Ronald Ernst van Dijk commented on "Missing You - Suleman Malik, RIP"
2 hours ago
Suleman Malik,
One of my very dear colleagues during my time in Pakistan as Dep Representative. Remembering vividly our discussions. Our travel together to India on a meeting with colleagues from the India office. Walking the streets in Delhi with Malik and seeing boys and girls without much of a social divide. What a difference with the streets in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta (!). “Do you see that?”, I asked. “It’s our upbringing,” Malik explained, “the only females you socialise with are your mother, aunties, sisters and later your wife. We never learn communicating with the other sex.” Malik, he taught me a lot and I will never forget.
Ronald Ernst van Dijk
Social-anthropologist and retired UNICEF
One of my very dear colleagues during my time in Pakistan as Dep Representative. Remembering vividly our discussions. Our travel together to India on a meeting with colleagues from the India office. Walking the streets in Delhi with Malik and seeing boys and girls without much of a social divide. What a difference with the streets in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta (!). “Do you see that?”, I asked. “It’s our upbringing,” Malik explained, “the only females you socialise with are your mother, aunties, sisters and later your wife. We never learn communicating with the other sex.” Malik, he taught me a lot and I will never forget.
Ronald Ernst van Dijk
Social-anthropologist and retired UNICEF
Steve Umemoto commented on "How to cut child mortality in half… again : Bill Gates / Gates Notes"
Yesterday
Andre, I share your feeling that it would be so good to see UNICEF also articulating such a message. Kul's background it most usful in reminding us that Gates has in the past paid tribute to Jim Grant to the accomplishment of UNICEF under his leadership. In Bill Gates and his foundation would seem to have some of what UNICEF had under JimGrant -- Vision, leadership and courage. I suspect that he, like Jim, devotes a rather small portion of his time to "managing or administrating the organization."
UNICEF does not have this vision and leadrship at the top, and has not for the last 30 years. It is unlikely to again have that because its leadership has been and will continue to be determined by political, administrative and establishment forces that are highly unlikely to identify and put in place such visionary and dynamic leadership. Perhaps the best we can hope for is that the organization will continueto provide space for those with vision and leadership to operative a the country level making progress for children above and beyond the norms
Steve
UNICEF does not have this vision and leadrship at the top, and has not for the last 30 years. It is unlikely to again have that because its leadership has been and will continue to be determined by political, administrative and establishment forces that are highly unlikely to identify and put in place such visionary and dynamic leadership. Perhaps the best we can hope for is that the organization will continueto provide space for those with vision and leadership to operative a the country level making progress for children above and beyond the norms
Steve
Richard Jolly commented on "How to cut child mortality in half… again : Bill Gates / Gates Notes"
Yesterday
Lovely- and challenging. Richard
Yesterday
I remember him, fondly. He certainly knew a way to save the world.
Detlef Palm commented on "Time for Family Planning ? Ken Gibbs"
Yesterday
As a retiree, I have given up on family planning
Detlef Palm commented on "What? Democracy? : Ramesh Shrestha"
Yesterday
There is no point in blaming ‘democracy’ if the government takes a decision that is not to your liking. It just means that you are in the minority. Democracy is a necessary but not sufficient attribute of a country worth living in.
Moncef Bouhafa commented on "How to cut child mortality in half… again : Bill Gates / Gates Notes"
Yesterday
From the New York Times in 2023 - column by Nick Kristof. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/21/opinion/children-famine-somalia-solutions.html
"We know how to save kids’ lives. At UNICEF in the 1980s and 1990s, an American executive director named James Grant — for my money, the most important U.N. official in history — oversaw an effort that slashed death rates in the developing world and saved perhaps 25 million lives. If we built statues of heroes based on their impact on the world, busts of Grant would adorn every town square. All this underscores that we live in an age of miracles, when it is possible to m"ultiply loaves and fishes, feed the hungry and overcome death itself. And we can do this remarkably cheaply."
Pretty glowing tribute
Moncef
"We know how to save kids’ lives. At UNICEF in the 1980s and 1990s, an American executive director named James Grant — for my money, the most important U.N. official in history — oversaw an effort that slashed death rates in the developing world and saved perhaps 25 million lives. If we built statues of heroes based on their impact on the world, busts of Grant would adorn every town square. All this underscores that we live in an age of miracles, when it is possible to m"ultiply loaves and fishes, feed the hungry and overcome death itself. And we can do this remarkably cheaply."
Pretty glowing tribute
Moncef
Souleymane Diabate commented on "CIGNA - Suggestion for Carrying Over Unutilised Balance in Annual Ceiling : Farook Mohamed"
Yesterday
Dear Edith- I pray you are well.
As requested, please find below the suggestion made by one of the XUNICEF Member (Farook Mohamed, here copied) regarding CIGNA medical Insurance Plan. Despite the fact that it came out late (after posting my report), I do believe that, it's excellent and you might need to have a look at it and share with us back any comment you might have following your discussion with CIGNA.
Looking forward to Hearing from you.
Kind regards
Souleymane
As requested, please find below the suggestion made by one of the XUNICEF Member (Farook Mohamed, here copied) regarding CIGNA medical Insurance Plan. Despite the fact that it came out late (after posting my report), I do believe that, it's excellent and you might need to have a look at it and share with us back any comment you might have following your discussion with CIGNA.
Looking forward to Hearing from you.
Kind regards
Souleymane
Moncef Bouhafa commented on "How to cut child mortality in half… again : Bill Gates / Gates Notes"
Yesterday
Hi Kul Thanks for sharing. I have been doing some research on CSDR and your note helps put a lot into context. Be well
MOncef
MOncef
In Response to a comment by Kul Gautam
Kul Gautam commented on "How to cut child mortality in half… again : Bill Gates / Gates Notes"
Yesterday
Thanks, André, for sharing this important message from Bill Gates.
I have long felt that Gates is a new incarnation of Jim Grant and deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
In his 2011 Annual Letter, Bill Gates profiled UNICEF’s legendary leader Jim Grant and noted that “Jim Grant’s achievement is the greatest miracle of saving children’s lives ever”.
To better understand what strategies Grant used to convince world leaders to give top priority to child survival and development using immunization as the cutting edge, Mr. Gates invited several of us Grant’s closest colleagues (Richard Jolly, Jon Rohde, Peter Adamson, Tony Lake and Kul Gautam, joined by Gates' own colleagues Mark Suzman and Ernest Loevinsohn) to meet him at the Gates Foundation’s Washington, DC office on 9 March 2011. We had a very fruitful exchange with him. (I attach a briefing note I had prepared for that meeting).
It is worth noting that Gates was a keynote speaker (along with Nelson Mandela and Gordon Brown) at the 2001 UNGA Special Session on Children. He recounted at that Summit how he had been inspired to devote much of the rest of his life to global health issues, particularly child survival and immunization, including through GAVI. Apparently one of the colleagues who inspired and educated Gates on the importance of child health was Grant's close colleague and our dear friend Dr. Bill Foege.
This message by Bill Gates is so reminiscent of Jim Grant's missives in the 1980s and 90s.
Yes, André, I wish UNICEF's contribution to the first "Child Survival Revolution" and its continuing work figured more prominently in Gates' message. But times and circumstances have changed. Still let's hope that this message inspires UNICEF's current leadership to redouble its own efforts in partnership with organizations like the BMGF.
I have long felt that Gates is a new incarnation of Jim Grant and deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
In his 2011 Annual Letter, Bill Gates profiled UNICEF’s legendary leader Jim Grant and noted that “Jim Grant’s achievement is the greatest miracle of saving children’s lives ever”.
To better understand what strategies Grant used to convince world leaders to give top priority to child survival and development using immunization as the cutting edge, Mr. Gates invited several of us Grant’s closest colleagues (Richard Jolly, Jon Rohde, Peter Adamson, Tony Lake and Kul Gautam, joined by Gates' own colleagues Mark Suzman and Ernest Loevinsohn) to meet him at the Gates Foundation’s Washington, DC office on 9 March 2011. We had a very fruitful exchange with him. (I attach a briefing note I had prepared for that meeting).
It is worth noting that Gates was a keynote speaker (along with Nelson Mandela and Gordon Brown) at the 2001 UNGA Special Session on Children. He recounted at that Summit how he had been inspired to devote much of the rest of his life to global health issues, particularly child survival and immunization, including through GAVI. Apparently one of the colleagues who inspired and educated Gates on the importance of child health was Grant's close colleague and our dear friend Dr. Bill Foege.
This message by Bill Gates is so reminiscent of Jim Grant's missives in the 1980s and 90s.
Yes, André, I wish UNICEF's contribution to the first "Child Survival Revolution" and its continuing work figured more prominently in Gates' message. But times and circumstances have changed. Still let's hope that this message inspires UNICEF's current leadership to redouble its own efforts in partnership with organizations like the BMGF.
Apr 3, 2024
KUDOS to Martin for this memorable interview. He shined as the epitome of the selfless internationalist he has been in all his career, starting with UNICEF. He will be missed. I was also impressed with Christian's questioning which was quite personalized and did not appear to be a typical "CNN like" interview, especially on issues related to the Palestine/Gaza situation. Brava !
Apr 3, 2024
One of the recommendations on the report was about taking in consideration the experience and implications on other UN sister agencies. In addition to that and to my knowledge, all the retirees from UNICEF are not part of CIGNA insurance Medical Plan.
In Response to a comment by Unknown
Apr 2, 2024
Someone should use this to remind the Security Council of the tragedy these children represent when it discusses the issue of Children in Conflict Situations, chaired by Malta.
Apr 2, 2024
Thank you on behalf of my co-editors. But we must also reciprocate as you have become of our very, very few regular contributors who help make our efforts not go to vain.
Apr 2, 2024
A buffer against what ,pray tell? Gaza was already only 2% of the area of Palestine.
Apr 2, 2024
Again and again Francesca Albanese speaks to the truth of the situation in Gaza. She is to be congratulated for her objectivity and professionalism in carrying out her mandate. It would help if the ICJ were to speed up its deliberations...the evidence is so strikingly clear that one wonders why it is taking so long to determine a final decision !
Apr 2, 2024
Good post dear Margherita...perhaps at our Reunion we can come out with some sort of supporting statement or action encouraging Malta and its demarches at the SC ?
Apr 2, 2024
And what about the hundreds of UNRWA employees, our UN colleagues, who were also "dispatched" all over the Strip ?
Fouad Kronfol commented on "People Power: Myra Rudin"
Apr 2, 2024
You did it again, Myra. Great posting and quite apropos of events these days. It is clear that all over the world citizens have lost confidence in their governments and are increasingly voicing their views through "people power" since traditional suffrage doesn't seem to work in most countries. However the gulf between the people and the politicos seems to grow bigger and more acute, so that we are witnessing increased authoritarian reactions to counter the people. Where all this will lead, we cannot tell, but it was nice to see the variety of issues that you covered in the article.
Fouad Kronfol commented on "Interview on "My University of the World" : Neill McKee / The Authors Show"
Apr 1, 2024
Thanks Neill.. I liked the interview too...thought you responded very succintly and smartly to your interviewer. Well done.
When is the next one coming ?
Cheers Fouad
When is the next one coming ?
Cheers Fouad
Mary Racelis commented on "Interview on "My University of the World" : Neill McKee / The Authors Show"
Apr 1, 2024
I just listened to your The Authors Show interview, Neill. You convey well the excitement and learning that goes with an international development career. Because many friends have urged me to write my memoirs, I will order a copy of your book so as to get insights from you into how to do that in interesting ways. Thanks, Mary
Rohinidesilva commented on "Missing You - Michiru Tamanai, RIP - Sad news from Niloufar Pourzand"
Apr 1, 2024
Surprised too young! Rest in peace Michiru
Apr 1, 2024
Appreciate informing if Cigna is used by only UNICEF retirees only? What is the process in UNDP, WHO etc. Thanks for your response.
Mar 31, 2024
Tom, UNICEF USA SHOULD USE THEIR VOICE, BUT IN THE PAST THEY ALWAYS SHIED AWAY FROM ADVOCACY, AS OPPOSED TO EUROPEAN NATCOMS. IDEALLY UNICEF SHOULD HAVE A SAY. I WILL EXPLORE IF I COULD GET FXB HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER AT HARVARD INTERESTED . I AM AFFILIATED WITH BTHEM . IN THE MEANTIME LETS DISCUSS STRATEGIES. BILGE
Unknown commented on "Another Night in Gaza : UNICEF & James Elder on Democracy Now"
Mar 31, 2024
Israel claiming to be the most disciplined army has the full support of the Western democracies to do whatever they want against the Palestinians. The visit to Israel by Biden, Sunak, vonDerlyen, etc. encouraged and blessed IDF to commit genocide. Israeli atrocities has been going on for 75 years but for the western media 7 October 2924 seems to be the starting point. There are daily demonstrations in most Capitals for a ceasefire but the western governments continues unwavering support with money and unlimited weapons to continue genocide. The West is bending backwards to please this small minority by harming the majority globally.
Myra Rudin commented on "GOSH ! Cant believe it is six years: Fouad Kronfol"
Mar 31, 2024
My personal thanks to Fouad, Gianni, Tom, Sree and other editors who work hard each week to produce the Newsletter. Through their encouragement and guidance, I've been able to share my love of photography with several features published in the Newsletter. One submission takes many emails to finalize and as Sree mentions, different time zones make for early morning and late night correspondence. Congrats to you all!! Myra
Unknown commented on "Another Night in Gaza : UNICEF & James Elder on Democracy Now"
Mar 31, 2024
Sincere thanks to James Elder for his excellent reporting on the horrendous situation of children in Gaza.
Unknown commented on "Another Night in Gaza : UNICEF & James Elder on Democracy Now"
Mar 30, 2024
iSRAEL has chosen the most stupid way ti fight HAMAS; it doesnt work an it is committing WAR CRIMES
Unknown commented on "URGENT RESPONSE REQUESTED - CIGNA After Service Insurance Survey"
Mar 30, 2024
I have to see a dental surgeon for a biopsy only to be told they no longer accept Cigna.
These surgeons were recommended by my Dr. Dentist.
I need a biopsy….then further checking I’m told they no longer accept any insurance from the UN. What is going on. This is urgent for me.does anyone know.?
These surgeons were recommended by my Dr. Dentist.
I need a biopsy….then further checking I’m told they no longer accept any insurance from the UN. What is going on. This is urgent for me.does anyone know.?
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
Labels
Comments
Labels:
Comments
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
Comments
Post a Comment
Please ensure you leave your name, bei either selecting your google account (if you have one), or selecting 'name' from the drop down menu. Enter your name there. If confused, leave your name in the text of your comment.