Feature
In Turning A Face... into a Portrait, George McBean offers advice to retirees looking to build art skills. He recommends portrait painting as a foundation for mastering hand-eye coordination, with digital tools like iPad and Procreate offering accessible ways to practice. George shares his own portraits and a video demonstration.
Our Columnists
Ken Gibbs in Where, Oh Where Do They Find Them? offers us a frustrating but funny look back with an AI-driven update to his Samsung smartphone—an amusing reminder that 'smart' devices aren't necessarily 'smart', especially when they 'out-smart' their users. Many of us will sympathize.
Ramesh Shrestha in Information Literacy warns of the rising danger of misinformation and underscores the need for critical thinking, especially in an age of AI-generated content.
UPGI
Another great edition of LINK - May 2025.
News Links
Opinions
In an op-ed for the NY Times, Catherine Russell argues that Israel’s GHF aid distribution system violates humanitarian principles and fails to meet its legal obligations under international law. She warns the chaotic plan may worsen an already dire situation.
Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for MENA, highlights that over 50,000 children have been killed in Gaza, calling the tragedy an outrage and urging the international community to act.
Tom McDermott explores the origins and implications of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), arguing that among cut-backs to international humanitarian aid, GHF could signal a troubling shift toward privatized, politicized, and militarized aid.
Author Adam Fifield in Will the Gaza Genocide Spell the Death of the Humanitarian System? warns of moral collapse in international aid as principles give way to political convenience.
Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, denounces global silence as 35 children are killed daily in Gaza, calling it a profound moral failure of the global health community.
UNICEF
The Gender Push Initiative urges UNICEF leadership to maintain its commitment to gender parity in the Forward Focus implementation.
ECAR representatives voice concern over the planned MENA merger and the phase-out of programmes in high-income countries, emphasizing the irreplaceable role of country offices
Catherine Russell acknowledges the damage a 20% cut in international aid is inflicting on children worldwide, praising Spain for increasing its UNICEF contribution by 25%.
UN
The UN Secretariat plans to cut 6,900 jobs and reduce its core budget by 20% as part of the "UN80" restructuring effort.
In The Hurt We Took Home, a former UN staffer describes the emotional damage caused by toxic managers and a dysfunctional complaint system.
Ian Richards critiques the SG's warning about leaks, asking in response: "How else are staff expected to find out about UN80"?
Missing You
- Zenaida T. Brown, age 94, who served 34 years in DHR and led the APC.
- Yaqeen Hammad, 11-year-old social media voice of Gaza's children, killed in an airstrike.
- Sebastião Salgado's final message reminds us of the photographer’s duty to deeply understand the lives they depict.
Lighter Stuff
Caribbean Explanations of Medical Terms
Finally
Comments by our Readers
Tom McDermott
Editor for this week
I cannot find the word “outrage” in the Mena Rd statement. But he did call it a war against children. Take that Israel
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