However, from the end of November 2020, the factory stopped working. This is like a knife cut into the despair of the nearly 300 inhabitants living on the island. These people are forced to drink contaminated water, fear outbreaks of disease and face the fear of prolonged starvation. Impotent “Skin diseases and diarrhea are widespread, especially among children. We have no choice but to drink contaminated water or salt water,” said Taboree Biremon, a resident of Banaba island. “The kids are not okay because they don’t understand (why do we have to deal with this). They keep asking for the kind of food they never get. We just feel so sad about it but what can we do?” According to Mr. Taboree, it has been 3 months since people have had no fresh water to drink, cannot bathe, have no food other than fish because all crops have died. “We couldn’t sleep either. All we wanted was to find water on the island. We are looking for a way to survive. We were adrift in the sea, lost and no one cared,” Mr. Taboree said. Empty food shelves – a familiar image in many houses in Banaba. Photo: Guardian. A ship from Kiribati – 400km away – docked this past March – providing bottled water and equipment to set up a new desalination plant. But island seniors insist relying on remote support is not feasible and sustainable, especially as the climate crisis worsens. “Dealerization plants are not a long-term solution. As the incident continued, we were in the same impasse again. What the people need is to restore the status of the island,” said Roubena Ritata, a village elder. Banaba leaders are looking for a lasting solution. In fact, there is a solution that their ancestors have worked for decades to survive on this island: the traditional method of drawing water. Reason Elders are writing to the Australian and New Zealand governments asking for assistance in building or cleaning up a network of underground water in the caves, called te bangabanga . Australia and New Zealand contributed to the destruction of the bangabanga te system in the 20th century from phosphate mining. This activity was started by Australian miner Albert Ellis in 1900. Over the next 80 years, the British Phosphate Commission (BPC) – owned by Australia, New Zealand and the UK – exploited Banaba Island so much that about 90% of the island was bare land. “The total destruction (Banaba island) is the result of the activities of these countries. They come, fill their pockets, and leave,” said Katerina Teaiwa, an associate professor at the Australian National University and author of “Ocean Island: The Story of Man and Phosphate from Banaba”. The Banaba has historically survived many severe droughts thanks to caves and water storage. The underground caves are called te bangabanga. Photo: Guardian. However, the elderly residents here claim that almost all of the caves have been destroyed, the remaining few are seriously polluted. “For many people, te bangabanga exist only in stories and dances that have been passed down through generations,” said elder Pelenise Alofa. Historically, only women have been allowed to enter these caves, showing the importance and role of women in the Banaba community. “We performed dances and told the story of how the ancestors found the cave to the young. It’s part of the people of Banaba. I thought these problems would be solved, but they got worse,” said Alofa. The Banaba used to receive a compensation for what they had to endure. In 1976, a group of people sued the UK over the destruction of the island’s nature. The court then ruled that Britain had only a moral debt, not a legal obligation. In the end, the British government decided on behalf of the group to offer the Banaba people a good faith settlement of nearly $7.8 million, on condition that they waive all further legal action. Now, as the drought persists, the Banaba people are forced to continue their search for compensation and find a lasting solution. Looking for justice 6,000 people were forced to migrate from the island to the Fijian island of Rabi. “Banaba citizens living in Fiji and the diaspora in Auckland are eager to return to Banaba and connect with their homeland. But the devastation caused by mining operations leaves people with no other choice,” said Rae Baineti, director of the Kiribati Auteroa Diaspora Director. “As a social activist, I advise the younger generation to stand firm and be brave. I encourage them to dialogue to hold the government accountable for our destruction of land,” he added. An old cantilever used to load phosphates for ships. Photo: Guardian. Over-mining has also resulted in houses in Banaba being built with asbestos. This substance when inhaled can lead to two deadly diseases, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mike McRae-Williams, an Australian environment expert with over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, came to Banaba in 2008 to assess the severity of the situation. “This is a serious health hazard to the people who live here,” he said. “Instead of constantly giving stories like ‘poor Banaba people, no water, help them’, we should aim for an approach that is to find a reasonable solution,” said resident Teaiwa. While supporting the emergency rescue effort along with the Kiribati government, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to comment on the Banaba residents’ request for New Zealand and Australia to address the root of the crisis. panic. Meanwhile, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not provide an answer to this issue.

In other words, one regime can only win over another if there is higher labor productivity. The 2008 Nobel Prize-winning American economist Paul Krugman said: “Productivity is not everything, but, in the long run, productivity is almost everything. Whether a country can improve its quality of life depends almost entirely on whether it can raise output per worker.” Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman commented on the importance of labor productivity The Digital Transformation process leads to an important consequence, which is a dramatic acceleration of productivity through: 1) Maximum support of digital technologies and data; 2) The transformation of the organizational model; and 3) Changes in the structure and nature of economic activities. The increase in efficiency of economic activities based on technology and digital data creates innovative breakthroughs in providing new ways to increase productivity and create value, while helping to The digital economy has become a major component of the economy. Robert C. Lieberman (2012) wrote: “Changes in technology, especially the information revolution, have transformed the economy, making workers more productive and gaining important positions for the workforce. mental labor rather than manual labor. At the same time, the emergence of global markets, which itself has been accelerated by information technology, has dented the once dominant US manufacturing sector, and reoriented the US economy. to the service area. The service economy also rewards educated people with high-paying professional jobs in finance, healthcare and information technology.” This has suggested important implications for examining the dialectical relationship between productivity and digital transformation in the current context and its role in increasing the share of the digital economy in the economy. To evaluate productivity, we can rely on four important components: One is n platform of productivity is the creation of value and thus the value created determines the measures of productivity. A person who works hard for 8 hours a day only creates a value of 10 dong, will not be able to have a high labor productivity as a person who also works 8 hours a day but creates a value of 50 dong. Therefore, it is necessary to understand that the increase in productivity is not more labor effort, better skills, but the most important thing is to grasp how to create new value in the modern era. The present is how to be able to catch up, adapt and find ways to create those values. Digital transformation is not basically the application of digital technology and data to help “work more” or “work better”, but the most important thing in Digital Transformation, which is towards a new form of social organization to create a new source of capital, data capital, which helps to create a breakthrough in value, allowing a breakthrough in adding value to labor. Monday, S The change of economic/business model has an important significance in increasing productivity. In innovation, the value of innovation, that is, building on the foundation of existing models and innovating to increase efficiency will always be of critical value and can only increase at a finite rate. and tends to slow down. Thus, increasing productivity solely on the basis of the old model will not allow to expand the value – the basis of productivity, and thus also limit the possibility of increasing productivity. Converting numbers starting with requires a creation overate ( disruptive innovation ) , in which the transformation of the economic/business model is an indispensable, first and conditional requirement for the real Digital Transformation to take place. Tuesday , The transformation of the way we organize, operate and create value mechanism as a result of changing economic/business models. Digital transformation will create platforms, networks and communities/social-ecosystems as new ways to organize economic/economic activity. business, how these organizations connect to each other, and how these organizations converge. This will allow a change in the way productivity is conceived, from being based primarily on the capabilities that a single individual/organization can create through its efforts to create efficiency, to synergies. between individuals/organizations through interconnection into a platform, into networks and into social communities/ecosystems. This allows to create new productivity values ​​that go beyond individual capacity, increasing productivity based on the size, spread and resonance of the network connections that individuals/organizations have. This can be connected. Wednesday, c technology and digital data, which are popular with AI, Bigdata, IoT and Clouds technologies enabling humans to increase computing power and efficiency for better, more efficient, faster and more multifaceted data-driven decision making. It is this that allows people to get help to overcome biological, physical and space-time limitations to increase their results. Therefore, the increase in productivity is also extended to the ability to effectively apply and apply technologies to work and daily life. Accordingly, from analyzing the consequences of increasing productivity thanks to the Digital Transformation process, we can also establish the bases that help shape the digital economy and the proportion of the digital economy in the economy: The change in the way new value is created and valued based on the application of technology and digital data will make the economy play a particularly important role in the process of transforming traditional economic activities. system in a new way that creates faster, higher value-added and widens value frontiers. The change in the economic/business model through disruptive innovation will help break down the existing value creation structures, open up new value creation platforms, and enable the digital economy to open up. completely new economic/business activities in the digital era, contributing to increasing the development and affirming the position of the digital economy. An important new feature of the digital economy in the digital era is the change in the way society is organized to help create value synergies through platforms, networks and networks. community/social-ecosystem. This allows for increased growth when measured in space-time dimensions. Digital economy applies advanced technologies and digital data to create new means, tools and methods to increase the efficiency of human labor activities, contribute to creating value, open expanding consumption and creating new ways of doing business/economic activity, allowing new platforms for growth and development to be created.

CIA director William Burns is concerned about losing intelligence when the US withdraws its troops from Afghanista. Photo: Reuters

According to Reuters (UK), at the hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mr. William Burns highlighted the important risk inherent in the decision of President Joe Biden, to withdraw all remaining forces. of the United States in Afghanistan, despite the existence of al-Qaeda and Islamic State militants.

“By the time US troops withdraw from Afghanistan, the US government’s ability to gather information and act on threats will decline. It’s the truth, ”said Burns, a veteran US deputy foreign minister, who took over as CIA director last month.

However, the head of the CIA also added that the US government is likely to keep some parts after the withdrawal, to help make intelligence predictions and resist efforts to restore the team. al-Qaeda terrorist organization.

Mr. Burns’ warning reflects the concerns of many experts that the withdrawal will significantly less secure US intelligence officers, limiting their ability to gather information in a timely manner.

“In the broader perspective, surveillance for US threats will be significantly reduced so that preventive measures can be taken. The Washington administration will no longer be able to cooperate directly with the Afghan security forces, ”said Lisa Curtis, a former White House top advisor to Afghanistan during the former Trump administration.

Ms. Curtis also questioned which US anti-terrorist forces would be relocated outside of Afghanistan, citing “historical hardship” that had placed American forces in “the most appropriate locations. “is Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

American soldiers step out of bases in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan. Photo: Reuters

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said the US will still monitor terrorist threats, reorganize its counterterrorism forces and retain substantial assets in the region to respond to threats from Afghanistan after withdrawal.

Marc Polymeropoulos, a former top CIA officer who served in Afghanistan, said intelligence agencies often rely on the US military for critical assistance such as security and medical evacuation. He worries if US troops withdraw from here, how the intelligence community will stay.

Previously, President Joe Biden announced that he would withdraw the last 2,500 US troops from Afghanistan before 9/11, the 20th anniversary of al Qaeda’s terrorist attack on the US and usher in the country’s longest war.

President Biden’s decision shows that the US military presence is no longer decisive in achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan, a core assumption that the Pentagon uses as a foundation for military deployment. American team here.

A UN report in January said there are still up to 500 al Qaeda terrorist fighters in Afghanistan. At the same time, the Taliban are also maintaining a close relationship with this terrorist organization. However, the Taliban denied the allegation and claimed that no al-Qaeda members remained active in Afghanistan.

As expected, today (April 14), the administration of President Joe Biden will announce plans to withdraw all US forces stationed in Afghanistan in stages and end before September 11, full 20 years. after the horrible terror that started the war in Afghanistan.

Accordingly, thousands of US troops will continue to be stationed in Afghanistan after May 1, the deadline that former President Donald Trump’s administration has agreed with the Taliban. There are now 2,500 US troops stationed in Afghanistan, though the difference in fact could be as high as 1,000. The coalition in Afghanistan also has the presence of more than 7,000 troops, mainly NATO troops.

The administration of President Joe Biden is expected to announce plans to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan before 9/11/2021. (Source: EPA)

The above decision was made in the context of the unsuccessful peace negotiations. An unnamed US official revealed that the announcement of the plan was necessary because if the US did not make a clear roadmap of the May 1 deadline, Washington would have to fight the Taliban again.

For Joe Biden, this clearly does not serve the national interest of the US administration.

However, while withdrawing troops from Afghanistan will help the Americans end their presence in Afghanistan after two decades and help Mr. Biden score in the eyes of voters, it could also be a step backwards to Joe Biden’s foreign affairs.

first, this decision will go against what Mr. Joe Biden committed before becoming President. He once thought that Washington needed to maintain an anti-terrorist force in Afghanistan to ensure that Islamic extremist groups like Al-Qaeda would not be able to attack the United States.

However, his views changed after only two months in office. On March 17, interviewed by radio station ABC News, President Biden admitted having “difficulty” in withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan before May 1 under the agreement of his predecessor.

Now, the plan to withdraw troops is becoming clear, but the promise of anti-terrorist forces in the South Asian country has yet to be fulfilled.

Monday, the withdrawal of all US forces from Afghanistan leaves a great void for the Islamic extremist forces.

Speaking before the National Security Committee of the Afghan Parliament, National Intelligence Director Ahmad Zia Saraj said the number of Taliban attacks had increased by 24% since the peace agreement with the United States in February 2020. , with a total of 20,600 targeted attacks and bombings of all kinds.

According to him, this figure shows that the Taliban are not showing any change in Turkish ideology and the upcoming peace conference in Turkey may not yield any results.

Tuesday, the civil administration proved ineffective in ensuring security and political stability for development. On April 12, Afghanistan recorded 122 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number to 57,364 cases.

However, it should be remembered that the Covid-19 testing procedure in this country is limited and the actual number of cases may be much higher, while the health system is gradually overloading.

According to the World Bank, Afghanistan’s economy declines by 1.9% in 2020. Food prices increase rapidly because Covid-19, sometimes up to 17% in April 2020 alone, while tax revenue decreased by 7 , 6%.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s economic growth in 2021 is expected to reach 1%, but only possible if foreign aid and security are secured, two factors increasingly uncertain with Kabul’s governance capabilities. and after the withdrawal of US President Joe Biden’s administration.

Because of that, Washington may end its presence in the South Asian country after two decades and help Biden score points with voters, but the price will be political stability and security of Afghanistan.