Historical facts do not repeat themselves, but they can rhyme, like the verses of a long poem.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro greets people during the 198th anniversary celebration of the country’s Independence Day in Brasilia, Brazil, on September 7, 2020 / Lucio Tavora /PA Images
7 October 2020 (openDemocracy)* — Historical facts do not repeat themselves, but they can rhyme, like the verses of a long poem. I heard this phrase from my friend Sidney Chalhoub, a prestigious historian and professor at Harvard University.
New York, 10 October 2020 (UNFPA)* – On 11 October, organizations and activists around the world will mark the International Day of the Girl Child, shining a spotlight on the rights, needs, vulnerabilities, contributions and future potential of girls everywhere.
The theme for the day is “My Voice, Our Equal Future” because girls’ voices are seldom heard – not in the halls of governments, nor in homes or classrooms.
But what do we learn when we finally listen to girls?
IBADAN, Nigeria, Oct 12 2020 (IPS)* – Africa’s hopes of feeding a population projected to double by 2050 amidst a worsening climate crisis rest on huge investments in agriculture, including creating the conditions so that women can empower themselves and lead efforts to transform the continent’s farming landscape.
Rhoda Tumusiime
As we celebrate the 2020 International Year of Rural Women, Africa needs to reflect more on the role women play in food and nutrition security, land and water management.
Also, the impact of COVID-19 on women’s capacity to provide food for their families and care for their loved ones underscores the importance of strengthening their capacities by designing gender responsive actions.
We know the world has the technology and resources to eradicate hunger but finding the right policies and the will to implement them often elude us.
12 October 2020 (UN Women)* — This year on International Day of Rural Women (15 October), the spotlight is on the urgent need for Building rural women’s resilience in the wake of COVID-19, for “building back better” by strengthening rural women’s sustainable livelihoods and wellbeing.
The Connecting Business initiative (CBi), supported by OCHA and UNDP, is a coordinated network of local business responding to disasters, such as Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas in 2019. PHOTO:UN Photo/OCHA/Mark Garten
COVID-19 and the climate emergency are telling us that we need clear vision, plans and competent, empowered institutions acting on scientific evidence for the public good.
