June 2021 – Gicarg

Buenos Aires Hours | Nearly 200 more anonymous graves found at Indigenous school in Canada and churches set on fire

by Erica Gill on June 30, 2021

Another 182 anonymous graves were discovered at a third former Indigenous residential school in Canada as two Catholic churches caught fire on Wednesday, anger mounting over the escalating abuse scandal.

The Lower Kootenay Band said experts using ground penetrating radar mapping located what are believed to be the remains of students aged seven to 15 at the former St Eugene Mission School near Cranbrook , in British Columbia.

Some of the graves are as shallow as 1 to 1.2 meters, he said. These are believed to be the remains of band members from the Ktunaxa Nation, which includes the Lower Kootenay, and neighboring Indigenous communities.

The Catholic Church operated the school on behalf of the federal government from 1912 until the early 1970s.

This grim development follows the discovery of the remains of 215 children in anonymous graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia in May and another 751 anonymous graves at another school in Marieval, SK last week. .

During a press conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said these “horrific discoveries” have forced Canadians “to reflect on the historical and current injustices that indigenous peoples have faced.”

He urged everyone to participate in reconciliation, while denouncing vandalism and arson of churches across the country.

“The destruction of places of worship is not acceptable, and it must stop,” he said. “We must work together to right the wrongs of the past. Everyone has a role to play.”

Early in the morning, two churches caught fire amid growing calls for a papal apology for abuse at Canada’s residential schools.

Police say the fires at Morinville Church north of Edmonton, Alta., And St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church in the Sipekne’katik First Nation near Halifax, Nova Scotia are the subject of fire. investigated as a possible arson.

“We are investigating as a suspect,” Royal Canadian Mounted Police Corporal Sheldon Robb told AFP, speaking of the fire that ravaged the Morinville church.

Corporal Chris Marshall of the Nova Scotia RCMP said the same about the fire that severely damaged St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church.

The fires have brought to eight the number of churches across Canada destroyed or damaged by suspicious fires, most in Indigenous communities, in recent days.

Several others were vandalized, especially with red paint.

“Cultural genocide”

No direct link has been officially established between the burning of the church and the discovery of the anonymous graves.

But speculation is rampant, amid intense anger and sadness sparked by the funeral finds.

“We absolutely recognize the profound effect the unmarked tomb finds have had on First Nations people, and investigators will keep that in mind,” Marshall said.

The damaged churches were built a century ago, coinciding with the opening of 139 residential schools set up to assimilate Indigenous peoples into the Canadian mainstream.

Until the 1990s, some 150,000 Indian, Inuit and Métis youth were forcibly enrolled in schools, where students were physically and sexually assaulted by principals and teachers who stripped them of their culture and language.

More than 4,000 have died of illness and neglect in schools, according to a commission of inquiry which concluded that Canada had committed “cultural genocide.”

Trudeau last Friday apologized for “harmful government policies” and joined a chorus of appeals from Indigenous leaders to Pope Francis to do the same for the abuse in schools.

The flag atop Parliament has been lowered to commemorate the deaths of the students and will remain at half mast for Canada’s National Day on July 1, he said on Wednesday.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde said that “every site (grave) needs to be properly investigated. Further searches for burial sites have been launched or are planned.

He also renewed his appeals to the Pope to apologize on Canadian soil directly to former students, called residential school survivors in Canada.

Their experiences, he said, caused “an intergenerational trauma that is felt to this day.”

He added that it was important that the Pope “speak directly to survivors here” in order to create “healing and reconciliation”.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), which represents 74 tribes in Saskatchewan, noted that the church has yet to deliver on its pledge to provide C $ 25 million (US $ 20 million) in compensation to former students. .

So far, the church has collected and donated a paltry sum of C $ 34,650, she said in a statement.

“It is shameful that Catholics are raising millions to build multiple multi-million dollar cathedrals and only raising $ 34,650 or $ 0.30 per survivor,” FSIN said in a statement.

– AFP, Michel Comte

Gap year programs

Three decades of an advocate for inclusion in UChicago student mentoring

by Erica Gill on June 30, 2021

Editor’s Note: This story is part of “Meet a UChicagoan,” a regular series focused on the people who make UCicago a distinct intellectual community. Read about the others here.

In 1987, Kathy Forde met his future wife at a comedy show in the suburb of DeKalb, Illinois. Their relationship history was typical in many ways: they dated, they had a house and dogs together, and they got married.

Yet when she was an academic advisor for the University of Chicago in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Forde realized her experience resonated with LGBTQ students in ways she didn’t. planned – as a valuable glimpse into what life might be like after graduation. for college undergraduates.

“My wife Yvonne and I used to say, ‘We’re the most boring people around,’ said Forde, Senior Associate Dean of Students and Director of Academic Council at the College. “We’re part of our community and we go to work, but we’re not doing anything super exciting. But oddly, that’s what the students mostly wanted to hear.

Twenty years ago, Forde launched what is now called the LGBTQ Student Life Office Mentorship Program at UChicago, matching LGBTQ students with LGBTQ teachers through regular one-on-one meetings and group outings, and connecting students with valuable tips and resources.

Diana Doty, AB’02, was one of the program’s first student mentees. Originally from a rural town with no other queer adults in her life, she graduated in 2000 as a third-year student. What drew her to mentoring, she said, was simply having someone she could be “all of herself” with.

“My experience in the program was charming, warm and so remarkably important to me, but also so surprisingly mundane,” she said. “Most of the time my mentor and I would have coffee every two weeks and get to know each other. What I learned was the lesson I needed the most: Gay adults can build a life of love and joy. It sounds so simple, but it changed my life.

Doty continued to work as an Activity Resource Coordinator with the Center for Leadership and Involvement until 2006 and served as a mentor in the “pay it forward” program.

The program is still going strong today and is one of the many ways Forde has had a significant impact on the UChicago community during his three decades at university. Other accomplishments include helping establish the Center for Diversity + Inclusion and earning accolades for his leadership in diversity and his work with academic-athletes.

In her current role, Forde works with a team of academic advisors and deans who provide support to undergraduate students. But ask her all she’s accomplished, and she hastens to give her colleagues the bulk of the credit. The people of UCicago and their willingness to support students at every opportunity, said Forde, are the reasons she has been here for so long.

“In our office there is a certain level of trust,” she said. “There is this knowledge that we all really want the best for students, and we are all working together in different ways to make it happen.”

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Spanish argentina

First assessment of southern hemisphere lemon exports this season

by Erica Gill on June 30, 2021

By TopInfo

By week 23, a total of over 289,000 metric tonnes (MT) had been shipped to destinations. Globally, this is 37,000 tonnes less year-on-year, a drop of 11%. However, not all countries in the southern hemisphere have acted in the same way.

Argentina: More lemons in the United States

Argentina started their season in mid-March, but with a slower starting shipping rate than last year. To date, the country has shipped 69,000 tonnes less year over year. But the most notable thing this season is the change of its destinations. Last year, Western Europe took the top spot with 60% of shipments and the United States, 6%. This season, Europe occupies 21 percent, while the United States has 40 percent.

Chile: More Japan and less Korea

Chile started their season in the second week of May, which is the usual date for the country. Her initial shipping rate was pretty normal for three weeks and then increased dramatically. At present, it has shipped almost 4,000 tonnes more year over year. It should be noted that a higher initial volume goes to Japan and China while a lower volume goes to the United States and South Korea.

South Africa: Less lemon in the Middle East and more in Russia

South Africa started its campaign at the end of January, which is normal, but it was not until mid-April that it significantly increased its shipping rate. To date, it has shipped around 27,000 tonnes more year over year. The changes in the proportion of its destinations do not appear to be significant. Compared to last year, the Middle East decreased slightly, and Eastern Europe (Russia) increased almost proportionately.

Uruguay: More lemons in Europe

Uruguay usually start their season from late May to early June and this year there have been no exceptions. More volume has been exported year by year and the proportion of its shipments to Western Europe has increased, to the detriment of the United States as a destination.

Markets and prices

United States: There is a large supply of lemons from the southern hemisphere, however, there is less lemon locally and from Mexico. In addition, there is a boom in demand due to the reopening of the restaurant business which was closed last year and favors medium and small sizes. In general, prices remain high and rising.

Europe: The situation is complicated due to the increase in the production of Spanish lemon which has a large supply of good size and good quality. Normally, the Spanish lemon does not see the quality and sizes demanded by the market. For now, however, there is growing interest in southern lemons to cater to the most discerning customers.

Russia: The season started with low prices due to large arrivals from South Africa, which this year is more present than others. Thanks to the drop in Argentinian shipments, the market has recovered slightly and prices are currently average compared to the last two years.

Avoid market saturation

The last word, however, will be the weekly rate of shipments and arrivals. Any optimistic forecasts or estimates are useless if the weekly rhythm of arrivals is excessively altered, saturating the markets. Particular attention should be paid to arrivals planned for July in the USA

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Spanish schools

How to Choose a Method to Learn Spanish by Ryan Pell from Preply | Sponsored

by Erica Gill on June 30, 2021

Ryan Pell is an avid blogger and writer who enjoys sharing his thoughts on useful educational practices. Currently, he works at Preply, the platform where anyone can start learning a foreign language quickly and at any time.

Preply is an online service that connects tutors and students for affordable rates with flexible hours. On Preply, you can choose from over 49,000 online tutors using filters to find the best fit, take lessons anytime, and participate in structured lesson plans on the own virtual learning platform. by Preply. Over 100,000 students join Preply every month, so be sure to check it out soon.

Read Ryan’s tips below and find out how Preply can help you learn Spanish in the most effective way.

By Ryan Pell

To study any subject, a systematic approach will help much more than a dispersed approach, and this is especially true for foreign languages. Currently, there is a wide variety of ways to learn, but the four standard methods are:

1. The communicative method

2. The grammatically oriented method

3. The mixed method

4. The immersion method

Knowing the four basic techniques for learning Spanish, and knowing where they succeed and where they fail, will help you navigate the overall landscape of how to learn the language.

The grammatically oriented method

This traditional teaching method originated at the end of the 18th century, and in the middle of the 20th century, it was finally formalized and received the name of grammar-translation method. This method was considered the only acceptable approach until the late 1950s. It mainly involved reading and translating as scholars had adapted it from the traditional method of studying Latin. The texts used were often irrelevant or even interesting. This academic approach has tended to turn into a tense jam of rules while neglecting their practical application.

In summary, the grammatically oriented learning method aims to facilitate mastery of grammar and memorization of as much vocabulary as possible. Although this technique provides a solid theoretical knowledge of grammar, it contains obvious flaws. Students who have used this approach to study the language cannot even remember essential Spanish words and phrases for beginners.

The communicative method

The method of communication, formally born in the 1960s, aims to promote pupils’ communicative competence, that is to say the ability to apply a foreign language to convey a specific situation. The student must find the necessary expressions in the other language to adequately reflect the speaking situation. The method works best when you meet a Spanish tutor. With a tutor, conversations may appear that take you just outside your linguistic comfort zone and push you to string together the words you know into an actual conversation. Preply is the perfect place to practice this method because you can sign up and find the perfect tutor right away.

Additionally, in this method, students must learn to navigate a variety of different speech styles and texts. Today, most language schools teach by the communicative method, encouraging students to develop the ability and confidence to freely express their thoughts in Spanish. Textbooks compiled using this method usually contain unsuitable texts, few translation exercises, and many hands-on tasks, often accompanied by additional audiovisual material such as drawings, photographs, slides and video clips.

The mixed method

Since each method of language learning has advantages and disadvantages, some students opt for a combined approach. Full mastery of the Spanish language requires strong oral and grammar skills, so it makes sense to teach both simultaneously.

The immersion method

You can also learn Spanish well by living in a Spanish speaking country and constantly chatting with local residents. Being immersed in a Spanish language environment will undoubtedly help you overcome the psychological barrier to speaking. Immersion allows speakers to express their thoughts quickly without worry, but can carry the risk of being more prone to making mistakes such as using incorrect verb forms or articles, as they lack formal language training. .

Conclusion

There is no ideal and perfect universal methodology in modern linguistics. Modern teaching methods that rely on multimedia tools can turn the learning process into an exciting game and help learners absorb material faster. However, even while using such useful software, you still have to work hard. Learning languages is a long-term process, and if you are serious about being successful, only continued effort will pay off in the end.

The Crimson’s news and opinion teams – including editors, editors, photographers and designers – were not involved in the production of this article.

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Buenos aires

Karate-After a long battle, karate gets a long-awaited chance on the biggest stage

by Erica Gill on June 30, 2021

Spanish karate kata athlete Sandra Sanchez, current world and European champion, strikes a pose during a training session in Madrid as she prepares for the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, where karate will be Olympic sport for the first time on March 3, 2021. Photo taken on March 3, 2021. REUTERS / Sergio Perez / File photo

TOKYO, June 30 (Reuters) – Karate has fought a long, hard battle to earn its place as an Olympic sport.

Despite its 100 million practitioners worldwide, a solid place in popular culture and a rich history that some say dates back to the 15th century, the application of Japanese martial art to join the Olympics had been rejected three times. , including, initially, for Tokyo. 2020.

It was only through the provision of the “Olympic Agenda 2020” reform project adopted in 2014 that the hosts of the Games were allowed to offer a number of sports and karate was given a second chance.

Under pressure from then-cabinet secretary and current Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, karate officially won its place two years later to join other Asian martial arts judo and taekwondo on the big stage in Tokyo.

Unfortunately for the Japanese Karate Federation, entry into the Olympic realm also revealed the widespread intimidation of one of its main athletes by a senior federation member in a scandal that sent shock waves through the world of local karate.

Just four months from karate’s debut at the Games, Japan Karate Federation (JKF) technical director Masao Kagawa was forced to resign when karateka Ayumi Uekusa denounced – via the Olympic Games hotline – his abuse and his unauthorized use of a bamboo stick during training which caused serious eye injury.

The federation quickly fired Kagawa as the head of the sport’s “Player Strengthening Committee” and replaced her with former popular karate champion Rika Usami, known as “the queen of kata”.

With the scandal behind it, karate will look to Tokyo 2020 to demonstrate why it deserves to be a grassroots Olympic sport.

Karate has been ruled out for Paris 2024, but it will have a place in the postponed Youth Olympics to Dakar 2026 after its debut at the 2018 youth event in Buenos Aires.

In the “kata” category, in which athletes demonstrate offensive and defensive techniques against a virtual opponent, Japan’s Ryo Kiyuna is the favorite to win what would be the first gold medal for his hometown of Okinawa, the birthplace of karate. .

For women’s kata, close competition is expected between Spanish world champion Sandra Sanchez and Japanese Kiyou Shimizu after their memorable tie-breaking match at the sport’s flagship event in 2019.

The “kumite” training category will involve 60 athletes in three weight categories each for men and women, with Frenchman Steve Dacosta, Azerbaijani Rafael Aghayev, Chinese Xiaoyan Yin and Turkish player Serap Ozcelik Arapoglu among those to watch. .

Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim, editing by Ed Osmond

Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Spanish argentina

Today’s Diaries: La Roja dares to dream as Lionel Messi begins his final 24 hours as a Barcelona player

by Erica Gill on June 29, 2021

Wednesday’s Spanish football headlines from Marca, Diario AS and Mundo Deportivo – in English!

he is free tonight

Barcelona push to close renewal, but resolution doesn’t look close
Messi: The best player in the world will not have a squad from midnight tonight
England and Ukraine advance to quarter-finals
The whole group of death has fallen
Six of Euro 2020 to go to the Olympic Games
Eric Garcia, Pau Torres, Oyarzabal, Pedri, Unai Simon and Dani Olmo will be in Tokyo under the direction of Luis de la Fuente
Mbappé with a great decision
He must decide his future
Flamengo striker Rodrigo Muniz one step away from Atletico

Spain is the ogre

Betting houses see Spain as second favorite for Euro 2020, behind only England
Luis Enrique’s choices have borne fruit; Azpilicueta, Morata, Busquets
England breaks the spell
Sterling and Kane beat Germany
Ukraine goes on in the 121st minute
Mbappé has a decision to make
The Frenchman, out of Euro 2020, must decide to either renew or push to move to Madrid
Out of time: Messi’s contract ends today and he still has not renewed

Red euphoria

Party at Wembley; Germany is in the streets
Lucho’s Spain reached the quarter-finals in good form and placed among the favorites
Morata and Simon are the best examples; they responded well to the reviews they received and exceeded them
Messi shines when his contract expires
He scores a brace for Argentina and will see his Barcelona contract expire tonight
Konrad, sold
He leaves for Marseille for three million as the club terminates Matheus’ contract
Pedri, Eric Garcia and Mingueza go to Tokyo

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Gap year programs

Education program expands efforts at Wor-Wic Community College

by Erica Gill on June 29, 2021

WICOMICO COUNTY, Maryland – By closing the gap, Horizons Delmarva does just that and more.

And thanks to a new partnership with Wor-Wic Community College, students are discovering what they’re really capable of.

“We have the opportunity to expose these young people to an academic environment from an early age and we look forward to them becoming our dual enrollment students,” said Deirdra Johnson, Senior Director of Student Development at Wor-Wic .

Horizons Delmarva provides academic resources to at-risk students with the goal of closing the income gap in academic achievement.

They help do this with summer programs in Wicomico and Worcester counties, where children practice STEM learning, swimming lessons, and school trips.

“Students from these low-income backgrounds don’t always have these opportunities, so studies have shown that these students lose 2-3 months of academic progress just during those summer months,” said Joe Laque. , Managing Director of Horizons Delmarva.

By expanding their site to Wor-Wic this year, we’re told it shows those students entering Grades 6-9 that they have potential.

“These students, many of whom are looking to be first generation college students, have never been to a college campus before, with many of them believing the college idea or dream is out of reach,” Laque said.

One of the students who has been attending Horizons Delmarva for years says she enjoys the camp which allows her to learn new things and make new friends.

“I think it gives me a chance to get out of the house during the summer because usually before I started I was just home for fun and really had nothing to do,” Gabrielle said. Artis, a student.

And as the program just started on Monday, Wor-Wic and Horizons Delmarva are excited to see what the future holds for them and how this partnership develops.

“We have applied for a grant to the Maryland Department of Education to expand our partnership, so we hope to secure the grant this way, this partnership will continue over the next several years,” Johnson said.

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Spanish schools

NM Public Education Dept. launch a program to connect students

by Erica Gill on June 29, 2021

SANTA FE – The Department of Public Education has launched a program to help thousands of New Mexico students quickly get the digital connections they need by accessing available federal help. The New Mexico Student Connect program is part of a larger strategy to make reliable broadband internet and digital devices universally available for public education, even in areas without internet infrastructure.

“Since the start of the pandemic, we have been investing in and supporting the rapid deployment of digital devices and Internet connections. By the time the new school year begins, we will have used all available resources to ensure that every student in the state has what they need to participate, not only in the distance learning program, but also in the many other ways we use technology. for learning, ”said Secretary of Public Education Ryan Stewart. “We connect people and bridge the digital divide. “

The New Mexico Student Connect program, run on behalf of PED by broadband consultant CTC Technology and Energy, has already called 1,000 students and families to find out if they have high-speed internet access and digital devices and know the emergency broadband benefit program. This federal program offers eligible households a credit of $ 50 per month on the broadband Internet service of participating providers ($ 75 per month for households on tribal lands) and a one-time credit of $ 100 towards the purchase of a computer or laptop.

This awareness will bring millions of federal dollars to New Mexico to help bridge the digital divide. Congress allocated $ 3.2 billion to create the broadband emergency benefit as part of a nearly $ 900 billion COVID-19 relief plan adopted in December 2020. The benefit is paid directly to eligible Internet service providers and appears as a credit on the participant’s bill.

New Mexico Student Connect will help families claim this benefit during direct outreach, or families can contact a helpline – by phone at 1-888-723-4505 (toll-free) or online – to get help. help with connectivity issues. The help desk currently offers support in English and Spanish, with plans to quickly add Diné (Navajo) and Zuni.

New Mexico Student Connect begins its efforts by working with the 23 focus groups identified in the historic Yazzie-Martinez Consolidated Trial. These districts are Alamogordo, Albuquerque, Bernalillo, Cuba, Española, Gadsden, Gallup-McKinley, Grants-Cibola, Hatch, Jemez Valley, Lake Arthur, Las Cruces, Los Lunas, Magdalena, Moriarty-Edgewood, Peñasco, Pojoaque, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Silver City, Taos, Tucumcari and Zuni. The effort will expand to other districts in the near future.

On April 30, First Judicial District Judge Matthew J. Wilson reaffirmed the urgency of the need to connect students by ruling that the state must immediately determine the need for digital devices and connectivity for at-risk students and their teachers, and to ensure that. the technology is provided to any student in the districts who need it. On May 18, the judge issued a written order applying his decision to the 23 target districts.

The Department of Public Education began collecting this data on May 6 through a digital survey for those who could complete it and through sharing the school district’s data elsewhere. The information arrived in various formats which the DEP compiled into a single database.

Preliminary analysis indicates that nearly 40,000 students out of about 199,000 (20%) enrolled in target districts do not have broadband internet service at home and about 12,000 (6%) do not have the technological tools. they need for successful learning despite public, private and nonprofit efforts throughout the pandemic to bridge the digital divide.

The DEP continues to analyze the data to determine digital access for the entire state – not just target districts. “We go beyond the court order and make sure every child in New Mexico has what they need to be successful in their education in the digital age,” said Stewart.

The CTC is also preparing to help school districts apply for a second federal program when a 45-day application window opens next week. The Emergency Connectivity Fund covers the reasonable costs of eligible schools to provide laptops and tablets; Wi-Fi access points; modems; routers; and broadband connectivity for off-campus use by students and faculty. Schools, not individuals, are asking for this funding.

The Emergency Connectivity Fund began with $ 7.1 billion earmarked through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief program that was enacted on the 11th. March. ECT funds will be awarded through the federal E-rate program, which helps make educational technology more affordable. This program will help provide at least temporary connections to tens of thousands of New Mexico students who live in the deserts of the Internet – places where no one has ever laid fiber.

In addition, PED is working with the Department of Information Technology to find longer term infrastructure options. “To be clear, this is a network issue and not a Ministry of Public Education issue. No one has built the broadband network to serve these students, ”said Patrick Mulhearn of CTC, who works with the state to collect data and develop and implement solutions.

The Department of Public Education has worked throughout the pandemic to expand digital access. This work included the distribution of 6,282 Chromebooks; supply of 102 Cradlepoint wireless routers and adapters; and, in partnership with the Indian Education Division, allocate funds to 101 mobile hotspots and 700 residential hotspots in indigenous communities.

“This new data shows how much work remains to be done to truly bridge the digital divide once and for all,” said Stewart.

About NMPED

The New Mexico Department of Public Education partners with educators, communities and families to ensure that all students are healthy, secure in their identities, and holistically prepared for college, career and life. Currently, NMPED serves over 317,000 students in 187 districts and charter schools. Find an abundance of resources for administrators, educators, families, and students at the New Mexico Department of Public Education (state.nm.us) or follow the PED at the NMPublicEducationDepartment on Facebook and @NMPED on Twitter.

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Gap year programs

Gap Inc. Releases Progress Report on Promoting Equality and Change

by Erica Gill on June 29, 2021

Gap Inc. released its first standalone “Equality and Belonging” report summarizing the company’s steps towards systemic change and racial and economic equality within its operations.

While Gap operates globally, the 21-page report primarily focuses on U.S. programs and activities between June 2020 and April 2021. Gap said it was a “stand-alone” report because previously, the company had published data on people in its sustainability reports published since 2013.

More from WWD

“In 2020 – a year filled with disruption – we were faced with hard truths and, as a company, articulated our North Star as being ‘inclusive, by design’,” wrote Sonia Syngal, CEO of Gap. Inc., in the report. “We will all have to work together to create lasting change. We will devote whatever is necessary as there is simply no exception to inclusion. With the launch of this inaugural report, I am grateful to those who are leading our transformation – digging deeper every day and continually raising the bar to build a culture of belonging for all… ”

“Gap, Inc., which employs 76% women globally and 55% people of color in the United States, has the opportunity to make a meaningful impact and work hand in hand with our employees, our customers. and our community partners to help identify the critical intersection between racial equality, retail and government to create better outcomes for all, ”wrote Kisha Modica, vice president of equality and belonging at Gap Inc., in the report.

“Last year, we publicly presented our 2025 Equality and Belonging Commitments and began to lay the groundwork for a racial equality agenda,” Modica added. “It’s about doing more to be a force for good, driving systemic change inside and outside our walls and enabling a culture of belonging for our teams, our clients and our communities. . In the year since, we have remained steadfast in our approach to create a space to listen, learn and dig deep by continuing our listening sessions, our learning journey against racism, the strengthening the internal and external community and evaluating our talent culture and practices. from “hiring to retirement”.

The report states that Gap Inc., which operates the Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta brands, has:

Removed training requirements for 99.7% of job descriptions below the vice president level to support fairness in the workplace.
Increased diversity in its rotational management program – 62% of program staff identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color, 32% of whom identify as Black and Latinx – nearly double the class of 2020.
The company is a founding member of the Second Chance Business Coalition through its partnership with Business Roundtable, which supports the economic mobility of individuals and families in Black and Brown communities, including a commitment to criminal justice reform .
To facilitate “open and honest” conversations on topics such as systemic racism, unconscious bias, microaggressions and the essential role of the ally, inclusion strategist Amber Cabral organized nearly 40 sessions and workshops with of employees, including a new global “Real Talk” series. The company updated its employee learning program to include mandatory racial equity training and the integration of inclusion and equity content into employee onboarding, workshops for new leaders, inclusive design courses and a mentorship program.
Gap has donated more than $ 500,000 to design departments at historically black colleges and universities to support educational infrastructure and scholarships in partnership with “Closing the Gap” from Harlem’s Fashion Row.
The Gap Collective, a collaboration featuring artists honoring moments such as Black History Month, has been created. Old Navy has created Project We, a collection of limited edition graphic t-shirts designed by various artists honoring cultural moments such as Black History Month, International Women’s Day, Pride, Juneteenth and Month of Latinx heritage.
On the health front, Gap Inc. has donated 3.5 million masks and face covers to community organizations in response to COVID-19. For employees, the company offered a series of conversations about mental health and wellness during the pandemic, “Be Well + Stay Connected”.

“Our long-standing legacy of supporting human rights and social causes is real and measurable, but we know there is still work to be done,” said Sheila Peters, Director of Human Resources at Gap Inc. “This moment crucial demands that we deepen our resolve and drive with even greater urgency – because we know that when inclusion is not optional, a new world of possibilities opens up.

Without providing details, the company said it had aligned itself with several coalitions to increase opportunities for the black community, ensure that workplaces and stores are “welcoming” to everyone, and adopt standards that support and lead the issues of LGBTQ + communities around the world.

Since 2013, Gap Inc. has released its global employee gender data and aggregate race and ethnicity data in the United States. Starting in 2020, he began to regularly share additional data on how employees identify their race and ethnicity at the store and headquarters level.

However, based on data from the Equality and Belonging Report, Gap Inc. remains an organization that still has a long way to go to increase diversity in its ranks. The report says the company’s head office in San Francisco is 54% white; 26 percent Asian; 10% Latinx; 6 percent others, which include Native Americans and 4 percent Blacks.

The management of the Gap Inc. store is 70 percent white; 17% Latinx; 9% black; 3 percent Asian and 1 percent others.

Store employees are 43% white; 27% Latinx; 19% blacks; 6 percent Asian and 5 percent others.

Globally, Gap Inc.’s workforce is 76% female and 24% male.

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Buenos aires

Buenos Aires Hours | Lithium nationalism takes root in region with most resources

by Erica Gill on June 29, 2021

Politicians in Latin America, a region that accounts for more than half of the world’s lithium resources, are seeking to increase the state’s role in an industry crucial to weaning the world off fossil fuels.

In Argentina, state-owned energy companies are entering the lithium sector as authorities attempt to develop downstream industries. In Chile, a leader presidential candidate wants to do something similar just as the nation drafts a new constitution that could lead to stricter rules for minors. In Mexico, the government is studying the possibility of nationalizing lithium prospects.

True, no one in power talks about the expropriation of productive assets, and much of the anti-investor rhetoric in Chile comes from opposition groups. Yet by exacerbating inequalities and exposing supply chain vulnerabilities, the pandemic is fueling resource nationalism that could lead to less favorable conditions for producers just as they thrive in an emerging lithium battery boom. -ion.

“Country and resource reliability is something that auto and battery makers are looking at,” BTG Pactual analyst Cesar Perez-Novoa said. “So it’s a risk.”

Argentine state oil driller YPF SA confirmed this month that it will explore lithium and get involved in supplying battery production through a new unit – a strategy similar to that used to diversify into energies. renewable.

Another state-owned energy company, Ieasa, whose role of President Alberto Fernandez is reinvigorated after the previous government sought to privatize many of its assets, has said it will incorporate lithium into its business strategy, without further clarification.

Lithium-producing countries have had little success in adding value to their raw materials industries due to their remoteness from demand centers and an sometimes unfavorable business environment. In the case of Bolivia, downstream investment requirements have been one of the barriers to extracting lithium from the ground in the first place.

Argentina is banking on close ties with China, its lender of last resort, to open the door to the dream of local battery and electric vehicle factories. Argentine officials are in talks with Gotion High-Tech Co and Ganfeng Lithium Co.

Adding fuel to the fire in Argentina is a bill drafted last year by lawmakers in the ruling Frente de Todos party which seeks to declare lithium a “strategic resource.” Yet the bill is not currently under consideration, a party spokeswoman said.

In Chile, the largest supplier of lithium after Australia, a process of rewriting the constitution is expected to include a debate on how to capture more of the sector’s profits, stricter licensing requirements and the classification of water as as a national asset for public use.

It is not known whether a new constitution could overturn property rights given that the state already owns the minerals, said Renato Garín, professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Chile, who was elected to the convention drafting the charter. Rather, the change will likely lie in environmental rules as concerns grow about the impact of lithium mining in the Atacama salt flats.

“What the new constitution will push is a leap away from mining capitalism to encourage more investment in technology,” Garín, a left-wing independent member of the assembly, said in an interview. “How to produce without destroying.

The strongest comments came from Mexico, where the government is studying state control over assets. Mexico does not yet produce lithium and, according to analysts at BTG Pactual, rhetoric is unlikely to turn into action. But this still maintains uncertainty.

Bolivia is also trying to move forward with a state approach to develop its vast deposits. After launching a series of pilot projects over the past decade – including giant evaporation ponds to replicate the brine extraction method used in Chile and Argentina – the landlocked nation is turning to new technologies.

Bolivia has launched a tender to test direct lithium mining techniques, or DLEs, with winners to be announced in the coming weeks as the state-owned lithium company and its partners complete their work. on processing prototypes and battery factories. However, Bolivia’s DLE and downstream experiences do not guarantee a significant increase in production in the near future.

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by Jonathan Gilbert & Daniela Sirtori-Cortina, Bloomberg