波士頓台灣同鄉聯誼會慶聖誕 兩岸三地人士同歡

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僑務委員會「104年華僑事務研究碩博士論文獎」12/29 頒獎

僑務委員會「104年華僑事務研究碩博士論文獎」頒獎典禮

僑務委員會為鼓勵國內各大學院校碩、博士研究生對華僑事務之研究，自民國93年起開始辦理「僑務委員會華僑事務研究碩博士論文獎」，至今年累計已經獎勵了8篇博士論文、52篇碩士論文。今（104）年共有2位博士生、10位碩士生得獎，為肯定他們對於華僑事務研究的成果，將於12月29日（星期二）上午10時假僑委會16樓貴賓室舉行頒獎典禮，邀請各得獎人及其指導教授出席領獎，由陳委員長士魁親自頒獎。

本論文獎之獎助範圍含括民國三十九年以後之僑務政策、僑團（社）僑情研析、華僑文教、華僑經濟、僑生教育及發展、華僑福利及權益、僑民移居遷徙、中共僑務政策研究或其他與華僑事務相關之主題研究，同時為因應時勢發展，裨益僑務政策之參考與擘劃之需要，僑委會每年亦會公布建議之研究主題，並於評審時優先考量。

「僑務委員會華僑事務研究碩博士論文獎」申請期間為每年6月1日起至9月30日，有意申請者請參閱僑委會網站http://www.ocac.gov.tw（點選「僑務研究與典藏」分類下之「碩博士論文獎助」）準備相關資料，並於期限內向僑委會提出申請。

The 22nd International Conference of the International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies

The 22nd International Conference of the International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies
(IAICS)
Call for Submissions
Conference Theme: “Culture, Communication, and Cosmopolitanism” Conference Time: July1-3, 2016
Conference Venue: Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai Conference Goals:
 To provide scholars, educators and practitioners from different cultural communities with opportunities to interact, network and benefit from each other’s research and expertise related
 to intercultural communication issues;
 To synthesize research perspectives and foster interdisciplinary scholarly dialogues for
 developing integrated approaches to complex problems of communication across cultures;  To advance the methodology for intercultural communication research and disseminate
 practical findings to facilitate understanding across cultures;
 To foster global intercultural sensitivity and involve educators, business professionals, students and other stakeholders worldwide in the discourse about diversity and transcultural communication issues.
Topic areas are broadly defined as, but not limited to, the following:

Cosmopolitanism in culture Cosmopolitanism in literature Language and culture Language and identity Interculturality in literature Media and interculture
Multi cultures and interculturality Culture and travel writing Crosscultural encounters Comparative poetics

Intercultural communication and cosmopolitanism Time and space in culture / literature
Intercultural communication and nationality Comparative culture
Intercultural communication and interculturality Internet intercultural communication Intercultural communication competence Intercultural education
Interculture and human resource management Interculture and public policy

Comparative literature
Imagology
Literature and religion
Literature and film
Translation studies
Foreign Language Teaching as Intercultural Communication

Transnational enterprises and intercultural communication Cultural study theories
Culture and diplomacy
Language planning and policy

Intercultural pragmatics

Guidelines for Submissions
Categories: Abstract, panel proposals, and workshop proposals may be accepted.
 Abstract, 150-250 words in English, including positions, affiliations, email addresses and  mailing addresses for all authors.
 Panel proposals reflecting the conference theme may be submitted. All panel proposals should provide a 100-word rationale and a 100-200 word abstract of each panelist's paper; include
 affiliation and email addresses for each panelist.
 Workshop proposals relevant to the conference theme may be submitted. Proposals should be
3-5 pages in length, single spaced.
Deadline: Please submit abstracts, panel/workshop proposals, and roundtable discussion sessions by 10th March, 2016.
Submission to: ses@shisu.edu.cn; iaics2016@shisu.edu.cn Conference Working Languages: English and Chinese
Conference host: School of English Studies, Shanghai International Studies University Conference website: http://infadm.shisu.edu.cn/_s81/main.psp ;
http://www.uri.edu/iaics/
Sample Abstract
The Development and Validation of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale Guo-Ming Chen, Ph.D.
Department of Communication Studies University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI 02881, USA Email:gmchen@uri.edu
The present study developed and assessed reliability and validity of a new instrument, the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS). Based on a review of the literature, 44 items thought to be important for intercultural sensitivity were generated for the purpose of analyses in this study. A sample of 414 college students rated these items and generated a 24-item final version of the

instrument which contains five factors. An assessment of concurrent validity from 162 participants indicated that the ISS was significantly correlated with other related scales, including interaction attentiveness, impression rewarding, self-esteem, self-monitoring, and perspective taking. In addition, the predicted validity test from 174 participants showed that individuals with high ISS scores also scored high in intercultural effectiveness and intercultural communication attitude scales. Potential limitations and future direction for the study in this line of research were discussed as well. 

Hundreds of Toiletries Collected for Kids in Need

Hundreds of Toiletries Collected for Kids in Need

BOSTON, Dec. 23, 2015—Members of District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office donated more than 400 toiletry items on behalf of children and families in need during the holiday season.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office partnered with the Department of Children and Families’ Park Street office in Dorchester to provide families served by the agency with necessities such as soaps, tooth brushes, and other wellness and beauty products.  Suffolk DA staff members donated a total of 405 items that will be distributed to DCF clients.

“Every member of this office as well as the Department of Children and Families works toward the same goal – to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those we serve in order to help them move forward from trauma.  But it’s tough to make a fresh start when you’re in need of basic necessities to look and feel your best,” Conley said.  “With these donated toiletries, we hope to improve the wellbeing of children, teens, and families in need and to offer them a sense of comfort during their time of struggle.”

“The Department is deeply touched by the generosity of the District Attorney’s office. This donation ensures that our Park Street office has an ample supply of new personal care products to give to children when they come into care,” said Andrea Grossman, DCF’s director of public affairs.

The donation drive was overseen by administrative staff assigned to each of Conley’s Superior Court trial teams and the nine district and municipal courts across Suffolk County from Nov. 16 to Dec. 17.  The collected items will be distributed to families served by DCF’s Park Street office.

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $300,000 to Buy Local Organizations

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $300,000 to Buy Local Organizations

BOSTON – December 23, 2015 - The Baker-Polito Administration today announced $300,000 in grants to support the efforts of six Buy Local organizations for projects which seek to connect food producers to their surrounding communities in Western, Central, Northeastern and Southeastern Massachusetts.

“Buy Local organizations are committed to the idea that knowing where your food comes from makes both good health and economic sense,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Through these grants, this administration demonstrates its commitment to supporting a sustainable local food system while at the same time generating consumer awareness and demand for locally grown food products.”

“The Buy Local program ensures that Massachusetts residents have access to nutritious, locally grown products, and provides opportunities for continued economic and agricultural development throughout the Commonwealth,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “The grants awarded by the Baker-Polito Administration will provide farmers and food producers with the resources necessary to make nutritious, locally-sourced food options available statewide.”

The Commonwealth’s Buy Local organizations, originally formed to identify and address marketing challenges in specific geographical communities across the Commonwealth, have grown to be known as a sustainable business movement that includes innovative marketing and educational programs.

“This grant funding will allow our regional Buy Local partners to continue to work with DAR to promote and support local agricultural businesses while  also ensuring consumers will have access to nutritious Massachusetts grown products,” said Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner John Lebeaux.

The following six projects have been funded through this year’s grants:

Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP) -  $69,250 - SEMAP will enhance and strengthen the market position of local farmers and fishermen in Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Norfolk, and Plymouth counties through collaborative projects, including networking events for local food buyers and producers, and distribution of printed materials as well as efforts to expand the existing local food curriculum in Martha’s Vineyard schools.

Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) - $59,250 - CISA will increase cash receipts for food producers in Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties through design and distribution of printed and electronic educational and informational materials with a new marketing campaign called “local food for all.” CISA will collaborate with Buy Local organizations across Massachusetts.

Central Mass Grown (CMG) - $59,000 - CMG will showcase the agricultural assets of Central Massachusetts locally and state-wide to put more local food on consumers’ tables and increase farmers’ cash sales. Projects will engage Central Massachusetts farmers, restaurants, retailers, distributors, and community supporters via an outreach and promotion campaign.

Northeast Harvest - $51,000 - Northeast Harvest will promote agriculture, aquaculture, and farmers’ markets in Essex and Middlesex Counties. Projects will increase the recognition of Massachusetts agriculture and aquaculture via technical assistance, multi-media communication and industry events.

Sustainable Business Network (SBN) - $34,500 - SBN will produce the 7^th annual Boston Local Food Festival in September, 2016, which attracts over 40,000 attendees and engages a diverse local and sustainable group of food producers and food vendors from across the New England region.

Berkshire Grown - $27,000 - Berkshire Grown will provide business assistance to food producers in Berkshire County, and increase both the amount of land being farmed and the number of farmers on the land, through collaboration with Berkshire Agricultural Ventures. 

“The Buy Local program helps to sustain the region’s economy by encouraging Massachusetts residents to purchase locally-grown products from farms, farmers’ markets and other food producers that are based right here in the Commonwealth,” said House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading).  “This grant funding will go a long way towards educating the public about the importance of buying local and supporting the state’s agricultural businesses.”

“I applaud the administration's commitment to the Buy Local movement and know these funds will be used wisely and effectively in Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampshire Counties,” said State Representative Paul Mark (D-Peru). “Buy Local organizations like Berkshire Grown and CISA consistently support local farmers, producers, and consumers in a sustainable, locally focused manner and these grants will be very beneficial to helping along those worthwhile efforts.”

“The Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership, through the Buy Local grants, has been able to bolster the local economy while providing consumers with fresh, nutritious food grown right in their community,” said State Representative Chris Markey (D-Dartmouth). “A majority of the farms in Massachusetts are family-owned. They are mostly small businesses which continue to be an important economic engine in the Commonwealth. The Baker-Polito Administration has recognized this fact and has continued to support this important and historically significant industry.”

“Buying locally grown food benefits the Commonwealth in many different ways.  Massachusetts residents are able to enjoy fresh and local foods, while boosting the state’s farming industry and helping cut carbon emissions,” said State Senator Anne Gobi (D-Spencer). “The Buy Local program does a fantastic job of promoting buy local initiatives and I am proud to be a supporter.”

“We are so pleased to receive this vital grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources,” said Philip Korman, Executive Director of CISA. “These funds will enable CISA to encourage more of the 700,000 residents of our region to support local agriculture and support collaboration of all ‘Buy Local’ organizations in the state. The impact will be tremendous with more farmers able to make a living and more residents buying from their neighbor farmers, and the result will be stronger farms, local economies and communities.”

Buy Local groups across the Commonwealth offer members and consumers a variety of resources. From technical assistance information to marketing assistance; consumers, farmers, and food producers alike can find resources to help them grow, buy, cook, and eat wholesome locally grown products.

AG HEALEY SUES MAJOR DEBT COLLECTION LAW FIRM OVER WIDESPREAD CONSUMER ABUSES

AG HEALEY SUES MAJOR DEBT COLLECTION LAW FIRM OVER WIDESPREAD CONSUMER ABUSES

AG Alleges Law Firm Routinely Filed Lawsuits Against Consumers without Proof of Debt Owed; Threatened Consumers on Fixed Incomes

BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey has sued one of the largest debt collection law firms in Massachusetts and its two owners, alleging that the firm repeatedly sued consumers for debts they did not owe or debts that were inaccurate. The AG alleges the company violated the state’s consumer protection laws in its pursuit of debts and its use of judicial proceedings.

The complaint, filed on Monday in Suffolk Superior Court against Lustig, Glaser, & Wilson, P.C. (the Lustig Firm) and its principal owners Kenneth Wilson and Ronald Lustig, alleges that since 2011, the Lustig Firm filed more than 100,000 debt collection lawsuits in Massachusetts largely based on inaccurate information about unsubstantiated debts owned by national debt buyers. Many of these lawsuits were filed against consumers whose only source of income was social security or other types of income that were legally exempt from court-ordered payment.

As a result of this high-volume litigation, since 2011, the Lustig Firm has obtained judgments against Massachusetts residents in excess of $125 million and pursued consumers on these judgments. 

“We allege that this firm and its owners took advantage of thousands of Massachusetts consumers by demanding money they had no right to collect and on the basis of debts they could not prove,” said AG Healey. “The company used the judicial system to intimidate and harass people, and we are working hard to make sure that this kind of conduct ends and that the company and its owners are held accountable.”

To make their practice possible, the Lustig Firm allegedly relied on simple spreadsheets provided by national debt buyers, which allowed them to process up to thousands of consumer accounts for collection and litigation in a single day. The firm has continued to use these spreadsheets, even though the information provided is often unreliable or incomplete. 

The complaint alleges that the Lustig Firm violated consumer protection laws by:

·         Collecting exempt income: The Lustig Firm threatened consumers who had exempt income, such as social security, disability benefits, and other public assistance, telling them that failure to pay the debt could result in court-ordered payments or garnishment, despite the fact that those sources of income are protected. The firm pursued consumers, often impoverished and elderly, and served some of them with civil arrest warrants.

·         Collecting on inaccurate and unsubstantiated debts: The Lustig Firm frequently demanded payments on old debts without any meaningful proof that the consumer had incurred the debt or that the amount was accurate. Even after learning that their demands against consumers were premised on inaccuracies, the firm regularly continued to pursue consumers. 

·         Filing deceptive lawsuits against consumers: The Lustig Firm sued consumers without any meaningful attorney involvement in the lawsuits. In some cases, when consumers challenged the suits, the firm was unable to obtain proof of their claims and dismissed the case instead.

·         Using false and misleading court filings: The Lustig Firm regularly used sworn statements by debt buyers as proof in its collection lawsuits, despite knowing that these affidavits were often generated by the debt buyer without any meaningful documentation or actual knowledge of the debt.

·         Demanding payment of time-barred debts: The Lustig Firm sued consumers without proof that the alleged debt was within the statute of limitations for bringing a lawsuit.

·         Demanding payment on dismissed lawsuits: The Lustig Firm continued demanding payments on alleged debts even after cases were dismissed in court for lack of proof. In some instances, the firm resumed phone calls to consumers demanding payment within a week of the court’s dismissal. 

This action by the AG’s Office against the Lustig Firm and its owners seeks injunctive relief, restitution to consumers, and civil penalties for violations of the state’s consumer protection laws and debt collection regulations. Consumers with questions or concerns can call the Attorney General’s consumer hotline at 617-727-8400 or file a complaint with the office.

            This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Peter Downing and Jacqueline Rompre and Legal Analyst Sarah Petrie, all of Attorney General Healey’s Consumer Protection Division, Max Weinstein, Chief of the Consumer Protection Division, and Investigator Anthony Crespi. 

GOVERNOR BAKER SIGNS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN

GOVERNOR BAKER SIGNS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Economic Development Plan for the Commonwealth Will Create Opportunities for All

Boston –December 23, 2015 – Today Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito endorsed and signed the Commonwealth’s economic development plan, a strategic policy document that will guide the administration’s economic development strategy.

“This economic development plan is an important statement of our administration’s priorities and values,” said Governor Baker. “It creates a framework for connecting residents across the state to economic opportunity, and for unlocking new business growth by pressing Massachusetts’ competitive advantage on a number of fronts.”

“Our administration has prioritized community development across the Commonwealth,” said Lieutenant Governor Polito. “This economic development plan reflects our commitment to promoting vibrant communities, and spurring new growth, Cape Cod to the Berkshires.”

The Commonwealth’s economic development plan advances policies that extend new economic opportunities to all the state’s citizens, and its regions. The economic development plan sets a policy framework that will steer the work of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. Key priorities of the Commonwealth’s economic development plan include: supporting workforce development strategies that close the skills gap, and connect citizens to economic opportunity; promoting vibrant communities and regions; advancing the development of key industry clusters, and harnessing cluster development to drive job growth in the Commonwealth’s regions; and sharpening the Commonwealth’s competitive position through regulatory reform, and efforts to lower key business costs, such as energy costs.

Massachusetts law requires each new gubernatorial administration to publish an economic development strategy within a year of taking office. The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development will use the policy framework set by this plan to develop and shape specific initiatives that will respond to issues, themes, and priorities highlighted in this plan.

“Over the past year, I have met with residents, business owners and local officials, from communities from Williamstown to Provincetown,” said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash. “I am proud that their priorities and aspirations are reflected in this economic development plan, which will advance prosperity for citizens, growth for businesses, and vitality for communities.”

The Commonwealth’s economic development plan is the result of one year of robust public engagement. The Baker-Polito administration hosted fourteen public listening sessions across the state, and engaged in thousands of conversations with residents, business owners, municipal officials, state legislators, academic experts, and industry officials. The Governor’s Economic Development Planning Council unanimously endorsed the plan on December 9. A copy of the plan is available on the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development’s website.