13 August 2020 (Wall Street International)* — Never before in recent history has the spectre of mass, worldwide collapse of jobs stared us in the face as it does now. A little virus has punched the global economy so hard it has not only knocked the wind out of it, but damaged both the lungs.
In a major essay to mark the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, John Pilger describes reporting from five ‘ground zeros’ for nuclear weapons – from Hiroshima to Bikini, Nevada to Polynesia and Australia. He warns that unless we take action now, China is next.
JOHANNESBURG, Aug 11 2020 (IPS)* – As the world marks International Youth Day on August 12, it is difficult to ignore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people – particularly on efforts towards youth economic inclusion in Africa. Meaningful and swift action is needed from African states to ensure the damage is not long-lasting.
Youth at the Grand Médine town hall in Dakar, Senegal. Senegal has a large youth population, half of which is under the age of 18. By 2025, 376,000 youth are expected to enter the job market that offers only 30,000 jobs. And this number will rise to 411,000 in 2030, according to the Wilson Centre. Credit: Samuelle Paul Banga/IPS
August 2020 (Wall Street International)* — Researchers have revealed that approximately 90 percent of an iceberg is below the surface of the water. Thus, to really understand this phenomenon, you must dive beneath it to capture observations and take measurements. The same is true with countries. What you see on the surface may not be all you need to sufficiently understand them. This article plunges into issues that may not be obvious to the casual observer when pondering the question “What’s going on far away in the USA?”.
The composition of the U.S. population is currently estimated at 40% for non-white residents. The forecast is for the non-white population to outnumber the white population by 2045.
11 August 2020 (ILO)* — The universal ratification of the ILO Convention on the Worst forms of Child Labour is a milestone, says the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Tomoya Obokata. However countries need to intensify efforts to eradicate child labour in all its forms.
Geneva/ Paris, 10 August 2020 (IOM)*– The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) this week are releasing employer guidance for measures to protect migrants during COVID-19.
Burmese migrants work on fishing boats and in coastal communities in Phang Nga, southern Thailand. Photo: Thierry Falise/IOM
10 August 2020 (UN News)* — Amidst reports that many migrant workers in the Middle East are being made destitute, due to an economic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN is calling on governments and employers to respect their rights, and show solidarity with their plight.
ILO/Hisham Ashraf | A woman views an exhibition of portraits of domestic workers on their day off on International Domestic Workers Day in Qatar.
Thrown into the streets, locked in rooms, and forced to work without pay, recent media reporting has revealed the abuse and poor treatment that some migrant domestic workers in the Middle East have suffered, since the onset of the pandemic.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has confirmed that many of these workers, particularly those who have no employment contract, and live outside the household, have been severely impacted by the pandemic.
10 August 2020 (Wall Street International)* .. The Russian poet Boris Pasternak once said: “We have learned that we are guests of existence, travelers between two stations. We must discover security within ourselves.”
The search for security remains the overarching aim for many societies worldwide in today’s volatile era. Who wants to live in an Orwellian society guided by insecurity and social disorder or in a world order as described in Thomas Hobbes’ book Leviathan?
STOCKHOLM / ROME, Aug 10 2020 (IPS)* – COVID-19 has become a scourge affecting all levels of human society – morals, behaviour, human interaction, economy and politics. The pandemic has wrecked havoc on our way of being and its impact will remain huge and all-encompassing.
It is not only affecting our globally shared existence, it is also changing what has been called ”the little life”, i.e. our own way of thinking and being, our personal life situation and the one of those close to us; people we love and depend upon – our friends and family.
10 August 2020 (UN News)* — Nuclear weapons are still one of the most serious threats to mankind, and the dangers are growing. Young people can play an important role in ensuring that they are eliminated once and for all, says the UN’s top disarmament official, ahead of International Youth Day on 12 August.
Hiroshima City | The UN Under-Secretary-General of Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu (centre) meets young people in Japan at an event focused on the 75th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and the establishment of the UN.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 