The new arrest of 74-year-old Antonio Maira proves that the stidda is healthy In 1990 the mafioso was sentenced by Judge Rosario Livatino to 22 years and that sentence decreed the death of the magistrate It is a present that is still tied to the past that of Canicattì the inland Sicilian town where Rosario Livatino the blessed judge killed on 21 September 1990 Livatino was murdered by the "Stidda", a criminal organization centered in the central-southern part of Sicily similar and rival to the more famous Cosa nostra The murder was planned by a criminal group to which Antonio Maira belonged whom the magistrate himself had sentenced in 1986 to over 22 years in prison for drug trafficking according to some collaborators of justice was arrested for extortion aggravated by the mafia method together with his nephew Antonio La Marca "You can only resign from the Mafia with death," said the judge who spoke and practiced mercy even towards criminals knew the reality of the Mafia and dealt with it effectively so much so that he was an enemy to be put down Read the original article in Italian the mafia still claims to rule with violence the same violence that the 'little judge' fought and decided his death The antimafia public prosecutors' office suspects that Stidda has decided to reinforce its activities throughout the Agrigento area Maira is the symbol of a land that does not want to change After serving 17 years in prison and being set free in 2004 killed by the rival clan in the course of the war between the stidda and Cosa Nostra Maira had been arrested with his brother for usury as part of the investigation conducted by the Agrigento public prosecutor's office the mobile squad of the police and the carabinieri in Canicattì The victims were small local entrepreneurs in difficulty forced to pay an interest rate of 120 per cent per year his name had again ended up in the investigators' files with the police seizing five flats and their appurtenances A respectable criminal record, according to police documents. "A leading figure in the criminal panorama of the province of Agrigento. A mafioso ante litteram, he was already a militant member of the stidda, a clan notoriously opposed to Cosa Nostra since the cosca had a large and dangerous cell in Canicattì 'on behalf of his paracco (the umbrella as the stidari call the territorial fringe, ed) dealt with drug trafficking and robberies was part of a commando that in November 1983 carried out a robbery in an armoury in Favara stole 27 million lire during a robbery carried out at a bank in Palma di Montechiaro after having immobilised the security guard and taken his gun" From crime to community: the social reuse of confiscated assets in Italy, Spain and Romania the investigations conducted by the Agrigento mobile squad and the Canicattì police station coordinated by the Antimafia Public Prosecutors' Office in Palermo after the door of a warehouse in Canicattì was damaged and set on fire it emerged that Maira and the two others arrested in order to preserve the economic and entrepreneurial interests of a garage owner (Maira's nephew) not to rent a warehouse they owned to a person who could have competed with the family garage The three allegedly went to the woman's home to emphasise their membership of the stidda threatening to make her 'look so much' if she ever gave up the warehouse It was on 24 March 2023 when Maira appeared with the two young accomplices: 'Do you know me Yes yes..in mafia form I am telling you that you must not rent that warehouse..I created that area and I am in charge' of course I know you...Antonio Maira...of course I know him...' The conversation was recorded by the victims and is significant of Mafia conduct The conversation continues and the lady's brother also joins in: 'This reason why I don't have to rent it to him what is it?' "You don't have to rent it to him because there's no reason.. Are you going to blow me up?" Maira is explicit "That warehouse should not be rented," he orders adding that the owners "had to be careful with the cylinders and the petrol" because "whoever takes his bread away from my nephew A few days later someone set fire to the shutter of the building the courage and dignity of humble people who did not look the other way emerge who with determination made a significant contribution to the investigation even going so far as to film their extortionists when they threatened them The Anti-Mafia Commission attempts to shed light on the killing of Paolo Borsellino the dangerousness of the Agrigento 'stidda' was confirmed by Palermo's chief prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia who explained in recent months in the parliamentary anti-mafia commission "For a certain period of time it was thought to have been substantially eradicated instead today we are recording the new presence of exponents of the old criminal organisation and of new subjects who are approaching the stiddaro phenomenon in order to rebuild an organisation that is in some way in dialogue with Cosa Nostra" Reinforcing de Lucia's concerns were the arrests in February 2021 of Antonio Gallea believed to be the head of the Canicattì stiddari and one of the instigators of the Livatino murder were sentenced to four years for unlawful carrying and possession of a pistol with an abraded serial number and explosive material by a panel of judges of which Livatino was a member who was the draftsman of the motivation for the sentence which was also one of the motives that led the stiddari to commit the murder Gallea and Rinallo had managed to obtain semi-freedom work outside the prison and even do voluntary work de Lucia observed how 'some historical members of the organisation returned to carry out activities related to the organisation itself after having obtained the declaration of impossibility of collaboration taken advantage of the rewarding discipline envisaged for life prisoners to return to act on the territory with the methods they had already tried in the past and have thus revitalised to some extent the stidda itself' 'The institution of the impossibility of collaboration,' continues de Lucia 'was used by subjects who could not repent but enjoyed the possibility of impossible repentance to return to crime is to their credit that they were good at getting this thing through in the sense that our investigations were not able to foresee the non-interruption of those contacts with the criminal environment that The investigations have shown this and this is a sign that leads us to pay particular attention to these institutions' mafie e povertà: chi guadagna e chi si ribella nella Sicilia delle emergenze La tua donazione ci servirà a mantenere il sito accessibile a tutti Ogni sabato la raccolta degli articoli della settimana per non perdere neanche una notizia.  Ogni prima domenica del mese un approfondimento speciale per saperne di più e stupire gli amici al bar Ogni terza domenica del mese la rassegna stampa estera a cura di Libera Internazionale © LA VIA LIBERA SRL - 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numero 32Terra bruciataCrisi idrica mafie e povertà: nella Sicilia delle eterne emergenze attori privati e criminali approfittano dei vuoti lasciati dalla politica Ma nascono anche nuove forme di partecipazione che tentano di affrontare questi problemi dal basso Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks The Sicilian Italia grapes campaign started a few days ago FreshPlaza talked about it with Salvatore Lodico president of Consorzio di tutela dell'Uva da tavola di Canicattì IGP The PGI area includes 24 municipalities in the Agrigento and Caltanissetta provinces dedicated to producing exclusively the Italia variety PGI grapes can only be harvested when they reach "15° Babo" He has been leading the consortium for a few years and has been trying to modernize promotional activities.  grapes have that typical muscat flavor that makes them stand out this unique characteristic was missing last year due to the bizarre weather The past two years have been rather negative as 2018 was characterized by cracking and 2019 showed us unstable weather that led to an overall low quality and therefore low prices."   "We have just started harvesting this year The market is already flooded by many types of grapes such as Victoria and many seedless varieties the Italia variety has gone back to having its typical muscat flavor We are currently shipping small quantities but the campaign should become more lively over the next few days when we will start to supply the retail chains which have already asked our packaging partners for a few promotions."  How is the consortium doing?"The consortium is doing very well and our partners have understood the importance of the mark precisely over the past couple of years The fact that they boasted the PGI mark made all the difference A few became members this year and we now boast 90 partners We have also started performing checks on what is out there as a guarantee to both our partners and final consumers."   we have come up with a few promotional initiatives that will increase our visibility In addition to ads on domestic and international specialized publications we have also thought about final consumers we would like to thank all those involved with the Covid emergency in northern Italy - the city of Bergamo in particular but also the Lombardy region more in general as it is an important destination for us."  Contacts:Consorzio per la Tutela e laPromozione dell'uva da tavoladi Canicattì I.G.P.C.da Carlino, snc92024 Canicattì (AG)Tel.: +39 333 2454985Email: [email protected] FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com A tow truck driver who responded to a fatal crash near DeLand last week is accused of using the bank card of the man killed in the wreck used victim Robert Sullivan's bank card to make two car payments and buy a new steering wheel for his Chevrolet said Volusia County sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson Canicatti was arrested at his job on Wednesday afternoon and charged with grand theft illegal use of a credit card and unlawful possession of personal identification Reached by phone at his residence Thursday afternoon "I was late with my car payments and I used his (Sullivan's) card I was working at Johnny's and they were only paying me like $300 a week." also said he used Sullivan's card to pay off furniture from a furniture rental store in Orange City A manager at Johnny's Autobody in Orange City the wrecking service that handled the vehicles from the crash that killed Sullivan on Oct told a reporter that Canicatti had not worked there in a long time Canicatti said he worked with Johnny's for three years up until Wednesday when he was arrested there When asked about Canicatti being arrested at the workplace The crash was prompted by motorist Joseph Hyden who Florida Highway Patrol investigators said failed to stop behind Sullivan's vehicle and another car in front of Sullivan's Hyundai Lee was stopped at the light at Prevatt and when Hyden drove into Sullivan's Hyundai — which was driven by Sullivan's wife Elizabeth Sullivan — the Hyundai rammed into the rear of Lee's car Robert Sullivan was killed at the scene and Elizabeth Sullivan was critically injured and is at Halifax Health Medical Center was the company that responded to the crash site and took the vehicles that were involved in the accident After the accident some of Sullivan's relatives went to Johnny's to retrieve the Sullivans'  belongings from the towed car and gave Robert Sullivan's wallet to his wife at the hospital When Elizabeth Sullivan looked through her husband's wallet she discovered the bank card was gone The wife discovered that charges totaling $1,748 had been racked up on the card in the two days following her spouse's death The arrest report also states that when Canicatti purchased the steering wheel and license plate bracket from Jon Hall Chevrolet he gave the fake name of "Chris Rodriguez."  However he gave his actual phone number and that's how investigators found him Canicatti was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail on Wednesday on $6,000 bail He was released before midnight after he said his mother bailed him out "I'm looking to turn my life around and stay out of all the negativity," Canicatti said Harold Glover passed away peacefully at the age of 94 on February 3 Harold was preceded in death by his beloved wife Mary Glover Stephens and Catherine Glover Cox; and many nieces and nephews Amy Glover-Giusto and her husband Victor; grandchildren He is also survived by his grandchildren, Jerry Reynolds Jr, Harold was highly involved in Epworth United Methodist Church serving as youth minister for many years He was a long-time employee of the Corp of Engineers and was a Georgia Tech graduate Harold proudly served his country in the U.S Graveside service for Harold will be held at 1:00 pm on Friday remembrances may be sent to Asbury Memorial Church Advertisement. Advertise with us and adored spending time with his grandchildren teaching them about their Italian heritage and his love of Italian music and Joseph; and his two beautiful grandchildren who was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need He instilled a strong work ethic in his children who enjoyed sharing his knowledge and passions with those around him He will be deeply missed and will never be forgotten as he will live on in our hearts and minds Contributions are welcomed to the American Heart Association at www.heart.org . For condolences to the family, please visit www.godfreyfuneralhome.com and website in this browser for the next time I comment 2023 at the age of 100.  Virginia was born in Cooperstown on December 2 She spent most of her childhood in East Springfield and graduated from Springfield Central School in June of 1940 Virginia and Glenn devoted their lives to each other and to their family.  In addition to spending time with her family Virginia enjoyed playing the organ,… passed away unexpectedly at home on February 1 Peters in NYC. He attended Great Neck High School where he acquired a band of lifelong friends and graduated in the Class of 1962 He spent the summer after graduation on the Hospital Ship SS Hope on its mission to Peru He was so interested in this that he continued on these missions in summers during college. The mission to Ecuador brought many stories that he… Gerold served for 30 years in the United States Navy He was a retired chief petty officer and served in Vietnam He was the owner/operator of Jerry’s Bait-n-Tackle from 1988 to 2008 Gerold enjoyed spending his time with family A tow truck driver in Central Florida was arrested at his job on Wednesday after caught using the credit card of a man killed in a wreck last week » Download our PostNOW app to get the latest Breaking News responded to the fatal crash near DeLand and took the deceased man's card to make two car payments and to buy a new steering wheel for his Chevrolet according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office "I wasn't thinking," he said to The Daytona Beach News-Journal Canicatti was caught by the victim's wife when she came to retrieve her husband's belongings from the towed car and noticed the credit card was missing from his wallet Around $1,700 was spent on the card just two days after the man's death the Sheriff's Office told The Daytona Beach News-Journal He was taken to Volusia County Jail on a $6,000 bail but was released that night when his mother bailed him out Canicatti said to The Daytona Beach News-Journal Read more at news-journalonline.com  Receive emails when new obituariesare published to our website Each of our funeral homes offers a complete range of services in tastefully decorated Professionally trained and licensed staff members stand ready to provide sensitive caring service and strive to exceed the expectations of each and every family.Our communities are wonderfully diverse in religious beliefs Our staff truly appreciates these differences and our training includes heartfelt understanding and respect for the special needs of all whom we serve Hartford | Windsor | Poquonock | Granby | Suffield | South Windsor | Rockville | Vernon | Avon© Carmon Community Funeral Homes | Funeral Home Website Design By Frazer Consultants & TA Your browser may not work with certain site. Upgrade now. During an audience granted to Cardinal Marcello Semeraro Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints Pope Francis authorized the publication of Decrees regarding:  - the martyrdom of the Servant of God Rosario Angelo Livatino on the highway between Canicatti and Agrigento on 21 September 1990;  - the heroic virtue of the Servant of God Vasco de Quiroga Mexico; born around 1470 in Madrigal de las Altas Torres  - the heroic virtue of the Servant of God Bernardino Piccinelli (né Dino) of the Order of the Servants of Mary [Servites] titular Bishop of Gaudiaba and Auxiliary of Ancona; born 24 January 1905 at Madonna dei Fornelli in the municipality of San Benedetto Val di Sambro  - the heroic virtue of the Servant of God Antonio Vincenzo González Suárez diocesan Priest; born 5 April 1817 at Agüimes  - the heroic virtue of the Servant of God Antonio Seghezzi diocesan Priest; born 25 August 1906 in Premolo  - the heroic virtue of the Servant of God Bernardo Antonini diocesan Priest; born 20 October 1932 at Cimego  - the heroic virtue of the Servant of God Ignazio Stuchlý Priest of the Society of Saint Francs de Sales [Salesians]; born 14 December 1869 in Bolesław  - the heroic virtue of the Servant of God Rosa Staltari professed Religious of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Most Holy Co-Redemptrix; born 3 May 1951 at Antonimina Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here stressed the importance of legality and justice giving as an example the testimony of Blessed Rosario Livatino The Cardinal was speaking at the congress entitled "The Actuality of Blessed Rosario Livatino," which took place at the Italian Senate on January 18.  Cardinal Pietro Parolin said that Blessed Rosario Livatino is "a wonderful figure" because "he was a Christian of integrity who knew how to live his faith to the full in the exercise of a particularly delicate profession such as the judiciary adjusting his interpretation and application of justice to Christian principles."  Livatino was assassinated when he was 38 years old by the Mafia Parolin explained that his life "was not in vain."   every sacrifice made in the name of the Lord is always rewarded and bears fruit."  The Cardinal then encouraged magistrates to use this Italian Blessed as a model for their work since he knew how to unite justice and charity by placing "the person at the center."  "It is also an effort made by the State and the community to recover all those who have entered the field of delinquency and criminality," Cardinal Parolin said.  Rosario Angelo Livatino was born on October 3 He decided to follow the same career path as his father and entered the Faculty of Jurisprudence in Palermo he was appointed judge of the preventive section of the Court of Agrigento he sentenced several members of the Mafia to life imprisonment.  four men attacked him while driving his car it was Puzzangaro who provided one of the testimonies for the magistrate's cause of beatification.  Pope Francis recognized the martyrdom of Rosario Angelo Livatino Mercedes De La Torre is a Mexican journalist based in Rome radio and in the press several international trips during the pontificates of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis She has a degree in Pedagogy and Communication with a master's degree in Institutional Communication of the Church and specializes in Evangelization through social networks She has been part of the editorial team of ACI Prensa since October 2018 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Lightsource bp and Horizon Firm’s deal brings new solar projects to Sicily and Apulia Milan – Lightsource bp in Italy continues to boost its utility scale solar portfolio by acquiring three projects from Horizon Firm in a low solar plant massification density area in the province of Agrigento: the Canicattì project (40.9 MWp) and the Torre di Mastro project (58.2 MWp) will be developed as an Agri-PV with the aim of virtuously integrating agriculture and renewable energy These projects cast light upon the two regions’ strategic roles for the development of RES in line with the national objectives of energy production and decarbonisation Horizon Firm’s expertise has been instrumental in identifying and selecting solar project sites that can be developed responsibly to protect local ecosystems and continue agricultural practices Lightsource bp has also entered into an exclusivity agreement with Horizon Firm to acquire an additional 130MWp of solar projects and aims to complete this transaction in the next few months the companies will explore the potential benefits of adding an energy storage system As well as maximising clean energy production this could also help support the island’s electricity grid infrastructure This latest partnership with Horizon Firm brings Lightsource bp’s Italian solar development pipeline to over 1.5GWp, providing a significant contribution to the country’s long-term commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 These three projects are expected to reach ready-to-build status in 2022 These solar developments are forecast to stay in place for over 30 years and address some of the key challenges around the decarbonisation process that the strong advancement of RES represents one of the pillars to reach the ambitious European and national renewable energy growth goals Lightsource bp has over 10 years’ experience in managing solar sites their in–house team have developed dual-land use initiatives such as improving pollinator habitats grassland management for animal feed and grazing of small livestock and will look to implement these activities across its solar developments in Italy the entire land area of the Manfredonia solar project (104 hectares) will offer both immediate and long-term opportunities to boost biodiversity and create diversified income for local rural businesses enhanced pollinator habitats and bee farming will be established within the first five years 3700 olive trees will be planted around the site boundary for harvesting and other local economic opportunities Lightsource bp will work closely in partnership with agricultural community groups and members to establish these additional features of the solar project over time Lightsource bp intends to invest 105 million euros locally through these projects which also includes procurement of local services and the creation of 1300 green jobs in construction Through the collaboration with Horizon Firm opportunities for training and skills development for younger generations are also being explored In-Country lead for Italy at Lightsource bp “We acquired this portfolio from Horizon Firm because these projects have been sensitively planned around local ecological and heritage values We intend to build on this good work to demonstrate that solar projects can create opportunities to meet climate goals whilst addressing local economic growth and enabling diversification of income for the agriculture sector We look forward to working closely with local authorities and agriculture specialists to further establish our plans for these projects.”  Christian Chiaruzzi and Agostino Costantino “We strongly believe that shifting to a low carbon economy which integrates agriculture and renewable energy is an effective way to achieve the joint goals of the ecological transition and decarbonisation We are very proud to partner with Lightsource bp in the development of these projects we have fully dedicated our personal and professional resources leveraging on the expertise of our company We are very satisfied to contribute to a more sustainable world for future generations rural economy and environmental protection.”  Lightsource bp has been actively working in Italy since 2018, and most recently in February 2021 announced its local project development pipeline reached 1.2GW through a Sicilian acquisition Find out more about our agri-PV initiatives in Italy and our focus on biodiversity. Lightsource bp celebrates World Day for Safety and Health at Work Read Story We're safely delivering large-scale renewable energy projects to create sustainable value for our people Read Story Lightsource bp’s Milagres solar farms have been recognised as top-performing renewable energy projects in Brazil ranking among the top 20 solar developers by e-Power Bay Read Story info@lightsourcebp.com Lightsource bp Renewable Energy Investments Limited Website by Instinctif Partners You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed "The campaign of PGI table grapes from Canicattì started gradually around August 20th Now the season is livening up and big retail chains have started doing promotions," explains Salvatore Lodico we were able to withstand the excessive heat that worried us Now production is excellent with a good flavor and Brix levels of around 17 and above."  Italian and French big retail chains have started with special promotions September and October are traditionally months when table grape sales are lively especially in Europe where consumers appreciate 'classic products' such as the Italia grapes a historical variety that manages to withstand the attack of new seedless varieties thanks to its exceptional flavor." "It boasts an intense muscat flavor combined with an appealing sweetness and amber color These elements are hard to find in other table grape varieties "Quotations of the wholesale produce are currently 15% higher than last year Of course we are talking about average prices that depend on quality - the extra produce sells at €1.70-2.00/kg first-choice produce sells at €1.30-1.50/kg and standard produce sells at €0.90-1-00/kg this trend does not compensate for the higher production costs which are affected by the increase in the cost of raw material Prices need to be higher to offset the increase in the price of plastic materials "We hope the campaign will continue without problems and that the markets will react positively also when supermarket promotions will end the Consortium continues to promote the produce on an international level." For further information:Salvatore Lodico Consorzio per la Tutela e laPromozione dell'uva da tavoladi Canicattì I.G.P.C.da Carlino, snc92024 Canicattì (AG) - Italy+39 333 2454985[email protected] We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Carmela (Perfetto) Valenti, 99, of Syracuse, passed away Tuesday. Born in Jamestown, NY, she was raised in Canicatti, Sicily and attended school in Sicily. Carmela worked in numerous places her last being Onbank. She enjoyed cooking, baking,... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Carmela Valenti created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Unusually hot weather followed by a rainy spring season determined a lower production the organoleptic quality of table grapes had not been this good in at least five years The Brix level exceeds expectations with over 24° in some cases an exceptional fact that actually has its consequences: what happens if sugars exceed the level that grapes can physiologically withstand Brix level of the Canicattì Igp grapes currently being harvested What happens is that russeting forms on the peel meaning the high sugar concentration combined with the high temperatures form small spots that "A few spots should not mean our grapes can be considered compromised or second-choice We are talking mainly about the Italia grapes which confirms itself as one of the tastier varieties at international level," reports Marsello Lo Sardo president of Consorzio di tutela dell'uva da tavola di Canicattì Igp "We need to think of a new way to communicate our grapes I am thinking about education for final consumers who must understand that the goodness of a fruit is not measured by aesthetic perfection and that a small defect can be synonym with produce that is nicer to eat We do not know when a condition such as this one We have the chance to commercialize the sweetest grapes of all time and I do not think it is fair that this could be compromised by distorted consumption models Fruit is a natural product that must be eaten as supplied especially when it tastes like it does now." For further information:Marsello Lo SardoConsorzio per la Tutela e laPromozione dell'uva da tavoladi Canicattì I.G.P.92024 Canicattì (AG) - Italy+39 335 141 8243[email protected] students enrolled in the Global Microloan Program will update this site with their weekly program logs and final student presentations The Fall 2009 student teams include IT and Communications Accounting and Audit and Finance and Risk Assessment The main reason I am attracted to the idea and success of microfinance is that it fulfills the right to credit for all.  That enables people to life themselves out of poverty through their own hard work that they take pride in.  Microfinance not only affects the individual borrower but the group they borrow with their families and the community in which they live.  Through our work in this class we will reach out and help people in developing countries we may never have been to John’s community at large and even beyond.       The fact that the default rate on microloans is much smaller than loans of large sums shines an encouraging light on this underfunded area of finance.  Because microloans are not charity or grants the borrower takes pride in the business they create with they money.  Once the money is paid back the borrower is empowered and encouraged that they created a business for and by themselves.  Charity doesn’t empower people because they aren’t working for anything they don’t have to strive to achieve goals The empowerment of women is one of the most important aspects of microfinance in my opinion.   When half of the population is oppressed in some areas they are utilizing only half of their potential.  Most microloans are rewarded to women.  Women have a better record of repayment and also are found to use the funds of the loan in better ways than men such as paying for school or medicine for the children of the family.  initial funding for microfinance institutions comes from donor money.  One main goal of the Marketing and Fundraising team will be to spread awareness about the program and thus generate interest in donating.  Once money from borrowers is repaid it is ‘recycled’ into the microloan system and the money is loaned out once again.  Eventually this can turn the institution into a self-reliant business not having to rely on donor money or spend time and resources on recruiting patrons Besides decreased fertility and illiteracy rates other factors such as motherly concern regarding their children’s health and education and misrepresentation make women the ideal microloan candidate.  With this knowledge of the general culture of women abroad I often reflected on my role and perceptions as a woman here in America.  I saw a great deal of parallels between the social movement of females abroad compared to the female role transformation in America.  From the Suffragist movement to the current “independent woman” that is praised in the media there are similarities in the movement of women from homemakers and housewives to working women who contribute to society in ways more similar to that of a man.  This gender “role” transition is normal to me in America however initially I found it hard to believe that it is also taking place in more traditional societies.  However as the world becomes more global I am sure that we can expect to see more changes in societies all over the world.  I am just thankful that I can take part in a program that plays a role in aiding this positive change When I originally heard about the Microloan class I was hoping to get hands on experience working with the poor who as an individual was able to make a difference in the lives of millions of people Yunus and listening to him speak has helped me understand that one person can really make a difference With each class session I feel that I am coming closer to my goal; to help people I am looking forward to giving out microloans to these families so that hopefully one day they can live a better life.  The object of measuring the impact of microfinance however from what I have gathered from my readings is a very daunting task.  There is almost an unlimited number of variables and obstacles which must be overcome for the sole purpose of getting an accurate assessment.  Measuring the impact of microfinance is difficult because it is trying to evaluate humans; multi-dimensional beings in which no two were created equal.  This is important to note because a large part of microfinancing involves borrowers receiving loans and trying to make a profitable enterprise.  The success of the borrower’s enterprise will depend largely on his/hers skill of entrepreneurship entrepreneurial ability is usually unmeasured and so when studies are done Experts say that it is imperative to begin researching and gathering data when a microfinance institution is brand new so it can measure its impact over time.  A good starting point for impact analysis is from the MFI’s mission or goal including economic The reality is that measuring the impacts of microfinance requires both time and money two resources that microfinance institutions do not have an abundance of.  Although it may take more time for an MFI to reach sustainability those paying for it are advised to hire high qualified field personnel in order to get the most accurate results.  Researchers must survey a diverse sample that represents the whole of the population Accuracy in the study will be obtained if the researchers initiate these various components: a continuous presence among clients over time engagement in formal interviewing and issuance of questionnaires and cross-checking with others to get different point of views of the same affair MFI’s must be serious at achieving their goals and just as serious as measuring their impacts The readings were interesting in many ways the author talks about the grey area that exists with lending in other countries Much of the statistical data is skewed because some of the remarkable numbers aren’t so remarkable given the fact that some of the poor aren’t paying the loans back or lending as much and the wealthier groups of people are carrying the data So the numbers are rigged in a way because the wealthier clientele is carrying the load The numbers aren’t telling the entire story so there needs to be other ways to cut through the grey area and find what works I also found it interesting how women are so unaccustomed to lending Women aren’t even allowed to leave their houses without being in their husbands’ presence so how are they going to go to the bank to pay back their loans Yunus finally breaks through with a few women after much persuasion The point is that it isn’t as easy as asking someone to borrow It is trying to break through the culture of a society The Staten Island team is meeting this coming Tuesday to get familiarized with our vision and they are also ready to get their hands dirty in their attempts to help us on another front I thought it was quite strange how few people actually know about GLOBE on campus so I think the Marketing team has a lot of work to do with regards to spreading the word both in Queens maybe it can spread to other parts of New York as well much like the LiveStrong bands that were promoted by Lance Armstrong Maybe if some students see others wearing the bands and inquire about the meaning of them and perhaps spread the word to other students about what we are trying to accomplish Other members of our squad are working on a newsletter that will be distributed and displayed amongst the campus buildings to update what is going on with our program and what might be coming soon It can provide students with knowledge about our goals and it gives students things to look forward to I look forward to the coming weeks as we try to build the pieces of this puzzle and then eventually put them all together as a class I was able to find ways in which to make the application simpler so as to solicit more information while making the job of the sisters easier the use of close ended questions with answer options in the form of check boxes but reasonable repayment structure may help in training them in good practice towards saving and lowering the risk of default.  Other options that came through the readings include the tactics of a young Muhammad Yunus who began his microloan offerings by utilizing a popular Bengali custom called “mushti chal.” This translated to handful of rice and began when women would put away grains of rice from their meal every day so that a reserve of rice could build up for their family’s future he encouraged borrowers to pay daily amounts towards their loans it had the intended effect of encouraging greater accountability and again training borrowers to save Yunus also required repayments to start one week after the loan with an interest rate of twenty percent and installments of two percent of the loan every week establishing a collection point was tricky as local business men often took advantage of borrowers it may be helpful to attempt this since the Daughters of Charity can serve as a trustworthy collection point “The twentieth century will be chiefly remembered in future centuries not as an age of political conflicts or technical inventions but as an age in which the human society dared to think of the welfare of the whole human race as a practical objective,” as said by Arnold Toynbee We are university students managing a hefty fund that provides loans that help take people out of trying circumstances we cannot relate to Grasping that concept is powerful within itself though we may seek to help our efforts are but a tiny drop in the pool of initiatives done every day by social entrepreneurs around the world they may go unnoticed in the news; their impact on actual lives will always be so profound it outweighs that This was the case of James Grant who led countless projects to help save the lives of children dying from something as simple as dehydration under the recommendation of President Carter his efforts which saved the lives of millions did not merit mention on the people of the century lists over the achievements of popular actors Another significant cause was that of global warming While it remains an ominous threat; immediate concerns seem to be tied up in the impact on property and income than the very quality of life in the poorer nations there is a better understanding on the implications on “lives and livelihoods.”  This is because the direct impact is greater since on a regular day these countries are plagued by natural disaster imagine their position as the ozone continues to deteriorate This can all be tied back to Muhammad Yunus’ attempt to encourage people to look at the worm’s eye view of things the past Secretary General has in the past worn “…..a significant part of Bangladesh is likely to disappear completely by the end of the century.” but no one stopped to consider the impact on anything other than profit or economic growth A 2004 study of air quality showed that of eight three Indian cities 84% of the population was breathing in dangerously polluted air Is this what developed nations are teaching the less developed; profit at all costs The Kyoto Protocol designed to reduce emissions by 2012 was rejected by many including the United Sates; yet we go abroad and establish our plants that continue to reap havoc on the very thing that gives us life There seems to just be so many extenuating circumstances that play on our ability to move forward as a global community To help one person in one country the best way possible technological and social factors to understand More respect is warranted for the social entrepreneurs of the world In our class work we’re starting to come up with suggestions and changes for the GLOBE website online It would be nice to have a way of getting more pictures from our applicants to fill in a face to their story We also are in the process of developing individual team profiles for the website There’s a guest speaker coming tonight from Project Enterprise which is an organization that helps NYC residents and communities obtain small loans to pursue opportunities It’s going to be exciting to hear from someone in the field who deals with microcredit in the developed world It might correlate with what Muhammad Yunus discussed in this week’s reading Our test wire of funds went through to Nigeria We’re all still waiting for a response so hope for good news to come The two new applications that came in are from a different part of Nigeria I was very excited when I saw them because they had pictures attached and seemed like very promising businesses It is also good to see a man applying for a loan because all the other applicants from Nigeria have been women Don’t Pay it Back!” I think that is a great slogan for our microfinance class It’s not about making money and profiting; it’s about helping out the less fortunate In the article “Developing-world idea gains favor at home — microcredit,” they discussed the importance of knowing who we are lending to This is crucial when issuing microfinance because we want to lend to those who genuinely need money to start a business and keep it going We are not here to give alms to the poor who will use up the money quickly and just come back for more We are also not here to give money to help people pay off debt That becomes a vicious cycle which people can never break out of Our team can not accomplish too much in perspective of the loans a test wire transfer has been sent and we are only waiting on confirmation that the Daughters in Nigeria received it This will help add to our group work –now that we can work collectively As a team we decided that we will make formats of each form for each Accounting and Audit Team here after This way we can keep the funds organized and every class can use the same spreadsheets so now confusion will occur This chapter discussed how Yunus actually started Garmeen he was able to convince a bank to loan women money to start their own businesses; the banks refused Yunus became the guarantor and took out loans from the bank on behalf of the women He directed his loans toward women; therefore he had to find a way to market Garmeen to these women to gain clientele The part that shocked me was the way Yunus had to go about marketing Garmeen to women Men could not speak to women and so he had an in-between.  The details of what he went through confuse me It is hard for me to understand cultural differences I went abroad to seven countries two semesters ago and living was so different from life in America hearing about the culture in Bangladesh is unfathomable to me It is just a different world and what Yunus did to speak to the women was daring he acted the right way and eventually gained the trust of those women The fact is MFIs are running on either a loss or a small profit so managers must be aware of the type of system they are looking for.  The starting point in the development of a management information system is to determine what information the instuition needs to make appropriate decisions so they may perform well.  The better the information the better the MFI can manage its resources there is no room to experiment as management information systems can be very expensive; the more complex the system the higher the cost of purchasing (or developing) the software the higher the level of expertise needed to use and support the system and the higher the risk of programming and date entry errors especially the ones looking to scale-up activities one of the most critical constraints to growth is due to their inability to track the status of portfolios in a timely and accurate manner.  The management information system is the answer to continued growth and expansion because the reports will strengthen the management’s capacity to enhance financial performance and expand client outreach The first community that came to mind is the St John’s University community.  The marketing team and I have begun to reach out to the various student organizations on campus for help.  It would be foolish to not use the valuable resource that we have in these students.  Our main goal is to raise awareness of microfinance.  By reaching out to the student organizations for help we are raising awareness amongst their members and we are also developing a larger group of contacts to reach out to The second community that came to mind is the local Queens community.  It is important that we let people know about the cause we are supporting.  The people who live and work around campus are valuable resources.  There may be several business owners who would be interested in donating to our cause whether through money or items that can be auctioned off.  If we decide to have a luncheon a local restaurant owner may be able to sponsor us with food for the event.  We may also be able to receive a dinner for two or a gift card to raffle off.  I am expecting that an important cause such as microfinance will gain the interest of many people from the surrounding community The third resource that came to mind is the other St John’s campuses.  We have already formed a partnership with a sales promotion class on the Staten Island campus.  This partnership allows our message to reach thousands of more students and faculty in a different community.  It allows us to share ideas with another group on how to better fundraise and get our message out.  I believe that it is important to keep reaching out and develop future partnerships with the Manhattan campus and even the Rome campus.  All of St John’s needs to know about microfinance and the major effect we are having on the world Nick Schatzki from Project Enterprise visited our class and gave an inspiring presentation about this institution and the growing impact micro credit has on society.  He began by informing the class of the Microcredit Summit Campaign and of which has become the largest microfinance institution in Kenya.  This immediately caught my attention because he spoke about the influence it has made on many destitute people regardless of their background.  These influences include empowering its members as well as helping them improve their well-being and their family’s welfare Nick Schatzki then began to describe domestic microfinance.  It was interesting that he pointed out the major differences between the poor in the United States and the poor in developing countries.  He stated that there are one billion people living on less than one dollar a day the American poor don’t feel the need to borrow money because they aren’t suffering enough.  He then describes how Project Enterprise is modeled after Muhammad Yunus’s Grameen Bank and the opportunities it has provided for thousands of borrowers.  For example the institution adopted group lending and discovered that these peer groups have proven to be successful.  The loans Project Enterprise disburses have a 12% interest rate and some of the payment goes into a slush fund in case of default.  It was also enlightening to discover that many of these borrowers value networking more than taking out a loan and that they desired schooling and training just as much as they wanted a loan.  Project Enterprise has provided over one million dollars worth of micro loans to help and support small entrepreneurs in under-resourced communities.  Many of these entrepreneurs would open businesses such as daycare’s and office cleaning.  This is significantly different from the type of businesses borrowers in developing countries would establish.  For example our current loan applications from Nigeria deal with opening much smaller businesses such as petty trade.  This demonstrates the difference in levels of poverty in a developed and developing nation in which a large business is aimed at fulfilling social purposes.  An example he gave was of Dannon Yogurt opening one of its companies in Bangladesh and developing yogurt with the nutrients needed by Bengalis.  This is a concept that I look forward to leaning more about and hope that many companies will adopt Hearing the stories of two of Project Enterprise’s entrepreneurs was so inspiring and uplifting.  The work of microfinance is about changing people’s lives from the bottom up.  When the honored entrepreneurs spoke you could feel their emotional sense of accomplishment and gratitude to the establishment that gave them the tools to help themselves.  That is the major theme of social business and microfinance: give people the tools they need to get out of poverty and your investment will be returned and recycled to create more positive change The Project Enterprise event was also a brainstorming opportunity for what we would like our event to be like.  The idea of supporting their entrepreneurs by featuring their goods as gift bags seemed like a great idea Although we have not given our first loan it could be considered to feature borrower’s products in the future.  The Project Enterprise event was not just about celebrating the two entrepreneurs but it was also a great fund raising campaign.  Like many other microfinance institutions Project Enterprise still needs money to operate and issue more loans and support.  Not only did they update current supporters on their progress they also strongly encouraged donations.  At our GLOBE event we will be focused on thanking our donors and supporters.  Each group will talk about their area of experience and we will share inspirational stories of borrowers of other microfinance institutions.  We will be encouraging continual support for the program by showing our accomplishments I could not believe that the idea of a “Penny Post” for an expensive postal system in the 1800s was considered preposterous.  Had Rowland hill not been persuasive or articulate enough in his approach to implementing this new system which also included stamps we could have faced the possibility of higher costs for postal service.  Likewise this idea of persuasion brought me back to my internship at the Bank of New York Mellon when the President and CEO of the company Bob Kelly stressed this fact in our Welcome Brunch.  He found that persuasion skills were critical in his career path.  At the same time I am also witnessing the power of persuasion in my own experiences as President of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and as a Financial Representative at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.  You encounter so many individuals who will knock your ideas down or simply do not understand your vision.  For this reason it helps to be that “obsessive person who has the skill motivation and bullheadedness to do whatever is necessary to move forward: to persuade articulate meanings and ARTFULLY maneuver them (your visions/ideas) through systems.” Without the energetic and motivated individuals who would not take no for an answer microfinance would have simply been an idea.  However there are still dissenters who will question the impact of microfinance and the efficiency of the system.  The only thing we can continue to do is what we have been doing from the beginning—working diligently on laying the foundation for a program that will continue to help people in the future.  At the end of the day “microfinance is not an idea that can be explained effectively with a theory but through anecdotes in the form of stories from all the individuals we help.” In this week’s reading in Muhammad Yunus’s book there was a section that addressed this issue that I was having it mentions one of the new social businesses that had been launched When explaining the company it is said that rather than distributing profits to its shareholders This seems like a reasonable enough idea; it allows the business to be able to grow without requiring donations or the selling of bonds for the company to raise money I do still believe the loans should have lower interest rates especially when you can get better rates in America from profit seeking companies with no aspirations to be a “social business” If you keep these companies private it seems that there is a better chance for success you can keep its shareholders limited to a small amount of likeminded individuals who share the six qualities of successful social entrepreneurs as mentioned in How to Change the World Willingness to self-correct; willingness to share credit; willingness to break free of established structures; willingness to cross disciplinary boundaries; willingness to work quietly; strong ethical impetus Yunus lost me when he spoke of “a full-fledged social stock market.” I do not see how this could possibly work The sole responsibility of the executives of publicly traded companies is to maximize profit for its shareholders I do not see how this can be done all while trying to maintain a social business It seems that eventually the shareholders would start to drift away from the six qualities of successful social entrepreneurs and would begin to demand profits from the executives Hopefully this week’s speaker can clarify any issues that I have and better explain why microfinance works in the ways that it does as I still struggle to understand some aspects and have not fully wrapped my head around every realm of the industry Portfolio quality provides information on non-earning assets (decreasing revenue and the liquidity position) of a MFI.  Repayment rates measure the rate of loan recovery and based on past experience MFI find it useful for projecting future cash flow The arrears rate shows how much of a loan has become due and has not been received.  Because it only considers payments as they become past due and not the entire amount of the loan outstanding it understates both the risk of the portfolio and the potential severity of a delinquency problem Portfolio at risk refers to the amount in the arrears but also the remaining outstanding balance of the loan The loan ratio can then be used to see if the reserve amount is sufficient to cover these losses and also can be compared in different periods to see if loan losses as a percentage of average outstanding portfolios is increasing or decreasing The productivity ratios are mainly used to analyze the credit officers because they are the primary generators of revenue These ratios include the number of active borrowers per credit officer and the total amount disbursed in the period Efficiency ratios measure the cost of providing services to generate revenue and include the operating cost ratio salaries and benefits to average portfolio outstanding average credit officer salary as a multiple of per capita GDP The two levels of self-sufficiency are operational and financial Operational self-sufficiency generates enough operating revenue to cover operating expenses Financial self-sufficiency includes the operations criteria but also earns enough to cover indirect costs such as the adjusted cost of capital Financial viability can also be determined by calculating the subsidy dependence index which measures the degree to which a MFI relies on subsides for its continued operations A subsidy dependence index of zero means a MFI has achieved financial self-sufficiency whereas a subsidy dependence index of 100 percent indicates the MFI must double its interest rate if they want to eliminate subsidies.  While I do see the purpose of using incentive schemes in microfinance I have my questions concerning its use.  I believe that the staff of a microfinance institution should have a personal desire to succeed both personally and as a business.  In order for a social business to succeed it must be driven by more than profit.  It must be driven by the intention of giving back to a specific cause and with selfless intentions.  If people are only working hard in order to receive bonuses then that business is doomed to fail.  People will begin to give out loans in a manner that will grant them the biggest return even if it may not be beneficial to the person taking out the loan or the local village.  I am put off by this movement to a more profit-driven business there are necessary conditions for success speaks volumes to the outlook of microfinance not as a social venture but as a business while widely measured by its strides in social development and its widely publicized repayment rates of 98% it is what determines the ability to keep making these strides in social development As indicated by the Microbanking Bulletin 2002 all the microfinance programs have been successful in covering their costs; this includes low end and high end lenders The lower end lenders cover about 60% of their operating costs while the high end cover up to 150% of their costs have higher costs per borrower and possibly as a result greater delinquency With the social goals of these lenders being the only constant factor what plays into these variations of efficiency One study by Woller and Schreiner showed that interest rates loan officer productivity and staff salaries play a huge role in the self-sufficiency of Microfinance Institutions With social objectives replacing the usual profit motive For microfinance institutions finding the right balance between financial stability and social impact is difficult when social responsibility isn’t just a by-product or means to better corporate image social responsibility attempts to replace the profit motive financial bottom lines and setting monetary incentives to encourage productivity among employees and managers may not work in the same way Who is hired and how they are compensated are management decisions that are approached differently They way such issues are handled lend insight into the true motives of the institutions and their ability to stick to that primary objective As a business grows and becomes more successful in covering costs are the rewards used to compensate management or to further create social impact It is relatively easy for a business to claim that its main goal is sole but the sincerity of this is only revealed in its management strategies and decisions The costs and risks within this industry are particularly high In fact they have a long standing history of deterring traditional banks The readings cover the stories of microlenders operating in different economic climates with varying structures of management and ownership Each company struggled to provide adequate incentives to motivate their employees while still pursuing their social agenda.  The common thread here is the trade-off between risk and incentive This has been marked as the “multitask problem,” leading a company to maximize its financial strength and tackling the social objective of poverty alleviation comparing poverty reduction to the loan sizes The curve of the poverty reduction is downward sloping to indicate that the impact on poverty reduction declines with the loan size financial performance increases with the loan size benefits the company financial since economies of scale are achieved but the intended impact on poverty does not correlate This establishes the previous point about financial bottom lines while beneficial to financial performance It is clear that a theory of management that delves into the social motive as if it were the profit motive and the place of the profit motive in social ventures are needed A business with a core objective of social impact cannot operate as if the profit motive does not exist It is that very motive that lends itself to the success needed to achieve that social impact Management must thus continue to find an appropriate level of trade-off until new management principles are developed.   this was just one piece of the large puzzle.  John spoke for over an hour where he explains micro finance and he had answered questions.  My question to John was “If your responsibility is to share holders and the general idea for shareholders is to maximize value how do you justify the not so financially profitable concept of micro finance?”  In short John said that value is relative; the value is not limited to financial gain but also social gain.  This question is extremely open ended by I liked his answer.  We prepped for the members who were meeting with the Budget Dean.  We wrote on different questions on the actual fund and also different ideas for the Dean.    We will recap this tonight We also prepared Group Expense reports where groups can log any expenses incurred Unfortunately their success was marred by a series of setbacks First the new government decided to forgive all loans from government banks that were under 5,000 taka This new rule didn’t apply to Grameen loans and understandably borrowers felt cheated Grameen pulled through only to be faced with a cyclone that killed 11,000 people in one night All that borrowers had worked for was gone Many predicted this would be the end of Grameen Muhammad Yunus responded by enacting new loan programs and helping borrowers rebuild something better than what they lost the more I was impressed by the strength of the poor So many people have negative things to say about those who are faced with poverty I encourage these people to read about Grameen I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to believe those sentiments afterwards When looking at the bigger picture of life as a whole it makes you realize what really matters and what doesn’t It made me really think when Muhummad Yunus was discussing his dreams for 2050 of what type of world I would like to live in or have my children’s children live in Wouldn’t it be nice if all of his dreams came true What a sight that would be.  Some of his ideals such as eliminating passports and visas or eliminating coin or paper currency but who knows what the world will be like a thousand years from now and keeping in mind his numerous awards and astounding accomplishments makes all of his aspirations seem empirically feasible I often find myself doubting the realism behind a few of his ideas Maybe some are just more complicated for my understanding in relationship to others or my lack of balancing his ideas in relationship to my preconceived opinions Measuring whether subsidization or self-sustainability is the correct avenue for microfinance institutions unfortunately relies on too many detailed factors Although Yaron created a logical mathematical formula to measure the necessary sustainability dependence index (SDI) it really does not do an appropriate job of comparing the total picture of subsidized institutions vs self-sufficient institutions.  How could one solely rely on the cost-benefit analysis to determine which institution deserves positive appraisal and which do not What is considered a benefit to one person may be considered a hindrance to another Group lending transfers responsibility from the bank to the borrowers which in the case of microlending seems like a good option most of these borrowers would not receive loans “Twenty eight percent of dropouts in Bangladesh left in part because of the frequency of meetings” (BA 110) This was also the case for 11% of dropouts in Uganda Many enjoyed the social aspect of meetings as well as sharing ideas and learning from each other the time it takes to travel to and from the meetings and the time in the meeting itself could be better invested in the business itself Microfinance institutions require immediate repayments Households should have some other form of income stream to help pay the early installments This is an important question that needs to be answered on our application Most of our potential borrowers left it blank I began wondering if microfinance institutions rely on another income flow to make their business work Are they really helping the poorest of the poor How about those households that don’t have any other form of income Many microfinance institutions require some sort of collateral “Demonstrating the ability to save demonstrates characteristics like discipline and money management skills that correlate with being a good borrower” (BA 136) This gives borrowers a sense of pride because they are capable of saving and makes banks more willing to lend because they have some collateral Different microfinance institutions follow different paths that best fit their needs This week we spent a great deal of time designed governance laws for the GLOBE program We have these regulations set in place because it is important that the same rules are used each semester in order for each class to effectively enhance on the program along with separate governance laws to be followed by each individual team the spreadsheets look good and have a section of explanation which will help future classes in understanding each section It absolutely organizes all the funds and where they are It shows in depth areas of borrower information I wanted to add my thoughts about the interest rate dilemma I feel that we have already lowered the interest rate significantly I believe that we should have a small interest rate but I do not think that we should have no interest rate at all Having interest rates gives the borrower a sense of responsibility and teaches them how to manage their money but all interest rate funds would go to helping more women on the field not in our pocket or for marketing purposes I know that this is a huge problem at the moment but giving out a loan without interest rates I look forward to seeing how this argument plays out I wanted to mention something that caught my attention in the readings this week: group lending I think group lending has had its benefits and at some point in the GLOBE Program we may be able to do a trial and error on group lending I feel that group lending keeps the women in a close knit interaction with others who have the same questions According to the “Grameen-style” of group lending the advantage of group lending is that the cost of screening and the cost of enforcing debt repayments could be reduced Grameen Bank wanted to test this theory before changing its entire model They noticed that members were there for each other in times of need and this looked like a positive thing for each member as a person and entrepreneur Grameen Bank decided to extend the responsibility of repayment of loans This is what I believe makes group lending interesting Each member is responsible for repaying their loan back which I believe it how many things are accomplished in this day and age they are contributing to the group as a whole We held an appreciation luncheon to thank all of those who made this program get started Everything from the media presentations to the food was well done I enjoyed the amount of things we had to show our audience even though this was only a glimpse of what is happening Every team was prepared with a report on their progress I think the borrower renditions were instrumental in giving our audience a way to experience their hardships It illustrates what this program means and the possibilities that arise for entrepreneurs I did a decent amount of photography today and continued to update the Facebook page I feel this is one of the most important things the IT team has accomplished in maintaining communications with the outside world Our team has brought creativity and generated ideas to improve this program We are extremely happy with the progress we have made The only things left to do are: the extensive research assignment and the final presentations in December These are probably some of the biggest assignments we’ve worked on and I look forward to presenting them Right now I’m feeling quite accomplished because it was a great day Every team pulled through and gave it their best I think the ladies who worked on the table center pieces deserve a round of applause They were so creative and added that extra touch to make the guests feel welcome that we both remembered the tables were 72 inches Our little centerpiece was going to be swallowed up by the table So Liz grabbed some doilies and we placed those underneath We printed out some large country name tags and I arranged the country fact sheets I created around the centerpiece so that it visually increased the size I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to draw a country on the computer using a touchpad…but I highly suggest against it That was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done on a computer You’ll be pleased to know that the outlines of the countries are highly accurate When I saw that someone had actually taken a few of those I was excited about the entire event actually much better than any Chartwell’s buffet I’ve ever had including the two Staten Island girls were very pleasant I got to know Adam a little better while we were greeting and directing people He was listed as James but introduced himself as Jim and of course had a last name I couldn’t spell A few people outside actually stopped and asked about what was going on Ashley did a beautiful job of explaining it to them I really enjoyed all the team presentations as well see and appreciate what the other teams have been doing We’ve all been running around lately trying to get things done and haven’t had the time for that I thought the set up of the room and the decorations look really nice The centerpieces with the paper mache earths and the flags to coincide with the table’s country along with the blow up globes with the countries marked that we are lending to was a really nice touch.  The food was really good there was a great selection of and plenty of it I think going with Josh’s catering company was a good decision Everyone was able to convey their messages and their semester accomplishments It seemed as though our guests were pleased with what we have done I must say that the best part of the presentation was the finance team I thought having each person represent a borrower and speak as though they were the individual was a creative and good idea The impression that I got from speaking to the people at my table was that the guests were most concerned with who it was that was receiving the loans what the repayment periods were and what interest rates we were going to be charging I thought the way that the finance team presented was great and it was a good way of putting a face with a name It gave our guests a good idea of who we are helping and the situations they are dealing with as well as what kind of business their money is going to help start Overall I thought everyone did a really good job and I must tip my hat to all of my fellow GLOBE members and congratulate everyone on their success thus far Having completed a number of projects this semester and still have a few more before I leave I can honestly say this class was worth every second of my time We have loans ready to be wired as soon as the Daughters of Charity confirm the terms This is a great step forward in the initial phases of this program Just to give a brief on the accomplishments from the task teams I’d like to say the following Our accounting team devised plans to record financial data for the future of the program the finance team has processed loan applications and developed criteria to assess our applicants the marketing team has organized amazing events and materials and finally the IT-Communications team moved forward with completing the website content optimize social networking tools and introduce media to the program This only scratches the surface to the things we have really done this semester In addition to providing Globe with the best of our abilities we all have learned a great deal This is a great step for the class in learning to become future entrepreneurs and it gives us the experience to understand that it is definitely not a piece of cake we will soon complete our research paper and deliver a final presentation to all our peers This is going to be one of the most important things we do this semester as this program displays where it stands in the business college It is going to attract loads of attention if the class pulls through again and displays the best of St I have no regrets in participating in this program I am disappointed though that it is only one semester I feel like the class has just begun to settle in If we continued with the same set of students the program would soar to such great heights I will definitely be around next semester but since this is my final year it would have been nice to continue on a year long project rather than cut it short There was so much student engagement and freedom to express our ideas in class discussions I doubt this experience will exist in some of the final courses I take next semester I just want to say it was awesome working with everyone in the class I think we did an amazing job given the time constraints and all of our different schedules I want to wish the future classes the best of luck and loads of success I look forward to coming back to this program and finding out about our borrowers I want to see how far these small loans can bring them out of poverty I think this journey will end on a good note in the coming weeks Interacting directly with the other side of the program is a helpful thing for the program.  I picked up some things from those I talked to and how impressed they really are that the students actually know what they are talking about This is not something to be taken for granted by anybody but rather to build something that can be sustained over a long period of time and can affect many people across the world and it has already spread in such a small amount of time Getting in contact with the Staten Island team could be the highlight of the Marketing team and already we have another foothold in another borough I view this as a divide and conquer approach We helped them achieve their goals for the semester while helping us to achieve our goal in raising funds for the program so we can make loans.  It is also great to hear that somebody from the Staten Island campus has applied for the Spring team Spreading the word to the other campus could lead to another team being formed on that campus and it can lead to other greater things from there and making an impact will help this program really take off and be a phenomenon in the academic community The readings have also been a crucial part in our learning The books have taught me about the actually microloans and the schematics behind them and the barriers that need to be overcome in the years ahead There is a delicate balance in learning: between learning in a contained environment through literature and lectures and through actual real world experience where we can all get our hands dirty in order to meet accomplish our goals and the potpourri of books gives a different point of view which makes the readings a lot easier to get through each week If there is one thing I learned from the program it is that we can only get so much done in this short amount of time allotted to us There are so many hurdles to get through on this relay race and all we can do is accomplish as much as possible and then pass the baton off to the next group of managers where hopefully they can improve the program even more I feel like we have done a lot this semester but there is still so much more to do in order to make GLOBE the lasting force it ought to be Mohammad Yunus also makes enlightening points about creating a dream-world for the future.  Since many of us are caught up in our everyday lives and there are many constant changes we don’t have a clear idea of where we want our world to go.  However once we have a clear idea of where we want the world to go it will be easier to achieve our goals.  If we continue to accept that poverty will always exist then there will continue to be poor individuals.  Poverty does not exist because certain individuals lack capabilities.  As demonstrated by many other microfinance institutions such as Grameen Bank and Project Enterprise everyone is capable of lifting themselves out of poverty everyone can lift themselves out of poverty.  This program enables students to engage in social business and concepts of microfinance.  By participating in the program we are helping small entrepreneurs in developing countries support themselves and as a result making a significant impact.  This program has been a great experience and has made a lasting influence and I am grateful for being able to make a contribution St. John’s University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, actual or potential parental, family, or marital status, pregnancy and related conditions, disability, or age in its programs and activities. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, [email protected] has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies Italy probably has more diversity of wines and wine grapes than any other country Here are just a few to give you a hint of the treasures it has to offer Tenuta di Tavignano Barbarossa Lacrima di Morro d'Alba 2016 This is the type of wine that always makes me sit up and take notice Made from an obscure grape (lacrima) from a small appellation - and only a handful of producers make it - it is darn good Fans of dolcetto will share my enthusiasm for this deliciously fruity savory red is ideal for roasted or grilled meats and hearty pasta dishes It seduces with dark cherry and plum flavors Don't think of it just for autumn warm spells; it is just right for casual sipping and for lighter dishes such as salads Here's a good Tuscan red that goes beyond "spaghetti wine," with dried cherry cocoa and sage flavors carried through a medium to long finish deliciously fruity with orchard and citrus fruit flavors this is an ideal wine to enjoy before dinner It's also good with light lunches and salads Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor in his home surrounded by his loving family When Joe was 18 he left his home in Sicily for a better life which led him to Germany and then to America in 1967 He was a very hard worker who always took care of his family Joe was outgoing and was friends with everyone spending time with his family and cooking his famous bread He loved spending time with his grandsons and especially his last two years with his great-granddaughter Joseph is survived by his wife of 48 years Joe (Becky) Donisi; his grandchildren: Nathan and Joshua (Emma) Donisi; his great-grandchild Maria Immordino; his nieces and nephews: Angie (Chuck) Giuffre and Lillian Wilbur; and his great-nieces and nephews: Mary Jo Angelo (Ylsa) Guilia (Randal) Lina (Tim) Johnny Ross (Mackenzie) Antonietta Gioachino (Anna) David Royce (Jessica) Claudia Joseph is preceded in death by his parents Annie Immordino; and two infant brothers and an infant sister at Hubert Funeral Home and Cremation Services A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Send a condolence by visiting www.hubertfuneral home.com Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of New York | https://www.post-journal.com | PO Box 3386 a Catholic judge brutally killed by the mafia in 1990 was beatified Sunday in the Cathedral of Agrigento Pope Francis commended the beatification of the young judge calling him a “martyr of justice and faith” at the end of his Regina Caeli address on May 9 “In his service to the community as an upright judge but to redeem,” Pope Francis said from the window of the Apostolic Palace “He always placed his work ‘under the protection of God;’ for this he became a witness of the Gospel until his heroic death an incentive to be loyal defenders of the law and liberty,” he said the prefect for the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints offered the beatification Mass in the Cathedral of Agrigento on the morning of May 9 “Livatino is a witness of the justice of the Kingdom of God While Livatino is a hero of the State and of the law he is also a martyr of Christ,” Semeraro said in his homily a shirt stained with his dried blood from the day of his murder was venerated at the Mass in a transparent reliquary Cardinal Semeraro read out the beatification declaration from the pope: “We grant Venerable Rosario Livatino lay person and martyr who was a credible witness of the Gospel in the service of justice can henceforth be called blessed.” His feast day will be Oct Livatino worked as a prosecutor in Sicily dealing with the criminal activity of the mafia throughout the 1980s He confronted what Italians later called the “Tangentopoli,” the corrupt system of mafia bribes and kickbacks given for public works contracts he served as a judge at the Court of Agrigento He was driving unescorted toward the Agrigento courthouse when another car hit his vehicle He ran from the crashed vehicle into a field but was shot in the back and then killed with more gunshots Today a plaque on the highway marks the spot where Livatino was killed It reads: “Martyr of justice.” On Dec Pope Francis elevated this title when he recognized the judge as a martyr killed “in hatred of the faith.” His legal legacy lives on through the work of the Rosario Livatino Study Center After a controversy erupted earlier this year over the translation of Livatino’s relics from his hometown to the Cathedral of Agrigento 19 that the martyred judge’s body would remain in the town of Canicattì Livatino is buried in the chapel of the Canicattì cemetery a town of about 35,000 people and his birthplace Pope Francis wrote a preface to a book about Rosario Livatino published in March in which he reflected on the lessons of Rosario Livatino’s life and death The pope recalled that the judge was shot dead by young men paid by two Sicilian organized crime groups He said that Livatino’s last words were: “Picciotti [young mafiosi] Pope Francis said: “To Rosario Angelo Livatino we give thanks for the example he leaves us for having fought every day the good fight of faith with humility Stopping in to for a slice of margherita pizza or a serving of spaghetti primavera has never been easier The relocation will provide the business with significantly better parking Canicatti said he initially relocated because owner Carmelo Mioli acquired the Post Road property with plans to move his business to that location Since then Mioli has decided to stay at his 107 Main Street location and has put the 143 Post Road East Location up for lease The new location neighbors Luxe Modern Wine and Cocktails and is ‘BYOB.’ Guests are encouraged to bring their own wine and alcoholic beverages “Customers are much happier with that,” Canicatti said we bring them some glasses –- they love it!” ________________________________________________________________________________________ Interested in Westport's news, events, community bulletins, blogs and businesses? Sign up for the free Westport Patch daily newsletter, "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Canicatti said the new location makes it easier for customers to come and go “On the Post Road you’ve got cars zipping by,” he said Although offsetting the construction costs will make things a little difficult for a while Canicatti believes the business will be more successful at its new location He said he could not be happier being in a brand new facility on Main Street Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. 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Italian takes first win of the season as Fisher-Black keeps race lead Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa) sprinted to second place for the second stage in a row while Blake Quick (Jayco-AlUla) rounded out the podium close behind The sprint for the line was launched by Jayco lead-out Campbell Stewart at 300 metres to go with Alvaro Hodeg (UAE Team Emirates) alongside him jumping soon after Bonifazio looked around and went at 250 to go was second in line behind Hodeg's lead-out Ivo Oliveira but he couldn't match Bonifazio's initial acceleration who couldn't get into clear air until the 150-metre mark were further back and never looked like making up ground with Quick battling past Filippo Fiorelli (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) into third inside the final 50 metres having led from the front and never looking like he might lose the stage after he began his sprint I continued but I didn't have my 'occasion' I waited until today and today I started the race motivated and I did a perfect job," Bonifazio said after the stage "We are here with two young riders and three guys for the climbs I stayed with the team in the beginning of the stage but in the final I found a good position and after I had good legs in the sprint – I started early because I didn't want to be close "I won last year before the Tour de France and I didn't race a lot at the end of the year but I worked a lot at the beginning of the season The duo of star sprinters present at the race Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) and Elia Viviani (Italy National Team) finished down the order in 11th and 19th places respectively having been well out of contention in the final kilometre The day had always looked likely to host a sprint finish after the uphill finish of stage 1 though the 2,515 metres of climbing meant it wasn't an easy The likelihood of a sprint didn't prevent a group of nine riders from breaking away inside the opening 30km of the 193km stage Andrés Mancipe (GW Shimano-Sidermec) Gabriele Petrelli (Technipes #inEmiliaRomagna) Tommaso Bergagna (General Store-Essegibi-F.Li Curia) and Ben Granger (Mg.K Vis-Colors for Peace) all made the move The advantage never stretched out to more than three minutes on the road south from Canicattì indicating they were never in with much of a chance at glory beat Planet to the day's only classified climb at Mazzarino while Bargagna took the points at the intermediate sprint at Barrafranca Back in the peloton it was Astana and UAE doing much of the work with Cavendish and the safety of overall leader Finn Fisher-Black in mind for each team As the riders raced into the final 40km and the peloton closed to under two minutes but much of the group stuck together to fight on towards the final 10km and Petrelli break clear and battle on a handful of seconds up on the peloton and the quartet were eventually swept up at 7.7km from the finish From then on it was all about the final sprint and Bingoal WB all contributing to the pacemaking on the run to the line Eolo-Kometa and Jayco-AluLa led the way into the final kilometre before Oliveira took over to lead the way towards a disorganised it was Bonifazio who came through to claim the 21st victory of his career and his team's ninth of the season Dani has reported from the world's top races She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Staten Island AdvanceFamily PhotoMaddalena Bonsangue — Longtime New Dorp resident Maddalena Bonsangue died yesterday in Staten Island University Hospital on vineyards owned by her family in the town of Canicatti in the province of Agrigento After she married Thomas Bonsangue in 1959 She made dresses on order and even worked with designers who provided clothes to such luminaries as Nancy Reagan Bonsangue took pride and joy in being a mother of seven children “She was truly a saint,” said her daughter Maddalena Egbert recalling how her mother enjoyed talking and sharing stories Bonsangue traveled often to Sicily to visit her brothers and sisters and the family vineyards She was a very spiritual and devout Catholic Bonsangue was a parishioner of Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C Giaocchino and Thomas; daughters Angela Giarrusso and Luigia Bonsangue; brothers Antonio Vincenzo and Salvatore Lupo; sisters Pina Monachino The funeral will be Thursday from the Hanley Home for Funerals Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Your request has been blocked by our security system due to potential security concerns Please contact us for assistance TUXEDO PARK — Tuxedo Park Library recently celebrated the release of the movie "New Moon," the second installment in "The Twilight Saga." adult programming coordinator at the library said their were several "New Moon" activities offered to young adults and the last was the party library patrons had the opportunity to take a knitting class and re-create the mittens Bella wore in the first "Twilight" movie teens had the chance to win a large bin of "New Moon" merchandise in the library's "New Moon" raffle teens and adults discussed the "New Moon" book Participants also played "New Moon" trivia watched a clip from the new movie and posed for pictures with Jacob and Edward cutouts "It was great to see book lovers of all ages gather together to celebrate such a special event," said Susan Babcock "Everyone was so excited and couldn't wait to see the movie." 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Boys BowlingMelbourne 7, West Shore 0 Merritt Island Christian (3-6): Clint Housmann 156 Cocoa Beach (0-8): Carson Canicatti 168 Space Coast (7-2): Aiden Arrington 236 Merritt Island Christian 5, Cocoa Beach 2 Merritt Island Christian (7-2): Maggie Bohne 87 Cocoa Beach (1-8): Cassie Canicatti 121  Edgewood (3-7): Makayla Lynch 94 Titusville (4-5): Alayna Edwards 127 Space Coast (8-1): Reagan Kelchner 115 Vote: FLORIDA TODAY Community Credit Union Athlete of the Week, Sept. 20-25 Melbourne Central Catholic 182, Sebastian River 225 Melbourne Central Catholic (8-4): Lasse Vindfallet 38 Sebastian River (0-6): Jacob Denning 52 Merritt Island 186, Space Coast 206 Merritt Island (6-1): Rebecca Luchs 40, Lillie Knight 53, Mia Makowski 54, Emma Finney 59 Space Coast: Justyce Davey 51, Kaitlyn Davis 55, Kayla Schooler 58,   Mackenzie Cope 60 Eau Gallie (4-5): Marley Gray 10 digs; Kelly Carmody 2 kills Rockledge (7-3): Kellie Cousins 3 aces Heritage (5-13): Zora Hardison 15 kills  Merritt Island Christian (5-3): Morgan Tinsley 9 kills Biggs) 2:18.84; 200 meter freestyle: Avery Ford (EW) 2:19.34; 200 meter individual medley: M Quigg (THS) 2:45.75; 50 meter freestyle: A Tasman (THS) 29.94; Diving: Lana Schmadeke (EW) 216.9; 100 meter butterfly: M Quigg (THS) 1:15.07; 100 meter freestyle: Avery Ford (EW) 1:04.22; 400 meter freestyle: A Tasman (THS) 5:22.77; 200 meter freestyle relay: Edgewood A (Biggs Ford) 1:57.74; 100 meter backstroke: Anabelle Rawl (EW) 1:16.58; 100 meter breaststroke: Makaila Johnson (EW) 1:26.96; 400 meter freestyle relay: Edgewood A (Niemeyer 200 meter medley relay: Edgewood A (Kravchenko Quigg) 1:52.31; 200 freestyle: Drew Shayka (THS) 2:07.31; 200 meter individual medley: Samuel Quigg (EW) 2:15.14; 50 meter freestyle: Andy Kravchenko (EW) 24.19; Diving: Matthew Sulka (THS) 182.25; 100 meter butterfly: David Cox (EW) 1:00.75; 100 meter freestyle: Samuel Quigg (EW) 53.03; 400 meter freestyle: William Struble (EW) 4:35.45; 200 meter freestyle relay: Titusville A (Lester Bensen) 1:48.33; 100 meter backstroke: Andy Kravchenko (EW) 1:06.66; 100 meter breaststroke: Preston Bobanic (EW) 1:17.57; 400 meter freestyle: Edgewood A (Kravchenko Coaches can email results to FLORIDA TODAY at Prepscores@floridatoday.com The Wines of Sicilia DOC trade tasting is your opportunity to be updated on Sicily’s new innovations in winemaking and styles meet with wineries and learn more about Sicily’s wine regions Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and one of the most diverse wine growing regions in the world With more than 500 Sicilia DOC wine producers making quality there is a wine style for every imaginable moment Strictly trade and press by invitation only please don’t be offended if we ask for a business card or other proof of ID We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author Nations and armies stood up against madmen and dictators But even the forces of these “good guys” have been responsible for war crimes they arguably became the very evils they sought to eradicate the former Yugoslavia collapsed into a brutal ethnic conflict an incursion by Serbian and Croatian forces soon turned into a nightmarish campaign of slaughter and mass rape Thousands of Muslim Bosniaks were murdered and millions were displaced Many of the killings were believed to be the work of overseas Mujahedeen fighters As to how the Mujahedeen arrived in Bosnia and acquired the firepower necessary to fight, intelligence reports have revealed how US intervention in Afghanistan and the Middle East during the ’80s and ’90s required the cooperation of various Islamist groups America agreed to repay that debt by allowing weapons and foreign fighters to be smuggled into the country and Israel smuggled weapons and armaments in support of the Serbs and Croats—weapons that were eventually used to butcher innocent people thousands of lives could have been saved if the world had acted sooner to end the conflict was given a message by the Admiralty: “Take no prisoners from U-boats.” the Baralong hoisted its true colors and began blasting the U-boat Only a dozen Germans survived by swimming to the Nicosian where they joined the boarding party still onboard Herbert then sent several Royal Marines onto the Nicosian It was only when the Baralong’s crew saw the Germans still clinging on for dear life that they decided to help them aboard their ship a group of POWs had their clothes and valuables removed before being executed on the orders of Captain John Compton POWs were lined up in two parallel rows and gunned down by Sergeant Horace West who was apparently acting on his own initiative When General Omar Bradley found out about these atrocities who was the immediate superior of the soldiers involved Patton recorded his attempt to sweep the massacre under the carpet in his diary telling Bradley that the reports were “probably an exaggeration” and suggested that the Army claim the men had been snipers or were shot while trying to escape Bradley was outraged at Patton’s attempted cover-up and Compton and West were tried for their crimes Compton was acquitted while West was sentenced to life imprisonment The Canicatti Massacre was an unrelated incident that happened to occur on the same day After their town was captured by American forces Italian civilians began looting a factory looking for liquid soap Colonel Herbert McCaffrey ordered them to disperse he ordered his men to fire—but none of them did This so incensed McCaffrey that he began shooting wildly into the crowd One of the victims was a young child who McCaffrey shot in the stomach These fierce warriors were known for their bravery in battle and skill at mountain fighting—but also for their brutality toward civilians in occupied territories French and American forces simply looked the other way One French officer had even explained that recruiting the Goumiers meant having a “pact” granting them the rights to rape and pillage The Goumiers’ loosely structured fighting units meant that they tended to operate away from other Allied troops and with relatively little oversight which may explain why they gained such a negative reputation The Chinese switched their allegiance in a flurry of patriotic pride It would be wrong to simply generalize the Japanese military leadership as men who unanimously craved aggressive expansion and victory through any means There were actually those who attempted to conduct the war in a truly honorable manner But someone had to pay for the horrors of Corregidor and Bataan—and it was Homma and the rules of evidence to be presented was none other than Douglas MacArthur one had never argued a case before and another specialized in real estate and indeed Homma’s lawyers tried to have the case dismissed because of it a counsel’s description of MacArthur as “defeated by the accused” had to be changed to “who unsuccessfully opposed the accused.” The prosecution presented several witnesses No evidence was presented proving Homma’s direct role or even knowledge of these events One witness claimed to have seen him along the route of the Bataan Death March but Homma’s lawyers questioned how an ordinary Allied soldier would have known what Homma looked like In the end, despite the pleas of his wife, Homma was convicted While monstrous war criminals like Shiro Ishii escaped justice the so-called “Beast of Bataan” was executed by firing squad on April 3 North Korea’s horrifying history of brutality and oppression is well known the government of South Korea also committed some truly horrific crimes The best-documented of these incidents was the fallout from the Jeju Uprising which occurred before the war and saw the slaughter of as many as 60,000 residents of the island of Jeju Other incidents have been quite forgotten—and some have only been acknowledged in the last few years the police would execute 700 people during the Geochang Massacre Karski was eventually able to escape to Britain where he met with the Polish government-in-exile He later traveled to the United States and had a meeting with Franklin Roosevelt and other officials Karski repeatedly warned of the impending extermination of the Jewish people of Europe Two years later, in June 1944, Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wexler successfully escaped Auschwitz eventually making their way to the Allied lines They were able to provide the military with their extensive knowledge regarding the layout of the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex where millions of Jews and others deemed “subhuman” by the Nazis were murdered This time people listened—and that was it Records show that as early as January of that year, Allied leaders were discussing a possible bombing run near Auschwitz—not to save the prisoners but to destroy the oil and rubber installations near the camp once remarked that his squadron had been tasked to bomb facilities just a few miles from the camp yet they received no orders to destroy anything connected to the camp itself Some have argued that had the Allies bombed the railways they could have prevented the Nazis from sending millions to their deaths in the following months Some say that destroying the crematoriums and gas chambers while likely killing some of those held in the camps would have ultimately saved countless lives Others have argued that nothing would have stopped Hitler and his goons from exterminating those they deemed subhuman Indeed, from historians to Holocaust survivors, the debate rages on as to whether the Allies did everything they could to save the Jews—or if they merely turned a blind eye Two atomic bombs and a Soviet invasion of Manchuria forced Japan to surrender. The alternative, as we’ve mentioned, was a ground invasion known as “Operation Downfall” which would certainly have led to untold Allied casualties But according to many top Allied leaders, neither Operation Downfall nor the bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki were necessary at all. Admiral Chester Nimitz castigated the administration’s decision to drop the bomb already sued for peace.” He later stated that the atomic bomb “played no decisive part in the defeat of Japan.” Admiral Halsey considered it “an unnecessary experiment,” adding “the scientists had this toy and they wanted to try it out so they dropped it.” General Carl Spaatz reportedly suggested that the bombs should be dropped away from populated areas Jo believes war is never as clear as “black or white”; it’s a morally ambiguous gray. What do you think? Contact him via email or in the comments section "This is the third abnormal season for table grapes and we need to start thinking about the direction we need to take before spiraling into a crisis it will be difficult to get out of," reports Vincenzo Di Piazza (in the photo) agronomist with a deep knowledge of the Sicilian table grape cultivation sector "The overall value of the produce has dropped although quality is god and despite the competitive prices compared to seasonal fruits The Ismea 2020 reports how "the 2020 table grape campaign is in full swing and data report how varieties are doing differently in the various markets." "We need a better understanding of how the relationships between production and commercialization and commercialization and distribution work in a context that sees seedless grapes getting more and more popular while our territories The situation is slightly different in Mazzarrone where there is more land destined to the cultivation of seedless varieties." "Of course royalty varieties are a guarantee to regularize supplies however they are limited by protectionist dynamics and are not always accessible to small and medium businesses Small businesses have lost their ability to invest especially after the disastrous campaigns in 2018 and 2019 This has led to a net loss of the production cost-gross saleable production ratio made worse by risk factors and depreciation." medium-small producers cannot face varietal conversions as they do not possess the economic strength and because they do not have suitable technical assistance It is not a question of wanting to insist on traditional varieties but of the need to better understand the change that is affecting the entire segment." There are currently around 20 thousand hectares of table grapes in Sicily half of which between the Agrigento and Caltanissetta province (Canicattì PGI area) while the rest is part of the Mazzarrone PGI area we find ourselves having to make important choices that will probably lead to radical changes Many small and medium producers are feeling lost and in need of direction which should keep in mind both the new market trends as well as the objective components that characterize our productions High production costs and low competitiveness compared to emerging countries make things harder