ICOOnlineSymposiumonSelf-determinationRe-thinkingSelf-determination

InternationalCommunitiesOrganisation,15.11.2018

PROGRAMMEPAPER

ICO Consultancy Pool Members will join us at an online symposium to address the self-determination in the 21st Century. Re-thinking Self-determination consists of one day online closed meeting. It will be held between 09:00-17:00, on 15 November 2018. There will be a 45 minutes lunch break, and short breaks. The entire meeting will be recorded and then an edited report will be published as the 1st Online Symposium on Self-determination by the ICO Research Centre.

Copyright © 2018By the International Communities Organisation, 85 Great Portland Street, London, England, W1W 7LT www.internationalcommunities.org info@internationalcommunities.org

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission.

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ABOUTUS

InternationalCommunitiesOrganisation(ICO)isaself-determinationresearchandinnovation hub, and a not for profit organisation based in London. Guided by itsvisionof self-determinationand thevaluesofdevelopmentandhumanrights, ICOaims to empower communities. It strives to fosters an environment whereorganisations within these communities can overcome the barriers they face,allowingthemtofulfil theirpotential,developandcreatepositivechangefortheirlocalcommunitiesthroughlocalcollaboration,decisionmakingandaction.Through ICOactivities,weareestablishingvarious regionalunits toadvocateandsupport the dissemination of guidelines, and encourage public engagements tofacilitateself-determinationclaimssuchas

1) Fundinglocalinstitutionsattown,country,cityorregionallevel2) Theinclusionofallsegmentsofsociety3) Investinginlocalbusinessesandruraljobcreation4) Educationandtrainingatcommunity,business,non-profitbodiesand

localpoliticalleadersincludingnextgenerations5) Identificationoftechniquesfornegotiationsprocesses

ICOResearchCentre,established in2016,constitutesacivil-rightshubcomprisedofmore thanhalfof the ICOstaffandnetworkwhoareengaged inwork thathasdirect connection to self-determination. The group consists of a broad range ofacademic consultants, human rights practitioners, and activists working onthematicissuesandtherighttoself-determinationacrosstheindependentresearchinstitute. The Centre is an important part of the International CommunitiesOrganisation’s social impact activities, and promotes a rigorous and vibrantresearch environment. ICOResearchCentre encourages interdisciplinaryresearchand prioritises international collaborations through research and fellowshipactivitiese.g. law,anthropology, languageofrights,andscholarship,connectswiththelaw,principlesandpoliticsofhumanrights.

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RE-thinkingSelf-determination

The clash between the concept of right to self-determination and territorialintegrityhaspreventedtheadvancementofpeaceprocesses,buttheconceptisvitalto international peace and security. An ICO-Consultancy Pool for research andpolicydevelopmentactivitiesisnecessaryinordertoconsidertheconflictbetweenterritorialintegrityandself-determination.Therefore, ICO-Consultancy Pool enlists international lawyers, experts andacademics to consider the conflict between territorial integrity and self-determination. This would assist mediators, officials from internationalorganisations, State officials and self-determinationmovements. ICO Consultantsactivities consist of in-depth analysis of self-determination issues in differentcontinents, and highlighting performance in terms of international human rightsframeworksanditsimplementationatlocallevel.

The main discussion topic is to explore the conceptual contradictions betweenterritorialintegrityandself-determination.Wewillbringupchallengingquestionstodiscusshowtheself-determinationshouldbeunderstoodanddefined,andhowindividuals and groups might protect their autonomy fromstate invasion. Thisdiscussionwill includedebateson themeaningof the right to self-determination,when external self-determination is justified and on the notion of territorialintegrity. Thiswide theoretical debatewill be supplementedwith practical casesfromaroundtheworld,rangingfromBiafrainNigeriaandNorthernIrelandtoTibetandPapuaNewGuinea.Thisbookletwillprovideashortscheduleandanoverviewofeachofthediscussants.The beneficiaries of ICO Consultancy Pool discussion and policy developmentactivitiesareacademicanddiplomaticinstitutions,andcivilsocietyengagementonthe topic of reconciling right to self-determination and territorial integrity. Wereachouttothecommunityof interestthroughproducingandpublishingreports,handbooks, new guidelines for right to self-determination and other advocacymaterialssuchasaudiorecordsorinfo-graphics.

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PROGRAMMEDETAILS(LondonTime,GMT)

09:00-09:30

OpeningRemarks(KübraKalkandelenandJamesHolmes,InternationalCommunitiesOrganisation)

09:30-11:30

PanelI.Self-determinationwithinInternationalLaw,HumanRightsandtheTracesofColonialism(Chair:NikolettaPikramenou,ICOFellow)Dr.ThamilVenthanAnanthavinayagan,LL.M.(MaastrichtUniversity)LecturerforInternationalLawatGriffithCollege,Dublin/IrelandTheEmperor’sNewClothes:HowInternalColonialismPavesTheWayForRemedialSecession

LindaBeatriceLouis,PhDineLaw,LeidenUniversityTracingboundariesofself-determinationandsovereignty:aradicalrecalibrationofapproachmaybetheneedofthehourBogdanBanjac,CommissionforProtectionofEqualityofSerbia.MAinHumanRightsandDemocratization,YerevanStateUniversity.TheCrimeaCrisis–BetweenOccupationAndSelf-Determination:CaseStudy

11:30-11:45 CoffeeBreak

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11:45-13:15

PanelII.Theparadoxofchangebeyondtheterritory:theimpactofintergovernmentalorganisations,regionalunitsandrightsofpeople(s).(Chair:Dr.TanyaFayeHerring,ICOFellow)Dr.AdamFusco,DepartmentofPolitics,UniversityofYorkConfederalismasSelf-Determination:TheCaseoftheNorthernIrelandpost-BrexitLovelynOkafor,SourcesResourcesConsulting.Self-determinationandTerritorialIntegrity:CurrentDevelopmentsandtheFutureofStates.

13:15-14:00 LunchBreak

14:00-15:45 PanelIII.NewApproachestoTerritorialIntegrity,andSelf-DeterminationDiscussions(Chair:IrinaStepanova,ICOFellow)

Prof.RobertMcCorquodale,BusinessandHumanRights,InclusiveLaw.WhoseTerritorialIntegrity?QueenethEkeocha,AfricanHeritageInstitution.Re-ThinkingStateResponsetoSelfDeterminationClaimsinNigeria:TheCaseofBiafra

15:45-16:00 CoffeeBreak

16:00-16:30 ClosingRemarks

16:30-17:00 KeynoteSpeaker:Dr.TanyaHerring,BangorUniversity,Wales,UK. CanthePalermoConventionanditsProtocolsserveasaconduittolegalempowermentandpeacefulself-determination?

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Dr.ThamilVenthanAnanthavinayagan,LL.M.(MaastrichtUniversity)LecturerforInternationalLawatGriffithCollege,Dublin/Ireland

TheEmperor’sNewClothes:HowInternalColonialismPavesTheWayForRemedialSecession

Arighttoexternalself-determinationmightbearemedytoserious injustices.Thelatestdevelopmentsininternationalrelationsanddifferingnuancesininternationallawdonotandcannotsimplyleaveituptothestatestoentirelydefinefateoftheirpopulace.Whatisthesituationwhenastateabusesandviolateshumanrightsofaspecific “people” within its territory? How could the “people” respond to suchrepression,discriminationanddenialofrepresentation?Theanswercouldbepartlyfoundintheconceptofthe“remedialsecession.”Thosewhosubmittedthemselvestothemajoritarianstatusquoweretoleratedinapost-colonial state – despite ongoing repression, denial of internal self-determination and accommodation under themajoritarian narrative. To this end,AntonyAnghieformulates:“[G]iventheformidablepowerofthemodernstate,itisthrough control over the state that an ethnic group may prevail against itscompetitors. (…) the application of liberal-democratic institutions to the politicaluniverse of competing national groups may distort the character of theseinstitutions and the concepts which support them, producing results which areneither liberalnordemocratic. Indeed,democracyitselfmaybecomeamechanismby which racial oppression is furthered.” The post-colonial majoritariancommunitiesinAfghanistan,SriLanka,AlgeriaandPhilippinesare,tothisend,areinteresting case studies to investigate the following questions: does internationallaw authorise the right to secession as a remedy to the violation of the right to(internal)self-determination?What is theroleof international lawtoenhance thestatusofapost-colonialstateanddecoloniseitscolonialantiques–while,however,internationallawitselfitsinfiltratedbycolonialhistory?The paper will, henceforth, answer these questions and provide legal thought torestructureandmanagetherepercussionofapostcolonialstatethroughthelensofThirdWorldScholarship.KeyWords:post-colonialstate,hegemonicandcounterhegemonichistoriesandusesofhumanrights,settlercolonialism,decolonizinginternationallaw,andorder,externalself-determination.

Dr. Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan, Ph.D. (NUI Galway), LL.M. (Maastricht University), is aLecturerforInternationalLawatGriffithCollege,Dublin.HisresearchinterestslieinthefieldoftheUnitedNations,publicinternationallaw,internationalhumanitarianlaw,internationalhumanrightslaw,post-colonialismandThirdWorldscholarship.HehasworkedfortheGermanLabourParty,theFriedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and numerous non-governmental organizations in various Europeancountries. Finally, he has presented papers in numerous countries and cities, inter alia Seattle,Singapore, Nottingham, Liverpool, Geneva, Padova, Dublin, Galway, Maastricht. Two of his recentpublicationsdealwiththerightsofrefugeesandtherighttoself-determination.

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BogdanBanjac,CommissionforProtectionofEqualityofSerbia.MAinHumanRightsandDemocratization,YerevanStateUniversity.

TheCrimeaCrisis–BetweenOccupationAndSelf-Determination:CaseStudy

TherecentdevelopmentsintheCrimeanpeninsulaofCrimeaseemtohaveunwilledall the weaknesses of International Law and the necessity of making furtherdefinitionoftheconditionsandlimitsofself-determination.ThechainofeventsthatoccurredinUkraineinthebeginningof2014ledtotheclashofworldpowersandtheirintereststhusopeninganewdiplomaticfrontonthegloballevel.Alongsidetheso called “bigpicture” andwith respect to the recentpracticeof the InternationalCourt of Justice, a newdebate emerged.Namely, if a declaration of independencedoesnotviolateanynormsofInternationallaw,asstatedintheadvisoryopinionofthe International Court of Justice on Kosovo(1), what is there to prevent anyterritory in the world to declare independence? Also, are there any mechanismsasidefromtheUNcapabletoensurethesovereigntyofstatesfromtheUNSecurityCouncilmembers?Finally,werethereHumanRightsviolationsinCrimeathatcouldjustifythesecessionthattookplace?InordertoproperlyunderstandwhathappenedinCrimeain2014,thereneedstobeapropermultidisciplinaryanalysisofallpossibleaspects.ThiscasestudywilltrytoassesstheCrimeasituationthroughthelensofGeopolitics,History,InternationalLaw and Human Rights and subsequently attempt to reach a conclusion withrecommendationsonthepossiblesolutionsforthecurrentstalemate.(1)Accordancewith InternationalLawof theUnilateralDeclarationof Independence inRespectofKosovo,AdvisoryOpinionof22July2010,ICGJ423(ICJ2010)

KeyWords:CrimeaCrisis,Self-determination,Sovereignty,InternationalLaw.

Bogdangraduated fromUniversityofBelgradeFacultyofLawandMasterProgrammeforHumanRights and Democratization of Yerevan state University and Tbilisi state University. During hisMasterstudiesheconductedaninternshipattheOfficeontheStateMinistryofGeorgiaforEuropeanand Euro-Atlantic Integration in Tbilisi. He has been working as a legal associate since 2014. In2016,BogdanstartedworkingatTheCommissionerforProtectionofEqualityofSerbiaintheSectorfor advancement of equality, where he works in the field of Project management, training andeducation, annual and special report preparation and International cooperation. Also, he is amember of the EQUINET (European Network of Equality bodies) Working group for Policyformation. At the same time, Bogdan conducted an internship at the Bulan Institute for PeaceInnovationsinGeneva,whoseprimarypreoccupationisresearchingconflictsinCentralAsia.

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Prof.RobertMcCorquodale,BusinessandHumanRights,InclusiveLaw.

WhoseTerritorialIntegrity?

A key element of the right to self-determination is territorial integrity. This hasusuallybeenconsideredsolely in relation to the territorial integrityofanexistingStateaffectedbypeopleseekingtherightofself-determination.However,thereisaseparateterritorialintegrity,whichisthatofthenon-self-governingterritoryitself.Paragraph 6 of General Assembly Resolution 1514, being the Declaration on theGranting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, provides that: “Anyattempt aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and theterritorialintegrityofacountryisincompatiblewiththepurposesandprinciplesoftheCharteroftheUnitedNations”.(1)Thispaperwillconsiderwhetherchangingthefocusofterritorialintegrityfromthatof States to that of the people of non-self-governing territories can offer a newperspective on the right of self-determination. For example, if customaryinternationallawprohibitsthedivisionormergerofanon-self-governingterritory,thenthereareconsequencesforthepeople.Itwillconsiderifthepeoplecanconsentto this division ormerger and, if so,what criteria is there for their consent to belawful.ThisdiscussionwillbeputinthecontextofTibetandWestPapua,bothterritorieswhere there have been debates aboutwhether they are still a non-self-governingpeopleandwhetherthe“colonial”powercouldlawfullyactasitdidwithregardtotheirterritory.Somecomparativecommentswithothersituations,suchasCrimea,may also be made. This can be a (re) writing of the history of some people andterritories.(1)GeneralAssemblyResolution1514(XV)“Declarationonthegrantingofindependencetocolonialcountriesandpeoples”(A/RES/1514(XV)of14December1960),para.6.KeyWords:Self-determination;territorialintegrity;Tibet,WestPapua;ChagosArchipelago;divisionormerger

Robert McCorquodale is a Professor of International Law and Human Rights at the University ofNottingham in the United Kingdom, as well as a barrister at Brick Court Chambers, London, andFounder of Inclusive Law (www.inclusivelaw.com), a consultancy on business and human rightsissues. He has given advice to governments and peoples on a range of self-determination mattersacrossmostregions,fromLithuaniatoSouthAfricaandfromTibettoVanuatu.Hehaswrittenwidelyontherighttoself-determinationandonotherpublicinternationallawandhumanrightsissues,suchasbusinessresponsibilityforhumanrightsandtheroleofnon-stateactorsininternationallaw.

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QueenethEkeocha,AfricanHeritageInstitution.

Re-ThinkingStateResponsetoSelfDeterminationClaimsinNigeria:TheCaseofBiafra

Theagitationsforself-determinationintheSouthEast(SE)regionofNigeriawhichhas been on for more than 50 years occurs because of strong feelings of ethnicidentity and a sense of marginalization in the region. Empirical and statisticalevidencesshowthattheNigeriangovernmenthasnotshownproperresponsibilityintheaffairsandwelfareoftheSEpeoplesincetheendofcivilwarthatclaimedthelivesofoveronemillionsoutheasterners.TheobjectiveofthispaperistoevaluatetheterritorialintegrityoftheNigerianstateinthelightoftheself-determinationclaimsoftheindigenouspeopleoftheSE.Thus,thepaperarguesthatthemaincontradictionsoftheNigerianterritorialintegrityisher inability to protect the lives and property of the SE region from politicalmarginalization,socialinjustice,unlawfulkillings,andmoreso,therecentarbitraryarrestofwomenbystateforceswhowerepeacefullyprotestingforthewhereaboutsofNnamdiKalu.Basedonpublishedempiricalworksandacontentanalysisbytheauthor,thepapersubmits that self-determination claims in the SE is legal and long due.One of themajorrecommendationsforNigeriaasasignatoryoftheInternationalCovenantonCivil and Political Right, and International Covenant on Economic, Social andCultural Rights is to learn lessons from advanced countries by reviewing theConstitutionthatgrantsareferendumfortheclaimoftheIndependenceofBiafra.Keywords:CulturalIdentity,SouthEast,Ndigbo,Self-Determination,TerritorialIntegrity

QueenethEkeochaisaresearcherinGovernanceandPublicPolicy(GAPP)andGenderPoliticsattheAfricanHeritageInstitution(AHI).Herstrengthsarepolicyanalysis,dataanalysis,surveyresearchandproposalwriting.ShehasbeenstatecoordinatorfortheWorldBankandhassetupvarioussurveys.

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Dr Adam Fusco is Associate Lecturer in Political Theory at the University of York. Adam's research examines the politics of secession and national self-determination, as well as problems in republican and democratic political thought and the politics of the Northern Ireland constitutional question.

Dr.AdamFusco,DepartmentofPolitics,UniversityofYork

ConfederalismasSelf-Determination:TheCaseoftheNorthernIrelandpost-Brexit

CentraltothediscussionoftheUnitedKingdom’sexit fromtheEuropeanUnionisthemaintenanceofanopenborderontheislandofIreland.IfnotcarefullymanagedBrexit has the potential to disrupt the terms of Northern Ireland’s constitutionalsettlement secured in the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). Even if Brexit does notviolatethetermsoftheGFA,ithasthepotentialtoviolateitsspiritifexecutedinafashionwhichcreatesseriousconcernsforthosewhoidentifyasIrishinNorthernIreland.What is examined in thispresentation ishow the claim for self-determination theUnited Kingdom is presently making via Brexit clashes with the conditions ofNorthernIreland’srighttoself-determinationsecuredintheGFA.It isarguedthatthe sources needed to reconcile these claims lie not only in complex trade andcustoms arrangements between theUK and theEuropeanUnion, but fromwithinthe institutionsof theGFA,mostnotablytheBritish-IrishCouncil. It isarguedthatleaving one confederation – the European Union – should be replaced by thedevelopmentofasecond,betweenBritain,Irelandanditsconstituentparts.This,itisargued, is required tomanage theconstitutionalpressuresalive throughout theBritishIslesandmoreoveroffersatemplateforconsideringthemanagementofself-determinationclaims, ingeneral,beyondthetraditionaloptionsofcleansecessionandregionalautonomy.

Keywords:Confederalism,Brexit,NorthernIreland,British-IrishCouncil,GoodFridayAgreement

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LindaBeatriceLouis,PhDineLaw,LeidenUniversity

Tracingboundariesofself-determinationandsovereignty:aradicalrecalibrationofapproachmaybetheneedofthehour

Bothnotionsofsovereigntyandself-determinationareassumedtobewelldefined,ifcontroversial,andcapableoflimiteddefinitions.Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth. A historical narrative of the conceptualisation of the concepts of self-determination and sovereignty reveal internal paradoxes that have not beenresolvedinthecenturiesthattheseideashavebeenmainstreamedininternationalpolitical discourse. As a first step therefore, this paper argues that an accurateinquiryintotheboundariesofbothself-determinationandsovereigntyascurrentlyunderstood, reveal that their original philosophical and juridical mooringsenvisioned ideas farmore amenable to universal human rights. Secondly, there isalsoanoverwhelmingpoliticalconsensusthatself-determinationmustbesubjectedtosovereignty,ostensiblyintheinterestofterritorialintegrity.As the historical narrative will demonstrate, this limitation imposed on self-determinationasbeingboundedbytheimperativesofterritorialintegrityisinfactaremnant of a discourse shaped by colonial powers, when self-determination waswielded as a potent but controversial weapon to present a valid argument forfreedom from colonialism. To continue the subjugation of self-determination tosovereignty of the nation-state therefore, would be to continue the legacy of apolitical hierarchyput inplace andmaintainedby colonial thought. In the secondpartof thispapertherefore,anargumentwillbemadethatanarticulationofself-determination that takes into account its rich philosophical origins as well as itsoccurrenceinjuridicaltheorythatpre-emptthenationstatetherefore,isnecessarytotrulyridliberatethediscourseofinternationallawandpoliticsfromconstraintsimposedbythecolonialdistributionofpower.Keywords:historyofsovereignty”,“standardofcivilisation”“decolonisation”and“post-colonial

After graduatingwith a combinedBachelor’sDegreewithHonours in Arts and Law from theNationalLawSchoolofIndiaUniversity,consistentlyrankedfirstamongIndianlawschools,LindaBeatriceLouisstartedhercareerasaqualifiedadvocate in Indiaunder the tutelageofaseniorcounselof theMadrasHighCourt,engaging inawidevarietyofconstitutionalandcriminal law issues.Shewenton toobtainanAdvancedMasters, cum laude, in InternationalLawandHumanRights fromtheGenevaAcademyofInternationalHumanitarianlawandHumanRights,aJointCentreoftheGraduateSchoolofInternationaland Development Studies. She has since worked at prominent NGOs and international organisations,includingtheInternationalCriminalCourt,InternationalCommissionofJurists,theInternetSociety,andthe International Committee of the Red Cross, among others. Currently she is pursuing a PhD at theCentreforelawandDigitalTechnologiesatLeidenUniversity.Asaformereducatorforlawenforcementandotherstakeholdersinhumanrightslaws,herresearchexploresinnovativemeansofencouragingandincentivisingcompliancewithhumanrightsnorms.Herresearchthesisistitled"TowardsBetterPolicing:AchievingNormInternalisationandCompliancewithPersuasivelyDesignedTechnology"

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LovelynOkafor,SourcesResourcesConsulting.

Self-determinationandTerritorialIntegrity:CurrentDevelopmentsandtheFutureofStates.

Thetwentiethcenturysawtheriseoftwoimportantandinterconnectedprinciples.The first is theprincipleof self-determination,whichsuggests thatevery “people”have the right to its own nation-state. The right to self-determination may takevarying forms and range from full independence or secession to less extrememeasureswithinastate;suchasgreaterautonomy,respectfortherightsofminoritygroupsandpoliticalparticipationthroughrepresentativedemocracy.

Thesecondistheprincipleofterritorialintegrity,whichupholdstheprinciplethatpoliticalbordersmustberespected.Aconsequenceofbothconceptsinrecenttimeshasresultedtoanincreaseinsecessionism,adeclineinconquest,andanincreaseofstates.Therighttoself-determinationandterritorialintegrityhavebeenandstillisbeing employed to protect the rights and interests of “peoples” around theworld.This paper will examine the development of these twin principles, theirinterrelationship,currentdevelopmentsandtheirprospectsforthefuture.

Keywords:Self-determination,TerritorialIntegrity,Independence,Humanrights,AfricanPolitic

Lovelyn Okafor is a human rights lawyer, journalist, digital content producer, public relations practitioner, social media expert, teacher and conflict prevention and peace-making practitioner. She has worked as an Editor with Konnect Africa, an online pan-African magazine that seeks to inspire change amongst African Youths through promoting youth involvement across all sectors, and also had a stint with the New Telegraph Newspaper in Lagos, Nigeria. In addition to her Bachelors degree in law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Lovelyn also holds a Masters degree in Law from the University of Lagos, a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism as well as a Professional Diploma in Public Relations from the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).Furthermore, Lovelyn holds an honours certificate from Yala Peace Institute (an Institute established in honour of Madiba Nelson Mandela), certification in Corporate Governance company processes efficiency and youth mentorship, certificates from the Aileen Getty School of Journalism and Yala Young Leaders Academy, where she currently serves as an Online Teaching Assistant. As a human rights advocate, Lovelyn is a firm believer in and an advocate for equal rights and opportunities. Her experience in the last 10 years spans the Development, Human Rights, Corporate Governance, Gender Advocacy, and Media sectors. Currently, she is the Chief Executive Officer for Sources Resources Consulting, a business and education-consulting

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