By Dialogo June 09, 2011 At the assembly that concluded Tuesday in El Salvador, the foreign ministers of the Organization of American States (OAS) committed to building a common front against organized crime, which is threatening several Latin America countries, especially in Central America. The OAS approved the “Declaration of San Salvador on Citizen Security,” in which they laid the foundation for a continental security plan, the details of which will be debated over the next year, and which will be definitively presented at the next OAS General Assembly, in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in July 2012. What the declaration does is to “consolidate and achieve greater commitment to those efforts” against organized crime, Salvadoran Foreign Minister Hugo Martínez said at a press conference following the conclusion of the assembly. The thirty-four countries that are active members of the organization approached their discussion of the topic with the urgency imposed by the statistics: the Americas are the most violent continent in the world, with one murder every four minutes, according to a report by the OAS itself released during the meeting. This assembly precedes another that will be held from 22 to 23 June in Guatemala, where the leaders of Central America, the region hardest hit by organized crime, will meet with donors in search of funds for a new regional plan. Although the assembly took place without major incidents, it was not free of harsh exchanges: Bolivia and Chile clashed over La Paz’s demand for access to the sea, lost in an 1879 war. Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca demanded that Chile immediately begin “concrete, practical, and useful” bilateral negotiations, while he did not rule out the possibility of resorting at the same time to “judicial bodies,” which could indicate that the case might end up at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. “Chile has very clearly indicated that it is not in a position to grant Bolivia sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean, still less without (territorial) compensation,” Chilean Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno replied, insisting that the issue should be negotiated bilaterally and not in international forums. In the declaration on security, the countries agreed on “the need to continue strengthening bilateral, subregional, regional, and international cooperation mechanisms (…) to address, prevent, and combat, in a comprehensive and effective manner, transnational organized crime, illicit arms trafficking,” and other forms of crime. The countries committed to fighting poverty and social exclusion, as factors that promote crime, and to improving their judicial, prison, prevention, and rehabilitation systems.
QUT Graduates Daniel Brennan, Dominik Waldmeier and Natalie Saint-Forrester (not pictured) have found a niche for their Kelvin Grove based company, Hive Student Accommodation, in managing high quality, affordable student accommodation in Brisbane.SURPLUS supply in inner-city apartments and a gap in the student accommodation market has been seized on by three business savvy university graduates.QUT Business graduate Daniel Brennan has joined forces with fellow Alumni Dominik Waldmeier and Natalie Saint-Forrester to start up Hive Student Accommodation.The trio saw that some small to medium-sized developers were struggling to offload stock and students were finding it hard to snaffle decent accommodation.They put the two together and formed Hive, providing developers will a good return on their development and students with affordable housing.More from newsMould, age, not enough to stop 17 bidders fighting for this home2 hours agoBuyers ‘crazy’ not to take govt freebies, says 28-yr-old investor8 hours agoCurrently managing around 500 rooms across up to 30 locations Mr Brennan said it had been a fast-paced two years for the young business going from nothing to now a $500,000 turnover.“Staying simple but small has helped put Hive Student Accommodation on the front foot in the increasingly competitive inner-city apartment market,” Mr Brennan said.He said the softening demand or ‘glut’ of inner-city residential units provided unique opportunities for student accommodation operators to acquire development sites to specifically cater for student housing.Most buildings offer fully-furnished shared accommodation units and self-contained studio apartments with access to on-site gym, common areas, study spaces, restaurants and planned events.Mr Waldmeier said they had set a goal of $250,000 in annual turnover in two years and had far exceeded expectations.“We have been really pleased with the consistent growth Hive has experienced since starting and feel this can be directly attributed to the results we have been able to achieve for our investors and students alike,” he said.“We have a number of projects on the horizon for 2017 and are looking for developers and investors to partner with as we continue to expand on the strong brand position Hive has established within Brisbane’s student accommodation.”
RelatedPosts Nigeria dying under Buhari’s jackboot, by Tunde Odesola Rohr lists Musa, Ekong, 23 others for Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia friendlies Nigeria: We can’t breathe, by Gabriel Agbo Nigeria’s Super Eagles Coach, Gernot Rohr, has called Bordeaux forward Josh Maja for the international friendly match against Ukraine billed for Dnipro Arena, Kyiv on September 10. Maja’s French Ligue 1 outfit, Girondis Bordeaux, confirmed the striker’s invitation on their official website on Tuesday. This is the first time Maja, who is eligible to play for both Nigeria and England, will be invited to the Super Eagles. “Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has called up Josh Maja in the squad to face Ukraine on 10 September in a friendly. The young striker (20) will join his team-mate attack in Bordeaux, Samuel Kalu. This is his first call in the national team. Born in London of Nigerian parents, Josh is eligible for both selections [Nigeria or England],” reads the statement on Bordeaux website. Maja linked up with Bordeuax from Sunderland in January. He also previously had stints with Crystal Palace and Fulham. The young striker has scored one goal in four league appearances for Bordeaux this season.Tags: EnglandGernot RohrGirondis BordeauxJosh MajaNigeriaSuper EaglesUkraine
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREGame Center: Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 10 a.m.The fund was founded by the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station with the support of the City Council, and will be used to give scholarships to kids with troubled home lives. The fundraiser will feature tattoo artists whose schedules are normally booked a year in advance, and perhaps even celebrity guests. Garcia said he is hoping for a turnout of 100-200 people. Garcia said he grew up in a neighborhood where much of his and Hicks’ shared family resided, and even lived with her for a while. She often spent time in the area near Shamrock, seeing shows at the Whisky a Go-Go and making friends in the area, Garcia said. “If they needed somewhere to stay for a while or if they were going through a tough time to get back on their feet, she worked at a hospital so she could get them help and connections,” Garcia said. Garcia works at Shamrock, and several of Hicks’ other nephews have been tattooed there. Hicks’ death has inspired donations from the Pico Rivera City Council, from Supervisor Gloria Molina and from local businesses. airan.scruby@sgvn.com (562) 698-0955, Ext. 3029160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! Maria Hicks, shot and killed in August when she tried to stop a vandal from spraying graffiti on a wall near her home in Pico Rivera, left an indelible mark on her community. Now a fundraiser in the woman’s honor will leave indelible marks on the bodies of participants at Mark Mahoney’s Shamrock Social Club, a tattoo shop in North Hollywood. “I think this is something she would have went to if it was someone down the street with the same type of circumstances,” Hicks’ nephew, Peter Garcia, said. “She would try to help out as much as she could.” The fundraiser will take place on Sunday, when several tattoo artists from Shamrock will clear their schedules to take walk-ins, with all proceeds going to the Maria Hicks Scholarship Fund. 