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Weekly Digest for 3 to 10 December 2023

  

Welcome to a brief overview of articles that appeared last week on our website.
Please don't stop here - be sure to browse the full list of articles that appeared this week.

Vietnam Travelogue by Myra Rudin


Myra Rudin, well-known to our readers as a keen photographer, takes us with her images of stunning beauty in Vietnam. Myra tells us how her generation was consumed daily with the horrors of the war in newspapers and on television, and how it began to take note. When the war finally ended – with nothing gained and much lost- in 1975, the cone-shaped hats of workers in rice paddies stayed with her.   Click here



Gaza: The war between Israel and Palestine continues to dominate the political landscape.  The focus is of course on Gaza, but it is important to note that the war continues as well in the West Bank and southern Lebanon. This week the UNSG invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, perhaps the most powerful diplomatic tool at his disposal. Amidst UN's struggle to say the right words, at the right time, and to the right people, James Elder, our UNICEF man on the ground and spokesperson, braves it out as he reports live from Gaza to arouse the conscience of the international community on the plight of children. 

We certainly are running out of ways to describe the horrors hitting children, as James Elder laments. Nothing is more revealing than the real-life stories unfolding live on the spot that James captures for us so poignantly in his video strips. A veteran journalist by profession, it is a morale booster to see him muddy his boots once again and walk the mile where needed. Close your eyes with Omar as James Elder suggests (courtesy Niloufar Pourzand). An Ode to James Elder by Fouad Kronfol adds to the tribute we owe him as a part of the UNICEF family. 

The Joint Statement on Gaza by OCHA, UNICEF and NGOs is significant, given the gravity of the humanitarian situation. We wait to see if it yields tangible results to diffuse the situation, which is already spinning out of control. A NYT article by Nicholas Kristof, shared by Robert Cohen, asks: So many child deaths in Gaza and for what? Every child counts, after all. 

On a positive note, another full NYT article shared here lauds the unique capacity and the neutrality the UN retains to assist crisis victims when political paths fail. It commends UN relief agencies for mounting vital operations, saving lives from Ukraine to Syria to Gaza.

Child Poverty: Report Card 18 from UNICEF Innocenti is revealing, but does not surprise. We often miss out on how much child poverty is embedded in wealthy nations. It is necessary to wake up to this stark reality and respond when and where needed. Child poverty is by no means confined to the developing world. It does stare us in the face in the developed world no less. Poverty is a relative term. Deprivation suffered by children in a developed economy may be different but no less significant.

Lighter Stuff: On a lighter note and to cheer up the festive season, we carry the Toons of the Week for you to enjoy.

We have struggled no doubt to keep the Weekly Digest running, especially this week, with so many of us on the move or on holiday. It is your forum, after all, and we as your editorial team owe a special thanks to you, our readers and contributors, for keeping us going. 

Gautam Banerji
Editor for the Week

Verse

Artwork

An Open Air Art Exhibition by Children in Gaza - Click on image above to play
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said it organized the event to help children process their complicated feelings. The art was displayed in the rubble of a bombed house. The children's art included portraits of families and drawings of homes.

Indian Peafowl - Mysore suburbs, Karnataka India
National Geographic Photo of the Day by Dr. Marashetty Seenappa

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The XUNICEF Calendar

Events Coming Soon:
December 10 - Human Rights Day
December 11 - UNICEF Day

 
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Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 10, 2023 at 5:57 AM

    Myra…..those photos are mesmerising and I truly enjoyed looking at them so another well done!!!Best Wishes Mike

    ReplyDelete

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