Health Concern has defied the political obituary writers before, but this time it is fighting for survival at county level.

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For survival, it is useful to estimate the level of the risks they are supposed to manage at close to, but not quite, zero.

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The new age telco announced a survival plan sale of its wholesale ISP business to Level 3 Communications (nasdaq: LVLT - news - people ).

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But below the level of the brightest stars, there is a survival strategy at work.

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Dr Piff himself suggests that the increased compassion which seems to exist among the poor increases generosity and helpfulness, and promotes a level of trust and co-operation that can prove essential for survival during hard times.

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Women from Afghanistan say the issue for them is survival and the right to feed their children, whereas for women in Northern Ireland the main issue is increasing the level of female participation in the negotiating process and representation in government.

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