Sunday, January 15, 2017

The Final Weekly Address By President Barrack Obama- The Honor of Serving You as President


WASHINGTON, DC — This week, President Obama delivered his final weekly address thanking the American people for making him a better President and a better man. Over the past eight years, we have seen the goodness, resilience, and hope of the American people.
A picture from WhiteHouse-FB page
(“The urgency of acting to mitigate climate change is real and cannot be ignored. In recent years, we have also seen that the economic case for action—and against inaction—is just as clear.” ReadPresident Obama’s report on the progress we’ve made advancing a clean energy economy over the last eight years: scim.ag/2i8W4Kg
We’ve seen what’s possible when we come together in the hard, but vital work of self-government – but we can’t take our democracy for granted. Our success as a Nation depends on our participation. It’s up to all of us to be guardians of our democracy, and to embrace the task of continually trying to improve our Nation. Despite our differences, we all share the same title: Citizen. And that is why President Obama looks forward to working by your side, as a citizen, for all of his remaining days. 



Remarks of President Barack Obama as Delivered

Weekly Address
The White House
January 14, 2017

This week, I traveled to Chicago to deliver my final farewell address to the nation, following in the tradition of Presidents before me.  It was an opportunity to say thank you.  Whether we’ve seen eye-to-eye or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with you, the American people – in living rooms and schools; at farms and on factory floors; at diners and on distant military outposts – are what have kept me honest, kept me inspired, and kept me going.  Every day, I learned from you.  You made me a better President, and you made me a better man.

Over the course of these eight years, I have seen the goodness, the resilience, and the hope of the American people.  I’ve seen neighbors looking out for each other as we rescued our economy from the worst crisis of our lifetimes.  I’ve hugged cancer survivors who finally know the security of affordable health care.  I’ve seen communities like Joplin rebuild from disaster, and cities like Boston show the world that no terrorist will ever break the American spirit. 

I’ve seen the hopeful faces of young graduates and our newest military officers.  I’ve mourned with grieving families searching for answers, and found grace in a Charleston church.  I’ve seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch, and our wounded warriors walk again.  I’ve seen our doctors and volunteers rebuild after earthquakes and stop pandemics in their tracks.  I’ve learned from students who are building robots and curing diseases and who will change the world in ways we can’t even imagine.  I’ve seen the youngest of children remind us of our obligations to care for our refugees, to work in peace, and above all to look out for each other.

That’s what’s possible when we come together in the hard, slow, sometimes frustrating, but always vital work of self-government.   But we can’t take our democracy for granted.  All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into the work of citizenship.  Not just when there’s an election, not just when our own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.  If you’re tired of arguing with strangers on the internet, try to talk with one in real life.  If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do some organizing.  If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, then grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself.

Our success depends on our participation, regardless of which way the pendulum of power swings.  It falls on each of us to be guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we’ve been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.  Because for all our outward differences, we all share the same proud title: Citizen.

It has been the honor of my life to serve you as President.  Eight years later, I am even more optimistic about our country’s promise.  And I look forward to working along your side, as a citizen, for all my days that remain.

Thanks, everybody.  God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.  

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Source- https://goo.gl/ugcXSY [www.whitehouse.gov]


President Obama's FINAL SPEECH- Transcript 

Remarks by the President in Farewell Address and here is his remarkable speech


McCormick Place
Chicago, Illinois

8:02 P.M. CST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Chicago!  (Applause.)  It’s good to be home!  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  All right, everybody sit down.  (Applause.)  We’re on live TV here.  I’ve got to move.  (Applause.)  You can tell that I’m a lame duck because nobody is following instructions.  (Laughter.)  Everybody have a seat.  (Applause.) 

My fellow Americans -- (applause) -- Michelle and I have been so touched by all the well wishes that we’ve received over the past few weeks.  But tonight, it’s my turn to say thanks.  (Applause.)  Whether we have seen eye-to-eye or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with you, the American people, in living rooms and in schools, at farms, on factory floors, at diners and on distant military outposts -– those conversations are what have kept me honest, and kept me inspired, and kept me going.  And every day, I have learned from you.  You made me a better President, and you made me a better man.  (Applause.) 

So I first came to Chicago when I was in my early 20s.  And I was still trying to figure out who I was, still searching for a purpose in my life.  And it was a neighborhood not far from here where I began working with church groups in the shadows of closed steel mills.  It was on these streets where I witnessed the power of faith, and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss. 

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  I can’t do that. 

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  This is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved and they get engaged, and they come together to demand it. 

After eight years as your President, I still believe that.  And it’s not just my belief.  It’s the beating heart of our American idea –- our bold experiment in self-government.  It’s the conviction that we are all created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  It’s the insistence that these rights, while self-evident, have never been self-executing; that We, the People, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union. 

What a radical idea.  A great gift that our Founders gave to us:  The freedom to chase our individual dreams through our sweat and toil and imagination, and the imperative to strive together, as well, to achieve a common good, a greater good.

For 240 years, our nation’s call to citizenship has given work and purpose to each new generation.  It’s what led patriots to choose republic over tyranny, pioneers to trek west, slaves to brave that makeshift railroad to freedom.  It’s what pulled immigrants and refugees across oceans and the Rio Grande.  (Applause.)  It’s what pushed women to reach for the ballot.  It’s what powered workers to organize.  It’s why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima, Iraq and Afghanistan.  And why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs, as well.  (Applause.) 

So that’s what we mean when we say America is exceptional -- not that our nation has been flawless from the start, but that we have shown the capacity to change and make life better for those who follow.  Yes, our progress has been uneven.  The work of democracy has always been hard.  It’s always been contentious.  Sometimes it’s been bloody.  For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back.  But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed to embrace all and not just some.  (Applause.) 

If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history -- (applause) -- if I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, take out the mastermind of 9/11 -- (applause) -- if I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens –- (applause) -- if I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high.  But that’s what we did.  (Applause.)  That’s what you did. 

You were the change.  You answered people’s hopes, and because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started.  (Applause.) 

In 10 days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy. 

AUDIENCE:  Nooo --

THE PRESIDENT:  No, no, no, no, no -- the peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected President to the next.  (Applause.)  I committed to President-elect Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me.  (Applause.)  Because it’s up to all of us to make sure our government can help us meet the many challenges we still face.

We have what we need to do so.  We have everything we need to meet those challenges.  After all, we remain the wealthiest, most powerful, and most respected nation on Earth.  Our youth, our drive, our diversity and openness, our boundless capacity for risk and reinvention means that the future should be ours.  But that potential will only be realized if our democracy works.  Only if our politics better reflects the decency of our people.  (Applause.)  Only if all of us, regardless of party affiliation or particular interests, help restore the sense of common purpose that we so badly need right now. 

That’s what I want to focus on tonight:  The state of our democracy.  Understand, democracy does not require uniformity.  Our founders argued.  They quarreled.  Eventually they compromised.  They expected us to do the same.  But they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity -– the idea that for all our outward differences, we’re all in this together; that we rise or fall as one.  (Applause.) 

There have been moments throughout our history that threatens that solidarity.  And the beginning of this century has been one of those times.  A shrinking world, growing inequality; demographic change and the specter of terrorism -– these forces haven’t just tested our security and our prosperity, but are testing our democracy, as well.  And how we meet these challenges to our democracy will determine our ability to educate our kids, and create good jobs, and protect our homeland.  In other words, it will determine our future.

To begin with, our democracy won’t work without a sense that everyone has economic opportunity.  And the good news is that today the economy is growing again.  Wages, incomes, home values, and retirement accounts are all rising again.  Poverty is falling again.  (Applause.)  The wealthy are paying a fairer share of taxes even as the stock market shatters records.  The unemployment rate is near a 10-year low.  The uninsured rate has never, ever been lower.  (Applause.)  Health care costs are rising at the slowest rate in 50 years.  And I’ve said and I mean it -- if anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements we’ve made to our health care system and that covers as many people at less cost, I will publicly support it.  (Applause.) 

Because that, after all, is why we serve.  Not to score points or take credit, but to make people’s lives better.  (Applause.)   

But for all the real progress that we’ve made, we know it’s not enough.  Our economy doesn’t work as well or grow as fast when a few prosper at the expense of a growing middle class and ladders for folks who want to get into the middle class.  (Applause.)  That's the economic argument.  But stark inequality is also corrosive to our democratic ideal.  While the top one percent has amassed a bigger share of wealth and income, too many families, in inner cities and in rural counties, have been left behind -- the laid-off factory worker; the waitress or health care worker who’s just barely getting by and struggling to pay the bills -- convinced that the game is fixed against them, that their government only serves the interests of the powerful -- that's a recipe for more cynicism and polarization in our politics. 

But there are no quick fixes to this long-term trend.  I agree, our trade should be fair and not just free.  But the next wave of economic dislocations won’t come from overseas.  It will come from the relentless pace of automation that makes a lot of good, middle-class jobs obsolete.

And so we're going to have to forge a new social compact to guarantee all our kids the education they need -- (applause) -- to give workers the power to unionize for better wages; to update the social safety net to reflect the way we live now, and make more reforms to the tax code so corporations and individuals who reap the most from this new economy don’t avoid their obligations to the country that’s made their very success possible.  (Applause.)   

We can argue about how to best achieve these goals.  But we can’t be complacent about the goals themselves.  For if we don’t create opportunity for all people, the disaffection and division that has stalled our progress will only sharpen in years to come.

There’s a second threat to our democracy -- and this one is as old as our nation itself.  After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America.  And such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic.  Race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society.  Now, I’ve lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were 10, or 20, or 30 years ago, no matter what some folks say.  (Applause.)  You can see it not just in statistics, you see it in the attitudes of young Americans across the political spectrum.

But we’re not where we need to be.  And all of us have more work to do.  (Applause.)  If every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hardworking white middle class and an undeserving minority, then workers of all shades are going to be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves.  (Applause.)  If we're unwilling to invest in the children of immigrants, just because they don’t look like us, we will diminish the prospects of our own children -- because those brown kids will represent a larger and larger share of America’s workforce.  (Applause.)  And we have shown that our economy doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game.  Last year, incomes rose for all races, all age groups, for men and for women. 

So if we're going to be serious about race going forward, we need to uphold laws against discrimination -- in hiring, and in housing, and in education, and in the criminal justice system.  (Applause.)  That is what our Constitution and our highest ideals require.  (Applause.) 

But laws alone won’t be enough.  Hearts must change.  It won't change overnight.  Social attitudes oftentimes take generations to change.  But if our democracy is to work in this increasingly diverse nation, then each one of us need to try to heed the advice of a great character in American fiction -- Atticus Finch -- (applause) -- who said “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

For blacks and other minority groups, it means tying our own very real struggles for justice to the challenges that a lot of people in this country face -- not only the refugee, or the immigrant, or the rural poor, or the transgender American, but also the middle-aged white guy who, from the outside, may seem like he’s got advantages, but has seen his world upended by economic and cultural and technological change.  We have to pay attention, and listen.  (Applause.)   

For white Americans, it means acknowledging that the effects of slavery and Jim Crow didn’t suddenly vanish in the ‘60s -- (applause) -- that when minority groups voice discontent, they’re not just engaging in reverse racism or practicing political correctness.  When they wage peaceful protest, they’re not demanding special treatment but the equal treatment that our Founders promised.  (Applause.)   

For native-born Americans, it means reminding ourselves that the stereotypes about immigrants today were said, almost word for word, about the Irish, and Italians, and Poles -- who it was said we're going to destroy the fundamental character of America.  And as it turned out, America wasn’t weakened by the presence of these newcomers; these newcomers embraced this nation’s creed, and this nation was strengthened.  (Applause.)   

So regardless of the station that we occupy, we all have to try harder.  We all have to start with the premise that each of our fellow citizens loves this country just as much as we do; that they value hard work and family just like we do; that their children are just as curious and hopeful and worthy of love as our own.  (Applause.)   

And that's not easy to do.  For too many of us, it’s become safer to retreat into our own bubbles, whether in our neighborhoods or on college campuses, or places of worship, or especially our social media feeds, surrounded by people who look like us and share the same political outlook and never challenge our assumptions.  The rise of naked partisanship, and increasing economic and regional stratification, the splintering of our media into a channel for every taste -- all this makes this great sorting seem natural, even inevitable.  And increasingly, we become so secure in our bubbles that we start accepting only information, whether it's true or not, that fits our opinions, instead of basing our opinions on the evidence that is out there. (Applause.) 

And this trend represents a third threat to our democracy.  But politics is a battle of ideas.  That’s how our democracy was designed.  In the course of a healthy debate, we prioritize different goals, and the different means of reaching them.  But without some common baseline of facts, without a willingness to admit new information, and concede that your opponent might be making a fair point, and that science and reason matter -- (applause) -- then we're going to keep talking past each other, and we'll make common ground and compromise impossible.  (Applause.)   

And isn’t that part of what so often makes politics dispiriting?  How can elected officials rage about deficits when we propose to spend money on preschool for kids, but not when we’re cutting taxes for corporations?  (Applause.)  How do we excuse ethical lapses in our own party, but pounce when the other party does the same thing?  It’s not just dishonest, this selective sorting of the facts; it’s self-defeating.  Because, as my mother used to tell me, reality has a way of catching up with you.  (Applause.)   

Take the challenge of climate change.  In just eight years, we’ve halved our dependence on foreign oil; we’ve doubled our renewable energy; we've led the world to an agreement that has the promise to save this planet.  (Applause.)  But without bolder action, our children won’t have time to debate the existence of climate change.  They’ll be busy dealing with its effects: more environmental disasters, more economic disruptions, waves of climate refugees seeking sanctuary. 

Now, we can and should argue about the best approach to solve the problem.  But to simply deny the problem not only betrays future generations, it betrays the essential spirit of this country -- the essential spirit of innovation and practical problem-solving that guided our Founders.  (Applause.) 

It is that spirit, born of the Enlightenment, that made us an economic powerhouse -- the spirit that took flight at Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral; the spirit that cures disease and put a computer in every pocket. 

It’s that spirit -- a faith in reason, and enterprise, and the primacy of right over might -- that allowed us to resist the lure of fascism and tyranny during the Great Depression; that allowed us to build a post-World War II order with other democracies, an order based not just on military power or national affiliations but built on principles -- the rule of law, human rights, freedom of religion, and speech, and assembly, and an independent press.  (Applause.) 

That order is now being challenged -- first by violent fanatics who claim to speak for Islam; more recently by autocrats in foreign capitals who see free markets and open democracies and and civil society itself as a threat to their power.  The peril each poses to our democracy is more far-reaching than a car bomb or a missile.  It represents the fear of change; the fear of people who look or speak or pray differently; a contempt for the rule of law that holds leaders accountable; an intolerance of dissent and free thought; a belief that the sword or the gun or the bomb or the propaganda machine is the ultimate arbiter of what’s true and what’s right.

Because of the extraordinary courage of our men and women in uniform, because of our intelligence officers, and law enforcement, and diplomats who support our troops -- (applause)

-- no foreign terrorist organization has successfully planned and executed an attack on our homeland these past eight years.  (Applause.)  And although Boston and Orlando and San Bernardino and Fort Hood remind us of how dangerous radicalization can be, our law enforcement agencies are more effective and vigilant than ever.  We have taken out tens of thousands of terrorists -- including bin Laden.  (Applause.)  The global coalition we’re leading against ISIL has taken out their leaders, and taken away about half their territory.  ISIL will be destroyed, and no one who threatens America will ever be safe.  (Applause.) 

And to all who serve or have served, it has been the honor of my lifetime to be your Commander-in-Chief.  And we all owe you a deep debt of gratitude.  (Applause.) 

But protecting our way of life, that's not just the job of our military.  Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear.  So, just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are.  (Applause.) 

And that’s why, for the past eight years, I’ve worked to put the fight against terrorism on a firmer legal footing.  That’s why we’ve ended torture, worked to close Gitmo, reformed our laws governing surveillance to protect privacy and civil liberties.  (Applause.)  That’s why I reject discrimination against Muslim Americans, who are just as patriotic as we are.  (Applause.)    

That’s why we cannot withdraw from big global fights -- to expand democracy, and human rights, and women’s rights, and LGBT rights.  No matter how imperfect our efforts, no matter how expedient ignoring such values may seem, that's part of defending America.  For the fight against extremism and intolerance and sectarianism and chauvinism are of a piece with the fight against authoritarianism and nationalist aggression.  If the scope of freedom and respect for the rule of law shrinks around the world, the likelihood of war within and between nations increases, and our own freedoms will eventually be threatened.

So let’s be vigilant, but not afraid.  (Applause.)  ISIL will try to kill innocent people.  But they cannot defeat America unless we betray our Constitution and our principles in the fight.  (Applause.)  Rivals like Russia or China cannot match our influence around the world -- unless we give up what we stand for -- (applause) --  and turn ourselves into just another big country that bullies smaller neighbors.

Which brings me to my final point:  Our democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted.  (Applause.)  All of us, regardless of party, should be throwing ourselves into the task of rebuilding our democratic institutions.  (Applause.)    When voting rates in America are some of the lowest among advanced democracies, we should be making it easier, not harder, to vote.  (Applause.)  When trust in our institutions is low, we should reduce the corrosive influence of money in our politics, and insist on the principles of transparency and ethics in public service.  (Applause.)  When Congress is dysfunctional, we should draw our congressional districts to encourage politicians to cater to common sense and not rigid extremes.  (Applause.) 

But remember, none of this happens on its own.  All of this depends on our participation; on each of us accepting the responsibility of citizenship, regardless of which way the pendulum of power happens to be swinging. 

Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift.  But it’s really just a piece of parchment.  It has no power on its own.  We, the people, give it power.  (Applause.)  We, the people, give it meaning.  With our participation, and with the choices that we make, and the alliances that we forge.  (Applause.)  Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms.  Whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law.  That's up to us.  America is no fragile thing.  But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured.

In his own farewell address, George Washington wrote that self-government is the underpinning of our safety, prosperity, and liberty, but “from different causes and from different quarters much pains will be taken…to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth.”  And so we have to preserve this truth with “jealous anxiety;” that we should reject “the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest or to enfeeble the sacred ties” that make us one.  (Applause.) 

America, we weaken those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so corrosive that people of good character aren't even willing to enter into public service; so coarse with rancor that Americans with whom we disagree are seen not just as misguided but as malevolent.  We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more American than others; when we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt, and when we sit back and blame the leaders we elect without examining our own role in electing them.  (Applause.) 

It falls to each of us to be those those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we’ve been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.  Because for all our outward differences, we, in fact, all share the same proud title, the most important office in a democracy:  Citizen.  (Applause.)  Citizen. 

So, you see, that’s what our democracy demands.  It needs you.  Not just when there’s an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.  If you’re tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet, try talking with one of them in real life.  (Applause.) If something needs fixing, then lace up your shoes and do some organizing.  (Applause.)  If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself.  (Applause.)  Show up.  Dive in.  Stay at it. 

Sometimes you’ll win.  Sometimes you’ll lose.  Presuming a reservoir of goodness in other people, that can be a risk, and there will be times when the process will disappoint you.  But for those of us fortunate enough to have been a part of this work, and to see it up close, let me tell you, it can energize and inspire.  And more often than not, your faith in America -- and in Americans -- will be confirmed.  (Applause.)   

Mine sure has been.  Over the course of these eight years, I’ve seen the hopeful faces of young graduates and our newest military officers.  I have mourned with grieving families searching for answers, and found grace in a Charleston church.  I’ve seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch.  I've seen wounded warriors who at points were given up for dead walk again.  I’ve seen our doctors and volunteers rebuild after earthquakes and stop pandemics in their tracks.  I’ve seen the youngest of children remind us through their actions and through their generosity of our obligations to care for refugees, or work for peace, and, above all, to look out for each other.  (Applause.) 

So that faith that I placed all those years ago, not far from here, in the power of ordinary Americans to bring about change -- that faith has been rewarded in ways I could not have possibly imagined.  And I hope your faith has, too.  Some of you here tonight or watching at home, you were there with us in 2004, in 2008, 2012 -- (applause) -- maybe you still can’t believe we pulled this whole thing off.  Let me tell you, you're not the only ones.  (Laughter.)  

Michelle -- (applause) -- Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, girl of the South Side -- (applause) -- for the past 25 years, you have not only been my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best friend.  (Applause.)  You took on a role you didn’t ask for and you made it your own, with grace and with grit and with style and good humor.  (Applause.)  You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody.  (Applause.)  And the new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model.  (Applause.)  So you have made me proud.  And you have made the country proud.  (Applause.) 

Malia and Sasha, under the strangest of circumstances, you have become two amazing young women.  You are smart and you are beautiful, but more importantly, you are kind and you are thoughtful and you are full of passion.  (Applause.)  You wore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily.  Of all that I’ve done in my life, I am most proud to be your dad.  (Applause.)   

To Joe Biden -- (applause) -- the scrappy kid from Scranton who became Delaware’s favorite son -- you were the first decision I made as a nominee, and it was the best.  (Applause.)  Not just because you have been a great Vice President, but because in the bargain, I gained a brother.  And we love you and Jill like family, and your friendship has been one of the great joys of our lives.  (Applause.) 

To my remarkable staff:  For eight years -- and for some of you, a whole lot more -- I have drawn from your energy, and every day I tried to reflect back what you displayed -- heart, and character, and idealism.  I’ve watched you grow up, get married, have kids, start incredible new journeys of your own.  Even when times got tough and frustrating, you never let Washington get the better of you.  You guarded against cynicism.  And the only thing that makes me prouder than all the good that we’ve done is the thought of all the amazing things that you’re going to achieve from here.  (Applause.) 

And to all of you out there -- every organizer who moved to an unfamiliar town, every kind family who welcomed them in, every volunteer who knocked on doors, every young person who cast a ballot for the first time, every American who lived and breathed the hard work of change -- you are the best supporters and organizers anybody could ever hope for, and I will be forever grateful.  (Applause.)  Because you did change the world.  (Applause.)  You did.

And that’s why I leave this stage tonight even more optimistic about this country than when we started.  Because I know our work has not only helped so many Americans, it has inspired so many Americans -- especially so many young people out there -- to believe that you can make a difference -- (applause) -- to hitch your wagon to something bigger than yourselves.

Let me tell you, this generation coming up -- unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic -- I’ve seen you in every corner of the country.  You believe in a fair, and just, and inclusive America.  (Applause.)  You know that constant change has been America’s hallmark; that it's not something to fear but something to embrace.  You are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward.  You’ll soon outnumber all of us, and I believe as a result the future is in good hands.  (Applause.) 

My fellow Americans, it has been the honor of my life to serve you.  (Applause.)  I won’t stop.  In fact, I will be right there with you, as a citizen, for all my remaining days.  But for now, whether you are young or whether you're young at heart, I do have one final ask of you as your President -- the same thing I asked when you took a chance on me eight years ago.  I'm asking you to believe.  Not in my ability to bring about change -- but in yours. 

I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written:  Yes, we can.  (Applause.)

Yes, we did.  Yes, we can.  (Applause.) 

Thank you.  God bless you.  May God continue to bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END

8:53 P.M. CST




EMBODIED LANGUAGE: Curated by Eugenio Viola At India International Centre- New Delhi

If you are in Delhi and have interest in embodied language by people who have done quite a lot in their respective fields and the Italian embassy is facilitating this performance, tomorrow, i:e 16th January- 2017 at  India International Centre.


As per the Italian Culture center in Delhi's website- "Embodied Language is a collaborative project developed between Italian artist Andrea Cusumano and Indian artist Mithu Sen that uses the polysemous value of nonverbal communication as a platform to connect different verbal languages. They will also experiment with a spontaneous and imaginary dream language presented through a visual and performative practice as a resistance in search of a new medium of communication."


There is EMBODIED LANGUAGE a collaborative performance between Mithu Sen and Andrea Cusumano with musician Vetri Bhupathi and Giuseppe Lomeo curated by Eugenio Viola
at IIC ,C D Deshmukh auditorium , New Delhi
16th January 2017 , 6.30 pm

Happy New Year 2017 - Peace For All

Wishing All of you a very happy new year 2017. Let's hope peace and prosperity for all. 
CR Park- Kali Mandir- January- 2017

The year began with a lot of interesting things at work and I believe that with the right amount of team and the people around you, you can create fantastic stories for people. The past year was full of mixed news and a lot of bad things happened around the world. Let's learn from the past year and let's think good. 

The other day I saw a Chinese colleague Mr. Wan, wearing a  band
and I saw something interesting there, written in hindi   

'अच्छा सोचो अच्छा होगा'. 

I found the expression very interesting and I asked Mr. Wan- "What is this? He said, In Chaste hindi, 'अच्छा सोचो अच्छा होगा'. So, I wish Mr. Wan and every one I know an advance Chinese New Year -新年快樂 and  过年好 / 過年好, which is less than a month from now, thanks to the website for helping me sort this. It's the year of the Rooster, as per Reuters, and thankfully a Chinese family is happy about that the year is of a Rooster, as it will help the family 'Slow Down' a little.

The picture left is from BBC, where is has posted a Trump-inspired sculpture that is put on display from a shopping complex in Taiyuan, Shanxi province in North China.

From Reuters "The holiday season begins on January 28, with embarking of the lunar year- which will attract millions of Chinese getting back home. It's  "Year of the Rooster" in the Chinese zodiac is an important festival "This rooster brings me back to nature," said Chinese tourist Wang Jian and hopes that their lives will also be able to slow down a bit, to be return to a more natural pace. Got curious and went on asking Mr. Google, (I used Google Translate for converting an English expression into Devanagari 😄.) A vernacular news site had this headline. 'अच्छा सोचो, अच्छा करो तो तुम्हारे साथ अच्छा होगा'. No points for guessing and thinking about a new year that is full of good things waiting to happen (no, its not going to happen overnight) and I also went through a Quote in the background- Thanks, Shubho Sir for posting on Facebook- "Think Less, Do More". 

A new zeal, a fresh vigor and a complete new approach to things that matter the most. Happy Makar Sankranti, Happy Lohri, Happy Bihu.. #PEACE

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Dishwashers in India- Need Or Just a Luxury Statement?

Do you think Dishwashers should be your next best friend of the kitchen. In west, Dishwashers are one of the important household appliance one is used to, but In India, the usage of Dishwashers is nominal and nascent, to begin with.

I'd want to know from you, if you think if you need a dishwasher for your daily life or Not.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Long Lines At ATM Post Demonetization - In Delhi- Video

One can easily spot people Queing up before ATMs these day. Be is urban or rural areas. I took a small video from Alaknanda- Delhi to show what it is like.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcAcYyNu0T0


RBI- Reserve Bank Will Issue NEW 50 and 20 Notes Soon - FULL TEXT

According to a press note on RBI's website there will be new 50 and 20 notes, the old ones will remain in use and legal tender. The RBI- Reserve Bank Of India today announced that we will be able to see new Rs.50 and Rs.20 Notes. Post Demonetization by PM Narendra Modi, this was one big decision. People have been queing up since November- 8 announcement outside ATMs. The RBI announced via it's Twitter Handle today.

RBIs Twitter Handle Grab

Official Statement from RBI-

Issuance of ₹ 50 banknotes without inset letter, with numerals in ascending size in number panels, and without intaglio printing
Issue of ₹ 20 banknotes with 'R' inset letter, with numerals in ascending size in number panels and without intaglio printing.


The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue ₹ 50 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005, without inset letter in both the number panels, bearing signature of Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, and the year of printing '2016' printed on the reverse of the banknote. The design and security features of these banknotes will be similar to the banknotes of ₹ 50 denomination with the ascending font of numerals in both the number panels issued earlier in Mahatma Gandhi Series- 2005, except the following:
Obverse
Intaglio printing
New 50 Notes- SPICEMEN
The numeral ‘50’, RBI seal, Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait, RBI legend, Guarantee and promise clause, Governor’s signature, Ashoka Pillar emblem which were hitherto printed in intaglio (raised printing) are now being printed in offset (without any raised printing). Further, square-shaped identification mark on the left of the banknote has been removed.
Colour
While there is no change in the colour at the reverse, the colour at the obverse is lighter (due to removal of intaglio printing).
Latent Image
The vertical band on the right side of the Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait hitherto contained a latent image showing the denominational numeral ’50’. The latent image was visible only when the banknote was held horizontally at eye level. This feature is no longer present.
Reverse
There is no change in the reverse of the banknote.
NOTE-Trivia- The first  ₹50 banknote denomination was brought into force and use by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in year 1975 under the Lion Capital Series. It had an Ashoka pillar but was replaced by a watermark of Mahatma Gandhi in the Mahatma Gandhi Series, in year 1996. 


Rs.20- Twenty Note
The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue ₹ 20 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005, with the inset letter ‘R’ in both the number panels, bearing signature of Dr. Urjit R. Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, and the year of printing '2016' printed on the reverse of the banknote.
The design and security features of these banknotes to be issued now is similar to the ₹ 20 banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi Series- 2005 issued earlier, except the following –
Obverse
Ascending font
The numerals in both the number panels will be in ascending size from left to right while the first three alpha-numeric characters (prefix) will remain constant in size.
Intaglio printing
The numeral “20”, RBI seal, Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait, RBI legend, Guarantee and promise clause, Governor’s signature, Ashoka Pillar emblem which were hitherto printed in intaglio (raised printing) are now being printed in offset (without any raised printing). Further, rectangular identification mark on the left of the banknote has been removed.
Colour
While there is no change in the colour at the reverse, the colour at the obverse is lighter (due to removal of intaglio printing).
Latent Image
The vertical band on the right side of the Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait hitherto contained a latent image showing the denominational numeral “20”.The latent image was visible only when the banknote was held horizontally at eye level. This feature is no longer present.
Reverse
There is no change in the reverse of the banknote.
The image of the specimen of the banknote is as follows-

NOTE- Trivia- The first Rs.20 was introduced in 1972 by the Reserve Bank of India to contain the cost of production of banknotes in circulation.With the introduction of this banknote, the Reserve Bank started a major redesign of the motif of the Lion Capital Series banknotes.

Why ATMs Across India Not Working Post Demonetization

Post Demonetization, the ignored, humble ATM has indeed found a new found respect. Nowadays- November-December, people can be found in front of an ATM to withdraw sundry cash for their day to day dealing. So, when was ATM first came into existence in. 

In my initial research, Quora says  it was 1987.  In my earlier days spent in Calcutta, my previous office Business Standard, at BBD Bag chottor. Little I knew that it was the HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) that introduced the ATM concept in India and the year was 1987.
HSBC-BBD Bag, Calcutta


As per an article published on HuffPost there are about 2 lakh ATMs all over India and the average transaction everyday is about ₹4,000 whereas the average number of transactions happening every days is about 125 per ATM so the ATMs handle over ₹10,000 crore in currency everyday.



Sunday, November 27, 2016

ITALIAN PIANO CONCERT IN KOLKATA, DELHI, CHENNAI & PUNE

If you in Kolkata today and enjoy Piano, Jazz, the Dalhousie Institute, Ballygunge in the evening today. 

Piano Tales

Enrico Zanisi, the 26 year old from Italy is now in India to showcase his Jazz stories by the name of Piano Tales, an information received by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura New Delhi (ITALIAN EMBASSY CULTURAL CENTRE, NEW DELHI)

Here are the 11 songs from Mr. Enrico Zanisi which he is going to play across Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai and Pune. 

PIANO TALES (2016 Cam Jazz)

  1. Ouverture
  2. Uma Historia
  3. Mirage
  4. Cut It Out
  5. Palabras
  6. Stairs
  7. No Truth
  8. Morse
  9. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
  10. O Du Mein Holder Abendstern



He was the highest scorer at classical degree in piano.  His interest in jazz music started at the age of 15; he attended many jazz clinics around Italy studying with K. Werner, J. Calderazzo, L. Grenadier, P. Markowitz, M. Stamm and other great American and Italian musicians.


He can be reached here. 

info@enricozanisi.com
marcellospinetti@libero.it

He has played with several musicians: With his trio he played in  Italy, Europe, Dublin, Warsaw, Edimburgh, Albania, Oslo, London, Katowice, Rejika, Rabat Morocco, Tunisia, New Delhi, Blue Frog - Mumbai (India), San Juan (Portorico), Harare (Zimbabwe), Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (Istrael), Brasil and Mexico, Manhattan, 


Calcutta\Kolkata
Enrico Zanisi
TODAY - 27th November 7:30 pm,
The Dalhousie Institute
42, Fazlul Haque Sarani, Ballygunge

Delhi
28th November 6:30 pm
India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg

Chennai            
2nd December 5:30 pm-7 pm,          
KM College of Music & Technology, 19 Vinayagapuram 2nd Street, 
MMDA Colony, Arumbakkam

Pune
4th December 7 pm,
Poona Music Society, 2 Lt. Col. Tarapore Road

Pic Source- http://www.enricozanisi.com/

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Call for Abstracts by Sarai – Lives of Data Workshop

‘Lives of Data’ Workshop, 06-07 January 2017, The Sarai Programme, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi. 

Call for Abstracts

‘Data’ has been recently termed as the new oil, new soil, new world currency and the raw material for the new industrial revolution. It has been hypothesised that the era of Big Data will finally see the ‘end of theory’. This hyperbole has it that the new technologies being developed today can produce truth based on computations of large amounts of machine readable digital data. Beyond such deterministic claims, the ‘Data Revolution’ indeed poses compelling theoretical and methodological challenges in all fields with stakes in knowledge. The present conjuncture, we would argue, is loaded with possibilities for rethinking ‘data-driven knowledge’ through longer histories of classification, enumeration, quantification, techno-scientific practices, and forms of media storage, retrieval, computational analysis and use.

Scholarship in the emerging field of data studies has established close connections with science & technology studies (STS), and media and software studies. There is now a growing body of work which questions the Big Data hubris and the excesses of the post Web 2.0 digital deluge. ‘Raw Data’, as Geoffrey Bowker and Lisa Gitelman among others have suggested, is an ‘oxymoron’. In the Indian context, concerns about statistics, governance and knowledge, evident in the histories of colonial census, the work of P C Mahalanobis at the Indian Statistical Institute and the Planning Commission, the emergence of scientific computing in the 1950s-60s, government regulation of media, electronics and telecom, provide a vivid background to think about the new technics, materiality and aesthetics of our digital cultures.

In times when Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have passed their initial developmental hype-cycles and mobile phones have somewhat flattened the so-called ‘digital divides’ (while creating many new ones), the fields of information research in India are grappling with socio-technical reconfigurations of a widening scope and scale. The projections and contestations around our much promoted march towards a #DigitalIndia with the world’s largest biometric database (#Aadhaar); a nation-wide digging campaign for broadband connectivity in villages and the building of one hundred #SmartCities; and the intense pursuit of the ‘Next Billion’ users by a floating array of large technology companies and startups (#FreeBasics, #StartupIndia); have inundated the space for reflection and critique. The many known and unknown lives and after-lives of data in this ecosystem of flux demand description, interpretation, concepts, and – if the data permits – theory.

In the past Sarai has organised workshops on ‘Social & Cultural Lives of Information’ and the ‘Lives of Information’, to reflect upon the cultures of information practices and the connections between colonial and post-colonial information infrastructures in South Asia. Continuing our focus on contemporary realities, ICTs and infrastructures, the ‘Lives of Data’ workshop aims to encourage research on pertinent questions concerning ‘data’ – its imaginaries, infrastructures, knowledge politics, and techno-science and media cultures in India and South Asia.

The ‘Lives of Data’ workshop hopes to bring together interdisciplinary researchers and practitioners to examine the historical and emergent conditions of data-driven knowledge production and circulation in Indian and South Asian contexts. We are interested in a conversation which dynamically moves back and forth in science, technology and media history and anthropology to reflect upon the many layered abstractions and materialisations of data, information and knowledge.

The key questions which the workshop will explore are:

– What is data? How is it imagined, collected, archived, developed, scraped, parsed, mined, cleaned, used, interpreted, re-produced, circulated and deleted?
– How do we map the relationships between data, infrastructure and knowledge production?
– How do we reimagine data and information through longer histories of statistics, bureaucracy, governmentality and development?
– What are the stakes involved in analysing the ever increasing volume, velocity, variety and value of data? How do practitioners understand the changing nature of their work with data?
– How do we conceptualise the new data publics?
Workshop themes include:

– Histories of State and Statistics, Classification, Enumeration and Planning
– Data Analytics, Data Ontologies, Digital Objects
– Digital Humanities, Computational Social Sciences, Cultural Analytics
– Cultures of Software Engineering and Design
– Data, Memory and Materiality: Archives, Paper/Digital Databases, Warehouses, Data Centres, Server Farms
– Thinking through Digital Infrastructures: Hardware, Code, Meta-Data, Formats, Protocols, Programming Languages, Information Architectures, Algorithms, Apps, Interfaces, Platforms, APIs, etc.
– Data-Driven Urbanism: Geographies of Mobile Computing, Locative Apps and Social Media, GIS, and Smart Cities
– Openness, Transparency and Access to Data/Information/Knowledge. #RTI #OpenData #DNAProfiling #Copyright #Encryption #Privacy
– Platforms as Government: Transnational Networks of Intermediaries and the Flows of Data/Capital
– ‘SysAdmin’ like the State: Bio-Politics, Surveillance, User/Citizen, Governance, Policing and Law. #Aadhaar #ITact #CyberSecurity
– ‘Beautiful Data’: Design, Aesthetics, Vision and Visualisation
The Sarai Programme invites submission of abstracts for the ‘Lives of Data’ workshop. Besides academic researchers, we strongly encourage media, design and software practitioners to apply for the workshop. Abstracts should not exceed 300 words, and should be sent to dak@sarai.net by 15 September, 2016, with the subject heading ‘Proposal for the Lives of Data Workshop.’ Authors of the selected abstracts will be notified by 01 October, 2016.

The workshop will be held on 06-07 January, 2017 at Sarai-CSDS, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi. The Sarai Programme will cover three days of accommodation for outstation participants. In addition, participants from India will be eligible for travel support.

Source- http://sarai.net/call-for-abstracts-lives-of-data-workshop/

Enroll Your Business On GST Website - One Nation One TAX- Slogan by Modi

The concept of One Nation and One TAX is certainly one of the biggest tax reform, we have seen in recent decades, perhaps after the independence. Our Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, had announced the demonetization of old Rs. 500 and Rs. 100 bank note denominations on November 8th (last week) and before that, in our previous session, a common consensus on GST was unanimously passed in the Indian parliament. Now people can enroll their business on the official GST government website- https://www.gst.gov.in/ starting now to avoid last minute rush. 


According to the PMO official website, Modi said that in the last session, a major decision on #GST was taken and the parliament did made a major contribution towards realization of the dream of "One nation, One tax.". He added by saying that when all parties work together in the larger nation interest, positive outcomes and results emerge. The press note adds, "The consultation process has been going on ahead of this session as well. Government is ready for open debate on every issue and we hope that it will create a conducive atmosphere for significant and fruitful decisions."

The entire draft of the GST law is available here at the Finance Ministry website. According to Ernst and Young, the GST will become a potential game changer.The site says "GST will be a game changing reform for the Indian economy by creating a common Indian market and reducing the cascading effect of tax on the cost of goods and services. It will impact the tax structure, tax incidence, tax computation, tax payment, compliance, credit utilization and reporting, leading to a complete overhaul of the current indirect tax system.
GST will have a far-reaching impact on almost all the aspects of the business operations in the country, for instance, pricing of products and services, supply chain optimization, IT, accounting, and tax compliance systems." 
As per WikipediA

The tax system is very complex in India and pretty archaic and in need of a complete overhaul. According to the Wikipedia  

The Demonetization Saga In India - Issue 2000 Banknotes By RBI on 8 November


By now all of us must have visited your nearby ATM and gotten your own money. Thanks, to an unprecedented move by the GOI in the month of November, Rs.500 and Rs.1000 Rupee notes are no longer valid and not to be legal tender anymore, after the midnight of November 9th.  In a Press Release  issued by the RBI- Reserve Bank Of India, combined by a nationwide address by Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, the Issuance of ₹ 2000 Banknotes and scrapping of the old notes came as a surprise, shock and people were clueless what they need to do next. 

The Reserve Bank of India has issued new ₹2000, ₹500, ₹1000  denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series, without the inset letter, bearing signature of Dr. Urjit R. Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, and the year of printing '2016' printed on the reverse of the banknote. The notes also have "Swachh Bharat Campaign logo.The new denomination has Motif of Mangalyaan on the reverse, depicting the country’s first venture into the interplanetary space. The base colour of the note is magenta. The note has other designs, geometric patterns aligning with the overall colour scheme, both at the obverse and reverse.



The salient features of the banknotes will be as under:
Obverse (Front)Obverse (Front)Reverse (Back)
1. See through register with denominational numeral 2000
2. Latent image with denominational numeral 2000
3. Denominational numeral २००० in Devnagari
4. Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre
5. Micro letters ‘RBI’ and ‘2000’ on the left side of the banknote
6. Windowed security thread with inscriptions ‘भारत’, RBI and 2000 on banknotes with colour shift. Colour of the thread changes from green to blue when the note is tilted
7. Guarantee Clause, Governor’s signature with Promise Clause and RBI emblem towards right
8. Denominational numeral with Rupee Symbol, ₹2000 in colour changing ink (green to blue) on bottom right
9. Ashoka Pillar emblem on the right
Mahatma Gandhi portrait and electrotype (2000) watermarks
10. Number panel with numerals growing from small to big on the top left side and bottom right side
For visually impaired
Intaglio or raised printing of Mahatma Gandhi portrait, Ashoka Pillar emblem, bleed lines and identity mark
11. Horizontal rectangle with ₹2000 in raised print on the right
12. Seven angular bleed lines on left and right side in raised print
13. Year of printing of the note on the left
14. Swachh Bharat logo with slogan
15. Language panel towards the centre
16. Motif of Mangalayan
17. Denominational numeral २००० in Devnagari
Dimension of the banknote will be
66 mm × 166 mm
Alpana Killawala
Principal Adviser

Press Release : 2016-2017/1144

Source- https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=38522

Sombre Memories Reloaded : Tribute to my late Father This Pujo

 "You will always be in my heart… because in there you’re still alive." We are in mourning, and whether I call him Papa, DasBabu, ...