IDP and Refugee Return to Northern Iraq: Sustainable Returns or Demographic Bombs?

Regime change in Iraq has opened the door to the return of hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), the majority of whom were expelled from Kirkuk and other areas in northern Iraq. The Iraqi case presents three broad, readily identifiable categories of displaced persons: refugees in Iraq's neighbouring states, internally displaced persons, and refugees and migrants in third countries further afield. The first two categories include the largest numbers of displaced people as well as the majority of those with a great desire or pressing need to return to their homelands in Iraq. Although some of those displaced have succeeded in making a good life for themselves in their new new homes, those who did not manage well after their displacement generally long to return to their original towns and homes. However, the following general problems, in order of gravity, impede the success and sustainability of returns to northern Iraq: (i) sectarian competition over political structures and power distributions in post-Saddam Iraq; (ii) increasing lack of security in Iraq; (iii) insufficient preparations and slow policy implementation by the former CPA and Coalition Forces; (iv) insufficient financial resources to deal with the full magnitude of the displacement problem in Iraq; and (v) high expectations of returnees vis-a-vis continuing lack of opportunities and the slow rate of positive developments in the social, economic and political situation in Iraq. However, the emerging political contests over the future of the new Iraq greatly complicate effective and comprehensive return programs; the ultimate test of success and sustainability of return to Iraq will depend on the future of post-Saddam Iraq itself.Le changement de régime en Irak a ouvert la porte au retour de centaines de milliers de réfugiés et de personnes déplacées à l'intérieur de leur propre pays (PDIP), dont la majorité avaient été expulsés de Kirkuk et d'autres régions dans le nord de l’Irak. Le cas irakien présente trois grandes catégories de personnes déplacées facilement identifiables : les réfugiés vivant dans les états voisins de l'Irak, les personnes déplacées à l’intérieur, et les réfugiés et migrants se trouvant dans des pays tiers plus éloignés. Les deux premières catégories englobent le plus grand nombre de personnes déplacées, aussi bien que la majorité de ceux ayant un grand désir ou un besoin impérieux de retourner dans leurs territoires d’origine en Irak. Bien que certains des déplacés aient réussi à refaire leur vie de façon satisfaisante dans leurs nouveaux terres d’accueil, ceux qui ne se sont pas bien tirés d’affaire après leur déplacement éprouvent généralement le désir de retourner dans leurs villes et leurs foyers d’origines. Cependant, les problèmes généraux suivants, pris en ordre d’importance, entravent la réussite et la viabilité à long terme d’un retour vers le nord de l'Irak : (i) les rivalités sectaires pour le contrôle des structures politiques et la répartition du pouvoir dans l’Irak post-Saddam ; (ii) le manque croissant de sécurité en Irak ; (iii) les préparatifs insuffisants et la lenteur dans l’implémentation des politiques par l’ex APC (Autorité Provisoire de la Coalition) et les Forces de la coalition ; (iv) des ressources financières insuffisantes pour traiter le problème de déplacement en Irak dans toute son ampleur; et (v) les attentes élevées des réfugiés par rapport au manque incessant d'opportunités et à la lenteur de développements positifs quant à la situation sociale, économique et politique en Irak. Cependant, les rivalités politiques émergeantes pour décider de l’avenir du nouvel Irak compliquent énormément les programmes de retour efficaces et globaux ; le test ultime de la réussite et de la viabilité à long terme du retour en Irak dépendra en fin de compte du sort même de l’Irak post-Saddam

An Investigation into the printing and wear characteristics of laser exposed plates

This study investigated the printing and wear characteristics of a popular laser exposed plate, the DuPont Howson Silverlith plate, by imaging one half of the plate in an imagesetter and the other half in a contact frame with a halftone film. The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether the method of imaging had an effect on plate durability when run on a press. The comparison between the digital and the film halftones was done at 150 Ipi. The dot areas on the plate were measured twice; once before and once after a press run of 100,000 impressions. Measurements of the initial sizes of the dots on the plate and the final sizes of the dots on the plate proved that the laser dots did wear faster than the contact exposed dots. The comparison between the measurements of the initial sizes of the printed dots and the final sizes of the printed dots did not demonstrate that either method of plate-making produced a more durable image

An Investigation into printing industry demographics—2009

What is the printing industry? The goal of this study is to discuss definitions for the U.S. printing industry and the “print universe.” The print universe is our term for an expanded view of establishments that produce some kind of reproduction as a service. There are about a dozen major sources of information about the printing industry with the primary source as the Federal Government. Printing is one of the most documented industries in the United States; yet, each of the sources arrives at a different view for the size and scope of the industry. This report investigates the challenges in developing a meaningful set of criteria for defining and quantifying the printing industry. Using a list compiled from Yellow Pages listings, we developed a database of 7,071 firms from the six New England states and New York State, and surveyed over 1,000 firms. The result is a snapshot of what the printing industry and the print universe are and how its demographics might be structured