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Daily Archives: June 19, 2012

Trafficking in Persons Report 2012 – Department of State

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2012 Trafficking in Persons Report

  • “The year 2012 will mark the 150th anniversary of the date Abraham Lincoln gave notice of the Emancipation Proclamation. That document and the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, following three years later, represent more than policies written on paper. They represent the promise of freedom. The U.S. Congress subsequently passed laws and federal authorities prosecuted cases in the wake of the Civil War to make clear that this promise of freedom extended to all, from the Hispanic community in the Southwest, to immigrants arriving from Europe, to Chinese workers who built the western railroads, to Native Americans in the Alaska territory. A century and a half later, slavery persists in the United States and around the globe, and many victims’ stories remain sadly similar to those of the past. It is estimated that as many as 27 million men, women, and children around the world are victims of what is now often described with the umbrella term “human trafficking.” The work that remains in combating this crime is the work of fulfilling the promise of freedom—freedom from slavery for those exploited and the freedom for survivors to carry on with their lives. The promise of freedom is not unique to the United States, but has become an international promise through Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Palermo Protocol to the Transnational Organized Crime Convention. The challenge facing all who work to end modern slavery is not just that of punishing traffickers and protecting those who are victimized by this crime, but of putting safeguards in place to ensure the freedom of future generations.”

    • National Security Archive: Top Secret CIA Documents on Osama bin Laden Declassified

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    News release: “The National Security Archive today is posting over 100 recently released CIA documents relating to September 11, Osama bin Laden, and U.S. counterterrorism operations. The newly-declassified records, which the Archive obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, are referred to in footnotes to the 9/11 Commission Report and present an unprecedented public resource… Continue Reading

    Ecological Footprint and Investment in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific

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    Ecological Footprint and Investment in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific, June 2012 The Asia and Pacific region has some of the largest and most diverse ecosystems on earth. The Coral Triangle boasts an astonishing 3,000 species of fish and harbours 76% of the world’s coral species. In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), 1,200… Continue Reading

    Beta version Directory of Open access Books

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    “The primary aim of DOAB is to increase discoverability of Open Access books. Academic publishers are invited to provide metadata of their Open Access books to DOAB. [Currently there are 1098 Academic peer-reviewed books from 27 publishers.] Metadata will be harvestable in order to maximize dissemination, visibility and impact. Aggregators can integrate the records in… Continue Reading

    Report – Applications Made to FISA Court During Calendar Year 2011

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    U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Legislative Affairs, Applications Made to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court During Calendar Year 2011, submitted pursuant to sections 107 and 502 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, as amended, 50 U.S.C. Sec. 1801 et seq., and section 118 of USA PATRIOT Improvement Act and Reauthorization Act of… Continue Reading

    Conserving Bumble Bees. Guidelines for Creating and Managing Habitat for America’s Declining Pollinators

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    “Bumble bees, key pollinators of crops and wildflowers across the country and essential for a healthy environment, are declining at an alarming rate. Bee biologists discovered that several previously common species are now absent from much of their former territory. Creating, protecting and restoring habitat is a very important way to conserve the populations of… Continue Reading

    Tracking Radiation Exposure from Medical Diagnostic Procedures: Workshop Reports

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    “The growing use of medical diagnostic procedures is correlated with tremendous and undeniable benefits in the care of most patients. However, it is accompanied by growing concerns about the risks associated with diagnostic computed tomography and other procedures that utilize ionizing radiation. A number of initiatives in radiation safety in medicine have taken place in… Continue Reading