2022

by S. K. Saidapur *
December 25th is celebrated as the Good Governance Day in memory of Bharat Ratna, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee the former Prime Minister of India, since 2014 and the date coincides with the his birth anniversary. It is to foster awareness about the significance of good governance among the officials and politicians. Good governance practiced in letter and spirit can lead to quality life for all citizens. In the governance of States the political leaders, bureaucrats and (…)

by Md. Kaunain Raza and Nafis Haider *
This photo essay is part of an ongoing reporting on the cow protection and politics around the holy cow in contemporary India.
The authors hold the copyright of all the photographs included in the photo-essay.
o o
Image 1 credit: Md Kaunain Raza. The Picture show the fur of a stray cow roaming on the street of Bah, Agra.
The politics of Cow holds an ever looming presence in the social imagination of India. Though the issue was always (…)

21 December 2022
The year is ending on a rather dismal note. Yes, coming to a close with the scare of the Corona virus set to strike. Once again, that is. Not sure whether it ever did go. Perhaps, it was hovering around, lingering about. It is just that the well-whipped virus related notions cum phobias and the connected lockdowns were given some level of relief.
Now, of course, an eerie level of suspense and uncertainty is once again high on the agenda list. Here, in our land comes up (…)

by Sara Arshad *
19 December 2022: Taangh, or longing, is a heart-wrenching film about college friends who were separated in 1947 after the division of India and the birth of Pakistan. The 90-minute documentary by Bani Singh unfolds around the central figure of her father Grahnandan ‘Nandy’ Singh, a member of the legendary Indian hockey team that won Olympic gold medals in 1948 and 1952.
Nandy and his friends were students at Government College, Lahore, where they played on the college (…)

Just before Christmas and holidays the Veterans for Peace organization has issued a call for ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict and at least a holiday truce which deserves wide attention. This statement has been signed by about 38 members, former or present office-bearers as well as a leading advisory board member. Veterans for Peace (VFP) is also an important constituent of a wider organization Peace in Ukraine Coalition which is calling for ceasefire and diplomacy to end war.
With a (…)

by Jos Chathukulam & Yoan Karell Acosta Gonzalez
Cuba has recently ratified the most inclusive family code in the world. The family code legalizes same-sex marriage, grants adoption rights to same-sex couples, recognizes ‘solidarity pregnancies’ (solidarity gestation), prenuptial agreements and assisted reproduction. Above all it acknowledges women’s work in the house, encourages men and women to equally share the household chores and responsibilities, extends labour rights to (…)

by Deborah Tolulope Esan and Blessed Obem Oyama *
In much of the world, myths regarding childbirth mean women experience more pain than they could. Education is key.
Mofoluwake Jones has two children, but their entries into the world could not be more different. Mofoluwake’s first child was born in Nigeria, a nation with a cultural tradition of women suffering silently in childbirth.
“I guess that’s how we were all programmed to see labour,” says Mofoluwake. “It seems we are yet to (…)

by Mike Runey *
This year, Pakistan experienced devastating monsoon floods that left one-third of the country submerged and nearly 1,600 dead. In Australia, the lengthening bushfire seasons and floods on an unprecedented scale and intensity shifted voter support to independent, climate-conscious candidates. Exit polls showed climate to be the second most important issue after the economy, pushing the new Labour government to be more sensitive to international climate targets. Across (…)

This report presents the main findings of a survey of 138 primary and
upper-primary schools in Jharkhand, conducted in September-October
2022 by Gyan Vigyan Samiti Jharkhand (GVSJ). The schooling system in
Jharkhand, weak to start with, suffered a heavy blow during the Covid-
19 crisis. [ . . . ]
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE:

From: Faizi S Date: Wed, Dec 21, 2022 at 1:34 PM Subject: UN CBD COP’s breach of the ROP: CBD COP doesnt have a legal advisor To: UN -> sgcentral[at]un.org Cc: CBD Executive Secretary -> executivesecretary[at]cbd.int
To
The Secretary General
United Nations
CC: The Executive Secretary
CBD Secretariat
Your Excellency,
Greetings.
1. The adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework by the CBD COP15, early this week, raises issues of substance as well as serious procedural (…)