The Editors of XUNICEF News & Views regret to announce that publication of the XUNICEF Blog will end in March 2026, unless a new team of editors can be found in the meantime. After 8 years of publication, it is with deep appreciation and sadness that we prepare to bring this chapter to a close. We hope that others will step forward to keep communication alive among the members of XUNICEF.
La Dolce Vita - Myra Rudin recently returned from southern Italy and is still "smelling the lemons." This week Myra shares her photos of neighborhood scenes that illustrate the beauty, landscape, and nature of the region.
Anniversaries - We celebrated Human Rights Day and UNICEF Day this week. For more on UNICEF's history, see also the related articles, "Patras Bokhari and UNICEF" and "Ludwik Rajchman"
"Cool Offices"Contest - In November Richard Bridle challenged members to send in photos of "the coolest UNICEF office". We have received a good number of entries which we will publish next week. Don't miss the chance to send in your entry for 'the coolest" office where you worked or visited in UNICEF.
Our Columnists and Contributors
Ramesh Shrestha offers his thoughts on Consumer Responsibility and Greenhouse Gases
Ken Gibbs - The Rhodes Statue Affair
Kul Gautam tells us about the Daunting Tasks Ahead for the New Secretary-General
V. Muthuswami sends a A message for Former and Current UN Staff and Member States drawn from India's ancient civilisational philosophy that views all humanity as organically interconnected.
Articles Contributed by Members
- The new US security strategy document prompted considerable discussion and a record (for News & Views) of three contributions by members: What the US National Strategy Might (or Might Not) Mean for the UN and Humanitarian Community; Europe's "Civilizational Erasure"; and a Summary of the US National Security Strategy
- The prison camps in Syria that have held the women and children of ISIS fighters since 2019 may close soon - a dilemma for governments, human rights advocates, and UNICEF.
- The same settler groups that have pushed Palestinians out of the West Bank are preparing to occupy northern Gaza. This comes at the moment when the Israeli military claims that the 'yellow line' dividing Gaza is Israel's new border.
- OCHA launched the joint Humanitarian Appeal for 2026 on December 8th, cutting the requirements from $47 billion to $23 billion. Tom Fletcher says this is realistic given the donor climate. Others argue that the appeal should set out full needs, not just what donors are ready to meet.
- Last month's Security Council approval of the US plan for Gaza is still in the news - see "Elevates Rule of Force over Rule of Law"
- Scammers are using AI to imitate the voices of people you trust.
- The US plans mandatory reviews of social media history for many visitors to the US.
Check out our overview of The News of the Week and - in case you missed them during the week - our daily News Links
Reports
A Generation of Progress, A Choice to Make - The Gates Foundation's Goalkeepers 2025 Report
Femicides in 2024 - UN Women
XUNICEF
Niloufar Pourzand calls on XUNICEF members to reach out to friends and colleagues leaving UNICEF as a result of restructuring and budget cuts. She points to the challenges facing those who are leaving earlier than planned and encourages them to join XUNICEF.
Video
A Cormorant Goes Out for Lunch - Dr. Seenappa shares a video clip of a cormorant on Lalbagh Lake in Bangalore.
Comments by our readers
Tom McDermott
Editor of the Week
You have done well keeping up with this project. Have you called for volunteers and received no response?
ReplyDelete