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< Back to Newsroom Re: The Dangerous Consequences of House Bill 454 November 16, 2022 THE DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES OF HOUSE BILL 454 Testimony by Campaign for Our Shared Future November 16, 2022 Chair Manchester, Vice-Chair Cutrona, Ranking Member Denson, and members of the House Families, Aging, and Human Services Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on behalf of the Campaign for Our Shared Future (COSF). COSF is committed to stopping dangerous policies that threaten children’s freedom to learn, which is why we strongly urge you to oppose H.B. 454. We believe this dangerous proposal would not only restrict transgender young people’s access to compassionate and fact-based health care but also further deprive them of educational access. Transgender kids deserve an opportunity to succeed like every other student, yet schools are not often safe learning environments for them. A Trevor Project survey from 2021 found that 52% of transgender middle or high schools reported being bullied either in person or electronically in the previous year. An earlier survey conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality focusing on young Ohioans found that 80% of those who were out or perceived as transgender experienced some form of mistreatment, with 57% experiencing verbal harassment, 27% experiencing physical attacks, and 15% experiencing sexual assaults at some point between kindergarten and twelfth grade. The same survey found that 20% of these young people who faced severe mistreatment were forced to leave school. Think about the impact of a child forced to leave school due to mistreatment because of who they are. That is devastating for a student individually, as well as for their future as an Ohioan. If they recover from this mistreatment, will they stay in Ohio? Or will they leave the state and take their talents elsewhere? In addition, H.B. 454 does nothing to address the real problems that make Ohio schools unsafe for a share of children. Instead, this proposal—which requires the outing of young people’s identities to parents on top of taking away their access to gender-affirming care—stands to exacerbate discrimination and bullying. In fact, a study by researchers at Cornell University found that the mere consideration of discriminatory policies creates an unwelcoming climate for LGBTQ+ people by normalizing differential treatment and furthering poor mental health, internalized stigma, and expectations for adverse treatment. And that’s not all. H.B. 454 requires that schools violate a student’s privacy rights by outing their gender identity, which could put them at higher risk of rejection, violence from parents, depression, suicide, and homelessness. In fact, seven in 10 trans and nonbinary youth do not feel safe being themselves at home and around family members, according to a study by the Human Rights Campaign. And 85% of transgender adolescents reported seriously considering suicide in a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Given how high the stakes are, why should the state play a role in determining when a young person comes out to their family? Another consequence of requiring trusted nurses, counselors, teachers, principals, and school staff to report on a student’s gender identity, is that transgender students will be less inclined to report harassment and mental health needs to these educators and staff. Making matters worse, the bill’s provision on staff reporting is exceedingly vague and does not expressly require that educators, counselors, and nurses report only on a student’s own, first-hand accounts of their gender identity. Faced with confusion around reporting, school staff may rely on overbroad stereotypes about transgender youth and determine who to report by scrutinizing a young person’s clothing, body, or behavior. This would put any student who does not conform to society’s expectations of gender in harm’s way. In other words, H.B. 454 would hurt all children and require that they hide who they are in school. All Ohio students deserve the protections afforded to them by federal law. Nearly 50 years ago, Congress enacted Title IX to prohibit all forms of sex discrimination in education programs and activities. The Biden-Harris administration made clear that it intends to enforce Title IX's prohibition on discrimination on the basis of sex to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and discrimination based on gender identity consistent with the Supreme Court’s holding in Bostock v. Clayton County , Georgia . The U.S. Department of Education has also clarified that the Title IX rule is essential to protecting LGBTQ+ students’ equal access to educational programs and activities. However, COSF believes Ohio schools should go far beyond complying with federal law and implement LGBTQ+ inclusive policies that have been shown to benefit all students. LGBTQ+ students with supportive educators in their lives report higher levels of self-esteem, lower levels of depression, and a lower likelihood of having seriously considered suicide in the past year. Parents know—and research affirms—that a sense of safety and belonging is required for any child to learn. H.B. 454 would discourage and prevent schools from implementing research-backed best practices. Like all students, students who are transgender deserve educational opportunities that are free from discrimination and prepare them for their futures. We urge you to vote no on H.B. 454. Previous Next

< Back to Newsroom VOTE NO ON HOUSE BILL 103 in Ohio May 15, 2023 VOTE NO ON HOUSE BILL 103! Chair Bird, Vice-Chair Fowler-Arthur, Ranking Member Robinson, and members of the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee: At the Campaign for our Shared Future (COSF), we believe that every American needs to understand our complete and true story as we move forward. That is what sets our country apart. Unfortunately, HB 103 would ensure Ohio’s children do not learn the true and complete history of our country – both the good and the bad. HB 103 would rob Ohio’s children of a quality education. HB 103 plays political games with our kids. This bill allows politicians to decide who develops Ohio’s social studies standards. Most Ohioans are sick of the politicians using children to score political points. Age-relevant instruction on the history of our country ensures that our children have the best foundation for their future. Families and teachers should work together to support our children locally – faraway politicians should stay out of education. American Birthright standards teach students what to think, not how to think . American Birthright standards are about memorizing names, dates, and facts – rather than inquiry, analysis, and civic engagement. That’s why the National Council for the Social Studies says these standards “would have damaging and lasting effects on the civic knowledge of students and their capacity to engage in civic reasoning and deliberation.”[i] Schools should teach independent thinking so that our children can think for themselves, handle challenging topics, and become successful in this country. American Birthright standards are too extreme for Ohio. These standards omit Juneteenth – a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Making matters worse, the New York-based politically motivated coalition Civics Alliance, which publishes the American Birthright standards, contributed to social studies standards in Virginia that explicitly omitted Martin Luther King Jr. in the early grades.[ii] This is a slippery slope. If we ban teaching slavery and Martin Luther King, Jr., will we ban Abraham Lincoln next? HB 103 is yet another attempt to ban books . It is no coincidence a district recently made the news for banning a book from an English course due to lack of “alignment” with American Birthright standards.[iii] When books are being banned, our kids aren’t learning the complete and true story of America. When libraries and schools are forced to only teach one version of America, they aren’t teaching about America at all. No other state has adopted American Birthright standards – and for good reason. Teaching history to kids is vitally important because it teaches independent thinking and respect for others, which helps us make moral progress as individuals and as a country. HB 103 would prevent students from learning from the past in order to forge a better future. That is why we urge you to heed the advice of historians, educators, students, and families, and not make Ohio’s children guinea pigs. Vote NO on HB 103. Sincerely, Heather Harding Executive Director of the Campaign for Our Shared Future [i] NCSS Statement on American Birthright: The Civics Alliance's Model K-12 Social Studies Standards, September 2022, https://www.socialstudies.org/current-events-response/ncss-statement-american-birthright-civics-alliances-model-k-12-social . [ii] “Department of Education Apologizes, Corrects Virginia’s Proposed History Education Changes Amid Backlash,” The Virginia Pilot, November 2022, https://www.pilotonline.com/news/education/vp-nw-ss-standards-mlk-juneteenth-20221117-z5zl5nzjwbfqdpwk7lsx2svpjy-story.html ; and, “List Shows Who Provided Input on Youngkin Draft History Standards,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 2022, https://richmond.com/news/local/education/list-shows-who-provided-input-on-youngkin-draft-history-standards/article_a7eb1551-ebf2-5e6a-b4a6-a1c97a8ecb39.html . [iii] “Woodland Park School District RE-2 Pulls Course Material after Critical Race Theory Complaint,” The Gazette, January 2023, https://gazette.com/premium/woodland-park-school-district-re-2-pulls-course-material-after-critical-race-theory-complaint/article_947ed1ea-a0fa-11ed-8071-27317b72a21a.html Previous Next

< Back Partnerships: COSF Reflection Background The current culture war around schools is not a passing argument on any specific topic or practice. It is a coordinated attack designed to politicize the classroom and create doubt about the effectiveness of public education including every single actor or function within the public school system. To that end, every education organization should consider itself at the center of the political debate—whether it’s obvious or not. Likewise, every school, every educator, and every administrator has been forced to view their work through the political lens. And political organizations, which used to largely ignore education policy because it didn’t usually have a direct impact on elections, had to learn quickly about the nuance and context of a whole new environment. Challenge COSF set out to bring together like-minded organizations to work toward a great education for every child. One of our organizational objectives was to “educate and organize partners from across industries, sectors, and communities to support high-quality, inclusive K-12 education.” Recognizing that education is above politics, we intended to create a network of partners that span an ideologically diverse range of stakeholders across the country who seek to build common ground. Approach Acting as a bridge between education and politics, COSF made it clear that our goal was to fill in gaps for partners. Those gaps could be resources, knowledge, and sometimes funding. In some situations, COSF signed a formal memorandum of understanding with a partner, and in others, it maintained a loose relationship. Oftentimes, COSF acted as a convener that either brought people to the table who don’t frequently interact with each other or helped existing tables facilitate a focused conversation on the ongoing threats. Partners received immediate access to all of COSF’s resources and services. Commonly partnership offerings were framed around key segments of COSF’s work: Strategic Communications We told stories through traditional and digital media about real families caught in the middle of bad policy and political games. Policy Analysis/Products We tracked proposed legislation, suggested replacement language and school board resolutions, and provided analysis of legislative impact and sponsors. Organizing Efforts We mobilized individuals and train them to be advocates. Voter Education We educated voters about the issues and candidates in key elections. Resources & Collateral We monitored legislation moving through states and listened to the hearings and testimony from the public. Results Strategic Communications Increased public awareness by forging early and robust partnerships with organizations such as PEN America, Red, Wine & Blue, and Our Turn Prepared leadership of 550 school districts across 30 states in strategic communications and crisis management to avoid or de-escalate crisis Provided proactive common-ground messaging training to more than 1,000 grassroots and national education advocates through in-person and virtual sessions Organizing Efforts Trained local leaders to organize for sustained power in 30 districts across 9 states and hosted 8 national workshops for allied organizations Organized local stakeholders to defeat anti-LGBTQ+ school board proposals in key districts Supported a nascent parents’ organization to pass a COSF model school board policy in support of LGBTQ+ youth Organized parents, librarians, students, and community members to block proposed book bans Blocked or modified destructive legislative and executive-branch actions in 8 states Voter Education Rallied community leaders to get out the vote for school board elections in 18 districts across 8 states Held 9 national trainings with attendees from 14 states, sharing GOTV resources and best practices and voter education practices materials Developed the field-leading school board election information program for local stakeholders Increased voter awareness and engagement in local school board elections through phone and text banks in key districts Mobilized voters in two of one key state’s most conservative districts to support public education funding in a state ballot initiative fight Resources & Collateral Our foundational school leaders toolkit for superintendents, designed to help them avoid and de-escalate crises The Movement Playbook , an election guide for organizers that outlines all the essential information needed to elect pro-equity school board representatives Our bank of model school board resolutions that defend and center equity in schools Messaging trainings with up-to-date research and talking points, and Train The Trainer sessions that introduce the basics of organizing for change in your community Tested lists of supporters and leaders in our key states and organizational partners aligned to our mission Previous Next

< Back to Newsroom PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA 27 de septiembre de 2022 Contact: press@campaignsharedfuture.org Campaign for Our Shared Future Lanza Student Task Force Washington, D.C. - Hoy, Campaign for Our Shared Future (COSF), un esfuerzo común comprometido a luchar contra el ataque a la educación pública en todo el país, anunció el lanzamiento de un Student Task Force. El grupo de estudiantes reúne a líderes estudiantiles de todo el país que se preocupan profundamente por proteger una educación K-12 de alta calidad que se centre en las necesidades de ellos y sus compañeros. “Estoy encantada de que Campaign for Our Shared Future está agregando un grupo notable de defensores estudiantiles a nuestro equipo. Estos estudiantes han liberado el camino para que los jóvenes de sus comunidades aboguen por la educación que merecen”, dijo Heather Harding Ed.D., directora ejecutiva de COSF. “Mientras que los políticos extremistas han lanzado repetidos ataques contra la educación pública, prohibiendo libros y silenciando las voces de los estudiantes, estos jóvenes activistas han estado apareciendo en las reuniones de las juntas escolares y organizando a sus compañeros de clase. Estamos encantados de asociarnos con cada uno de ellos para ayudar a detener la politización de nuestras escuelas de una vez por todas”. Cada estudiante fue atraído al Student Task Force por sus propios motivos, y cada estudiante cuenta con sus propios logros impresionantes. Un miembro, Cameron Samuels, se crió en Texas y se ha expresado en su lucha contra la discriminación y la censura en clase. “La educación debe representar y apoyar a todos los estudiantes”, dijo Cameron Samuels, miembro del Student Task Force. “Este Student Task Force me brindaría oportunidades para apoyar la política pública para fortalecer el compromiso con la Diversidad, la Equidad y la Inclusión en la educación”. A principios de este año, Samuels testificó ante el Senado de Texas para abordar el ‘white washing’ del plan de estudios de estudios sociales. También es Presidente Honorario de la Juventud de la Semana de Libros Prohibidos (Banned Books Week). Hylah Daly ha sido una voz poderosa para la diversa comunidad de Georgia donde se crió. Ella demandó a su condado por la falta de representación diversa en su junta escolar local. “Me uní al Student Task Force porque creo que es necesario que las escuelas brinden a todos los estudiantes, independientemente de su origen, una buena experiencia escolar y asuman la responsabilidad de sus acciones cuando hacen cosas que obstaculizan la seguridad o la capacidad de aprendizaje de un estudiante”, dijo Hylah Daly, miembro del Student Task Force. “La mayoría de los niños de todo el país asisten o han asistido a escuelas públicas. Quiero ver a qué se enfrentan los estudiantes de otros estados, o por qué luchan, en relación con la justicia educativa y que también podamos apoyarnos mutuamente”. Después de una búsqueda nacional, siete estudiantes fueron seleccionados para unirse al Student Task Force, reuniendo a estudiantes de Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Virginia y West Virginia. Estos jóvenes activistas se asociarán con COSF para responder a los ataques a la educación K-12 y orientar las inversiones de COSF para desarrollar el poder estudiantil. Los estudiantes del grupo de trabajo recibirán capacitación y recursos para actuar en sus propias comunidades y convertirse en poderosos defensores de la educación. ### La Campaña por Nuestro Futuro Compartido (COSF) es un esfuerzo no partidista para apoyar la educación K-12 de alta calidad y preservar el acceso, la inclusión y el contenido significativo en nuestras escuelas para que cada estudiante tenga la oportunidad de tener éxito y prosperar. COSF es un esfuerzo común comprometido a luchar contra el ataque a la educación en todo el país. Hylah local news CBS46 - ciara.cummings@cbs46.com Cobb County Courier - larry.johnson@cobbcountycourier.com AJC Cobb County Ed Reporter - cassidy.alexander@ajc.com Fox5 Atlanta - brooke.zauner@foxtv.com , joi.dukes@foxtv.com , lindsay.truman@foxtv.com WSB-TV 2 Atlanta - audrey.washington@wsbtv.com , tyisha.fernandes@wsbtv.com , kristen.holloway@wsbtv.com ​ Cameron local news Houston Chronicle - hannah.dellinger@chron.com KHOU 11 - gharris@khou.com Houston Public Media - swernst@houstonpublicmedia.org , AndrewS@houstonpublicmedia.org TexasMonthly - mhardy@texasmonthly.com , fwilder@texasmonthly.com , mmojica@texasmonthly.com ABC13 Eyewitness News - Shelley.Childers@abc.com , rosie.nguyen@abc.com , samica.knight@abc.com Jewish Herald Voice - news@jhvonline.com , jeannes@jhvonline.com Previous Next

< Back to Newsroom FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2023 press@campaignsharedfuture.org Campaign for Our Shared Future Reaffirms Commitment to Protecting Students Right to Read During Banned Books Month Washington, D.C. - Today, the Campaign for Our Shared Future (COSF) Executive Director Heather Harding, Ed.D. released the following statement during Banned Books Week and in recognition of COSF’s decision to spend the month of October commemorating Banned Book Month: “As we celebrate the freedom to read and the right of every student to explore diverse perspectives, Banned Books Week is a reminder of the challenges we face in our efforts to preserve these freedoms. “In this time marked by damaging attacks on schools across the nation, books are being censored, challenged, and even banned because they explore uncomfortable truths, challenge the status quo, or provide insights into the lives of those whose stories are often marginalized. Censoring or banning books not only infringes upon our children's right to explore ideas and cultures different from their own but also leads to an inaccurate telling of history and encourages the censorship of K-12 curriculum in ways that erase some American stories. “With many states across the country poised to elect new school board members next month, we must stand together to protect the right to read. Our decision at the ballot box helps ensure we have local leaders that protect students’ rights to explore, learn, and grow through the pages of books that may challenge, inspire, or resonate with their own experiences.” The decision to recognize October as Banned Book Month comes just weeks after new studies were published highlighting the mounting pressure to censor and a record surge of book challenges in the first eight months of 2023. ## The Campaign for Our Shared Future (COSF) is a non-partisan effort to support high-quality K-12 education and preserve access, inclusion, and meaningful content in our schools so that every student has an opportunity to succeed and thrive. COSF is a common ground effort committed to fighting the attack on education across the country. Previous Next

< Back Intro to Organizing Training Download the training Previous Next

< Back Legal Guidance Whether you're a 501(c)3, a 501(c)4 or an unincorporated group from the community, it helps to know the basics. Take a look at the links below and save yourself a lot of headaches. Advocating for Policy Change Can We Say That? Commenting on Candidates and Campaigns Election Activities of Individuals Associated with 501(c)3 Organizations Maximizing Your Advocacy Guide Praising and Criticizing Incumbents Sample Election Season Policy Setting the Record Straight - Candidate Score Cards Previous Next

< Back Movement Playbook: COSF Reflection Background There are nearly 14,000 public school districts in the United States. That means that in any given year nearly 30,000 school board elections are taking place around the country. These elections will determine the future of our kids’ education. School boards have the power to create welcoming, inclusive learning environments for our students to discover the world around them and reach their highest potential. But on the flip side, there are candidates in every state running for school board with the intention of banning books, silencing LGBTQ+ and minority voices, and injecting extremist politics into the classroom. Challenge The volume and size of school board elections make it difficult to look at past campaigns for a best practice guide. Dozens of votes can decide most races, and most individuals and organizations with relevant experience have not worked on such a hyperlocal level before. Approach As with all advocacy campaigns, if we’re willing to organize properly and have a gameplan, we can win. That’s why COSF created The Movement Playbook . This digital resource contains all the tools and knowledge needed to turn out a community for school board elections (and win!). It provides messaging, a glossary of commonly used terms, resources for talking with potential voters, and other tips to guide planning before, during and after elections. The playbook outlines all the essential information needed to elect all-star school board representatives. The playbook includes an interactive course with tasks and checklists as well as a PDF version for easy review. The course breaks campaigns down into work done before, after, and during school board elections. Additionally, COSF hosted a training series led by staff dedicated to grassroots organizing. With these resources, community advocates received the tools to positively contribute to our children’s education one election at a time. Results After it first became publicly available in September 2023, The Movement Playbook was viewed more than 1,300 times by more than 750 unique visitors during the November 2023 school board elections. It continues to be the most visited page on COSF’s website. 21 national organizations attended a live playbook training session and agreed to distribute within their networks. Examples of The Movement Playbook in action Central Bucks, Pennsylvania COSF worked closely with grassroots advocacy groups to create a GOTV phone banking program. We helped draft scripts and create a targeted phone list as well as create virtual phone banks. Additionally we conducted the initial training for the group to answer any questions and make any needed adjustments or edits prior to letting them run the program on their own. We remained a resource for technology platforms and any other technical assistance they needed and let them run their program. Connecticut COSF provided voter resources to 7 statewide groups that were launching GOTV efforts around school board elections. Those groups filtered information to local organizations in districts all over the state. Rockingham County, Virginia Through emails, calls, and texts, COSF built a robust coalition of 127 people in a rural part of the state. 50 of those people became active volunteers making calls and participating in in-person events. The deep canvassing program led to 40 hours of conversations with thousands of Rockingham voters. Lessons When more groups on the ground have access to year round training and technical assistance, it is easier to transition seamlessly to electoral organizing when school board races occur in the community. Many best practices from organizing apply, but the organizers need to understand the nuance of a school board race means that personal contact is necessary. School board members usually represent the smallest constituency of any elected office in the community, so voters have the ability to become personally invested in the elections. Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to identifying and training leaders in the community. The small electorate means that districts don’t necessarily need large coalitions to succeed. Proper technology is important regardless of the size of the electorate. It is ideal to be able to track voter file, door knocking, text banking, and phone banking efforts in one centralized system that either runs everything or connects to different platforms. Previous Next

< Back to Newsroom FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 16, 2023 Contact: press@campaignsharedfuture.org The Campaign for Our Shared Future Condemns Attacks on AP African American Studies Washington, D.C . - Today, the Campaign for Our Shared Future (COSF) Executive Director Heather Harding, Ed.D. released the following statement in response to renewed attacks on the Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies course: “As families and students across the country head back to school, our students are once again caught in the crosshairs of political theater that undermines their ability to learn the true and complete history of our country. The Arkansas Education Department’s decision not to allow AP African American Studies to be taught for credit—the same way other AP courses are—is the latest attack by extremists on the teaching of African American history in our public schools. “The history of our country and the history of Black Americans is not partisan and is not indoctrination. I applaud the College Board for their promise to continue the important work of educating our students and for refusing to bow to political pressure.” ### The Campaign for Our Shared Future (COSF) is a non-partisan effort to support high quality K-12 education and preserve access, inclusion, and meaningful content in our schools so that every student has an opportunity to succeed and thrive. COSF is a common ground effort committed to fighting the attack on education across the country. Previous Next

< Back Teacher Guidance Guidance for Teachers on Developing SB resolutions to combat bills (NEA) Guide: Counter-Narrating the Attacks on Critical Race Theory (Race Forward) Intellectual Freedom Resources for Educators (ALA) Tools for Teaching in a Climate of Censorship (IDRA) Teach Truth: Know Your Rights FAQ (NEA) Previous Next

< Back to Newsroom Re: Revision of the History and Social Science Standards of Learning March 24, 2023 Dear Virginia Board of Education, Our goal at Campaign for Our Shared Future (COSF) is to ensure all children have an opportunity to learn from the past and prepare for their future. We know this goal requires high-quality history and social studies standards, especially amid efforts by radical politicians to censor what kids learn in Virginia and across the country. Unfortunately, we share the concern that Virginia’s revision process was seized by political games at the expense of our kids. The decision to sidestep the initial draft of Standards (August 2022) developed over a transparent, two-year process silences the voices of hundreds of stakeholders, including students, teachers, historians, families, and some of the world’s leading history organizations. The resulting Standards (November 2022) aimed to score political points by watering down African American history and even erasing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from the early grades. It’s un-American to downplay the impact of those who pushed to change our country to be better. We can all agree that learning about our heroes sets a great example for all of our children. While we commend the Board’s improvements, the latest Standards (January 2023) still contain errors, omissions, and sequencing problems. Below are the objections raised by stakeholders with which COSF agrees. We urge you to address these concerns with adequate input from subject-matter experts across Virginia. Doubling down on the fictional narrative that teachers are forcing White children to feel guilty for the consequences of American slavery (page 8 - 9). Marginalizing the history and contributions of Indigenous Peoples, including by omitting Indigenous Peoples’ Day and teaching students that our history begins when European explorers arrived on the continent. Providing superficial coverage of Black history and sidestepping the African American History Education Committee’s recommendations (e.g., not acknowledging the resistance of most white Southerners to Reconstruction, omitting the term “hate groups”). Providing superficial coverage of the history and modern-day culture of the Latino/a/x community, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and the LGBTQ+ community. Focusing on teaching students what to think, not how to think. Introducing disruptive sequence changes that could cause significant upheaval for school staffing, student scheduling, and state assessments. While COSF is disappointed in the revision process and resulting language, we will continue to monitor the development, implementation, and impact of the Standards on the availability of true and complete history education for all children in the Commonwealth. It is also our sincere hope that the Board will restore its own time-honored approval processes and prioritize transparency and stakeholder engagement in adopting the revised Standards. Important work remains to realize Governor Youngkin’s mission “to teach our history, the good and the bad.” The stakes are high: Watering down history ensures that our children are unprepared to think critically and independently–and to face the real world. Previous Next