Three things Bill Gates wishes he could have done 20 years ago

By Max Nisen @MaxNisen February 10, 2014

The Bill Gates of 2014 is very different than the Gates of 1994. Then, his sole focus was building Microsoft into a software and technology behemoth. Now he’s only just stepping back into a prominent role after years focused on one of the world’s most significant charitable foundations.

In an “ask me anything” question and answer session on Reddit, Gates revealed some of what he’d do differently given what he’s experienced and learned. These are a few of the most fascinating bits:

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Get ahead of the game on machine learning

When asked what he would focus on if he were currently a computer science student, and what would be the most significant type of technology in coming years, Gates’ answer focused on machine learning:

The ultimate is computers that learn. So called deep learning which started at Microsoft and is now being used by many researchers looks like a real advance that may finally learn.

There has already been more progress in the last three years in video and audio recognition than had ever been made before, he says. This encompasses everything from basic machine-learning algorithms to ones that will one day be able to read a book and understand what it means.

Start giving back earlier

Philanthropy is Gates’ main job. Even as he takes on an bigger role at Microsoft, he’ll spend two-thirds of his time working at his foundation. But before making that transition, he spent a long time with his head down building his company.

David Hewlett, an actor famous for work on the Stargate television series, asked how entrepreneurs should balance their business and charitable interests.

Mr. Gates,

Any advice on how entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow should go about balancing business and philanthropy… or do they have to succeed first in order to give later?

And Gates’ response:

Just creating an innovative company is a huge contribution to the world. During my 20′s and 30′s that was all I focused on. Ideally people can start to mix in some philanthropy like Mark Zuckerberg has early in his career. I have enjoyed talking to some of the Valley entrepreneurs about this and I am impressed and how early they are thinking about giving back – much earlier than I did.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was the single largest donor in the United States last year at the age of 29, giving nearly a billion dollars, primarily to the Silicon Valley Community foundation.

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Spend more time away from the office

When asked how he’s changed over the past 20 years, Gates acknowledged that age has taken off some of his edge in a positive way.

20 years ago I would stay in the office for days at a time and not think twice about it—so I had energy and naivete on my side. Now hopefully I am a bit more mellow but with a little extra wisdom.

Cambodia: Families face agonising wait after court detains protesters

By Robert Baird-By Asian Correspondent Feb 12, 2014

Poang Sarath was asleep at his home on January 3 when a standoff between striking garment workers and security at a nearby industrial park in Phnom Penh’s west turned ugly.

Cambodia Families Face Agonising Wait After Court Detains Protesters by nelvely

Declan Galbraith -Tell Me Why - قل لي لماذا ؟ - peace السلام

9:01PM  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZilvNy178kz_J

‘Land grabs part of structural genocide’ - interview with Tamil Nadu journalist Maga Tamizh Prabhagaran   10 February 2014 Speaking to the Tamil Guardian, Indian film maker Maga Tamizh Prabhagaran condemned the procurement of Tamil land by the Sri Lankan government as part of a structural genocide, after the London screening of his film ‘This Land Belongs to the Army’.

‘Land grabs part of structural genocide’ - interview with Tamil Nadu journalist Maga Tamizh Prabhagaran by nelvely

4 members armed with swords of Gota’s paramilitary group arrested in Jaffna

(Lanka-e-News- 11.Feb.2014, 2.30PM) The Jaffna police had arrested four members of the Sri Lanka (SL) forces in official uniform armed with swords. It is suspected that they belong to the paramilitary group which is functioning jointly with the intelligence division of the forces.

These four suspects have been arrested on the 7 th within the Vairavar Kovil Hall near the Jaffna town. Four swords and a number of official uniforms of the forces that were in their possession had also been taken into custody by the police. While an investigation into this is not being duly carried out , it is believed that they are linked to the crimes that were committed in Jaffna. Previously too, an ‘Aawa’ group which was jointly operating with the SL intelligence division of the forces was arrested , but they were released later.

Reports say , the Rajapakses who are hell bent on their power perpetuation at any cost , have commenced a ‘LTTE’ operation which is submissive to the regime via a paramilitary team under Gota and Hendavitharne.

Wigneswaran wants UN to settle Tamil issue 

By Our Jaffna  correspondent-February 11, 2014

Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, had stressed the need for a third party to be involved, to mediate and settle the issues pertaining to the Tamils. He had expressed these views to the visiting Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Haoliang Xu, when they had met in Jaffna yesterday. 
Prior to the meeting with the Chief Minister, the UNDP official had met the Governor of the Northern Province, G.A. Chandrasiri. 

Sources said Wigneswaran had told Haoliang Xu that, the Northern Province needs to be developed. However, he had emphasized that human rights as well as the humanitarian issues should be given priority, while development activities are being carried out.

The Chief Minister had categorically told the UN official that as the Tamil question remains unresolved even after the end of the civil war in 2009, the involvement of   a third party, such as the United Nations, should be sought to fulfil the political aspirations of the Tamils.

The Chief Minister had also pointed out that, the government was delaying in fulfilling the pledges it had made, with regard to settling issues that remain as obstacles towards the smooth functioning of the Northern Provincial Council. 
Responding to the concerns expressed by Wigneswaran, Haoliang Xu had told him that the Governor of the Province, during the discussions they had, had said he was ready to cooperate with the Northern Provincial Council to carry out its activities for the betterment of the people of the North.

Dr. Sara’s Complaint Against ITN To HRC-SL Fixed For Fuller Inquiry

February 11, 2014

The complaint filed by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu 6 months ago against the State Owned Independent Television Network (ITN) was taken up this afternoon in the Human Rights Commisson of Sri Lanka.

Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu

The CPA Executive Director Dr. Saravanamuttu as well asRosmand Senaratne, Chairman of ITN were summoned and present before the Commission. After hearing lawyers’ initial submissions, the Human Rights Commission decided to refix the matter for a fuller inquiry at 10:30am on 24.04.2014.

Dr. Saravanamuttu has complained that there is an organized campaign by the Rajapaksa regime abusing ITN as a public corporation controlled by the government, to attack CPA and other civil service organisations because they are seen as unsupportive of the regime. A common method used is to falsely describe them as “LTTE supporters/activists” to damage their reputation. This he states, violates several fundamental rights.

The incident which caused the complaint was a news item carried on ITN news, claiming that CPA and Dr. Saravanamuttu organized a seminar in Ampara to further a “LTTE Terrorist Agenda”. In fact, neither CPA nor Dr. Saravanamuttu had anything to do with any seminar in Ampara. The allegation was made in the news item maliciously, purely to cause damage to CPA. A written complaint to the ITN Chairman was not even replied to. Thereafter a written complaint was made to the HRC by CPA and Dr. Saravanamuttu.

The complaint alleges infringement and imminent further infringement of fundamental rights by such vilification campaigns against CPA and other members of civil society critical of the government.

The complainants have requested for several reliefs through the complaint, several of which are meant not only to protect the complainants’ rights, but all other civil society actors/activists who should be free of such malicious abuse by state controlled media run on public funds.

The reliefs asked for are at the end of the complaint. To read the full complaint, click here

Tamil village in North-East border faces encroachment by Sri Lankan state
 10 February 2014

Land cordoned off by the Civil Defence Force

The Sri Lankan government has been forcibly acquiring land in the village of Thennamaravadi, an area that links both the Tamil dominated Northern and Eastern provinces, with over 270 acres of land owned by Tamils acquired by the state and Sinhala settlers.

Thennamaravadi, located on the border of the Mullaitheevu and Trincomalee districts, has had almost 22 acres of land taken by Civil Defence Division and Civil Security Department members, despite deeds to the land being held by Tamil inhabitants of the village, according to sources on the ground.

Sources also told the Tamil Guardian that 250 acres of land used for paddy cultivation has been acquired by Sinhalese farmers from Singhapura and Gayapapura, following harassment from Sri Lankan security forces, who coerced Tamil farmers into selling the land far below their market value.

A canoe provided by the Western Provincial Council to Sinhalese settlers

In addition, the newly settled Sinhalese are receiving aid from the government of Sri Lanka in the form of canoes and other support, reportedly handed out through the Western Provincial Council, hundreds of miles from the village.

Further reports detail that the Panikkarvayal kulam irrigation tank has also had its flow diverted towards the land that has now been encroached by the Sinhalese settlers, denying the much needed water from flowing to some 45 acres of cultivation hand that is still held by Tamil villagers.

The reports come as land grabs by the Sri Lankan state drew international condemnation with a resolution having been presented to the US Senate this week outlining “ongoing concerns regarding landownership and property restitution” and an international conference on the issue being held earlier this month in London. 

Hold A Referendum On The 18th Amendment

By R.M.B Senanayake -February 11, 2014 |

R.M.B. Senanayake

I attended a Workshop conducted by the Peoples Action Front for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) on how to restore free and fair elections. Everybody agrees that we do not have  free and fair elections and will not have them now or in the future unless we take some civic action to compel the present regime to restore the background for such a condition to prevail. The President replies to his critics that he is an absolute ruler by citing the numerous elections he has held throughout his term of office. Yes he has held elections regularly but so did the Communist Parties that ruled the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. No liberal democrat accepted the Communist States as democracies merely because they held elections and won thumping majorities. In a previous article I pointed out that democracy has disappeared from several Asian countries including Thailand, Bangladesh, and Cambodia etc.

Here in Sri Lanka we saw the demise of democracy with the enactment of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution by President Rajapakse. It repealed the 17th Amendment which had provided for independent Commissions to handle appointments, discipline and dismissals of high officials in the Public Service, the Police and the Judicial Service. Since then the President has enjoyed absolute power in appointments and dismissals to the high posts in all branches of the State, a power which only the feudal kings of old had. So the Rule of Law, the Independence of the Judiciary and the political neutrality of the bureaucracy have disappeared. The Police is not the national Police but the Police of the President and the ruling party. Similarly the Public Service and the Judiciary are no longer the services of the people based on a meritocracy but the handmaids of the President. All these high officials hold office by the grace of the President. The Elections Commission was never appointed at all and the previous Commissioner of Elections complained of depression and has not been seen or heard since he left office.

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USA and India conspire to cripple genocide investigation: ITAK Youth Front

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 February 2014, 16:14 GMT]
The resolution tabled by the two US Senators, Richard Burr and Bob Casey, only shows that the US defence establishment is adamant on seeing that any investigation on Sri Lanka should not focus on genocide, said Youth Front General Secretary of the Ilankai Tamil Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK), Mr Subramaniam Sivakaran, urging the global Tamils to be vigilant on what is taking place. Asking, “What are the Tamils in the USA doing,” he said, “The time has come for us in the homeland to raise the question.” India is in partnership with the USA in suppressing international investigation on the genocide. Our homeland will be totally lost while the IC deliberates on impractical reconciliation, he further said. 

SV Sivakaran

On Monday, USA’s Democratic Senator Bob Casey and Republican Senator Richard Burr released the contents of a resolution on Sri Lanka they were tabling at the US Senate for passing.

The resolution, commending the USA on its leadership at the UNHRC in promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka, called upon the USA and the international community to “establish an independent international accountability mechanism to evaluate reports of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other human rights violations committed by both sides during and after the war in Sri Lanka.”

Commenting on the tabled resolution, Sivakaran said that what needed was investigation on the genocide.

While amble evidences exist to prove that what did take place was genocide, resolutions that do not even mention the word Tamil, do not refer to the combined North-East homeland of Tamils, and do not come out with solutions appropriate for the national question, are dangerous, Sivakaran said.

We Eezham Tamils can’t accept the approach to our question through a unitary Sri Lanka concept, which is a confirmation of genocide. The very theme of unitary Sri Lanka is genocide. There is no space for reconciliation in it. While the international community is deliberating on the impractical, our homeland will be totally lost, Sivakaran said.

We Eezham Tamils can’t accept becoming scapegoats for the militarily approached geopolitics of a power. What is that the Tamil organizations in the USA are doing, is the question of all of us here, Sivakaran said.

Of all the parts of the resolution tabled by the Senators, it is the fifth one that clearly shows the intention, Sivakaran cited.

The fifth part called upon the US President “to develop a comprehensive policy towards Sri Lanka that reflects United States interests, including respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, economic interests, and security interests.”

We strongly condemn the act of twisting the genocide we face as war crimes of both sides and the act of belittling us as pawns in the imperialistic competition of the USA, China and India, Sivakaran said.

In demonstrating where Eezham Tamils, being as Eezham Tamils, should place the scale of them, Sivakaran urged the Tamil organizations in the USA to first send a copy of the Bremen Tribunal report to the two Senators.

Taking The Tamil People For Granted

( February 11, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Various successive Sri Lankan governments since independence have been taking the Tamil speaking peoples for granted but never more than what the Rajapaksa regime has been doing in recent times.

Not more than a month ago President Rajapaksa at the opening of the cancer hospital in the north of Sri Lanka, announced to the Tamil people that the number of the army personnel therein had been reduced to less than 12,000 persons. This number is even far less than the number prior to what obtained in the early 1960s when the Sri Lankan government, after the passage of the Sinhala only Act, fearing reprisals from the Tamils, were progressively building up their forces in the north especially in Thallady, Mullilkulam and Silavaturai in the Mannar district and in Palaly and other northern coastal areas in the guise of apprehending illegal immigrants said to have been coming towards Mannar and for the prevention of smuggling while the army and navy personnel prospered in helping the smugglers to carry on with their trade with State patronage as it were.

We are not however lamenting on Rajapaksa’s lie about the number of the army personnel stationed in the north. This is not the first time that he has taken the Tamil people for granted by deception.

We are more concerned, however about the disappointment of the Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC), Wigneswaran who has in the recent past articulated his frustration in a few public forums. Wigneswaran, it must be remembered, was a highly respected Supreme Court judge who rarely or never minced his words nor did he play or pander to the gallery. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) as the principal political party of the Tamils nominated Wigneswaran to lead the TNA at the NPC elections which it won with a resounding victory while the person who led the opposition from the EPDP is in jail awaiting trial for murder. What an ironical contrast? The leader of the EPDP which is a constituent party in the alliance of Rajapaksa’s ruling UPFA is in no way a lesser criminal.

Wigneswaran while being frustrated about the manner in which the army applying the same strong arm tactics that they did prior to his being elected has been a hindrance to his approach to his own governance especially in having forcibly taken over agricultural lands from the displaced peasants denying not only their livelihood but they are also being forced to purchase agricultural produce for their sustenance from the army.

Wigneswaran’s grouse is also that his civilian staff having been used to the provincial governor’s approach to administration have problems in adjusting to the methods of civilian administration with the civilian staff having been used to the ways of the military administration.

It appears that the civilian administrative staff coming within the supervision of the chief Secretary Mrs. Wijyaludchumi of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service who is not an officer of the military have either still not adjusted themselves to the new civil administration or in being inflexible, refuse to do so, which appears to be quite strange and unfair to the people of the north and their new civilian administration. Obviously the administrative leadership fails in evincing flexibility perhaps due to their previous allegiances to other political persuasions whatever they may be. Being in a transferable service the obvious alternative for the centre is for such officers to be changed so that officers amenable to the new administration could be brought in fairness to the people who elected the new administration.

In a dual form of administration now prevailing in the north, we agree that having been used to a military administration for the past six years there are bound to be systemic problems in the smooth transformation to a political and administrative devolution hamstrung by bureaucratic and dogmatic differences with the aspirations and the needs of the people falling between two stools. This does not mean that the Tamil people, especially the agrarian people should be held to ransom.

In hindsight from Rajapaksa’s attitude towards the delivery of services to the people it is now becoming increasingly clear that he consented to the devolution of power in the north through elections to the provincial Councils purely for expediency in order to tide over perceived problems at the CHOGM.

Despite boasts by the Rajapaksa regime of massive infrastructure development made possible with loans from China it is reported that there are still in the north thousands of widows and seriously disabled/injured people, who are living in this region without any assistance and are facing immense suffering and hardship financially, mentally and physically. In Mullaithivu district alone, there are 5265 widows, 1248 widowers, 4524 women headed families and 3351 disabled persons including 1786 persons who became disabled as a result of the war. Data available for Mullaithivu district indicates that there are nearly 84% of the total families earn less than Rs 5000 per month and around 18% earn less than Rs 1500 per month. There is only 26% of the total employable that are in some kind of employment.

Besides Wigneswaran and his council being given a raw deal it obvious that the Tamil people are being continued to be taken for granted by all the players concerned.

(The writer is the editor of the Eelam Nation, an online journal)

5 years today in #lka

 February 11 2009 - Hospitals bombed, relentless  assault on Tamil civilians and calls for international protection

11 February 2014
February 11 saw yhe Jaffna Government Agent (GA) made an urgent appeal to international non-governmental organisations to provide food and protection to over 2400 internally displaced people (IDP) that were in held across three Sri Lankan Military run camps.
The LTTE Divisional Political Head in Vaani, C Ilamparithy, whilst rebuffing Sri Lankan military claims that the LTTE were responsible for the slaughtering of civilian, urge the international community to protect Tamil civilians.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in a statement released the previous day, expressed ‘shock’ at the lack of protection and absence of international aid reaching the Tamil population in Vanni.

Speaking at an ICRC press release, the head of the delegation in Sri Lanka, Paul Castellasaid,

“We are shocked that patients are not afforded the protection they are entitled to.”

In a statement the political head said,

“The ‘safety zone’ unilaterally announced by the Colombo government has been turned to a killing field by the Sri Lanka military. The Sri Lankan military machinery, which has relentlessly killed and maimed thousands of civilians during the past four weeks, is now engaged in a propaganda drive to divert mounting pressure on the Colombo government by the international community.”

“Colombo is committing the worst crimes of humanity, by killing and maiming hundreds of civilians every day with the ‘safety zone’ and by indiscriminately bombing medical institutions.”

“The international community must ensure the presence of international protection and the monitoring authorities to assure the safety of the civilians, including the wounded patients and their guardians who accompany them.”

The ICRC press statement also read,

“Most of the population is now displaced and completely depended on outside aid, yet none has reached the area since 29 January.” 

In a statement made at the start of the month the ICRC expressed dismay at the Sri Lankan Airforce’s repeated bombing of  hospital and medical facilities in Vanni, stating,

“We’re shocked that the hospital was hit, and this for the second time in recent weeks. Wounded and sick people, medical personnel and medical facilities are all protected by international humanitarian law. Under no circumstance may they be directly attacked. The staff are under acute stress surrounded as they are by the sound of ongoing fighting and the influx of new patients. Ambulances are constantly arriving, but people are also being brought in by wagon, pick up trucks, tractor and even motor scooter.”

Kiriella challenges GL, MS to debate on 

govt. foreign policy 

by Zacki Jabbar-February 10, 2014, 12:00 pm

Senior Vice President of the UNP Lakshman Kiriella MP, yesterday challenged Ministers Prof. G. L. Peiris and Mahinda Samarasinghe for a public debate on the government’s foreign policy.

Kirielle told The Island that if the two ministers accepted his challenge, he would prove that the Rajapaksa regime was facing the prospect of a third successive UNHRC resolution against it due its own folly and had no one to blame but itself. "A series of blunders has led to the country being crucified at international forums. It all began shortly after the war with the LTTE ended on May 19, 2009. Our representative at the UN gave an undertaking that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution would be implemented in full. Subsequently, President Mahinda Rajapaksa went a step further and assured India that 13A Plus would be granted to the North and East."

Thereafter the government entered into an MoU with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon undertaking to conduct an independent and credible domestic inquiry into the allegations of war crimes against the security forces and the LTTE, he noted.

More recently External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris had, in a written communication to Ban Ki-moon, said, "My President sees a seamless connectivity between the Darussman Report and the LRRC’s recommendations", the MP said, adding that he could cite many other instances of the Rajapaksa regime’s flawed foreign policy, if Peiris and Samarasinghe were willing to debate him.

Kirielle said that the majority of Sri Lanka’s diplomats abroad had been picked from outside the foreign service and were badly lacking in the skills, knowledge and experience that such postings required. "If they had done the job expected of them, there would have been no need for ministers and special envoys to be flying around the world."

British Govt. Working To Set Up Sri Lanka Investigation With A Strong Implementation Mandate

February 11, 2014

Following a recent meeting with Hugo Swire MP Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; The All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPG t) represented by Lee Scott MP and Siobhain McDonagh MP (Vice Chair) hosted a meeting yesterday, at Parliament which was addressed by senior representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in order to receive an update on the proposed resolution to the 25th UNHRC session in March.

British Prime Minister David Cameron

Issuing a statement the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils today said; ”Since Sri Lanka has not made any progress on a credible and transparent investigation, it was confirmed that the British Government is working with international partners to set up an Independent International Investigation in the island of Sri Lanka.  The British Government feels that there is a good chance of passing this resolution with the support of the international partners.  The UK is also working with NGOs and other like minded organisations towards this aim.

“It was also agreed that the substance of the resolution should have a strong mandate to implement the recommendations without any further delays, with witness protection for all the victims in order to serve justice and accountability for a long term sustainable peace in the Island.

“The Tamil Community brought up post resolution actions including travel bans and asset freezes for the Sri Lankan government representatives.

“APPG for Tamils is committed to working for the freedom and justice for Tamils and all the people in the Island of Sri Lanka.”                                                   Read More

Why David Cameron Is Not In Thrall To The Tamil Diaspora

By Dave Rush -February 11, 2014

Dave Rush

As international pressure builds in the lead up to the UN Human Rights Commission session in March that will discuss a third resolution on alleged war crimes and human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, column inches on the subject also multiply.

The most notable thing about the government’s response to this is how consistently it has trotted out the same arguments, and how rigidly it has stuck to tactics that have served it well domestically, but continue to fail in an international context.

As a Brit who lives in Sri Lanka, one of the most interesting sub-plots to follow has been the reaction the involvement of David Cameron and the UK government.  But before examining that in a bit more detail, it’s worth taking a quick survey of some of the common counter-arguments the Sri Lankan authorities have made to criticism from around the world.

Smoke and mirrors

The most common of these is the notion that governments, NGOs, charities and research agencies around the globe are simply being deviously manipulated by a seemingly all powerful Tamil diaspora.

This argument takes several forms, but it can best be summed up as – there is a global Tamil conspiracy that is trying to destroy Sri Lanka’s international reputation by funding a global media smear campaign.

Around the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK, Chris Nonis, told CNN that criticism of the country’s human rights record was a “proxy propaganda war” being carried out by those who funded the nation’s “terrorist conflict”, whilst Gotabaya Rajapaksa repeatedly invokes the spectre of an “LTTE rump” who are agitating from the shadows.                                             Read More

Sri Lanka publications twist Judicial reprimand to fefame Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran

 Tuesday, 11 February 2014 

 

A disciplinary sanction which a court imposed against a respected New York attorney early last year has recently become a pretext for online character assassination against the attorney by websites that appear to be opposed to the attorney’s politics.

The attorney, Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, was admitted to the New York bar in 1993.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Sri Lanka Publications Twist Judicial Reprimand to Fefame Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran by nelvely