May 25, 2020 No comments
Women peacekeepers from Brazil and India share UN military gender award
INTERNATIONAL, 25 May 2020, Peace and Security - For the first time, the UN Military Gender Advocate award has been awarded to two UN peacekeepers: Commander Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo, a Brazilian Naval officer, and Major Suman Gawani, of the Indian Army. The award, created in 2016, recognizes the dedication and effort of individual military peacekeepers in promoting the UN principles on Women, Peace and Security in peace operations. Women peacekeepers are nominated by the heads and force commanders of peace operations. Commander Monteiro de Castro Araujo serves as the military Gender and Protection Advisor in the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). During her tour of duty, she has conducted training on gender and protection, and was instrumental in seeing the number of gender-responsive...
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May 25, 2020 No comments
First person: ‘I am nothing without my culture’
INTERNATIONAL, 25 May 2020, Culture and Education - A master practitioner of the Hawaiian hula dance has told UN News that he is “nothing without my culture.” Michael Pili Pang, who is based in Honolulu, the capital of the US state of Hawaii is what is known as a kuma hula, or master teacher of the traditional dance. His interest in hula began at the age of seven and he opened his hālau or dance school over thirty years ago. He teaches what he describes as “multi-generational” classes. He spoke to UN News as part of a photography project by the International Labour Organization ahead of the UN-backed International Arts Education Week which begins on 25 May. The hula is a traditional dance rooted in...
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May 25, 2020 No comments
Mozambique school children face ‘catastrophic’ fall-out from COVID-19: a UN Resident Coordinator blog
INTERNATIONAL, 25 May 2020, Health - School children in Mozambique are facing what a senior United Nations and World Bank official in the southern African country are calling “catastrophic outcomes” from the COVID-19 pandemic. By the UN Resident Coordinator in Mozambique, Myrta Kaulard, and Mark Lundell, World Bank Country Director. For 13-year-old Rafina from Beira, one of Mozambique’s largest cities, the feeling seems familiar; her school is, once again, closed. Only one year has passed since Cyclone Idai devasted the country affecting 1.85 million people, damaging 90 per cent of Beira’s infrastructure. This time, however, there are no collapsing buildings, flooded streets and desperate people. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) sneaked into Mozambique in silence, yet it might have a far more devastating impact on Rafina’s life, and the life...
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May 24, 2020 No comments
Five reasons Costa Rica is winning plaudits for fighting COVID-19: a Resident Coordinator’s blog
INTERNATIONAL, 25 May 2020, Health - Costa Rica is winning plaudits for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Alice Shackleford, UN Resident Coordinator in Costa Rica, and WHO Representative María Dolores Pérez-Rosales, explain why the small Central American country is managing to keep the number of cases down, and its population healthy. Recognized worldwide as a strong democracy that promotes human rights, sustainable development and environmental protection, Costa Rica abolished its army, and dedicated those resources to public education. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed perhaps the greatest challenge to those historic achievements in the nation’s history, which is why, despite the low numbers and the good news, the authorities are not claiming victory. Nevertheless, the data and facts are extremely promising: Costa Rica has the lowest...
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May 24, 2020 No comments
Heed ceasefire call, UN chief urges, marking Africa Day
INTERNATIONAL, 24 May 2020, Peace and Security - African countries have “demonstrated commendable leadership” battling the COVID-19 pandemic, but more nations across the continent where conflict prevails, should heed the UN call for a global ceasefire to push back the deadly virus, said the Secretary-General on Monday. Marking Africa Day, António Guterres said in his message that the pandemic “threatens to derail progress” which would enable countries to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and development targets set out in the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063. Tomorrow, @idriselba and @Trevornoah will host the #AfricaDay Concert #AtHome. The event has the goal of raising funds for WFP and @UNICEF response to #COVID19 in Africa. Tune in LIVE tomorrow, 6 pm CET: https://bit.ly/AfricaDayConcert … The AU has established a task force to develop a...
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