Read the Weekly Roundup: January 20

By Justin D. Long, ed.

Perspective, Insight, Context, Analysis

Important Read:

China: Government-run China Daily publishes threatening reaction
… in response to P-elect Trump’s comments re ‘one China’
… it would be difficult to underestimate how serious, significant this statement is.

New events

Bangladesh: plan to allow some child marriages is a “step backwards.”

China: Renting a boyfriend for the Spring Festival (safe): $219/day.
… to soften/dispel parental dissatisfaction with the singleness of their daughters.
… and, what happens when all of China goes on vacation at once.

China: No longer welcome: American companies fear China’s turning its back on them.
… nationalism, political dynamic impacting the relationship

China: Revision of religious affairs regulations to be implemented in 2017.

China: vows to establish 16 world-class universities by 2030.

Gambia: succession struggle. Jammeh stays put, Barrow sworn in in Senegal.
… Gambian military divided on ethnic lines; uncertain how to respond.
… West African nations vow military intervention; Senegal troops cross into Gambia.
… Thousands flee: 26,000+.

India-Pakistan: Rising tensions in Kashmir: growing nuclear danger (Foreign Affairs)
… Air India to provide women-only seats on its domestic flights after reported sex attacks.

Iraq: ISIS territory shrunk by 26% in 2016 (also, BBC).  But end of ISIS isn’t end of unrest.

Nigeria: deeply regrets accidentally bombing the refugee camp.
… bombed Rann, where 10s of thousands of Boko Haram refugees are.
… 2 million have fled Boko Haram in recent years.
… and, land scarcity in Nigeria leads to: Slum razed for its waterfront, residents say.

Syria: out of water in Damascus: the government’s hold remains fragile.
… Guardian: Iran is repopulating Syria with Shias.

South Africa: Refugees risking lives to reach the bright lights of Johannesburg.

Somalia: US issues travel warning due to continued Al-Shabaab attacks.
… reports children may be large part of force recruited by Al-Shabaab.

Turkey: first votes on bills to create stronger presidential system of government.
… referendum expected by some sources by April, estimates it will pass easily.

USA: More than 18,000 Syrian refugees resettled in America, half under 15.

Yemen: government controls huge swathes, capital, makes advance along western coast.

… at least 10,000 killed in the conflict, estimates the UN.

New Data

Citigroup: half of all global companies could be disrupted in the next decade
… mission could be, too.

2016 warmest on record for 3rd year in a row
… many of the unreached are in the ‘hottest’ places; will affect ministry work.

Not so fast: are 8 people really as wealthy as half the population?
… Economist takes on the Oxfam headline-grabbing stat.

Longer reads

Video recordings of Finishing the Task presentations are now online.

GFM has created a whiteboard video of statistics on the Task Remaining.

Sinek, Simon. Start with Why.

Fulton, Brent. New wineskins for cross-cultural workers from China.

Doyle, Wright. The Church in China: 10 major articles.
… review of special issue of Intl Journal for the Study of the Christian Church.

CFR Panel. What to worry about in 2017. Various foreign policy experts weigh on a survey.

Keelan, Cook. Impact of gentrification on US cities, ministry.

Lifehacking, Tactics, Skills, Rules

The logbook system: how to capture wisdom and accelerate your life.

The most popular apps for secure messages: Telegram, Signal, Wickr, WhatsApp, others.

The only five folders your inbox will ever need.
… If you must use your inbox as a to-do list, there’s some brilliance in this.

Pioneer Mission Startups, Strategy

Intelligent failure (video)

Cognitive Bias cheat sheet: thinking is hard because of 4 universal conundrums

HBR: Execution is a people problem, not a strategy problem.

UPG Profiles, Travelogues, Stories

China: The Great Wall, filmed by drone. (BBC)
… and, Driving a high-speed train through the ‘airpocalypse.’

India: Dabbawalas: The unsurpassed 125-year-old network that feeds Mumbai.

Note Create International’s UPG videos, available for free.

Futuristics/Technology

#Censoring: FB censors posts in Thailand that the govt deems unsuitable.

#Surveillance: relaxing of rules for NSA on globally intercepted personal comms.

#Logistics: high-speed cargo trains: 2 days from China to Europe by rail.

#Security: Reported backdoor in WhatsApp debunked: its actually a feature.

Google Brain Team, looking back on 2016

McKinsey Automation Report

#AI: How a machine learns prejudice

#Robots: will take jobs, but not as fast as some feared.
… but many of the jobs done in the developing world can be automated. (faster?)

#AutoDrive: Tesla’s crash rate reduced by 40% after introduction of Autopilot (NHTSA)

#Power: sending green power over continents via direct current to those who need it

#Computing: global PC shipments keep declining.

Quotable

“Love is infinitely more than tolerance. Tolerance requires no visible community to express it, but love does.” ~Leslie Newbigin

“Exclusively private Christianity is fake Christianity.” ~@MarkDever

“With fundamental tech change we don’t so much get predictions wrong as make predictions about the wrong things.” ~Benedict Evans

“Age gets you in the end, but what gets you in the medium term are bad habits whose consequences you blame on age.” ~Paul Graham

Justin Long, a missionary researcher serving with Beyond (a Missio Nexus member) provides the Weekly Roundup. Sign up to get it every week or visit his daily blog: justinlong.org. Member organizations can provide content to the Missio Nexus website. See how by clicking here.

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