FOR PROFIT MEDICINE

Variance of doctors across the US: Is a prescription for better provision needed?

ByDr. Tim Sandle

DIGITAL JOURNAL
March 18, 2024

Patient being positioned for MR study of the head and abdomen. Image by Ptrump16. CC BY-SA 4.0,

In the U.S., one of the forthcoming themed days is National Doctors’ Day, an event prescribed on March 30. This comes at a time when some parts of the U.S. are better served, and others underserved when it comes to healthcare and medical provision. Generally, the U.S. is experiencing a physician shortage, a situation that could lead to poorer health outcomes for many patients.

One reason for this could be with attracting medics to an area, with a family physician’s salary ranging from around $130,000 to $310,000.

Looking into the state of healthcare provision, the personal-finance website WalletHub has released a report on 2024’s Best & Worst States for Doctors. This is designed to help pinpoint where doctors can find the most financial success and the best quality employment.

To identify the best states for doctors (and for patients who want the best care), WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 19 key metrics. The data set ranges from the average annual wage of physicians to the number of hospitals per capita to the quality of the public hospital system.

The outcome of this review produced the following ranking for the optimal places to seek medical employment in:

1. Montana
2. South Dakota
3. Nebraska
4. Utah
5. Indiana
6. Minnesota
7. Wisconsin
8. Idaho
9. Iowa
10. Louisiana


Conversely, the states with the worst standings were identified as:
42. Alaska
43. Illinois
44. Oregon
45. District of Columbia
46. New Mexico
47. New York
48. Massachusetts
49. New Jersey
50. Rhode Island
51. Hawaii

Between the upper and lower echelons, there are some interesting variances. For example, Louisiana has the highest average annual wage for surgeons (adjusted for cost of living), which is 3.1 times higher than in District of Columbia, the lowest.

Another important factor is with the provision of medical personnel. Here, North Dakota has the lowest number of physicians per 1,000 residents, which is 5.3 times lower than in the better served District of Columbia, which is the highest. Given that elderly people are more likely to draw upon medical facilities, perhaps the proportion of elderly residents in a state is more important when it comes to medical provision. With this regard, Florida has the highest projected share of the population aged 65 and older by 2030, which is two times higher than in Utah, the lowest.

Yet how good are medical personnel? Malpractice cases is one potential measure. Nebraska has the lowest annual malpractice liability insurance rate, which is 8.1 times lower than in New York, the highest.

These types of findings indicate that statistics are not always straightforward and delving deeper into data can reveal more meaningful trends.

AI poses threat to democracy, summit told

Reuters Published March 19, 2024

KETTLED PROTESTERS

DEMONSTRATORS protest outside South Korea’s foreign ministry against the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Seoul, on Monday.—AFP

SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday called fake news and disinformation based on AI and digital technology threats to democracy, as some officials attending a global summit accused Russia and China of conducting malicious propaganda campaigns.

Speaking at the opening of the Summit for Democracy in Seoul, Yoon said countries had a duty to share experiences and wisdom so that artificial intelligence and technology could be employed to promote democracy.

“Fake news and disinformation based on artificial intelligence and digital technology not only violates individual freedom and human rights but also threatens democratic systems,” Yoon said.

South Korea is hosting the third Summit for Democracy conference, an initiative of US President Joe Biden aimed at discussing ways to stop democratic backsliding and erosion of rights and freedoms.

On Monday, China hit back at Seoul for inviting Taiwan Digital Minister Audrey Tang to give a video address.

Though a presenter said Tang was speaking in a private capacity, her participation was not announced ahead of time by either Taiwan or South Korea, which has boosted ties with Washington but also sought to prevent major impact to its deep economic ties with China.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said efforts to “expand the space for Taiwan independence activities under the banner of democracy and human rights” were doomed to fail.

Digital threats to democracy, and how technology can promote democracy and universal human rights, were expected to be the main agenda of the three-day meetings in Seoul, attended by representatives from more than 30 countries, ranging from Costa Rica to the United States and Ghana.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2024

Photographer Annie Leibovitz: 'AI doesn't worry me at all'

 Photographer to the stars Annie Leibovitz, inducted into the French Academy of Fine Arts on Wednesday, told AFP that AI was not a threat to her trade -- just another artistic tool.


Issued on: 20/03/2024

Leibovitz says photographers must 'take the plunge' and embrace AI

 © ANGELA WEISS / AFP


Leibovitz is arguably the world's most famous living photographer -- thanks in large part to the iconic figures she has snapped in her 50-year career.

Rare is the celebrity who has not been in front of her lens: from a naked John Lennon embracing his wife Yoko Ono on a bed (just hours before he was shot dead) to a pregnant (and also naked) Demi Moore, to world leaders such as Queen Elizabeth, Barack Obama and Emmanuel Macron -- and hundreds of celebrities in-between.

Many see photography as threatened by the emergence of artificial intelligence tools that can generate images from simple text prompts.

But Leibovitz just sees new opportunities

"That doesn't worry me at all," she told AFP.

"With each technological progress, there are hesitations and concerns. You just have to take the plunge and learn how to use it."

She says AI-generated images are no less authentic than photography.

"Photography itself is not really real... I like to use PhotoShop. I use all the tools available."

Even deciding how to frame a shot implies "editing and control on some level," she added.
'Quite an honour'

Leibovitz is being inducted as a foreign associate member of the French Academy of Fine Arts in a ceremony at the Institute of France on Wednesday.

It is her long-time collaborator, Vogue boss Anna Wintour, who will present her with the ceremonial sword.

Leibovitz began her career in 1970 with Rolling Stone magazine. As well as lots of rock'n'roll shots, she also covered many political assignments.

Her photo of President Richard Nixon leaving the White House by helicopter after resigning in 1972 went around the world.

In the 1980s, she moved to Conde Nast where her work for Vanity Fair and Vogue made her a huge name in celebrity and fashion photography.

She said it was "quite an honour" to be inducted into the academy.

"But it's a bigger honour for photography," she added, recalling that it took until 2004 for the first photographer to join the academy, which is more than 200 years old.

"I like to be behind the camera, not in front," Leibovitz said.

"But you realise at a certain point, when you have children as well, that you need to step up and be there for the next generation of artists and photographers."

The banks of the Seine housing the Institut de France bring back memories for her.

"When I was a photography student, Cartier Bresson was one of my heroes," she said of French pioneering photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson.

"So to be here within steps of the walking bridge that he liked to photograph, the Pont Neuf, is quite something."

Paris was also one of the homes she shared with her long-term partner, writer Susan Sontag, prior to her death in 2004.

"We used to walk by here all the time," Leibovitz said of the Institute. "I didn't know what it was. I mean, Susan probably did, but I didn't."

© 2024 AFP

More identity theft, AI deepfakes, and ESG fraud in Canada this year, says KPMG

By Veronica Ott
DIGITAL JOURNAL

March 19, 2024


Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Fraud used to be synonymous with bad cheques and con-men — but today’s fraud has become much more digitized. And small- to medium-sized businesses are the most at risk. According to the MNP, 98% of cybersecurity insurance claims came from small to medium-sized businesses.

KPMG recently released about the changes in Canada’s fraud landscape this year. Here are some highlights from their research:
AI deepfakes on the rise

Generative AI has allowed hackers to imitate internal employees and executives in voice and likeness through deepfakes. Fraudsters use deepfakes to impersonate people and access organizational data and even payments. It’s essentially a next-level version of identity theft that makes businesses susceptible to account takeover attacks. 95% of Canadian SMB leaders whose organizations have experienced fraud see generative AI and deepfakes as a heightened fraud risk
Solution: Identity-proofing measures & tech

Multi-factor authentication can help catch deepfakes that trick biometrics. Businesses can use AI-powered website behavior analytics and website history in combination with unique passwords, biometrics, and single sign-on (SSO).
ESG fraud has entered the chat

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives help businesses satisfy various stakeholders and even obtain funding and grant money. ESG fraud entails businesses who misrepresent ESG success for their benefit, as well as money laundering under the guise of ESG investment. This often is a result of internal fraud, where members of an organization knowingly conduct unethical activities around ESG. 8 in 10 Canadian SMB leaders whose organizations have experienced fraud worry about unknowingly committing ESG fraud

KPMG suggests organizations swiftly assess risks, including implementing strong anti-fraud measures to avoid damaging trust with customers and partners.
Leverage the right tech for fraud prevention

Many enterprises fall short on mitigating cybersecurity risks. The IDC reports that approximately half of the businesses surveyed in 2023 say they don’t frequently scan and monitor their remote endpoints, and it takes them at least a week to recognize active security threats.67% of Canadian SMB leaders whose organizations have experienced fraud say they’re using AI and/or Machine Learning as fraud prevention, which might indicate an over-reliance on tech

KPMG recommends businesses get on the same tech train as fraudsters. AI fraud prevention tech might include automation for threat detection and fraud alerts, as well as data monitoring.



WRITTEN BYVeronica Ott
Veronica Ott is a freelance writer and digital marketer with a specialization in finance and business. As a CPA with experience in the industry, she's able to provide unique insight into various monetary, financial and economic topics. When Veronica isn't writing, you can find her watching the latest film

AI titan Nvidia ramps up collaboration with Chinese auto giants

By AFP
March 19, 2024

BYD has overtaken Tesla as the world's biggest electric car maker 

- Copyright AFP/File Fabrice COFFRINI

Nvidia on Monday announced a major expansion of its collaboration with world-leading BYD and other Chinese electric car makers, including on the development of autonomous AI-boosted vehicles.

The move deepens Nvidia’s connections with the Chinese EV industry even as it is separately prohibited by the United States from exporting its most powerful AI hardware to China.

BYD, which beat Elon Musk’s Tesla in sales in the last quarter of 2023, is the latest Chinese auto firm to use Nvidia’s DRIVE Thor, an all-in-one vehicle control system that is bolstered by powerful generative AI features.

“Today we’re announcing that BYD, the world’s largest EV company, is adopting our next-generation (AV computer),” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said at a developers conference.

Nvidia said other major Chinese EV firms, including XPeng, Li Auto, ZEEKR and GAC Aion have also adopted the Thor platform, which was first announced in 2022.

“DRIVE Thor is poised to revolutionize the automotive landscape, ushering in an era where generative AI defines the driving experience,” Nvidia said in a statement.

The company said BYD will also use Nvidia’s infrastructure for “cloud-based AI development and training technologies”.

Thor is expected to roll out for production vehicles as early as 2025, according to Nvidia.

The company has skyrocketed to become one of the most valuable businesses in the world on the back of the AI frenzy sparked by the success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

It is prohibited, however, from selling its most powerful chips to Chinese companies under US rules.

Washington has said these restrictions are meant to prevent China’s military and security services from getting tech that could help develop advanced military equipment and applications, including AI.

Beijing has slammed these curbs as “bullying” and “technological terrorism”.

Danny Shapiro, Nvidia’s vice president for automotive, has in the past told US media that customers in this sector are not impacted by the restrictions.

AFP has asked Nvidia if its automotive products and services are affected by the US restrictions.

There is reportedly also apprehension in Beijing about the extensive relationship between Chinese EV companies and US tech suppliers.

The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has “quietly asked” auto companies such as BYD to boost their purchases from domestic chipmakers to lower their dependence on foreign firms, Bloomberg News reported last week, citing unnamed sources.

AFP has contacted the ministry for comment.

Social media users fear misinformation will impact 2024 election

ByDr. Tim Sandle

DIGITAL JOURNAL
March 20, 2024

Social media's X. — © AFP Daniel LEAL

As the U.S. considers a TikTok ban, do people want social media platforms regulated? A new poll indicates this is likely to be a “yes.” At least this is the case in the U.S., for Media.com polled more than 1,000 people in the U.S. and found that a little over half (51 percent) say social media companies should face more regulation, with 62 percent calling for legal accountability for misinformation. Media.com is a profile-based network which was started to help combat misinformation.

The survey was based on a poll taken of 1,005 respondents who lived across the U.S. and who were 18 or older. Each person was a social media user and had used one or more social media platforms completed the survey.

Additionally, 55 percent singled out Facebook as doing the poorest job of curbing misinformation (plus fake news), followed closely by TikTok and X/Twitter at 44 percent each. Respondents were also inclined to hold social media companies accountable for misinformation and hate speech.

When asked what changes social networks should make to address the challenge of misinformation, 57 percent of respondents said fact-checking all content. Moreover, 55 percent supported identity verification for all profiles to eliminate bots; and 42 percent favoured an automatic ban for those who spread false information.

Another area is with the forthcoming U.S. presidential election (a contest that looks likely to be a rematch between Biden and Trump). The study finds that 70 percent of social media users are moderately to extremely concerned that misinformation will impact the contest.

The worry about misinformation is often directed towards other people, since a majority of respondents (63 percent) said they feel confident in their ability to spot misinformation on social media.

Does this cognizance translate into practice? This is less certain since, when asked, some 60 percent said they had shared information they later found to be false. Moreover, when asked how misinformation impacts our lives, 68 percent of respondents said it causes confusion, 64 percent believe it undermines trust, and 60 percent feel it influences public opinion.

“Misinformation and fake profiles are eating away at trust and confidence which is critical to a functional society” said James Mawhinney, the CEO and Founder of the Media.com network says in a statement provided to Digital Journal.

Mawhinney adds: “These survey results show there is a very real concern about the impact of misinformation. It is particularly concerning considering the amount of time we spend consuming content from unverified sources.”

Op-Ed: Alien necrophiliacs prefer conspiracy theorists — Denial of Sentience plague

By Paul Wallis
DIGITAL JOURNAL
March 18, 2024

Image courtesy Pexels

We can forget about denial-of-service attacks. Conspiracies are denial of sentience. QAnon is gone, but any babble is faithfully turned into a fact by publication.

It’s taken this many years since 2016, but the conspiracy cretins have got distribution at last. The banal financially incentivized TikTok conspiracy theories are just appetizers.

If you search “conspiracy” on Google, there is literally no end to the stories. There doesn’t seem to be a bottom to the page.

The long-term effects of conspiracy theories are becoming apparent. It’s been normalized. You can accuse anyone of anything, and some fool will believe it. A couple of years ago a butterfly sanctuary was shut down for staff safety by far-right conspiracy theories. There is no possibility of innocence in conspiracy theories. Even the butterflies were guilty.

According to TIME magazine, conspiracy theories are useful for feeling good about yourself. During American election years, they’re worse. Since 2008, it’s got much worse.

Typically, the media are playing up how effective this utter drivel is in political terms. According to The New York Times claims of censorship have prevented stopping lies about election rigging, etc. Elon Musk’s X has added fuel by allowing previously blocked posts. X is now lower than Snapchat in user numbers, but it contributes to the fluff online.

The other fountain of reason, FOX News, has surprisingly few viewers, (according to Statista viewership is 1,899,000 out of a population of 340 million presumably not including subsidiaries) but a very high profile. FOX, despite losing most of its right-wing luminaries, maintains its flagship status for the right.

Fortunately for every moron on the planet, AI and bots have taken up the slack in the sacred cause of useless spam posts. Politics as we know it can continue in the knowledge that AI trolls can do the hard work.

Conspiracy theories have a basic structure:

They must relate to a person or subject in the public eye.

They must contain simply targeted accusations of illegality, immorality, etc.

They must have attention-getting value to whoever pays for them, preferably political and related to other conspiracy theories.

They must include baseless information and more nouns and adjectives than verbs.

The distribution network must include a targeted population of information skanks who like getting sued.

Expressions of horror and outrage by people with pseudo-religious affiliations should fill the comments threads.

Therefore:

Alien Corrupt Democrat Pervert Necrophiliacs in Sexual Orgy at Congress church service

“They stole my solid gold picture of Saint Donald, says heartbroken white middle-aged statistic.”

It has everything. It has credibility. It has recognizable trigger words. It even has the ridiculous bot-style capitalizations. The format alone will get instant acceptance from publishers who refuse to admit that words might have meanings.

Wanna buy some ignorance? You’re in luck.

________________________________________________________

Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.

WRITTEN BYPaul Wallis
Editor-at-Large based in Sydney, Australia

Afghan girls and women cling to glitchy, lonesome online learning


By AFP
March 20, 2024

Boys and men returned to classes with the start of the Afghan new year but girls and women will be left behind again by a Taliban government education blockade 

- Copyright AFP/File OMER ABRAR

Aysha Safi and Susannah Walden

Sequestered at home in a remote Afghan town, 18-year-old Shekiba often roams the house hunting for the patchy internet signal that is her last link to an education.

Shekiba has turned to online learning since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and shut her out of classrooms, signing up for live economics lectures she squints at on a pocket-sized phone screen.

She hopes to save for a laptop but is forced to buy expensive mobile data packages that still don’t guarantee a signal in the town of Ishkashim perched high in mountainous Badakhshan province.

“If there were no internet issues, it would be much easier,” she told AFP by phone. “But it’s better to carry on, instead of sitting and doing nothing.”

“I just hope to study, to succeed, to progress. If one person progresses in a family, the whole family progresses, as well as the whole society.”

Boys and men returned to classes with the start of the Afghan new year, but girls and women will be left behind again by a Taliban government education blockade that is part of a raft of restrictions the United Nations has labelled “gender apartheid”.

While online alternatives have sprung up, a dearth of computers and internet, as well as the isolation of learning via screen, makes them a poor substitute for in-person learning, students and teachers say.

Many of those alternatives also cannot provide diplomas, which offer a promise that qualifications will be acknowledged.

– ‘No perspective of future’ –

It’s unclear exactly how many girls and women are involved in online learning, but two higher education platforms report Afghans registering or applying in the tens of thousands since the Taliban takeover.

Begum Academy, an online platform with some 8,500 free videos in Dari and Pashto covering the Afghan secondary school curriculum, launched in December 2023 and quickly had more than 3,000 users.

Director Hamida Aman said parents are grateful but it’s hard for girls to stay driven.

“It’s difficult to get motivated when everything is closed to you and there’s no perspective of future,” she told AFP from France, where she is based.

“These girls cannot have certificates, or they cannot have the ambition to go to the university or to have any job later.”

Education for girls and women was a key aim of the US-backed government but gains were largely limited to cities, with only 23 percent of girls aged 13 to 18 in school nationwide, according to the International Crisis Group.

The think tank said that figure dropped to 13 percent after the Taliban government issued its edicts barring female education in 2022.

Zainab was soon to start high school when it came into effect and was twice rebuffed by an online school that was at capacity before she finally secured a place.

“Before taking online classes, we were idle at home. We were worried. We used to sleep most of the time, which made us depressed,” said Zainab, who asked not to use her full name for fear of reprisal.

Online classes “keep us busy”, she told AFP, but they “cannot replace schools”.

Twenty-two-year-old Ruhila teaches English classes online while trying to continue her university education, also virtually, and says the teaching helps her spirits.

“The only thing that gives me energy in the current situation is teaching these girls,” she said.

“But when you accept that it’s going to be online forever then you lose enthusiasm and you don’t put in the same effort,” she said. “Mentally, online classes are very tough. They are stressful, and boring.”

Taliban authorities have insisted since girls were barred from secondary school that they are working on establishing a system that aligns with their interpretation of Islamic law.


– Poor internet, few computers –


Widespread virtual schooling during the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated it was “at best, a rather partial substitute for in-person instruction”, a UNESCO report found.

Afghan students face the burden of trying to log on in a country where the internet is often down — or painfully slow — and where electricity outages are common.

Less than a quarter of the population uses the internet, according to online insights company DataReportal. With stark poverty rates in Afghanistan, computers are also a luxury many cannot afford.

Some 90 percent of Begum Academy students use their phones to learn, according to Aman.

But even more than those frustrations, 18-year-old Aisha misses the social aspect of school.

“Online classes cannot be as effective as physical classes where we meet our peers and our teachers and exchange our ideas,” she said.

“Online courses can only give us a hope,” she added. “But we can never say, ‘I have studied online so I have graduated from school.'”

US: China-based Canadian accused of stealing Tesla secrets

A Canadian resident of China has been arrested in the US for allegedly pilfering technology from a US-based EV company that appears to be Tesla.

Two men have been accused of starting a business in China by stealing trade secrets from electric car manufacturer Tesla and conspiring to sell them to undercover law enforcement officers, US federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.

A 58-year-old Canadian citizen who lives in Ningbo, China, was arrested in New York's Long Island, where he had traveled for a meeting with undercover agents whom he had believed were businesspeople, prosecutors said.

According to media reports, the second business partner remains at large.
Why was the man arrested?

The man along with his partner built their business using trade secrets belonging to "a leading US-based electric vehicle company," prosecutors said.

The prosecutors did not name the US-based company, but said it had acquired a Canada-based manufacturer of battery assembly lines in 2019 and both men are former employees of the Canadian company. Tesla then was the sole owner of the technology.

The description also matches Tesla's 2019 purchase of Hibar Systems, a battery manufacturing company in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

The charge of conspiracy to transmit trade secrets carries up to 10 years in prison in the US in case of a conviction.

"The defendants set up a company in China, blatantly stole trade secrets from an American company that are important to manufacturing electric vehicles, and which cost many millions of dollars in research and development, and sold products developed with the stolen trade secrets," Breon Peace, US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement with Justice Department and FBI officials.

Israelis, Palestinians team up in Germany to aid Gaza

Sarah Judith Hofmann in Berlin

DW

March 17, 2024

In Germany, a unique Israeli-Palestinian initiative is sending aid to Gaza, focusing on immediate needs such as sanitation and shelter. They say acting from afar eases their anxiety about the war's devastating effects.

Tom Kellner, Seba Abu Daqa, Gali Blay and Elisha Baskin (from left) recently met in Berlin

 Slieman Halabi

The toilet cubicles measure just 1 square meter (about 11 square feet), sealed with plastic sheeting attached to simple wooden slats. They provide a tiny amount of privacy in the former village of Al-Mawasi, a place where thousands of displaced people have now crowded together. Though Israeli army may refer to it as a "safe zone," the site lacks the corresponding infrastructure.

The Clean Shelter project has provided toilet cubicles like these in the Al-Mawasi refugee camp in Gaza

"My family, my parents are in Al-Mawasi. I asked them: What do people need most? And they said: toilets, showers, tents. So when Tom asked me if she could help, I said yes," said Seba Abu Daqa, a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip.

Tom Kellner is a Jewish Israeli from Haifa. Both live in Germany: Abu Daqa in Munich, Kellner in Berlin. The two would likely never have met in Israel or Gaza. But in Germany, they have teamed up to appeal for donations from friends, acquaintances and relatives in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Germany and beyond.

Abu Daqa used her networks in Gaza to organize materials and the construction of sanitary facilities and tents. It was clear from the outset that they would only be able to work with what was already available in the enclave, with even large aid organizations unable to deliver materials due to restrictions imposed by the Israeli military.

Since their Clean Shelter project began in January, 28 toilets, some with showers, have been set up, as well as 30 tents, each of which can accommodate 10 people. One toilet costs between €200 and €500 ($220 and $550)

Feeling isolated in Europe

The two women met through a dialogue project for Israelis and Palestinians living in Europe. After meeting online regularly for weeks, they recently convened in-person for the first time at a joint workshop in Berlin. The dialogue group was initiated by Slieman Halabi, a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship who holds a doctorate in social psychology and, like Abu Daqa, now lives in Munich.

"We live in Europe and feel very lonely, especially now that there is a war," said Halabi.

Halabi was trained as a facilitator in the village of Neve Shalom, or Wahat al-Salam, which translates to "oasis of peace" in Hebrew and Arabic, respectively. Located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the aim of the village's School for Peace is to facilitate encounters between Israelis and Palestinians.

Palestinian Slieman Halabi (left) recently met with Gali Blay, a Jewish-Israeli participant of the workshop, and others in Berlin

Image: Sarah Hofmann/DW

"It's a learning experience. It's not seeking an immediate solution to the conflict, but we believe to find a solution people really need to understand each others' perspectives and not act separately without knowing the underpinning mechanisms that lead people to act in certain ways regarding the conflict," said Halabi.

Palestinians from Gaza, Syria and the occupied West Bank also took part in the School for Peace's first dialogue group outside of Israel and met with Jewish Israelis. This was only possible because they all now live in Europe.

The idea to create a group of "exiled Israelis and Palestinians" had been on Halabi's mind for a long time when he scheduled the first online event for October 8, 2023. The 17 participants had no idea they would experience that first meeting in a state of shock after hundreds of terrorists from Hamas and other militant Islamist groups broke through Israel's border fortifications on October 7, killing 1,160 people and taking around 250 hostages, most of them civilians, including many women and children.

Halabi remembers watching the news that day. "I couldn't do anything but sit there and watch this and go crazy," he said.

'We need to talk — now more than ever'

Many of those who had received an invitation to the meeting asked whether it ought to be canceled. But Halabi didn't want to do that, under any circumstances. "I told them: Please come. We need to talk—now more than ever," he said. All 17 participants showed up for the video call the next day.

Among them was Gali Blay, who created the website for the Clean Shelter project. Her cousin's family lived in Be'eri, one of the kibbutzim communities where the terrorists committed the worst atrocities.

The Israeli army launched its offensive in the Gaza Strip soon after the October 7 attacks

Image: Israel Defense Forces/REUTERS

"At the time, I didn't even realize the extent of it. I was just in shock. Everyone was in shock," she told DW. Blay later learned that some of her relatives had been murdered. And yet, she also thought about the people of Gaza. "My biggest fear was that I knew the reaction would be very hard and innocent people would be affected," she said.

Shortly after October 7, the Israeli military launched heavy airstrikes on Gaza, followed by a ground offensive and a far-reaching closure of the coastal strip. According to the Hamas-led Health Ministry, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the start of the offensive. The widespread destruction and displacement of the population has led to a humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning that famine is imminent for many.

Meanwhile, more than 100 Israeli hostages are still being held by Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, US and other countries. The chances of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians could not be more fraught.

'This situation cannot go on forever'

"At the start of each new group, we decide on common rules about how we want to talk to each other," said Halabi. Nobody wants to be insulted or hurt, he added. The most important rule is that everyone listens to each other. "Some Palestinians asked, for example: What is going on inside an Israeli soldier who is bombing Gaza?"

Such sensitive topics evoke strong emotions. Both Halabi and Blay said there were plenty of tears during the meeting in Berlin, but there were also hugs.

"It felt like living in a different reality, a world full of love and respect for each other," said Blay. In Europe, and especially in Germany, the dialogue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is "toxic," she added, describing how people immediately label each other. And, in her opinion as the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, the accusation of antisemitism is dished out far too lightly. "It's not the kind of discourse we do in our groups," she said.

Tom Kellner (standing right) shared a hug with another participant at the workshop in Berlin

Image: Slieman Halabi

Since October 7, it has been clearer than ever that something has to shift for Israelis and Palestinians. "We want to have a change. This situation cannot go on forever," said Halabi. "There is a lot of fear and defense mechanisms that people have because of beliefs that are so deep-rooted from childhood, from their memories, from their education. They are socialized to fear and to hate the other side. But I've seen people changing. I've seen people in groups coming out totally different."

The aim of the group is to encourage people to get involved and become activists to bring about grassroots change. Seba Abu Daqa, Tom Kellner and Gali Blay have all become more active as a result. Clean Shelter's sanitary facilities don't just offer privacy, but will also potentially save lives. Aid organizations have warned of the potential for disease outbreaks caused by a lack of hygiene and clean water in Gaza.

Tents from Clean Shelter were partly built with UNICEF tarps that were already available in Gaza

Image: Clean Shelter

The group does not know how long the tents and toilet cubicles they provide will stand, as the Israeli military has announced a ground offensive in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. It remains unclear what this could mean for Al-Mawasi.

"I'm worried all the time, anxious all the time, every call that I get from Gaza," said Abu Dada. "The only thing that keeps me alive is to do something and that it's not about waiting anymore. And that it's us who do something and not just others who define what is happening."

This article was originally written in German.

Escaping to Thailand: Fleeing military service in Myanmar

Julian Küng in Thailand

DW

March 17, 2024

The quiet villages along the Thailand-Myanmar border become escape routes for Myanmar's youth dodging the draft. Julian Küng reports from the border region.

This footbridge in the village of Wale connects Thailand and Myanmar

In the village of Wale, Thailand and Myanmar are connected by a small wooden bridge. The narrow river that flows beneath it constitutes the border. The villages on the two banks share the same name, and their lives are closely entwined. Locals carry rice and vegetables back and forth across the little footbridge; children splash and play in the water below. The Thai border guard in the observation post is paying far more attention to his cellphone than to the flow of commuters.

The majority of people who cross here are from the local villages. In recent weeks, however, an unusually large number of young people from other parts of Myanmar have been crossing the border in this quiet village.

"I can spot them straight away by their big rucksacks," said Tungsa, as she plays dominoes outside her general store on the Myanmar side of the river.
'If they make it here, they're safe'

These young people are fleeing conscription into Myanmar's military. Thousands are seeking to go abroad before mandatory military service comes into effect in April, for men between 18 and 35 years old and women aged 18 to 27. Anyone who doesn't go into hiding risks being ordered, as a soldier, to commit war crimes. And refusing to do military service is punishable by several years in jail.

Tungsa lives in the village of Wale in Myanmar, just across the border from Thailand

"If they make it here, they're safe," said Tungsa. That's because the Myanmar side of Wale is controlled by the Karen National Union. It's one of the ethnic militias that are fighting the Myanmar army inside the country on several fronts. The military junta has suffered some bitter defeats in recent months.

The United States Institute of Peace estimates that the Myanmar army has just 130,000 soldiers at most, and that only about half are combat-ready. Observers believe the impending obligatory conscription is a desperate attempt to forcibly augment their greatly reduced troop numbers. And so more and more young people trying to escape conscription are now thronging into neighboring Thailand.

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In the past few weeks, hundreds have been arrested by patrolling border police. Human rights activists report that, depending on the policeman or arresting authority, they may be detained, sent back over the border, or, on occasion, released on payment of a bribe.
Porous 'green border' allows many to cross

However, most refugees from Myanmar make it into Thailand undetected, either by sneaking across the porous, virtually unguarded jungle border, or by mingling with regular commuters. At the Ban Mun Ru Chai river border to the west of Wale, the Thai guard post isn't even staffed. A couple of goats who have taken up residence watch the many people crossing the river to the Thai side.

Goats are 'holding the fort' on the Thai side of the Ban Mun Ru Chai border region

The Thai government seems to have been wholly unprepared for the situation in Myanmar, said security expert Panitan Wattanayagorn, a professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. He assumes that fighting between the military junta and resistance groups will intensify over the coming months, and that forced conscription will continue to drive people across the border into Thailand. On the TV channel Thai PBS, Wattanayagorn warned that Bangkok urgently needs to put measures in place to deal with the impending influx of refugees from Myanmar.

The Thai foreign minister has announced plans to establish a humanitarian security zone along the western border, providing refugees with food and medical assistance. However, authorities have not given any information about where exactly the protected zone would be located, or when it would be established.

Many people cross the river in the Ban Mun Ru Chao border region unchallenged

Meanwhile, only random checks are being carried out along the 2,000-kilometer (1,240-mile) border between Myanmar and Thailand. "I check people on a random basis," said the border guard in Wale. Last week, he arrested six people trying to escape conscription. But "sometimes I just let them through," he admited, fixing his attention on his plate of rice as three people from Myanmar scuttled unchallenged over the bridge.
Thailand needs cheap workers from Myanmar

People in Wale don't seem to fear an influx of refugees. "Just let them all in," said Pattanew, a motorcycle taxi driver who is at the waiting area near the border bridge. He transports day laborers on the back of his moped; they work for very little money, tending Thai fields and cleaning houses. "Without the migrant workers from Myanmar, we would have a lot of issues," he said. "They're very hardworking; they tolerate the sun and rain and don't complain."

Most of his passengers work in the surrounding border region. The new refugees, on the other hand, mostly travel on to big cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai or the migrant quarter of Samut Sakhon, where they find places to stay among their fellow countrymen.

'Let them all in,' said taxi driver Pattanew

It's estimated there are between 2 and 3 million people from Myanmar living in Thailand. No one knows the exact number, as many are in the country illegally. One of them, a man in his early 20s, asked to be referred to by the pseudonym "Mao Uh." He's afraid that otherwise, he may be detected by the authorities' radar.

Hoping for a work permit

It has been almost a month since he left his family in Ayeyarwady, west of Yangon, and set out for Thailand. The journey was a nerve-wracking one. Every time he passed through one of the junta's checkpoints, he ran the risk of being detected and arrested. "I was very lucky," he said. Eventually he made it across the "green border" in the countryside, into Thailand.

Since then, he has been holed up in a Bangkok suburb, in a stuffy room that he seldom leaves. He's worried about his sister back home. Like him, she faces being called up for military service.

"We've already agreed that she'll follow as soon as I have work here," said Mao. Ideally, he would like to work in the security sector as a guard, protecting people. But essentially he's prepared to do any work, "no matter what, no matter where."

Mao Uh fled conscription in Myanmar. Here, he holds up three fingers to symbolize his resistance to the regime

Mao is hoping for a so-called worker amnesty from the Thai authorities. Four times a year, illegal migrants can apply for an amnesty that will allow them to work in the country legally for a certain period of time. However, labor lawyers are critical of the procedure; they say it's too complicated and susceptible to corruption, which is why many refugees from Myanmar simply work illegally.
Thai authorities 'turning a blind eye'

According to the International Labor Organization, the invisible migrant workers from Myanmar already contribute up to 6.6% of Thailand's GDP. Sompong Srakaew from the Labor Rights Promotion Network is convinced the influx of workers from the neighboring country will further support the economy. "It's good for the Thai economy, because employers need cheap workers to remain competitive," he said.

Srakaew, who advocates for migrant rights, estimates more than 10,000 people fleeing conscription have already crossed the border, with more coming every day. "It seems that the Thai authorities are turning a blind eye, and allowing many to enter the country unofficially," he said.

Images: Julian Küng

This article was originally written in German.

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