Saturday, December 21, 2013

I Knew Pope Francis Was Good, But When I Found Out Everything He Did in 2013, I Was Blown Away

http://distractify.com/people/reasons-why-pope-francis-is-the-person-of-the-year/
Mark Pygas

Pope Francis has been declared Time’s Person Of The Year. Looking back on 2013, he has done some incredibly progressive things to lead the Church.

1. He spoke out against frivolous spending by the Church

Pope-Francis-I-Angelus-and-Blessing-from-the-window-overlooking-St-Peter-s-Square

The average set of cardinal’s clothes costs as much as $20,000. In October, Pope Francis urged officials to dress more modestly and to not squander such money. In the same month, he ordered a German bishop to explain how he had spent $3 million on a marble courtyard.

2. He invited a boy with Downs Syndrome for a ride in the Popemobile

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During a general audience, Pope Francis invited Alberto di Tullio, a 17-year-old boy with Downs Syndrome, to ride in his Popemobile while thousands watched. The boy and his father were said to be "chocked up" when he was embraced by the Pope.

3. He embraced and kissed Vinicio Riva

POPE FRANCIS' GENERAL AUDIENCE

November saw Pope Francis embrace Vinicio Riva, a man scarred by a genetic disease. Fighting agonising pain on a daily basis, such an act restored the faith of a man who says he is often mocked in public.

4. He denounced the judgment of homosexuals

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Pope Francis has stated several times that the Church has no right to interfere spiritually in the lives of gays and lesbians. Though Francis maintained the right of the Church to express opinions on homosexuality, he believed that Christians should not judge or ridicule. This led to The Advocate, a gay  rights magazine, naming Francis the 'single most influential person of 2013 on the lives of LGBT people.'

5. He held a major ceremony at the chapel of a youth prison

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In March, the Pope held a major Holy Week service at Casal del Marmo jail for minors, rather than the Vatican. During the service, the pope washed and kissed the feet of 12 young offenders to commemorate Jesus' gesture of humility towards his apostles on the night before he died. During the service, he broke tradition by washing the feet of women and Muslims.

6. He urged the protection of the Amazon Rainforest

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During his visit to Brazil, Pope Francis met with natives who have been fighting ranchers and farmers attempting to invade their land. He encouraged that the Amazon be treated as a garden and protected, along with it's native people.

7. He personally called and consoled a victim of rape

Pope-Francis

A 44-year old Argentinian woman, raped by a local policeman, was one of thousands to write a letter to Pope Francis in 2013. The woman was surprised when she later received a phone call from Francis himself--who consoled the woman and told her, “You are not alone.”

8. He snuck out of the Vatican to feed the homeless

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More recently, it has been discovered that Pope Francis regularly leaves the Vatican at night to feed the homeless. Dressed as an ordinary priest, he joins Archbishop Konrad Krajewski to feed the poor of Rome. 

9. He auctioned his motorcycle to benefit the homeless

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In October, Francis donated his own Harley Davidson motorcycle to fund a hostel and soup kitchen in Rome.

10. He acknowledged that atheists can be good people

mujica-pope-francis


Earlier in 2013,  Pope Francis spoke out against the common interpretation within the Church that atheists, by nature, are bad people. He stated that, “Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good.” After meeting the Pope, the openly atheist president of Uruguay, Jose Mujica, compared Francis to a friendly neighbor. 

11. He condemned the global financial system

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In May, Francis denounced the global financial system for tyrannizing the poor and turning humans into expendable consumer goods. He believes that, “Money has to serve, not to rule!"

12. He fought child abuse

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The Catholic Church has been rocked in recent years by allegations and admissions of child abuse by members of the Church. Pope Francis became the first Pope to take effective action against such atrocities. He ammended Vatican law to make sexual abuse of children a crime, and he also established a committee to fight abuse.

13. He condemned the violence of the Syrian civil war

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In regard to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, Pope Francis asked for peace and declared that, "War, never again. Violence never leads to peace, war leads to war, violence leads to violence.”

14. He redirected employee bonuses to charity

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When a new Pope is elected, Vatican employees receive a bonus. Upon his election, the extra money was given to directly to charity instead.

15. He spoke out against the Church’s ‘obsession’ with abortion, gay marriage and contraception

15.

In a voice of reason, Francis shocked the Catholic world when he stated that the Church was an unhealthy obsession with abortion, gay marriage, and contraception. He criticized the Church for putting dogma before love, and for prioritizing moral doctrines over serving the poor and marginalized.

16. He called for cooperation between Christians and Muslims

Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead Angelus at Vatican

During his Angelus address, Francis paid respect to the end of Ramadan. He stated that both Christians and Muslims worship the same God, and he hoped that Christians and Muslims would work together to promote mutual respect.

17. He took part in a selfie

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In what might be his most progressive feat of all, Pope Francis met with youngsters to be part of a truly remarkable selfie. His is embracing the present, and he is undoubtedly taking the Church to a more loving and accepting future.

18. He invited homeless men to his birthday meal

Pope Francis and archbishop Konrad Krajewski welcome some homeless men at the Vatican

On December 17, Pope Francis invited a group of homeless men and their dog into the Vatican to share his birthday meal along with his staff. The Pope had decided that he wanted a small birthday event, which would do some good, rather than a large and expensive event.

19. He refused to send away a child who had run on stage to hug him


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During the Year of Faith Celebrations, a young boy ran on stage as the Pope was giving a speech. When assistants tried to remove the boy, Francis allowed him to stay.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Dari Kisah “The Berkeley Mafia”

http://boemipoetra.wordpress.com/

Kiri ke kanan: Widjojo Nitisastro, Ali Wardhana, Sadli, Subroto, Emil Salim. Photo credit: http://www.indonesia-digest.net/3302suharto.htm
Kiri ke kanan: Widjojo Nitisastro, Ali Wardhana, Sadli, Subroto, Emil Salim. Photo credit:http://www.indonesia-digest.net/3302suharto.htm

Catatan boemipoetra:
Di bawah ini adalah sebuah esei lama Goenawan Mohamad yang sudah bertahun-tahun lamanya dicari oleh Saut Situmorang, salah seorang anggota redaksi boemipoetra, tapi yang baru-baru ini saja berhasil didapatkannya via status Facebook seorang kawan bernama Tarli Nugroho. boemipoetra berterimakasih kepada bung Tarli atas pemuatan esei Goenawan Mohamad ini di status Facebooknya dan mengizinkannya untuk dibagikan ke publik.
Esei di bawah ini penting kerna isinya dengan gamblang dan jelas menunjukkan betapa bahkan sejak tahun 1971 pun, yaitu tahun penerbitan esei di majalah TEMPO, Goenawan Mohamad adalah pendukung serius dari Mafia Berkeley dan kebijakan ekonomi Neoliberal mereka! Begitu seriusnya Goenawan Mohamad membela Mafia Berkeley, kebijakan ekonomi Neoliberalnya dan pihak asing di belakang keduanya (yang sekarang kita tahu adalah Amerika Serikat) hingga eseinya di bawah terkesan begitu propagandistik dan jadi pamflet murahan!
Dengan “berisik”nya saat ini penghujatan atas Goenawan Mohamad sebagai tokoh Manifes Kebudayaan yang sangat terlibat atas kekerasan budaya di Indonesia pasca-1965 (dan pembelaan dirinya yang sok ngonteks-sejarah tapi sangat anti-historis itu), maka eseinya di bawah ini adalah sampah sejarah yang akan terus mengotori wajah “budayawan”nya yang pretensius itu!
=========

oleh  Goenawan Mohamad

Seorang anakmuda Amerika jang pintar menulis sebuah artikel – dan mendjadi dikenal disini. Dialah David Ransom, pengarang The Mafia Berkeley and the Indonesian Massacre. Jang dimuat dimadjalah Rampart bulan Oktober 1970. Dengan semangat “Kiri Baru” jang menjala-njala, tulisan itu mentjoba “membongkar” besarnja tjampur-tangan kaum imperialis Amerika (dan sudah tentu CIA) dalam perkembangan Indonesia dibawah Presiden Soeharto – chususnya jang menjangkut hubungan kaum teknokrat dengan penguasa militer sekarang.
Dinegeri ini sudah tentu tulisan itu menimbulkan rasa marah. Tapi ada djuga jang menganggapnja sebagai sesuatu jang tidak serius: gedjala penjakit kekiri-kirian, mode dikalangan intelektuil Barat kini. Meskipun demikian dilain pihak Ransom ternjata djuga dapat sambutan. Koran mingguan Srikandi djauh sebelum dijabut izin terbitnja pernah menterdjemahkan tulisan itu. Beberapa hari jang lalu harian Merdeka djuga kembali menjebut-njebutnya – ketika tadjukrentjana B.M. Diah melanjarkan serangan frontal kepada kaum teknokrat Pemerintah sehabis pengangkatan Menteri-menteri baru, chususnya kepada Widjojo Nitisastra.
***
Harus diakui, bahwa tulisan Ransom tjukup persuasif. Dipersiapkan selama hampir setahun, kisah “The Berkeley Mafia” merupakan kumpulan sedjumlah data dan hasil wawantjara – meskipun tidak 100% akurat. Namun banjaknja data tidak dengan sendirinja mendjamin sebuah artikel jang setia kepada kebenaran. Staf redaksi Rampart dan djuga Ransom sendiri sebenarnja telah mengambil sikap – dan sikap itu adalah sikap mengganjang – djauh sebelum wawantjara dilakukan dan data dihimpun. Hasil interview dan bahan-bahan lainnja dengan djelas sengadja diatur kearah penelandjangan jang sudah direntjanakan. Musuhnja sudah tentu lembaga-lembaga Establishment di Amerika: Ford Foundation, Pentagon, CIA, kaum “reaksioner” dikalangan akademi dan bulan-bulanan lain jang digemari kaum Kiri Baru. Dan Indonesia sudah tentu masuk kedalam garis musuh itu: negeri ini menerima bantuan dari Rockefeller dan Ford Foundation untuk mendidik sardjana-sardjananja lewat universitas Berkeley, Cornell, Harvard, Kentucky dan MIT. Bagi Ransom, dari situlah mulainja rentjana besar imperialisme Amerika, jang djuga mengadakan kontak-kontak dengan kaum militer Indonesia – chususnya melalui marhum Djend. Suwarto dan SESKOAD, dimana para ahli ekonomi “made in USA” itu mengadjar. Kata Ransom: “Para ahli ekonomi itu dengan segera terlibat kedalam komplotan djendral-djendral anti komunis”. Apakah “komplotan” itu? Djend. Yani almarhum bersama perwira-perwira tinggi lainnja menjiapkan sebuah renjana kalau Presiden Sukarno meninggal mendadak. Djend. Suwarto, bersama SESKOAD dan para teknokrat, ikut menjiapkan rentjana itu. Jang ditjemaskan para djendral adalah PKI. Dan mengingat besarnja dukungan kepada Sukarno & PKI, orang militer dan penasihatnja tahu bahwa “banjak darah akan mengalir bila saat bentrokan tiba”.
Saat bentrokan memang tiba: 30 September 1965, ketika Let. Kol. Untung mengadakan kup, jang menurut Ransom merupakan “peristiwa intern Angkatan Darat” dimana PKI tidak terlibat. Untung kalah. Maka rentjana militer bersama para sardjana jang disebut sebagai “the Berkeley Mafia” itupun bisa berdjalan, terutama setelah djatuhnja Sukarno dan naiknja Soeharto. Kabinet Pembangunan dibentuk, dan Sumitro, Widjojo, Emil Salim, Subroto, Ali Wardhana, Sadli, Barli Halim serta Soedjatmoko memegang djabatan-djabatan tinggi. Serentak dengan itu, sedjumlah ahli ekonomi Amerika melalui Development Advisory Service (DAS) dari Universitas Harvard diperbantukan kedalam perentjanaan ekonomi Indonesia. Maka lengkaplah pintu terbuka: Indonesia, kata Ransom kembali “kedalam pelukan imperialis”. Modal asing masuk, sesuai dengan strategi 20 tahun Ford Foundation. Sementara itu petani dan rakjat didesa terus ditindas oleh kaum militer. “Tidak ada lagi pembitjaraan tentang landreorm dan tentang mempersendjatai rakjat”, tulis Ransom, jang entah dari mana sumbernja kemudian bertjerita: “Tapi sikap diam itu tjukup berbitjara. Kini didesa-desa Djawa dimana PKI pernah kuat sebelum pembasmian besar-besaran terdjadi, tuantanah dan para perwira takut keluar malam. Mereka jang mentjoba, kadang-kadang dipagi hari kedapatan sudah terpotong lehernja. Dan para djendralpun berbisik tentang PKI malam”.
***
FITNAHKAH tjerita tentang Mafia Berkeley itu? Orang bisa lebih tjotjok mengatakannja sebagai sematjam hasil tachajul. Berdasarkan tachajul tentang hebatnja strategi dan djaring-djaring imperialisme Amerika “a sophisticated imperial design beyond Cecil Rhode’s wildest dream”, Ransom telah menafsirkan perkembangan sedjarah Indonesia mutachir dengan semena-mena. Berdasarkan kemarahan Kiri Baru jang berlebih-lebihan Ransom praktis telah mendakwa para teknokrat dan seluruh golongan jang melahirkan keadaan sekarang sebagai sematjam pengchianat rayat, pion-pion murah CIA dan sedjenisnja. Dari sikap Ransom nampak bahwa mereka jang terlibat dalam proses sedjarah Indonesia dewasa ini jang setjara sloganistis disebut “para pendorong lahirnja Orde Baru”, seakan-akan tidak mempunjai dinamika sendiri. Malang sekali, anak muda jang berpretensi revolusioner ini ternjata masih mengidap dibawah sadarnja sikap kaum reaksioner jang paling reaksioner di Barat: memandang orang-orang Indonesia, negeri kulit berwarna dan terkebelakang ini, begitu matjam kerbau-kerbau jang mudah ditjotjok hidungnja oleh tuan-tuan pintar di Amerika. Demikianlah Ransom misalnja bertjerita bagaimana pimpinan KAMI menerima buku petundjuk organisasi mahasiswa dari kedutaan Amerika dibawah Marshall Green jang konon “punja reputasi sebagai dalang penggulingan Syngman Rhee oleh mahasiswa-mahasiswa Korea”. Ransom djuga mengutip utjapan seseorang jang tak disebut namanja tentang bagaimana Prof. Sadli “betul-betul tidak tahu menjusun undang-undang penanaman modal”. Iapun menjatakan bahwa keputusan Soeharto untuk mengangkat Team Ahli Ekonominja konon merupakan hasil gagasan seorang pedjabat Ford Foundation. Seolah-olah belum tjukup, setjara samar Ransom djuga mengungkapkan bahwa Repelita lahir berkat otak-ahli-ahli ekonomi Amerika. Dan kembali kemasa sebelum 1965, Ransom malah menjebut bagaimana Atase Militer Amerika waktu itu memperkenalkan permainan golf kepada djendral-djendral Indonesia.
Sebagai seorang jang berlagak revolusioner Ransom memang tidak menjukai politik perekonomian Indonesia sekarang – sebagaimana djuga para pengagumnja disini. Tentu sadja itu bukan sesuatu jang tidak patut. Malah lebih menarik dan lebih bermanfaat kiranja apabila perdebatan dilakukan tentang politik perekonomian itu, setjara terbuka, taruhlah misalnja mengenai persoalan modal asing. Hanja ada satu hal jang perlu ditambahkan: dalam perdebatan sematjam itu wadjar djika orang mengharapkan sesuatu jang mungkin bisa disebut sebagai tanggungdjawab moral. Sebab jang mendjadi taruhan bukanlah kesimpulan-kesimpulan akademis dan kemenangan suatu faham. Jang mendjadi taruhan ialah nasib dan masadepan berpuluh-puluh rakjat Indonesia jang miskin.
Sangat mudah bagi seseorang buat berlagak revolusioner dengan model rambut gondrong dan teriakan amarah, sementara dengan amannja ia tak terganggu oleh masa depan jang belum pasti dan masa kini jang serba kekurangan. Kaum Kiri Baru di Barat banjak jang berhati mulia, berperikemanusiaan jang luhur hanja mereka tak punja risiko jang menghantui sebagian besar rakjat Indonesia kini. Seperti Wertheim mereka bisa menjatakan tjinta pada Indonesia, rakjatnja dan kebudajaannja. Tapi djika seperti Wertheim mereka lebih menjukai Indonesia untuk memilih djalan dan faham mereka, adakah mereka djuga akan menanggung beban seperti jang ditanggung rakjat Indonesia? Saja kira disitulah masalah tanggungdjawab moral muntjul: sesuatu jang lajak ditanjakan djuga kepada orang jang menjatakan diri tjemas pada modal-asing, tapi sementara itu djuga hidup dari modal-asing, seorang jang menjatakan bentji kapitalisme tapi sementara itu hidup sebagai seorang kapitalis.***
 Sumber: Majalah TEMPO No. 30/Th. I, 25 September 1971
tulisan GM tentang Mafia Berkeley

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Genetics, not your school, is biggest factor in exam success: DNA twice as significant as environmental factors

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2522299/Genetics-school-biggest-factor-exam-success-DNA-twice-significant-environmental-factors.html
By BEN SPENCER

A child's genes have a far greater impact on exam results than the quality of their school or the efforts of their parents, researchers claim.

Analysis of 11,000 teenagers’ GCSE results suggests that DNA is twice as significant as environmental factors such as school choice in determining educational success.

The study, published by researchers at King’s College London, will go some way towards swaying the course of the great nature vs nurture debate.

A child's genes have a far greater impact on exam results than the quality of their school or the efforts of their parents, a new study by King's College London has revealed
A child's genes have a far greater impact on exam results than the quality of their school or the efforts of their parents, a new study by King's College London has revealed. File picture
It will also bolster the stock of London Mayor Boris Johnson, who last month provoked anger by suggesting that some people, ‘like cornflakes rising to the top of the packet’, reach powerful positions because they are naturally more intelligent than others.

The new study suggests that each child’s genes make, on average, a 58 per cent difference for their results in the core subjects of English, maths and science. 

Environmental factors such as school, neighbourhood and the family home, are said to have an impact of just 29 per cent.

Other factors unique to each individual account for the remaining 13 per cent, the study suggests.

Genetics appear to have a bigger influence on results for science subjects than for humanities such as media studies, art or music – 58 per cent compared with 42 per cent.

Study leader Nicholas Shakeshaft said: ‘Children differ in how easily they learn at school. Our research shows that differences in students’ educational achievement owe more to nature than nurture.’

However, he warned against assuming that educational achievements are ‘genetically predetermined’. 

Instead, recognising the predispositions of each child may help improve learning, he said. 
He said a personalised education that took account of children’s differences would be better than a ‘one size fits all’ system which ignores genetics.

The paper, published in the journal PLOS One, said the findings may come as ‘an uncomfortable realisation’ to those in education.

Many teachers and politicians fear that a genetic approach to education may lead to less intelligent children being written off. 

But Professor Robert Plomin, who co-wrote the paper, said: ‘It means that educational systems which are sensitive to children’s individual abilities and needs, which are derived in part from their genetic predispositions, might improve educational achievement.’ 

The researchers compared the GCSE results of identical twins – who share 100 per cent of their genes – with those of non-identical twins, who share only 50 per cent of their DNA.

By subtracting the environmental impact, the scientists could disentangle nature from nurture and determine the impact of genes on the school results. 

Most of the genes that contribute to educational success have yet to be identified, although a 2010 study discovered small variants linked to mathematical ability.

Mr Shakeshaft said: ‘Once we understand more about how the genetic influences work, or once we can identify potential problems early on, we’ll be better able to target specific interventions to help those individuals who might otherwise struggle.’


Pugh cartoon


However other scientists warned that the study should be treated with caution.

Dr Simon Underdown, of Oxford Brookes University, said the research cannot show that intelligence is the product of one or two simple genes. 

‘Rather it is managed by an intricate process that relies on genetic factors and environmental influences. The nature-nurture debate is not over yet,’ he added.

Sarah Norcross, director of the Progress Educational Trust, said the idea of tailoring education based on genetics should be treated with a ‘great degree of scepticism’.

Mr Johnson was accused of ‘elitism’ last month when he said some people would always find it easier to get ahead than others. 

‘Whatever you may think of the value of IQ tests, it is surely relevant to a conversation about equality that as many as 16 per cent of our species have an IQ below 85, while about 2 per cent have an IQ above 130,’ he said.

He suggested that competition was good because it meant that those with natural ability would be pushed to work harder.

Why Pope Francis Is Time Magazine's Person of the Year

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/pope-francis-time-person-of-the-year_b_4424913.html
by 


Time magazine has named Pope Francis "Person of the Year" connecting the Pontiff with only two other Popes John Paul II, Pope John XXIII who have been given that title. In the91 years of Time, there have been only five, now six, religious leaders who have been named Person of the Year; the other three being Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, Ayatollah Khomeini, and Gandhi.
This latest 'win' is not a complete surprise (although I hear Miley Cirus was surging towards the end) as Pope Francis was also the most talked about name on Facebook, the most powerful person on Twitter and the most talked about name on the internet. And now he has gathered one more 'prize.'
Time Editor Nancy Gibbs, who met Pope Francis in Rome last week wrote about their decision:
Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly -- young and old, faithful and cynical -- as has Pope Francis. In his nine months in office, he has placed himself at the very center of the central conversations of our time: about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalization, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power...
He is embracing complexity and acknowledging the risk that a church obsessed with its own rights and righteousness could inflict more wounds than it heals... For pulling the papacy out of the palace and into the streets, for committing the world¹s largest church to confronting its deepest needs, and for balancing judgment with mercy, Pope Francis is TIME's 2013 Person of the Year.
What Ms. Gibbs seems to be saying, is that Pope Francis is the religious figure that the world has been waiting for.
Everyone is talking about Pope Francis on- and off-line. I can't go to a party or meet with a friend without them commenting on Pope Francis -- he has captivated the imagination of the world in a way that I haven't seen before in my 50 years. Lapsed Catholic, atheist and people of other religions have all declared themselves a fan of this Pope. And, as a Baptist minister so have I.
But why? I think it is because he is so refreshingly different from what people have become accustomed to associate with religious leaders. Religious and non-religious people alike have been bitterly disappointed with the judgmentalism, the sectarian righteousness, the unabashed commercialization, banal spirituality and otherworldly concerns of so many religious leaders and their followers in all different traditions.
Pope Francis resonates with so many people because he actually lives up to the highest ideals of religion which challenges us to think both about our personal spiritual life alongside the concerns of the "other." Pope Francis is viewed as authentic, the real deal, a true religious leader because he proclaims a radical call to justice for those most vulnerable and peace between nations and individuals in this world within the framework of an orthodox religious faith. Pope Francis combines the the social gospel with personal piety in a complete package of the religious ideal.
While many local religious leaders live humble spiritual lives while preaching justice and performing charity in churches, synagogues, sanghas, temples, gurdwaras and mosques around the world, Pope Francis has done it from the highest pulpit in the world, preaching from the seat of power at the Vatican. His humility of lifestyle while leveraging the enormous power of that pulpit for good is part of why we love him so much. He speaks for many of us who wish to promote a positive, productive religious voice for justice in the 21st century, but who feel our voices has been drown out by violence, greed and enmity caused by too many religious figures and followers around the world.
HIs forthright statement like "Who am I to judge" gay people; acknowledgment that atheists can work alongside religious people for the common good, his outreach to people of other faiths, and his amazing critique of economic systems that leave so many in this world hungry and homeless have been like a salve for the global community.
I join the millions, perhaps billions, of people around the world who applaud Timemagazine for their choice of Person of the Year, and extend my heartfelt thanks to Pope Francis who continues to inspire so many of us.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Dr. Nancy Snyderman 'in awe' of Israeli medics in Philippines

http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/15/21477819-dr-nancy-snyderman-in-awe-of-israeli-medics-in-philippines?lite
By Dr. Nancy Snyderman, NBC News Chief Medical Editor

The Israeli Defense Force has responded to the crisis in Philippines by setting up a high-tech system to track each patient in Bogo. Many of the survivors in this area are suffering from dehydration, fever and diarrhea. NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman reports.

MACTAN, Philippines -- I’ve always been fascinated by how well the Israeli Defense Force, otherwise known as the IDF, delivers emergency response medical care in extremely poor conditions.  My first experience with the IDF was in Haiti after the devastation of the earthquake there. They were remarkable then, triaging and treating patients in the midst of the devastation.
I wondered if they had found their way here -- so we set off to find them. And when we did, it was in a place we least expected.
The IDF had selected Bogo, a small village on the northern island of Mactan, to establish its emergency response center. Bogo had been hard hit by the devastation but it hadn’t attracted as much attention as other towns.  It was definitely off the beaten path.
I knew we had found the IDF medical team as soon as we arrived at the hospital where they were working.  A fence surrounded the grounds; soldiers were stationed at the entry and sharp shooters were visible from rooftops.  Security is of paramount importance to the Israelis and they will survey potential sites for days to before one is selected.
As we walked up to the tent where incoming patients were being processed, I immediately saw the electronic medical records technology that I had first seen in Haiti.   Each patient’s medical record is created using a photograph to ensure accurate identification. This is especially important in these types of crisis situations. Language barriers, loss of documentation and the fact that patients have arrived from all over would result in a nightmare if the patients weren't properly identified.
Smart. Sophisticated. Secure. This was what I had experienced with the IDF before.  But now I was impressed with something else: the place they had selected. This wasn’t a site where trauma surgeons were needed -- those injuries in other towns were being addressed.  What the people of Bogo needed was good, solid medical care.  They were already living in poverty when the typhoon decimated their fragile infrastructure.
Dr. Nancy Snyderman speaks with members of the Israeli Defense Force who established an emergency response center in Bogo, a small village on the Northern island of Mactan.
I asked the IDF Surgeon General in charge why they chose Bogo.  He said it was because they were poor and their needs were great. As I left, I walked away in awe of this group of doctors: physician humanitarians, and medicine at its very best.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Kesehatan masyarakat dan kesigapan dokter

Koran SINDO
Sabtu,  30 November 2013  −  06:57 WIB
MOH MAHFUD MD

MESKIPUN sudah agak lama, saya sungguh iba jika mengingat kejadian itu. Saat itu anak saya yang sedang melaksanakan tugas koas sebagai sarjana kedokteran UGM memberi informasi yang memilukan kepada saya. Di rumah sakit tempat anak saya bertugas itu, yakni Rumah Sakit Umum Banyumas, ada seorang pria yang merelakan istrinya meninggal di rumah sakit karena tidak mampu memenuhi persyaratan administratif untuk mendapat bantuan pengobatan gratis dari negara. 

Pria itu miskin, istrinya sakit dan harus dioperasi untuk menyelamatkan nyawanya. Pihak administrator rumah sakit meminta surat keterangan miskin terlebih dahulu sebelum sang istri dioperasi. Tetapi setelah pontangpanting dari desa ke kecamatan dan terus ke rumah sakit, ternyata surat keterangan itu dinyatakan belum lengkap juga. Sang istri tidak bisa ditangani sebelum kelengkapan administrasi itu dipenuhi. Pria itu menyatakan menyerah, tak bisa memenuhi kelengkapan administrasi karena tak punya ongkos transpor untuk mengurus ke desanya. 

Pria itu tak punya uang untuk naik bus ke kecamatan, kemudian naik angkot dari kecamatan ke desa, dan naik ojek dari jalan desa ke rumah pejabat desa yang berwenang mengeluarkan surat keterangan miskin itu. Uang sebesar Rp200.000 untuk biaya transpor pulang-pergi dari rumah sakit ke desa tidak dia punyai. Karena tidak ada yang bisa dimintai tolong, dia pun menyatakan pasrah istrinya tak ditolong. Dia tak berdaya dan pasrah di rumah sakit itu. Itulah contoh kisah sedih tentang seorang pasien yang ”dengan tega” tidak segera ditangani hanya karena alasan administratif. 

Kisah tersebut tentu berbalikan dengan kisah Dokter Dewa Ayu yang karena terlalu cepat mengoperasi pasien di sebuah rumah sakit di Manado, terpaksa digelandang ke pengadilan pidana dan dijatuhi hukuman selama 10 bulan. Majelis hakim di Mahkamah Agung menyatakan Ayu ceroboh dan bersalah. Padahal, Majelis Etik Kedokteran sudah menyatakan bahwa Dokter Dewa Ayu tidak melakukan pelanggaran prosedur dan etik. 

Dalam tiga hari terakhir ini, masyarakat Indonesia menonton gelombang demo solider, bahkan pemogokan, oleh para dokter yang memprotes penjatuhan hukuman oleh MA terhadap sejawatnya itu. Para dokter itu menuntut agar dokter yang dalam melakukan tugas menyebabkan matinya pasien, apalagi kalau tak terbukti malapraktik, tak dijatuhi hukuman. Jika dihantui ancaman hukuman dalam menjalankan tugas maka bisa-bisa para dokter tidak akan berani melakukan tindakan cepat untuk menolong pasien. 

Kasus Dokter Dewa Ayu ini memang tampak dilematis. Di satu pihak seorang dokter, karena tanggung jawab profesionalnya, harus melakukan tindakan cepat untuk menyelamatkan pasien, tidak seperti yang pernah terjadi di rumah sakit Banyumas yang secara bertele-tele dan birokratis meminta jaminan dan syarat administratif ini dan itu lebih dulu. Tetapi di pihak lain, seorang dokter yang ceroboh (mungkin karena terlalu bersemangat untuk menolong pasien) dan melakukan malapraktik maka dapat dijatuhi hukuman sesuai dengan ketentuan undang-undang. 

Mungkin, Dokter Ayu melakukan tindakan medis yang menyebabkan kematian pasien itu karena didorong keinginannya untuk memberi pertolongan secara cepat. Namun, hakim di MA menemukan bukti dan menilai bahwa Dokter Ayu bertindak ceroboh alias bersalah sehingga harus dihukum. Dilemanya, ada tuntutan yuridis untuk menghukum orang yang bersalah yang berhadapan dengan tuntutan sosiologis agar pengadilan tak mudah menghukum dokter yang memberi pertolongan pada pasien. 

Untuk kasus penghukuman terhadap Dokter Ayu, mungkin penyelesaiannya tidak terlalu sulit. Terhukum bisa mengajukan upaya hukum luar biasa dengan mengajukan permohonan peninjauan kembali (PK). Melalui upaya hukum PK inilah, MA bisa meneliti kembali apakah ada novum atau apakah penerapan hukum oleh hakim MA yang mengadili Dokter Ayu itu sudah benar atau tidak. Prinsipnya dokter tidak boleh dihantui rasa takut dihukum dalam mengambil tindakan medis, tetapi juga tak boleh ceroboh sehingga harus tetap dijatuhi hukuman jika melakukan kesalahan. 

Persoalannya terletak pada bagaimana membuktikan perkara itu di pengadilan. Yang harus lebih diperhatikan oleh pemerintah adalah bagaimana birokrasi pelayanan kesehatan pada umumnya dibenahi. Sebab selain contoh yang saya sebutkan di atas, masih sangat banyak contoh lain di mana orang miskin sepertinya ”dilarang sakit”. Banyak berita tentang adanya orang yang ditolak, ditelantarkan, atau tidak segera ditangani oleh dokter karena tidak bisa memberi uang jaminan sebelum ditangani. 

Sering juga kita membaca berita adanya orang tua yang menangis di rumah sakit, karena anak yang baru dilahirkannya tidak bisa dibawa pulang karena tidak punya uang untuk membayar biaya persalinan dan pengobatannya. Banyak hal yang memilukan dalam pelayanan kesehatan. Ini menunjukkan, tugas-tugas konstitusional pemerintah untuk mencapai tujuan negara telah sangat terabaikan. 

Menurut konstitusi salah satu tujuan negara adalah membangun kesejahteraan umum dan kesejahteraan itu hanya bisa dipenuhi melalui kecukupan ekonomi, kelayakan pendidikan, dan pelayanan kesehatan. Pemerintah yang mengabaikan pelayanan kesehatan pada rakyatnya adalah pemerintah yang mengkhianati tugas konstitusionalnya. 

MOH MAHFUD MD 
Guru Besar Hukum Konstitusi

The Risk of Running Windows XP After Support Ends April 2014

http://blogs.technet.com/b/security/archive/2013/08/15/the-risk-of-running-windows-xp-after-support-ends.aspx
 

Back in April I published a post about the end of support for Windows XP called The Countdown Begins: Support for Windows XP Ends on April 8, 2014.  Since then, many of the customers I have talked to have moved, or are in the process of moving,  their organizations from Windows XP to modern operating systems like Windows 7 or Windows 8.

There is a sense of urgency because after April 8, Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) customers will no longer receive new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates.  This means that any new vulnerabilities discovered in Windows XP after its “end of life” will not be addressed by new security updates from Microsoft.  Still, I have talked to some customers who, for one reason or another, will not have completely migrated from Windows XP before April 8.  I have even talked to some customers that say they won’t migrate from Windows XP until the hardware it’s running on fails.

What is the risk of continuing to run Windows XP after its end of support date?  One risk is that attackers will have the advantage over defenders who choose to run Windows XP because attackers will likely have more information about vulnerabilities in Windows XP than defenders. Let me explain why this will be the case.

When Microsoft releases a security update, security researchers and criminals will often times reverse engineer the security update in short order in an effort to identify the specific section of code that contains the vulnerability addressed by the update. Once they identify this vulnerability, they attempt to develop code that will allow them to exploit it on systems that do not have the security update installed on them. They also try to identify whether the vulnerability exists in other products with the same or similar functionality. For example, if a vulnerability is addressed in one version of Windows, researchers investigate whether other versions of Windows have the same vulnerability.  To ensure that our customers are not at a disadvantage to attackers who employ such practices, one long standing principle that the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) uses when managing security update releases is to release security updates for all affected products simultaneously.  This practice ensures customers have the advantage over such attackers, as they get security updates for all affected products before attackers have a chance to reverse engineer them.

But after April 8, 2014, organizations that continue to run Windows XP won’t have this advantage over attackers any longer.  The very first month that Microsoft releases security updates for supported versions of Windows, attackers will reverse engineer those updates, find the vulnerabilities and test Windows XP to see if it shares those vulnerabilities.  If it does, attackers will attempt to develop exploit code that can take advantage of those vulnerabilities on Windows XP.  Since a security update will never become available for Windows XP to address these vulnerabilities, Windows XP will essentially have a “zero day” vulnerability forever.  How often could this scenario occur?  Between July 2012 and July 2013 Windows XP was an affected product in 45 Microsoft security bulletins, of which 30 also affected Windows 7 and Windows 8. 
  
Some of the people I have discussed this scenario with are quick to point out that there are security mitigations built into Windows XP that can make it harder for such exploits to be successful.  There is also anti-virus software that can help block attacks and clean up infections if they occur.  The challenge here is that you’ll never know, with any confidence, if the trusted computing base of the system can actually be trusted because attackers will be armed with public knowledge of zero day exploits in Windows XP that could enable them to compromise the system and possibly run the code of their choice. Furthermore, can the system’s APIs that anti-virus software uses be trusted under these circumstances? For some customers, this level of confidence in the integrity of their systems might be okay, but for most it won’t be acceptable.

As for the security mitigations that Windows XP Service Pack 3 has, they were state of the art when they were developed many years ago.  But we can see from data published in the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report that the security mitigations built into Windows XP are no longer sufficient to blunt many of the modern day attacks we currently see.  The data we have on malware infection rates for Windows operating systems indicates that the infection rate for Windows XP is significantly higher than those for modern day operating systems like Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Figure 1: Infection rate (CCM) by operating system and service pack in the fourth quarter of 2012 as reported in the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report volume 14


I recently wrote about the findings of a new study on exploit activity that we just published: Software Vulnerability Exploitation Trends - Exploring the impact of software mitigations on patterns of vulnerability exploitation.  This seven-year study indicates that attackers have evolved their attacks to overcome one of the key security mitigations that Windows XP has: Data Execution Prevention (DEP).  Figure 3 shows the number of common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) that had exploits that would have been mitigated if DEP were enabled compared to the number of CVEs that had exploits that bypassed DEP. With the exception of 2007 and 2008, there appears to be a clear downward trend in DEP’s ability to retroactively break exploits. This trend is not because DEP is no longer effective; rather, it is an indication that attackers have been forced to adapt to environments in which DEP is already enabled—at increased cost and complexity. The evidence is the increasing number of CVEs that had exploits that bypassed DEP.

Figure 2 (left): The number of CVEs that were exploited using specific exploitation techniques; Figure 3 (right): The number of CVEs for which exploits were written that could have been mitigated by enabling DEP as compared to the number of CVEs that had exploits that bypassed DEP


  
This new data shows us that the predominate threats that individuals and organizations face are now much different than they were when Windows XP Service Pack 3 was released. Turning on the Windows Firewall in Windows XP Service Pack 2 and later operating systems forced attackers to evolve their attacks.  Rather than actively targeting remote services, attackers now primarily focus on exploiting vulnerabilities in client applications such as web browsers and document readers. In addition, attackers have refined their tools and techniques over the past decade to make them more effective at exploiting vulnerabilities. As a result, the security features that are built into Windows XP are no longer sufficient to defend against modern threats.  Windows 8 has significantly superior security mitigations compared to Windows XP as Figure 4 illustrates.  Detailed information on the new security mitigations built into Windows 8 is available in the aforementioned research paper.

Figure 4: The table below compares the mitigation features supported by Internet Explorer 8 on Windows XP Service Pack 3 with the features supported by Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8. As this table shows, Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8 benefits from an extensive number of platform security improvements that simply are not available to Internet Explorer 8 on Windows XP.


Organizations need a level of certainty about the integrity of their systems. Minimizing the number of systems running unsupported operating systems is helpful in achieving that. End of support for Windows XP is April 8, 2014.


Tim Rains
Director
Trustworthy Computing