Entradas

The Sahel: A Region Still Struggling with the Legacy of Colonialism

Imagen
 By Camilly Moncayo & Eidan Auz  Image: https://accionhumanitaria.wordpress.com/ The Sahel is a region located on the African continent, a strip of territory stretching from the Atlantic in the west to the Red Sea in the east, embracing parts of countries such as Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan and Eritrea. Historically, this region has been an area with a lot of commercial and cultural activity. For this reason, it is an important geopolitical zone, with a wealth of natural resources. However, during the last three years, the Sahel has experienced strong political problems "of the eight military coups recorded in Africa as of 2020, five belong to the Sahel. Mali had two in 2020 and 2021, Burkina Faso suffered another two in 2022 and Niger, the most recent, which took place last year" (Infobae, 2024). In this context, the countries of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have taken a momentous decision to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES

Putin and Kim Bolster Russia-North Korea Ties in Summit

Imagen
On June 18th, 2024 Putin arrived to North Korea, where its leader, Kim Jong Un received him with cars, gifts and pets. The last time the two Presidents met in person was in September 2023, when Kim traveled to Russia for a summit with Putin, amid warnings from the United States that the two leaders were seeking to reach an arms deal in the context of the war in Ukraine. Growing relations between Putin and Kim Jong-un could allow Pyongyang access to weapons and technology that sanctions have prevented it from obtaining for two decades, particularly for its nuclear-capable ballistic missile program. However, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned in 2023 that North Korea "will pay a price" if it reaches an arms deal with Russia. North Korea is already under UN and US sanctions due to its weapons of mass destruction program. Putin's recent visit to North Korea shows Russia's willingness to break its international isolation following the invasi

Us the women: a space to talk about violence and rights

Imagen
Raise your voice The Convention of Belém do Pará defines that violence against women shall be understood as any act or conduct, based on gender, which causes death or physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, whether in the public or the private sphere. Any action that is intended to harm you in any way is a form of violence.  In some point of your life, you may have experienced violence or actions that affected you negatively.  According to the WHO, almost one in three (35%) women globally have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or another person (not including sexual harassment). Worldwide, between 38% and 50% of murders of women are committed by intimate partners. And the majority (55-95%) of women who survive violence do not disclose their experiences or seek any form of assistance. Image:  unwomen.org There are different types of violence against women such as: Intimate partner violence:  behaviors by a current or former intima

Safe and Alive, Give us a Chance

Imagen
  Angie Vargas & Rahizza Lewis On the 19th of June the International Day for the elimination of sexual violence in conflict is commemorated. Let's act for it! During conflicts, the protection of healthcare facilities in refuges is fundamental in order to maintain the compromise with the protection of human rights and humanitarian law. Keeping hospitals as safe spaces for refugees to re-adapt to society is necessary so that the most vulnerable groups such as children and women do not get sexually violated. It is known that in shelters many women and girls are sexually violated and the consequences of it can be long term such as getting pregnant and they do not have the possibilities to take care of it. This is why we must stand in favor of acting for a world where refugees are welcomed by creating safe spaces for sexual violence survivors.  Image: news.un.org World cannot stand silent We insist to the international society to take responsibility by teaching the new generations t

Issues Regarding Ukraine Peace Summit: Outrage Among Nations

Imagen
The 2024 Ukraine Peace Summit took place in Switzerland seeking to find a way to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Surprisingly, Russia, the country at the center of the conflict, was not invited. About 100 delegations from different countries came to the meeting but many important countries did not sign the communique, the summit's outcome has led to disagreement and refusal from several important nations, causing controversy and highlighting deep political tensions.     The Summit's Goals   The main goal of the summit was to agree on important issues related to the conflict. At the end of the two-day meeting, they released a communique that speaks about a few important points:       Nuclear Safety   The communique emphasized keeping all nuclear plants safe, especially the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant because there are fears of a nuclear accident there. The document called for following safety rules set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).       Foo