The digital space represents a global interaction and communication sphere for all people. In this sphere children connect with young people and adults across almost all countries, cultures and age groups. The constant improvement and implementation of automatic translation programs, for example in social media, also means that language barriers in the digital space are becoming increasingly blurred.
The pandemic of COVID-19 and the imposed lockdown, has
led to more people to be confined at home with many more hours to spend online
each day and increasingly relying on the Internet to access services, they
normally obtain offline.
Over the last century, organized crime has
demonstrated a remarkable capacity to rapidly adapt to mutated social,
political and economic conditions. While in some cases this adaptation was the
result of a reactive response to improved legislation targeting their
interests, in many others it was ignited by the pursuit of new possibilities
for economic profit. Examples in this sense include how quickly criminal groups
adapted to new scenarios created, for instance, by geopolitical changes, the
integration of global markets or the generalized use of the world wide web as a
marketplace for a variety of licit and illicit goods and services.
“Man is by nature a social animal” proclaimed Aristotle. This characteristic has made us organize into complex hierarchical societies where individuals are interdependent to satisfy basic necessities. Although we all know that social distancing is the most effective way to contain the spread of coronavirus, this is something biologically unnatural for humans.[1] In this health emergency, many governments have decided to impose strict measures to limit social interactions to an absolute minimum. Lockdowns, limitations of movement of people and closure of borders have all been necessary measures for the good of societies.
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, no clear
evidence has emerged of a significant decrease in the supply of drugs at the
global level, including in Italy, even after the quarantine was extended to the
entire country.
WRITTEN BY Odhran McCarthy and Sophie Van De Meulengraaf
The principle of equality – the belief that all human
beings are born free and equal – along with the correlated prohibition on
discrimination are foundations of society. Equality is one of the most basic
aspects of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a pillar on which the
United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945. Yet, following the emergence of the
coronavirus in December 2019, this long-established fundamental human right is
being increasingly threatened. Indeed, as the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority
Issues, Fernand de Varennes, observed, “COVID-19 is not just a health issue; it
can also be a virus that exacerbates xenophobia, hate and exclusion.”[1]
The year 2020 marks two important landmarks in gender
equality achievement: the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and
Platform of Action, and the 20th year of implementing Security Council
Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Unfortunately, the Covid-19
pandemic caused cancellation and postponement of many important international
meetings, including a shortened version of the 64th session of the Commission
on the Status of Women, but it is also risking to heavily jeopardize the
progress made over recent years.
To prevent the spread
of Covid19, many governments have been taking strict measures such as closing
borders, imposing nationwide lockdowns and setting up quarantine facilities.
While these measures may ensure that social distancing is followed seriously,
they may have indirect effects on the economy and adverse effects on the
well-being of people, especially the vulnerable population.
WRITTEN BY Wim Hardyns, Ines Keygnaert, Koen Ponnet and Christophe Vandeviver
Introduction
The global spread of COVID-19 has dramatically
impacted our lives. In an effort to contain the virus, governments across the
globe have resorted to social distancing, home lockdowns, and isolation
policies. However, such measures can have a negative impact on people’s mental
well-being, put pressure on their relationships and cause stress, thus
potentially contributing to an increase in violence and aggression within
households. A recent review of the psychological impact of quarantine measures
confirms that isolation can produce several negative emotional effects, such as
post-traumatic stress syndrome, emotion regulation problems, depression, and
increased feelings of stress.[1]
Experiencing stress and powerlessness is associated with an increased risk of
violent victimization.[2]
Perpetrator and victims often know each other.[3]
The combination of stress-inducing factors due to the lockdown and potentially
living together with a perpetrator of violence may trigger an increase and
worsening of various forms of violence within the household.[4]
Preparing young people for the diplomatic and international careers of today means facing the new international crises with an innovative and global vision that analyzes their real causes first and then provides adequate and effective responses over time. Furthermore, a greater synergy with international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) is needed. In this regard, the European Association of International Studies (AESI) usually organizes two missions in Geneva in coordination with the Italian Representation at the United Nations agencies.
The world is shaken by an unprecedented health crisis. Its multiple ravages are echoing all over the world and the media seem to revel in it as information concerning the situation becomes vital. Needless to say, Covid-19 made its appearance at the end of 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of the province of Hubei in China, and at the start of 2020, continued to spread in an overpowering and dominant way, not only characterized by its speed but also in its capacity of adaptation across all continents of the world. China has been overwhelmed. In France, there are no longer yellow vest protests. Italy no longer sings and the art world present in the country has closed its doors. It would seem that America, in tears, suddenly forgot its superpower.
In his remarks to the High-level Meeting on Mali and
the Sahel held on the margins of the General Debate of the 74th session of the
UN General Assembly, the Secretary General
António Guterres acknowledged the increasing threat posed by the rise of
violence in the Sahel and its spreading towards the Gulf of Guinea. He also
warned about terrorist groups exploiting local conflicts and acting as
defenders of communities to enhance their popularity and local support. As a
matter of fact, countries in the Sahel region have been experiencing a
significant increase in the level of violence, resulting in severe consequences
for the population. According to Mohamed Ibn Chambas,
UN Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa
and the Sahel (UNOWAS), the casualties caused by terrorist attacks in Burkina
Faso, Mali and Niger, have increased five-fold since 2016. The fragile
circumstances and the deteriorating security situation have also pushed many
people to flee their homes, with more than one million refugees and internally
displaced people (IDPs)
sheltered in the central Sahel.
In our contemporary globalized world, women and
adolescent girls in various countries across the globe continue to face
constant hardships and obstacles, ranging from gender-based violence to
prevalent gender inequalities and deeply rooted gendered socio-cultural norms,
which hinder their emancipation and development and negatively impact the implementation
of gender equality and rights. Despite these circumstances, different
advancements, such as emerging innovative solutions and technologies, can play
a significant role in relation to the development and empowerment of women in
various sectors of society globally. It thus becomes ever more necessary to
apply cross-cutting approaches, such as a critical gender lens and a
rights-based approach[1] to a
wide range of development sectors and issue areas, including, but not limited
to, education, political participation, and economic development, while
considering, at the same time, the role that technology can have in these
domains and analyzing its socio-cultural, global implications.
In its efforts to raise awareness against the
coronavirus, the association “The voice of the
students of Timbuktu” has just trained around thirty young people in
respect of measures to stop the contagion. The training can be recognized as a
means to strengthen the prevention of COVID-19 in Timbuktu, where nothing seems
to worry the population.
A patriarchal society confers the title of
“breadwinners” on ‘him’ and bestows them with the responsibility to earn for
the family. This confers another title on him as “head of the family” which
thematically corresponds to “white man’s burden” as it creates an illusion that
only men are capable of earning for the family. Unfortunately, the phrase “the
father is the head of the family” is taught already as a lesson in pre-primary
school thereby sowing the seeds of inequality in innocent minds. This
illusion, born from the patriarchal mindset, laid the foundation for the
socio-economic gender inequalities present today and is the root cause of
intergenerational inequality faced by women.
