Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Turning the World Downside Up
For Women in Asia, ‘Home’ Is a Battleground
Nearly half of the four billion people who reside in the Asia-Pacific region are women. They comprise two-thirds of the region’s poor, with millions either confined to their homes or pushed into the informal labour market where they work without any safeguards for paltry daily wages. Millions more become victims of trafficking and are forced into prostitution or sexual slavery.
U.N. Member States Accused of Cherry-Picking Human Rights
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has criticised member states for ‘cherry-picking’ human rights – advocating some and openly violating others – perhaps to suit their own national or political interests.Namibian President Wins $5 Million African Leadership Prize
Outgoing Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba was Monday named winner of the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, believed to be the most lucrative individual award in the world.
Environmental Damage to Gaza Exacerbating Food Insecurity
Extensive damage to Gaza’s environment as a result of the Israeli blockade and its devastating military campaign against the coastal territory during last year’s war from July to August, is negatively affecting the health of Gazans, especially their food security.
Farm Projects Boost Bangladeshi Women, Children
Women in Bangladesh are carving healthier, wealthier futures for themselves and their children – and they have chicken eggs and pineapples to thank.June Election Offers Asia-Pacific a Chance for Greater Influence in ICC
The health-related resignation of an International Criminal Court (ICC) judge has paved the way for Asia-Pacific governments to improve their legal representation in the international legal system, said the group Coalition for the ICC on Thursday.
Opinion: Goals for Gender Equality Are Not a ‘Wish List’ – They Are a ‘To Do List’
This weekend, at the invitation of President Michelle Bachelet and myself, women leaders from across the world are meeting in Santiago de Chile. We will applaud their achievements. We will remind ourselves of their contributions. And we will chart a way forward to correct the historical record. History has not been fair to women – but then, women usually didn’t write it.
Reporting on Violence in Mexico Brings Its Own Perils
Organised criminals in Mexico are forcing the media to stop reporting on crime, by turning their violence against journalists.
Opinion: The Middle East and Perpetual War
There is a currently popular idea in Washington, D.C. that the United States ought to be doing more to quash the recently born Islamic States of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), because if we don’t, they will send terrorists to plague our lives.
Opinion: Europe Under Merkel’s (Informal) Leadership
When I am asked whether Europe is still a relevant “protagonist” in the modern world, I always answer that there is no doubt about it. For a long time now, the continent has been shaken by financial crises, internal security strategy crises – including wars – and instability within its borders, which definitely make it a protagonist in world affairs.WHO Releases New Syringe Safety Policy to Prevent Disease
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a new policy on safe practices around syringe use, saying 90 percent of injections worldwide are unnecessary.Study Shows Shift in Level of Social Hostility Involving Religion
Social hostilities involving religion have declined worldwide, according to a new report released on Wednesday by the Washington-based Pew Research Center.All-Out War in Libya Predicted without Further Peace Talks
Libya is teetering on the edge of all-out war, with a brutal stalemate and misery for civilians predicted unless a recent minor diplomatic breakthrough can be built upon.
Despite U.N. Treaties, War Against Drugs a Losing Battle
As the call for the decriminalisation of drugs steadily picks up steam worldwide, a new study by a British charity concludes there has been no significant reduction in the global use of illicit drugs since the creation of three key U.N. anti-drug conventions, the first of which came into force over half a century ago.
Sometimes a Single Tree Is More Effective than a Government
Every morning, Raj Kumari Chaudhari walks from her home to the other end of Padnaha village, located in the Bardiya district of mid-west Nepal, to a big mango tree to offer prayers.Next Page »
The UN Terraviva Newsletter is designed to keep you up to date on the latest developments from within the United Nations and the work of its myriad agencies in the field. UN Terraviva goes beyond the resolutions and press conferences to bring you stories on how UN development initiatives and policies affect communities around the world and how local actors, in turn, influence decision-making at the global level. It is sent to more than 3,000 subscribers, with an estimated readership of over 5,000, many of whom located in New York and other cities hosting U.N. organisations.
