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Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Sex and the City icon shares that her son has gone on hunger strike
Seph Mozes, the 28-year-old son of Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon, is taking part in a hunger strike in solidarity with Palestine to call for an end to the US arming of Israel Seph Mozes, son of Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon, is on a hunger strike in solidarity with Palestine. Mozes, who is Jewish, is taking part in the strike as part of his advocacy with Jewish Voices For Peace (JVP), which is calling for an end to America's arming of Israel. Nixon, who is a prominent activist, describes her 28-year-old son as "a quite observant Jew" who is "very steeped in Jewish Voices for Peace," before sharing that he "doesn't have illusions that he's going to end the war, but I think he wants to do everything he can". JVP describes itself as the "world's largest Jewish organisation standing in solidarity with Palestine" and currently has over 765,403 members. Writing on its website, the grassroots organisation states: "We envision a world where all people - from the U.S. to Palestine - live in freedom, justice, equality, and dignity. Like generations of Jewish leftists before us, we fight for the liberation of all people." During a discussion on Wednesday at Newsweek's Manhattan office, Nixon, who is not Jewish herself, shared that her son was partially inspired to support Palestine because his paternal grandparents are Holocaust survivors. The actress and activist, best known for playing Miranda Hobbes in Sex and the City and its reboot And Just Like That, revealed: "He and five other of his compatriots are doing a hunger strike in Chicago [since] Monday, for Gaza. 'Stop starving Gaza, stop arming Israel'." Nixon, 59, described her son as "a smart person with his ear to the ground" and added: "His grandparents were Holocaust survivors, and he just feels like he can't stand by and not do everything he can." The actress went on a hunger strike herself in November 2023 as she called on Joe Biden, the US President at the time, to support a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. Addressing a crowd outside the White House, Nixon said at the time: "As the mother of Jewish children whose grandparents are Holocaust survivors, I have been asked by my son to use any voice I have to affirm as loudly as possible that 'never again' means 'never again for everyone.'" "In seven weeks, Israel has killed more civilians on a tiny strip of land than was killed in 20 years of war in the entire country of Afghanistan. "I am sick and tired of people explaining away by saying that civilian casualties are a routine toll of war. There is nothing routine about these figures. There is nothing routine about these deaths." Nixon made a heartfelt plea to Biden, suggesting that his own personal tragedies should make him more empathetic towards the Palestinian death toll. "I would like to make a personal plea to a president who has, himself, experienced such devastating personal loss, to connect with that empathy for which he is so well known and to look at the children of Gaza and imagine that they were his children," she implored.
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
NPSC's 52nd Annual Conference sheds light on conflict management & peace education in schools, check details
The National Progressive Schools Conference, NPSC, conducted the 52nd annual conference on April 25 and 26, 2025, that brought together as many as 250 CBSE-affiliated Senior Secondary Schools to address critical themes of conflict resolution and peacebuilding in education. The two-day event commenced with a school choir performance by Summer Fields School, Gurugram, followed by a welcome address by Asha Prabhakar, Chairperson, NPSC & Principal, Bal Bharati Public School, Noida. In her address, she emphasised the urgency of fostering peace-centric education. Also read: Age no bar: At 84, scientist earns MBA degree from IIM; next step PhD Chief Guest Padma Shri Shobhana Bhartia, Chairperson and Editorial Director of HT Media, underscored the media's role in shaping equitable educational narratives. The inaugural address was delivered by Prof. Edward Vickers, UNESCO Chair for Education for Peace, Kyushu University, who highlighted the global frameworks for integrating social justice into curricula. Keynote speaker Ambassador Shashi Uban Tripathi (IFS Retd.), in his address, linked diplomatic conflict-resolution strategies to school ecosystems. Also read: NEET-UG on May 4: How MoE is trying to ensure there are no lapses during exams, check details The Annual Report was presented by Mallika Preman, Secretary, NPSC & Principal, Tagore International School, Delhi, outlining the major achievements of NPSC, a press statement informed. The event also featured the release of the NPSC publication, a significant step toward advancing educational discourse and collaborative learning. During the event, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Chairperson & Executive Director, Education, Innovations and Training, DLF Foundation Schools and Scholarship Programmes. Also read: CBSE crackdown on institutions allowing dummy candidates a wake up call for Bihar students, parents Notably, the conference consisted of several intriguing sessions on both days. For instance on Day 1, the first session revolved around 'Conflict Resolution in Focus' wherein insights where shared on understanding conflicts in schools - causes, culture and leadership roles. The panel included Dr Payal Kumar, Principal Academic Advisor, ISH, XLRI, Global L& D Advisor & Award winning Author, Dr Kavita Sharma, Ex- Principal, Hindu College, Delhi University, Dr Amit Sen, Child Psychiatrist and Prof. Edward Vickers, UNESCO Chair for Education for Peace, Kyushu University, Moderator Dr Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Chairperson & Executive Director, education, Innovations and Training, DLF Foundation Schools and Scholarship programmes who analysed cultural, leadership and psychosocial drivers of disputes and underscored the need for collaborative strategies to prioritise student well-being and leverage policy frameworks for sustainable educational growth. Also read: JEE Advanced 2025: IIT Kanpur launches portal to submit registration-related issues, direct link here Session 2 focused on 'Peaceful Schools for National Prosperity' - the panel included Padma Shri Geetha Chandran (Bharatanatyam icon), Sohail Hashmi, Historian, Social activist, Film- Maker & Heritage Conservationist, Padma Shri Prathibha Prahlad, Educator, Choreographer & Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee, Prerna Bhambri, Indian Former Tennis Player, Moderator Latika Gupta, CIE, Delhi. The experts advocated aligning co-curricular activities with peace education. Likewise, the theme of Session 3 was 'Masterclass on Effective Communication for Conflict Resolution: Mastering 'Active Listening' to 'Deep Listening''. During this session, Sudarshan Rodrigues (RTL Works) in conversation with Dr Annie Koshi, Principal, St Mary's School trained attendees in 'deep listening' techniques, the press release added. On the second day, the audience was enthralled by an interactive performance by ventriloquist Santhosh, a TEDx Speaker and Voice Coach, whose engaging act seamlessly combined storytelling, humour and valuable insights into effective communication- an essential tool for conflict resolution. The Induction of New Members and Felicitation of State and National Awardees, where distinguished educators were recognised for their dedication to fostering innovative educational practices, was also conducted on the second day. Additionally, the remaining sessions were conducted on Day 2. On Session 4, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Member, Rajya Sabha & BJP National Spokesperson, delivered a compelling address on policy framework for technology integration in education. He focused digital infrastructure and skilling initiatives, emphasising the need for future-ready academic environments that integrate digital literacy and technological advancement into conflict resolution strategies. Similarly, Session 5 was themed 'Expert Dialogue: Conflict in the Cybersphere: Exploring the inter section of technology and Peacebuilding'. Cyber law specialist Pawan Duggal, Bhaskar Basu, Director at Microsoft, and Hemant Tiwari IPS- DCP- IFSO/Cyber Crime, in dialogue with Ashok Pandey, Innovator, Classroom Practitioner and an influential education Leader discussed cyber conflicts. The session examined the regulatory challenges, ethical AI practices and the role of technological policies in safeguarding digital spaces within educational institutions. In Session 6, the theme was "Voices from the Bard: Memory, Meaning and Metaphor." Dr Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Chairperson & Executive Director, Education, Innovations and Training, DLF Foundation Schools and Scholarship programmes led an interactive role-playing exercise on Shakespearean themes, fostering critical thinking and empathy in conflict resolution. Session 7 was 'Student-Teacher Collaboration & Policy Insights', wherein, Principal of Hyderabad Public School, Skand Bali, Dr Ruchi Seth, Principal, Lotus Valley International School, Noida, Parveen Quaiser, Principal, Sunbeam Lahartara, Varanasi and Ajay Singh, Principal, The Scindia School engaged in a discussion with student ambassadors from Modern Barakhamba, Lotus Valley International School and Sunbeam Lahartara, Varanasi on classroom conflict resolution strategies, emphasising collaborative learning and empathetic leadership. The panel was moderated by Dr Anuradha Joshi, Principal, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya. Chief Guest Rahul Singh, chairman of CBSE, highlighted the curriculum reforms for digital citizenship, ensuring that schools remain at the forefront of ethical tech practices and student-centered education. M J Akbar, Indian Author, Journalist and former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha spoke on the role of literature and history in fostering empathy and critical thinking. His reflections underscored the need for integrating literature into conflict resolution methodologies, ensuring that students cultivate both emotional intelligence and analytical depth. Session 8 on 'Ekam Sat', commenced with a conversation between Malini Narayanan, Ex Principal, Army Public School Shankar Vihar and Prathibha Prahlad. The power of cultural expression took center stage with a stirring presentation of 'Ekam Sat', performed by Padma Shri Prathibha Prahlad's group. Through dance, music, and dramatic storytelling, the performance beautifully emphasised unity in diversity, reinforcing the significance of cultural heritage in fostering peace and understanding within school communities.
Jordan Times
17-03-2025
- Business
- Jordan Times
What investment and freedom would have meant for Gaza
When I first heard President Donald Trump's 'Gaza Riviera' scheme, it brought back memories of Palestinian hopes three decades ago during the heyday of the Oslo Accords. Back then, I was serving as co-chair of 'Builders for Peace,' a project launched by Vice President Al Gore to encourage American businesses to invest in the Palestinian economy to support the fledgling peace process. My fellow co-chair, Mel Levine, and I led a number of delegations of American business leaders (including Arab Americans and American Jews) to the Palestinian lands. Our first exposure to the problems we would encounter came as we attempted to enter via the Allenby Bridge from Jordan. American Jews and others passed easily, while Arab Americans were separated from the group and forced to undergo humiliating screening. We convened a session in Jerusalem for Palestinians to meet with Americans interested in investment opportunities, but to enter the city Palestinians had to secure a pass from the occupation authority. The passes only permitted them a few hours in the city, limiting the time they could devote to our discussions. Entry into and exit from Gaza was equally problematic. One deeply disturbing scene on leaving Gaza has stayed with me. Hundreds of Palestinian men filled what I can only describe as cattle chutes, waiting in the sun for permission to enter into Israel. Straddling these chutes were young Israeli soldiers shouting at the Palestinians below to look down and hold their passes above their heads. Our meetings with Palestinian business leaders in Gaza and the West Bank were hopeful. They were eager to discuss possibilities with their American counterparts, and the Americans were impressed. A number of partnerships were discussed. Two projects were notable: one to manufacture leather products, another to assemble furniture. Both sought to take advantage of Gaza's proximity to Eastern Europe for export. As both projects required that Israel permit import of raw material and export of finished products, both failed. It appeared that Israel might have been willing to entertain such projects, but only if they operated through an Israeli middleman, thereby reducing the ventures' profitability. After a few frustrating years, I saw President Bill Clinton who asked how the project was developing. I told him about the Israeli impediments on investment in independent Palestinian economic growth. Troubled, he asked that I write him a detailed memo. In it, I outlined our specific problems and my complaint that his peace team was not taking these challenges seriously, insisting that any US challenge to the Israelis would impede efforts to promote peace negotiations. I told the president that since Oslo: Palestinian unemployment had doubled, poverty had risen, and Palestinians hope for peace was evaporating. To my dismay, the response I received from the White House appeared to have been drafted by his peace team, and was no response at all. At the end of Clinton's first term Builders for Peace was disbanded along with hopes for Palestinian independent economic growth. Over the next decade, absent any US pressure on Israel to change its behavior, negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians continued to falter, Palestinians became poorer, Israelis became more emboldened and oppressive, and Palestinian attitudes hardened, leading to renewed violence. One of the more optimistic projects BfP endorsed was a proposal by a Virginia-based Palestinian American company to build a Marriott resort on the Gaza beachfront. After securing initial investment and beginning construction, they sought risk insurance from OPIC, the US agency created to guarantee investment against risk. The project was endorsed by then Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown, a champion of our BfP, and supported by PLO head, Yasser Arafat, who both saw the resort hotel as laying the foundation for the future economic growth of a Palestinian state. Yasser Arafat, speaking of Gaza's future, would say that with investment and freedom from occupation it could become Singapore; if denied both, it could become Somalia. Israel did everything it could to guarantee that Gaza would become Somalia—and they appear to have succeeded. Against this backdrop, Trump's insulting plan to build an American-owned Gaza Riviera was painful to hear. It reminded me of what might have been, but, three decades later, is being discussed without benefiting any Palestinians from its development. The writer is president of the Washington-based Arab American Institute
USA Today
09-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Without USAID's Food for Peace, Kansas grain elevators have no market for sorghum
Without USAID's Food for Peace, Kansas grain elevators have no market for sorghum Show Caption Hide Caption Protest outside USAID offices after Elon Musk vows to shut agency down Protesters gathered outside the USAID building in Washington, D.C., after Donald Trump and Elon Musk vowed to shut the agency down. The U.S. Agency for International Development has been shut down by President Trump and Elon Musk. Food for Peace, a program under USAID that used American agricultural surpluses for foreign aid, has been shuttered. Kansas farmers, the leading producers of sorghum often purchased for the Food for Peace program, are left with a surplus and no buyer. The shutdown has raised concerns about the potential loss of export markets and the impact on global food security. Kansas farmers and grain elevators could be left without a market for last year's sorghum crop after President Donald Trump dismantled a federal foreign aid program. Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. It housed Food for Peace, which used America's agricultural surpluses to fight world hunger, expand international trade and advance foreign diplomacy. Shutting down the food aid program could adversely affect the Kansas agriculture industry, which has an overabundance of sorghum, also known as milo. "Right now, there's no export market for it, and there's no domestic market," said Kim Barnes, the chief financial officer of the Pawnee County co-op in Larned. Part of his job is purchasing and selling grain, like the sorghum taking up much of the space in the co-op's grain elevators. Sometimes, that has meant selling to Food for Peace when there are calls for contracts. "We were hoping there'd be another one with as much milo as we have," Barnes said. Food for Peace used to buy grain from Kansas Food for Peace, also known as Public Law 480, is a 70-year-old foreign aid program with a Kansas legacy. It was inspired by a Kansas farmer, signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and later championed by U.S. Sen. Bob Dole. Barnes said taxpayer dollars pay the American agriculture industry for the food that is used in foreign aid. The way the USAID program has worked is the government, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sends out a call for contract. "I've gotten these contract proposals for many years," Barnes said. "They tell you what they're looking to buy and the destination and how much they're looking to buy." Sometimes, they sell to brokers. Other times, directly to an export house, and they then make the contract with the government. From there, the grain is loaded on a ship and sent overseas. If the government doesn't buy the sorghum to use as food aid, grain elevators and others in the industry could find themselves stuck with last year's harvest filling up space — and potentially costing them storage interest — heading into this year's growing season. "It won't go bad — we know how to maintain grain — but storage space is going to get tight," Barnes said. Sorghum grain stocks are higher than a year ago Sorghum is a popular crop in western Kansas. Because it requires less water to produce, it has been championed as part of the response to the ongoing depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer. While Kansas may be better known for wheat and sunflowers, it is the nation's leading producer of sorghum. The USDA reports that Kansas produces 57% of the country's sorghum. Meanwhile, the U.S. is the world leader with 14% of global sorghum production. Being the nation's leading producer also means Kansas has more sorghum stocks than the rest of the country. The latest USDA grain stock data shows that as of Dec. 1, Kansas had 151 million bushels of sorghum held at mills, elevators, warehouses, terminals and processors. The nationwide total was 210 million bushels. The state figure is 26 million bushels — or 21% — higher than the same date a year before. "The market is just not there to sell it," Barnes said. "We've been buying milo from our producers all along. We have a tremendous company-owned position at this point, just nobody on the other side to sell it to. And it's just not country elevators, it's terminals, it's everybody, because there's just no market in the world today for milo." The Pawnee County co-op's grain elevator has a storage capacity of 6 million bushels, Barnes said. About 2.5 to 3 million of that is currently full, and the majority of that is sorghum. Compared to this time in past years, grain storage is typically around 2 to 2.5 million, with sorghum accounting for a smaller share. "This is just a milo issue," he said. "Because corn, soybeans and wheat are finding homes domestically and export." In the United States, sorghum is primarily used for ethanol or livestock feed. Human consumption is more common internationally. Top export destinations include China, Mexico and Africa. "If we can't get a chance to move this milo, the basis on milo is just going to deteriorate farther as we get into the future months," Barnes said. "Because if there's no place to go with it, we can't buy something that we can't get fair value on the other side." More: Will Kansas State lose $50 million in USAID funding for agriculture research? Donald Trump and Elon Musk shut down USAID Trump has alleged corruption at USAID, saying, "It's been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we're getting them out." The president reiterated his point in an all-caps post Friday morning on Truth Social. "USAID IS DRIVING THE RADICAL LEFT CRAZY, AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE WAY IN WHICH THE MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT, SO MUCH OF IT FRAUDULENTLY, IS TOTALLY UNEXPLAINABLE," Trump wrote. "THE CORRUPTION IS AT LEVELS RARELY SEEN BEFORE. CLOSE IT DOWN!" Musk, who lead's Trump's informal Department of Government Efficiency, has said USAID is "beyond repair" and that it is "time for it to die." He called it "evil" and a "criminal organization." After shutting down the agency, he said, "We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper." When asked about the future of Food for Peace, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, alleged waste, fraud and abuse at USAID. "It's something that I want to be part of, but I want it to be efficient, and I don't want the thugs stealing the food and stealing the money as well," Marshall said in response to a question from The Capital-Journal while in Topeka on Feb. 3. "So I think there's a right way to do it; there's a wrong way to do it. I think it's very good to take a pause on all of our money that we're sending outside of this country." Barnes, who is 70 years old and has worked at the Pawnee County co-op for 51 years, said he has not seen financial impropriety on the grain side of foreign aid. "I know the discussion was that there was a lot of potential mismanagement of funds," he said. "I don't know that over the whole system, but I know when the award was made, I'm able to see what they get, price per metric ton. I can convert that back to bushel price. I know the freight between here and that foreign country. And I've not seen where a company selling that grain isn't getting above and beyond normal margin." More: Are Trump and Musk ending a Kansas legacy by shuttering USAID's Food for Peace? Could Food for Peace be kept alive? Barnes said putting back in place Food for Peace would help the industry. But he doesn't know whether to expect future calls for contracts or if the program is permanently gone. "It's unclear today what's going to happen," he said. Nearly all USAID employees have been placed on administrative leave. There appears to be no way to contact what, if anything, remains of the agency. Kansas Sorghum Producers CEO Adam York said in a statement to The Capital-Journal that sorghum is a critical crop for national and global food security. "Throughout changes in administrations, U.S. sorghum farmers have worked to have a seat at the table in international food aid programs housed across many agencies, including over the past several years with officials at State Department," York said. "As the Administration sees reorganization, we absolutely urge the Administration and Congress to prioritize American agriculture going forward as a solution to challenges in both international and domestic policy." Barnes said he has been in communication with U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran's office. "U.S. food aid feeds the hungry, bolsters our national security & provides an important market for our farmers, especially when commodity prices are low," said Moran, R-Kansas, in a Friday afternoon post on X. "I've spoken to USDA & the White House about the importance of resuming the procurement, shipping & distribution of American-grown food." Secretary of State Marco Rubio is now as acting administrator of USAID. The U.S. State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon on if and when USAID's Food for Peace will resume buying Kansas sorghum. Speaking to reporters in the past week while in Latin America, Rubio said he would have preferred an approach that identified which ones to keep and which ones to end. But he said that USAID staff were uncooperative, so the administration went a different route. "The goal of our endeavor has always been to identify programs that work and continue them and to identify programs that are not aligned with our national interest and identify those and address them," Rubio told reporters in on Thursday in the Dominican Republic. "We are going to do foreign aid," he added. "The United States will be providing foreign aid, but it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest." More: Without USAID funding, Kansans who help children with disabilities lose jobs Jerry Moran talks in Congress about foreign food aid In a Wednesday hearing of the U.S. Senate's agriculture committee, Moran emphasized the importance of agricultural export markets, "because we produce more than we can consume." Moran raised concerns that "what we believe to be true is that $560 million worth of food commodities is sitting in ports awaiting the ability to be moved to places where people are starving." The senator said "while there is certainly a moral component to food aid," there is also "a value to farmers" and bettering their economics. He recalled, during the first Trump administration, visiting Kensington where sorghum "piled on the ground was as high as the elevator." "Any food aid helps in that economic picture for farmers," said Zippy Duvall, a Georgia farmer who is president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "It is important to realize that we support efficiencies. We want it done in an efficient way and not be wasteful. But we also got to think about the stability of our world." National Farmers Union president Rob Larew, who is a West Virginia farmer, said that in addition to the humanitarian aspects of food aid, it can help bring market stability. "And particularly now, with a lot of pressure on all of those commodities, some of those commodities are at risk — should there be major disruptions here — to falling even further," Larew said. 'The breadbasket of the world' Barnes, with the co-op in Pawnee County, echoed the thoughts shared in Congress. "My concern is these will be potential markets that we'll lose, and people will go hungry," Barnes said. "They'll look for other sources, and will those other sources not be what we need for safety? We also need to take care of those in need." Barnes said that foreign food aid opens the opportunity for long-term benefit in exports. "In other words," he said, "taking that development of that country, getting them on their feet, helping them to be better economics in their countries, with the idea that we help you today, get you back on your feet, and you could be a purchaser down the road." "The farming community," he added, "believes in raising the crop and providing things for the world and for other people to be able to prosper themselves. We've been the breadbasket of the world for years, and that hasn't changed." Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@ Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.
