23 hours ago
So, when we nailed the colors of Equity to our masts, for some staff it was seen as yet another way of categorizing children, however, we also work in societies where children from certain groups ( ethnic, linguistic, class, religious) are actually excluded from certain services through social rather than administrative mechanisms, much more complex and harder to address. There is also the political dimension because it is about how a society's resources are allocated and here is where we came upon the rocks and shoals of politics, always a sensitive topic, many of our teams were not oriented to negotiate these waters and so we either hugged the safe waters of the edges or skittered over the top. With a few exceptions, we lacked the institutional DNA to engage usefully. Today, we have even a more complex challenge when donor countries, engage in policies that violate the rights of children in very public ways ( The U.S handling of children at the southern borders) we have to hold our fire...None of this is intractable but we then have to promote and encourage senior staff to cultivate these attributes...We have in the past had some UNIC EF senior give clean bills of health to regimes that are serial violators of rights...Ouch
2 days ago
The Powerpoint seems to explain in a complicated way something that most of us knew all along: That the Global Apparel Industry is making good profits on the back of garment factory workers in Bangladesh and elsewhere. I am missing, beyond an appeal for more conscious consumer choices, suggestions for development agencies such as UNICEF how they can play a more significant role in creating change. UNICEF National Committees are ‘partnering’ (i.e. receiving funds) from Garment businesses (such as Primark in Germany), relying on self-certification and the companies’ own compliance reports. As UNICEF is in a perpetual stage of reimagining itself, I could image a role for UNICEF country office and HQ to advocate and assist Governments (in Bangladesh and elsewhere) to create legislation and further a business culture that is not harmful to children, and at the same time work with willing garment companies (who donate money to UNICEF) and the governments in industrialized countries, to help countries to more forcefully reject products manufactured under conditions harmful to children on their families. This would require a coordinated and simultaneous response from UNICEF in industrialized and emerging economies – something that would truly befit a global organization that has people working everywhere. Unfortunately, UNICEF seems to have left the fight against 'child labour' to ILO (nothing against ILO), but only UNICEF has the simultaneous and possibly coordinated access to the actors both in industrialized countries and emerging economies.
2 days ago
Thank you for sharing your letter to the Palestinian children and for all you do for children.
2 days ago
Rest In Peace paula. I remember your friendly warm smile
Feb 16, 2022
Dear Peter Thank you very much for bringing good memories to me. First, I was in Venice in 1986 before I joined UNICEF in 1997. Thanks for the pictures and your paintings. Secondly, your name Delahaye reminds me of a one time Christian missionary in Africa. I teach children about him. Good engagement after retirement.. Ciao. Saaondo Anom
Fousd Kronfol commented on "Our Eight Executive Directors - Some Factoids : Fouad Kronfol"
Feb 14, 2022
Merci Fritz Lherisson. for correcting the year Henry Labouisse died being 1985 and not 1975. It was a typo. Your additions are also welcome: The only ED to résign Before end of term was H.Fore. The only UN Agency which had ED of only one nationality for 75 years is UNIÇEF.
Feb 14, 2022
Well said, Tony!! (Yes, I figured that there could only be one 'Tony the Tiger'). The suggestions you made above are sensible precautions UNICEF could take without closing the door to what in the future could become an important way of taking in and dispensing funds. Sooner or later (one hopes sooner) governments will sort out how to regulate against abuses, including those which endanger children. UNICEF should be part of the 'conversation' with governments and corporations in setting standards. I understand that UNICEF has, in fact, made some efforts in that direction, although so far there does not seem to be much in the way of outputs. In the meanwhile though, it is important that UNICEF's own efforts at innovation do not get ahead of the safeguards.
Feb 14, 2022
Dear Peter, someone already said "bravo" yet your current life is a marvel of wonder for post-unicef. We managed to visit Venice a few years back while on a cruise and are so pleased that we could spend a few days enjoying its richness. And you have further enriched it with your paintings and lifestyle. Well done, keep up the good work and so many thanks for sharing. Jim Mayrides
Feb 14, 2022
What a creative and fulfilling life in retirement, Peter. I don't believe we've ever met, but I am delighted to see your beautiful paintings. I too enjoyed staying in a "Sestiere" away from the tourists last time I was there (April 2019). Venetian is music to my ears. If you have not read it, you might enjoy "Trapianti: Dall'inglese al vicentino", by Luigi Meneghello, famous poems translated from English into Vicentino, it's not Venetian, but close to it. Best wishes, Maria Rocco
Fritz Lherisson commented on "Where I live - My Life in Venice / Peter Delahaye"
Feb 13, 2022
Dear Peter Just beautiful your paintings. I admire your technique and your interpretation of different forms of nature in some of them and also your taste of colours. Indeed a great pleasure to look at your paintings in this time of Covid. It's like a balm to make us forget its harshness. Fritz
Feb 13, 2022
BTW - Tiger is Tony Bloomberg ... when I did the post I didn't know it would use my Google moniker. No doubt there are serious ethical concerns regarding crypto - and UNICEF Innovation has moved ahead seemingly oblivious of such concerns. Younger people I talk to - at least in the west - are very skeptical that Government is necessarily always a benign influence including when it comes to use and supervision of fiat currency that also has a dark side. It seems when dealing with money of any kind one has to do some dancing with the devil. Probably the question boils down to whether UNICEF is going too far too soon in its experiments with crypto. At this stage, at the very least, UNICEF could put some minimal ethical constraints on its crypto initiatives eg. Suspend further acceptance of Ether until it upgrades to Ether2 that is expected to dramatically reduce its use of electricity; Not accept Bitcoin that uses about 10 times more electricity than Ether per transaction ... and has no plans to transit away from proof-of-work; Perform an annual ethical review of crypto applications to ensure no harm to children.
Unknown commented on "Our Eight Executive Directors - Some Factoids : Fouad Kronfol"
Feb 13, 2022
Thank you Malika Abrous for the comments...and especially to inform that the second floor Émergency Room in UNICEF HOUSE is named after Carol Bellamy.
Feb 13, 2022
One doesn't need to blow any whistle. All information and data are available on the publicly available website of the UNICEF Executive Board.
Ken Gibbs commented on "Insights from Outside the Bubble: Evaluability … and the Executive Board / Detlef Palm"
Feb 13, 2022
Refreshingly frank observations the like of which might well have hastened your exit from the Office for Internal Audit ? A pity because UNICEF needs advocates who speak truth to power even if they are referred to, disparagingly, as ‘whistle-blowers’. The ‘highly tailored donor experience’ may need some clarification for it sounds similar to an arts critic’s take on a stage performance. Is that really what UNICEF sees as its role in the humanitarian sector, providing donors with entertainment ?
Feb 13, 2022
In response to Tiger's comment - yes, no doubt, the crypto industry will find ways to handle transactions using less electricity in the future, but this may still leave it far from a 'green' industry. Aside from the environmental impact my bigger worries however have to do with the potential of crypto currencies in circumventing government regulations and laws which protect children and society in teneral. Crypto has become the currency of choice for prostitution, child trafficking, drugs, porn, etc - a way of making transactions difficult to trace. I was glad to see that UNICEF noted concerns about unregulated use of crypto in its 'outlook 2022' report but I have trouble squaring the fact that on the one hand UNICEF's Innovation office partnera with Ethereum and other crypto giants to support to startup crypto projects in some of our key programme countries and now with raising funds via NFTs, while on the other hand noting the dangers that unregulated adoption of these developments may have on children.
Feb 13, 2022
To Support Tom's concerns on this, the latest reports advise that: > crypto-currency (CC) energy use is growing fast and will continue to grow (source: https://ccaf.io/cbeci/index) because: "The amount of energy consumed by cryptocurrency mining is likely to increase over time, as user adoption of crypto increases and mining efficiency decreases. Cryptocurrency mining is a competitive process, and as crypto blockchains grow longer and the competition to win crypto rewards continues to increase, the required computational power continues to rise in tandem." > current annual global use is greater than Argentina's (pop. 45.8 vs. Singapore' 5.5m) > majority of current CC mining is in US and Kazakistan (53%), both heavily energy-dependent on fossil fuels (all above source: 12/21: https://www.investopedia.com/tech/whats-environmental-impact-cryptocurrency/) Given newness of CCs, technical efforts to lessen carbon footprint may have some impact (but enough to counter the growing energy need from more complex mining volumes?) ... sounds suspiciously like the fossil industries efforts to greenwash their expansions with unproven-at-scale carbon capture/storage). Likewise, far more regulatory over-sight is needed to flush out the $$ launderers, hackers and other predators that CCs now encourage ... will this come fast enough to avoid another crash?
Sam Koo commented on "Where I live - My Life in Venice / Peter Delahaye"
Feb 13, 2022
Bravo caro Pietro, Thank you for the beautiful, heartwarming story. You almost convince me to return to La Serenissima which I visited more than 20 times in my salad years but have deliberately avoided on my annual pilgrimage to Bel Paese since then. Maybe I will change that and come to see you. Shall we go to hear a concert at La Fenice? Your photo at Guggenheim brings back an old memory. I was the last foreign correspondent (photo) to interview "Peggy la Pazza" ("mad Peggy," so fondly called by the Venetians for her eccentric love of Venice). I'd love to hear your take about her collection. A presto. Sam Koo
Feb 13, 2022
I see bitcoin as a highly speculative store of value - a digital gold - not suited to use for large volume transactions. Ethereum, with whom UNICEF Innovation Office has partnered, is different in that it is more an application platform that uses the crypto currency Ether. To process transactions Ether presently uses about 1/10 the electricity per transaction that Bitcoin uses. That's still a lot and definitely of ethical concern. The intense use of electricity is because presently both Bitcoin and Ether validate transactions with proof-of-work (the solving of complex mathematical problems). This year Ethereum plans to transition away from proof-of-work towards proof-of-stake where large holders of Ether (validators) stake a portion of their holdings to validate transactions. Ethereum says this will reduce the use of electricity by over 90%. We will see whether that transpires as planned. In short, I definitely think UNICEF should not touch Bitcoin, and is too out-in-front of developments in respect of Ether, and consequently ethically exposed ... but this picture may look different in a year's time.
Feb 13, 2022
What an enriched and fulfilling post-retirement life Peter! Live it up "extra-comunitario" or not! Love your art :)
Feb 13, 2022
Dear Peter , your paintings widens the horizon much beyond Venice . They are beautiful and so touching the heart . Congratulations Artist Peter ! Keep on creating beautiful art to fill mind with eternal joy ! Cheers ! Gouri
Ian MacLeod commented on "Where I live - My Life in Venice / Peter Delahaye"
Feb 13, 2022
Bravo Peter. What a wonderful new "life" and passion and thanks for introducing us to just a "taste" of Venice. I recall your creative culinary skills and wonder if you have mixed food and art together in your teaching of students? Keep healthy, keep safe and keep painting.
Feb 13, 2022
Dear Peter What a beautiful way to spend your time and life in such spectacular surroundings . Love your paintings abd Hope one day to see them in person. Continue to enjoy and keep us posted 😊🌹
Fousd Kronfol commented on "Zubin Mehta's18 month old grandson watchs his grandfather conduct : Sree Gururaja"
Feb 12, 2022
Absolutely delightful...the kid Will some day sur pass his Grand-parent. Not many people know that Mehta started his illustrions career as conductor in Montreal with our Philarmonic Orchestra. He was recently back on A visit and was interviewed on TV.
Karin Hulshof commented on "Where I live - My Life in Venice / Peter Delahaye"
Feb 12, 2022
Dear Peter, Thanks for taking us to Venice. I love your paintings as you know and I love your favorite color “blue “. Hope to visit you in Venice later this year. Baci, Karin
Feb 12, 2022
What a tough life for billionaires!
Feb 12, 2022
Detlef, one learns something every day. Today, for me was "evaluability" didn't know this word existed.... Thanks.
Feb 12, 2022
Fouad, Your stamp collection is indeed formidable - you must have a dedicated room to accommodate and safe guard this precious collection. Thanks for taking the time and making an effort to present to readers a thematic story around a series of stamps.
Doreen Lobo commented on "UNICEF and Crypto-Currency : Tony Bloomberg"
Feb 12, 2022
Thank you Tony for offering your views and giving some of us non-financial folk a glimmer of understanding this new world of crypto/NFTs that UNICEF is now a part of. Doreen
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For the past several months, almost on a weekly basis, I read in the media that fathers in different provinces of Afghanistan sell their kidneys so they can provide food for their family. Worst than kidney selling is fathers selling their little girls as young as six months old in order to feed the remaining of their children. This is so unbelievably disturbing. If true this is so inhuman. So far I only read about girls being sold. As an Afghan I know child marriages are common. Girls at age 13 is married to a man older than her father sometimes as second, third or fourth wife but selling babies and girl children for food was unheard of until now. I respectfully request the new UNICEF Representative to Afghanistan to investigate this matter and take corrective action to stop starvation and to protect the precious lives of UNICEF’s mandate. I know Talibans will lie repeatedly and blame these as “false news” on western media and on their enemies. Please this matter is urgent and very crucial.
ReplyDeleteWith gratitude and respect, Gulbadan Habibi
Dear Gulbadan, I am not sure that Mohamad Ag Ayoya is reading XUNICEF News and Views. I recommend to email him directly.
ReplyDeleteDear Detlef, thank you so much for your response. I will try to find his email and contact him directly. The majority of 35 million, especially children and women are under the threat of starvation, death and all sorts of abuse. 65 years is UNICEF’s efforts will be meaningless if this situation is not changed for better.
ReplyDeleteAll the best. Gulbadan