'Unseen' News and Views
A disease that may kill every pig it infects and for which there is no effective vaccine, can be eradicated if more countries continue to work together to limit its spread, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on 20 July 2020. (*).
20 July 2020 (UN Environment)* — There was a time when industrial agriculture seemed to be a panacea for a fast-growing world. Synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides and high-yield cereal hybrids promised to reduce hunger, accommodate growing populations and stimulate economic prosperity. Between 1960 and 2015, agricultural production more than tripled, resulting in an abundance of low-cost fareand averting global food shortages.
But not everything went as anticipated. Decades of industrial farming have taken a heavy toll on the environment and raised some serious concerns about the future of food production. “Efficient farming is not just a matter of production,” says James Lomax, a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Programme Manager. “It is also about environmental sustainability, public health and economic inclusivity.”
A new statelessness determination procedure in Ukraine gives people without identity documents the right to work, study and access health care. | Español | Français
Anna Miryasheva, a 22-year-old stateless woman from Kyiv in Ukraine, holds a photo album containing pictures of her late mother, Olena. © UNHCR/Anton Fedorov
17 July 2020 (UNHCR)* — Despite having cancer, Olena Miryasheva was denied access to health care: she could not be registered at the outpatient clinic, could not obtain a prescription, and could not even undergo a medical examination which would have been free for a Ukrainian citizen.
Filmmaker Michael Moore sends a message to Concert for Cuba. July 18, 2020. | Photo: Twitter / @JoseRCabanas
16 July 2020 (openDemocracy)* — Venezuela is going through a general collapse of public services, which adds to the problem of hyperinflation, the low wages, and precarious living conditions. This context has motivated frequent protests in many communities affected by the lack of water, cooking gas, electrical power, or fuel across the country.
18 July 2020 (Wall Street International)* — What is human nature? Are we humans good or evil? To what extent is the character of a person produced by heredity, and to what extent by environment? Is competition more central to our existence than cooperation, or is it the other way around? How can a happy, peaceful and stable society be created? Are humans essentially the same as other animals, or are we fundamentally different? Should humans dominate and control nature, or should we be the custodians of nature?
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world in ways we could hardly have imagined. Everyone has been affected and everyone has a story to share. At the International Labour Organization, we wanted to hear first-hand from people in the world of work. So, we contacted them and asked:
How has the virus affected their work?
How are their countries responding?
What have they learned from this experience so far?
We spoke to government officials, business owners and essential workers, those working from home and those who have lost their jobs, young people just starting their first job and retirees-turned-volunteers. Their stories paint a gripping picture of how COVID-19 has affected the world of work and what the response has been.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 