XUNICEF News and Views

  View this email in your browser UNICEF INVITES YOU TO A WEBINAR Prospects for children and youth in the polycrisis    8 March 2023 9am EST / 3pm CET   REGISTER NOW Right now, the world is being confronted by a series of multiple and near-simultaneous shocks amplified by a world that is more interdependent than ever before – and many are calling this phenomenon a “polycrisis”. No matter what it’s called, it will have an enormous impact on children across the world. At UNICEF, we  recently analyzed  the trends that we believe will impact children in the future, and they have much to lose. But while those trends are worrying, there are also positive signs. This webinar will build upon our analysis and unpack some of the most pressing challenges facing children today and will feature thought-provoking contributions not just from sector analysts and experts, but from the very young people who will be most affected by the polycrisis. Join in the conversation on March 8, 2023.   REGISTER NO

This is a third in our series of articles which we hope will be of interest to the lives most of us in XUNICEF lead, including those of us who qualify as seniors. For our previous articles in this series click here . As in many industrialized countries, recent economic and social changes in the US are forcing families to reconsider their living arrangements. Not too long ago the concept of the 'nuclear family' was the norm. Kids grew up, moved out, married, and lived their own lives, often far away from parents and other members of the family. The 'seniors' aged in suburban homes, until they needed to 'downsize' and eventually moved into 'senior-living' facilities where they could find easier living and care. This 'nuclear' model of the family has been weakening for many years, but recent changes have accelerated with the pandemic, the high cost of living, and changes in the age pyramid. The older 'baby boomer' age group is large and

An extraordinary person. She was to have co-authored the forward to the book on the safety and protection of the world’s children. What a contribution she made in her own right. Children’s rights advocate Landon Pearson was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize - The Globe and Mail Susan Children’s rights advocate Landon Pearson Former Canadian Senator Landon Pearson was a tireless advocate for children’s rights, who capitalized on her position of privilege to influence change. Ms. Pearson died Jan. 28 at the age of 92. Lucy Landon Carter Mackenzie Pearson. The name alone conjures a woman of pedigree and influence, the kind of woman who would count no less than four former Canadian prime ministers among the friends calling in on Zoom a couple of years ago to wish her a happy 90th birthday. Landon Pearson was all of that, said her long-time friend and fan Sandra Griffin. But she was equally a humble student of the world, an attentive and generous friend, and truly unstoppable in her effort

This week I conclude the series of philatelic materials issued to commemorate the Red Cross,Red Crescent & Red Lion Societies on their 160th Anniversary, 1863-2023. These humanitarian organizations which are present in almost all the countries in the world have been at the forefront of relief work in multiple emergency situations, both natural and man-made catastrophies, and have a proven track record in this domain. In many cases UNICEF has worked closely with these organizations in its relief and rehabilitation efforts throughout its history. This week I will feature stamps issued mainly from Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Here are two stamps from Thailand issued in 1989 to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the Red Cross. One shows a nurse holding a shield with the Red Cross on it and a mother holding a child on one side and a wounded soldier on the other.The second stamp, also issued in1989 commemorates the 125th anniversary of the ICRC with a red cross on top of six gree

Last month, the United Nations announced changes to its parental leave policy. Many welcome the move, but there remain questions on its implementation. Under the new policy , all parents are given the same paid time off of 16 weeks, regardless of gender. The same applies to parents adopting a child. Birth mothers are given an additional 10 weeks, extending their parental paid leave to a total of 26 weeks. The changes are part of a decision by the International Civil Service Commission — which regulates U.N. staff employment conditions — approved by the U.N. General Assembly. Before, only birth mothers were given 16 weeks of paid leave. Fathers working in family duty stations received four weeks of paid time off, and eight weeks for those in nonfamily duty stations , where dependents of staff cannot stay for six months or longer due to safety and security reasons. The changes allow U.N. staffers to have longer parental leave benefits compared with other multilateral institutions, such

The New York Times of 26 February carried a hard hitting, informative and well-researched article, “ Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs across the US" ( Click here to read the original - short text summary below). The article shocked me at first. It seemed shameful that in one of the richest countries in the world, children as young as 12 years old were working in jobs, some linked to well known companies. I then realized that the federal laws in the US are not necessarily compliant with international conventions, including those relating to children. Is this alarming situation a new phenomenon? Is the surge of such children related to the pandemic? Or a breakdown of institutions ? I was reminded of Niall Ferguson's predictionsin his book,”The Great Degeneration” ( 2012) and this another instance of the decay of law, institutions and of civic society, the pillars of modern post WWII society? What does this mean as this ‘degeneration’ is happening globally