Dow Introduces NEPTUNE™ Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System
-Sets new performance standards for subsea flow assurance insulation in offshore oil production pipelines
-Proprietary new chemistry enables a complete wet insulation with the widest temperature range available
-Simple, two-layer system designed for use in all pipeline applications simplifies the application process and reduces room for error
May 31, 2012 – Dow Oil & Gas announced the launch of the NEPTUNE™ Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System, a breakthrough technology specifically engineered to withstand the increasingly harsh conditions associated with subsea oil production, experienced in Africa. Dow Oil & Gas is proud to announce that the system is now commercially available for subsea architecture applications through Dow’s global qualified coater network, with line pipe and field joint applications to be available soon in Africa.
A simple, complete system designed for line pipe, field joint and subsea architecture applications from the wellhead to the delivery point, the NEPTUNE™ System outperforms existing subsea flow assurance wet insulation technologies, combining excellent thermal properties with the highest temperature performance end-to-end: from -40°C (-40°F) up to 160°C (320°F) during installation and use, at depths of up to 4,000 meters.
This new system allows for reaching wells that are becoming deeper and hotter, such as the case of subsea wells in offshore Africa. The higher reservoir temperatures need an insulation which can cope with this effectively, as the deep water is very cold, yet the depth of the wells below the earth’s crust means they experiences extreme heat. The NEPTUNE™ System will help to address and overcome the previous problems experienced in the region, as it serves as insulation against these extreme temperatures which can change abruptly.
“As subsea exploration efforts in the region require wells to be drilled deeper than ever before, the resulting rise in downhole temperature creates a need for reliable insulation that can effectively handle harsh conditions associated with this type of oil production,” said Antoine Samaha, commercial director Middle East & Africa, Dow Oil & Gas, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company. “The NEPTUNE system combines an ability to resist extreme temperatures with reliability, to create a technologically superior solution that builds on Dow’s extensive track record in the oil and gas industry.”
Designed in response to direct requests from offshore operators, the NEPTUNE System is the result of a Dow-led multi-million-dollar, multi-year research and development effort. It is based on an entirely new chemistry developed by Dow for this application: a proprietary, hybrid polyether thermoset. It has undergone full-scale production trials by globally recognized and respected flow assurance insulation system coaters and additionally, the material has been rigorously tested to ensure it meets operators’ stringent design requirements for deepwater oil production.
Compatible with current industry production and installation methods, the NEPTUNE Flow Assurance Insulation system is an easy, all-in-one system with just two layers:
NEPTUNE™ FBE Anti-Corrosion Coating, a fusion-bonded epoxy based on patented Dow resin technology
NEPTUNE™ Flow Assurance Insulation Coating, a proprietary, hybrid polyether thermoset material.
Competitive technologies can require up to seven layers. The dual-layer composition of the NEPTUNE System provides a distinct advantage by eliminating the need for a separate adhesive tie layer, simplifying the entire application process and reducing the potential for error.
“Our customers asked for an advanced flow assurance insulation system to withstand the increasingly harsh conditions they encounter in deepwater oil production, and we delivered,” said Larry Ryan, global general manager, Dow Oil & Gas. “NEPTUNE™ Technology builds on 25 years of success with Dow HYPERLAST™ technology, with more than 500 references worldwide, but now takes a giant step forward. The market knowledge, chemistry expertise and innovation capabilities of Dow – combined with the application expertise of the coaters with whom we have collaborated – have enabled us to deliver a flow assurance wet insulation solution with the widest temperature range available on the market today.”
NEPTUNE™ Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System
Installation method
Reel, S-lay, J-lay
Depth rating
at least 4,000 m
Subsea service temperature, °C
-40 to 160
Thermal conductivity under SST conditions†
0.152
Density (ASTM D792, 23°C)
1.1
Heat capacity (ASTM E1269, 0 to 160°C)
1.2 to 1.7
†160°C at 300 bar for 28 days
About Dow Oil & Gas
Dow Oil & Gas is committed to maximizing value for our customers by offering innovative, customized solutions tailored to the ever-evolving needs of the oil and gas industry. Backed by the proven resources of The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, Dow Oil & Gas offers advanced chemical innovation, intimate industry knowledge and exceptional service. More information can be found at www.DowOilandGas.com.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2011, Dow had annual sales of $60 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 197 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
About Dow in Africa
Dow established its first sales office in Africa more than 50 years ago. Today the company enjoys a growing commercial and manufacturing presence with 11 locations across the continent in Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. Dow's growing presence in Africa demonstrates the company's commitment to the continent and aims to deliver industry leadership, technical innovation and expertise with a commitment to sustainability to help transform the region into a key player in the global chemicals industry. Dow is focusing all its efforts towards being an active social and community member and an employer and partner of choice on the continent. Through innovative and sustainable initiatives like the Habitat for Humanity project in Egypt and Osizweni Mobile Science lab in South Africa, Dow is playing a pivotal social and development role in the region. Dow serves approximately 700 customers across 38 countries in Africa. For more information about Dow in Africa, please visit www.dow.com/africa
For more information and resources on the NEPTUNE™ System, please visit www.dowflowassurance.com/neptune
23 May, 2012
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: THE NEW CONSUMER CAMPAIGN ON NUTRITION HEALTH AND WELLNESS BY NESTLÉ
Nairobi- 23 May 2011 – Nestlé Equatorial Africa Region (EAR) today announced the launch of its consumer awareness campaign whose objective is to educate the general public about nutrition, especially the impact of micronutrient deficiencies and lifestyle diseases on their general wellbeing. Dubbed “Listen to Your Body”, this nationwide campaign will also act as a call to action for individuals to start paying closer attention to their health and lifestyle choices.
Region Head and CEO of Nestlé Equatorial African Region, Pierre Trouilhat, said “As an initiative to generate awareness of common nutritional deficiencies and their related symptoms, Nestlé has embarked on this communication campaign to spread the message.”
He said that the “Listen To Your Body” campaign encourages consumers to be more attuned to their bodies, to understand fundamental signs and signals that the body may be providing from time to time. The campaign suggests a simple call to action, a simple everyday conversation that consumers can have with their bodies in order to better understand themselves and their health.
Today, Nestlé is not only the world’s leading food and beverage company; it is also increasingly recognized as the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company. This shows a clear commitment by our management to single-mindedly focus on providing solutions that improve the health and wellbeing of our consumers. And the reason is quite simple: we are not here to simply provide products for our consumers, but rather we make it our central mission to focus our efforts to combat the dual problem of malnutrition and obesity that prevails at an alarming rate across the globe” added Trouilhat.
Speaking at the same event, Ruth Oniang’o, Chairperson of the Food Security and Nutrition Thematic Working Group, Founder of Rural Outreach Program in Kenya and Member of the Nestlé Creating Shared Value Advisory Board, said that women and especially mothers are very key in the issue of nutrition because most of the time, it is them who make meal decisions in their homes. “Mothers and women guardians are key to this campaign and we want to encourage all mothers to use this campaign to make the nutrition change in their homes.”
“Listen to your body” campaign will target the general public, as an ongoing countrywide campaign. Billboards have already been erected in strategic locations around Nairobi. TV commercials have started featuring on local TV stations. As part of the engagement strategy, Nestlé will launch the Nutrimovil, a caravan that will go on a grassroots roadshow where people will get the opportunity to learn about the importance of nutrition in their lives and benefit from health checks. Leaflets with key nutritional information will also be distributed in strategic locations.
Phyllis Obote, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager at Nestlé EAR, said that Nestlé has a comprehensive nutrition strategy that focuses on balance, understanding and responsible pleasure in our products. Nestlé has internally developed a system to continuously monitor our existing product portfolio for their nutritional content with regards to the public health sensitive ingredients like salt, fats and sugars.
Region Head and CEO of Nestlé Equatorial African Region, Pierre Trouilhat, said “As an initiative to generate awareness of common nutritional deficiencies and their related symptoms, Nestlé has embarked on this communication campaign to spread the message.”
He said that the “Listen To Your Body” campaign encourages consumers to be more attuned to their bodies, to understand fundamental signs and signals that the body may be providing from time to time. The campaign suggests a simple call to action, a simple everyday conversation that consumers can have with their bodies in order to better understand themselves and their health.
Today, Nestlé is not only the world’s leading food and beverage company; it is also increasingly recognized as the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company. This shows a clear commitment by our management to single-mindedly focus on providing solutions that improve the health and wellbeing of our consumers. And the reason is quite simple: we are not here to simply provide products for our consumers, but rather we make it our central mission to focus our efforts to combat the dual problem of malnutrition and obesity that prevails at an alarming rate across the globe” added Trouilhat.
Speaking at the same event, Ruth Oniang’o, Chairperson of the Food Security and Nutrition Thematic Working Group, Founder of Rural Outreach Program in Kenya and Member of the Nestlé Creating Shared Value Advisory Board, said that women and especially mothers are very key in the issue of nutrition because most of the time, it is them who make meal decisions in their homes. “Mothers and women guardians are key to this campaign and we want to encourage all mothers to use this campaign to make the nutrition change in their homes.”
“Listen to your body” campaign will target the general public, as an ongoing countrywide campaign. Billboards have already been erected in strategic locations around Nairobi. TV commercials have started featuring on local TV stations. As part of the engagement strategy, Nestlé will launch the Nutrimovil, a caravan that will go on a grassroots roadshow where people will get the opportunity to learn about the importance of nutrition in their lives and benefit from health checks. Leaflets with key nutritional information will also be distributed in strategic locations.
Phyllis Obote, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager at Nestlé EAR, said that Nestlé has a comprehensive nutrition strategy that focuses on balance, understanding and responsible pleasure in our products. Nestlé has internally developed a system to continuously monitor our existing product portfolio for their nutritional content with regards to the public health sensitive ingredients like salt, fats and sugars.
Open Innovation Africa Summit provides essential platform for Africa’s innovators
Nairobi, 23 May 2012 – The stage is set for more than 200 of Africa’s top policy makers, developers, entrepreneurs and private enterprises to engage in three days of intense debate at the Open Innovation Africa Summit (OIAS) held in Nairobi, Kenya next week. The OIAS exists to stimulate discussion about the role of entrepreneurship, innovation and ICTs in Africa – not just among participants, but also virtually – and to explore the transformative innovations necessary to successfully address many of the challenges facing Africa today.
This year’s OIAS – the second of its kind – is organised by Nokia, CapGemini and infoDev, a technology, entrepreneurship and innovation program in the World Bank. The main aim of the summit is to empower African thought leaders to find ways to spur technological innovation within their own local context.
This year’s summit, themed “Leadership in Innovation”, brings the spotlight on the leadership required to drive acceleration of African entrepreneurship and innovation, in order to reach ambitious targets for socio-economic development across the continent. After years of lagging in ICT, Africa is now emerging as a recognized innovator in areas such as financial inclusion and mobile app development, demonstrated by the growing number of firms from the continent now competing on the international stage.
“Without open innovation enabling business environment and seamless collaboration, creation of new innovative enterprises and locally relevant solutions becomes incredibly challenging,” says Jussi Hinkkanen, Nokia’s Vice President of Corporate Relations and Business Environment for the Middle East and Africa. “This event underscores that Nokia and infoDev believe in the power of partnerships and that Africa is ready for an entrepreneurial revolution”.
“We want that ‘switch’ to click in the minds of the policy-makers, innovators and business leaders who can envision change and make it happen,” says Valerie D’Costa, Program Manager of infoDev. “In the end, we want it to lead to new sustainable businesses creating new jobs. Both Nokia and infoDev believe that mobile innovations can change lives for the better, leading to improvements in education, health, agriculture and overall livelihoods”.
The summit will also celebrate the winners of the open ‘Ideas to Innovation’ challenge, an online competition held earlier in the year for turning ideas into successful businesses.
For more information, visit the infoDev website or Nokia’s OIAS web page.
This year’s OIAS – the second of its kind – is organised by Nokia, CapGemini and infoDev, a technology, entrepreneurship and innovation program in the World Bank. The main aim of the summit is to empower African thought leaders to find ways to spur technological innovation within their own local context.
This year’s summit, themed “Leadership in Innovation”, brings the spotlight on the leadership required to drive acceleration of African entrepreneurship and innovation, in order to reach ambitious targets for socio-economic development across the continent. After years of lagging in ICT, Africa is now emerging as a recognized innovator in areas such as financial inclusion and mobile app development, demonstrated by the growing number of firms from the continent now competing on the international stage.
“Without open innovation enabling business environment and seamless collaboration, creation of new innovative enterprises and locally relevant solutions becomes incredibly challenging,” says Jussi Hinkkanen, Nokia’s Vice President of Corporate Relations and Business Environment for the Middle East and Africa. “This event underscores that Nokia and infoDev believe in the power of partnerships and that Africa is ready for an entrepreneurial revolution”.
“We want that ‘switch’ to click in the minds of the policy-makers, innovators and business leaders who can envision change and make it happen,” says Valerie D’Costa, Program Manager of infoDev. “In the end, we want it to lead to new sustainable businesses creating new jobs. Both Nokia and infoDev believe that mobile innovations can change lives for the better, leading to improvements in education, health, agriculture and overall livelihoods”.
The summit will also celebrate the winners of the open ‘Ideas to Innovation’ challenge, an online competition held earlier in the year for turning ideas into successful businesses.
For more information, visit the infoDev website or Nokia’s OIAS web page.
Africa Shares Technical Expertise With Moldova
Civic hackers in Moldova have won cash, hardware, technical support, and sponsored office space for using that country's open data initiative to create ways for citizens to keep politicians honest and expose the hidden 'puppet masters' who control the mass media.
Promit.MD clinched the top prize for a platform that records promises made by politicians, and then publicly monitors whether they deliver on their pledges. MediaOwners.MD received a special mention, for building a platform for citizens and researchers to unravel the web of often hidden shareholders who control media and information networks in Moldova.
The digital apps were amongst 18 projects built during a TechCamp and subsequent hackathon in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, as part of an Open Innovation Week that saw the African Media Initiative (AMI) and World Bank Institute (WBI) share Africa’s growing technical expertise around digital democracy.
“We were able to offer the Moldovans both hands-on training and pragmatic policy advice on many of the challenges they face in rolling out their open data initiative,” explains AMI digital strategist and Knight International Journalism Fellow, Justin Arenstein. “Kenya’s socio-economic conditions are often more relevant to Moldova that those in North America or Western Europe, so our experts could offer invaluable insights.”
The Moldova Open Innovation Week was organised by the World Bank and Moldova’s eGovernment Center. It included a series of linked knowledge-sharing sessions, ranging from a Smart Government Day and National ICT Summit, to Moldova’s first ever Data Journalism Bootcamp, the civic society TechCamp, and a two-day hackathon. The journalism bootcamp is based on a model pioneered in Kenya, where it has also produced world-class civic apps. Participants in the Smart Government event included some of the original pioneers of open government and the linked open data movement in the USA, UK, Brazil, Russia, and various European countries.
“Barriers have been broken and strong links have been created between Moldova and the rest of the [open data] world. We are particularly pleased at the cooperation with our new African friends. We look forward to working with them in the long term, including linking up civic coders in Moldova with their African counterparts,” said the head of Moldova’s eGovernment Centre, Stela Mocan.
"This south-south transfer of technical knowledge from Kenya to Moldova on opening, owning, using, and producing data is an important step forward for the emerging global community of practice in this space," said Craig Hammer of the World Bank Institute, "it highlights the key roles of media, civil society, and coders as drivers and sustainers of open and collaborative governance, and serves as a model for other countries across regions."
A number of the winning projects from the hackathon are already being paired with African media or civic engagement organisations, to build African versions for entry into the $1m annual African News Innovation Challenge.
“This demonstrates the power of knowledge exchange and open innovation. African trainers helped Moldovan journalists and developers learn new skills and technologies -- and now the Moldovan ‘graduates’ of this process are teaming up with African partners to take their creations to places like Kenya and Ghana,” says Open Institute executive director, Jay Bhalla.
The exchange is part of a wider joint effort by the World Bank and World Bank Institute to build a global community of practise around open technologies, and to encourage those at the forefront of open data initiatives to share their successes and failures as a way of establishing global best practise.
Oleg Petrov, who coordinates knowledge sharing activities at the World Bank, said that the impact of the African experts at the Moldova event was proof that bringing in expert ‘practitioners’ instead of just consultants helped produce real results in an extremely short time.
The chairman of Kenya’s Open Data Task Force, Al Kags, agrees: “Already, we see that Moldova has learned from and improved on some of Kenya’s experiments. Moldova’s systematic approach to putting resources and support services in place, plus its clear modular roll-out plan for opening up government data, offer a streamlined model that will set new benchmarks.”
Promit.MD clinched the top prize for a platform that records promises made by politicians, and then publicly monitors whether they deliver on their pledges. MediaOwners.MD received a special mention, for building a platform for citizens and researchers to unravel the web of often hidden shareholders who control media and information networks in Moldova.
The digital apps were amongst 18 projects built during a TechCamp and subsequent hackathon in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, as part of an Open Innovation Week that saw the African Media Initiative (AMI) and World Bank Institute (WBI) share Africa’s growing technical expertise around digital democracy.
“We were able to offer the Moldovans both hands-on training and pragmatic policy advice on many of the challenges they face in rolling out their open data initiative,” explains AMI digital strategist and Knight International Journalism Fellow, Justin Arenstein. “Kenya’s socio-economic conditions are often more relevant to Moldova that those in North America or Western Europe, so our experts could offer invaluable insights.”
The Moldova Open Innovation Week was organised by the World Bank and Moldova’s eGovernment Center. It included a series of linked knowledge-sharing sessions, ranging from a Smart Government Day and National ICT Summit, to Moldova’s first ever Data Journalism Bootcamp, the civic society TechCamp, and a two-day hackathon. The journalism bootcamp is based on a model pioneered in Kenya, where it has also produced world-class civic apps. Participants in the Smart Government event included some of the original pioneers of open government and the linked open data movement in the USA, UK, Brazil, Russia, and various European countries.
“Barriers have been broken and strong links have been created between Moldova and the rest of the [open data] world. We are particularly pleased at the cooperation with our new African friends. We look forward to working with them in the long term, including linking up civic coders in Moldova with their African counterparts,” said the head of Moldova’s eGovernment Centre, Stela Mocan.
"This south-south transfer of technical knowledge from Kenya to Moldova on opening, owning, using, and producing data is an important step forward for the emerging global community of practice in this space," said Craig Hammer of the World Bank Institute, "it highlights the key roles of media, civil society, and coders as drivers and sustainers of open and collaborative governance, and serves as a model for other countries across regions."
A number of the winning projects from the hackathon are already being paired with African media or civic engagement organisations, to build African versions for entry into the $1m annual African News Innovation Challenge.
“This demonstrates the power of knowledge exchange and open innovation. African trainers helped Moldovan journalists and developers learn new skills and technologies -- and now the Moldovan ‘graduates’ of this process are teaming up with African partners to take their creations to places like Kenya and Ghana,” says Open Institute executive director, Jay Bhalla.
The exchange is part of a wider joint effort by the World Bank and World Bank Institute to build a global community of practise around open technologies, and to encourage those at the forefront of open data initiatives to share their successes and failures as a way of establishing global best practise.
Oleg Petrov, who coordinates knowledge sharing activities at the World Bank, said that the impact of the African experts at the Moldova event was proof that bringing in expert ‘practitioners’ instead of just consultants helped produce real results in an extremely short time.
The chairman of Kenya’s Open Data Task Force, Al Kags, agrees: “Already, we see that Moldova has learned from and improved on some of Kenya’s experiments. Moldova’s systematic approach to putting resources and support services in place, plus its clear modular roll-out plan for opening up government data, offer a streamlined model that will set new benchmarks.”
10 May, 2012
Kenyan PR Practitioners Seek to Institutionalize Profession, Weed out Quacks
·
Members endorse accreditation and development through establishment of an institute to enhance the profession
·
New officials led by PR Academic Kentice
Tikolo receive two year mandate to inject new framework as demand for
qualified well rounded PR communicators peak
· Reputation management and increasing need to communicate credible information by organizations and state bodies has placed a premium on well qualified practitioners
· Reputation management and increasing need to communicate credible information by organizations and state bodies has placed a premium on well qualified practitioners
Nairobi, May 10th 2012…Members
of the Public Relations Society of Kenya have endorsed far reaching
measures expected to up the ante on minimum qualifications for
practicing professionals in the
public and private sector.
During the
association’s Annual General Meeting held recently, members approved the
establishment of the Kenya Institute of Public Relations (KIPR) that
will steer the instutionalization of the profession in Kenya.
Other initiatives adopted by the members were a continuous professional
development (CPD) programme and the accreditation of members who have
acquired and attained minimum standards as spelt out by the Society.
During the AGM,
members of the Society that brings together some of the most influential
communicators in the country elected Mrs. Kentice Tikolo as their new
Chairperson for a two year term. Mrs. Tikolo has
a distinguished career in Public Relations and Communication Management
spanning over 15 years. In her acceptance remarks, Mrs. Tikolo
underscored her priorities for the Society and the profession laying
special emphasis on the constant need for strong performance
of the practice that is grounded on research and high professional
standards that meet international standards.. Singling out the Kenya
Institute of Public Relations initiated by the outgoing team, Kentice
reiterated the need to focus resources on the principles
of this initiative in order to grow a robust profession with profound
impact on the community.
Others elected were
Grace Munjuri as Vice Chairman; Angela Nganga Mumo, Secretary; Michael
Otieno, Treasurer; Sam Karanja, Assistant Secretary and Beatrice Kungu
as Assistant Treasurer. Musyoki Kivindyo, Eunice
Muthamia, Esther Walya, Jane Gitau and Edna Onchiri were also elected
as Committee Members.
The outgoing Chairman,
Mr. Peter Mutie thanked members for their support noting that the
Society had continued to achieve a solid performance with excellent
results in both membership and financial growth. He
further noted that these results were achieved in what was a
particularly challenging period not only in the country but globally.
This he noted is acceptance of the changing face of the profession as an
asset to organizational reputation. Welcoming the
new team, he concluded that the Society and the profession are well
positioned to go beyond any challenges and called on members to support
the team in order to respond and seize the many opportunities that are
emerging.
Fundraising Software For Non-Profits
Non profit Organizations are a unique breed among other types of organizations.A priorri ,they are set up to fulfill a certain mandate with no intent of benefiting themselves financially by way of profits.Hence finding cost effective solutions at affordable prices especially with regards to finding a suitable fundraising software is key to financial discipline and success.I have a lot of friends in the non profits and hence would like to share this information on a recent find.
Blackbaud Europe a Division of Blackbaud Inc have no need for introduction as a leading provider for software and other related services especially tailor made for Non profit organizations .As a testimonial in 2008 Blackbaud Europe partnered with the University of Oxford (UK)by offering the Blackbaud Enterprise Enterprise CRM database management software in order to manage its global fund raising campaign seamlessly across the university's different campuses .This was their opinion after a rigorous tendering process:
For a detailed list of the products and services that Blackbaud does offer as a technology partner please visit their website as provided up above !
Blackbaud Europe a Division of Blackbaud Inc have no need for introduction as a leading provider for software and other related services especially tailor made for Non profit organizations .As a testimonial in 2008 Blackbaud Europe partnered with the University of Oxford (UK)by offering the Blackbaud Enterprise Enterprise CRM database management software in order to manage its global fund raising campaign seamlessly across the university's different campuses .This was their opinion after a rigorous tendering process:
“We are proud to partner with The University of Oxford,” said Martin Jervis, Blackbaud Europe’s managing director. “A fundraising operation that serves one of the world’s most prestigious institutions and incorporates a collegiate structure results in a highly challenging set of needs. Using Blackbaud Enterprise CRM, the University of Oxford staff members will have a scalable, sophisticated solution that provides them with all the tools needed to successfully manage the complexities of global fundraising.”
“We selected Blackbaud as our partner and Enterprise CRM as the database system, after a thorough international tendering process,because it provides us with a robust and functionally-rich solution for users across the Collegiate University,” said Sue Cunningham, University of Oxford’s Director of Development. “We were in particular need of a
database that could deal with the key requirements of securing and coordinating data, a system large enough to facilitate the needs of our collegiate structure and a strong web presence for alumni and friends.”
For a detailed list of the products and services that Blackbaud does offer as a technology partner please visit their website as provided up above !
07 May, 2012
Fire Fighting Tips-Essential Things You Need To Know !
A few months back i woke up just to find out that storm water had entered into my apartment on the ground floor through the backdoor.Interestingly, its by lifting my mosquito net prior to stepping down that alerted me to the ominous danger that was before me.With storms around and the likelihood of electric faults and fires ,i am inspired to write this post on some basic firefighting tips and electricity.
A discussion on firefighting by necessity cannot begin without a discussion on the different types of fire extinguishers and the different classes of fires appropriate to each extinguisher(the website link provided has more information both visual and written on each...so for purposes of brevity i will not regurgitate the same!)
FIRE TYPES:
On a universal level fires are commonly classified into four types:
Generally the rule of thumbs for responding to any type of fire or electrical fault is call the emergency services first...if you are not an expert in the field do not attempt to deal with such faults without first consulting qualified emergency services.However due to the accidental nature of fires its important to keep in mind the following:
A discussion on firefighting by necessity cannot begin without a discussion on the different types of fire extinguishers and the different classes of fires appropriate to each extinguisher(the website link provided has more information both visual and written on each...so for purposes of brevity i will not regurgitate the same!)
FIRE TYPES:
On a universal level fires are commonly classified into four types:
- Class A Fires: This type of fires involve ordinary solid materials of organic materials such as wood,paper,rubber,plastics,cardboards ...etc
- Class B Fires:This type involves combustible liquids such as oil,kerosene,gasoline,organic solvents,paints,cooking fat...etc
- Class C Fires: This type of fires are caused by Electricity
- Class D Fires:This type involves combustible metals such as Aluminum,Magnesium,Potassium and other highly volatile metals that burn at high temperatures.
Generally the rule of thumbs for responding to any type of fire or electrical fault is call the emergency services first...if you are not an expert in the field do not attempt to deal with such faults without first consulting qualified emergency services.However due to the accidental nature of fires its important to keep in mind the following:
- Try to contact the emergency services such as the police,fire department ,electrical services..first
- Evacuate the building as soon as possible
- Switch off the electrical mains if you have access to the same without necessarily putting yourself at harms risk.
- Stay low and avoid smoke, if on fire roll on the ground or use a wet blanket to cut off oxgen supply to the fire.
- Wear shoes preferably rubber soled or gum boots if water is all around you and there is threat of electrical shock.
- Do not handle metallic items with your bare hands.
- Do not just use any extinguisher...especially wet extinguishers used for Class A Type fires.Read instructions on the extinguisher to see if it is compatible to the fire type.This type of fires are best extinguished by fire extinguishers containing Carbon Dioxide(CO2)
02 May, 2012
"Free the Press”: Leadership for the Future
(Editorial by D. Bruce Wharton, Deputy Assistant Secretary, AF)
Information is life. People cannot make a living, hold their governments accountable, or educate their children without a healthy supply of free- flowing information. Citizens need accurate, timely, independent news they can trust. So do businesses and markets…and governments.
Media freedom keeps societies and economies vibrant, energetic, and healthy. When the free flow of news and information is cut off, individuals suffer. Societies and economies suffer. Media freedom is enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
Leadership of the media – whether for print, broadcast, internet or social media – is critical to the development of a free press. It provides the vision and ethical framework for reporting and journalism that earns and maintains public trust. The true leaders of the media industry in Africa are those who mentor and inspire the next generation of journalists to overcome the challenges they face – lack of access to information, censorship, personal threats, and even attacks in some places. They serve as the moral compass that leads by example to enable the media to play its role in the consolidation of democratic governance.
We’re watching enormous changes taking place on the African continent, and the United States is proud to work with African partners to support those changes. Through democratic elections and new constitutions, economic growth led by innovation and entrepreneurship, renewed focus on education, and the inclusion of women and young people in decision-making, the progress is tremendous. The implementation of a Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria is a great example of how access to information is strengthening democratic governance.
There are many examples of emerging best practices that demonstrate how the media is changing, too, to keep up with political and economic developments. Collaborating with local organizations, the U.S. Embassy in Harare created a mentoring program for women journalists, giving them the tools and resources to contribute to the public conversation in that country. The African Media Initiative, with its African and international partners, launched the African News Innovation Challenge, a comprehensive and long-term program to support professional development and leadership in journalism, expanding networks across the continent and internationally.
The media's continued develop of leadership and professional standards will help safeguard and advance progress in other spheres. Transparency, accountability, and integrity are fundamental concepts that apply to all sectors, including journalism, and media leaders should model that behavior and mentor it in others. Too many challenges remain in Africa - in human rights, hunger, disease, war and conflict. As in business, media entrepreneurship requires thinking big and taking risks to address those problems. Owners and directors must be prepared to take risks, supporting journalists who are taking them day in and out.
As World Press Freedom Day approaches, the United States calls on all governments to take the steps necessary to create space for independent journalists to do their work without fear of violence or persecution. We pay special tribute to those courageous journalists, bloggers, and citizens who have sacrificed their lives, health, or freedom so that others could know the truth. And we honor the role of free and independent media in creating sustainable democracies and open, healthy societies.
Finally, we recognize that, as agents of change, media leaders serve good governance and economic development by raising their voices and building the platform for open societies to grow. Strong leadership that values and supports ethics in reporting and journalism will help shape this new conversation across Africa.
Information is life. People cannot make a living, hold their governments accountable, or educate their children without a healthy supply of free- flowing information. Citizens need accurate, timely, independent news they can trust. So do businesses and markets…and governments.
Media freedom keeps societies and economies vibrant, energetic, and healthy. When the free flow of news and information is cut off, individuals suffer. Societies and economies suffer. Media freedom is enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
Leadership of the media – whether for print, broadcast, internet or social media – is critical to the development of a free press. It provides the vision and ethical framework for reporting and journalism that earns and maintains public trust. The true leaders of the media industry in Africa are those who mentor and inspire the next generation of journalists to overcome the challenges they face – lack of access to information, censorship, personal threats, and even attacks in some places. They serve as the moral compass that leads by example to enable the media to play its role in the consolidation of democratic governance.
We’re watching enormous changes taking place on the African continent, and the United States is proud to work with African partners to support those changes. Through democratic elections and new constitutions, economic growth led by innovation and entrepreneurship, renewed focus on education, and the inclusion of women and young people in decision-making, the progress is tremendous. The implementation of a Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria is a great example of how access to information is strengthening democratic governance.
There are many examples of emerging best practices that demonstrate how the media is changing, too, to keep up with political and economic developments. Collaborating with local organizations, the U.S. Embassy in Harare created a mentoring program for women journalists, giving them the tools and resources to contribute to the public conversation in that country. The African Media Initiative, with its African and international partners, launched the African News Innovation Challenge, a comprehensive and long-term program to support professional development and leadership in journalism, expanding networks across the continent and internationally.
The media's continued develop of leadership and professional standards will help safeguard and advance progress in other spheres. Transparency, accountability, and integrity are fundamental concepts that apply to all sectors, including journalism, and media leaders should model that behavior and mentor it in others. Too many challenges remain in Africa - in human rights, hunger, disease, war and conflict. As in business, media entrepreneurship requires thinking big and taking risks to address those problems. Owners and directors must be prepared to take risks, supporting journalists who are taking them day in and out.
As World Press Freedom Day approaches, the United States calls on all governments to take the steps necessary to create space for independent journalists to do their work without fear of violence or persecution. We pay special tribute to those courageous journalists, bloggers, and citizens who have sacrificed their lives, health, or freedom so that others could know the truth. And we honor the role of free and independent media in creating sustainable democracies and open, healthy societies.
Finally, we recognize that, as agents of change, media leaders serve good governance and economic development by raising their voices and building the platform for open societies to grow. Strong leadership that values and supports ethics in reporting and journalism will help shape this new conversation across Africa.
Wordplay App Review
Nairobi, 1 May 2012: Many of us will remember the feeling of excitement when we learnt a new word or phrase when we were young. We would run home eager to tell our parents, or looking forward to the next writing assignment, so that we could use our new word. Fast forward to adulthood and you tend to treat words differently. We rarely push ourselves to work on our vocabulary and new words are often forgotten or not used.
We are all guilty of not challenging ourselves as much as we should, but with the new Word play game for Nokia devices there is a tool to help with just that. For example, can you figure out what – if you move the letters around - sinageroer or ertmienedd actually spells? With this new game you can now keep your mind alert and work on your spelling in an entertaining way.
The app is developed by Robert Langat and has to date been downloaded more than 100,000 times. It is available in the Nokia Store for devices based on both the Series 40 and Symbian platforms. WordPlay has three levels, presenting the player with a number of mixed up words to unscramble.
So as you write your stories, articles or even interact with your friends you can use the words that have been brought back to you via Word play.
By the way, sinageroer spells reorganize and ertmienedd unscrambled gets you determined.
We are all guilty of not challenging ourselves as much as we should, but with the new Word play game for Nokia devices there is a tool to help with just that. For example, can you figure out what – if you move the letters around - sinageroer or ertmienedd actually spells? With this new game you can now keep your mind alert and work on your spelling in an entertaining way.
The app is developed by Robert Langat and has to date been downloaded more than 100,000 times. It is available in the Nokia Store for devices based on both the Series 40 and Symbian platforms. WordPlay has three levels, presenting the player with a number of mixed up words to unscramble.
So as you write your stories, articles or even interact with your friends you can use the words that have been brought back to you via Word play.
By the way, sinageroer spells reorganize and ertmienedd unscrambled gets you determined.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
