet that the laws against this apply equally to nationals and those working in the UAE.

Princess Hend Al Qassimi @LadyVelvet_HFQ

UAE law applies on nationals and non-nationals in terms of hate speech.

Her The Biack Book of Arabia should have been controversial but was not. As she tells an interviewer, she has been fortunate as while she is drowned in messages very few are negative. The book is a compilation of short stories and as she says in an interview around its release, well, in the black box are all the secrets, the untold stories, the facts. So that why I called my debut The Black Book of Arabia. Theres no fanfare, theyre often just the result of hearing these incredible, sometimes secret, tales and wanting to tell them straight. And she has done that and in the process made it clear to the world that Arab women are not to be trampled upon, they are not submissive, but in their sorrow there is also empowerment.

Born in 1984, Qassemi has established herself as a woman of substance, out there in the world with dignity, and not one to be messed around with. She was married into the royal family, separated with dignity, has a son and is said to be now fighting for his custody. Hers too is a personal tale of some struggle, but one that she has very consciously and deliberately kept out of the public view. She does not come through as bitter in her writings, or her interviews, but positive about moving ahead with the emancipation of women her theme. Those who know her respect her, find her very interesting and firm in her views. A painter, an architect, a writer, a fashion designer, a business woman there is little that she has not dabbled with.

So when Qassemi speaks she is heard. She says it as it is and her decision to warn those using Arab soil to mount a hate campaign is not meaningless. She has virtually led the latest Twitter charge against hate speech and action and without being soppy laid out a bottom line through her tweets. One, that hate is unacceptable, two, that India should remember Gandhi, three, that the UAE will exhibit zero tolerance for such posts from within their region, four, that she loves India and will continue to do so. She takes care not to exult when tweets are deleted and instead tweets, The UAE and India are old friends, the few ignorant extremists will not affect relations between the two rising nations. Let us be an example of love instead of hate. Why demolish what you can build. Besides, I like my Bollywood movies and cheese naan too much to stay away.

She was in India last February (cover photograph) zipping through Chennai in an autorickshaw after inaugurating pilots in hijab' service where women and transgenders join the men to drive this public transport across the city. Her visit did not make the headlines outside the city but the Womens pride icon on the M Auto Pride application that she launched. clearly fits in with her larger commitments.

A Princess to watch out for.

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A Princess to Watch Out For - The Citizen

Since 2006, Rubina Nafees Fatimas Hyderabad-based organisation, SAFA, has helped thousands of women earn livelihoods through skill training. It has empowered several others with guidance on health, hygiene and low-cost nutrition. This year, they have a bigger challenge at handtheyre working with daily wagers and migrant communities and ensuring their safety and survival.

In partnership with Youth Feed India, a citizens group tackling hunger and food wastage, SAFA is working across multiple cities including Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Gurugram, to distribute dry ration packs to daily wagers, sex workers and transgender communities. Till date, they have distributed 48,000 relief kits across India, which have helped 2,40,000 individuals. Their work has found support in tennis player Sania Mirza, who helped them raise Rs 1.25 crore in funds in March. Apart from personal donations and fundraising, theyve also set up a petition with the government and other grant bodies. By the end of April, the organisation aims to raise Rs 5 crore, that would provide ration packs for five lakh people.

Nafees Fatima is cognizant of the fact that the issues on the ground will not end with the pandemic. We are working with daily wagersthe fruit vendors and tea sellers. Their one source of income has now closed down. Most of these families are already in debt not from banks or nationalised institutions, but petty money lenders who charge interest as high as 40 per cent. She continues, Just a couple of days ago, I heard about an autorickshaw driver who said he had to start driving again or he wont have money to buy petrol. Thats how bad it is.

While relief work is taking place at the NGO and government levels, many of these individuals dont have the means to access it. 30 per cent of the urban poor dont have a Jan Dhan account, through which the PM National Relief Fund is being distributed. Most of the migrant worker population isnt even documented. We are running surveys in all our communities to help them get linked to the account and avail the benefits of government schemes, she says.

What brings Nafees Fatima closer to the cause is the fact that a large part of this urban poor population affected in Hyderabad are the women and their families associated with SAFA. The organisation works towards the socio-economic empowerment of women and education of the girl child, whilst retaining the cultural fabric of the communities it is working in, according to their literature. The bit at the end is very important, stresses Nafees Fatima. Her father served in the Indian Army and she grew up in an extremely secular kind of an atmosphere, travelling across the country due to the postings.

But in male-dominated communities the organisation works in, trying to change existing structures and values could mean the end of their work there. Its slow and challenging work. For all the stories of women she's been able to empower, Nafees Fatima recalls a girl, who she supported since she was in fourth grade, was sold off by her mother into a physically and sexually abusive marriage. With some help, she eventually walked out of the marriage, got a divorce, and now at 25, works as a receptionist at a prominent hotel. But I couldnt stop the marriage from happening or her being sold off. Shes been my success, but its also a story of my failure, she says.

The pandemic, she believes, will likely cause an uptick in the cases of sex trafficking, especially in high-risk single women communitiesdivorced and abandoned women with children, who will end up in sex trade for lack of resources. SAFA is looking at a small capital infusion that will help them start afresh post the crisis. For this, theyve set up a sustenance fund of Rs 5,000 for three months, along with the ration kit.

The job is not easy, but Nafees Fatima finds strength in core family tenets. I grew up with four sisters, and for women to be empowered was a top priority in my family. I was very influenced by my grandfather. He was the kind of person whod say, Dont go for weddings, but if someones sick in the family, you must visit them. That has really stayed with me; that you need to be there for people who need your help.

As we self-isolate with our pantries stocked with essentials and little luxuries and wonder what well buy first when things get back to normal, it pays to bear in mind that for some, normal wont look anything like ours. Rubina Nafees Fatima knows this and will be there to help those who need it the most.

Vogue Warriors shines the spotlight on the women at the medical frontlines and essential servicesdoctors, nurses, scientists, innovatorsalongside behind-the-scene heroes working tirelessly to help us through the ongoing pandemic.

Vogue Warriors: Meet the 38-year-old mother who founded the community-driven Caremongers India

Meet the Vogue Warriors: The 3 women of science behind Indias first COVID-19 testing kits

Vogue Warriors: Meet the real heroes behind-the-scenes and on-the-frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic

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Vogue Warriors: Meet the social entrepreneur who is mobilising resources for the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 crisis - VOGUE India

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS With art galleries, shops and in-person classes closed, local artists and arts organizations are focusing on showing their work and connecting with potential clients over social media.

Some are recalibrating the happenings in their studios onto video, where anyone can tune in.

Usually, when Julie Anderson of Warehome Studios fires her gas-firing kiln full of her students pottery, she hosts a kiln opening party, in which everyone sees the newest batch of finished pieces and learns from each others processes and outcomes. After the most recent firing Wednesday, Anderson was alone in the studio, but the party went on via video on Facebook and Instagram, with the camera panning over close-ups of brand-new bowls, mugs, plate sets, teapots, ashtrays and flasks, each shining its own distinct design and glaze colors.

Anderson is also looking into teaching pottery via video. While most of her students dont have pottery wheels at home to follow along with, Anderson has been renting out the wheels that usually live in her studio.

Becoming more comfortable with video has been an interesting process, and learning how to make money from these things is the hard part, she said, But at least now, Ill have the time to figure it out.

Over at Steamboat Creates social media pages, Program Director Sylvie Piquet has been hosting Young at Art @HOME video classes about crafts, yoga and other creative activities for all ages, since mid-March.

I have felt grateful to have an opportunity to offer a healthy way to engage with the community while encouraging everyone to stay safe during this challenging time, Piquet said. While sharing online doesnt come close to being able to share creativities in person, it feels like a relief to be able to offer some creative engagement.

Steamboat Creates is planning to expand its online class offerings with Pivot Point: Creative Tools for Personal Empowerment, which was originally scheduled to launch in September but will now go live this month.

Pivot Point will provide people an opportunity to connect with others, engage in creative and mindfulness exercises and develop coping and self-empowerment skills, Piquet said.

The classes, while free to participants, will also be an opportunity for local artists and creatives who teach a class to earn income through the Arts in Society grant.

Other arts organizations are using different social media strategies to try to grow.

Teddy Benson manages social media for the fine print studio Oehme Graphics. Hes been spending his remote workdays focusing on Instagram, uploading the studios inventory of thousands of pieces of artwork into Instagram stories reels of photos and videos that are available for 24 hours organized by artist.

This is a more interactive, highly trafficked platform than an actual website, Benson said. It allows the viewer to leap between an art piece to that artists page to other galleries they work with.

Benson noted he hasnt seen galleries or studios utilize Instagram stories and story highlights this way before.

We want to open up a conversation with viewers, Benson said. Were always available to answer questions about the price (of a piece) but also how that piece was made or information about the artist.

Several weeks ago, the Instagram page was getting an estimated eight pageviews per week; now, the page is fetching 150 views weekly.

At Pine Moon Fine Art Gallery, gallerist Dani Steeves also has been working on growing the gallerys online presence, focused on promoting its individual artists. One series explores the studios of the gallerys artists in photos; another highlights their individual pieces. Theres also a virtual video tour of the gallery, which will be updated monthly.

We want to stay connected to all of our clients and especially those who are used to coming to the gallery to not only see the new artwork and how the gallery transforms but to talk and connect to the individual artists, Steeves said.

Benson notes hes seen individual artists post more actively on their own social media accounts during the past few weeks of isolation, so theres more new content for viewers to explore across the platform.

Im excited to see how this evolves, he said.

To reach Julia Ben-Asher, call 970-871-4229, email jbenasher@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @juliabenasher.

Originally posted here:
To foster community and growth, Steamboat area visual artists turn to social media - Steamboat Pilot & Today

LONGMONT, Colo., April 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The KYOTO BOTANICALS and Range of Motion Project (ROMP) partnership will generate awareness and support for the two million Americans and 28 million people globally living with limb loss and its impact on their lives. Combining their mission and passion for improving quality of life, these two organizations hope to increase access to devices that enable personal empowerment and hemp products that help bring balance and harmony to body and mind.

During April 2020, which is Limb Loss Awareness Month, when consumers use the code EMPOWER at https://www.kyotobotanicals.com, KYOTO BOTANICALS will donate 25% of proceeds to ROMP and give consumers 20% their order. This partnership will support ROMP's mission to provide life-changing prosthetic and orthotic devices to those in need and bring the whole-body benefits of high-quality hemp extract to as many people as possible.

"We are excited to combine our belief that nature provides us what we need to help live happy, healthy lives and our mission to deliver products that are thoughtfully crafted to include only whole plant ingredients that are as close to nature as possible with ROMP's mission to increase the mobility, visibility, and dignity of all those marginalized by lack of access to rehabilitative technology," said Ron Morrow, CEO of KYOTO BOTANICALS. "This partnership will help people confront, cope with, and overcome the physical and mental barriers created by the loss of a limb."

David Krupa, founder and Executive Director of ROMP expressed, "ROMP is thrilled to partner with KYOTO BOTANICALS, a socially minded alternative health company. ROMP believes in partnering with innovative companies that drive local economic growth and employment while empowering their customers to drive social change through each purchase. 9 out of 10 amputees in the world do not have access to prosthetic care and we are excited that KYOTO BOTANICALS is joining ROMP in the fight to build a better future for amputees."

About KYOTO BOTANICALS KYOTO BOTANICALS delivers high quality CBD products to help bring harmony and balance to people's lives and positively affect the world and those around them. Grounded in family roots and a belief that small things make a big impact, we believe in giving back to the community and are dedicated to building a brand that can impact local and global needs. Through our line of innovative hemp-based products, KYOTO BOTANICALS thoughtfully combines the finest ingredients in nature to deliver quality, consistency, and results from batch to batch. https://www.kyotobotanicals.com

About ROMP ROMP is a technology-based, nonprofit organization, which provides high quality prosthetic care in underserved populations, thus enhancing mobility and unlocking human potential. ROMP believes that prosthetic limbs are not simply medical devices, but instruments of personal empowerment. ROMP recognizes the dual hardships of living in poverty with a disability and stands in solidarity with those who are made to suffer from an unequal distribution of care. http://www.rompglobal.org

Contact: Mark Gillilan 7202357755 237469@email4pr.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kyoto-botanicals-and-romp-announce-partnership-during-limb-loss-awareness-month-to-help-provide-prosthetic-care-to-those-without-access-301036680.html

SOURCE Kyoto Botanicals

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KYOTO BOTANICALS and ROMP Announce Partnership During Limb Loss Awareness Month to Help Provide Prosthetic Care to Those Without Access - Yahoo...

"Each storyteller had a uniquely personal experience to share, but they all came together to show each other respect, solidarity, and compassion."

NAMPA, Idaho Define American and the Idaho Press want to change the way Idaho talks about immigrants.

The two organizations joined forces on Feb. 1 to host a community storytelling workshop with about a dozen storytellers from unique backgrounds. The participants were asked to talk about how their personal or family immigration story informs the way they think about American and Idaho culture and identity.

On Monday, the videos created by these storytellers will be launched at Idahopress.com, starting with Raquel Reyes, who grew up in Wilder and shares a touching story about her husband and his long-overdue reunion with his mother.

"Bringing storytellers from across the communities we cover into the newsroom was a powerful and moving experience and helps inform our coverage of the diverse communities of the Treasure Valley," said Idaho Press Managing Editor Holly Beech. "We are excited to bring you these stories and hope you will share them."

About a dozen folks from across Southwest Idaho spent the day sharing their experiences of immigrating to America, navigating the complex refugee and asylum program, living in Idaho as undocumented Americans, maintaining cultural roots while assimilating to a new country and employing immigrant workers in rural areas.

"Each storyteller had a uniquely personal experience to share, but they all came together to show each other respect, solidarity, and compassion," said Define American field organizer Adrin Escrate. "Through the art of storytelling I have felt a sense of self-empowerment and self-worth that I had never felt before, and it's my hope that this group of Idaho storytellers and their audiences will feel the same."

Define American is a narrative and culture change organization that uses media and the power of storytelling to transcend politics and shift the conversation about immigrants, identity, and citizenship in a changing America.

News outlets are welcome to share these stories with their audiences as well by embedding the YouTube videos or sharing the links on social media. Please contact Ashley Miller at the Idaho Press or Nathaniel Hoffman at Define American for more information about the workshop or any of the storytellers. Subscribe to Define American's YouTube channel for more videos.

If you enjoy reading articles like this one from our partners at the Idaho Press, please considersubscribing to them for newspaper delivery or digital accessto help ensure stories like this are told.

More from our partners at the Idaho Press: Reporter's notebook:What it means to be an American

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The Idaho Press and Define American team up for a new immigration storytelling project - KTVB.com

TORONTO, April 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly three out of five Canadians (57%) said their household income has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The newly released research from TransUnion (NYSE:TRU) found that an additional 10% of Canadian adults said they expect their household income will suffer in the future.

Alberta (63%) and Saskatchewan (67%) were the provinces which reported the highest percentage of household incomes negatively impacted with both already dealing with economic shocks before COVID-19 as a result of oil price declines.

TransUnion has initiated a survey of adults in Canada and abroad to better understand the financial impact of COVID-19 on consumers. The survey (commenced March 31, 2020) of 1,064 adults marked the first for the country in what will be an ongoing series. Additional details as well as resources for consumers looking to minimize the potential negative impact of the pandemic on their credit, and access to self-serve, educational materials can be found at https://www.transunion.ca/covid-19.

"Whether it's their health, financial well-being or changes in day-to-day living, the lives of millions of people in Canada and abroad have been dramatically changed. The situation is evolving at an incredibly fast pace and we need to come together as a nation to solve the unique problems and situations that arise," said Todd Skinner, TransUnion Regional President for Canada, Latin America and Caribbean. "The aim of our weekly consumer research is to better understand the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and better inform consumers, businesses and government decisions during these unprecedented times. It is important that businesses and consumers are able to continue to transact with confidence and we will do everything in our power to help facilitate the provision of lending and commerce during these uncertain times."

TransUnion's research found that the youngest generations, particularly Millennials (those born 1980 to 1994) and Gen Z (born from 1995 onwards), felt most impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. While 70% of consumers who have had their household income impacted by COVID-19 are concerned about paying their bills, this increased to 78% for Millennials and 74% for Gen Z. On average, Canadian respondents said they will be short about $935 in the near future.

"Our focus is on supporting Canadian consumers, businesses and the wider economy as a whole. We know this is an extremely difficult time, and we're committed to helping people navigate any financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers are facing many unexpected challenges and it's natural that people are concerned about their finances. It's really important that there is a dialogue between businesses and their customers at this time of uncertainty. Equally, we encourage consumers looking to minimize potential negative impacts of the pandemic on their credit to visit TransUnion's COVID-19 website," concluded Skinner.

TransUnion's research and credit education tools will be updated weekly on its COVID-19 website as the company continues to support consumers and businesses from around the globe.

About TransUnion TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing a comprehensive picture of each person so they can be reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good. TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people in more than 30 countries. Our customers in Canada comprise some of the nation's largest banks and card issuers, and TransUnion is a major credit reporting, fraud, and analytics solutions provider across the finance, retail, telecommunications, utilities, government and insurance sectors.

For more information visit: http://www.transunion.ca

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57% of Canadians Say Household Income Negatively Impacted by COVID-19 - Benzinga

Diana Gordon oozes talent from her fingertips and her list of collaborators is a testament to that. In the past, shes worked with Mark Ronson, Dua Lipa, Diplo, Ciara, Florence Welch, The xxs Romy Madley Croft and last but not least, Beyonce (Lemonades Sorry, Daddy Lessons and Dont Hurt Yourself).

The singer-songwriter just released a new stripped-back EP called Wasted Youth. [Its] mostly about my love life and experiences with men, Diana shared. I didnt have my father to learn from, so his absence was a great opportunity to learn from life. Most of the songs represent my phases of maturity and the types of men I was attracting at those times: from fuck boys with bad intentions that seemed good and tortured artists to intelligent, well-spoken savants. The lyrics in a few of the songs are not a journal, but more so a mood. Diana continued, The EP is called Wasted Youth because for the better half of my twenties and years after, I dated one guy. If this was High Fidelity, that relationship would be, the #1 most hurtful. The one that left the biggest imprint. Our story didnt have the fairytale ending I was promised. He defined my literal youth for me, and although I am forever young and my inner child is still happily thriving, I cant help but feel that the time I spent with him was wasted time that Ill never get back.

And if thats not enough, give her whole discography a listen. You wont be disappointed! A personal favorite is the female empowerment anthem Woman.

You can download Diana Gordons new EP off of iTunes here listen to Wasted Youth below!

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Diana Gordon is the Grammy-Award Winning Artist You're Sleeping On & Need In Your Life Today - Just Jared