Sustainable Urban Precincts Program PhD Scholarships in Australia, 2014

[Jobrib]

Job Title: Auto Service Advisor

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Employer: Janchine Nigeria Limited

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:

1.   Interpret customer concerns for the service department, so that vehicular problems can diagnose and repair work carried out correctly

2.   Translates the actual repair problem, repair process, status of vehicles, which may be very complicated, into language the customer can understand

3.   Generates profit by selling service, repairs and parts and other offerings of the business

INTERACTION AND REPORTING:

Directly Responsible To: Reception Supervisor

Relationships With: Customers, Workshop Supervisor, Job Controller, Service Manager, Parts Advisors, Parts Manger, Customer Service Officer, Café Attendant, Reception Cleaners.

OBJECTIVES AND KEY TASKS:

•   Greets customers, schedules service appointments, receives vehicle information and handle administrative aspects of customer service

•   Listens to requests of the service desired and explains the repair or service order to customers. Translating customers' repair problems into standard repair terminology, explaining repairs to customers

•   Ascertains automotive problems and services by listening to customer's description of symptoms; clarifying description of problems; conducting inspections; checking vehicle maintenance records; examining service schedules.

•   Handles customer complaints, precise recording of customers concerns and comments and ensures high customer satisfaction standards

•   Prepares repair orders (RO) by describing symptoms, problems, and causes discovered, as well as repairs and services required; obtaining approval signatures; entering RO into service database system

•   Maintains customer rapport by explaining estimates and expected return of vehicle; obtaining customer's approval of estimates; obtaining and providing contact telephone numbers; answering questions and concerns.

•   Periodically checks on the progress of the vehicle during servicing and contacts the customer when technicians discover additional problems; gets customer approval to do additional work and explains the work performed and the charges being billed

•   Verifies warranty and service contract coverage by examining records and papers; explaining provisions and exclusions. Promotes service facilities to encourage repeat business

•   Enhances organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

OTHER DUTIES:

Any other duties as and when required by the Dealer Principal/ Manager that are reasonably within the capabilities of the person and are aimed at achieving the company's objectives and goals.

QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

•   5 years demonstrated experience in a multi-brand auto service centre as service advisor or related position.

•   Active listening and ability to convey information clearly in words and writing.

•   Problem solving, reporting research results, quality focus, productivity, estimating, product knowledge, customer service, problem solving, safety management

•   Degree level education or equivalent

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[Jobrib]

[Time]

The civil war in Syria already appears to have drawn more foreign fighters than the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, and may prove an even more dangerous incubator for terrorism in the long run, according to a new report by a private security company.

MoreNigeria Bomb Blast Kills at Least 14Republicans Criticize White House Over Bergdahl ExchangeBowe Bergdahl: What We Know About Soldier Captured by Taliban NBC NewsMen Charged With Toppling Ancient Rock Formation Avoid Jail Time Huffington PostComet Outlives Predictions Weather.comThe report, by the Soufan Group, estimates that 12,000 foreign fighters have traveled to Syria. The estimate is up sharply from 7,000 that U.S. and Israeli intelligence estimated at the start of 2014, and more than the 10,000 thought to have fought the Soviets in Afghanistan, the decadelong conflict that spawned al-Qaeda.

The greatest concern about terrorism resides in the perhaps 3,000 fighters the report says traveled to Syria from Western countries to fight with rebel groups dominated by Islamic extremists. Though arrayed against the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and his Iranian allies, the fundamentalists might in time choose to direct violence against Western targets, "the far enemy" in the parlance of al-Qaeda — and recruit those battle-hardened foreign fighters to return to their home countries and carry out attacks.

"Leaving aside what may happen in Syria, if al-Qaeda can maintain a network of even a small number of motivated returnees, or recruit fighters to its terrorist agenda while they are still in Syria, it may once more pose a significant global threat," the report says.

Most of the foreign fighters in Syria arrived from Arab countries, with 3,000 alone from Tunisia and another 2,500 from Saudi Arabia. But 700 fighters are thought to have traveled to Syria from France; 400 from the U.K.; and around 250 each from Belgium, Australia and Germany, the report says, quoting estimates by the nations ' own governments.

The study says about 70 fighters from the U.S. have traveled to Syria, quoting an FBI statement from May. Last Friday, the conflict recorded its first known American suicide bomber, when Moner Mohammad Abusalha, a recent resident of Florida, detonated the truck he was driving in an attack for al-Nusra Front, an extremist Sunni force.

Study author Richard Barrett, a former British intelligence official and U.N. specialist on al-Qaeda, writes that that leaders of groups that attract most foreign fighters — al-Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sham and the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) — were previously members of al-Qaeda. He adds that the process of indoctrination in extremist thought may well be accelerated by social media, as young would-be fighters reinforce their views in self-limiting Twitter, Facebook and other feeds. In any event, most already are familiar with the extremist ideology that recruits learned from Osama bin Laden and his acolytes.

"The progression from foreign fighter to terrorist is not a linear one, nor is it inevitable, and the majority of people who return from the fighting in Syria may pose no terrorist threat," Barrett writes. "But the difficulty remains how to distinguish those who will from those who won't."

The only known attack outside Syria by a foreign fighter occurred in Belgium in May, where a French citizen who had fought for a year in Syria with ISIS killed three people at a Jewish museum on May 24. But if the experience after the Soviet war in Afghanistan is any example, the report says, "the Syrian war is likely to be an incubator for a new generation of terrorists."

[Jobrib]

Job Title: Director – Programme Management

Company: FHI 360

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

.

FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in Health, Education, Nutrition, Environment, Economic Development, Civil Society, Gender, Youth, Research and Technology; creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today's interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 60 countries, all 50 U.S. states and all U.S. territories.

.

Job Description:

Under the guidance of the Deputy Chief of Party Management, the Director program Management will provide management and technical oversight of FHI 360 Nigeria programs to ensure that the overall projects are effectively and efficiently implemented.

S/he will supervise the work of the Associate Director/s Programs supporting the various field offices and other select staff. S/he will work closely with key management to ensure compliance issues are addressed and internal controls are in place and followed. S/he will ensure that projects and programs receive the quality and quantity of services required from headquarters in a timely manner.

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Accountabilities: – Provides management and support to regional teams and country to ensure optimum support to business performance management, project implementation, budget development and tracking, and technical oversight and assistance within established policies and principles of the organizaation, the laws of host country and within the regulations and standards standards set by the donor. – Provides overall management support to the RO and COs to ensure optimum administrative support is provided to and across CO projects within established operational principles. – Risks identification, registration and management across country programs and country portfolios. – Ensures harmonized enterprise service platforms in countries with two or more projects.

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Applied Knowledge & Skills: – Comprehensive knowledge of design, implementation, and management of sector specific or multi-sector/ international development programs funded by US government or other internation donors. – Strong knowledge of donor planning and report systems. – Knowledge of business development process and proposal development for international NGO's. – Demonostrated knowledge of strategic planning, administrative, and financial management systems. – Knowledge of various funding mechanisms, general contracting and reporting requirements. – Strong written and verbal communication skills. – Demonstrated management, supervision, networking and leadership skills working with large complex programs. – Diplomatic, representation and policy development skills; demonstrated experiene in undertaking high-level policy dialogue with different stakeholders. – Sensitivity to cultural differences and understanding of the political and ethical issues surrounding in country issues. – Ability to motivate, influence, and collaborate with others. – Ability to build positive effective working relationships.

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Experience: – Typically requires a minimum of 10+ years with project management experience. – Demonstrated experience in multi- sector project management and implementation. – Demonstrated strategic planning, staff development and capacity building experience. – Experience in budgeting, financial planning and interpreting financial reports – Demonstrated experience in leading and managing complex projects that are strategic in nature and national/ international in scope. – Must be able to read, write, and speak fluent English; fluent in host country language. – Experience operating in challenging environments. – Experience working in a non- governmental organization (NGO).

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Problem Solving & Impact: – Strong critical thinking and problem solving skills to plan, organize, and manage resources for successful completion of projects and across projects within a country or regional portfolio. – Prioritizes problems and establishes practical, time- sensitive and achievable action plans – Ability to apply new critical thinking approaches and overcome barriers to strategic problem solving. – Decisions and actions have a significant impact on regional or country porftolios and programs. – Problems encountered are complex and highly varied. – Exercises judgment to meet business strategies and develops objectives that align with organizational goals. – Strong analytical and problem solving capabilities.

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Supervision Given/Received: – Sets goals and budgets for department and leads in achieving strategic goals. – Works with Regional and Country Directors to lead coordination of resources for ongoing projects across functional areas within a country or region and addresses/resolves portfolio issues.

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Education Qualifications: – Bachelor's Degree or its International Equivalent – Knowledge/Information Services, Communications, Education, Environment, Health, Behavioral, Life/ Social Sciences International Development, Human Development or Related Field. – Certification in project management. – Qualification in Humanitarian action and/or Project Cycle Management and/or Monitoring & Evaluation.

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[FIFA]

[/t]

The starting lineup of the United States talks before the international friendly match against Nigeria at EverBank Field on June 7, 2014 in Jacksonville, Florida.  (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)

[HuffingtonPost]

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Suspected Boko Haram gunmen have reportedly kidnapped 20 women from a nomadic settlement in northeast Nigeria near the town of Chibok, where the Islamic militants abducted more than 300 schoolgirls and young women on April 15.

Alhaji Tar, a member of the vigilante groups set up to resist Boko Haram's attacks, said the men arrived at noon Thursday in the Garkin Fulani settlement and forced the women to enter their vehicles at gunpoint. He says they drove away to an unknown location in the remote stretch of Borno state. Tar said the group also took three young men who tried to stop the kidnapping.

"We tried to go after them when the news got to us about three hours later, but the vehicles we have could not go far, and the report came to us a little bit late," he said.

In another incident, the Defense Headquarters said Monday that troops prevented raids by Boko Haram this weekend on villages in Borno and neighboring Adamawa state. Soldiers killed more than 50 militants on Saturday night as they were on their way to attack communities, defense spokesman Chris Oluklade said in an emailed statement.

The Nigerian military has come under rising criticism from Nigerians who say they're not protected by the security forces, left to fend off attacks by Boko Haram on their own.

Boko Haram, which wants to establish Islamic state in Nigeria, has been taking over villages in the northeast, killing and terrorizing civilians and political leaders. Thousands of people have been killed in the five-year-old insurgency, more than 2,000 people have been killed so far this year, and an estimated 750,000 Nigerians have been driven from their homes.

In recent weeks, the extremists have used a two-pronged strategy and widened their theater of operation beyond the remote northeast of the country. The group has bombed bus stations and marketplaces in three cities, killing about 250 people, and they are staging daily attacks on northeast villages, killing 20 people one day, and 50 another.

In one incident last week, the militants reportedly killed hundreds of civilians in three villages in the Gwoza local government. Residents said they had requested the military sends troops to protect the area after hearing Boko Haram militants were about to attack, but they said help never came.

The extremists abducted more than 300 girls from the Chibok Government Girls School on April 15, according to the police. Chibok community leader Pogu Bitrus says 57 girls escaped, leaving an estimated 272 still held captive.
Source: huffingtonpost.com

[Aljazeera]

Women reportedly kidnapped from nomadic settlement near Chibok town where hundreds of schoolgirls were abducted.
Source: Aljazeera.com

[Reuters]

At its first national convention since being formed by the merger of four opposition parties last year, the All Progressives Congress (APC) elected 74-year-old John Odigie Oyegun to its top post in the early hours of Saturday, party officials said.Tension between Nigeria's oil-rich, largely Christian south and the poorer, mostly Muslim north have been a longstanding characteristic of politics in what is now Africa's largest economy.The APC is expected to give the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) its sternest test since it swept to power at the end of military rule in 1998 and, like its rival, has been keen to portray itself as a national party, rather than a regional one.  Oyegun is the former governor of Edo State in the mainly Christian south. The selection of a southern chairman increases the likelihood the APC will field a candidate from the north in next year's presidential election, analysts have said.Under pressure over allegations of corruption and its inability to quell the insurgency of militant Islamist group Boko Haram, Jonathan's PDP has sought to portray the opposition as beholden to northern interests.Public criticism of Jonathan, a southern Christian, has increased since Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls in April from a school in the village of Chibok in northeast Nigeria. The APC has also been bolstered by dozens of lawmakers defecting to it from the ruling party. Jonathan angered many in his PDP when he ran in the 2011 presidential election, thereby breaking an unwritten party pact that the presidency switches between the north and south every two terms.He has not confirmed he will run again, but campaign-style posters and banners bearing his image have sprung up around the capital. (Reporting by David Dolan and Camillus Eboh; Editing by Pravin Char)
Source: Reuters.com

[Time]

MoreObama: We're Not Sending American Troops Back to IraqTurmoil in Iraq as Extremist Militants Make GainsViolence in Iraq Could Raise the Price at the PumpsWhat was last week just a dusty plot of land next to a Kurdish military checkpoint in northern Iraq is now a temporary home to at least 500 Iraqis who fled Mosul as Islamist militants took their city.

MoreIran President: We'll Help Battle Militants in Iraq if AskedLessons From My Husband Michael HastingsUkraine Vows to Punish Rebels Who Downed Plane NBC NewsRobin Van Persie's Epic Goal Makes Him The World Cup's Flying Dutchman (VIDEO) Huffington PostBloody Toll: Boko Haram Behind Deadliest Killing Spree Since 9/11 NBC NewsThe Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has rapidly taken swathes of Iraqi territory since the start of its ongoing assault. It also vows to take the capital of Baghdad.

Popular Among Subscribers  Ending the War on Fat  Subscribe Russia, We Have a ProblemThe (Slow) Greening of America"We left our home at 5 a.m.," said Miriam, who did not want to give her last name. She fled Mosul with her husband and four children, and her family's now among the hundreds at the Kurdish site. "The neighbors told us that by 8 a.m. they were in our house." Miriam's husband often worked as a driver for police and army personnel, and friends told them ISIS was making threats against him. "As we left we were stopped at an ISIS checkpoint," she said. "There was one Iraqi and one Syrian."

ISIS is now in control of Mosul as well as stretches of land from Falluja in western Iraq to the eastern edge of Aleppo in Syria. It also controls parts of the Iraq-Syria border.

As ISIS entered Mosul, the national Iraqi army put up little resistance, with many abandoning their posts, stripping off uniforms and leaving weapons and military vehicles — some American-made — in the hands of the militants.

"They came on white pick-up trucks. All of them in the back with their modern weapons," said Loay Annaqi, who also fled Mosul. "As ISIS came in, the army left. They just fired a few mortars."

Annaqi and his family are now staying in one of 100 tents in this camp. The floor and walls are made of plastic sheets and they bake under the harsh Iraqi sun. They don't have running water or electricity. Yet, Annaqi says he never wants to go back to Mosul, fearing ISIS wants to consolidate these lands and establish an Islamic state.

"Every place they go they put up their black flag," said Annaqi.

But most feel safe here in the Kurdish territory. In recent days the well-trained Kurdish Peshmerga fighters have successfully battled ISIS around Kirkuk, the contested oil-rich city in the north, and some here now see Kurdish military strength as a bargaining chip for the sovereignty-seeking Kurds.

As ISIS moves toward Baghdad, Iraqi politicians and religious leaders are calling on citizens to defend their cities, heightening fears that Iraq could face a fresh, all-out civil war along a Sunni-Shi'ite divide. ISIS is a radical Sunni Islamist group too extreme even for al-Qaeda, which distanced itself from the militants last year.

But ISIS has sympathy here. Discontent with the Shi'ite-lead government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is rife, particularly among the Sunni population. Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, is primarily Sunni. Sitting in a refugee tent, Abu Mohamed, who didn't want to use his real name, says al-Maliki is worse than ISIS.

"Since al-Maliki took over power he did nothing for us. No services. Just jailing people and oppressing people," he said, echoing the complaints of many Iraqi Sunnis. "We have bad, and we have worse."

Mohamed's eldest daughter sits in the corner. Her husband was killed by a militant group in 2012 while he was working with the Iraqi government. But despite losing his son-in-law, Mohamed still says ISIS is better than al-Maliki, revealing deep sectarian tensions.

"I left because I have a family and was worried about the violence to come," said Abu Mohammed. "So far ISIS is not targeting civilians. They target the army, the police and government institutions."

But there have been many reports of attacks and summary executions. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates there are now around 300,000 Iraqis taking refuge in Kurdish territory. Catherine Robinson, a UNHCR spokesperson,says Kurdish residents have welcomed the refugees with blankets, groceries and even hot meals.

However, there are decades of tensions between Iraqi Arabs and Kurds. In their semi-autonomous region, Iraqi Kurds have achieved relative prosperity and security. It's unclear how far the Kurdish welcome will stretch if Arab refugees continue to pour into their territory.

"We are still seeing people crossing the border, leaving the Mosul area, fearing there might be more violence in the coming days," said Robinson. "At this point we are bracing ourselves for more people."

[HuffingtonPost]

When it comes to the World Cup, teams can use all the help they can get. Now that help may be divine, as the Church of England has released five official World Cup prayers, which include ones specifically for the England team.

Written by the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt. Revd. Nick Baines, originally for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the prayers ask for celebration and unity in the face of competition, blessings for the host country of Brazil, and all of the nations taking part.

Baines said in a statement, "God is not partisan and there are bigger things to pray for around the world, not least in Iraq, Nigeria and Sudan to name but three. At its heart prayer is about expressing our desires honestly and having our vision of God, the world and one another changed by our praying." He added, "My hope is that the World Cup would be a reminder of the joy of a nation coming together in a common cause  - something that in itself is worth celebrating."

There's also something there for those not following the international sports competition, as Prayer 3 is simply titled, "A prayer for those simply not interested."

But for those who are hoping for a miracle when it comes to victory for their team, check out the prayers below:

Prayer 1

A Prayer for the World Cup

Lord of all the nations, who played the cosmos into being, guide, guard and protect all who work or play in the World Cup.

May all find in this competition a source of celebration, an experience of common humanity and a growing attitude of generous sportsmanship to others.

Amen.

Prayer 2

A Prayer for Brazil

God of the nations, who has always called his people to be a blessing for the world, bless all who take part in the World Cup.

Smile on Brazil in her hosting,

on the nations represented in competition and on those who travel to join in the party.

Amen.

Prayer 3

A prayer for those simply not interested

Lord, as all around are gripped with World Cup fever, bless us with understanding, strengthen us with patience and grant us the gift of sympathy if needed.

Amen.

Prayer 4

Prayers  for the England Football team

"Oh God..."

Prayer 5

"God, who played the cosmos into being, please help England rediscover their legs, their eyes and their hunger: that they might run more clearly, pass more nearly and enjoy the game more dearly. Amen."

(Based on The Prayer commemorating Richard, Bishop of Chichester in 1253 and used by the Church of England on 16 June each year)

Most merciful redeemer, who gave to your bishop Richard a love of learning, a zeal for souls and a devotion to the poor:

grant that, encouraged by his example,

we may know you more clearly,

love you more dearly,

and follow you more nearly,

day by day,

who with the Father and the Holy Spirit are alive and reign, one God, now and for ever.)

h/t TIME
Source: huffingtonpost.com

[HuffingtonPost]