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PER: Potchefstroomse Elektroniese Regsblad
versión On-line ISSN 1727-3781
PER vol.15 no.2 Potchefstroom ago. 2012
The implications of federalism and decentralisation on socio-economic conditions in Ethiopia
P Zimmermann-SteinhartI; Y BekeleII
IDr.phil (Erlangen-Nürnberg), firstname.lastname@example.com
IIBA MA (Addis Ababa University), email@example.com . While the authors are advisors to/experts in the House of Federation of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, this article expresses their private opinions
This paper analyses impacts of the federal system and the decentralisation of functions to the district level on Ethiopia's socio-economic development. Firstly we will highlight the principles of the Ethiopian federal system as well as those of the 2001/2002 decentralisation process. Secondly we will show how the decentralisation has impacted on two of the decentralised sectors, health and education, by comparing pre-federal, pre- and post-decentralisation data.
In both cases an overall increase in allocated budgets and an increase in the scale of the services offered since decentralisation started in 2001 has been found. Studies also show that the increase in services is not homogenous across regional states. Within the four larger regions, strongly disadvantaged woredas at the outset of the decentralisation process have profited most, which shows that the constitutional imperative of equal access to services is being implemented. Some of the regions where decentralisation was started later have still not caught up with the other regions, a phenomenon which is mostly due to capacity deficits.
The article concludes that decentralisation in combination with consistent development policies has led to an overall improvement in service delivery, while some challenges regarding quality and equity still need to be addressed.
Keywords: Ethiopia, federalism, decentralisation, woredas, development policy, equity
1 Introduction
Ethiopia underwent a dramatic system-change after the defeat of the military regime that had ruled the country between 1974 and 1991. While Ethiopia is characterised by significant diversity in terms of ethnicity, language, culture and religion, its previous emperors, Menelik II and Haile Selassie, had subjected the country to the principle of "one language, one culture, one religion, one nation". Assimilation and suppression rather than integration were the governing principles. While the military regime, the so called Derg-regime, addressed some of the ethnic issues at the end of its rule, giving the populace democratic choices was not contemplated.
After the military defeat of the Derg-regime, which was achieved through a coalition of ethnically-based armed groups, the principle of ethnic self-determination and a democratic order became preconditions for the maintenance of a polity within Ethiopia's boundaries, thus making space for diversity. Between 1991 and 1995 the country was governed on the basis of the "Transitional Charter", which held up to the self-determination principle and provided for decentralised organisation. Federalism was chosen as the glue to hold the country together, while the principle of self-determination was preserved within this system. The state-organisation has also had to respond to the need for development. For this reason a range of services have been decentralised from regional state level to district level, starting in 2001.
This paper analyses impacts of the federal system and the decentralisation of functions to the district level on Ethiopia's socio-economic development. Firstly we will highlight the principles of the Ethiopian federal system as well as those of the 2001/2002 decentralisation process. Secondly we will show how the decentralisation has impacted on two of the decentralised sectors, health and education, by comparing pre-federal, pre- and post-decentralisation data.
2 The principles of Ethiopian federalism and decentralisation
Ethiopia's approximately 74 million citizens belong to more than 75 different ethnic groups1which are - because of their historical independence and their distinct systems of governance - referred to as "Nations, Nationalities and Peoples". During previous regimes, this distinctiveness was widely seen as a threat and was suppressed under the slogan: "One nation, one language, one culture".
After the defeat of the Derg military regime a complete shift in paradigm was undertaken. Instead of seeking unity through assimilation, unity was going to be achieved through the accommodation of diversities of all kinds, granting equal rights and status to all of the groups in the country. The most important principles in this process have been the right to self-determination and equality.
The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopiabuilds on four central principles: the right to self-determination, the sovereignty of the Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (NNP), equality, and equity. Figure provides an overview of the principles and their interdependent relationship.
These four principles are the determining factors for Ethiopian federalism and the decentralisation of functions to district level. Based on these principles, the Ethiopian polity consists of nine regional states and two city administrations. The regional states basically follow ethnic settlement patterns. While some of the regional states consist of a majority ethnic group, none of the regional states is completely homogenous regarding their ethnicity.
The Constitution assigns mandates to the regional states (Article 52) as well as the federal government (Article 51), leaving the residual powers with the regional states (Article 52 (1)). Among other powers, the regional states enjoy cultural and linguistic autonomy. The mandates of the regional states are: ensuring self-government and the continuance of the democratic order based on the rule of law; exercising responsibility for socio-economic development policies; policing and public security on the state level; levying and collecting the regional taxes; and managing the regional civil service.
In order to finance their mandates, the regional states levy taxes such as income taxes, land use fees, and profit, sales and excise taxes of state-owned companies (Artcile 97). However, the income generated by the regional states is not sufficient to cover their costs, which creates a vertical imbalance which is addressed through a formula-based fiscal equalisation system. This system was designed and decided upon by the Upper House of Parliament, the House of Federation, which represents Ethiopia's nations, nationalities and peoples.
The powers of the regional states enable them to find adequate local solutions, but in practice the variation across regional policies, ranging from their constitutions to their policies, is relatively small. The limited variation has been seen as an effect of party discipline by some authors,2and may otherwise also be interpreted as a function of development goals and unequally distributed capacities.
3 Decentralisation: principles, process and mechanisms
A decentralised governance system is not unfamiliar to Ethiopia. In its pre-modern era the country had enjoyed a traditional system of governance that resembled some kind of federal or confederal arrangement. Throughout this period warlords and nobilities at provincial and local levels had almost complete autonomy over the territories they controlled. The most that was expected from them was to acknowledge the imperial throne as the central authority and to pay a certain tribute.
The second half of the 19thcentury marked the start of the centralisation process. The process began with an attempt by Emperor Tewodros II (1855-1868) to create a centralised and unified modern Ethiopia. The attempt was then further pursued by emperor Menelik II, who consolidated the different parts of what was now Ethiopia through the process of forced inclusion and assimilation of the diverse peoples of the country3. It was during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie (1930-1974) that the process of centralisation reached its peak.
Even after the fall of the Emperor, the governance system continued to be centralised. The Derg in fact introduced a new system of regional administration in which some regions were labeled as 'autonomous'. In practice, however, these so-called autonomous regions had no political or fiscal powers.4In 1987, following the adoption of the third Constitution, the Derg also tried to introduce a decentralised political system in which twenty-five administrative provinces and five autonomous regions were formed, taking ethnicity partly into account.5The proclamation that declared the attempt at decentralisation, however, was not put into practice.6
As one commentator puts it, the current Ethiopian decentralisation is "a relapse into the customary and traditional mode of governance of bygone days."7The relapse began with the establishment of a federal system, first via Proclamation No 7/1992 of the Transitional Government and then codified in the 1995 Federal Constitution. The principal aim of the new federal arrangement is to provide the various ethno-national groups - 'Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' - of Ethiopia with the power to govern themselves while at the same time maintain the unity of the country through a mechanism of shared rule. Through the Federal Constitution, the diverse cultural and linguistic groups of Ethiopia have been accorded the right to almost all aspects of self-determination.
This was the beginning of the first phase of decentralisation, which resulted in the creation of regional governments mainly on the basis of 'ethnicity' and settlement patterns, with most of the regions named after the dominant nationality in the state. The Ethiopian federation consists of the federal government, nine ethnic regional states and two city administrations. The regional states are Afar, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, Gambella, Harari, Oromia, Somali, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP), and Tigray (Article 47/1). Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa are established as autonomous cities through the constitution (Article 49) and a federal proclamation respectively.
Ethiopia adopted a dual federal system in which most of the executive powers of each level of government are coexistent with its legislative powers. Article 50(2) of the Constitution proclaims that each level of government must have legislative, executive and judicial powers. The division of powers suggests that the legislative and executive powers of each level are parallel, except in areas of land and natural resources. Articles 51 and 52 of the Constitution define the powers and functions of the federal and regional governments respectively. In Article 51, more extensive powers are exclusively assigned to the federal government. These include foreign affairs, national defense, financial and monetary policy, air, rail and water transport, inter-state commerce, patent and copy rights and nationality-related issues. Areas such as economic and social policies, education, public health, land and natural resources, civil law and peace and security fall under concurrent jurisdiction. Regional governments also have robust powers. Apart from certain exclusive powers such as ensuring the continuance of self-government and democratic order, they are entrusted with residual powers. As per Article 52(1), "all powers not given expressly to the Federal Government alone or concurrently to the Federal Government and the States are reserved to the States."
The Constitution says almost nothing concerning the place and status of local governments, for local government is to be regulated in the states' constitutions. However, it requires states to transfer adequate power to lower levels of government (Article 50/4). In addition, it grants each ethno-national group "the right to a full measure of self-government, which includes the right to establish institutions of government in the territory that it inhabits and to equitable representation in State and Federal governments" (Article 39/3).Despite this, the first wave of decentralisation has registered only modest achievements in bringing genuine self-rule at local level. Woredas8hardly had the authority and resources to effectively engage in democratic self-rule. They were only administrative organs over which regional authorities had a strong controlling power.9
It was this situation that forced the government of Ethiopia to embark on the second phase of decentralisation in 2001/02, which further devolved powers and responsibilities to local levels. This has been achieved through the District Level Decentralisation Programme (the DLDP). The DLDP aims at deepening the devolution of power to the local level to enhance local participation, promote good governance, and improve decentralised service delivery.10
Programme implementation started asymmetrically: first in the four largest regions (Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray), and then in the remaining states in subsequent years. The implementation required the amendment of regional constitutions with the aim of providing a legal framework for the devolution of political and fiscal powers and institutional restructuring. The new framework devolves substantial powers and resources to local governments. The status and power of zonal administrations have been reduced and more powers have been accorded to woredas. After this reform, woredas became responsible for preparing and implementing their developmental plans without seeking authorisation from higher levels. Resources are also made available to woredas from regions through the woreda block grant transfers. To create an enabling environment for effective and efficient service delivery, public employees have been redeployed from regions and zones to woredas.11
The Ethiopian decentralised governance system now has five levels of government, i.e., federal, regional, zonal, woreda and kebele governments. All levels of government except zones have a tripartite structure: an elected council, an executive organ and an independent judiciary. With the exception of the SNNP region and certain regions with more than one nationality, where they have elected cabinets, zones do not have a legislative organ. In regions with a strong majority nationality zones are deconcentrated arms of the regional government, being responsible for coordinating and monitoring the activities of woredas (see the regional constitutions for further details).
4 Development in three decentralised sectors: education, health, water
4.1 Development in the education sector
4.1.1 Overview
Ethiopia has been among Africa's worst performing countries regarding the development of the education sector for a long time, with respect to accessibility, performance and relevance.12The first major attempt to broaden education was made during the Derg regime, resulting in a 100% increase of children attending primary school between 1974/75 and 1985/86. In 1991 33% of the younger children were enrolled in primary education and 5.3% of their seniors in secondary education. Education was available in agglomerations of significant size, resulting in the need for children to travel long distances to attend school. In 2011, however, 96.4% of the younger children were enrolled in primary education, 38.1% of their seniors in secondary education, primary schools being available in every kebele.
Since the decentralisation process mainly concerned primary education, this section of this article focuses on this aspect of the education sector, while other areas are barely touched upon.
4.1.2 Mandates13
The Constitution contains a number of provisions relevant for the education sector. First of all it guarantees each of the nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia the right of cultural identity, including to right to speak, write and develop their language (Article 39 (2)). Additionally, Article 90(2) stipulates that education has to be free from any religious influence, political partisanship and cultural prejudices, and finally Article 41 requires the provision of equal access to social services and obliges the government to allocate ever increasing resources to provide health, education and other social services.
With regard to education, the federal level of government sets standards and policy criteria for all areas of education. It monitors the performance of the regional states. Further, it is responsible for the establishment and the administration of institutions of tertiary education (Article 51(2,3). The federal government provides technical and professional support to the other levels of government, for example in curricula development.
The regional states are responsible for the implementation and adaptation of these curricula to regional needs. One of these aspects is primary education in languages other than Amharic in order to implement the constitutional imperative of self-determination, of which cultural self-determination is one important factor (Article 39). The regions develop the curricula for primary education and ensure that national standards are met. Zones and regions are further responsible for the establishment and administration of the second cycle of secondary education (grades 11 and 12), special schools, technical and vocational schools, teacher training institutions and medium-level colleges. The regions print and distribute textbooks for these institutions of education.
Since the start of the woreda decentralisation, woredas have been given great responsibilities with regard to the provision and administration of basic education services including primary education (grades 1-8), secondary education (grades 9 and 10), and adult education. Within these areas woredas are responsible both for planning and implementing educational plans. They have to ensure the provision of equitable access to education, which includes the planning of new schools, and the hiring and deploying of teachers. In doing so they have to ensure that they meet the standards set at regional and federal level. Woredas supervise schools, print and distribute textbooks. Additionally, woredas are responsible for establishing and administering boarding schools for primary education. Woredas supervise both government and non-government schools.
There are many challenging constraints regarding the overlapping mandates of regional states, zones and woredas, and issues arising from their unequal capacity.
4.1.3 Policy and plans
The education sector policy is articulated in the "Education and Training Policy", which for example provides for free primary education.14In order to improve access and quality, the government has set up the Education Sector Development Plan (ESDP), which is currently in its fourth phase. This plan guides the implementation of the mandate to set standards and to establish policy criteria. The plan sets criteria regarding all levels of education from kindergarten to university education. The first ESDP started in 1997 and ran for five years, while the second programme ran only from 2002/03 to 2004/05, in order to align the programme phases with the government's general development plans. While the focus of ESDP I through ESDP III was mainly on equal access to education, including secondary and higher education for boys and girls, ESDP IV addresses the challenges that occurred during the previous programmes. The focus of ESDP IV therefore lies on quality education: the improvement of student achievement (the reduction of the drop-out ratio and an increase in the teacher-student ratio as well as an improvement in the quality of teacher education), bringing so far unreachable children into school, the reduction of illiteracy rates through increased and renewed adult education, an increase of TVET and higher education and, last but not least, an improvement in the standard of educational administration.15
4.1.4 Decentralisation and its impact on service delivery in primary education
Decentralisation plays an important role in the ESDP. As stated above, decentralisation has been organised in stages. In 2000 the responsibility to manage schools and to issue regulations in this regard was transferred to regional governments and the governments of the two city administrations, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.
Since the woreda decentralisation first started in the four bigger regions, mandates have been transferred as described above. The decentralisation and the development of the Education Sector Development Plans were expected to improve the efficiency of the provision of services in this sector. A World Bank Working Paper16analysing the effect of decentralisation in two of the pioneering regional states, Oromia and SNNPR, shows that the decentralisation had the expected effects. First of all the spending on education has been significantly increased, especially in the formerly least developed woredas. The increased spending then positively impacted on service delivery, as we can see from the enrolment rates shown in Erro: Origem da referência não encontrada.
Table 1 provides some quantitative and some qualitative indicators regarding the development of the education sector since 1995. The first figure shows the growth of students in primary education in absolute figures. This accounts for both population growth and the intake capacity of schools. The second category is the gross enrolment for primary education, which also significantly increased after 1995 from 41.8% of the school-aged population to 96.4% in 2010, showing the highest increment in growth between 2000 and 2005, which was the period of decentralisation.
The ratio between education in rural and urban areas, which is also given in Table , also indicates the positive impact of decentralisation on the provision of primary education. About 80% of the Ethiopian population live in rural areas. The fact that the gross enrolment in the rural area accounted for 79.9% of the enrolled children in 2010 demonstrates that the previously existing gaps between the rural and urban areas has been closed.
Another indicator regarding the development of education is its share in the public budget. Table shows a constant increase of education's share of the overall budget, the biggest increase taking place between 2005 and 2010, from 17.9% to 27.0%. The increase is not only due to decentralisation but also to the enhanced effort to reach the Millennium Development Goals.
The number of primary schools has tripled within 15 years from almost 9 670 to 28 349 schools in 2010, of which almost 10 000 were built between 2005 and 2010. While this increase is not due to the decentralisation policy, it should also be noted that similar efforts were undertaken in the area of secondary and tertiary education as well as in the technical and vocational training sector.
One of the achievements of the decentralisation process is the use of the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in primary education. While every child has the constitutional right to mother tongue education, this has been difficult to implement especially in areas where no clear majority language prevails or where there is one majority language and a large number of other languages in insignificant numbers. Research undertaken by MA graduates on Federal Studies at Addis Ababa University has shown mixed reactions to mother-tongue education. Some parents fear that their children will not learn sufficient Amharic or English if they are taught in their mother tongues, while others complain that their children are forced to learn in a language other than their mother tongue because their particular medium of instruction is not available at the specific place. In many cases, however, the provision of mother tongue primary education has helped to increase the acceptance of formal education and has contributed towards the increase in enrolment.
While access to education has been widely and significantly increased, concerns remain regarding the quality of education. High drop-out rates, especially in grade 1 of 13% (in 2008 the drop-out rate rose to 18.6%) are one indicator concerning quality. The following statement by the Ministry of Education summarises the quality problem, which also includes weak performance by the pupils:17
It is necessary therefore to shift attention to quality concerns in general and to those inputs and processes which translate more directly into improved student learning and which help change the school into a genuine learning environment (such as: quality-focused school supervision, internal school leadership, increased student participation, school-community partnerships).
From the available data and the research undertaken by different organisations such as the World Bank, we can also see that decentralisation has benefitted the most disadvantaged districts most.18In SNNPR, the decentralisation policy in the education sector provided an opportunity to reallocate teachers from the urban to the rural area, thus contributing to the increase in the rural enrolment rates. In Oromia, however, the results especially regarding quality indicators are more mixed.
Despite these constraints we may safely conclude that the situation in the education sector has been improved significantly. Some of the issues that remain to be addressed may not be resolved on the decentralised level, as teacher training, for instance, is not dealt with on the local level. Here a better coordination and cooperation between the different levels of government is needed in order to bridge the gap.
4.2 Development in the health sector
4.2.1 Overview
The health status of the Ethiopian population during the immediate post-federal period was extremely poor, due mainly to the political upheaval the country had experienced under the previous regimes. This was reflected in the conventional health parameters such as life expectancy, the infant mortality rate and the maternal mortality rate. In 1997, for instance, the average life expectancy was 51 (males 49, females 52). While infant mortality ranged from 110 to 128 per 1,000 live births, the under-5 mortality rate was 161 deaths per 1,000, and maternal mortality was 500-700 per 100,000 live births (see Table ).
The potential health services coverage and infrastructure in Ethiopia were also inadequate and inequitable. In 1996/97, only about 52% of the population had access to health facilities. There were only 46 public hospitals, 241 health centers and 76 health posts. This resulted in the following ratios of hospitals per population: 1:1,186,061; health care per population: 1:241,149 and health post per population: 1:764,697.
Today the situation has improved to such an extent that reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 seems possible. According to the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Household Survey19, infant mortality declined to 59 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with 77 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005. Under-five mortality levels also decreased from 123 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to the current level of 88 deaths per 1,000 live births. At 676 deaths per 100,000 live births, the maternal mortality ratio is the other area that shows great improvement.
4.2.2 Mandates
Ethiopia has a decentralised health system. Health sector decentralisation started during the post-Derg transitional period. The health policy of the Transitional Government (1991-1995) considereddecentralisation the most appropriate system of government for the full exercise of the rights and powers of Ethiopia's diverse peoples.20The policy stated that decentralisation would be realised through the transfer of major health-care responsibilities to the sub-national governments with a clear definition of the roles they were to play.21
The 1995 Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopiaalso regards jurisdiction over public health care as a power shared between the federal and regional governments. As per Article 51(2) of the 1995 Federal Constitution, the formulation and implementation of the country's policies, strategies and plans in respect of overall economic, social and development matters is in the federal domain. This implies that the federal government is empowered to devise and execute national health care policy, strategies and plans. Sub-article 3 of the same article provides the Federal Government with the power to "establish and implement national standards and basic policy criteria for public health." Besides monitoring the implementation of these standards and policy criteria across regions, the federal government is also responsible for establishing and administering specialised and referral hospitals.22
In contrast, regional governments have the power to formulate and execute their health policies, strategies and plans (Article 52(2b) of the Federal Constitution). In addition, health-related powers which are not given to the Federal Government are also reserved to the states as per Article 52(1). These include the formulation and execution of regional health policy; the coordination of health extension activities; the establishment and administration of training institutions and junior colleges for junior health professionals; the training of health professionals; the provision of technical support to zones and woredas; the establishment and administration of health examination centers; the construction and maintenance of referral hospitals; the coordination of the control of communicable diseases; the purchase and distribution of medical equipment and medicines; and the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS.23
In the four larger regions, the zones have responsibilities such as providing technical support to woredas; establishing and administering zonal and district hospitals; constructing and administering pharmacies; and preventing and controlling HIV/AIDS. The coordination of primary preventive and curative health care is the major responsibility of woredas. Woredas are also responsible for implementing health extension; constructing and administering health stations and health posts; the hiring of health staff assigned to health stations, health posts, and clinics; and preventing and controlling HIV/AIDS and malaria.24
4.2.3 Policy and plans
The government of Ethiopia issued its health policy in 1993, which aims primarily at providing access to a basic package of quality primary health care services through a decentralised system of governance.25The health policy primarily focuses on prevention, but also includes promotive and curative components. In order to achieve the goals of the health policy, a twenty-year health sector development strategy has been formulated, which is being implemented through a series of five-year plans. This is known as the Health Sector Development Programme (the HSDP).
The HSDP aims to develop a health system that provides comprehensive and integrated primary care services based primarily at community health level facilities. The first HSDP was launched in 1997, followed by the second and the third in 2002 and 2006 respectively. And now the fourth HSDP is being implemented. The main thrust of the implementation is based on a sector-wide approach, encompassing the following eight components: service delivery and the quality of care, health facility rehabilitation and expansion, human resource development, pharmaceutical services, information, education and communication, health sector management and management of information systems, monitoring and evaluation, and health care financing.26
The design and implementation of the HSDP was significantly influenced by the policy of decentralisation. This programme is an intergovernmental programme wherein each level of government has its own responsibilities in its design and/or implementation. In line with the division of powers set out in the Constitution and other proclamations, the Federal Government and regions are made to be responsible for policy matters and technical support, while woredas are made to play the pivotal roles of implementation.27
Large amounts of funds are channeled into the health sector through the HSDPs. Over time the expenditure in the health sector increased in terms both of the absolute amount and on a per capita basis. In 1990/91, for instance, the total and per capita expenditure in the health sector were 160,482,165 and 3.3 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) respectively. With the start of the decentralisation process government expenditure on health began to increase. At the end of the first phase of decentralisation (2000/01), total health expenditure rose to ETB 749,730,000 and the per capitaexpenditure became ETB 11.5. In 2009/10, the per capita expenditure reached ETB 34, showing an average annual increase of 13.1% for 19 years, while the total expenditure reached ETB 2,749,630,000, registering a 16.1% average annual increase. By the same year the share of the health budget as a proportion of the total government budget was 10%, making the sector the fourth most important sector in terms of budget share.
Following the increase in government expenditure, the overall performance of the public health system of Ethiopia has improved. There has been a substantial increase in the potential health service coverage (Table ). In 1997/98, only 52% of the Ethiopian population had potential health service coverage. The coverage rose to 70.7% in 2001/02 and 90% in 2007/08, showing a 5.1% average annual increase. Similarly, the construction of health facilities increased steadily. Between 1996/97 and 2009/10 the number of hospitals increased from 46 to 126, health centers from 241 to 2,142, and health posts from 72 to 14,242. This has increased the health facility to population ratio significantly.
4.2.4 Decentralisation and its impact on service delivery in the health sector
Impact indicators of the health sector such as life expectancy, infant mortality, under 5 and child mortality rates also show positive trends. Life expectancy at birth increased from 52 in 1996/97 to 55.4 in 2009/10. Within the same time period, infant mortality declined from 117 to 69 while under 5 and child mortality rates went down from 161 and 600 to 104 and 478 correspondingly.
The regional distribution of potential health service coverage in Ethiopia is provided in . Except for Benshangul Gumuz, all regions have shown great improvements. Tigray, Afar, Benishangul Gumuz, SNNP and Gambella have full potential health services coverage, while in other regions more than 70% of the populations of Amhara, Oromia, Harri and Diredawa have potential health service coverage. Somale Regional State is the worst performing region with only 50% of the population having access to health services. This is mainly due to the fact that the region is relatively politically unstable and conflict prone, and is also facing capacity-related constraints.
The public health care system of Ethiopia has seen significant achievements since decentralisation started. This holds true for both quality and quantity. As in the education sector, studies see an increase in public satisfaction with the services provided since decentralisation started.28The health system has improved both in terms of coverage and equal access. The decentralisation policy adopted by the country has played a pivotal role in the realisation of this success. Decentralisation has enabled sub-national governments to play a role in the provision of health services. It has also allowed regional and woreda-level governments to raise and spend a significant amount of fiscal resources, so that they have taken part in improving the health service. In this way they have improved the health status of their population while at the same time contributing to the overall development of the country's health sector. But it would be a mistake to conclude that decentralisation was the only factor responsible for the change, since there are quite a number of other government policies and programmes that definitely have had positive impacts on the performance of the sector.
5 Conclusion
Ethiopia is a case where a system change from a military dictatorship was possible after the military defeat of the dictatorship. The country then underwent a transition from a unitary state through a decentralised state into a federation which was established through the Constitution of 1994 and came into being in January 1995. In order to improve the efficiency of service delivery, a process decentralising various powers from the regional states to districts (woredas) started in 2001/02 in four regional states: Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and SNNP, followed by the other regional states in subsequent years.
This article has looked at the effects of the decentralisation in two major sectors: education and health services. In both cases we have found an overall increase in allocated budgets and an increase in the scale of the services offered since decentralisation started in 2001. Studies also show that the increase in services is not homogenous across regional states. Within the four larger regions, strongly disadvantaged woredas at the outset of the decentralisation process have profited most, which shows that the constitutional imperative of equal access to services is being implemented. Some of the regions where decentralisation was started later have still not caught up with the other regions, a phenomenon which is mostly due to capacity deficits.
In conclusion we can safely state that decentralisation in combination with consistent development policies has led to an overall improvement in service delivery, while some challenges regarding quality and equity still need to be addressed.
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TeshomeA "A Review of Education Policy, Strategies and Programs"in AssefaT (ed) Digest of Ethiopia's National Policies, Strategies and Programs(Forum for Social Studies Addis Ababa2008)47-92 [ Links ]
Transitional Government of EthiopiaHealth Policy of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia. (The Government Addis Ababa1993) [ Links ]
World BankProject Appraisal Document to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for Public Sector Capacity Building Program (PSACP)(World Bank Washington DC 2004) [ Links ]
ZewdeB A History of Modern Ethiopia 1855-1974(Addis Ababa University Press Addis Ababa2002) [ Links ]
Zimmermann-Steinhart P The Federal System of Ethiopia (House of Federation of the FDRE Addis Ababa2012) [ Links ]
Register of government publications and legislation
Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopiaof 1994
Proclamation No 14/1974
Proclamation No 4/1995
List of abbreviations
1 Based on the 2007 Housing Census, the exact figure was 73,750,932 in 2007 (FDRE CSA Summary Report of the 2007 Housing Census).
2 Aalen 2006 International Journal on Minority and Group Rights 243-261; Habtu 2004 Dialectical Anthropology 91-123; Fiseha Federalism and the Accommodation of Diversity.
3 Zewde History of Modern Ethiopia.
4 Zewde History of Modern Ethiopia.
5 Proclamation No 14/1974.
6 Chole "Key-Note Address" 166; Negussie Fiscal Federalism.
7 Degefe 1994 Ethiopian Journal of Economics.
8 Woredas correspond to districts, and zones coordinate several woredas. The smallest unit is called kebele, which is equivalent to municipalities. Larger municipalities or cities consist of more than one kebele.
9 World Bank Project Appraisal Document.
10 World Bank Project Appraisal Document.bid.
11 Garcia and Rajkumar Achieving Better Service Delivery.
12 Teshome "Review of Education Policy" 47-92.
13 Garcia and Rajkumar Achieving Better Service Delivery.
14 FDRE Government Education and Training Policy.
15 FDRE Ministry of Education Education Sector Development Program IV.
16 Garcia and Rajkumar Achieving Better Service Delivery.
17 FDRE Ministry of Education Education Sector Development Program IV.
18 Garcia and Rajkumar Achieving Better Service Delivery.
19 FDRE CSA and ICF International 2011 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey.
20 Transitional Government of Ethiopia Health Policy.
21 Transitional Government of Ethiopia Health Policy.
22 Proclamation No 4/1995.
23 Garcia and Rajkumar Achieving Better Service Delivery.
24 Garcia and Rajkumar Achieving Better Service Delivery.
25 Transitional Government of Ethiopia Health Policy.
26 FDRE Ministry of Health Health Sector Development Program II.
27 FDRE Ministry of Health Health Sector Development Program III.
28 Garcia and Rajkumar Achieving Better Service Delivery.


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Art & Design Department
Alumni of the department have become practicing artists, teachers, architects, graphic designers, fashion designers, advertisers, and gallery and museum administrators. Many continue their education after Fort Lewis College, completing graduate degrees in art and design or related fields, attending artist-in-residence programs and completing internships.
Communication Design
Studio Art

subset: commoncrawl


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Moscow (CNN) -- Investigators say they think a female suicide bomber caused a blast that ripped through a passenger bus in the southern Russian city of Volgograd on Monday afternoon, killing at least six people and injuring 33 others, Russian authorities said.
Early indications are that the bomber was a 30-year-old woman from Russia's semiautonomous republic of Dagestan, Russia's Investigative Committee said.
Video taken behind the bus from another vehicle -- aired by state-run TV outlet Russia 24 -- shows the bus moving on a busy road when the explosion occurred around 2 p.m., with at least one vehicle swerving out of the way.
Of the 33 injured, eight were in critical condition Monday evening, the Investigative Committee said.
Investigators say they think the bomber boarded the bus at a stop, and the blast happened shortly afterward, the committee said, citing in part a woman who survived the blast.
Dagestan is part of Russia's North Caucasus region, where Islamic militants have been fighting Moscow's rule. Volgograd is more than 400 kilometers (250 miles) north-northwest of Dagestan's northern boundary.
CNN's Phil Black contributed to this report.


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Activities and growing years of baby Sneegdha. About motherhood, pregnancy, premature birth, baby care, health and body care after birth of mother and child. Updated school activities pics video clips news ecards by Kittu.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
7th Birthday Party! Games & Dance Bash
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Baby's Innovations Originally uploaded by fukkad1 . My car runs on pure natural and environment friendly fuels like water or ai...
https://www.viewbug.com/contests/social-exposure-photo-contest-vol-20/83234982 Virus-free. www.avg.com


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Sign up for a free account at askmeevery.com for a text reminder for whatever you need reminding. You can also ask questions requiring answers and askmeevery will track your answers and give you the data. To sign up - enter your question and cell number and then text back a password.
Financial health warning: Not for those with limited texting plans!
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat


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Ratings / Reviews
strong crude and sexual content, language throughout, some violence and drug material
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A Million Ways to Die in the West
After cowardly sheep farmer Albert backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend leaves him for another man. When a mysterious and beautiful woman rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love.
But when her husband, a notorious outlaw, arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his new-found courage to the test.
Starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, Liam Neeson
Directed by Seth MacFarlane
Running Time - 1:56
Genre - Comedy
Opened in Theaters - Friday, May 30th, 2014 (6 years ago)
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Inspiron 15 7559 Laptop
- 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300HQ
- Windows 10 Home Single Language
- Office Home and Student 2016
- NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960M 4GB GDDR5
- 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Display
- McAfee Security 15 month
- 1Yr Premium Support: Onsite Service - Retail
Delivery Time for each Area Pin Code shall vary
Extended Warranty Packs
Design Features of Inspiron 15 7559 Laptop
- The speed you need - Windows 10 starts up and resumes fast with so there's no buffer between you and your game. Even your updates reach you as soon as they are available so you always have the latest and greatest features.
- Play more games - The greatest Xbox games are now at your fingertips, and you will get built-in support for the Xbox controller and even stream Xbox One games to a Windows 10 PC, laptop, or tablet anywhere in your home. Even the cross-device barriers are down – start a game on your PC and move to your Xbox to continue playing
- DirectX 12 - Break down boundaries and step into your game with graphics more stunning than ever before with the new DirectX 12 technology. Windows 10's API is armed with new features that will provide quicker processing in real time to generate higher FPS and richer graphics as well reduced power consumption to play longer.
Stream and re-stream videos: The NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960M is your performance-class graphics card with 4GB GDDR5 discrete memory. This graphics powerhouse gives you high frame-per-second rates in games and accelerates video editing and transcoding.
Primed to play: Choose from multiple hard drive options, including a 1TB HDD dual drive and a 128GB solid-state drive for plenty of storage, stability and responsive performance.
Marathon battery life: With a 6-cell 74Whr battery, expect 10+ hours of battery life to power your favorite games and videos without interruption. Combined with a 2.54cm thin design and strong performance, this laptop makes it easy to take it all with you.
Light up your game: Don't miss a stroke with an optional backlit keyboard that lets you enjoy your gaming or computer time even at night. And a precision touchpad gives you responsive, accurate gesture support.
Bring the noise. Immerse yourself in superior sound with Waves MaxxAudio® Pro. The studio-quality processing software enhances your listening experience, and partnered with Dell-designed performance speakers and a built-in subwoofer, you get to hear every detail.
Personalize it: Choose what suits your style with two color options: matte black or hibiscus red.
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it is a amazing gaming laptop with 74 wh batteryReview by Ritam Mondal
(Posted on 5/22/17)


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Whether they're your heaviest jeans or your dressiest slacks, they won't slip off the velvety-soft surface of this ultra-slim hanger! Each hanger holds four pairs of slacks, and takes up less space in your closet or garment bag than a typical plastic hanger (just 1/4" thick; 18" wide). Sold in packs of (3) hangers.
- Width : 18"
- Additional Details : Ultra Slim Design
- Package Quantity : Sold in sets of (3)


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Global Trade Policy
Intel public policy: How Intel promotes innovation worldwide
Intel public policy: How Intel promotes innovation worldwide
Intel is the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer and a world leader in computing innovation. Intel does about three quarters of its advanced manufacturing and R&D in the United States, yet generates more than three quarters of its revenue from outside the United States. Semiconductors have been one of the top U.S. exports for many years.
Intel strongly supports robust free trade agreements (FTAs), which open up foreign markets and level the playing field so that U.S. businesses can keep growing. America's 20 existing FTA partners purchase nearly half of all U.S. manufactured goods exports, even though they account for less than 10% of the global economy. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, real incomes for Americans are 9% higher than they would have been due to more open trade. Jobs linked to exports pay, on average, 18% more than other jobs.
The U.S. government should negotiate more FTAs, conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and enact Trade Promotion Authority. Well-crafted and consistently enforced FTAs minimize and remove trade barriers that can cripple U.S. businesses.


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Samsung's Heft in Android Worries Google
Samsung Electronics Co. has become the biggest seller of mobile devices using Google Inc.'s Android mobile operating system. That creates a problem for Google.
Samsung's growing might — last year, the South Korean manufacturer shipped nearly 200 million more Android smartphones than the next-biggest Android-device maker — has boosted Google's mobile-ad revenue but also is causing concern inside the Internet company. Google executives are worried that Samsung could extract financial or other concessions if it gains more leverage, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.


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Stephen A. Smith On Hannity Talking About Rush Limbaugh's Racial Like Statements & Bidding For The Rams
PoliticalNews reports "On the day that a group interesting in bidding for the St. Louis Rams dumps conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity welcomes Stephen A. Smith on his show to discuss the development. He brings up examples of Limbaugh's race baiting, saying while Rush has said some racially insensitive things, he would not label him a racist."
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In recent months, you could not even peek at a social media stream without catching talk about feminism, offensive video game tropes, journalists selling out, and inauthentic game reviews. That was just the tip of the iceberg. All these things culminated in what is affectionately (not really) called GamerGate.
Do not confuse #GamerGate with #GamersGate – they are two VERY different things!
DISCLAIMER: Though this always applies to myself and our independent contributors here on the network, let me reiterate that the opinions expressed here are not those of our partners, affiliates, team members, and the network as a whole.
GamerGate went beyond the issues of feminism, alleged "sex scandals", and the need for reformation in the gaming industry as a whole. It is culmination of the desperate outcry of gamers, consumers, and even industry professionals who are tired of the BS. We feel cheated, used, underappreciated, and deceived. Those feelings were sadly focused into fear of change, finger-pointing, dirt-slinging, and other petty drama.
Many attribute the GamerGate fallout to the Zoe Quinn debacle. I won't re-hash the whole thing but it sure got ugly. Certainly, there are double standards when it comes to adult relationships but people sure LOVE jumping to extreme conclusions. The trolling was real. Heck, the whole thing went beyond trolling.. Hacking, Total Biscuit, Phil Fish, and more craziness got thrown into the mix!
I would say the breaking point really came thanks to Anita Sarkeesian. Her web series, Feminist Frequency, may have served as a catalyst to the turmoil and resentment. Opponents felt she was merely playing the self-righteous role (i.e. #SJW, Social Justice Warrior) to draw attention to herself. The reality is that all the debate and angst came from tension long in the making, through no fault of her own or any specific parties.
I do not wish to downplay the personal attacks Anita got for speaking to issues she feels are important. Discrimination and objectification are very real things in any medium or industry, not just video games. That said, there are deeper issues here that the PC (political correctness) police are tucking away in favor of their own agendas. Right or wrong, it feels like the outspoken few are holding on to their own biases and skewed worldviews.
Let me be clear: it is wonderful and worthwhile for folks like Anita Sarkeesian to encourage perspectives that focus on the artistry and social issues driving or driven by video games. It's equally important to remember to have fun and not assume every creative work is ridden with offensive material or tropes. It's easy to find issues when you dig deep but is that really what we should be expending our energy on? More importantly, women should not aim to be the equals of men.. That is setting your sights too low. I kid, I kid.
The core issue here is one of trust, not social hierarchy or constructs. Even for more casual gamers, there is a substantial investment of time and money which we all feel justifies our serving as keepers or critics of our gaming hobby or lifestyle. The dissatisfaction and distrust with gaming journalism is a reflection of the course corrections we are seeing in social media, communication, and business [ethics] as a whole.


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The Community Strong event at Ford Hood last Friday was a smashing success. We'd like to thank everyone who came out to support the men, women, and children of Fort Hood on a day of remembrance and celebration. The effervescent spirit of this community cannot be denied!
We are especially proud of our own USO employees and volunteers from the Killeen, TX, area. As the Killeen Daily Herald so eloquently put it, "…on Friday, the community that so recently joined together in mourning now came together in celebration of life and a bright future. The show of support and kindness particularly from those wearing the very recognizable USO logo was nearly overwhelming." And we couldn't have done it without your support!
It's not too late to leave a message for at the usocommunitystrong.org website. And your donations will continue to support those most in need in the Fort Hood Community. Again, a TREMENDOUS thank you goes out to all the celebrity entertainers, participants, attendees, and behind-the-scenes movers and shakers who make Friday such an overwhelming success. Fort Hood is and will continue to be "Community Strong"![gallery columns="2"]
(USO Photos by Mark Matson)
As the COVID-19 outbreak is evolving, the USO has pivoted resources across the entire global enterprise in an approach that helps care for military members and their families.
More from the USO
Jul 1, 2020
How the U.S. Military Made the T-Shirt the Most Popular Garment in the World
T-shirts are something most people wear almost everyday all around the world. But did you know that the history of the T-shirt, and its rise to global popularity, has roots in the U.S. military dating back to World War I?


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Saturday, October 22, 2011
The Pathfinder: A.C.Anderson's Journeys in the West
Good morning, everyone -- I have some more good news for you.
The hard work on the book is finally done, all the maps in the colour section are drawn and the captions finally written, re-written, edited and approved.
The chapter headings are complete, and in the process of doing this we have exchanged a less important map for another of greater importance, greatly enhancing the book.
The last questions have been answered, the last inconsistencies in spelling corrected -- it's amazing how much work goes into perfecting a book for publication.
Five or more Heritage House staff-members read the book and every person had different comments or questions for me -- and many of those questions were very good.
Is it B.C. Police or B.C. Provincial Police? West Road River or Westroad River or Black Water River or Blackwater River and when do we use West Road River and when Blackwater as they are two different names for the same river?
Thompson River or Thompson's River? La Traverse or Little Fort? Lac Round (as A.C. wrote it) or the more correct Lac Ronde?
I think I have answered hundreds of questions in the last few weeks, and often came home to another twenty questions to answer before morning.
But I think this detailed work is finished, and the book is heading off to the printer.
This does not mean that the books will be rolling off the press immediately -- there is one more step to come.
The printer will make the blueline proof -- that is, the film from which the book will actually be printed.
Bluelines are proofs of the page negatives, printed in blue ink and made into a book of sorts -- an actual representation of the book with each page in the place where it is supposed to be.
The editor checks the proofs to ensure that no errors have been introduced during the printing process, then returns the bluelines to the printer.
After that the actual printing and binding of the book begins.
As the printer has a number of books in its lineup already, we might have to wait our turn....
But I hope we will have books in hand as we approach the Heritage House Author Celebration in November.
I have been fascinated by the whole process and I wish I could watch this part, but it is now my job to stay out of the way and let the publisher and the printer do their work.
I will see the finished product in a few weeks time.
Now that the book is out of my hands, do I have more free time?
I have to write three speeches that I will be giving in the next few weeks.
I must learn Power Point, but I don't know if I will be using it for all three speeches -- I have to find that out, too.
I have already mentioned the Heritage House Group Author Celebration -- now let me tell you about all three upcoming occasions.
The Heritage Group Author Celebration will be held on November 17 at the Maritime Museum (Bastion Square), at about 7pm. in the evening (I don't actually know yet when it starts).
This is an upscale event and if you are coming, you can dress up -- my sister says she is planning to wear her Christmas sequins!
It is a shared evening, with ten different authors from the various publishers under the Heritage umbrella speaking about or reading from their newly published books.
I will be there with a five or so minute talk -- and someone told me that this short speech will be the one most difficult to write.
About a week after that event, I will be speaking on the book in front of the Victoria Historical Society, which has its meetings at the James Bay New Horizons Centre at 7:30 pm.
This will be a three-quarter of an hour talk and I will hopefully know my Power Point by then so that I can use a few of the many photographs to illustrate the difficulty of the expeditions Anderson made.
This talk is already advertised in the Victoria Historical Society Publication, which says:
24 November 2011
Alexander Caulfield Anderson: The Pathfinder -- Nancy M. Anderson will speak about her ancestor's important role in developing new brigade trails for the Hudson's Bay Company in New Caledonia in the late 1840's. Her biography of A.C. Anderson will be published this fall.
Finally, we will be holding The Pathfinder Book Launch on December 1st, at the Crown Bookstore.
As I have mentioned before I used to do a lot of shopping at the Crown Bookstore when it was located downtown.
Now it is located close to the Parliament Buildings, and I suspect there will be plenty of parking available just across the street as the launch will be held in the evening, about 7pm.
This event will be advertised in the local papers; and I will have to write a different speech for that event, as the speech I give in front of the Historical Society will not work at this event.
So you can see I will be busy over the next few weeks.
I am also planning a holiday -- it has been a few years since I have actually had a two week holiday but that is what I am planning.
Much of it will be a work holiday, but I plan to spend a few days in Vancouver, promoting the book to the Vancouver area book stores.
Okanagan is looking after itself and some members of the Historical Societies up there have been promoting the book up and down the valley during this time when they have been celebrating their 200th anniversary.
The Hope Mountain folks all know about the book too, are we are arranging a visit to Hope so that I can speak about the book -- sometime in the New Year.
I hope weather allows me to travel up there easily, and we will have to discuss what to do if the winter travelling is as difficult as it is forecast to be, at the time I have to travel.
I think we'll be okay.
Bookstores are now placing their orders for this book, and by the time I visited many of the Victoria bookstores, they had actually already placed their orders.
I think that you can now order the book through the Heritage House website, at http://heritagehouse.ca -- go to Fall 2011 catalogue.
I say, "shop at your local bookstore" -- but I also know that many small communities don't have a local bookstore and so you will be shopping online.
Many small museums will carry the book, but they are often closed during the winter months -- or only open on long weekends or for special events -- and so shopping at these small museums is also difficult.
So, by all means, order your book online and you will receive your copy as soon as it is printed up!
E-books are also available, but you will have to wait a month or two before the books is set up on the server and all the wrinkles ironed out.
Posted by Nancy Marguerite Anderson at 1:23 PM
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Ivy Leak Kennels in County Durham is run by notorious puppy pedlar KEVIN KNOX. Despite complaints from the public and twice being investigated by BBC Inside Out programme, Durham Council continue to license them to breed and sell puppies.
We are demanding:
1) An immediate revocation of the dog breeding and pet shop licenses issued at this premises by Durham Council.
2) A full and unobstructed investigation in to the sale of sick puppies at Ivy Leaf Kennels.
3) A commitment from Durham Council to take any appropriate enforcement action against Ivy Leaf Kennels and Kevin Knox in relation to any trading standards, licensing or other legislative breaches.
North West Action for Animals
This petition closed about 5 years ago
North West Action for Animals are appealing to you to sign this petition. Together, we can Make Change happen.


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User login
Emergency Management
The Emergency Management division of Risk Management Services (RMS) is responsible for implementing programs and projects to enhance UNT's ability to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the overall effects of large scale disasters.
The mission of RMS Emergency Management is to create a culture of preparedness by ensuring the campus community is actively involved in emergency preparedness.
UNT regularly develops and annually updates plans to describe the processes and procedures the university will use to respond to emergencies affecting the campus.
Culture of Preparedness = Individual Preparedness, Departmental Readiness, Institutional Resiliency


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Don't miss your favorite Festivals again. We deliver best of the city happenings and handpicked content for you every week. Subscribe weekly email newsletter for Thessaloniki.
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Stay tuned with best of the events happening around you. Attend, Share & Influence!
E.g. Jack is first name and Mandanka is last name.


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Scuderia Ferrari£195.00
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Scuderia Ferrari Pilota Evo 0830720 is a functional and special Gents watch. Case is made out of Stainless Steel, which stands for a high quality of the item and the Black dial gives the watch that unique look. In regards to the water resistance, the watch has got a resistancy up to 50 metres. It means it can be submerged in water for periods, so can be used for swimming and fishing. It is not recommended for high impact water sports. We ship it with an original box and a guarantee from the manufacturer.
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What happens when funky Italian design meets precision Ferrari engineering? The Scuderia Ferrari watch collection. Italy has long been synonymous with the height of European style, with Milan Fashion Week spotlighting all the latest trends each year. The Ferrari brand is associated with high quality sports cars. Scuderia Ferrari watches have been designed for men who want to be on-trend without compromising on functionality or features, and want something accessibly priced. With a wide range of designs to choose from, each Scuderia Ferrari watch is reminiscent of the complexity of a Formula 1 engine with automotive influence for the man whose life is lived on the go. Sporty yet sophisticated, Scuderia Ferrari watches feature fashionable detailing and bright metallic accents.
Watch Shop is an authorised Scuderia Ferrari stockist.
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Who Sang It's Been a Long Time (Suave House mix)? Rakim
Release Date: 1997-11-4
Genre: Hip Hop
Style: Conscious
length: 3:59
remixer: Mo‐Suave‐A
It's Been A Long Time(Rakim)
It's Been A Long Time(Rakim)
[Verse 1 - Rakim]
Follow procedures, the crowd couldn't wait to see this
Nobody been this long awaited since Jesus
Who wouldn't believe this - I heard the word on the street is
I'm still one of the deepest on the mic since Adidas
They said I changed the times from the rhymes that I thought of
So I made some more to put the New World in Order
With Mathematics, put your status above the average
And help you rappers, make paragraphs with graphics
Cause new days is dawning, new ways of performing
Brainstorming, I write and watch the night turn to morning
On and on and, I got the whole world responding
Ra, I keep it hot and blow the spot without warning
The Emperor, well known for, inventing a sentence
Full of adventure, turning up the temperature
Rush with adrenaline, how long has it been again
To be in the state of mind that Rakim is in?
[Verse 2 - Rakim]
When I'm out propping - either hanging or shopping
People see me stop and ask me when the album dropping
The wait is over, in formation like a soldier
Like I told ya, greater stronger, now that I'm older
I broke the, code of silence with overloads of talents
My only challenge, is not to explode in violence
I'm Asiatic, and blazing microphones a habit
At least once during the course of a day, it's automatic
In ghetto apparel, mind of a Egyptian Pharoah
Far from shallow, thoughts travel like an arrow
Allah's monotony, so far they can't stop me
You know, Ra want property like Mumar Khadafi
More thoughts than Bibles, recital - taught disciples
A sawed off mic, so words scatter like a rifle
Thoughts that's trifle, I'm busting these for you
Aiyyo, technical difficulties is through
[Verse 3 - Rakim]
When I flow at night, I show them new heights, I go to write
They know I strike with new prototypes to blow the mic
Critics and biters, don't know where my source of light is
Still leave authors and writers with arthritis
Cursed kids like the Pyramids when they found the style
First to ever let a rhyme flow down the Nile
The rebirth of hip-hop'll be dropped now
Cause the crowd didn't hear the original in a while
So be alarmed, what you bout to see is the bomb
Like, 3-D in 'Nam, vivid like CD-Rom
Info kept like "internet.com"
My note-book's my bond like the Holy Qu'ran
Since I came in the door, said it before
But no I ain't down with Eric B. no more
At night the open mic be inviting me to rhyme
So, yo, I'm online: it's been a long time


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"For the last several centuries, many of our deeply held beliefs have been shaped by the view that human beings are fundamentally motivated by self-interest. In his latest work, Benkler (The Wealth of Networks) challenges this long-held view, asserting that the spirit of human cooperation is stronger than selfishness a view that will likely revolutionize business, economics, technology, government, and human interaction in the future… His pertinent examples bring his ideas to life."
—Publishers Weekly
"Yochai Benkler is the smartest thinker we have on the effects of the internet on society. In The Penguin and the Leviathan, he lays out the ways that larger, looser, freer collaborations are transforming how we think about work and about the value we give and get from each other."
—Clay Shirky, bestselling author of Here Come Everybody and Cognitive Surplus
"Benkler speaks the truth on every page — presenting a brighter vision of human nature that we keep insist on denying for no good reason."
—Tim Wu, bestselling author of The Master Switch and professor, Columbia Law School
"…a solid swipe at blind adherence to "free market" dogma. Comprehensive and provocative."


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If the White Sox do consider John Danks a big part of their future, they aren't in a hurry to get the left-hander locked in beyond the 2012 season. A source with knowledge of club's contract negotiations said the White Sox have made no overtures to Danks' agent regarding a long-term contract….
It doesn't look good for keeping Danks on the Sox.


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Book your Train ticket to ChamonixFrance
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Chamonix, the highest mountain town of France
Chamonix is the highest mountain town in France. The picturesque town is overlooked by the famous Mont Blanc. In fact the mountains areas and attractions are the premier attractions of anyone who comes to Chamonix. This is where you go if you are asking yourself whether the Mont Blanc is still white? Of course it is and even summer, which turns the region into display of colours, a unique collection of sensations, emotions and discoveries. Chamonix is easily reached by train from Paris by the TGV for most part of the journey. Travellers to Chamonix will have to take a train (TER) from a transit town to reach their destination.
When in Chamonix there are a millions things to discover! Take a ride on the famous little red train to an altitude of 1,913 m at the foot of the Mer de Glace. There, observe the effects of climate change in the modern age. Visit the glaciorium and learn all about the life of a glacier and how it changes over time…
Take the tramway to Mont Blanc. Not any common tramway, but one of the last cog railways, the highest in France. It will take you up to one of the starting points for the ascent of Mont-Blanc, or to enjoy the amazing and magnificent panorama all the way along your trip.
You have to get up to the famous Auiguille du midi. This imposing peak towering at 3,842 metres
above the Chamonix Valley is the flagship attraction of this magical place. It is accessible to everyone but still as wild as it ever was. The journey takes about 25 minutes. In the final metres, take the lift up to the summit terrace to enjoy the beauty of the scenery unfolding around you. Incredible!
Taste the local cheese and sausisson as well as the wines of Switzerland to the international cuisines in Chamonix's Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Japanese and Swedish restaurants.
Chamonix offers all the benefits of a large town. Tourists from all over the world throng to shops that have nothing to envy those in Europe's great capitals. The advantage is that you don't have to travel kilometres to get what you are looking for!
Chamonix Tourist Office
85, place du Triangle de l'Amitié. 74400 Chamonix Mont Blanc
Tel: +33 (0)4 50 53 00 24
The city's tourist office has a helpful personnel, insider information and tips as well as handy maps and brochures. The city's tourist office also arranges tours and excursions and is a focal point for local accommodation.
Getting to and from Chamonix
|From Les Bossons
|From Vallorcine
|From St Gervais Les Bains
|To Les Bossons
|To Vallorcine
|To St Gervais Les Bains
|To Le Chatelard Fr
|To La Roche Sur Foron
Train Station(s)
Trains are a convenient way of reaching many towns and cities throughout Europe. The majority of cities in Europe have a minimum of one train station, while larger, more populated cities have two or more stations. Train stations, in general, are located in the heart of the city. Review the map below to get an idea of where the train station(s) in Chamonix can be found.
While you're there
Travel forum
From our travel community
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text:
As an evangelist, obviously a lot of what we do is presenting. I always wish I could make my presentations more interesting and more of a show so I'm always watching how other people present. A great example is Cirque Du Soleil, which came through Seattle as part of their Kooza show. At a basic level, the Cirque Du Soleil presentation isn't too different from any other presentation. A lot flashier, a lot more badass, but still a basic presentation. As I was watching I noticed a few things that I wanted to jot down and (hopefully) incorporate in my future presentations.
Make the easy stuff seem hard
This one is pretty basic but the Cirque Du Soleil guys do a good job of it. At the beginning in most of the acts, the performers look a little tentative. There's a bit of a dramatic flair, they look like they're concentrating really hard (and they probably are) and setting a baseline for what's coming later. By building up the suspense the audience is impressed right from the beginning. The stuff after that is just gravy. And when they break out the safety gear, you know stuff is going to get real.
Always mess up
I thought this was fascinating. In a couple of different performances, the performers screwed up the act. Once it was a high wire guy messing up a jump and another time it was during a giant spinning-dual hamster wheel act where one of the performers almost falls off. At first I wasn't sure it was on purpose, but after asking around, they always mess up the same part of the show. Why? One, it adds dramatic flair. But most importantly, it adds to the perception that this is really hard stuff to do. Then when they go into the hard stuff and nail it, the crowd goes nuts. I'm not sure how to do this on the tech side, but I have a couple of ideas.
Know how awesome you are
These guys (and girls) do these acts on a pretty consistent basis. They're so good they can create a fairly convincing fake mess up. At the end, they let you know it. They do a great job of selling what they just did and getting people to cheer for them. Ultimately I think this is about confidence, but it's also about taking yourself outside of the bubble and remembering that not everyone can do what you do. When you travel with Cirque du Soleil all you see around you are people just like you, but you've got to remember that the audience can't do what you do. And make them love you for it.
Have a theme
One of the reasons I love Cirque du Soleil is that every act has a theme. The costumes, the props, the music and the choreography all revolve around a central theme. Kooza had a definite South Asian feel and some of the acts played up that more than others. But all of it together helped tell a story and engage the audience more and each act built on the theme a little bit. This is probably a bit tougher to do in a technical presentation but I can think of some things I'd like to do that would be more thematic in my presentations.
If you get a chance to see Kooza, it's a great show. Just watch for the mistakes.


text:
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text:
Saturday, November 6, 2010
"… şi la sfârşit a mai rămas coşmarul" (… and at the end remained the nightmare) by Oliviu Crâznic
5 comments:
I myself found the book very entertaining. I liked the characters, especially Sellini and Chalais. The ending was very suspensefull. I really think this is a return to the true horror novel. Glad it's a romanian.
- November 6, 2010 at 1:53 PM
- Mihai A. said...
I am glad that you liked the book. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me, as much as I wished it would :)
- November 8, 2010 at 12:07 PM
I am very much thanking you for reading and reviewing my book. I admire you as a professional and I respect your point of view. I am anyway a little sad that my first contact to foreign readers is through the SINGLE negative review I received (see Pricajan – The Walpole Moment In Romanian Literature, Nautilus, Shauki, Pest Webzine etc.). To be fair with the foreign readers which cannot read the Romanian reviews, I hope you will allow me to mention a few things related to the problems you saw in the book:
1. There were characters praised by the critics for proper developement, especially the inquisitor, Castlenove, Schwartz and Adrianna de Valois. Arthur was finded undeveloped, but that was my intention from the beginning (the witness character).
2. I find the Arthur's past essential for explaining the final scene, of course any reader can have his own opinion.
3. I mentioned in the afterword I MIXED some historical periods, so Slovakia is not a problem, but a homage to the beliefs that are still vampires left in Slovakia.
4. The characters are not courting each other… Vincennes courts Josephine, BEFORE arriving at the castle only… Sellini does not court Arthur, she tries to make an alliance with him… Arthur does not court the engaged Adrianna, but he loves her and he is worried for her…in the hole book, there is not a single proposition made, or a single kiss exchanged between the characters…
I hope I have not offended you in any way, I am a big admirer of your work, and I understand a book is not for everyone to like it… It may be I will receive other negative reviews in the future (though I hope not…), but yet is not the case… Of course, the book failed to reach you, and I really regret it, but did not fail to reach others, and I still hope it will reach others more (not everyone of course, unfortunately…)
Thank you again and I wish you the best!
- November 8, 2010 at 10:00 PM
- Mihai A. said...
Oliviu, no offence taken and thank you very much for your kind compliments.
I read the other reviews and I am glad that they are positive, I am sorry that your novel didn't work for me. I hope that you'll receive many other positive reviews and you'll reach as many readers as possible.
With all the best, Mihai :)
- November 9, 2010 at 1:10 PM
Thank you! :)
- November 10, 2010 at 12:33 AM


text:
September 3, 2010 at 6am to September 30, 2010 at 7pm – Dupont Circle Registration is now open for contestants to register for the upcoming Ingersoll Oratory Contest in Washington, DC on October 24, 2010. Select a six minute excerpt from one of Ingersoll many lectures… Organized by Steve LOWE | Type: contest, /, celebration, of, rogert, ingersoll
© 2020 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


text:
InfoWorld's Galen Gruman sides with the anti-Java brigade, saying client-side Java is an outdated technology that now does more harm than good, and must be eliminated despite its widespread use.
Once again, flaws in Java are creating big holes that hackers exploit to victimize users and, even worse, sabotage or spy on many of the computers that run key business processes at utilities, banks, hospitals, and government agencies. Enough already. Wake up and smell the coffee: Client-side Java needs to go, and fast. Even if the current bugs can be fixed, there will be more.
The problem is that Java is widely used and embedded in the apps that we use every day at work and at home. It just can't be turned off, though the federal government's Homeland Security Department team has recommended we all do so even with Oracle's Monday patch installed. Sure, you can disable Java in your browser, which Apple did via remote control for OS X Lion and Mountain Lion users. And you can uninstall Java on your PC or Mac. But you'll end up turning it back on again because you have little choice.
Kill Java? Not so fast...
Java on the client side has turned into a malicious hacker's best friend, and developers really don't need it anymore. In fact, it's causing them more problems than it's worth. Although using Java lets a developer avoid writing custom code for the various versions of Windows and OS X, whether for native apps or browser client functions, the fact is that apps get tied to a specific Java version. Developers have a version-management problem anyway.
You'd think that IT organizations would have stomped out client-side Java long ago. I regularly hear IT folks moan about how they can't upgrade some users to Internet Explorer 8 because some specialty app they're running only works with the Java supported by IE6. I even know some who've had to give users two PCs because one app uses a Java version supported only by IE7 and another app uses Java supported only by IE8, which both can't be installed on the same PC. Java is the problem.
Of course, I also hear developers say things like the current Java 7 vulnerability is no big deal because their app uses an older version -- so the madness continues.
The feds recommended that users disable Java in the browser, and they should. But that still leaves Java on the desktop where it can be exploited, as Mac users found out a couple of years ago to Apple's chagrin. Apple's response was to deprecate Java in OS X Lion so that it was no longer installed as part of the operating system.
But when an app needs Java, users get a prompt to download and install it. Many popular apps do, such as Adobe's Creative Suite and even Symantec Anti-Virus. Oh, the irony that an antimalware app requires the use of one of the biggest malware conduits to function!
Apple had the right idea but didn't go far enough. It should prevent Java from ever running in OS X. Microsoft should do the same in Windows. Apple did that from the get-go in iOS, and few people noticed. The Metro (aka Modern) part of Windows 8 also doesn't support Java, which is a partial step in the right direction. Even the Java-based Android OS won't run Java apps or Web plug-ins.
Websites that still use Java, such as some banks, telcos, and airlines, will quickly adjust once more operating systems block it, just as websites have largely done after Apple blocked Flash in iOS. Today, only BlackBerry 7 OS runs unrestricted Flash on the mobile side, and the world is none the worse off.
Of course, despite Adobe's attempt to make Flash the common front-end UI technology for mission-critical apps such as ERP and CRM, Flash essentially was used only for video playback. The various codecs such as H.264 in HTML5 easily replaced Flash for that decidedly nonmission-critical purpose.
Java is still widely used for the front end of mission-critical apps and Web services -- thousands if not hundreds of thousands of them. That's why getting rid of Java on the client side will be tough. If Java went away tomorrow, many banking and e-commerce websites would cease to function, as would many electronic medical records systems and tons of specialty Web apps, from building inspector reporting tools to online voting.
Yes, online voting: France's online voting system requires Java to function. Without Java, rural and overseas voters are stuck, as there is no concept of a mail-in ballot there. (France's online voting systems also depend on specific versions of Java, so Mac users couldn't vote online in that country in last year's election.)
Those "unscheduled outages" would be devastating if OS X and Windows suddenly blocked Java, as the feds essentially asked us to do this week. If Apple couldn't make OS X Lion users suck it up and live without Java, Microsoft certainly can't do that in Windows given the hundredfold more apps in the Windows world than in the OS X world.
But here's what Apple and Microsoft can and should do: Announce that the next major versions of OS X and Windows will not run Java, period. Developers will thus have a deadline to convert their apps to Java-free versions -- a strategy that worked wonders for the major effort needed to prevent the Y2K crisis in 2000. Of course, that was a real deadline, and there's a danger that Microsoft or Apple might blink and extend the deadline, which would let developers delay even more.
To help push developers along, Apple and Microsoft should market Java-free, just like grocers market "fat-free" and "GMO-free," as an aspirational advantage and not a deficit.
But users aren't the real problem; businesses are. As much as IT staffers moan about Java, they hate to update software and operating systems, and their corporations hate to pay for it. Just listen to IT whine about how quickly Apple makes users update to OS X (about four years after release is the effective cutoff, versus six to 10 years for Windows depending on the hardware quality). Then imagine if they were told that by 2015 the then-current operating systems and the apps that run on them will need to be Java-free. Remember, parts of the U.S. Department of Defense still run Windows 2000. Yet most Java apps are those sold to businesses and are even developed by businesses internally.
The feds can help. Regulations for financial, utility, transportation, aerospace, and medical providers could designate the non-Java-free operating systems as noncompliant to security standards for gaining or renewing government contracts. Local governments would follow suit. That'd unleash a tidal wave of Java-free app updates. Loss of income is the motivation that vendors and developers need.
Of course, such dramatic action is unlikely given the government's hesitancy to interrupt the profit flow of its main owners -- er, contributors. But there may be a backup plan that's happening quietly even today: the move from traditional PC technologies like Windows to mobile ones like iOS and Android. The major mobile operating systems do not run Java apps or Java Web plug-ins. Migrating from PCs to iPads -- or making tablets a standard computing platform alongside PCs -- could be the quickest way to get rid of Java and force developers to stop using it.
If Microsoft and Apple don't make Windows and OS X Java-free platforms like iOS, Metro, and Android, client-side Java will still probably disappear over time even as Oracle tries to patch the technology in the usual security war of attrition. It just won't disappear fast enough.
We can't wait much longer. In an era where the United States and Israel have launched a quiet cyber war against Iran and others with worms like Stuxnet, and Iran has counterattacked by trying to take down U.S. banks' websites, it won't be long before Java is used like the lax airline security was on 9/11 to make something really bad happen. Already, Java flaws helped an unknown country spy undetected for five years on at least 39 nations -- the Red October hack. Stop it now.
This story, "How to kill Java dead, dead, dead," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Get the first word on what the important tech news really means with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog. For the latest developments in business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.


text:
my_bool mysql_change_user(MYSQL *mysql, const char
*user, const char *password, const char *db)
Changes the user and causes the database specified by
db to become the default (current) database
on the connection specified by
mysql. In
subsequent queries, this database is the default for table
references that include no explicit database specifier.
mysql_change_user() fails if
the connected user cannot be authenticated or does not have
permission to use the database. In this case, the user and
database are not changed.
Pass a
db parameter of
NULL if you do not want to have a default
This function resets the session state as if one had done a
new connect and reauthenticated. (See
Section 23.7.19, "C API Automatic Reconnection Control".) It always performs a
ROLLBACK of
any active transactions, closes and drops all temporary
tables, and unlocks all locked tables. Session system
variables are reset to the values of the corresponding global
system variables. Prepared statements are released and
HANDLER variables are closed.
Locks acquired with
are released. These effects occur even if the user did not
The same that you can get from
mysql_real_connect(), plus:
Commands were executed in an improper order.
The MySQL server has gone away.
The connection to the server was lost during the query.
An unknown error occurred.
The MySQL server does not implement this command (probably an old server).
The user or password was wrong.
The database did not exist.
The user did not have access rights to the database.
The database name was too long.


text: On September 10, 2010, join Adobe's Kevin Towes (sr product mgr) and Dan Rayburn from Streaming Media for a Q&A session about the future roadmap of Flash Media Server. The web seminar starts at 11:00 a.m. PT (2:00 p.m. ET), and all attendees can enter to win a copy of Creative Suite 5 Production Premium. Register Here.


text:
So, there it is - that is ALL I got done! BUT, the "girlfriend stuff" was worth a few less layouts!
I am blogging and simultaneously working on a book dummy for Macy-Sue that I will send to an agent who requested it tomorrow or Wednesday. Keep your fingers crossed.
Thank you so much for all your words of advice and for your votes on my Macy-Sue versions. Someone asked me to post all my versions of her, I thought about it, but I figured it would just add to my indecisive confusion on what the market wants! I think I am going with the original Macy-Sue but just spruce her up a bit...and I may just add unruly red curls. That was the concensus...unruly, red curls! Love it! *****************************************
Julian is hangin' on! His breathing has slowed and he sleeps alot. Mimi says he is just skin and bones. The 24 hour hospice was deemed not necessary by a doctor that has never even laid eyes on our sweet boy...Mimi is now 'Nurse Mommy' - like she needs one more thing to do...pray for her. She is sick and although she rarely mentions it, I am sure she is exhausted...physically and emotionally. Continue to pray for Juju! He is hangin on...literally hanging! Mimi says it is as if he is waiting for something.


text:
So, yesterday, my mom sent me an email with the subject line "Always" and no text in the body of the email. There was just a picture. An awesome picture. Behold:
I have an awesome mother.
Naturally, I forwarded this around to several fellow SmartPakers and we all agreed it was amazing. Then a few of us decided it should become something even more awesome. So we went to the craft store and crafted ourselves a horn, and then promptly headed to the barn. And now I present this treasure:
We took approximately 42 images to get this one useable one.
Now the horn is off on an adventure, traveling around to various SmartPakers barns. There's also a mini-horn, because dogs want to be unicorns, too. Check out more awesome "Be a Unicorn" pictures here and share your own on our wall at Facebook.com/SmartPakEquine!
Want a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a SmartPaker? Follow SmartPakerSarah on Twitter!


text:
Things you don't want to hear when you are 2/0 in WSG
Daddy, I need to do a poo!
I had waited 1.45 hours past the announced up time for our realm.
Extended maintenance was announced for a pile of realms, but nothing mentioned about the Oceanic realms – none of which were available – the Oceanic tab wasn't even visible.
The most commonly asked question in the downtime forum
When are the Oceanic servers coming up?
Not a peep from Blizzard… Bad form Blizzard!
Finally the server comes up and I sign up for the daily BG – WSG.
Excellent that the dailies are now (3.2.2) chosen from your level range options, as now the daily BG will truly be a daily.
Unfortunately (maybe fortunately in the long run, just not this morning), the other change is a BG won't start until both teams are full (3.2.2).
So more waiting…
At last
Finally WSG invite pops and it looks like a great team. Lots of communication, roles selected and away we go.
The 1st 15 minutes is hard going, every one of our attempts blocked, but we keep trying.
Then we pull ahead 2 quick flag caps, the score is 2/0 with only 8 minutes left on the clock and a great defense team.
Oh shit! Poo!
Then I hear a plaintive cry from Odin's bedroom.
Damn, he's awake. It will be OK, we will 3 cap in a minute and he will get my full attention.
Daddy, I need to do a poo!
Under normal circumstances these are the words you want to hear from a toilet training 3 year old.
But just not right now…
Dad: You want to do it in the toilet or your (night) nappy honey?
Odin: The toilet Daddy.
Dad: OK, let's go…
Odin: Actually Daddy, I would like to do it in the potty today, maybe the toilet tomorrow.
Plus another minute of soliloquy
OK Honey, here you go, daddy will be back in a minute…
Back to the battlefront
Run back to PC, rush to our flag room, get taken down by the invading Horde, manage to get out
Before I hear…
Daaaadddyyy! Spider Daddy, there's a spider behind me!
I turn to see my little dripping boy come running to me in fear.
We run back to the potty.
I do a Naxx badge run on the spider (one shot), but discover a full potty and a big puddle on the floor…
Time to wipe bum and clean floor and send Odin to watch Telly Tubbies (his choice, not mine).
Run back to PC, buff and start running down field, only to disconnect?
No not disconnected, sent home with a deserters buff.
Is it polite to talk about Poo in BG chat?
All my fault, I should have said something in chat before I ran… I wonder if…
brb, 3yo son needs to poo
…would have stopped them flagging me?
I paid in more ways than one
As further punishment, I then got to go and properly clean the potty and floor.
Odin followed up with a beauty
Daddy come and move my chair so I don't get square eyes from the TV
It got worse after that, breakfast can be a nightmare with a child, especially when the cooked meal he wants was finished by his mother the day before and the next 3 breakfast dishes get rejected one after another… only one piece of toast; not enough sultanas in the cereal; the toasted mayonnaise sandwich was not meant to be cut (despite his specific request)
Deep Fried Butter
Finally, completely off the topic of poo (some may argue how removed this is), I hear Tree Hugger Dave is on a plane heading to the US.
Have a great & safe flight Dave, bring me back something uniquely American…
Maybe like that deep fried butter I head about on Outlandish Podcast.
On second thought… Eat it yourself.
Gnomer and Out, Squidly and Stout!
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