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Hello, I’m Jessica from The New Humanitarian, and welcome to the weekly peace and humanitarian newsletter in collaboration with Geneva Solutions.

Today we’re taking a look at polio and a final push to outsmart the disease. We’re also watching the continually delayed Afghan peace talks – which are raising more questions than answers.

And don’t forget to join us live at 5 p.m. today for a conversation between The New Humanitarian’s executive editor Josephine Schmidt and Geneva Solutions’ editorial director Serge Michel. You can find more information on how to watch us on our website.

photo journaliste

Jessica Alexander

01.09.2020


Today’s reason for hope


Polio’s last stand. Decades of vaccination campaigns and billions of dollars of spending just ended wild polio in Africa. But kids in several African countries and elsewhere still aren’t safe from “vaccine-derived” polio. Researchers and the Geneva-based Global Polio Eradication Initiative hope to fix that.

Geneva Solutions (EN)

Peace & Humanitarian News


Photo article

An Afghan man looks for his belongings after a heavy flood in Charikar city, Parwan province, Afghanistan, 26 August 2020. (Keystone / EPA / Jawad Jalali)

Floods and clashes cloud Afghan peace talks. Afghanistan’s government claims to be on the verge of face-to-face Taliban peace talks – two months ahead of a planned Geneva meeting between Afghan officials and international donors. For civilians, however, conflict, coronavirus, and now flash floods continue to disrupt lives.

Geneva Solutions (EN)

Seeing ‘good’ in Mali’s coup. Here’s why a military coup in Mali that raised alarm across West Africa and provoked gloomy headlines in Europe and North America is seen as a chance for progress by some analysts and citizens at home. In fact, a recent survey showed that over half of Malians prefer a combination of soldiers and civilians to lead the transitional government.

Bloomberg (EN)

No protection for Mexicans displaced by armed gangs and drug cartels. Fighting among gangs and drug cartels has intensified since the beginning of Covid-19 lockdowns, forcing hundreds of Mexicans to leave their homes. They join the “invisible majority of the world’s displaced people,” according to the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre — which notes that there are nearly twice as many internally displaced people as there are refugees.

The New Humanitarian (EN)

Italy’s Lampedusa: Back on the migration front line An uptick in arrivals this summer has stretched asylum processing facilities on the Italian island of Lampedusa – closer to North Africa than mainland Italy – beyond capacity. For right-wing politicians, the situation adds to the ammunition used to stoke fears and tensions over migration during the coronavirus pandemic.

The New Humanitarian (EN)

Ongoing matters


Image of the day


Photo article

Photograph taken by Ruth Daniel in Medellín, 05 March 2019 (ArcGIS StoryMap)

Comuna 13, a community in Medellín, Colombia, was long known for gang violence, military raids, drug cartels, and illegal trafficking. Now street art has turned it into a vibrant tourist destination, symbolizing Medellín’s and Colombia’s transformation and the hope for socio-economic development. This International Consortium for Conflict Graffiti includes this photo in its online exhibition of street art from conflict-affected communities. The exhibit aims to foster understanding of local conflict dynamics and communities’ visions of peace.


Next on the agenda


1-12 September | Exhibit: Informer en temps de crise. Fondation Hirondelle, a Swiss not-for-profit foundation that promotes journalism in humanitarian contexts, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. To mark the milestone, they are organizing a photo and video exhibition at the Lausanne Town Hall Forum on journalism’s role in providing reliable and credible information.

Fondation Hirondelle (FR)

1 September | Digital Launch of the Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action. Technology has long been used in humanitarian response – bringing new efficiencies but also risks. Organized by the ICRC to mark the new edition of its handbook, this all-day digital event includes panels on COVID-19 contact tracing, blockchain, and digital ID.

International Committee of the Red Cross (EN)

4 September | Online: Covid-19 and Gender Inequalities. This webinar will explore the effects of pandemics on gender inequalities. Do they create new situations or do they reinforce pre-existing disparities?

The Graduate Institute (FR)

4 September | Online: Humanitarian Online Hackathon Applications 2020. THE Port Association is a non-profit that brings together representatives from the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, and NGOs from a variety of fields to work on humanitarian technology. In October, a three-day problem-solving workshop aims to address humanitarian issues across different fields. The deadline to apply to take part is Friday 4 September.

THE Port Association (EN)

For more content from The New Humanitarian, visit thenewhumanitarian.org


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