Category: News

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Unleashing Digital Potential: DLI Embarks on a Thrilling Journey as a Founding Member of GLIDES!

We are thrilled to announce that the Digital Leadership Institute (DLI) has become a founding member of GLIDES (Global Internet Governance, Digital Empowerment, and Security Alliance). This partnership, launched May 13th, 2023, marks an exciting milestone in our ongoing commitment to shaping the future of the digital world.

GLIDES is a collaborative initiative that brings together Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from various sectors to address critical issues in internet governance, digital empowerment, and cybersecurity. As a founding member of GLIDES, DLI joins forces with renowned industry leaders, advocacy groups, academic institutions, and governmental bodies. Together, we will work towards the development of inclusive policies, innovative solutions, and robust frameworks that ensure the security, accessibility, and empowerment of individuals and communities in the digital age.

The core focus areas of GLIDES include:

  1. Internet Governance: GLIDES will actively contribute to shaping policies and frameworks that govern the internet, ensuring openness, transparency, and accountability.
  2. Digital Empowerment: GLIDES aims to bridge the digital divide by promoting digital literacy, skills development, and inclusion, particularly among underserved communities.
  3. Cybersecurity: GLIDES will advocate for robust cybersecurity measures, promote best practices, and raise awareness about the importance of digital security for individuals, organizations, and nations.

DLI’s participation in GLIDES underscores our commitment to driving positive change in the digital ecosystem. We are excited to collaborate with other like-minded organizations and leverage our collective expertise to shape the digital future. Together, we can build a more inclusive, secure, and empowered digital world for all.

Stay tuned for updates on our collaborative initiatives with GLIDES and the impactful work we undertake together. 

To learn more about GLIDES and its founding members, please visit https://c20.amma.org/tst-wg/global-internet-governance-digital-empowerment-and-security-alliance-glides/.

Join us in celebrating this significant milestone and let us work together to shape the digital world we want to see!

#GLIDES #DigitalEmpowerment #InternetGovernance #Cybersecurity #DLI

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DLI President Represents EU at G20 Women20 Summit

Today in Mahabalipuram, India, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI President in her ex officio role as Head of EU Delegation to the G20 Women20 (W20) official engagement group, joined the Women20 Summit concluding event of the 2023 W20 India Presidency.

  • Minister Irani & Ms Miller, EU W20
  • Ms Miller, EU W20
  • Group Photo W20 India 2023

In her third on-site mission to India in 2023, Ms Miller Van Dÿck joined hundreds of international W20 delegates in celebrating release of official W20 India recommendations delivered to G20 leadership on behalf of the world’s girls and women.  In this context, the W20 India Communiqué 2023 was officially handed over by Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Chair of India W20 2023, to Shri Amitabh Kant, G20 India Sherpa, in the presence of Smt. Smriti Z. Irani, India Minister of Women and Child Development, Dr. Shamika Ravi, Member, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, and Mr. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator for India. 

In addition to representing EU feminist civil society toward the W20 for the sixth consecutive year, over the course of 2023, Ms. Miller Van Dÿck also had the honour of chairing the W20 India Taskforce on Education, Skills Development and Labourforce Participation. In this capacity, she led global W20 delegates to contribute expertise on these issues critical to the world’s girls and women, resulting in inclusion of the following language in the 2023 India W20 Communique:

Education is a human right. For peaceful, equitable, and prosperous societies, it is necessary to educate girls and women. The economic contributions of women must be appropriately recognized, rewarded and supported through measures that promote decent and predictable work, gender-equitable sharing of care responsibilities, strengthening public social infrastructures, and a guarantee of freedom from gender-based violence everywhere.

Specific Recommendations from the Skills Taskforce, as well as those for all five W20 India Priorities, may be found in the 2023 W20 Communiqué. 

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Join our Women in AI workshop aiming to reduce the tech gap!

Are you passionate about AI and technology? Don’t miss out on an incredible opportunity to enhance your knowledge, network with industry professionals, and empower yourself at our upcoming Women in AI workshop in collaboration with CollectiveUp! This interactive event is designed for anyone seeking to reduce the gender gap in the tech industry, and for women seeking to thrive in the fast-paced world of AI and technology. We encourage you to learn from accomplished women leaders in AI and technology as they share their insights, experiences, and career advice.

Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Time: 5:30 – 9pm CEST
Location: FARI AI for the Common Good Institute 16 Cantersteen 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

Our Women in AI workshop is an evening filled with inspiring talks, engaging panel discussions, and demonstrations that will equip you with the knowledge and resources to excel in your AI and tech journey, and more!

Join us and let’s bridge the tech gap together!

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.es/e/633230378107/

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ATHENA Project Final Conference : Entrepreneurship as a path to socio-economic inclusion of migrant women

On the 16th of March 2023 Athena project partners organize the final project conference on the topic of “Entrepreneurship as a path to socio-economic inclusion of migrant women” to present and discuss with European stakeholders and policy makers the project results including the policy recommendations and actions plans to be implemented to support and improve the inclusion of migrant women entrepreneurs.

The event will hybrid (in presence and online) and simultaneously translated to German and Spanish.

Agenda

The event will be moderated by Ms Katja Legisa, Entrepreneurship Director at the Digital Leadership Institute

9:30h – 10:00h Registration

10:00h – 10:15h Introduction & Welcome

  • Mr Stefano Mallia, President of the Employers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee
  • Mr Pablo Morales, Coordinator of the Athena project, Chamber of Commerce of Seville

10:15h – 11:00h – Athena Project outcomes and findings:

11:00h – 11:30h Coffee break

11:30h – 12:30h – Expert panel discussion 1: Policy priorities for the inclusion of migrant women entrepreneurs

What actions should the EU take to facilitate the integration of migrant women entrepreneurs? Policy recommendations from the experts and ATHENA project

Moderated by Ms Cheryl Novak, Research Associate at the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy

  • Ms Maria-Helena De Felipe, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee and Spokesperson of the SMEs category

12:30h – 14:00h – Networking lunch

14:00h – 14:45h – Expert panel discussion 2: Opportunities or obstacles? Recommendations addressing the challenges faced by migrant women entrepreneurs

What steps should be taken and by which stakeholders in order to facilitate the financial and legal integration of new migrant women entrepreneurs?

  • Ms Mamen Soria, Entrepreneurship expert at the Chamber of Commerce of Seville
  • Ms Loubna Azghoud, Expert in digital economy, gender equality and entrepreneurship strategy
  • Ms Siham Zarkan, Project Manager at SheDIDIT
  • Ms Tina Marquart, consultant at Jumpp Ihr Sprungbrett in die Selbständigkeit, Frauenbetriebe e. V.
  • Ms Rosy Cascella, Camera di Commercio Bari – Progetto Futurae

14:45h – 15:30h – Success stories of women entrepreneurs

Moderated by Ms Loredana Bucseneanu, Development Director at the Digital Leadership Institute

  • Ms Sofiia Shevchuk, Founder of VONA, Consultant, Researcher and Project Manager in Climate, Gender and Security
  • Ms Magna Solange Dos Santos , Entrepreneur in the hospitality sector
  • Ms Albina Savciuc, Entrepreneur in the sustainable jewellery sector
  • Ms Viviana Santana, Entrepreneur in external services to hotels
  • Blessing Ayomonsuru, Entrepreneur in trading ethnic food products

15:30h – 16:00h – AMIF future opportunities Focus group

Moderated by Mr Pablo Morales, Coordinator of the Athena project, Chamber of Commerce of Seville

  • Mr Juan Guerrero Caballero – General Manager and Head of the Department of International R& D Projects at INCOMA
  • Ms Ursula Hoenich – Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission
  • Ms Carmela Cotrone – Policy Expert

16:00 – 16:15 Closing of the conference

Please note that registration is mandatory for attending the event: https://www.eventbrite.be/e/entrepreneurship-as-a-path-to-socio-economic-inclusion-of-migrant-women-tickets-535756521177. Your personal data will be shared with the European Economic and Social Committee Visitors Office in order to grant you access to the building on the day of the event.

The event is organized with the support of the Employers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee .

For more info about the project visit www.athenaproject.net and the Facebook and Instagram page.

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Thank you to the We4Change partners and community!

Copyright: Empow’Her France

28th of February 2023 marked the official closure of the project “We4Change: Girls and Women Connecting for Environmental Change” aimed at engaging, connecting and empowering young girls and women with digital and innovation skills, increase civic engagement and unlock their changemaking potential to engage in society and have an active role in addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

Over the past two years, partners Digital Leadership Institute (BE), Stimmuli for Social Change (GR), Empow’Her (FR), TEKEDU (MD) and ZERO (PT) have worked together to achieve this mission and had the following results:

  • The We4Change Changemakers Event Curriculum: a series of educational materials to serve as examples of workshops that can be organized during a We4Change Changemakers Event to develop the skills promoted by the project: digital, social innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and environmental awareness skills. It includes the specific methodology to prepare each workshop, but also other elements that can be used when organizing a Changemakers Event, such as working with mentors and coaches, and information on the practicalities of organizing the events. The curriculum can be downloaded for free in five languages: English, French, Greek, Portuguese and Romanian.
  • Handbook for Trainers and Youth Workers on Running a Successful We4Change Changemakers Event: complementing the curriculum, this handbook aims to support trainers and youth workers – including those that may have never applied before gender mainstreaming tools – to organize effectively a We4Change Changemakers Event, to drive active citizenship and empower girls and young women with digital and environmental awareness skills to become the future changemakers of their community. It introduces the guiding principles of the We4Change concept, values and philosophy, describes the competences that trainers and youth workers, as well as participants will apply for the different activities, and includes all practical information needed to organize a successful We4Change Changemakers Event. The handbook can be downloaded for free in five languages: English, French, Greek, Portuguese and Romanian.
  • Partners organized a We4Change “Train the Trainers” workshop in March 2022 training over 30 youth workers to apply the We4Change principles and methodology to run a successful Changemakers Event in their communities.
  • Partners organized a total of 14 We4Change Changemakers Events in their countries, with more than 100 girls and young women participating, to inspire them to ideate and design collectively solutions to problems encountered in their environments with the support of other stakeholders from the local communities.
  • Each partner organized a dissemination event to share about the results of the project and discuss how other stakeholders can use them to achieve the project’s objective.

All the results can be found and downloaded for free on the project website: http://we4change.eu/.

Thank you to the partners, stakeholders, girls and young women for participating to the project activities during the past two years, and supporting us to be changemakers for a sustainable future! Thank you also to the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union for the support to make this international collaboration possible!

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DLI Update – Winter 2023

The DLI Board are actively involved in outreach activities with partners and stakeholders around the world that promote ESTEAM* leadership by girls and women. Find out more below about our outreach activities in Winter 2023, including the 18 January meeting of 2023 W20 India, the first meeting of the G20 India Presidency with International W20 Delegates. For upcoming events by DLI and our partners please visit here, and have a look at our calendar.

*Entrepreneurship and Art powered by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

13-14 November 2022 –  G20 Women20 Indonesia Post-Summit Event (Bali & Online): On 13-14 November 2022, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the G20 Women20 Indonesia Post-Summit Event, a G20 Leaders Summit Side Event, in her capacity as Co-head of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20 engagement group.

12 December 2022 –  G20 Women20 Indonesia Handover to W20 India 2023 (India & Online): On 12 December 2022, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the Handover Meeting of the G20 Women20 Indonesia to W20 India 2023 in her capacity as Co-head of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20 engagement group.

20 January 2023 – G7 Women7 Germany Handover to W7 Japan 2023 (Tokyo & Online): Online on 20 January 2023, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the Handover Meeting of G7 Women7 Germany to W7 Japan 2023 in her capacity as HOD ex officio of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20.

18 January 2023 – G20 Women20 India Delegation Meeting (Online): Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the 18 January 2023 online delegation meeting of G20 Women20 India 2023 in her capacity as HOD ex officio of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20.

24 January 2023 – G20 Women20 EU 2023 Delegation Kickoff Meeting (Online): On 24 January 2023, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director, joined the online 2023 Kickoff meeting of the European Union G20 Women20 Delegation in her capacity as HOD ex officio.

26 January 2023 – WEgate Community Council Meeting (Online): Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the 26 January WEgate Community Council Meeting in her capacity as WEgate Policy Chair, Community Councilmember, and Chair of the Digital Transition Thematic Group. 

To browse past activities with DLI and our partners, please click here. Be sure to also visit our calendar, sign up for the DLI Newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram in order to keep up with DLI events and activities!

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Women STEM UP celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

On 11th of February, women and girls, alongside partners worldwide, celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The day focuses on the reality that science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This day allows us to recognize the role women and girls already play in science, promote the idea of STEM careers to future generations of women, and educate men on their role in encouraging and mentoring women and girls in schools and the workplace to pursue their technical and scientific passions. Women’s ability to enter STEM fields offers them a wider variety of employment opportunities with higher pay than what is found in many other fields. The demand for STEM skills around the world continues to grow and it is up to us to ensure women and girls do not miss out.

Digital Leadership Institute joined Linköping University (SE), Stimmuli for Social Change (GR), University of Thessaly (GR) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO) to develop the Women STEM UP project striving to facilitate access and participation of young women and girls in education, training and science and technology, and promote their equal access to full employment and decent work.

To this end, it sets the following objectives:

To break down gender stereotypes in STEM higher education ecosystem by creating a Training programme for STEMeducators and staff offering concrete examples that can be used in teaching and supervision in the STEM-areas. This will build on ready-made gender sensitive guiding tools and resources to encourage University staff to use language and interaction patterns free of gender stereotypes and gender sensitive approaches when planning, teaching, assessing and collaborating with students. Professors, lecturers and lab assistants will be trained on how to create a more welcominglearning environment for undergraduate female STEM students.

To boost confidence and empower female students to continue their involvement in STEM during and after their studies. To achieve this goal a Leadership & Inspiration Academy will be developed, offering training, mentoring, inspiration and access to women STEM professionals acting as mentors and role models. Cognitive tools will be utilized to ensure that the resources match the needs and preferences of women. Female students will be exposed to role models and will be encouraged to question the perceived masculinity of STEM. They will be connected with women STEM professionals and receive mentoring and support to continue their studies and develop sustainable careers.

To boost women’s passion for STEM by assisting female students to explore and understand the creativity and social impact potential in STEM. A “Women STEM UP for GOOD” programme will be developed to encourage female students to design and develop state of the art projects for the STEM areas and to practically see the socio-technical importance of the implementation of gender issues in technical projects. To this end, we will follow an E-STEAM approach to extend the STEM skill set to include entrepreneurship and creativity (E standing for Entrepreneurship and A for Arts) as according to evidence ESTEAM has a stronger potential to increase women participation in these fields. Thus, women will be involved in hands-on problem-based learning activities to develop E-STEAM skills while addressing gender stereotypes.

Follow the developments of the Women STEM UP project at https://women-stem-up.eu/

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SAVE THE DATE: Girls and Women Connecting for Environmental Change – Roundtable Discussions

Join us on the 16th of February 2023 for the event GIRLS AND WOMEN CONNECTING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE – ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS to exchange ideas and best practices on how to foster girls’ and young women’s sense of initiative for environmental action and improve their active citizenship skills and social innovation mindsets. Ultimately, the aim is to create synergies and open up opportunities for collaboration among the participants.

What you’ll gain?

  • Brainstorm with experts and practitioners on key strategies promoting greater participation of girls and young women in strategic, innovative ESTEAM (Entrepreneurship & Arts powered by STEM) sectors.
  • Gain insight into the experiences and lessons learned by other organizations and stakeholders and take these best practices back to your community.
  • Find opportunities of collaboration with a wide network of similar organizations.

What is the format of the roundtable discussions?

There will be four discussion tables set-up, each covering a topic (explained below). Participants can chose the tables they want to join for a 30 minutes discussion, and share their knowledge and suggestions on how to empower girls and young women as changemakers in our society. Participants are encouraged to be as specific as possible, to raise issues that arise in their day-today activities, and actionable ideas for better paths forwards. A follow-up session will present the main takeaways from the roundtable discussions.

Key outcomes

  • Following the event, we will gather the key insights in a Recommendations Paper and share it with all participants and stakeholders in our network.
  • Engage and connect community members to collaborate for future initiatives for the benefit of girls and women.
  • Opportunities for networking with like-minded professionals.

Discussion topics

TOPIC 1: Skills development for youth towards the Digital and Green transformations

Questions to consider: as civil society organizations and providers of non-formal education, how can we ensure young people gain a swift access to the requisite skills to enable them to be part of the solutions and to navigate the social, economic, and environmental challenges the world faces? What kind of skills and knowledge should we focus on? And how to include the gender lens in this process?

TOPIC 2: Gender mainstreaming in youth strategies

Questions to consider: What are the main challenges and opportunities of gender mainstreaming? How to strengthen the dialogue between civil society and policy makers to integrate gender perspective into the preparation, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, regulatory measures and spending programmes?

TOPIC 3: Best practices for impact: Youth – Gender inclusion – Environmental action

Questions to consider: What actionable ways to build gender equality and sustainability? What are the practices and tools you identified in your activities to improve the capabilities of civil society organizations for supporting more effectively their target groups and increase their impact?

TOPIC 4: Opportunities for cooperation for organizations working on youth, gender and environmental topics

Questions to consider: what are the needs of civil society organizations in terms of skills development, engagement capabilities or funding? what opportunities for collaboration are there and how to ensure they are accessible for all stakeholders?

Agenda

5:00 PM: Welcome and presentation of the We4Change project

5:30 PM: Roundtable Discussions

6:00 PM: Discussion on the main takeaways from each roundtable

6:30 PM: Networking dinner

Registrations: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/girls-and-women-connecting-for-environmental-change-roundtable-discussions-tickets-526528419677

Download here the brochure of the event.

For more information about the “We4Change: Girls and Women Connecting for Environmental Change” visit the project website: http://we4change.eu/

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Women Entrepreneurs and the Digital Transition

As Policy Chair and Community Councilmember for the WEgate project promoting women-led entrepreneurship in Europe, DLI Director Cheryl Miller also leads the WEgate Thematic Group on Women Entrepreneurs and the Digital Transition (“Digital Transition TG”).

Over the course of 2022, the Digital Transition TG gathered to analyse and synthesise the impact of the digital transition on women entrepreneurs in Europe. Outcomes and recommendations from this work which address Ethics in AI, Gender and Cybersecurity, Tech-readiness of Women-led Startups, and the Gender Gap in Digital Skills, are captured in a policy brief published by the WEgate project on 22 January 2023.

Congratulations for this terrific outcome to WEgate Women Entrepreneurs and the Digital Transition Thematic Group members, Leïla Maidane, Isabel Bustos and Ms. Miller, under project leadership by Emilija Andonova and Gabriela Kostovska Bogoeska.

From the WEgate website:

One of the aims of WEgate is to increase the visibility of women entrepreneurs and to promote discussion on important topics for improving the conditions for women’s entrepreneurship development. To address critical areas of interest in women’s entrepreneurship development, dedicated WEgate Thematic groups (TGs) are formed as ad-hoc groups within the WEgate Community. The third WEgate TG is dedicated to Digital transition, analysing the challenges faced by women in the digital arena.

This policy brief summarizes the findings of the WEgate thematic group on women’s entrepreneurship policy. It highlights the key challenges and recommendations for policy-making in four areas: gender mainstreaming, evidence-based policy-making, finance and funding for women entrepreneurs, and stakeholders engagement in policy development. For each policy area, recommendations are being proposed, targeting policymakers at the European and national levels.

Download the WEgate Women Entrepreneurs and the Digital Transition Policy Brief (PDF) here.

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DLI Update – Fall 2022

The DLI Board are actively involved in outreach activities with partners and stakeholders around the world that promote ESTEAM* leadership by girls and women. Find out more below about our outreach activities in Autumn 2022, including the G20 Ministerial Conference in Bali where EU Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli and DLI Founder and Head of the EU W20 Delegation, Cheryl Miller, represented the European Union. For upcoming events by DLI and our partners please visit here, and have a look at our calendar.

*Entrepreneurship and Art powered by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

13-14 November 2022 –  G20 Women20 Indonesia Post-Summit Event (Bali & Online): On 13-14 November 2022, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the G20 Women20 Indonesia Post-Summit Event, a G20 Leaders Summit Side Event, in her capacity as Co-head of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20 engagement group.

24-25 August 2022 –  G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment (Bali, Indonesia): On 24-25 August 2022 in Bali, Indonesia, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment in her capacity as Co-head of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20 engagement group, and as member of the EU G20 Ministerial Delegation led by European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli.

20 September – Digital Inclusion, Policy and Research Conference (Online): Online on 20 September 2022, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  presented her forthcoming chapter on “Digital Equity and Women’s Economic Agency,” as part of the Gender and Digital Inequalities panel at the Digital Inclusion, Policy and Research Conference (DIPRC) hosted by the University of Liverpool,  Digital Poverty Alliance, and UK Digital Leaders network.

14 October 2022 – W7 Germany Outreach Event “We are Here! We are loud, united against the backlash!” (Berlin, Germany): On 14 October 2022 in Berlin, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director, joined the W7 Germany outreach event “We are Here! We are loud, united against the backlash!” where G7 Gender Equality Ministers met to discuss how to achieve a more equitable G7. Cheryl joined the event as Head of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20.

17-18 October 2022 – WEgate Summit (Brussels & Online): Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the 17 October final event of the European WEgate project, the WEgate Summit, and contributed to a peer-learning session on “Reaching women’s economic independence through entrepreneurship and self-employment.”  On 18 October, Cheryl also joined a European Institutions study mission with representatives of women entrepreneurship organisations from across Europe in order to collectively advocate for a strong European policy framework supporting women entrepreneurs. 

To browse past activities with DLI and our partners, please click here. Be sure to also visit our calendar, sign up for the DLI Newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram in order to keep up with DLI events and activities!

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