XUNICEF News and Views

Article shared by Tom McDermott

 Article shared by Lou Mendez

Article shared by Kul Gautam

Article shared by Tom McDermott

Article shared by Kul Gautam

Men were sent to war Beasts corralled by shame Crouched deep in the trenches  Knelt in blood and bare Of reasoning and name Men saw prison slavery Years of death without reprieve Stowed away by press gangs Without a tailwind or a breeze Men were born in labour Lashed and fastened to the plough Scratching their small acre To put a harvest into store Men lived immune but not before Many were embraced by AIDS Men were tortured on the rack Torn and hung up by the neck Blackened in the press and grave For one idea they had to say Strangled by conformity By high priests of the day Men were lately called upon To slay the greatest mastodon To break their bones on the castle wall To make the sacred pilgrimage To take the mountain and the fall Men were unmanned For remembering they were boys Broken if they dared To learn to write beatitudes Or speak lightly as a girl Men were exiled in transportation For stealing a crust of bread For stealing a deadly kiss Daring to think of love and dreams Dari

(DTWUNICEF = During Time with UNICEF) The USA was driven out of Viet Nam in 1973, leaving a much battered country behind, which they had decided was in need of being saved from the Communists. In reality, the Communists prevailed against a far superior force by the use of intelligence, cunning and stealth. I was transferred to UNICEF, Hanoi, in 1990, and found myself immediately embroiled in an internal civil war where the plight of Vietnamese children was sidelined. Sad when the Mandate focussed on children, but this piece is just about a clock which I see many times every day.

The 2024 Global Risk Analysis Report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) highlighted a range of risks the world is facing without any ambiguity. This report is based on the survey reports, numerical data and collective intelligence of more than 1,500 global leaders, academia, business leaders, government officials, international community and civil society organisations over nearly a twenty-year period (since the WEF started to publish its Risk Analysis Report in 2007). The report highlights various risks that could result in serious global instability within the coming decade. The main causes for such upheavals range from economic, environmental, geopolitical, technology and societal polarisation. The report highlighted these and related risks ranking for 113 countries. Out of these, twenty countries are identified with interstate conflict as one of the top five risk that may ignite in the coming decade.

All of us—as the international community—have got to do better by the children stuck in this horrific nightmare. Click here for the article and video on CNN Excerpts: "The destruction of Gaza and killing of civilians will not bring peace or safety to the region. That can only be achieved with a negotiated political solution, one that prioritizes the rights and well-being of this and future generations of Israeli and Palestinian children." "It is imperative to refrain from further military escalation in and around Rafah and to ensure that all hostages still inside Gaza are urgently and safely released. If the parties do not heed this call, they will be responsible for the deaths of many more children, in addition to the thousands who have already perished. Parties to the conflict should urgently implement a permanent humanitarian ceasefire so that our group and other humanitarian agencies can help to roll out the massive, multi-agency operation that is so desperately

Not sure why I thought about Philip lately. Telepathy? ESP? Sixth sense? Something kept prompting me to contact him.

Reinhard in Jerusalem, August 2009 © Ellen Tolmie I met Reinhard Freiberg soon after joining Unicef in August 1990; he was coordinating several aspects of the World Summit for Children. He remains one of my favourite Unicef people, partly because of his delight in injecting humour wherever possible, leavening many a meeting with quips that quickly deflated anyone verging on pomposity. Here are two vignettes that speak to his kindness and principles.

It is with deep sadness that we inform the demise of our dear colleague Mr. G.Y Wesley on 20 February 2024 at Bangalore . He was suffering from cancer.  

Articles shared by Tom McDermott UN OCHA warned the Security Council this week that at least a quarter of Gaza's population is "a step away from famine."

Article shared by Tom McDermott Excerpts: "“There is no reason to intentionally block the passage of humanitarian aid or intentionally obliterate small-scale fishing vessels, greenhouses and orchards in Gaza – other than to deny people access to food,” Michael Fakhri, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food , told the Guardian.

I had been curious for sometime when friends would post their daily “Wordie” result on social media. I eventually found that the game was part of a suite of brain teasers from The New York Times. I haven’t subscribed, but I play a set of four tests first thing in the morning as a new ritual. A new daily package of challenges arrives sometime overnight and is waiting for me on my iPhone app.

Article shared by Lou Mendez

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are calling for immediate action to protect children and families caught in the escalating violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where an increasing number of people, including children, have been wounded or killed near makeshift camps. Both agencies call on all parties to the conflict to prioritize the protection of civilians and allow humanitarian agencies to do their work.

Any transfer of weapons or ammunition to Israel that would be used in Gaza is likely to violate international humanitarian law and must cease immediately, UN experts* warned today.

 A couple of years ago I moved to another part of Rome, Trastevere, literally 'On the Other Side' of the River Tevere,  to be closer than before to my eldest brother, and to have a slightly larger flat than the one I used to lease. 

It has been another week of war and tragedy in Gaza, the West Bank, Sudan and Ukraine.  We feel powerless in front of such tragedies.  The way to overcome the  'gloom and doom' is often close to us, like engaging with our communities, or going back to our professional roots and do volunteer work. All this may give us a renewed purpose and energy. 

 

In a flash of wisdom I hired them both to join UNICEF in Afghanistan! They went on to international recognition.  I am SO proud of them. Jim Mohan

Article shared by Baquer Namazi How an Unimaginable War Could Bring About the Only Imaginable Peace

YouTube video shared by Kul Gautam A fabulous TED talk. Kul

Click here for the article in the Guardian Click here for the Panel's press release Excerpts: "In their report, delivered on Monday, the UN experts said: “We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence.” "The panel of experts said there was evidence of a least two cases of rape, alongside other cases of sexual humiliation and threats of rape. Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, said the true extent of sexual violence could be significantly higher. “We might not know for a long time what the actual number of victims are,” said Alsalem, who was appointed special rapporteur by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2021.

Dear Member of XUNICEF My mane is Roberto Savio, and I jave been for many years a consultant to UNICEF, with a close relationship with Jim Grant, about whom I have edited a widely distributed book ( I hope you got a copy), At that time I was the DG of Inter Press Service, IPS, which I founded in 1964, Now, I have set up a system of information, which is intended to supplement the daily reading of our favorite newspaper. Media have been markedly reducing coverage on global events and analysis, and giving more and more space to events. This trend, at the same time of the distortion of truth and reality, which infects social media, will see an unpredictable development with the arrival of AI. And, at the same time, we are besieged by an enormous mass of information, that we are unable to process. Therefore, I have created Othernews, which carries two items per day, five days a week. The material is about global events, from climate change to social injustice, from the power of finance

If you make a living working for an aid organization like UNICEF, you may want to check out a new book  🔗 Foreign Aid and Its Unintended Consequences . The author, Mr. Dirk-Jan Koch has been with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and spent several years in Nigeria, DRC and Kenya. 

The article is intended for publication elsewhere. Before doing so, I would appreciate a critical review by present or former UNICEF colleagues. Thomas Ekvall This is not the picture we have been presented with over the past 60 years when Sweden gave more aid per person than any other country in the world. We were told that aid was an obligation in solidarity with the poor and less fortunate to lift them out of poverty and help them develop. The opposite seems to have happened. 

Statement shared by Robert Cohen Strongest statement to date. I wouldn’t be surprised if Israel PNGs all of the agencies. Robert ...... 21 February 2024 In the less than five months that followed the brutal 7 October attacks and the ensuing escalation, tens of thousands of Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed and injured in the Gaza Strip. More than three quarters of the population have been forced from their homes, many multiple times, and face severe shortages of food, water, sanitation and healthcare – the basic necessities to survive. The health system continues to be systematically degraded, with catastrophic consequences. As of 19 February, only 12 out of 36 hospitals with inpatient capacity are still functioning, and only partially. There have been more than 370 attacks on health care in Gaza since 7 October. Diseases are rampant. Famine is looming. Water is at a trickle. Basic infrastructure has been decimated. Food production has come to a halt. Hospital

Dear Friends I just learned that our friend and former UNICEF colleague, Reinhardt Freiberg passed away last week in Malaga, Spain. May he rest in Peace ! Cordially yours Francis Dubois You may wish to post the sad news. It seems that it has not been reported by anyone yet. Regards. Malika Abrous An article on Reinhard's career from the Free University of Berlin

Compelling picture, Mary Racelis Suffer the Children: 

The rich and the powerful piss on us and the media tells us it is raining – Anonymous Davos must have settled back to its quiet resort ambiance with the end of 2024 World Economic Forum (WEF), attended by more than 3,000 delegates, which includes 350+ government officials, 80 national security agencies, executives of high-tech industries and CEOs of major industries from all over the world. Other participants include members of civil society, up-coming leaders, foremost experts in a range of areas, social entrepreneurs and members of the media. As an independent organisation with more than one thousand multinational companies as members, whatever is discussed in this forum have considerable influence on international and national policies everywhere. The Forum engages on political, economy, business, climate and even poverty and cultural issues that could reshape the society together with global and regional agenda. The WEF forum is also an opportunity for academics, humanitarian worke

US State Department official Richard Visek Article shared by Tom McDermott Click here for the article in the Washington Post Did you ever sit through a very tedious movie or stage presentation and wonder what the heck the writer and producer were trying to say?  Did you wonder if the show would ever end ?  It seems that we are spectators trapped in our seats and watching two such shows - one a human tragedy of historic proportions without any end in sight; the other a delicate ballet in which the dancers take their steps with extraordinary nuance but no clear direction or relation to the other dancers.   The delicate diplomatic dance by the US delegations in NY, Brussels, and the Hague continued on Tuesday and Wednesday.   At the Security Council on Tuesday the US carried through on its vow to veto the Algerian draft resolution which called for a ceasefire in Gaza - the third US veto of ceasefire resolutions. This time the US stood alone, with all other members voting for the resolut

We thought ourselves godly Taught ourselves how to fly Now our engines are grounded And birds rule the sky Just one more species Climbing high but to fall Inventive and heedless Mortal souls after all Creature of singing Contemplation and art Educating our children In the ways of the heart And creature of cruelty Plundering with no need Killing sister and brother In our prisons of greed When we beg for survival In the suffering crowd We must live by compassion And speak kindness aloud. Easter, 2020 ***** Click here for  more poems by Richard Morgan

(Still BJUN): Having spent nearly three years working on a large dam project in South Africa, I thought to widen my experience a bit and, having absolutely not a single word of Afrikaans, I was persuaded to join an Afrikaans consulting firm which specialised in slip-form silos for grain. I was posted as Resident Engineer on three contracts in the far western Transvaal where the firm said that I would pick up Afrikaans pretty quickly.

Instagram post shared by NIloufar Pourzand Click here for the article  from VOA Summary A UN panel urges the international community to treat "gender apartheid" as a crime against humanity. They highlight the plight of women under regimes like the Taliban, who enforce systematic discrimination and oppression against them. UN experts argue "gender apartheid" is a lived reality for many, not just a theoretical concept. Taliban rule in Afghanistan is cited as a stark example, with restrictions on women's education, work, travel, and recreation. This systematic oppression, aimed at erasing women's rights, resembles core principles of apartheid. They urge the UN to recognize this as a crime against humanity under Article 2. This call echoes similar appeals from human rights groups and activists urging action against Taliban policies. Additional information: "Gender apartheid" emphasizes that discrimination is built into the system of governance itself,

US Ambassador issues 3rd veto Click here for the article Excerpts: The United States on Tuesday again vetoed a draft United Nations Security Council resolution on the Israel-Hamas war , blocking a demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire as it instead pushes the 15-member body to call for a temporary ceasefire linked to the release of hostages held by Hamas. Thirteen council members voted in favor of the Algerian-drafted text , while Britain abstained. It was the third U.S. veto of a draft resolution since the start of the current fighting on Oct. 7. Washington has also used its veto to block an amendment to draft resolution in December. "A vote in favor of this draft resolution is support to the Palestinians right to life. Conversely, voting against it implies an endorsement of the brutal violence and collective punishment inflicted upon them," Algeria's U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama told the council before the vote. "Demanding an immediate, unconditional ce

UNICEF's report The state of children in the European Union summarizes analyses by UNICEF on child well-being and progress for children in the European Union (EU) during the period of the current EU legislature, 2019-2024, and identifies key issues for the next political cycle. The report is accompanied by four policy briefs covering child poverty, mental health, the environment and digital technologies. “It’s vital the EU builds on its recent achievements in the promotion of child well-being, including the adoption of the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child in 2022 and the European Child Guarantee,” Bertrand Bainvel, UNICEF Representative to EU Institutions. Click here for the highlights Click here for the full report

  Mohammed Fall has served in UNICEF since 1993. His most recent post was UNICEF RD ESAR, and he earlier served as Representative in Nigeria and in Mongolia. Click here  for his UNICEF bio. Deeply honored and humbled to be appointed by the @UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres as the Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator for @UN_Nigeria #GlobalGoals @AminaJMohammed https://t.co/lKLQ6zXsxw — Mohamed M. M. Fall (@MohamedFall) February 20, 2024

Article shared by Malika Abrous Stunning. Best piece I have read so far on Israel/Gaza. Malika Click here for the article in the London Review of Books Excerpts: "There have been airstrikes on ambulances, airstrikes on bakeries, airstrikes on UN schools serving as shelters. Israeli forces have killed more than 150 UN staff. International charities have been reduced to tallying daily limb amputations. While Israeli officials stick to absurd denials that there is any kind of humanitarian crisis, much of urban Gaza has been turned into an uneven igneous landscape of black-grey mounds." "The proportion of buildings destroyed in Gaza now approaches that of Guernica, Hamburg or Hiroshima, cities synonymous with the worst wartime devastation. Israel’s declared objective to ‘destroy Hamas’ has no relation to its tactic towards the general population, which has been to kill them or drive them towards Egypt. It appears no longer to want to run Gaza as a cordoned-off prison camp.&q

Article shared by Oscar Fernandez A very incisive and objective view of the current crisis in Gaza! Is Hamas succeeding with their objectives? A conclusion that emerges from this article is that part of the solution is the removal of Netanyahu and a change in regime in Israel. Here is one excerpt from the article. "According to Devorah Margolin , an expert on Hamas at the center-right Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the entire point of the October 7 attack was to provoke a massive Israeli response. Handbooks and guidance sheets discovered on killed and captured Hamas fighters revealed instructions to be graphically, sadistically violent — instructions we know were fully carried out ." “The goal of that [ultraviolence] was to create a visceral response from Israel that would be seen as so disproportionate that the violence it carried out on October 7 was pushed to the side, and that Israel would be seen as the irrational actor,” she tells me. “In that sense, I thin

Article shared by Margherita Amodeo GENEVA (19 February 2024) – UN experts* today expressed alarm over credible allegations of egregious human rights violations to which Palestinian women and girls continue to be subjected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children, according to information received. “We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces,” the experts said. The experts expressed serious concern about the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October. Many have reportedly been

People, desperate and hungry, surround WFP convoy Excerpt: " This weekend the WFP had hoped to begin a week-long delivery, sending 10 lorries each day to help "stem the tide of hunger and desperation". But on Sunday, as a convoy neared the Wadi Gaza checkpoint on its way north, it was "surrounded by crowds of hungry people" with "multiple attempts by people to climb aboard" and then on entering Gaza City faced gunfire, "high tension and explosive anger". Additionally, several lorries driving between the southern city of Khan Younis and the central town of Deir al-Balah had been looted and a driver beaten. The WFP said over the past two days its teams had "witnessed unprecedented levels of desperation" in the Gaza Strip." Click here for the article in BBC News

A clash has emerged between the US, Israel and the SG over the future of UNRWA. The US and Israel have lobbied for other major UN agencies like WFP and UNICEF to absorb some of UNRWA's key functions in Gaza. This reflects mounting concerns in Washington that UNRWA's financial lifeline from the US Congress is at risk of being severed. The SG believes dismantling UNRWA would be disastrous, given the extreme humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He has privately told heads of other UN agencies not to take any steps to undermine UNRWA by poaching staff or planning contingency operations. Guterres argues UNRWA has unique capabilities and reach within Gaza that no other agency can readily replace. Tom Click here for the full article on DEVEX Click here for shorter summary on DEVEX Summary: - The US and Israel are pushing for other UN agencies like WFP and UNICEF to take over some functions currently handled by UNRWA, the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees. This reflects concerns that

Article shared by Tom McDermott There are signs that the US position on Israel's war on Palestinians in Gaza are shifting - albeit slow and far too late,.  The first visible sign at the Security Council when the US delegation attempted to head off an Algerian resolution calling for a ceasefire, by proposing instead 'a temporary ceasefire'.  This seems not only aimed at undermining the widely supported Algerian resolution, but also signalling to Israel that US support may weaken if Israel proceeds with its threat of full invasion of Rafah. Tom Click here for the article

My travel memoir, My University of the World: Adventures of an International Film & Media Maker, has been recognized as a Distinguished Favorite in the career category by Independent Press Awards.  The story first covers my years (1970-1987) as a filmmaker with Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO) and Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the trials and tribulations of travels through Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Then, I tell how completing a master's in Communication led me to join UNICEF as a multimedia producer and team leader in Bangladesh and Africa during the 1990s; followed by eight years with Johns Hopkins University, based in Baltimore and Moscow, Russia. Finally, from 2008 to 2012, I worked for AED/FHI360 in Washington, D.C. where I became the director of a large global communication project (140 staff and millions of $ to program properly in a short time). I also included over 200 images, and personal stories such a

Feridun Sinirlioglu,who led the independent assessment mission Article shared by Tom McDermott It is disappointing, but not so surprising, that the conference had to go ahead without the presence of the Taliban, who refused to attend without recognition of them being the sole legitimate government.  This came after months of negotiation and an independent assessment looking at ways Afghanistan might become integrated into future UN and international political and humanitarian aid efforts. Major stumbling blocks remain, but perhaps the assessment at least opened a few windows for future discussions over the key issues like women's rights.  We may hear more about this in coming weeks. Tom   Click here for the article Summary: The United Nations opened a two-day conference in Doha on Sunday to discuss the way forward in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban, who now rule Afghanistan, refused to attend due to disagreements over the terms of their participation. The conference was held to

Article shared by Tom McDermott Many of us have followed closely the ICJ hearings on the case South Africa brought against Israel over potential genocide in Gaza. Now an equally fascinating case will open at the ICJ on Monday. Instead of looking at Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, this one looks at one of the root causes of the war - occupation by Israel of lands agreed in past international agreements as Palestinian.   This case also differs in that it was called for by the General Assembly rather than by a single country.  Moreover, instead of South Africans arguing the case, this time Palestinians will be presenting their own case.    Stay tuned - this one could have major implications for international law and any future peace in Israel and Palestine. Tom  Click here for the full article Omar Awadullah Excerpts: "Palestinian representatives, who speak first on Monday, will argue that the Israeli occupation is illegal because it has violated three key tenets of internationa