XUNICEF News and Views

The weather is bizarre this year. Some days it feels almost like summer. The temperature rises to mid 70 degrees (F)/21 (C). Like us nature is confused. Some trees wear splashes of yellow and golden––standing out among the green leaves, some are trying to break into new blossoms. I remember the Fall seasons in my childhood––running barefoot in wild ecstasy with my sisters on the sandy banks of the Padma River pushing through the abundance of white giant Pampas Grass (Kaash phul) in my grandparents’ village . . . at night watching the fire flies lighting up the spots in the yard frozen in darkness . . . my no-nonsense grandmother serving her savory-dinner before the night deepened . . . some sweet-delights-desert. Those were the free-spirit times . . . decades and decades ago. . . . This is our first Fall with Raya––she just turned 5 months. We took her and Izara to three Fall/pumpkin festivals––they are my tiny terrifyingly-adorable granddaughters! Fall brings remembrances, many col...

Our Feature: Every season has it charm. Nuzhat Shahzadi sent us some memories and images from the transition from summer to winte r. While the images are of recent vintage, her memories go back to her childhood. Articles by our members :  On the occasion of the new release of the Band Aid 'Christmas Song',  Alan Court writes about his experience of the Ethiopian famine and meeting Bob Geldof of Bandaid.   Ken Gibbs revives some memories from school years and has some succinct suggestions on How to Improve the Curriculum . Ramesh Shrestha recognizes that capitalism and technology led by the globalists have become an unrecognised destabilising factor in governance, economy and democracy, and so he wonders: Is there an expiry date on globalism?   Georges Gonzales describes the feelings and difficulties of settling into a retired life, and sheds more light on the very active Senegalese UNICEF retiree group. Perhaps an experience to be emulated elsewhere? Click ...

 

COP 29 Fractures - “... developing countries need nearly $7 trillion by 2030 to transition to greener economies…..Contradictorily, the latest draft includes an offering of $250 billion annually, less than a quarter of what is required, and ignores poor countries’ calls for exclusively grant-sourced funding.” (Sierra “ Loopholes and Fractures, an Un-united nations ”

Youtube shared by Anis Salem Sigrid did well in this interview. Anis

I came across the Lost Glove Tree, near Tonbridge Lost gloves are hung on the Lost Glove Tree. And I was wondering:  If you find a (lost) glove somewhere, would you care to bring it to the lost glove tree?  And if you do - do you assume, or hope, that the rightful owner will visit the lost glove tree to see whether his or her glove is deposited here?  If you lost your glove in - say - Cambridge, Penshurst, Geneva or Mumbai, would you visit the Lost Glove Tree to see whether it ended up here?  How far would a loser travel to find a lost glove?  What type of loser would come to the Haysden Water to search for his or her lost glove?  How many gloves are lost between Tonbridge and Penshurst?  Why are so many gloves lost between Tonbridge and Penshurst?  How many people visit the Lost Glove Tree, to find their glove?  Do people hang up their gloves without actually losing them - just to have their glove on the Lost Glove Tree?  Do people purp...

Two mini reunions almost 20 years apart with Habib Hammam and Shahida Azfar: At the Hammams' with the late Manou Assadi and Saad Houri

The Band Aid recording session Article shared by Alan Court ...... Ethiopian Famine 40 Years On A friend sent me this article from The Times of London’s 24 November edition.  This article and its photos will bring back memories for many who were in Ethiopia at the time, particularly those who visited Korem. I recall visiting Bob Geldof at the time, in his studio in the centre of London. I went with a couple of folks from the UK Committee. Geldof was super crude in his dismissal of what UNICEF and the UN system had been doing “so why didn’t you f….d up f…..g people prevent this f…..g famine in the first place?” There was no point in saying what we had been doing (a lot) under Padmini’s brilliant leadership to mitigate the problems and change the way FAO and WFP were acting at the time. On the latter, Jim Grant acted on Padmini’s recommendations and worked with the SG to change UN country leadership. Our visit to Geldof’s studio was also successful to the extent that Band-Aid did pro...

THE BEAST OF BODMIN MOOR Well, glory be ! My all-boys secondary school has come of age some 50 years after I left it. Having paid to become a life member of the Old Boys’ Union, I found that the magazine was almost completely irrelevant, so I failed to inform them of our various and frequent changes of address. Those were the days when the word, ‘InterNet’ had not been coined and e-mail was a thing of science fiction, so the Union ‘forgot’ about me. Saved them some postage.

Internationalists & globalists The UN has been promoting internationalism since its creation to strengthen international relations, good governance, maintaining peace and law & order. It is the best agenda for mutual cooperation between nation states and humanism. But the recent rise of globalism with its appreciation of wealth-based governance has become the voices of elites not the voices of people, morality and integrity has sidelined the ideal concept of internationalism. In recent decades the influence of the globalists which grew exponentially in partnerships with the superstars of internet technology and social media has further degenerated traditional international cooperation and internationalism. It has also become the main cause of wars and conflicts globally based on resource exploitation and political domination on ideology resembling the colonial past. The globalists have shredded the international relations, good governance and internationalism to us vs. them.

avec El Hadj Diouf **** English version below ***** Voilà près d’un mois que je suis dans cette nouvelle période de vie, essayant effectivement de trouver un nouveau cadre de vie, cherchant de nouveaux objectifs, ouverts à toutes les propositions.

By mid-morning the sun was lava . . . Humidity oozed out of coconut-palms, hibiscus leaves . . . breadfruit trees, coral-sandy-shores . . . The heat was insufferable, scorching the tiny island, the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean. Sunlight sparkled on the tips of the foaming waves as they crashed on the sands.

“UNICEF welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon, which we hope will bring an end to the war which has killed more than 240 children, injured around 1,400, and upended the lives of countless others. This is an essential first step toward allowing communities to heal and rebuild after months of turmoil and loss. “Urgent work must now begin to ensure this peace is sustained. Children and families must be able to return to their communities safely, especially those displaced in shelters and host communities. The protection of children and their families must remain at the heart of all efforts to stabilize the situation and support recovery. “Humanitarian organizations must be granted safe, timely, and unimpeded access to deliver lifesaving aid and services to all affected areas, particularly in the south of Lebanon where needs are acute. Access to safe water, food, medical care, and psychosocial support must be prioritized to protect children from further harm, and help famili...

 Article shared by Fouad Kronfol In today’s Al Jazeera Op Ed a great article by Christofer Gunnes on the Israeli govt scoring a « self goal » by banning UNRWA in its occupied territories. He argues, correctly I might add, that removing UNRWA and its aid makes ,in legal and humanitarian law terms, all Palestinian refugees come under the responsibility of UNHCR ,one of whose main policies is the return of refugees to their homeland. In fact I remember someone telling me when I joined UNICEF that both US and Israel were instrumental in creating UNRWA in 1948/49 as a separate agency for Palestinian refugees , precisely because they did not want them to be taken care of by UNHCR under whose mandate would have to accept repatriation to Palestine…

From Facebook No one could have made such a just, so beautiful portrait of Rafic, my husband, my companion, my friend who I will miss so much in my life! Thank you my great friend Dominique! Soha

Send to us by Victor Karunan NEW BOOK: Children’s Rights in Professional Practices with Children and Youth – Tara Collins, December 2024

Peter Adamson's address to the Canadian Natcom shared by Kul Gautam UNICEF has just published its SOWCR 2024. Here is an address Peter Adamson gave to the Canadian National Committee in January 1994 recounting his work in publishing the SOWCR each year from 1980 to 1995. . Thirty years later I feel Peter's address remains the very best account of Jim Grant's message, so eloquently expressed in Peter's inimitable words. Some of the facts and figures may have changed since he delivered it, but the salience of the message for UNICEF and the world remains still very valid. In my humble view, this speech deserves to be published in our Newsletter once a year - every year - to inspire us all.

  Opening & Welcome remarks by Kul Chandra Gautam 6th Global Forum of Global Network of Religions for Children Abu Dhabi, 19 November 2024 Good morning

Sixth Forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children ANSWERING THE CALL OF THE CHILD The Abu Dhabi Declaration on Building a Hopeful World for Children

Article shared by Viviane Sakkal This story of a fashion shoot in Lucknow that went viral and turned a group of slum children into celebrities caught my eye - an example of real innovation.  Viviane

Doris is a great loss to the family, to her friends and to her Homeland Palestine. I am sharing with you the obituary from the YWCA, Her funeral will take place at Saint Peter and Paul Catholic Church in San Francisco on Wednesday the 27th of November, With appreciation for your friendship and care, Warmly, Rima

Our Feature During the 1950s Horst Cerni lived in Hamburg and so recalls the city's initial recovery after WWII. In "Ruins (and a Bunker)" Horst Cerni takes us on a tour of the city's monuments and ruins, setting them in the context of other famous ruins ranging from Hiroshima to Machu Piccchu, Angkor Wat and the Colosseum. One of the most unusual sites is the 'Green Bunker' which sheltered some 600 people during some of the worst of the firesstorms following bombing of the city. The bunker has now been converted to a hotel, restaurant botanical garden and museum. If you would like to learn more about Horst's experiences as a young man in post-war Hamburg, see his 2019 article with links to the German version of his book  'Auf Suche nach einer neuen Heimat' and English version,  'Journeying to Paradise' . Our Columnists Ken Gibbs - In " Early Onset Amnesia" Ken tells us about his struggles with a remote electronic tank moni...

  'RUINS' usually, evoke images of war and destruction, as well as suffering and loss of homes. Most ruins are cleaned up and rebuilt as soon as possible, but others remain, some as historical monuments and tourist attractions, like the Colosseum in Rome, or Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and Machu Picchu in Peru.

Fewer and fewer aid shipments reach people in Gaza, US Veto on Gaza, Russia veto on Sudan, ICC warrants at last amid attempts to kneecap the prosecutor, Hezbollah, Lebanon, and US agree on Lebanon ceasefire, but nothing heard from Israel, Trump and the UN. Afghanistan International Children’s Peace Prize - Nila Ibrahimi won the prize for her “courageous work to fight for the rights of girls". The ‘I Am My Song’ campaign was influential in convincing Kabul’s education authority to overturn a ban on schoolgirls singing in public. (CNN “ Afghan girl who encouraged others to sing wins children’s peace prize ”) COP29 Far from reality? - Humanitarians are trying to carve out a role for their expertise within the larger climate movement. “..some also worry that the jargon-heavy policy talk and negotiations happening at COP summits or in capital cities feel a long way from the urgency of today’s spiraling crises.”(The New Humanitarian, “ In Baku humanitarians try to define their role ...

  Drivers by medical specialty

UNICEF's 2024 report, released on World Children's Day, emphasizes the urgent need to protect children's rights amid significant global changes.

"The humanitarian crisis in Myanmar is reaching a critical inflexion point, with escalating conflict and climate shocks putting children and families at unprecedented risk. Over 3.4 million people have been displaced across the country, nearly 40 per cent of whom are children.

  Niloufar Pourzand and her husband Cyrus meet Fouad Kronfol, Fritz Lherisson, Chris Davids and his wife Ciana at the Les Enfant Terribles Restaurant in Montreal. Left (front to back) Fritz, Ciana, Cyrus Right (front to back) Chris, Niloufar, Fouad Kronfol

Dear Happily Retired Colleagues, After early retirement from the UN I have been a fellow at both Yale law school and Fordham University. Both institutions are or have been helping me develop the Graphix Project, a new cartoon-based global youth (of course being ex-UNICEF) human rights/social activism initiative.

No money no rights Globalisation and inequality have coexisted for centuries but the issue of globalisation became of interest among the academics, politicians and the general public around the 1970s while the issue of inequality became of interest starting in the 1980s.

Une maison traditionnelle  située à quelques mètres du site archéologique  de Baalbeck a été détruite p ar  une frappe israélienne, le 7 novembre 2024. Photo : Getty Images / Ed Ram Article shared by Fouad Kronfol When the Afghani Taliban blew up the two statues in Bamyan, the world treated them as ignorant barbarians, but in this case we hear of very little condemnation or concern. Fouad

I will always remember Nairobi as a stunning, sassy, vibrant city––audacious and resilient, needling together its many colors into a whole, unique pattern.

Trump and Lindsey Graham Article shared by Kul Gautam Interesting perspective on foreign aid under Trump II Kul

The Invisible Baron of Flinders Street: Jack Williams 1901-1982  by John Williams (Author), Mehr Khan Williams (Other Contributor) John Francis (Jack) Williams was one of the most successful of the media barons who helped shape Australia in the twentieth century.

Dear Friends Happy children‘s rights day! Despite the challenging times we are living… or especially because of the serious risks children are facing, it has become more important than ever to reiterate our unwavering commitment to the safeguard of children ‘s rights!

Living, as we do, in a remote part of a forgotten island, the pace of life matches perfectly with our advanced age where issues which seem important to our technophile grandchildren, seem pretty meaningless to us. That is, till some of the pieces of ‘kit’ on which today’s life depends, don’t function as we think they should. The grandchildren seem exasperated whenever they hear of the latest technical glitch which challenges us.

Article shared by Robert Cohen I don't buy all of this, but wow, wow, wow! Much to ponder here. What do you make of this? Robert

Editor's Note: World Children's Day takes place each year on 20 November. The day marks the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989.

Despite more than 200 children killed in Lebanon in less than two months, a disconcerting pattern has emerged: their deaths are met with inertia from those able to stop this violence. For the children of Lebanon, it has become a silent normalisation of horror.

Article shared by Baquer Namazi I do hope articles such as the one below will heighten awareness among the people and will keep the leaders focused on the right part of child protection. Baquer

Last week I offered a brief profile of Trump's nomination of Elise Stefanik as US Ambassador to the UN.  This week I look at another appointment with significant international implications: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The position carries particular weight for global health and operations of international agencies dealing with health, including UNICEF and WHO.

Is it as Gollum says in The Lord of the Rings, “My Precious” (metals) -- used in defense, green energy, high tech, and aerospace, etc.? Ukraine's soil contains trillions of dollars of rare metals, as Putin knows. Read the articles below and decide for yourself.

Article shared by Baquer Namazi Every change that occurs with new technologies that are increasingly being made available to all people, obviously the resulting transformative changes that takes place proves unsettling to those who have become complacent with the status quo. I hope and pray this new scientific power will be used for the good of humankind and will not be applied by the few profit and power seeking individuals to the detriment of the masses. In case you missed this: Best wishes Baquer Click here for the article in Foreign Affairs Summary The article highlights the potential for AI to revolutionize both war and peace. On one hand, AI could enhance military capabilities, leading to more precise and efficient warfare. On the other hand, it could also facilitate diplomatic solutions and global cooperation. However, the author warns of the risks associated with AI, including the possibility of an arms race, cyberattacks, and even the potential for AI to become a dominant for...

Dear All It is with great sadness to inform that we have lost colleagues/spouses : 1. Ms. Pinkie Saxena - spouse of Mr. Ashok Saxena She breathed her last on 12 Nov 24 at Delhi after brief illness.. Condolences may please be sent to mob 9818241311 e mail: asaxenaUN@gmail.com 2. Mr. Panduranga Shanker Spouse of Ms. Uma Shanker He breathed his last on 2 November 2024 af Delhi after brief illness. Msgs can be sent to Ms. Uma Shanker e mail: : ushanker09@gmail.com 3. Mr. G.S. Srinivasan Affectionately called Cheenu, joined UNICEF 1964 at Delhi office and retired in 1998. He has served in Delhi, Patna, Lucknow and Chennai offices. He is very jovial, and always cool and cracked jokes and a very lively person. He is survived by his wife Ms. Vanaja Srinivasan, daughters, Ms. Shobana and Ms. vanitha. Both are married and have kids. Messages may be sent to shobanaa7@gmail.com mob no. 7299484455 (ms. Shobana) 4. Mr. Bhagawan Deen, Mr. Bhagawan Deen worked in UNICEF Lucknow and retired from Luckno...

According to the Nigerian military, Alice Loksha, a Nigerian nurse working for UNICEF in the northeast of the country, escaped captivity after being held for six years by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

 Our Media Center reported this afternoon that a Foreign Army that invaded Vienna two days ago celebrated on 26 October a “Friendship celebration day with the Public of Vienna”. Our correspondent in Vienna reports as follows:

  Our feature  This week,  Luis Oliveros takes us on a surreal journey through the reporting by the "Permanent Correspondent in Vienna of the Department of Fake News," unfolding with graphic details a "Foreign Army" invasion of the city two days ago.

 

Big changes ahead for the US and the world with the Trump administration, US gives Israel a pass on its supposed 'deadline' to improve aid deliveries to Gaza, Sudan's warring armies make war against local good-doers, Syria's drug dealing, report critical of polio policy failure given a quiet release, questions arise over limits of AI by aid agencies, new UNHCR report highlights climate's role in conflict and thereby in displacement. New Administration in the US Common Ground? Trump's first term displayed volatility and a tendency to use aid as a political tool. This leads to speculation about the fate of key organisations like WHO and WFP. Meanwhile, Project 2025 agenda leans heavily to faith-based groups. At the same time we see leaders from the developing nations take the leadership in dealing with issues like climate. (The New Humanitarian " What's Common Ground Between Trump and Humanitarians?") Shut down press and NGOs? - A bill that wo...

 

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