Highly Skilled Spouses Want To Work During Assignments Abroad

Highly skilled spouses want to work during assignments abroad

Global survey sharpens focus on partner employment needs

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands, November 30 /PRNewswire/ — A lack of spouse employment opportunities adversely affects global mobility of highly skilled international staff.

This is the key finding of a survey of 3300 expatriate partners of highly skilled staff on foreign postings with 200 companies, embassies and international organisations.

Permits Foundation, which conducted the survey among partners of 120 nationalities in as many host countries, says that granting work permits for partners can create a "triple win" for employers, families and host countries.

Almost 60 per cent of partners said that they would be unlikely to relocate in future to a country where it is difficult to get a work permit. By contrast, countries that enable partners to work were attractive destinations for 96% of respondents.

Permits Foundation advocates improvement of work permit regulations for partners of expatriate employees worldwide. It wants legally resident partners to have an open permission to work during an assignment. The foundation has set up employer networks in India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Russia to progress discussions in these countries.

"This new evidence sends an important signal to governments that want to attract top international talent", says Gill Gordon, Director of Executive Compensation for Schlumberger. "Partners are also highly educated, with diverse professional backgrounds. If permitted to work, they too contribute to the local economy."

The survey also provides insight into partner aspirations and the positive effects of having a job. Almost 90% of partners in the survey were employed before expatriation. This figure fell to 35% during the posting. Three quarters of those who were not working want to work. This is particularly so among the younger age groups, men, graduates and unmarried partners. Most partners who work said that this had a positive impact on adjustment to the host location and willingness to complete the assignment.

"This is the first large-scale survey to look at employment and work permit issues from the partner perspective." said Siobhan Cummins, Managing Director of ORC's Operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa. "Acknowledging partner employment needs will enhance international mobility. The survey is a welcome addition to resources that employers can consult when developing policies to support dual career couples."

More information: http://permitsfoundation.com/docs/permits_survey_summary.pdf and http://www.permitsfoundation.com/docs/permits_survey_final_report.pdf.

Press Contact:
Permits Foundation
P.O. Box 162
2501 AN The Hague
The Netherlands


Mrs. Kathleen van der Wilk-Carlton
Board Member Permits Foundation
Tel: +31 (0) 70 319 19 30


Mrs. Françoise van Roosmalen
Co-ordinator Permits Foundation
Tel: +31 (0) 70 331 84 66


PermitsFoundation@shell.com


www.permitsfoundation.com

UN expert condemns series of stonings in Somalia, urges religious groups to reflect on their actions

The above video of a 13 year old girl stoned in Somalia caused uproar in the world.

30 Nov 2009 12:14 Africa/Lagos

UN expert condemns series of stonings in Somalia, urges religious groups to reflect on their actions


MOGADISHU, November 30, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Independent Expert on the Situation of Human Rights in Somalia, Dr. Shamsul Bari, on Friday condemned the series of stonings that have been taking place in Somalia, and called on all parties to immediately refrain from and abolish the practice of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatments, including stoning, amputations, floggings, and other unlawful acts of torture and murder.

“I would like to extend my solidarity and sympathy to the Somali people in view of the deteriorating human rights situation in the country including the summary executions, floggings and stoning to death carried out in public by Islamist armed groups in South and Central Somalia,” Dr. Bari said.


Photo Credit: Pleion.

On November 18, 2009, according to reports from a village near the town of Wajid, 400 km north-west of the capital, Mogadishu, a 20-year-old woman divorcee accused of committing adultery was killed by Islamists in public. The woman was taken to an open area where she was buried up to her waist. She was then stoned to death in front of a crowd of about 200 people.

Earlier this month, a man was stoned to death for rape in the port town of Merka, south of Mogadishu, and in October two men are reported to have been executed after being accused of spying. Similar executions took place earlier in the year.

Under the Al Shabab group's interpretation of Sharia law, anyone who has ever been married – even a divorcee – who has an affair is liable to be found guilty of adultery and punished by being stoned to death.

"I strongly condemn these recent executions by stoning in Al-Shabab-controlled areas of Somalia, including that of the woman accused of adultery in the Wajid area, and of Abbas Hussein Abdirahman in the town of Merka," Bari said.

He urged all Islamist groups, including Al Shabaab and other armed groups and religious leaders to abide by their international human rights and international humanitarian law obligations.

"I call on all relevant parties to immediately refrain from and abolish the practice of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatments, including stoning, amputations, floggings, various other corporal punishments, and further unlawful acts of murder and torture which amount to crimes under the International Law," Bari said. "Today is the start of the Eid Al Adha, an extremely important event in the Muslim calendar. It is a good moment for all those in power who are inflicting suffering on individuals and, indeed, on the population in general, to reflect on how they can help people, in accordance with religious principles, rather than harm them."

He also urged the International Community to engage with Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to identify priorities in terms of security, humanitarian and human rights and to strengthen the capacity of the Government to investigate human rights abuses and hold the perpetrators accountable.

"On the occasion of this important religious feast, the Eid Al Adha, I express my solidarity to all the victims and their families," Bari said. "This should be an occasion of piety and celebration. Instead, for them, it is marked with great sadness and loss."


Source: Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Cyber Monday - Busiest Online Shopping Day in the UK

30 Nov 2009 07:58 Africa/Lagos

Cyber Monday - Busiest Online Shopping Day in the UK

LONDON, November 30/PRNewswire/ --


As featured in the Telegraph, Sun and Guardian, Cyber Monday is expected to be the busiest online shopping day of the year. Shoppers spend the weekends browsing and buying in stores and upon returning to the office on Monday, turn to the Internet to start shopping for better prices than high street stores. Industry experts, including Visa, are gearing up for this Monday, 30 November to be the record busiest day, because many workers will receive their last pay cheque before Christmas. In other years, the first Monday in December, which this year falls on the 7th, was the busiest online shopping day of the year.


Richard Chapple, from online store Zavvi.com, said: "Mondays are the busiest day online, and as we approach December people become conscious that Christmas is only around the corner. This sees more people than usual logging on, and with this weekend also being the last payday before Christmas for many, they will make the most of having money in the bank to get presents, especially after a tough year."


David Smith, director of operations at IMRG, said: "The rate of growth has slowed because of current economic conditions, but sales online are still growing." IMRG is forecasting growth of online sales of around 15% this year, compared to previous rates of 35% to 50%. "We are seeing more women shopping online and an older age group and they are the people with the disposable income."


Talya Schaeffer, co-founder of Cyber Monday UK, said: "Starting 30 November, many online retailers will be offering their best promotions of the Christmas trading season. Cyber Monday is an exciting opportunity for both shoppers and retailers alike. Shoppers save money by buying online and retailers can entice shoppers during this peak day with bespoke promotions."


Cyber Monday UK will be hosting a Cyber Monday launch party on Monday, 30 November from 1000 - 1500 GMT at Reload Internet Cafe at 197 Praed Street, Paddington, London W2 1RH across from Paddington Station. Shoppers will be able to surf the Internet for free and get advise on shopping online and saving money.


Click here (http://www.cybermonday.co.uk/) to visit the new Cyber Monday UK site.


Source: CyberMonday.co.uk

Talya Schaeffer of CyberMonday.co.uk, +44-(0)-20337-18573, talya@cybermonday.co.uk



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New Study Finds Men and Women May Respond Differently to Danger

29 Nov 2009 06:01 Africa/Lagos


New Study Finds Men and Women May Respond Differently to Danger

AT A GLANCE -- An fMRI study of men and women showed that their brains respond differently to positive and negative stimuli. -- Women associate positive images with memories. -- Men may be more likely to act when confronted with danger.

CHICAGO, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study brain activation have found that men and women respond differently to positive and negative stimuli, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).


"Men may direct more attention to sensory aspects of emotional stimuli and tend to process them in terms of implications for required action, whereas women direct more attention to the feelings engendered by emotional stimuli," said Andrzej Urbanik, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Radiology at Jagiellonian University Hospital in Krakow, Poland.


For the study, Dr. Urbanik and colleagues recruited 40 right-handed volunteers, 21 men and 19 women, between the ages of 18 and 36. The volunteers underwent fMRI while viewing pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), a widely used, standardized testing system comprised of several thousand slides of various objects and images from ordinary life designed to evoke defined emotional states. The images were displayed in two runs. For the first run, only negative pictures were shown. For the second run, only positive pictures were shown.


While viewing the negative images, women showed decidedly stronger and more extensive activation in the left thalamus, which relays sensory information to and from the cerebral cortex, including the pain and pleasure centers. Men exhibited more activation in the left insula, which gauges the physiological state of the entire body and then generates subjective feelings that can bring about actions. Information from the insula is relayed to other brain structures involved in decision making.


"The brain activation seen in the women might indicate stronger involvement of the neural circuit, which is associated with identification of emotional stimuli," Dr. Urbanik said. "The more pronounced activation of the insular cortex in the men might be related to the autonomic components, such as elevated heart rate or increased sweating, that accompany watching emotional material."


The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary functions, including respiration, heart rate and digestion, and helps to adjust certain functions in response to stress or other environmental stimuli. It is responsible for the body's "fight or flight" response to threatening situations.


"In men, the negative images on the slides were more potent in driving their autonomic system," Dr. Urbanik said. "This might signal that when confronted with dangerous situations, men are more likely than women to take action."


While viewing positive images, women showed stronger and more extensive activation in the right superior temporal gyrus, which is involved in auditory processing and memory. Men exhibited stronger activation in the bilateral occipital lobes, which are associated with visual processing.


Dr. Urbanik believes these differences indicate that women may analyze positive stimuli in a broader social context and associate the positive images with a particular memory. Viewing a picture of a smiling toddler might evoke memories of a woman's own child at this age. Conversely, male responses are more perceptual.


"Positive images are devoured by mens' visual and motivational systems," Dr. Urbanik said.


Co-authors are Lilianna Podsiadlo, Ph.D., Michal Kuniecki, Ph.D., Justyna Kozub, M.Sc., and Barbara Sobiecka, M.Sc. Eng.


Note: Copies of RSNA 2009 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press09 beginning Monday, Nov. 30.


RSNA is an association of more than 44,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)


Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the printed abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.


For patient-friendly information on fMRI, visit RadiologyInfo.org.


Source: Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)

CONTACT: Media, RSNA Newsroom, +1-312-949-3233; Before 11/28/09 or after
12/3/09, RSNA Media Relations, +1-630-590-7762; or Linda Brooks,
+1-630-590-7738, lbrooks@rsna.org, or Maureen Morley, +1-630-590-7754,
mmorley@rsna.org, both of Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)


Web Site: http://www.rsna.org/
http://www.radiologyinfo.org/

INTERPOL Alerts Member Nations to Roman Polanski's Continued Fugitive Status

Roman Polanski

26 Nov 2009 19:52 Africa/Lagos

INTERPOL Alerts Member Nations to Roman Polanski's Continued Fugitive Status

INTERPOL's Red Notice remains valid - borders to be watched

LYON, France, Nov. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the decision by a Swiss federal court to release Roman Polanski on bail, INTERPOL has issued an alert reminding all 188 member countries that he remains the subject of a valid Red Notice, an international wanted persons notice, issued at the request of US authorities.


The message, sent by INTERPOL's General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France, also requests each of its National Central Bureaus (NCBs) to ensure that border control agencies are advised of Polanski's Red Notice status, which is a request for all countries to identify or locate an individual with a view to their arrest and extradition.


"Given Mr. Polanski's history of international travel while defying a judicial order, a $4.5 million bail and an electronic bracelet does not mean that law enforcement should let its global guard down," said INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.


"Mr. Polanski has given us more than 30 years of proof that he does not feel bound to respect any court decision with which he does not agree."


In March 1977, a Los Angeles County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Polanski, charging him with furnishing a controlled substance to a minor, lewd and lascivious act upon a child under fourteen, unlawful sexual intercourse, rape by use of drugs, perversion and sodomy on a person.


Polanski fled from the US in 1978, after he had pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl, and has eluded arrest since that time until his recent arrest in Switzerland.


"The world law enforcement community should do all in its power to make sure that the Swiss judicial process is allowed to run its course, and if Mr. Polanski defies the conditions of his release, no country should welcome, offer safe haven to, or defend his conduct," Secretary General Noble concluded.


General Secretariat -- 200, quai Charles de Gaulle 69006 LYON, France -- www.interpol.int


Source: INTERPOL

CONTACT: INTERPOL, +33-(0)-4-72-44-76-01


Web Site: http://www.interpol.int/

Kenya's Obama Schools e mail US President on Climate Change

27 Nov 2009 12:56 Africa/Lagos

Kenya's Obama Schools e mail US President on Climate Change


NAIROBI, November 27, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Pupils and students of the Senator Obama schools in Western Kenya have today sent their first emails using solar energy to US President Barack Obama urging him to put his weight behind renewable energy in the run-up to the critical Copenhagen climate summit which is just 10 days away.


The excited pupils sent a strong message; “Please President Obama do some¬thing. We just want to ask you to help other children all the over the world access solar power. Teacher Ann sees connection of climate change and the drought in Kogelo village and said that solar power is a solution to climate change. Help protect the climate, this is our future.”

Making reference to some of the drawings of solar panels sitting at the old iron sheet roofs of their classrooms and those of Mama Sarah Obama, the grandmother of the US president, the pupils informed him that hadn't it been for solar power, they would have never afforded to reach him through email.


Their counterparts at secondary level in a separate email made a simple request asking him to use his “great office to encourage the utilization of renewable energies such as solar power,” they said. “We want other students in communities similar to ours to be able to enjoy their education like we do here in Kogelo.”

The students emphasized that renewable energy will help in solving the problem of climate change which is affecting Kenya and other countries. “Some people are dying of hunger because the rains don't come like they used to, farmers experience drought and people do not have enough food to eat. We are doing our job, please do yours,” they urged.

The Solar Power was installed by Greenpeace SolarGeneration project in August 2009.

The two schools – Senator Obama Nyangoma Primary School and Secondary School – are in Kogelo village, a stone's throw away from Obama's grandmother's house. Mama Sarah also accentuated the need for solar energy saying that it “is clean, reliable and affordable, unlike paraffin that is widely used in the area.” She also got a solar-panel on her roof - and is charging now mobile-telephones of her young neighbours.

The ability to call on world leaders to protect the environment by such under privileged children who had never seen a computer until later this year is a reminder to world leaders ahead of the UN Climate Change summit that the world needs greener energies and this is their moment to make the breakthrough that they have promised on climate change.

Bidding Obama a safe trip to Copenhagen, the students ended with “We hope you can”.

Contacts:

Fiona Musana, Communications Director, Greenpeace Africa, Tel: +27 79 512 9381 Joshiah Ramogi, Project Coordinator, Greenpeace Switzerland, Tel: + 41 79 815 23 22


Source: Greenpeace



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Banks 'Still Not Lending', Centric Commercial Finance Survey Reveals

26 Nov 2009 08:30 Africa/Lagos

Banks 'Still Not Lending', Centric Commercial Finance Survey Reveals

LONDON, November 26/PRNewswire/ -- 65% of corporate financial advisers have stated that the 'the banks are not lending', according to an independent survey commissioned by Centric Commercial Finance. 72% said that cash flow was proving to be their clients' biggest challenge. Disappointingly, 56% of respondents claim that banks have removed or are restricting clients' facilities.


Tim Hawkins comments: "The market needs certainty and innovation right now. Advisers are looking to the independent asset based lending and invoice discounting sectors for liquidity for their clients, which is so notably lacking from elsewhere. These facilities have not only proven to be a valuable lifeline to businesses during the recession, they will also grow with them as they emerge from it. The renaissance of invoice discounting and asset based lending has come at exactly the right time."


Described by advisers as a 'core funding solution', 80% of respondents state that asset based lending and invoice discounting offer 'improved working capital' (66%), followed by 'higher levels of finance' (66%) over and above traditional sources.


When recommending a solution, advisers look for lenders to 'deliver the deal as promised' (86%). This is followed by 'certainty of funding' (63%), 'access to decision-makers' (51%), 'business understanding' (46%), 'speed of service' (42%), 'creativity' (37%) and 'reputation' (18%).


However, financial advisers are optimistic about the UK's emergence from recession, with 65% of accountants and finance brokers expecting to see 'significant increases' in transactional activity within the next 6 to 18 months. 26% of those surveyed anticipate a resurgence of activity within 18 to 24 months. At the two opposite ends of the spectrum, 2% believe this will happen in the next 6 months and 7% predict two years or even longer.


Whilst 77% of advisers who responded to the survey stated that 'survival' is the primary focus for their clients, 70% claim that their clients are now ready to 'exploit gaps in the market'.


In addition, 76% of advisers considered that an equity release scheme for business owners considering retirement would be a highly 'appealing' option at this time. Whilst a minority of respondents felt that some owners may elect to 'hang on for better times', the vast majority felt that equity release would be appropriate where the 'valuation is not too low'.


You can find out more about Centric Commercial Finance at http://www.CentricCF.com.


Source: Centric Commercial Finance

Contact details: Michael Symes, t +44(0)20-7520-9216 m +44(0)7736-008270

Best Practice Winners Announced

27 Nov 2009 12:53 Africa/Lagos

Best Practice Winners Announced

LONDON, November 27/PRNewswire/ -- The Investor Relations Society was delighted to announce the winners of the 2009 Investor Relations Best Practice Awards at a ceremony at the Royal Hospital Gardens, Chelsea in London last night.



The winning companies are:

Best communication of strategy, performance and KPIs in the annual
report
Sponsored by Hugin (a Thomson Reuters Company)
Winner: Morrisons

Best communication of governance and risk in the annual report
Sponsored by Bank of New York Mellon
Winner: Marks and Spencer

Best communication of corporate responsibility in the annual report
Sponsored by Richard Davies Investor Relations
Winner: BASF

Most improved annual report

Sponsored by Precision IR
Winner: Powerflute

Best-practice corporate website 2009
FTSE 100
Sponsored by Equiniti
Winner: Imperial Tobacco

FTSE 250
Sponsored by Equiniti
Winner: Go-Ahead Group

Small Cap & AIM
Sponsored by IR Magazine
Winner: Laird

International
Sponsored by IR Magazine
Winner: BASF

Award for the most effective overall Annual Report (printed and online)
FTSE 100
Sponsored by Black Sun
Winner: Tullow Oil

FTSE 250
Sponsored by Black Sun
Winner: Provident Financial

Small Cap and AIM
Sponsored by Deutsche Bank
Winner: May Gurney

International
Sponsored by Deutsche Bank
Winner: BASF

Also announced were the winners of the Thomson Reuters Extel
Awards as follows:

Best CFO at IR
FTSE 100
Winner: Colin Day, Reckitt Benckiser

FTSE 250
Winner: Tim Score, ARM Holdings

Small Cap
Winner: Allan Watson, Optos

Best overall IR for a UK company
FTSE 100
Winner: BAE Systems

FTSE 250
Winner: ARM Holdings

Small Cap (ex FTSE 350)
Winner: Optos




Notes for editors:


The Investor Relations Society represents members working for public companies to develop effective two way communication with the markets and create a level playing field for all investors. It has almost 600 members drawn both from the UK and overseas, including the majority of the FTSE 100 and much of the FTSE 250.



For further information contact:
The Investor Relations Society
Michael Mitchell - General Manager +44(0)20-7379-1763




Source: Investor Relations Society

For further information contact: The Investor Relations Society, Michael Mitchell - General Manager, +44(0)20-7379-1763.


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The UN Secretary-General Message on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2 December 2009

26 Nov 2009 16:36 Africa/Lagos

The UN Secretary-General Message on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2 December 2009


NEW YORK, November 26, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- On the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, we express our commitment to the complete eradication of slavery and slavery-like practices.

Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “no one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and slave trade shall prohibited in all their forms”. Yet slavery remains a grave and unresolved problem. This is true in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.

In our globalized world, new forms of slavery have taken shape. The list of abhorrent practices, new and old, is now shockingly long, and includes debt bondage, serfdom, forced labour, child labour and servitude, trafficking of persons and human organs, sexual slavery, the use of child soldiers, the sale of children, forced marriage and the sale of wives, and the exploitation of prostitution.

The majority of those who suffer are the poor and socially excluded groups such as minorities and migrants. The overlapping factors of poverty, class and race create structural problems and cycles of marginalization that are hard to break.

Indigenous peoples are more exposed to bonded labour because in many countries they have limited access to land. Gender inequalities and discrimination, lack of education, desperation for work and demand for cheap labour also trap people. The global economic and financial crisis threatens to heighten vulnerability further still.

Combating slavery means not only its direct prohibition by law but also fighting against poverty, illiteracy, economic and social disparities, gender discrimination and violence against women and children. We need to enforce laws against slavery; create mechanisms to combat such practices; reinforce bilateral, regional and international cooperation, including with non-governmental organizations that assist victims; and launch awareness raising campaign.

On this International Day, let us renew our pledge to assist and protect the victims and to do our utmost to ensure the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.


Source: United Nations - Office of the Spokesperson



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Majorities Reject Banning Defamation of Religion: 20 Nation Poll

23 Nov 2009 06:01 Africa/Lagos


Majorities Reject Banning Defamation of Religion: 20 Nation Poll

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Nov. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the UN General Assembly prepares to debate a proposal calling for nations to take action against the defamation of religion, majorities in 13 of 20 nations polled around the world support the right to criticize a religion.


On average, across all countries polled, 57% of respondents agree that "people should be allowed to publicly criticize a religion because people should have freedom of speech." However, an average of 34% of respondents agree that governments "should have the right to fine or imprison people who publicly criticize a religion because such criticism could defame the religion."


WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted the poll of 18,487 respondents in 20 nations. This includes many of the largest nations -- India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Russia -- as well as Mexico, Chile, Germany, Great Britain, France, Poland, Ukraine, Kenya, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan, the Palestinian territories, and South Korea. Polling was also conducted in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The margins of error range from +/-3 to 4 percentage points. The surveys were conducted across the different nations between April 25 and July 9, 2009.


Support for the right to criticize religion is strongest in the United States, with 89%, compared to just 9% support for government restrictions. Though the strongest supporters of restrictions on criticism of religions are in Muslim countries, a separate poll by WPO in 2008 showed that overwhelming majorities said it is at least somewhat important for people to have the right to express any opinion, including criticism of the government or religious leaders. In fact, clear majorities in every one of the 20 nations included in that poll took the same position, ranging from 69% in India to 98% in the United States.


The two non-Muslim countries where majorities responded to the recent WPO poll by saying governments should be able to fine or imprison people for criticizing religions are India and Nigeria. This suggests that their support of government restrictions may stem not from a popular push to defend Islam -- Muslims make up roughly half of Nigeria's population but just 13% of India's -- but from a broadly shared desire to reduce incidents of inter-religious violence.


Source: Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland

CONTACT: Steven Kull of the Program on International Policy Attitudes
(PIPA) at the University of Maryland, +1-202-232-7500