KAICIID Council of Parties Advances Efforts Toward UN Observer Status

Lisbon, Portugal, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The International Dialogue Centre – KAICIID is making significant strides in its pursuit of United Nations (UN) Observer Status, as highlighted during the recent Council of Parties meeting in Lisbon. This strategic initiative aligns with KAICIID's mandate to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue (IRD/ICD) on a global scale, further reinforcing its role as a key player in fostering peace and cooperation among diverse communities.

During the Council of Parties meeting, held on 13 September 2024, the governing body reiterated support for obtaining Observer Status at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), and recommended to continue strengthening partnerships with key UN entities. The meeting also emphasized the ongoing efforts to expand the Centre’s membership, beginning with the host country, Portugal.

Strategic Vision

KAICIID's pursuit of UN Observer Status reflects its broader strategic vision to reposition the Centre as a global player in intercultural and interreligious dialogue. As outlined in the Centre's recently approved Strategic Plan (2024–2027), the achievement of the UN Observer Status is a top institutional priority. This move would solidify KAICIID's position within the international community, enabling it to participate in the sessions and work of the UN General Assembly in a more formal capacity.

Dr. Zuhair Alharthi, the Centre’s Secretary General (SG) has been leading efforts to advance this goal, engaging in high–level discussions with UN officials and key stakeholders. Recent outreach missions to New York, including bilateral meetings on the margins of the UN High–Level Political Forum in July 2024, have garnered positive feedback from UN high level officials and other international partners.

Building Partnerships for Peace

KAICIID’s journey toward UN Observer Status is closely linked to its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Through its work, KAICIID promotes multi–stakeholder partnerships, including collaborations with UN entities such as the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), among others. The Centre’s unique expertise in IRD/ICD positions it as a valuable partner in global efforts to promote peace, human rights, and sustainable development.

In addition to its existing partnerships, KAICIID has been actively expanding its programmatic reach into new regions, including Latin America, with the goal of strengthening its presence globally and contributing to dialogue–based peacebuilding initiatives.

Next Steps

As KAICIID progresses toward its goal of obtaining UN Observer Status, the Centre will be taking the necessary steps for this complex and lengthy political process. A key element of this process involves engaging UN Member States to sponsor a draft resolution that would invite KAICIID to participate in the work of the UNGA as an observer.

The Centre will continue its diplomatic engagements, leveraging its growing partnerships and strategic alliances to ensure a positive outcome. By securing UN Observer Status, KAICIID aims to further amplify its role in fostering dialogue, peace, and mutual understanding among the world’s diverse communities.

About KAICIID

KAICIID is an intergovernmental organization that brings together religious leaders and policymakers to promote the use of dialogue to resolve conflicts and foster understanding among different cultures and religions. Established by Austria, Saudi Arabia, and Spain, with the Holy See as a founding observer, KAICIID’s mission is to promote peace and cooperation through dialogue at the global level. 

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9235635)

Zoom introduces new advanced enterprise offerings to boost efficiency, reliability, security, and compliance for enterprise organizations

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom announced several new add–on products and functionalities to further strengthen its advanced enterprise offerings portfolio for the Zoom platform. Zoom advanced enterprise offerings consist of a comprehensive portfolio of Zoom products and features that help organizations meet their compliance, security, privacy, survivability, and manageability requirements.

“Zoom’s advanced enterprise offerings reflect our commitment to empowering businesses and providing them with offerings that enable them to be more efficient, secure, compliant, and reliable,” said Smita Hashim, chief product officer, Zoom. “Our advanced enterprise products and features are essential tools built for Zoom Workplace and Zoom Business Services like Zoom Events and Zoom Contact Center that work behind the scenes as part of the Zoom network infrastructure to provide exceptional experiences to our customers. Our goal is to make communication and collaboration on Zoom foolproof, future–proof, and fail–proof.”

New offerings for enterprise customers

In 2023 alone, over $549 million in non–compliance penalties were issued globally, more than 353 million individuals were impacted by security breaches, and 31 percent of enterprises experienced unstable network or bandwidth constraints. Companies face urgent pressures to manage often complex compliance obligations, avoid hefty fines, safeguard their reputations against security threats, and prevent user dissatisfaction stemming from unreliable connectivity. Zoom’s newest additions to its advanced enterprise offerings are poised to help companies overcome these challenges.

  • Zoom Compliance Manager Plus: Launched in March and powered by Theta Lake, Zoom Compliance Manager (ZCM) is an all–in–one offering that provides archiving, eDiscovery, legal hold, and information protection offerings for enterprises. Zoom Compliance Manager Plus enhances ZCM with advanced features such as risk detection, data loss protection, and advanced trends analysis. These enhanced capabilities will further help organizations fulfill regulatory obligations and mitigate organizational communications compliance risks.
  • Zoom Meeting Survivability: Introduces a new level of network redundancy and enables business continuity, helping to ensure uninterrupted Zoom meeting service even during internet disruption due to outages from a storm, natural disaster, or carrier failure. Utilizing Zoom Node, a central hub for hosting Zoom workloads on premises, this functionality keeps meetings running smoothly via a failover to data centers where meetings are hosted on your local servers with minimal disruption to the end users.
  • Zoom Mesh for Meetings: With Zoom Mesh, companies can optimize bandwidth usage and save up to 60 percent on internet bandwidth and associated costs. Already available for Zoom Webinars and Zoom Events, this capability now extends to Zoom Meetings for an exceptional user experience regardless of bandwidth constraints.
  • Zoom Customer Managed Key (CMK) Hybrid: CMK Hybrid enhances Zoom’s current CMK data privacy offering by providing customers with more options to manage the encryption keys used to protect data maintained by Zoom. CMK Hybrid allows customers to control the entire encryption/decryption process on premises. Zoom Team Chat messages, for example, can be encrypted locally by the Zoom Workplace app (some Zoom cloud–based Team Chat functionalities will not be available as a result). Zoom CMK Hybrid will be available for Zoom Workplace starting with the support of Zoom Team Chat in Q4 2024.

An enterprise–grade offerings portfolio designed to meet organizations’ needs

The new advanced enterprise products and features introduced today bolster the existing robust portfolio of Zoom’s enterprise offerings, which are specifically designed to address the complex needs of large organizations and those in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies. These offerings are included with Zoom Workplace Enterprise licenses, help improve business continuity, optimize bandwidth, enhance security, simplify manageability, and support communications compliance. The advanced enterprise offerings are organized across six key categories:

  • Communications compliance: Archiving, Data Loss Prevention, Information Barrier, and Chat Etiquette solutions help address communications compliance requirements for regulated industries worldwide.
  • Data residency & privacy compliance: Tools to help meet local and regional customer data residency and privacy compliance requirements such as Customer Managed Key.
  • Policy & deployment management: Zoom Device Management, policy provisioning, and deployment tools to help ease implementation and support.
  • Security & access control: Encryption and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) offerings to provide enhanced security protection for data at rest and in transit.
  • Analytics & insights: A robust set of dashboards, monitoring, reporting, and alerting tools to improve overall operational visibility.
  • Network optimization & survivability: Zoom Mesh, Zoom Node, and Zoom survivability solutions help reduce bandwidth, optimize performance, and improve business continuity.

Several Zoom advanced enterprise offerings including end–to–end encryption, GDPR and privacy controls, management dashboards, and other capabilities are already available with Zoom Workplace Enterprise licenses while other features, including these new products, are available as paid add–ons. For more information on Zoom’s advanced enterprise offerings, please visit the Zoom advanced enterprise website. Zoom will also host technical sessions on its enterprise offerings at Zoomtopia 2024 for those interested in learning more.

About Zoom
Zoom’s mission is to provide one platform that delivers limitless human connection. Reimagine teamwork with Zoom Workplace — Zoom’s open collaboration platform with AI Companion that empowers teams to be more productive. Together with Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s Business Services for sales, marketing, and customer care teams, including Zoom Contact Center, strengthen customer relationships throughout the customer lifecycle. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more information at zoom.com.

Zoom Public Relations
Travis Isaman
press@zoom.us


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9235289)

Quantexa Recognized as a Leader in IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Decision Intelligence Platforms 2024

LONDON, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quantexa, the global leader in Decision Intelligence (DI) solutions for the public and private sectors, has been recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Decision Intelligence Platforms 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc # US51047423, August 2024). IDC defines Decision Intelligence Platforms as technology that helps organizations design, engineer, and orchestrate decisions by fully or partially automating steps in the decision–making process. The IDC MarketScape report is vital reading for technology buyers because it is one of the most rigorous and respected assessments of the emerging Decision Intelligence (DI) category. The category is expected to be worth $496 billion by 2030.1

The report noted, “Quantexa, founded in 2016, is an AI, data, and analytics software company that offers a decision intelligence platform that delivers an enterprise–scale, real–time, composable automated decisioning system with a focus on explainability and transparency. The platform leverages entity resolution and knowledge graph capabilities to create a unified view of entities and contextual features for machine learning. Quantexa also offers prepackaged solutions to add additional vertical–specific business value to the decision workflow. Users tend to fall within the banking and government sectors, however, the vendor highlighted customers within insurance, healthcare as well as technology, media, and communications verticals.”

The report also noted, “Continued investment and funding into decision–making with its core foundation in AI/ML capabilities including rolling out GenAI capabilities.”

Vishal Marria, Founder and CEO of Quantexa, said:We believe being recognized in the IDC MarketScape reflects our dedication to innovation and the trust our customers place in us to help them use data, analytics and AI for faster and better outcomes in constantly changing, complex decision–making environments. Our mission is to empower our customers to make the right decisions with the right data to protect, optimize, and grow their organizations. Businesses and government agencies are facing mounting challenges when it comes to connecting data at scale and ensuring quality and accuracy. Being able to build a trusted data foundation is mission critical to the safe success of AI initiatives, becoming operationally efficient and creating new revenue streams – and we are providing the innovation needed to enable our customers to navigate these fronts.”

Megha Kumar, Research Principal at IDC MarketScape, added: Quantexa's ability to integrate diverse data sources and extract meaningful insights from complex datasets using advancements in entity resolution and knowledge graphs served as a key differentiator. Their commitment to AI innovation across their platform, coupled with a strong focus on customer needs, positions them as a leader in shaping the emerging Decision Intelligence landscape.

To read the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Decision Intelligence Platforms excerpt, visit here.

About Quantexa
Quantexa is a global AI, data and analytics software company pioneering Decision Intelligence to empower organizations to make trusted operational decisions with data in context. Using the latest advancements in AI, Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence platform helps organizations uncover hidden risk and new opportunities by unifying siloed data and turning it into the most trusted, reusable resource. It solves major challenges across data management, customer intelligence, KYC, financial crime, risk, fraud, and security, throughout the customer lifecycle.

The Quantexa Decision Intelligence Platform enhances operational performance with over 90% more accuracy and 60 times faster analytical model resolution than traditional approaches. An independently commissioned Forrester TEI study on Quantexa's Decision Intelligence Platform found that customers saw a three–year 228% ROI. Founded in 2016, Quantexa now has more than 750 employees and thousands of platform users working with billions of transactions and data points across the world.

About IDC MarketScape
IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and services suppliers in a given market. The research utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each supplier’s position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of technology suppliers can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360–degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective suppliers.

Media Inquiries
C: Stephanie Crisp, Fight or Flight
E: Quantexa@fightorflight.com

OR

C: Adam Jaffe, SVP of Corporate Marketing
T : +1 609 502 6889
E : adamjaffe@quantexa.com

[1] Proprietary market data obtained by Quantexa from a commissioned Gartner study.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000993523)

PayMate Announces Intent to Acquire DigiAsia

Valuing DigiAsia at US $400 Million

Introduces PayMate in Indonesia with Immediate Market Share Expansion, Targeting 2025 Public Listing

MUMBAI, India and NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PayMate India (“PayMate”), a leading provider of B2B payments and services with reputable investors such as Visa & Lightbox, today announced that it has entered into a binding term sheet (the “Proposed Transaction”) for the potential acquisition of DigiAsia Bios Pte Ltd., Singapore, a leading Fintech–as–a–Service (FaaS) company in Indonesia and a fully owned subsidiary of DigiAsia Corporation (NASDAQ: FAAS) (“DigiAsia”).

Under the terms of the Proposed Transaction, an enterprise valuation of US $400 Million for DigiAsia’s business has been determined. Additionally, post the Proposed Transaction, PayMate intends to invest up to US $25 Million in cash, the aggregate financing structure and terms will be finalized in mutual agreement. PayMate and DigiAsia will continue joint due diligence on both entities, identification of the right transaction structure, entering into definitive agreements and the necessary corporate and regulatory approvals of PayMate and DigiAsia which is expected to take up to 60 days. Subsequent to the closing of the Proposed Transaction, PayMate intends to initiate proceedings to list the combined entity in India.

About PayMate

PayMate India Ltd – a leading digital B2B payments company that empowers businesses of all sizes to enhance financial efficiency and streamline B2B payments. The platform simplifies and digitizes B2B payment processes, optimizing working capital, and ensuring timely supplier payments. PayMate's solutions encompass Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Invoice Discounting, Cross Border and Embedded Finance. In FY24, PayMate processed USD 10.5 billion in transactions, serving over 522,000 customers worldwide. With a strong presence in India, CEMEA, and APAC regions, PayMate is the trusted partner for businesses seeking to streamline payment processes.

For more information, visit https://paymate.in/ or follow us on LinkedIn.

About DigiAsia

DigiAsia is a leading Fintech as a Service (FaaS) provider operating a B2B2X model offering its complete Fintech solution in emerging markets. DigiAsia's fintech architecture offers small and medium business enterprises (SMEs) comprehensive embedded finance APIs to streamline processes across the commerce value chain of distributors and customers. DigiAsia's embedded fintech solutions equally address democratizing digital finance access that supports financial inclusion of underbanked merchants and consumers in emerging markets resulting in growth for enterprise business. The suite of B2B2X solutions provided by DigiAsia include, but are not limited to, cashless payments, digital wallets, digital banking, remittances and banking licenses. DigiAsia has recently established a strategic initiative to develop its embedded FaaS enterprise solution with AI capabilities in Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East, with plans for global expansion. For more information, please visit DigiAsia’s Corporate website here or Investor Relations website here.

Forward–Looking Statements:

This press release may contain forward–looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “project”, “targets”, “optimistic”, “confident that”, “continue to”, “predict”, “intend”, “aim”, “will” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward–looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that may be deemed forward–looking statements. These forward–looking statements including, but not limited to, statements concerning DigiAsia and the Company’s operations, financial performance and condition are based on current expectations, beliefs and assumptions which are subject to change at any time. DigiAsia cautions that these statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors such as government and stock exchange regulations, competition, political, economic and social conditions around the world including those discussed in DigiAsia’s Form 20–F under the headings “Risk Factors”, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business Overview” and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. All forward–looking statements are applicable only as of the date it is made and DigiAsia specifically disclaims any obligation to maintain or update the forward–looking information, whether of the nature contained in this release or otherwise, in the future.

PayMate Contact DigiAsia Company Contact:
   
Vishvanathan Subramanian Subir Lohani
   
Wholetime Director & Chief Financial Officer Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer
   
91–22–2661 6178 646–480–0142
   
Email: corporate@paymate.co.in Investor Contact:
   
  MZ North America
   
  Email: FAAS@mzgroup.us


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9235533)

Unlock Your Trading Edge With Axi at The 2024 Dubai Forex Expo

SYDNEY, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading online FX and CFD broker Axi is attending this year’s Dubai Forex Expo, taking place on October 7–8, 2024, at the Dubai World Trade Center.

Event attendees will have the opportunity to learn about Axi Select, the innovative capital allocation program, designed to empower ambitious traders on their trading journey. “We invite all traders to visit our team at Booth 2 and uncover the future of trading with Axi,” says Louis Cooper, Chief Commercial Officer at Axi, before adding “We look forward to networking with follow traders and showcase the exceptional benefits of Axi Select. Our program features zero registration fees, capital funding of up to $1,000,000 USD, the opportunity to earn up to 90% of the profits, and advanced tools to accelerate traders’ trading potential.”

Additionally, visitors can explore their Introducing Broker (IB) and Affiliate programs or learn more about Axi’s longstanding partnership with Man City, Premier League Champions. The championship trophy will be on display for photos and attendees stand the chance to win exciting prizes from the broker.

Recently, the broker has renewed its collaboration with LaLiga club, Girona FC, and their Brand Ambassador, England international John Stones. They’ve also recently launched their biggest global trading competition ever, with a total prize pool of $250,000 USD. Over 45 prizes were given to traders including the grand prize of $100,000 USD.

About Axi

Axi is a global online FX and CFD trading company, with thousands of customers in 100+ countries worldwide. Axi offers CFDs for several asset classes including Forex, Shares, Gold, Oil, Coffee, and more.

At Axi, we are proud of our reputation as an honest, and fair broker, providing our customers with outstanding service and trading conditions since 2007. We also work with leading regulatory governing authorities globally to ensure we exceed the highest standards in the industry.

Contact: mediaenquiries@axi.com

The Axi Select programme is only available to clients of AxiTrader Limited. CFDs carry a high risk of investment loss. In our dealings with you, we will act as a principal counterparty to all of your positions. This content is not available to AU, NZ, EU and UK residents. For more information, refer to our Terms of Service. Standard trading fees apply.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000993370)

اكتشف ميزة تداولك مع   شركة “اكسي” في معرض “فوركس اكسبو دبي 2024

سيدني, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ستحضر شركةاكسيالرائدة في مجال تداول العملات الأجنبية والعقود مقابل الفروقات عبر الإنترنت والتي مقرها مدينة سيدني، أستراليا، معرضفوركس اكسبو دبيلهذا العام، والذي سيقام في الفترة من 7 إلى 8 أكتوبر 2024، في مركز دبي التجاري العالمي.

ستتاح الفرصة للمشاركين في الحدث للتعرف على برنامجاكسي سيليكت، برنامج تخصيص رأس المال المبتكر، المصمم لمساعدة المتداولين الطموحين في رحلة التداول الخاصه بهم. “ندعو جميع المتداولين لزيارة فريقنا في جناح رقم 2 واكتشاف مستقبل التداول مع شركة اكسي، يقول لويس كوبر، الرئيس التنفيذي للشؤون التجارية فياكسي، قبل أن يضيفنتطلع إلى التواصل مع المتداولين وعرض الفوائد الاستثنائية لـبرنامجاكسي سيليكت“. يتميز برنامجنا بعدم وجود رسوم تسجيل، وتمويل رأسمالي يصل إلى 1,000,000 دولار أمريكي، وفرصة لكسب ما يصل إلى 90% من الأرباح، وأدوات متقدمة لتسريع إمكانات التداول للمتداولين.”

بالإضافة إلى ذلك، يمكن للزوار استكشاف برنامج الوسيط المعرف (IB) والبرامج التابعة له أو معرفة المزيد عن شراكةاكسيطويلة الأمد مع فريق مانشستر سيتي (Man City)، بطل الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز. سيتم عرض كأس البطولة لالتقاط الصور وسيتاح للحاضرين فرصة الفوز بجوائز مميزة من الوسيط.

مؤخرًا، جددت الشركة تعاونها مع نادي جيرونا الإسباني (Girona FC) وسفير علامتهم التجارية، اللاعب الإنجليزي الدولي جون ستونز. كما أطلقت الشركة مؤخرًا أكبر مسابقة تداول عالمية لها على الإطلاق، بمجموع جوائز يبلغ 250 ألف دولار أمريكي. تم منح أكثر من 45 جائزة للمتداولين، بما في ذلك الجائزة الكبرى بقيمة 100 ألف دولار أمريكي.

عن شركةاكسي

شركةاكسيهي شركة وساطة عالمية لتداول العملات الأجنبية والعقود مقابل الفروقات عبر الإنترنت، وتضم الآلاف من العملاء في أكثر من 100 دولة حول العالم. تقدم شركةاكسيالعقود مقابل الفروقات للعديد من فئات الأصول بما في ذلك تداول العملات الأجنبية والأسهم والذهب والنفط والقهوة والمزيد من الأصول الأخرى.

في شركةاكسي، نحن نفخر بسمعتنا كوسيط صادق وعادل، حيث نقدم لعملائنا خدمة وظروف تداول متميزة منذ عام 2007. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، فإننا نعمل مع السلطات التنظيمية الحاكمة في جميع أنحاء العالم لضمان تجاوزنا لأعلى معايير الصناعة.

تواصل معنا عبرMedia.Enquiries@axi.com

برنامجاكسي سيليكتمتاح فقط لعملاء شركة AxiTrader Limited. تحمل العقود مقابل الفروقات (CFDs) مخاطر عالية لخسارة الاستثمار. في تعاملاتنا معك، سنكون الطرف المقابل الرئيسي لجميع مراكزك. هذا المحتوى غير متاح للمقيمين في أستراليا، نيوزيلندا، الاتحاد الأوروبي والمملكة المتحدة. لمزيد من المعلومات، يُرجى الرجوع إلى شروط الخدمة الخاصة بنا. تطبق رسوم التداول الاعتيادية.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000993370)

2024 HP Work Relationship Index Reveals AI Users Have Healthier Relationships with Work

News Highlights

  • Only 28% of knowledge workers from various industries around the world have a healthy relationship with work, a one–point increase compared to 2023
  • AI usage among knowledge workers surged to 66% in 2024, up from 38% last year; and workers who use AI are 11–points happier with their relationship with work than their colleagues who don't
  • At least two–thirds of knowledge workers desire personalized work experiences; and 87% would be willing to forgo a portion of their salary to get it
  • Only 44% of leaders have confidence in their human skills; female business leaders are significantly more confident than their male counterparts

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) released the second annual HP Work Relationship Index (WRI), a comprehensive study that explores the world’s relationship with work. The study, which surveyed 15,600 respondents across industries in 12 countries, reveals that work is still not really working. Only 28% of knowledge workers have a healthy relationship with work, a one–point increase compared to last year’s findings. However, new findings hone in on two potential solutions to improve relationships with work: AI and personalized work experiences.

“We know employer and employee expectations have evolved and we believe smart technology is key to meeting the needs of today’s workforce,” said Enrique Lores, President and CEO of HP Inc. “The future of work will be unlocked by using the power of AI to create solutions and experiences that drive business growth and enable individuals to achieve personal and professional fulfillment.”

Personalized Work Experiences Can Lead to Healthier Relationships with Work

In its second year, the study continued to analyze aspects of people’s relationships with work, including the role of work in their lives, their skills, abilities, tools, workspaces and their expectations of leadership. This year, WRI reveals a major universal need from knowledge workers: personalized work experiences.

At least two–thirds of workers expressed a desire for personalized work experiences, including tailored workspaces, access to preferred technologies and flexible working environments. These experiences are crucial for improving relationships with work, and have positive implications for both employees and businesses:

  • 64% of knowledge workers say if work was tailored or customized to personal needs and preferences, they would be more invested in their company's growth.
  • 69% of knowledge workers believe it would enhance their overall well–being.
  • 68% of knowledge workers stated it would incentivize them to stay with their current employers longer.

This desire for personalization is so strong that 87% of knowledge workers would be willing to forgo part of their salary for it. On average, workers would be willing to give up to 14% of their salary with Gen Z workers giving up as much as 19%.

AI Opens New Opportunities for Knowledge Workers to Enjoy Work and Improve Productivity

AI usage among knowledge workers has surged to 66% in 2024, up from 38% last year. Workers who use AI are seeing the benefits, including a healthier relationship with work:

  • 73% feel that AI makes their jobs easier, and nearly 7–in–10 (69%) are customizing their use of AI to be more productive, indicating AI could be an ingredient to unlocking a more personalized work experience.
  • 60% state that AI plays a key role in improving their work–life balance.
  • 68% say AI opens up new opportunities for them to enjoy work.
  • 73% agree that a better understanding of AI will make it easier to advance their careers.

Further, knowledge workers who use AI are +11–points happier with their relationship with work than their colleagues who don't. Therefore, there is an urgency to get AI into the hands of workers sooner rather than later as non–AI users have shown increased fear of job replacement by AI, with 37% expressing concern, a +5–point increase from last year.

Business Leaders Lack Confidence; Female Leaders Emerge as a Bright Spot

While at the global scale the index highlights little change, countries that saw an increase in their individual work relationship index saw slight improvement across the six key drivers of a healthy relationship with work – most notably the Leadership and Fulfillment drivers. This year’s index revealed that trust in senior leadership remains a critical factor in a healthy work relationship, but there is a disconnect between the recognition of the importance of human skills (e.g., mindfulness, self–awareness, communication, creative–thinking, resilience, empathy, emotional intelligence) and leaders’ confidence to deliver:

  • While more than 90% of leaders acknowledge the benefits of empathy, only 44% feel confident in their human skills.
  • Only 28% of workers consistently see empathy from their leaders, despite 78% valuing it highly.

However, this year’s research uncovered a bright spot: female leaders. On average, female business leaders are +10–points more confident in their hard skills (technical, computer, presentation, etc.), and notably +13–points more confident in human skills than their male counterparts. Additionally, female business leaders’ confidence in both skills grew over the past year (+10–points in human skills, +4–points in hard skills), while confidence among male business leaders remained stagnant in human skills and decreased in hard skills (–3–points).

For more information on the HP Work Relationship Index, please visit the WRI website and to access the full report, please visit the HP Newsroom.

Methodology

HP commissioned an online survey managed by Edelman Data & Intelligence (DXI) that fielded between May 10 – June 21, 2024 in 12 countries: the US, France, India, UK, Germany, Spain, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, and Indonesia. HP surveyed 15,600 respondents in total – 12,000 knowledge workers (1,000 in each country); 2,400 IT decision makers (200 in each country); and 1,200 business leaders (100 in each country).

HP Inc. Media Relations
MediaRelations@hp.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9235451)

Tanzania’s Maasai Women Adopt Climate-Smart Solutions To Tame Drought

Maria Naeku, a Maasaiwoman in Mikese village in Mvomero district tends to her vegetable garden.Credit: Kizito Makoye Shigela/IPS

Maria Naeku, a Maasaiwoman in Mikese village in Mvomero district tends to her vegetable garden.Credit: Kizito Makoye Shigela/IPS

By Kizito Makoye
MVOMERO, Tanzania, Sep 24 2024 – In the scorching sun of Mikese village in Tanzania’s eastern Mvomero district, 31-year-old Maria Naeku tirelessly tends to her small vegetable patch. Each time she pulls a weed, the red soil stains her hands as she guides the trickle of water from a maze of pipes through an elevated bed to nurture her plants. In a drought-stricken area, Naeku’s small garden is a lifeline for her family, giving them food and income.

“When the drought hit, our cattle died, and we couldn’t get milk for the children,” Naeku says. “I knew I had to find a way to feed my family, so I had to grow vegetables.” 

The drip irrigation technique, where a network of pipes with tiny holes spit water directly to the plant in a split second, was new to her but she tried. “I didn’t  know how if tiny drops of water could nourish the crops,” she says. “But when I saw green leaves sprouting from the soil, I knew I had a brighter future.”

Naeku’s quickly became an expert, her success inspired other women across  the village to follow her lead. The Maasai, traditionally, known for cattle rearing—a symbol of wealth and security are increasingly adopting climate-smart farming to cope with drought as rains have become erratic due to climate change. Women like Naeku, who once depended entirely on these herds, have been forced to adopt innovative farming techniques to survive.

Shattering the Patriarchy

In Maasai culture, men have long held the reins of power, with women relegated to the roles of caregivers and homemakers. Decision-making, particularly in land and livestock matters, has traditionally been the exclusive domain of men. However, the severe droughts have shifted these dynamics. With their cattle dwindling and their families hungry, Maasai women have begun to step into roles once reserved for men, embracing climate-smart agriculture as an alternative means of survival.

“We are no longer just caretakers of our families,” says 34-year-old Nasarian Lengai, a mother of five who has become a local champion for horticulture farming at Mikese. “We are decision-makers who are shaping the future of our community.”

Initially skeptical, Lengai strongly believe in horticulture using organic farming practices. “When I first heard about these methods, I didn’t think they’d work for us,” she says. “But after seeing how much better my crops are now, I’m sure this is the right way to go.”

For centuries, the Maasai have relied on cattle for their food—milk, meat, and even blood. Switching to farming was a big change from their old ways.

“We used to believe that having many cattle was the only way to keep wealth and ensure security,” says Esuvat Joseph, who leads the Tupendane Maasai women’s group at Mikese village. “But now we understand that we need to cope with drought. We’ve learned to keep fewer cattle and focusing more on farming.”

Tupendane group has also embraced water conservation techniques, constructing ground reservoirs to collect rainwater. “This water is very important,” she explains. “We use it for irrigation when the rivers dry up.”

Climate-smart Solutions

The Maasai women’s adoption of climate-smart agriculture is not just a response to immediate needs but a strategy for long-term resilience. Through initiatives supported by the Norwegian Church Aid—an international charity—these women are learning to diversify their income sources, reducing their dependence on livestock and embracing sustainable horticulture practices.

“We’re teaching these women how to make the most of their small plots of land,” explains Oscar John, the program manager with Norwegian Church Aid. “By diversifying their income sources, they’re less dependent on livestock, which is increasingly vulnerable to drought.”

Conservation agriculture, a key component of this initiative, promotes sustainable farming techniques that improve soil health and increase crop yields without depleting natural resources.

For the women of Mvomero, this has been a divine plan. They are learning to grow drought-resistant crops, rotate their fields, and use organic fertilizers, all of which contribute to better crop yields.

As more women embrace climate-smart agriculture, the ripple effects are being felt in neighboring villages, as women once skeptical of these new methods, are now seeing the success in Mvomero and beginning to learn these practices in their own drought-stricken lands.

Empowerment in Action

The shift from livestock to crop farming has had a huge impact on the social dynamics within the Maasai community. Women, who were once sidelined in decision-making processes, are now taking the lead in managing their families’ resources. This newfound empowerment is improving their social and economic status while challenging the patriarchal norms that have long defined their society.

“We’ve always been made to believe that men are the decision-makers,” says Lengai. “But now we’re showing that women can lead too. We can take care of our families and make better decisions.”

This sense of empowerment is evident in the way the women of Mvomero approach their work. They are tending to their crops and building a future where their voices are heard and their contributions are valued. The construction of rainwater harvesting systems, for example, is a task that these women have taken on with pride. “We don’t wait for our husbands to do it; we build these reservoirs ourselves,” says Joseph. “It’s our way of showing that we can take care of ourselves.”

The men in the community are recognizing the shifting gender roles, and some of them are starting to appreciate the benefits of shared decision-making. While resistance remains, the success of these women is slowly changing attitudes. As the benefits of climate-smart agriculture become more apparent, more men are joining their wives in these efforts, working together to secure a better future for their families.

Challenges on the Horizon

The transition from livestock to crop farming is not without its difficulties, particularly for a community that has long measured wealth by the size of its herds. “There are still some who resist change,” admits Joseph. “They see farming as a lesser occupation compared to cattle herding. But as more of us succeed, the mindset is shifting.”

The path to fully accepting these new practices is slow, and the women of Mvomero know their success is just the start. They face many challenges ahead, including the risk of drought and strong cultural norms that shape gender roles in Maasai society.

But the women are strong. They know that their efforts are not just to overcome the on-going crisis but also about creating a better future for their children.

“We are planting the seeds of change,” says Naeku. “Our daughters will grow up knowing that they can be anything they want to be. They will see that women can lead, that we can innovate, and that we can solve any problems.”

A Model for the Future

The success of the Maasai women in Mvomero is beginning to attract attention from other drought-hit areas in Tanzania. Development organizations and government agencies are taking note of the community’s innovative approach and exploring ways to replicate it in other regions facing similar challenges.

“We see this as a model that can be adapted and implemented in other parts of the country,” says John. “The key is to empower communities, particularly women, to take control of their resources and livelihoods. When people are given the tools and knowledge they need, they can achieve incredible things.”

As Maasai women in pastoral communities make progress, they are not only securing their own future but also creating a stronger and fairer society. Their journey shows determination, innovation, and empowerment—a true example of women’s strength in overcoming challenges.

In Tanzania’s Maasai steppe, where the future of pastoral communities is uncertain, these women are showing that with the right support, even the most marginalized can overcome   their problem and lead a better life.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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Sustainable Peace in Afghanistan Needs Women on the Frontlines

Fawziya Koofi, former Deputy Speaker of Parliament in Afghanistan, addresses reporters following the "The Inclusion of Women in the Future of Afghanistan" meeting. Credit: Mark Garten/UN Photo

Fawziya Koofi, former Deputy Speaker of Parliament in Afghanistan, addresses reporters following the “The Inclusion of Women in the Future of Afghanistan” meeting. Credit: Mark Garten/UN Photo

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 24 2024 – Women in Afghanistan have continued to advocate for their rights and have called on the international community to not only stand in solidarity but to take decisive action to prevent the erosion of their rights and presence in public space.

On Monday, the New York missions of Qatar, Indonesia, Ireland and Switzerland, with the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan, convened at a high-level meeting to discuss the current situation for women’s rights.

Since August 2021, the Taliban authorities have systematically reversed the rights of women and girls, all but shrinking and obliterating their ability to participate in Afghan society. Despite repeated calls from the international community to protect women’s rights, the Taliban have only doubled down. Their latest edicts of morality laws further restrict the activities of women and girls, barring them from speaking or singing out in public.

Asila Wardak, from the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan, told the meeting women were being systematically erased from public life.

“The future of Afghanistan cannot be built on the exclusion of half the population,” she said. “Women must be part of the solution, not sidelined.”

The event included messages from notable members of the international community extending solidarity to the women of Afghanistan.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the UN would continue its work to engage women and women-led groups in Afghanistan and ensure their spaces for operation, calling for them to “play a full role, both inside its borders and on the global stage.”

“Without educated women, without women in employment, including in leadership roles, and without recognizing the rights and freedoms of one-half of its population, Afghanistan will never take its rightful place on the global stage,” said Guterres.

UN Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, reiterated Guterres’ show of support to protect and amplify the voices of Afghan women.

In her statement, she summarized the Doha process, which was intended to increase international engagement with Afghanistan and the Taliban, wherein the Taliban were expected to make governance more inclusive and protect women’s rights, resulting in the international community easing restrictions in Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, the news of the morality laws has threatened that process, especially as the Taliban have refused to meet with Afghan civil society in previous meetings.

DiCarlo added that the Taliban “must begin to abide by their international obligations, especially regarding women.”

In the panel, American actor Meryl Streep remarked that Afghanistan granted women the right to vote in 1919, many years before countries like the United States and Switzerland had done the same. Much has changed since then, she observed.

“Today in Kabul, a female cat has more freedoms than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because the public parks have been closed to women and girls,” Streep said.

“The way that this culture, this society, has been upended is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world,” she warned. Streep further noted that the Taliban’s numerous edicts on women had “effectively incarcerated half the population.”

Meryl Streep introduced the screening of a short feature from Roya Sadat’s A Sharp Edge of Peace. Credit: IPS

Meryl Streep introduced the screening of a short feature from Roya Sadat’s A Sharp Edge of Peace. Credit: IPS

The documentary follows the four women parliamentarians that participated in the peace talks in 2020 between the international community and the Taliban shortly after the United States withdrew their troops.

The feature highlighted the stakes that were on the line for the women leaders of Afghanistan. It included scenes of the parliamentarians listening to young women during consultations leading up to the peace talks in Doha, Qatar, where the young women pleaded for the Taliban not to take action that would restrict their rights and dignity. Prior to the peace talks, one of the women in the documentary said, “Peace is not a luxury. It is a necessity.”

What the documentary highlighted was that even with the (limited) presence of women leaders and advocates during negotiations, it evidently did not sway the Taliban to act in accordance with the demands from the international community.

The former deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s parliament, Fawzia Koofi, observed that the Taliban and the international community were largely in charge of the peace negotiations after the US pulled out of the country, leaving little room for the Afghan people or their elected government.

Habiba Sarabi, Afghanistan’s former minister for women’s affairs, remarked that the Taliban would only continue to push their agenda for what they perceived as a ‘pure Islamic regime’. She warned that this was already affecting younger generations who were at risk of being brainwashed by Taliban-controlled religious schools.

Sarabi implored the international community to hold up the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), along with applying UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), which calls for the protection of women’s’ and girls’ rights for peace and security.

Koofi also urged that more pressure needed to be placed on the Taliban, as this would be “the only leverage that the international community has.”

She called for the institutions and charters for international law and order to hold onto their solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and assure them that the “culture of impunity would end.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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Bitget und Foresight Ventures investieren zur Beschleunigung des Wachstums von Telegram-basierten Projekten 30 Millionen Dollar in TON-Blockchain

VICTORIA, Seychellen, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, die weltweit führende Kryptowährungsbörse und Web3–Firma, und Foresight Ventures, eine führende Web3–Investmentfirma, haben eine strategische Investition von 30 Mio. USD in die TON (The Open Network)–Blockchain angekündigt. Diese Investition wird durch den Erwerb von TON–Token getätigt und zielt darauf ab, die Akzeptanz von Tap–to–Earn, GameFi und neu aufkommenden Trends innerhalb des TON–Ökosystems weiter zu beschleunigen.

Die TON–basierten Projekte stellen einen starken Anwendungsfall für die Massenübernahme durch das Telegram–Ökosystem dar, das in den letzten Jahren ein beträchtliches Wachstum verzeichnet hat, da es seine Angebote für Web3–Startups ausweitet. Laut einem aktuellen TON–Bericht von Bitget Research ist die TON–Blockchain, die von den 950 Millionen Nutzern von Telegram profitiert, schnell zu einer der am schnellsten wachsenden Blockchains des Jahres 2024 geworden. Das Wachstum der On–Chain–Transaktionen, der TVL des Ökosystems und des DEX–Handelsvolumens hat sich mehr als verzehnfacht, und virale dApps wie Catizen, DOGS und Tomarket haben Millionen von Nutzern angezogen.

Das Engagement für die TON–Blockchain kommt zu einer Zeit, in der Bitget ein bemerkenswertes Wachstum seiner Nutzerbasis zu verzeichnen hat. Durch die Fokussierung auf die Entwicklung des Ökosystems und die Ausweitung seiner Dienste hat Bitget seine weltweite Nutzerzahl im dritten Quartal 2024 auf 45 Millionen erhöht und damit in den letzten 12 Monaten fast verdoppelt. Dieser Anstieg ist zum Teil auf die steigende Nachfrage nach innovativen Projekten zurückzuführen, insbesondere nach solchen, die von Plattformen wie TON gefördert werden.

Im Jahr 2024 trug Bitget Wallet mit TONNECT 2024 zum TON–Ökosystem bei, einer großen Online–Veranstaltung, die darauf abzielt, das Wachstum von aufstrebenden dApps im TON–Ökosystem zu beschleunigen. Dank des wachsenden Interesses der TON–Nutzer an der dezentralen Bitget–Wallet führte Bitget Wallet kontinuierlich die Charts aller Apps in Nigeria an und überholte damit weltbekannte Apps wie TikTok und WhatsApp im App Store von Apple.

„Während Bitget weiterhin BUIDL um The Open Network herum entwickelt, bietet unsere Investition in das TON–Ökosystem eine solide Grundlage für die Förderung von Initiativen, die mit unserer Vision übereinstimmen. Durch die Integration unserer Expertise in der Krypto–Infrastruktur mit der dezentralen Architektur von TON sind wir gut positioniert, um die Entwicklung innovativer Produkte und Lösungen zu stärken. Gemeinsam bringen wir die Krypto–Industrie näher an die Massenakzeptanz als je zuvor“, kommentiert Gracy Chen, CEO von Bitget.

„Das Wachstum des TON–Ökosystems stellt die größte Wachstumschance auf dem Kryptowährungsmarkt in diesem Jahr und in den nächsten 3 bis 5 Jahren dar. In den letzten sechs Monaten hat sich der TVL von TON um das 18–Fache erhöht und beträgt nun 350 Mio. USD.“ Forest Bai, Mitbegründer und CEO von Foresight Ventures, erklärte: „Das Ökosystem umfasst derzeit über 1.000 dApps, wobei viele Anwendungen Millionen von Nutzern haben. Wir hoffen, Entwickler innerhalb des TON–Ökosystems weiterhin durch Investitionen, Inkubation und Marketingunterstützung unterstützen zu können.“

Mit der Investition in Höhe von 30 Mio. USD werden sich Bitget und Foresight Ventures stärker in die zukünftigen Entwicklungspläne von TON Blockchain einbringen und die Entstehung und Markteinführung von weiteren Blockbuster–dApps auf TON unterstützen.

Über Bitget

Bitget wurde 2018 gegründet und ist die weltweit führende Kryptowährungsbörse und Web3–Firma. Mit über 25 Millionen Nutzern in mehr als 100 Ländern und Regionen hat sich die Bitget–Börse der Unterstützung von Nutzern verschrieben, die mit ihrer innovativen Copy–Trading–Funktion und anderen Handelslösungen intelligenter handeln möchten. Das ehemals unter dem Namen BitKeep firmierende Bitget Wallet ist eine erstklassige Multichain–Krypto–Wallet, die eine Reihe umfassender Web3–Lösungen und –Funktionen, darunter Wallet–Funktionen, Swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp–Browser und mehr, bietet. Durch die Zusammenarbeit mit renommierten Partnern wie dem legendären argentinischen Fußballspieler Lionel Messi und den türkischen Nationalsportlern Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Weltmeister im Ringen), Samet Gümüş (Goldmedaillengewinner im Boxen) und İlkin Aydın (Volleyball–Nationalmannschaft) inspiriert Bitget Menschen zur Nutzung von Kryptowährungen.

Weitere Informationen finden Sie im Internet: Website | Twitter | Telegramm | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

Für Medienanfragen wenden Sie sich bitte an: media@bitget.com

Über Foresight Ventures
Foresight Ventures ist der erste und einzige Krypto–Risikokapitalgeber, der eine Brücke zwischen Ost und West schlägt. Mit einem forschungsorientierten Ansatz und Niederlassungen in den USA und Singapur sind wir ein führendes Unternehmen im Bereich Krypto–Investitionen und Inkubation. Zu unserem erstklassigen Mediennetzwerk gehören The Block, Foresight News, BlockTempo und Coinness. Wir investieren aggressiv in die gewagtesten Innovationen und engagieren uns für Partnerschaften mit visionären Projekten und Spitzenteams, um ihnen zum Erfolg zu verhelfen und die Zukunft des digitalen Finanzwesens und darüber hinaus neu zu gestalten.

Risikowarnung: Die Preise für digitale Vermögenswerte können fluktuieren und Kursschwankungen unterliegen. Investieren Sie nur das, was Sie sich leisten können, zu verlieren. Der Wert Ihrer Anlage kann beeinträchtigt werden, und es ist möglich, dass Sie Ihre finanziellen Ziele nicht erreichen oder Ihren Kapitaleinsatz nicht zurückerhalten können. Sie sollten immer eine unabhängige Finanzberatung in Anspruch nehmen und Ihre eigene finanzielle Erfahrung und finanzielle Leistungsfähigkeit berücksichtigen. Die Ergebnisse der Vergangenheit sind kein verlässlicher Maßstab für künftige Ergebnisse. Bitget haftet nicht für etwaige Verluste, die Sie erleiden. Nichts in dieser Pressemitteilung ist als Finanzberatung zu verstehen. Weitere Informationen finden Sie in unseren Nutzungsbedingungen.

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