15 hours ago
Unknown commented on "A Collection of Portraits: By George McBean"
16 hours ago
Hi George. I forgot to mention the message above is from Sandra in New York
Unknown commented on "A Collection of Portraits: By George McBean"
16 hours ago
Hello George. You've done it again! Truly brilliant and powerful. Inspiring. So happy you're able to continue doing work with such passion and joy. Stay well.
Baquer Namazi commented on "GSA and XUNICEF - New York - Sept 11 2024 : Mary Racelis"
17 hours ago
Thanks Mary, great good points win win for all, particularly children
Mary Racelis commented on "GSA and XUNICEF - New York - Sept 11 2024 : Mary Racelis"
18 hours ago
Hello Kul,
Good to hear from you, although I also follow your various commentaries online or in News and Views.
I'm seeking your, David's and Tom's advice on whether and how XUNICEF should resume our discussions with UNICEF Hq (wherever that is, now that there are look-alikes in every region!). GSA Chair Francoise says it should happen in New York and they are willing to help, if needed, with contacts and pressures for UNICEF top people to meet with XUNICEF.
Who will be the core three or four XUNICEF people who meet with the Executive Director, at least initially. If it's before November 13 when I leave New York to return to Manila, should we have David, Kul and me as the core group, with Tom possibly joining online from Colorado? Any suggestions on points to raise in writing the ExDir to request a meeting?
In the meantime, Tom, I remember that you brought in the FAO and World Bank retiree agreements. Is it true that UNICEF is the only major UN agency without a staff association? (US politics has us "fact-checking".
Looking forward to hearing from you on What's next for XUNICEF with UNICEF? Thanks, Mary
Good to hear from you, although I also follow your various commentaries online or in News and Views.
I'm seeking your, David's and Tom's advice on whether and how XUNICEF should resume our discussions with UNICEF Hq (wherever that is, now that there are look-alikes in every region!). GSA Chair Francoise says it should happen in New York and they are willing to help, if needed, with contacts and pressures for UNICEF top people to meet with XUNICEF.
Who will be the core three or four XUNICEF people who meet with the Executive Director, at least initially. If it's before November 13 when I leave New York to return to Manila, should we have David, Kul and me as the core group, with Tom possibly joining online from Colorado? Any suggestions on points to raise in writing the ExDir to request a meeting?
In the meantime, Tom, I remember that you brought in the FAO and World Bank retiree agreements. Is it true that UNICEF is the only major UN agency without a staff association? (US politics has us "fact-checking".
Looking forward to hearing from you on What's next for XUNICEF with UNICEF? Thanks, Mary
In Response to a comment by Kul Gautam
Fouad Kronfol commented on "XUNICEF Canada meets UNICEF Canada : Niloufar Pourzand"
18 hours ago
Niloufar Jan, what a wonderful initiative you organized and an impressive attendance of XUNICEF members. Bravo.
It may be opportune to now think of planning another meeting with UNICEF Canada in Montreal or Ottawa for others who could not attend. Something to look forward to in October or November this year.
Warm regards
Fouad
It may be opportune to now think of planning another meeting with UNICEF Canada in Montreal or Ottawa for others who could not attend. Something to look forward to in October or November this year.
Warm regards
Fouad
David Bassiouni commented on "GSA and XUNICEF - New York - Sept 11 2024 : Mary Racelis"
18 hours ago
Greetings Mary,
Many thanks for this and the earlier e-mail on visiting with the UNICEF Staff Association.As one of the original X-UNICEF/C0-PEACE Members who together with yourself,Sheila Barry and....? met with the HQ Colleagues,I welcome the resumption of our dialogue with UNICEF HQ. However, let us this time around first have a brainstorming among ourselves on how to crystalize our goals and expectations taking into consideration, the fears and concerns of UNICEF of such an alliance.
On an important subject,my living in USA is divided almost equally between New York City and previously Austin but now Georgetown,Texas. I have been now in Georgetown since the beginning of July and likely to stay on until the end of the year.This is where my elder son,Emile Bassiouni and his family including my two granddaughters,Nura and Natalia live,work and school. This annual migrations makes me available to CO-PEACE country-wide but limits my presence in New York City for a substantial part of the year.Hence, I leave it to you my trusted CO-PEACE Colleagues to make the best use of my time as you consider appropriate.I wish you all and your loved ones a happy week-end.
David
Many thanks for this and the earlier e-mail on visiting with the UNICEF Staff Association.As one of the original X-UNICEF/C0-PEACE Members who together with yourself,Sheila Barry and....? met with the HQ Colleagues,I welcome the resumption of our dialogue with UNICEF HQ. However, let us this time around first have a brainstorming among ourselves on how to crystalize our goals and expectations taking into consideration, the fears and concerns of UNICEF of such an alliance.
On an important subject,my living in USA is divided almost equally between New York City and previously Austin but now Georgetown,Texas. I have been now in Georgetown since the beginning of July and likely to stay on until the end of the year.This is where my elder son,Emile Bassiouni and his family including my two granddaughters,Nura and Natalia live,work and school. This annual migrations makes me available to CO-PEACE country-wide but limits my presence in New York City for a substantial part of the year.Hence, I leave it to you my trusted CO-PEACE Colleagues to make the best use of my time as you consider appropriate.I wish you all and your loved ones a happy week-end.
David
Kul Gautam commented on "GSA and XUNICEF - New York - Sept 11 2024 : Mary Racelis"
18 hours ago
Dear Mary,
Glad to know you had such a fruitful discussion with GSA colleagues.
All four key points you raised are highly appropriate.
And good to know that GSA colleagues were positively responsive.
Kul
Glad to know you had such a fruitful discussion with GSA colleagues.
All four key points you raised are highly appropriate.
And good to know that GSA colleagues were positively responsive.
Kul
18 hours ago
It is so regrettable to hear that any Yemeni authorities accuse UNICEF of subverting the education system. Over the years UNICEF has done so much for education in Yemen from helping build community schools to training teachers as well as UNICEF's first major joint project with the World Bank in Education. Surely this is not about UNICEF and the UN subverting education but in the words of our guru colleague Tarzi Vittachi "The first law of the universe: Everything is about something else". It seems necessary to understand the real reasons behind this false accusation.
20 hours ago
In June more than 50 UN, NGOs and INGOs national staff were detained within the framework of the Houthi government capturing a network of spies working for the CIA and Mossad. They attacked all the development sectors and lately focused on education - the REAL project (funded by GPE and WB and implemented by UNICEF, UNESCO, Save the children and WFP) being seen as destroying the education system (using curriculum & teachers, collecting data for spying, etc.). It is not very clear why now the education sector specifically, but I think it is because it is attracting substantial donor funding that is especially connected to the WB (in addition to being a major and influential development sector).
21 hours ago
Israel intentionally targets humanitarian workers who are a lifeline to gaza residents. No life line means fewer gazans. More proof that this is not a war against Hamas but a war against palestinians. And the USA fails to use its leverage to end the slaughter. And the International Community has been neutered. And sadly we all are powerless. Israel will pay the price for its genocidal actions. A pariah state. Israelis will always be viewed with suspicion as the vast majority have supported the Netanyahu policy.
Yesterday
It must be such a relief for the humanitarian organizations that polio surfaces in different conflict zones and they meet supply chain success in providing polio drops to kids. Keep going - polio is a global grace saver of humanitarianism! Next stop the Sudan!
Ken Gibbs commented on "Evolution of the mouse - Ken Gibbs"
2 days ago
Both the Editor and I had hoped we’d be able to persuade a particular talented XUNICEF artist to come up with an appropriate visual ‘Evolution of the Mouse’. Very sadly, he is unavailable but he ended his response with:
“Good luck with the Ode to the mouse piece - I seem to recall a Scots poet having some success with a similar observation, only his identified ‘a wee courid beastie - wi a panic in its breastie’. (AI won’t even let me type this Scots language without a fight over spelling.)”
Even I, an ex-Zimbabwean bush boy, had heard of Robert Burns – and here we have someone not only being able to quote the lines from ‘To a Mouse’, but finding that the AI spellchecker needs to go back to primary school. As I have frequently said, AI stands for ‘Absolute Idiot’.
“Good luck with the Ode to the mouse piece - I seem to recall a Scots poet having some success with a similar observation, only his identified ‘a wee courid beastie - wi a panic in its breastie’. (AI won’t even let me type this Scots language without a fight over spelling.)”
Even I, an ex-Zimbabwean bush boy, had heard of Robert Burns – and here we have someone not only being able to quote the lines from ‘To a Mouse’, but finding that the AI spellchecker needs to go back to primary school. As I have frequently said, AI stands for ‘Absolute Idiot’.
Detlef Palm commented on "Perils of peace : Ramesh Shrestha"
Sep 12, 2024
Ramesh, I have to disagree with much of what you say. It is simply not correct that the hyper-inflated way of living causes everyone to be power-hungry and greedy, and that the traditional (inevitably ‘good’) values are destroyed by technology-induced ‘insatiable dreams of needs and wants’. I do not know in which community you live, but tolerance and social cohesion (for example) are definitely a priority in our education system.
As for human values and behaviours, I do not believe that your daughter or nice would have preferred to live in the medieval ages; and as a worker you would not have wanted to have worked during the industrial revolution. Of course there were always those who wish to enrich themselves at the cost of the rest; the Pharaohs did so as does Elon Musk. Still, I’d rather drive a Tesla than lift rocks to build pyramids.
You equate conflict with the absence of peace. But conflicts always exist. People have different preferences and priorities, and we always will have conflicting ideas on how to solve an issue or spend public resources. The issue is not the existence of conflicts, but how to solve them amicably and without violence, and considering the views of the other side.
As for human values and behaviours, I do not believe that your daughter or nice would have preferred to live in the medieval ages; and as a worker you would not have wanted to have worked during the industrial revolution. Of course there were always those who wish to enrich themselves at the cost of the rest; the Pharaohs did so as does Elon Musk. Still, I’d rather drive a Tesla than lift rocks to build pyramids.
You equate conflict with the absence of peace. But conflicts always exist. People have different preferences and priorities, and we always will have conflicting ideas on how to solve an issue or spend public resources. The issue is not the existence of conflicts, but how to solve them amicably and without violence, and considering the views of the other side.
Sree Gururaja commented on "A MAGICAL ISLAND (by Horst Cerni)"
Sep 11, 2024
wonderful life indeed! enjoy Sree
Sep 11, 2024
Yes, Nuzhat, please write more about it.
Sree commented on "Evolution of the mouse - Ken Gibbs"
Sep 11, 2024
Ken, Thank you for your article- it made my day a bright humorous one! Reminded me of how the mouse traps evolved from single wood devices to fancy metallic multi- mouse catchers which we had in our Delhi home . Must add, that we found the earlier wooden device more reliable- one mouse at a time! Sree
Mary Racelis commented on "Completion of the first phase of the polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip : Adele Khodr"
Sep 10, 2024
Thank you, Adele, for your moving and informative account of the much-awaited polio vaccination drive for Gaza children! It comes as welcome relief after months of viewing the horrendous situations of those children and their families, sadly still going on. Perhaps later when you have time, you can tell us something about how the opening for humanitarian support came about. You and UNICEF must certainly have been involved. Many XUNICEF members will recall the 1980/90s' Zones of Peace for Children, so ably managed by UNICEF staff mobilizing multiple partners under the inspired leadership of Jim Grant. Some retirees in the current CO-PEACE initiativde, who met with you a few months ago, will be especially interested in the extent to which local CSO groups were part of the Gaza initiative. We are actively seeking to work with local communities, usually women's associations and their partner NGOs, in conflict-affected countries, so have much to learn. We greatly appreciate your efforts and those in the organization we love, UNICEF, striving as always for the survival, development, protection and participation of children so tragically caught in warfare. Mary
Mary Racelis commented on "Attacked by a Pelican In Varadero By Federico Garofalo (aka Fouad Kronfol) The Roaming Rhymer"
Sep 10, 2024
As I recall, I was in Cuba checking into the hotel as as part of a Ford Foundation visiting group, probably in 1995 (after I retired from UNICEF), when whom should I see at the counter but you, Fouad! Amazing! Do you remember our 1 in a million chance encounter? I'm glad we continue to meet under more ordinary circumstances -- at XUNICEF reunions. See you in Manila Feb 2025? Mary
Ramesh Shrestha commented on "We are approaching a crossroad - Ramesh Shrestha"
Sep 9, 2024
Man is forced to adapt to technology rather than technology being adapted to Man's needs. The biggest problem in the world is that the governments are not able to regulate the private sector. As a matter of fact the governments are regulated by the private sector. Unless this equation is reversed the majority of the people will continue to be in danger. Ramesh
In Response to a comment by Horst Max Cerni
Paula Claycomb commented on "Attacked by a Pelican In Varadero By Federico Garofalo (aka Fouad Kronfol) The Roaming Rhymer"
Sep 9, 2024
These photos are the first to make me want to visit Cuba, where I've never been!
Sep 9, 2024
Thanks Richard. Excellent topics, all worth debating. I have been trying close to 100 times to start a debate on what is wrong with UNICEF, but only a handful of our readers seem to have an opinion.
If we were to narrow down the list, I would favour discussing ‘development aid’, as presumably all our readers should be experts, having spent most of their professional life ‘in development’.
Possible questions/propositions:
Is development aid working?
What are the drivers of development?
Are there any pre-conditions for a country or society to develop?
Etc
With summer gone, people may be more inclined to put their thoughts on virtual paper.
If we were to narrow down the list, I would favour discussing ‘development aid’, as presumably all our readers should be experts, having spent most of their professional life ‘in development’.
Possible questions/propositions:
Is development aid working?
What are the drivers of development?
Are there any pre-conditions for a country or society to develop?
Etc
With summer gone, people may be more inclined to put their thoughts on virtual paper.
In Response to a comment by Richard M
Richard M commented on "We are approaching a crossroad - Ramesh Shrestha"
Sep 9, 2024
Thank you Ramesh, Detlef and others. I would love to join the discussion - but where to start?! What is the central issue - peace, evolution, Human progress, the national state, popular movements, natural resources, technology, love, compassion? It would be much easier if there were a structure and a central proposition! What about organising a small series of themed debates on such topics for interested XUNICEF folks?
Sep 8, 2024
How beautiful! I like it! Its stunning and a good demonstration of how we retirees should enjoy our lives. Regardless of guilt and responsibility (survives’ problem). I am listening (at last) to my daughter who said: “daddy, move on and don’t stand still, you have done your bit”. I am trying, but still….. there is all that Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, etc.
Horst Max Cerni commented on "A MAGICAL ISLAND (by Horst Cerni)"
Sep 8, 2024
Good idea, Paula. Nuzhat is also thinking of a visit. It's an interesting island.
.
.
In Response to a comment by Paula Claycomb
Sep 8, 2024
What worries me is the advancement of AI and the effective use of robots. Will we all become slaves?
Sep 8, 2024
Very thought provoking. So many issues that we wished could have simple solutions. Maybe teaching a teenager is too late, - he/she might have to learn on their own. I think Jean Piaget taught that children need to learn before they reach school age, that is by five years. Unfortunately, UNICEF paid too little attention to preschool education.
Sep 8, 2024
Cuba has lovely vacation spots, and Veradero is world famous. I am surprised, though, that there were hardly any guests (at least the photos didn't show any- besides you two). By the way, our little magical island now also features a chess set. Just waiting for players.
Sep 8, 2024
Congratulations to, Jean! Back-in-action and, as always, unstoppable.
Unknown commented on "Larry Lorenzo––The Spy Next Door! by Nuzhat Shahzadi"
Sep 8, 2024
Please continue. Guy
Sep 8, 2024
Thanks Faud for sharing these amazing photos. They made feel as if I was actually there.
Sep 7, 2024
Thanks Fuad for wonderful photos. Reminded me of my visit to Cuba in 2010.
Agatha Pratt commented on "Attacked by a Pelican In Varadero By Federico Garofalo (aka Fouad Kronfol) The Roaming Rhymer"
Sep 7, 2024
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing, Fouad.
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