Indonesia's Critically Endangered Species in extreme danger due to Corruption and Corporate Greed

"As of September 2026 more than 60% of the habitat of the Bornean orangutan (Indonesia) was destroyed just in the last 3 MONTHS in fires deliberately set so that capitalists can keep installing more palm oil plantations.

No one talks about this ecocide caused by capitalist interests; orangutans are being captured wandering hungry in search of something to eat outside their habitat. Their habitat is being destroyed for profit. It's a critical situation unfolding in Borneo, the perfect reflection of this predatory system that ravages everything just to boost the economic gains of multinational corporations, which stuff palm oil into 50% of supermarket products." - Daniel Mayakovski

"At one point Sunday (6 Sept 2026), the level of PM2.5 pollution exceeded 500 micrograms per cubic meter, according to IQAir, a Switzerland-based monitor. That is more than 100 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit for airborne particles so small they can enter deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream, with potentially dire consequences for health." -(phys.org) Wildlife that survives the flames are suffering from dehydration and respiratory injury from prolonged smoke exposure. On August 30th a 20 year old male orangutan, Sampurna, was found unconscious and later died from collapsed lungs due to smoke inhalation. He was found in a dry ditch within a community-owned palm oil plantation in West Kalimantan that is part of a recognized orangutan habitat. Unfortunately Sampurna is one of many. RIP Sampurna & all who are victims of the smoke and flames.💔

Orangutans are amongst the critically endangered species in Indonesia that are supposed to be protected, but unfortunately the combination of government corruption, corporate greed, and the demand for palm oil poses a major threat to biodiversity across Indonesia. "Between 1999 and 2015, approximately half of Bornean orangutans were affected by logging, deforestation and palm oil plantations, with the researchers estimating that more than 148,500 Bornean orangutans were lost during that period." -(sciencedirect.com)

Orangutans are not the only critically endangered species that are vulnerable to deforestation. In the 1990s Sumatra became one of the major centers expanding commercial palm oil agriculture. Forests were increasingly logged and converted to plantations, including lands inhabited by orangutans, Sumatran tigers, pangolins, and rhinos in which there are less than 50 in Sumatra and only 2 in existence in Borneo. "The Sumatran Tiger, Panthera tigris sondaica, is critically endangered, with less than 600 of their species alive in the wild today. Once living in Java and Bali, they are now only found in Sumatra, Indonesia. The smallest tiger species, they possess darker coats and narrower stripes than their mainland counterparts. Sumatran Tigers face serious and grave threats from palm oil habitat destruction, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict. Sumatra’s ongoing deforestation, driven by palm oil and acacia plantations, continues to shrink their habitat. Conservation efforts are underway, but the future of this magnificent species hangs in the balance." -(palmoildetectives.com)

As the future of Indonesia's wildlife hangs on a thread you may ask youself, "What can I do about it?" You can do a lot! As consumers we have the power to boycott the products that contain deforested palm oil. It is our consumption that has created the demand for those products. If we are aware of what these products are, who the suppliers are, and what the suppliers are doing to endangered wildlife's habitat in order to supply the demand, we can STOP purchasing them. We can help protect the orangutans, Sumatran tigers, pygmy elephants, sun bears, rhinos, pangolins, and all Indonesian species every time we shop.

::CLICK HERE:: for a list of products made with Palm Oil to AVOID.

::CLICK HERE:: for a list of ethical products that are Palm Oil Free!

::CLICK HERE:: to Donate to help Emergency Orangutan Rescue missions on the front lines in Kalimantan, Borneo to provide veterinary care, rescue equipment and transport❤️🙏🏼🦧🙏🏼❤️⛑🚒🙏

::CLICK HERE:: to Help local firefighters on ground zero in Kalimantan, Borneo

::CLICK HERE:: to learn more about Orangutan Conservation, Ecosystem Conservation, & To Donate

Please share & raise awareness on social media. Use the hashtags #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife. Thank you for caring!
Terima Kasih🙏🏼

Endangered Species Committee; Federal “God Squad” Votes to Override Endangered Species Laws for Offshore Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico

::CLICK HERE:: to send a message to Congress opposing the Trump administration’s plan to sacrifice marine wildlife in the Gulf to make way for drilling.

Disaster happens when a sociopathic and greedy administration appoints the Endangered Species Committee, aka the "God Squad" for the first time in 30 years and convenes appointees that are fossil fuel advocates who were specifically appointed to systematically dismantle protections for endangered species in order to gut restrictions that inhibit Big Oil from drilling in areas that are inhabited by species that are in danger of becoming extinct. The members newly appointed to the ESC are the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth aka "Prosecco Pete", the Trump appointed head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Lee Zeldin who is a career politician/shill, who has pushed major deregulation, including rolling back pollution and emissions rules, the Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins who has helped shape the Trump administration’s anti-environmental policy, chaired by Doug Burgum, a politician and fossil fuel development businessman, along with three other Trump cronies.

"On the last day of March, the Trump administration convened the Endangered Species Committee, or so-called God Squad, a rarely used panel that has the power to condemn an endangered species to extinction. In an incredibly brief but deeply consequential meeting, the God Squad voted to allow oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico to move forward without regard to their impacts on the area’s critically imperiled species. Exempting these activities puts federally listed species, including the Rice’s whale, manatees, and five species of sea turtles, at risk of irreversible harm—and potentially extinction." (via NRDC.org)

“Extinction is an unacceptable price to pay for expediency, especially when long-established, commonsense practices can help energy development and wildlife recovery co-exist,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Endangered species in the Gulf are not impeding our military readiness nor our strategic positions — and allowing harm to them will not make our troops or nation safer. We should be rallying the nation to recover America’s critically endangered species like the Rice's whale and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, and we urge oil companies to continue to follow responsible practices that protect wildlife, while we work with Congress and the courts on a responsible path forward.” (via NWF.org)

::CLICK HERE:: to sign Oceana's Petition. Add your name TODAY to oppose legislation in Congress that would further weaken these critical protections for ocean wildlife on the brink of extinction.💙🌊🐋🐢🐬🐟🦈🦅💙

::CLICK HERE:: to read the "Endangered Species Act"

::CLICK HERE:: to read the "Marine Mammal Protection Act"

::CLICK HERE:: to read full NRDC.org article

"The Farm Bill’s One-Two Punch"

PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE ~> CLICK HERE

"Our Stand: At-A-Glance

The “Farm Bill” sets national policy for farms, food, and land in the U.S. It’s reviewed and renewed approximately every 5 years. The 2026 Farm Bill released February 13, 2026, would give HUGE GIFTS to pesticide manufacturers. ONE: It would effectively shield pesticide makers from state court cases alleging injuries (like cancer) from using their products, by making EPA the only government entity authorized to determine what is safe for sale. TWO: Gene-altered plants designed to make their own pesticide would automatically be exempt from regulation, unless the EPA justifies the need for oversight.

Another big concern is, certain sections would also eliminate all state and local authority over pesticides. They prohibit cities and counties from regulating pesticide “sale, distribution, labeling, registration, application, or use” and declaring EPA-registered pesticides automatically “lawful” to use “without any other permit, license, or approval” from states or local governments.
Keeping local control, informed consent, and the right to sue is even more critical in the face of the new Executive Order dropped only days after the Farm Bill, that protects glyphosate as a national security issue.
The Farm Bill is moving fast, and Big Ag is hoping MAHA won’t catch up. The 800-page bill was dropped on the Friday before a holiday weekend, when the House was scheduled to be at home in their districts the whole next week, and announced to have a committee hearing on Monday February 23, 2026.

ACTION: Contact the House Agriculture Committee or your U.S. Representative today and urge them to strike the liability shield and keep gene-edited plants regulated. Enter your address first and the system will automatically direct your message to the appropriate office. Reminder! Customizing your message is highly encouraged." via StandForHealthFreedom.com

STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF GREENLAND 🇬🇱

To the people of Greenland: "We stand with you.

We will not let Greenland be treated as a property deal or a bargaining chip. It is your home and your nation.

The threats of a single bully will not decide your future – only you will.

Humanity has fended off corrupt autocrats countless times, and together, we have what it takes to resist intimidation.

We will do what we can to get our leaders to stand up against coercion and draw the line.

This is our commitment. You are not alone." ***

A bully’s best tool is fear. But when we find the confidence to stand up together, a bully can be resisted and repelled. Over the weekend Greenlanders showed the world how it’s done: they marched through their capital in the freezing cold, opposing becoming part of the US and committing to resist Trump’s bullying.

It’s our turn now – let’s stand together across the world to show that they are not alone. Sign and share the letter and we will take it directly to leaders, pushing for concrete steps to stand up against intimidation." via Avaaz.org

::CLICK HERE:: TO SIGN 🙏🏻 STAND WITH GREENLAND 🐻‍❄️🇬🇱

"Regulatory Approval for Glyphosate was Based on Fraud"

Tell the White House & Congress to direct the EPA to ban glyphosate

THE DIRTY DOZEN: REASONS TO BAN GLYPHOSATE HERBICIDES. TAKE ACTION TO TELL THE WHITE HOUSE & CONGRESS TO BAN GLYPHOSATE. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.

"1. RETRACTED: The study that served as the cornerstone of regulators’ assessment of glyphosate’s safety, leading to EPA approvals of glyphosate-based herbicides, has now been retracted. It has been revealed that the study, “Safety Evaluation and Risk Assessment of the Herbicide Roundup and Its Active Ingredient, Glyphosate, for Humans,” was ghostwritten by Monsanto. The Editor-in-Chief of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, which published the study in 2000, cites these reasons for its retraction:

- The study’s conclusions regarding the carcinogenicity of glyphosate are based solely on unpublished studies from Monsanto.

- The authors did not include multiple long-term chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies that had already been published at the time of writing their review in 1999.

- Litigation has revealed that employees of Monsanto contributed to the writing of the study without proper acknowledgment as co-authors. The failure to disclose the involvement of Monsanto personnel in the writing process compromises the academic independence of the presented findings and conclusions drawn in the article regarding carcinogenicity.

- The authors of the study did not disclose that they were financially compensated by Monsanto, raising significant ethical concerns, and calling into question the academic objectivity of the authors.
The sole surviving author of the study, Gary M. Williams, has refused to respond to the Editor-in Chief of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology." ~ ToxinFreeUSA.org

TO READ MORE AND SIGN THE PETITION :: CLICK HERE ::

Decolonize and Relearn Thanksgiving Day

"With Native American Heritage Month well underway and Thanksgiving/National Day of Mourning occurring today, let us celebrate Indigenous brilliance, honor, and acknowledge the truth in history, recognize whose land we are on, and work towards true allyship. We call upon our Cultural Survival community to learn from Indigenous Peoples and their true account of this federal holiday, confront settler mythologies of this country's history, understand how American colonialism and imperialism continue to impact Indigenous communities today, and to take steps towards true reconciliation. Explore the many ways to honor and celebrate Indigenous Peoples every day." cs.org

::CLICK HERE:: to go to Cultural Survival's Site 🌽

Congress is Selling Off Alaska’s Arctic

"U.S. House of Representatives votes to overturn public lands protections in Alaska’s Western Arctic and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge"

::CLICK HERE:: TO SIGN PETITION TO HELP STOP ARCTIC DRILLING

WASHINGTON, DC— Under the Trump Administration, "the U.S. House of Representatives used the Congressional Review Act to overturn protections enacted under the Biden Administration that safeguarded millions of acres of the Western Arctic and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil and gas drilling. The Western Arctic resolution passed the U.S. Senate during the government shutdown, and with this House vote, will now be signed into law by President Donald Trump. The Refuge resolution would also need to be passed by the Senate before it is signed into law. Recently, groups sent letters to Congress urging them to oppose both the Arctic Refuge and Western Arctic resolutions.

Additionally, the House passed a CRA resolution that would undo the Buffalo resource management plan in Wyoming, opening hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands to new coal leasing. A companion resolution was introduced in the U.S. Senate last month, and Congress passed a similar resolution opening public lands in eastern Montana to new coal leasing on October 8. Fourteen organizations sent a letter to the House opposing the Buffalo CRA resolution earlier this week.

After the House votes on the Western Arctic and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge resolutions, Earthjustice Action Senior Legislative Representative Laura M. Esquivel issued the following statement:

“It’s telling where Congress’ priorities lie when one of its first actions following the longest government shutdown in history is to remove critical protections for the Arctic, auctioning off some of the nation’s most irreplaceable public lands to the highest bidder. These protections were crafted after extensive public engagement, based on the best available science and Indigenous knowledge. This vote sent a clear message that polluter profits are more important than protecting these fragile ecosystems, the wildlife and people who depend on these public lands, and our climate. We will continue fighting alongside our partners to protect some of the last truly wild places in the country.” BACKGROUND:

Collectively, the Western Arctic and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge cover approximately 42.3 million acres of public land, comprised of diverse habitats and home to iconic wildlife species like polar bears, seals, and caribou. Both regions contain globally important ecosystems that are important for the survival of imperiled species and for Indigenous communities who have lived in the Arctic since time immemorial. The Refuge’s coastal plain is sacred to the Gwich’in Nation and contains the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou herd that has sustained the Gwich’in for generations.

The Trump Administration recently opened the entire 1.56 million acres of the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge to oil and gas leasing and reinstated unlawful leases in the Refuge covering about 370,000 acres. Simultaneously, the Interior Department is finalizing a repeal of protections for the Western Arctic and reinstating a land management plan that would open 82% of the reserve to oil and gas drilling." EARTHJUSTICE.ORG

Interior Secretary Burgum has the power to halt these reckless policies. ::CLICK HERE:: to urge him to prioritize environmental protection over corporate profits.

::CLICK HERE:: TO SIGN PETITION TO HELP PROTECT POLAR BEARS

"In Memory of Dr. Mu’ath Abu Rukba: The Veterinarian Who Carried Mercy in His Hands"

"The world has lost a quiet hero. Dr. Mu’ath Abu Rukba, the only veterinarian serving northern Gaza, was killed by Israeli bombs during what was supposed to be a cease-fire. He lost his life while trying to return to his home in Jabalia, a home already reduced to rubble by Israeli bombs." ~CannisTriggerPublishing

"Dr. Mu’ath dedicated eight years of study to become a veterinarian, a healer not only of animals, but of hope itself. Through the Gaza Sulala Animal Rescue, he tended to injured and abandoned animals amidst devastation, famine, and constant danger. When food was scarce, he shared what little he had with the strays. When bombs fell, he ran toward the cries of wounded pets instead of away from them. His compassion was his courage.

Those who knew him describe a man of gentle manners, generosity, and unwavering kindness. In a place where survival leaves little room for tenderness, Dr. Mu’ath embodied mercy to animals and humans alike. He was a living testament to what it means to protect life in all its forms.

On Friday, October 10, 2025, he returned to Jabalia to try to recover a few belongings from the ruins of his home, the same home he, his wife, and their two small children had fled under bombing. He never made it back. As he tried to reach what was left, Israeli airstrikes took his life.

Dr. Mu’ath’s death is a loss for his family, for Gaza, and for every being he ever cared for; it is a loss for everyone who believes that kindness still has a place in the world. The animals of Gaza have lost their only doctor. The world has lost a man whose compassion shone in the darkest of times. May his memory be a blessing."

To Help Dr Mu'ath's family :: CLICK HERE ::

Concerning the animals affected by the devastation of on going bombardment in Gaza where Dr. Mu'ath worked in Gaza City, Sulala Animal Rescue is in need of monetary aid for animal medicines, food and supplies. "We are asking for your support in raising funds for Sulala Animal Rescue, in Palestine Gaza. Sulala was started by a Father and Son team that works tirelessly to help animals in need. Despite often having minimal resources, they have managed to save and care for countless animals. Their dedication and compassion make a huge difference in the lives of these animals, providing them with the love and care they deserve.

Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, countless animals are suffering—abandoned, injured, and without access to food, water, or shelter. Your donations can help provide urgent veterinary care, nourishment, and safe refuge for these voiceless victims of war."

To Donate to Sulala Animal Rescue in Gaza :: CLICK HERE ::

To Connect via social media and learn about Sulala Animal Rescue's efforts :: CLICK HERE ::

To Learn about Animal Heroes :: CLICK HERE ::

Free Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya!

::CLICK HERE:: TO SIGN THE AVAAZ PETITION TO RELEASE DR SAFIYA🙏

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan hospital, a pediatrician, and a prominent voice of Gaza’s decimated healthcare sector, is still being arbitrarily detained by Israeli authorities since his arrest on 27 December 2024. A lawyer who visited him and other detainees, recently reported that he has been subjected to abuse and other ill-treatment. Join us in demanding his immediate and unconditional release.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PETITION TO RELEASE DR SAFIYA 🙏

"On 27 December 2024, Israeli forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital—the last functioning hospital in North Gaza at the time—and arrested the hospital’s director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya along with other medical staff and patients.

Dr. Abu Safiya had been tirelessly running the hospital, providing essential care to children and bearing witness to the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare sector under Israel’s genocide. He continued his work even after the tragic death of his own son during an Israeli airstrike. Like many health workers before him, he was detained while caring for his patients and carrying out his medical duties

Not until 11 February 2025 did Israeli authorities allow Dr. Abu Safiya to meet with a legal counsel. In the latest visit by a lawyer to Ofer military prison in early July 2025, she reported that Dr. Hussam and other detainees were subjected to assault and beatings. She also stated that Dr. Abu Safiya showed signs of significant weight loss as the Israeli Prison Service continues to impose severe restrictions on Palestinian detainees’ access to food, adequate medical care and hygiene.

Dr. Abu Safiya’s arrest and ongoing arbitrary detention without charges or trial – based on the abusive Unlawful Combatants’ Law – is a reflection of Israel’s systematic targeting of Palestinian health workers and the decimation of the healthcare system in Gaza in order to inflict conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians." (amnesty.org)

On tuesday October 16, the family of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya confirmed that the Israeli court has extended his administrative detention for another six months, despite his name having previously appeared among those discussed for release. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION & SHARE 🙏

‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ Stuns Venice Film Festival with ‘Free Palestine’ Chants

RIP Hind Rami Iyad Rajab (May 3, 2018 – Jan. 29, 2024)🪬🙏🏼🪬
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” premiere at the Venice Film Festival proved to be a hugely emotional event, with very few dry eyes.

"We often describe certain challenging or button-pushing films as hard to watch; fewer are categorized as hard to listen to. In “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” the voice in question is a small one, belonging to a young girl alone and in unconscionable peril, high and breathless with fear and confusion. But it cuts through Kaouther Ben Hania’s film with piercing clarity, largely because, in contrast to a surrounding chorus of frantic adult voices, it isn’t performed. Rather, it’s a real-life recording of the last words ever spoken by Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian child killed on Jan. 29, 2024, after her family’s car was shelled by Israeli forces during their invasion of the Gaza Strip." (variety.com)

The Director, Kaouther Ben Hania's statement: "Here’s how it all began: I was in the middle of the Oscar campaign for Les filles d’Olfa, and mentally preparing to finally enter pre- production on a film I had been writing for ten years. Then, during a layover at LAX, everything shifted. I heard an audio recording of Hind Rajab begging for help. By then, her voice had already spread across the Internet. I immediately felt a mix of helplessness, and an overwhelming sadness. A physical reaction, like the ground shifted under me. I couldn’t carry on as planned. I contacted the Red Crescent and asked them to let me hear the full audio. After listening to it, I knew, without a doubt, that I had to drop everything else. I had to make this film. I spoke at length with Hind’s mother, with the real people who were on the other end of that call, those who tried to help her. I listened, I cried, I wrote. Then I wove a story around their testimonies, using the real audio recording of Hind’s voice, and building a single-location film where the violence remains off-screen. That was a deliberate choice. Because violent images are everywhere on our screens, our timelines, our phones. What I wanted was to focus on the invisible: the waiting, the fear, the unbearable sound of silence when help doesn’t come. Sometimes, what you don’t see is more devastating than what you do. At the heart of this film is something very simple, and very hard to live with. I cannot accept a world where a child calls for help and no one comes. That pain, that failure, belongs to all of us. This story is not just about Gaza. It speaks to a universal grief. And I believe that fiction (especially when it draws from verified, painful, real events) is cinema’s most powerful tool. More powerful than the noise of breaking news or the forgetfulness of scrolling. Cinema can preserve a memory. Cinema can resist amnesia. May Hind Rajab’s voice be heard." (LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA)

Oscar Winning Documentary: "NO OTHER LAND"

In Memory of Odeh Hathalin aka Awdah Hathaleen.
1993 - July 28,2025. Rest in Peace 🪬🙏🏼🪬


Odeh was an activist and collaborator with Oren Ziv's documentary film, "No Other Land" which is about the struggles of two friends, one Israeli and the other Palestinian. Odeh was murdered on Monday by Israeli Settler, Yinon Levi in the occupied West Bank.

GAZA DOCTORS UNDER ATTACK, THE FILM THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE

WATCH NOW: 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack' – The Full Film They Didn't Want You To See by Mehdi Hasan

Exclusive: The powerful film the BBC refused to air is out now, released globally by Zeteo. It documents Israel's destruction of Gaza's hospitals and the killing of Palestinian doctors.

Read on Substack

"The BBC commissioned the documentary: The film, made by Basement Films, was intended to highlight the experiences of medics in Gaza. Impartiality concerns: The BBC stated that broadcasting the material "risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC". Previous incident and pause: Production of Doctors Under Attack was paused in April 2025 following a controversy surrounding another documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, where the narrator was the child of a Hamas minister. The BBC initially said it would wait for the findings of a review into the earlier film before proceeding with Doctors Under Attack."

"Transfer of ownership: The BBC ultimately transferred ownership of the film material to Basement Films. Broadcast by Channel 4: Channel 4 acquired the documentary and broadcast it, with their Head of News and Current Affairs stating it offered "powerful evidence" about the experiences of doctors in Gaza.

Context and related information: Allegations in the film: The documentary features firsthand accounts of Israeli military attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers in Gaza, which some argue would constitute war crimes. The film also includes allegations of abuse and torture of Palestinian detainees, and accusations of complicity against Israeli medics.

Criticism of the BBC's decision: The BBC's decision has been criticized by various parties, including the documentary filmmakers, who felt the decision was politically motivated and hindered important journalism. Some BBC journalists also signed a letter calling the decision a "political decision" that didn't reflect the film's quality.

Channel 4's perspective: Channel 4 defended its decision to air the documentary, emphasizing the importance of telling stories people need to know, even if they are uncomfortable. They also stated they conducted rigorous editorial checks.

"The United Nation’s Dysfunction Undermines Global Security," by Ban Ki-moon and Helen Clark

"THE ORGANISATION SHOULD NOT BE HELD HOSTAGE BY A FEW POWERFUL STATES!!"

Published in the Economist on 24 June, 2025

"When the Charter of the United Nations was signed, 80 years ago this week, President Harry Truman emphasised that the document’s value lay only in the will of governments to use it. “The job”, he said, “will tax the moral strength and fibre of us all.”

That was perhaps more evident in 1945. Today, we seem to have forgotten what is required for multilateralism to function—and why. Opting for peace over war may seem obvious. But it took the horror of two world wars to find agreement on how to maintain that peace.

In the post-war era, countries did exert their moral strength, to varying degrees, to co-operate in building a world of much greater peace, security, prosperity and respect for human rights. That world is far from perfect but much progress has been made.

Conflicts continue, but there has been no third world war. No nuclear weapon has been used in conflict since 1945. Even at the height of the cold war, countries came together to eradicate smallpox. In 1987 the Montreal Protocol was adopted, reversing the destruction of the ozone layer. Multilateral initiatives have helped reduce the number of children dying before their fifth birthday by 60% since 1990. The hard-fought promotion and protection of rights—particularly those of women—has transformed lives everywhere. And more recently, in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris agreement on climate set out agendas to end poverty for good and protect the planet.

These achievements are worth celebrating. Yet we find ourselves at a juncture at which celebration would feel absurd. The U.N. is slipping into dysfunction as some of its traditional champions, notably the United States, retreat from multilateral co-operation, cut funding and disregard the rule of law when it suits them.

The absence of Truman’s “moral strength” is nowhere more glaring than at the un Security Council. Largely due to its veto-wielding five permanent members, the council has failed to prevent many conflicts over the decades. Worse still, its permanent members have been directly involved in several of those conflicts, from Iraq to Ukraine and beyond. Today, the council stands paralysed to prevent genocide in Gaza. It faces a further test in responding to the Israel-Iran crisis.

It is thus unsurprising that global public opinion of the wider un is deteriorating. Having served the organisation at its highest levels, we understand these concerns. We know the un needs reform, and we know how difficult that can be. But its strongest critics are sometimes those who make both its effectiveness and its reform most difficult: its member states.

We are acutely aware of the un’s overreliance on powerful states, the consequences of which are devastating. This is just as much the case for sustainable development or human rights as it is for peace and security. The world must seize this moment of crisis to reorient the U.N. away from the preferences of a minority and towards better serving all states. The organisation does not have to be held hostage by a few countries—especially those that refuse to pay their dues or fail to show up.

In fact, there are many recent achievements showing that international agreement can be found with or without particular countries. Last month the World Health Assembly adopted a historic “Pandemic Agreement”, a feat of determination by governments committed to multilateral co-operation (which remains the majority). The World Intellectual Property Organisation has adopted two treaties over the past year after decades of obstructionism. A resolution paving the way towards a global treaty on crimes against humanity was finally adopted in November, despite repeated attempts at derailment by Russia. The Pact for the Future agreed by the U.N. General Assembly last September, which faced similar challenges, holds enormous potential for multilateral action on issues ranging from Ai governance to climate.

Perhaps most urgently, momentum has been building towards Security Council reform in recent years, with the Pact for the Future committing countries to its expansion—a process that must be led by the General Assembly, not the council itself. Successful expansion of the council in the 1960s shows that reform is possible.

In parallel, the UN secretariat needs to restore its critical role in mediating crises. Member states must support this role, rather than buying into a free-for-all where regional and global powers set the terms of political settlements. The stakes are high. A world war today could lead to the end of humanity, yet the states able to reduce nuclear risks are expanding their arsenals and eroding the taboo against nuclear use through the exchange of barely veiled threats.

We also believe that the next un secretary-general must be a woman. A continuing succession of men at the top is counterproductive to what the organisation is seeking to achieve. Sharing power and responsibility between men and women is crucial to a stable and united future. Alongside meaningful un reform, there is also widespread support for transforming the international financial architecture. Urgent consideration must be given to equitable global tax reform, the alleviation of crippling debt and new approaches to financing global public goods.

The case for an improved un is clear. But a rushed reform process that is driven by funding cuts rooted in ideological distaste for the principles of the un will not improve the organisation, or the world.

As the second secretary-general, Dag Hammarskjöld, said, the U.N. “was not created in order to bring us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell”. It was born from a global yearning to counter destructive authoritarianism. It is unsurprising that in today’s world certain leaders want to see the un on its knees, and to shrug off what they see as the tedious constraints of the rule of law. For others, this is a moment that demands their moral strength and fibre. Without it, we risk a world of unchecked power, unprecedented conflict, repression, disease, famine and poverty—a world which would be unrecognisable even to Truman in 1945."

Ban Ki-moon was secretary-general of the United Nations from 2007 to 2016. Helen Clark was prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008 and head of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. Both are members of The Elders, founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007

"Where Olive Trees Weep" Trailer

"The film gives background to the current crisis in Israel/Palestine and brings to light the lives of people we met on our 2022 journey in the occupied West Bank. Their universally human stories speak of intergenerational pain, trauma and resilience. We hope they touch your heart, stir compassion and understanding, and give rise to a pursuit for justice. For without justice, peace remains an empty slogan. -Co Directors: Zaya & Maurizio Benazzo"



::CLICK HERE:: TO WATCH THE FULL FILM 🙏🏻

"I WANT MY DEATH TO BE LOUD!" Never forget Fatma Hassouna, Palestinian Photojournalist & Poet

Poem by Fatma Hassouna, written months before her murder in her home in Gaza along with 9 family members on Wednesday April 16, 2025 by a targeted Israeli airstrike.

"Today or tomorrow, or the day after I will fall to the sky just as my friends fell. We will take each other's hands, rows upon rows to an eternal gate. We will know the answer to all these questions because something makes everything we see and hear unreasonable. At the time everything will become reasonable and it will become . Questions are just ashes.

Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow I will actually become a past person in the category of “Was”. “He had dreams and he loved life even though it was hard on him. He was talented. He wanted to live, and he was, and he was a shelf filled with the wishes of a past person who’s pages close forever, remembering him." Who knows him? Why those who do not know him pass by indifferently? And this is what I do not want to happen because I told you, I WANT MY DEATH TO BE LOUD and it will not be enough for me, for only friends to know about it because I did not give my life for that.

I want the whole world to know that death of the Palestinian now means that an extended vengeance will go on. Burn his killer, his brother who was silent about his killing, and the knife that cut his neck. And I want the whole world to know that my death means the world losing itself in front of me, in front of us, in front of itself, and that’s what killed me, not a bullet. Not a shrapnel, not even a missile. What kills me everyday is my inability to break the hand that attacked me and my brothers, and my oppression from all those who remain silent when they should have been screaming. What kills me is something unseen, sneaking into my body and soul and nesting, spreading like a cancer, then destroying everything. Something after a moment of anticipation, like a mean snake.

What will kill me will never be this occupation or all those whose impurity I’ve known. Rather it will be my disappointment, my self abasement, my silence and satisfaction with being killed. That is what I do not want, this shame to ever befall me. I want to live for the world to know me and for the game to end with a fair end!"

Her last post on Twitter:

Fatma's Photo Diary: -> A CITY OF GHOSTS <-

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