Proposals for the 3rd Phase of HELP are currently being considered. Check publications under the You and HELP section for relevant forms.

Why H.E.L.P. ?

At present there is a "Paradigm Lock" between outdated accepted practices adopted in water resource management for the benefit of stakeholders and the application of more recent scientific findings. Scientific research is isolated by lack of proven utility, whilst water policy and management is isolated by legal and professional precedence.

The HELP Approach on the ground:

The first step is the “Assessment Stage” of HELP, which synthesises existing knowledge, integrates such information across disciplines as part of IWRM, and provides two main types of outputs:

- simulation of future change scenarios (e.g., land-use, demography, or socioeconomics) in the water cycle and supply/demand for dif­ferent future catchment states, as well as checking model predictions based on known changes in the catchment environmental-social status.

- definition of “gaps” in scientific knowledge (e.g., process hydrology under­standing) that require development of a technical implementation strategy by hy­drologists in collaboration with basin stakeholders and managers. Such steps are taken to support already-de­fined land-water management and policy issues.

The outputs from the Assessment Stage answer a common criticism from pol­icymakers, especially at the national-government level, that scientists do not share knowledge with users. Integration of knowledge across disciplines provides a product for improving IWRM as well as for informing the public. This can be achieved by simulating alternative management decisions (i.e., via DSS) linked with ecohydrology and socioeco­nomic sustainability.

After establishing an agenda for scientific research and creating a science plan, HELP advances to a Research Stage This second stage requires continued dialogue with land-water managers and policymakers to ensure that research results are used to up­date management and policy tools. The manager’s role is critical since basin managers are at the fulcrum of HELP. To be effective, managers must have a thorough appreciation of scientific research and its role in enhancing management and policy . The promotion of a “bottom-up” approach within the network of HELP basins and close linkages between those basins, allows sharing and exchange of information on IWRM across a spectrum of environmental and sociocultural/socioeconomic conditions. Such steps move beyond the macroscale and address the intri­cacies and complexities of IWRM down to basins at the mesoscale (~10 000 km2) and even to communities at the microscale (~ 10 km2).

How is HELP managed?

The HELP programme is managed at three levels:

Global Level through the Global Secretariat - Strategic Planning and Directions

Regional Level through the Regional Coordinating Units - Operational Planning and Management

Basin Level through the Basin HELP Groups - Implementation of HELP Philosophy

Key HELP contacts are given below:

- Global Secretariat:

Mr Shahbaz Khan, Chief Sustainable Water Resources Development and Management Section, UNESCO Paris

- RCU for Australasia and South East Asia:

Mr John Blackwell, Charles Sturt University, Australia

- RCU for Latin America and the Caribbean:

Ms Pilar Cornejo de Grunauer, FIMCM-ESPOL, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

http://www.fimcm.espol.edu.ec/webpages/help/index.htm

- RCU for North America:

Mr Edwin Engman, Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

- RCU for Europe:

Ms Patricia Wouters, UNESCO HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK.

Finding a Buyer of Structured Settlement Payments

Many people that are currently receiving a stream of monthly structured settlement payments do not realize that it is possible to sell all or a portion of their payments for a lump sum of cash. Access to these funds could provide funding to meet the current life needs of one's family instead of waiting for a future stream of inflexible payments structured over a long period of time. This process of entering into a contract to sell ones legal right of receiving future structured payments to settlement companies in exchange for the present value of the money is called factoring. A large number of companies now offer cash for a structured settlement payment. When evaluating your options, try to work with financially sound companies that are competent and ethical. These factors are important considerations to note of when you compare the knowledge and integrity of a company or corporation as well as their dollar offers.

Sarjatik System – IX – Planets affect Environment, Life and the Earth?

New Delhi, India: February 8, 2008 – IR Summary – Released by Lord Vishnu Bhakt Swamy Raj Baldev.

The Sarjatik System of Occult Astrology is a scientific system that explains how the planets affect the Earth, Environment, Regions and Human Life? It clarifies that the planets only affect the human life maximum by 24% and not 100%. In fact, 76% influence of planets on life comes other factors like genetic properties from parents, regional effect, environment of one’s upcoming, the history of past destiny from deeds of previous birth, the paternal background, among others.

190. Swamy Raj: “My reverend Lord Vishnu, You have been kind enough to explain to me various factors of different effects on life up to 76%.”

191.“ That is – Maximum 8% genetic effect, 8% labor or income, 8% strategy, 12% effect of the Earth planet, 19% family background and 21% destiny. What about stars, My Lord?”

192. Lord Vishnu: “Yes, my dear Swamy, the remaining effects on human life are 24%, caused by different planets and objects in the Solar System.”

193. “The people think that planets and stars do everything in their life, which is not correct, it is their misconception, delusion or false imagination.”

194. “They affect the life of a human being only to a certain extent and do not cover all events of life. The planets or stars or any other concerned space objects are not responsible for all proceedings of life of a person, place, region or the Earth.”

195. “The calculation of planets, if properly computed, indicates what is right time to start a thing, its middle or end and that too depending on the nature of the task or mission, whether one really qualifies it or not.”

196. “Similarly, the planets and stars can indicate the negative period for a certain type of job, travel, or any type of initiative, undertaking or task. Wherever, the stars do not support a particular or job, its alternative is the best solution to seek from expert astrologers."

197. "Each type of planet has it own potency and power and its effect is different every femto second. Their distance from the Sun and the Earth are important factors, their orbiting position count and their effect on life on the Earth is according to the strength of their degrees."

198.Lord Vishnu continued: "If the degree of the planet or object is commanding or powerful, it shall influence on the Earth, its atmosphere and life.

199. "Since all planets and objects shed their rays on the Earth collectively, each planet partly loses its individual potency and merges into the total effect of their orbiting positions on the Earth. The power of planets and concerned objects should be worked out individually and jointly for their combined effect."

200. "All planets and their shared effect do not influence every body equally; the effect changes on every person even if a thousand people are born at the same time, place and date, shall have divergent life effect since they cannot be alike in their previous birth and cannot be similar in destiny wise."

201. "All planets of an individual should be read with the planets of one’s parents and their place of birth, if possible the names of grand parents should be included in the calculation of Occult Astrology, particularly when a child born."

202. Swamy Raj: “My dear Lord of Lords, kindly let me know in short how the planets affect the human life and what’s the broader formula to work out the predictions of a person?

203.Lord Vishnu: Each planet has its own composition of either gaseous, rocky or of other natures with mixed matter and energy. According to its mass, composition, gravity, distance from the Sun and the Earth and its orbital position, it releases its energy and rays that fall on the Earth.

204. "That depending on the orbit and distance of each planet or object from the Earth and the Sun, they shed their effect on the Earth through their rays and that eventually affect the human life."

205. "The planets and objects that come in the way of the Earth by blocking its rays. touch the Earth and affects its atmosphere, which is continuously changing every femto second."

206. "Each human catches the signals of these planets through various organs of the body. The Sun affects the whole body and also affects through third finger from the thumb."

207. “To cite an example of Jupiter, it releases its rays through hair, ears, first finger from the thumb, both hands and feet. Its rays are auspicious in Cancer and inauspicious in Capricorn."

208. “When a child is born, all stars collectively shed their rays on it, the auspicious planets and concerned objects shed inject their rays as per their strength. Similarly, the inauspicious planets shed their rays and neutral planets discharge their own rays."

209. "Thus the child attains the individual as well as collective strength of all planets and as per their nature and strength the child is influenced by them as and when the planets change their course and come either closer to the Earth or go far away from the Earth."

210. Lord Vishnu continued: It is important to work out the effect of planets of the parents along with the child. The names of each parent influences the child, and while working out the details of the child astrologically, it is important also to work out the name of the mother, maiden name so as to make the calculation of the child specific. (Further publication Discontinued)."

Note: The above 210 texts published in International Reporter under Sarjatik System of Occult Astrology are derived from ‘Vishnu Jyotish Puran’,and released by Vishnu Bhakt Swamy Raj Baldev. The series of Vishnu Jyotich Puran is very long, only VIII installments are published in International Reporter earlier, and it is the IXth installment. The entire puran (Book) shall be released by Media International Limited, New Delhi, later on very shortly. The puran sheds light on Universe, Life and Occult sciences.

raj.baldev2007@gmail.com

How to Sell Structured Settlement Payments

Many people who receive monthly annuity payments under a settlement agreement do not realize they can sell all or a portion of their stream of annuity payments in exchange for a cash lump sum. Getting paid this money can be a way to help fund the current life needs of your family. Receiving the cash now rather than waiting a period of a year or more for a stream of inflexible payments structured in the future can be a big advantage to some people. Factoring is the name of the process of selling ones legal right to receiving future structured payments in exchange for a the present value of that money. This sale becomes a legal contract with the settlement company.

Companies now offer to pay for your rights to receive future annuity payments under structured agreements. The settlement companies offer annuitants the benefit of direct access to cash.

To receive more information please fill out the form on the right.

On January 22, 2002, President George W. Bush signed new protective legislation. This law was designed to protect any individual who has received a settlement annuity as part of a lawsuit or settlement that wishes to sell their structured payments. Under the law a court would have to authorize a transaction to sell future settlement payments. A transaction must in the best interest of the annuitant, their family, dependents or estate to be approved. If a court order and approval is not received, a federal excise tax of 40% would be paid on the total payments sold. This law is intended to help people who receive offers of cash for their annuity payments from being defrauded or taken advantage of by settlement buyers or even their own families.

You have probably seen advertisements urging you to "sell a structured settlement payment". Many beneficiaries wonder if they should sell and cash out, especially if they are in a situation where they need the money. This is a major financial decision and you would be well advised to carefully evaluate your options before making a decision. You need to determine if selling all or even a portion of your guaranteed settlement payments is in your best interest. It usually takes about two months from the date you start to complete a sale and for you to receive the cash when you sell insurance payments. For more information please fill out the form on the right.

Best LIFE-Environment projects

Website: ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/bestlifeenv.htm

In October 2005, the EU Member States represented on the LIFE-Committee, together with the LIFE Unit, have identified the 24 best LIFE-Environment projects completed during 2004 and early 2005.

The main aim of the Best Projects exercise is to promote the LIFE projects selected as 'the best practices' by focusing part of the European Commission's and individual Member States communication actions on helping them to further disseminate their results. This is a pilot exercise. However, if 2005's trial run is successful, the initiative will be repeated with more substantial resources for 2005-2006.

All 24 projects will be featured in an online publication to be published in December 2005. The publication will focus on the projects' innovative qualities and results, as well as their possibilities for replication. The document will be available from the website, and those subscribed will be informed by a LIFEnews alert.

The five projects selected as the 'best of the best' included four relating to energy and transport (in no particular order):

* STIRLING Motor implemented by Mayer & Cie.
* SMILE implemented by Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie
* BBMpassiv implemented by BBM - Beschaffungsbetrieb der MIVA
* ENERWASTE implemented by Matadero Frigorífico del Nalón

Of the 24 projects, a total of 9 were related to energy and transport as follows:

* SMILE (France) - Sustainable Mobility Initiative for Local Environment.
* STIRLING Motor (Germany) - Miniature block-type thermal power station based on a long-lived Stirling motor.
* IEM in Hospitals (Germany) - Development of environmental management systems in hospitals from four European Regions and integration in QM-Systems.
* TANDEM (Italy) - Pilot action for promoting EMAS among local bodies operating on a large territory (provinces and main municipalities) in TANDEM with Local Agenda 21.
* ENERWASTE (Spain) - Implementation of an AD facility at a Spanish slaughterhouse for a sustainably closed energy and waste cycle.
* ECOBUS (Spain) - Collecting used cooking oils for recycling as biofuel for diesel engines.
* BBMpassiv (Austria) - Multifunctional company and administration building with logistics and cultural centre in passive house standard in sustainable timber construction.
* ENERLAB (Latvia) - Energy labelling of apartment buildings.
* EQUATION (Netherlands) - Demonstration and dissemination project for stimulating architects and local governments to build in a sustainable way with the help of innovative design tools.