BREAKING NEWS:James Ibori has been released

                                   

Reports out of London on Wednesday indicate that convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has been released from custody after completing a 13-year jail term.

Private radio, Ray Power FM, said in a news update on Wednesday afternoon that Mr. Ibori, a former governor of Delta State, was released following a court order that declined a British government’s request for an extension of his prison remand.

Although his spokesman, Tony Eluemunor, declined to confirm the development to PREMIUM TIMES Wednesdayafternoon, an online newspaper, The Will, reported that Mr. Ibori had been released but will not be allowed to travel outside the United Kingdom for the time being.

“THEWILL can, however, report that Ibori, who was in court for the suit will have to reside at his St. John’s Wood residence ONLY and will report to the police once weekly,” the paper said.

The UK Home Office had opposed Mr. Ibori’s release, citing inconclusive business in the asset forfeiture proceedings against the corrupt former governor.

Exercising While Pregnant: Strong Moms Build Strong Babies

                                    

BirthFIT is my business, my practice, and my lifelong passion. Chiropractic, nutrition, and fitness are the foundational pillars of BirthFIT. Being physically fit to take on birth is part of the responsibility every woman should acknowledge and accept when pregnant. On top of being well conditioned and strong enough to lift objects in your daily life, I want BirthFIT women to be comfortable and familiar with movement.

Fitness is crucial. 

You need to have the stamina and the strength to endure birth. Likewise, game-time decision making skills are crucial tools to develop so you can respond with different positions, as your body is responding to the actual birth process. And not only is a healthy fitness level optimal for the mother, but also the infant. These babies often display a healthier birth weight and score higher on tests of general intelligence and coordination skills.

There is a lot of debate about exercise during pregnancy. Much of the questioning surrounds the physiological changes that occur within the woman’s body. Yes, as women, our bodies do undergo physiological changes. However, women are designed for this task. A woman’s cardiovascular system adapts to the increased metabolic needs. The musculoskeletal system changes in response to certain hormones, and mechanical alterations occur due to an altered centered of gravity. Women’s bodies innately know what to do and how to handle pregnancy.

In the past, the medical world has advised that a pregnant woman not increase her heart rate above 140bpm and participate in no vigorous amounts of exercise. I could find no research to support the claim of 140bpm. In fact, amongst the research, I found the underlying consensus is that the topic of pregnancy and fitness needs more studies conducted.

As a healthcare practitioner, I encourage an all around functional fitness routine. Maintaining balance, not only in your life but also in your fitness training, is desired. Endurance training, as in running, rowing, or swimming, is great preparation for the mental capacity and endurance required during labor and delivery. Strength training that utilizes functional movements and Olympic weightlifting is preferred so that a woman knows how to pick up her child properly. Gymnastics-type bodyweight movements are beneficial so that a woman can actually play with her child and orient herself well in space. And yoga poses are ideal to quickly rejuvenate the body, alleviate minor discomfort, and provide a comfortable meditation position.

Numerous studies do show that a healthy, fit mom produces a healthy, fit baby. A study conducted in February 2011 found that mothers who exercised before and during pregnancy significantly decreased their chances of gestational diabetes. In 2002 at the annual meeting for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Dr. Tanya K. Sorensen stated that vigorous exercise during pregnancy appears to reduce the risk of preeclampsia. Lastly, Dr. James Clapp found that not only does exercise decrease the time of labor but also decreases the need for interventions.

Whether you have been running marathons, surfing competitively, or training CrossFit-style, I do not see any problem with you continuing the exercise you love to do throughout your pregnancy. Yes, you will have to adapt your training and make nutritional changes. By maintaining your fitness and continuing to move, however, you are offering your baby an optimal environment in which to thrive.

Tips to Remember:

Hydration before, during, and after workouts is important.

Be able to carry on a conversation during your workout.

There’s no need to PR or set world record times.

Treat each day as its own.

If you don’t feel like working out, go for a walk.

Written BY Lindsey Mathews

 Lindsey Mathews is a chiropractor who specializes in the biomechanics of the body and balancing the musculoskeletal system. She focuses on women’s health, perinatal chiropractic, and pediatrics. Lindsey aspires to create purity in pregnancy in today’s modern world and empower women to become “birth fit.”

Lindsey worked at the International Sports Performance Institute from 2009-2012. She currently works at the American Health Lasers Los Angeles Clinic. She also owns her own business that specializes in pregnancy lifestyle coaching. Lindsey has treated numerous active people such as Olympic and professional athletes, CrossFit athletes, and CrossFit moms, and traveled the world to be on set for demanding stunts in film and television.

Bureau of DRL: Promoting the Human Rights of Women and Girls, and LGBTI Persons

                                        

The United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) has announced an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for a program entitled “Promoting the Human Rights of Women and Girls, Persons with Disabilities, and LGBTI Persons” that will advance an integrated, intersectional approach to advancing the human rights of women and girls; persons with disabilities, and; LGBTI persons.

DRL seeks to support programming ideas that will have a direct and lasting impact by promoting reforms and structural changes that take advantage of changing social and political dynamics.

Focus Areas

Protection from violence, including sexual violence and hate crime, and combating impunity: Objectives may include, but are not limited to, increased capacity to document violence targeting these marginalized populations, as well as investigation processes (or lack thereof); increased and proactive engagement from national authorities, including police and other law enforcement agencies, to prevent, mitigate, or respond to violence impacting marginalized communities; increased protection, safety and support for marginalized persons and their advocates at risk of violence, or who have experienced violence; and, establishment of or support to broad-based advocacy coalitions working to reduce and prevent bias-motivated violence.

Ensuring and increasing access to and inclusion within social systems: Objectives may include, but are not limited to, increasing access to justice, including through expanded access to and provision of legal services; advancing inclusion and tolerance in public attitudes and cultural norms; increasing political participation; improving capacity of lawyers and civil society organizations to assist target populations in accessing or protecting their full human rights; combating discrimination against and exclusion of and ensuring legal protections for target populations in access to employment, housing, education, family and relationship-based legal protections, and other social institutions; ensuring access to public services and assistance.

Organizational Development and Capacity: Objectives may include, but are not limited to, building or strengthening inclusive coalitions; building advocacy skills toward inclusive legislative reforms; increasing capacity of local or regional organizations to develop and implement strategic plans, work plans, budgets, communication strategies, risk assessments, and security plans; increased capacity of organizations to mobilize community members and build constituencies, and to improve documentation and reporting of human rights violations and abuses.

Funding Information

DRL anticipates having approximately$400,000 available to support between one to two successful applications submitted in response to this NOFO, subject to the availability of funding.

Applications should not request less than $200,000and no more than 400,000.

Applicants should include an anticipated start date between April 2017 and July 2017and the period of performance should be between 12 months to 36 months.

New DRL awards are typically between one to three years and must not be for longer than 5 years.

Eligibility Criteria

DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses.

DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.

Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities and relevant stakeholders, including private sector partners and NGOs, and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects.

DRL encourages applications from foreign-based NGOs headquartered in the geographic regions/countries relevant to this NOFO. Applicants may form consortia and submit a combined application. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant with the other members as sub-award partners.

DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on applicants that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards, and these applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.

DRL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its projects and activities.

DRL welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status. DRL encourages applications from organizations working with the most at risk and vulnerable communities, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, members of ethnic or religious minority groups, and LGBTI persons.

How to Apply

Interested applicants can download the application packages via given www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=290132