Country position on Doha UNFFD conference should be made public

Shun Aid Dependency; Stress Domestic Resource Based Economy

Dhaka, 19th November 2008: Today in a seminar organized by EquityBD held in national press club, titled “Doha Conference on Development Financing: Reproduction of Poverty in Bangladesh and Demand for Compensation’ speakers inquired this interim government to declare country position in terms of development financing in public in the upcoming United Nations Finance for Development (UNFFD) conference to be held in Doha during 29th Nov – 2nd Dec 2008. They requested the Finance Minister not to take the position in line with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Speakers also urged the politicians and bureaucrats to come out from the dependency on foreign aid, and give concern in the mobilization of domestic resources.

EquityBD convenor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury moderated the seminar while Md. Shamsuddoha, Secretary General of the organization reviewed the outcomes of Monterrey Consensus, the 1st World Conference of Development Financing, and highlighted the expectation from the Doha conference.

Among others, Professor Dr. Abu Ahmed, Sapatahiki Editor Golam Mortaza, BSS Editor Joglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Ex MP Sahiduzaman and Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Ex Ambassador Waliur Rahman, Journalist Farooque Ahmed, AHM Bazlur Rahaman, Mostafa Kamal Akanda took part in the discussion. Md. Shamsuddoha, in his presentation, urged that Bangladesh require innovative financing instruments as the country is facing climate change risk and the Finance Minister who will lead the country delegation in Doha conference should demand SIDR cyclone and climate change compensation. He also inquired government position in asking reform of World Bank and International Monetary Fund, debt cancellation and reparation of historical exploitation.

Please download the press release (English) , ( Bangla) ,and Power point presentation ( Bangla ) . photos

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Market freedom responsible for climate crisi

EquityBd Demanded Democratic Reform in Global Finance Governance

16th November 2008. Today Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (equitybd) organized a press conference in Dhaka Reporter Unity, while they condemn US initiative for convening G7 and G 20 conference in Washington to rebuild and strengthen the World Bank and IMF aftermath of the global financial crisis. Speakers in the press conference claimed that the present financial crisis of the recent days in the result of unlimited market freedom and greed for profit which has been instigated by the IFI’s investment and its flawed development paradigm. Hence, the US and G 20 initiative to rescue the IFIs again will accelerate crisis.

There is an initiative for reform to the global financial governance by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who formed a committee headed by prominent economist Joseph Stiglitz, but US President George W Bush convened the meeting bypassing the UN chief’s initiative, the organizers said. They mentioned G 7 and G 20 imitative as ill perceived approach, which is just to save World Bank and IMF, the promoters of blanket privatization and liberalization. Speakers demanded participation of all the UN members, especially civil society from developing countries, in the reform of the global financial governance; they also demanded to bring World Bank and IMF under UN control.

About one-year of the cyclone SIDR, that devastated the coastal region of the country, the speakers said SIDR is the result of climate change impact and it caused damage of 1.7 billion dollars but the country has received only 350 million dollar, which is only reparation of 20.5 percent of the total damages. They demanded compensation as ecological debt from the developed country like USA and EU and also from the advanced developing countries who are responsible for climate crisis.

Among others, members of Equity and Justice Working Group Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Mostafa Kamal Akanda, Md. Shamsuddoha, AHM Bazlur Rahman, Sahadat Islam Chowdhury  spoke in the press conference. 

Please download the press release (English) , ( Bangla) ,and Position Paper ( Bangla ) . photos

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Launching Country wide Campaign to Protest WB Involvement in Climate Change Fund Management

08 November 2008: Today Equity and Justice Working Group and 25 other NGOs/CSOs organization lunched country wide campaign against the involvement of World Bank in the management of Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF). This NGO alliance declared its campaign activities through organizing a press conference at the Reporter’s Unity, Dhaka, which include seminar in all 64 districts, post card sending to the Chief Adviser to the Government of Bangladesh and also to Mr Doglus Alexander, MP, UK. Md Shamsuddoha of EquityBd, presented the campaign plan while Mustafa Kmal Akand moderated the conference.  

Please download the press release (English) , ( Bangla) ,and Memorundum to CA and UK (English) ( Bangla)

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03 November 2008: A press conference at Reporters unity, Dhaka

EquityBD urges Political Leaders to Play Sovereign Role in Country’s Economic Decision

Second PRSP would make country more indebted to the World Bank and IMF

Dhaka 3rd November 2008: Today, in a press conference held in Dhaka Reporters Unity, Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (equitybd) urged political leaders to scrap PRSP process as this document has been prepared with the instruction of IMF. They urged political leaders to regain country’s sovereignty in economic decision which to be outlined in their forthcoming election manifesto; each of the political parties should describe their plan for poverty reduction, employment creation etc. in their election manifesto, the speaker argued.  The press conference was moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowhdury, Convener of the group, Sayed Aminul Haque while made the presentation. Besides, Md. Shamsuddoha, Mostafa Kamal Akanda and Sahadat Islam Chowdhury of EquityBd also participated in the press conference.

Please download the Press release ( Bangla ) ( English) , Power Point Presentation(Bangla).(English), Photos Album and media coverage

File photo: Dr. Tofial meet with the then president Justice Sahabuddin during September 2000.

Dhaka, 22nd October 2008, 1700 hours. Dr. Tofail one of the founder trustee of the COAST trust and advisor of Equity and Justice Working Group (EquityBD) has been selected as a member of the country’s first local government commission, government of Bangladesh has declared the selection to day around 3 pm. Dr. Tofail is one of the founder and life member of COAST Trust, he was first Treasurer and 2nd Chairperson of its Board of Trustees and still holding the position of member.  He did Ph.D from UK on Local Government; he was a professor of department of public administration in University of Chittagong. He is a relentless activist and associated with several civil society / non government organizations especially with advocacy related to local government. His works and full bio data is available in http://www.equitybd.org/English/Advisor/Adviser.html

Interest of the Bangladeshi poor population has been sell out to build image of climate exploiter rich countries.

Dhaka 12 September 2008: Today the Equity &Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD) organized a press conference on “ London Conference on Multi Donor Trust Fund and Climate Change " at Dhaka Reporters Unity, Dhaka.

Equity BD protested the joint communiqué from UK Bangladesh conference and the Finance Adviser proposal for World Bank to manage multi donor trust fund. Where  Interest of the Bangladeshi poor population has been sell out to build image of rich climate exploiter rich countries.

In the press conference Mr. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury Convener of EquityBD presented the key note paper while AHM Bazlur Rahaman moderated the session. Mr. Shahdat Islam Chowdhury , Mustofa Kamal took part in the discussion .

Please download the Bangla Position paper (Bangla), ( English) , and Bangla Press release , The joint communique on Climate Change of UK Bangladesh  London conference., Photos.

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Dhaka04 September 2008: Today the Equity & Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD) organized a press conference on  “ London Conference on Multi DonorTrust Fund and Climate Change " at Dhaka Reporters Unity, Dhaka.

In the press conference Md Shamsuddoha Secretary General of EquityBD presented the key note paper while Mr. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury Convener of EquityBD moderated the session. During the presentation, equityBD has protested the paper, biased to consultancies and physical infrastructure construction. EquyityBD has also mentioned that the paper has prepared in a very non transparent and in a little participatory process.
Equitybd has also placed five major demands, ie., (i) all climate funding should be through existing government and non government channels, their should not be any separate body for this, (ii) in channeling the fund there should not be any involvement of World Bank, IMF and ADB, we consider those international financial institutions are basically responsible for pauperization in our countries through their neo liberal conditionalitics, who are also responsible for climate catastrophic in our counties as still they fund climate harmful industries and projects, (iii) all climate funding should be based on Polluter / Exploiter Pay principles, not as charity or aid (iv) the funding must be additional to the GNI 0.7 % ODA commitment of developed countries, and (v) the conference must consider the matter of environmental refugees, according the World Bank report their will be 22 millions climate refugee in Bangladesh by the year 2050.
Among others, Mr. Shahdat Islam Chowdury , Mustofa Kamal, AHM Bazlur Rahaman of EquityBD participated in the press conference and took part in the discussion .

Please download the Bangla Position paper (Bangla) , ( English) , and Bangla Press release , Media Coverage.

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19th August 2008: A Round table discussion at National Press Club, Dhaka

LDC and Brussels Plan of Actions (BPoA)

LDC Watch, South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) and Equity and Justice Working Group (Equity BD), Bangladesh jointly organized the seminar on 'LDCs and Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA)' in Dhaka. In the introductory speech, Dr Arjun K Karki of LDC Watch said there were 24 least developed countries in 1971. ‘But now the number of LDCs has increased to 49 and the rich countries are responsible for their deterioration,’ he said. ‘We were not poor. We were systemically made poor. LDCs must apply ‘2P’ strategy i.e Pressure and Partnership to gain benefit from the international Programme of Actions and multilateral development processes. In the key note presentation Md Shamsuddoha, Secretary equitybd, specifically analyzed the major challenges facing the LDCs in the implementation of BPoA and asked the lending countries and agencies to take immediate measures, which include fulfilling their promises for ensuring economic development in low-income countries, by building up human resources and increasing institutional capacities, enhancing the role of trade in development, reducing vulnerability, protecting the environment and mobilizing financial resources’.  Dr Hasan Mahmud, Special Assistant to the Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina, said the least developed countries, like Bangladesh, could not reach their goal, as they follow the advice of international donor agencies like the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF). BNP leader Rizvi Ahmed said the elected representatives of the government must make efforts to prepare the development plans with their eyes on nation’s interests, both at local and international levels.

The Jatiya Party’s presidium member, GM Quader, said the political parties here lack the will to protect the nation’s interests while negotiating with the lending countries and agencies.

please down load the seminar outline, conept note both in Bengali and English, LDC Watch brochure both in Bengali and English, UN reports on BPoA, LDC Governance, LDC and Gender and LDC Progress Indicators and powerpoint presentation, Press releasen Bengali and Briefing Pape.

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The South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) failed to play any significant role in socio-economic development of the sub-continent

Dhaka 13 july 2008: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is suffering from some structural deficiencies and lack of correct mindset to swing the forum to an economic union for improving the quality of life of its people.
They said, the SAARC has adopted scores of decisions and projects with regards to eradicating poverty, climate change, food bank, trade and commerce to improve economic cooperation among the members, but most of them remained in paper or implemented partially due to some shortcomings in the implementation process.
The speakers said this at a roundtable on ‘Peoples’ Expectation and South Asian Union’ jointly organized by Media Foundation for Trade and Development and Equity and Justice Working Group at Jatiya Press Club Sunday.

Addressing the roundtable as the chief guest, former SAARC secretary general QAMA Rahim said, the SAARC should make functional its ‘post-office type’ secretariat by giving power to oversee the execution of the decisions.
He also called for changing the mindset of the SAARC leaders particularly the bureaucrats and people as well to address the drawbacks to move the Saarc on its right direction and to make it an economic union by 2020.
Noted academic and former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Moniruzzaman Miah, outgoing Country Representative of the Asian Development Bank Ms Hua Du attended the roundtable as the special guests.
Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury, eminent economist Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman, BSS chief editor Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury and former commerce secretary Sohel Ahmed were the main discussants of the roundtable. Foreign Ministry official Faisal Ahmed talked about the agenda of the next SAARC summit in Colombo in the last week of this month and former secretary Siddiqur Rahman, ambassador Waliur-Rahman and Executive Director of Debtech Ferdousi Begum spoke among others.

Member secretary of Equity and Justice Working Justice M Shamsuddoha presented a keynote paper on the topic while Faruk Ahmed of Media Foundation acted as moderator.

Please download the press release, . Presentation, Media Coverage,

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Dhaka 06 July 2008: Today Equity & Justice Working Group (Equitybd) in organized a press conference on “SAARC Ministerial Meeting” at Reporter’s Unity Dhaka, VIP hall room. EquityBd urged the Bangladesh government to rase the climate change issues in the upcoming 15th Saarc Summit.

Keynote paper present by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, convener EquityBd, The organizer urged that "SAARC members should discuss on how they can address the food crisis by their surplus food in this region so that no member country of this organization can take the opportunity of food crisis of another country" , they also discus on Introduction visa-free traveling and climate change issue. In the conference among with others AHM Bazlur Rahaman, Sahadut Hossin Chowdhury, Mustafa Kama also present there

Please download the press release, . Position Paper(Bangla) , Media Coverage,

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Dhaka 03 July 2008: Today Equity & Justice Working Group (Equitybd) in collaboration with Jubilee South- APMDD, SAAPE and LDC Watch has organized a press conference titled on “ Cancel Debt, Reparation and Climate Justice”  at Reporter’s Unity Dhaka, VIP hall room. Former adviser of caretaker government and Executive Director- Ain O Salish Kandro, Advocate Sultana Kamal  inaugurated the international Campaign by switching on the flash card  on before the 34th G8 summit wich will be took place in Hokkaido, Toyako, Japan 7-9th of July 2008

The key note paper presented by Syed Aminul Hoque, researcher- Equitybd. The organizer urged for cancellation of all foreign debt, ensure climate justice and not to create any fund under controlling of World Bank. They also demanded to create the adaptation fund with the given frame work of UNDP. In the conference among with others AHM Bazlur Rahaman, Sahadut Hossin Chowdhury, Mustafa Kamal and Atiqul Islam Chowdhury from Equity & Justice Working Group were present.
Please download the press release, presentation, flash Card , Media Coverage, Photos and two Policy Brief .

Click on image to download the policy Brief

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Dhaka 12 june 2008: Equity and justice working group organized a post budget dialogue on the proposed national budget of Bangladesh of 2008 – 2009 FY. This dialogue was to facilitate people’s expectation to fed in to the proposed one. A number of civil society organizations , representatives of different professional group , representatives of leading political parties were participated in the dialogue and put forward their concern to make national budget pro poor and growth oriented wherein people would have equitable and justified access to the resources. Among others, Mr. Rashed Al Titumir of Unnayan Onneshan, Mahmudur Rahman Manna  of Bangladesh Awami league, Samsuzzaman Dudu of BNP, Golam Mortoza editor of Saptahik, Ahmed Swopon Mahmud of Voice , Maliha  Shajahn of APIT,  Sharif –e- Kafi of BDPC were present and expressed their views and thought to make the budget pro- poor.

Syed Aminul Hoque in his key note presentation on proposed budget said; although the budget proposed increased amount of allocation to social safety net projects and to other prime sectors like agriculture but these subsidy likely to benefit urban middle class and rural elites. Syed Aminul commented Social Safety Net dominated budget as the budget of relief oriented and to satisfy immediate needs not really looking at the long term measures of poverty reduction. The proposed budget is heavily relied on deficit financing from the external sources, which will make country more indebted to the international financial institutions. Syed Aminul pointed that the government could follow the recommendations of Public Expenditure Review Commission, which has been framed while 4-party alliance was in power. Again, analysis of the implementation of previous year’s budget shows that expenditure in service and human development sectors like health and family planning, power and energy etc. was comparatively less than the other sectors like defense, public works etc, which is increasing human poverty as well as widening rural-urban as well as rich-poor gap.

In the open discussion many of the discussant indicated power and agriculture subsidy as discriminatory and unjustified while around 90 percent of these subsidy is spent to satisfy luxury of urban people. Speakers in the dialogue demanded withdrawal of fossil fuel subsidy from the non-agriculture/ non-productive sectors. They also proposed several specific recommendation to reduce fossil fuel dependency; like-

1. Obligatory utilization of energy efficient bulbs
2. Fixing air condition at 26 degree temperature
3. Car free day in a week
4. Limited and controlled utilization of government vehicles
5. Proportion of solar energy
6. Making public transport system convenient and friendly
7. Ban on the import of high CC cars

he speakers also opposed the present concept of attaining food security as this concept undermines peoples’ rights on production system, farmers’ indigenous knowledge and make farmer dependent on multi-national companies for agricultural inputs.   

Power Point Presentation are :

	Subject	Click	Presented By
1	Budget Feedback Framework and Some Fundamental Approach		Md Shamsuddoha
2	Budget analysis & review based on economic justice and equity		Syed Aminul Hoque

Conference Photo And Media Coverage.

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To make the next budget 2008-09 peoples oriented and effective, EJWG and NTV organize a week long pre budget discussion program. NTV  telecast the program AJKER SHOKAL regularly at 8.30 am  from 26 to 30 May , 2008.

Please download the Pdf file of  Pre Budget discussion .    

	Participant	Download
	Dr. Tofail Ahemd, country's renowned social scientist Priority should be given to subsidy of Agricultural production and enhance the Social Safety net program.	Discussion 26 may 2008
	Mr. Faruque Ahmed, President, Media Foundation for Trade and Development To achieve self-sufficiency in Food production we need Agricultural Land Policy and Establish Agro processing plant	Discussion 27 may 2008
	Begum Shamsun Nahar, Gender and development Specialist Ensure Quality of Health Services from local Govt. Hospital by giving priority to Public sector.	Discussion 28 may 2008
	Sarmina Rashimen, Social Activist Urge to government to allocate sufficient budget for implementation of Coastal Development Policy.	Discussion 29 may 2008
	Mustafa Kamal, Development Activist Demanding Revenue based Budget instead on foreign debt in Budget financing. .	Discussion 30 may 2008

Geneva 24th April 2008: Today election of HAP I (Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International) Executive Committee has held following its annual general meeting during 23 and 24th April in HAP I secretariat in Geneva .
In this election Mr Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Execuitve Director COAST Trust and Convenor EJWG has been elected as one of its four executive committee members of HAP I for the next two years period.

HAP-I is an international organization that promote accountability of its member organizations to their benificieries/poor in humanitarian actions. HAP I also provide certification and accredition to its member organizations based on some principles, work plan and its implementation audit.
 
Several international organizations like Oxfam GB, CARE International, Christian Aid, World Vision International, CAFOD, TearFund, Muslim Aid, Concern Worlwide, MERCY Malaysia are the full members of this organization. From Bangladesh COAST Trust has also got full membership of HAP I very recently. DFID, DANIDA and Swedish SIDA and several others are the associate members of the organization.

Dhaka 17 April 2008: Equity & Justice Working Group (EJWG) in association with several other organizations- VOICE, the Innovators, Advancing Public Interest Trust, Coastal Development Partnership, Bangla Praxis- organized a peoples' dialogue on ' Impact of ADB finance policies and ADB backed projects in Bangladesh' at the National Press Club Auditorium in Dhaka.

The participating organizations presented a number of ADB financed projects as case like; Khulna-Jessore Drainage Project, Sundarban Biodiversity Conservation Project, Fulbari Coal Mining Project etc. which has created local level social tension and environmental disasters and finally considered as fail projects. The presenters pointed out that although ADB publicly advocates democracy, rule of law, human rights, poverty alleviation etc. but in Bangladesh it is obvious that ABD finance policies and loan conditionalities are reproducing poverty putting the country in the vicious cycle of indebtness. Following the presentation of the impacts of ADB finance projects and ADB Country Assistance and Program (CSP) the representatives of political party leaders and CSOs representatives expressed their views on ADB financing in Bangladesh. They also asked the government of Bangladesh to find out alternative funding sources other than ADB, the World Bank and IMF.

Mr Mahmudur Rahman Manna, law maker of Bangladesh Awami League-AL, said the country needs a strong political commitment for denying the hegemony of the international financial institutions; all political parties should work together to reach a consensus of avoiding IFIs loan and formulate internal and realistic national poverty reduction strategies basing on incoming remittances and domestic resources. But irony is that our political leaders even many NGO/CSO representatives don't feel comfort criticizing finance and loan policies of the IFIs.

In relation to ADB's five years CSP, from 2006 to 2010, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, another AL law maker, pointed out that ADB will no more finance on forestry and biodiversity, rural livelihoods development, clean fuel development etc. which clearly indicates that ADB country CSP is not poverty focused; it's development strategy is strongly influenced by the neo-liberal economic policies. We should raise this concern in the ADB's high level policy meetings.

Please download the, Press release , Media Coverage.

Power Point Presentation are :

	Subject	Click	Presented By
1	ADB & it’s Strategy in Bangladesh: 2006-2010		Md Shamsuddoha
2	Primary Education Development in Bangladesh; Sub-sector Wide Approach (SWAP)		Sabbir Bis Shums
3	Unmasking ADB on KJDRP issue and Formation of Multi stakeholder Forum (MSF)		Kazi Zaved Khalid Pasha Joy
4	ADB activities in Bangladesh: Who Own & who lost.		Mustofa Kamal

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Dhaka 22 March 2008: Today the Equity & Justice Working Group (EJWG) organized a press conference on  “Formulation Process of National Budget and Inclusion of Priority issues in the 2nd PRSP” at Dhaka Reporters Unity, Dhaka.

Md Aminul Haque policy researcher- EJWG presented the key note paper while Mr. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury Convener of EJWG moderated the conference. Among others, Mr. Shahdat Islam Chowdury , Mustofa Kamal, Md Shamsuddoha of EJWG participated in the press conference and took part in the discussion .

Please download the Position paper , Press release and Power Point Presentation. Media Coverage.

Dhaka 24 February 2008: Today the Equity & Justice Working Group (EJWG) organized a national dialogue on ' Impact PRSP and Sovereignty in Development Planning' at the National Press Club Auditorium in Dhaka. .

Dr. Tofail Ahemd, country's renowned social scientist, presided over the dialogue session while Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Convener EJWG, moderated smooth functioning of the dialogue. Among others, Jatiya Party law maker and ex-parliament member GM Quadar, Awami League law maker Dr. Hasan Mahmud and BNP leader Dr. Rizvi Ahmed participated in the national dialogue and discussed on PRSP and its implementation impact in Bangladesh.

Syed Aminul Haque, Policy Researcher -Equity and Justice Working Group, presented the key note paper and argued that although the very objectives of PRSP was to bring-down country's poverty situation but following the implementation of PRSP, country’s poverty situation has risen enormously. Syed Aminul, explaining the existing poverty situation and country's development policies, questioned the way of PRSP implementation as it only satisfied the requirement of IFIs hegemony, didn't implemented anything that would contribute to the poverty reduction in real sense.

BNP leader Dr. Rizvi Ahmed said, we don’t need to listen donors' advice; for poverty reduction country needs its own long-term development planning. All political parties should work together to reach the goal. In this relation, Dr. Hasan Mahmud signifies the involvement of political party leaders in the preparation of country’s future development strategies.

Mrs. Shahin Anam of Manusher Janno Foundation pointed out that, government is going to finalize the second PRSP which of course should be poverty focus not only to satisfy the needs of country's development partners.

Mr. GM Quadar pointed out that our political leaders and bureaucrats should be made responsible for the negative consequences of market liberalization and mismanagement of foreign loans and aids. He also said that foreign aided projects are treated as a bonanza for few corrupted bureaucrats and political leaders. That’s why they always try to support donor’s activities in our country. 

Please download the press release , position paper ,Presentation Media Coverage and photos.

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