The Rafto Foundation Annual Report 2015

BRN: 877155102 : Contents

1: The year in review – Increased support for the bravest in society 2 2: The 2015 Rafto Prize: Padre Melo 3 3: Follow-up work 5 3.1 Freedom of expression and hate speech 5 3.2 The business community and human rights 6 3.3 Assistance to Prize Laureates 6 3.4 The Women’s Network 8 4: Education and public liaison 9 5: Communications 11 6: 12 1: Increased support for the bravest in society

This year’s Prize Laureate, Jesuit priest Padre Melo, does not believe he will die a natural death. Padre Melo runs the free radio station Radio Progreso in Honduras, one of the world’s most violent countries. On 1 November he was awarded the Rafto Prize at Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage) in .

The year 2015 has seen a significant increase in the Rafto Foundation’s follow-up work. The Women’s Network has established a grassroots network of human rights activists from ten countries in the Middle East and North Africa. These 18 women will meet regularly to boost their skills and leadership qualities and to discuss strategy for work on women’s rights.

The Rafto Foundation will focus more on social responsibility for human rights. The objective is to equip economics students, activists and the business community with increased expertise and a deeper understanding of the principles and dilemmas that need to be addressed in connection with production, value chains, contract negotiation and the purchase and sale of goods and services. Thorolf Rafto, who was a professor at NHH (the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, as it was at the time), was keen to urge the business community to actively embrace its corporate social responsibility. In 2015 we established a new partnership with NHH involving an annual lecture under the title the Thorolf Rafto Challenge. Furthermore, we have started work on increasing the focus on ethics and human rights in economics education, both in upper secondary schools and in higher education.

Homophobia and repeated attempts to make homosexuality a crime are an increasing problem in many countries in the world, including Uganda. Rafto Prize Laureate Frank Mugisha said in 2013 that we need new voices in the global battle against homophobia; he suggested footballers. This inspired the Rafto Foundation to seize the initiative in 2015 and launch its first social media campaign, under the name #tacklehomophobia. Over 30 clubs have now signed up, and over 300 photos have been posted on Instagram. The campaign is not over, and we will continue to work in 2016 to reach out to the big names in the German Bundesliga.

Regrettably, not all Rafto Prize Laureates live in freedom. Thich Quang Do, from Vietnam, has been under house arrest for 30 years. At the age of 87, securing his release is now a matter of urgency. In a letter to the US president, Barack Obama, we asked that he raise Thich Quang Do’s situation with the Vietnamese authorities when he met them in October 2015. The letter was signed by 90 organisations and high-profile human rights experts.

Jostein Hole Kobbeltvedt Executive Director, Rafto Foundation

2 “The 2015 Rafto Prize is awarded to the Honduran priest, radio activist and human rights campaigner Ismael Moreno Coto, better known as Padre Melo. This prize is a recognition of his use of the media to defend freedom of expression and fundamental rights in a Honduras marked by extreme violence. (…) The Rafto Foundation wishes to highlight Padre Melo’s work as an example of how non-violent campaigning for freedom of expression and fundamental human rights can sow the seeds of hope for a better future in one of the world’s most violent countries.” –Excerpt from the 2015 prize citation

2: The 2015 Rafto Prize

Padre Melo received the Rafto Prize at Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage) on 1 November 2015. Photo: Lind&Lunde/Rafto Foundation

3 In August, the Board of Directors decided to award the and Honduran activists gave the public a wide-ranging 2015 Rafto Prize to Padre Melo from Honduras, after a analysis of the human rights situation in Honduras. On nomination from the Rafto Foundation’s Prize Committee. Sunday 1 November, a closed workshop was held with the The committee considered nominations and candidates Prize Laureate and activists from Honduras, together with from January until the decision was made, under the representatives from relevant organisations. The objective leadership of Martin Paulsen. One innovation this year was to identify projects that could promote Padre Melo’s was that the student group was invited to attend the Prize work – something which became highly relevant after the Committee’s first meeting, in order to learn more about news of cuts in the Norwegian aid budget. the committee’s work and with a view to potentially assisting with research. The committee held ten meetings On Sunday 1 November, the Rafto Prize ceremony was during the year, working on a voluntary basis, assisted by held at Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage), where a secretary from the Foundation’s administrative staff. one of the artistic contributions was Frode Grytten’s reading of a new poem dedicated to the Prize Laureate The Rafto Prize project is a cornerstone and Radio Progreso. Some 350–400 people of the Rafto Foundation’s work. This year were present for the prize-giving, which the project management team consisted 190 was followed by a torchlight procession of a project coordinator and an acting attendees at the 2015 Rafto and an appeal by student leaders. The general manager, who together with the Conference prize-giving ceremony was streamed by information department coordinate the NRK and was covered by the NRK news public announcement and the Rafto Prize programme , the Norwegian Week. The follow-up department is also involved in the News Agency, the newspaper Dagbladet, NRK Hordaland project. In addition, a project assistant was also employed regional TV, Bergens Tidende, Bergensavisen and student on a part-time (40 per cent) basis during the autumn. media in Bergen. Events organising company Kulturoperatørene is an important partner when it comes to staging the events Prize Laureate’s visit to Oslo associated with the prize-giving in November. This year’s On 2 and 3 November, Padre Melo was in Oslo for student group had 14 members, including a chairman and meetings with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a deputy chairman. President of the Storting Olemic Thommessen, and the Storting’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Announcement of the 2015 Rafto Prize Defence, as well as Norwegian People’s Aid and the The announcement was made on 24 September at the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities. Rafto House in Bergen. The newspaper Bergens Tidende Padre Melo took part in an open public event organised broadcast live on its website from the press conference, by the Rafto Foundation’s Oslo group at the House of with commentators and interviews both before and Literature, with about 80 present. He was also a guest after the announcement itself. NRK Hordaland streamed at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights and the the announcement, and there was also coverage in University of Oslo’s event “To damer og en té” (“Two the national newspaper VG, on national NRK radio and Ladies for Tea”), an academic talkshow with Inga Bostad TV, the TV2 News channel and the biggest regional and Anine Kierulf. The event was filmed by the University newspapers via the Norwegian News Agency. News about and streamed online by Morgenbladet. The University’s the prize also spread to news media in Latin America and recording was broadcast on NRK Kunnskapskanalen in Honduras, such as La Tribuna, La Prensa and Rapporte 2016. Padre Melo was also interviewed by NRK for the 24, and it also received good coverage in social media. magazine programme in its Marienlyst studio, for an Following the announcement, a breakfast meeting was edition on Honduras and Latin America that was shown held in partnership with the Bergen Student Society, on NRK2 the same evening. where Prize Committee chairman and professor Frank Aarebrot discussed this year’s prize in front of the 80 Other events during the visit to : attendees. • Portrait photography by Hans Jørgen Brun • Visit to the half-yearly meeting of the board of Prize Laureate’s visit to Bergen representatives of the Hordaland/Sogn og Fjordane Padre Melo arrived in Bergen on Wednesday 28 October branch of the Electrician and IT Workers Union in along with his colleagues Jennifer Avila and Margot Bergen, as well as the union’s national conference for Navarro from Radio Progreso/ERIC. Two half-days were the energy sector in Oslo allocated for media interviews, and Melo was interviewed • Students’ welcome dinner for the Prize Laureate, next by the newspapers Bergens Tidende, Bergensavisen, door to the Rafto House Dagen and Studvest, along with the national broadcaster, • Bergen City Council banquet at the Galleri Nygaten NRK, Student Radio in Bergen and Bergen Student TV. • Lunch reception at the NHH (Norwegian School of The 2015 Rafto Conference, “Fighting Violence with Words Economics), with a wreath-laying ceremony at Thorolf – Reports on Honduras’ Human Rights Crisis”, brought Rafto’s memorial together some 190 attendees at the Radisson Blu Hotel • Reception at the Rafto House after the prize Norge on Saturday 31 October. Norwegian academics ceremony

4 3: Follow-up work

3.1 Freedom of expression and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media; Miklós Haraszti, Professor at the Columbia Law School in New hate speech York and the former OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media; Andrei Richter, Special Adviser at the Office In spring 2015, the Rafto Foundation started the seminar of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media; series “Free Speech to Overcome Hate Speech”, a Juan Barata, Principal Adviser to the OSCE Representative collaboration with Rafto Prize Laureates Péter Molnár on Freedom of the Media; and Bernard Rorke from the (1989), Ian Hancock (1997) and Frank Mugisha (2011). The European Roma Rights Centre. purpose of these seminars is to highlight problematic restrictions on freedom of expression in various countries, The meetings will be followed up in 2016 with a deeper and how vulnerable groups’ ability to be heard in society investigation into the situation of the Roma people is limited by hate speech. Two events were held. and how freedom of expression is being addressed in the Visegrád countries (i.e. Poland, Slovakia, the Czech In February, we arranged a public discussion meeting Republic and Hungary). The work will also include with an audience of about 100 at the Free Word Centre the production of manuals on selected topics where in London in collaboration with Index on Censorship, the hate speech by the authorities or private individuals is Centre for Strategic Dialogue and Vivarta. The discussion particularly harmful. centred around whether restrictions on freedom of expression should be based on the content of those #tacklehomophobia expressions or on their effect in the context in which In May, the Rafto Foundation launched its they are expressed. The initial speakers were Rafto Prize #tacklehomophobia campaign in Norway, taking as its Laureate Péter Molnár; Rashad Ali, a director of the starting point the work of Frank Mugisha and SMUG counter-extremism centre CENTRI; and Timothy Garton to combat discrimination against sexual minorities Ash, Professor of European Studies at Oxford University. in Uganda. The campaign, which was supported right from the start by the Bergen-based Premier League In November, we held a similar meeting in front of an football club SK Brann, quickly attracted much attention audience of about 50 at the Central European University in the national media, and many footballers in the in Budapest. The discussion concerned the freedom- Norwegian national team, well-known former players, of-expression situation in post-authoritarian and partly supporters and sports journalists gave their support authoritarian regimes in Europe, from Spain after by publishing photos of themselves with placards (see Franco, via the situation in Russia, in former Warsaw the photo collage above). The campaign also garnered Pact countries, and in the former Yugoslavia, to the some international recognition, both in the media situation in Hungary today. The opening speakers were and from players from German, English, Swedish, Rafto Prize Laureate Péter Molnár; Dunja Mijatovic, the Danish and Irish clubs. #tacklehomophobia trended on

5 Twitter on a number of occasions and was the subject This year’s topic was slavery in the value chain. Professor of some 40 news articles, including in the UK-based Kevin Bales, a world-leading expert on slavery, discussed Daily Telegraph. Over 300 photos were posted during the incidence of slavery in global value chains and the campaign period in the spring. The aim is to pointed out that international companies who are not relaunch the campaign in spring 2016 with a focus on alert to slavery are highly likely to be affected by the international clubs. problem. Bjart Th. Pedersen, CSR Manager at Unil/

Thorolf Rafto Challenge 2015

3.2 The business community and Norgesgruppen, was invited to share his experiences, and presented nine examples from countries around the world human rights where the group has uncovered slavery-like working conditions in its value chains. Some 400 students were The business community’s responsibility in connection present in NHH’s auditorium. with human rights is of great strategic significance to the Rafto Foundation, and in 2015 a plan was developed for initiatives in this area. Prioritised tasks within this 3.3 Strategic and situational plan include increasing expertise and understanding assistance to Rafto Prize among economics students, business leaders and human rights campaigners around the world. In autumn 2015, Laureates the basis was laid for long-term collaboration with a number of organisations, including the Norwegian School Rafto Prize Laureate Malahat Nasibova (2009) and her of Economics’ Centre for Ethics and Economics, the husband and colleague Ilgar Nasibov, from Azerbaijan, Department of Comparative Politics at the University of received assistance for a convalescence stay in Norway Bergen, and the Institute for Human Rights and Business from the Rafto Foundation in winter 2015. Nasibov had in London. Seminars, course modules and syllabus been brutally attacked in autumn 2014, and the family literature will be developed and tailored to selected target was subject to judicial and extrajudicial harassment and groups. threats.

Thorolf Rafto Challenge In the first half of 2015, the Rafto Foundation assisted The Thorolf Rafto Challenge was held in September, the 2013 Rafto Prize Laureate the Bahrain Center for Human first annual lecture at the NHH, in memory of Professor Rights (BCHR), represented by Maryam al-Khawaja, in Rafto and his commitment to social responsibility and lobbying the UN Human Rights Council to secure support economic freedom. Each year, a company will be invited for condemnation of Bahrain’s lack of respect for the to describe the serious human rights challenges they have rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly faced in their business and how they have attempted to and association. The campaign demanded the release resolve difficult dilemmas. The objective is to contribute or fair trial of all political detainees in Bahrain, paying to increased awareness of and interest in relevant human particular attention to the key representatives of the non- rights questions among NHH students. violent opposition, known as the “Bahrain 13”, as well as the elderly, the sick, and minors.

6 We wrote letters and appeals to a number of states, Bulambo and his network of protestant Pentecostal with support from Amnesty International, Index on Churches in eastern Congo have a unique position as Censorship, the Norwegian Forum for Development and intermediaries between the opposing parties, thanks to Environment (ForUM), the Norwegian Forum for Women the trust they have built up between the local church and Development (FOKUS), Americans for Human Rights congregations. and Democracy in Bahrain (AHRDB) and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD). We visited the The Foundation worked in 2015 to develop a capacity- foreign affairs ministries of Norway, Sweden and building course for activists in countries in which Rafto to gather support for a statement written by Switzerland. is active, with assistance from experts at the University Bahrain reacted strongly to the statement, which we of Bergen. The course will include an introduction to consider to be an indication that the campaign had an democracy and a method for carrying out human rights effect. observation.

Capacity building for activists The Foundation arranged two human rights breakfast The Rafto Foundation supported the BCHR’s work to meetings at the Rafto House with Prize Laureates Frank identify companies in Europe that supply Bahrain with Mugisha and Maryam al-Khawaja, as well as a breakfast resources that are used for violent oppression and to meeting in partnership with Amnesty International’s whitewash the regime in Western media. We also helped Western Norway branch at the Student Centre in Bergen. to bring BCHR activists together to a capacity-building The breakfast events will continue in 2016. seminar. The activists generally have little choice but to work in secret, or are based in various countries that give them some protection.

Preventive work in DR Congo The Foundation supported 2008 Rafto Prize Laureate Bulambo Lembelembe Josué from DR Congo in his work to persuade armed and unarmed members of the Rwandan FDLR militia group to return to their country of origin. This is an important step in reducing the conflict between the militia and the Congolese authorities.

Human rights breakfast meeting at the Rafto House, with Maryam al-Khawaja in conversation with Iver Ørstavik, Senior Adviser at the Rafto Foundation.

6 7 Training course participants and think tank members from the Women’s Network, at the Fana Folk High School in June 2015.

3.4 The Women’s Network At the continuation of the workshop in Bergen, a panel debate was arranged with members of the Women’s The Rafto Foundation Women’s Network is governed by Network at the House of Literature in Oslo, under the the same strategic goals as the HRDP (Human Rights auspices of the Foundation and our Oslo group. Members and Democracy Programme). In 2015, the Women’s of the public were able to hear , Malahat Network held a workshop in Bergen from 1 to 7 June. Nasibova, Maryam al-Khawaja and Amal Basha discuss The workshop was in two parts: a training course for women’s rights in the MENA region and South-East Asia. female grassroots human rights defenders from the The event attracted an audience of 200 and trended on Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and a think tank Twitter. for initiative takers and invited experts. Training course for grassroots activists Formal organisation of the think tank The training course for female grassroots activists was The think tank was held from 5 to 7 June, as a platform held from 1 to 5 June, with a focus on empowerment for free and open discussion between participants through training in public speaking, training in human from different regions. Strategies and experiences of rights, women’s rights and digital security. Major how women’s rights can be promoted and how equal emphasis was placed on forming groups, as course rights can be achieved in MENA and South-East Asia participants will meet again and stay in touch with were shared. The result of the think tank was formal each other. These training courses enable the Women’s organisation into a General Assembly (GA) and an Network to reach the grassroots and establish a stable, Advisory Committee (AC). The GA includes all those lasting network. who were present in the think tank, plus initiative taker Rebiya Kadeer. The AC consists of four representative Report series members, elected for one year at a time by the GA, The survey of women’s situation in the MENA along with a fifth member from the secretariat. The region is underway, and the Chr. Michelsen Institute fifth member will be elected by the Rafto Foundation, is responsible for the reports. The Sudan report was and is currently Project Manager Ingrid B. Rosland. The published in November 2015. The Women’s Network, GA and AC will provide advice to the Women’s Network through its Project Manager, has also participated and assist with advocacy. Contributors to the think tank in a number of meetings relating to the planning included Malahat Nasibova, Maryam al-Khawaja, Shirin of workshops. In July the Network was in Beirut in Ebadi, Amal Basha, Caroline Ayoub, Elsa Saade, Farida connection with the planning of the 2016 workshop and Nekzad, Fawziah Alhani and Mozn Hassan. Rebiya Kadeer a project-based collaboration with a local partner, the was regrettably unable to attend. Shirin Ebadi, Amal Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR). Basha, Farida Nekzad and Caroline Ayoub were elected to represent the GA in the AC.

8 Students from Laksevåg Upper Secondary School took part in the Fremtidspiloten (Future Pilot) school project. 4: Education and public liaison

The primary target group for the Rafto Foundation’s Fremtidspiloten (the Future Pilot) – a school project educational offering is secondary and upper secondary about climate change, human rights and social school pupils, teachers and student teachers. In 2015 we innovation welcomed school classes from the following municipalities in Hordaland county: Askøy, Bergen, Bømlo, Kvam, Meland, The Fremtidspiloten project is aimed at young people Stord and Sund. In addition, we have also presented in upper secondary school, and has three main topics: educational material to pupils in Førde and Drammen, human rights, understanding climate change and social teachers in Oslo and confirmation candidates in Stavanger. entrepreneurship. The educational modules aim to link complex, global challenges with knowledge about the We have also held a number of sessions for groups of individual’s opportunities to influence change in society refugees and for students at the UWC Atlantic College and their own future. The Rafto Foundation has had two in Wales, an open event in London and a workshop for partners in this project, Bærekraftige Liv (Sustainable women from nine Muslim countries. We can look back on Life) and Impact Hub. increased educational activity in 2015 (see chart), more events aimed at the general public and the start of the In 2015, Fremtidspiloten was run as a pilot project for internationalisation of the educational material we have a total of 108 pupils, including the “Green Innovation” developed. study course at Nordahl Greig Upper Secondary School and all first-year students at Laksevåg Upper Secondary School, both in the Bergen area. The project is based on the Design Thinking method, and follows a defined path involving first working with understanding and empathy, then defining the challenge, imagining solutions and prioritising. Finally, the students create a prototype of the solution they have devised. The project is much more extensive than other educational packages we offer.

The research group at the University of Bergen has followed the project and has carried out surveys among the students, both before and after their participation in the project. The results will be ready in February 2016.

9 Education in democracy Films about the Roma people In 2014, the Rafto Foundation developed an educational ROM for mennesket (“Space for people”, where the word tool called Demokratikaken – the Democracy Cake. Rom can also be interpreted as the Norwegian word for Through our work with human rights campaigners and Roma) is a film containing three short portraits of Roma our Prize Laureates, we have been asked to translate our people in Bergen. Two of these were beggars, one of tool into various languages. The work started in 2015 with whom was subsequently offered work, at least partly on an Arabic version. Participants in the Women’s Network the back of coverage of the films in Bergens Tidende. workshop received training in using the Democracy Cake. We know that it is now being used in Lebanon The goal of the films was to see the individuals, as well as and Western Sahara. The Oslo group, in partnership with to break down prejudices and increase understanding of the education department, has worked on getting the their situation. The films are used in our package 5, iBoks, Democracy Cake introduced into Norwegian classes and about prejudices and stereotypes, but are also available other relevant forums in Oslo. on the Bergens Tidende website and YouTube. They have been a collaborative project between Bergen City Council, New educational resources the Romanian-based Ruhama Foundation and the Rafto During 2015, the Rafto Foundation developed several new Foundation, and were supported by EU funds. educational resources. We produced a new educational package on climate change, human rights, consumption Confirmation candidate education and social responsibility. This package, which was In 2015, the Rafto Foundation was involved in income- launched in autumn 2015, has been particularly designed generating educational activities in the form of for classes in economics at upper secondary schools. A confirmation candidate education through the Norwegian total of 186 students from eight classes benefited from Humanist Association. We also spent a weekend the package during the autumn. in Stavanger engaged in role play for confirmation candidates. A total of 447 confirmation candidates have attended our educational sessions.

In Arabic Demokratikaken (“The Democracy Cake”) was translated into Arabic in 2015 and is now being used in education in Lebanon and Western Sahara

10 Padre Melo was interviewed by the NRK programme Urix in Oslo. 5: Communications

Our main channels for spreading information are receives enquiries about our educational work. Other our website, www.rafto.no, social media, video and projects where we have actively worked with the printed material. The Foundation’s most important media in 2015 include the Women’s Network’s panel topic for communications is the Rafto Prize. A new debate in Oslo, the Thorolf Rafto Challenge and the communications strategy was adopted by the Board in #tacklehomophobia campaign. autumn 2015 following an internal round of suggestions led by the communications department. Social media Social media form an important information and New web pages marketing channel for the Rafto Foundation, and are In autumn 2015, the Rafto Foundation changed the used actively throughout the year in the form of tweets provider of its website, from Colours by Knowit to from events, official statements, sharing online items, Netlife Research. The process of implementing the new campaigns, relevant matters relating to Prize Laureates, website ran from August until the first part-launch on and “behind-the-scenes” glimpses. Our presence has 24 September, the date of the prize announcement. The increased in the form of regular updates, increased objective was to produce a website more suited to new activity relating to the Rafto Prize and more events from digital formats and where the content is more defined, which the Foundation tweets live. Examples include the easier to share and easier to read on various devices. Thorolf Rafto Challenge, the Women’s Network’s panel The new website was launched in November. Work on debate in Oslo and the human rights breakfast meetings. the education portal is ongoing, and will be completed At the end of 2015, the Foundation had about 3,000 in spring 2016. In total, the Foundation published 18 followers on Facebook, 1,200 followers on Twitter and articles this year, fewer than the previous year due to the 300 followers on Instagram. phasing out of the old website and the introduction of the new. Published online articles primarily relate to follow- Other information work up work and education, as well as marketing of events In 2015, the foundation produced a five-minute film about arranged by the Rafto Foundation. Prize Laureate Padre Melo. André Marton Pedersen was brought in to direct, and the film was edited by Pandora Press work Film AS. We also produced our own videos, which have The Rafto Prize is the Foundation’s most important been published on our YouTube channel. communications topic. The Prize is covered by local, regional and national media in Norway, and also received The Foundation worked with designer Øystein Vidnes on some attention in Honduras (for details, please see the the production of printed material relating to the Rafto Rafto Prize section). We are actively involved in press Prize, as well as educational material. work throughout the year, and the Rafto Foundation regularly receives requests for statements on matters relating to our Prize Laureates. The Foundation also

11 OPERATIONS

In the opinion of the Board, the income statement and balance sheet for the 2015 accounting year present a true and fair view of the Foundation’s position and the result of its operations. The foundation fulfils the requirements to continue as a going concern. No matters have arisen since the balance sheet date that are of material significance to the 2015 financial statements. In the opinion of the Board, the Foundation’s equity is satisfactory.

Operating revenues in 2015 were NOK 14,280,503, compared with NOK 10,217,930 in 2014. Total operating expenses came in at NOK 12,588,455, compared with NOK 10,043,401 in 2014.

The Foundation’s financial statements show an operating profit of NOK 1,692,048. By comparison, in 2014 the Foundation posted an operating profit of NOK 174,529.

Net financial items were NOK 72,877, compared with NOK 98,670 in 2014.

Therefore, in 2015 the Foundation posted a net profit for the year of NOK 1,764,925. By way of comparison, 2014’s net profit for the year was NOK 273,199. Total liabilities as of 31 December 2015 amounted to NOK 5,728,878, compared with NOK 6,086,179 in 2014. Total assets amounted to NOK 10,210,649, compared with NOK 8,803,026 in 2014.

The Foundation’s basic capital is NOK 300,000. The Foundation’s total equity as of 31 December 2015 amounted to NOK 4,481,771, compared with NOK 2,716,847 in 2014.

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