Difference between revisions of "Globalisation:International Policy Network"

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Dave Forbes Gavin Lindsay Fergus Jones Alexandra Hibbert
 
Dave Forbes Gavin Lindsay Fergus Jones Alexandra Hibbert
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[[Image:Ipn.jpg|right]]
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IPN seeks to bring down barriers to enterprise and trade, in order to achieve a world of opportunity, peace and prosperity.
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<ref>IPN, "[http://policynetwork.net/ Homepage]", accessed 05.10.10</ref> The organisation describes itself as a think-tank or independent charity, although critics have accused it of being more like a lobbying group <ref> George Monbiot, “[http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/how-corporations-have-hijacked-the-climate-change-debate/2006/09/26/1159036541719.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 How corporations have hijacked the climate change debate]”, The Age, 27th September 2006, accessed 2.11.10</ref>
  
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==Related Sub-pages==
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[[Globalisation:International Policy Network: Ideology and aims]]
  
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[[Globalisation: IPN]]
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[[Globalisation:International Policy Network: Funding and connections]]
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IPN seeks to bring down barriers to enterprise and trade, in order to achieve a world of opportunity, peace and prosperity.
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<ref>IPN, "[http://policynetwork.net/ Homepage]", accessed 05.10.10</ref>
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[[Globalisation:International Policy Network: Views on development]]
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[[Globalisation:International Policy Network: Views on climate change]]
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
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IPN’s UK Charity (No. CC 262982) was founded by [[Globalisation: Antony Fisher]] in 1971. The mission of this body is to “Promote the advancement of learning by research into economic and political science and the publication of such research.” The charity’s original name was the International Institute for Economic Research, and it now operates under the name International Policy Network.
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IPN’s UK Charity (No. CC 262982) was founded by [[Globalisation: Antony Fisher]] in 1971 under its original name which was the International Institute for Economic Research (IIER). The mission of this body is to “Promote the advancement of learning by research into economic and political science and the publication of such research.” In 1981 the IIER, thanks in the most to Fisher, started a side project called the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. It was not until 2001 when the IIER went under some more rebranding that it became the International Policy Network. <ref>IPN, "[http://policynetwork.net/ipn-history History]", accessed 12.10.10</ref>. It has been an agent of globalisation since its beginning and the work which they strive to achieve can be further described in this sense when compared with some words from Giddens: “In terms of growth rates, over the past 15 years the comparison is zero growth for closed poor economies and approximately 5 percent growth for open poor economies. Moreover, in the open poor economies there is a reduction in inequality rather than an increase” <ref>Antony Giddens, “[http://fathom.com/course/10701014/session3.html The Globalisation Debate]” accessed 18.11.10.</ref>. A separate quote which follows along the same lines as this is when John Blundell states that the countries which are following the plans laid down by the institutes which Fisher had set up are going up the ranks where as the countries which have not set up such economic institutes have not fared as well<ref>John Blundell, "[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-0270.00108/pdf No Antony Fisher, no IEA: ‘The Case for Freedom’ after 50 years]"</ref>.
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IPN’s sister organization, International Policy Network US Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in 2001. The two organizations are separate legal and financial entities with independent boards, working together with a common vision.<ref>IPN, "[http://policynetwork.net/ipn-history History]", accessed 12.10.10</ref>
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===Origins===
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IPN’s sister organization, International Policy Network US Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in 2001. The two organizations are separate legal and financial entities with independent boards, working together with a common vision <ref>IPN, "[http://policynetwork.net/ipn-history History]", accessed 12.10.10</ref>.
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==People==
 
==People==
 
===Directors===
 
===Directors===
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* [[Denise Teixeira]]- Office Manager
 
* [[Denise Teixeira]]- Office Manager
 
* [[Alec Van Gelder]]- Project Director
 
* [[Alec Van Gelder]]- Project Director
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==Funding==
 
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IPN is funded entirely by charitable donations, foundations and businesses. it receives no money from Governments or political parties and does not undertake any contract work. IPN’s two organisations have a combined annual budget of approximately $1.4million (about £850,000).
 
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<ref>IPN, "[http://policynetwork.net/about-ipn About IPN]", accessed 12.10.10</ref> Recently, IPN received $295,000 from Exxon, a large oil company. <ref>George Monbiot, "[http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/sep/27/post437 Smoke in our eyes]", The Guardian, 27 September 2006, accessed 12.10.10</ref>
 
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==Views on development==
 
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==Views on climate change==
 
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“Julian Morris, director of IPN in London, has argued for many years that climate change is a hoax.”<ref>David Cronin, “[http://www.truth-out.org/who-pays-to-deny-climate-change63822 Who Pays To Deny Climate Change]”, Truth Out, 3 October 2010, accessed 19.10.10</ref>
 
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In a letter by Julian Morris to the Toronto Star, in response to their editorial titled “Time for the World to Unite on Climate Change” (7 December), Morris states that “Poverty largely results from government policies which hinder people from generating wealth and prosperity. Tragically, the leaders of poor countries invoke the climate change scapegoat to explain hunger, sickness and climate vulnerability.” This is a response to the Toronto Star’s statement that climate change will “ravage our planet, and with it our prosperity and security”. Morris implies in this letter that climate change is not the cause of poverty, it is merely a scapegoat used by governments.  <ref>Julian Morris, “[http://www.policynetwork.net/development/media/leaders-must-confront-poverty-well-climate-change-copenhagen Leaders must confront poverty as well as climate change in Copenhagen]”, International Policy Network, 11 December 2009, accessed 19.10.10</ref> Furthermore, IPN argues that “attempts to prevent (or mitigate) man-made climate change are a waste of money. It would be better to let it happen and adapt to its effects.” <ref>George Monbiot, “[http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/sep/26/comment.oil/print Pundits who contest climate change should tell us who is paying them]”, The Guardian, 26th September 2006, accessed 26.10.10</ref> Critics say that this response if fuelled by donations from companies such as Exxon, who would financially suffer from the actions taken to control climate change. IPN state that, with regards to climate change, “attempting to control it through global regulation of emissions would be counterproductive” <ref>George Monbiot, “[http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/sep/26/comment.oil/print Pundits who contest climate change should tell us who is paying them]”, The Guardian, 26th September 2006, accessed 26.10.10</ref>
 
  
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==Suggestions for sub-pages==
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==Links to other organisations==
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The IPN has been linked to several other organisations and think-tanks including; [[Atlas Economic Research Foundation]], [[Institute of Economic Affairs]], [[Stockholm Network]] and [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]]. Anthony Fisher, who founded the IPN, went on to found the [[Atlas Economic Research Foundation]] in 1981 creating several ties between the organisations. Julian Morris, the current executive director of IPN was previously the director of the [[Institute of Economic Affairs]]’ Environment and Technology Programme. Morris is on the Policy Advisory Board for the [[International Climate Science Coalition]] and a regular speaker at the [[Heartland Institute]].
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“Bate and Morris work for the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a right-wing think tank based in London. Bate is also a fellow at the Washington-based Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a leading anti-environmental think tank, where Kendra Okonski also used to work”.<ref>Andy Rowell and Bob Burnton, “[http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/2003Q1/gm.html Rising Rhetoric on Genetically Modified Crops]”, PR Watch, First Quarter 2003, accessed 16.11.10</ref>
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IPN is also partnered with over 75 think-tanks worldwide, incuding;
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*[[Institute of Public Policy Analysis]], Nigeria
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*[[Inter-Region Economic Network]], Kenya
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*[[Free Market Foundation]], South Africa
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*[[Africa Resource Bank]]
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*[[Action Research Community Health]], India
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*[[Institute of Public Affairs]], Australia
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*[[Making Our Economy Right]], Bangladesh
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*[[Association for Liberal Thinking]] (Liberal Düşünce Topluluğu), Turkey
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*[[Timbro]], Sweden
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*[[Liberty Institute]], India
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*[[Centre for Civil Society]], India
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*[[Institute of Economic Affairs]]
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*[[Montreal Economic Institute]]
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*[[Centro de Divulgacion del Conocimiento Economico]], Venezuela
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*[[Libertad y Desarrollo]], Chile
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*[[Fundacion Libertad Democracia y Desarrollo]], Bolivia
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*[[Instituto de Libre Empresa]], Peru
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*[[The Lion Rock Institute]], Hong Kong
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*[[Instituto Liberdade]], Brazil
  
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Just suggestions - feel free to change/add to this - although it is recommended that you create several main pages linked to from this main project page so group members can edit simultaneously.
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==Criticisms==
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Sharon Beder, in an article, states that "Conservative think tanks are generally set up as private, tax-exempt, research
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[[Globalisation:International Policy Network: Ideology and aims]]
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and advocacy institutes, and are largely funded by foundations and corporations.
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They have sought to insert neoliberal ideology into environmental policy. They  advocate the use of the market to allocate scarce environmental resources such as wilderness and clean air and promote the replacement of legislation with voluntary industry agreements, reinforced or newly created property rights and economic instruments".
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[[Globalisation:International Policy Network: Funding and connections]]
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<ref>Beder.S, (2001) “[http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=artspapersNeoliberal Think Tanks and Free Market Environmentalism]”, Environmental Politics, 10(2), Summer, 128-133.</ref> However Corporate Europe Observatory state that “Over the last few years, the EU capital Brussels has experienced a huge growth in the number of new think tanks seeking to influence the EU's political debate. A large number of these new players advocate radical "free market" ideology. This includes the London-based International Policy Network and the Paris-based Institut Montaigne. These groups who would once have been regarded as loony fringe organisations, are expanding fast and working their way into mainstream EU political debate. While their funding sources remain a well-protected secret, research by CEO has revealed that it is large corporations that foot the bill for the expansion of these radical rightwing think tanks.”<ref>No author given, “[http://archive.corporateeurope.org/stockholmnetwork.html Covert industry funding fuels the expansion of radical rightwing EU think tanks]”, Corporate Europe Observatory, July 2005, accessed 17.11.10</ref>
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IPN has been described by right-wing blogger Paul Staines as a “change denying propaganda machine funded by industry interests” who peddle “policy recommendations and propaganda on behalf of its sponsors so transparently that almost everyone ignores it”.<ref> Paul Staines, “[http://order-order.com/2006/10/12/who-will-win-wonk-whores-journalism/ Who will win wonk whores journalism prize?]”, Guido Fawkes’ Blog, 12th October 2006, accessed 9.11.10</ref>  In regards to statements that the IPN receive funding from large companies to dismiss the effects of climate change, such as ExxonMobil, Julian Morris replied in a letter written to the Times in 2005, that “IPN has a programme on environment and sustainable development issues to which the ExxonMobil Foundation has contributed over a number of years”.<ref>Julian Morris, “[http://web.archive.org/web/20070425015539/http://www.policynetwork.net/main/article.php?article_id=719 IPN responds to defamatory claims made in The Times]”, IPN Main, 21st December 2005, accessed 9.11.10</ref>
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[[Globalisation:International Policy Network: Views on development]]
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Oxfam has criticised the IPN for producing “irresponsible” criticism towards International Aid, which in turn, can put millions of lives at risk. The article, published by Oxfam, states that, while they realise that vast quantities of Aid is misspent and ends up in the hands of corrupt officials, the Aid which is accounted for helps to dramatically improve the lives of those who receive it. <ref> Jon Slater, “[http://www.oxfam.org.uk/applications/blogs/pressoffice/2010/05/20/oxfam-aid-not-perfect-but-%E2%80%98irresponsible%E2%80%99-criticism-hurts-millions/ Oxfam: Aid not perfect but “irresponsible” criticism hurts millions]”, Oxfam Website, 20th May 2010, accessed 9.11.10</ref> The IPN respond to this article by stating that “challenging a system that so evidently doesn’t work is not irresponsible- it is prudent and rational” <ref> Timothy Cox, “[http://www.policynetwork.net/blogs/article/ipn%E2%80%99s-criticism-foreign-aid-spending-not-%E2%80%9Cirresponsible%E2%80%9D IPN’s criticism of foreign aid spending is not “irresponsible”]”, IPN Blogs, 20th May 2010, accessed 9.11.10</ref>
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[[Globalisation:International Policy Network: Views on climate change]]
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>

Latest revision as of 15:51, 18 November 2010

Dave Forbes Gavin Lindsay Fergus Jones Alexandra Hibbert

Ipn.jpg

IPN seeks to bring down barriers to enterprise and trade, in order to achieve a world of opportunity, peace and prosperity. [1] The organisation describes itself as a think-tank or independent charity, although critics have accused it of being more like a lobbying group [2]

Related Sub-pages

Globalisation:International Policy Network: Ideology and aims

Globalisation:International Policy Network: Funding and connections

Globalisation:International Policy Network: Views on development

Globalisation:International Policy Network: Views on climate change

History

IPN’s UK Charity (No. CC 262982) was founded by Globalisation: Antony Fisher in 1971 under its original name which was the International Institute for Economic Research (IIER). The mission of this body is to “Promote the advancement of learning by research into economic and political science and the publication of such research.” In 1981 the IIER, thanks in the most to Fisher, started a side project called the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. It was not until 2001 when the IIER went under some more rebranding that it became the International Policy Network. [3]. It has been an agent of globalisation since its beginning and the work which they strive to achieve can be further described in this sense when compared with some words from Giddens: “In terms of growth rates, over the past 15 years the comparison is zero growth for closed poor economies and approximately 5 percent growth for open poor economies. Moreover, in the open poor economies there is a reduction in inequality rather than an increase” [4]. A separate quote which follows along the same lines as this is when John Blundell states that the countries which are following the plans laid down by the institutes which Fisher had set up are going up the ranks where as the countries which have not set up such economic institutes have not fared as well[5].

IPN’s sister organization, International Policy Network US Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in 2001. The two organizations are separate legal and financial entities with independent boards, working together with a common vision [6].

People

Directors

Board Members[7]

Staff[8]

Links to other organisations

The IPN has been linked to several other organisations and think-tanks including; Atlas Economic Research Foundation, Institute of Economic Affairs, Stockholm Network and Competitive Enterprise Institute. Anthony Fisher, who founded the IPN, went on to found the Atlas Economic Research Foundation in 1981 creating several ties between the organisations. Julian Morris, the current executive director of IPN was previously the director of the Institute of Economic Affairs’ Environment and Technology Programme. Morris is on the Policy Advisory Board for the International Climate Science Coalition and a regular speaker at the Heartland Institute. “Bate and Morris work for the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a right-wing think tank based in London. Bate is also a fellow at the Washington-based Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a leading anti-environmental think tank, where Kendra Okonski also used to work”.[9] IPN is also partnered with over 75 think-tanks worldwide, incuding;

Criticisms

Sharon Beder, in an article, states that "Conservative think tanks are generally set up as private, tax-exempt, research and advocacy institutes, and are largely funded by foundations and corporations. They have sought to insert neoliberal ideology into environmental policy. They advocate the use of the market to allocate scarce environmental resources such as wilderness and clean air and promote the replacement of legislation with voluntary industry agreements, reinforced or newly created property rights and economic instruments". [10] However Corporate Europe Observatory state that “Over the last few years, the EU capital Brussels has experienced a huge growth in the number of new think tanks seeking to influence the EU's political debate. A large number of these new players advocate radical "free market" ideology. This includes the London-based International Policy Network and the Paris-based Institut Montaigne. These groups who would once have been regarded as loony fringe organisations, are expanding fast and working their way into mainstream EU political debate. While their funding sources remain a well-protected secret, research by CEO has revealed that it is large corporations that foot the bill for the expansion of these radical rightwing think tanks.”[11] IPN has been described by right-wing blogger Paul Staines as a “change denying propaganda machine funded by industry interests” who peddle “policy recommendations and propaganda on behalf of its sponsors so transparently that almost everyone ignores it”.[12] In regards to statements that the IPN receive funding from large companies to dismiss the effects of climate change, such as ExxonMobil, Julian Morris replied in a letter written to the Times in 2005, that “IPN has a programme on environment and sustainable development issues to which the ExxonMobil Foundation has contributed over a number of years”.[13] Oxfam has criticised the IPN for producing “irresponsible” criticism towards International Aid, which in turn, can put millions of lives at risk. The article, published by Oxfam, states that, while they realise that vast quantities of Aid is misspent and ends up in the hands of corrupt officials, the Aid which is accounted for helps to dramatically improve the lives of those who receive it. [14] The IPN respond to this article by stating that “challenging a system that so evidently doesn’t work is not irresponsible- it is prudent and rational” [15]

Notes

  1. ↑ IPN, "Homepage", accessed 05.10.10
  2. ↑ George Monbiot, “How corporations have hijacked the climate change debate”, The Age, 27th September 2006, accessed 2.11.10
  3. ↑ IPN, "History", accessed 12.10.10
  4. ↑ Antony Giddens, “The Globalisation Debate” accessed 18.11.10.
  5. ↑ John Blundell, "No Antony Fisher, no IEA: ‘The Case for Freedom’ after 50 years"
  6. ↑ IPN, "History", accessed 12.10.10
  7. ↑ IPN, "Board Members", accessed 12.10.10
  8. ↑ IPN, "Staff", accessed 18.10.10
  9. ↑ Andy Rowell and Bob Burnton, “Rising Rhetoric on Genetically Modified Crops”, PR Watch, First Quarter 2003, accessed 16.11.10
  10. ↑ Beder.S, (2001) “Think Tanks and Free Market Environmentalism”, Environmental Politics, 10(2), Summer, 128-133.
  11. ↑ No author given, “Covert industry funding fuels the expansion of radical rightwing EU think tanks”, Corporate Europe Observatory, July 2005, accessed 17.11.10
  12. ↑ Paul Staines, “Who will win wonk whores journalism prize?”, Guido Fawkes’ Blog, 12th October 2006, accessed 9.11.10
  13. ↑ Julian Morris, “IPN responds to defamatory claims made in The Times”, IPN Main, 21st December 2005, accessed 9.11.10
  14. ↑ Jon Slater, “Oxfam: Aid not perfect but “irresponsible” criticism hurts millions”, Oxfam Website, 20th May 2010, accessed 9.11.10
  15. ↑ Timothy Cox, “IPN’s criticism of foreign aid spending is not “irresponsible””, IPN Blogs, 20th May 2010, accessed 9.11.10
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