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Khaliah Shaw Lost 90% Of Her Skin After Doctor Prescribed Her Routine Bipolar Drug - But Is Still Smiling

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A 24-year-old student is starting the long road to recovery after losing 90% of her skin as a result of a rare allergic reaction to a common prescription drug she was prescribed for bipolar.

Khaliah Shaw, from Georgia, US, is raising awareness of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, the condition which made her skin erupt into blisters, and nearly blinded her.

Writing in her blog, The Journey of a Butterfly, the Georgia College and State University graduate details her recovery following the reaction, which happened in January 2014.

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Khaliah before and after the reaction - and still smiling


Within a month of being prescribed Lamotrigine, an anti-seizure drug, Shaw had developed a purple rash, and had blisters inside her eyes and mouth, and on her hands and feet. Doctors initially had no idea what was wrong with her, and iolated her thinking she had an infectious disease.

Shaw eventually lost 90% of her skin, as well as her hair and nails, and the graduate had to be sedated for five weeks. She had to relearn how to walk, sit, stand and feed herself, and was kept in hospital for seven weeks.

What is Stevens-Johnson Syndrome?
According to Mayo Clinic, Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare, serious disorder of your skin and mucous membranes. It's usually a reaction to a medication or an infection. Often, Stevens-Johnson syndrome begins with flu-like symptoms, followed by a painful red or purplish rash that spreads and blisters. Then the top layer of the affected skin dies and sheds.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a medical emergency that usually requires hospitalization. Treatment focuses on eliminating the underlying cause, controlling symptoms and minimizing complications.


"When I realized all my hair was gone, I cried," Shaw wrote on her blog. "When my friends came to see me, I cried. When I realized I couldn't walk, I cried. When I left the hospital, I cried. EVERY time I look hard enough in the mirror, I cry. Crying has become my thing because…I don’t know what else to do!

"I literally feel like I woke up in another persons body.

"It breaks my heart when people stare at me. It tears me up when I sense that people are weirded out by my appearance."

Shaw's bravery and determination to fight, however, is remarkable.

"If I choose to stop living, then SJS wins. And we ALL KNOW that is NOT happening! Not today. Not tomorrow. So it’s time to put on the armor of God and fight. HARD."

Shaw hopes to return to university to continue her graduate studies in public health, but told Fox Los Angeles: "The biggest thing is I would love to have my vision back."


Legal Tips for Bloggers

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As a law student I often get asked by friends and friends of friends who have online blogs such as this, small online stores or who use Wordpress or similar website development programs, how they can protect their work online and when they might fall foul of copyright laws. Sometimes the questions relate to who owns what image, whether the whole website is 'theirs' or just the content they upload or how much material they can use from another person's website on their own. Other questions concern what sort of contract website developers should negotiate with the business owners.

With this in mind, I've written out brief responses to some of the more common problem areas for bloggers and small website operators ranging from suggested business agreement formats to site ownership questions. I hope it helps you start to understand your legal options and responsibilities. Always remember though to obtain qualified legal advice if you have specific legal questions or require legal assistance!

1. What sort of contracts and agreements should business owners consider putting in place with their developers to avoid ownership surprises down the line?

It's often a very good idea to write out a Website Development Agreement with any person (a freelance website designer for example) who is designing a business owner's website. This agreement should set out the key terms and conditions upon which the developer is to design and build a business owner's website including:

1. Fees
2. Development Stages and Delivery Dates
3. Scope of work
4. Payment Terms
5. Ownership of Copyright
6. Obligations of Business Owner to provide content
7. Developer's Warranties as to quality and suitability of website
8. Confidentiality
9. Termination & breach clause

The agreement needs to clearly state that the developer assigns ownership of the copyright in the website and its content to the business owner upon full payment of their fee. By law, assignments of copyright need to be in writing and signed by (or on behalf of) the assignor. A verbal agreement will not suffice and should not be relied upon! So always make sure your agreement is in writing for your own peace of mind!

2. If a site owner uses a pre-built platform (like Shopify, Etsy, Wordpress) to build their online store, who 'owns' that website?

Whilst you will retain ownership of all intellectual property rights for work and images you submit for the website, the coding, development and designing of the website platform remains the property of the business that created and developed the pre-built platform. It can be helpful here to think of a website in two parts. Part One belongs to the business who uses the platform for their online store. It will own the website's content such as words, images, products or ideas rather than the developer of the pre-built platform. This is the part of the website that the business can exert ownership over. Part Two, the coding and design of the site that is unique to the platform, remains the property of that developer (such as My Online Shop or Shopify). This will include their logo, specific designs or themes, fonts or images.

Finally, it's important to remember that whole websites are not protected by copyright, only their component parts can be protected so ensure you keep a record of all submitted work and images you submit. They will be automatically protected by copyright as soon as it is saved in a 'material form' (such as on a USB, saved to your hard drive). A copyright statement at the footer of text, photos, videos or graphics also indicates to site users that other companies own some names, brands and logos within the website. So don't forget to add that little ©!

3. If a business contracts a photographer for a shoot, or an illustrator for bespoke graphics, who owns the images/graphics?

Again, there is a general principle of copyright that the author of a literary, dramatic, musical or artwork owns the copyright in that work. However, there are two exceptions to this general provision. So, if the photographer or illustrator has entered into a contract (signed and in writing assigning copyright), then the photographer/illustrator is no longer the effective copyright owner because the ownership has been transferred through negotiation in exchange for fees. Alternatively, if the work was created in the course and within the scope of the photographer/illustrator's employment - then the employer or business owns copyright in the work. BUT! Bloggers and Writers take note: these exceptions do not always apply to freelancers, independent contractors and volunteers. So with this in mind, it is best practice to have written agreements with all the contributors involved in the project/development, to ensure copyright ownership is clearly determined. Again, it is always best to get such agreements in writing, specifying the how and when such ownership is transferred between parties.

4. What are some examples of the types of agreements or contracts that could be put in place with bloggers/copywriters?

To protect your online business and minimise risk, it is normally advisable that websites contain disclaimers regarding all third party content. This is especially relevant when considering claims of misleading and deceptive conduct, or defamation. You don't want to be blamed or held responsible for that one defamatory remark from an anonymous troll on your website, do you? Moreover, third party content should come with a warranty that all material is new and original. The third party should be well acquainted with the necessary rights and clearances required. Again, it is important that anyone creating content has assigned the copyright to the business owner.

5. What kinds of terms and conditions should businesses have on their website regarding the copyright of the content (blog posts, photos), illustrations) and how they can be used by others?

Every website should contain terms and conditions of use! Terms and conditions of use let others know that they must seek your written permission to exercise an ownership right belonging to you. Copyright owners have the right to: reproduce or copy their work, communicate their work to the public, publish their work, perform their work, and adapt their work. As a copyright owner, these rights are exclusive to you. If you did want to allow someone else to exercise some or all of the exclusive rights of a copyright owner, you could license your copyright. Here, it is important to determine the permitted uses, the territory, the term of the license, any sub-licensing right, the nature of the license and any payment by the licensee.

'House of Cards' Meets 'The West Wing': The Moment When Frank Underwood Tried to Outdo Jed Bartlet

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There was one scene which particularly stood out for me in the latest season of House of Cards. In episode four, President Frank Underwood goes to church and admits to the priest that he doesn't understand the Christian philosophy of unconditional love. He implies that he finds that Christ is a weak figure to worship. Left alone in the church to "pray", Frank acerbically addresses a sculpture of Jesus hanging above him: "Love? That's what you're selling? Well I don't buy it". He then proceeds to spit on Christ's face, before accidentally knocking over and smashing the statue. The scene serves to emphasise the chasm between Frank's public persona, the man who says he's looking for spiritual guidance and pretends to pray, and his twisted, self-aggrandizing private mind which seeks to elevate his status even above the institutions of religion and love. It's a vintage House of Cards moment. Except it isn't.

Anyone who's familiar with The West Wing's phenomenal second season finale "Two Cathedrals" will know that this president-confronting-God-in-church scene has already been done before. Following the sudden death of his beloved secretary, President Bartlet, marches the entire length of Washington Cathedral and launches a tirade on God. It's justifiably one of the most talked about scenes in American television over the last two decades, and it's no surprise that the writers of House of Cards have seemingly chosen to pastiche it given the many fundamental comparisons often drawn between the shows. There's no doubt that it's a good scene and it allows Kevin Spacey to be at his snarly, caustic best, but having re-watched Martin Sheen's poignant and perfectly scripted rant again, it seemed odd to me that the writers of House of Cards didn't feel that creating a scene so closely aligned to the one in The West Wing would only expose the former as the weaker White House drama.

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(C) 2015- Netflix


House of Cards' best asset is the soliloquising, merciless Frank Underwood. He is evil incarnate and he produces so many quotable cold-blooded aphorisms such as "democracy is so overrated", that to call him Machiavellian would almost be an understatement. Frank is so brazen in his self-awareness of his iniquity and so removed from a depiction of a real-life president (at least I hope so), that his character can be appreciated much like the Shakespearean villain, Iago. But it is this theatricality which also partially undoes the dramatic credibility of the show. Frank Underwood, and indeed the entirety of the narrative of House of Cards in itself, is so over the top, that he is a kind of caricature figure. When he spits on and smashes the statue of Christ, it's not so much a shocking display of irreverence as it is darkly farcical. Whether it's intentional or not, House of Cards' ability to compel and entertain stems from the fact that, a lot of the time, its characters and its plot are borderline absurd. No serious political series would have its main character murder two people who were no more than inconveniences. But House of Cards revels in the fun of melodrama and has spent the previous two seasons establishing Frank as an unparalleled force of malevolence and hypocrisy. Spitting on Christ is just the kind of morally bankrupt thing we've come to expect him to do, and the statue's collapse, showing the president's godlessness is a classic example of the show's occasionally heavy-handed approach to symbolism.

I probably would've enjoyed Frank's church antics much more if I hadn't already seen it done far more profoundly and dramatically in The West Wing. Many critics of Aaron Sorkin's show have attacked it for its sentimental idealisation of the Democratic Party, and whilst it's sadly unlikely that there are White House staffers as witty and competent as Sam, Josh, CJ, Toby etc. and a president as erudite as Bartlet in the real world, The West Wing's characters never seem as two-dimensional as their House of Cards counterparts. Bartlet's cathedral outburst is a scene of immense emotive power and psychological depth. This isn't just a man drunk with power defying God's influence like Underwood, but a religious man struggling with his faith and his frustration at the unjust tragedies which have befallen him and his nation. For me, to see the usually composed and mild-mannered Bartlet rebuke God as a "son of a bitch" and "feckless thug" is far more startling than anything Frank Underwood could ever do. At the end of the scene he defiantly lights a cigarette and then puts it out after one puff: he's in a conflicted, passionate state of mind and it shows. Like a real person, he acts on impulse, and it's this sense of spontaneity which frequently seems to be lacking in the very artificial-feeling and staged House of Cards. Any scenes in which Underwood is left alone with the viewer are usually just constructed to further underline his two-faced pragmatism and malice; with Bartlet, we are given an insight into the genuine inner-conflict, weariness and pain which lies behind the presidential veneer.

Television shows (and all fiction) that examine and demonstrate the complexity of human emotions, alongside an engaging narrative, are, in my opinion, always the most intriguing and enduring; Frank Underwood's theatrics and his brutal ruthlessness wears thin after a while. And although it was initially refreshing to see such a black-hearted show, there comes a point when it becomes a little difficult to invest yourself in it when you feel that almost all the characters are too ridiculously deplorable to merit any pathos. No one quite does sociopathy like Kevin Spacey, but my vote will always be with the Bartlet administration.

Bringing Entrepreneurial Thinking to the UAE

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A chance meeting with a visiting government minister of Kenya last week outlined to me just how much of a global meeting point the United Arab Emirates really is.

I was sitting in the offices of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, overlooking the Dubai Creek where trade between the emirate and the rest of the world began over 100 years ago. The original business of pearl fishing has long gone but dhows still cluster around the creek.

The government minister was leading a delegation from Kenya, exploring trade links with the UAE, and I was pleased to be able to tell her that we had our own Kenyan delegation with us - part, in fact, of a delegation of young entrepreneurs, volunteer business mentors and entrepreneurship experts from 11 countries. We were in the country for the final of our Young Entrepreneur Awards, hosted by the Dubai Chamber in partnership with Barclays.

The UAE, just 44 years old as a nation, is known as a global connecting point, a place to do business and as one of the world's leading producers of oil and gas. But it is not particularly known as a centre for entrepreneurship.

But that, too, may be changing.

The UAE has second largest economy in the Arab world, but the minority Emirati population, which numbers just 1.4 million (far less than the 8 million expatriate population) does not play a full part in this growing economy. There is persistent unemployment among Emiratis - particularly young Emiratis, and particularly in the northern Emirates, outside of the main centres of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Most Emiratis are employed in the public sector, and have traditionally been opposed to private sector employment, viewing it as unstable and less prestigious than working for the government. Yet with a growing youth population, and a need to find ways for Emiratis to get more integrated into the UAE's economic growth, private sector employment is a must for the Emirati population. And alongside that, the most senior levels in government have recognised that entrepreneurship is crucial for the UAE, as a tool to stimulate innovation, underpin continued growth and diversify the economy away from natural resources.

In the words of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoun, Ruler of Dubai, whose words I heard repeated regularly during my four days in the country, entrepreneurship is the shortest route to a bright future.

So it was against this backdrop that we signed a partnership with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce to support the growth of Tejar Dubai, a programme which supports young Emirati entrepreneurs as they start and expand their business.

Tejar Dubai is providing targeted, and from what we saw extremely effective, support for ambitious Emiratis. One example entrepreneur who has benefited from Tejar Dubai's support is Randa Al Himyari, who with the backing of the programme is now the founder of not just one but four businesses, including Dubai based nursery business Petit Bout Chou.

The highlight of our four days in the UAE was the awards final where Hong Kong entrepreneur Viola Lam was crowned as our Young Entrepreneur of the Year, in recognition of her teaching institute which is helping children develop maths skills.

But in addition, our delegation made connections across the country, from interacting with Emirati students at the Sharjah Higher College of Technology, learning from UAE entrepreneurs such as sports club founder Anas Bukhash at an event hosted by Accenture, and discussing partnerships at the high-tech incubator In5 in Dubai with Lamia Tabbaa-Bibi, owner of children's Arabic-language content company Little Thinking Minds.

From these events it is clear that the entrepreneurial buzz is taking hold in the UAE, both with the Emirati population and the non-Emirati population.

The first half decade or so of its existence has seen immense change in the United Arab Emirates. With the support of talented young entrepreneurs such as those that we met last week, the future certainly does look even brighter.

The 2015 Woman

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Woman. A term I struggle to compress to a singular word because across generations society has perpetually attempted to redefine the nature of my gender. Whether it is in our private lives or in the public eye, women have been conditioned to seek approval from elsewhere resulting in a feeling of inadequacy. We remove parts of our identity in order to conform to society's image of 'perfection' but in reality, we measure against an unrealistic standard. We choose to place our time, efforts and resources on our physical appearance rather than in our education and inner-selves. This lack of emotional fulfilment and disempowerment is the product of today's popular culture, and sadly, this struggle is all too common. Socialisation has taught us that a woman's place is not in a position of power but beside a man of power, as the old saying goes, 'behind a every great man is a great woman'. And this is particularly evident in the political sphere where women are discouraged to undertake a powerful role and instead stand behind their partner as they campaign for a seat.

You only have to look to Hilary Clinton who was told to 'go and iron a shirt' during one of her campaign stops to understand that it is not about the content of our words but the physicality and women stereotypes. We have painted women to be incomplete without a man by her side, and this seems to be the case for 'Mrs. Clinton' whose words are overshadowed by her relationship, husband, children, grandchildren, outfit, hair, makeup and whether the choice of navy blue was a fashion faux pas. Whilst her husband is asked about his views on foreign policy, the economy and his golf swing. This can also be said of the 'Downing Street Catwalk' which demonstrated the new women in the cabinet in a sexist and demeaning manner, examining their fashion choices instead of their expertise.

Across the world we stand proud of our modern democracies and yet, we continue to listen and act from a male perspective of what a democracy should look like. But the truth is, legitimacy can never be achieved without the full voices, perspectives and insights of women.

Furthermore, it is often said that the media is a portrayal of ourselves, and yet it seems every film or series we watch is the perpetual recreation of female stereotypes. From my personal experiences, a woman is either

• torn between two men
• is looking for Mr. Right
• is looking for Mr. Right now
• is trying to get over a man with another man

Popular culture reminds us that we should feel incomplete or insecure because Prince Charming has not come to our rescue. In reality, our happy ending has been intertwined with men fulfilling our supposed desires. However, we should not underestimate Hollywood, after all, they have featured films in which women have been shown in positions of power. However in such cases, these protagonists are either described as bossy or bitchy. And when it comes action heroes, well we do save the day... in a tight latex cat suit. If the media truly wanted to portray us than they would take the time to ask us instead of simplifying our identities into three simple categories. We demand to be reflected. We demand humanity. We demand to be seen for who we are and not how others wish us to be seen.

Let us not be distracted from taking a stand or making a change. Let us not trivialise one another because of the media's decision to portray women through a two-dimensional lens. Let us acknowledge and accept that our sexuality and our physical beauty are not our only access to true empowerment. We do not have to use our body in sexualised manner to acquire power and self-liberation. It is time for a psychological breakthrough in which we demand to make space on the table of power. Take back your identity. Take back your womanhood.

Guidance for the Naïve Undergraduate - Part Ten: Living With Others

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Housing is a pivotal focus for all students, not least because we all require somewhere to live but mostly because it seems to be a suspicious stain on the underpants of student life. The routine usually goes, halls of residence in first year and a shared student house in second and third year with a bunch of people you thought you liked.

Essentially at some point you are going to find yourself living and sharing, voluntarily or involuntarily with others. If you don't find yourself bent over your bathtub plunging someone else's foreign pubic hair, you will find your Flora suffocating under someone else's crumbs or your cutlery in someone else's cupboard.

When I was a student it was never the aforementioned that were a problem of pertinence, rather it was the usage or misuse of our shared bathroom. In my halls of residence, there were eleven of us, including me, yet only ten of us used the bathroom. This was because Kevin down the corridor, Kevin who urinated in only empty bottles and then sentimentally stored them on his bedside table for the foreseeable future, never seemed to shower; rather he would opt for having a stand-up wash in the sink twice a week. I would advise anybody to take the en-suite option; in fact, most halls of residence offer an en-suite option. However, some halls do still exist with the shared bathroom option, though these are usually the kind of halls of residence where your bedroom carpet is likely to be stained like a crime scene.

Another problem living with others of course is how those others behave. In my first year, I lived with an obsessive compulsive Scouser who roped me into covering up his frivolous infidelities with the yet-to come out cockney lesbian who lived two doors down whilst his long-term fiancé from came to stay during Easter half-term. In halls of residence, you will more often than not find yourself in company, sometimes overwhelmed with company. There is nearly always someone over, usually a friend, an acquaintance or possibly a dealer and/or friend of benefit, but despite being surrounded by others, halls of residence can be a lonely place. I once purchased a plant to channel my loneliness into; I don't believe I was the only person with a plant in my room but I was definitely the only one who wasn't cutting the leaves for financial gain.

One girl I lived with perpetually sought to give me lung cancer through the medium of secondary smoking. This River Island mannequin of a flatmate would smoke mostly in the bathroom, avoiding the smoke detectors given that there was none fitted in the bathroom. Blimey, when I opened the bathroom door after that chain smoker, it was like walking onto the set of Stars In Their Eyes, "tonight Matthew, Thomas Hurdsfield is...having his risk of emphysema increased". Of course, it is important to note that smoking is very dangerous and harmful. One morning I came down and out through the door to the flat, said girl was sat on the floor puffing away, I failed to spot her and as the door opened, well, it basically hit her in the face. See, smoking can be dangerous and harmful.

Occasionally, some fellow humans in halls of residence do indeed ask to borrow your belongings. On one occasion I was awoken by a loud banging on my bedroom door at what was around six in the morning. Once I had established that this was not a collective of mildly attractive females making a booty call and there was no risk to my sexual health, or myself, I answered the door. What greeted me was one of my flatmates asking to borrow my shoes. I was so equally dazed by my slumber and flummoxed by this question; I simply replied, "Are my slippers alright?" He was overjoyed and snatched my hand off, taking my slippers with him. An hour later, another knock came and my slippers were returned, as I retrieved them I looked down at the floor, only to discover my flatmates several verruca's, hairy feet, rogue patches of crustacean, a missing toenail and what may well have been the beginning of gout. I took my slippers and promptly placed them in the bin once the door had closed and a chap in dire need of a podiatrist trundled away.

My guidance to you on this occasion is simple; take an en-suite where available, be weary of foreign body hair, be grateful there is no gas tap to leave on in your bathroom and never, I repeat never, loan your slippers out to someone who has no intention of wearing them with their socks.

How to End the Crisis in Central African Republic

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Since early 2013, the international community has witnessed a horrific ongoing crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR). It is reported that nearly 1 million people have been internally displaced, around 230,000 have fled to neighboring countries and approximately 2.2 million are in dire need of humanitarian aid. The United Nations predicts that around 6000 people have been killed since the inception of the crisis, but the real number unquestionably is higher.

In a press conference held early last year, Amnesty International declared that efforts to mitigate the situation in CAR have caused an exodus on a scale that has never before been witnessed. The organisation also stated that international peacekeeping forces have failed largely to mitigate the situation in the country.

The conflict in CAR began in 2013 after the majority Muslim rebel group, Seleka, decided to overthrow Francois Bozize. Subsequently, within 16 months, Seleka's leader, Michel Djotodia, assumed power in a transition government. Since then, violence has intensified in the country. Seleka perpetrated horrendous delinquencies against civilians. Although nearly everyone was under threat, the Christian community was specifically targeted. In response, anti-Balaka militia was founded which poured out its rancor on Muslims, including those who are not part of the Seleka. This culminated in horrific ethnic cleansing across large swathes of CAR.

The conflict has been exacerbated by the lack of attention from mainstream media, resulting in a lack of attentiveness from diplomatic circles and aid donors; consequently, there has been a slow response.

Despite the ongoing crisis culminating in the divergence of two religious groups, depiction of the ongoing situation as ethnic or religious appears to be overly simplified. However, this is not to say that religious element does not exist. But rather claiming that the conflict is merely religious is too simplistic and would not help recognise the root factors of the crisis, and may lead to inappropriate solutions.

Why did this crisis start?

First, for a long time CAR has been a feeble country with a weak government that has no penetration effect on its populations. The non-existence of a functioning state and security forces has created limited availability of basic service provision, such as education, healthcare and security, for people in large parts of the country.

The lack of security has been specifically astonishing, with both government forces and rebel groups aggregating into a menace to civilians. The security services seem to be neither eager nor capable of offering the people security, leading to the creation of several self-defense guerrillas and insurgent groups.

Secondly, the current conflict is the consequence of the cycle of conflict in the region that has persisted for more than two decades. At the macro level, Sudan, Chad, and CAR have been faced with various proxy wars that have sprouted many armed groups with their respective sponsors. At the micro level, there is a tremendous increase of mercenaries that consist of young people who have known only weapons and violence in their life.

Thirdly, power battles within political aristocracies have caused ordinary citizens from the elite-mobilizing slice of the society to pursue their own personal benefits and gain power. During Boazize's era, the President stiffened his grip on the government apparatus and in the aftermath of the 2011's elections people apart from his immediate retinue began to censure these restrictive politics.

Political tycoons have unwittingly been worsening the situation by maneuvering religious and ethnic identities, a process that is very apparent in the current turmoil. The elite dominance contests are intertwined intimately with the vicious political structure. Nepotism and an insolvent democratisation process have resulted in vehemence becoming the accepted fashion of contest in the country and grabbing power a means to acquire wealth.

Fourthly, the neglected northern regions of the country have been ignored largely since the colonial era, while the north-east has been perceived historically as populated by outsiders. As the Seleka arriving from the north-east, the ingrained angst of outsiders from the north was induced among those in the south.

It cannot be ignored that the northern part of the country has been home to several insurgent movements over the past years. The non-existence of functioning institutions and basic provisions has been very obvious in the north. Moreover, the limited economic fortuities in the north have left a large number of people with no option but to align with the armed groups.

How to end the crisis?

In the short term, I believe that the number of international peacekeeping forces must be increased. Currently, there are around 2000 forces from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and several French troops. This number is not sufficient and the African Union and the UN needs to deploy more security forces in order to restore order and peace in the country. More importantly, the UN and AU must ensure adept and eager peacekeepers are positioned to safeguard civilians and guarantee peace. Several reports have spread that the international peacekeepers have instead contributed to the deterioration of security situation.

In addition, the UN and other aid agencies should expedite the delivery of aid to those who are in dire need throughout the country, as well as those who have sought refuge in neighboring countries.

Furthermore, the current interim President Chaterine Samba-Pansa must try to accommodate Seleka in the country's political sphere. CAR's 80% Christian population considers Seleka as foreigners in their country. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to improve the situation unless without political settlement between the two groups. Moreover, it is vital for Samba-Pansa and other political and religious leaders to support mediation and find a way to reconcile the country and restore peace.

It is also paramount for the international community to support the investigation conducted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) so that those responsible can be brought to justice and to prevent the carnage being repeated in the future.

In the long haul, constructing a functioning state is extremely necessary. The only way to attain long-lasting peace in the country is to rebuild state institutions and basic services that have never actually subsisted. Central to this is the total non-existence of a social contract. If this continues to be absent, any effort to establish state institutions will surely be in vain.

Killing and oppression should be consigned to the past. However, we must all be willing and able to exert any efforts so that we don't see it ever again.

Oxbridge Application Process Branded 'Institutionally Racist' By Cambridge Professor Diane Reay

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A Cambridge University professor has launched a scathing attack on the Oxbridge application process, labelling it "institutionally racist".

Professor Diane Reay accused Oxbridge universities of "accentuating elitism," branding them as "a finishing school for the private school system." She made the comments in a report for the race relations think tank the Runnymede Trust.

Reay, a professor of education at Cambridge, argued despite attempts to attract more youngsters from poorer backgrounds, black and white working class students were still likely to find themselves in a minority at institutions like Oxford and Cambridge.

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She also added that many working class students at Cambridge saw the university as "a white, middle class bubble".

The research from the trust states the Oxbridge application process assumes "the vast majority of their intakes will
be aged 18 with very high A-level scores" and the universities "don't allow students to work in term time". This, it argues, excludes the majority of black and minority ethnic (BME) students and equates to positive discrimination, "bestowing advantage on the already advantaged".

Just last year, it was revealed just 57.4% of Oxford entrants came from state school backgrounds - the lowest of any university in England excluding smaller specialist higher education institutions.

At Cambridge, state school admissions accounted for 63% of undergraduate entrants in 2014.

Professor Reay concludes the report, stating: "Oxbridge remains the equivalent of a finishing school for the private school system, polishing, refining and accentuating the elitism and sense of superiority acquired in earlier schooling."

Both Cambridge and Oxford have responded saying they "strongly rejected" the professor's claims.

In a statement issued by a Cambridge spokesman, the university argued: "Data shows that ethnic minority admissions to Cambridge reflect national trends once prior school attainment has been factored in.

"Our commitment to improving access to the university is longstanding and unwavering," the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, an Oxford University spokesman said: "We reject in the strongest terms any allegations of institutional bias or discrimination.

"Just under a quarter of all Oxford students of known ethnicity are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds."


Valentina Maureira, 14, Changes Her Mind About Wanting Euthanasia After Outpouring Of Public Support

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A teenager with cystic fibrosis who wanted to be euthanised to end her suffering has changed her mind following an outpouring of public support.

Valentina Maureira, from Chile, hit headlines around the world after making a video pleading with the Chilean president to grant the 14-year-old permission to end her life.

"I urgently request to speak to the president because I'm tired of living with this illness," said the teenager, whose older brother died at age 6 from the same disease. "I want her approval so I can get a shot that will make me sleep forever."

Cystic fibrosis damages multiple organs, especially the lungs, by causing recurrent infections that damage tissue. Valentina said she was frustrated by the lack of options and by how the disease had hurt her quality of life.

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A still from Valentina's YouTube plea.


President Michelle Bachelet denied Valentina's request as it was against Chilean law, but was "overcome by emotion" following the teenager's plea.

However, Valentina has been inundated with public support since posting her video. Her father Fredy told AP his daughter was especially moved by a visit from an Argentine family whose children also have the incurable illness, and was given hope by meeting a patient who had survived beyond the age of 20.

Valentina told the El Mercurio newspaper that "there are people who have led me to change my way of thinking."

Finland Scraps Subjects In Schools And Replaces With 'Topics' In Drastic Education Reforms

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Finland is set to embark on a radical overhaul of its education system, scrapping "teaching by subject" and replacing it with "teaching by topic" under a set new measures revealed by Helsinki's head of youth and adult education Liisa Pohjolainen.

Although long heralded as a model of a successful educational system, with record high rates of literacy and numeracy, Finland have outlined plans to drastically change its education methods, starting in capital city Helsinki.

Amongst a host of changes, there are plans to introduce a programme based around "teaching by topic" rather than the more traditional "teaching by subject" methods, which are already being phased out for 16 year olds in the city.

This change will see subject specific lessons, such as Geography and History, replaced by pupils being taught cross-subject topics, such as the European Union, which would combine aspects of Economics, Geography and Languages.

There will also be changes to the format of lessons, with the traditional, more passive approach being replaced by a more collaborative method of learning. Instead of sitting and listening to the teacher, students will be encouraged to work together to discuss and solve problems.

Unveiling the plans, Liisa Pohjolainen hinted more changes were to come in the future: "This is going to be a big change in education in Finland that we’re just beginning,” she said.

Helsinki's development manager Pasi Silander also backed the changes: “What we need now is a different kind of education to prepare people for working life.

“We therefore have to make the changes in education that are necessary for industry and modern society”.

However, some teachers and heads have expressed concerns about ditching long-standing methods, having spent their entire life focussing on a single subject.

To ease the transition, Helsinki's education manager Marjo Kyllonen has advocated a “co-teaching” approach, where more than one subject specialist is involved in lesson planning. Teachers who adopt this approach will receive a small increase in their salary.

Around 70% of Helsinki's high school teachers have now been trained in this approach.

According to early reports, the new system is already benefitting Finish students. In the two years since the system started being implemented, pupil "outcomes" - a term preferred to standards - have been on the rise. Ms Kyllonen's blueprint, which will be published next month, will see these reforms in place across Finland by 2020.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt has criticised the “exam factory” approach towards schooling, calling for greater autonomy to be given to teachers and school leaders.

Student Finds Live Locust Crawling in Sainsbury's Rocket Salad

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A student was left stunned after purchasing a bag of Sainsbury's rocket salad, only to discover a large exotic locust crawling around inside.

Stephen Oldham, 21, bought the bag of salad whilst shopping on Wednesday evening. Upon returning home, he noticed the bug crawling around inside when putting the salad in his fridge.



A student at Bath University, Oldham photographed and filmed the creature, before returning the salad to the supermarket.

Speaking about the incident, he commented that he was initially unaware of the locust: "It was only when I got home and went to put the bag in the fridge that I noticed something moving" he said.

"I couldn't work out what it was at first as it was slightly buried below some leaves and then eventually it came to the surface.

"I just couldn't believe it! There I was with a normal bag of rocket and next minute, there's a whopping great locust!"

After filming the locust, Oldham returned the bag to Sainsbury's.


Stunned Kieran McKeefery Finds £1.25 Million In His Bank Account

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A 21-year-old web designer from Barnsley was shocked to find £1,245,000 in his bank account due to a mysterious error - and the bank wouldn't take it away.

Kieran McKeefery phoned NatWest after discovering the extraneous cash in his account, but they said it had been deposited by a large investment firm and it was their job to retrieve it.

McKeefery spent a presumably distressing ten days trying to decide if he should use the money or not before the company realised their error and reclaimed it.




"It was very strange and quite scary when you are in that position, checking your bank and seeing £1.25 million is in there," he said.

"I didn’t know what to do, except just wait and think about all the things I could have spent it on.

"I thought ‘oh god, what has happened’ - I was a bit shocked more than anything else.

"I was kind of tempted (to spend it) but I had read stories about people spending money mistakenly placed in their accounts and getting in trouble.

"I spoke to my partner and she said to just leave it there and don’t touch it.

"I was buying a new car the next day and I could have paid for it in cash - and bought quite a few more - with the money in my account.

"The bank wasn’t really playing ball. It was a bit crazy really.

"I had all this money in my account and they said they had made the request (to the payee’s bank) and I just had to wait.

"They said it was up to them to sort it."

Luckily the 21-year-old was left with £204 interest from the sum after it was removed from his account, and he hasn't been asked to give it back.

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2015, the Year That Young People Vote?

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With less than fifty days to go until the polls open, it is time for Britain's voters to deliberate over which box their trusty cross will go in on 7 May. Politicians of all colours are firing up the turbo chargers, as it's pedal to the metal from here to the finish line, in what is arguably the most crucial general election this century, if not for a generation. If this metaphorical nonsense isn't enough to inspire you to get thinking political, then I don't know what else will. It is precisely this kind of talk, often heard on daytime political TV shows, that gets only those with an ingrained passion and enjoyment of the political goings on excited, whereas others groan and reach for the remote. It certainly doesn't arouse any democratic motivation in the youngest sector of the electorate, those aged 18-24.

This age demographic is a lost cause when it comes to engaging in our most basic democratic right. According to Ipsos MORI, just 44% of the age group in question turned out to vote in the 2010 election, whereas for those aged 65 and above it was 76%. The data certainly points to a generational divide in the importance put on voting, but doesn't discount the fact that apathy to the political system is something that is rife across all ages. Some may argue that the older generation see voting as more of a moral obligation, in order to give consent to the democratic process, even if a vote has no hope of being reflected in who wins power. With younger people however, it seems that such apathy has eclipsed any motivation to get out there and participate in something so simple yet significant.

There are plenty of reasons why young people have little interest in voting, which most notably in my opinion, is that they cannot relate to the politicians that make up Westminster. It's not that there is a lack of issues that affect young people; perhaps it's just that they don't feel that the majority of MPs uphold their interests to the degree they would like.

This general lack of trust between young people and those who represent them is not helped by what has become an accepted and almost expected trend to be unconcerned with the political system. That is not to say that you have to agree with the current state of British democracy, but by not participating no change can be enacted. Russell Brand, an influential figure amongst young people, has publicly spoken about his history of never once voting, and his intentions not to start doing so. This sends out a thoroughly toxic message, and I like to think that most young people can take it for what it's worth, and nothing else. Indeed it was shown six months ago at the Scottish Independence Referendum that young people certainly do care about their futures and the issues that affect them. Record numbers turned out to cast their votes and this was no doubt helped by the fact that 16- and 17-yea-olds were allowed to participate. This highlights that if young people believe they CAN have an impact, they WILL vote.

There are no simple and easy solutions to the problem of young people not voting. Some would suggest implementing political education into schools, although that brings all the arguments about biased teaching. Others may suggest enforcing mandatory voting, but that is out of the question. Something needs to be done to encourage young people to take the initiative to vote, not drag them kicking and screaming all the way to the polling booths.

The 2015 general election looks like one that should be able to improve on the miserable turn out statistics of 2010, after all, a lot has happened in five years. For a start, there is more on offer than the LibLabCon triad of parliamentary influence, with parties such as The Green Party and Ukip being contenders for holding the balance of power. This election is the first in which social media is being used to its utmost advantage, not just by political parties, but by those encouraging us to vote. Campaign group Bite The Ballot are encouraging young people to register to vote, and held a National Voter Registration Day in February, which mainly garnered support and publicity through the means of social media. Additionally, although the opportunity was not too popular in my student household, I was delighted as a first time voter to see a representative from our local council knock on the door offering us the chance to register to vote. It is innovative strategies such as these, whether it is knocking on doors or through Twitter and Facebook that are the way forward.

We will have to wait and see if May's election can be an example of how young people's voting intentions can be turned around. I have to admit that it is my fascination with the unpredictable political climate we are in that compels me to discuss such a topic, 15-year-old me didn't even know what a manifesto was back in 2010. However that just shows anyone can have a dabble in the theatre of politics, but when it comes down to the reality of democracy we must all get out there and vote to strengthen it, not undermine it.

Sixth-Formers 'Urgently' Need More Support When They Go To University

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Sixth-formers need more support when they leave school or college for university because they do not "magically turn into fully-fledged adults" at the age of 18, a leading headmaster is warning.

Richard Harman, of Uppingham School in Rutland says that finishing school education and leaving home for halls of residence can be an anxious time for young people, but help can dry up at this point.

In a speech in central London later today, Mr Harman, who is also chair of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), says there is evidence that teenagers are less than happy with the backing they receive once they get to university.

"The students we teach every day, and their peers in state schools, are arguably under more pressure than ever before. They are anxious about high-stakes exams, unreliable marking, 24/7 pressures of social media, lack of jobs and housing, increased debt and constant upheaval in all levels of their lives. And they have to live with predictions that they will be the first generation worse off than their parents. Anxiety and depression pay little attention to income or academic prowess.

"In HMC schools we have already substantially increased our pastoral care over five years and have formed a new high level working group to drive further innovation. These innovations will need to complement similar initiatives being undertaken by some universities.

"For we all know school and college leavers do not magically turn into fully-fledged adults the minute they step out of the classroom and into the lecture hall. Leaving school, leaving home and creating a new life at 18 is bound to be a time of acute anxiety.

"But at the point of greatest need, support can dry up."

Mr Harman will say that previously unpublished findings from an HMC survey taken in 2011 show that 75% of independent and state school pupils rate the pastoral support offered by their school as very or quite good, compared to 53% of those in higher education.

He goes on to say that work is needed to ensure that all students in the UK are "resilient" at each stage of their development, taking good, relevant qualifications, receiving decent teaching and assessment and gaining the skills they need to make them employable.

Schools and colleges need to work together to support students, he indicates, as well as working with young people themselves.



Students Stunned As QMUL Lecturer Plays Them Video Of Herself Naked And Pretending To Masturbate With A Tampon

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Warning: Story contains graphic content.

Drama students were left unable to look their lecturer in the eye after she played them a graphic video where she stimulated masturbation with a tampon, writhed around naked and urinated.

Lauren Barri Holstein, a PhD student at Queen Mary University, London, showed the students the video, where she blew a condom out of her vagina and inserted a knife between her legs. The clip was shown as part of an introduction presentation to her 'Theatre and its Others' module at Queen Mary University of London.

Holstein also gyrated around mid-air whilst dangling naked from a harness suspended from the ceiling. In one scene where she pretends to masturbate with a tampon, she does so over another woman, and sprays fake blood onto her face.

vimeo
Holstein mid-performance


The clip was from a recent production Holstein had starred in, which apparently intended to highlight how theatre can incorporate intertextual references and dance, student site The Tab reported.

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The video can be viewed on Vimeo, but we should warn you - it most definitely isn't suitable for viewing at work. Or in class. Or anywhere public.

A syllabus of the theatre class reads: "This module looks at what is specific to the form of theatre, by exploring how to achieve, in theatre, effects and meanings found in other art-forms.

"It conducts this by means of a practical exploration of the processes and techniques for adapting other material into theatre, supported by relevant readings, screenings, visits and performances as appropriate.

"It is taught through staff-led workshops, a group practical project and seminar discussion, and is assessed through the group project and two pieces of critical writing."


Anti-Rape Video Released by UCC Students Union To Combat Stigma Around Horrific Crime

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A Students Union in Ireland has released a video to help combat the social stigma surrounding rape.

The campaign, titled #BreakTheSilence, has been launched by University College Cork's Students Union in a bid to open a dialogue about the crime.

The video features male and female students talking about common assumptions about rape, and seeks to help victims feel comfortable talking about it.

Speaking about the campaign, a spokesperson said: "In UCC, and in Ireland, rape is not spoken about enough. The ‘hush-hush’ nature of the conversation is damaging to the victims. Our campaign seeks to get rid of the shaming culture in Ireland, in which victims of rape do not feel comfortable to tell someone someone what has happened to them,

"By not talking about rape we silently condone it. It’s up to us, all of us, to Break The Silence."

Dick Murphy, UCCSU Deputy President, was positive about the impact the video could have: “Our campaign seeks to get rid of the shaming culture in Ireland. If we make this issue more spoken about, together we can create an environment in which victims of rape feel comfortable enough to open up to a friend or family member”, he said.

Elsewhere in the UK, a student at Falmouth University has won first prize in a police competition after designing a series of anti-rape posters.

Bethany Hall, a graphic design student, entered Devon and Cornwall Police's #noblurredlines competition, which seeks promote an anti-rape message on campus.

Last year, The University of Exeter's Students Guild launched their #NeverOk Campaign in a bid to tackle sexual harassment at the University.


The campaign, which features a video starring UK actor David Tennant, seeks to promote the message that sexual harassment can take many forms, and should be defined as "anything that leaves another person feeling uncomfortable".

In September 2014, a student at Colombia University vowed to carry the mattress she was allegedly sexually assaulted on around campus until her rapist was expelled.

University Tuition Fees - The Elephant in the General Election Room

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It was only a matter of time before a party busted out the big guns and spoke about their policies regarding university fees. Queue Ed Miliband and Labour's revolutionary plans to lower fees from £9,000 a year to £6,000.

First of all, for a bit of context, I work in a Students' Union. And yes, I was as outraged as the next person when the Lib Dems did their U-turn from their promise to abolish fees to then tripling them. However, there has been a silver lining.

On a near daily basis, I now speak to students who are demanding better quality from their course and institution. "I'm paying £9,000 a year" is thrown around like it's nothing, but this is incredibly positive when it comes to student engagement. Students now see themselves as customers. If you order food in a restaurant and it comes to you with a big hair on it, you would have no qualms about sending it back. This scenario can now be applied to poor organisation of courses, or even not enough lectures on the timetable.

As a Students' Union, we have seen our drink sales steadily decline over the last few years, with food sales going the opposite way. More and more students are attending the University gym, popping along to career fairs and engaging in voluntary work. In fact, this year our uptake on active volunteers has trebled. Students want to get the most out of their experience at university, as they're paying through the nose for it.

An argument for reducing fees is they put students from disadvantaged backgrounds off. Speaking from personal experience (I left home at 15 and have been self-supporting ever since) the idea of student debt didn't put me off at all. If you want to go to university - you will go. I know that I won't start paying back my fees until I earn over £16,000 a year (I paid £3,000 a year for my fees), but those paying the higher rate don't have to start paying anything back until they earn over £21,000. Personally, I feel that figure is more than fair. Which, as a student representative, is probably an unexpected view.

I think the Parties need to be concentrating on less high-profile policies and work from the ground up. Why aren't they sorting out Student Finance? The whole system is completely ridiculous. Student rent prices are skyrocketing, whilst the amount of maintenance loan you're entitled to stays the same. I know many students whose loan doesn't cover their rent, and they're actually in a deficit once rent is deducted. It seems that it's the students from middle class families that are suffering the most. Maintenance loans are generally based on your parent's income, so if your household is considered "well-off", the assumption is that your family will give you extra money. This is not always the case. We have recently set up a Food Hub for students, and the majority of inquiries I have had are from these particular students.

No wonder there are more and more pay-day loan companies targeting students.

So I guess what I'm saying is: cheers, Ed - but it's not good enough.

My Job Application Theory

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Dating is a complicated and convoluted game, and not one I particularly understand. Given my inherit lack of patience and my past experience being based on what I fondly refer to as the 'hurricane,' I am not exactly an expert. However, I have friends whom seem to have it down. They understand implicitly and intuitively how to long to wait before replying, the power of playing hard to get and can advise on what height of heel to wear on a first date. So I turn to them, pester them with questions and badger them until they have bequeathed their knowledge onto me. I am fastidious in my learning, and although, I suspect I will never truly master the art I am guided by my superiors.

The reason, for that, somewhat, protracted rant, is because it seems to me to be the perfect analogy to describe applying for jobs. See, I was smug when I left University, I had a job by March and whilst the rest of my peers faltered and floundered I was secure, safe and satisfied with my post-graduation options. I had a stable relationship whilst everyone was searching. (Namely I got the only job I applied for and the only one I wanted). However, my job is coming to an end and for the first time, essentially in my life, (not to be over dramatic), I have no idea what is going to happen next. I am like one of those girls who is single for the first time since entering a weirdly intense relationship at a young age.

Being at University carried with it a certain level of instability (especially given my particularly crooked trajectory) that saw me, in three years, live in three cities. However, being a student there was no pressure to earn money, pay rent, bills or student loans. Now I am a fully fledged graduate, and a soon to be an unemployed one, and so every night I come home turn on my computer and apply for jobs.

However, my dream of being a copywriter (as my friends are surely tired of hearing) is not an easy one to accomplish.

To begin with it is not the most common job, my parents know plenty of lawyers (and my dad was a solicitor, though I am still unclear on the difference.) I know Doctors (according to my mother the holy grail of occupations and if I am not going to be one I better endeavour to marry one.) There are a plethora of occupations my friends, family and extended contact base have, but no-one is a copywriter. And my attempt to use Linkedin to create connections resulted in a rather strange individual offering to be my "mentor" and then proceeding to ask me out; not quite what I had in mind.

I am wading in murky waters I don't fully understand and applying for jobs with a C.V I hope and pray is impressive. Applying for writing jobs I feel every application should be creative and innovative, but there are really only so many ways you can tell the same story. And, much like the dating scene there are moments when I know I am just batting out of my league like a fat, bald octogenarian hitting on a twenty-something in a bar. If I accidentally click on a job that offers a salary in excess of £25,000a year I quickly retreat, pressing the back button as quickly as my fingers can work. The same goes for any job that requires two years experience, knowledge of photoshop, SEO, google analytics, graphic design, basic coding or video editing. That still leaves me with, an admittedly, limited range of options, but even given that I am only applying for the jobs I believe myself to be both qualified for and well suited to. (Having spent an ill-advised period interning as a data analyst I understand the importance of playing to one's strength.) I have yet to have any response. Of course, much like in dating, I have no idea how long I should wait, if these companies will ever get back to me, if I am doing something wrong in my application or if they are simply inundated and accepting only those who did their undergraduate at Oxford, masters at Harvard and interned at the White House with President Obama listed as their referee.

At least in dating I can moan to friends, and if nothing else, I have accumulated some rather amusing stories to tell at parties. But, I missed the boat; my friends all dealt with unemployment in the months immediately after University. Even those who took slightly longer than the rest have all now gained meaningful employment. So I am off to take my considerable levels of frustration out on the cross trainer, and pray that just one of my considerable applications gets back to me....

Politicians Need to Stop Treating Us Like Idiots

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Last week, the Tories released an absurd campaign video. The video shows Alex Salmond journeying to Westminster in a grotesque looking cartoon, with a dreary narrative voice alleging that Salmond plans to win the seat in Gordon, then control Ed Miliband through an SNP coalition. To stop this? Vote Conservative, the screen tells us.

Watching this video reminded me of Netanyahu's campaign video before the Israeli elections: Bearded men, waving ISIS flags, are shown travelling in a car towards Israel. They stop and ask another driver for directions to Jerusalem. The driver responds with "take a left [turn]", implying that voting for Left-wing parties would expose Israel to ISIS. To stop this? Vote Netanyahu, the screen tells us.

Both these campaign videos have a lot in common. They designate a nemesis. They designate an accomplice to that nemesis. And then they tell the electorate that if you vote for this accomplice, you are as good as aiding the nemesis. Both these campaign videos also appeal to a fictitious fear. They have no factual basis. Former head of the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate, Amos Yadlin, wrote that "ISIS is no existential threat to Israel." Labour's leader, Ed Miliband, said an SNP-Labour coalition would never happen.

Both sides do it. Labour's latest election poster is an X-Ray scan of a broken bone with the caption "next time, they'll cut it to the bone"- referring to the Tory NHS cuts. Admittedly, this has some basis in fact through the continued privatisation of the NHS, shutting down of A&Es, and massive social care cuts.

Yet both parties have said they support public sector cuts, and a more sensible poster would have outlined how Labour could protect the NHS. Attacking an opposition which has a very clear record of dismantling public services does not realistically present anything meaningful to the table. It is both degrading and patronising to treat the electorate as half-wits with no understanding of policy besides "they did this, don't vote for them".

To truly illustrate how far we have sunk, envisage this. We, as a country, spent an entire two weeks discussing Ed Miliband's kitchens. Seriously. Our popular media discourse was so completely engrossed by the anatomy of kitchens, that Ed Miliband's appearance on BBC Free Speech at the same time which discussed Labour's actual plans and policies went completely unnoticed. Even though the vast majority of the BBC Free Speech audience were 16- 20 year-olds, not a single one of them asked Miliband about his kitchens. Every question was focused on policy, perception, and the steps Labour would take to ensure a better future.

Does this mean that "mere" teenagers are more capable than professionals at centralising discourse around topics which actually matter? And if that is the case, why do the rest of us feel no shame at selfishly and continuously poisoning discussions which affect their future more than anyone else's?

This is what we have degenerated British political debate into. A festival of unsubstantiated mudslinging and disrespectful campaigning. I would say it is like watching teenagers, but teenagers have evidently proven far more effective.

So, a message to our brilliantly gifted Oxbridge graduate politicians: Stop treating the electorate like a bubble of simpletons which can be scared and coerced into voting one way or another with minimal effort. Put forward your ideas intelligently and in a way which engages the mind, and puts at priority the future of Britain. Run a dignified campaign, rather than scampering like dogs for a bone.

Maybe then you can tap into the vast wealth of disenfranchised votes which are never cast during any election. As a frustrated friend published on Facebook this morning: "We want to hear your policies and plans for the future and to hear you talking like responsible, trustworthy adults, not like bickering children telling tales on each other."

University Of North Georgia Uses 'Racist' Stock Photo For Prospectus Front Page

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The University of North Georgia has come under fire for featuring what some claim is a 'racist' stock image on the front cover of a Continuing Education catalogue.

The photograph focuses on two white men winning a race while a black man and a woman lag behind, with the caption "Why follow when you can lead".

Writing in New York Magazine, Jessica Roy said: "It proves that you can automatically win anything you put your mind to, as long as you are a white man."

success racist catalogue university of north georg

The school has since removed the catalogue from circulation.

A spokesperson for the university told the Atlanta Journal Constitution: "We are aware of the reaction to the image you noted. After looking into the issue, we determined that this is an isolated case of poor judgment, and was not intentional.

"However, the image was not representative of UNG’s commitment to diversity, and this will serve as an opportunity for increased dialogue about diversity issues and we expect that to better inform our processes and publications.

"The image has been removed from the department’s website and social media pages, and the catalog will be reprinted before further distribution."

"Additionally, we have taken steps to provide for broader review of publications like this to ensure they fully meet institutional expectations and reflect our community and our values."

According to data in the photograph, it was taken by Daniel Hurst. He has been approached for comment.

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