Latest news with #Tawney
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amistad to honor community humanitarians at annual fundraiser
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)—Amistad will honor community humanitarians at its annual Lucy G. Humanitarian Awards on Friday to raise funds for those in need. This year, and in partnership with Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro P.C., Circle K, and El Paso Electric, Amistad will host a nautical-themed fundraiser at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 9, at the Starlight Event Center, 6650 Continental Dr. Amistad said this event, which it's named after the agency's founder, celebrates 2025 honorees and raises awareness for vulnerable populations. 'The theme is to honor leaders who anchor our mission and help steer us toward a better future,' Andrea Ramirez, CEO of Amistad, said. 'Our 2025 honorees are individuals who we believe are navigators of hope and light.' The 2025 honorees include the following, according to Amistad: Judge Patrick Bramblett U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas Retired County Commissioner Carlos Leon County Judge Ricardo Samaniego Community Advocate Wayne Thornton 'The event is a night to celebrate individuals and agencies who live Mrs. Acosta's legacy of respect, honesty, integrity, service and excellence,' read the news release by Amistad. In addition to the award ceremony, GECU Foundation will match up to $12,000 of the proceeds made from the fundraiser to assist individuals seeking access to social services, Amistad said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
The BASE effect: Fixing the foundations of our future
He is former PNB CGM and also an adviser in IBA R.H. Tawney, the renowned economic historian, once remarked: 'Equity of opportunity requires not just an open road but also an equal start.' These words ring especially true when we consider the state of childhood education in India. The foundation of a human being's overall development is laid in the early years. Interventions at later stages may help, but they can never fully compensate for the deprivations suffered in early childhood. If we are to truly build an equitable society, we must fundamentally change how we treat the most vulnerable section of our society—our children. Education is a systemic process through which a child acquires knowledge, experience, skills and sound attitude. It makes a child civilized, cultured and educated. Every society gives importance to education because it is the kind of panacea for all evils. It is considered as an investment & not as expenditure all over the world. Elementary education can be understood as the first stride that a person takes in life. The elementary education comprises 8 years of schooling from age group of 6 to 14. This is followed by secondary class 9 & 10 and higher secondary class 11 & 12. Just as strong foundation is very important for a building, in the same way elementary education is important for the progressive development of the child's personality. And where do we stand? One of the most telling indicators of this crisis comes from the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), conducted by Pratham—India's largest NGO in the education space. Since 2005, they have surveyed over five lakh students across 15,000 villages in 500 districts annually. The 2018 (pre-COVID) survey revealed some alarming trends. In 2008, 53% of students in Standard V could read a Standard II level text. By 2018, this number had dropped to 44.2%. The situation is grimmer in numeracy: only 22.7% of Standard V students could perform simple division in 2018, down from 34.4% in 2008. Shockingly, even in Standard VII, the success rate for simple division was just 40%. Besides, as per UNICEF findings, over a third of India's children are stunted, resulting in an underdeveloped brain with the inevitable consequence of poor academic performances and reduced earnings. True, we have the best of IITs, NITs and how many from this 115 million can reach there. The prospects of the KVites, JNVites and after some time that of the PM SHRIites may be better; but all these institutes put together have the capacity to groom less than 03 per cent of our total underprivileged students. These numbers are not just statistics—they represent millions of children being left behind. Against this backdrop, it is vital to assess where we stand in terms of our education system, from pre-primary to higher education. Every day, approximately 67,000 children are born in India. In Odisha alone, the daily number is around 2,000. India boasts 14.71 lakh schools with 24.04 crore students enrolled. Odisha accounts for 61,693 schools and over 78 lakh students. Of these, 88.46% of schools are government or government-aided, enrolling more than 67 lakh students (86%). Among these are 66 Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and 31 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), catering to about 68,000 and 15,000 students respectively—barely 1.25% of the total students in government and aided schools. Odisha Adarsh Vidyalayas (OAVs), started as model schools under a central scheme in 2010-11 and later taken over by the state in 2015-16, are now functional in all 314 blocks, enrolling about 1.20 lakh students. These schools aim to deliver holistic education with physical and aesthetic development, though they are still very much a work in progress. The lack of adequate hostel facilities remains a key gap that must be addressed to bring them on par with the JNVs. Yet, these efforts—KVs, JNVs, OAVs—represent steps in the right direction. They extend access to quality education to students in rural and semi-urban areas. The recent initiative to upgrade 450 schools as PM SHRI Schools is another commendable move. These schools are expected to act as mentors and role models for others in their vicinity. However, these targeted interventions also expose the increasing stratification within the school system. Our Constitution views education—especially universal elementary education—as a public good, essential for creating an egalitarian, just, and democratic society. It guarantees free and compulsory education to all children up to the age of 14. The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reinforces this vision, laying emphasis on equitable and inclusive quality education from the foundational stage. Some of the salient features of New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which replaces the NEP 1986 are as under: 'Use of mother tongue or local language upto class 5 and this can be extended upto class 8. A comprehensive framework ranging from elementary education to higher education alongwith vocational training in both rural and urban India. Exams to be held for class 3, 5 & 8 and board exam for class 10 & 12. India's NEP 2020 proposes some noteworthy reforms that have the potential to improve the quality, equity and efficiency of the Indian elementary education. There is increased attention to equitable and quality pre-school education and to making children ready for school by the time they make entry in Grade 1. It also proposes to improve the effectiveness of school governance by creating school clusters. The NEP also proposes changes to process through which teachers will be recruited, trained, upskilled & rewarded. The NEP proposes to use standardised test to measure learning outcome of children in grade 3, 5 & 8. Issues: Access and Environment – Geographical Disparities: Children in remote areas often lack access to nearby schools which results in lower enrolment. Gender Inequality: Societal norms at times disproportionately affect girl students' school attendance. Infrastructure Deficiencies: Many schools, especially the govt run ones lack essential facilities like clean drinking water, functional toilets especially for girls. These factors affect attendance and retention. Shortage of trained teachers: High student-teacher ratios – Over-crowded class room hinder personalized attention and impactful teaching. Schools, especially the govt schools, just do not have adequate number of trained teachers. Untrained/Contractual teachers can never take the space. High Dropout Rates: Socio economic factors; poverty, child labour contribute students leaving schools pre-maturely. Lack of Vocational Training: Secondary education often does not equip students with practical skills needed for employment. With abundant natural resources and a massive coastline, Odisha has emerged as one of the most preferred destinations for investment. Although it is the eighth largest state in the country in terms of area, Odisha is bigger than Bangladesh, Nepal & Greece. Similarly, in terms of population with a total population of approximately 4.50 crore, Odisha is bigger than Canada. Besides, the state has a rich heritage and legacy. But vision must be matched with will and action. If we are to truly reap the demographic dividend, we must invest in our youngest citizens—not selectively, but systemically. It is not enough to create islands of excellence in a sea of mediocrity. We need a robust, inclusive, and accountable public education system that ensures every child gets not just an open road, but an equal start. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Podcast: Land Tawney, America's Great Public Lands Agitator, Is Back and Ready for a Fight
There has been a lot of coverage recently over Republican-led initiatives to transfer federal public lands. There's been even more discussion over DOGE's cuts to federal land management agencies. And while public lands are essentially the life blood of hunting in America, there are few prominent folks in the hunting and conservation community willing to criticize Republicans and the Trump administration directly. Most critter orgs and hunting groups seem to be trying to work with the administration, after all, since many hunters voted for Trump and Republicans for Congress. Most are toeing the line or avoiding making public criticism — or statements of any kind — that they worry will jeopardize political support, federal funding, and more. 'Hunting was on the ballot in this election, and hunters showed up,' stated SCI in a news release, noting that the club 'educated and mobilized a record number of hunters who voted for President Trump because he understands that hunters have made and will continue to make our country great.' But Land Tawney, the former CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers isn't pulling any punches. He and some partners recently launched a new lobbying group called American Hunters and Anglers. It's described as a 'nonpartisan, national network of public land advocates' that has a mission to 'deliver accountability to all elected and unelected policymakers and special interests who threaten our hunting, fishing and outdoor heritage.' Tawney's new group is small and aggressive, which you can see right away from the tone of its social media and newsletter content (one of their newsletters reads 'Nothing more dangerous than giving 'an unelected, zero-experience Elon Musk DOGEbag' keys to the castle.' AHA is meant to put pressure (meaning negative pressure) on the politicians who are pushing anti-public-lands policy, Tawney says. 'There are people like Senator Mike Lee, he believes that we need to sell all public lands, like right now,' Tawney says. 'You're never going to be able to change him … but say a senator from North Dakota or Nebraska who doesn't know the [public lands] issues as well, might be like 'Ok Senator Lee, that makes sense to me' without having much education on the background. And so then you make the stove super hot for [those senators]. They're suddenly getting phone calls and they're hearing from their staff and then they have to look into the [public lands] issue more. Those are the people I think both in the Senate and the House that you can convince to back off [from transferring public lands], or when it comes to election time, it's an issue they have to respond to.' AHA has a modest following now (just over 3,000 followers on Instagram) but it would be a mistake to underestimate Tawney's ability to grow an org. He was Backcountry Hunters & Angler's first full-time employee and helped it grow into the popular national group that it is today. Tawney has been out of the spotlight since he parted with BHA in 2023, but it seems that he's picking up right where he left off, at least in terms of messaging and approach. Read Next: How Seriously Should We Take the Sale of Federal Lands? Very Seriously, Experts Say 'There's many different roles that organizations and individuals can play,' Tawney says. 'There has to be somebody who is more aggressive, holds people accountable, and breaks some eggs so that others can make omelets. At American Hunters and Anglers we don't have any federal contracts to do habitat work on the ground, so there's nothing [this administration] can hold over our heads. We don't have any membership. We don't have any corporate partners. We have individual followers and donors, but we don't have the constraints that some of these other NGOs have… and when we're super aggressive it creates opportunities for others to be a little more aggressive.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Outdoor enthusiasts rally at Arizona Capitol to defend public lands from federal cuts
A sign made by an attendee at a rally in support of public lands at the Arizona Capitol on March 27, 2025. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror Hunters, anglers, birders and more showed up at the Arizona Capitol on Thursday afternoon to rally in support of public lands in the face of a push by President Donald Trump and Arizona GOP lawmakers to fundamentally change how public lands are managed and used. 'We are all on the same footing. There is nothing more democratic than our public lands,' the appropriately named Land Tawney, who co-chairs the Montana-based conservation group American Hunters and Anglers Action Network, said to the gathered crowd. Tawney, a veteran conservation advocate, joined with local organizations to rally support for the use of public lands as the federal agencies that oversee them have been the target of drastic cuts under Trump and Elon Musk. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In February, at least 1,000 park service employees were laid off as the Department of Government Efficiency — the name of Musk's effort to slash federal agencies, though it's not an official government department — ordered the layoffs of tens of thousands of federal workers. The result was Arizona visitor centers having reduced hours, tours of attractions being cancelled, habitat restoration being ceased and much more. 'These places mean something to people because this is where they find their solace,' Tawney said, sharing his experience fishing in the Salt River. Arizona gets a considerable amount of tourism money from its public lands. A 2022 report found that more than 10 million people visited the state's national parks and spent over $1 billion, helping support over 16,000 jobs. Under the administration of President Joe Biden, land near the Grand Canyon was designated as the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. The area, which is sacred to multiple Native American tribes, has also been the subject of intense debate as groups have sought to use it for uranium mining and other uses. A federal judge recently dismissed a lawsuit brought by Arizona GOP lawmakers aiming to remove the designation, though those lawmakers are now betting on Trump to reverse Biden's designation. 'We still try to live the ancient life I was taught when I was young,' Carletta Tilousi, a Havasupai tribal leader who has worked and lived in the Havasupai village at the bottom of the Grand Canyon her whole life, told the crowd. 'The threat of water contamination seems inevitable.' Tilousi, like many of the other speakers at the rally Thursday, brought up the late Congressman Raúl Grijalva, who had introduced legislation multiple times to try to protect areas like the Supai Village and Oak Flats. 'We are in a time where our public lands are going to be attacked,' Tilousi said. 'It is a very scary time right now, but I have faith.' Speakers also stressed that public lands are non-partisan, bringing up the history of Arizona politicians on both sides of the aisle that have supported conservation efforts. Jason Costello, the CEO and founder of Canyon Coolers, said he has been labeled both a 'Trumper' and a 'libtard,' but has been a registered independent and doesn't see the outdoor spaces as a left or right issue. 'Some of the greatest champions of public lands come from across the political spectrum,' Costello said, mentioning Arizona politicians like Barry Goldwater, John McCain and Mo Udall as examples. 'These leaders understood that public lands are not a Republican or Democrat issue, they are an American issue,' he said. Costello also brought up local legislation by Sen. Mark Finchem, R-Prescott, that would make any private sale of land to the federal government require the consent of legislature and governor beforehand, remarking that private land owners can sell their property to oil, gas and anyone else at their leisure. That legislation appears to have stalled in committee and has not moved to the full Senate for consideration. Tawney ended the rally with a call to those in attendance to spend time in their public lands and to get in touch with their elected officials to urge them to protect them. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lorna E.G. ‘June' Carr, Bolton Hill preservationist and tutor, dies
Lorna E.G. 'June' Carr, longtime tutor and Bolton Hill preservationist, died of heart failure Jan. 15 at Symphony Manor in Roland Park. The former longtime Park Avenue resident was 96. 'June was very British and was such a tremendous presence in the neighborhood for years and years, and I think helped start the Bolton Hill Garden Club,' said Lee Tawney, a Bolton Hill neighbor. Dorothy Linthicum has been a friend for more than 40 years. 'She was a very sweet, but a quiet person,' Mrs. Linthicum said.'She was a lovely lady, but very firm.' Lorna Elizabeth Noel June Gibson — who after her marriage was known as June Carr — was born in Taunton, England, to Dr. John Gibson, a dentist, and Norah Gibson, who managed the family home. When she was 7, her father died, and she and her mother moved to Bristol, England, where she graduated from Clifton High School for Girls. As a child during the World War II blitz, she was evacuated with other children to the country, according to a niece, Amanda Stiff, of Sarasota, Florida. She earned a bachelor's degree in physical therapy from the University of Bristol and in the early 1960s was recruited to come to the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she worked for several years as a therapist. In 1964, she married Louis J. 'Lou' Carr, an official of Anderson & Ireland Co., a family-owned Inner Harbor wholesale hardware firm. The couple settled into a home on Park Avenue as the Bolton Hill preservationist movement was getting underway, and restored several properties. When neighbors proposed a vest pocket park on Bolton Street between Dolphin Street and Dolphin Lane, to be named after two African American men who had lived there for decades, Edward William Parago and William Gailes Contee, the city Recreation and Parks declined on the basis that parks weren't named after living people. 'Mrs Carr and others formed the 1200 Block Association and pushed for the park to be named after the two Black men,' Mr. Tawney said. The city finally relented and according to the Bolton Hill Bulletin, the neighborhood association newsletter, it was 'very possibly the first city park to be named after Black Baltimoreans.' 'The park opened in 1971… after the 1968 race riot,' Mr. Tawney said. For more than 40 years, Mrs. Carr helped children learn to read in the Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church tutoring program, and then in her 80s, stopped tutoring and became the program's children's librarian. She was also an active member of the church and served as a bell ringer. She was an avid gardener and a former president of the Bolton Hill Garden Club. 'I first met her one day when I was trimming the roses in the front of my house,' recalled Valerie Olson, a friend and Bolton Hill neighbor. 'She knew so much about gardening and plants and she showed me how to properly trim roses, and I'm still doing it all these years after.' Mrs. Carr was recently recognized for being a 50-year member of the Daughters of the British Empire, a women's service organization for British women who live abroad. 'June was a very orderly regent and did everything by the book and there was never, ever any deviation,' Mrs. Linthicum said She enjoyed playing both tennis and squash at the Bolton Hill Swim Club and Meadow Mill Squash Club, and enjoyed both sports well into her 80s. For the last 2 1/2 years, she had been living at Symphony Manor. A celebration of her life will be held at 11 a.m. May 10 at Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church at 1316 Park Ave. in Baltimore. In addition to Ms. Stiff, she is survived by two nephews, Francis Stiff, of Alexandria, Virginia, and Christopher Gibson, of England, and four more nieces, Tessa Orford, Sarah Senior, Jane Stephens and Susanna McLaughlin, all of England. Have a news tip? Frederick N. Rasmussen at frasmussen@ and 410-332-6536.
