legal action. during the year, there were some reports of police harassment of foreign workers at security checkpoints. the law permits the government to place a travel ban on any citizen or foreigner who has a legal case pending before the courts. the law also permits any citizen to petition authorities to place a travel ban against any other person suspected of violating local law. in practice, this has resulted in many citizens and foreigners being prevented from departing the country without investigation or a legal case being brought before a local court. this practice has become less prevalent in recent years but still persists. the travel ban is a tool used by some citizens to prevent domestic servants from departing the country. although illegal, many citizen employers routinely confiscate the passports of foreign employees, which forces them to remain in the country against their will. there does not appear to be any concerted government effort to prevent employers from engaging in this practice. members of licensed ngos must obtain government approval to attend international conferences as official ngo representatives ( see sections 2. b. and 4 ). the government severely restricted the ability of its bidoon population to travel abroad ( see sections 2. d. and 5 ). however, the government permitted some bidoon to travel to saudi arabia during the year for the annual hajj pilgrimage. since 2001, there have been no special restrictions against or permits required for palestinian workers wishing to return to the country. according to the latest estimates, there were approximately 30, 000 to 40, 000 palestinians, 30, 000 to 40, 000 jordanians, and 5, 000 yemenis resident in the country. the government permitted the icrc to verify if deportees objected to returning to their countries of origin ; it detained those with objections until they either changed their minds or made alternative arrangements to travel to another country ( see section 1. d. ). although the law does not include provisions for the granting of refugee status or asylum to persons who meet the definition in the 1951 u. n. convention relating to the status of refugees or its 1967 protocol, in practice the government provided protection against refoulement but did not grant refugee or asylum status. the constitution prohibits the extradition of political refugees. the government stated that it did not deport persons who claimed to fear persecution in their home countries ; however, it often kept such persons in detention rather than grant them permission to live and work in the country ( see section 1. d. ). the government cooperated with the office of the u. n. high commissioner for refugees ( unhcr


, it often kept such persons in detention rather than grant them permission to live and work in the country ( see section 1. d. ). the government cooperated with the office of the u. n. high commissioner for refugees ( unhcr ) and other humanitarian organizations in assisting refugees and asylum seekers. the unhcr maintained an office in the country and had access to refugees in detention. section 3 respect for political rights : the right of citizens to change their government citizens do not have the right to change their government. the constitution provides that the elected national assembly has a limited role in approving the amir ' s choice of crown prince ( the future amir ). if the assembly rejects the amir ' s nominee, the amir then submits three names from which the assembly must choose the new crown prince. there is no universal suffrage. the only citizens who have the right to vote and seek election to the national assembly are males age 21 and over who have been citizens for at least 20 years and are not members of the armed forces, police, or other uniformed personnel of the ministry of interior. under the constitution, the amir holds executive power and shares legislative power with an elected national assembly. the amir appoints the prime minister, who presides over a 16 - member cabinet ( council of ministers ), who he chooses in consultation with the amir. in accordance with the practice of the ruling family ( but not specifically the constitution ), the prime minister always has been the crown prince ; however, in an unprecedented development in july, the amir named one of his younger brothers, not the crown prince, as prime minister ; the new prime minister promptly formed a new cabinet. the constitution empowers the amir to suspend its provisions and to rule by decree. the constitution provides that cabinet members sit in the national assembly and vote on legislation. at least one member of the cabinet must be an elected member of the national assembly. there are 50 elected national assembly members. members serve 4 - year terms, and the most recent national assembly elections were held in july. the government banned political parties ; however, several well - organized and unofficial blocs, acting much like political parties, existed and were active in the national assembly. the government acknowledged and, at times, worked with these blocs, which were organized on the basis of common ideological goals. because of the ban on political parties, national assembly candidates must nominate themselves as individuals and may run for election in any of the country ' s 25 constituencies. the top two finishers in each constituency are elected


organized on the basis of common ideological goals. because of the ban on political parties, national assembly candidates must nominate themselves as individuals and may run for election in any of the country ' s 25 constituencies. the top two finishers in each constituency are elected in single - round balloting. the constitution provides that the national assembly can overturn the amir ' s decrees, but only those made when the national assembly is not in session. the national assembly exercised this authority in previous years in some cases ; however, the national assembly did not amend any of the amir ' s proposals during the year. members regularly require ministers to appear before the full national assembly for formal question sessions when they are dissatisfied with their or the government ' s performance. on occasion, pressure exerted by the national assembly, including through votes of no confidence, has led to the resignation or removal of ministers. a law promulgated in 1998 bans primaries previously conducted by religious sects and tribes ; however, such primaries or by - elections, which are limited to tribal members and do not include all eligible voters in a given electoral constituency, continued in practice. the july national assembly elections were generally free and fair, although there were some credible reports of government and opposition vote buying, illegal and unevenly held tribal primaries ( by - elections ), ballot box tampering in some constituencies, and lax enforcement of some election laws. recounts were ordered and undertaken in 2 of the 25 electoral districts due to allegations of vote fraud. during the year, candidates from several constituencies filed court petitions challenging the july national assembly election results on allegations of ballot box tampering. in december, the constitutional court dismissed these petitions. women continued to be denied the right to vote and run for office and had little opportunity to influence government. there were no women in the 50 - seat national assembly and no women in the cabinet. women held some relatively senior nonpolitical positions within some ministries. the new prime minister appointed 1 minority shi ' a member to the 16 - member cabinet as the minister of information. of 50 national assembly members, 5 were shi ' a ( after the july elections ). several tribes conducted illegal primaries ( by - elections ) to select candidates for participation in the national assembly elections held in july. such primaries are limited to tribe members and thus do not include all eligible voters in a given electoral constituency. some shi ' a claimed that if they had held such primaries as other groups did ( in violation of election laws ), they would have gained more seats in the national assembly. in december, the


not include all eligible voters in a given electoral constituency. some shi ' a claimed that if they had held such primaries as other groups did ( in violation of election laws ), they would have gained more seats in the national assembly. in december, the national assembly ' s legislative and legal affairs committee approved requests from the public prosecutor to lift the parliamentary immunity of four parliamentarians suspected of participation in illegal tribal primaries held before the july elections. section 4 governmental attitude regarding international and nongovernmental investigation of alleged violations of human rights the government permitted the existence of ngos ; however, it continued to deny ngos, including new local human rights groups, licenses. all ngos must obtain a license from the ministry of social affairs and labor in order to operate officially ( see section 2. b. ). the only local human rights ngo is the kuwait human rights society, whose license application has been pending since 1992. without a license, the ngo cannot have its own official facility, obtain government funding, operate any official accounts, or dialogue directly and officially with the government on human rights issues. despite its unofficial status, however, the ngo produces an annual report on human rights in the country, publishes a quarterly magazine, and meets some senior government officials occasionally. the ngo reportedly paid for the legal fees and the return travel of an abused indian maid in 2002 who had been severely beaten by her employer in a high - profile domestic abuse case. the government permitted international human rights organizations to visit the country and to establish offices. several organizations conducted fieldwork and reported good communication with and reasonable cooperation from the government. for example, ai and human rights watch ( hrw ) regularly exchanged information with the government either directly or through the arab human rights organization. the government has cooperated fully in the work of the u. n. special rapporteurs for iran and iraq and the high - level representative of the secretary general on the issue of its citizens missing in iraq since the end of the gulf war. the government has not yet submitted the remaining two of eight conventions from the international labor organization ' s ( ilo ) declaration of basic rights at work to the national assembly for ratification ( see section 6 ). the national assembly has an active human rights defense committee, which took testimony from individuals regarding abuses, investigated conditions in prisons and nursing homes, and made nonbinding recommendations for redress. despite its designation as an advisory body, the hrdc has shown that, in practice, it is able to mobilize government agencies to address significant human rights problems. during the year, the


, and made nonbinding recommendations for redress. despite its designation as an advisory body, the hrdc has shown that, in practice, it is able to mobilize government agencies to address significant human rights problems. during the year, the hrdc focused particular attention on the issue of access to public education for bidoon children. hrdc members questioned the minister of education before the national assembly on the issue. the government established a special educational fund to help pay for school fees for bidoon children of primary school age whose parents cannot afford them. the committee also issued a report critical of central prison conditions during the year. the committee issued its first annual human rights report in may 2002. it did not issue a human rights report during the year. section 5 discrimination based on race, sex, disability, language, or social status the constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, national origin, language, and religion ; however, in practice, the government did not uniformly or consistently enforce laws against discrimination. many laws and regulations discriminated against women and noncitizens. there were no specific reports of any official or societal discrimination against persons with hiv / aids. however, the government tightly controlled hiv testing, and foreign workers who have hiv / aids were often deported. violence against women continued to be a serious and overlooked problem. certain provisions of the penal code reduce or eliminate penalties for violent crimes committed by men against women. each of the country ' s 54 police stations reportedly received on average 1 to 2 complaints of spousal abuse each week, although this may be understated. of the complaints received, approximately 60 percent involved spousal abuse of noncitizen women. the police and the courts generally sought to resolve family disputes informally. the police referred a few serious cases to the ministry of health. the courts have found husbands guilty of spousal abuse ; however, most domestic abuse cases are not brought to court and abusive husbands, if charged, rarely face severe penalties. typically, husbands accused of domestic abuse must pay a nominal fine and sign a pledge of good conduct. police officials typically regard domestic violence as a private family affair and are reluctant to bring such cases to the attention of higher investigative authorities. only the most egregious cases of abuse have resulted in conviction of the abuser or removal of the victim from the abusive environment. there are no shelters or hotlines for victims of domestic violence. many noncitizen women married to citizen men reported domestic abuse and inaction or discrimination by police during the year. by law


a criminal gang, for attempted rape of a housemaid. in november, the public prosecutor interrogated several police officers accused of raping a philippine housemaid in a police station. the suspects were detained at year ' s end pending investigation. in previous years, the government imposed severe penalties, including the death sentence, for particularly egregious rape cases. the physical or sexual abuse of foreign women working as domestic servants was a pervasive problem. some employers physically abused foreign women working as domestic servants, and, despite economic and social difficulties for a domestic servant who lodged a complaint, there were continuing reports of the rape of such women by male employers and male coworkers. the local press devoted considerable attention to the problem, and both the police and the courts have taken action against employers when presented with evidence of serious abuse. the courts fined or jailed some employers for abuse of domestics during the year. some rapes resulted in unwanted pregnancies, and there were several reports of illegal abortions. there were also reports of domestic servants killing children that were fathered by employers. occasionally, domestic workers were charged with assaulting their employers ; in such cases, the workers claimed that they acted in response to physical abuse or poor working conditions. there also were dozens of reports of domestic workers allegedly committing or attempting to commit suicide because of desperation over poor working conditions or abuse. foreign - born domestic employees have the right to sue their employers for abuse, but few do so, fearing judicial bias and deportation. local news sources reported a few criminal cases filed against abusive employers by domestics but informal out - of - court conciliation was attempted in most cases, usually with the assistance of the domestic ' s source country embassy. the government deported most runaway domestics. a specialized police facility and a government domestic labor office investigated and resolved some complaints. the government took some steps during the year to protect the rights of domestic servants, particularly victims of trafficking ( see sections 6. c., 6. e. and 6. f. ). in april, the government licensed a new union, the kuwait union of domestic labor offices, charged with monitoring the activities of labor recruitment agencies and raising awareness among employers on the treatment of domestics. during the year, the union distributed educational brochures to both employers and newly arrived domestics on their rights and obligations. the union, in cooperation with various government ministries, proposed a new draft law to regulate the importation, training, and hiring of domestic servants. the government had not yet taken action on


both employers and newly arrived domestics on their rights and obligations. the union, in cooperation with various government ministries, proposed a new draft law to regulate the importation, training, and hiring of domestic servants. the government had not yet taken action on the proposed law at year ' s end. the ministry of interior sometimes pays for return airline tickets for runaway or abused domestic servants if their employers refuse to provide tickets. some ngos, such as the kuwait human rights society and the kuwait friendship society, have paid for return airline tickets or legal fees on behalf of runaway or abused domestics in some cases. employers often accused their runaway domestics of theft or other crimes to avoid furnishing tickets. in such cases, the domestics often were deported without owed compensation. the ministry of interior blacklists some delinquent employers to prevent them from sponsoring additional domestics. the ministry reportedly blacklisted over 4, 000 employers for failure to fulfill their duties as sponsors. in practice some blacklisted employers were able to hire new domestics due to their connections ( " wasta " ) with police officials or other authorities. the government prosecuted some employers accused of abusing their foreign - born domestic servants. in march, the high court of appeals overturned the acquittal by the criminal court of a female citizen charged with beating and burning her maid with an iron bar by fining her approximately $ 3, 300 ( 1, 000 kd ) and ordering her to sign a pledge of good conduct. in practice, however, enforcement of such pledges appears to be weak. in february, police detained a male citizen for allegedly raping his housemaid repeatedly over a period of 1 year. the maid took shelter in her source country embassy during the year. in november 2002, the criminal court sentenced a man to life in prison for stabbing and attempting to rape his maid while under the influence of alcohol. there were a number of cases still pending resolution in which foreign - born domestic employees were tortured, severely beaten, or died at the hands of their employers. there were no developments in the 2002 case of an indian maid who was beaten severely and tortured. runaway servants, including many women alleging physical or sexual abuse, often seek shelter at their country ' s embassy pending repatriation or a change in employer ( see sections 6. c. and 6. e. ). out of an estimated 500, 000 domestic servants in the country, approximately 1, 000 women were reported to be in informal shelters run by source - country embassies at any given time during the


6. c. and 6. e. ). out of an estimated 500, 000 domestic servants in the country, approximately 1, 000 women were reported to be in informal shelters run by source - country embassies at any given time during the year. many runaway domestics remained in embassy shelters for months pending new employment or departure from the country. the government does not prevent runaway domestics from seeking shelter in their host country embassies. some unemployed, runaway foreign domestic workers were susceptible to recruitment into prostitution. in january, a bangladeshi man allegedly detained three asian women inside an apartment in a remote district and forced them into prostitution. in may, a bangladeshi man and two accomplices allegedly kidnapped two asian women, detained them inside an apartment, and forced them into prostitution. police arrested the man in may. the police actively enforced laws against pandering and prostitution, with arrests reported almost every week. prostitutes generally were deported to their countries of origin. in recent years, procurers received stiff jail terms. there were several reports during the year of procurers kidnapping maids off the street and forcing them into prostitution ( see section 6. f. ). " honor crimes " are prohibited ; however, some provisions of the penal code reduced penalties for these crimes. in november 2002, the high court of appeals upheld the original 2002 criminal court verdict sentencing a woman to life imprisonment and her three male accomplices to death for a 2002 " honor " killing of a 6 - year - old girl. the citizens filed an appeal during the year and the court of cassation began considering their appeal in december. there were some reports of women, mainly from asia, who were trafficked into the country into situations of coerced labor, where they often suffered from physical abuse or other extreme working conditions. some female domestic servants who ran away from their employers due to abuse or poor working conditions were recruited or kidnapped into prostitution ( see section 6. f. ). women continued to experience legal, economic, and social discrimination. women do not have the right to vote ( see section 3 ) or run for election to the national assembly. their testimony is worth half that of a man ' s in proceedings before the family courts ( see section 1. e. ). married women require their husbands ' permission to obtain a passport ( see section 2. d. ). by law, only men are able to confer citizenship ; therefore, children born to citizen mothers and stateless fathers are themselves stateless. the government forbids marriage between muslim women and


to obtain a passport ( see section 2. d. ). by law, only men are able to confer citizenship ; therefore, children born to citizen mothers and stateless fathers are themselves stateless. the government forbids marriage between muslim women and non - muslim men ( see sections 1. f. and 2. c. ). inheritance is governed by islamic law, which differs according to the branch of islam. in the absence of a direct male heir, shi ' a women may inherit all property, while sunni women inherit only a portion, with the balance divided among brothers, uncles, and male cousins of the deceased. numerous women filed court cases and participated in marches in 2002 to press for voting rights. the courts postponed decisions on these cases and no action was taken during the year. citizen families ( a " family " must always include a male ) are entitled to receive a plot of land and an approximately $ 233, 000 ( 70, 000 kd ) interest - free government loan ( " housing allowance " ) through the credit and savings bank to purchase a house. the government registers the house in the names of both the husband and the wife. in case of divorce, however, a female citizen loses her rights to the house regardless of any payments she may have made on the loan. she may continue to reside in the house if she has custody of any minor children resulting from the marriage, but she must move out once the children reach age 18. a divorced single mother and her minor children or a female citizen married to a foreign national cannot, by law, qualify for the government housing allowance. the government makes family entitlement payments approximately $ 165 ( kd50 ) per child up to the seventh child to the employed parent, almost always the father. in divorce cases, the government continues to provide these payments to the divorced father, who is expected by law and custom to provide for his children even though custody of minor children is almost always awarded to the mother. the law provides for female " remuneration equal to that of a man provided she does the same work. " this provision often was not generally respected in practice. the law prohibits women from working in " dangerous industries " and trades " harmful " to health. educated women maintained that the conservative nature of society limited career opportunities. an estimated 33 percent of females citizen of working age were employed. many women were employed as professors, attorneys, physicians, bankers, engineers, and businesswomen. a few women have been appointed to senior positions in the ministry of education, ministry of


an estimated 33 percent of females citizen of working age were employed. many women were employed as professors, attorneys, physicians, bankers, engineers, and businesswomen. a few women have been appointed to senior positions in the ministry of education, ministry of planning, and the state - owned kuwait petroleum corporation. there was one female ambassador and two female undersecretaries ; however, there were no female judges or prosecutors. during the year, the government decided to appoint and assign female diplomats overseas to expand the public position of women. there is no specific law that addresses sexual harassment ; however, it was reportedly only a problem for domestic servants. the law discriminates against female citizens married to foreign men. unlike male citizens, such women are not entitled to government housing subsidies. the law also requires women to pay residence fees for their husbands and does not recognize marriage as the basis for granting residency to foreign - born husbands. instead, the law grants residency only if the husband is employed. by contrast, male citizens married to foreign - born women do not have to pay residency fees for their spouses, and their spouses ' right to residency derives from marriage. most classes at kuwait university are fully segregated by gender. construction is underway on a separate campus for female students, who comprise approximately 70 percent of the total student body at kuwait university. polygyny is legal ; however, it is more common among tribal elements of the population. several organizations followed women ' s issues, among the most active of which were the women ' s cultural and social society, the women ' s affairs committee, kuwait economic society, kuwait human rights society, and the social reform society women ' s committee. the government is generally committed to the rights and welfare of citizen children. citizen boys and girls receive a free education through the university level, often including advanced degrees and the opportunity to study abroad. primary education is universal and compulsory. unicef estimates net primary enrollment at 66 percent. the government provides free health care and a variety of other services to citizen children ; non - citizen children must pay a small fee to be admitted into a health facility and pay additional fees for specialized care. citizen parents also receive a monthly government allowance of approximately $ 165 ( 50 kd ) for each child up to the seventh child. the government makes these payments to the employed parent, usually the father, and continues to provide these payments to the father even if the parents are divorced and the father does not have custody of the children. there is no legal requirement governing its use and anecdotal evidence


payments to the employed parent, usually the father, and continues to provide these payments to the father even if the parents are divorced and the father does not have custody of the children. there is no legal requirement governing its use and anecdotal evidence suggests that many non - custodial fathers were not using it to contribute to the care and welfare of their children. there did not appear to be any monitoring of how the funds are spent. there was no societal pattern of abuse ; however, there were some cases of children, some as young as 6 years old, raped by men or gangs of youths. in february, a police officer allegedly raped a 9 - year - old male citizen. the case was under investigation at year ' s end. in june, the criminal court sentenced a male citizen to death for kidnapping, raping, and murdering a pakistani child. the citizen appealed the verdict and the high court of appeals began hearing testimony in december. in december, the public prosecutor referred to the criminal court the case of a citizen teacher accused of raping an 11 - year - old boy. the teacher was reportedly in detention at year ' s end. there were incidents of arrests in some child abuse cases, but no reported convictions. some tribal groups continued to marry girls under age 17. there were credible reports of underage south asian and southeast asian girls working as domestic servants ( see sections 6. c. and 6. d. ). young boys, reportedly from south asia and africa, were trafficked into the country to be used as camel jockeys ( see sections 6. c., 6. d., and 6. f. ). many of the jockeys came to the country from racing during the season in other gulf nations. some boys as young as five or six years old were reportedly used as camel jockeys. in response to growing criticism, the government mandated during the year that all camel jockeys must be at least 18 years of age. the ministry of social affairs and labor, in cooperation with the public authority for youth and sport, issued a new regulation in september prohibiting the use of children under 18 years as camel jockeys, even as a sport. however, there were weight limits for camel jockeys. camel jockeys reportedly had to weigh between 25 - 45 kilos, which directly contradicted the minimum age requirement. the ministry mandated regular inspections of camel racing clubs during the year. there were no reported cases of sexual exploitation of youths used as camel jockeys. children of bidoon residents are not entitled to


father ' s undetermined legal status, even if born to citizen mothers. only bidoon registered by june 27, 2000 could begin the process under which they could be documented as citizens. according to this law, bidoon who were able to prove sufficient ties to the country ( that is, their presence, or the presence of their forebears, in the country prior to 1965 ) were eligible to apply for citizenship directly. the government maintained that at least 40 to 50 percent of the bidoon were concealing their true identities. while the law allows up to 2, 000 registered bidoon to be naturalized each year, the government only granted citizenship to approximately 1, 600 during the year. however, an additional 5, 500 bidoon in 3 categories, wives of citizens, sons of female citizens married to bidoon, and those whose male relatives are citizens, have been permitted to apply for citizenship beyond the 2, 000 per year limit. many bidoon are unable to provide documentation proving sufficient ties to the country or present evidence of their original nationality, as they are truly stateless. others ( the government claims 26, 000 over the past 4 years ) have disclosed their true nationalities and have obtained passports from their countries of origin ( iraq, iran, syria, jordan, and saudi arabia ). once documented, bidoon are able to obtain residency permits and other official papers. active debate over the bidoon issue increased markedly after the july national assembly elections. the political, economic, and long - term budgetary implications associated with extending citizenship ( and the generous welfare benefits that come with it ) to the equivalent of roughly 5 percent of the population have rendered the issue highly divisive. some national assembly members have threatened to question cabinet ministers, including the minister of education and prime minister, publicly over the issue. during the year, the ministry of defense approved granting citizenship to an estimated 400 bidoon who participated in the liberation of the country from iraqi occupation. the minister of interior proposed that deceased bidoon among the " kuwaiti missing persons " whose remains had been identified in iraq be naturalized, thereby allowing their surviving bidoon family members to gain citizenship. this proposal had not yet been approved at year ' s end. of the 572 " kuwaitis " missing from the iraqi occupation, 29 were bidoon. in 2002, the government mandated that those who did not register by the june 27, 2000 cut - off date and did not rectify their nationality status by either disclosing their true nationality or furnishing evidence of their citizenship would be subject


. in 2002, the government mandated that those who did not register by the june 27, 2000 cut - off date and did not rectify their nationality status by either disclosing their true nationality or furnishing evidence of their citizenship would be subject to deportation as illegal residents. however, no such action was taken. there were no reports during the year of the government deciding the nationality of any bidoon without a hearing. as a result of what allegedly were fraudulent citizenship applications, the government brought forgery charges against several bidoon applicants since july 2001. the only reported forgery conviction was in 2001. there continued to be reports of bidoon obtaining false documents in order to apply for citizenship. the council of ministers and the amir approved a draft law requiring bidoon to submit a passport with a valid residency permit when applying for kuwaiti citizenship and referred it to the national assembly for ratification. a final vote on the law had not yet taken place at year ' s end. section 6 worker rights a. the right of association the law provides that workers have the right to join unions ; however, the government restricted the right of freedom of association to only one union per occupational trade, and permitted unions to establish only one federation. approximately 60, 000 persons, less than 5 percent of a total work force of 1. 36 million, were organized into unions, of which 14 were affiliated with the kuwait trade union federation ( ktuf ), the sole legal trade union federation. the bank workers union and the kuwait airways workers union were independent of the ktuf. the law stipulates that any new union must include at least 100 workers, 15 of whom must be citizens. both the ilo and the international confederation of free trade unions ( icftu ) have criticized this requirement because it discourages unions in sectors that employ few citizens, such as the construction industry and much of the private sector. only about six percent of employed citizens worked in the private sector during the year. despite ktuf complaints about the need for an updated law, draft proposals for a new labor law have stalled for more than 10 years. the government licensed a new union during the year, the trade union of workers in the public authority for agriculture and fisheries. during the year, the government implemented the national manpower support law, a new law aimed at increasing the number of citizens employed in the private sector. article 15 of the law, not yet implemented, will require the establishment of a bank account for every foreign worker in order to ensure that workers are paid in a timely and


a new law aimed at increasing the number of citizens employed in the private sector. article 15 of the law, not yet implemented, will require the establishment of a bank account for every foreign worker in order to ensure that workers are paid in a timely and transparent manner. the law imposes substantial fines on private companies that fail to employ the requisite number of citizens. representatives of numerous companies and the kuwait industries union met with government officials during the year to voice concern over the new law. the ministry of social affairs and labor initiated a review of the law at year ' s end to identify segments of the private sector that should be exempt from the law ' s provisions. the government ' s pervasive oversight powers further eroded union independence. the government subsidizes as much as 90 percent of most union budgets and may inspect the financial records of any union. the law empowers the courts to dissolve any union for violating labor laws or for threatening " public order and morals, " although such a court decision may be appealed. the amir also may dissolve a union by decree. by law, the ministry of social affairs and labor is authorized to seize the assets of any dissolved union. the law subordinates the legal existence of the unions to the power of the state ; however, no union has been dissolved. the most recent government statistics cite approximately 1. 1 million foreigners as employed in the country, comprising over 80 percent of the labor force. however, foreign workers constitute less than 5 percent of the unionized work force. the labor law discriminated against foreign workers by denying them voting rights and permitting them to join unions only after 5 years of residence, although the ktuf stated that this requirement was not widely enforced in practice. any foreign worker covered under the labor law, which excluded maritime workers and an estimated 500, 000 domestic servants, could submit a grievance to the labor office regardless of union status ; however, such services were not utilized widely. ilo officials visited the country during the year to assist the ministry of social affairs and labor in reviving 2001 proposals for labor law reform. the labor law prohibits anti - union discrimination. any worker who alleges anti - union discrimination has the right to appeal to the judiciary. there were no reports of discrimination against employees based on their affiliation with a union. employers found guilty of such discrimination must reinstate workers fired for union activities. unions may affiliate with international bodies. the ktuf belonged to the international confederation of arab trade unions and the formerly soviet - controlled world federation of trade unions


with a union. employers found guilty of such discrimination must reinstate workers fired for union activities. unions may affiliate with international bodies. the ktuf belonged to the international confederation of arab trade unions and the formerly soviet - controlled world federation of trade unions. b. the right to organize and bargain collectively the labor law provides workers with the rights to organize and bargain collectively, subject to certain restrictions, and the government generally respected them in practice ( see section 6. a. ). however, the labor law does not apply to domestic servants, who constitute roughly a third of the foreign labor force but lack the rights and protections under the law enjoyed by other foreign workers. domestic servants may not organize or bargain collectively and suffer from low wages and often abuse at the hands of their employers. the labor law does not provide for a minimum wage for either domestic servants or private sector workers. foreign private sector workers are allowed to join unions but are barred from leadership positions. the labor law provides for direct negotiations between employers and " laborers or their representatives " in the private sector. most disagreements were resolved in such negotiations ; if not, either party may petition the ministry of social affairs and labor for mediation. if mediation fails, the dispute is referred to a labor arbitration board composed of officials from the high court of appeals, the attorney general ' s office, and the ministry of social affairs and labor. the civil service law makes no provision for collective bargaining between government workers and their employers. technically, the government is responsible for establishing wages and employment conditions for civil service workers but generally determined benefits in consultation with civil service unions. union officials resolved most issues at the working level and had regular access to senior officials. the law limits the right of workers to strike. it requires all labor disputes to be referred to compulsory arbitration if labor and management are unable to reach a solution. the law does not contain any provision ensuring strikers freedom from legal or administrative action taken against them by the state. however, the ministry of social affairs and labor has been responsive to sit - ins or protests by workers who faced obvious wrongdoing by their employers. there were no reported sit - ins or worker protests during the year. however, there were two partial strikes during the year by employees of the kuwait municipality and the finance ministry ; both were reportedly resolved amicably, with the employees attaining most of their demands. the government cooperated closely with the ilo, which maintained a representative office in the country. the ilo regional director for arab states visited the country during the year and met with the minister of


of police arresting and charging domestic servants with crimes such as violating immigration procedures, for attempting to escape from abusive employers. the police typically regarded such problems as matters of law and order, and not as legitimate labor conflicts. employers or local labor recruitment agencies routinely withheld wages from domestic servants to cover the costs involved in bringing them to the country. there were credible reports of widespread illegal visa trading, a system by which local sponsors agree to extend their sponsorship ( in name only ) to foreign workers in exchange for a fee in the range of $ 1, 500 to $ 4, 000 ( 450 to 1, 200 kd ). middlemen, generally foreigners, attract workers from economically depressed countries, take a commission, and remit the balance to the nominal sponsor. once in the country, such agents transfer workers to employers in the informal sector or to parties that would otherwise be unable to sponsor them. foreign workers recruited with traded visas not only faced possible prosecution for being engaged in illegal employment ( that is, working for an employer other than their sponsor ), but also were extremely vulnerable to extortion by employers, sponsors, and middlemen. visa and residence trading has resulted in a growing number of unemployed foreign workers in the country. many are unable to earn enough money to pay the illegal fees often charged by their local sponsors or local labor recruitment agencies in exchange for residency and work permits. many suffer from abuse or mistreatment at the hands of their unofficial employers. abused foreign workers employed on the basis of illegally traded visas typically failed to report incidents of abuse or poor working conditions to authorities due to their illegal immigration status. government efforts to crack down on visa trading, such as closing front companies for visa traders, have not made significant progress. there were laws aimed at curbing visa trading, with penalties against both employers and visa traders, but the government seldom enforced these laws. the labor inspection department of the ministry of social affairs and labor is responsible for carrying out routine inspections of all private firms to ensure that all registered foreign workers are actually employed by their legal sponsors. the ministry suspended the files of employers caught violating labor regulations. during the year, the ministry of labor reportedly referred more than 2, 200 labor violations to its labor inspection department. most of these " violations " involved occupational health, environmental, and safety problems, and poor working conditions. the ministry has reportedly suspended around 1, 500 employer files to date for possible labor violations. d. status of child labor practices and minimum age for employment the labor law prohibits child labor, forced or compulsory labor, and


problems, and poor working conditions. the ministry has reportedly suspended around 1, 500 employer files to date for possible labor violations. d. status of child labor practices and minimum age for employment the labor law prohibits child labor, forced or compulsory labor, and exploitation of workers. child labor was not a significant problem ; however, there were credible reports of some south and southeast asian children under 18 years of age working as domestic servants ( see sections 5 and 6. c. ). such underage workers reportedly falsified their ages in order to enter the country. some very young boys ( reportedly from the sudan, bangladesh, pakistan, eritrea, and yemen ) also were used as camel jockeys ( see sections 5 and 6. c. ). some businessmen employed their children on a part - time basis. the legal minimum age is 18 years for all forms of work, both full - and part - time. employers may obtain permits from the ministry of social affairs and labor to employ juveniles between the ages of 14 and 18 in certain trades. juveniles may work a maximum of 6 hours a day on the condition that they work no more than 4 consecutive hours followed by a 1 - hour rest period. the government has ratified 18 ilo conventions, including 6 of the 8 core conventions. among the ratified conventions are those prohibiting servitude and forced labor, and convention 182 concerning the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor. the labor inspection department of the ministry of social affairs and labor inspected private firms routinely during the year to monitor compliance with labor laws, including those against child labor. there were no reported government programs to prevent exploitative child labor or remove children from such labor. e. acceptable conditions of work the ministry of social affairs and labor is responsible for enforcing all labor laws. an institutionalized two - tiered labor market ensured high wages for citizen employees, most of whom were in government white collar or executive positions, while foreign workers, even those in skilled positions, received substantially lower wages. bangladeshi domestic workers reportedly earned as little as $ 70 per month ( 21 kd ). there was no legal minimum wage in the private sector. in the public sector, the monthly legal minimum wage was approximately $ 753 ( 227 kd ) for citizens and approximately $ 300 ( 90 kd ) for non - citizens. however, non - citizens do not receive the same social benefits as citizens and must pay fees for education and health care, which are provided free for all citizens. the government maintains a two - tier health care system that provides substantially


for non - citizens. however, non - citizens do not receive the same social benefits as citizens and must pay fees for education and health care, which are provided free for all citizens. the government maintains a two - tier health care system that provides substantially lower quality care to non - citizens. the best, most effective medicines, even for serious illnesses, and certain kinds of specialized treatment are officially reserved for citizens only. private sector wages ranged from $ 10, 000 ( 3, 000 kd ) each month for top managers of large companies to between $ 500 to $ 2, 500 ( 150 to 750 kd ) for other skilled professionals and workers. the public sector minimum wage provided a decent standard of living for a worker and family. wages of unskilled workers in the private sector did not always provide a decent standard of living, with housemaids often making less than $ 115 ( 35 kd ) per month. to be eligible to sponsor family members for residency, government and private sector workers must receive a minimum wage of $ 1, 300 ( 400 dinars ) per month. many foreign workers who met or exceeded the minimum income threshold often waited months for government approval to sponsor their immediate family members to the country. during the year, the government exempted public school teachers from the minimum salary threshold for sponsoring family members. the labor law establishes general conditions of work for the private sector, with the oil industry treated separately. the civil service law also prescribes additional working conditions for the public sector, which consisted almost entirely of citizen workers. the labor law limits the standard work week to 48 hours with 1 full day of rest per week, 1 hour of rest after every 5 consecutive hours of work, provides for a minimum of 14 workdays of leave each year, and establishes a compensation schedule for industrial accidents. in may 2000, the government implemented an unemployment allowance program for citizens unable to find jobs in the public sector or with private companies. the program provides regular allowance payments averaging $ 330 ( 100kd ) to unemployed citizens until they found jobs. there were no reported cases of abuse of this program during the year. domestic servants, who specifically are excluded from the labor law, and other unskilled foreign workers in the private sector frequently worked greatly in excess of 48 hours, often with no day of rest and no annual leave. in amendments to the labor law in the private sector implemented in 1997, the government extended the weekly 24 - consecutive - hour rest period to temporary workers employed for a period of less than 6 months and workers in enterprises


day of rest and no annual leave. in amendments to the labor law in the private sector implemented in 1997, the government extended the weekly 24 - consecutive - hour rest period to temporary workers employed for a period of less than 6 months and workers in enterprises employing fewer than five persons. the law pertaining to the oil industry provides for a 40 - hour workweek, 30 days of annual leave, and sick leave. laws establishing working conditions were not applied uniformly to foreign workers. the government has issued occupational health and safety standards ; however, compliance and enforcement appeared poor, especially with respect to unskilled foreign laborers. to decrease accident rates, the government periodically inspected enterprises to raise awareness among workers and employers and to ensure that they abided by safety rules, controlled the pollution resulting from certain dangerous industries, trained workers who used new machines in specialized institutes, and reported violations. workers had the right to remove themselves from dangerous work situations without jeopardizing their continued employment, and legal protection existed for both citizen and foreign workers who filed complaints about such conditions. however, government attention to worker safety issues remained insufficient, resulting in poor training of inspectors, inadequate injury reports, and no link between insurance payments and accident reports. the law provides that all outdoor work stop in the event that the temperature rises above 120 degrees fahrenheit ; however, there were allegations that the government ' s meteorological division falsified official readings to allow work to proceed. the meteorological division consistently denied these allegations. in the past, recorded temperatures reached 120 degrees fahrenheit but work reportedly continued at many outdoor locations. employers often exploited workers ' willingness to accept substandard conditions. some foreign workers, especially unskilled or semiskilled south asian workers, lived and worked much like indentured servants, were unaware of their legal rights, and generally lacked the means to pursue legal remedies. they frequently faced contractual disputes and poor working conditions, and sometimes physical and sexual abuse ( see sections 5 and 6. c. ). most were in debt to their employers before they arrived in the country and had little choice but to accept the employer ' s conditions, even if they breached the contractual terms. it was not uncommon for wages to be withheld for a period of months, or to be decreased substantially in violation of their labor contracts. many foreign workers were forced to live in " housing camps, " which generally were overcrowded and lacked adequate cooking and bathroom facilities. workers were housed 10 or more to a room in squalid conditions, many without access to adequate


labor contracts. many foreign workers were forced to live in " housing camps, " which generally were overcrowded and lacked adequate cooking and bathroom facilities. workers were housed 10 or more to a room in squalid conditions, many without access to adequate running water. the workers were only allowed off the camp compound on company transport or by permission of the employer. foreign workers ' ability to change their employment was limited, and, in some cases, employers ' possession of foreign workers ' passports allowed them to exercise control over such employees ( see section 6. c. ). many foreign workers went heavily into debt and could not afford to return home. the labor law discriminates against foreign workers by limiting their ability to join unions ( see section 6. a. ). the ktuf administered an expatriate labor office, which was authorized to investigate complaints of foreign laborers and provide them with free legal advice. however, these services were not utilized widely. any foreign worker could submit a grievance to the labor office regardless of union status. the labor law provides for employer - provided medical care and compensation to both citizen and foreign workers disabled by injury or disease due to job - related causes. once a worker files a claim, the courts decide the amount of compensation, which is typically paid in one lump sum payment rather than in monthly payments. workers, especially foreigners, have had difficulty enforcing such decisions. the law also requires that employers provide periodic medical examinations to workers exposed to environmental hazards on the job, such as chemicals and asbestos. adequate and affordable health care is a serious problem for many foreign workers. official health policies discriminate against foreigners in the provision of medicines and treatment. foreigners must pay high yearly medical coverage fees to the ministry of health and additional fees each time they receive medical care, require tests, specialized procedures, or medication. many employers deduct the medical fees from employees ' salaries. foreign workers and their family members must pay these yearly government - mandated medical coverage fees in order to obtain or renew residency or work permits. the best medicines, even for serious or life - threatening illnesses, are officially reserved for citizens. in september, more than 1, 000 foreign workers protested at the ministry of health against reported delays in processing their medical claims ( see section 2. b. ). the ministry reportedly called in security officials to disperse the crowd. there were no reports of violence or arrests. in september, the government implemented the national manpower support law. article 15 of the law, not yet implemented, will require employers to deposit the


. the ministry reportedly called in security officials to disperse the crowd. there were no reports of violence or arrests. in september, the government implemented the national manpower support law. article 15 of the law, not yet implemented, will require employers to deposit the salaries of all foreign private sector workers into local bank accounts on a monthly basis to help ensure that workers receive their full wages in a timely and transparent manner. at year ' s end, many local banks were increasing staff or adding new shifts to accommodate the increased workload. it was common for employers to confiscate and withhold the passports of their domestic servants illegally, preventing them from departing the country. maids paid the same amount or more than other unskilled or semiskilled workers for visas to work in the country. runaway servants often sought refuge at their source country embassies for either repatriation or assistance in dealing with employers. the number of runaway servants in need of assistance remained high during the year as conditions for domestic employees remained poor. an estimated 1, 000 domestic servants ( out of approximately 500, 000 foreign domestic servants in the country ) were reported to be in source country embassy shelters at any given time during the year. although most such workers sought shelter due to contractual or financial problems with their employers, some women also alleged physical or sexual abuse. some embassies continued to report the steady occurrence of physical abuse and mistreatment involving domestic servants, including withheld salaries, overwork, and inadequate food. each government has attempted to register its nationals who arrive to work in the country as domestic employees and to regulate recruiting agents in their home countries, with some success. limited services provided by the police facility designated to mediate among embassies, domestic workers, and employers made it very difficult for domestic servants to file complaints, receive withheld salary, or reach settlement in cases of mistreatment. domestic servants must deal with neighborhood police stations, whose personnel are untrained and inexperienced in handling such cases and often side with the employer. source country embassies reported widespread police harassment of and discrimination against domestic servants during the year ( see sections 5 and 6. c. ). some countries warned their female citizens about the risks of exploitation or banned them altogether from working in the country as domestic servants. some years ago, the government of india temporarily banned its nationals from working in the country as domestic employees, but indian nationals continued to buy visas and enter the country as domestic workers. the government of india limits the granting of domestic work permits for the country to women over


, the government of india temporarily banned its nationals from working in the country as domestic employees, but indian nationals continued to buy visas and enter the country as domestic workers. the government of india limits the granting of domestic work permits for the country to women over age 30 and only from specific states, which has helped reduce some employment problems. the embassy of bangladesh estimated that 90 percent of the approximately 160, 000 bangladeshi workers in the country were unskilled laborers and that 30 percent of these workers received no salaries at all from their private sector employers while 10 percent of bangladeshi domestics were paid nothing beyond room and board. the embassy reported that it received approximately 100 calls per month from bangladeshi workers, including domestic servants, complaining of serious employment problems. out of the approximately 130 runaway philippine domestic servants in the philippine embassy shelter, on average, at any given time during the year, approximately 30 percent reported some form of mistreatment by their employers and 6 percent reported sexual abuse. the courts rule in favor of employees in an estimated 90 percent of the labor disputes they hear ; however, no legal mechanism exists to enforce judgments. there is no compulsion for employers to obey court rulings, and workers often do not receive court - ordered compensation. employers also reportedly use illegal methods to pressure foreign employees to drop cases against them, such as withholding their passports, encouraging police intimidation and brutality, threatening deportation, and filing criminal charges against them for fabricated crimes, such as theft. trafficking in persons the law does not specifically prohibit trafficking in persons, although laws against slavery, prostitution, forced labor, coercion, kidnapping, and other acts can be used collectively to prosecute traffickers. the government has ratified some international conventions that commit it to apply these laws. the country is a destination for internationally trafficked men, women, and children. the problem principally is one of foreign workers, mostly female, coming to work as domestic servants but being abused by their employers or coerced into situations of debt bondage or involuntary servitude. in at least a dozen incidents reported by local newspapers during the year, procurers kidnapped domestic servants and other foreign - born female workers off the street and forced them into prostitution. most victims do not report these crimes. there were several reported incidents during the year of police raiding prostitution rings and arresting both organizers and prostitutes. in february, the criminal court fined an expatriate woman around $ 9, 600 ( 3, 000 kd ) and sentenced her to 3 years in jail followed by deportation for running a brothel and forcing other


and arresting both organizers and prostitutes. in february, the criminal court fined an expatriate woman around $ 9, 600 ( 3, 000 kd ) and sentenced her to 3 years in jail followed by deportation for running a brothel and forcing other expatriate women into prostitution. in march, police arrested six men and seven foreign prostitutes in a 2 - hour crackdown in farwaniya district. in april, police raided three prostitution " houses " and arrested 10 asian female prostitutes in an outlying district, jleeb al - shuyoukh, populated mainly by expatriate workers. in january, the high court of appeals upheld the verdict of the criminal court and sentenced a bangladeshi man to death for kidnapping, raping, and forcing two foreign women into prostitution. the man reportedly bought one of the women for $ 800 ( 250 kd ) from another unidentified man. in february, the court of appeals upheld the verdict of the criminal court and sentenced a woman to 3 years in prison and imposed a $ 10, 000 ( 3, 000 kd ) fine for running a prostitution ring and holding several foreign women captive. in april 2002, a foreign development agency report on female foreign workers in the country revealed that in most trafficking cases, local manpower agents or visa traders had promised women domestic work. upon arrival, however, numerous migrants were expected to provide sexual services in addition to their domestic duties, and some were forced to engage in prostitution exclusively. the government took some measures to help combat trafficking. a conciliation center attached to a district police station processed some complaints filed by domestic servants or their source country embassies against abusive or exploitative employers. a government domestic labor office, under the authority of the ministry of interior, investigated and resolved some labor complaints. the government formed an inter - ministerial committee of representatives from the ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of interior, and ministry of social affairs and labor to discuss strategies for protecting the rights of domestic employees. the committee held its first meeting in may. in april, the government approved the establishment of a new association, the kuwait union of domestic labor offices, to more closely monitor the activities of domestic labor recruitment agencies in the country and to educate employers and domestics about their rights. at year ' s end, 29 labor recruitment agencies reportedly representing about 60 percent of all domestic servants in the country were members of the association. at year ' s end, the association proposed a new law to regulate the hiring of domestic servants. the only human rights ngo in the country, the kuwait human


open access means that scientific literature is made available free of charge on the internet, while the author ' s copyrights are protected. open access therefore allows the reading and downloading of entire texts and the printing of a private copy. readers will have no financial, legal, or technical barriers to overcome ; internet access is all that is needed. the authors retain their rights to their research work, while the public can freely utilise the publications. numerous publishing houses allow their authors the use of open access, or have their own open access strategies. open access publications achieve far more visibility and are more likely to be quoted than traditional publications. the german rectors ' conference, the wissenschaftsrat, the standing conference, the german research foundation and the european commission support this type of publications with increasing emphasis. comprehensive information on the topic of open access can be found on the information platform open - access. net. gottingen university has declared the following in its open access resolution ( pdf, 248 kb ) in the winter of 2005 / 2006 : „... the presidium regards open access as a central publication strategy for the future, which will improve the supply of information in science in the long term ". it aligns its open access strategies with those of the max - planck institute and other forward - looking universities. gottingen state and university library is a central partner in this endeavour, and responsible for the implementation, coordination, and continuation of the strategy within the university. published data from gottingen scientists, entered into the research database factscience, for example, can also be used on the document server goescholar. gottingen state and university library also participates in national and international projects, such as the confederation of open access repositories ( coar ) and openaire. the eu office at gottingen university offers detailed information about the european union open access pilot on its internet pages. our web pages offer answers to the following types of questions : last changed 13. 05. 2013


laparoscopy ( say " lap - uh - ross - kuh - pee " ) is surgery that is done through small cuts ( incisions ) in your belly. to do this type of surgery, a doctor puts a lighted tube, or scope, and other surgical tools through small incisions in your belly. the doctor can take out organs such as the spleen, the gallbladder, the appendix, an ovary, a fallopian tube, or part of the intestine during laparoscopy. he or she can repair a hernia or take out small tumors, cysts, or other growths. the doctor also can use laparoscopy to close a woman ' s fallopian tubes ( tubal ligation ). in laparoscopy, recovery is usually less painful and faster than in surgery done through one large cut ( called open surgery ). you may also spend less time in the hospital and away from work and other activities. laparoscopy may cost less than open surgery. but sometimes laparoscopy takes longer, or your doctor needs to switch from doing a laparoscopy to doing an open surgery. typically laparoscopy leaves several scars about half an inch long. these scars fade with time. | by : | | reference healthwise staff | | last revised : reference march 6, 2012 | | medical review : | | reference adam husney, md - family medicine reference peter j. kahrilas, md - gastroenterology


please enter your username and password below. the years 2011 through 2015 mark the sesquicentennial of the american civil war. during this turbulent and divisive time, what was it like being a member of the jewish community at passover? certainly jews celebrated the calendar ' s yearly religious festivals and holy days, but the celebration of passover, when jewish families and friends gather to read the story of the israelite exodus from egypt dramatized with additional stories in the haggadah, is somewhat like shabbat. the joyous celebration occurs outside the synagogue, usually without the benefit of clergy. this holiday is unique. the centerpiece recapitulates a biblical story via a ritual meal that proceeds in a prescribed order ( seder ) with certain dishes given symbolic meanings to recall the events of that story. every family constructs its own minor variations on the theme, but the retelling of the story is basically the same with certain passover traditions differing in detail from community to community. keeping these traditions and rituals were difficult for a religious soldier away from home and family and even more trying in the midst of a bloody war where one ' s enemy may be a fellow jew fighting for what he believes is a righteous cause. this was especially true during the american civil war from april 1861 through may 1865. the largest jewish community until the 1830 ' s in the united states was in charleston, south carolina, with other large populations in new york and philadelphia in the north. during the civil war the total american jewish population was about 150, 000. approximately 3, 000 jewish men fought on the confederate side and 7, 000 fought on the union side with jews playing leadership roles on both sides. nine jews were generals and twenty - one colonels. an aging commodore uriah levy briefly served in the union navy during the very first months of the conflict before being retired. judah benjamin, a non - observant jew, served as secretary of state and acted as secretary of war of the confederacy. several jews in the banking industry helped provide financing for both sides during the civil war. i for jewish soldiers who fought on both sides during these especially trying times, passover was both emotional and perplexing. slavery, perhaps the original sin of humanity, was most certainly the original sin in the founding of the united states. therefore there was an obvious parallel between the story of moses leading the enslaved ancient hebrews out of slavery in egypt and the cause of the abolitionists to free slaves on american soil, the high moral ground that required personal


the founding of the united states. therefore there was an obvious parallel between the story of moses leading the enslaved ancient hebrews out of slavery in egypt and the cause of the abolitionists to free slaves on american soil, the high moral ground that required personal blood sacrifice. at the outbreak of the civil war in 1861, the primary issue for the northerners was fighting against secession and its implication for the future of the nation. the preservation of the union surpassed all other considerations including slavery. the threat to nationalism and an abiding patriotism constituted the call to duty. in fact, congress stated that the war was not waged for the purpose of overthrowing or interfering with the rights of individual states or their " established " institutions ( read slavery ). the issue of freeing the slaves for most of the soldiers only gained in importance as the war ground on with the emancipation proclamation of 1 january 1863. ii southerners also saw the war as a patriotic cause, the defense of their families and homes. but even more, they fought for the preservation of the sovereign rights of the states ; southern states that had welcomed them and allowed many to rise to positions of prominence. believing that these states had the right to preserve their own " domestic institutions " ( code word for slavery ), their response was to aggressively defend a threat to their way of life. jewish soldiers in the union army were just as committed to judaism as those who fought for the confederacy and both the northern and southern jewish soldiers understood that passover was the observance of their ancestors historic escape from the bonds of slavery. slavery in america, although a political issue at the time, did not seem to have much primacy as these adversaries performed the ritual celebration on two sides of the battle lines. that noted, providing for the ritual symbols of a seder in the scattered war zones required ingenuity and a bit of adaptability. published accounts from letters from a union and a confederate soldier during this time put our modern home - based celebrations into perspective. a confederate soldier named isaac levy, 46th virginia infantry, described his passover in the portion of an 1864 letter to his sister leonora..... [ my brother ] zeke [ capt. ezekiel j. levy of the 46th va ]... purchased [ matzot ] sufficient to last us for the week.... we are observing the festival in a truly orthodox style. on the first day we had a fine vegetable soup. it was made of a bunch of vegetables which zeke brought from charleston containing new onions,


sufficient to last us for the week.... we are observing the festival in a truly orthodox style. on the first day we had a fine vegetable soup. it was made of a bunch of vegetables which zeke brought from charleston containing new onions, parsley, carrots turnips and a young cauliflower also a pound and a half of fresh [ kosher ] beef, the latter article sells for four dollars per pound in charleston. zeke did not bring us any meat from home. he brought some of his own, smoked meat, which he is sharing with us. he says that he supposes that pa forgot to deliver it to him. love to all, your affectionate brother isaac j. levy iii from " passover : a reminiscence of the war " published in thejewish messenger in april 1866, j. a. joel of the 23rd ohio union volunteer regiment described how he and twenty fellow jewish soldiers observed passover with matzo and haggadahs shipped to them from cincinnati to have their seder in fayette, west virginia. an edited description of joel ' s of the 1862 event is as follows : 1664 central avenue • needham, ma 02492 • 781 - 444 - 8522 affliliated with synagogue council of massachusetts and united synagogue of conservative judaism


bulbing demand, electric shortage larger texas population uses more energy, sources changing published : monday, july 30, 2012 updated : monday, july 30, 2012 23 : 07 texas ’ population is on the rise and so is the potential for energy shortages. due to population growth, high temperatures and increasing energy demands, the electric use in texas is growing faster than the electric generation being built to service. this leads to a decrease in the electric reserves, the gap between the energy supply and demand during the peak hours of 3 p. m. and 7 p. m. the electric reliability council of texas is the electricity grid operator for the state and forecasts the reserves to be 14. 3 percent in the summer of 2013, 9. 8 percent in 2014, and drop below zero in 2022. “ our goal is to prevent outages, ” media communications specialist for the council robbie searcy said. “ ercot is very focused on grid reliability and we ’ re working very closely with public utility commissions on solutions to these future resource adequacy concerns. ” the council ’ s electric grid covers 75 percent of texas and accounts for 85 percent of the electricity usage in the state. it serves most of the major metropolitan regions with the exception of el paso. areas not covered include part of the panhandle and some of the southeastern regions of the state. despite triple - digit temperatures and the potential to reach peak energy demand periods, the council doesn ’ t anticipate fading outages this summer. “ ercot has several steps we take when generation reserves become tight to help ensure the reliability of the grid, ” searcy said. “ those steps include bringing all available generation online, we then would take some of the larger users offline. those users have agreed prior through contracts with ercot to go offline during those times when there is a problem. ” during the peak demand hours texas residents are advised to do some simple tasks to use less electricity. since air conditioning is one of the biggest challenges to the texas grid in the summer, residents are encouraged to turn thermostats up a few degrees and avoid using large appliances such as washing machines and dryers. the texas public utility commission is also taking steps to avoid future energy shortages. it recently voted to raise the wholesale price cap for electricity. this price cap is hit on hot summer days and will be allowed to rise by 50 percent. the idea behind this decision is to allow power plants to make more money on electric generation so they could build more plants to supply the growing population


for electricity. this price cap is hit on hot summer days and will be allowed to rise by 50 percent. the idea behind this decision is to allow power plants to make more money on electric generation so they could build more plants to supply the growing population in texas. the decision to raise wholesale prices could affect the residents of college station. “ we try to get power contracts that cover our load but during peak situations when it gets really, really hot, almost all utilities may have to buy off the market, ” said timothy crabb, college station ’ s interim director of electric utilities. “ if they raise that price, that could raise the price of the utilities, which could ultimately raise the cost to the customer. ” most college station residents pay 12 cents for a kilowatt hour. college station purchases electricity from the the council that has generation stations throughout texas. there are no power plants in college station, but that could change in the future. “ college station ’ s power supply contract, part of that runs out in early 2015 and we ’ re investigating all sorts of things, ” crabb said. college station uses more than one energy source to provide electricity to texas residents. crabb said it is important to diversify energy sources due to the unpredictable nature of resources availability. you don ’ t want everything to be based off one fuel source because a change in the market can drastically affect cost, ” he said. “ right now natural gas is [ priced ] low, at one time it was high priced. ” the u. s. has issued renewable fuel standards, according to sergio capareda, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering. capareda said renewable resources such as algae and high - tonnage sorghum can generate electricity. “ i have a portable mobile fluidized bed gasifier that can gasify air, ” capareda said. “ we turn the solid biomass into gas, and that gas is injected into an internal combustion engine, and that engine runs from the gas that ’ s attached to a generator — so it ’ s generating power. ”


september 27, 2012 lymphoma is a cancer of white blood cells called b - lymphocytes, or b - cells. they multiply rapidly and form tumors. lymphoma of the brain or spinal cord is called central nervous system ( cns ) lymphoma. aids - related lymphoma is sometimes called non - hodgkin ' s lymphoma ( nhl ). in 1985, the centers for disease control added nhl to the list of diseases that define aids. hodgkin ' s disease, another type of lymphoma, is rare in people with hiv. the longer you live with a suppressed immune system, the higher the risk of nhl. it can occur even with a high cd4 count. it can be serious and often fatal, sometimes within a year. the use of combination antiretroviral therapy ( art ) cut the rates of most opportunistic infections by about 80 %. at first, this did not appear to be true for nhl. however, newer studies show a decrease of about 50 % in nhl rates, especially cns lymphoma. nhl still accounts for about 20 % of the deaths of people with hiv. approximately 10 % of people with hiv may eventually develop nhl. nhl tumors can occur in the bone, abdomen, liver, brain or other parts of the body. the first signs of nhl are swollen lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, and weight loss of more than 10 %. these symptoms occur with several aids - related illnesses. if health care providers cannot find another cause for these symptoms, they will test for nhl. nhl is usually diagnosed using imaging techniques or biopsies. the imaging techniques include various scans ( cat, pet, gallium, and thallium ). a biopsy is an examination of cells from a suspected tumor. the cells are collected by a thin needle, or they are cut out surgically. nhl is caused by long - term stimulation of the immune system. when b - cells multiply quickly for many years, more mutations occur. some of these mutations cause cancer. about 4 % of people with symptoms of hiv disease develop nhl each year. the rate of nhl in people with hiv is over 80 times higher than for the general population. a recent study found higher rates for people with a cd4 count that ever dropped below 200, and the longer they had a high or uncontrolled viral load. the risk of nhl is increased by infection with epstein - barr


the general population. a recent study found higher rates for people with a cd4 count that ever dropped below 200, and the longer they had a high or uncontrolled viral load. the risk of nhl is increased by infection with epstein - barr virus and by genetic factors. the rate of nhl is twice as high in men as in women, and twice as high in caucasians as in people of african or caribbean ancestry. at the present time we don ' t know how to prevent nhl. most cancers are treated by a combination of drugs ( chemotherapy or chemo ). chemo is very toxic. it suppresses the immune system. it can cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, swollen and sensitive gums, mouth sores, hair loss, and numbness or tingling in the feet or hands. chemo also damages bone marrow. this can cause anemia ( low red blood cells ) and neutropenia ( low white blood cells ). neutropenia increases the risk of bacterial infections. additional drugs may be needed to fight these side effects. nhl in the central nervous system is very difficult to treat. radiation therapy may be used instead of, or in addition to, chemotherapy. art makes it easier for hiv patients to tolerate strong chemotherapy for nhl. as a result, the death rate from nhl has dropped by over 80 %. seventy - four percent of patients recovered from nhl in a study using a new combination of chemotherapy drugs known as epoch. since people started using strong art, the types of nhl seen in people with hiv are easier to treat. as a result, people with hiv and nhl are living longer. several types of chemo are used for nhl. chemo clears up tumors in about 50 % of patients. however, tumors return in many patients within a year. people diagnosed with nhl are at a higher risk of developing pneumocystis pneumonia ( pcp ) and should take medications to prevent it. see fact sheet 515 for more information on pcp. " monoclonal antibodies " are being used against nhl, and researchers continue to study their use. these drugs are produced through genetic engineering. they attack the b - cells that are multiplying out of control. the names of monoclonal antibodies end in " - mab, " such as rituximab. they shrink tumors and increase the time before tumors return. nhl, a cancer involving b - cells, affects people with advanced aids. it is serious and often fatal. the use of art has reduced the


history of terrorism war on terrorism | anarchist - communist · eco - terrorism · ethnic narcoterrorism · nationalist | types and tactics | | agro - terrorism · aircraft hijacking ( list ) bioterrorism · car bombing ( list ) environmental · nuclear piracy · propaganda of the deed proxy bomb · suicide attack ( list ) iran · pakistan · russia sri lanka · united states terrorist front organization terrorist training camp clandestine cell system | reign of terror red terror · white terror charities accused of ties to terrorism the term communist terrorism is refers to terrorism committed by communist organizations. the term lacks a strict definition. there is a disagreement over precise definition of terrorism, and there is a dispute over connection between adherence to communist ideology and committing terrorist acts. nevertheless there is a number of active and inactive ( disbanded or destroyed ) left - wing radical organizations which claimed adherence to some form of communist ideology and which were considered as terrorist by international community. the communist party of peru more commonly known as the shining path ( sendero luminoso ), is a maoist guerrilla organization in peru that launched the internal conflict in peru in 1980. widely condemned for its brutality, including violence deployed against peasants, trade union organizers, popularly elected officials and the general civilian population, shining path is on the u. s. department of state ' s " designated foreign terrorist organizations " list. peru, the european union, and canada likewise regard shining path as a terrorist group and prohibit providing funding or other financial support. the revolutionary armed forces of colombia ( farc ) is a marxist - leninist organization in colombia which has employed vehicle bombings, gas cylinder bombs, killings, landmines, kidnapping, extortion, hijacking, as well as guerrilla and conventional military. the united states department of state includes the farc - ep on its list of foreign terrorist organizations, as does the european union. it funds itself primarily through extortion, kidnapping and their participation in the illegal drug trade. many of their fronts have also overrun and massacred small communities in order to silence and intimidate those who do not support their activities, enlist new and underage recruits by force, distribute propaganda and, more importantly, to pillage local banks. businesses operating in rural areas, including agricultural, oil, and mining interests, were required to pay " vaccines " ( monthly payments ) which " protected " them from subsequent attacks and kidnappings. an additional, albeit less lucrative, source of revenue was highway blockades where guerrillas stopped motorists and buses in order to confiscate jewelry


to pay " vaccines " ( monthly payments ) which " protected " them from subsequent attacks and kidnappings. an additional, albeit less lucrative, source of revenue was highway blockades where guerrillas stopped motorists and buses in order to confiscate jewelry and money. an estimated 20 - 30 percent of farc combatants are under 18 years old, with many as young as 12 years old, for a total of around 5000 children. ), children who try to escape the ranks of the guerrillas are punished with torture and death. the communist party of nepal has been responsible for hundreds of attacks on government and civilian targets. after the upf ' s maoist wing ( cpn - m ) performed poorly in elections and was excluded from the election of 1994. the maoists then turned to insurgency in order to overthrow nepal ' s monarchy, parliamentary democracy and change nepalese society, including a purge of the nation ' s elite class, a state takeover of private industry, and collectivization of agriculture. in nepal attacks against civilian populations occurred as part of maoist strategy - amnesty international states : the cpn ( maoist ) has consistently targeted private schools, which it ideologically opposes. on the 14 april 2005 the cpn ( maoist ) demanded that all private schools shut down, although this demand was withdrawn on 28 april. following this demand, it bombed two schools in western nepal on 15 april, a school in nepalganj, banke district on 17 april and a school in kalyanpur, chitwan on 21 april. cpn ( maoist ) cadres also reportedly threw a bomb at students taking classes in a school in khara, rukum district. until recently, the maoist insurgency had been fighting against the royal nepalese army and other supporters of the monarchy. they have since risen to power and began implementing reforms as the legitimate government of nepal. the naxalite extremist communist terror groups in india have effectively taken over large parts of the rural regions of the country in recent years. advocating a violent, revolutionary maoist ideology, they and their associates in the communist party of india ( maoist ) and people ' s war are regarded as india ' s biggest and most pernicious security threat. naxalite communists have engaged in numerous terrorist attacks and human rights violations in india ' s " red corridor " ( the regions in india that they have taken over ). the communist party of the philippines and its armed wing, the new people ' s army ( cpp / npa ) is a paramilitary group


rights violations in india ' s " red corridor " ( the regions in india that they have taken over ). the communist party of the philippines and its armed wing, the new people ' s army ( cpp / npa ) is a paramilitary group fighting of marxism - leninism - maoist ideology ( preamble, constitution of the communist party of the philippines, 1968 ) fighting for communist revolution in the philippines. it was formed on march 29, 1969. the maoist npa fights a " protracted people ' s war " as the military wing of the communist party of the philippines ( cpp ). the npa is classified as a terrorist organization by the philippine government, the us, eu and other countries. the npa ' s targets often include politicians, military, police, criminals, landlords, business owners and occasionally u. s. agents in the philippines. before the second rectification movement, wherein certain " errors " were being rectified, the group conducted a purge, killing thousands of partisans and members on accusations of being deep penetration agent by the armed forces of the philippines and the philippine intelligence community. former npa fighter robert francis garcia chronicled the wild murders in his book to suffer thy comrades and organized the peace advocates for truth, healing and justice ( path ), a group composed of survivors of the " purges " and the families of victims and their friends and supporters. out of that rectification movement, the party was split into two, the " reaffirmists ", who uphold the " protracted people ' s war " and the " mass line " ; while the " rejectionists ", who rejects the basic tenets of the party. the latter faction were also known for initiating the mass purges, especially against alleged deep penetration agents before the rectification of errors inside the party system. revolutionary organization 17 november ( also known as 17n or n17 ) is marxist terrorist organization formed in 1973 in greece, recognized as a terrorist organization by the greek state, the us and international law enforcement ",, and believed by many to be have been disbanded in 2002 after the arrest and trial of a number of its members. during its heyday, the urban guerrilla group assassinated 23 people in 103 attacks on u. s., diplomatic and greek targets. greek authorities believe spin - off terror groups are still in operation, including revolutionary struggle, the group that allegedly fired a rocket propelled grenade at the u. s. embassy in athens in january 2007. the revolutionary people ' s liberation party


and greek targets. greek authorities believe spin - off terror groups are still in operation, including revolutionary struggle, the group that allegedly fired a rocket propelled grenade at the u. s. embassy in athens in january 2007. the revolutionary people ' s liberation party / front, is a militant marxist - leninist party in turkey. it is in the terrorist organization lists in the u. s., the uk and the eu. the organisation is listed among the 12 active terrorist organisation in turkey as of 2007 according to counter - terrorism and operations department of directorate general for security ( turkish police ). it also appears as one of the 44 names in the current u. s. state department list of foreign terrorist organizations, 48 groups and entities to which european union ' s common position 2001 / 931 / cfsp on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism applies and 45 international terrorist organisations in the list of proscribed terrorist groups of the uk home office. the may 19 communist organization, also referred to as the may 19 communist coalition, was a us - based, self - described revolutionary organization formed by splintered - off members of the weather underground and the black liberation army. the m19co name was derived from the birthdays of ho chi minh and malcolm x. the may 19 communist organization was active from 1978 to 1985. m19co was a combination of the black liberation army and the weather underground. it also included members of the black panthers and the republic of new africa ( rna ). the group was originally known as the new york chapter of the prairie fire organizing committee ( pfoc ), an organization devoted to legally promoting the causes of the weather underground. its name was derived from the birthdays of ho chi minh and malcolm x. the may 19 communist organization was active from 1978 to 1985. in 1981 kathy boudin, together with several members of the black liberation army, participated in a robbery of a brinks armored car at the nanuet mall, near nyack, new york. upon her arrest, boudin was identified as a member of the may 19 communist organization. from 1982 to 1985, a series of bombings were ascribed to the group. by may 23, 1985, all members of the group had been arrested, with the exception of elizabeth duke, who remains a fugitive. at a 1986 trial, six group members were tried and convicted of multiple counts of domestic terrorism. the red army faction, was one of postwar west germany ' s most active and prominent militant communist terror groups. the group was a successor to the ba


in ancient times the cone process was used in india, china, tibet, sumeria, egypt, atlantis, lemuria, as well as the aztec and mayan cultures and the american indian cultures. glazed clay or stone cones were used with a double helix carved inside to create a spiral energy flow carrying herbs or incense into the ear canal, which is a spiral itself. this created a counter clockwise spiral energy by the vacuum action of the cone. in modern times the spaniards in south america, and indians such as the cherokee, yaqui and the mexican indians still use ear coning as a healing modality. material variations such as rolled up newspapers are used for ear infections in south america, while waxed, shaped newspaper with a plug of incense two thirds of the way down is used by mexican indians. straw shaped cloth and wax cones are used in europe. the amish utilize the cherokee style, as we do. the choctaw simply blow smoke of herbs in the ear canal as medicine. coning ( candling ) has traditionally been used to clear earaches, dizziness and ringing in the ears ( tinnitus ). it is also a powerful auric cleanser, which makes other bodywork more effective. * helps sinuses clear * helps drain lymph glands * vacuums nerve endings in ear canal * vacuums out the eustachian tube to prevent contaminants from entering the ear canal, our cones are made of strips of unbleached 100 % cotton dipped into a mixture of beeswax ( instead of paraffin, which is a petroleum by - product ) and herbs in the form of extracts, oils, or essences. extracts are used by contemporary cone - makers because many people are allergic to molds in dried herbs. the strips are rolled spirally, dipped and left to harden upside down. the cones are then scraped, trimmed and plastic wrapped as pairs with 2 skewers and instructions. when coning, the cone is lit on the wide end, the narrow end is then gently placed into the ear and burned to send a spiral of herbal smoke into the ear canal. this process is also called ear cleansing with herbs, ear candling or auricular candling in europe, canada and america. german medical students are taught ear candling as a remedy. one of the conditions that make for mold allergy is an over production of the yeast candida. candida in the ear causes itching inside the ear. when the nerve endings are blocked from picking up stimulus


taught ear candling as a remedy. one of the conditions that make for mold allergy is an over production of the yeast candida. candida in the ear causes itching inside the ear. when the nerve endings are blocked from picking up stimulus by either fungus or yeast growth, vibrational energy frequencies cannot be transmitted through the nerve endings. yeast and fungus and the more common worms can be considered parasites and it is important to take care of these parasites by diet change, and homeopathic or herbal remedies. “ swimmers ear ” available in drugstores, prevents fungus growth. the way coning works : the spiral of the cone draws out debris. smoke goes into the ear. picture a chimney with its ’ fire and oxygen dynamics. a draw is created. debris is osmotically drawn through the eardrum into the cone. in the outer ear canal excess hardened wax plugs may also be drawn out. it creates a reverse osmotic pressure that equalizes the eustachian tube pressure. candling is very soothing, relaxing and non - invasive. at no point does the tip of the cone in the ear get hot to the touch. heat is not a factor. how often : this is a healing process. we suggest three conings, three to seven days apart. this allows the process to complete a cycle of clearing accumulated debris. after that, groupings of three until you have completed your process. normal earwax replenishes itself within 24 hours. thereafter, the ear can be coned every six months. muscle testing ( kinesiology ) or pendulum can be used to determine how many conings are needed and when you have completed your process. physically : this starts a cleansing process, which is normal. you may feel increased pressure in the ears, fluid in the ears, movement or inflammation of the lymphatic system. your body is clearing. allow it! cranial fluids are being realigned. you may feel improvements in sight, color perception and balance. this is due to subtle changes in energy flow. ( if the pressure reaches a point of distracting discomfort, a follow - up coning should be done as soon as possible, as a strong movement has begun which needs completion. ) drink lots of water. misalignments of occipital lobes, which lie underneath the base of the skull, become pulled down from beneath the skull, as a result of stresses. the flow of cerebral fluid in the brain will become impaired, causing congestion in the ears, sin