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Palmarès 2024 des meilleurs programmes de migration d’investissement du monde

LONDRES, 27 févr. 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Les programmes européens de résidence et de citoyenneté par investissement continuent d’occuper les premières places du classement annuel établi par le cabinet international de conseil en patrimoine Henley & Partners visant les programmes de migration d’investissement les plus recherchés dans le monde. Malte conserve la 1re place du Global Citizenship Program Index (Indice du programme mondial de citoyenneté) 2024, comme elle l’a fait pendant neuf années consécutives, tandis que le Portugal Golden Residence Permit Program conserve la première place du Global Residence Program Index (Indice du programme mondial de résidence).

Les deux indices — présentés dans l’édition 2024 du rapport Investment Migration Programs (Programmes de migration d’investissement) — dressent un bilan systématique assorti d’un benchmarking complet des programmes de résidence et de citoyenneté par investissement les plus attractifs au monde, constituant ainsi l’étalon–or du secteur. L’édition de cette année recense en tout 39 programmes parmi les plus intéressants d’un échantillon constitué de plus de 100 programmes à travers le monde. Un groupe d’experts indépendants rassemblant des chercheurs universitaires de premier ordre, des spécialistes du risque pays, des économistes, des spécialistes indépendants en droit de l’immigration et de la citoyenneté et d’autres professionnels avertis ont évalué ces programmes à l’aune d’un large éventail de critères pertinents. Ils se sont également efforcés de dresser des comparaisons numériques interactives des programmes pour permettre à des investisseurs internationaux et à des familles fortunées de sélectionner les programmes en fonction des critères qui comptent le plus à leurs yeux.

Pour Christian H. Kaelin, expert en droit international de l’immigration et de la citoyenneté, et président de Henley & Partners : « Cette publication est importante pour les clients privés et les professionnels de la gestion de patrimoine, ainsi que pour les décideurs gouvernementaux qui cherchent à gérer les programmes de migration d’investissement pour atteindre un niveau supérieur d’autonomie fiscale et de croissance économique. En cette période de volatilité mondiale prononcée, les États–nations utilisent la migration d’investissement comme un nouvel outil de financement pour financer des projets sociaux et d’infrastructure nationaux ou régionaux, ainsi que des initiatives de développement qui atténuent les risques en matière de durabilité, au bénéfice de leurs citoyens et résidents ».

Programmes de citoyenneté : Malte règne en maître

Le Global Citizenship Program Index (Indice du programme mondial de citoyenneté) classe 13 programmes, où Malte, stratégiquement située au cœur de l’Europe, monte sur la première marche du podium en obtenant une fois de plus la note de 77 sur 100. Le règlement maltais sur l’octroi de la citoyenneté pour services exceptionnels rendus par l’investissement direct permet aux personnes étrangères et à leur famille qui contribuent au développement économique du pays d'obtenir la citoyenneté via un certificat de naturalisation, à la suite d’une période de résidence de 36 mois, ramenée à 12 mois dans des circonstances exceptionnelles. Le programme de citoyenneté original de Malte a été élaboré par Henley & Partners en 2013–2014 pour devenir l’un des programmes de ce type les plus réussis au monde.

Le programme de citoyenneté par l’investissement de l’Autriche, qui exige des candidats qu’ils apportent une contribution substantielle à l’économie autrichienne, conserve la 2e place avec un score de 74. Trois pays insulaires des Caraïbes arrivent ex æquo en 3e position, avec un score de 70 chacun : le programme de citoyenneté par l’investissement d’Antigua–et–Barbuda, le programme de citoyenneté par l’investissement de la Grenade et le programme de citoyenneté par l’investissement de Sainte–Lucie. Ce trio propose des voies d’investissement et des options de fonds liées à l’immobilier très intéressantes.

Programmes de résidence : le Portugal en pole position

L’Europe domine également le Global Residence Program Index (Indice des programmes de résidence mondial) 2024, les programmes du Vieux Continent raflant les 5 premières places. Le programme de permis de résidence en or portugais se classe 1er sur 26 programmes, avec un score de 75 sur 100. Avec 73 points chacun, le programme de résidence privée autrichien partage la 2e place avec l’étoile montante de la Méditerranée, le programme de visa d’or grec, suivi de près par le programme de résidence suisse (72 points), une option d’investissement mise au point par Henley & Partners, qui fait converger la résidence privée et les dispositions fiscales suisses en matière de forfait.

Le programme de résidence par l’investissement italien arrive en 4e position, à égalité avec le visa de fondateur innovateur britannique, avec un score de 71 chacun. Le seul programme hors Europe du Top 5 est le programme de visa pour démarrage d’entreprise canadien, qui obtient un score de 69 et partage la 5e place avec un autre favori européen qui suscite beaucoup d’attention, à savoir le programme de résidence par investissement espagnol.

Priorité absolue à la diversification des domiciles

Juerg Steffen, PDG de Henley & Partners, relève que : « L’acquisition de programmes de résidence et/ou de citoyenneté alternatifs permet une plus grande flexibilité et une participation aux principales économies mondiales, ainsi qu’un libre choix qui constitue désormais un élément indispensable de la police d’assurance d’une famille au 21e siècle. Plus une famille a accès à un grand nombre de juridictions, plus ses actifs sont diversifiés, moins elle est exposée à la volatilité propre à un pays, à une région ou au monde, et plus elle sera viable à long terme ».

L’année dernière, les Américains ont été les premiers à solliciter des options de résidence et de citoyenneté alternatives par l’intermédiaire de Henley & Partners, et cette tendance s’est poursuivie au premier trimestre 2024. La migration de millionnaires devrait cette année franchir un cap, selon le Henley Private Wealth Migration Report (Rapport de Henley sur la migration des fonds privés). 128 000 personnes fortunées devraient s’installer dans un nouveau pays, contre 120 000 l’année dernière, ces estimations dépassant ainsi le record de 110 000 atteint avant la pandémie.

Lire le communiqué de presse dans son intégralité

Sarah Nicklin
Responsable du groupe en charge des relations publiques
sarah.nicklin@henleyglobal.com
Portable : +27 72 464 8965


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000925589)

ASICS-Studie bestätigt positiven Zusammenhang zwischen Sport und der psychischen Gesundheit von Frauen. Dennoch ist es besorgniserregend, dass mehr als die Hälfte der Frauen auf der ganzen Welt mit dem Sport aufhört oder ihn ganz aufgibt

LONDON, Feb. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Die größte jemals durchgeführte globale Studie über den Unterschied zwischen den Geschlechtern beim Sport zeigt:

  • Je mehr Frauen sich bewegen, desto besser fühlen sie sich. Frauen, die regelmäßig Sport treiben, sind 52 % glücklicher, 50 % energiegeladener, 48 % selbstbewusster, 67 % weniger gestresst und 80 % weniger frustriert.
  • Aber mehr als die Hälfte der Frauen treibt nicht so viel Sport, wie sie gerne würde, und verpasst so die körperlichen und geistigen Vorteile der Bewegung.
  • Alle Frauen sehen sich im Laufe ihres Lebens mit einer Vielzahl von universellen Herausforderungen und Hindernissen konfrontiert, wenn sie Sport treiben.
  • Doch Männer nehmen diese Barrieren anders wahr, als sie es in der Realität sind.
  • Ermutigend ist, dass auf der ganzen Welt Menschen aktiv Barrieren für Frauen im Sport überwinden. ASICS beleuchtet ihre Geschichten und verspricht, Move Her Mind zu unterstützen.

Am diesjährigen Internationalen Frauentag stellt ASICS die Ergebnisse der größten jemals durchgeführten Studie über die Unterschiede zwischen den Geschlechtern bei der körperlichen Betätigung vor, die den positiven Zusammenhang zwischen der körperlichen Betätigung von Frauen und ihrer geistigen Gesundheit bestätigt. So sind Frauen 52 % glücklicher, 50 % energiegeladener, 48 % selbstbewusster, 67 % weniger gestresst und 80 % weniger frustriert , wenn sie Sport treiben.

Die unabhängige Studie, die unter der Leitung der renommierten Wissenschaftler Dr. Dee Dlugonski und Professor Brendon Stubbs an mehr als 25.000 Menschen durchgeführt wurde, ergab jedoch, dass mehr als die Hälfte der Frauen weltweit mit dem Sport aufhöret oder ihn ganz aufgibt, was sich negativ auf ihr Befinden auswirkt. Als Reaktion darauf erkennt ASICS den positiven Einfluss von Einzelpersonen und Basisorganisationen an, die Barrieren für Frauen im Sport durchbrechen, um mehr Frauen zu unterstützen, sie zu stärken und zu inspirieren, sich zu bewegen.

Beunruhigenderweise hat die globale Studie ergeben, dass mehr als die Hälfte der Frauen mit ihrem Trainingszustand unzufrieden sind. Alle Frauen erleben im Laufe ihres Lebens Hindernisse, die sie davon abhalten, Sport zu treiben, von Zeitdruck (74 %) über geringes Selbstvertrauen (35 %) bis hin zu einschränkenden Umgebungen (44 %) oder dem Gefühl, nicht sportlich genug zu sein (42 %). Darüber hinaus gaben fast zwei Drittel (61 %) der Mütter die Mutterschaft als Hauptgrund dafür an, dass sie nicht mehr regelmäßig Sport treiben. Dies zeigt, welchen Einfluss Erziehungsaufgaben und gesellschaftliche Erwartungen an die Geschlechterrollen auf das Aktivitätsniveau von Frauen haben.

Interessanterweise hatten Männer eine andere Vorstellung von den Herausforderungen, denen Frauen gegenüberstehen, als die Realität. Nur 34 % der Herren erkannten Zeitmangel als Hindernis für die sportliche Betätigung von Frauen, obwohl drei Viertel (74 %) der Frauen dieses Problem anführten. Stattdessen hielten Männer Körperunsicherheiten für das Hauptproblem, wobei 58 % der Herren dies als Haupthindernis angaben, verglichen mit 36 % der Frauen. Von den fünf größten Hindernissen, die Männer für sportliche Betätigung sehen, findet sich nur ein einziges (Kosten) in der Liste der häufigsten Hindernisse, die von Frauen genannt werden, was die Diskrepanz zwischen der Wahrnehmung der Männer und der täglichen Realität der Frauen auf der ganzen Welt verdeutlicht.

Trotzdem hat die Studie ergeben, dass mehr als ein Drittel der Frauen ihre Freunde als die wichtigsten Einflussfaktoren für ihre sportliche Betätigung bezeichnet und feststellt, dass sie eher von Frauen wie ihnen selbst als von Prominenten zum Sport motiviert werden. Auf die Frage, warum sie Sport treiben würden, antworteten Frauen erfreulicherweise durchgängig, dass sie dies für ihre geistige (92 %) und körperliche (96 %) Gesundheit und nicht für die Ästhetik tun würden.

Die Leiterin der Studie, Dr. Dee Dlugonski, Assistant Professor am Sports Medicine Research Institute der Universität von Kentucky, dazu: „Unsere Studie hat gezeigt, dass das geschlechtsspezifische Bewegungsgefälle eine komplexe Herausforderung ist, die sich nicht über Nacht entwickelt hat. Auf die Frage, was helfen könnte, gaben die Frauen jedoch an, dass es ihnen helfen würde, sich mehr zu bewegen, wenn die Bewegung in allen Formen zugänglicher, inklusiver und anerkannter würde und gleichzeitig die geschlechtsspezifischen Erwartungen der Gesellschaft in Frage gestellt würden.

„Dazu gehört auch, dass wir Frauen und ihre Bedürfnisse in den Mittelpunkt des Trainings stellen. Von der Kinderbetreuung und der Verpflegung für alle Aktivitätsniveaus bis hin zur Vereinbarkeit mit der Arbeit, die Spaß macht, erschwinglich, sicher, einladend und urteilsfrei ist. Alle diese Lösungen sind zwar klein, können aber eine große Wirkung haben. Unsere Studie hat Tausende von Einzelpersonen und Organisationen auf der ganzen Welt aufgedeckt, die bereits Veränderungen vorantreiben.“

Dazu gehören auch Menschen wie Karen Guttridge, die als ältere Frau das Gefühl hatte, dass es vor Ort keine Bewegungsmöglichkeiten gab. Also beschloss sie, ihre eigene Laufgruppe für Frauen über fünfzig zu gründen. Karen, die mit fünf Frauen für die erste Sitzung gerechnet hatte, war überwältigt, als über siebzig gleichgesinnte Frauen erschienen. Die Gruppe ist ein überwältigender Erfolg und hat vielen Frauen geholfen, sich zu bewegen und sich dabei selbstbewusst zu fühlen. Sie bietet Laufprogramme für alle Trainingsstufen und einen einladenden, sicheren und urteilsfreien Raum, in dem sich die Frauen austauschen können.

ASICS möchte den unglaublichen Einfluss von Menschen wie Karen in Gemeinschaften auf der ganzen Welt anerkennen und feiern. Heute stellt ASICS die bemerkenswerten Einzelpersonen und Organisationen vor, die aktiv Barrieren für Frauen in Sport und Bewegung abbauen. Neben den Geschichten derjenigen, die etwas bewegen, enthält die ASICS Move Her Mind–Plattform Ressourcen, Aktivitäten und Tipps, um mehr Frauen zu unterstützen, sich öfter zu bewegen.

ASICS weiß, dass es noch viel, viel mehr Menschen und Organisationen gibt, die auf der ganzen Welt etwas bewegen. Anlässlich des Internationalen Frauentags ruft ASICS dazu auf, ihre Geschichten und Erfahrungen einzureichen, damit mehr Frauen miteinander verbunden, unterstützt und inspiriert werden können.

Tomoko Koda, Managing Executive Officer für ASICS, dazu: „ASICS wurde aus der Überzeugung heraus gegründet, dass Sport und Bewegung dem Körper und dem Geist gut tun. Deshalb werden wir ASICS genannt: 'Anima Sana in Corpore Sano' oder 'Gesunder Geist in einem gesunden Körper'. Unsere Studie hat zwar ergeben, dass viele Frauen mit ihrem Bewegungsverhalten unzufrieden sind, aber sie hat auch den enormen Einfluss aufgedeckt, den Einzelpersonen und Basisorganisationen haben, um Frauen zu helfen, sich zu bewegen.

„Wir hoffen, dass wir mit Move Her Mind diesen bemerkenswerten Menschen eine Plattform bieten können, um sich mit anderen zu vernetzen und sie zu inspirieren, damit jeder einen gesunden Geist in einem gesunden Körper haben kann. Es ist an der Zeit, dass mehr Frauen und Mädchen die positiven körperlichen und geistigen Auswirkungen von Bewegung erfahren. Es ist Zeit für Veränderungen. Es ist Zeit, ihren Geist zu bewegen.“

Besuchen Sie die Plattform Move Her Mind und beteiligen Sie sich, unter http://www.asics.com/us/en–us/mk/move–her–mind

Anmerkungen für die Redaktion:
Die Studie wurde von ASICS in Auftrag gegeben und von Dr. Dee Dlugonski, Assistenzprofessorin am Sports Medicine Research Institute, University of Kentucky, und Associate Professor Brendon Stubbs vom King's College London geleitet. Beide sind renommierte Forscher auf dem Gebiet der Bewegung und des geistigen Wohlbefindens.

Die Studie lief von Juni bis September 2023. Insgesamt fanden 26 Fokusgruppen auf der ganzen Welt statt und 24.772 Personen füllten die Online–Umfrage in mehr als 40 Ländern aus, was die Studie zur größten ihrer Art macht. Alle Fokusgruppen wurden von unabhängigen Moderatoren geleitet, darunter führende Akademiker und Branchenexperten.

Ein Foto zu dieser Ankündigung finden Sie unter https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe3723d9–16dc–4cb1–ad05–6561904aa4ac 


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000925585)

Um estudo da ASICS confirma a relação positiva entre atividades físicas e saúde mental feminina. Porém, preocupa o fato de que mais da metade das mulheres de todo o mundo está desistindo ou parando de se exercitar completamente

LONDRES, Feb. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — O maior estudo global já realizado sobre a disparidade da prática de exercícios físicos entre os gêneros revela:

  • Quanto mais as mulheres se exercitam, melhor elas se sentem. As mulheres que se exercitam regularmente são 52% mais felizes, têm 50% mais energia, são 48% mais confiantes, 67% menos estressadas e 80% menos frustradas.
  • No entanto, mais da metade das mulheres não está se exercitando tanto quanto gostaria e está perdendo os benefícios físicos e mentais da atividade física.
  • Todas as mulheres enfrentam uma infinidade de desafios e barreiras universais para se exercitarem ao longo da vida.
  • Ainda assim, as percepções dos homens sobre essas barreiras são diferentes da realidade.
  • É motivador o fato de que, em todo o mundo, as pessoas estão ativamente quebrando barreiras para as mulheres no esporte. A ASICS destaca suas histórias e se compromete a ajudar a “Move her Mind” (Mudar sua Mentalidade).

Neste Dia Internacional da Mulher, a ASICS revela os resultados do maior estudo já realizado sobre a disparidade da prática de exercícios físicos entre os gêneros, reafirmando a correlação positiva entre os níveis de exercícios das mulheres e sua saúde mental, em que as mulheres são 52% mais felizes, têm 50% mais energia, são 48% mais confiantes, 67% menos estressadas e 80% menos frustradas quando se exercitam.

No entanto, a pesquisa independente, realizada com mais de 25.000 pessoas e liderada pelos renomados acadêmicos Dra. Dee Dlugonski e professor Brendon Stubbs, constatou de forma alarmante que mais da metade das mulheres em todo o mundo está desistindo ou parando de se exercitar completamente, o que afeta negativamente o estado de espírito delas. Como resposta, a ASICS está reconhecendo e ampliando o impacto positivo de indivíduos e organizações civis que estão quebrando barreiras para as mulheres no esporte, para apoiar, capacitar e inspirar mais mulheres a se exercitarem.

O estudo revelou algo preocupante: mais da metade das mulheres está insatisfeita com os níveis de exercício físico que pratica. Todas as mulheres enfrentam obstáculos para se exercitarem ao longo da vida, desde pressões de tempo (74%) e baixa autoconfiança (35%) até ambientes intimidadores (44%) ou por sentirem que não têm aptidão esportiva o suficiente (42%). Além disso, quase dois terços (61%) das mães citaram a maternidade como o principal motivo pelo qual deixaram de se exercitar ou praticar esportes regularmente, mostrando o impacto que as responsabilidades de cuidar e as expectativas sociais sobre os papéis de gênero têm sobre os níveis de atividade física das mulheres.

É interessante observar que as percepções dos homens sobre os desafios enfrentados pelas mulheres são diferentes da realidade. Apenas 34% dos homens reconheceram a falta de tempo como uma barreira à prática de exercícios para as mulheres, apesar de três quartos (74%) das mulheres terem citado essa questão. Em vez disso, os homens consideraram a insegurança com o corpo o principal problema, em que 58% dos homens relataram isso como a principal barreira, em comparação com 36% das mulheres. De fato, das cinco principais barreiras à prática de exercícios percebidas pelos homens, apenas uma (custos) constava na lista dos obstáculos mais comuns relatados pelas mulheres, destacando uma disparidade entre as percepções dos homens e a realidade diária sentida pelas mulheres em todo o mundo.

Apesar disso, a pesquisa constatou que mais de um terço das mulheres diz que suas amigas são as que mais as influenciam a se exercitarem, observando que elas são mais motivadas a se exercitarem por mulheres com as quais se identificam do que por celebridades. Quando perguntadas sobre o motivo pelo qual se exercitariam, as mulheres responderam universalmente que seria pela saúde mental (92%) e física (96%), e não pela estética.

A coordenadora do estudo, a Dra. Dee Dlugonski, professora–assistente do Sports Medicine Research Institute da Universidade de Kentucky, disse: “Nosso estudo mostrou que a diferença de gênero nos exercícios é um desafio complexo que não surgiu da noite para o dia. Como não existe apenas uma causa, o problema não será resolvido com apenas uma solução. Quando perguntadas sobre o que poderia ajudá–las a se exercitar mais, as mulheres observaram: tornar as atividades físicas mais acessíveis, inclusivas e reconhecidas em todas as formas e, ao mesmo tempo, desafiar as expectativas de gênero da sociedade.

“Isso significa fazer com que o foco da prática de atividades físicas seja as mulheres e suas necessidades. Desde cuidar dos filhos e atender a todos os níveis de atividade até se adaptar ao trabalho, ser divertido, acessível financeiramente, seguro, acolhedor e sem julgamento. Todas essas soluções, embora pequenas, podem ter um impacto significativo, e nosso estudo revelou milhares de indivíduos e organizações em todo o mundo que já estão promovendo mudanças”.

Isso inclui pessoas como Karen Guttridge, que, como mulher mais velha, sentia que não havia oportunidades de praticar exercícios em sua localidade e, por isso, decidiu criar seu próprio grupo de corrida para mulheres com mais de 50 anos. Esperando que cinco mulheres participassem da primeira sessão, Karen ficou impressionada quando mais de setenta mulheres com a mesma mentalidade compareceram. Oferecendo programas de corrida para todos os níveis de exercício e um espaço convidativo, seguro e sem julgamentos para as mulheres criarem vínculos, o grupo tem sido um enorme sucesso e ajudou muitas mulheres a se exercitarem e a se sentirem confiantes nessa prática.

A ASICS quer reconhecer e celebrar o incrível impacto de pessoas como Karen em comunidades de todo o mundo. Hoje, a ASICS está destacando os indivíduos e organizações notáveis que estão ativamente derrubando barreiras para as mulheres no esporte e na prática de atividades físicas. Além das histórias de quem está fazendo a diferença, a plataforma Move Her Mind da ASICS contém recursos, atividades e dicas para ajudar mais mulheres a se exercitarem com mais frequência.

A ASICS sabe que há muito mais pessoas e organizações fazendo a diferença em todo o mundo. Neste Dia Internacional da Mulher, a ASICS está convidando as pessoas a enviarem suas histórias e experiências, para que mais mulheres possam se unir, receber apoio e se inspirar.

Tomoko Koda, diretor executivo da ASICS, comenta: “A ASICS foi fundada com a crença de que o esporte e o exercício beneficiam o corpo e a mente. É por isso que nosso nome é ASICS: 'Anima Sana in Corpore Sano', ou 'Mente sã em um corpo são'. Embora nosso estudo tenha constatado que muitas mulheres não estão satisfeitas com seus níveis de atividade física, ele também revelou o enorme impacto que indivíduos e organizações civis estão tendo para ajudar as mulheres a se exercitarem.

Com o lançamento do Move Her Mind, esperamos oferecer a essas pessoas notáveis uma plataforma para se unirem e inspirarem outras pessoas, para que todos possam ter uma mente sã em um corpo são. É hora de mais mulheres e meninas experimentarem os benefícios físicos e mentais positivos dos exercícios. É hora de mudar. É hora de 'Move her Mind'”.

Acesse a plataforma Move Her Mind em http://www.asics.com/us/en–us/mk/move–her–mind e se envolva

Notas aos editores:
o estudo foi encomendado pela ASICS e liderado pela Dra. Dee Dlugonski, professora–assistente do Sports Medicine Research Institute, da Universidade de Kentucky, e pelo professor associado Brendon Stubbs, do King's College de Londres. Ambos são pesquisadores renomados em atividades físicas e bem–estar mental.

O estudo foi conduzido de junho a setembro de 2023. No total, 26 grupos de foco ocorreram em todo o mundo, e 24.772 pessoas responderam à pesquisa on–line em mais de 40 países, fazendo deste o maior estudo do gênero. Todos os grupos de foco foram liderados por mediadores independentes, incluindo acadêmicos de destaque e especialistas do setor.

Uma foto que acompanha este anúncio está disponível em https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe3723d9–16dc–4cb1–ad05–6561904aa4ac 


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000925585)

ASICS Study Confirms Positive Link Between Exercise and Women’s Mental Health, Yet Worryingly Over Half of Women Around the World Are Dropping Out or Stopping Exercise Completely

LONDON, Feb. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Largest global study ever conducted on the gender exercise gap reveals:

  • The more women move, the better they feel. Women who exercise regularly are 52% happier, 50% more energised, 48% more confident, 67% less stressed and 80% less frustrated.
  • But, over half of women are not exercising as much as they would like and missing out on the physical and mental benefits of exercise.
  • All women are facing a myriad of universal challenges and barriers to exercise, throughout their lifetime.
  • Yet, men’s perceptions of these barriers are different to the reality.
  • Encouragingly, around the world people are actively breaking barriers for women in sport; ASICS shines a light on their stories and pledges to help Move Her Mind.

This International Women’s Day, ASICS unveils the results of the largest study ever conducted on the gender exercise gap, reaffirming the positive correlation between women’s exercise levels and their mental health, with women 52% happier, 50% more energised, 48% more confident, 67% less stressed and 80% less frustrated when exercising.

Yet, the independent research, conducted on over 25,000 people and led by renowned academics Dr Dee Dlugonski and Professor Brendon Stubbs, alarmingly found that over half of women globally are dropping out or stopping exercise completely, which is negatively impacting their state of mind. In response, ASICS is recognising and amplifying the positive impact of individuals and grassroots organisations who are breaking barriers for women in sport, to support, empower and inspire more women to move.

Worryingly, the global study revealed that over half of women are unhappy with their exercise levels. All women are experiencing barriers to exercise throughout their lifetime, from time pressures (74%) and low self–confidence (35%) to intimidating environments (44%) or not feeling sporty enough (42%). What’s more, almost two–thirds (61%) of mothers cited motherhood as the primary reason they dropped out of doing regular exercise or sport altogether, showing the impact that caregiving responsibilities and societal expectations about gender roles are having on women’s activity levels.

Interestingly, men’s perceptions of the challenges women face were different to the reality. Only 34% of men recognised lack of time as a barrier to exercise for women, despite three–quarters (74%) of women citing the issue. Instead, men thought body insecurities were the leading problem, with 58% of men reporting this as the main barrier, compared to 36% of women. In fact, of the top five barriers to exercise perceived by men, only one (costs) actually featured in the list of most common obstacles reported by women, highlighting a disparity between men’s perceptions and the daily reality felt by women around the world.

Despite this, the research found that over a third of women say their friends are their most important exercise influencers, noting that they’re more motivated to exercise by women like themselves, than celebrities. When asked why they would exercise, encouragingly women universally said for their mental (92%) and physical (96%) health rather than aesthetics.

The study lead, Dr Dee Dlugonski, Assistant Professor at Sports Medicine Research Institute, University of Kentucky said: “Our study showed that the gender exercise gap is a complex challenge which did not develop overnight. Given it has no sole cause, it will not be solved with one single solution, but when asked what could help, women noted that making movement more accessible, inclusive and recognised in all forms, while challenging society’s gendered expectations, would support them in moving more.

“This includes making exercise centred around women and their needs. From providing childcare and catering for all activity levels, to fitting around work, being fun, affordable, safe, welcoming and judgement–free. All these solutions, while small, can have a significant impact and our study uncovered thousands of individuals and organisations around the world who are already driving change.”

This includes people like Karen Guttridge, who as an older woman felt like there were no exercise opportunities locally, so she decided to set up her own running group for women over fifty. Expecting five ladies to join the first session, Karen was overwhelmed when over seventy like–minded women turned up. Offering running programmes for all exercise levels and an inviting, safe and judgement–free space for the women to connect, the group has been an overwhelming success and supported many women to move and feel confident in doing so.

ASICS wants to recognise and celebrate the incredible impact of people like Karen across communities around the world. Today, ASICS is spotlighting the remarkable individuals and organisations, who are actively dismantling barriers for women in exercise and sport. As well as the stories of those who are making a difference, the ASICS Move Her Mind platform contains resources, activities and tips to support more women to move more often.

ASICS knows there are many, many more people and organisations making a difference around the world. This International Women’s Day, ASICS is inviting people to submit their stories and experiences, so more women can be connected, supported and inspired.

Tomoko Koda, Managing Executive Officer for ASICS comments: “ASICS was founded on the belief that sport and exercise benefit the body and the mind. It’s why we’re called ASICS: ‘Anima Sana in Corpore Sano’ or ‘Sound Mind in a Sound Body’. While our study found that many women are not happy with their exercise levels, it also uncovered the tremendous impact that individuals and grassroots organisations are having in helping women to move.

“By launching Move Her Mind, we hope to give these remarkable people a platform, to connect and inspire others, so everyone can achieve a sound mind in a sound body. It’s time more women and girls experience the positive physical and mental benefits of exercise. It’s time for change. It’s time to Move Her Mind.”

Visit the Move Her Mind platform and get involved, at http://www.asics.com/us/en–us/mk/move–her–mind

Notes to Editors:
The study was commissioned by ASICS and led by Dr Dee Dlugonski, Assistant Professor at Sports Medicine Research Institute, University of Kentucky, and Associate Professor Brendon Stubbs of King’s College London. Both are renowned researchers in movement and mental wellbeing.

The study ran from June – September 2023. In total, 26 focus groups took place around the world and 24,772 people completed the online survey across more than 40 countries, making it the biggest study of its kind. All focus groups were led by independent facilitators, including leading academics and industry experts.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe3723d9–16dc–4cb1–ad05–6561904aa4ac


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Une étude menée par ASICS confirme le lien positif entre l’exercice et la santé mentale des femmes, et révèle de manière plus inquiétante que plus de la moitié de la population féminine mondiale lâche prise ou renonce totalement à la pratique d’une activité physique

LONDRES, 27 févr. 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — La plus grande étude mondiale jamais réalisée sur l’écart entre les sexes en matière d’exercice révèle les éléments suivants :

  • Plus les femmes bougent, mieux elles se sentent. Les femmes qui exercent une activité physique régulière sont 52 % plus heureuses que les autres, mais aussi 50 % plus énergisées. Par ailleurs, 48 % d’entre elles se sentent plus sûres d’elles grâce à l’exercice physique, 67 % s’estiment moins stressées, et 80 % moins frustrées.
  • En revanche, une bonne moitié des femmes n’exerce pas autant d’activité physique qu’elle le souhaite et passe à côté des bienfaits physiques et mentaux prodigués par la pratique de l’exercice physique.
  • Toutes les femmes sont confrontées à toute une panoplie d’enjeux et d’obstacles universels à la pratique de l’exercice physique au long de leur vie.
  • Or, la perception masculine de ces freins s’éloigne de la réalité.
  • Des signes encourageants se manifestent néanmoins partout dans le monde. Certains font tomber les barrières auxquelles font face les femmes en matière de sport. ASICS met l’accent sur leurs histoires, et s’engage à travers la campagne Move Her Mind (ou Bouger son esprit).

À l’occasion de la Journée internationale des droits des femmes, ASICS dévoile les résultats de la plus grande étude jamais réalisée sur l’écart entre les sexes en matière d’exercice physique. Du côté des bonnes nouvelles, les conclusions de l’étude confirment le rapport positif entre le niveau d’activité physique des femmes et leur santé mentale, démontrant que les sportives sont plus heureuses à 52 % et 50 % plus énergisées, tandis que 48 % d’entre elles se sentent plus sûres d’elles, et que 67 % s’estiment moins stressées et 80 % moins frustrées lorsqu’elles font de l’exercice.

Menés auprès de 25 000 répondants, ces travaux de recherche indépendants placés sous la direction d’éminents universitaires, à savoir le Docteur Dee Dlugonski et le Professeur Brendon Stubbs, dressent toutefois un constat alarmant. Plus de la moitié de la population féminine mondiale lâche prise ou renonce totalement à faire de l’exercice, ce qui induit des conséquences négatives sur leur mental. En réponse, ASICS salue l’effet positif des individus et des organisations de base qui lèvent les barrières auxquelles les femmes font face en matière de sport, en l’intensifiant pour soutenir et inspirer davantage de femmes à bouger, mais aussi pour les libérer davantage.

Un point d’inquiétude se fait jour dans cette étude d’envergure mondiale : plus de la moitié des femmes sont insatisfaites de leur niveau d’exercice. Toutes les femmes rencontrent des obstacles à l’exercice sportif à toutes les phases de leur vie, depuis l’expérience de la pression relative à un manque de temps (exprimée par 74 % d’entre elles) et d’une moindre confiance en soi (pour 35 %), certaines allant jusqu’à redouter des environnements considérés comme intimidants (dans une proportion mesurée à 44 %) ou ressentir l’impression de ne pas être suffisamment au niveau (pour 42 %). Près des deux tiers des répondantes, soit 61 % d’entre elles, évoquent en outre la maternité comme le principal frein à une pratique sportive régulière, ce qui illustre bien comment l’effet des obligations familiales et des attentes sociétales en matière de parité envers l’activité sportive pèse sur les femmes.

Curieusement, les hommes perçoivent différemment les enjeux auxquels les femmes sont confrontées en réalité. Seuls 34 % des hommes reconnaissent que le manque de temps constitue un frein à l’exercice physique féminin, contre trois quarts (74 %) des femmes. Les hommes estiment au contraire que les complexes physiques représentent le premier problème, 58 % d’entre eux plaçant ce critère en tête des obstacles à l’exercice féminin, contre 36 % chez les femmes. En fait, parmi les cinq freins majeurs à l’exercice physique évoqués par les hommes, un seul figure réellement dans la liste des principaux obstacles aux yeux des femmes, à savoir l’enveloppe budgétaire. Ce constat souligne les différences entre les perceptions masculines et la réalité quotidienne des femmes du monde entier.

La recherche révèle, malgré tout, que plus d’un tiers des femmes voient leurs amies comme des influenceuses de taille en matière d’exercice, relevant qu’elles se sentent plus motivées à l’idée de faire de l’exercice en compagnie de leurs semblables plutôt qu’avec des célébrités. Lorsqu’on leur a demandé quels motifs les pousseraient à pratiquer un sport, les femmes ont universellement évoqué leur santé mentale (à 92 %) et physique (à 96 %), au détriment de critères esthétiques. Le constat s’avère plutôt encourageant.

La chercheuse en chef, le Docteur Dee Dlugonski, Professeur adjoint à l’Institut de recherche en médecine du sport de l’Université du Kentucky, témoigne : « Notre étude révèle qu’en matière d’exercice physique, l’écart entre les genres représente un défi complexe de longue date. Étant donné la variété de ses origines, il n’y aura pas qu’une seule solution. En interrogeant les femmes sur les facteurs qui pourraient jouer en leur faveur, nous constatons qu’elles plaident pour davantage d’accessibilité, d’inclusion et de reconnaissance sous toutes ses formes. La remise en question des attentes sociétales genrées de la société pourrait également les amener à bouger davantage,

ce qui induit de recentrer la pratique sportive sur les femmes elles–mêmes et leurs besoins. Repenser l’éducation des enfants, prendre tous les niveaux d’activité en compte et adapter leurs conditions de travail sont autant de facteurs pouvant les encourager à la pratique sportive et y prendre plaisir sans dépenser trop, tout en se sentant à leur place et en sécurité, libres de tout jugement. Toutes ces mesures, aussi mineures soient–elles, peuvent avoir des effets positifs majeurs, et notre étude dévoile que des milliers d’individus et d’organisations à travers le monde sont déjà moteurs du changement ».

Karen Guttridge fait partie de celles qui, en raison de son âge, et regrettant le manque d’infrastructure locale appropriée à la pratique sportive, a résolu de fonder son propre club de course, en accueillant toute femme de plus de cinquante ans. Elle s’attendait à une participation initiale de cinq personnes, lorsqu’à son immense surprise, plus de soixante–dix femmes partageant ses convictions se sont présentées. En proposant des activités de course ouvertes aux volontaires de tout niveau de manière bienveillante et sans jugement, ce club permet aux femmes de développer des connexions entre elles. Ce projet a connu un succès fulgurant en aidant de nombreuses femmes à bouger en toute confiance.

Aujourd’hui, ASICS souhaite saluer et mettre à l’honneur celles et ceux qui, comme Karen, ont un tel effet positif sur les communautés du monde entier, en plaçant sous les feux de la rampe les personnes et les organisations qui participent activement et admirablement à la démolition des obstacles au sport féminin. Outre relayer les histoires de ceux qui font la différence, la plateforme Move Her Mind proposée par ASICS intègre des ressources, des activités et des conseils pour encourager davantage de femmes à être plus actives et plus souvent.

ASICS a conscience qu’à l’échelle mondiale, une multitude de personnes et d’organisations peuvent vraiment faire la différence. À l’heure de célébrer la Journée internationale des droits des femmes, ASICS invite chacun à partager son histoire et son expérience dans le but d’aider les femmes à se sentir connectées, soutenues et inspirées.

« ASICS a été fondée sur la conviction que le sport et l’activité physique apportent autant de bienfaits corporels que spirituels » remarque Tomoko Koda, Directrice exécutive de ASICS, avant d’ajouter : « ASICS est née de la locution ‘Anima Sana in Corpore Sano’, qui signifie ‘Un esprit sain dans un corps sain’. Bien que notre étude révèle l’insatisfaction de nombreuses femmes à propos de leur niveau d’activité physique, elle démontre l’effet positif considérable qui s’exerce grâce aux individus et aux organisations de base qui encouragent les femmes à bouger.

En lançant la campagne Move Her Mind, nous espérons leur procurer une plateforme pour rassembler et inspirer les autres, et nous aspirons à ce que chacun puisse découvrir les effets d’un esprit sain dans un corps sain. Il est temps que plus de femmes et de jeunes filles ressentent les bienfaits physiques et spirituels de l’exercice. L’heure du changement a sonné. Entrons dans l’ère de Move Her Mind ».

Pour y participer, rendez–vous sur la page http://www.asics.com/us/en–us/mk/move–her–mind.

Remarques à l’attention des rédacteurs :
L’étude codirigée par le Docteur Dee Dlugonski, Professeur adjoint à l’Institut de recherche en médecine du sport de l’Université du Kentucky, et le Professeur agrégé Brendon Stubbs du King’s College de Londres est à l’initiative d’ASICS. Tous deux sont d’éminents chercheurs reconnus en matière d’activité physique et de santé mentale.

L’étude s’est déroulée de juin à septembre 2023. Au total, 26 groupes d’échange se sont rassemblés dans le monde entier et 24 772 personnes de plus de 40 pays ont répondu à l’enquête en ligne, ce qui consacre l’étude comme la plus importante de sa catégorie. Le pilotage de chaque groupe d’échange était assuré par des modérateurs indépendants, y compris des universitaires de premier plan et des experts de l’industrie.

Une photo accompagnant ce communiqué est disponible à l’adresse suivante :

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe3723d9–16dc–4cb1–ad05–6561904aa4ac


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000925585)

No Ceasefire Gaza Threatens Humanitarian Aid, Raises the Palestinian Question

The humanitarian crisis continues in Gaza as negotiators continue talks in Qatar. Credit: UNRWA/Twitter

The humanitarian crisis continues in Gaza as negotiators continue talks in Qatar. Credit: UNRWA/Twitter

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 26 2024 – As negotiations within the UN Security Council and internationally continue, the humanitarian response to Gaza continues to be under threat.

Palestine’s representative to the UN has declared that a new resolution may be in the works, which will also include “practical measures” to ensure a humanitarian ceasefire and to withhold any support for Israel in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Riyad H. Mansour, the Permanent Observer to the State of Palestine, spoke to reporters last Thursday (February 22, 2024). In addition to calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, the measures would include urging countries to stop sending weapons and ammunition to Israel and implementing sanctions on them.

“The occupying authority that is defying everyone, defying international law, defying the ICJ (International Court of Justice) by refusing to implement the provisional measures that the ICJ asked… that country that behaves in that manner should face consequences in the international community, including in the General Assembly,” he said.

Mansour also stated that they would be pushing for Palestine to be admitted as a member of the United Nations, beginning with gaining support from member states before the General Assembly before bringing it to the Security Council.

“The rights of the people of Palestine must be determined by the people,” he said. “It’s only us—the Palestinian people—who will determine our right to self-determination, including our independence. We will not negotiate that principle, and we will not ask for permission from anyone to do so.”

The decision to advocate for these measures was the result of an ambassadorial-level meeting between Mansour and the members of the Arab League, which was convened in the wake of the United States’ decision to veto the Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on February 20.

Algeria, a non-permanent member of the Council at the moment, presented the resolution for discussion on February 20. The resolution received 13 votes in favor, with only the United States’ veto and the United Kingdom abstaining. The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thompson-Green, told reporters that the United States has presented its own draft resolution, an alternative that would be “forward-leaning.” This resolution, she claimed, would include a call for a temporary ceasefire “as soon as practicable,” that would allow for the safe release of all hostages held by Hamas, and for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.

Despite the international community’s outcry of support for a humanitarian ceasefire, this has been repeatedly undermined. Declining support for UNRWA created challenges. The allegations leveled at the organization have resulted in two separate investigations into the matter. Yet, over 17 countries, many of whom are classified as high-income countries, have suspended their funding for the organization, leaving it more vulnerable at a time when its operations are overextended. As the first major donor to pull its support, the United States set the example.

This has risked further jeopardizing UNRWA’s operations, which have been funded through to the end of February, but leave their future even more uncertain.

“UNRWA remains and is the backbone of the humanitarian work that is being done in Gaza at great cost to UNRWA staff themselves,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Meanwhile, other humanitarian agencies operating in the region continue to struggle to work in unsafe conditions. The same day that the ceasefire resolution was vetoed, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that they had been forced to halt their deliveries into North Gaza, citing security reasons. They described witnessing “unprecedented levels of desperation” and warned that the risk of famine and disease in Gaza has been confirmed, wherein the scarcity of food and safe water has already compromised the nutrition and immunity of civilians.

Speaking at the Security Council, Christopher Lockyear, Secretary-General of Doctors Without Borders, urged for a ceasefire, detailing how staff have also been caught up in the attacks, including those who have lost their lives, or been forced to evacuate nine different health facilities since October 7. He warned that the humanitarian response in Gaza was “haphazard, opportunistic,” and “entirely inadequate.”

“Calls for more humanitarian assistance have echoed across this chamber,” he said. “Yet in Gaza we have less and less each day—less space, less medicine, less food, less water, less safety.”

He also condemned the Council for delaying and preventing efforts to adopt a ceasefire resolution while civilians and aid workers continue to live in such dangerous conditions. “The consequences of casting international humanitarian law to the wind will reverberate well beyond Gaza. It will be an enduring burden on our collective conscience. This is not just political inaction—it has become political complicity.”

Meanwhile, people in Gaza live in such dire conditions. Now, nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been reported dead, the majority of whom have been women and children. As of February 23, only seven hospitals in Gaza remain operational to accommodate those who remain. The city of Rafah, which is supposedly a safe zone, now hosts more than 1 million civilians, even as hostilities rage on. With the looming warning that the Israeli military will mobilize forces into Rafah by March 12, the first day of Ramadan, if the hostages are not released, the international community now has a deadline.

The negotiations to secure a pause in the war are continuing in Qatar, following last week’s Paris talks, which a delegation from Israel attended.

There had been an understanding of the “basic contours” of a hostage deal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN on Sunday.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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Western States Scramble to Explain Themselves, as UN experts call for Arms Transfers to Israel to “Cease Immediately”

By Magnus Lovold
GENEVA, Switzerland, Feb 26 2024 – There are moments when international treaties, long forgotten by the general public, suddenly spring back to life. Moments when glimpses of reality shine through the thick-laden bureaucracies of the United Nations and catch the attention of the world outside.

The debate that unfolded in “sub-working group on current and emerging implementation issues” of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on Wednesday 21 February was such a moment.

The State of Palestine and Control Arms — a civil society coalition — had, in January, requested a debate about the impact of weapons transfers to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Never before, since the ATT’s entry into force in 2014, had there been a formal discussion about non-compliance under the treaty.

The debate would, in more ways than one, become a clash of two worlds. On the one hand, the uncompromising and bloody reality on the ground in Gaza, where nearly 30,000 civilians — including more than 10,000 children — have been killed by Israeli bombs over the past four months.

On the other, the hushed and self-possessed world of multilateral diplomacy, where drama rarely elevates beyond the occasional request for points of order.

The stakes surrounding the debate had broken through the roof when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded, on 26 January, that there is a plausible risk that Israel’s actions in Gaza are violating the Genocide Convention, placing the countries that are supplying Israel with weapons — most of which are parties to the ATT, with the exception of the United States — under significant pressure.

The foreign ministers of Italy and Spain had already announced that they will no longer export weapons to Israel. Citing the ATT and the EU common position on the export of military technology and equipment, a Dutch court had ordered, on 12 February, the government of the Netherlands to stop the export of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel.

While the Dutch government announced that they would appeal the order, the ruling had, in the following weeks, taken on a life of its own, leading parliamentarians and civil society groups in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Denmark to urge their governments to stop arms transfers to Israel.

The big question, when the parties to the ATT met in Geneva last week, was how these countries would respond to allegations that they, by supplying Israel with weapons, risk complicity in genocide and other international crimes.

The ATT seeks to prevent and reduce human suffering by establishing common international standards for the transfer of conventional weapons. Specifically, the treaty prohibits countries from transferring weapons if they know, at the time of transfer, that the weapons could be used to commit international crimes.

According to Hurini Alwishewa, a legal expert at the Graduate Institute, countries involved in supplying Israel with weapons can no longer claim ignorance: “With the ICJ finding that there is a plausible claim of genocide, the knowledge requirement is clearly fulfilled, and therefore exports of arms to Israel must not be authorised”, she said at Wednesday’s meeting.
In the run-up to the meeting, there had been rumours that the arms exporting countries would simply refuse to engage on the matter. There was even speculation that some countries would seek to dodge the debate altogether by filibustering the preceding agenda items.

But ultimately, the exporting countries realised that they had no other choice than to at least try to explain themselves. A few minutes before the debate was about to start, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands could be observed wheeling their ambassadors in to the brutalist conference room at the CICG in Geneva.

Speaking from the podium, Nada Tarbush, a counsellor of Palestine’s mission to the UN who rose to prominence after a widely published speech delivered in November, was determined not to let the ambassadors’ off the hook.

“We are once again reaching out to exporting states to urge and urge them to explain their respective policies on arms exports to Israel. Particularly the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Canada, Australia, Japan, the Czech Republic, Norway, and other states that may be involved as transit states including Greece, Cyprus and Belgium“, Tarbush said, when laying out her case.

“We would be grateful to receive details of all extant arms export, transit, and brokering licenses of the supply of military and dual use items to Israel”.

The arms exporters were, however, not prepared to engage in specifics. Instead, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands both downplayed its role in supplying Israel with weapons.

“UK defence exports to Israel represent a small portion of UK arms exports”, Aiden Liddle, the ambassador of the United Kingdom, said. While he made it clear that the ICJ’s January ruling “is binding on Israel” and suggested that the United Kingdom’s export licences to Israel may be revoked “if circumstances change and we reach a different view”, Liddle did not explain how his country had initially concluded that weapons exports to Israel was in line with the ATT.

More evasively still, the Netherlands explained that “individual licenses can be granted, as long as there is no overriding risk that military goods may be misused by the end user” and stated that “applications requests for Israel have been granted in certain cases and denied in other cases”.

Like the United Kingdom, however, the Netherlands failed to lay out the details of its export licensing decisions. Nor did they explain how they had concluded that the export of F-35 fighter jet parts comes with “no overriding risk” of misuse by Israel.

Germany, in a significantly more aggressive move, took issue with the debate as such, criticising Palestine and Control Arms for attempting “to politicise the ATT process”. Instead of explaining how Germany’s export licences to Israel could be in line with international law, Ambassador Thomas Göbel offered what seemed like a full-fledged support of the manner in which Israel conducts its military operations in Gaza.

Echoing points made earlier in the debate by a representative of Israel — a signatory but not a party to the ATT — Göbel stated that “Hamas must stop its rocket attacks and refrain from using civilians as human shields and civilian infrastructure for military purposes […] For Germany, Israel’s security is not negotiable”.

The exporting countries’ attempts to justify their involvement in Israel’s military operations in Gaza were, ultimately, found wanting. Tarbush made no secret of her disappointment, accusing the exporting countries for putting “themselves in a situation of criminal liability, of immorality in a situation where double standards risk irreversibly eroding the credibility of international law and the international system built since the Second World War”.

But however incomplete, the mere fact that a debate about arms transfers to Israel could take place in the ATT is a positive step for the treaty. Too often, international treaties get caught up in their own institutional bureaucracies, resulting in a detachment from the realities that the treaties are set up to address. Since its entry into force ten years ago, the ATT has, sadly, been no exception.

Instead of criticising the State of Palestine and Control Arms for attempts to “politicise” the process, Germany and other countries supplying Israel with weapons, should see the debate as an opportunity to set a new, more reality-oriented, standard for ATT implementation.

Despite its imperfections, international law can play a key role in exposing double-standards. By offering specifics now, western states will come in a much stronger position to demand transparency from others in the future.

More importantly, history shows that countries supplying other countries with weapons have significant power to shape the conduct — and even outcomes — of military operations; to ensure that civilians are protected or, to put it bluntly, left for slaughter. Indeed, that realisation was one of the factors driving the development of the ATT in the first place.

As Israel is preparing its ground invasion of Rafah, arms exporting countries are bound to be placed under increasing pressure. On Friday 23 February, a group of 41 UN experts, citing the ATT, called for any transfer of weapons to Israel to “cease immediately”. If arms exporting countries are serious about their commitments to international law and a rules-based order, they should heed this call.

Otherwise, the Munich Security Conference’s recent assessment of world politics as a steady trajectory towards a zero-sum game could well become reality.

Source: Spoiler Alert

Spoiler Alert provides breaking news and analysis about international law and treaty-making, revealing the hidden diplomatic moves that shape the world.

IPS UN Bureau

 


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Parcels for Prisoners: Exiled Myanmar Activists Keep the Revolutionary Faith

Supplied to William Webb/IPS

Supplied to William Webb/IPS

By William Webb
CHIANGMAI, Thailand, Feb 26 2024 – Rangoon Nights is rocking. The bar is on its feet and the cocktail shaker is shaking in abandon as the band Born In Burma starts pumping out its beat.

Except we’re not in Rangoon or Burma (officially called Myanmar), but in the northern Thai town of Chiangmai which has evolved into a hub for activists, fugitives, and those taking a break from the war tearing their country apart.

Dancing among them with a wraith-like grace is Sakura—her nom de guerre—who, like others in the bar popular with Myanmar exiles, is there both to let her hair down and to raise funds for the revolutionary movement fighting the military junta that seized power three years ago.

Sakura’s personal operation—run by a small, close-knit team—is to deliver food parcels to a few dozen political prisoners held by the regime in appalling conditions across Myanmar. More than 1,500 are documented to have died in detention by force or by neglect since the coup. Over 20,000 are known to be behind bars.

“The parcels are a message for them—that we still support you and don’t forget you,” says Sakura.

Her project evolved by accident. Sakura was in Yangon in early 2021, joining vast crowds of anti-coup protesters, when her cousin was arrested and disappeared into the prison system. Suspecting she was held in Yangon’s notorious Insein jail (built by British colonisers in the 1800s), lawyers told Sakura that if she delivered a food parcel with her cousin’s name and it was accepted at the prison, then it would signal she was indeed inside.

It worked. Sakura shared this piece of useful information on Facebook, the social media outlet favoured by the resistance, while the junta uses Telegram. Soon, she started receiving pleas for help from families of other prisoners.

Sakura’s food parcel project was born. It moved with her to Thailand in 2022 after she fled police raids on her Yangon home. “I can’t go back,” she says.

Her small but effective operation speaks volumes about the war in Myanmar—largely forgotten beyond its borders; ineffectual international institutions and humanitarian organisations; little outside aid. But juxtaposed with domestic and vibrant civil society organisations like Sakura’s that strive to make a difference, work efficiently, and give a chance for a better future.

Sakura’s parcels—assembled inside Myanmar—contain soup powder to flavour bland prison mush, instant noodles, cookies, ingredients for much-loved tea-leaf salad, anti-bacterial soap for skin diseases, soap powder for clothes, shampoo, and toothbrush and paste. Plus the all-important Premier brand of coffee mix, which acts as a form of currency among prisoners.

The team presently delivers to about 35 prisoners a month, a tiny fraction of the growing numbers that the junta is incarcerating in a prison construction boom, one of the few sectors of the economy benefiting from the civil war.

Faces of the dead. Myanmar's non-profit Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has a museum in the Thai border town of Mae Sot documenting the identities of over 3,000 civilians killed by the military since it seized power in 2021, as well as those killed since the first post-independence coup in 1962. Credit: Guy Dinmore/IPS

Faces of the dead. Myanmar’s non-profit Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has a museum in the Thai border town of Mae Sot documenting the identities of over 3,000 civilians killed by the military since it seized power in 2021, as well as those killed since the first post-independence coup in 1962.

Working with a total monthly budget of some 3.0 million kyat (about USD 850 at the street rate), Sakura also sends money to sustain poor families whose main breadwinners are now behind bars. One is the mother of a Yangon hotel receptionist in her 20s who was sentenced to 15 years.

“Her crime was to have donated about USD 10 to the resistance. Police seized her phone and found the payment on the app. Her mother is ill and cannot work,” explains Sakura, who learned English in a Buddhist monastery and comes from a family of farmers.

Delivering the parcels is not a typical Deliveroo operation. Funds are sent from Thailand by various means to her small team in Myanmar, who, at the risk of arrest for ‘supporting terrorism’, buy the items and pack the parcels. They are then discreetly passed to lawyers representing the prisoners, who pass them on to family members who take them on their prison visits.

Sanitary products are included for some female detainees. “Sometimes we also get special requests for clothes and underwear. My budget doesn’t always stretch,“ she says.

On the other side of Chiangmai, Sonny Swe, a well-known Myanmar entrepreneur and publisher formerly based in Yangon, reflects on the trauma of over eight years of solitary confinement in prison, from 2004 to 2013, and the importance then of family visits bringing food parcels.

“Meditation, exercise, reading” were the bedrock of his survival, he says over a hearty Burmese breakfast of mohinga fish soup in his café, Gatone’s (Baldy’s). He was held in five different prisons and the long distances from home prevented regular family visits.

“I kept telling myself, ‘I am strong, strong. I will survive. They will not break me. I will defeat them.’ But once you come out of prison, you understand the toll, the trauma. You think you are fine and strong but you are not.”

Bo Kyi, Joint Secretary of the non-profit Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), was a political prisoner for seven years and knows well the succour provided by family and friends to those incarcerated.

“Family support is very important for a political prisoner,” he says. Now 59, he was jailed from 1990–93 for demonstrating and calling for release of all political prisoners, and arrested again in 1994 for four more years. He says military intelligence tried to recruit him as an informer but he refused and, in turn, demanded freedom for all political prisoners and for the regime to enter into dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi who was then under house arrest. Leader of the elected government overthrown in the coup, she is back in prison.

Bo Kyi co-founded AAPP in the Thai border town of Mae Sot in March 2000. The organisation meticulously documents identities of political prisoners and tracks their fate, as well as civilians killed by the regime. AAPP, deemed an illegal organisation by the regime, also offers training in dealing with trauma and counselling services, assisted by Johns Hopkins University, Maryland.

As of late February, AAPP has documented the names and identities of 20,147 people it defines as political prisoners, including over 4,000 women and 300 children. Sentenced to death, so far, are 15 women and 136 men. Four were executed on July 23, 2022, including well known activist Ko Jimmy.

As of January 31 this year, it had documented 1,588 people who were “killed through force or neglect” during detention by the regime and its supporters since the coup. The actual number may be much higher. “Torture is endemic,” AAPP says. A large number of those killed in detention are in Sagaing Region, “where resistance by the people is fiercest,”  says AAPP.

They are not just statistics. Speaking of the bravery of those inside Myanmar who try to alleviate the plight of prisoners, Sakura shares the latest shocking news.

Noble Aye, a prominent human rights activist, was reportedly killed in detention along with a companion, apparently after a court hearing on February 8 in Bago Region. They had been detained at a checkpoint in Waw Township on January 20, allegedly carrying weapons and ammunition, charges that the resistance say were false.

She had been jailed twice before as a political prisoner and shared a cell with Zin Mar Aung, the current foreign affairs minister in the shadow National Unity Government set up after the coup.

As it does regularly, the regime was reported to have blamed her death in detention on an escape attempt. The family says they received information that her body was secretly cremated. Noble Aye was 49 and in bad health.

William Webb is an independent travel writer

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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Russia: Moments of Dissent after Two Years of War

Credit: Horacio Villalobos/Corbis via Getty Images

By Andrew Firmin
LONDON, Feb 26 2024 – Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked its second anniversary on 24 February. And while civil society is offering an immense voluntary effort in Ukraine, in Russia activists have faced intense constraints. The suspicious death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny is part of a great wave of repression. He’s the latest in a long list of people who’ve come to a sudden end after falling out with Vladmir Putin.

Putin is paying a backhanded compliment to the importance of civil society by suppressing it through every possible means. State-directed murder is the most extreme form of repression, but Putin has many more tricks up his sleeve. One is criminalisation of protests, seen when people showed up at improvised vigils to commemorate Navalny, laying flowers at informal memorials, knowing what would happen. Police arrested hundreds and the flowers quickly vanished.

An unrelenting assault

Human rights organisation OVD-Info reports that since the start of the full-scale invasion, the authorities have detained 19,855 people at anti-war protests, brought 894 criminal cases against anti-war activists and introduced 51 new repressive laws.

Among many other Russians jailed for symbolic acts of protest, Crimean artist Bohdan Zizu was handed a 15-year sentence last June for spray-painting a building in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. In November, artist Alexandra Skochilenko was sentenced to seven years for placing information about the war on supermarket price tags. Now people helping Ukrainian refugees living in Russia are being criminalised.

The government is also making it impossible for civil society and independent media organisations to keep working. Last August, the authorities declared independent TV channel Dozhd an ‘undesirable organisation’, in effect banning it from operating in Russia and criminalising anyone who shares its content. In August, courts ordered the closure of the Sakharov Center, a human rights organisation. Through similar means the authorities have forced several other organisations out of existence or into exile.

The state has also designated numerous people and organisations as ‘foreign agents’, a classification intended to stigmatise them as associated with espionage. In November, it added the Moscow Times to the list. The government has also doubled down on its attacks on LGBTQI+ people as part of its strategy to inflame narrow nationalist sentiments. And it keeps passing laws to further tighten civic space. Putin recently approved a law that allows the government to confiscate money and other assets from people who criticise the war.

The state is criminalising journalists as well. In March, it detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on spying charges, sending a signal that international journalists aren’t safe. The authorities are also holding Russian-US journalist Alsu Kurmasheva of Radio Free Europe, detained while paying a family visit to Russia. Putin is likely planning to use them as leverage for a prisoner swap. State authorities have put other journalists based outside Russia on wanted lists or charged them in absentia.

Meanwhile, Putin has pardoned real criminals for joining the fight. They include one of the people jailed for organising the 2006 assassination of pioneering investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

It’s hard to hope for any let-up in the crackdown, at least as long as the war lasts. A non-competitive election will approve another term for Putin in March. No credible candidates are allowed to oppose him, and recently an anti-war politician who’d unexpectedly emerged to provide a focus for dissent was banned from standing. Last year the government amended laws to further restrict media coverage of the election, making it very hard to report on electoral fraud.

Weak or strong?

For a time last year Putin seemed weakened when his former ally Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled, marching his Wagner Group mercenaries on Moscow. The two sides agreed a deal to end the dispute, and sure enough, two months later, Prigozhin died in a suspicious plane crash.

Putin has reasserted his authority. He may be gaining the upper hand in the war. Russia has greater firepower and is largely surviving attempts to isolate it financially, with repressive regimes such as China, India and Turkey picking up the slack in demand for its fossil fuels. It’s turned itself into a Soviet-style war economy, with state spending strongly focused on the military effort, although that can’t be long-term sustainable. Some of the world’s most authoritarian governments – Iran and North Korea – are also supplying weapons.

In comparison, Ukrainian forces are running out of ammunition. Support for Ukraine’s effort has come under greater strain due to political shifts in Europe and the breaking of political consensus in the USA, with Trump-affiliated Republicans working to block further military aid.

Putin may be riding high, but such is the level of state control it’s hard to get an accurate picture of how popular he is, and the election will offer no evidence. Given repression, protest levels may not tell the full story either – but some have still broken out, including those in response to Navalny’s death.

A vital current of dissent has formed around unhappiness with war losses. Last September, an independent poll suggested that support for the war was at a record low. Morale among Russian troops is reportedly poor and deserters have called on others to quit. Families of men serving in the military have held protests demanding the fighting ends.

Protesters have offered other recent moments of opposition. In November, people held a demonstration in Siberia against a local initiative to further restrict protests. In January, in Baymak in southern Russia, hundreds protested at the jailing of an activist. There’s also domestic unhappiness at high inflation.

Moments don’t make a movement, but they can offer inspiration that turns into one, and that often happens unexpectedly. Putin’s story is far from over. As with tyrants before, he’ll likely look invincible until just before he falls.

Andrew Firmin is CIVICUS Editor-in-Chief, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report.

 


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Inscrições Abertas para o 21st Annual International Business Awards®

FAIRFAX, Va., Feb. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stevie Awards® abre inscrições para o 21st Annual International Business Awards®, a principal competição para premiação de empresas que atrai indicações de organizações em mais de 70 países e territórios todos os anos.

Todas as pessoas e empresas públicas e privadas, com fins lucrativos e sem fins lucrativos, grandes e pequenas – podem enviar indicações para o The International Business Awards. O prazo para a inscrição antecipada, com taxas reduzidas, é 10 de abril. O prazo final para inscrições é 8 de maio, mas aceitaremos inscrições até 12 de junho mediante o pagamento de uma taxa de atraso. Os detalhes da inscrição podem ser encontrados em www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

Corpos de jurados com mais de 150 executivos de todo o mundo escolherão os vencedores do Stevie Award Ouro, Prata e Bronze. Os nomes dos vencedores serão anunciados em 14 de agosto e homenageados em um banquete de gala na Europa em outubro (data e local a serem confirmados).

Os International Business Awards homenageiam as conquistas em todas as facetas do local de trabalho. As categorias incluem:

Existem muitos recursos novos e revisados do The International Business Awards para 2024:

  • Temos muitas novas Categorias de Soluções de Tecnologia para Soluções de Inteligência Artificial e Aprendizado de Máquina, divididas em subcategorias de soluções Financeiras, Generativas (áudio, gráficos, texto, vídeo), Saúde e outras soluções. Temos novas categorias de tecnologia adicionais para Cibersegurança, Gestão de Ativos Digitais, Experiência Digital do Funcionário e Centro de Conhecimento/Sites de Ajuda.
  • Temos muitas novas Categorias de Eventos para Causa e Eventos Verdes, incluindo Experiência de RSC, Doação e Voluntariado de Funcionários, Eventos Inclusivos e outras Experiências/Eventos de Marca por tipo, incluindo Experiência Gamificada, Experiência Pop–Up e Experiência Imersiva.
  • Temos novas categorias nos grupos de categorias para New Product & Product Management Awards (Prêmios de Gerenciamento de Novos Produtos e Produtos), Mobile Site & App Awards (Prêmios de Site e Aplicativo Móvel), e Website Awards (Prêmios de Site).

Os vencedores do Stevie Award nos IBAs de 2023 incluíram Ayala Land Inc. (Filipinas), Anexa BPO (México), Empire Eagle Food (Taiwan), EY Global Services Limited (EUA), IBM Corporation (Global), LLYC (Espanha), Ooredoo Group (Qatar), Saudi Aramco (Arábia Saudita), TalkLife (Reino Unido), Turkish Aerospace (Turquia), HALKBANK (Turquia), The Dubai Digital Authority (Emirados Árabes Unidos), Viettel Group (Vietnã) e muitos mais.

Sobre os Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards são concedidos em oito programas: Stevie Awards Ásia–Pacífico, Stevie Awards Alemão, Stevie Awards Oriente Médio e África do Norte, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, Stevie Awards para Grandes Empregadoras, Stevie Awards para Mulheres Empresariais e Stevie Awards para Vendas e Serviço ao Cliente. Os concursos Stevie Awards recebem mais de 12.000 nomeações todos os anos de empresas de mais de 70 países. Honrando empresas de todos os tipos e tamanhos, e as pessoas por trás delas, os Stevies reconhecem excelente desempenho no local de trabalho em todo o mundo. Saiba mais sobre os Stevie Awards em http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Contato:
Nina Moore
+1 (703) 547–8389
Nina@StevieAwards.com

Foto deste comunicado disponível em https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bfd82c2d–0486–47b4–8122–630fc25eb97c 


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