XUNICEF News and Views

©Global Citizen Malawi traditional leader orders chiefs to dissolve lockdown child marriages By Charles Pensulo news.trust.org 3 min View Original Note: This is a short excerpt. Please read the full article by clicking the link above. A senior traditional leader in Malawi has ordered village chiefs to dissolve all the child marriages that took place during the country's coronavirus lockdown so girls can return to classes when schools start reopening next month. "We've been going in the villages advising people... to take care of the children so that they can return to school when they reopen because that's where the children's future is," Kachindamoto told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "I removed some chiefs before for the same reason, so chiefs know the consequences of not adhering to my directive," she added. In the case of girls who got pregnant during the COVID-19 lockdown, Kachindamoto said she had told local chiefs ...

The rapid response team steering Africa’s polio fight By polioeradication.org 4 min View Original Note: This is a short excerpt. Please read the full article by clicking the link above. “Our work starts once the lab confirms that a sample collected from either the environment or a paralysed child is caused by a poliovirus. Every minute that passes after the lab confirmation means that the poliovirus is circulating and risks infecting more children,” says Dr Modjirom. Within the first 72 hours, the Rapid Response Team deploys Team A. This team includes the GPEI Coordinator alongside an epidemiologist, an operations officer, a vaccine manager and a communicator for development. The team works closely with the health authorities in the affected country along with the relevant WHO and UNICEF country offices to prepare a risk assessment and outbreak response plan. The emergency response vaccination campaign, called ‘Round Zero’, starts within 14 days. Team B takes over fro...

Africa Declares Wild Polio Is Wiped Out — Yet It Persists In Vaccine-Derived Cases By Maria Godoy npr.org 3 min View Original Note: This is a short excerpt. Please read the full article by clicking the link above. In a historic public health achievement, the 47 nations of the World Health Organization's Africa region were certified to be free of wild poliovirus on Tuesday. The declaration comes four years after the continent reported its last case of wild poliovirus, in Nigeria, and 24 years after it launched an ambitious eradication campaign. But the region's fight against polio isn't over — vaccine-derived polio still poses a threat. And there's another type of polio that's problematic. Sixteen African nations are currently battling outbreaks of what's called "vaccine-derived polio." This is a form of polio that stems from the oral polio vaccine used in lower income countries because it is cheap and easy to administer. The ...

I am enclosing the ECPC Statement of Solidarity with the Families and Children of Beirut in the aftermath of  the Tragic Blast... We launched it more than ten days ago in support of our Partner Dr. Ghassan Issa, who is the founder and the coordinator of the Arab Network for Early Childhood Development (ANECED) based in Beirut. In the aftermath of the tragic blast Dr. Issa and his team have been involved in relief work, providing life saving aid to young children and their families, particularly among the most vulnerable population of Beirut(displaced and refugees).... Most importantly the members of the Consortium(Yale University, Queens University in Northern Ireland and others)  will lend their expertise for Mental Health and Psychosocial support to families and children in Beirut...  In this we hope to work in Partnership with the UNICEF office in Lebanon...

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the largest disruption to education in history. At the peak of the pandemic in April 2020, the nationwide closures impacted more than 1.5 billion students, or over 90 per cent of the world’s student population, from pre-primary to higher education in 200 countries.  This unprecedented disruption to education has the potential to roll back substantial gains made on girls’ education in recent decades, with broader immediate and longer-term effects on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to poverty reduction, health and well-being, inclusive quality education and gender equality.  The guide, developed by the Malala Fund, Plan International, UNESCO, UNGEI and UNICEF, aims to help policymakers and practitioners in ministries of education and their partners address the gender dimensions of the pandemic-related school closures. It provides targeted recommendations to ensure continuity of learning while ...

A protest by UN staff in Geneva. Credit: United Nations Staff Surveys Reveal Widespread Racism at the United Nations By Thalif Deen ipsnews.net 6 min View Original Note: This is a short excerpt. Please read the full article by clicking the link above. A survey of over 688 UN staffers in Geneva has come up with some startling revelations re-affirming the fact, which has long remained under wraps, that “racism exists within the United Nations”. The survey revealed that “more than 1 in 3 staff have personally experienced racial discrimination and/or have witnessed others facing racial discrimination in the workplace. And two-thirds of those who experienced racism did so on the basis of nationality”. A separate survey by the UN Staff Union in New York was equally revealing. According to the findings, 59% of the respondents said “they don’t feel the UN effectively addresses racial justice in the workplace, while every second respondent noted they don’t feel comfor...

I THINK THAT I HAD CIRCULATED THIS SOME TIME AGO......A WONDERFUL ODE TO HUMAN EVOLUTION....Fouad

Labour launches study of possible reforms to UN institutions By Patrick Wintour theguardian.com 3 min View Original Note: This is a short excerpt. Please read the full article by clicking the link above. Labour has launched a review of possible reforms to United Nations institutions, in a move that will inevitably raise questions about the continued merits of Britain’s veto as one of the five permanent members of the security council. It will also look at the UN’s efficiency, its links with civil society and the ways in which UN bodies such as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons OPCW and the international court of justice can better hold national governments to account for crimes against humanity. “If Covid has shown us anything it has shown the need for multilateral solutions, and the UN is the premier multilateral institution in the world. But we need to acknowledge its shortcomings. The UK, as one of the chief funders of the UN, could have great influence o...

L’ONU suspend les discussions sur la Syrie après la découverte de trois cas de Covid-19 By lemonde.fr 3 min View Original L’envoyé spécial de l’ONU pour la Syrie, Geir Pedersen, lors d’une conférence de presse au Palais des nations, le siège de l’ONU à Genève, vendredi 21 août 2020. Salvatore Di Nolfi / AP Remarque: ceci est une courte Note: Ceci est un court extrait. Veuillez lire l'article complet en cliquant sur le lien ci-dessus. Nouvelle déconvenue dans les pourparlers sur le conflit syrien, sur fond de crise sanitaire. La découverte de trois cas de Covid-19 parmi les délégués participant aux discussions sur la Constitution syrienne a forcé l’ONU à suspendre la réunion à Genève, a annoncé lundi l’organisation, quelques heures seulement après l’ouverture de la rencontre. « A la suite d’une première réunion constructive, la troisième session de la Commission constitutionnelle est actuellement suspendue », a annoncé le bureau de l’envoyé spécial de l’ONU pour la Syrie, G...

WHO and UNICEF congratulate Nigeria on ending wild poliovirus; call for strengthening of routine immunisation ABUJA, 25 August 2020 – WHO and UNICEF today congratulated Nigeria on being declared free of the wild poliovirus but stressed that achieving this milestone is not the end of the job - all children under five years must continue to be vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases. This is critical to significantly reduce avoidable mortality in Nigerian children under 5 years old, keep polio permanently out of Nigeria, and ensure better health and well being for future generations. The UN agencies also congratulated fellow Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners in Nigeria who helped reach this achievement: Rotary International; the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC); Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI); as well as Nigerian traditional and religious leaders and volunteer community mobi...

JOIN US IN 2 WEEKS: Shaping policies for child well-being A POLICY PANEL DISCUSSION THURSDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 15:00 CET | 9:00 EST Register for the webinar Worlds of Influence: Shaping policies for child well-being in rich countries UNICEF Innocenti’s Report Card 16 – Worlds of Influence: Understanding what shapes child well-being in rich countries – will launch on September 3, 2020 and offers a mixed picture of children’s health, skills and happiness. For far too many children, issues such as poverty, exclusion and pollution threaten their mental well-being, physical health and opportunities to develop skills. The evidence from 41 OECD and EU countries tells a comprehensive story: from children’s chances of survival, growth and protection, to whether they are learning and feel listened to, to whether their parents have the support and resources to give their children the best chance for a healthy, happy childhood. This report reveals children’s expe...

SOME INTERESTING DATA....I FEEL REALLY SORRY FOR BUFFET THOUGH...he may qualify for some Food Stamps !!! Fouad Just 12 US Billionaires Now Own More Than $1 Trillion in Combined Wealth by Jake Johnson New research published Monday by the Institute for Policy Studies shows that the dozen richest American billionaires now collectively own more than $1 trillion in wealth, a finding one analyst described as "a disturbing milestone in the U.S. history of concentrated wealth and power." According to IPS, a progressive think tank, the 12 top U.S. billionaires have seen their combined wealth soar by 40%-or $283 billion-since the coronavirus began spreading rapidly across the U.S. in mid-March, sparking widespread economic shutdowns and mass job loss. "During the first stage of the pandemic, between January 1 and March 18, the collective wealth of the Oligarchic Dozen declined by $96 billion," wrote IPS researchers Chuck Collins and Oma...

Dear Colleagues, While our journey of organizational improvement and culture change is a continuous one, COVID-19 has expedited the need for transformative action. It is against this backdrop that we need to reimagine new and improved ways of working – a UNICEF that is more agile, creative and efficient in all areas of our work for children. What we want to achieve – Our vision: We are starting to articulate an organisational vision for reimagining the way we work, and we invite you to help shape it: UNICEF is forward looking and forward leaning in how we accelerate results for children and young people. We embrace innovative approaches and technologies and apply these in creative and agile ways to realise a future fit for children. We respect, enable, and empower each other to do our very best for the world’s children. To see the full vision statement click here to be part of the conversation and to contribute to shaping our vision. How we will achieve this: ...

LADY "JUSTICE "MUST HAVE A LOT OF FUN !!!! These are from a book called "Disorder in the Court" and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while the exchanges were taking place. ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact? WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks. ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active? WITNESS: No, I just lie there. ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth? WITNESS: July 18th. ATTORNEY: What year? WITNESS: Every year. ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you? WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which. ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you? WITNESS: Forty-five years. ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning? WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam? ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the 20-year-old, how old is he? WITNESS:...

This not only a beautiful rendition of Feyrouz's song about Beirut, but the scenes of the latest destruction are heart- rending. Fouad

For those interested in Lebanon and its current emergency, here is a professional and exhaustive status report on assessment of needs and issues.. Note the various references to UNICEF ... Fouad

An Oldie, but Goodie.....

You don't have to understand Italian to follow the auctioneer: A Chinese Ming Vase is up for auction.The bidding opens at a half-million Euros. Bidding is brisk and each bidder is clearly identified as each raises the bid by 100,000 Euros. (The exchange rate at auction time was 1 Euro =$1.12.)   Within seconds, the bid stalls at One million Euros, and the gasp from the crowd identifies the excitement that prevails in the room. The successful bidder is the last one who bid - one million, and the auctioneer counts down the bid, "Going once, going twice, and sold to the gentleman sitting in front of me for one million Euros . "Now, you have to see the video for yourself. The pace is fast. This is how an auction should be.

Hi, Sree and Misrak, This toolkit might also have some useful ideas. I know Madre and WILPF, but not the other groups. It's interesting that it's also available in Swahili, which is rare and could be useful for the XUNICEF group in the DRC.  Best, Janet

Click on the link below to browse all articles ---- xunicefnewsandviews.blogspot.com From the editors: Our XUNICEF Photographer of the Week  Ramesh Shrestha takes us on his travels in Argentina Results of the  Cluster Survey  The Zoom 2 Meeting called for forming smaller cluster groups to discuss social development issues on which XUNICEF members could work.  The survey results are in and we have started to form the clusters.   Updated Calendar Doreen Lobo has been hard at work this week updating the XUNICEF Calendar .  Please take a look and help us keep it updated with any scheduled events (Zoom meetings, important dates, etc.).  You can always find the calendar by opening the small menu in the top right corner of our webpage. Let us know please if we missed any important dates - and please, add your own. September Quarterly The contributions - short stories, memoirs, photos - are coming in - and more are pr...

We are testing a New Webpage for Announcements of Deaths and Condolences We have opened an obituary page for announcements of deaths and messages of condolence. Please click here to see the obituary page.  You can also find it in the menu at the top right of our website.  In the drop-down menu choose "Pages" and "Missing You". Why a new process for announcing deaths and sending condolences?   Messages of sympathy and condolences on the XUNICEF network are seen by all of us, but are seldom seen by those who most want to see them -   members of the bereaved family.    The announcement that one of our colleagues has passed away often brings an enormous outpouring of condolences and expressions of sympathy for the family.  Sadly,  these condolences are seldom passed back to the bereaved family.  Moreover, members are deluged with copies of these messages. Sending  your messages back to a single "Missing You'  ...

Here’s a list of strenuous activities that does not require much physical effort..... 01) Beating around the bush... 02) Jumping to conclusions... 03) Climbing up the wall... 04) Swallowing your pride... 05) Passing the buck... 06) Throwing your weight around... 07) Dragging your heels... 08) Pushing your luck... 09) Making mountains out of molehills... 10) Hitting the nail on the head... 11) Wading through paperwork... 12) Bending over backwards... 13) Jumping on the bandwagon... 14) Balancing the books... 15) Running around in circles... 16) Eating crow... 17) Blowing your own horn... 18) Climbing the ladder of success... 19) Pulling out all the stops... 20) Adding fuel to the fire... 21) Opening a can of worms... 22) Putting your foot in your mouth... 23) Setting the ball rolling... 24) Going over the edge... 25) Picking up the pieces... 26) Adding 🌶 to your life 27) Dropping bricks 28) Cutting people to size 29) Pain...

Elias Khoury Quite difficult times for Lebanon and its people ! Indeed Beirut explosions have taken many lives. UNICEF staff have had their shares from this tragedy. Many lost completely their houses, others to a lesser extend but the major sadness relates to the death of two family members of Lebanon staff. First, De Gaulle (Bou Rjali who lost his wife who was under the rubble for more than 24 hours. She is survived by her daughter 6 years! Asmahan was the love of his life. The second tragedy relates to the death of Elias Khoury 15 years after two weeks of struggle in the Intensive care unit. His mother, Mireille, a wonderful human being and professional is devastated like all the family, friends etc... Mireille herself and her daughter Noor, 18 or 19 were also injured and hospitalized for around ten days.  Elias ‘s death moved the whole country. His funerals attended by many school students were transmitted live on national TVs and covered extensively ...

Malak Zaalouk Dear Misrak and all friends In Egypt through studies at community level, lack of access to safe education facilities for young girls was identified as a major causative factor encouraging child marriage.  The girl friendly community schools championed by Malak Zaalouk proved a very effective response, also creating awareness among parents, particularly mothers. I  have lost contact with Malak, but perhaps Anis can help reconnect. Malak has written extensively on this subject and perhaps she can share some of her positive experiences Best wishes Baquer

Each week we present the works of one of the XUNICEF photographers or artists represented in our galleries. This week we feature the works of  Ramesh Shrestha. Click on the first image in the slideshow below. Be patient - each slide takes about 10 seconds to load, but the first slide often takes a little longer to load. Also be sure to visit  our Instagram page  and the galleries of all of our contributing  XUNICEF Artists  and  Photographers . For this week's slideshow we have combined photos contributed by Ramesh in two series of travel photos - the Puerto Moreno Glaciers and Iguazu Falls. Puerto Moreno Glaciers - Patagonia, Argentina I am sharing some pictures I took of Puerto Moreno glaciers in Patagonia, Argentina in February 2020.  We hear of stories and worries about melting glaciers and rising sea levels. In Calafate I saw several catamarans with tourists com...