'Unseen' News and Views
Hawaiian Flag (top); Queen Liliuokalani, last Monarch of Hawaii (bottom) – On 17 Jan 1893, Hawaii’s monarchy was overthrown when a group of businessmen and sugar planters aided by US Marines forced Queen Liliuokalani to abdicate.
Lt. Col. Danny Davis was a hero on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Our army hero then became a whistleblowing legend by exposing the chronic monumental lies the military has told and continues to peddle about achieving victory in those convulsed and splintered nations. The costs of the military’s prevarications have been steep: trillions of dollars squandered on fool’s errands; the killing, maiming or displacement of millions; and the awakening of hatreds or revenge against the United States that make all citizens potential targets.
18 December 2020 — (UN News)* — The United Nations is commemorating International Migrants Day, on Friday [18 December 2020], highlighting their contributions to societies globally, and underlining the need to ensure that they remain central to the recovery from COVID-19.
We are born with power inherent in us. Why cede it to governments (capitalist, socialist, royal, and whatever other brand)? Why forever run after parties, however revolutionary, thinking they will do the right thing when in power… when we know from experience this is usually not the case?
John Scales Avery
Cultural Evolution
In all terrestrial organisms, information is transmitted between generations by means of the genetic code; and genetic evolution takes place through natural selection acting on modifications of this code.
In human cultural evolution, information is also transmitted between generations by means of language and writing.
This second mode of evolution gave our species enormous adaptive advantages. While genetic changes are random and slow, cultural changes are purposeful and rapid.
For example, when our ancestors moved out of Africa and spread over Europe and Asia, they did not adapt to the colder climate by growing long fur, but instead invented clothing.
The UN General Assembly designated 2021 the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV). FAO is the lead agency for celebrating the year in collaboration with other relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system.
What are Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are considered edible parts of plants (e.g. seed bearing structures, flowers, buds, leaves, stems, shoots and roots), either cultivated or harvested wild, in their raw state or in a minimally processed form.
16 December 2020 (FAO)* — A vegetable that tastes like bread? A lesser-known cousin of the artichoke? A food that is both a vegetable and a grain? Who said that fruits and vegetables are boring! In the world of fruits and vegetables, there is much to discover.
(United Nations)* — The world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. An unprecedented 70.8 million people around the world have been forced from home by conflict and persecution at the end of 2018. Among them are nearly 30 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. There are also millions of stateless people, who have been denied a nationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement. People fleeing persecution and conflict have been granted asylum in foreign lands for thousands of years.
16 December 2020 (United Nations)* — Since the earliest times, humanity has been on the move. Some people move in search of work or economic opportunities, to join family, or to study. Others move to escape conflict, persecution, terrorism, or human rights violations. Still others move in response to the adverse effects of climate change, natural disasters, or other environmental factors.
Today, more people than ever live in a country other than the one in which they were born. In 2019, the number of migrants globally reached an estimated 272 million, 51 million more than in 2010.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 