Latest news with #Children
Washington Post
11 hours ago
- General
- Washington Post
Surprise! NHL, with the help of kids, gives Barkov the Selke and King Clancy awards
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida's Aleksander Barkov thought the team meeting was over. He found it odd that the Panthers hadn't been told they could leave. Turns out, there was a good reason — two of them, actually. The Panthers hadn't had an opportunity to spend any time at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital — a facility Barkov works with and raises money for — during their playoff run, so the team decided to bring some of the patients into the team facility for a visit instead. And the kids came bearing gifts for Barkov.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Annual snapshot of CO kids shows decrease in suicides, increase in homelessness
An annual report on the state of Colorado's children shows improvements in insurance coverage and suicides, but a sharp increase in homelessness.
The National
3 days ago
- General
- The National
If we find a way to measure compassion, can we use it to solve global problems?
The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by United Nations member states in 2015 marked a bold global commitment to reimagine a future shaped by justice, equity, peace and sustainability. The agenda's 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, have led to critical action on climate change, health and education. Yet progress remains uneven and fragile. Over more than forty years of working to protect children, I have seen the harsh reality and can say with certainty that no group bears the weight of injustice more than children. They are disproportionately affected by poverty and conflict, and in many parts of the world, they are pushed into exploitative labour, denied the chance to go to school, face poor health outcomes, and lack access to clean water and nutrition. These are not isolated challenges but interwoven injustices that rob children of their rights and freedom. Despite many initiatives undertaken and millions of dollars spent, last year's UN Sustainable Development Goals Report found that the world is on track to meet just 17 per cent of these SDG targets. I feel deeply ashamed that we have betrayed our children yet again by missing this year's target of achieving SDG 8.7 – a commitment to ending all forms of child labour by 2025 as part of a broader effort to end slavery, trafficking and forced labour, including child soldiers. Our promise to leave no one behind now seems hollow. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the world was off track with respect to Agenda 2030. It is appalling that in 2021, the number of child labourers worldwide increased from 152 million to 160 million. These are not mere numbers – these are children who have been denied justice, who are not free to enjoy their childhood, and who have work tools in their hands instead of books and toys. These are children who we have left behind. We have created so many borders, walls and wars. The effect of conflict on children is catastrophic and often irreversible. Children do not create wars, insurgencies or natural disasters nor are they responsible for any other humanitarian crisis. Nevertheless, they end up caught in the crossfire, often literally. More than 47 million children have been displaced by conflict and violence. Do we really want to pass on this legacy of fear, helplessness and violence to future generations? In 2021, the number of child labourers worldwide increased from 152 million to 160 million As a buzzword, the SDGs remain popular. Corporations, civil society groups and the media have embraced SDGs, often aligning their goals with them. But what real progress are we making? How can we claim to have achieved anything if we leave our children behind? For me, the yardstick of progress is that every child receives their fair share of resources under an umbrella of supportive policies and social protection. Why have we failed? The gap between those suffering from problems and those who can solve them is vast and continues to grow every day. We lack the moral accountability and the responsibility to bridge this gap. As global connectivity grows, we are seeing a paradox emerge in the global political environment between aggressive politics, aggressive faith, and aggressive capitalism that is fostering a hyper-competitive and commercial society. Our behaviours have increasingly become transactional; often, we do only what will benefit us, even if it is at someone else's cost. The real, long-term solution is for us to remind ourselves, constantly, of our capacity for compassion. Based on this philosophy, I founded the Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion (SMGC) last year, which calls for action in a world plagued by inequality, conflict and injustice. We need to 'globalise' compassion. What do I mean by this? The quality of compassion is traditionally perceived – and has been preached for ages – as a soft, gentle emotion. It is, in reality, a powerful force with transformative power. It is like the air we breathe. Without it, humanity will fail. Compassion is the only force that will unite us and allow us to look beyond our differences. A definition of compassion based on my humble experience of almost half a century's struggle for liberty, dignity and justice for every child is that it is the force born from feeling the suffering of others as one's own, a force that drives mindful and selfless action to end that suffering. We need more of this in the world if we are to achieve the SDGs. To increase the capacity of something, you need to be able to measure it in the first place. We are in the process of developing Compassion Quotient (CQ), which aims to measure individuals' compassion in a similar way to measuring their Intelligence Quotient (IQ) or Emotional Quotient (EQ). Using a multidisciplinary approach, we are developing a comprehensive framework to measure and enhance the level of CQ in individuals and organisations. One of our goals at SMGC is to integrate compassion, as a measurable and cultivable trait, into educational curricula and leadership programmes. We also want to develop indices and metrics to assess compassionate action at a policy level, so as to eventually mainstream the idea of compassion being a guiding principle in global governance. Compassion is essential to ending suffering, and while many leaders speak of it in their speeches, it is time we turn those words into action and hold ourselves accountable. We no longer have the luxury of merely showing intent. We have no choice now but to act with compassion and urgency. Collectively, the world has never been wealthier – economically, intellectually or technologically. It is clear that we need to redefine our approach to life and society. We must build compassionate leadership in all walks of life, whether it is education, the judiciary, governance, or healthcare. This evolution in our thinking would benefit everyone, but, again, most of all, it will benefit our children, who will one day be leaders in their own right, responsible for taking these ideas forward. I refuse to accept that, with all the resources at our disposal, we cannot ensure their freedom, safety, health and education. If we do that, they will be better-placed as adults to ensure it for the generations to follow.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
5 lessons from National Children's Hospital for future projects in Ireland
The National Children's Hospital (NCH) project stands as one of Ireland's most significant infrastructure undertakings - and one of its most instructive failures. Originally conceived as a state-of-the-art facility to consolidate paediatric services across Dublin, the project has instead become emblematic of systemic challenges plaguing Irish public infrastructure development. With costs spiralling beyond €2.2 billion and completion dates repeatedly deferred, the NCH offers invaluable lessons for future major infrastructure initiatives. This is even more relevant as the sector embarks on the development of the National Maternity Hospital and other critical public works. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, Dr Paul Davis from DCU assesses the latest delays to the Children's Hospital project These lessons extend far beyond mere cost overruns or construction delays. They illuminate fundamental weaknesses in how Ireland approaches large-scale public infrastructure, from initial conception through final delivery. Understanding these failures is crucial not only for avoiding repetition but for establishing a more robust framework for future development. Governance failures are the starting point for dysfunctional projects The most profound lesson from the NCH concerns governance architecture. Despite establishing multiple specialised committees and oversight bodies, the project suffered from fragmented decision-making structures that operated in relative isolation. This created what organisational theorists term "accountability gaps". These spaces where responsibility becomes diffused across multiple entities, resulted in effective accountability residing nowhere. The absence of a unified command structure proved particularly damaging. Various stakeholders - for example, the Health Service Executive, the Department of Health, construction contractors and clinical staff - operated with competing priorities and insufficient coordination mechanisms. This fragmentation manifested in delayed responses to emerging challenges and led to inconsistent strategic direction throughout the project lifecycle. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, health economist Dr Brian Turner on the ongoing delays to the NCH project I believe that future infrastructure projects require centralised governance frameworks with clearly delineated authority structures. This means establishing single points of accountability for major decisions while maintaining appropriate checks and balances. The governance model must also ensure that oversight bodies possess both the expertise and authority to challenge assumptions and redirect project trajectories when necessary. Traditional management tools are not good enough The NCH project initially relied on conventional project management tools. These tools, primarily Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets, proved fundamentally inadequate for managing the complex, multi-billion-euro infrastructure development. The subsequent integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) demonstrated the transformative potential of advanced project management technologies, enabling more accurate cost estimation, enhanced design collaboration and sophisticated risk assessment capabilities. But technological adoption alone proves insufficient without corresponding organisational capacity. The effective utilisation of advanced project management systems requires comprehensive training programs, cultural adaptation within organisations and integration with existing operational frameworks. Future projects must prioritise technological infrastructure from initial planning phases rather than retrofitting solutions after problems emerge. From RTE Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, why is so expensive to construct medical facilities in Ireland? Real-time data analytics and integrated project delivery methods offer additional advantages, including enhanced stakeholder coordination, reduced operational redundancies, and streamlined workflow management. These technologies enable more responsive project management, allowing teams to identify and address challenges before they escalate into major disruptions. It became evident through multiple appearances at the Public Accounts Committee that this data was not begin collected nor used properly. Changing the script around procurement value and risk The NCH's initial procurement approach prioritised lowest-bid submissions. This reflected a narrow understanding of value that failed to account for broader project implications. This strategy systematically underestimated total project costs while overlooking significant risk factors that subsequently materialised as major challenges. Contemporary procurement theory emphasises value-based selection criteria that integrate price considerations with quality assessments, delivery capabilities, and risk management competencies. This approach recognises that apparent cost savings during procurement often translate into substantial expenses during implementation phases. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, is Ireland's public infrastructure lagging behind? Effective procurement strategies also foster collaborative relationships between public sector clients and private sector contractors. Rather than adversarial dynamics focused solely on cost minimisation, successful projects develop partnership frameworks that encourage innovation, shared risk management, and mutual investment in project success. This collaborative approach enables more creative problem-solving and adaptive responses to emerging challenges. Communicating what you're doing to the general public The NCH project's communication failures contributed significantly to eroding public confidence in Irish infrastructure development capabilities. Inconsistent messaging, delayed disclosure of cost overruns and limited stakeholder engagement created an information vacuum that fostered speculation and distrust. Transparent communication strategies serve multiple functions beyond mere public relations. They enable early identification of potential problems through stakeholder feedback. They create mechanisms for community input that can improve project outcomes. More importantly still, they establish accountability frameworks that encourage responsible decision-making throughout project lifecycles. From RTÉ Radio 1's Late Debate, when will patients eventually be treated in the new and overdue Children's Hospital? Future projects must establish regular communication protocols that provide consistent updates to stakeholders, including the general public. This includes proactive disclosure of challenges and setbacks rather than reactive responses to external pressure. The importance of comprehensive risk management I think that fundamentally, the NCH project failed to integrate comprehensive risk management into its planning and execution phases. Risk assessment was treated as a secondary consideration rather than a core component of project architecture. This reactive approach to risk management resulted in expensive crisis responses rather than proactive mitigation strategies. Effective risk management requires systematic identification of potential challenges during initial planning phases. It also requires the development of corresponding mitigation strategies, as well as continuous monitoring throughout project implementation. This includes financial risks, technical challenges, regulatory changes, and stakeholder dynamics that could affect project trajectories. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Dr. Paul Davis examines the findings of an external audit into the infamous Leinster House bike shelter Risk management must also incorporate scenario planning. These scenarios should consider multiple potential outcomes and develop adaptive strategies for each possibility. This approach enables projects to maintain momentum despite encountering unforeseen challenges while minimising disruption to overall objectives. What all of this means for future infrastructure development These lessons have direct relevance for Ireland's upcoming infrastructure initiatives, particularly the National Maternity Hospital and other major public works. Implementing these insights requires systematic changes to how Ireland approaches large-scale infrastructure development, from initial conceptualisation through final delivery. Success requires integrating governance reform, technological advancement, procurement innovation, communication enhancement, and risk management improvement into comprehensive project frameworks. This holistic approach recognises that infrastructure development challenges are inherently systemic rather than isolated technical problems. Ireland's future infrastructure success depends on delivering major public works efficiently, transparently and in accordance with public expectations The NCH experience demonstrates that effective infrastructure development requires more than engineering expertise or construction capabilities. It demands sophisticated organisational frameworks. These framework must have the capability and capacity to coordinate complex stakeholder relationships, manage evolving requirements, and maintain public trust throughout extended implementation periods. Ireland's future infrastructure success depends on internalising these lessons and developing institutional capabilities that can deliver major public works efficiently, transparently, and in accordance with public expectations. The stakes are too high, and the public resources too valuable, to repeat the mistakes that have characterised the National Children's Hospital project.
Fashion Network
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Japanese label Children of the Discordance to stage show at Pitti Uomo
Japanese brand Children of the Discordance will take the spotlight at Florence's Pitti Uomo with a fashion show scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, June 17, at the Stazione Leopolda. Organized in collaboration with the Japan Fashion Week Organization, the event highlights Children of the Discordance as the special feature of the upcoming edition of Pitti Uomo (June 17–20). The brand will also be featured at the Florentine trade show with a dedicated space inside the Fortezza da Basso, as part of the 'Futuro Maschile' section, which focuses on contemporary menswear. 'Children of the Discordance is one of the brands we've been watching most closely over the past few seasons,' said Francesca Tacconi, special events coordinator at Pitti Immagine. 'Since its debut at Pitti Uomo a few years ago under the Tokyo Fashion Award banner, we've appreciated founder Hideaki Shikama's independent vision and his ability to merge archival elements with the fast-paced language of streetwear—all through a forward-looking design lens.' 'We've been part of the Pitti community ever since we won the Tokyo Fashion Award eight years ago. Today, I'm truly grateful for the chance to return five years later to present my collection in a runway show at the event that helped grow my business partnerships. My pieces draw inspiration from the complex cultural landscape I experienced growing up in a Japanese port city like Yokohama, and I try to infuse that cultural essence into every piece I create,' said Hideaki Shikama. Born in 1980, Hideaki Shikama founded Children of the Discordance in 2011 and won the Tokyo Fashion Award in 2017. He has previously presented his collections in Tokyo, New York and Paris. His fashion career began in 2005 when he was appointed director of Acycle, a multibrand store in Harajuku, Tokyo. The Children of the Discordance runway show adds another high-profile highlight to the already rich calendar of Pitti Uomo's summer edition, which also includes appearances by Issey Miyake, Paf-Post Archive Faction and Niccolò Pasqualetti.
