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11 hours ago
Beautiful thanks for sharing. Reminds me of my birthplace Sri Lanka with its flora and fauna and similar economic difficulties! Rohini de silva
SDL commented on "We All Can Help : Detlef Palm"
13 hours ago
Great work by so many. Very sobering article in the Financial Times that suggests that the fact that Ukraine is still holding out, will actually now drive Putin to take the next step to subjugate the brave people of that country by the use of tactical nukes or large scale chemical/biological attacks -- all of this potentially leading to greater conflict between NATO and Russia. The article posits that Ukraine is just the latest in a string of provocations by Putin to upturn the international order and in effect constitutes the beginning of WW III. What are the other options before general hostilities? Will this be fought under the nuclear threshold? What is the end game for Putin? How od we prevent sliding into war and yet counter Putin's aggression?
16 hours ago
Happy Nawroz and Happy beautiful spring to all my friends, although it feels like winter where we live in NW New Jersey. Wishing the very best to all!
22 hours ago
On the last stamp, it looks as if the Vietnamese are going to kill the mosquitoes with a sledge hammer.
Yesterday
Interesting program and good documentary PERIOD
Dev Chopra commented on "UN’s Guterres Must be Visibly Proactive as Peacemaker in Ukraine: Kul Gautam"
2 days ago
Dear Kul Gautam Ji, Your bold statement, literally pushing the UNSG to get out of his igloo or the glass house is timely, possibly late. He ought to have interacted within the first seven days. Russia continues to approach its aggression after nearly 4 weeks, challenging both the West and the East. Ukraine appears to have been abandoned. That indeed is a reality of our "developed" world. IF Russia could stop his war on Modi's request cum "pressure" so as to get the Indian students {over 20,000 of them} in Ukraine,to get out by buses/rail and planes, could the SG not have done better ? Yes, it appears the reality is visible even to a blind person that SG's role is getting defined by the 5 Powers of the SC, and to be seen as a mere Chief Administrative Officer. {CAO}.Nothing less nor more...period. Does Putin's continuing sinful act embolden further what China may get to be doing {soon ?} to annex TAIWAN ? Plus actively provoke Japan, Australia, USA and India in the Indo-Pacific region ? Time will tell. The Secretary General and the West have been left twiddling their thumbs it appears to a commoner like yours truly. The Christian act of providing help and succour to over 3 million Ukranians -- children, women and the elderly men, by the neighbouring States esp. Poland is most noteworthy. Plus the help provided by NGOs and UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO, etc. Finally, hats off to the brave Ukrainian people. Let us hope and {pray--to whom ?} that sense will prevail in the head of the Russian dictator. It is the saddest era of our times where stealth and chicanery seem to rule the world. Bless you for motivating some of us... dev chopra in gurugram Unicef retiree
Fouad Kronfol commented on "Why Covax, the best hope for vaccinating the world, was doomed to fall short: Washington Post"
Mar 22, 2022
It is very interesting but also depressing, as it shows how "un-united" the world really is in issues that count with people, whether it be disease, environment, climate or other "social " issues. Unfortunately, it also shows how powerless the UN and its Agencies are in these matters.
Horst Max Cerni commented on "War is So Yesterday : Detlef Palm"
Mar 22, 2022
Yes, I hoped never to see pictures of destruction and refugees again, like I had experienced 77 years ago. Maybe those responsible for the fights should themselves fight in the frontline.
Mar 21, 2022
Thank you Paula for reminding us of the least known area of UNICEF concerns, notably the devastating effects on children all over the world from small arms, and other such explosives, especially in the many..all too many, Alas…conflict situations. More advocacy needs to be made in this regard.
Samphe Lhalungpa commented on "Where is the SG? : Stephen Schlesinger / PassBlue / Robert Cohen / Tom McDermott"
Mar 21, 2022
Right On Stephen - very well stated. Where indeed is the SG? Surely, he is not an incumbent worried that he may not get another term. Beyond the SG, it appears that in the last decade, the UN's capacity to carry out its core mandate of blunting conflict and driving processes to create solutions to de-escalate and finally even, dare one say, resolve conflicts has been severely diminished. Some of this one can lay on the lap of the very powers calling for more UN action in this instance but in others like the Iraq Wars, UN mechanisms were used to create a permissive context to allow the hegemon to act according to their will. Unlike Stephen or Kul, as a ordinary citizen and a multilaterialist, it become increasingly hard to argue a case for the U.N and so we fall back on the bandages and succor argument, while I am by no means disparaging comfort to the victims, it should be one of the two main thrusts of the U.N...As images of the Russian military juggernaut continuing to rain destruction and death on Ukranian cities and people get even more horrific, there will need to be bold, imaginative and out of the box apporoaches -- the question is: Is the SG capable and has he the team with the moral courage and diplomatic and leadership skills to do this. It is an existential question for the U.N but as important now, for the world. Otherwise, the U.N will become even more marginalized and worst of all, diminished in the eyes of peoples everywhere -- this could be a pivotal moment for the U.N it needs to Prince to be resolute: He must now BE...and ACT
Mar 21, 2022
Thank you for your kind thoughts Maria. I shall be looking forward to hear you play on your grand piano someday, even if it be virtually. Do come and visit us. We had the last xUNICEF Reunion here in Armenia three years ago.
Mar 21, 2022
Such colorful lives we all live!!! I am still hoping for time to write for this section of the XUNICEF News and Views. When people ask me, "where is HOME?" I always answer, "Home is where my grand piano is." Thanks, Gautam and everyone who is contributing to this newsletter. I really enjoy it. It brings me out of my little home into the world fellow XUNICEFers populate. Maria Diaz
Tad Palac commented on "Larger than life : Ken Gibbs"
Mar 20, 2022
I remember Barry very well - when I was Chief of Education in India we brought him in for a consultancy to try and shake things up a bit which he certainly did, although he did not go down too well with some of the education authorities who thought his approach was "too simplictic" ...When you have semi-derelict classrooms, absentee teachers, virtually no teaching aids, how can you expect education to take place in poorer areas? He knew the solution to India's education problems at the time were not to develop fancy new curricula: they were much more basic. He certainly helped to shape our approach to Universal Primary Education and Education for All and the child-frendly schools approach. He passed away too soon but, to be perfectly honest, we were not surprised when we heard of his passing, given his dietery and beverage choices. I expect he's been shaking things up in heaven the last few years!
Ken Gibbs commented on "10 Questions: Deepa Grover"
Mar 20, 2022
Refreshing answers to Ten Questions, indeed. Deepa's photo conveys so much - she is in conversation with a puppet. She is thus unlikely to challenge the reader, much in the same way as Kermit the Frog becomes part of any conversation in which he appears. Deepa's answers are simple, direct and use the language which even young children can appreciate. I imagine her talking with a bunch of pre-school children as easily as she will speak with the greatest in the land. Her use of acronyms is minimal. Why, oh why can't UNICEF use more like her ? We have often been told that if you can engage with young people up to the age of 7, they will be yours for life. What better advertisement for emphasising ECD/the development of young people than this ? So, why does UNICEF too often push people like Deepa into a forgotten corner ?
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