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On May 7, armed militiamen stormed the Corinthia Hotel compound that was being used as one of the headquarters for the interim government in the Libyan capital of Tripoli (al-Hadath, May 8). Social media videos showed militants searching cars and asking for the location of Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush (al-Marsad, May 7). The militants eventually departed and were later promised a meeting with the President of the Presidential Council, Muhammad Menfi (RT Arabic, May 8).

The militants were aligned with Burkan al-Ghadab (Volcano of Rage), a coalition of militias tasked by the previous Tripoli-based government, the Government of National Accord (GNA), to defend Tripoli from the assault launched by the eastern Libyan-based Libya National Army (LNA) in April 2019. [1]Earlier in the day on May 7, the militia had met to discuss recent statements by Mangoush and the appointment of Hussein al-Ayeb as the replacement for Imad Trabelsi as head of intelligence within the new unified Libyan government (Al-Ain, May 8).

In a statement posted by Burkan al-Ghadabs media office, the militia insisted that Mangoush should be dismissed for calling for the complete departure of all foreign forces and mercenaries from the country, without making an exception for the Turkish military (Burkan al-Ghadab, May 7). The statement, praising brotherly Turkey for being the only country to answer the GNAs call to intervene and protect civilians during the LNA assault, made clear Burkan al-Ghadabs proximity to Ankara. Burkan al-Ghadab also denounced both al-Ayeb and Mangoushs alleged previous alignment with General Khalifa Haftar of the LNA.

Libyas Continued Security Fragmentation

Libya made significant progress toward political unity after a ceasefire between the LNA and the GNA was brokered by the UN in October 2020, leading to a unity government headed by interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (DW, March 10). The governments agenda was to reunify state institutions before nationwide general elections in December 2021.

Despite the progress in the political realm, the Libyan security environment remains fragmented among a multiplicity of various non-state actors. While in Tripoli the GNA has now been disbanded, the domestic militia groups that were aligned with and sponsored by the GNA remain. The GNA had used militia groups to provide law and order in Tripoli and they made up the bulk of the fighting force that repelled the LNA assault on the capital. In exchange, militias burrowed themselves into the Tripoli-based state infrastructure, accruing significant influence. [2]The Hotel Corinthia incident showcases the continued intent of these militias to exert similar influence on the new interim government.

Likewise, the foreign militia presence has remained largely unchanged since the October 2020 ceasefire. The expiration of the 90-day deadline for the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya, which was contracted within October 2020s ceasefire agreement, passed without any reduction in foreign troop presence (al Jazeera, May 15). While the UN has since agreed to deploy a small ceasefire monitoring team, none of the international powers involved in the Libyan conflict, including Turkey, Russia, and the UAE, have shown any commitment to reducing military activity in the country (UN, April 16).

The Burkan al-Ghadab-Turkey Connection

Burkan al-Ghadabs attempted storming of the Corinthia Hotel represents Turkeys success in turning the militia group into a de facto Turkish proxy.

The Turkish government is keen to safeguard its economic interests in Libya, including almost $35 billion in Libyan contracts and a 2019 maritime border delineation agreement. Turkeys strengthened links to the GNA militias in the face of the LNA assault resulted in the GNA benefiting from increased Turkish financial support, arms supplies, and coordination with Turkish military advisors. Ankara also attached itself ideologically to the more Islamist-leaning militias by housing in Turkey influential Mufti Sadiq al-Ghariani. Turkey has used Ghariani to legitimize and praise the Turkish role in Libya. [3]Now with the GNA replaced by the interim unity government, Turkey has become the main patron of several once nominally GNA-aligned militias.

The interim government, which remains based in Tripoli, has a fading interest in appeasing the militias based in the city, such as Burkan al-Ghadab, as the ceasefire continues to hold and the frontline has solidified around Sirte, which is 400 kilometers east of the capital. This has significantly increased militia motivation to counter its waning influence by further aligning with Turkey.

Burkan al-Ghadabs strong reaction to Mangoushs call for the absolute departure of foreign military troops from Libya is likely to have been directed by Turkey. Burkan al-Ghadabs statement in condemnation of Mangoush mimics Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglus defense of the Turkish military presence in Libya almost word for word. [4] A day before the incident at the Corinthia Hotel, Turkey-based Ghariani launched a verbal assault on Mangoush, describing her as insolent and an agent of the enemy before calling on Burkan al-Ghadab to equally denounce her (al-Arabiya, May 7). Media linked to the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood movement, which has itself been strongly backed by Turkey since 2012, also published edited clips of Mangoush criticizing previous GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj at a 2019 seminar. Mangoush in the same seminar equally criticized Haftar (al-Marsad, May 8).

Mangoushs statements regarding the departure of foreign forces cannot be seen as particularly controversial to anyone, except for Turkey. The withdrawal of foreign forces is contracted within the October 2020 ceasefire agreement and has been backed by two unanimous UN Security Council resolutions.

Unintended Consequences Ahead

For Turkey, influence over Tripolis militia groups is seen as vital to maintaining its economic and military interests in the country in the longer term. Turkeys military presence and the maritime border delineation agreement, both agreed upon by the former GNA administration in 2019, have received both tacit and explicit support by interim Prime Minister Dbeibeh (Andalou Agency, March 9). However, Turkey knows that Dbeibeh is likely to remain an interim leader and Decembers elections could lead to a very different Libyan position on both fronts. Turkey knows even if a new Libyan executive power or mounting international pressure forces it to withdraw either its own troop presence or the portion of the roughly 13,000 Syrian militants that it sent to fight in Libya, it could still wield leverage in the country through its domestic militia groups.

However, increasing alignment with Turkey is likely to have unintended consequences for Burkan al-Ghadab. Many Tripoli militias attained their local legitimacy by defending the city from the LNA assault of 2019 and from participation in the 2011 revolution. If the militias fighters continue to act as a tool used by a foreign country, Turkey, to exert pressure against decisions or statements considered unfavorable, then they risk losing any remaining domestic credibility. This could lead to renewed inter-militia conflict in Tripoli, particularly if the ceasefire continues to hold.

Turkey simply does not have the soft power to attract support from all of Tripolis militias, several of which have contrasting ideological orientations and loyalties. [5] Without the existential threat posed by the LNAs assault, militias jealous of Burkan al-Ghadabs clout could use Turkish influence over it as a pretext to commence hostilities. In sum, despite the political progress made in Libya since October 2020, without significant security sector reform leading to the monopoly of state control over armed force, long-term stability in the country remains unlikely.

Notes

[1]See Jason Pack, Kingdom of Militias: Libyas Second War of Post-Qadhafi Succession (Italian Institute for International Political Studies, May 2019)

[2]See Wolfram Lacher, Tripolis Militia Cartel (German Institute for International and Security Affairs, April 2018)

[3]Ghariani publicly supported the GNA-Turkey Maritime Memorandum (Andalou Agency, December 12 2019), called upon Libyans to stage demonstrations in support of Turkeys cooperation with the Libyan government (Andalou Agency, July 9 2020), and claimed that anyone who denies Turkeys benevolence does not deserve respect (Arab Weekly, May 12)

[4]Both claimed that the Turkish presence in Libya cannot be compared to foreign mercenary groups fighting in the country (Associated Press, May 3)

[5] See Karim Mezran, Libya 2021: Islamists, Salafis and Jihadis (Wilson Center, March 2021)

See the article here:
Burkan al-Ghadab Militants' Display of Force Highlights Deepening Turkish Influence in Libya - Jamestown - The Jamestown Foundation

The Drums social media executive Amy Houston assesses the opportunities within gaming communities and, as part of our gaming deep dive, looks at how brands can prepare for whats next.

If the future of entertainment lies in gaming and the future of gaming lies in online communities, what will brand activations look like in coming years?

The popularity of gaming has reached new levels during the pandemic, with communities becoming a source of entertainment and support for many players. Its a medium that is constantly evolving, with disruptive tech, cultural moments and brand campaigns and it doesnt show any signs of slowing down.

There is so much that brands can learn from these communities, as I explored in last weeks column, but whats in store for the future of gaming community management, and what does it mean for marketers?

Streaming has been a huge aspect of gaming for a while now. And when combined with the popularity of video-based platforms such as TikTok, its obvious that social media is becoming more personal and more fast paced than ever, and that brands looking to get a piece of the gaming pie need to understand this. In coming years, streaming will continue to grow as a very effective way to reach certain audiences whether thats through having streamers play your games or advertising on their streams, says James Gallagher, senior social media manager at Keywords Studios.

The relationship between developers and gamers has got closer over the last few years, partly because of the rise of social channels, but predominantly because of the dedication of community managers. In the coming years, I believe this partnership will continue to flourish and be a blueprint for brand communication. As Oliver Hindle, the community director for Fall Guys at Mediatonic, puts it: A key learning from the last few years has been the sheer importance of authentic communication.

Entertainment and innovation within gaming communities will continue to present huge opportunities. Animal Crossings partnerships with the likes of Lazy Oaf is a prime example of an exciting experience within a game resulting in two separate communities merging, generating a buzz on social channels for both the products and the game itself. Looking forward, we need to keep evolving and being creative in our approach to reaching new audiences, because as Roberto Kusabi, the director of community and social marketing at King, says: They arent easily boxed into one channel or medium, they can flow across and dip in and out of different avenues.

We have to be thinking about where the audiences we want to talk to are spending time online, and then building communities around these areas, bringing new experiences to them, entertaining them and innovating.

Continuing to break down barriers such as gender in the gaming community will see these online spaces thrive as cultural centers, undefined by anything except shared interests. Brand promotion within the gaming sector relies on various tactics and themes, but ultimately, says Stick Click head of performance Jonny Hale, you want to make sure your campaign can truly pull people in and most importantly relate.

The potential for brands within gaming is massive, and as digital communities continue to grow, so is the reach. Theres been a lot of talk in recent years about digital cities and I wondered what that might look like for brand marketing in the future when contemplating investments. About the metaverse, Hindle tells me: Players rarely socialize in just one digital space, but it really depends on the demographic and genre-audience of a particular gaming community.

With any social media channel or community, the technology evolves, so I ask Hindle the best way for brands to keep up with these developments and immerse themselves into their communities. There are always innovative ways to track and learn from these audiences, and brands can take cues from game studios on social media, but theres no substitute to actually swimming in those waters yourself, he tells me.

Keeping up with technological developments is crucial, but the most important job, according to Hale, is understanding the games audience and where they are... digitally.

Games are forever getting more sophisticated, yet the fundamental ways that players engage with them stay mostly the same. As Gallagher puts it: If a player contacts you because of a problem with their NFT, do you treat them differently than if theyre having an issue with a CD-Rom? New online communications channels emerge, but the basics of how to communicate with your customers dont change.

Gaming and social media are more integrated than ever and community managers will continue to nourish this level of interaction. Its my view that new tech, channels, and opportunities will come, but the future of brand marketing lies in placing community at the heart of it all.

From more on what the gaming sectors pandemic-propelled popularity means for marketers, head to The Drums gaming hub.

More:
Games might evolve, but the basics of talking to gaming communities remain the same - The Drum

By Sami Zaptia.

Germany and UN announce second Berlin Libya conference on 23 June (Photo: German Foreign Ministry).

London, 2 June 2021:

The German Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that the Second Berlin Conference on Libya will take place on 23 June.

The event will be held jointly with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, UNSMIL and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. The unified Libyan government will also be participating.

The German Foreign Ministry said The conference will take stock of progress made since the Berlin Conference on Libya on 19January 2020. Moreover, the next steps needed for a sustainable stabilisation of the country will be discussed.

The main focus will be on preparations for the national elections scheduled for 24December and on the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya as agreed in the ceasefire. In addition, steps towards the creation of unified Libyan security forces will be discussed.

The conference is an expression of the continued international support for the stabilisation of Libya. The international community remains ready to continue its close and constructive support of the UNled peace process in Libya.

As indicated, the first Berlin Conference on Libya took place on 19 January 2020 and its outcomes are partially credited for the relative peace, stability and unified government in Libya today.

Co-Chairs of Berlin Process Political Working Group on Libya: holding of national elections on 24 December 2021 remains the overarching priority | (libyaherald.com)

France, Germany, Italy and UK welcome first round results of LPDF and conclusions of Berlin Libya Conference | (libyaherald.com)

European states underline importance of all tracks of UN-led Berlin process | (libyaherald.com)

Berlin Economic Working Group discusses Libya electricity crisis | (libyaherald.com)

At Berlin Libya Process meeting: U.S. supports Libyan peace efforts through UN-led process | (libyaherald.com)

Russia believes in implementing the Berlin Libya agreement in full: Lavrov | (libyaherald.com)

Third International Follow-up Committee meeting on Libya Berlin conference outcomes expressed alarm on military escalation and renews calls for immediate de-escalation | (libyaherald.com)

UNSMIL welcomes UNSC resolution endorsing Berlin outcomes | (libyaherald.com)

UNSMILs Salame deeply angered and disappointed by hypocrisy towards Berlin conference outcomes | (libyaherald.com)

UNSMIL condemns attack on Mitiga airport as Berlin truce and commitments falter | (libyaherald.com)

UNSMIL regrets blatant Libya arms embargo violations by both sides despite Berlin commitments | (libyaherald.com)

The Berlin Conference on Libya: CONFERENCE CONCLUSIONS | (libyaherald.com)

Faltering international steps in Berlin towards peace in Libya | (libyaherald.com)

NOC condemns calls to blockade eastern oil facilities by local tribes ahead of Sundays Berlin conference on Libya | (libyaherald.com)

Hafter will attend 19 January Berlin Libya conference and continue to respect ceasefire: German Foreign Minister | (libyaherald.com)

Serraj and Hafter invited by Germany to 19 January Berlin conference on Libya | (libyaherald.com)

Read more here:
The 2nd Berlin Conference on Libya will take place on 23 June | - Libya Herald

Prevention is key to managing the parallel mental health pandemic that has occurred in tandem with COVID-19, researcher says

Imagine our only response to the COVID-19 pandemic had been increasing ICU capacity. Maybe encouraging hand-washing and optional mask-wearing, but no social distancing. And no vaccines.

ICUs would have overflowed long ago, our health-care budget would be drained and many more lives would have been lost. It seems like an absurd approach, and yet that is how were responding to the mental health and addictions crisis that has been surging in parallel to this pandemic.

The current mental health and addictions crisis

In a typical year, 20 per cent of Canadians experience a mental illness and 75,000 Canadians die from substance use. The Canadian economy loses $46 billion to substance use and $50 billion to anxiety and depression.

In the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic, 25 per cent of Canadians have experienced anxiety, 10 per cent of Canadians have had suicidal thoughts and 74 per cent of adults, and 70 per cent of children and adolescents, have experienced worse mental health.

As a result, mental health wards and waitlists have overflowed. In Ontario, children are waiting up to 2.5 years for services.

In response to this crisis, governments have made much needed investments to increase equitable access to mental health care. However, missing from current plans is a long-term strategy to reduce the number of Canadians who will end up needing costly mental health services.

How to promote population mental health

At present, many non-profit agencies, schools and workplaces in Canada implement advocacy campaigns, skill-building workshops or violence-prevention programs to promote the mental well-being of their patrons.

However, many Canadians do not have access to programs and services that meet their needs, especially people from historically marginalized communities such as Indigenous, LBGTQ+ and low-income people, and refugees. Most Canadians receive only a fraction of the resources needed to reduce their risk of experiencing mental illness: the COVID-19 prevention equivalent of maybe one free mask, but certainly no vaccine.

What would a more comprehensive prevention strategy for mental health look like? The Canadian Mental Health Association recommends increasing research, funding and social marketing for the implementation of culturally safe, population-level mental health programs. Since between 50 and 75 per cent of mental illnesses have their onset during childhood and adolescence, prevention programs tend to target these developmental periods.

However, children learn to regulate their thoughts, emotions and behaviours from the things they hear, the behaviours they see modelled and the way adults respond to their emotions. That means programs that improve the well-being of adults also often have intergenerational benefits. Three examples of evidence-based mental health promotion programs include:

1. Parenting and family support programs

Programs that provide psychoeducation and support to parents and caregivers are one of the most effective ways to reduce emotional and behavioural problems among children and youth. Many also have positive effects for parental well-being. Examples include the Nurse Family Partnership, Incredible Years and Family Check-Up.

These programs can be cost-effective, culturally safe and implemented effectively online. Indeed, the pandemic has sped up a pre-existing trend of delivering services virtually to increase access and decrease costs, and preliminary research suggests it is working.

2. Mental health literacy and skill-building

While it is not always possible to control peoples environments, it is possible to equip people with skills and strategies to process stressful experiences in positive ways. For example, hundreds of studies have confirmed that universal, school-based programs that focus on building students mental health literacy, exercise habits, mindfulness, socio-emotional skills, resilience, media literacy or substance awareness improve child and adolescent mental health. There is also evidence that they are cost-effective.

Workplace mental health programs, such as the Canadian-based Working Mind program, can also improve employee mental health. And initial research on skill-building mobile apps also suggests they have a lot of promise. Across settings and across the life-course, there are many low-cost, evidence-based opportunities to help Canadians build skills that support their mental well-being.

3. Social connection and stigma-reduction

To thrive, people need to feel respected, accepted and connected. Programs that help meet these needs are an effective approach to mental health promotion. For example, there is strong evidence that anti-bullying programs in schools promote positive mental health outcomes. Programs that foster positive connections between children and adults in their communities such as teachers and mentors are also proven to be effective at promoting mental well-being, as are programs that enhance the quality of adults social connections.

Finally, while robust research on interventions is lacking, current evidence suggests psychoeducation programs that reduce stigma and racial discrimination, or increase sense of belonging, are also likely to have a positive impact on mental health.

A 360 approach to prevention

To slow the spread of COVID-19, we have had to distance, wear masks, improve ventilation and develop vaccines. To reduce the prevalence of mental illnesses, we will need to take a similar, multi-targeted approach, as there is no single solution that addresses all the social determinants of mental health.

To maximize impact, this approach will need to be systematic, with a focus towards choosing evidence-based, cost-effective, culturally safe programs and making them equitable and accessible. It is by extending support, skill-building opportunities and a sense of belonging to all Canadians that well ensure our mental health beds, and budgets, dont overflow forever.

Lets not be left facing a third wave of the mental health crisis years from now because we didnt create a preventive public health strategy early enough.

Nina Sokolovic, Doctoral Candidate, Developmental Psychology and Education, University of Toronto

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Continued here:
The importance of preventive measures to ensure mental wellness - HalifaxToday.ca

The Libyan Minister of Economy, Mohammed Al-Huweij, has said the country was working on increasing investments with France as they stand now at 450 million dinars, which he thinks is below expectations.

Al-Huweij told French Radio Monte Carlo that Libya and France signed in the past several agreements that included double taxation, trade exchange, and investment, saying that the most important one was signed on October 12, 2010: a strategic partnership between Libya and France in political consultation, transportation, security, military and nuclear energy cooperation.

Al-Huweij indicated that Libya aims to implement an investment plan to diversify economic growth and break away from utter dependence on oil, saying the plan focuses on renewable energies, services, agriculture, and industries to increase the GDP from 40 billion dollars to 250 billion a year, adding that this needs cooperation with the European Union and other countries.

"Libya is an aspiring country that has a strategic location within the Mediterranean region, which helps attract more investments from France between the two countries' private sectors. This includes opportunities in agriculture in the south. We have agreed with France on implementing mechanism via the reactivation of the High Joint Committee and subcommittees." He further explained.

Read the original here:
Libya ponders more investments with France - The Libya Observer