From the Editors for the Week of 15 to 22 February 2026

Feature - Myra Rudin leads us out of the gloom of a frigid winter and asks us to "Think Spring", offering a color-filled and soul-lifting gallery of flowers.

Ramadan Kareem! - We echo the greetings of Mary Sidawi to all who began the holy month of Ramadan this week — Ramadan Mubarak.

The 2026 Reunion in Zimbabwe is almost here. Susan and the Zimbho team have issued Update 20 on final preparations for participants. Tigashire, Sethule!

New Members in XUNICEF - We now have 1,194 members representing 117 nationalities and living in 112 countries. Thanks to Niloufar, Oscar, Carina, Paula and others who have spread the word on social media. Let's keep reaching out to the many UNICEF colleagues who have suddenly found themselves separated or taking early retirement. The full list of members has also been updated recently.

Walk for Peace - Inspired by a group of Buddhist monks who walked 3,750 km from Texas to Washington D.C., Ramesh Shrestha meditates on why true peace remains so elusive in a world dominated by conflict and military spending.

Redaction as a Management Tool - Inspired by the release of the Epstein files, Author Redacted offers a candid account of how redaction and institutional silence functioned within UNICEF to shield misconduct and corruption rather than protect the vulnerable.

Carol Bellamy shares her dismay at the Trump Administration's decision to de-fund organizations focused on preventing terrorism.

Vaccines - This was a confusing week for those interested in vaccines and public health. John Gilmartin offers his expert analysis of recent developments:
Key US Infectious Diseases Centre to Drop Pandemic Preparation,
Vaccine Makers Curtail Research and Cut Jobs,
F.D.A. Reverses Decision and Agrees to Review Moderna's Flu Vaccine,
and New Study Suggests Severe Flu Can Damage the Heart.

Children in Detention - The detention of children in often appalling conditions has grown in the United States as the Administration pushes ahead with plans to incarcerate and deport migrants. According to the ACLU, at least 3,800 children have been detained despite court rulings limiting detention to a maximum of 20 days. In Children of Dilley, ProPublica explores the situation of children held in one of the many detention camps.

Al-Hol Emptied - The situation of women and children of former ISIL fighters has become even more dangerous and chaotic following the mass departure of families from the Al-Hol and Al-Roj camps in Syria.

Board of Peace - Kul Gautam shares his thoughts on the inaugural meeting of Trump's Board of Peace. Fouad profiles Hana al-Tarazi, the only Palestinian woman appointed to Gaza's Administration Board, which will work under the Board of Peace.

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Notice to Readers - The Editorial Team has decided to stop producing the weekly 'From the Editors' overviews.  This will therefore be our final edition of 'From the Editors'.