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Hello, this is Michelle. The number of migrants embarking on a treacherous journey through the thick, inhospitable Darién Gap to reach the United States reached half a million in 2023, prompting the Panamanian government to beef up security at multiple crossing points.

While the influx has calmed down, violence and economic hardship still relentlessly push tens of thousands of people to risk their lives. The Panamian Red Cross is among a handful of humanitarian organisations struggling to cope with the humanitarian crisis.

In other news from Geneva, a UN analysis reveals seven decades of progress have been lost in the state of Palestine in just a year of war.

Finally, come join us at our next launch talk with the Geneva Press Club, where we'll unpack the financial stakes of the UN's climate summit in Baku.

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Michelle Langrand

23.10.2024


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A photo exhibit on migration through the Darién jungle between Colombia and Panama at the IFRC's headquarters. (Geneva Solutions/Paula Dupraz-Dobias)

Panama’s Darién Gap: local Red Cross at crossroads of migration politics. During a recent visit to Geneva, the head of Panama’s Red Cross society spoke to Geneva Solutions about responding to the significant surge in people crossing one of the world’s riskiest migration routes as the latest presidential election cycle in the United States adds pressure on the region to curb the flow. Migration will be top of the Red Cross conference's agenda next week.

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4 November | How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking? Technology is often seen as a beacon of hope for the future, with artificial intelligence at the forefront of this optimism. But despite being built from vast amounts of data, AI technologies frequently mirror the very errors we seek to overcome.

In this keynote public event, Professor Shannon Vallor from the Edinburgh Futures Institute will delve into AI’s potential to help us reclaim human moral and intellectual growth instead of reproducing the biases and mistakes of the past. She advocates for reimagining AI as a tool for shaping a better world. The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion featuring experts Mia Perry, Claude Bruderlein and Jérôme Duberry, who will focus on the importance of AI literacy for diplomats and professionals in international Geneva.

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Cop29: can countries unlock new climate finance? The climate conference next month comes in a year dominated by wars, elections and extreme weather events. As climate change slips down the global agenda, raising the risk of governments slowing their pace in reducing greenhouse emissions, countries have a crucial task at hand: agreeing on a new funding target to help vulnerable nations cope with climate impacts. Will wealthy nations put aside their own political agendas and agree to turn billions of dollars in financial commitments into trillions, as poorer nations have called for? What of Cop28's promise to transition away from fossil fuels?

Join us on Monday, 4 November, at 12:15 pm at Domaine du Château de Penthes, Geneva, for a discussion featuring experts and advocates who will share their insights and expectations for Cop29. Snacks and drinks will be served after.

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