(토요모임) [29. September. 2018] Saturday meeting Topic

[Scarlet]

Howdy ! 

It's me Scarlett ! We will have a Englisholic Saturday meeting(19:00~21:00)
at the 2nd floor study room in Twosome place nearby Sachang cross street.
(Map is attached below) If you need more precise information, send me a text message. (Scarlett : 010-2745-2316)

Detailed topics are as follows.

◈ Reflection 

---- Write your biggest regret.

◈ Happiness & Work

---- Denmark has the best work-life balance. Here’s why

---- Goodbye, maths and English. Hello, teamwork and communication?

◈ Art of Living 

---- Warren Buffett's Best-Kept Secret to Achieving Massive Success: Critical Thinking
---- Mastering these skills could get you hired in 2017
---- Why Successful People Will Never Neglect A Backup Plan

◈ Sustainable Development Goals  

---- Ban Ki-moon and Bill Gates Are Teaming Up to Fight Climate Change
---- What are the Sustainable Development Goals?
---- Sustainable development goals: all you need to know

---- What Are the Global Goals — and How Close Are We to Achieving Them?

Hope you enjoy the topics. 

With luv 

Scarlett

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People were asked what they regret most in life and their answers were heartbreaking

Posted 5 days ago by Jessica Brown in people

With the New Year looming, it’s an unofficial tradition to reflect on the years passed and ahead, and set ourselves New Year’s Resolutions.

Earlier this year, New Yorkers were invited to write their biggest regrets on an empty chalkboard, and the results went viral. So if you need inspiration for your resolutions - and so their mistakes don’t go in vain – this is what New Yorkers had to say. 

- I regret all the time I wasted not saying yes to things

- Never going after my dreams

- I’e been told recently I was homeless, if I hadn’t hurt the people I had maybe I wouldn’t have been

- I wanted to do so many things but I can never seem to find the time

- I did all the things that were Plan B. I just never did it

- Never speaking up

- Not being a better friend

Then the video says:

- As the board filled up with so many stories we noticed that almost all these regrets had something in common.

They were about chances not taken.

They were about words not spoken.

They were abut dreams never pursued .

People were then given an eraser to wipe the writing off the board. Then the video gives the advice:

- Every day is a clean slate

- Do the things you regret not doing 

Article source : https://www.indy100.com/article/people-asked-their-regrets-7466971

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< Questions >

Q1. What is the biggest regret for you this year? Why?

Q2. What is the biggest regret in your whole life time? 

Q3. If you can change one thing in your past life, what would it be? Why do you want to change it?

Q4. What was the last thing you have regretted purchasing?  

Q5. Would you do different things for your regretful behavior if you have another chance? 

Q6. What was the biggest achievement this year for you? And for our society? 

Q7. What was your new year's resolution this year? How many goals did you achieve until now? 

Q8. Do you have any wish next year? 

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Denmark has the best work-life balance. Here’s why

Written by Alex Gray/ Formative Content/ Published Friday 17 March 2017

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," goes the line in Shakespeare's Hamlet. But four centuries after the play was written, the analysis couldn't be less accurate. According to the OECD Better Life report, Danes have a better work-life balance than any other country surveyed.

Only 2% of employees regularly work very long hours, which isn't much when you compare it with the OECD average of 13%. Instead, they spend around two-thirds of their day (16 hours) eating, sleeping and indulging in leisurely pursuits.

It's not just the workers: Danes rank above average in an intimidatingly long list of areas: environmental quality, civic engagement, education, skills, jobs, earnings, well-being, personal security and social connections.

That last area, social support networks, is key: 96% of people report having friends or relatives they can count on in times of trouble, compared with the 88% across other OECD countries.

Air quality in Denmark is also better than the OECD average (in scientific terms that translates as 11.1 micrograms of PM2.5 pollution per cubic metre, as opposed to 14.05 elsewhere).

Danes are unusually engaged in the political process – voter turnout stands at 86% and is among the highest in the OECD. They’re also well educated: 80% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper-secondary education. That's four percentage points higher than the OECD average.

Work-life balance

According to the Danes themselves, the key is to prioritize life over work. And when they are at work, they enjoy a high degree of flexibility. They can often choose when they start their working day and have the option of working from home. The lunch break is often at a designated time each day, enabling colleagues to interact and eat together, thus enabling them to leave their desks. There is a minimum five weeks’ paid holiday for all earners.

However, working fewer hours doesn’t mean they do less. Researchers at the OECD found that overly long working days actually reduce productivity.

Danish lifestyle choices are reflected in their attitudes, as recorded by the survey. When you look at what is important to Danish citizens, jobs and income are much lower down the list than health, education, the environment and work-life balance.

According to one Dane, the nation's attitude to money differs from that of other countries:

“Money is not as important in the social life here as, for example, Britain and America. We probably spend our money differently. We don’t buy big houses or big cars, we like to spend our money on socializing with others,” says Professor of Economics Christian Bjørnskov from Aarhus Business School.

There's one significant trade-off: Danes pay high taxes. But according to a recent Bloomberg report, they don’t mind. That’s because those taxes go towards paying for the country’s welfare state, which they treasure.

It’s no surprise then, that the Danes report the highest levels of life satisfaction of all surveyed countries.

Denmark was also ranked first in the World Happiness Report 2013, third in the World Happiness Report 2015, and first again in the World Happiness Report 2016 Update.

Is there anything Denmark doesn’t do well?

Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, no country is in entirely perfect health. Apart from anti-diabetic medication, Danes consume more pharmaceuticals than the OECD average, including antidepressants.

The OECD says that Denmark could be doing more to help its low-skilled and low-wage workers. The gap between rich and poor is high – the top 20% of the population earns nearly four times as much as the bottom 20%.

Denmark needs to lure more skilled workers to its shores if it’s to prop up its economic growth, particularly in the areas of engineering and science.

Article source : https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/03/denmark-best-work-life-balance-oecd?utm_content=bufferc3759&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

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<Questions>

Q1. What is the main ingredients of your happiness? 

Q2. When do you feel happiness in your daily routine? How about at work? 

Q3. According to an article, Danish citizens think jobs and income are much lower down the list than health, education, the environment and work-life balance. How about you? What is the most important priority in your life? 

Q4. Do you consume any pharmaceuticals? Why?

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Goodbye, maths and English. Hello, teamwork and communication?

Written by Alex Gray/ Formative Content/ Published Thursday 16 February 2017

It’s no longer enough to fill your CV with impressive grades. Employers are looking beyond qualifications to figure out what other skills their candidates have.

Cognitive skills in topics like maths and English have long been used as to measure the calibre of a job candidate. But a report by The Hamilton Project, an economic think-tank, says that non-cognitive skills are also integral to educational performance and success at work – and are becoming increasingly so.

Non-cognitive skills are your “soft skills”: things like how well you can communicate, how well you work with others, how well you lead a team and how self-motivated you are.

The report says that, to a certain extent, those soft skills inevitably depend on people's personality: “some individuals have an inherently easier time getting along with others” for example. They are also closely linked to the level of education a person has received, as well as that of their parents.

However, these skills can also be taught, says the report.

Not enough skills

The Hamilton Project referenced a survey of hiring managers in the US, which suggests that they are just as worried about finding people with the right non-cognitive skills as with more traditional and measurable abilities.

“While fewer than 20% of hiring managers said that recent graduates lacked the math skills needed for the work, more than half said that recent graduates lacked attention to detail. About equal shares of hiring managers saw deficiencies in writing proficiency and communication—the cognitive and non-cognitive aspects, respectively, of a single skill. About a third of hiring managers said recent college graduates lacked data analysis and teamwork skills,” says the report.

 Why is this important?

The Hamilton Project argues that non-cognitive skills are crucial for the labour market for four key economic reasons.

1. Today’s jobs demand more non-cognitive skills than they did in the past.

This graph shows that tasks that involved working with or for people – requiring better non-cognitive skills - are substantially more important today than they were in the 1980s and 1990s. Tasks such as social skills and service skills have grown by 16 and 17% respectively, while tasks that require high levels of maths have only grown by 5%.

2. The labour market increasingly rewards non-cognitive skills.

These charts show the link between salary and both types of skills.

 Figure 2   Image: The Hamilton Project/Brookings

3. And the more likely they are to be in full time employment.

These two bar charts show how, as non-cognitive and cognitive skills go up, so do earnings and the probability of full-time employment. This is unsurprising, but the data also shows how non-cognitive skills have become much more important over time.

 Figure 3   Image: The Hamilton Project/Brookings

4. Those with fewer non-cognitive skills are being left behind.

This final chart shows that almost all of those who are in the top 25% in non-cognitive skills complete high school, and more than half complete a degree.

 Figure 4   Image: The Hamilton Project/Brookings

 Leaving qualifications behind

Some companies are indeed bypassing qualifications altogether and using their own methods of assessing a candidate. In 2015 the global accountancy firm Ernst & Young said that they were going to use their in-house assessment programme and numeracy tests. “At EY we are modernising the workplace, challenging traditional thinking and ways of doing things. Transforming our recruitment process will open up opportunities for talented individuals regardless of their background and provide greater access to the profession,” says the company.

The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report argues that emotional intelligence, creativity, and people management will be among the top skills needed for jobs in 2020. “Change won’t wait for us: business leaders, educators and governments all need to be proactive in up-skilling and retraining people so everyone can benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” the report states.

Article source : https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/02/employers-are-going-soft-the-skills-companies-are-looking-for?utm_content=buffer41647&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

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< Questions >

Q1. What is the most required skill to be successful in your work place ?

Q2. Are you a sociable person? 

Q3. Do you keep any activities to build up your team spirit? How do you enjoy it? 

Q4. What is your main skill at work? Do you think your major skills can be substituted by robots? 

Q5. The world economic forum suggested that emotional intelligence, creativity, and people management will be among the top skills needed for jobs in 2020. Do you have any talents which you are committing excellence to among them? 

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Warren Buffett's Best-Kept Secret to Achieving Massive Success: Critical Thinking

Denise Hill/ Speech Writer/Senior Editor

Critical thinking skills are essential to success — any kind of success. Successful individuals are thinkers and they surround themselves with thinkers.

Consider Warren Buffett. He is known as the most successful investor of all time, and by his own estimate, he has spent 80 percent of his career reading.1 And what makes him so successful is that he isn’t willing to be a passive recipient of what he reads. Instead, he schedule time to eval‎‎‎uate the information he gets so as to form his own insights. This may sound counterproductive. We’ve been taught to work more, sleep less, and hyper-focus on the things that directly pertain to our goals. We call it being productive. Buffett and those like him find thinking, reading, and contemplating more productive than taking meetings and “working.” He actively pursues knowledge.

 Why people with strong critical thinking skills like Warren Buffett are more likely to succeed

Critical thinking involves being able to process information independently and to think clearly, logically, and reflectively. It is the ability to engage in rational thought and to understand and establish a connection between ideas. In essence, critical thinking is the ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information.2

They always question the status quo

The status quo is the current state of affairs. It’s the norm. It’s how things are done. You know you’ve found it when you hear the phrase,“We’ve always done it this way.” Critical thinkers ask questions such as, “Why do we do it that way?” “How can we make it better?” “What are our other options?”

They break down problems into smaller components and see the subtle connections between them

They love to test boundaries. They dissect issues and then find a way to systematically solve them. By examining the individual pieces of a problem they are able to apply solutions that create a domino or cascading effect. They solve one issue which effects another issue and are able to solve them both simultaneously.

They are sensitive to the loopholes in their logic 

Critical thinkers ruthlessly question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments, and conclusions represent the entire picture. They do not rely heavily on intuition and instinct. They test, prove, and disprove their hunches.

We are all fallible. Critical thinkers understand this and actively work to find the flaws in their own logic. One’s ability to think critically varies according to his/her current state of mind. Thinkers work to maintain objectivity, view the problem from all possible angles, and seek the input of others who are adept in logic and reasoning.

They tackle problems with a systematic plan

A system is designed to streamline and simplify processes. It improves effectiveness and makes effort more efficient. Most critical thinkers use a top down approach to problem solving. They are systematic in their efforts. They also set aside time for investigating challenging issues and brainstorming ways to push through them. They don’t tackle a problem without a plan.

They apply the scientific method to problem solving

Critical thinkers are usually highly methodical. They approach a problem the same way a scientist would and then move through the phases of the scientific method, conducting experiments to prove and disprove their hypotheses. Each experiment provides insight into the problem and proves or eliminates an idea or solution.

 3 steps to improve your critical thinking skills

Critical thinking is a skill set, meaning it can be learned. Learning to think critically often involves tweaking some of our processes instead of merely trying to adjust our way of thinking. If you do things a certain way, your thinking will follow a certain pattern. You will begin to develop the habit of thinking practically and then critically. Developing this skill takes deliberate practice and persistence.

Here are three steps to get you started:

1. Recognize the biases in your thinking

Biases are common. We all have them. However, our biases lead to fallacies in our thought processes and rob us of our objectivity. The most common and detrimental bias is the confirmation bias- our tendency to see what we want to see. We tend to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirm‎‎‎s our preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.

To cure confirmation bias, experts3 suggest that inundating yourself with information is not the answer. It’s all about how you filter the information you do have. When you don’t selectively filter information, you lose your objectivity which is the heart of logical thinking. This particular prejudice is most preval‎‎‎ent in emotionally- charged situations and when you have something to lose. It also shows up when wishful thinking is present.

For example, in the middle of basketball season the home town team has a record that is below 500 and has been on a seven game losing streak. The star player has just gone out with a torn ACL and your friend says to you, “I know in my heart that our home team will win the NBA Championship.”

This statement disregards the facts–or at the very least, fails to consider them– and makes a prediction based on a feeling.

Here are a few ways to overcome confirmation bias:

When you recognize a bias don’t abandon your initial hypothesis right away. It may be completely or even partially correct. Test your theory.

Keep an open mind. Work on trying to come up with alternatives no matter how far-fetched they may seem. Test all of your ideas.

Embrace surprises. Don’t discount them or get discouraged. The unexpected happens. Use this new “surprising” information to your advantage.

2. Use 5 “Whys” to find out the root causes of problems

The “Five Whys” methodology, developed by Sakichi Toyoda (founder of Toyota), uses a”go and see” philosophy. This turns the decision-making process into a search for a solution that is based on an in-depth understanding of what’s actually happening. This method simply involves asking, “Why?” five times, allowing you to dig deeper each time. The goal is to drill down and find the core of the issue.

Here’s a quick example:

The problem you are attempting to solve is that customers are complaining that when they receive merchandise they purchased online it does not match what they ordered (they are getting incorrect items, sizes, etc.).

Why are customers receiving the wrong products? Because the shipping company’s warehouse shipped products that are different from what the customers ordered.

 Why did the shipping company warehouse ship different products than what was ordered? 

  Because the personnel filling the online orders called the order in and gave it to the warehouse via telephone to expedite shipping. Errors were made during this process.

 Why are the online order fillers calling in orders instead of using the normal process?

  Because each shipping order has a slip that must be signed by the shipping directory before it is put into the system and sent to the warehouse.

 Why does each order slip have to be signed by the shipping director before it is shipped?

  Because the shipping director records the information for his weekly reports to the company CEO.

 Why does the shipping director have to record the information for each order this way?

  Because he does not know how to generate the report using the system the order fillers use to send their orders to the warehouse.

Using this process, we were able to locate the breakdown in the process around the third “why.” Asking “Why?” the last two times generated our solution: train the shipping director to use the existing software to generate his reports for the CEO.

3. Treat each problem like an experiment

Using the scientific method to solve problems is an effective and efficient mental model for solving problems. Most people approach problems haphazardly and dive into the middle of the issues and become overwhelmed or miss key elements. Following a process allows you to establish a habit. Remember critical thinking is a skill that requires practice and persistence. Start at the beginning of the process every single time. Here are the steps:

 Define the problem. Ask a question to discover what the true issue is.

 Do background research. Gather information.

 Construct a hypothesis. Make a prediction based on what you know so far, being careful to account for confirmation bias.

 Conduct experiments. Test your hypothesis. Apply the “Five Whys” methodology when necessary.

Analyze your data and draw a conclusion. Analyze the results of your experiments and put them to the test. Are there any other possible solutions? If so, test them out.

 Communicate your results. Present your solution along with your research and evidence.

Always reflect on and review your processes. It helps you to find gaps in your thinking and to adjust. Reflection helps develop objectivity.

With time, practice, and diligence using these three steps your critical thinking process will become a habit. You’ll be able to better predict results, anticipate pitfalls, and avoid biased thinking.

References

[1] ^ Inc.: Why Successful People Spend 10 Hours a Week Just Thinking

[2] ^ Skills You Need: Critical Thinking Skills

[3] ^ Global Cognition: Confirmation Bias: 3 Effective (and 3 Ineffective) Cures

Article source : http://www.lifehack.org/572725/why-critical-thinking-essential-your-success-and-how-you-can-improve?ref=featured_article

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Mastering these skills could get you hired in 2017

25 Oct 2016/ Jacquelyn Smith/ Careers Editor, Business Insider

It's October, and there's a good chance you're looking for a new job.

According to LinkedIn data, this is the month job applications spike on the social networking site.

To find out what exactly employers are looking for, and what it takes to successfully land a job, LinkedIn looked at billions of data points and analyzed all of the hiring and recruiting activity that occurred on its site so far in 2016to identify the most sought-after skills.

Ultimately they uncovered the top 10 skills that can get you hired in 2017 in 14 different countries.

"While we see job applications spike on LinkedIn in October, we know companies aren't actually hiring at the same rate until January," says LinkedIn career expert Catherine Fisher in a press release. "While some skills expire every couple of years, our data strongly suggests that tech skills will still be needed for years to come, in every industry. Now is a great time for professionals to acquire the skills they need to be more marketable."

Here are the hottest, most in-demand skills around the globe:

1. Cloud and Distributed Computing

2. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining

3. Web Architecture and Development Framework

4. Middleware and Integration Software

5. User Interface Design

6. Network and Information Security

7. Mobile Development

8. Data Presentation

9. SEO/SEM Marketing

10. Storage Systems and Management

In a post on LinkedIn, Fisher explains that the "top skills" list reveals several trends about the global job market, including:

1. Demand for marketers is getting lighter

While marketing skills were in high demand in 2015, "things have changed," she writes.

"This year, SEO/SEM dropped five spots from No. 4 to No. 9 and marketing campaign management dropped completely off the list. Demand for marketing skills is slowing because the supply of people with marketing skills has caught up with employers' demand for people with marketing skills."

2. Data and cloud reign supreme

"I smell a dynasty in the making!" Fisher writes. "Cloud and distributed computing has remained in the No. 1 spot for the past two years ... . Following closely on its heels is statistical analysis and data mining, which came in No. 2 last year, and No. 1 in 2014. These skills are in such high demand because they're at the cutting edge of technology. Employers need employees with cloud and distributed computing, statistical analysis and data mining skills to stay competitive."

3. User interface design is what's hot right now

"User interface design (No. 5), which is designing the part of products that people interact with, is increasingly in-demand among employers," Fisher writes. "Data has become central to many products, which has created a need for people with user interface design skills who can make those products easy for customers to use."

Click here to see the full report and breakdown of in-demand skills by country.

Article source : https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/2017s-most-in-demand-skills-according-to-linkedin

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Why Successful People Will Never Neglect A Backup Plan

Wen Shan/ Proud Philosophy grad. Based in HK. 

A contingency plan doesn’t sound like what you would discuss with friends over cake and coffee, but it’s an essential part of any actual plans you make. You may need one (or more) for your business, school project, or even a family vacation. The biggest problem with making a contingency plan is that people often aren’t sure about what to include in it. Here is a handy guide for you to make a comprehensive one.

What is a contingency plan?

A contingency plan is a set of actions that you will take when something unexpected happens. Think of it as a backup plan, or a Plan B. It should have instructions that you can follow when your original plan doesn’t work out due to changes in the situation.

A contingency plan prepares you to deal with any future troubles you may encounter, and gives you some sort of escape route out of any accident.1

What happens if you don’t have a contingency plan?

If something goes wrong with your Plan A unexpectedly, or if accidents force you to change your current plan, chances are you will panic. Especially if you’re not well prepared to deal with contingencies, you probably can’t think straight enough to come up with the solution you need at that moment. You won’t know what to do.

What’s worse, until you’re able to get the situation under control, business can’t go back to normal. You’ll have to fix the trouble and make new plans.

What if the contingency plan is a bad one?

Don’t think making a contingency plan is a simple task. A contingency plan should be comprehensive, which requires lots of careful consideration. Otherwise, it is not helpful.

For instance, you may be prepared for the wrong kinds of accidents. And when your plan doesn’t work out as expected, you won’t be organized enough to handle the crisis. That is, you’ll panic.

How can a contingency plan benefit you?

For instance, a contingency plan allows you to deal with accidents quickly and effectively.2 In a business scenario, it can even help you save time and cost in repairing the situation.

Also, a contingency plan helps minimize the negative consequences or losses caused by the unexpected event. It guides you to start dealing with the situation as soon as something goes wrong and keeps you safe.

After all, having a contingency plan ready is reassuring, because you won’t have to worry about making new plans in a rush.

You may think that accidents are unlikely. You may think that your Plan A is perfect. However, you should keep in mind that the future is uncertain until it becomes the present, and that we as human beings can’t control 100% of what happens. You don’t want to regret not having a contingency plan when it’s too late!

How to write a good contingency plan?

There are basically 5 steps:3

We’ll now go through them one by one:

1. Identify

As a contingency plan has to do with what’s unexpected, you have to first try and predict the risks:4

- What could possibly go wrong?

- How likely it would go wrong?

- What’s the impact and consequences of the contingency?

- What should be your reaction or solution?

- How can you prepare for it in advance?

2. Prioritize

Using what you’ve written down in Step 1, rank your risks by their possible impact and likelihood. The more likely the risk will happen and the more serious the impact will be, the higher it should rank.

You have to decide how much weighting to put on each risk according to your situation.

3. Plan

The next step is to actually write your contingency plan. Keeping in mind the resources available to you, design solutions to the risks you want to cover in the plan. Be realistic about your needs: perhaps some issues have to be dealt with before some others, or perhaps you have to take actions within a certain time frame, etc.

It is also important to give clear and simple instructions, so that you won’t forget what you’ve written months later, or that someone will misunderstand them.5

4. Execute

If your contingency plan involves other people, say, your colleagues or your family members, talk it through with them. Let them know what they’re supposed to do when certain things happen.6 Prepare them.

Then, if your plan includes actions to prepare for future accidents, execute them. This can help you lower the risks.

5. Review

Changes happen all the time. For your contingency plan to be practical, you should review it and make adjustments regularly. Eval‎‎‎uate the items in your plan. Over time, some risks may become more or less likely, or may bring about different outcomes. Learn your situation well, and update your solutions accordingly.

If your plan is about large-scale risks such as natural disasters or server failures, conducting drills is very helpful to identifying any weaknesses of the plan, as well as making sure the people involved will be prepared to act according to the plan when they have to.

Some concrete examples to put things into perspective:

Example 1: Contingency plan for an outdoor exhibition

Potential risk: Rain

Who will be affected: Exhibitors, visitors, organizers and crew members

Action 1: Secure exhibit items

Who will take action: On-site crew members

Preparation: Rain-proof covers for exhibitors’ stalls, email exhibitors with weather forecasts 3 days in advance

Action 2: Lead visitors to sheltered areas

Who will take action: On-site crew members, security guards

Preparation: Mark designated areas as no-parking areas, waterproof jackets for crew

Example 2: Contingency plan for delivering a speech to a big group of audience (co-workers)

tential risk: The projector or the computer doesn’t work

Who will be affected: Me

Action: Write outline and key points on whiteboard as I speak

Who will take action: Me

Preparation: Notes in hard copy, 3 colored markers, printed handouts

References

[1] ^ Mind Tools: Contingency Planning

[2] ^ Chron: Example of a Business Contingency Plan

[3] ^ Karen Dworaczyk: 5 Easy Steps of Contingency Planning

[4] ^ Project Manager: What Is Risk Management in Projects?

[5] ^ Mind Tools: Contingency Planning

[6] ^ wikiHow: How to Write a Contingency Plan

Article source : http://www.lifehack.org/569736/the-ultimate-guide-for-comprehensive-contingency-plan?ref=sidebar

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< Questions >

 Critical thinking -----------------------------

Q1. Do you know any successful individuals like Warren Buffett or Bill gates around you? Do you find any unique characteristics of those people from ordinary person? For your reference, this article suggests 5 characteristics of successful person as follows. 

- They always question the status quo

- They break down problems into smaller components and see the subtle connections between them

- They are sensitive to the loopholes in their logic 

- They tackle problems with a systematic plan

- They apply the scientific method to problem solving

Q2. What is your definition of success? What components are required to be a successful person?

Q3. What is the definition of a 'Critical thinking'? How do you build up and improve critical thinking skills? For your reference, above article suggests 3 steps to improve critical thinking skills as follows. 

1. Recognize the biases in your thinking.

2. Use 5 “Whys” to find out the root causes of problems.

- Why did the shipping company warehouse ship different products than what was ordered? 

- Why are the online order fillers calling in orders instead of using the normal process?

- Why does each order slip have to be signed by the shipping director before it is shipped?

- Why does the shipping director have to record the information for each order this way?

3. Treat each problem like an experiment.

- Define the problem.

- Do background research.

- Construct a hypothesis. 

- Conduct experiments. 

- Communicate your results. 

Q4. While you are reading, are you an active learner or a passive recipient of information? 

 10 Hottest and most in-demand skills for job seekers -----------------------------

Q5. Here are the hottest, most in-demand skills around the globe. Which skills do you have among below 10 skills? Do you have any field you want to practice in the future? 

1. Cloud and Distributed Computing

2. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining

3. Web Architecture and Development Framework

4. Middleware and Integration Software

5. User Interface Design

6. Network and Information Security

7. Mobile Development

8. Data Presentation

9. SEO/SEM Marketing

10. Storage Systems and Management

 Contingency plan -----------------------------

Q6. What is the definition of 'Contingency plan'?

*** A contingency plan 

a set of actions that you will take when something unexpected happens. Think of it as a backup plan, or a Plan B. It should have instructions that you can follow when your original plan doesn’t work out due to changes in the situation.

A contingency plan prepares you to deal with any future troubles you may encounter, and gives you some sort of escape route out of any accident.

Q7. When you establish a plan, do you prepare a contingency plan or a Plan B? If you have some concrete examples for this from your experience, please share it with us?

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Ban Ki-moon and Bill Gates Are Teaming Up

to Fight Climate Change
Sept. 14, 2018 By Megan Rowling

High-powered commission aims to strengthen funding and practical solutions.

BARCELONA, Sept 13 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — A high-powered commission set to launch next month aims to strengthen funding and practical solutions for people and economies coping with climate change.
The body will be led by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, philanthropist Bill Gates and World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva for its two-year term.
Ban told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that adapting to intensifying heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms would be "much more important" in the coming decades.

"Adaptation is a global challenge; it requires coordination across boundaries," he said in an interview ahead of this week's announcement of the commission's formation.
"Climate impacts in one country can have knock-on effects on the other side of the world — therefore nations need to learn from one another."
The Global Commission on Adaptation will unite scientists, economists, city-dwellers, farmers, mayors, and company CEOs to discuss solutions to the climate pressures hiking human and economic losses around the world, Ban said.

Researchers and development groups have worked for years on measures to soften the blow from wilder weather and higher seas.
Tested practices range from switching to hardier crops, to sending flood alerts by mobile phone, and putting more green spaces in cities to soak up excess rain and combat pollution.
But climate change adaptation has not received the political attention nor the funding it deserves, even as the urgency is growing, experts say.
"This Global Commission will play a vital role in elevating the political importance of adaptation, and also in making the case that greater resilience is achievable — and that is in all our interests," said Ban.
The commission, which will be supported by the Netherlands-based Global Center on Adaptation and the World Resources Institute in Washington DC, plans to deliver a flagship report at a UN climate summit next September.
Its roughly 20 commissioners — expected to include some world leaders — and 10 convening countries will be unveiled in The Hague on Oct. 16.

'BIGGER AND BOLDER'
Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, one of the commission's co-hosts, said his organisation would promote "much bolder, bigger approaches".
The low-lying Netherlands is already sharing its expertise in managing water risks with other cities around the world, for example, and there is growing knowledge about "climate-smart agriculture", from planting trees on farms to mulching, he said.
But those methods were not yet being used in every place that would benefit from them in Africa or Asia, said Verkooijen, while new technologies and funding options were also needed to meet challenges at the local level.
"That will happen when there is a push to put adaptation on the global agenda equal to other critical issues," he said.

Government officials and businesses have focused more on steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions that heat the planet, such as using more renewable energy and improving energy efficiency. Far less is spent on adaptation measures.
In a 2017 report, the Climate Policy Initiative, a think-tank that tracks spending, said emissions-reduction activities accounted for an average of 93% of climate finance from 2015-2016.
Looking only at public sources of funding, adaptation received just 16%.
Sven Harmeling, policy lead for climate change with aid agency CARE International, said the global commission could explore new ways to raise cash for adaptation, and show why governments especially should allocate more for that purpose.
He urged the commission to include the perspectives of marginalised people living on coasts crumbling into the sea or mountains threatened by landslides and flash floods.
It should highlight the barriers they face in protecting themselves — mainly a lack of expertise and money, he added.
"The people who are hardest-hit often fall through the radar of ... companies, and the solutions they need are not available on the market," Harmeling said.
(Reporting by Megan Rowling @meganrowling. Editing by Robert Carmichael. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate)

Article source : https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/ban-kimoon-gates-climate-change/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=global&utm_campaign=general-content&linkId=56871670

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What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

16 Sep 2015/ Stéphanie Thomson

“I am pleased to share some good news for people and planet,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said to a packed room of press delegates. The good news? After three years of negotiations and debate, 193 countries had agreed to a set of development goals more bold and ambitious than anything that has come before them.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – part of a wider 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These eight goals, set by the United Nations back in 2000 to eradicate poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease, expire at the end of this year.

Figure 1: The Millennium Development Goals(Source: United Nations)

The MDGs were concrete, specific and measurable, and therefore helped establish some priority areas of focus in international development. But that was also one of their biggest criticisms: by being so targeted, they had left out other, equally important, areas.
Despite the criticism, significant progress has been made over the past 15 years, especially when it comes to the goals of eradicating poverty and improving access to education. That progress, however, has been very uneven, with improvements often concentrated in specific regions and among certain social groups. A 2015 UN assessment of the MDGs found they fell short for many people: “The assessment of progress towards the MDGs has repeatedly shown that the poorest and those disadvantaged because of gender, age, disability or ethnicity are often bypassed.”
In developing the SDGs – a multi-year process involving civil society, governments, the private sector and academia – the United Nations sought to take all these failings into account. So how, then, were these new goals reached and what do they look like?
17 goals for ‘people and planet’
In response to the accusation that the MDGs were too narrow in focus, the SDGs set out to tackle a whole range of issues, from gender inequality to climate change. The unifying thread throughout the 17 goals and their 169 targets is the commitment to ending poverty: “Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development,” notes the agenda’s preamble.

Figure 2: The Sustainable Development Goals

As well as being more all-encompassing than the MDGs, the consultation process was also much more inclusive – Ban Ki-moon called it the “most transparent and inclusive process in UN history”. An unprecedented effort was made to get the input of as many people as possible, particularly those who wouldn’t normally be consulted for this type of international agreement. In total, 5 million people from across 88 countries in all the world’s regions took part in the consultation, and shared their vision for the world in 2030. This is very different from the development and implementation of the MDGs, which one expert described as “an internal UN bureaucratic creation”.
Figure 3: Extract from the My World survey results (Source: United Nations)

But what really sets apart the SDGs from their predecessors is their universal nature. Recognizing that the MDGs failed certain people and countries, the 2030 agenda sets out to “reach the furthest behind first” and concludes with a pledge that “no one will be left behind”.
From words to deeds
Getting consensus on such a broad development agenda was an achievement in itself, but the real work will start in January, when it kicks in. “We have a big, bold agenda before us. Now we must work to make it real,” said the UN secretary-general. How, exactly, does the United Nations plan to do so?
Goal 17 goes into detail about that. It allows for a range of measures, including financial support and debt relief, the transfer of technologies and scientific know-how to developing nations on favourable terms, and the establishment of an open, non-discriminatory and equitable trading system to help developing nations increase their exports.
But the most important way of achieving the SDGs was touched upon in the UN press conference: “We will need all partners to make this a success.” Multistakeholder partnerships, involving government, the private sector and civil society, have been described as the “glue” that will hold this process together, and will be the only way of ensuring these incredibly ambitious goals are met.
Have you read?
3 challenges facing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
How much has global poverty fallen over the past 25 years?
Author: Stéphanie Thomson is an editor at the World Economic Forum.
Image: A boy touches a 45-metre (148-feet) long wall lighted by colour rays at an exhibition hall in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province May 1, 2007. REUTERS/China Daily

Article source : https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/09/what-are-the-sustainable-development-goals/

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Sustainable development goals: all you need to know

With the UN summit on the sustainable development goals looming, 

find out more about the 17 initiatives that could transform the world by 2030

Activists push an inflatable globe on a march during Rio+20, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 2012. Photograph: Felipe Dana/AP

• The SDGs: changing the world in 17 steps – interactive

■ What are the sustainable development goals?

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a new, universal set of goals, targets and indicators that UN member states will be expected to use to frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years.
The SDGs follow and expand on the millennium development goals (MDGs), which were agreed by governments in 2001 and are due to expire at the end of this year.

■ Why do we need another set of goals?

There is broad agreement that, while the MDGs provided a focal point for governments – a framework around which they could develop policies and overseas aid programmes designed to end poverty and improve the lives of poor people – as well as a rallying point for NGOs to hold them to account, they were too narrow.

The eight MDGs – reduce poverty and hunger; achieve universal education; promote gender equality; reduce child and maternal deaths; combat HIV, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; develop global partnerships – failed to consider the root causes of poverty and overlooked gender inequality as well as the holistic nature of development. The goals made no mention of human rights and did not specifically address economic development. While the MDGs, in theory, applied to all countries, in reality they were considered targets for poor countries to achieve, with finance from wealthy states. Conversely, every country will be expected to work towards achieving the SDGs.

As the MDG deadline approaches, about 1 billion people still live on less than $1.25 a day – the World Bank measure on poverty – and more than 800 million people do not have enough food to eat. Women are still fighting hard for their rights, and millions of women still die in childbirth.

■ What are the proposed 17 goals?
1) End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2) End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
3) Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
4) Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5) Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6) Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7) Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8) Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all
9) Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation
10) Reduce inequality within and among countries
11) Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12) Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13) Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (taking note of agreements made by the UNFCCC forum)
14) Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15) Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss
16) Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17) Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Within the goals are 169 targets, to put a bit of meat on the bones. Targets under goal one, for example, include reducing by at least half the number of people living in poverty by 2030, and eradicating extreme poverty (people living on less than $1.25 a day). Under goal five, there’s a target on eliminating violence against women, while goal 16 has a target to promote the rule of law and equal access to justice.

■ How were the goals chosen?

Unlike the MDGs, which were drawn up by a group of men in the basement of UN headquarters (or so the legend goes), the UN has conducted the largest consultation programme in its history to gauge opinion on what the SDGs should include.
Establishing post-2015 goals was an outcome of the Rio+20 summit in 2012, which mandated the creation of an open working group to come up with a draft agenda.
The open working group, with representatives from 70 countries, had its first meeting in March 2013 and published its final draft, with its 17 suggestions, in July 2014. The draft was presented to the UN general assembly in September last year. Member state negotiations followed, and the final wording of the goals and targets, and the preamble and declaration that comes with them, were agreed in August 2015.
Alongside the open working group discussions, the UN conducted a series of “global conversations”. These included 11 thematic and 83 national consultations, and door-to-door surveys. The UN also launched an online My World survey asking people to prioritise the areas they’d like to see addressed in the goals. The results of the consultations were fed into the the working group’s discussions.

■ Are governments happy about the proposed 17 goals?

The majority seem to be, but a handful of member states, including the UK and Japan, aren’t so keen. Some countries feel that an agenda consisting of 17 goals is too unwieldy to implement or sell to the public, and would prefer a narrower brief. Or so they say. Some believe the underlying reason is to get rid of some of the more uncomfortable goals, such as those relating to the environment. Britain’s prime minister, David Cameron, has publicly said he wants 12 goals at the most, preferably 10. It’s not clear, though, which goals the UK government would like taken out if they had the choice.
Amina Mohammed, the UN secretary general’s special adviser on post-2015 development planning, said it had been a hard fight to get the number of goals down to 17, so there would be strong resistance to reducing them further.

Some NGOs also believe there are too many goals, but there is a general consensus that it is better to have 17 goals that include targets on women’s empowerment, good governance, and peace and security, for example, than fewer goals that don’t address these issues.

■ How will the goals be measured?

The indicators are still being thrashed out by an expert group. Each indicator is being assessed for its feasibility, suitability and relevance, and roughly two for each target are expected. The indicators are due to be finalised in March 2016. 

■ How will the goals be funded?
That’s the trillion-dollar question. Rough calculations from the intergovernmental committee of experts on sustainable development financing have put the cost of providing a social safety net to eradicate extreme poverty at about $66bn (£43bn) a year, while annual investments in improving infrastructure (water, agriculture, transport, power) could be up to a total of $7tn globally.
In its report last year, the committee said public finance and aid would be central to support the implementation of the SDGs. But it insisted that money generated from the private sector, through tax reforms, and through a crackdown on illicit financial flows and corruption, was also vital.

A major conference on financing for the SDGs, held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in July, failed to ease concerns that there will not be enough cash to meet the aspirational nature of the goals. The UN said the Addis Ababa action agenda (AAAA for short) contained “bold measures to overhaul global finance practices and generate investment” for tackling the challenges of sustainable development. It included a recommitment to the UN target on aid spending – 0.7% of GNI – set more than 40 years ago and pledges to collect more taxes and fight tax evasion. But civil society groups were less impressed, saying the summit had failed to produce new money to fund the goals, or offer ways to transform the international finance system. Calls for a new international tax body fell on deaf ears.

■ When will the new goals come into force?
The SDGs will be officially adopted at a UN summit in New York in September, and will become applicable from January 2016. The deadline for the SDGS is 2030.
This article was updated on 3 September 2015

Article source : https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jan/19/sustainable-development-goals-united-nations

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What Are the Global Goals — and How Close Are We to Achieving Them?

Experts say the world needs to pick up the pace to achieve the goals by 2030.Share

July 20, 2018 / By Daniele Selby         

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Why Global Citizens Should Care

Global Citizen’s vision is a world without extreme poverty by 2030. The UN Global Goals are a crucial framework and strategy for seeing that vision through. The goals target the root causes of poverty from gender inequality to food instability to conflict. You can join us by taking action here to call on world leaders to see the Global Goals through and eradicate poverty.

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It’s not often that politicians all agree on something. But in 2015, leaders from around the world joined together at the United Nations and agreed that we need to take action.

They created a plan to transform the world into one free of poverty and hunger, where every child can go to school, where oceans and forests will be around for future generations to enjoy, and where everyone is equal — all by the year 2030.

In order to realize that vision, they set 17 goals, known as the Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals. And while 17 goals in 15 years certainly sounds ambitious, every one of those goals is crucial to ending extreme poverty by 2030.

■ 17 Goals to Change the World

The 17 Global Goals — which build off the eight Millennium Development Goals set in 2000 to be fulfilled by 2015 — aim to tackle poverty at its root causes. The goals range from ending hunger and achieving food security to promoting peaceful and inclusive societies.

Image: The Global Goals for Sustainable Development

Each goal is accompanied by several specific targets that hone in on specific strategies to achieve the Global Goals. These include measures like eliminating forced marriage and genital mutilation, increasing the number of qualified teachers worldwide, and increasing energy efficiency.

The Global Goals call on governments, companies, and everyday citizens to join together to address these economic and social development issues to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious food, quality health care, education, clean water, and decent paying work.

How Close Are We to Achieving the Goals?

The goals are lofty, but major progress toward achieving them has already been made.

In the last 30 years, the number of people living in extreme poverty — surviving on less than $1.90 a day — has been reduced by more than 1 billion. Between 1990 and 2010, the global poverty rate was cut in half

Yet over 700 million people

At the its current rate of progress, the world is not on track to meet all 17 of the Global Goals by 2030.

Though quality of life has improved for many people around the world and people are generally leading healthier lives, climate change and conflict have hindered progress on ending hunger and forced displacement.

Nearly 800 million people continue to face hunger regularly and millions of children experience stunting and wasting, developmental conditions related to malnutrition, the UN reported

Approximately 263 million children and youth are out of school, UNESCO reported

And girls are still more likely than boys to never set foot in a classroom, particularly if they come from families living in poverty. Gender inequality is still deeply entrenched in social attitudes and cultures. In 2015, one in four women between the ages of 20 and 24 was married before her 18th birthday, according to UN data

Read more: The World May Miss Its Goal of Ending Child Marriage by 2030

What’s Next?

In order to achieve the Global Goals, experts say efforts must focus on supporting the most vulnerable populations, but leave no one behind. People, as individuals, need to do their part to help combat the effects of climate change and global warming, and use their voices to hold companies accountable for their actions and ensure governments remain committed to the Global Goals.

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< Questions >

Q1. What are the sustainable development goals?

Q2. SDG goals suggest many agenda in our society which should be dealt with. Do you think which agenda is the most serious item in Korean society?

Q3. Why do we need thoes SDG goals? Is it effective approach?

Q4. Among 17 goals which one is the most urgent agenda to be tackeld for our society?

Q5. Do you take any action to achieve one of the SDG goals? What is that ? Please share your stories.