1 hour ago
There is no indignity to be suffered from this position
In Response to a comment by Unknown
3 hours ago
@ Anonymous: Here a publicly available Facebook entry from 30 May, by the son of Stephen Lewis:
My father Stephen Lewis is spectacularly uninterested in social media, so I’m posting this myself (though he has read it and is prepared to suffer the indignity of all I'm about to reveal).
When he was Canada’s ambassador to the UN from 1984-88, Dad was truly shocked by the regularity of open, vitriolic antisemitism in the cocktail parties and ambassadorial receptions that surround that crucial but flawed institution.
For this reason (among others) he’s always been the one in our family with the deepest atavistic fear of antisemitism. He was sympathetic to the idea of Israel as a refuge longer than the rest of us.
This is no longer the case. Like so many Jews who for decades adopted the dominant narratives of Zionism, he can no longer defend the current actions of the state of Israel.
He now regards Israel as a rogue state, committing genocide and other crimes against humankind, which ought to be opposed by every tool and tactic in Canada's diplomatic arsenal. [...].
Which brings us to this morning, when at 87 years old, he spent an hour standing at the side of the road in his old riding of Scarborough West. Standing up as a Jew against genocide. Standing up for justice for Palestine. Standing up on the right side of history, where the vast majority of humanity currently stands.
I’ve never been prouder, never more humble before the stubborn principle and insistent moral clarity of the guy I’m so lucky to call Dad.
People of Canada: don’t stop talking about Palestine.
Starvation as collective punishment can never be forgiven.
Burning and burying children alive can never be defended.
Stand up against genocide until we make it stop!
My father Stephen Lewis is spectacularly uninterested in social media, so I’m posting this myself (though he has read it and is prepared to suffer the indignity of all I'm about to reveal).
When he was Canada’s ambassador to the UN from 1984-88, Dad was truly shocked by the regularity of open, vitriolic antisemitism in the cocktail parties and ambassadorial receptions that surround that crucial but flawed institution.
For this reason (among others) he’s always been the one in our family with the deepest atavistic fear of antisemitism. He was sympathetic to the idea of Israel as a refuge longer than the rest of us.
This is no longer the case. Like so many Jews who for decades adopted the dominant narratives of Zionism, he can no longer defend the current actions of the state of Israel.
He now regards Israel as a rogue state, committing genocide and other crimes against humankind, which ought to be opposed by every tool and tactic in Canada's diplomatic arsenal. [...].
Which brings us to this morning, when at 87 years old, he spent an hour standing at the side of the road in his old riding of Scarborough West. Standing up as a Jew against genocide. Standing up for justice for Palestine. Standing up on the right side of history, where the vast majority of humanity currently stands.
I’ve never been prouder, never more humble before the stubborn principle and insistent moral clarity of the guy I’m so lucky to call Dad.
People of Canada: don’t stop talking about Palestine.
Starvation as collective punishment can never be forgiven.
Burning and burying children alive can never be defended.
Stand up against genocide until we make it stop!
In Response to a comment by Unknown
5 hours ago
It would be interesting to hear Stephen Lewis's views on the children in Gaza.
Unknown commented on "How Wokeism Drove Europe to the Brink: Thomas Ekvall"
7 hours ago
According to Donald J. Trump, this will lead to "civilizational erasure"
In Response to a comment by Unknown
15 hours ago
The critique that Europe’s decline is the “predictable outcome of decades of neoliberal austerity” is a comforting simplification, one that substitutes an act of political failure with a decree of fate. The real crisis is not structural but ideological. It is the predictable consequence of a fashionable dogma, Wokeism, that has repeatedly chosen moral posturing over pragmatic governance, fundamentally undermining the pillars of Western strength.
The economic counter-narrative misdiagnoses cause and effect. It claims "progressive policies for redistribution" are necessary levers, yet ignores the scale of the current effort. The burden on European budgets is not due to austerity, but to massive social protection spending, which consumes a quarter of the EU’s GDP. The dedication of these resources comes at the direct expense of strategic investment in defence, R&D, and productivity-enhancing reforms. When policymakers elevate redistribution above growth as a moral imperative, capital flees. The resulting stagnant growth is not a structural inevitability. It is the direct, predictable consequence of a political choice.
This ideological lens is equally corrosive when viewing history. Highlighting the wealth gap in the US as the "core evidence for systemic inequality" ignores that this is largely an American-specific phenomenon.
Crucially, the attack on "selective history" is itself selective. We must never forget the unparalleled cruelty of the transatlantic slave trade. But to frame it as the West’s unique "original sin" while airbrushing the fact that the West was the first civilisation to abolish it is a distortion. It also ignores the reality of the Arab slave trade, which trafficked more African slaves to the East than were taken across the Atlantic. It also brushes aside the enslavement of over a million Europeans by North African raiders.
The true determinant of modern success is not historical grievance, but governance. The economic success of former colonies like Singapore and South Korea versus the continued poverty in non-colonised states like Ethiopia or Nepal proves that strong institutions, not victimhood, are the engine of prosperity.
Finally, the defence of Europe’s foreign and energy failures is threadbare. Germany’s nuclear phase-out, though initially sparked by Fukushima, became an ideological article of faith for the Green-Left. This commitment is what prevented a reversal, even when the Ukraine war revealed the acute need for energy security, cementing dependence on Moscow.
Similarly, while low defence spending started as a "peace dividend," its stubborn perpetuation, bolstered by an ideology that views Western power as inherently suspect, is the core failure. This moral disarmament left Europe strategically blind and materially weak when Russia shattered the illusion of perpetual peace in 2022.
Europe’s decline is not irreversible. But recovery demands abandoning this debilitating ideology. It requires a return to the realism and pragmatism that created Western prosperity: aggressive focus on productivity, coherent migration policies, and a resolute commitment to military strength. The luxury of indulging in self-criticism has passed. Europe must now choose competence over conscience, or slide into geopolitical irrelevance.
In Response to a comment by Unknown
17 hours ago
Thank you Nuzhat and Mary for your uplifting messages. Doreen
Unknown commented on "How Wokeism Drove Europe to the Brink: Thomas Ekvall"
20 hours ago
The argument that "Wokeism" is the primary cause of Europe’s economic and strategic decline is a simplification that serves as an ideological distraction from structural issues.
Europe's economic challenges, such as stagnant growth, high debt, and low productivity, are not the result of a recent cultural ideology focused on social justice, but rather the predictable outcome of decades of neoliberal austerity policies, globalised competition, and unfavourable demographic trends. Progressive policies for redistribution are necessary levers to combat rising economic inequality and ensure broad-based prosperity, which is key to long-term stability. The article misdiagnoses these structural failures as virtue-signalling.
Furthermore, the critique relies on a selective reading of history to dismiss social justice movements. Highlighting Western achievements (like the abolition of slavery) while minimising the ongoing legacy of colonialism and systemic racism is an incomplete, self-serving narrative. When progressive movements point to disparities, they are not engaged in "intellectual vandalism" but are demanding that modern societies live up to their stated liberal ideals of universal equality. For example, the persistence of the massive racial wealth gap in the West serves as the core evidence for systemic inequality, which the article ignores by citing misleading global comparisons.
Finally, the claim that "Wokeism" ruined energy and foreign policy overlooks the actual timeline and drivers. Germany's nuclear phase-out was a cross-partisan response to Fukushima, and Europe's low defence spending was a post-Cold War "peace dividend" calculation that predates the recent rise of cultural progressivism. In essence, the article substitutes a complex analysis of geopolitics, trade, and austerity with a convenient, culturally charged scapegoat.
Europe's economic challenges, such as stagnant growth, high debt, and low productivity, are not the result of a recent cultural ideology focused on social justice, but rather the predictable outcome of decades of neoliberal austerity policies, globalised competition, and unfavourable demographic trends. Progressive policies for redistribution are necessary levers to combat rising economic inequality and ensure broad-based prosperity, which is key to long-term stability. The article misdiagnoses these structural failures as virtue-signalling.
Furthermore, the critique relies on a selective reading of history to dismiss social justice movements. Highlighting Western achievements (like the abolition of slavery) while minimising the ongoing legacy of colonialism and systemic racism is an incomplete, self-serving narrative. When progressive movements point to disparities, they are not engaged in "intellectual vandalism" but are demanding that modern societies live up to their stated liberal ideals of universal equality. For example, the persistence of the massive racial wealth gap in the West serves as the core evidence for systemic inequality, which the article ignores by citing misleading global comparisons.
Finally, the claim that "Wokeism" ruined energy and foreign policy overlooks the actual timeline and drivers. Germany's nuclear phase-out was a cross-partisan response to Fukushima, and Europe's low defence spending was a post-Cold War "peace dividend" calculation that predates the recent rise of cultural progressivism. In essence, the article substitutes a complex analysis of geopolitics, trade, and austerity with a convenient, culturally charged scapegoat.
Mary Racelis commented on "Finding Rainbows and Stars - A personal journey (Doreen Lobo)"
23 hours ago
Dear Doreen, As you point out, many women go through the experience you have generously shared, but only a few -- like You -- actually write so meaningfully about the ups and downs, fears and hopes, sadness and joys of your momentous journey. Your reflections certainly reassure many in your situation, while enabling those free of it to appreciate the blessings they have, even as they realize these can never be taken for granted. Thank you! Mary
23 hours ago
Alexander Stubb’s intervention is one of the clearest and most constructive contributions to the debate about global order that I have seen from any Western leader in years. At a moment when the democratic world often seems reactive, fragmented, or unsure of its own narrative, Stubb offers a principled, credible, and outward-looking vision grounded in geopolitical experience.
Few leaders are better placed to speak about the limits of idealism or the dangers of naïveté than the president of a country that has lived for decades in the shadow of an unpredictable Russia. Finland’s history has forced it to marry values with hard-headed realism, and Stubb’s “values-based realism” reflects that blend. It is neither a return to moral grandstanding nor a resignation to great-power cynicism. It is an attempt to find a workable middle path.
His emphasis on strengthening multilateralism, rather than slipping further into a transactional, multipolar world, is both timely and necessary. Institutions such as the UN, WTO, IMF, and World Bank may be imperfect, but Stubb is right that they remain essential scaffolding for any cooperative order. His call for reform, especially of the UN Security Council, may be ambitious, but it sets a direction of travel that the democratic world has been reluctant to articulate.
Perhaps most importantly, Stubb recognises that the future will not be decided by the West and its rivals alone. His insistence that the Global South will be the decisive force in shaping the 21st-century system shows a level of humility and strategic clarity often missing in Western commentary.
One may debate the details of his three-bloc model or his characterisation of China, but those disagreements do not diminish the value of his contribution. He has offered a serious, principled, and credible starting point for rebuilding an international order that is fraying at the seams.
At a time when many Western leaders are consumed by domestic crises or short-term political pressures, Stubb’s framework stands out. It is a reminder that strategic thinking that is solidly grounded in experience, values, and an understanding of power is still possible. And for the democratic West, that is a welcome and much-needed step forward.
Few leaders are better placed to speak about the limits of idealism or the dangers of naïveté than the president of a country that has lived for decades in the shadow of an unpredictable Russia. Finland’s history has forced it to marry values with hard-headed realism, and Stubb’s “values-based realism” reflects that blend. It is neither a return to moral grandstanding nor a resignation to great-power cynicism. It is an attempt to find a workable middle path.
His emphasis on strengthening multilateralism, rather than slipping further into a transactional, multipolar world, is both timely and necessary. Institutions such as the UN, WTO, IMF, and World Bank may be imperfect, but Stubb is right that they remain essential scaffolding for any cooperative order. His call for reform, especially of the UN Security Council, may be ambitious, but it sets a direction of travel that the democratic world has been reluctant to articulate.
Perhaps most importantly, Stubb recognises that the future will not be decided by the West and its rivals alone. His insistence that the Global South will be the decisive force in shaping the 21st-century system shows a level of humility and strategic clarity often missing in Western commentary.
One may debate the details of his three-bloc model or his characterisation of China, but those disagreements do not diminish the value of his contribution. He has offered a serious, principled, and credible starting point for rebuilding an international order that is fraying at the seams.
At a time when many Western leaders are consumed by domestic crises or short-term political pressures, Stubb’s framework stands out. It is a reminder that strategic thinking that is solidly grounded in experience, values, and an understanding of power is still possible. And for the democratic West, that is a welcome and much-needed step forward.
2 days ago
Dear Doreen,
What a journey! I still remember my shock when you wrote to me with the news––just after being diagnosed. I took a long breath––read your message several times. Cancer has been a "common visitor" in the lives of my loved ones and close friends . . . I didn't want to smother you with messages––I am glad you were forthright about your condition, kept me updated constantly. I knew you understood I was with you every step of your journey. I was praying for you, rooting for you. Sending you all love, Doreen!!
What a journey! I still remember my shock when you wrote to me with the news––just after being diagnosed. I took a long breath––read your message several times. Cancer has been a "common visitor" in the lives of my loved ones and close friends . . . I didn't want to smother you with messages––I am glad you were forthright about your condition, kept me updated constantly. I knew you understood I was with you every step of your journey. I was praying for you, rooting for you. Sending you all love, Doreen!!
Detlef Palm commented on "PARIS WOULD NOT BE PARIS - Dina Craissati"
Dec 4, 2025
Excellent photography. Also check out the (click) Best Croissant in Paris
Unknown commented on "How Wokeism Drove Europe to the Brink: Thomas Ekvall"
Dec 4, 2025
I wouldn’t be so sure; Europe’s economic decline seems pretty much inevitable. India and China are the superpowers now, poised to grow even faster thanks to all that discounted, sanctioned oil and gas from Russia and Iran. Honestly, they could split the bill for the entire UNICEF budget without breaking a sweat.
Considering most African nations enjoy great relations with Beijing and New Delhi—and have strained ties with the West—maybe it’s time for the East to step in. They certainly know a thing or two about rapid development. My only worry is whether they’ll be kind enough to subsidise our pension systems while they're at it.
Considering most African nations enjoy great relations with Beijing and New Delhi—and have strained ties with the West—maybe it’s time for the East to step in. They certainly know a thing or two about rapid development. My only worry is whether they’ll be kind enough to subsidise our pension systems while they're at it.
In Response to a comment by Thomas Ekvall
Dec 3, 2025
Just in case you feel this article does not fit well in a XUNICEF blog, you may wish to reflect on where most of UNICEF's funding comes from and is likely to come from in the future.
Unknown commented on "Critics Are Wrong about DEI : Shared by Niloufar Pourzand"
Dec 3, 2025
For over a decade, DEI has been sold as a corporate and organisational miracle. If you sprinkle enough workshops and acronyms over institutions, they will magically become fairer, happier and more profitable. From Silicon Valley to Scandinavia, few management fads have spread faster.
The problem is not diversity itself, which makes workforces look more like the societies they serve and can broaden the range of ideas. It is the bureaucracy around it. What began as a reasonable attempt to widen opportunity has developed into an industry of compliance officers, mandatory training and PowerPoint presentations, none of which really move the needle on the outcomes they claim to improve.
Academic research, usually more sober than corporate enthusiasm, has been quietly unimpressed. Diversity training, the flagship tool of the DEI trade, tends to shift attitudes for a few days and behaviour hardly at all. Studies that trumpet the financial benefits of diversity usually show correlation, not causation. Well-run companies adopt modern HR practices, including DEI, not because DEI made them thrive but because competent management attracts diverse talent.
Yet in the public sector, DEI has been embraced with religious fervour. The UN has been preaching inclusion long before it had a fashionable acronym for it. Efficiency, alas, has never been among its strengths. Western governments, too, have layered DEI targets on top of creaking bureaucracies, adding processes without adding performance.
The defence of DEI is predictable. If it fails, it is because there was not enough of it, or it was done incorrectly. A reform that only works under perfect laboratory conditions is not much of a reform. Effective DEI, the kind that actually improves outcomes, requires data, incentives and structural change. These elements are rare in corporate HR departments or government institutions, which often treat DEI more as virtue signalling than management discipline.
The truth is that DEI created expectations it was never designed to meet. It can not fix underperforming schools, dysfunctional welfare agencies or bad corporate strategy. It can not substitute for a serious integration policy or competent administration. It cannot rescue firms with muddled incentives and weak leadership. At best, it can help widen the talent pipeline and reduce bias. But even then, the gains are incremental, not revolutionary.
A more sober DEI would have fewer workshops, more evidence; fewer slogans, more structural fixes; less moral grandstanding, more measurements. Above all, it would acknowledge its own limits. Diversity is desirable, but it is not destiny. And inclusion, like productivity, cannot be legislated into existence.
Until this is accepted, organisations will keep investing in symbolism and wondering why outcomes stubbornly refuse to materialise. In the end, DEI will not substitute for the hard slog of competent management.
The problem is not diversity itself, which makes workforces look more like the societies they serve and can broaden the range of ideas. It is the bureaucracy around it. What began as a reasonable attempt to widen opportunity has developed into an industry of compliance officers, mandatory training and PowerPoint presentations, none of which really move the needle on the outcomes they claim to improve.
Academic research, usually more sober than corporate enthusiasm, has been quietly unimpressed. Diversity training, the flagship tool of the DEI trade, tends to shift attitudes for a few days and behaviour hardly at all. Studies that trumpet the financial benefits of diversity usually show correlation, not causation. Well-run companies adopt modern HR practices, including DEI, not because DEI made them thrive but because competent management attracts diverse talent.
Yet in the public sector, DEI has been embraced with religious fervour. The UN has been preaching inclusion long before it had a fashionable acronym for it. Efficiency, alas, has never been among its strengths. Western governments, too, have layered DEI targets on top of creaking bureaucracies, adding processes without adding performance.
The defence of DEI is predictable. If it fails, it is because there was not enough of it, or it was done incorrectly. A reform that only works under perfect laboratory conditions is not much of a reform. Effective DEI, the kind that actually improves outcomes, requires data, incentives and structural change. These elements are rare in corporate HR departments or government institutions, which often treat DEI more as virtue signalling than management discipline.
The truth is that DEI created expectations it was never designed to meet. It can not fix underperforming schools, dysfunctional welfare agencies or bad corporate strategy. It can not substitute for a serious integration policy or competent administration. It cannot rescue firms with muddled incentives and weak leadership. At best, it can help widen the talent pipeline and reduce bias. But even then, the gains are incremental, not revolutionary.
A more sober DEI would have fewer workshops, more evidence; fewer slogans, more structural fixes; less moral grandstanding, more measurements. Above all, it would acknowledge its own limits. Diversity is desirable, but it is not destiny. And inclusion, like productivity, cannot be legislated into existence.
Until this is accepted, organisations will keep investing in symbolism and wondering why outcomes stubbornly refuse to materialise. In the end, DEI will not substitute for the hard slog of competent management.
Dec 3, 2025
A true delight to hear from some of you that I’ve not spoken to in ages! Thank you all for your kind and thoughtful messages. I don’t consider myself brave. However, I drew courage and strength from the on-going support, encouragement and prayers of my rainbows and stars - near and far! I think it is so important to spread this message to as many women as possible: early and regular screening truly makes a difference. My warmest wishes to all. Doreen
Detlef Palm commented on "Silencing the mind: Ramesh Shrestha"
Dec 3, 2025
Ramesh, try to take away a mobile device from a child and you quickly have the emotional conversation that you say has gone missing.
Dec 2, 2025
Slam, Bang, Boom ! Haven’t heard anything like this in ages.
Rohini De Silva commented on "Finding Rainbows and Stars - A personal journey (Doreen Lobo)"
Dec 2, 2025
Dear Doreen, thank you for sharing your experience and pain. Your optimism and faith gave you strength and resilience and as you say transformation. Great advice to all women out there to do your yearly mammogram. Kudos to Adrian and family for supporting you steadfastly. Keep well, God bless
Dec 2, 2025
I wonder if we still are XUNICEF or if we should not be XSOMETHING_ELSE
Dec 2, 2025
The former office of BIFKL and the Division of TIWLE will be combined into the STRACPM Group. We trust this will significantly increase efficiency and multiply impact. Have a nice day.
Cheryl Gregory Faye commented on "Finding Rainbows and Stars - A personal journey (Doreen Lobo)"
Dec 1, 2025
You're an inspiration to us all, Doreen! Thank you for your wise counsel and wishing you all the best as you continue your journey.
Paula Claycomb commented on "Finding Rainbows and Stars - A personal journey (Doreen Lobo)"
Nov 30, 2025
Dear Doreen, Thanl you for sharing your amazing and inspiring story.
Unknown commented on "Finding Rainbows and Stars - A personal journey (Doreen Lobo)"
Nov 30, 2025
dear doreen. what an elegant and eloquent reflection of your ordeal. your strength and positive spirit shine through. full of admiration. you inspire confidence in difficult times.habib. hhammam@hotmail.com
Nov 30, 2025
Thinking about it, have we not had that "deeper discussion", year in and year out, over the past 80 years? Most African countries fell further behind the rest of the world while we were discussing. If, as was debated last week, the nutritional status of children has not improved in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, the birthplace of our famed nutritional framework, and the dumb donors and aid agencies (as Detlef characterises them) have not even dealt with the symptoms, perhaps it is time to throw in the towel.
Nov 30, 2025
Yes, let's discuss. Here is my sixpence: (click) Real Cash for Real People
In Response to a comment by Ian Hopwood
Nov 30, 2025
By all means, kick it off!
Ian Hopwood commented on "Africa’s Aid Addiction: Why Cash Would Have Worked Better - Thomas Ekvall"
Nov 30, 2025
Improvements are certainly needed, but this debate seems to lump together all aid and all African countries with a focus on one instrument. There is a need for a deeper discussion.
Unknown commented on "Finding Rainbows and Stars - A personal journey (Doreen Lobo)"
Nov 30, 2025
Doreen, thank you for sharing your thoughts about your recent health challenges. It was wonderful to see how such a positive attitude could have such a good health outcome.. All the best to you and your family. Bill Hetzer
Unknown commented on "Finding Rainbows and Stars - A personal journey (Doreen Lobo)"
Nov 30, 2025
Doreen, I love you. You’re blessed; you have a beautiful and equally blessed family. You will forever be in my prayers. As always, zabeeda (z).
Nov 30, 2025
I will do it for a case of "The Macallan Fine and Rare 1926".
In Response to a comment by Detlef Palm
Nov 30, 2025
If memory serves, the bungee jump takes place from the railway bridge below the Falls, and I can confirm that it is a long, long way down to the water. . . . .so Thomas's comment is quite right. . . .
In Response to a comment by Detlef Palm
Nov 30, 2025
Dear Doreen, you make us feel that your journey was not so frightening and unbearable as is expected. Yet, your message to be alert comes across so well. You you are an epitome of strength, courage and above all friendship, which made so many people rally round you.
Gautam Banerji commented on "Finding Rainbows and Stars - A personal journey (Doreen Lobo)"
Nov 30, 2025
Thank you Doreen for sharing. Men should know no less. You set an example in resilience, courage and hope wedded to an unflinching faith in the One that guides through our destiny. Your faith has made you whole! Let us give praise!
Mehr Khan Williams commented on "Finding Rainbows and Stars - A personal journey (Doreen Lobo)"
Nov 29, 2025
Doreen, I have followed your journey and am full of admiration for the courage and the very positive spirit with which you have handled it all. Thanks for sharing your story.
Agatha Pratt commented on "Finding Rainbows and Stars - A personal journey (Doreen Lobo)"
Nov 29, 2025
Thank you, Doreen, for sharing your experience. Will continue to lift you up in prayer for healing.
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