Yes, We're Back - And It’s Déjà Vu, All Over Again
We editors took a pause in August, and now, as we return, it feels as though the world itself had dozed off for the month. For millions of children and families, daily life remained as precarious as ever—perhaps even more so. The wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan dragged on without relief; peace plans were floated, negotiated, and collapsed—again and again.In the US, the Trump administration kept pushing domestic and foreign policy to the right, edging ever closer to authoritarianism, while democratic freedoms hung in doubt.
At the UN, the talk of UN80 and “real” reform continued, but the “real” mostly meant moving posts from one high-cost location to another and cutting costs—while the harder questions of how the organization actually does its business remained untouched.
So what really changed in August? Not much. The bigger question is what September will bring.
Will any real steps toward peace in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, or Myanmar emerge? Will there be any movement for millions of displaced people? Any action beyond the many words on climate change?
Will world leaders at the opening of the General Assembly give the same weary speeches, make the same promises—and then go home to forget them?
Will the Security Council remain locked in stalemate? Will the U.S. delegation continue to prevent the Council from uttering the word “genocide”? Will the U.S. permit the Palestinian delegation to attend the General Assembly?
And yet, even after the long nap that has stretched not only through August but much of the year, there are always small signs of life - hard to find, but let's keep looking. Perhaps September will bring not just the same old headlines, but a few fresh cracks of light.
Tom McDermott
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------We hope that you found some time for your own R&R during August. If not, do so soon.
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