PODCAST: When all the world’s failings end in Gaza – Selwyn Manning, Paul Buchanan assess the crisis
By Selwyn Manning, editor of Evening Report
As we prepared for this podcast, representatives of Arab states have presented a united front at the United Nations, criticising the UN Security Council of doing nothing to protect civilians from Israeli bombing and missile attacks on Gazan civilians and locations.
Since then, the UN Security Council has considered two resolutions, the latter calling for a pause in hostilities to allow a humanitarian effort to enter Gaza to assist civilians.
The United States vetoed that Security Council resolution.
Al Jazeera has detailed that Israel forces have targeted and bombed civilian facilities include hospitals, schools, residential areas resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, civilians – around one-third of the deaths are children.
It remains contested by all sides in this conflict as to who, or what, is responsible for the deadly attack on Gaza Hospital, resulting in the deaths of at least 471 people.
Additional to this, Israel has sealed the borders of Gaza while it prevents food, water and medical supplies from reaching civilians — in breach of international law requirements and laws of conflict.
Israel ordered Gazan civilians, who wish to get to safety, to get out of North Gaza and move toward the south, to the border with Egypt.
Heavy bombing, sealed border
But as people fled south toward what appeared to be safety, Israel bombed the southern Gaza region killing more civilians and sealing off that corridor for others who sought refuge.
As a consequence of the bombing, Egypt responded by sealing the Gaza-Egypt border.
Humanitarian aid now sits on trucks, waiting, on the Egypt side of the border, while United Nations officials implore Israel and Egypt to allow medical supplies, food and water to get through to those who are injured and dying.
The Israel Defence Force strikes followed a surprise-attack on Israeli citizens by soldiers operating under the Hamas banner.
Civilians were slaughtered and others taken hostage, only to be used as bargaining chips and leverage against their enemies.
Even Palestinian advocacy groups like the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa suggested that breaches of international humanitarian Law, crimes against civilians, have been committed by those Hamas-aligned fighters.
But they are clear, as others are too, that crimes against humanity, war crimes, have been committed by Israel, without consequence, as we all give witness to its response which is disproportionate, brutal, and disregarding of the thousands of Palestinian lives that have already been taken.
The View From Afar podcast on Gaza.
Getting worse
That is the grave current situation and it is likely to get much worse.
In this episode, Selwyn Manning and global security and geopolitics analyst Dr Paul Buchanan discuss the crisis yesterday:
- What are the world’s leaders doing to stop the carnage?
- Are the world’s nations being drawn into what will be an ever-expanding war?
- Are we witnessing the beginning of a war where on one side authoritarian-led states like Russia, Iran, the wider Arab states, and possibly China stand unified against the United States, Britain, Germany, and other so-called liberal democratic allies representing the old world order?
- Is what we are witnessing, what happens when a global rules-based order, multilateralism and institutions like the United Nations no longer have influence to prevent war, or restore peace and stability, or assert principles of international justice and enforce the rights of victims to see recourse to the law?
- Why has this slaughter become an opportunity for the US and Russia to square-off against each other at the UN Security Council — a body that was once designed to advocate and achieve peace, but has now become a geopolitically divided entity of stalemate and mediocrity?
- Eventually, will humanitarianism prevail? Will the world recognise that all people, the elderly, women, children, people of all ethnicities and religions, that they all bleed and die irrespective of their state of origin, when leaders of all sides, while sitting back in their bunkers, unleash weapons designed to kill as many people as is possible?
PODCAST: How and Why Democracy is Backsliding Around the World – Buchanan and Manning
A View from Afar – In this the seventh episode of A View from Afar podcast for 2023 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine the strengths and weaknesses of democracy around the world.
In particular Paul and Selwyn consider how and why democracy in many countries around the world is on the slide.
They examine the causes of democratic backsliding and also test why the erosion of high democratic ideas have, in many cases, popular support.
First, Paul gives us a context and defines democratic backsliding.
He identifies the countries that are decisively eroding their own democracies of principles that were once embraced by both power elites and citizenry.
The Questions:
• Why are we seeing more democratic backsliding in recent times?
• Is it just a political phenomenon or does it extend beyond the political sphere?
• Where has democratic backsliding been most evident?
• What do Chile, Guatemala, Israel and Thailand have in common?
INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:
Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. To interact during live recordings of A View from Afar podcasts, go to YouTube Remember to subscribe to the channel and be notified of future episodes.
For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going by clicking on one of the social media channels below:
- YouTube
- Facebook.com/selwyn.manning
- Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning
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Participants in this podcast can be contacted via email below:
- Dr Paul G. Buchanan: email Paul@36th-Parallel.com
- Selwyn Manning: email Selwyn@milnz.nz
You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music and where all good podcasts are found.
RECOGNITION:
The MIL Network’s podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication.
Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category.
ENDS
KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE: QUEENSTOWN VISIONARIES BRING THE USD $1.5B+ GLOBAL LUXURY HOLIDAY HOME CO-OWNERSHIP WAVE DOWN UNDER
Move over Uber and Airbnb, the latest sharing economy to boom is the holiday home. It’s no wonder why… Who doesn’t want a multimillion-dollar, luxury holiday home for 1/8th the cost? Here’s how.
Queenstown, New Zealand – The appeal of owning a holiday home is undeniable. It’s exciting to imagine having a special place in another part of the country or world where you can create amazing memories with family and friends.
However, the cost can be difficult to justify in today’s market, especially if the home is only used for a few weeks each year. As a result, a global trend is seeing financially astute and environmentally savvy families drastically reduce the cost, responsibility, and environmental footprint of second home ownership through co-ownership.
In fact, co-ownership has become so popular that an American provider has recently received $1.5B valuation since its 2020 inception and more than 2 million USA holiday homes are co-owned.
Now, New Zealand/Australian co-ownership experts John and Sharon Russell have launched their latest business venture, Second Home, to help Kiwi and Australian families safely and reliably establish affordable second home co-ownership for themselves at 1/8 the cost.
The Queenstown visionaries possess 24 years’ experience with co-ownership having introduced syndicated boat ownership to the Australian and New Zealand markets in 1999.
“We have designed a practical and affordable way to fulfil the dream of owning a holiday home and creating those amazing memories of family holidays that become such a profound part of our lives,” said John and Sharon.
Second Home brings eight like-minded individuals together to own the title to their dream holiday home, enjoy it exclusively for six or more weeks each year and benefit from any market appreciation, whilst paying only a fraction of the cost.
Co-ownership significantly reduces the upfront and ongoing costs associated with owning a property and Second Home ensures the property is looked after and managed.
“We are excited to co-own a stunning property in Queenstown valued at approximately eight times what I have invested, with like-minded families. It’s affordable and flexible, allowing us to spend quality time together in one of the most beautiful parts of the world,” said Peter Hamilton, Second Home owner.
“Homes are luxuriously furnished, and a personal concierge is on hand to ensure that all is set up for your arrival. On departure, just lock up and leave and Second Home takes care of the rest.”
Second Home property locations include New Zealand (Queenstown Central, Jack’s Point in Queenstown, and Wanaka) and Italy (Mercatello sul Metauro and Venice) with the Gold Coast on the horizon.
From an investment of only NZD$316,000, suitable buyers can co-own one of these multimillion-dollar homes for themselves.
“So far, the interest and uptake have surpassed our expectations. Our first Queenstown property was so popular and went so quickly, that we secured two more in Queenstown and another in Wanaka.
“We only just started marketing Jack’s Point last week and two of eight co-owners have already purchased.”
“In uncertain financial times we have historically seen tremendous interest in the co-ownership model for both boats and holiday properties. During 2007 to 2009 our business Riviera Syndication experienced an increase in sales due to owners still wanting the leisure experience, but also wanting to be cautious with their investments.”
Co-ownership is also sustainable. “Instead of holiday homes sitting empty for a large portion of the year, we are seeing families embrace co-ownership and reduce their carbon footprint, while also boosting the local economy with more frequent visitors.
“It’s the perfect way to holiday and invest in real estate at the same time.”
For more information and full listing details, visit www.secondhome.co.nz or contact John Russell at +64 21 854 597 or jrussell@secondhome.co.nz or Sharon Russell at +64 21 863 759 or srussell@secondhome.co.nz.
About Second Home
Second Home is founded by experienced co-ownership pioneers and boutique lifestyle experts John and Sharon Russell, who have over 24 years of experience in co-ownership. They previously founded and operated Boatshare Australia in 1999 and Riviera Syndication luxury yacht co-ownership in Australia from 2007. Their new venture, Second Home, was launched in February 2023 in Queenstown, New Zealand with the aim of making second home ownership more accessible and sustainable through their holiday home co-ownership model.
Useful Links:
Media Contacts:
John Russell +64 21 854 597, jrussell@secondhome.co.nz
Sharon Russell +64 21 863 759 or srussell@secondhome.co.nz
SpaceBase “Space for Planet Earth Challenge 2023” seeks applicants from the Pacific region leveraging space technologies to address climate change.
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND, [18 May 2023]
The “Space for Planet Earth Challenge” officially kicks off today and invites students and innovators from New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, and the Pacific Islands to participate. The Challenge seeks innovative ideas to combat climate change in the region.
Auckland based organiser SpaceBase is calling applicants to specifically use satellite data, in combination with other data sources, to help develop scientific methods to identify target areas of methane emissions around the world.
“SpaceBase leverages incentive prizes and space-based technologies to solve grand challenges on Earth”, said CEO and Co-founder Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom. “We hope the solutions created will further R&D as well as spark products and services in the realm of methane identification and monitoring in the region.” Methane contributes about a third of global warming worldwide and traps heat 25 times more than CO2.
The competition is open to two categories: high school level and university/start-up level. Qualified teams will be invited to participate in a three month incubator programme that will include learning about remote sensing and data analysis, as well as design thinking and prototyping. Shortlisted teams after the incubator will be invited to pitch their ideas during the final event hosted in Auckland in March 2024.
The grand prize winners and finalists will win cash prizes up to $25,000 NZD, mentorships, and more. Proposals to participate in the incubator programme can be submitted online between 18 May and 31 August. Full Challenge applications are due 25 February 2024.
The Challenge is sponsored through organizations like K1W1 Ventures, Callaghan Innovations, and the Auckland Space Institute. Our partners include the Government of New Caledonia, and the Australian and Philippine Space Agencies. See full list of sponsors and partners on the SpaceBase website.
For more information on submitting a proposal and other details, go to: https://spacebase.co/challenges/space-challenge-2023 or contact info@spacebase.co
New Chorus Node expands Wellington Data Centre solutions at Xtreme Networks.
Xtreme Networks, a leading local provider of data centre and networking solutions, announced today that it is further expanding its capabilities with the launch of the new Chorus Data Centre Connect node for Wellington, Available to order from May 1, 2023.
The new node, located in its colocation data centre at 191 Thorndon Quay, will provide an accessible Point of Presence for Internet Service Providers and enhanced connectivity options for businesses requiring high-quality data services, throughout the region and beyond.
Chorus Data Centre Connect is a high-performance, low-latency service that allows ISPs to easily establish a local Point of Presence and enables businesses to easily connect to other data centres using Chorus’ fibre infrastructure.
With the new node at Xtreme Networks, businesses will have access to Chorus Handover services and Chorus L2 Products. Service Providers and business customers can purchase either 10G or 100G connections to take the traffic back to their designated Chorus exchange and onto their nominated footprints.
“We’re excited to have worked with Chorus to bring this new data centre connect node to Wellington,” said Dion Hallam, Managing Director of Xtreme Networks.
“This investment provides yet another building block for us, in ensuring the region has ample access to high-performance networks directly into Chorus’s core infrastructure. We believe it will be hugely beneficial for ISPs to build a new point of presence in the Wellington region and will further simplify local data hosting for Managed Service Providers and their clients,” Dion Hallam said.
Having also launched their new channel partner program for MSP’s, 2023 will be a year of continued growth & investment in providing robust local data storage and connectivity to New Zealand businesses.
“It’s been a pleasure working with the Xtreme Networks team to launch our new DCI node into the Wellington Data Centre” said Mark West, Network Product Manager at Chorus.
“This investment will give businesses in the region the unique opportunity to connect to the Chorus Handovers and backhaul services across New Zealand with options for both 10G and 100G transport service. We are really excited about this venture and look forward to what’s next,” Mark West said.
Xtreme Networks is a locally owned and operated data centre with a reputation for providing highly responsive service and world class connectivity and hosting facilities for more than 23 years.
The new Chorus Data Centre Connect node at Xtreme Networks in Wellington is set to go live on May 1, 2023. For more information about accessing the service, contact the Xtreme Networks team directly.
For more, see: https://www.xtreme.nz
New Zealand’s Top 50 Construction Firms Revealed
Auckland, New Zealand – 17 APRIL 2023 – BCI Central is pleased to announce the publication of the inaugural New Zealand edition of the BCI Construction League.
The free report ranks the country’s top 50 builders by the total value of projects that commenced construction in 2022 within the commercial, community, industrial, legal and military, and multi-residential (3+ houses/units) sectors.
- New Zealand’s top 50 builders commenced construction on 488 projects in 2022, with the top 10 builders accounting for 167 of these projects.
- The top 50 builders’ total value of projects came in at $8.9 billion, with an average project value of $37.3 million.
- The top 10 firms commenced construction on just under $5.8-billion worth of projects in 2022, with an average project value of approximately $124.5 million.
- Only $2,000 separated the top two construction firms. Mansons TCLM’s three commercial projects secured them the top spot in the League.
“While 2022 saw restrictions lifted in most parts of NZ, the ripples of the pandemic continued to impact the construction industry. Shortages and severe cost increases in skilled labour and supplies caused project delays, cancellations and the collapse of numerous companies in the sector.
“Despite the mounting challenges, numerous new companies got their start and thousands of projects commenced construction across the country. NZ’s builders are persisting and adapting to meet the unwavering commercial and residential market demands”, Chief Data Officer, Michelle Aizenberg, said.
The Construction League report, researched from a variety of sources including BCI Central’s construction project database and direct submissions from construction companies, provides valuable insights into the state of the New Zealand building industry, the projects and businesses shaping our built environment.
The full report is available for download on the BCI Central website (https://www.bcicentral.com/download-the-bci-construction-league/).
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About BCI Central
Established in 1998, BCI Central was founded to create efficiencies and enhance transparency in the intrinsically complex construction industry. BCI’s software solutions and related services achieve this while simultaneously enabling its clients to identify sales opportunities, make informed decisions and connect with key target markets. Today, BCI Central plays a crucial role in empowering businesses around the world with construction-centric tools to succeed.
Lagom Receives Cloud Delivery Excellence Award at Inaugural SAP New Zealand Partner Excellence Awards
AUCKLAND — Lagom is the recipient of the SAP Cloud Delivery Excellence Award 2023 for New Zealand. The award is presented by SAP for clear adoption of SAP best practices to support delivery and growth, and helping customers adopt innovation easily, gain results rapidly, grow sustainably, and run more simply with SAP cloud solutions.
“We are honoured to have received this award at the inaugural SAP partner excellence awards,” said Lagom Director Deepak Pratap. “Lagom is the cloud partner New Zealand businesses can trust to deliver complex ERP projects and provide end-to-end support to help our customers with their business transformational projects. We look forward to another successful year in 2023.”
Celebrating the outstanding achievements of SAP’s best-performing partners over the past year, the SAP Partner Excellence Awards cover six categories including excellence in innovation, customer engagement and cloud delivery. The categories aim to reflect how partners are helping customers achieve their ambitions and continue to grow, especially in the cloud.
Lagom received the partner excellence award at SAP New Zealand’s Partner Kick Off Meeting. The event was held at Auckland’s Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and hosted by Adrian Griffin, Managing Director, SAP New Zealand and Mark Hettler, Head of Partners and Channels at SAP Australia and New Zealand
About Lagom
Lagom is a delivery centric consultancy with a core focus on doing the best thing for our customer. We know that having the correct systems in place can make all the difference to the inner workings of your business. That is why our mantra is “Delivery Done Right” – and we love to do just that. Lagom has been involved in delivering complex ERP projects for many years, providing end to end offerings to help our customers with their ERP or business transformational projects. For more information, go to lagomgroup.co.nz.